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The most Consequential Games Of The 2018-19 Conference Season

Flipping the calendar over to the New Year always brings an exciting time in NCAA basketball. While there are some outliers here and there of conference games occurring before January, the first month of the year widely marks the beginning of the conference season, which tends to mean some of the most dramatic and consequential games. As most anyone who has played, coached, or been a fan of college basketball will tell you, conference play is different, and the level of play tends to intensify visibly.

There’s no telling in advance which will be the best games, or which teams may surprise us by rising to the top of their respective conferences. Going by the season so far however, and the schedules ahead, these are some of the potentially monumental games you should mark on your calendar if you want to have your finger on the pulse of the season – and be best prepared to fill out your brackets come March!

Virginia @ Duke – January 19

A few times in the last few seasons it’s been Virginia, rather than Duke (or North Carolina) that has owned the ACC’s regular season. Duke is the top team in the nation however, and a popular national title favorite, which makes this early bout extremely interesting. As nothing less than a strategic betting guide to college basketball states, homecourt advantage is a magical thing in college basketball, and if Duke’s famous Cameron Indoor Stadium has its usual effect the Blue Devils could earn a key victory en route to an ACC title and an NCAA Tournament 1-seed. If Virginia can pull off the upset though, it will be in the ACC driver’s seat, and perhaps in line for a 1-seed of its own….

Introduction to March Madness Wagering

By Ivanko

While the Super Bowl is the biggest single-day sports betting event, the NCAA basketball tournament actually takes in a higher volume of wagers. Sports fans and bettors embrace the excitement of March Madness each spring. There are many aspects to consider before wagering on college basketballs showcase event.

When the college basketball season begins in November, over 300 division 1-A schools start the year with a certain goal. All of these teams hope to wind up in the NCAA tournament. In the end, only 68 schools will get a bid to the tourney.

March Madness Wagering

Four Stages of a College Hoops Season

There are four stages to a college hoops season. First, there are the non-conference games in November and December. Teams use these games to build some momentum heading into conference play. The conference games are the second stage of the season in January and February. In March, the next stage occurs with the conference tournaments. The three initial stages are factored together to determine which 68 teams will get to advance to the fourth stage. The final stage is the NCAA tournament. Each stage has some unique aspects for the bookmaker and bettor to consider.

Tuneup Games

Early in the season, major conference teams will play a lot of home games against minor conference squads. These are viewed as tuneup games for the big schools and a chance for the minor conference clubs to compete against elite teams. In the first two months of the season, teams will usually play at least a couple of games at a neutral site. These holiday tournaments enable schools to get a taste of the atmosphere that is yet to come in March….

Biggest Upsets in NCAA Tournament History

By Ivanko

Upsets. They are the single most influential factor in why the NCAA tournament is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world each and every year. David beats Goliath. Underdog gets the victory. There have plenty of upsets in the NCAA tourney through the years, too many to recount, but these five remain among some of the most memorable.

nc state wolfpack 1983

1983 National Championship Game

The N.C. State Wolfpack had a pretty mediocre regular season and had to win the ACC Tournament title to ensure that they got a bid to the NCAAs. Led by fiery head coach Jim Valvano, the Wolfpack did just that. After winning the ACC, N.C. State beat Pepperdine, Virginia, and Georgia for the right to face arguably the best team in the nation that year – Houston. The Cougars, with future NBA All-Stars Akeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, were known as Phi Slamma Jamma, a bevy of athletic talent that could run the floor and jump out of the gym night after night. The Wolfpack were clearly outclassed, but they kept the game close. N.C. State kept it close enough that when guard Dereck Whittenburg’s desperation 30-foot jumper fell far from the rim, Lorenzo Charles was able to grab it and slam it home for the game-winning points. N.C. State 54, Houston 52, one of the biggest upsets in a national title game….

The Inexact Science of Predicting this Year’s NCAA Tournament Champion

By Ivanko

So, you’re looking for the perfect NCAA tournament bracket. The perfect bracket is such a rarity that contests offering millions of dollars have sprouted up over the years enticing entries and further building up the excitement surrounding March Madness. Picking the bracket, perfect or maybe almost perfect, is nothing but an inexact science. Here’s how you can put together a solid NCAA tournament bracket for 2017.

UPSETS

Okay. Upsets are going to happen. The problem for you is selecting where and when. Only eight No. 15 seeds have won games in the tourney. Middle Tennessee State did it just last year when the Blue Raiders upset Michigan State. The occurrence is such a rarity that one should avoid the trap of picking a No. 2 seed.

In the past four tournaments a No. 14 seed has won at least one game. Stephen F. Austin did it last year beating West Virginia, 70-56. This year, Iona might have a shot at upsetting Oregon, which lost Chris Boucher to a knee injury. Or, maybe it’s the revival of ‘Dunk City,’ Florida Gulf Coast, which plays Florida State in Round 1.

One of the surest bets in the tournament is on a No. 12 seed winning a game. Since 1985, 46 No. 12 seeds have won a tournament game. That is nearly 36 percent success in the first round. This year’s choices are UNC-Wilmington, Nevada, Princeton, and Middle Tennessee State. Maybe the Blue Raiders can pull an upset for the second straight year….

The Case for Conference Champions

By Ivanko

Jacksonville State, Iona, and South Dakota State are not household names when it comes to college basketball, but they are part of the reason why the NCAA tournament is one of sports’ greatest events. All three teams won their season-ending conference tournament and earned an automatic berth in what has become known as March Madness, the three-week dash to crown a college basketball national champion. The NCAA gives automatic bids to the winners of 32 conference tournaments, and then selects the remaining 36 teams based on a multitude of criteria including marquee wins and strength of schedule.

So, what happens to all of those conference champions who play poorly over a two-, three-, or four-day stretch and are eliminated from their conference tournament? Well, if you’re North Carolina and lose to Duke in the ACC tourney – as the Tar Heels did recently – it’s not much of a problem. Head coach Roy Williams and the 27-7 Tar Heels are a lock for an at-large bid. But, what about Monmouth, the regular season champion of the MAAC? The Hawks ripped through the regular season winning 27 games just like North Carolina. Monmouth went 18-2 in conference play but lost to Sienna, which tied for third, by four points in the MAAC tournament. Iona (22-12, 12-8) went on to win the conference tournament and earn the automatic bid. Oh, and Monmouth beat Iona twice during the regular season….

The Top Candidates at NC State, Missouri, and LSU

By Ivanko

There are several Division I college basketball head coaching jobs open but none will be more scrutinized than those at N.C. State, Missouri, and LSU. All three schools have winning traditions behind them. The Wolfpack, of course, won a national championship in 1983 under legendary head coach Jim Valvano and one in 1974 under Norm Sloan. Since Valvano left the program in 1990, the Wolfpack have made it to the Sweet Sixteen three times, the final two under Mark Gottfried who was fired this season after the program went 15-17. Now, N.C. State, along with LSU and Missouri, will search for coaches that can resurrect their dormant programs.

Gottfried actually had plenty of success early. He took the Wolfpack to the Sweet Sixteen in his first season in 2011-12. They went back to the Sweet Sixteen in 2014-15 but regressed last year going 16-17 before this year’s 15-17. Still, in five seasons Gottfried went 123-86 overall. What sent the long-time head coach packing was the past two seasons in ACC play – 5-13 in 2015-16 and 4-14 this year….

Taking a closer look at the West Region

By Ivanko

The West region has a lot intrigue, from great coaching to great teams with history. Duke is the top seed, but it was not given any favors by being shipped out west, and some can argue Duke is not deserving of a top seed because of its lack of quality wins. If the top seeds advance to the regional final in Anaheim, Calif., Duke would be playing San Diego State, which is only a short two-hour drive up the coast, compared to the cross-country jaunt that Duke would make. Before we get that far ahead, let’s take a look at the teams in the West region and what they offer.

Five players to watch

• Kemba Walker, UConn

Kemba Walker is a National Player of the Year candidate, and his run with UConn during which the Huskies won five games in five days included a game-winner over top-seeded Pitt in the quarterfinals. Walker can take over a game and take the big shot, each of which is needed to make a deep NCAA tournament run. Walker also is the nation’s fourth leading scorer at 23.5 points per game….

Princeton takes Ivy with a buzzer-beater few will forget, for better or worse

By Ivanko

Two weeks ago Saturday, Harvard watched as navy-and-white-clad fans rushed the floor at John J. Lee Auditorium in New Haven, Connecticut. Two weeks later, it watched as an orange tide swept over that same floor, their Ivy League auto-bid hopes dashed at the final tick of the clock. Two plays at Yale from an Ivy League title might as well be 200 miles.

The beauty—and curse—of time passing is that it can dull visceral memories, but it can never change them. The memory of the lazy arc of Douglas Davis’s leaning 15-foot jumper may become hazy, but the history books will never read Harvard 62, Princeton 61. Of course, few who were at this game will soon have their memories of it dulled. The variance of emotions, from jubilation to agony, will make the 2011 Ivy League Playoff unforgettable.

Harvard basketball has accomplished so much this season. It has flown higher than any Crimson team before it. The players deserve a much fuller treatment of their struggles and accomplishments. What they will get is one highlight to be replayed over and over. And they aren’t even in it….

East Regional preview: Top four seeds are all dangerous

By Ivanko

The Favorite

Ohio State is the No. 1 overall seed in the Tournament and, by almost every projection, the team most likely to cut down the nets in Houston. The Buckeyes combine deadly three-point shooting with Jared Sullinger’s inside presence and a fascinating ability to force turnovers without committing fouls. Some may worry about their depth (their rotation is really eight deep at most), but that did not hurt them in their march to the Big Ten Title.

The Contenders

The No. 2 seed in the region, North Carolina, has made a remarkable mid-season turnaround that matches up fairly well with freshman Kendall Marshall’s ascension to the role of starting point guard. Harrison Barnes, the “disappointing” star freshman, has grown into his position on the team very well over the course of the season and exploded for 40 points in an ACC Tournament win over Clemson. He has become the go-to guy when the Tarheels need a bucket late. UNC is still very young and struggles to shoot from three—and could face a very tough second-round opponent in Washington….

Harvard wins share of Ivy title, and much more

By Ivanko

All along John F. Kennedy Street, they were singing.

Cries of “Ten thousand men of Harvard gained victory today!” rang out from both sides into the ebullient darkness of a warm March night. While the official attendance in Ray Lavietes Pavilion was only 2,195, it certainly felt like the thousands of players, coaches and fans of Harvard basketball, who for a century had never seen an Ivy League title, were there, too. It was their cries of joy amplifying the few who were privileged enough to see this day live. Ten thousand men of Harvard, indeed.

Lavietes Pavilion, the second oldest arena in Division I, had never seen a game of this magnitude. The Princeton Tigers came in at 11-1 in the Ivy League with a chance to win the league outright. Harvard needed a win to clinch a tie and force a possible playoff next weekend for the crown. (Princeton still has a game left at rival Penn on Tuesday.) There were 91 credentialed media members, two NBA front offices and Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy himself, sitting courtside. Former Harvard star Jeremy Lin flew up from Philadelphia, where his Golden State Warriors were preparing for a game, to witness history….