Joe Lunardi may be the most respected bracketologist out there but for my purposes here is how I would seed the top 48 teams in the land.  I’m ready for criticism to ensue so feel free to fire away especially given my irrationally high ranking of Vanderbilt amid early season struggles.  The Commodores are my premier blue chip stock and buy low candidate as we head into conference play.  With Xavier’s loss late last night to Hawaii the Musketeers have seen their stock tumble a bit with 3 straight losses but they should be able to right the ship in the coming weeks. #1: OSU, Syracuse, UK, UNC #2: Duke, Baylor, Florida, Uconn #3: KU, Mizzou, Wisconsin, Louisville #4: UNLV, Xavier, Marquette, Georgetown #5: St Louis, Michigan St, Indiana, Vandy #6: UVA, Michigan, Harvard, LBSU #7: Creighton, Wichita St, Mississippi St, Alabama #8: Kansas St, Pittsburgh, Florida St, WVU #9: Gonzaga, SDSU, Murray St, Iona #10: Ohio, St Mary’s, Belmont, Memphis #11: Stanford, UNM, BYU, Marshall #12: Detroit Mercy, Texas, Arizona, Texas...

Seeking value in betting college basketball is easier said than done.  Isolating the right time to bet on, pass, or bet against certain teams is critical to long term success.  The betting axiom is over a 30 game season, teams will play above their heads for 5 (bet on), like their normal selves for 20 (pass those games), and below their capabilities for 5 (bet against).  If you can recognize these situations as they present themselves, you give yourself a great opportunity to optimize value and gain an edge on the bookmaker’s power numbers that won’t reflect the strength of a particular situation....

Many of you know him as @stuckey2 on twitter and he will join us every week sharing college hoops handicapping advice as well as breaking down the situations, sandwiches, and spots he relies on during the season to make him so successful. Written by @stuckey2 I don’t know about you, but a few years back when I was in college I can tell you a certain professor wouldn’t have my full attention after a weekend bender or before a big night out.  A class in between both?  Might as well not even show up.  This can occur with players, teams, and programs if we just replace class with games. If a team upsets a top ten team at home and then has to go on the road to play an inferior opponent, there’s always a tendency to come out flat.  Same thing with a team that has a giant game on deck (whether it be a top 5 team or an in state rival) might not show up with full focus due to the look-ahead.  A sandwich occurs when a team fits into both situations…something I always keep my eye out for. So, lets get into some good situational spots for Saturday so you can see some of my thinking at work: UNLV  I have been waiting for this game since last March when UNLV was run out of the gym in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.  McCamey and Davis came out white hot and built a 25 point lead before you could even check to see who you had moving on in your bracket.  Illinois comes in grossly overrated sporting an undefeated record and ranked in the top 20 with their marquee win over a Gonzaga team which doesn’t look nearly as good with each passing day.  The Rebels will be salivating to exact revenge and they...