Friday, Nov. 20 Predictions

Prediction Record: 16-3 (ATS: 11-7)

• Dayton vs. Villanova (-5): Prediction: Villanova 72, Dayton 68
  
• Ohio State vs. California (+3.5): Prediction: Ohio State 75, California 70
  
• North Carolina vs. Syracuse (Pick): Prediction: Syracuse 81, North Carolina 78
  
• Seton Hall at Cornell (-2.5): Prediction: Cornell 66, Seton Hall 57
  
• Troy at Florida (-16.5): Prediction: Florida 84, Troy 70
  
• Providence at Alabama (-5.5): Prediction: Alabama 71, Providence 64
  
• Kansas State vs. Mississippi (Pick): Prediction: Mississippi 76, Kansas State 69
  
• South Carolina vs. South Florida (+5): Prediction: South Carolina 70, South Florida 63
  
• Vanderbilt at Saint Mary's (-4.5): Prediction: Saint Mary's 73, Vanderbilt 69

National Prep Showcase

I'm heading up to Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn. on Friday to watch the National Prep Showcase, easily the best prep tournament of the high school season. It features nine of the top 10 teams in the ESPN Prep Rankings, and at least 100 Division-I recruits in the 20 games. Here's a link to the match-ups: National Prep Showcase. 

I will be posting noteworthy updates gathered from the Showcase, and I will also be still keeping up with the latest in college basketball news. My predictions will be back Friday as well.

Wednesday, Nov. 18 Predictions

Prediction Record: 13-2 (ATS: 9-6)

Oakland at Wisconsin (OFF): Prediction: Wisconsin 66, Oakland 56

Utah State at Utah (-3): Prediction: Utah State 74, Utah 69

Butler at Northwestern (+5): Prediction: Butler 63, Northwestern 54

Nevada at UNLV (-6.5): Prediction: UNLV 76, Nevada 70

Remember to check BetUS.com for the latest college basketball odds and NCAA basketball point spreads.

Pinkston postponing decision

Jayvaughn Pinkston, the top player in New York City this year, was expected to make his college decision at 4 p.m. today.

However, it turns out that he will be waiting until the spring.

“Jayvaughn will not be making his announcement today,” Kimani Young, Pinkston’s AAU director, said in a text message. “He’s not 100% sure where he wants to go to school so he’ll wait until the spring to make his decision.”

A report in the New York Daily News on Tuesday stated that Pinkston was prepared to commit to Tennessee, although Young debunked that rumor.

One has to wonder, though, if this decision to postpone the announcement has anything to do with Tobias Harris’ trip to Tennessee late last night. Harris, a five-star recruit in the class of 2010, will make his decision on Thursday – and Tennessee is the rumored favorite in that race.

“No,” Young said. “Jay is concerned with his recruitment and his recruitment only.”

Despite that, signs point to the idea that Pinkston was prepared to commit to Tennessee, but had second thoughts once Harris took his last-minute trip to Knoxville – and likely cemented the fact that Harris will indeed sign with the Volunteers.

Purdue's Jackson out indefinitely

No. 7 Purdue could be without its starting point guard for the entire 2009-10 season, as Lewis Jackson is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a broken foot he suffered last week in practice.

“Hopefully, he can come back at the end of the Big Ten season, but it’s going to take some time,” head coach Matt Painter told the Journal and Courier (West Lafayette, Ind.). “He will be out for a while. He could be a redshirt candidate, because he hasn’t played this year. It would be February at the earliest. We hope it’s not season ending, but it could be.”

Jackson started 30 games for the Boilermakers last season, averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. In the season-opening win over Cal State Northridge, Painter used guards Keaton Grant, Chris Kramer and E’Twaun Moore in the starting lineup, and D.J. Byrd and Ryne Smith for 19 minutes each off the bench.

Report: Pinkston to Tennessee

According to the New York Daily News, unsigned senior Jayvaughn Pinkston is expected to commit to Tennessee when he announces his decision tomorrow afternoon.

However, Kimani Young, the director of Pinkston’s AAU team, said that the report is not true.

“Not confirmed. Daily News is speculating,” Young said in a text message.

When asked if Pinkston was leaning towards the Volunteers, Young responded: “He will make his college decision tomorrow at 4 p.m.”

The 6-5 Pinkston is a tough, physical forward and arguably the best player in New York City in the class of 2010. His finalists are Tennessee, Villanova, St. John’s, Marquette and Seton Hall.

Tuesday, Nov. 17 Predictions

Prediction Record: 0-0 (ATS: 0-0)

With ESPN kicking off its college basketball coverage with a 24-hour marathon of college hoops coverage, I've decided it's time to get started with my daily game predictions. As I did last year, I will be predicting games with the spread, and will post my prediction record, both straight up and ATS. If my score seems close to the spread, it's purely coincidence -- I type in my predictions, then add the spread at the end.

Note: For tonight, I will predicting each game in the ESPN marathon; normally, I select the top games of the night to predict.

• Cal State Fullerton at UCLA (-15): Prediction: UCLA 76, Cal State Fullerton 64
  
• San Diego State at Saint Mary’s (-6.5): Prediction: Saint Mary’s 77, San Diego State 70
  
• Northern Colorado at Hawaii (-5.5): Prediction: Hawaii 67, Northern Colorado 55
  
• Monmouth at St. Peter’s (-9.5): Prediction: St. Peter’s 58, Monmouth 49
  
• Drexel at Niagara (-9.5): Prediction: Niagara 75, Drexel 63
  
• Clemson at Liberty (+10): Prediction: Clemson 81, Liberty 61
  
• Northeastern at Siena (-8.5): Prediction: Siena 73, Northeastern 64
  
• Arkansas-Little Rock at Tulsa (-16.5): Prediction: Tulsa 80, Arkansas Little-Rock 59
  
• Temple at Georgetown (-9): Prediction: Georgetown 77, Temple 69
  
• Binghamton at Pittsburgh (OFF): Prediction: Pittsburgh 67, Binghamton 51
  
• Arkansas vs. Louisville (-10): Prediction: Louisville 84, Arkansas 73
  
• Gonzaga at Michigan State (-11): Prediction: Michigan State 78, Gonzaga 71
  
• Northern Illinois at Illinois (-21): Prediction: Illinois 71, Northern Illinois 53
  
• Duquesne at Iowa (+1.5): Prediction: Duquesne 66, Iowa 63
  
• Memphis vs. Kansas (-11): Prediction: Kansas 84, Memphis 70