We’re starting to get hints of the seeding process for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, after the Division I men’s basketball committee released a list of its top 16 teams. Alabama, then #1, was the top overall seed, with #2 Houston, #3 Purdue and #5 Kansas rounding out the other #1 seeds. The fourth-ranked team in the nation at the time, UCLA, was given the eighth seed in their listing, two slots behind #8 Arizona, perhaps because Arizona beat UCLA by six back in January. UCLA coach Mick Cronin blames the low seeding on blowback from the school’s plan to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024. Check out our two top NCAA Basketball betting picks for Wednesday evening in college hoops.
NCAA News: Top College Basketball Bets for Thursday
Providence Friars (+7.5) at Connecticut Huskies (O/U 142.5)
When: February 22
Where: Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, CT
Time: 6:30 pm ET
TV: FS1
Providence (20-7) beat Villanova at home, 85-72, on Saturday and are now looking for three wins in a row. The Friars are 12-4 in Big East play, just one game out of first place, and they are 6-2 ATS in their last eight contests. Bryce Hopkins has been the star, scoring 19 or more points in three straight contests, including a 29-point performance against St. John’s. Devin Carter put up 25 in the team’s win over Creighton last week, and Noah Locke has scored 20 or more points four different times in Big East play. They sit at #20 in the AP Top 25 and #28 in the KenPom rankings. Their offense (78.9 points per game) is 33rd in the nation.
UConn (20-7) is just 9-7 in Big East play, but the Huskies have won two in a row, beating Marquette last week and then beating Seton Hall by nine on Saturday, a game that they entered as 12-point favorites. That was the first time in the last three games that the Huskies failed to cover the spread. Adam Sanogo only put up eight points in that win, but he averages 16.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Jordan Hawkins has scored 20 or more points in two of the last three games and is now averaging 16.3 points per game. They sit at #18 in the AP Top 25 and have posted a 13-2 home record this season. Their defense ranks 40th in the nation as they are only permitting 64.3 points per game. Providence to cover.
Kentucky Wildcats (-2.5) at Florida Gators (O/U 140.5)
When: February 22
Where: Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL
Time: 7:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN
Kentucky (18-9) picked up a huge win on Saturday, taking down Tennessee by a dozen at home to move to 9-5 in SEC play. The Wildcats came out running, taking a 39-19 lead at the end of the first half in a game they never trailed. Freshman guard Cason Wallace and senior forward Oscar Tshiebwe each contributed 16 points in the win. They beat Florida in their first meeting, 72-67, on February 4. On the season, the Wildcats are 27th in the nation in rebounding (35.5 per game) with a +8.2 margin on the boards.
Florida (14-13) looked like they might be moving towards March Madness consideration after they beat Tennessee on February 1, but they have dropped four of five since then. In their last game, they were only down six at the half against Arkansas, but then the floodgates opened, and the Razorbacks ended up winning by 19. The Gators only shot 37.3% on the night, while Arkansas made 57.6% of their shots and outrebounded the Gators, 40-25. The top Florida scorer was freshman guars Riley Kugel, who put up 17. Florida also struggles on the boards, posting a -1.8 rebounding margin on the season. With Kentucky on the rise after that win over the Volunteers, this could be a long night for the Gators. Tennessee to win and cover.
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