Picks & Predictions Back

Top College Basketball Picks for Friday, March 12th, 2021

#1 Baylor taking on No. 12 Oklahoma State, #4 Michigan battling Maryland and #9 Ohio State taking on #20 Purdue highlights the action in the Top 25.

Top College Basketball Picks for Friday, March 12th, 2021
Picks & Predictions
Fri 12th March 2021

Maryland vs. Michigan

No. 4 ranked Michigan takes on Maryland. Michigan is 19-3, 14-3 in the Big Ten. They earned the regular season conference title. They will be playing their first contest in the conference tournament on Friday. Michigan lost two of their last three games of the regular season, but were 18-1 heading into those games.


The Wolverines are one of the best shooting teams in the country. They are shooting 48.8% from the field, 19th overall, and 38.6% from three-point range, 13th in the country. Michigan is 63rd in rebounds at 37.8 per game. Hunter Dickinson leads the team in scoring at 14.3 ppg and he is the leading rebounder at 7.7 boards per contest. He partners with Isaiah Livers (14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Franz Wagner (12.9, 6.3) to create one of the deadliest combinations in college basketball.

Maryland is 16-12, 9-11 in the conference. The Terrapins opened up the conference tournament with a victory over Michigan State on Thursday, 68-57. Eric Ayala scored 21 points and Aaron Wiggins added 19 to lead the way. Ayala grabbed nine rebounds and added four assists.

Maryland is a solid shooting team themselves, 86th in field-goal percentage at 45.8% and 83rd in three-point shooting at 35.7%. Ayala leads the team in scoring at 14.5 points per game with Wiggins close behind at 14.0 per contest. Wiggins is second on the team in rebounds at 5.8 per game.

College Basketball Pick – Michigan by 9.

Mississippi State vs. Alabama

No. 6 ranked Alabama takes Mississippi State in the SEC tournament. Alabama is 21-6, 16-2 in the SEC. They finished first during the regular season. The Crimson Tide won their last three regular season games and will be playing for the first time in the tournament on Friday. They defeated the Bulldogs both times these teams played this season.

Alabama is shooting 43.1% from the field and they are shooting 35.5% from three-point range, 91st in the nation. They have been a rebounding machine, 10th in the nation at 40.3 boards per game. Jaden Shackelford leads the team in scoring at 14.4 ppg. John Petty is second in scoring (12.8) and second in rebounding (5.1). Herbert Jones leads the team in rebounding (6.1) and assists (3.1).


Mississippi State finished 15-13 overall, 8-10 in the SEC. They defeated Kentucky in their first-round matchup, 74-73. The Bulldogs had lost five of their last nine games to close out the season.

Mississippi State is shooting 45.5% from the field, 98th in the nation, and they are hitting on 34.9% of their three-point attempts. The Bulldogs have been solid on the boards as well, averaging 38.9 rebounds per contest, 32nd in the country. Mississippi State is led by D.J. Stewart at 16.5 ppg. Iverson Molinar is right behind at 16.4 points per game. Tolu Smith is the leading rebounder at 8.6 per contest.

College Basketball Pick – Alabama by 8.

Ohio State vs. Purdue

No. 9 ranked Ohio State takes on No. 20 Purdue. Ohio State finished 19-8, 12-8 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes defeated Minnesota in their opening contest to the conference tournament. That snapped a four-game losing streak that saw Ohio State lose to three teams ranked in the top five.

The Buckeyes are shooting 46.0% from the field, 71st in the country, and 36.1% from three-point range, 67th overall. E.J. Liddell is having a monster season for Ohio State, averaging 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, both tops on the team. Duane Washington is second at 15.3 points per contest.


Purdue is 18-8 overall, 13-6 in the conference. They will be making their conference tournament debut. The Boilermakers won their last five games of the season, including defeating Indiana on Saturday, 67-58.

Purdue is shooting 45.2% from the field and 33.5% from three-point range. They are 66th in the country in rebounds at 37.7 per game. Trevion Williams leads the team in scoring at 15.2 points per game. Jaden Ivey is the only other Purdue player averaging in double digits at 10.0 points per contest. Williams also leads the team in rebounds at 8.8 per game. 

Purdue one the only contest between these teams during the regular season, defeating Ohio State back on January 19, 65-67.

College Basketball Pick – Ohio State by 4.

Rutgers vs. Illinois

No. 9 ranked Illinois takes on Rutgers in the Big Ten conference tournament. Illinois is 20-6, 16-4 in the conference. Friday’s game against Rutgers will be their first of the conference tournament. The Illini won their last four games, including a 73-68 victory over Ohio State. They also beat Michigan in the previous contest.

Illinois is seventh in the country, shooting 50.0% from the field and 21st in three-point shooting at 38.2%. They are 13th in rebounding at 40.2 boards per game. Ayo Dosunmu is having a monster season, averaging 20.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. Kofi Cockburn is second in scoring at 17.3 points per contest, and he leads the team in rebounding and 9.6 per game.


Rutgers is 14-10, 10-10 in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights defeated Indiana on Thursday, 61-50. Four players scored in double digits. The team was led by Jacob Young and Ron Harper who each scored 13 points. Harper finished with a double-double, adding 11 rebounds. Myles Johnson also had a double-double at 13 rebounds and 10 points.

Rutgers is shooting 45.2% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range. Harper leads the team in scoring at 15.3 ppg. Young is second at 14.5 points per game and he is the team leader in assists at 3.5 per contest. Johnson is averaging 8.6 boards per game.

College Basketball Pick – Illinois by 9.

Georgia Tech vs. Virginia

No. 16 ranked Virginia takes on Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament. Virginia finished 18-6 overall and 13-4 in the ACC, the top regular season record. The Cavaliers narrowly defeated Syracuse on Thursday, 72-69. Virginia was led in scoring by Sam Hauser who scored 21 points. Jay Huff added a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. The victory was third in a row for Virginia.

The Cavaliers have been an outstanding shooting team this season, hitting on 48.1% of their shots from the field, 29th overall and 38.6% of their shots from three-point range, 13th in the nation. Hauser is the leading scorer at 15.8 ppg and he is second in the team at 6.8 rebounds per game. Huff is second in scoring (13.1) and leads Virginia in rebounds at 6.9 per contest.


Georgia Tech finished the regular season 16-8, 11-6 in the conference. They opened the ACC tournament with a 70-66 victory over Miami on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets were led by Jordan Usher with 15 points. Michael Devoe and José Alvarado each scored 13 points.

Georgia Tech is 38th in the nation in shooting at 47.5% and are hitting on 35.2% of their three-point attempts. Moses Wright leads the team in scoring at 18.0 points per game and in rebounds at 8.1 boards per contest. Alvarado is averaging 15.5 points per game and Devoe 15.0.

College Basketball Pick – Virginia by 3.

Oklahoma State vs. Baylor

No. 2 ranked Baylor takes on No. 12 Oklahoma State. Baylor is 22-1, 13-1 in the Big 12. The Bears opened the conference tournament with a 74-68 victory over Kansas State on Thursday. MaCio Teague led the team with 24 points and Davion Mitchell scored 23. Jared Butler was the only other player to score in double digits, recording 18 points.

Baylor is hitting on 49.7% of their shots, 10th in the nation, and they are first in three-point shooting at 42.9% Butler is the leading scorer at 17.1 ppg, with Teague right behind at 15.8 per contest. Teague is also third on the team in rebounds at 4.1 per game. Mitchell is averaging 13.8 points per contest and is first in assists at 5.7 per game.


Oklahoma State is 19-7 overall, 11-7 in the conference. They shocked West Virginia on Thursday, 72-69. Avery Anderson and Cade Cunningham led the way with 17 points each. Cunningham added seven rebounds and four assists. Bryce Williams scored 12.

The Cowboys are hitting on 46.6% of their shots from the field, 57th in the country, and 33.8% of their shots from three-point range. They are 39th in the country in rebounds at 38.7 boards per game. Cunningham is the leading scorer at 19.7 ppg and he is second in rebounds at 6.3 per contest. Anderson is second in scoring at 11.1 per game.

College Basketball Pick – Baylor by 5.

Tulane vs. Houston

No. 7 ranked Houston takes on Tulane in the American Athletic Conference tournament. Houston is 21-3 overall, 14-3 in the conference. The Cougars won their last four games of the season, including a 67-64 victory over Memphis last Sunday.

Houston is averaging 43.8% from the field and 35.6% from three-point range, 86th overall. They are fifth in the nation in rebounds at 41.3 per game. Quentin Grimes leads the team in scoring at 17.9 ppg and he is second in rebounding at 6.2 per contest. Justin Gorham is the leading rebounder at 9.4 rebounds per game. DeJon Jarreau is third in scoring (10.9) and rebounding (5.3).


Tulane is 10-12 overall, 4-12 in the AAC. The Green Wave defeated Tulsa on Thursday, 77-70. Jordan Walker led the way with 24 points and seven assists and Jaylen Forbes scored 22 and grabbed seven rebounds. R.J. McGee also grabbed seven rebounds and finished with 15 points.

Tulane is one of the worst shooting teams in college basketball, hitting on 38.0% of their attempts, sixth from the bottom. They are connecting on 30.2% of their three-point attempts. Forbes leads the team in scoring (16.5) and rebounding (5.2). Walker is second at 12.7 points per game and he leads the team in assists at 4.2 per contest.

College Basketball Pick – Houston by 10.

Missouri vs. Arkansas

No. 8 ranked Arkansas takes on Missouri in the SEC tournament. Arkansas is 21-5, 13-4 in the SEC. This will be their first game of the conference tournament. Arkansas closed the regular season with eight straight victories. That included a win over No. 6 ranked Alabama.

Arkansas is shooting 45.6% from the field, 94th in the nation, and they are hitting on 34.4% of their three-point attempts. The Razorbacks are 18th in the country in rebounds per game at 40.0. Moses Moody leads the team in scoring at 17.5 ppg, and he is second in rebounds at 5.7 per contest. Justin Smith is third in scoring at 12.5 points per game and leads the team in rebounding at 6.8 per contest.


Missouri is 15-8 overall, 8-8 in the SEC. They opened the tournament with a 73-70 victory over Georgia on Thursday. Missouri got 17 points from Xavier Pinson to lead them to victory. Dru Smith scored 16 and led the team with eight rebounds. Kobe Brown also chipped in 16 and added seven rebounds. Arkansas shot 43.3% from the field and hit on 14 of 19 free throws (73.7%).

The Tigers are shooting 45.1% from the field and 31.9% from three-point range. Smith is leading the team in scoring at 14.1 ppg with Pinson right behind at 14.0 points per contest. Jeremiah Tilmon is the leading rebounder at 7.4 per game.

College Basketball Pick – Arkansas by 7.

Wisconsin vs. Iowa

No. 5 ranked Iowa takes on Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament.  Iowa is 20-7, 14-6 in the Big Ten. This will be their first game of the conference tournament. They earned victories in each of their last three games of the regular season and were 7-1 down the stretch. That included a win over No. 9 Ohio State.

Iowa is 40th in the country in field-goal percentage at 47.4%, including fifth from three-point shooting at 39.6%. They are also ninth in the country in total rebounds at 40.4 per game. Luka Garza is having a monster season for the Hawkeyes, averaging 23.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Joe Wieskamp is second in each of those categories, averaging 15.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.


Wisconsin is 16-11 overall, 10-10 in the Big Ten. The Badgers opened the conference tournament with a 75-74 victory over Penn State. That snapped a three-game losing streak. Wisconsin had lost six of their last eight games. Aleem Ford led the way with 17 points and Brad Davison added 15 points and five assists in the victory.

Wisconsin a shooting 42.1% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range. D’Mitrik Trice is the team leader in scoring at 13.7 ppg. Micah Potter is averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He leads the team in rebounds.

College Basketball Pick – Iowa by 6.

North Carolina vs. Florida State

No. 15 ranked Florida State takes on North Carolina in the ACC tournament. Florida State finished 15-5, 11-4 in the ACC. The Seminoles were to open the tournament against Duke, who opted not to play. They lost two of their last three regular season games.

Florida State is 43rd in the country, shooting 47.2% from the field. They are 16th in three-point shooting at 38.5%. Florida State has been a solid rebounding team, 79th in the country at 37.4 rebounds per game. M.J. Walker leads the team in scoring at 13.1 ppg. Rai’Quan Gray is having an outstanding season, second on the Seminoles in scoring at 12.4 points and the leader in rebounds at 6.9 rebounds per game. Gray is third in assists, recording 2.4 per contest.


North Carolina defeated Notre Dame, 101-59, on Wednesday. The Tar Heels knocked off No. 22 Virginia Tech on Thursday, 81-73. RJ Davis led the team with 19 points and Armando Bacot chipped in a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

North Carolina is shooting 44.5% from the field and 31.3% from three-point range. They have been an excellent rebounding team at 43.2 rebounds per game. Bacot leads the team in scoring at 11.7 ppg and he is second in rebounding at 7.6 per contest. Garrison Brooks is averaging 10.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

College Basketball Pick – North Carolina by 3.

Connecticut vs. Creighton

No. 17 ranked Creighton takes on Connecticut in the Big East tournament. Creighton is 18-7, 14-6 in the Big East. The Bluejays defeated Butler on Thursday, 87-56. Marcus Zegarowski scored 18 points and added five assists to lead Creighton. The team shot an impressive 62.5% from the field, including 54.2% from three-point range (13-24).

Creighton is an outstanding shooting team, hitting on 48.2% of their field-goal attempts, 26th overall, and 36.8% of their three-point attempts, 49th in the nation. Zegarowski is averaging 15.4 points per game and he leads the team in assists at 4.4 per contest. Christian Bishop is averaging 6.1 rebounds per contest to lead the team.  Denzel Mahoney is second in scoring at 13.5 points per contest.


Connecticut is 14-6 overall, 11-6 in the Big East. They defeated DePaul to open the tournament, 94-60. Adama Sanogo, Tyrese Martin, and RJ Cole each scored 14 points in the victory. UConn shot 44.7% from the field, and were 18 of 23 from the free-throw line, 78.3%.

Connecticut is shooting 44.4% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range. They are a solid rebounding team, averaging 37.7 boards per game. James Bouknight is the leading scorer at 20.2 ppg. Martin is averaging 11.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He is the leading rebounder. Cole leads the team in assists at 4.3 per game and is second in scoring at 12.6 per contest.

College Basketball Pick – Creighton by 5.

Nevada vs. San Diego State

No. 19 ranked San Diego State battles Nevada in the Mountain West Conference tournament. San Diego State is 21-4 overall, 14-3 in the MWC. The Aztecs defeated Wyoming on Thursday for their 12th straight victory, 69-66. San Diego State was led by Terrel Gomez who scored 20 points, hitting eight of 12 field goal attempts. Jordan Schakel and Trey Pulliam each scored 15.

San Diego State is an outstanding shooting team. They are hitting on 45.5% of their field-goal attempts, 97th in the country, and 37.9% of their three-point attempts, 28th overall. The Aztecs are led by Matt Mitchell at 15.4 ppg. He is second in rebounding at 5.5 per contest. Schakel is second in scoring (14.4) and third in rebounding (4.2).


Nevada is 15-9 overall, 10-7 in the MWC. The Wolf Pack knocked off Boise State on Thursday, 89-82. Desmond Cambridge had a monster game, scoring 31 points and adding five rebounds. Warren Washington had a double-double at 18 points and 11 rebounds. Grant Sherfield scored 26 points.

Sherfield is the leading scorer, averaging 18.0 points per game. Sherfield also leads the team at 6.2 assists per contest. Cambridge is averaging 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. Zane Meeks is the leading rebounder at 5.9 per contest.

College Basketball Pick – San Diego State by 11.

Texas vs. Kansas

No. 11 ranked Kansas takes on No. 13 ranked Texas in the Big 12 tournament. Kansas is 19-8 overall, 12-6 in the Big 12. They finished second overall in the conference during the regular season. The Jayhawks defeated Oklahoma on Thursday, 69-62. Ochai Agbaji led the team with 26 points and Marcus Garrett chipped in 17 points and five rebounds. Kansas shot 46.4% from the field and were nine of 11 from the free-throw line, 81.8%.

The Jayhawks are shooting 44.0% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range. They are 57th in the country in rebounding at 38.0 boards per game. Agbaji is the leading scorer at 13.7 ppg with David McCormack right behind at 13.4 points per contest. McCormack is averaging 6.1 rebounds per game, second on the team. Jalen Wilson is the leading rebounder at 8.2 per contest.


Texas is 17-7 overall, 11-6 in the Big 12. They finished with the third-best record during the regular season. The Longhorns defeated Texas Tech on Thursday, 67-66. Five players scored in double digits, led by Matt Coleman who had 19. Jericho Sims recorded a double-double with 11 rebounds and 10 points. Texas shot 45.5% from the field in the game, including 11 of 26 from three-point range (42.3%).

The Longhorns are connecting on 45.2% of their shots from the field and 35.3% of their shots from three-point range, 95th in the country. They are 40th in total rebounds at 38.6 per game. Andrew Jones is the leading scorer at 14.9 ppg with Courtney Ramey close behind at 13.6 points per contest. Coleman is third at 12.4 points per game and his 4.2 assists per contest leads the Longhorns.

College Basketball Pick – Kansas by 4.

Colorado vs. USC

No. 23 ranked Colorado takes on No. 24 ranked USC in the Pac-12 tournament. Colorado is 20-7 overall, 14-6 in the Pac-12. That was the third-best conference record during the regular season. Colorado defeated California on Thursday, 61-58, for their fifth straight win. Evan Battey led the Buffaloes with 15 points and five rebounds.

McKinley Wright scored 10. Colorado did not have a particularly good shooting day, connecting on 30.5% of their field-goal attempts and they were three of 14 from three-point range. The Buffaloes hit on 18 of 23 free throws, however.


The Buffaloes have been a solid shooting team. They are hitting on 45.5% of their field-goal attempts, 97th in the country, and 36.3% of three-point attempts, 61st overall. Wright leads the team in scoring at 15.3 ppg and is the leader in assists at 5.7 per contest.

USC finished second in the Pac-12, posting a 15-5 conference record, 21-6 overall. The Trojans defeated Utah on Thursday, 91-85, for their third straight victory. USC shot 48.3% in the victory, and went to the line 39 times, connecting on 29 of those attempts. Six players scored in double digits led by Evan Mobley with 26. He also had nine rebounds. Mobley was 11 of 14 from the free-throw line.

USC is shooting 46.5% from the field, 55th in the nation, and 34.4% from three-point range. They are 19th in the nation in rebounds per game at 39.9. Mobley is the leading scorer at 16.1 ppg, and the leading rebounder at 8.6 per contest.

College Basketball Pick – USC by 2.

Are you interested in finding out more on the latest season of college basketball? Then make sure you visit our college basketball hub page, we’ve got all the details you need!

SportsTips covers all the latest betting, odds, picks & predictions news when it comes to major American sports like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL. If you want to stay up to date with the latest information, SportsTips has you covered!

Related Picks & Predictions View More