The Four Season of College Basketball
There are four seasons packed into a college basketball year:
Non-conference play, conference play, conference tournament time
and postseason action (NIT and March Madness). Each has unique
attributes. Non-conference action starts off the year where
teams are getting acquainted with new personnel and facing many
schools they've never played before. Conference action finds
teams battling for positioning against teams they face two or
three times every year, while tournament time in February and
March focuses on winning the conference title, having a winning
season, and positioning their team for an invite to various
dances.
We are in phase two right now, conference play. Conference play
is unique in that schools are not traveling as much. A year ago,
North Carolina opened the season at Santa Clara, meaning a team
from the southeast was traveling all the way across the country.
After which the Tar Heels took on teams from the Big 10,
Mountain West, the SEC and the Pac 10. That is a lot of travel
time as well as facing teams they had never seen before. This
makes matchups often difficult and upsets more likely (North
Carolina lost 77-66 at Santa Clara as a 13-point favorite).
Conference play means playing teams in your region, which cuts
down significantly on travel time. It also means players are
facing other players they've seen last year, probably several
times, and playing in facilities they have seen before.
Home/road play is certainly a key element for handicappers to
pay attention to, but with shorter distances and familiar places
to go to, it can be less a factor with certain teams because
they've been to the opposition's gym before.
Take a look at Buffalo. Buffalo just came off an
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impressive win
over Eastern Michigan, followed by a close 84-82 loss in
overtime at a very good Northern Illinois squad. Buffalo got the
cover in both games. The Bulls were experienced and not caught
off guard by these teams, because Buffalo had beaten both a year
ago. In fact, last season Buffalo beat Northern Illinois twice,
86-80 at home and again in the MAC tournament, 73-66. That's
three games against each other in less than a year. Familiarity
may breed contempt in some social circles, but it helps in
preparation in college basketball.
As conference play continues this month, it's important to look
back at how these teams did in recent years, especially with
teams loaded with seniors. Buffalo is an uptempo team so perhaps
they can have an edge over a team that lacks depth and plays a
slower style. Fortunately, there is a point of reference to go
to: The last few meetings! But don't stop there: Check the
boxscores of those games. Did Buffalo play a close first half
against a team lacking depth, then blow them out in the second
half? If so, that could mean a potential wager on the second
half.
Another example could be a team with a significant rebounding
advantage in the frontcourt taking on a team with a small
frontcourt. Again, go back and look at recent games. Did they
own the glass the last meeting? How about the last three
meetings? Conference play offers many opportunities to do this,
especially with teams facing each other two and even three times
a year ago.
About the author:
Bryan Leonard is a documented member of the Professional
Handicappers League. Read all of his articles at www.procappers
.com/Bryan_Leonard.htm
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