Ness Notes (Mar 20)

The NCAA area is down to just 16 teams with event play resuming on Thursday and Friday. For the ninth consecutive year Duke will be taking part in in the Sweet 16, with the upcoming longest active streak of any college sitting at just two! The ACC, the surprising MVC and the SEC all have two schools into the Sweet 16 but the huge winner is the Massive East.

My absolutely free perform is on Louisville about Clemson in the NIT at 7:00 ET. I am looking to bounce again from a inadequate NCAA weekend with a 15* NIT Blowout tonight in college hoops. In the NBA, I’m following my 20* Non-Conf GOY winner on the Nets with a 15* NBA Mismatch, as I glance to carry on my 62% NBA operate given that Feb 3.

Immediately after acquiring a history eight invitations to the Huge Dance, Big East universities promptly went -3 on Thursday. However, the convention went 5- on Friday and 4-1 yesterday (Pitt misplaced), sending Connecticut, Georgetown, Villanova and West Virginia to the Sweet 16. The Big-10, the optimum-rated conference in accordance to the RPI, observed its six entrants go 3-6 over the weekend and will have no teams in the Sweet 16 for the first time considering that 1996!

The MVC observed two of its four teams make it earlier the tourney’s opening weekend. Wichita Condition (7-seed) is in the Sweet 16 for the very first time due to the fact 1981 and Bradley (13-seed) has superior past the next video game of this tournament for the 1st time since 1955, when just 24 teams competed.

George Mason (11-seed) of the CAA defeat Michigan Point out (Final 4 staff LY) and North Carolina (defending champs), to turn into that league’s 1st Sweet 16 consultant since Richmond in 1988! I have obtained the up coming a few times to recap the weekend and preview the future online games.

The NIT resumes tonight with 6 next round games. Three of the 4 No. 1 seeds are nonetheless alive as only Maryland has fallen, 87-84 at property to Manhattan on Saturday (as 12-stage favorites!).

Dwelling teams went just 4-4 SU (3-5 ATS) in the eight opening round games but went 14-2 SU and 11-5 SU in the 16 very first spherical game titles. Colorado, a 79-61 loser to Aged Dominion previous Wednesday, joins Maryland as the only 1st spherical SU losers at residence.

ESPN carries the Notre Dame/Michigan recreation at 7:00 ET. Michigan is one particular of the three remaining No. 1 seeds and gained in South Bend on December 3, 71-67. The Wolverines are favored by four points with a full of 144.

ESPNU airs Hofstra at St Joe’s (7:00 ET), a rematch of an NIT match past 12 months. The Hawks conquer the Satisfaction previous calendar year in Philadelphia, 53-44. Hofstra’s 24 wins (now 25 right after beating Nebraska 73-62 on Thursday) had been the most of any university not invited to the NCAAs. St Joe’s is favored by six factors (133).

Louisville is the other No. 1 seed in motion tonight, as the Playing cards host Clemson at 7:00 ET. Louisville struggled in its initially time as a member of the Big East but is 13-1 this year in non-meeting video games. The Playing cards are favored by 4 1/2 details (136 1/2).

Manhattan is at Previous Dominion tonight (9:00 ET) and the Jaspers have the difference of staying the only a single of the 16 teams that performed in the opening spherical to even now be ‘alive’. Previous Dominion is favored by 9 details (144).

About the weekend in the NBA, the Pistons break up two game titles but even now personal the league’s ideal report at 52-13. The Heat won 2 times and have now won 15 of their past 16 but at 45-21, even now trail the Pistons by 7 1/2 online games.

The Nets knocked off the Mavs on Sunday (100-89) and glance like a guaranteed-point for the East’s No. 3 seed. The Cavs very own a 3-recreation lead about the Wizards for the fourth playoff seed (the final with residence courtroom advantage) but the Pacers and Bucks are just a half-recreation and 1 1/2 video games back again of Washington, respectively.

Over in the West, the Spurs conquer the Suns Friday evening in their only activity of the weekend and coupled with the Mavs’ loss on Sunday, have taken a 50 %-sport lead in the Southwest Division and the general Western Conference standings (52-14 to 52-15).

The Suns (45-20) guide the Clippers by 7 1/2 games in the Pacific and the Nuggets search like a cinch to capture the 3rd seed by winning the weak Northwest. Appropriate now, the Mavs are on the lookout like the fourth seed, even with their good file.

Tonight’s NBA card options just 4 video games. The Pistons, who are just 1-7-1 ATS their last online games, host the Hawks at 7:35 ET. Detroit is favored by 13 1/2 factors (194). The Lakers are in Boston to consider on the Celtics at 7:35 ET as well. There was a time when this was an “event” but no extended.

LA enters off a a few-level loss at the Nets (Friday) and a a single-place loss at the Cavs (Sunday), dropping them to 34-34 (tied with the Kings for the West’s final playoff spot). Boston is just 28-39 on the calendar year and 3 1/2 games out of the very last playoff spot in the East. The Celtics, who conquer the Lakers 112-111 in LA on Feb 26, are favored by 2 1/2 factors (202 1/2).

Ness Notes is obtainable by 1:00 ET Monday by means of Friday.