Larry Ness

My 10* Weekly Wipeout is on Washington St at 10:00 ET.

Mark Fox had a terrific run at Nevada, winning 20-plus games in each of his five seasons at Reno, making three NCAA tourneys. He used that as a 'springboard'  to coach in the SEC at Georgia but his nine-year stay in Athens was a huge disappointment, with just four, 20-win seasons and only TWO appearances in the "Big Dance." This is his first season at Berkeley and Cal enters this contest 10-15, including 4-8 in Pac 12 play. However, Cal has already reached double-digits in wins, after recording EIGHT victories in each of the last two seasons. Kyle Smith began his coaching career at Columbia, then moved to San Francisco, where he won 20-plus games in three straight season (Dons finished second in the CBI in 2018). This is his first season at Pullman and Washington State is 14-12, although just 5-8 in Pac-12 play. However, considering the Cougars have averaged 11.6 wins per season the previous five years, NO ONE is complaining in Pullman.

Cal's offense revolves around sophomore guard Matt Bradley, who averages 17.8 PPG (also adds 5.1 RPG). Two senior guards join him on the perimeter in South (9.1) and Austin (8.3). Bradley scored 22 points before fouling out against the Sun Devils in Sunday's 80-75 home loss, while senior PG Paris Austin contributed 17 points, five assists and five rebounds. The Bears were hoping to jump-start their offense by starting freshman guard Joel Brown in place of Kareem South, but the two combined for just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting. A pair of 6-8 forwards, Anticevich (8.4 & 5.6) and Kelly (7.4 & 5.2), are the team's top frontcourt performers. Anticevich had 18 points and eight rebounds against Arizona State, while Kelly is averaging 8.7 rebounds over his last three games.

6-6 sophomore forward CJ Elleby leads Washington St the team in scoring (18.7) and rebounding (7.5). Guard Isaac Bonton, a Montana St transfer, adds 14.8 PPG and a team-high 4.0 APG. However, a hip injury caused him to miss Saturday’s 70-51 loss at USC. Elleby continued to impress with 22 points and 13 rebounds against the Trojans .but Bonton’s injury forced Smith to rely heavily on freshmen Noah Williams and Ryan Rapp, who combined for 14 points on just 6-of-19 shooting. Williams (6.0 & 3.5) and senior guard Robinson (4.8 & 2.8) will need to play better in this one. The 6-9 Pollard (9.1 & 4.3) just misses averaging in double digits, while 6-8 senior Kunc averages 5.3 & 3.5.

Here's the bottom line. Washington St will miss Bonton but Cal is winless in 10 games away from Haas Pavilion this season. The Bears are 0-5 on the Pac-12 road, averaging a pathetic 51.6 PPG in those contests, losing by an average margin of 15.8 points! The Cougars have recorded noteworthy wins over UCLA, Arizona State, Washington and both Oregon schools this season, so why won't they avenge a 73-66 loss at Cal back on Jan 9 against a team that has yet to win a SINGLE game away from home, while losing all five Pac-12 road games by about 16 PPG? Cougars win "with room to spare."

Good luck...Larry

My 10* Total of the Week is on BC/UVA Over at 8:00 ET.

Virginia won its first-ever NCAA basketball championship last season but the Cavs opened at just No. 11 in the preseason AP poll. Gone from last year's champs are the team's top-three scorers, guards Guy (15.4 & 4.5), Hunter (15.2 & 5.1) and Jerome (13.6 & 4.2). However, the Cavs opened 7-0 and were ranked 5th when they lost 69-40 at Purdue on Dec 4. UVA was 11-2 (3-0 ACC) and ranked 18th when it visited Chestnut Hill on Jan 7 to take on Boston College. The Eagles upset UVA 60-53 in that contest and that loss began a midseason slump for the Cavs, as UVA lost three straight and FOUR of five. However, the defending champs have managed to rebound of late with a series of close wins, going 5-1 since that 1-4 stretch.

BC head coach Jim Christian has had success in the MAC with Kent St and Ohio but he's struggled at TCU (56-73) and now at BC (entered this season with a 62-100 record). BC knew it would really miss Jerome Robinson (20.7) but the Eagles got off to a 4-1 start. However, the team has been exchanging wins and losses for about a month and enters this contest 13-13, including 7-8 in ACC play. Case in point being, losing 85-58 at Miami (Fla) last Wednesday, only to knock off North Carolina State 71-68 on Sunday at home. FYI...BC's seven ACC wins matches its best ACC win total under Christian.

Senior guard Derryck Thornton, USC grad transfer, has been a big addition. He scored 22 points in BC's win over NC St and averages a team-high 13.1 PPG. Freshman guard Jay Heath contributed 16 points in Sunday's win and is second on the team in averaging 12.6 PPG. The 6-11 Popovic (10.5 & 5.2) is the team's third double digit scorer plus the Hamilton brothers, 6-8 sophomore Jairus (9.7 & 4.4) and senior guard Jared (8.1), are quality players. The 6-8 Mitchell (7.2 & 8.4) is the team's leading rebounder plus 6-7 freshman Felder (5.8 & 4.0) has had a nice season.

The Cavaliers' recent surge gives them a 17-7 record (9-5 in the ACC) and has greatly improved their NCAA Tournament resume. This season's UVA team has been led for most of the season by its unique guard duo of 5-9 PG Clark (10.3-4.3-6.1) and the 6-8 Key (9.7 & 7.2). Up front, it's the 6-9 Diakite (13.7 & 6.5) and the 7-1 Huff (8.0 & 6.2). Those players have been UVA's "Core 4" but recently, junior guard Tomas Woldetensae (6.9) has been the team's breakout star. He scored 27 points in an 80-73 loss at Louisville on (73 points scored are a season-high for UVA this season) and then his three-pointer with 0.8 second remaining was the difference in UVA's 64-62 win Saturday at North Carolina. Also, freshman guard Casey Morsell (4.3 PPG) scored 10 points - more than twice his season average - and collected a career-high three steals at North Carolina.

Revenge should work well for UVA here but note that all FIVE of the team's wins over this current six-game stretch have come by single digits, including two in overtime plus that last-second 64-62 triumph at North Carolina. However, I'm expecting Braxton Key to break out of a three-game slump in which he has produced a total of 12 points on 5-of-19. BC's leading scorer, Thornton, missed the first matchup while Heath led the Eagles to a 60-53 win with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Virginia has won five straight meetings at home vs BC and makes it SIX straight but Goin' Over this VERY low total is "the play!"

Good luck...Larry

My 9* Conference Crusher (Big Ten) is on Rutgers at 7:00 ET.

John Beilein left Michigan to take the head coaching job with the Cleveland Cavaliers (that went well, didn't it?), after leading the Wolverines to NINE NCAA tourneys in his 12 years (twice lost in the national championship game). Taking over was former Fab Fiver Juwan Howard, who had to replace forward Ignas Brazdeikis (14.8 & 5.4) plus guards Jordan Poole (12.8) and Charles Matthews (12.2 & 5.0). Michigan opened the season unranked but began 7-0, after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis (Thanksgiving week). The Wolverines shocked then-No. 6 North Carolina (73-64) and now-No. 2 Gonzaga in the championship game. When "the dust had settled," Michigan wound up No. 4 in the AP poll on Dec 4. However, the Wolverines then went 4-9 over their next 13 games to fall to 11-8, including 2-6 in the Big Ten. Michigan has rebounded though, to win FIVE of six, including THREE straight by an average margin of 19 points.

Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell is in his fourth season at the school, having gone 44-54 in his first three. Coming off a 14-17 season a year ago, Rutgers was picked 12th (of 14 schools) in the Big Ten preseason polls but the Scarlet Knights got off to their best start since the 1996-97 season and earned an AP ranking for the first time since the end of the 1978-79 season back on Jan 20. However, Rutgers fell out of the top-25 by losing THREE of four, before besting then-No. 22 Illinois 72-57 last Saturday. The Scarlet Knights welcome the Wolverines to The RAC (Rutgers Athletic Center) on Tuesday, having lost all 11 games it has played against Michigan in program history. However, Rutgers is a PERFECT 17-0 at home this season. Something has to give!

Michigan's woes coincided with an injury to the 6-7 Livers in mid-December. Livers scored 43 points and grabbed 14 rebounds the last two games (leads all Michigan players by averaging 13.0 PPG) rolled his ankle in the second half of  Sunday's 89-65 rout of Indiana and will be a game-time decision on Wednesday. PG Zavier Simpson (12.5-4.3-8.2) registered 12 points and 11 assists to become the winningest player in program history (105 career victories), along with 7-1 center Jon Teske (12.3 & 7.6), who had six points, seven rebounds and four blocks against Indiana. Guards Brooks (11.4 & 3.8) and Wagner (10.3 & 5.4) have also contributed regularly for Michigan this season.

Pikiel took his team to Spain in August and Rutgers went 4-0, while jelling as a unit. The "breakout star" of that trip was guard Ron Harper, who averaged 17.0 PPG on 53 percent shooting. He's currently Rutgers' leading scorer, averaging 11.8 PPG and adding 5.7 RPG. PG Baker (10.2 & 3.6 APG) plus a quartet of other of guards combine to add right around 23 PPG and 10.5 RPG. Up front, the 6-6 Yeboah (10.1 & 4.8) and the 6-10 Johnson (8.3 & 8.0) are the biggest contributors.

The Wolverines played the Scarlet Knights as part of the Big Ten’s Super Saturday series at Madison Square Garden on Feb 1 and won, 69-63. However, this rematch will be played at The RAC, where Rutgers is 17-0. Livers could miss (he didn't play in the Feb 1 game, either) but more notably, the Scarlets Knights lost by just FOUR points at MSG, despite their top-two players (Harper & Baker) combining to shoot 2 of 19 from the floor. That's NOT happening at this venue!

Good luck...Larry