BYU vs Kansas State Picks – Wildcats Hungry For More

The March Madness odds season had several first round upsets on Thursday and Friday, but one favorite that left nothing to chance in their first round win was Kansas State, who dominated North Texas by a 20-point margin to advance to the second round in the West bracket. Brigham Young’s road to the second round was very much longer than the Wildcats’, but they advanced nonetheless and now the two will tip off second round play on Saturday for a chance to play in the Sweet 16, as the path to Indianapolis continues.

• What: NCAA Basketball Betting
• When: Saturday March 20, 2010
• Where: Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Brigham Young finished second in the sportsbook Midwest conference with 13 wins in 16 games to earn a berth in the national title tournament, and didn’t waste its shot with a win in the first round over Florida. Although it wasn’t easy, the Cougars snapped a seven-game, first-round losing streak in the NCAA tournament by beating the Gators 99-92 in double overtime, its first March Madness win in 17 years. The action was what college basketball betting enthusiasts are thrilled by, the fifth double overtime finish in the opening round since 2000.

Kansas State, the second best team out of the Big 12 and seventh ranked overall, showed how determined it was to prove it is the best team in the state with a dominating victory over North Texas. The Wildcats led by 16 at halftime, and cruised to just their second NCAA tournament win since 1989. What was even more promising than the margin of victory in Kansas State’s tenth win in its last 13 games was how complete of a team effort it put forward. Four of the team’s five starters reached double-figures in the win, led by 17 from Denis Clemente and 15 from Jacob Pullen.

Offensive Matchups

The Cougars proved they can exchange baskets in a shootout in their opening win over Florida, battling back and forth with the Gators in to double overtime when they clinched a second round berth with a 99-92 win. Jimmer Fredette led all scorers with 37 points to tie a school record for most points in a NCAA national title tournament game. What is even more impressive about the junior’s stat line is that 29 of his 37 points came in the second half and overtime, a testament to his ability to step up with the game on the line. Fredette was complimented perfectly by fellow guard sophomore Michael Loyd Jr.’s, who scored 26 points on seven of ten shooting and nailed nine of his ten free throws. That backcourt tandem is a sharp shooting group able to score in bunches, and can be even better if the only other Cougar to reach double digits scoring, Jackson Emery (10), can play to his potential.

The Wildcats displayed a complete team effort on offense in their 82-62 win over North Texas. Senior guard Denis Clemente led all scorers with 17 points and six assists, followed by guard Jacob Pullen and forward Curtis Kelly with 15 points each. The backcourt tandem of Clemente and Pullen were expected to lead Kansas State, and their combined 32 points and nine assists were testament to their ability to play off one another. Forward Dominique Sutton was the other player to each double digits with 12 points, in addition to grabbing eight rebounds in the opener of the March Madness contest.

Although Fredette and Loyd Jr. made quite the impression outlasting Florida, the Wildcats have a much more balanced team when it comes to scoring, and can still shoot when its top two players are defended well.

Defensive Matchups

Brigham Young held the Gators to 33 first half points, but struggled down the stretch allowing 42 in the second half as Florida tied it to force overtime. The Cougars’ did force 21 turnovers compared to just 12 of their own, including an incredible 12 steals, led by Loyd Jr.’s four. Jonathan Tavernari had three steals in 19 minutes of play. Brigham Young tallied only two blocks but that didn’t matter since they did force an incredible 21 turnovers.

Kansas State absolutely dominated an inferior opponent defensively, forcing 16 turnovers. What is more impressive than the Wildcats’ nine steals was their ten blocks, including four in just 17 minutes by junior Curtis Kelly. Kansas State held North Texas to just 30.9 percent shooting, compared to its own mark of 50.8 percent.

It will be interesting to see how the Wildcats decide to cover Fredette and Loyd Jr., particularly when both players are on the floor together. Kansas State is talented and deep enough to force the Cougars’ backcourt tandem in to making online betting mistakes, and should be able to absolutely dominate them down low and in the post.

Injuries:

Neither team has any significant injuries.

Betting Predictions: Brigham Young vs Kansas State

Brigham Young provided a memorable double overtime win to snap Florida’s run at March Madness, but will be in even tougher to compete with the second seed in the West bracket. The Cougars were projected as the better team, in their first round match up, but struggled to put away the Gators until after their leading scorer Kenny Boynton fouled out. Now BYU will face a much more talented, much deeper squad from Kansas State, which are playing its best basketball of the season as illustrated by its 20-point dismissal of North Texas in the opening round.

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