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No. 19 SDSU visits Cincinnati Wednesday
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Published: 12/17/2014  at  4:31:00 AM
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SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS (7-2)

at CINCINNATI BEARCATS (6-2)

Fifth Third Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Tip-off: Wednesday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Line: San Diego State -1, Total: 109.5

No. 19 San Diego State looks to get things going on the right track Wednesday when it visits Cincinnati.

The Aztecs (4-4 ATS) are technically a mid-major, but they have done a great job of making their schedule as good as any team’s in the country. They have scheduled many quality opponents on the road, and have been very successful in those games, going 15-6 ATS in the past three seasons in road non-conference games. San Diego State has really struggled on the offensive end, but its defense (55.0 PPG allowed, T-13th in nation) is the biggest reason this team will be difficult to beat in this season. As good as the Aztecs are on defense, the Bearcats (2-3 ATS) defense has been even better, ranking ninth in the country with 52.8 PPG allowed. Cincinnati has not played a difficult schedule, and is looking to bounce back from a tough double-overtime loss to Nebraska on Saturday. San Diego State has played a lot of up-tempo opponents on the West coast, but struggles against more deliberate teams, going 1-8 ATS in the past three seasons versus opponents that attempt less than 53 shots per game. The only significant injury to either team is Aztecs SG Aqeel Quinn (9.7 PPG) who is still out with an injured hand.

Which tough defense will propel its team to victory on Wednesday night? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks. The experts have begun the 2014-15 season with a bang, posting a collective 56% ATS mark (72-56) in Best Bets. The five experts are led by StatFox Gary's stellar 69% ATS mark (18-8), while StatFox Brian is 60% ATS (15-10), StatFox Zach is 56% ATS (14-11) and StatFox Dave is 54% ATS (14-12) to open the season.

San Diego State has done a decent job on the glass, ranking 93rd in the country in rebounding (37.3 RPG), but has had some major problems on the offensive end of the court, ranking 278th in scoring (62.3 PPG), 288th in shooting (40.1% FG) and 341st in assists (8.6 APG). SF Winston Shepard (10.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 44% threes) and swingman Dwayne Polee II (10.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.9 SPG) are the Aztecs main scorers, but they do it in different ways. Shepard is one of the more athletic players in college basketball, and leads the team in free-throw attempts because he's aggressive in attacking the basket. He plays both forward positions for the Aztecs, but he also brings the ball up the floor a lot. Polee II has struggled from the field (34% FG, 26% threes), but he is a hard worker who earns his minutes on defense. Senior PF J.J. O’Brien (8.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.9 APG) is another player who is relentless on the glass, as he is competing in the paint at only 6-foot-7. The Aztecs really struggle from the three-point line, as they are making only 28.3% of their long-range tries this season.

The Bearcats enter this game ranked 93rd in the nation in rebounding (37.3 RPG), but they have really struggled on the offensive end, ranking 295th in scoring (61.3 PPG), 240th in shooting (41.8 % FG) and 255th in assists (11.4 APG). The team does not have one player averaging double figures, as PG Troy Caupain (9.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 3.1 APG) is the leader on the team. The sophomore has had an up-and-down season, but has played great in December with 11.5 PPG, 6.0 APG, 3.5 RPG and 2.5 SPG in two games. The duo of 6-foot-10 PF Octavius Ellis (9.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.5 BPG) and 6-foot-7 SF Gary Clark (8.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.6 BPG) both do a very good job of attacking the glass. If Cincinnati can improve its outside shooting (30.0% threes) that will open up more scoring opportunities for Ellis and Clark down low.


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