Friday, March 17, 2017

Bankers Life Fieldhouse

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The 15 seed Northern Kentucky Norse head to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to take on the 2 seed Kentucky Wildcats on Friday, March 17, 2017 in the NCAA Tournament. The opening line for this game has Kentucky as 19 point favorites.

The Norse come into this game with an overall record of 21-10. They are 20-9 against the spread and their over/under record is 11-16. The Wildcats have an overall record of 26-5. They have an over/under record of 16-15 and they are 18-16 against the spread.

Drew McDonald comes into this contest averaging 16.4 points per game while playing 29.9 minutes per night so far this season for the Norse. He pulls down 7.7 rebounds per game and dishes out 1.7 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 48% while his free throw percentage is currently at 74%. LaVone Holland averages 14.3 points per game in 30.9 minutes per contest this season. He averages 4.1 assists per contest and 2.8 rebounds per game for Northern Kentucky. His field goal percentage is 44% for the year while his free throw percentage is 66%.

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Malik Monk averages 20.4 points per game while playing 32.1 minutes per contest this year for the Wildcats. He grabs 2.5 rebounds per game and has 2.4 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 46% and his free throw percentage currently is at 82%. De'Aaron Fox averages 16.1 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 29.2 minutes per contest. He also averages 4.1 rebounds per contest and 4.8 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 47% and his free throw percentage is 73%.

Northern Kentucky averages 76.1 points per contest this season which ranks them 110th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 4.7 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them ranked 92nd. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 165th in the country. They average 37.6 rebounds per game and 14.0 assists per game which ranks them 85th and 138th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 121st with 13.5 per game. The Norse allow 71.4 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 156th in the nation. They also allow a 44% shooting percentage and a 33% average from behind the arc ranking them 190th and 68th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 32.9 rebounds a game which ranks 64th and they give up 11.9 assists per contest which puts them in 79th place in the country. They force 12.2 turnovers per game which ranks them 92nd in Division 1.

Kentucky averages 85.9 points per game this year which ranks them 5th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 14.4 and their shooting percentage is 48% as a team which has them sitting in the 35th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 163rd in the nation. They average 40.2 rebounds per game and 15.5 assists per contest which ranks them 12th and 58th respectively. In the turnover department the Wildcats rank 275th with 12.0 per game. The Wildcats allow 71.6 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 163rd in the country. They also allow a 42% shooting percentage and a 31% average from behind the arc ranking them 102nd and 15th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 34.8 rebounds a game which ranks 150th and they give up 11.0 assists per contest which puts them in 31st place in the nation. The Wildcats force 14.6 turnovers per game which ranks them 284th in college basketball.

The Norse are 103rd in the nation in offensive rating at 107.7. They assist on 52.7% of their shots, which ranks 166th in the country. In terms of pace they average 70.7 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 120th among D-1 teams. They are 66th in effective field goal percentage with 53%. As a team they are 88th in the country in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3 pointers on 42% of their shots. Northern Kentucky turns the ball over an average of 16.8 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 8.1% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 53.3% places them 47th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 31.9%.

The Wildcats are 15th in the nation in offensive rating at 114.5. They assist on 51.5% of their shots, which ranks 198th in the country. In terms of pace they average 74.8 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 14th among D-1 teams. They are 69th in effective field goal percentage with 53%. As a team they are 62nd in the country in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shoot 3 pointers on 32% of their shots. Kentucky turns the ball over an average of 13.8 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 8.1% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 53.6% places them 38th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 34%.

Northern Kentucky Norse Betting Trends

The Northern Kentucky Norse are 20-9 against the spread

The Northern Kentucky Norse are 11-16 against the over/under

Kentucky Wildcats Betting Trends

The Kentucky Wildcats are 18-16 against the spread

The Kentucky Wildcats are 16-15 against the over/under

Northern Kentucky Norse Injuries

01/26/17 G Blake Spellman Personal has left team

Kentucky Wildcats Injuries

No key injuries to report

Tony's Pick: Take Northern Kentucky +19

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