NCAA Pick of the Day 12/20/24 (100-72): Akron +4.5 -110

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Analysis:

Story time!! Yes, okay, go lock in the pick first, but let's talk about why this game is being played in El Paso, Texas. It's worth the history lesson.

This game is the Don Haskins Invitational, played at the Don Haskins center, both named after the 1966 championship-winning coach who led Texas Western College, now UT El Paso (UTEP), to a shocking, cinderella victory over the University of Kentucky and then 36-year tenured, 4-time champion Coach Rupp.

It's regarded as one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history and broke down the sport's color barrier.

Haskins started an all-Black lineup, the first time ever in an NCAA championship, and won over the regional-top seeded, blue-blood Kentucky. Haskins and the victorious Miners weren't provided ladders to cut down the nets, nor were they invited on the Ed Sullivan show, as was customary for champions at the time, but it changed the sport forever. Haskins and his Texas Western team proved Black players could excel in basketball at the highest level.

Coach Haskins would stay at UTEP for decades, racking up 719 total wins by time he finally retired in 1999. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997 for his role in promoting diversity in college sports. He sadly passed away in 2008, but this game pays tribute to him every year, and it's worth knowing about one of only 46 coaches to accrue 600 wins with one team. Only 125 have 600+ wins period. Haskins ranks 62nd all time, and was only recently overtaken by Rick Pitino, and sits four ahead of Mark Few, who has been with Gonzaga since '99, for perspective.

Truly one of the greats. Funny part is, that had absolutely nothing to do with why this game is the POTD. It's purely a very cool bit of history on a game that we happen to have an edge on today. So let's get into an abridged version, since we had our lesson on something else already.

The Zips are the better team here, folks. Yale's defense rates 257th in ShotQuality and they are fouling at the 32nd highest rate in the nation. There are no better looks than free throws, and Yale will give them to us. Yale is also, ironically, playing terrible 'math-ball'. Opponents are getting far too many looks from deep against them, and they are taking a high frequency of midrange shots which is leading to the bulldogs being 320th in three point attempt rate.

I'll take Akron, who move with good tempo and defend the rim and the three point line well. Additionally, Akron is coming off an ugly looking loss to Milwaukee, but SQ rated that as a near tie. Great spot to buy low on them on a neutral floor where the wrong team might very well be favored. The ML is in play here too.

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