NCAAB upset watch: Gonzaga is about to get a wake-up call

Don’t wait until late Friday night to see the spreads for Saturday's games. Start hunting for college basketball upsets now, and cash in before the madness begins with BetAmerica’s college basketball moneyline upset specials.

#2 Gonzaga at #23 BYU, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Typically Gonzaga’s “watch out” game is against St. Mary’s. This year it’s against a resurgent BYU squad.

In his first year as head coach, Mark Pope has the best three-point shooting team in America. The Cougars have knocked down 42.3% of their attempts from long range. Five BYU players make at least one three per game. Led by Jake Toolson, a grad transfer who came from Utah Valley with Pope, the 6-foot-5 guard is scoring 15.3 points per game and making 46.3% of his three-point attempts.

Living and dying by the three can kill a team in March. It can also help slay a dragon. With home-court advantage on its side, BYU has big enough guns to take down the Zags.

#8 Florida State at NC State, 4 p.m. ET (ACC Network)

Surely the Wolfpack can’t win back-to-back games against ranked opponents, right? Wrong.

NC State has jumped on and off the NCAA Tournament bubble all season long. The 22-point victory over Duke gave its résumé a big boost and proved just how good they can be if they knock down three-pointers at PNC Arena. The Wolfpack doesn’t need to shoot 61% from long range Saturday, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt against the lengthy Seminoles.

KenPom gives NC State a one-point edge, which is good enough for me to hop on the upset.

LSU at South Carolina, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Once undefeated atop the SEC standings, LSU is sliding, potentially all the way out of the NCAA Tournament. Since Vanderbilt handed the Tigers their first SEC loss, Will Wade’s squad has dropped three of four. The Tigers’ head coach doesn’t appear to have any answers, either.

“Hopefully they’ll be improved. If not, we’ll be playing home games in the NIT,” Wade said after a loss to Kentucky on Tuesday. “I don’t have any options. If I had options, I’d be playing other guys. We’re playing who we have to play. Those guys have to get it fixed. We’ve exhausted all options.”

#19 Marquette at Providence, Noon ET (FOX)

I like riding with the Friars at home. It paid off last Saturday, when they upset a ranked Seton Hall team that was atop the Big East standings. In that game Myles Powell had 27 points, but his supporting cast was suffocated. The next leading-scorer for the Pirates got 12 of his 14 points at the free throw line.

If the Friars defense can do the same to Markus Howard’s running mates, Providence can pull off another big Saturday upset.

#3 Kansas at #1 Baylor, Noon ET (ESPN)

Kansas has been here before. Baylor has not. Enough said. Rock chalk, Jayhawk.

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