Jayhawks Edge Wildcats; Wednesday AP Top 25 Preview
Tuesday night’s college basketball action saw a pair of ranked teams fall to unranked opposition, while Michigan State and Kansas both picked up big wins.
No. 18 North Carolina (15-4, 4-2 ACC) hit a bump in the road, losing 86-84 to a Wake Forest (10-8, 3-3 ACC) side that has struggled to stay in games this season. The Demon Deacons stayed in this one, just, handing the Wolf Pack its second conference loss in the last three games.
Having fallen to Syracuse over the weekend, No. 5 Louisville (16-3, 4-2 Big East) again stumbled, this time during a visit to Villanova (12-7, 3-3 Big East). The Cardinals are now looking up at both the Orange and Marquette, and looking down the AP rankings.
Meanwhile, No. 3 Kansas (17-1, 5-0 Big 12) remained unbeaten in conference play, handing intra-state rival No. 11 Kansas State (15-3, 4-1 Big 12) its first Big 12 loss and first home loss of the season.
No. 13 Michigan State (17-3, 6-1 Big Ten) upset the bookies, handing Wisconsin (13-6, 4-2 Big Ten) a second straight loss, both of which have come following that upset win over Indiana.
Now let’s look forward to Wednesday’s action.
No. 1 Duke at No. 25 Miami (FL)
Durand Scott and the Miami Hurricanes will look to upset Duke on Wednesday, and thus stay unbeaten in ACC play.
Duke (16-1, 3-1 ACC) rebounded from its first loss of the season with a 73-57 victory over Georgia Tech last Thursday, sending the Blue Devils back to the top of the AP poll. Now the side from Durham, N.C., will look to hold on to the No. 1 spot against a surprising Hurricanes side.
Miami (13-3, 4-0 ACC) currently sits atop of the ACC standings with an unbeaten record in conference play. Critics will be quick to point out that the Hurricanes have yet to beat a quality side – both Maryland and North Carolina are struggling in conference play this season – but at the end of the day, it’s up to the rest of the conference to beat Jim Larranaga’s side. Duke has the ability to do just that.
The Blue Devils are one of the highest scoring teams in the country, a fact driven home by the side’s .422 average from behind the three-point line, which is good enough for fourth in the nation. Without the injured Ryan Kelly, Seth Curry had a 24-point night against Georgia Tech, while Mason Plumlee added 16 points and 13 boards.
Miami will need to stop both those scorers if it is to be successful on Wednesday night. Stopping scorers is something the Hurricanes have excelled at this season, limiting teams to 58.4 points per game on .375 shooting.
Miami scored a victory at Duke last season, but fell to the Blue Devils in two meetings the previous season.
Duke enters the game as favorites, with the spread at just two points. Duke is 10-7-0 against the spread, while Miami is 10-3-0.
The total is 126.5. Duke has gone 8-8 in the over/under this year, while Miami (0-10-1) has not seen the total go over this season.
Colorado State at No. 15 New Mexico
Dorian Green and the Colorado State Rams will look to upset No. 15 New Mexico on Wednesday night.
With scalps of Connecticut, Cincinnati, and UNLV, New Mexico (16-2, 3-0 MWC) has stolen its way to the No. 15 spot in the AP rankings. If the Lobos are to stay in the polls, they’ll need to set the pace in a Mountain West Conference that has no other ranked sides at this time.
Colorado State (15-3, 2-1 MWC) can put a serious dent in any hopes the Lobos might have by handing the side from Albuquerque a loss on Wednesday night. In doing so, the Rams would themselves rise to the top of the conference.
Colorado State lost to San Diego State on Jan. 12, in its only game against a ranked opponent this season, but the result could be different here. The Rams have proven to be the better of the two sides offensively, scoring more and shooting a better percentage, a category in which the school ranks fourth in the country. The Rams have pulled down more rebounds too, another category In which it ranks in the top 10.
Defensively, the Rams also have superior numbers to the Lobos, but home court advantage could prove a difference-maker here. So could history; the Lobos have posted a 50-16 record against the Rams since 1979.
New Mexico is favored at home, with the spread at 5.5. The Lobos are 9-7-1 against the spread this season, while Colorado State is 8-6-0.
The total is 129. New Mexico has gone 6-4 this season in favor of the under, while the Rams have gone 4-2, again in favor of the under.
In Brief…
No. 7 Indiana (16-2, 4-1 Big Ten) will look to build on Sunday’s win over Northwestern, welcoming the Nittany Lions to Assembly Hall. Penn State (8-10, 0-6 Big Ten) has no lofty expectations this season, but a win wouldn’t go amiss for a side that is winless in conference play. Indiana is heavy favorites (-26) with the total at 139.
Currently sitting atop the SEC with Ole Miss, No. 8 Florida (14-2, 4-0 SEC) will look to extend its six-game winning streak with a win over a struggling Georgia (7-10, 1-3 SEC). The Gators handed the Bulldogs77-44 beat down on Jan. 9 and will look to do so again. Florida is a 17-point favorite.
A last second win over Gonzaga on Saturday saw No. 9 Butler (16-2, 3-0 A 10) extend its winning streak to 13. The Bulldogs will need to avoid any hangover from the emotional victory as they visit La Salle (12-5, 2-2 A 10) looking to right the ship. The Explorers have flip-flopped wins and losses over the past six games, but remain within touching distance of the top of the Atlantic 10 table. La Salle is favored (-1) to score an upset over the AP-ranked Bulldogs.
Wednesday’s schedule includes another four games featuring AP Top 25 teams. Check below for the latest odds.
Tuesday’s AP Top 25 Results
No. 3 Kansas 59, No. 11 Kansas State 55
No. 5 Louisville 64, Villanova 73
No. 13 Michigan State 49, Wisconsin 47
Iowa 63, No. 14 Ohio State 72
No. 18 North Carolina State 84, Wake Forest 86
South Carolina 65, No. 22 Missouri 71
Wednesday’s AP Top 25 Schedule (in full)
No. 1 Duke (16-1, 3-1 ACC) at No.25 Miami (FL) (13-3, 4-0 ACC)
- Favorite: Duke Spread: 2 Total 126.5
Penn State (8-10, 0-6 Big Ten) at No. 7 Indiana (16-2, 4-1 Big Ten)
- Favorite: Indiana Spread: 26 Total 139
No. 8 Florida (14-2, 4-0 SEC) at Georgia (7-10, 1-3 SEC)
- Favorite: Florida Spread: 17 Total –
No. 9 Butler (16-2, 3-0 A 10) at La Salle (12-5, 2-2 A 10)
- Favorite: La Salle Spread: 1 Total –
No. 12 Minnesota (15-3, 3-2 Big Ten) at Northwestern (11-8, 2-4 Big Ten)
- Favorite: Minnesota Spread: 9 Total 132.5
Colorado State (15-3, 2-1 MWC) at No. 15 New Mexico (16-2, 3-0 MWC)
- Favorite: New Mexico Spread: 5.5 Total 129
Washington State (10-8, 1-4 Pac-12) at No. 16 Oregon (16-2, 5-0 Pac-12)
- Favorite: Oregon Spread: 9.5 Total –
No. 17 Creighton (17-2, 6-1 MVC) at Drake (8-10, MVC)
- Favorite: Creighton Spread: 11 Total –
No. 20 Wichita State (17-2, 6-1 MVC) at Missouri State (5-14, 3-4 MVC)
- Favorite: Wichita State Spread: 10.5 Total: –
