Saturday, December 9, 2006
It’s underway: Joe Duffy is CEO of OffshoreInsiders.com, which is offering a premium version of the advanced news and notes, computer trends, weather information and more for the entire bowl season. Much of the information is compiled from hometown newspapers and the team’s own press releases. The entire bowl season version of the OffshoreInsiders.com clipboard is $69
CBB
Xavier-Creighton
Press Notes
Xavier, 7-1, won its fourth straight game with an 88-55 thrashing of former Midwestern Collegiate Conference rival Detroit on Tuesday in Throwback Jersey Night at Cintas Center. Xavier shot a season-high 59.3 percent from the field in the win over Detroit, marking the fourth straight game that Xavier has shot over 50.0 percent from the field. This is the first time XU has shot 50 percent or better in four straight games since the 2003-04 “Elite Eight” season. Xavier is ranked 24th in this week’s Associated Press Poll. The last time Xavier was ranked in the Associated Press “Top 25” was when it finished 12th in the 2002-03 final regular season poll. XU was ranked as high as 10th that season by AP, including the preseason poll and the March 5th poll. Xavier, which played VCU, Villanova and Alabama at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, tonight is playing its first road game on an opponent’s home court. Joe Duffy’s sports betting selections are at www.GodsTips.com
Illinois Chicago-Illinois
Press Notes
The UIC men’s basketball team renews its rivalry with Illinois on Saturday afternoon as the Flames (5-4) square off with the Fighting Illini (8-2) at the United Center at 1 p.m. UIC enters the contest riding a three-game winning streak and has won four of its last five games. Saturday’s matinee is the 13th all-time meeting between UIC and Illinois with the Illini holding an 11-1 edge in the series. This is the second time the two schools have squared off at the United Center with Illinois winning the last meeting in the arena, 75-60, on Dec. 30, 2003. The Flames are on the heels of a convincing 71-48 win at Northern Illinois on Tuesday night. UIC’s defense has been especially stingy of late, limiting opponents to just 38 percent field goal shooting in its last three games. UIC’s recent surge has coincided with the insertion of freshman Spencer Stewart into the starting lineup. The rookie point guard is averaging 10.0 points and 5.2 assists per outing and shooting 50 percent from three-point range as a starter. Stewart is now the team leader in assists (3.3 apg) and ranks first in the Horizon League in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3-to-1).
GA Tech-Vanderbilt
Press Notes
Tech is 2-2 away from home this season, having defeated Purdue (79-61) and No. 11 Memphis (92-85) before dropping an 88-73 decision to No. 5 UCLA in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. The Yellow Jackets are 20-48 on the road overall under head coach Paul Hewitt. The Yellow Jackets remain No. 2 in the ACC in scoring offense (86.1 ppg), lead the ACC in field goal percentage (51.4 pct.) and rank second in three-point field foal percentage (39.0 pct.). MasterLockLine.com has the top plays from the top sports service in their highest ranked sports. Tech also ranks sixth in rebound margin (plus-5.9), fifth in assists per game (16.5) and fifth in offensive rebounds (14.5). Defensively, Tech has struggled in its last three games, allowing its opponents to shoot no worse than 51.7 percent in any one half. And the Jackets have been outrebounded for three straight games after beating its first five opponents on the boards by an average of more than 12 per game. The Yellow Jackets will be tested Saturday by a team that relies heavily on good three-point shooting.
UCLA-Texas A&M
LA Times
That No. 6 ranking is the highest in Texas A&M history, but it came before the Aggies suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday at No. 9 Louisiana State.
Indiana-Kentucky
Courier-Journal
Last season in Indianapolis, IU handed the Cats their worst loss in series history, a 79-53 shellacking that snapped UK’s five-game winning streak in the series. The Hoosiers are coming off a 92-40 win against Western Illinois.
Utah-Rhode Island
Press Notes
Utah had its three-game winning steak snapped with a 60-57 loss at Utah State on Wednesday night. Last week, the Utes defeated Weber State, 67-55, on Nov. 29 and previously unbeaten Washington State, 69-55, on Dec. 2. Three of Utah’s four losses have come by a combined seven points. Before its loss at Utah State on Wednesday night, Utah had won three in a row for the first time since it won its first four games of the 2005-06 season. That followed up Utah’s first 0-3 start since 1970-71. The Utes have shot at least 50 percent from three-point range in five of the seven games and at least 50 percent from the field in five of the seven games this season. The Rams are 5-4 overall and 3-1 at home this season. During the past week, Rhode Island lost at Providence, 95-66, on Saturday and edged Brown, 72-68, at home on Tuesday night.
Illinois State-Evansville
Press Notes
The Aces have won four straight at Roberts Stadium against Illinois State and Indiana State. That’s the longest homecourt win streak for UE against MVC opponents. Overall, Evansville trails in the series against Illinois State 20-12. The Aces were 2-1 against the Redbirds last season–winning at home 54-47, losing at Normal 65-57, and winning 52-45 in the first round of the State Farm MVC Tournament. Evansville has won four straight home games after defeating Valparaiso 69-64 at Roberts Stadium on Tuesday behind Matt Webster’s career-high 30 points. This is the Aces’ longest homecourt win streak since they won eight in a row at home to begin the 2004-05 season. peaking of winning streaks, Illinois State has run off six straight after two losses to begin the season. The Redbirds present a much different look in 2006-07, with three junior college transfers leading the team in scoring. Stevie Vincent’s BetOnSports360.com is pioneer in forensic handicapping and part of OffshoreInsiders.com Guards Dominitrix Johnson (12.9) and Boo Richardson (12.8) are the top scorers, and 6-7 forward Anthony Slack (11.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg) is third in scoring and first in rebounding. The Redbirds are 6-2 overall after Tuesday’s 64-40 win over Miami of Ohio.
Butler-Indiana State
Press Notes
Butler (9-0) will play outside of Indianapolis for the final time before Christmas when it visits Indiana State (4-3). Indiana State, ending a seven-day layoff, has won the last two meetings in the series, including a 59-58 decision at Hinkle Fieldhouse last year. The #15-ranked Bulldogs defeated Ball State, 65-41, on Wednesday (Dec. 6), recording their fourth victory over a school from Indiana this season. Butler continues to hold the No. 1 spot in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and the Bulldogs have climbed to the top spot in the Sagarin basketball ratings. It marks the first time that Butler has held the top spot in both national ratings at the same time! Butler first grabbed the top spot in the RPI after beating Notre Dame and Indiana on back-to-back nights in early November. The Bulldogs have played the seventh toughest schedule in the nation acccording to the RPI.
West Virginia-Duquesne
Press Notes
Duquesne (2-5), coming off a 73-56 loss at #2 (AP) Pitt on Wednesday, completes its own version of “rivalry week” by hosting West Virginia.Duquesne’s current stretch of three local rivals in a week began with a 73-72 loss at Robert Morris last Saturday. The West Virginia game is Duquesne’s lone home game between Nov. 22 and Jan. 10. The Dukes, who dropped a 67-53 decision to Oakland on Nov. 22, won’t play at home after the WVU game until conference play when La Salle visits on Jan. 10. That’s eight of nine on the road if you’re counting. Six of the past eight Duquesne vs. West Virginia games have been single-digit affairs with Duquesne winning four times. The past four games at Duquesne have been decided by fewer than 10 points with the teams alternating wins. Approved sportsbooks are at www.linetrackers.com The Dukes received a lift when 6-10 junior F/C Kieron Achara played 18 minutes at Pitt on Wednesday. Achara, who missed all but three games last season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder, was diagnosed with three stress fractures in his left foot on Nov. 10. Hhe resumed practice on Monday, Dec. 4 and was a surprise addition for the Pitt game. It was Achara’s first game action since last Dec. 3 vs. Robert Morris (he underwent shoulder surgery last Dec. 15). Duquesne is currently competing with nine scholarship players. A freshman has led DU in scoring in each of the team’s first seven games.
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