Tag Archives: Duke Blue Devils

Wednesday NCAA Betting: Duke looks to bounce back at Maryland

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If the No. 6 aren’t careful on Wednesday night, the Blue Devils will suffer a rare second consecutive loss under Coach Mike Krzyzewski and fall out of first place in the ACC as the Dukies visit dangerous Maryland. Place your college basketball bets at WagerWeb.com.

Duke (16-3, 4-1) was stunned at home by Florida State on Saturday, 76-73. The Seminoles’ Michael Snaer hit a 3-pointer as time expired and Florida State snapped Duke’s 45-game home winning streak. With the game tied, Luke Loucks sprinted up the middle of the court before zipping a pass to Snaer on the right side in front of the FSU bench. Snaer quickly launched the shot over Andre Dawkins that dropped cleanly through the net at the horn, stunning the once-rowdy crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium and sending the Seminoles’ bench spilling onto “Coach K Court” in celebration.

It marked the first home loss for the Blue Devils since falling to the eventual national champion Tar Heels in February 2009. It also ended Duke’s 64-game home winning streak against unranked opponents, which began after a one-point loss to Florida State five years ago.

Maryland needs to right the ship as the Terps have dropped two straight and would be a bubble NCAA Tournament team right now. On Saturday, the Terps fell 73-60 at Temple. Terrell Stoglin made a string of big buckets in the second half to rally the Terrapins and finished with 20 points. Pe’Shon Howard scored 15. The Terrapins lost center Alex Len to an ankle injury in the first half. Maryland could not recover from 16 turnovers and missed 12 of 16 3-point attempts.

The good news is that Maryland coach Mark Turgeon thinks Len will play in this one but isn’t sure how many effective minutes the 7-foot-1 Len will be able to give. Len was limited to seven minutes against Temple, suffering the injury midway through the game’s first half. To that point, he hadn’t taken a shot nor managed a rebound, committing two fouls and turning the ball over once.

Duke has won its last 13 games following a loss and has not lost back-to-back games since 2009. Duke and Maryland have met 171 times heading into Wednesday’s game with the first meeting between the two schools coming in 1926. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series 110-61, including a 5-4 mark at the Comcast Center. Duke has won three straight and nine of the last 10 games in the series. The Blue Devils topped Maryland three times during the 2010-11 season. The Blue Devils have won three of the last four games at the Comcast Center. Duke has a +12.7 margin of victory in those three wins.

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NCAA Basketball Betting: Florida State visits No. 4 Duke

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Florida St. at Duke
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 21, 2012
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina


THE STORY: With three straight conference wins, and riding momentum from its blowout upset of North Carolina, Florida State faces its toughest test to date with a road tilt at Cameron Indoor Stadium against No. 4 Duke. The Seminoles sandwiched the win over the Tar Heels with victories over ACC foes Virginia Tech and Maryland and have won four of their last five games. The Blue Devils are winners of four straight, including a win over Wake Forest on Thursday to improve to 4-0 in ACC play.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (12-6, 3-1 ACC): The Seminoles are a force on defense, ranking 3rd in the nation in field goal percentage defense (36.1 %), leading the ACC in that category, blocked shots (6.6 per game) and steals (8.8 per game). Offensively, Florida State cannot be ignored, averaging 79 per outing during its current win streak. Michael Snaer is the Seminoles’ leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points. Ian Miller, off a career-best 18-point showing against Maryland, is averaging 13 points off the bench. Deividas Dulkys, the offensive catalyst for the Seminoles against the Tar Heels, is shooting 40.6 percent from three-point range.

ABOUT DUKE (16-2, 4-0 ACC): The Blue Devils shoot 49.8 percent and will test the Seminoles’ elite defense. Duke is 10th in the nation in scoring, topping the 90-point mark for the fourth time this season against Wake Forest and it boasts five different players averaging double figures. The Blue Devils lead the conference in three-pointers made at 145. Duke fell to Florida State 66-61 last season and has only suffered consecutive losses in the head-to-head series once.

TIP-INS:

1. Duke has won 45 consecutive home games and can match the all-time school record of 46, set on February 9th, 2000, with a win.

2. The Seminoles have held opponents to less than 70 points in 15 of 18 games this season.

3. Duke is 17-1 against FSU all-time at Cameron Indoor and 30-7 overall. CLICK here to Place your College Basketball bets at Bovada 

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Duke welcomes Wake Forest to Cameron Indoor Thursday

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Wake Forest at Duke
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 19, 2012
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina

THE STORY: Duke welcomes Wake Forest to Cameron Indoor Thursday with the stakes the same as they’ve been the past few matchups. The Blue Devils are rounding into form with sights set on a top seed in the NCAA tournament, while the Demon Deacons are on the verge of a complete derailment. Wake Forest is trying to bounce back from a one-win ACC campaign last season but not even that sorry squad managed to get blown out by 36 points. That’s precisely what happened last Saturday at home against N.C. State when second-leading scorer Travis McKie was ejected for throwing an elbow and leading scorer C.J. Harris played the role of disgruntled superstar instead of team leader. Now the Demon Deacons must take their conference-worst scoring defense (69.3 points) up against the Blue Devils, who are 14th in the country in scoring (80.3).

TV: 7 p.m. ET; ESPN

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (10-7, 1-2 ACC): Coach Jeff Bzdelik is in serious trouble, on the verge of losing his team. Harris and McKie are the top scoring duo in the conference, but when defenses shut them down, poor shot selection – 2-of-20 3-point shooting against the Wolfpack – and poor character rise to the surface. Harris is shooting just 31percent in ACC play and has neither responded as a team leader nor reached the rim consistently against double teams. Harris has struggled against aggressive guards, and that’s exactly what he’ll face against Duke, which held him to 2-of-9 shooting in last year’s 83-59 runaway victory.

ABOUT DUKE (15-2, 3-0 ACC): Duke has had a different leading scorer in each of the past four games, including 24 from sixth-man Andrew Dawkins in a 73-66 win over Clemson on Sunday. That balance is a nightmare matchup for Wake Forest, which has been slow getting back in transition. Duke has the speed to cause turnovers in the backcourt and the sharp shooters to make this ugly. The Blue Devils are shooting an ACC-best 40.2 percent from beyond the arc.

TIP-INS:

1. Duke has won 63 consecutive home games against unranked opponents.

2. The Blue Devils have won three straight over the Demon Deacons by an average of 18 points.

3. This game could be won at the stripe. Wake Forest allowed Maryland 37 free throw attempts in its last road game, and Duke got to the line 26 times in last year’s matchup. CLICK here to Place your College Basketball bets at Bovada 

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NCAA College Basketball Top 5: Best National Championship Value Bets

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The beginning of the league schedule weeds out many of the pretenders and forces oddsmakers to shake up their NCAA National Championship odds. While the favorites to win remain the same – UNC, Kentucky, Ohio State, Syracuse – there is value to be had in some of the other programs with national title potential.

Call them long shots or value bets, these five teams could pay off big come the end of March.

BAYLOR BEARS (+1,500)

The Bears are No. 4 in the country and look like the team to beat in the Big 12. But books still aren’t buying into Baylor, pricing them at a very tempting +1,500 to claim the national championship. The Bears have one of the most athletic teams in the country and have proved that they’re not just a one-man show behind Perry Jones, with five guys averaging double figures. Depth and energy are crucial come bracket time.

DUKE BLUE DEVILS (+1,500)

Before you start sending in reader emails and lighting torches in preparation of your assault on Covers Castle, just hear us out. Duke could be overvalued at this price – maybe. But we’re talking about the Blue Devils. Not many people were banking on the Dukies to run to the national title two years ago, and I believe they have a better team this season. Their two losses were to Ohio State and Temple – two programs capable of Sweet 16 runs – and they have great balance inside and out.

MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (+2,000)

Bet against the Green and White come March – I dare you. Tom Izzo is a master of getting his teams ready for the grind of the NCAA Tournament and has already made major leaps and bounds with this year’s squad. The backcourt is finally coming together and Draymond Green is a dark-horse contender for Player of the Year. The senior is averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and 3.5 assists while anchoring MSU with experience and leadership.

KANSAS JAYHAWKS (+2,500)

The Jayhawks’ futures odds soared when they fell victim to Davidson in mid December. Since then, Kansas has reeled off six in a row heading into the weekend and looks like the Rock Chalk of old. Bill Self is another coach you can’t count out come tournament time and he’s got the talent to cash in as a sizable long shot. Thomas Robinson is on the radar for Player of the Year and a deep bench will provide a nice cushion when the going gets tough come March.

UNLV RUNNIN’ REBELS (+5,000)

You want long-shot picks, you got one. The Runnin’ Rebels have already shocked the college basketball world with victories over North Carolina, Cal and Illinois and their two losses came against Wichita State (a nice tournament underdog) and Wisconsin. UNLV can play any pace and runs five deep down the pine with nine players average more than 14 minutes per game.

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Duke Blue Devils at Clemson Tigers : NCAA Basketball Betting

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Duke at Clemson
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 15, 2012
Where: J.C. Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, South Carolina CLICK here to Place your College Basketball bets at Bovada 

THE STORY: This Duke-Clemson series has been completely one-sided in recent years, and even at home Clemson has had trouble being competitive. This time around, however, Clemson comes in on a four-game home winning streak at Littlejohn Coliseum. Duke has won 25 of the last 27 games between the two teams, including 10 of 11 at Clemson. Duke hung on to defeat Virginia by three earlier in the week. Clemson is coming off a disappointing two-point loss at Boston College.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT DUKE (14-2, 2-0 ACC): Freshman guard Austin Rivers leads the Blue Devils in scoring and is tied for eighth in the ACC at 14.4 points, while Mason Plumlee, a junior forward, is averaging 11.6 points and 9.8 rebounds (2nd in conference) and hitting 63 percent of his field goal attempts (75 for 119). Four players have at least 33 assists, led by Seth Curry, who has handed off 45 for an average of 2.8 per game.

ABOUT CLEMSON (9-7, 1-1 ACC): The Tigers are 11th in the ACC in scoring and field goal percentage (43%). Senior guard Andre Young leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 points. His 1.8 steals are tied for second in the conference, while fellow senior guard Tanner Smith is second in scoring (10.7) and hands out a team-high 4.1 assists. Devin Booker, a junior post player, is right behind Smith in scoring (10.6) and grabs a team-high 6.6 rebounds.

TIP-INS:

1. Duke has won at least 14 of its first 16 games for the 13th time in the last 14 seasons.

2. Clemson is second in the ACC in scoring defense, giving up 57.7 points per game, and has allowed opponents to score 60 or more points in just three of 16 games.

3. The Blue Devils have won the last three games in the series by allowing an average of 53 points. CLICK here to Place your College Basketball bets at Bovada 

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Virginia Cavaliers at Duke Blue Devils: NCAA Basketball Betting

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Virginia at Duke
When: 9:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 12, 2012
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina

THE STORY: Virginia hasn’t beaten perennial Atlantic Coast Conference power Duke since 2007, and it hasn’t won at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995, a span of 14 games. The No. 17 Cavaliers will try to change that – and establish themselves among the frontrunners in the ACC title race – when the teams square off in a key conference game Thursday. The sixth-ranked Blue Devils have won 18 straight conference games at home and is 57-1 at home since the start of the 2008-09 season with 43 straight wins at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

TV: 9 p.m., ESPN, ESPN3.com

ABOUT VIRGINIA (14-1, 1-0 ACC): The Cavaliers have won 12 straight, but they got quite a scare in their conference opener Saturday, holding on for a 52-51 home win over Miami after squandering a nine-point halftime lead. Mike Scott had a big game against the Hurricanes with 23 points and eight rebounds, but no one else scored in double figures. Scott, who was named the ACC Player of the Week for the third time this season, will need more help from his supporting cast against a strong Duke team.

ABOUT DUKE (13-2, 1-0 ACC): The Blue Devils bounced back from last week’s loss at Temple to pick up a road win Saturday, beating Georgia Tech 81-74 to open conference play. The win didn’t come easily, but Seth Curry had a big second half to finish with 15 points, and Ryan Kelly went 14-for-14 from the line en route to a career-high 21 points. Duke needs to get better production out of its big men, though. Mason Plumlee, who leads the ACC with seven double-doubles was held in single digits in points and rebounds against Georgia Tech.

TIP-INS

1. Duke is 16-6 against ranked opponents in the past three seasons, including a 2-1 mark this season.

2. Virginia’s 12-game winning streak is its longest since a 15-game streak in 1981-82, and its 14-1 record is its best start since the same team opened 27-1.

3. Duke’s Austin Rivers has excelled against top competition. He has averaged 17.3 points against ranked opponents and has topped 20 points in two of Duke’s three games against ranked teams. Click here to Place your College Basketball bets at Bovada Sportsbook

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Duke at Temple Betting: NCAA Basketball Betting

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Duke at Temple
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Where: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa


THE STORY: No. 3 Duke has been historically dominant over Atlantic 10 opponents and will look to continue the trend when it takes on Temple on Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center. Duke enters off an 85-55 victory over Pennsylvania, a team the Owls needed overtime to beat in their season opener. Behind Ryan Kelly’s double double — 18 points and 12 rebounds — the Blue Devils were able to top the 80-point mark for a fifth consecutive time en route to their fifth straight victory. Meanwhile, Temple enters after a 66-63 victory over Delaware. The Owls trailed for most of the game, but Khalif Wyatt put Temple on top for good with a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left. Duke holds an 18-9 advantage in the all-time series.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2.

ABOUT NO. 3 DUKE (12-1): Duke hasn’t lost since an 85-63 defeat to No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 29. Much of the Blue Devils’ success has come from a core of veteran starters, as well as the play of freshman Austin Rivers, who leads the team in scoring with 15 points. Three other players average double figures for the Blue Devils, including Mason Plumlee, who also leads the team in rebounding with nine per game. Duke, which ranks seventh in scoring and fifth in field-goal percentage, has shot 48 percent from 3-point range over its last three games.

ABOUT TEMPLE (9-3): Like Duke, the Owls rely heavily on guard play. Guards Ramone Moore, Wyatt and Juan Fernandez are the top three scorers for Temple, averaging 17, 14 and 13 points, respectively. However, the Owls have struggled with rebounding since losing Michael Eric to a knee injury. Eric, who has missed the last eight games, led the team in rebounds with 11 per game. The key for Temple will be to defend Duke’s 3-point shooters. However, the Owls should have a chance, as they rank fourth nationally — holding opponents to 25 percent from 3-point range.

TIP-INS

1. Duke has won 18 consecutive games against Atlantic 10 opponents. Its last loss came in a 59-58 defeat to Temple on Jan. 25, 1996.

2. Temple has defeated a top-10 opponent each of the last three seasons. The Owls defeated No. 8 Tennessee in 2008, No. 3 Villanova in 2009 and No. 9 Georgetown in 2010.

3. The Blue Devils are 36-1 against Atlantic 10 opponents under head coach Mike Krzyzewski, including an 11-1 mark against Temple. Click here to Place your College Basketball bets at Bovada Sportsbook

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NCAA Basketball Lines: Duke on Upset Alert at Temple

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No. 3 Duke plays its final non-conference game before starting ACC play this weekend and it should be a challenge for the Blue Devils tonight as they visit a very good Temple team of the Atlantic 10. Duke is a 7.5-point favorite on Bovada’s NCAA basketball lines.

Get all your NCAA basketball odds at Bovada’s online sportsbook.

The only loss for Duke (12-1) remains at Ohio State and the Blue Devils have won five in a row since then, mostly in blowout fashion. They warmed up for this one by beating another school located in Philadelphia, Penn, by a score of 85-55. Duke scored 20 of the game’s first 24 points to run out to a big early lead and led by 18 points at halftime and by as many as 34 points after the break.

Temple (9-3) has won three in a row, by a combined 12 points over fairly weak competition. The Owls have been off since Dec. 30 when they beat Delaware 66-63. Temple is a very guard-oriented team and is led by the trio of Ramone Moore (17.4 ppg.), Khalif Wyatt (14.2 ppg.) and Juan Fernandez (13.3 ppg.). The Owls do miss leading rebounder Michael Eric, who has missed the past eight games with a knee injury. Without him, Temple figures to get crushed on the boards tonight against the likes of Ryan Kelly and the Plumlee brothers. The Owls and Duke do have a common opponent this season: Temple opened the year with a 73-67 overtime win at Penn.

Duke leads the series 18-9, and has won the last nine meetings (six by at least double digits) and has been ranked in the Top 10 in all nine contests. Duke has won 18 consecutive games against Atlantic 10 opponents dating back to a 59-58 loss to Temple on Jan. 25, 1996 (its last loss to the Owls). Coach Mike Krzyzewski is 36-1 all-time vs. the A-10.

This game technically will be a neutral-site game (at least how Duke is considering it) because it’s not on Temple’s campus but at the Wells Fargo Center. The Blue Devils have won 16 consecutive non-postseason neutral site contests and are 5-0 this year. The Owls will be looking to post a win over a Top 10 team for the fourth straight season.

Temple is 1-5 ATS in its past six home games (Owls consider this a home game). The home team has covered in the past four in the Duke-Temple series.

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Pennsylvania Quakers at Duke Blue Devils: NCAA Basketball Betting

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Pennsylvania at Duke
When: 5:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 1, 2012
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina

THE STORY: Duke will shoot to ring in the new year with its 93rd consecutive non-conference home victory when Pennsylvania visits. The No. 5 Blue Devils have rolled off four straight wins after a setback at Ohio State in late November, while the Quakers have alternated wins and losses in their last six following a three-game losing streak.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT PENN (6-7): The Pennsylvania Quakers have some offensive firepower and they’ll need every bit of it against Duke’s prolific scoring attack. Senior guard Zack Rosen leads the way for Penn with an Ivy League-best 19.7 points per game – 22nd overall in the NCAA. Rosen, a candidate for the 2011-12 Bob Cousy Award given annually to the nation’s top point guard, also ranks 16th in the nation with 6.4 assists. Tyler Bernardini (15.7) and Miles Cartwright (10.6) also average double-digit points for the Quakers.

ABOUT DUKE (11-1): The Duke Blue Devils boast four players averaging double figures in the scoring column: Austin Rivers (16.0), Seth Curry (13.1), Mason Plumlee (12.1) and Ryan Kelly (11.7). Rivers’ point production is good for sixth-best in the ACC and Curry leads the ACC and is fourth in the nation with a .925 shooting percentage. Duke has won 42 straight games at Cameron Indoor, with 36 coming by 10 or more points. Freshman guard Quinn Cook has been a strong contributor of late, averaging 15.0 points and 5.0 assists over the last two games.

TIP-INS:

1. Duke leads the ACC and is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage (.505) and 3-point percentage (.427).

2. Penn’s 68.2 points per game ranks second among Ivy League schools (Yale, 73.8) in scoring offense.

3. Against Ivy League schools, Duke is 49-9 all-time and coach Mike Krzyzewski is 23-1.Click here to Place your College Basketball bets at Bovada Sportsbook

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Betting Preview: NC-Greensboro at Duke & Davidson at Kansas

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UNC Greensboro Spartans at Duke Blue Devils (-32, 155)

THE STORY: With eight full days off, No. 5 Duke should be more than ready to match its second-longest home winning streak in school history on Monday when it hosts North Carolina-Greensboro. The Blue Devils, winners of 40 straight at Cameron Indoor Stadium, received a full week to relax following their 86-80 win at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 10. They led the Huskies by as many as 19 points, but struggled from the free throw line late to make things interesting. Duke doesn’t figure to leave near as much in doubt against UNC-Greensboro, which has dropped six straight and already seen its head coach Mike Dement leave the program following the team’s loss to Florida State on Dec. 11. Wes Miller was named interim coach prior to Friday’s game against East Carolina, but the results were all too familiar in a 71-62 home loss to the Pirates.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN South; Raycom Sports; ESPN3.com

ABOUT UNC GREENSBORO (2-9): Sophomore Trevis Simpson scored a game-high 24 points in the loss to East Carolina, his third game of 20 or more points this season. The Spartans limited the Pirates to 42.9 percent shooting – their second-best defensive showing of the season – but could not hold on to their 10-point second-half lead in large part because they managed season lows in free throw attempts (eight) and assists (seven).

ABOUT DUKE (9-1): Freshman Austin Rivers is averaging a team-high 17.4 points over the last seven straight games, shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 44.8 percent behind the arc. Duke shot a season-high 44 free throws against Washington and is averaging 28.6 free throw attempts. During the Blue Devils’ current home winning streak, 34 of the 40 victories have been double-digit triumphs. Duke is one of eight NCAA teams with five or more players averaging at least 10 points.

TIP-INS

1. Duke has won 90 straight non-conference home games – the longest current streak in the NCAA and 84 straight home games against unranked non-conference opponents.

2. The 28-year-old Miller – who played for the University of North Carolina from 2004-2007 – is more than two years younger than the next youngest coach in Division I (Andy Toole, Robert Morris).

3. The Blue Devils are 9-0 all-time against UNC-Greensboro and have defeated the Spartans by an average of 38.9 points.

Davidson Wildcats at Kansas Jayhawks (-13.5, 147)

THE STORY: Kansas expects to have senior guard Tyshawn Taylor back in the lineup for the game against Davidson at the annual M&I Kansas City Shootout at the Sprint Center. Taylor, who averages 15.9 points and 4.7 assists, is coming back from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. He was near full speed on Friday at practice. Coach Bill Self said the staff would check for swelling before making a final decision. Davidson is off to its best start since the 2008-09 season, when the Wildcats began 8-1, but has lost its last two decisions. It’s only the second meeting between the two teams; Kansas survived a 59-57 scare in the Elite Eight in 2008 and went on to win the national championship.

TV: 9 p.m. ET. ESPNU

ABOUT DAVIDSON (6-3): Sophomore De’Mon Brooks leads the Wildcats in scoring (16.0) and rebounding (7.0) and was named the Southern Conference Player of the Month for November. The Wildcats also have J.P. Kuhlman (13.6 points), Jake Cohen (12.4 points) and Nik Cochran (10.2) all averaging in double figures. Cohen is 74 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Davidson hasn’t played in eight days because of final exams.

ABOUT KANSAS (7-2): Kansas has won four straight games, including a big home victory over No. 2 Ohio State. Thomas Robinson, who had 21 points against the Buckeyes, was named national player of the week after averaging 23.5 points and making 17 of 23 field goal attempts in two games. He averages 17.8 points and 11.4 rebounds. If Taylor has his time limited, Kansas will rely more on Elijah Johnson, who averages 3.4 assists, for floor direction.

TIP-INS 

1. Davidson is 16-6 over its last 22 games.

2. The only two losses for Kansas have come against teams ranked No. 6 or higher.

3. Davidson ranks third nationally in free-throw percentage (80.0) and has made at least 20 free throws four times this season.

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