If the opener was any indicator, gamblers are in for a treat Tuesday as the college hoops action on ESPN will cover 24 consecutive hours. The opener was at Pauley Pavilion early this morning, where Cal-State Fullerton knocked off heavily-favored UCLA 68-65 in double overtime.

Despite a pair of extra sessions, ‘under’ backers still cashed tickets as the total closed at 135 in most betting parlors. Gamblers backing the Titans to win outright at the Las Vegas Hilton were paid 10/1 odds (paid $1,000 on $100 wagers).

With that wild result in mind, let’s look to a trio of marquee matchups in the prime-time slots before sharing a few Bonus Nuggets.

**Louisville vs. Arkansas**

--This matchup in St. Louis will feature the pupil (John Pelphrey) and the mentor (Rick Pitino). This duo goes back to 1989 when Pitino took over as the head coach at Kentucky. Pelphrey was a member of The Unforgettables, the four-man class of rising sophomores that Pitino inherited upon his arrival at UK with the program at rock bottom following NCAA sanctions stemming from Eddie’s Sutton’s tenure and a certain package destined to the home of Chris Mills. Pelphrey’s collegiate career, along with that of Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus and Sean Woods’s, ended at the old Spectrum in Philadelphia when Christian Laettner completed his perfect night (10-for-10 on FG’s and FT’s and one kick to the gut of Aminu Timberlake) with a buzzer-beater to beat the Wildcats in the Elite Eight of the 1992 NCAA Tournament.

--More than 17 years later, both coaches have seen better times. Pitino, now the coach of UK’s arch rival and a magnet for controversy in the Bluegrass State, is trying to put a wild off-the-court saga in the rearview mirror. Pelphrey is also dealing with off-court drama that has brought him under fire. He recently suspended five players indefinitely, three of whom were the focus of a rape investigation that didn’t lead to criminal charges. The suspensions have left Pelphrey with eight eligible players, six of whom are on scholarship. A football player (Brandon Mitchell) and a golfer (Stephen Cox) round out the Razorbacks’ rail-thin roster.

--Arkansas (1-0 straight up, 0-0 against the spread) won its opener over Alcorn State by a 130-68 count in a non-lined affair. Rotnei Clarke was the catalyst with a school-record 51 points that included an SEC-best 13 treys. Clarke broke the school’s record for 3’s that was held for 15 years by the incomparable Al Dillard, who is often noted in his space for his in-the-gym range from back in the early 1990s.

--Louisville (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) came up one game shy of the Final Four in Pitino’s eighth year on the job, falling to Michigan State in the Elite Eight. The Cardinals lost a pair of first-round picks (Terrence Williams and Earl Clark) to the NBA and must also replace defensive stalwart Andre McGee. They return key players like Samardo Samuels, Jerry Smith, Edgar Sosa and Preston Knowles.

--Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Louisville as an 11 ½-point favorite. As of early this morning, most books had the Cardinals as 10-point ‘chalk.’

--These schools last met in December of 1997 with the Hogs rolling to an easy 100-83 win in a matchup of legendary coaches, Nolan Richardson and Denny Crum.

--ESPN2 will have the telecast at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

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**Gonzaga at Michigan State**

--Michigan State (1-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) opened the season with a 97-58 win over Florida Gulf Coast in a non-lined affair at Breslin Center in East Lansing. Kalin Lucas scored a game-high 21 points to lead six Spartans in double figures. Durrell Summers had 14 of his 17 points in the first half to spark Tom Izzo’s team.

--Gonzaga (1-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) also won its opener that wasn’t on the betting board, cruising to a 92-74 win over Mississippi Valley St. this past Saturday night. Matt Bouldin, the Bulldogs’ lone returning starters, led all scorers with 22 points. The senior swingman knocked down four jumpers from beyond the arc and also had six rebounds and five assists. Freshman Elias Harris had 18 points and seven rebounds in his collegiate debut. Junior Steven Gray finished with 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

--LVSC opened Tom Izzo’s squad as a 10 ½-point favorite. As of early this morning, most spots had the Spartans favored by 11.

--Gonzaga has been to 11 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. The Bulldogs advanced to the Sweet 16 last year with wins over Akron and Western Ky. before falling to the eventual national champion, North Carolina.

--These programs haven’t met since Nov. 22 of 2005 when Adam Morrison led Gonzaga to a 109-106 overtime win in Hawaii. The Bulldogs took the cash as 4 ½-point underdogs.

--Tip-off is slated for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

**Memphis vs. Kansas**

--LVSC opened top-ranked Kansas (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) as a 13-point favorite in a rematch of the 2008 national-championship game won by the Jayhawks in overtime. As of early this morning, most books had KU at 11 or 11 ½.

--Bill Self’s team captured a 101-65 win over Hofstra in its home opener. The Jayhawks comfortably covered the number as 26-point favorites. Xavier Henry, who was originally committed to Memphis before Calipari bolted for Big Blue Country, scored a game-high 27 points in his KU debut. Senior point guard Sherron Collins added 23 points, four rebounds and three assists. Cole Aldrich added 11 points and eight boards, as Kansas won its 42nd consecutive game at Allen Fieldhouse.

--Memphis (1-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) began the Josh Pastner Era with an 82-53 home win over Jackson State in a non-lined encounter. Duke transfer Elliot Williams had a team-high 19 points for the Tigers, who forced 20 turnovers and were never threatened in a game they led 38-21 at halftime.

--For the class of 2010, Pastner has already assembled what nearly all recruitniks are considering the premier class, including a quartet of Top 100 players according to Rivals.com.

--ESPN will have the telecast at 10:00 p.m. Eastern tonight.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Kentucky’s John Wall lived up to the hype in his regular-season debut last night, draining the game-winning shot just before time ran out to allow the Wildcats to escape Miami (OH.)’s upset bid at Rupp Arena. The RedHawks easily took the cash as 19-point underdogs in the 72-70 loss. Wall finished with 19 points and five rebounds, while Patrick Patterson recorded his 23rd career double-double by scoring 17 points and snagging 10 rebounds. John Calipari’s team fell to 0-2 ATS.

--The Anthony Grant Era got off to an inauspicious start in Saturday’s opener against Cornell at Coleman Coliseum. The Big Red went into Tuscaloosa and emerged with a 71-67 win as a seven-point underdog. Cornell is no joke, however, and I recommend bettors keep an eye on this squad in future underdog spots like at home Friday against Seton Hall. The Big Red also has road games looming at Syracuse (11/24) and at Kansas (1/6). Ryan Wittman, the son of former Indiana star Randy Wittman, dropped 23 points on the Crimson Tide, nailing 5-of-8 attempts from 3-point range.

--Arizona freshman guard Kevin Parrom will miss at least the next four weeks with a stress fracture in his foot. Parrom averaged 8.0 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in pair of exhibition games for the Wildcats.

--Northwestern star forward Kevin Coble sustained a fractured foot at practice last Tuesday and has decided to undergo season-ending surgery. Coble, who has led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding during all three of his seasons in Evanston, will take a medical redshirt and return for the 2010-2011 campaign. That’s a monster ouch for Bill Carmody, who was expected to field his best team since leaving Princeton for Northwestern nine years ago.

--West Virginia All-American candidate Devin Ebanks has temporarily left the team to attend to a personal matter. Be sure to check his status for the Mountaineers’ next contest (vs. The Citadel next Tuesday, 11/24).

--Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury has suspended Kodi Augustus for two games after he made negative remarks following the team's Friday night home loss to Rider.

--Underrated ESPN hoops analyst: Stephen Bardo from out of Illinois, where he played on Lou Henson’s 1989 squad that lost to a Michigan team led by Glen Rice at the Final Four in Seattle.

Brian Edwards can be reached at briane@vegasinsider.com.

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