BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
WINTHROP vs. HIGH POINT (HP -6.5, 161.5)
HIGH POINT -6.5
This is it. It's the final day of the college basketball regular season. It's also championship Sunday for some conference tournaments, including this one - the Big South. These two teams were the top two in the conference and it's no surprise they meet in the conference title game.
Winthrop has won 10 of its last 11 games. The one loss? Yeah, that was to High Point...by 22 points! In fact, Winthrop lost both regular season games to High Point by 20-plus points. That's how good High Point is. There is one mid-major team ranked in the top 30 in Offensive Efficiency. That would be High Point.
The Panthers average 82.4 ppg and they are one of the best shooting teams in the country. Since Feb. 1, High Point is shooting 61 percent from 2PT range and they hit 76.1 percent of their free throws. They've got a 7-footer in Juslin Bodo Bodo who sports the nation's top offensive rebounding rate.
It's a championship game so it may be closer that the other two games this season, but not by much. Winthrop's only chance is using their tempo to control the game and tire out the Panthers. The problem with that is High Point can go 10 to 11 players deep in their lineup.
ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
NORTH ALABAMA vs. LIPSCOMB (LIP -4.5, 143.5)
LIPSCOMB ML
The top two teams in the A-Sun meet for the conference title and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The two teams split their regular season games with the home team winning each game. That would favor Lipscomb as they get the benefit of playing this title game on their home floor.
Lipscomb is a deadly 3-PT shooting team. The Bisons have three players that shoot 37 percent or better from three and they get 38 percent of their points from deep. North Alabama tends to give up a lot of open threes, which they did in the regular season game at Lipscomb. The Bisons shot 11-for-27 from deep in that victory.
Lipscomb also have a huge size advantage. The Bisons' Jacob Ognacevic, one of the players shooting 37 percent from three, and Charlie Williams (6-10) both start and are at least 6-8. Grant Asman is another key player and he's 6-11. North Alabama has just one player in the rotation - Cornelius Williams - that is taller than 6-8. That will help Lipscomb win the rebounding battle.
This should be a tight game. Since it is a championship game, laying more than two possessions is tough even for a team as good as Lipscomb. They have the advantage of playing at home, so I'll take them on the moneyline for the win.
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