Top College Basketball Picks for Thursday, March 11th, 2021

Top College Basketball Picks for Thursday, March 11th, 2021
Thu 11th March 2021

Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia

No. 12 ranked Oklahoma State takes on No. 10 ranked West Virginia in the opening-round contest of the Big 12 tournament for both of these teams. This game is going to be an interesting one, as familiarity will play a big part in the outcome.

The Cowboys and Mountaineers faced each other seven straight times to close out the season with Oklahoma State going 4-3 in those games. West Virginia won three of the last four, however.

Oklahoma State (18-7, 11-7 in the Big 12) has been a solid shooting team, 56th in the nation at 46.6% shooting. They are hitting on 33.8% of their three-point attempts.

The Cowboys are led by Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 19.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Only one other player, Avery Anderson, is averaging in double digits at 11.1 per game. However, Oklahoma State has three players averaging over nine points per contest.


West Virginia (18-8, 11-6 in the Big 12) is shooting 42.8% from the field, but 35.9% from three-point range, 76th overall. They are 44th in the nation in rebounds at 38.5 per game.

The Mountaineers are led by the duo of Miles McBride (15.4 ppg) and Derek Culver (14.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg). Two other players are averaging in double digits, Taz Sherman (13.4) and Sean McNeil (11.9).

College Basketball Pick – West Virginia by 5.

Georgetown vs. Villanova

No. 14 ranked Villanova takes on Georgetown in the Big East tournament opener for the Wildcats. Villanova (16-5, 11-4 in the Big East) lost two of their final three games and three of their final six, dropping them out of the Top 10.

The Wildcats are shooting 45.0% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range, 90th in the nation. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl leads the team in both points and rebounds at 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Collin Gillespie is second on the team in scoring at 14.0 ppg. Three other players are averaging in double digits. Jermaine Samuels is averaging 11.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.


Georgetown (9-12, 7-9 in the Big East) defeated Marquette in their first-round contest, 68-49. That gives them victories in three of their last four and five of their last seven overall. The Hoyas have lost to the Wildcats in four straight meetings and are 1-9 in the last 10 meetings between these teams.

Georgetown is shooting 42.5% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range, 55th in the nation. They have been great on the glass, 16th in the country at 40.0 rebounds per game. Jahvon Blair leads the team in scoring at 15.9 ppg and is adding 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest.

Jamorko Pickett and Qudus Wahab have been a rebounding two-headed monster. Pickett is averaging 7.6 rebounds and 12.7 points per game while Wahab is averaging 8.0 boards and 12.0 points per contest.

College Basketball Pick – Villanova by 8.

Syracuse vs. Virginia

No. 16 ranked Virginia takes on Syracuse in their opening contest to the ACC tournament. The Cavaliers won the regular season title, finishing 17-6, 13-4 in the ACC. Virginia won their last two games to close out the season, including a 68-58 victory over Louisville last Saturday. However, they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games.

Virginia is an outstanding shooting team, 29th in the country at 48.1% from the field and 12th in three-point shooting at 38.6%. Sam Hauser leads the team in scoring at 15.8 ppg and he is second on the team in rebounds at 6.8 per contest.

Jay Huff is second on the team in scoring (13.1) and first in rebounding (6.9). Trey Murphy is also scoring in double digits at 11.1 points per game.


Syracuse (15-8, 9-7 in the ACC) has won their last three games, including defeating North Carolina State in the opening-round of the ACC tournament. They blew out the Wolfpack, 89-68. Syracuse is 3-0 ATS in their last three games.

The Orange have not been a very good shooting team this season. They are averaging 43.6% from the field and 33.0% from three-point range. Buddy Boeheim leads the team in scoring at 16.0 ppg.

Quincy Guerrier has been a beast on the glass, averaging 9.0 rebounds per game and is chipping in 14.5 points per contest, third overall. Alan Griffin (15.3) and Marek Dolezaj (10.2) are each averaging in double digits as well.

College Basketball Pick – Virginia by 4.

Minnesota vs. Ohio State

No. 9 ranked Ohio State takes on Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament. Ohio State (18-8, 12-8 in the Big Ten) will be playing their first game in the tournament. The Buckeyes enter this contest limping, losing their last four games, including three games against Top 5 opponents.

Ohio State has an outstanding basketball team. They are shooting 46.0% from the field, 71st in the country, and 36.1% from three-point range, 67th overall. They are 32nd in points scored per game. E.J. Liddell leads the team in scoring at 16.0 ppg.


He is also the team’s leading rebounder at 6.5 boards per game. Duane Washington is close behind at 15.3 ppg. Justice Sueing is also averaging in double digits at 10.5 points per contest.

Minnesota (14-14, 6-14 in the Big Ten) opened the conference tournament with a 51-46 victory over Northwestern on Wednesday. Tre’ Williams led the way with 14 points and Eric Curry had 12 rebounds.

Minnesota shot 36.7% from the field and were an abysmal 10 of 24 from the free-throw line, but the defense was solid, holding Northwestern to 31.0% from the field and 27.8% from three-point range.

Minnesota is one of the worst shooting teams in college basketball. They averaged 39.4% from the floor, 14th from the bottom, and 28.5% from three-point range, seventh from the bottom. Marcus Carr led the way with 19.6 ppg and 4.9 assists per contest. Liam Robbins is the leading rebounder at 6.6 boards per game.

College Basketball Pick – Ohio State by 12.

Kansas State vs. Baylor

No. 2 ranked Baylor takes on Kansas State in their first contest of the Big 12 tournament. Baylor (21-1, 13-1 in the Big 12) was undefeated until losing to Kansas on February 27, 71-58. However, they won their last three games of the season, all against ranked opponents.

The Bears are an outstanding shooting team, 10th in field-goal percentage at 49.7% in first in the nation in three-point shooting at 42.9%. Jerry Butler is having a monster season, averaging 17.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.

MaCio Teague is averaging 15.8 points per contest and Davion Mitchell is third on the team in scoring (13.8) and leads Baylor at 5.7 rebounds per game.


Kansas State (9-19, 4-14 in the Big 12) defeated TCU in their opening-round matchup of the conference tournament, 71-50. Nijel Pack had a huge game for the Wildcats, hitting six of eight shots, including five of six three-pointers to give him 23 points. Mike McGuirl added 17 points on seven of 14 shooting.

Kansas State is averaging 41.2% from the field and 29.3% from three-point range, 18th from the bottom. Pack leads the team in scoring at 12.0 ppg with McGuirl close behind at 11.9 points per contest. Antonio Gordon is the leading rebounder at 5.8 boards per game.

College Basketball Pick – Baylor by 19.

Wyoming vs. San Diego State

No. 19 ranked San Diego State takes on Wyoming in their first-round contest in the Mountain West Conference tournament. San Diego finished 20-4 overall, 14-3 in the MWC. The Aztecs closed out the season with 11 straight victories, including beating Wyoming twice back on January 28 and 30.

San Diego State is one of the best shooting teams in the country, ranked 99th in field-goal percentage at 45.4% and 20th in three-point shooting at 38.0%.


Matt Mitchell leads the team in scoring at 15.4 ppg, and he is averaging 5.5 rebounds per contest. Jordan Schakel is the only other player averaging in double digits at 14.4 points per contest. Nathan Mensah is the leading rebounder at 6.3 per game.

Wyoming finished 13-10, 7-9 in the conference. They earned a victory over UNLV to close out the season and opened the MWC tournament with a victory, defeating San Jose State on Wednesday, 111-80. Wyoming has not defeated San Diego State since December 2017.

The Cowboys are shooting 44.3% from the field and 35.0% from three-point range. Marcus Williams is the leading scorer at 14.9 ppg, and he is adding 2.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Hunter Maldonado is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game and is leading in rebounds at 6.8 per contest.

College Basketball Pick – San Diego State by 11.

Butler vs. Creighton

No. 12 ranked Creighton takes on Butler in the Big East tournament. Creighton (18-7, 14-6 in the Big East) defeated Butler in the final regular season game, 93-73. That snapped a two-game losing streak. The Bulldogs had beaten the Bluejays earlier in the season in overtime, 70-66.

Creighton is an outstanding shooting team, 26th in the country in shooting at 48.2% and they are 49th from beyond the arc, hitting on 36.8% of their three-point attempts.

Marcus Zegarowski is the leading scorer at 15.4 ppg and leads the team in assists at 4.4 per contest. Christian Bishop leads in rebounds at 6.1 per contest. Denzell Mahoney is second on the team in scoring at 13.5 per game and third in rebounding at 4.2 per contest.


Butler (10-14, 8-12 in the Big East) narrowly edged Xavier to advance, 70-69. Chuck Harris scored 21 points and Bryce Golden added 20 to help lead the way. Golden came one rebound shy of earning a double-double.

Butler is shooting 41.3% from the field and 32.6% from three-point range. Harris leads the Bulldogs at 12.8 ppg.  Jair Bolden is right behind at 11.1 points per contest. Bryce Nze is the leading rebounder at 8.0 boards per game and is averaging 10.6 points per contest.

College Basketball Pick – Creighton by 10.

Duke vs. Florida State

No. 15 ranked Florida State battles against Duke in the ACC tournament. Florida State (15-5, 11-4 in the ACC) lost two of their last three games to close out the season, including an 83-73 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. The Seminoles earned the top regular season record in the conference.

The Seminoles are 43rd in the nation in field-goal percentage at 47.2% and had been outstanding from three-point range, connecting on 38.5% of their attempts, 16th overall.


They are 79th in the nation in rebounds at 37.4 per game. M.J. Walker is the leading scorer 13.1 ppg. RaiQuan Gray is second in scoring at 12.4 points per contest and is the leading rebounder at 6.9 per game.

Duke (13-11, 9-9 in the ACC defeated Louisville on Wednesday, 70-56. Mark Williams had a monster game for the Blue Devils, hitting nine of 14 shots to lead the way with 23 points. He recorded the double-double with 19 rebounds. Matthew Hurt added 20 points on seven of 12 shooting.

Duke is 51st in the country, shooting 46.8% from the field. They are shooting 35.2% from three-point range. Hurt is leading the Blue Devils, averaging 18.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Jalen Johnson is third on the team in scoring at 11.2 points per contest and is second in rebounding at 6.1 per game.

College Basketball Pick – Florida State by 3.

Oklahoma vs. Kansas

No. 25 ranked Oklahoma takes on No. 11 ranked Kansas in the Big 12 tournament. Oklahoma (15-9, 9-8 in the Big 12) defeated Iowa State on Wednesday, 79-73. Austin Reaves led the way for the Sooners with 21 points and Elijah Harkless came one rebound away from a double-double with 12 points and nine boards. De’Vion Harmon added 18 points.

Oklahoma is shooting 44.1% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range. Reaves leads the team at 17.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He is also the leader in assists at 4.9 per contest. Harmon is averaging 13.0 points per game and is third on the team in rebounds at 4.7 per contest.


Kansas (19-8, 12-6 in the Big 12) finished second in the conference. They won their last two games to close out the season and were winners of seven of their last eight overall. These teams split their regular season contests with the home team victorious in each instance.

Kansas is shooting 43.9% from the field and 34.3% from three-point range. Ochai Agbaji leads the team in scoring at 13.7 ppg and Jalen Wilson is the leading rebounder at 8.2 per contest. David McCormack is having an outstanding all-around season, second on the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game and second in rebounds at 6.1 per contest. 

College Basketball Pick – Kansas by 8.

Utah vs. Southern California

No. 24 ranked USC goes against Utah in the Pa-12 tournament. USC (21-6, 15-5 in the Pac-12) finished second in the conference during the regular season. They earned victories in their last two games, including a 64-63 victory over UCLA to close out the season.

The Trojans are hitting on 46.5% of their shots, 59th in the nation, while hitting on 34.3% of their three-point attempts. They are 19th in the country in rebounds at 39.9 per game. Evan Mobley is leading the way for USC at 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Tahj Eaddy is the only other Trojans player averaging in double digits at 13.8 per contest.

Utah (12-12, 8-11 in the Pac-12) defeated Washington in their opening round contest, 98-95. Six different players scored in double digits, including Timmy Allen, who recorded a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Alonso Plummer added 21 points, hitting six of 11 three-pointers.


Utah is 43rd in the nation, shooting 47.2% from the field and 79th in the country in three-point shooting at 35.8%. Allen leads the team in both scoring and rebounds at 16.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. He is also the leader in assists at 4.0 per game. Plumber is second at 13.2 points per game.

College Basketball Pick – USC by 8.

North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech

No. 22 ranked Virginia Tech battles North Carolina in the ACC tournament. Virginia Tech (15-5, 9-4 in the ACC) finished second in the conference during the regular season.

The last two games of the season for the Hokies were canceled, so it will be interesting to see how this team responds after such a long layoff. In fact, four of their last six games were canceled and they went 1-1 in the other two games.

Virginia Tech is shooting 45.1% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range. Keve Aluma is leading the Hokies at 15.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Tyrece Radford is second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per contest and is third in rebounds at 6.1 per game. 


North Carolina (17-9, 10-6 in the ACC) opened the tournament with an impressive 101-59 victory over Notre Dame. The Tar Heels had five players score in double digits, including Armando Bacot who scored 20 and added 13 rebounds.

In fact, he was not the only player recording a double-double, as Day’Ron Sharpe (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Walker Kessler (16 points, 12 rebounds) also accomplished the feat.

North Carolina is shooting 44.5% from the field and 31.3% from three-point range. They are third in the nation in rebounds per game at 43.2 boards per contest.

Bacot led the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game and was second in rebounding at 7.6 per contest. Sharpe was a leading rebounder at 7.8 per game.

College Basketball Pick – North Carolina by 7.

Texas Tech vs. Texas

No. 13 ranked Texas takes on No. 20 ranked Texas Tech. This is the opening contest of the Big 12 tournament for both teams. Texas Tech defeated Texas both times during the regular season.

The Longhorns (17-7, 11-6 in the Big 12) closed out the season with three straight victories, including a 76-64 victory over TCU on the final day of the regular season. They defeated Oklahoma a few days earlier.


Texas is shooting 45.2% from the field and 35.2% from three-point range. They are an outstanding rebounding club, averaging 38.7 boards per game, 40th overall. Andrew Jones is the leading scorer at 14.9 points per contest.

Courtney Ramey is one of three other players averaging in double digits at 13.6 points per game. Greg Brown and Jericho Sims are tied for the team lead in rebounds at 6.6 per game. Brown is averaging 10.3 points per contest as well.

The Red Raiders (17-9, 9-8 in the Big 12) lost their final game of the season to No. 2 ranked Baylor. They had won three straight contests prior to that defeat.

Texas Tech is shooting 44.5% from the field and 34.6% from three-point range. They are 57th in the country in points per game. Mac McClung is the leading scorer for the Red Raiders at 16.1 ppg.

Terence Shannon is one of three other players averaging in double digits at 12.5 points per contest. Kevin McCullar is fourth in scoring (10.1) and second in rebounding at 6.2 per contest.

College Basketball Pick – Texas Tech by 5.

Colorado vs. California

No. 23 ranked Colorado takes on California in the Pac-12 tournament. Colorado (20-7, 14-6 in the Pac-12) finished third in the conference. They closed out the season with four straight victories, including a 75-61 victory over Arizona State on March 4.

The Buffaloes are an outstanding shooting team, hitting on 45.7% of their shots, 89th in the country. They are 56th in the nation in three-point shooting at 36.6%.

McKinley Wright is the leading scorer at 15.3 points per game and leads the team at 5.7 assists per contest. Jeriah Horne is the only other player averaging in double digits at 11.5 points per game. Evan Battey is third in scoring (9.9) and second in rebounding (5.3).


California (9-19, 3-17 in the Pac-12) defeated Stanford to open up the tournament, 76-58. The Golden Bears got 19 points from Matt Bradley. Andre Kelly came one rebound away of a double-double, scoring 12 points and adding nine rebounds. Bradley had six boards.

California is shooting 43.2% from the field and 33.0% from three-point range. Bradley is having a monster season, averaging 18.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Kelly is the only other player averaging in double digits at 10.4 points per contest. He leads the team in rebounds at 6.5 per game.

College Basketball Pick – Colorado by 4.

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