Providence should be a -4 point favorite versus red hot South Dakota State in the first round of this year's NCAA Tournament.
Douglas Wilson had 21 points and 11 rebounds and South Dakota State beat North Dakota State 73-69 on Tuesday night to win the Summit League tournament and earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
he Jackrabbits are winners of 21 straight coming into the NCAA Men's Tournament. If they play Texas in the first round, South Dakota State would likely only be a +7 underdog against a team that is covering the spread at an under 40% clip this season.
South Dakota State has traditionally been very successful in men's basketball and this year is no exception as the team enters Round 1 with a 30-4 record Straight Up.
They are also the best 3-point shooting team in college basketball heading into the tournament.
The Friars were routed by Creighton in the Big East Tournament but own a 25-5 record coming into the big dance.
Al Durham had 21 points on a rare miserable night this season for the Friars (25-5), who won their first regular-season conference championship after 43 years in the Big East as a charter member.
It was the most lopsided defeat for a No. 1 seed in Big East Tournament history.
“We picked a bad time to play bad in a great arena,” Providence coach Ed Cooley said. “I just want them to understand that it is only one game."
- Mary Montgomery, Gambling911.com
