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00:00Huge night in the SEC really huge Tuesday night in college
00:05basketball. Let's start with a new number one team in the
00:08country. That's the Auburn Tigers. They have been an
00:11absolute wagon all year. They already have seven quad one
00:15wins one of two teams around the country along with Oregon that
00:19has more than five quad one victories and both the Tigers
00:22and the Ducks have seven Auburn number one in the country and
00:26it's a top 15 tilt tonight on the planes against Mississippi
00:31State seven and a half point spread in favor of the Tigers
00:34total stands at 149 and a half so dropping ever so slightly of
00:40course big news tonight for Auburn not just being the new
00:42number one team in the nation but more than likely playing
00:45without Jani Broome who is the favorite to win the wooden award
00:48as national player of the year injured his ankle over the
00:51weekend not expected to be overly severe but his status
00:55unclear for tonight seven and a half point spread Joe against
00:58the Bulldogs from Stark Vegas. How do you see it playing out?
01:03Well, yeah, it's unfortunate to do because Bruce Pearl said it's
01:06significant to they did have an MRI and you know, a significant
01:11high ankle sprain like that Ben is is there's no timetable here
01:15it could be a while but they don't have they don't have time
01:19to want to cry here because they're going to have their
01:22hands full with Mississippi State here tonight who by the
01:25way has only lost two games so far this year, they're going to
01:29have to figure some things out unfortunately offensively
01:33without him in that lineup. So I do think it's going to be
01:37interesting. Can they be as efficient offensively while he
01:42is out? And boy are they going to get tested defensively
01:45they're going to be hounded here tonight. I think this is a big
01:49big test to see whether or not Auburn is truly worthy of that
01:52number one spot because if they can figure it out against this
01:56Mississippi State team and covered not only win but cover
01:59this one Ben. Oh boy. Yeah. Auburn has to be taken seriously
02:04here for a national championship.
02:07Yeah, absolutely. So Joe and if they can do that with the depth
02:10behind you and I broom, that would be something but obviously
02:14Mississippi State top 15 team Chris Jans has a great squad for
02:18the Bulldogs this year elsewhere in SEC play yet another top 25
02:24tilt number four Alabama playing host to number 21 Ole Miss
02:28tonight double digit spread in favor of Nate Oates is crimson
02:31tide and a total at 163 and a half. What's the play tonight
02:36for this top 25 matchup in Tuscaloosa?
02:39Well, you know, it's going to be interesting, right? If you are
02:43Chris Beard, you're going to have to figure out a way to slow
02:47down this Alabama team aren't you here and they're going to
02:50have to die wouldn't want to get into a shootout with Alabama
02:53band, right? So you're going to have to Chris beer going to have
02:56to take out a page in his old Texas Tech days there and figure
03:00it out defensively and make them earn everything. It feels like a
03:05big number Alabama is capable of getting this of covering this
03:09number. But I don't know I think Ole Miss could very well give
03:14them a tough time here and could keep it within this look
03:18at our total to at 162 and a half.
03:21Yeah, it is a high total working its way up now live at 163 and a
03:26half not surprising for the type and style of basketball that we
03:29see out of the crimson tide, of course under Nate Oates, but
03:33that's probably Ole Miss's way of keeping this game under that
03:37total and within striking distance 11 and a half point
03:41spread Joe again, it is no surprise to see many top 25
03:46matchups within the SEC. It is the best conference in college
03:50basketball this year without a shadow of a doubt four of the
03:54top six teams in the AP poll six of the top 10 seven of the top
04:0015 that is how good this conference is up and down. So we
04:06now go to Kentucky and Texas a and m I said six of the top 10
04:10six of the top 11 as we include the Aggies six and a half point
04:14spread in favor of Mark Pope's cats tonight inside Rupp Arena
04:18total 158 and a half. How do you break down the SEC showdown
04:23tonight in Lexington?
04:25And this is a rough stretch here for the Aggies, isn't it? What
04:28is this their third straight against a top 15 or 16 in the
04:33country they've they split the first two they did beat Oklahoma
04:38by a couple in what was a crazy slugfest and then of course
04:42Alabama on Saturday and they didn't have Wade Taylor for that
04:47one. It's to be determined better off we've heard on whether
04:51or not he's going to be available for this one. But it
04:54feels like yes, Kentucky at home. They're gonna have their
04:58hands full another great shooting night for Kentucky
05:02there, which is what allowed them to be able to win their
05:05last game. It feels like an over Ben if you like Kentucky,
05:09you gotta like the over in this one.
05:12Yeah, and for Wade Taylor Joe that senior point guard that
05:15really leads the way for Buzz Williams rolled out tonight in
05:19Lexington against the cats. Listen, Texas a and m has been
05:23great this year 11th in the country. Yes, they did suffer a
05:26loss on the road or at home excuse me against the Crimson
05:29Tide on Saturday in a high scoring game 9488. But we know
05:33the staples of what Buzz Williams teams do. Well, they
05:37defend the crap out of the basketball 13 most efficient
05:41defense in the country that is a and m and they are going to
05:44crash the glass on both sides best offensive rebounding team
05:49in the country that is a and m but Kentucky can shoot from
05:54everywhere. It's what Mark Pope teams do very very well that
05:58total 158 and a hook to an area as always, it is great to be on
06:03the early line with you. John Rothstein joins us next. So we
06:07bid you adieu my friend, go get some relaxation. I'm sure you
06:10got a tea time coming up in like an hour anyway.
06:13It's a good thing you reminded me of that bad. We'll see you
06:16again on Friday.
06:17Don't miss the first team. I've read John Rahasi joins us. You
06:21want to know why college basketball is a glorious thing.
06:25Just look at the Tuesday night slate that we have before us on
06:29this Tuesday, January 14. We've got top 25 matchups that go
06:34across the entire docket on the schedule tonight in every power
06:39conference you can think of and how better to rain in this 40 is
06:44Tuesday in college hoops, then with john Rothstein live right
06:48here on this Tuesday morning on the early line on sports grid
06:52already has the tie on this man means business joining us on
06:55behalf of the fan dual sports book and of course doing great
06:58work with CBS sports john as always, we appreciate the time
07:02thanks for being here.
07:04Ben always great to be with you. Happy Tuesday.
07:07Happy Tuesday to you and what a happy Tuesday it is in the sport
07:11of college basketball john when you have six teams that rank in
07:15the AP top 11 seven in the top 15 eight in the top 25 overall
07:20that being the SEC, you are basically going to have multiple
07:23top 25 tilts each and every night of conference play. And
07:28that includes the new number one team in the country. Number one
07:31Auburn at home tonight in a top 15 tilt against 15th ranked
07:36Mississippi State new territory for the Tigers john as the top
07:39team in the AP top 25. What is the key for Auburn remaining
07:45number one throughout this week starting tonight against the
07:48Bulldogs?
07:49Well, Auburn has to find a way to progress without Jani Broome
07:53who is obviously out due to an ankle injury Auburn now again
07:59possessing the depth needed to replace him with other players
08:03that are capable of filling a spot you're never going to
08:05replace Jani Broome with one man but the players who will see
08:09their usage increase Jamie Johnson Dylan Carwell they need
08:13to be right now big time producers for Auburn to beat a
08:16team like Mississippi State who again gave up 95 points at home
08:21to Kentucky on Saturday night which is unfathomable for a
08:25Chris Jantz coach team.
08:27John you shared that when Auburn returned home this weekend they
08:30had an MRI done on Jani Broome's ankle that he suffered a sprain
08:35in the matchup against South Carolina non surgical ankle
08:40sprain is what you mentioned what is the status of Jani
08:43Broome for the remainder of the SEC slate?
08:47Well, again, we don't have an obviously and I set timetable
08:50yet for Jani Broome's return but a comparable injury I think you
08:54know Ben at this juncture could be probably similar what UConn
08:57is dealing with for Liam McNeely so usually that's a couple of
09:00weeks so if you told me that Jani Broome returned at some
09:04time in late January early February I think that's a safe
09:07estimate now things are going to change over the next two or
09:11three weeks in a lot of different factors in college
09:13basketball without Jani Broome playing for the next few weeks
09:18that could open the door for other players Marquette's Cam
09:21Jones, Duke's Cooper Flagg who had 42 seven assists and six
09:25rebounds Saturday against Notre Dame to potentially leap ahead
09:29of him in the national player of the year race now another thing
09:32to keep in mind Auburn right now is firmly entrenched as a
09:37projected number one seed in the NCAA tournament and the NCAA
09:40tournament selection committee will take into account any
09:44games that the Tigers do drop without Jani Broome but there
09:48is a chance in the rugged SEC that Auburn could take some
09:51losses and Ben eight weeks from Sunday will be selection Sunday
09:56and I think it's always important in the sport of
09:58college basketball to look at things from 30,000 feet remember
10:03this every time Auburn plays Auburn is playing to be the
10:07number one seed in the South region. Why is that so
10:10important? That means first and second round games in Lexington
10:14and more importantly, it would mean sweet 16 and elite eight
10:18games in Atlanta, which has been a second home to Auburn in
10:22recruiting in neutral site games. That is what the Tigers
10:26are playing for. It's harder to get there without the national
10:29player of the year favorites and I've room in the lineup of Ben
10:32you know as well as I do. This is only January.
10:36It is only January but the impact of what this injury could
10:40be throughout the entirety of college basketball John as we
10:43shared last week when we were together Auburn's Jani Broome
10:46was the Midas money odds on favorite to win the winning
10:49award after a 42 point performance the ACC freshman
10:52record and the injury to Broome Cooper flag now that Midas money
10:56favorite on the FanDuel Sportsbook back to tonight's
10:59action top 25 tilt as they often feel like they all are in the
11:04SEC in Tuscaloosa fourth ranked Alabama 21st ranked Ole Miss and
11:09a double digit spread in favor of the Crimson Tide. What is the
11:13matchup to look out for tonight in Tuscaloosa?
11:17Well, you have to look at the depth of Alabama against the
11:20physicality and the experience of Ole Miss. You know, I talked
11:23to Chris Beard yesterday and he told me that Alabama has
11:26incredible depth obviously considerably deeper than team a
11:29year ago that went to the final four for the first time in
11:32program history, but the constant for this team is Mark
11:35Sears and after a slow start to the season Mark Sears has
11:39regained his All-American caliber form and Alabama Ben
11:44has been a virtual wrecking machine to start SEC play
11:49averaging over 96 points per game thus far in conference
11:53play entering tonight's game in Tuscaloosa against the 14 and
11:56two Rebels. It's why you see that total at 163 and a hook
12:01John as we have shared six of the AP top 11 from the SEC
12:06including both Kentucky and Texas A&M tonight in Lexington
12:10and SEC showdown. What do you think the ceiling is for both
12:14of these clubs that will square off tonight inside Rupp Arena?
12:18Well, Texas A&M showed me a lot last week playing without Wade
12:21Taylor the fourth or All-American guard who according
12:24to the SEC injury report is going to miss tonight's game at
12:27Rupp Arena as well. SEC play has been a juggernaut so far.
12:33Texas A&M went on the road and beat Oklahoma and Norman
12:36without Wade Taylor the fourth Texas A&M took Alabama to the
12:40brink without Wade Taylor the fourth. I think when healthy
12:44Texas A&M is a final four dark horse and I think you have to
12:48look at Kentucky right now along with Michigan as being
12:52arguably the most aesthetically pleasing teams in the sport. I
12:57have the utmost respect for Chris Jans as a coach. I have
13:00never seen a team play better offensively against Chris Jans
13:04as teams since he was at Mississippi State than what
13:07Kentucky did on Saturday night in Starkville putting up 95
13:12shooting better from 50 from the field and 50% from three. It
13:16was a clinic offensively by Mark Pope who again and again
13:20continues to reiterate why he's such a perfect fit for that job.
13:24It's hard to believe 29 years ago, Mark Pope was obviously
13:28the captain on the greatest Kentucky team and probably the
13:31best team I've ever seen in my lifetime. The 96 team led by
13:35Rick Pitino who will lead St. John's tonight against
13:38Georgetown. What a Tuesday but this is only January. It is
13:42only January. More of the early line next. Live right here on
13:46the early line on Sports Grid. We get you set for a huge
13:49Tuesday night all around college basketball. A focus on
13:52the SCC because of how many top 25 ranked tilts we have on a
13:56nightly basis in that conference but now we go
13:59elsewhere around the sport. You heard John mentioned Cooper
14:03Flagg, 42-point performance on Saturday and a Duke win against
14:07Notre Dame. The ACC freshman scoring record for the guy
14:11that's going to go first overall this upcoming June in
14:15the NBA draft. We expected Cooper Flagg to be this good.
14:19He has lived up to that expectation so far and as we
14:23shared because of the injury to Auburn's Jani Broome, the ankle
14:26sprain that will probably sideline him for multiple weeks,
14:29the missing of availability, and the time that Cooper Flagg
14:33will have on the floor with those historic performances
14:36thus far. Cooper Flagg now a minus 350 favorite to win the
14:40Wooden Award. He was the preseason favorite to win this
14:44award as well and Duke is rolling. Perfect in the ACC.
14:49Six and oh. They've been a double-digit favorite in five
14:52of those six games as they will be tonight against Miami. A
14:56Miami team that just a couple of years ago made it to the
15:00Final Four. A year prior to that, they made it to the Elite
15:03Eight. It has been a disastrous season for the Canes who are
15:07winless. Oh and five in the ACC after a three and oh start.
15:13Miami has dropped 12 of its last 13 games. Of course, not
15:18all that long ago. Coach L as he is known in Coral Gables and
15:22really all around college basketball. Jim Laranega
15:25retiring. So Miami is in a tailspin. Thus, the 22 and a
15:30half point spread tonight inside Cameron Indoor. More SEC
15:35action. Florida, a top five team. One of those four SEC
15:38team ranked in the top six of the AP Paul. Intriguing one in
15:42Big East play. Marquette heads to DePaul. Chris Holtman off to
15:46a great start in his first year in the Windy City. Double-digit
15:50spread. Might the Blue Demons be able to keep this game within
15:53the number? Home for advantage, man. We know how important it
15:58can be in conference hoops. We saw that on Saturday. Indiana
16:02who went to Carver Hawkeye in Iowa City on Saturday night
16:05against the Hawks got their doors blown off. Eighty-five to
16:10sixty. IU at home, some impressive outings. IU on the
16:14road, lackluster to say the least but the Hoosiers are at
16:18home catching three and a half tonight against Illinois. The
16:23Illini hoping to bounce back as well dropping the nineteenth in
16:27the poll but this Illinois team has been able to put up some
16:32really impressive offensive performances with one of the
16:35best freshmen in the sport, Kasparas Yakuchonas who should
16:39be out there tonight at least at last check. More Big Ten
16:43action, Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Badgers now
16:45cracked the top twenty-five in that AP Paul playing six and a
16:49half against the Buckeyes. Wisconsin has been playing
16:51really good hoops. I would lay six and a half with the Badgers
16:54tonight. Arizona unranked but we know how good they can be in
16:58Tucson. First year in the Big Twelve. Catching five and a
17:01half against the Baylor team. Really been up in the air this
17:04year. Eleven and four, the mark already for Scott Drew's Bears.
17:09Plenty of great action elsewhere. Not just with ranked
17:13teams in the fall. John mentioned how Rick's Rick
17:17Patino and the Red Storm hosting Georgetown tonight. Keep an eye
17:21on the Hoyas. Already playing much better basketball in the
17:24Big East in year two under Ed Cooley than they had in year
17:28one or really any of the Patrick Ewing era during his
17:32time there in DC. Tonight here in the greater New York City
17:36area, eight and a half point spread in favor of the Johnnies
17:40against Georgetown. Other intriguing Big East matchups
17:44early in the day. 630 PM Eastern time in Cincinnati.
17:48Villanova catching two and a half against the Musketeers.
17:52145 and a hook. Another disastrous start for year
17:55three under Kyle Neptune on the main line but Nova has
17:59figured something out certainly here in Big East play. So much
18:04good college basketball tonight. Really, you can go up
18:07and down the docket and find a game that you can find some
18:12intrigue in. Big Twelve battle, Texas Tech and Kansas
18:16State. The Wildcats struggling mightily this year with Jerome
18:21Tang in a year that was supposed to be promising. More
18:24Big Twelve battles. BYU. Fourteen and a half point
18:28favorite at home in Provo against Oklahoma State. Kevin
18:32Young in his first year there for BYU. A very stout offensive
18:37team. Plenty of great action around the country tonight
18:41again. Another reminder of why you do not wait until March to
18:46watch college basketball. These kind of nights each and every
18:50night now with conference action fully underway in
18:55college hoops. That does it for today on the early line. We
18:59return tomorrow 8 AM Eastern time here on a Wednesday on TEL.