AAA's VERY EARLY Connecticut 6 Classic Opening Rnd. BLOCKBUSTER (Yale/Quinnipiac!)
(NCAAB) Yale vs. Quinnipiac,
Point Spread: 1.50 | -110.00 Yale (Away)
Result: Loss
This is an 8* BLOCKBUSTER on Yale.

Yale would hit a game winning 3-pointer to beat Quinnipiac 69-68 in the opening round of the CIT last year and I think will better that performance today. It's early in the season (obviously, haha, opening night!), so for the most part individual player match-ups are meaningless in my process at this point of the season. I base my picks at the start of any sport on a different set of criteria, including scheduling, past results and lop-sided trends and numbers. I love taking advantage of the "revenge" angle as well, but in this case, I simply think that Yale is too deep and too talented, it returns the majority of its players from last season and was picked to finish second in the competitive Ivy League conference: "We have a really great opportunity this year because we have everyone returning from our starting five," guard Armani Cotton said. "Guys know the playbook a little bit better, and it helps the new guys get quickly integrated into what we are doing because we have more than one leader on the floor at a time. Repetition is key for doing anything at a high level." Keep your eyes on forward Justin Sears, who is a player of the year candidate this season and who averaged 16.9 points per game last; note Sears also led the team with 1.9 blocks per game and 6.9 rebounds per contest: "This could be our best opportunity," Sears said. "We know if we're going to win, now is the time to do it … We know we belong this year, and if we put it all together, I think it puts us over Harvard." The Bobcats have been chosen to finish sixth in the MAAC. After finishing third in its inaugural year in the MAAC, Quinnipiac enters the 2014/15 season with more questions than answers in my opinion. The biggest one is how the team will fair without Ike Azotam in the line-up, he averaged 16.3 points, 10.2 boards and 1.1 blocks per game as a senior. So while the team lacks a big game player like Azotam, it does return a few starters from last year, that depth will obviously benefit it over the course of the season. However, a game in front of the home town crowd vs. the seasoned Bulldogs on opening night smells like "choke city" to me, I think the proven visitors are worth backing in this one. Play on YALE.

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