Hi! I’m writing from College Park, Maryland, where I’m coming back from a road trip down south. It was a pretty fun experience. I stayed on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, and on Sunday, I went to Savannah, Georgia. It was a huge week for me, as I started touring colleges this week. I toured the University of Georgia in Athens, Clemson University in South Carolina, and I’m probably touring The University of Maryland as this gets posted. The virtual tours and info sessions also helped me get even more excited to attend a university in the fall of 2022. I haven’t had a lot of time to do the blog, but I still try to find time whenever I can. So don’t be surprised if I stop posting sometimes. I prioritize other things over my blog, which I consider a hobby that hopefully can help me later in life. Anyways, I just wanted to apologize for the lack of posting on the website and social media and let you all know what’s going on in my life. So here are my Saturday Selections:
NCAA Basketball:
Michigan State (10-9) at Indiana (12-9) (-6.5)
Indiana winning this game is an easy pick for me, but the Hoosiers should be cautious of Aaron Henry, who averages 14.3 points per game. The Spartans have lost the past three games and haven’t defeated Indiana since the 2017-18 season. What makes their chances even slimmer is that they struggle at Assembly Hall. It will be a closer game than expected. Tom Izzo will make sure of that.
Tune into Michigan State at Indiana at 12 PM ET on ESPN.
Kentucky (7-13) at #19 Tennessee (15-5) (-7)
The Vols handled Kentucky last time, and I expect them to do the same today. Guys to watch out for if I’m rooting for Tennessee (I have no preference): Brandon Boston, Olivier Sarr (might be the most consistent guy for Kentucky), and Isaiah Jackson. Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson have been terrific for Tennessee and were in the last meeting.
Tune into Kentucky at Tennessee at 1 PM ET on CBS.
UConn (10-5) at #10 Villanova (13-3) (-6.5)
After James Bouknight coming back for the Huskies, I’m going with an upset win for UConn at Villanova. Bouknight is one of the best scorers in the country. He would easily be the front runner for the Big East Player of the Year award had he not missed a month of basketball. I have not been sold on Villanova all season. Every time I’ve seen them play this season, they have been inconsistent on offense. I think Collin Gillepsie gets more credit than he deserves. I haven’t seen enough from him. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl will be the toughest guy for the Huskies. This would be UConn’s first win over Villanova since they upset the Wildcats in Buffalo in 2014. Villanova might come into this game hungry for a win after getting blown out in Omaha by Creighton. If UConn wins, they likely have found their way out of the bubble and into a legitimate at large spot. Also, I have to point out that Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery are on the call today. You can’t get much better than that.
Tune into UConn at Villanova at 1 PM ET on FOX.
#15 Texas Tech (14-6) at #23 Kansas (16-7) (-2)
I like the Red Raiders better this season, but Kansas has only lost once to Texas Tech in Allen Fieldhouse and beat them in Lubbock back in December. I think there is a chance Texas Tech wins this, but you have to have Mac McClung lead the way (19.5 ppg in Big 12 play). They also haven’t played a game since losing to West Virginia on February 9, so I think they will be rusty. Ochai Agbaji remains a problem for Texas Tech, as he made the game-winning basket last meeting. Kansas wins in a one-possession game again.
Tune into Texas Tech at Kansas at 2 PM ET on ESPN.
#20 Missouri (13-6) (-3.5) at South Carolina (5-10)
Missouri has lost the past three games, and that is why this game is on here. Xavier Pinson is still my favorite player in the SEC, and I do think they’ll break that losing streak. Jeremiah Tillmon was the MVP when the Tigers beat the Gamecocks in Columbia, and he could have an impact in this game today.
Tune into Missouri at South Carolina at 2 PM ET on ESPN.
Notre Dame (9-10) at Syracuse (12-6) (-2)
The Syracuse Orange have made it on the bubble and that’s why this game is important for them. Win as much as you can to improve your resume for the NCAA Tournament. An obstacle they may run into is defending Notre Dame’s outside shooting. Nate Laszewski is one of the most efficient three-point shooters this season and if they can’t stop him today, then consider the Irish a .500 team after today. Otherwise, I pick Syracuse.
Tune into Notre Dame at Syracuse at 2 PM ET on ACC Network.
#13 West Virginia (14-6) at #12 Texas (-3.5)
Something I’m hating about today’s games is that I’m always picking the favorite for some reason. I don’t intend to. I look at the history, look at how each team has played recently, and look at the last meetings between the two. And all of these favor the Longhorns. The Mountaineers are 2-6 in Austin and have lost five of the last six meetings overall. The player to watch is Andrew Jones on Texas. He averages 15.9 points per game and stunned the Mountaineers on a late-game three-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining. He could be a problem for West Virginia as well as Greg Brown (11.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg). Miles McBride and Derek Culver will be the guys West Virginia will have to rely on to try and get the win. I’ll take Texas because of the size and history between the two programs.
Tune into West Virginia at Texas at 3 PM ET on ABC.
#5 Illinois (15-5) (-5) at Minnesota (13-9)
The Fighting Illini are on a six-game winning streak coming into this game but face a challenge to begin their road trip. Minnesota has been a better team for the most part when hosting Illinois, but that might not be the case today. Ayo Dosunmu has made a legitimate case for Big Ten Player of the Year and would be an easy frontrunner if Luka Garza was gone. Kofi Cockburn has been a terrific player for Illinois with 15 double-doubles this season (2nd in NCAA). I like Minnesota, but there’s no way I’ll take them today against a team I think could be in the Final Four.
Tune into Illinois at Minnesota at 3:30 PM ET on FOX.
Louisville (11-4) at North Carolina (13-7) (-5)
I have to take some underdogs, and I think Louisville is one of the best ones to take. Carlik Jones (17.4 ppg, 4.9 apg) is one of the best players in the ACC, and even though the Tar Heels usually handle the Cards in Chapel Hill, they haven’t looked good versus the top half of the conference. North Carolina will be a good rebounding team, as they lead the nation in rebounding margin. That can certainly help the Tar Heels get second-chance points since they’re second in offensive rebounding percentage (39.5%, Houston leads the nation with 40.2%). I’ll stick with Louisville, though. This is a big game for both teams as they try to improve their resumes.
Tune into Louisville at North Carolina at 6 PM ET on ESPN.
#7 Virginia (15-4) (-1) at Duke (9-8)
Virginia normally struggles at Cameron Indoor, with a 9-53 record there. I’m not worried. Jalen Johnson, a key player for the Blue Devils, opted out and declared for the NBA Draft. However, the guy I was impressed by in the win over Wake Forest was Matthew Hurt. He is probably the only option left for Duke. I have never seen Duke struggle so much. Virginia deserves to be much more than a one-point favorite.
Tune into Virginia at Duke at 8 PM ET on ESPN.
NBA:
Warriors (16-14) (-2.5) at Hornets (13-15)
Something I forgot to write about was the NBA All-Star teams. Who should make it? Who shouldn’t? I know one person who is a starter that 100% deserved it. His name is Stephen Curry. The Warriors aren’t playing terrific, but they catch Charlotte off of a hiatus.
Tune into Warriors at Hornets at 8 PM ET on NBA League Pass (Local TV: Fox Sports Southeast-Charlotte, NBC Sports Bay Area).
Heat (12-17) at Lakers (22-8) (-3)
The NBA Finals rematch. Are the Heat the most disappointing team this season? It’s debatable. Congratulations to LeBron James on reaching 35 thousand career points. That’s incredible. The third player in NBA history to reach that number (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone). I’ll cautiously take the Lakers, who are going to be without Anthony Davis for a little bit.
Tune into Heat at Lakers at 8:30 PM ET on ABC.
Kings (12-16) (-2.5) at Bulls (12-16)
I’ll buy one share of stock of Zach Lavine. I like him. However, the Bulls are below .500 and that doesn’t fit right with me. I’ll take the Bulls at home, but watch out for De’Aaron Fox.
Tune into Kings at Bulls at 9 PM ET on NBA League Pass (Local TV: NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports California).
Suns (18-10) (-3.5) at Grizzlies (13-12)
The Suns look better than ever. Chris Paul helps the offense with his ball movement, Devin Booker is shooting almost 50% from the field, and Deandre Ayton averages a double-double this season. They look to be healthy when they enter the FedExForum tonight.
Tune into Suns at Grizzlies at 9 PM ET on NBA League Pass (Local TV: Fox Sports Southeast-Memphis, Fox Sports Arizona).
Wizards (9-17) at Trail Blazers (18-10) (-3.5)
When will the red hot Trail Blazers cool off? They’ve won six in a row and they aim to make it seven tonight. I think the Trail Blazers stay hot after this game since Damian Lillard is probably angry after not making the starting lineup for the West All-Stars. I would be mad too. He deserves it. He’s an MVP candidate. You know who made it and is facing Portland? Bradley Beal, who leads the league in scoring.
Tune into Wizards at Trail Blazers at 10 PM ET on NBA League Pass (Local TV: NBC Sports Northwest, NBC Sports Washington).
Calhoun's Corner 