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COLLEGE BASKETBALL — January 30

VANDERBILT at KENTUCKY
(Kentucky -8.5, Total 154) — Obviously few players on the college basketball scene are as gifted as John Wall. And John Calipari, for all of the questionable recruiting he’s done, does seem to have put together a powerhouse at once-defeated Kentucky. Wall has helped make Patrick Patterson a 61% shooter, and DeMarcus Cousins combined with him to make for a formidable front line. But Vandy has some size of its own, with the inside-out 6’11″ duo of Festus Ezeli and AJ Ogilvy, who can bring the Wildcat big men out farther with his ability to shoot. Add freshman John Jenkins (49% from three-point land) to the mix and they have a people who can keep Wall & Co. plenty busy. Kentucky’s fab frosh does have a tendency to turn the ball over (SEVEN times against Auburn, for example) and he can get beat off the dribble on defense. Don’t count on Vandy, which has covered seven of its last eight, and is 6-1 ATS on the road, to be intimidated by the surroundings at Rupp Arena; they’ve split with the ‘Cats on the last four visits to Lexington.

THE PLAY: VANDERBILT +8.5 ***

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL — January 21

WESTERN KENTUCKY at TROY
(Pick’em) — Troy has lost three of its last four games, but they’ve got the scheduling advantage over WKU, which is playing its third game in five days and is taking its second trip in the last three. The Hilltoppers showed some fatigue in Monday’s lost at Middle Tennessee, shooting just 34%, and the Trojans have the three-point shooters (three starters at 42% or better from arc) to extend the lead if WKU gets cold again. keep in mind that the ‘Toppers have covered just one of last seven road games.

THE PLAY: TROY pick ***

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL — January 20

BAYLOR at KANSAS
(Kansas -14, Total 148) — Kansas has played as if it was taking no prisoners in the two games since the loss to Tennessee, blowing away both Nebraska and Texas Tech. And they may seem capable of running Baylor off the court as well. But they won’t have a cakewalk against this Bears team, which exhibits great guard play, can match three-pointers with the Jayhawks (7.9 per game) and surprisingly suffocating defense (36% FG’s allowed). Kansas has won two of the last three, but by ten points apiece, and the Bears outplayed them in 71-64 victory in last year’s Big 12 tourney. With wins over Xavier, Arizona State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, this team won’t lack for confidence, and with new front court star Ekpe Udoh (11.4 rebounds and 4.4 blocks a game!), Baylor has someone who can trade punches and make life difficult for All-America candidate Cole Aldrich.

THE PLAY: BAYLOR +14 ***

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL — January 16

GEORGE MASON at JAMES MADISON
(James Madison -2) — There is most likely no 1-2 punch in the Colonial Athletic Association that quite matches what JMU has in Julius Wells, the sizzling sophomore and long-range shooter, and Denzel Bowles, a transfer from Texas A&M. Bowles is the big man, averaging 23 points in eight games since becoming eligible. Just as importantly, he’s added the shot-blocking element that had been lacking. Wells has hit a load of three-pointers; in fact, he’s made 27 in his last six games. George Mason has hung in there with good teams, when you consider one-point losses to the likes of Villanova and Dayton, not to mention wins over Georgia Tech and Old Dominion. But they have been absolutely hammered in true road games against Radford and Northeastern, and their minus-4.2 ratio of assists to turnovers is a coach-killer. The Patriots are usually pretty good at taking out the other team’s best scorer, but since JMU has added another dimension that a much more difficult task. Truth is, GMU doesn’t shoot well enough (41%) and does not make many threes (4.6). Will they do something in the paint with Bowles standing there?

THE PLAY: JAMES MADISON -2 ***

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL — January 9

FLORIDA at VANDERBILT
(Vanderbilt -6) — When Florida got off to an 8-0 start, with a roster that had precious little experienced leadership, and not having sufficiently replaced Nick Calathes, who bolted for Europe, I thought it was suspect, and the Gators are proving that correct, as a rather non-competitive loss to Syracuse and defeats to Richmond and South Alabama would seem to indicate. Beating Michigan State was significant, but the Spartans are often sleepwalking at the start of the season anyway. Florida is just 29% from three-point range this season, which is not like them. We prefer the Commodores, who seem to be coming on strong, and doing it with AJ Ogilvy playing a part-time role, or rather a role where he can play better in limited minutes. Mostly that’s because Festus Ezeli has been a tower of strength in the middle, especially on defense, where he’s blocked ten shots in the last three games. With freshman John Jenkins getting particularly hot (19 for 30 from arc in last five games), there may be too many people for Billy Donovan’s team to defend.

THE PLAY: VANDERBILT -6 ***

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)