Tonight's College Basketball Picks

Vermont v. BYU: Take BYU- Any follower of this blog knows about the little town in upstate New York that is buzzing with Fredette Frenzy. This made-for-Hollywood homecoming game for the BYU guard will be anything but easy as the Cougars take on the 6-1 Vermont Catamounts.  Vermont is led by the 6'8'' Evan Fjeld and his 20PPG--- judge for yourself, but he rocks the crustiest 'stache by a baller since Adam Morrison.  In their lone loss to UCONN, Vermont limited Kemba Walker to just 42 points, which raises the question... can Jimmer outdue Kemba? This one should be competitive for a while, but I wouldn't pick against the Cougars on a night like this.

Vanderbilt v. Missouri(-4): Take Missouri- Last week, SFBE's own Nick Fasulo called Missouri's backcourt "awesome" during their overtime battle with Georgetown. The 'Tiger Trio' featuring Marcus Denmon, Kim English, and Michael Dixon all average double figures for one of the top scoring teams in the nation. For Vanderbilt, it's not the NCAA tournament, so that at least leaves the door open for them to win a big game, but it won't be this one. The Commodores are led by sophomore John Jenkins who is shooting a remarkable 91% from the stripe on the young season. He is complemented by emerging Nigerian Festus Ezeli who dropped 15PTS/9REB in a November win over UNC. Expect a close one throughout with Missouri avenging their 2009 loss at Vandy. 

Notre Dame v. Kentucky(-5.5): Take Kentucky- Forgotten in the Tyler Zeller frenzy after Carolina's upset of Kentucky last Saturday was the national introduction of Wildcats freshman two-guard Doron Lamb. Much like Eric Bledsoe last year, Lamb has quietly filled his role as the best forgotten player in Division I, quietly averaging 13.3 PPG while attempting just 8 field goals per game. Notre Dame has beaten two quality opponents in Georgia and Wisconsin, but this is by far the biggest test to date for Ben Hansbrough and the undefeated Fighting Irish. Notre Dame, like Carolina, should stay in the game by outrebounding the Wildcats, but Kentucky is the more potent team offensively and should take this one.

Overall: 6-6, Last Night: 2-1