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What Happened Last Night
Well...
- Wisconsin 74, Tennessee 62: Wisconsin built a big lead early on, but the Vols came back and caught the Badgers early in the second half, hanging around most of the way until Wisconsin put the game away late. Shembari Phillips led the Vols with 16 points and the Vols did force 18 turnovers, but allowed Wisconsin to shoot 20-of-29 inside the arc.
- Florida 78, Belmont 61: The Gators got in a final tuneup before the AdvoCare Invitational, forcing Belmont into 20 turnovers and a 7-of-27 shooting performance from behind the arc in what turned out to be a relatively easy victory. Canyon Barry scored 17 points off the bench for Florida; John Egbunu had 12 points and 8 rebounds.
- Georgia 81, George Washington 73: This game was close for most of the second half, until Georgia finally prevailed in the closing minutes. J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten had 18 points each, and Derek Ogbeide tied his career high with 11, but the real unsung hero might have been Juwan Parker, who had 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.
- Creighton 86, Ole Miss 77: Ole Miss took its first loss of the season in the finals of the Paradise Jam; the Rebels led for much of the game but didn’t score a field goal in the last 5:46. Rasheed Brooks and Deandre Burnett each had 22 points for the Rebels — though Burnett attempted 17 shots and committed 7 turnovers.
- Bucknell 75, Vanderbilt 72: Ouch. Bucknell came into Memorial Gym and, after falling behind early on, caught Vanderbilt late in the first half, and the game was within one possession for most of the second half. Vanderbilt had a chance to tie the game late, but Matthew Fisher-Davis (who had a career-high 23 points) missed one of three free throws and the Bison prevailed.
- Valparaiso 68, Alabama 60: Alabama hung around but couldn’t score enough against a stingy Valpo defense; the Crusaders pulled away late in the semifinals of the MGM Grand Main Event. The Tide shot 41 percent from the floor and committed 14 turnovers. Donta Hall had 9 points and 12 boards for Alabama.
Today’s Schedule
| Game | Time (ET) | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee vs. Oregon | 1:30 PM | ESPN2/WatchESPN |
| Auburn vs. Texas Tech | 6:00 PM | CBS Sports Network |
| Arkansas at Minnesota | 8:00 PM | ESPN3/WatchESPN |
| Georgia vs. Kansas | 10:00 PM | ESPN2/WatchESPN |
More holiday tournament action today, as Tennessee plays Oregon in the Maui Invitational consolation bracket, Auburn tips off the Cancun Challenge against Texas Tech, and Georgia faces Kansas in the finals of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. Arkansas also travels to Minnesota as part of the Golden Gopher Showcase — an exempt event, but one that mostly involves home games for the Gophers and the Razorbacks.
Odds and Picks
Yesterday: 1-4-1 ATS (ouch); Season to Date: 9-18-1 ATS
- Tennessee (+14.5) vs. Oregon: The Ducks’ offense has struggled to score early on, and they’ve in particular been turnover prone — which plays into Tennessee’s hands. Much like yesterday I think the Vols will hang around long enough to get the cover.
- Auburn (+5.5) vs. Texas Tech: I have this weird hunch that the oddsmakers haven’t caught up to Auburn just yet, and I think they’ll keep this one close and at least get the cover, if not win outright.
- Arkansas at Minnesota (-3.5): Arkansas seems like they’ve been begging to get tagged with a loss over their first three games, and I think an improved Minnesota team will do just that.
- Georgia (+13.5) vs. Kansas: While this is technically on a neutral court, it’s in Kansas City. Georgia is good enough to keep this one within single digits, which I think they will do.