Thursday's NCAA Basketball action got me back to within striking distance of my.500 goal, at 28-30-2. The Hilltoppers kept it close enough, and Xavier narrowly escaped with a OT win over the Mountaineers. So let's keep on riding those Ohiotucky longshot's...
Xavier vs. UCLA (-6.5 Bodog)
Gotta give it up for the X-men, going for their first Final Four. I actually don't like their chances as much as I do Louisville's in pulling off the upset, especially since they are playing in You-Clu's backyard (it's a pretty big backyard, but still). But if the V-Boys are giving me six-and-a-half, I'll take the Musketeers. Xavier's balanced attack should give the Bruins fits. Besides "The Love" (and I love me"The Love"), UCLA is outmatched at every position in my opinion. Their point guard, Darren Collison had a fine season, but the Pac-10 didn't have a defender at that position as tough as Stanley Burrell (actually Burrell plays the "2", but will be matched up on Colliison this one). Unless the other Bruins can step up (I'm talking to you Josh Shipp & Russell Westbrook, who each got 14 points against Western Kentucky, but only combined for 5 points squeeking by Texas A&M), Xavier has a darn good shot at knocking off this number one.
Louisville vs. North Carolina (-6.0)
That previous statement I made, about Louisville having a better chance for the upset, well I'm not so sure. The Tar Heels are truly playing in their own backyard, two hours from Chapel Hill. But I'm sticking with the Cardinals.
###
I've heard/read from some sports pundits that the home court advantage given to the higher seeds is unfair. I disagree. Well, I agree that it is unfair, but screw "fairness", these teams deserve their destination. Tonight's "hosts" went 32-2 & 31-3 (UNC & YouClu respectively). If the 'Ville or X-Men pulled off this type of regular season record, they would have been rewarded accordingly (actually, they would have ended up in Detroit this year, which is in no way any kind of reward, but you get my gist). Furthermore, does anyone really want Carolina to play in Phoenix, or UCLA in Charlotte? That just seems silly.
#####
Just got back from a round of disc golf, and Xavier's already on (down by 3, actually, they've come out sloppy) so point being, David Padgett handles Tyler Hansbrough, Pitino outcoaches Willimas, the 'Ville by 3.
late-A.B.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Perusing the Lines: 03.27.08
I'm not happy with yesterday's 50/50 split, but I'll take it. Bradley was dominant as prognosticated, but once again I bet against my gut, and Ole Miss prevailed. Andy Kennedy proved he is the man, and will be coaching at a top-twenty institution (Indiana anyone?) sooner than later.
But let's find some tunes before we get to the picks. How 'bout an Allman Bros. set from 1972?
As for last night's Ohiotucky matchup: Dayton @ The OSU, I wanted no part of the action. I'm just prayin' the Buckeyes get another shot at Florida.
So let us begin with another Ohiotucky NCAA Basketball Final Four contender;
West Virginia (-1.0) vs. Xavier
The V-Boys are giving the Mountaineers the points? Fools, I tell ya; a bunch of silly fools! That's why my record to date is 26-30-2. But you gotta like the X-Men.
A) They know how to play against a Huggy-induced defense. The program has seen it for years, though Coach Miller only dealt with it his first two.
B) They've got a better team.
The Musketeers have had a bit of trouble early on in this year's Tourney experience, coming back from 10 points against Georgia, and holding off Purdue after the Boilermaker's took a one-point lead with less than six minutes left. Does this suggest a team that is bound to slip up, or a squad that knows how to rally under duress?
I'm obviously taking the latter. X-Men by six.
###
I'd also like to give the Kentucky schools playing this evening my seal of approval (as ominous as that may be), but the V-Boys actually have the Cardinals favored. This I won't accept, which means I can't put money on the barrel.
Though I will throw a little dough on the Hilltoppers...
Western Kentucky vs. UCLA (-12.0)
Not much time to explain, but I say this game stays close. Classic Cinderelly gives it their all and comes out on the short end of the pumpkin(?). You-clu by six.
Thanks for comin'-A.B.
But let's find some tunes before we get to the picks. How 'bout an Allman Bros. set from 1972?
As for last night's Ohiotucky matchup: Dayton @ The OSU, I wanted no part of the action. I'm just prayin' the Buckeyes get another shot at Florida.
So let us begin with another Ohiotucky NCAA Basketball Final Four contender;
West Virginia (-1.0) vs. Xavier
The V-Boys are giving the Mountaineers the points? Fools, I tell ya; a bunch of silly fools! That's why my record to date is 26-30-2. But you gotta like the X-Men.
A) They know how to play against a Huggy-induced defense. The program has seen it for years, though Coach Miller only dealt with it his first two.
B) They've got a better team.
The Musketeers have had a bit of trouble early on in this year's Tourney experience, coming back from 10 points against Georgia, and holding off Purdue after the Boilermaker's took a one-point lead with less than six minutes left. Does this suggest a team that is bound to slip up, or a squad that knows how to rally under duress?
I'm obviously taking the latter. X-Men by six.
###
I'd also like to give the Kentucky schools playing this evening my seal of approval (as ominous as that may be), but the V-Boys actually have the Cardinals favored. This I won't accept, which means I can't put money on the barrel.
Though I will throw a little dough on the Hilltoppers...
Western Kentucky vs. UCLA (-12.0)
Not much time to explain, but I say this game stays close. Classic Cinderelly gives it their all and comes out on the short end of the pumpkin(?). You-clu by six.
Thanks for comin'-A.B.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Perusing the Lines: 03.25.08
"Screw Experience" was the exact quote I used yesterday to conclude my flip-flopping. My gut said go with UMass, but the numbers told me Syracuse. Should have stuck with the gut. Add in Arizona State's meltdown at home against the Gators, and I'm back to 4-under .500 at 25-29-2.
Honestly, I wasn't as confident with these NCAA Basketball picks as I was with my Ohiotucky picks on Monday. Just hoping to go on a roll, and I'm running out of time on my quest to break even. So I'm going with the following prognostications, the latter I like more than the former.
Mississippi at Virginia Tech (-8.0)
Andy Kennedy has built a solid squad in the Deep South, and The Rebels are a deeper, more physical team. But they are terrible on the road. Ole Miss went 1-7 as the visiting team in SEC play. V Tech only lost two home games all year, both in conference play. Advantage, Hokies. They win by 10.
Bradley at Virginia (-6.5)
This one we're giving lock status; take the money-line, I don't need the points. The Bradley Braves are going to win this outright. UVA is not a good team. They went 5-11 in conference, and though they somehow beat Arizona early on in the regular season, their second best win was a lucky two-point victory at Georgia Tech. Bradley beat Drake twice, and just beat up two Ohiotucky schools, UC and Ohio, to make it to the CBI semis. In comparison, The Cavs barely got by Richmond and Old Dominion. Bet the farm on the Braves, kids!
Hope you'll stop by tomorrow, we'll check the lines of the Big Dance.
-A.B.
Honestly, I wasn't as confident with these NCAA Basketball picks as I was with my Ohiotucky picks on Monday. Just hoping to go on a roll, and I'm running out of time on my quest to break even. So I'm going with the following prognostications, the latter I like more than the former.
Mississippi at Virginia Tech (-8.0)
Andy Kennedy has built a solid squad in the Deep South, and The Rebels are a deeper, more physical team. But they are terrible on the road. Ole Miss went 1-7 as the visiting team in SEC play. V Tech only lost two home games all year, both in conference play. Advantage, Hokies. They win by 10.
Bradley at Virginia (-6.5)
This one we're giving lock status; take the money-line, I don't need the points. The Bradley Braves are going to win this outright. UVA is not a good team. They went 5-11 in conference, and though they somehow beat Arizona early on in the regular season, their second best win was a lucky two-point victory at Georgia Tech. Bradley beat Drake twice, and just beat up two Ohiotucky schools, UC and Ohio, to make it to the CBI semis. In comparison, The Cavs barely got by Richmond and Old Dominion. Bet the farm on the Braves, kids!
Hope you'll stop by tomorrow, we'll check the lines of the Big Dance.
-A.B.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Perusing the Lines: 03.24.08
A lotta love from the Ohiotucky yesterday. Ohio State blew the doors off Cal, and Dayton beat the spread by 13. That's puts this season's NCAA Basketball prognosticating record at 25-27-2. Let's see if we can get to .500.
Massachusetts @ Syracuse (-7.5 Sportsbook.com)
We're going with experience over size. Two of the Minutemen's three leading scorer's are seniors, led by Gary Forbes near 20 points a game. Two of the Orange's three leading scorer's are freshman, and both are over 6-9. Donte Greene, at 6-11, is averaging 17.7/7.1, and will need to be double-teamed if UMass has a chance. They don't have to stop him, just contain him.
These two teams met previously in a serious shoot-out, with UMass prevailing 107-100. But this was early in the season, and both teams have rolled upon some rocky roads since then. The Minutemen will once again try to instill this tempo to counter the size deficiency, and though they may not prevail, I think the senior leadership keeps this close. A least I hope so. Maryland sure couldn't do it, losing by 14 at the Carrier Dome last Thursday. And their roster looks identical to the Minutemen. And Pomeroy has UMass 10 slots below the Terps, and 'Cuse +25? Wait a minute...
I'm flip-flopping. The Orange by 10. Screw experience.
Florida @ Arizona State (-3.5)
I hate to bet against the Gators, for purely personal reasons. The Drunken Prophet wants to see the Buckeyes whip them again this season. The revenge doesn't nearly make up for the two National Championship shellackings put on The OSU, but it makes me feel better.
But I can't bet against Herb Sendek at home. The first year coach has willed the Sun Devils to their first respectable season in years, and they have something to prove. Both teams feature young talent, but the duo of James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph should take care of the Gators in Tempe. ASU by 6.
Check back with y'all tomorrow-A.B.
Massachusetts @ Syracuse (-7.5 Sportsbook.com)
We're going with experience over size. Two of the Minutemen's three leading scorer's are seniors, led by Gary Forbes near 20 points a game. Two of the Orange's three leading scorer's are freshman, and both are over 6-9. Donte Greene, at 6-11, is averaging 17.7/7.1, and will need to be double-teamed if UMass has a chance. They don't have to stop him, just contain him.
These two teams met previously in a serious shoot-out, with UMass prevailing 107-100. But this was early in the season, and both teams have rolled upon some rocky roads since then. The Minutemen will once again try to instill this tempo to counter the size deficiency, and though they may not prevail, I think the senior leadership keeps this close. A least I hope so. Maryland sure couldn't do it, losing by 14 at the Carrier Dome last Thursday. And their roster looks identical to the Minutemen. And Pomeroy has UMass 10 slots below the Terps, and 'Cuse +25? Wait a minute...
I'm flip-flopping. The Orange by 10. Screw experience.
Florida @ Arizona State (-3.5)
I hate to bet against the Gators, for purely personal reasons. The Drunken Prophet wants to see the Buckeyes whip them again this season. The revenge doesn't nearly make up for the two National Championship shellackings put on The OSU, but it makes me feel better.
But I can't bet against Herb Sendek at home. The first year coach has willed the Sun Devils to their first respectable season in years, and they have something to prove. Both teams feature young talent, but the duo of James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph should take care of the Gators in Tempe. ASU by 6.
Check back with y'all tomorrow-A.B.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Perusing the Lines: 03.23.08
Once again I must apologize for my lack of attentiveness to the blog. Between fantasy baseball drafts, the Denver County Sheriff Department(they towed my truck, those bastards. Too long of an ugly story for here) and getting drunk and watching my NCAA Tourney bracket fall to pieces, I just haven't been getting around to typing.
###
So let's begin by getting this NCAA Basketball regular season over with. My last picks were two Thursdays ago (oh, and throw St. Patty's weekend in to my list of excuses), and my slump continued. Mountaineers took out UConn, the Cardinal did as expected, and my gut check Ohiotucky match-up went to the Redhawks. Hence, 23-27-2. This is why you don't gamble kids, unless you have money to burn. Or you're smarter/luckier than me.
But I'm on a mission: to return to .500. That mission begins today.
###
Yes Virginia (Tech), they are playing basketball on this fine Monday. Two Ohiotucky teams are in the NIT mix, and The Drunken Prophet likes them both:
California @ Ohio State (-7.0 MGM)
Since I can find no quality info on this match-up, we'll dig some up. First off, Cal was a pretty weak team this year, going 6-12 in Pac-10 play, and finishing with an RPI of 92, 53 spots below the Buckeyes. The Golden Bears do have a young stud in sophmore Ryan Anderson (6-10/240), and a couple of decent scorers at the guard position. But the offensive drop-off after that is dramatic.
This Buckeye squad as well lacks true depth, but they do have a more dominant starting five, and a few more options off the bench. This will be a true test for Koufos, who is matched up with Cal senior DeVon Hardin (6-11/250). He'll need to hit from the outside to keep the Golden Bears big-man out of the lane, allowing Lighty, Turner and Butler to attack the basket, and set up open looks for each other. Defensively, the Big KK will need help from Othello, and the under-appreciated Terwilliger, while they try to contain the aforementioned Anderson. But as long as our guards out-play Cal's, I think The OSU is in good shape
What may make the difference is a bit suprising, but explained well by the Buckeye's basketball blog of the Columbus Dispatch. Even though only 7000+ showed up for the opening round game, they were rowdy. Turns out these are the die-hard fans who dwell in the 400 sections, and this is their first opportunity to get up close to the action. Assuming the same this evening, the home-court edge should be tremendous. And let's not forget the chance for some more payback against Florida, who has made it to the Semi's.
Not to mention, if you were a kid living in Berkeley, after suffering through an average season, do you really care about a relatively meaningless game in Columbus? Buckeyes by 10.
Dayton @ Illinois State (-6.5 MGM)
Not a lot of time left to type, but I like the 61/2, and I like Wright! Freshman phenom Chris Wright will be back in action tonight, and I think he'll provide enough to cover the spread. The Flyers and Redbirds are 32 and 33 in the RPI, so the numbers say this should be close. Both are smallerish teams, with Dayton having a small advantage on the average of boards and points scored. Illinois State takes much better care of the ball, and forces on average 2.0 more turnovers per game. Hence, if Dayton can secure possessions and stay solid on D, they've got a shot at the upset.
###
Hopefully, I'll get back to y'all on the flip-A.B.
###
So let's begin by getting this NCAA Basketball regular season over with. My last picks were two Thursdays ago (oh, and throw St. Patty's weekend in to my list of excuses), and my slump continued. Mountaineers took out UConn, the Cardinal did as expected, and my gut check Ohiotucky match-up went to the Redhawks. Hence, 23-27-2. This is why you don't gamble kids, unless you have money to burn. Or you're smarter/luckier than me.
But I'm on a mission: to return to .500. That mission begins today.
###
Yes Virginia (Tech), they are playing basketball on this fine Monday. Two Ohiotucky teams are in the NIT mix, and The Drunken Prophet likes them both:
California @ Ohio State (-7.0 MGM)
Since I can find no quality info on this match-up, we'll dig some up. First off, Cal was a pretty weak team this year, going 6-12 in Pac-10 play, and finishing with an RPI of 92, 53 spots below the Buckeyes. The Golden Bears do have a young stud in sophmore Ryan Anderson (6-10/240), and a couple of decent scorers at the guard position. But the offensive drop-off after that is dramatic.
This Buckeye squad as well lacks true depth, but they do have a more dominant starting five, and a few more options off the bench. This will be a true test for Koufos, who is matched up with Cal senior DeVon Hardin (6-11/250). He'll need to hit from the outside to keep the Golden Bears big-man out of the lane, allowing Lighty, Turner and Butler to attack the basket, and set up open looks for each other. Defensively, the Big KK will need help from Othello, and the under-appreciated Terwilliger, while they try to contain the aforementioned Anderson. But as long as our guards out-play Cal's, I think The OSU is in good shape
What may make the difference is a bit suprising, but explained well by the Buckeye's basketball blog of the Columbus Dispatch. Even though only 7000+ showed up for the opening round game, they were rowdy. Turns out these are the die-hard fans who dwell in the 400 sections, and this is their first opportunity to get up close to the action. Assuming the same this evening, the home-court edge should be tremendous. And let's not forget the chance for some more payback against Florida, who has made it to the Semi's.
Not to mention, if you were a kid living in Berkeley, after suffering through an average season, do you really care about a relatively meaningless game in Columbus? Buckeyes by 10.
Dayton @ Illinois State (-6.5 MGM)
Not a lot of time left to type, but I like the 61/2, and I like Wright! Freshman phenom Chris Wright will be back in action tonight, and I think he'll provide enough to cover the spread. The Flyers and Redbirds are 32 and 33 in the RPI, so the numbers say this should be close. Both are smallerish teams, with Dayton having a small advantage on the average of boards and points scored. Illinois State takes much better care of the ball, and forces on average 2.0 more turnovers per game. Hence, if Dayton can secure possessions and stay solid on D, they've got a shot at the upset.
###
Hopefully, I'll get back to y'all on the flip-A.B.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Perusing the Lines: Championship Week 03/13/08
This is where it starts to get good, kids. NCAA basketball conference tourneys are now in full swing, and the action is aplenty. But what do the V-Boys have to offer to improve my record of 22-25-2? We're truly perusing the spreads, since there are some interesting variations between the various lines posted on the Vegas Insider site.
West Virginia vs. Connecticut (-2.0 MGM Mirage)
I'm using the closest spread available since I'm picking the favorite. UConn has been on a serious roll, winning 13 of their last 15, and is a hot sleeper to make a run to the Elite Eight. WVU has been the epitome of inconsistency this season, especially that 62-39 loss to my pathetic Bearcats. The Mountaineers have probably won enough to get a seat at the table (and get beat in the first round of the Tourney), but I guarantee Huggins isn't letting his team believe the hype. But motivation only gets you so far. The Huskies have superior talent, and you have to give Calhoun the nod as far as in-game adjustments. I hate betting against Huggy-Bear, but I think it's going to be next year, when his recruits show up, that the Mountaineers really make some noise.
Arizona vs. Stanford (-2.5 Ceasers)
I'm taking the favorite once again. Those two twins should make this game tough for the Wildcats underneath the boards, and unless Arizona makes some serious shots from the perimeter, this game could get ugly. The Cardinal had been playing with a chip on its beak, until they got swept by the LA institutions. UA lost a much needed game to the Ducks to remain squarely on the bubble despite their number one SOS. Hence both are hungry, I just gotta go with the bigs in this one.
###
And let's pick the Ohiotucky match-up of the day. Wait, Xavier already defeated Dayton. So how about some MAC action...
Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (-1.5 LV Hilton)
Straight Gut Call. Both teams are as evenly matched as their conference records (9-7). The illustrious Pomeroy has the Redhawks 12 points higher in his rankings. But I like the Bobcats, and this is strickly based on their Bracketbuster performance I witnessed against George Mason, and the fact they have a skinny white boy named Bubba as their third leading scorer.
Talk to you all tomorrow-A.B.
West Virginia vs. Connecticut (-2.0 MGM Mirage)
I'm using the closest spread available since I'm picking the favorite. UConn has been on a serious roll, winning 13 of their last 15, and is a hot sleeper to make a run to the Elite Eight. WVU has been the epitome of inconsistency this season, especially that 62-39 loss to my pathetic Bearcats. The Mountaineers have probably won enough to get a seat at the table (and get beat in the first round of the Tourney), but I guarantee Huggins isn't letting his team believe the hype. But motivation only gets you so far. The Huskies have superior talent, and you have to give Calhoun the nod as far as in-game adjustments. I hate betting against Huggy-Bear, but I think it's going to be next year, when his recruits show up, that the Mountaineers really make some noise.
Arizona vs. Stanford (-2.5 Ceasers)
I'm taking the favorite once again. Those two twins should make this game tough for the Wildcats underneath the boards, and unless Arizona makes some serious shots from the perimeter, this game could get ugly. The Cardinal had been playing with a chip on its beak, until they got swept by the LA institutions. UA lost a much needed game to the Ducks to remain squarely on the bubble despite their number one SOS. Hence both are hungry, I just gotta go with the bigs in this one.
###
And let's pick the Ohiotucky match-up of the day. Wait, Xavier already defeated Dayton. So how about some MAC action...
Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (-1.5 LV Hilton)
Straight Gut Call. Both teams are as evenly matched as their conference records (9-7). The illustrious Pomeroy has the Redhawks 12 points higher in his rankings. But I like the Bobcats, and this is strickly based on their Bracketbuster performance I witnessed against George Mason, and the fact they have a skinny white boy named Bubba as their third leading scorer.
Talk to you all tomorrow-A.B.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Purusing the Lines:03/012/08: Championship Week
No love from the V-Boys. I've scrolled up and down the spreads and no line feels like the real thing. I want to believe Cincy won't lose by 9, and that Cal should beat UW by more than 2. You'd hope the pathetic Beavers wouldn't lose by 19, and Miami (OH) could take care of Buffalo by 10. But I hate all this action if I'm placing money on the barrel.
So let's take a look at yesterday's picks...
###
Cleveland State broke my heart, and bank account, with the 15 point loss to Butler. But you can't prognosticate injuries, and the loss of Cedric Jackson for the second half cost me the spread. Jackson was (and we have to use the past tense, 'cause there is no chance CSU breaks the bubble, even though they showed up second in a very prominsing Horizon league) the Vikings second leading scorer and rebounder. That's easily five points lost right there. That's why they call it gambling.
Western Kentucky took care of business, gaining the Sun Belt Auto-bid, a chance to take on a three-seed that will probably destroy them, and at least getting me to .500 on the day. I wish the best for the Hilltoppers, but a run in the NCAA Basketball tourney is not expected by the Prophet. But keep an eye on Southern Alabam'. If they get matched up with a run-and-gun teams (aka Duke in the second round), the Jags may play in the Sweet Sixteen
So let's take a look at yesterday's picks...
###
Cleveland State broke my heart, and bank account, with the 15 point loss to Butler. But you can't prognosticate injuries, and the loss of Cedric Jackson for the second half cost me the spread. Jackson was (and we have to use the past tense, 'cause there is no chance CSU breaks the bubble, even though they showed up second in a very prominsing Horizon league) the Vikings second leading scorer and rebounder. That's easily five points lost right there. That's why they call it gambling.
Western Kentucky took care of business, gaining the Sun Belt Auto-bid, a chance to take on a three-seed that will probably destroy them, and at least getting me to .500 on the day. I wish the best for the Hilltoppers, but a run in the NCAA Basketball tourney is not expected by the Prophet. But keep an eye on Southern Alabam'. If they get matched up with a run-and-gun teams (aka Duke in the second round), the Jags may play in the Sweet Sixteen
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Butler vs. Cleveland State: 03/11/08
No tunes today. We're listening to the Reds on Radio. Pre-season game against Houston. Down three in the eighth. Not looking good. But the lines I was hoping for are...
Butler (-10.0) vs. Cleveland State (Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN)
That's the spread we were looking for kids! The Vikings beat the Bulldogs by four at home, and lost by five on the road. Cleveland State is playing for it's NCAA Tourney lives; Butler will play comfortably numb due to it's apparent lock status. The ESPN boys are focusing on rebound differential, which I believe is notable, but doesn't tell the whole story.
Short, abbreviated sentences, now there's the ticket.
This should be close game. Butler lost last year in this same situation against a "who the hell would have thunk it" Wright State squad. I'll give them the benefit of the talent bump, but not by ten.
Western Kentucky (-8.5) vs. Middle Tennessee State (Mitchell Center, Mobile, AL)
The scary thing: the best match-up info I found was from Eyewitness News 3 out of Connecticut (?). The Blue Raiders may pull a San Diego State style upset after knocking off Southern Alabam', but the regular season numbers are not amicable. MTS did beat Southern Alabama twice in the regular season, and finished them off with the tourney upset. However they lost to WKU in both meeting, by 5 at home and 11 on the road. The Gut is telling me the Hilltoppers do not fock around, and close this thing out by halftime. WKU by 18.
We'll talk to ya tomorrow-A.B.
Butler (-10.0) vs. Cleveland State (Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN)
That's the spread we were looking for kids! The Vikings beat the Bulldogs by four at home, and lost by five on the road. Cleveland State is playing for it's NCAA Tourney lives; Butler will play comfortably numb due to it's apparent lock status. The ESPN boys are focusing on rebound differential, which I believe is notable, but doesn't tell the whole story.
Short, abbreviated sentences, now there's the ticket.
This should be close game. Butler lost last year in this same situation against a "who the hell would have thunk it" Wright State squad. I'll give them the benefit of the talent bump, but not by ten.
Western Kentucky (-8.5) vs. Middle Tennessee State (Mitchell Center, Mobile, AL)
The scary thing: the best match-up info I found was from Eyewitness News 3 out of Connecticut (?). The Blue Raiders may pull a San Diego State style upset after knocking off Southern Alabam', but the regular season numbers are not amicable. MTS did beat Southern Alabama twice in the regular season, and finished them off with the tourney upset. However they lost to WKU in both meeting, by 5 at home and 11 on the road. The Gut is telling me the Hilltoppers do not fock around, and close this thing out by halftime. WKU by 18.
We'll talk to ya tomorrow-A.B.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Champ Week Begins!! 03/10/08
Howdy folks!
First off, for some quality jamming, check out this Bluegrass Underground show. Mike Gordon is featured on a couple of tracks. Hot stuff, but it is one of the original SugarMegs Real Audio files, so you can only listen to it with Real Player.
##
Sorry about the hiatus. My first Fantasy Baseball draft of the season was Saturday, and I was preparing the days prior. And yesterday I was just being lazy.
No quality NCAA basketball action this evening, though Gonzaga/San Diego should be a great match-up. I would have picked the Zags (-7.0) until I watched last night's WCC semi-final. San Diego might have left everything on the floor getting the victory over St. Mary's, but I wouldn't bet on in.
###
So let's recap the end of my disaster last week.
Baylor got crushed at home to down-trodden Texas A&M, dropping my season total to 21-24-2. I think this AP sentence says it all: "The Bears, the Big 12's second-best 3-point shooting team, went 4-for-19 from long range and shot 21-for-63 (a season-low 33 percent) overall". They went on to mention that according to Bear's officials, this was the first time no player on a team scored in double figures since the introduction of the shot clock.
Maybe I'm not the one that is cursed, but I'm cursing the teams I'm picking. Well we won't find out tonight, but maybe tomorrow when the line comes out on Butler/Cleveland St. I'll certainly be returning to some serious prognostication once the big-boy tournaments get rolling Wednesday.
adios-A.B.
First off, for some quality jamming, check out this Bluegrass Underground show. Mike Gordon is featured on a couple of tracks. Hot stuff, but it is one of the original SugarMegs Real Audio files, so you can only listen to it with Real Player.
##
Sorry about the hiatus. My first Fantasy Baseball draft of the season was Saturday, and I was preparing the days prior. And yesterday I was just being lazy.
No quality NCAA basketball action this evening, though Gonzaga/San Diego should be a great match-up. I would have picked the Zags (-7.0) until I watched last night's WCC semi-final. San Diego might have left everything on the floor getting the victory over St. Mary's, but I wouldn't bet on in.
###
So let's recap the end of my disaster last week.
Baylor got crushed at home to down-trodden Texas A&M, dropping my season total to 21-24-2. I think this AP sentence says it all: "The Bears, the Big 12's second-best 3-point shooting team, went 4-for-19 from long range and shot 21-for-63 (a season-low 33 percent) overall". They went on to mention that according to Bear's officials, this was the first time no player on a team scored in double figures since the introduction of the shot clock.
Maybe I'm not the one that is cursed, but I'm cursing the teams I'm picking. Well we won't find out tonight, but maybe tomorrow when the line comes out on Butler/Cleveland St. I'll certainly be returning to some serious prognostication once the big-boy tournaments get rolling Wednesday.
adios-A.B.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Purusing the Lines:03/05/08
Boy, I'm on a roll. The NCAA Basketball gods have not been kind of late.
Yesterday's lone pick might have been my worst ever. Bowling Green was destroyed by freakin' Buffalo by 46 points! So we're now sitting at 21-23-2. That's not how we're going to go out.
But I accept the fact that the Senior Night curse has been put upon me. I like Kentucky, Tennessee and Duke in tonight's action, but I know when a spell has been cast to destroy my season record (I am a Prophet lest you forget). So let's pick the only home team I'm reasonably comfortable with...
Texas A&M @ Baylor (-1.5)
Let's pray the home-team heroics that have stricken my roadie record will work for me in Waco. A&M has been shelled on the road on their last two trips, losing by 27 at Texas and Oklahoma.
Both teams are playing for their Tourney lives, so this should be a hard fought contest. I'll give the Bears the nod, winning by 7.
###
My first fantasy baseball draft is Saturday, so I may not be blogging the next couple of days as I prepare my projections and cheatsheets. Unless there's a play I gotta take, then I'll let ya know.
adios-A.B.
Yesterday's lone pick might have been my worst ever. Bowling Green was destroyed by freakin' Buffalo by 46 points! So we're now sitting at 21-23-2. That's not how we're going to go out.
But I accept the fact that the Senior Night curse has been put upon me. I like Kentucky, Tennessee and Duke in tonight's action, but I know when a spell has been cast to destroy my season record (I am a Prophet lest you forget). So let's pick the only home team I'm reasonably comfortable with...
Texas A&M @ Baylor (-1.5)
Let's pray the home-team heroics that have stricken my roadie record will work for me in Waco. A&M has been shelled on the road on their last two trips, losing by 27 at Texas and Oklahoma.
Both teams are playing for their Tourney lives, so this should be a hard fought contest. I'll give the Bears the nod, winning by 7.
###
My first fantasy baseball draft is Saturday, so I may not be blogging the next couple of days as I prepare my projections and cheatsheets. Unless there's a play I gotta take, then I'll let ya know.
adios-A.B.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Purusing the Lines:03/04/08
We need to cheer ourselves up after yesterday's prognosticating debacle. Which is best achieved with a Bluegrass band featuring a female vocalist and wicked Dobro player.
###
So how 'bout that butt-whoopin' placed on T-Tech by the Jayhawks? Lord knows Kansas has the weapons, I just didn't think they'd beat them down like that! Should have have got a clue from the Red Raiders pathetic attempt at pretending to be a basketball team at A&M (98-54), rather than look at their upset of Texas.
Pitt certainly stumbled big-time as well, and my gut was equally shocked to see this box-score. To be honest, I don't even want to talk about it. Let's just give Coach Huggins & Co. their props, and let them know I'm rooting for them the rest of the way.
Dropping below the .500 line for the first time this season, I'm going to be taking some conservative action the rest of the week. Let's see what we got...
Bowling Green @ Buffalo (-2.5)
I'm reaching deep into the MAC and taking the Falcons on the road in this one. The Bulls have only won two in conference, and though this is their Senior Night (my new-favorite nemesis), they've only got one senior, Andrew Atma, who hasn't done much even though he is a seven-footer. BGSU is coming off a possible bubble-busting win over Kent State, but you guessed it, it was their Senior Night. I'm simply picking the better team here when given the points.
And that's it. I looked at Ohiotucky's matches tonight, but I can't bet for or against the Buckeyes. I believe Miami (OH) will lose by six against Kent State, but the Golden Flashes have played a couple of close ones at home as of late. I'll also be watching ex-Ohiotucky coach Herb Sendek and his new New Mexico squad, but UNLV might straight run them up the pole.
So let's see if we can get back to even.
late-A.B.
###
So how 'bout that butt-whoopin' placed on T-Tech by the Jayhawks? Lord knows Kansas has the weapons, I just didn't think they'd beat them down like that! Should have have got a clue from the Red Raiders pathetic attempt at pretending to be a basketball team at A&M (98-54), rather than look at their upset of Texas.
Pitt certainly stumbled big-time as well, and my gut was equally shocked to see this box-score. To be honest, I don't even want to talk about it. Let's just give Coach Huggins & Co. their props, and let them know I'm rooting for them the rest of the way.
Dropping below the .500 line for the first time this season, I'm going to be taking some conservative action the rest of the week. Let's see what we got...
Bowling Green @ Buffalo (-2.5)
I'm reaching deep into the MAC and taking the Falcons on the road in this one. The Bulls have only won two in conference, and though this is their Senior Night (my new-favorite nemesis), they've only got one senior, Andrew Atma, who hasn't done much even though he is a seven-footer. BGSU is coming off a possible bubble-busting win over Kent State, but you guessed it, it was their Senior Night. I'm simply picking the better team here when given the points.
And that's it. I looked at Ohiotucky's matches tonight, but I can't bet for or against the Buckeyes. I believe Miami (OH) will lose by six against Kent State, but the Golden Flashes have played a couple of close ones at home as of late. I'll also be watching ex-Ohiotucky coach Herb Sendek and his new New Mexico squad, but UNLV might straight run them up the pole.
So let's see if we can get back to even.
late-A.B.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Purusing the Lines:03.03.08
Sunday 'Cap
My poor Bearcats. My poor, poor Bearcats. I know they're not a good team by any stretch of the imagination. But come on, losing at home to Providence?
The Friars were suffering through a five game losing streak, had lost 9 of their past 10 games, and had only won twice on the road all season (though one of those wins was an impressive show at UConn). If Cincy can't handle a team such as this at Fifth Third Arena, they ain't got a prayer of stealing a game in the Big East tourney. Bearcat nation, we'll chat next fall.
I offer similar regards to the UK faithful. With Patterson out, a run to the SEC final seems impossible. But the conference is weaker than the Big East this year, and it wouldn't completely surprise me to see a rematch with Tennessee in the semis. If they could pull that off in Atlanta, an auto-bid would be within reach.
At least the Wildcats beat the spread, keeping me hovering above .500 at 21-20-3. There are a couple of games I'm tempted by this evening...
Pittsburg @ West Virginia (-5.5)
It's the Mountaineers' Senior Night, and Huggy-Bear will have his team primed. But I don't like their chances to cover the spread. Pittsburg hasn't been strong on the road, losing their last three. But all of those losses have been against top teams in the Big East. West Virgina has built it's resume by defeating the weaker of the conference. Their only quality win was against Marquette early in league play. Actually, the only team Pitt has taken out above .500 in the Big East is Georgetown. Welp, blows that argument.
So we'll call this a gut call. Both teams are evenly matched, and are playing for tourney consideration. Home court advantage obviously goes to WVU, but I say this one ends with a buzzer-beater. Mountaineers by 2.
Texas Tech @ Kansas (-19.5)
Let's call upon my new-favorite mantra: too many points. Kansas doesn't need to win this by twenty. Coach Self will call off the dogs (aka Jayhawks) nursing a comfortable lead with six minutes left. Or Tech goes into this with some confidence after stunning rival Texas, and actually keeps this fairly close. History is not on my side in this prediction. According to LLC Stats, "Texas Tech has never won in nine trips to Lawrence, losing its last five visits by an average of 28.8 points." But I'm banking the Red Raiders are buying into "Baby-Knight-Ball", the run-and-gun style which took out the Longhorns. Won't work, but keeps them under the spread. KU by 15.
More picks on the flip-A.B.
My poor Bearcats. My poor, poor Bearcats. I know they're not a good team by any stretch of the imagination. But come on, losing at home to Providence?
The Friars were suffering through a five game losing streak, had lost 9 of their past 10 games, and had only won twice on the road all season (though one of those wins was an impressive show at UConn). If Cincy can't handle a team such as this at Fifth Third Arena, they ain't got a prayer of stealing a game in the Big East tourney. Bearcat nation, we'll chat next fall.
I offer similar regards to the UK faithful. With Patterson out, a run to the SEC final seems impossible. But the conference is weaker than the Big East this year, and it wouldn't completely surprise me to see a rematch with Tennessee in the semis. If they could pull that off in Atlanta, an auto-bid would be within reach.
At least the Wildcats beat the spread, keeping me hovering above .500 at 21-20-3. There are a couple of games I'm tempted by this evening...
Pittsburg @ West Virginia (-5.5)
It's the Mountaineers' Senior Night, and Huggy-Bear will have his team primed. But I don't like their chances to cover the spread. Pittsburg hasn't been strong on the road, losing their last three. But all of those losses have been against top teams in the Big East. West Virgina has built it's resume by defeating the weaker of the conference. Their only quality win was against Marquette early in league play. Actually, the only team Pitt has taken out above .500 in the Big East is Georgetown. Welp, blows that argument.
So we'll call this a gut call. Both teams are evenly matched, and are playing for tourney consideration. Home court advantage obviously goes to WVU, but I say this one ends with a buzzer-beater. Mountaineers by 2.
Texas Tech @ Kansas (-19.5)
Let's call upon my new-favorite mantra: too many points. Kansas doesn't need to win this by twenty. Coach Self will call off the dogs (aka Jayhawks) nursing a comfortable lead with six minutes left. Or Tech goes into this with some confidence after stunning rival Texas, and actually keeps this fairly close. History is not on my side in this prediction. According to LLC Stats, "Texas Tech has never won in nine trips to Lawrence, losing its last five visits by an average of 28.8 points." But I'm banking the Red Raiders are buying into "Baby-Knight-Ball", the run-and-gun style which took out the Longhorns. Won't work, but keeps them under the spread. KU by 15.
More picks on the flip-A.B.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Saturday 'Cap/Ohiotucky's Sunday picks
1-3 yesterday puts a tear in the eye, especially after my Wednesday sweep.
Ohio State played typical Buckeye ball, and certainly doesn't deserve a Tourney seat.
Beasley did all he could, but Kansas was just too tough. What kind of game would MB have had if he hadn't gotten into early foul trouble (or if Huggy-bear was still coach?)? The V-Boys know their game, suckering me by a point.
And then there's LaSalle. Hopped on that bandwagon right as it was careening into the canyon. I initially liked the Rams, but the stats swayed me away. Should have stuck with the gut.
So my lone winner, them Baylor Bears, held court and kept me above .500. Bookmark my words: this is a Tourney team, and is either a first round wither, or an elite eight enigma. They got nothing to lose, so they might toss it all in the trash, or make a serious run. If their shooters stay hot, make news in the B-12 Tourney, score a decent seed in the Big Dance, and get match-ups against teams they can outscore (aka: don't need to play defense//a Big Ten muscle-team), the Bears are gonna go on a run and get beat in the game deciding the Final Four.
###
As for the Sunday Action, let's pretend we don't learn lessons:
Providence @ Cincinnati (-5.0)
The Friars are on a five game losing skid (didn't I just type this? and Rhode Island won?) I think Cincy has a decent shot of covering the spread against Providence. The Bearcats are now playing for an NIT seed, which isn't a complete insult for Cronin's squad. The Big East is tough, and it may be awhile/forever until Cincy reclaims it's status as an annual 1 of 64/65 invitee. But the Friars are on a five game losing skid (didn't I just type this? and Rhode Island won?) and won't have any punch. Cincy by 10.
Kentucky @ Tennessee (-14.5)
"Too many points, kids; too many points." This was yesterday's quote concerning the Kansas-K-State game. Well, I don't like this spread either. UK lost stud forward Patrick Patterson, and ain't gonna win in Knoxville. But I'm susceptible to this teasing by the V-Boys, and can't let 15 points go unchecked. The Vol's by 12.
Be back Tuesday at the latest-A.B.
Ohio State played typical Buckeye ball, and certainly doesn't deserve a Tourney seat.
Beasley did all he could, but Kansas was just too tough. What kind of game would MB have had if he hadn't gotten into early foul trouble (or if Huggy-bear was still coach?)? The V-Boys know their game, suckering me by a point.
And then there's LaSalle. Hopped on that bandwagon right as it was careening into the canyon. I initially liked the Rams, but the stats swayed me away. Should have stuck with the gut.
So my lone winner, them Baylor Bears, held court and kept me above .500. Bookmark my words: this is a Tourney team, and is either a first round wither, or an elite eight enigma. They got nothing to lose, so they might toss it all in the trash, or make a serious run. If their shooters stay hot, make news in the B-12 Tourney, score a decent seed in the Big Dance, and get match-ups against teams they can outscore (aka: don't need to play defense//a Big Ten muscle-team), the Bears are gonna go on a run and get beat in the game deciding the Final Four.
###
As for the Sunday Action, let's pretend we don't learn lessons:
Providence @ Cincinnati (-5.0)
The Friars are on a five game losing skid (didn't I just type this? and Rhode Island won?) I think Cincy has a decent shot of covering the spread against Providence. The Bearcats are now playing for an NIT seed, which isn't a complete insult for Cronin's squad. The Big East is tough, and it may be awhile/forever until Cincy reclaims it's status as an annual 1 of 64/65 invitee. But the Friars are on a five game losing skid (didn't I just type this? and Rhode Island won?) and won't have any punch. Cincy by 10.
Kentucky @ Tennessee (-14.5)
"Too many points, kids; too many points." This was yesterday's quote concerning the Kansas-K-State game. Well, I don't like this spread either. UK lost stud forward Patrick Patterson, and ain't gonna win in Knoxville. But I'm susceptible to this teasing by the V-Boys, and can't let 15 points go unchecked. The Vol's by 12.
Be back Tuesday at the latest-A.B.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Weekend Action: 03/01/08
Let's get to the picks directly, as I'm running late this fine morning.
Rhode Island (-1.0) @ LaSalle
We're going with the home team, as the Explorer's have rattled off five wins in a row, while the Rams have dropped their last five. LaSalle's home record (5-5) is sketchy, but they are amazingly in contention for a second seed in the A-10. The Rhody's, once mentioned as one of the conference's four possible bids, have simply lost it. The last defeat, an 85-68 whoopin' at suckerfish George Washington, is their latest example of impotence. Rhode Island will still be slipping down the slide once this one is done.
Ohio State @ Minnesota (-2.5)
This battle for the fifth-seed in the Big Ten tourney will hinge on the Buckeyes big-boy Kosta Koufas. If G Butler can find his man in the middle consistently, I like Ohio State's chances. It's about time for some "Matta Magic", and I believe the Coach will will his team to a very winnable game, even if it is on the road. The Gophers haven't beaten a decent team at home, and I don't think Tubby's club will do so today.
Missouri @ Baylor (-5.5)
Let's hop back on the Baylor bandwagon. The Tigers lone two road wins, both in conference, were fairly close (66-62 @ Colorado, 86-78 OT @ Nebraska). The Bears need a statement win against an average Big 12 foe, and this seems like the appropriate time. The line is a little heavy, but if Baylor is up half way through the second half, I envision them pouring it on, as opposed to laying low.
Kansas State @ Kansas (-13.0)
Too many points, kids; too many points. There is no way Michael Beasley let's this one get this far gone. K-State's freshman stud will take over the offense when necessary, and might fall short, but not by 13. He has some respectable help underneath the basket with Bill Walker, who will play up to his potential in this rivalry. The Jayhawks have smoked Big 12 competition consistently at the Phog, which is why the V-Boys have this line so high. But I foresee an MJ performance out of MB.
###
The Recap
Three-sweep baby! Richmond and Florida both took care of business, and Cincy kept it close enough to beat the spread. 19-16-3 going into the weekend suits me just fine.
Come back Monday to see how the weekend went-A.B.
Rhode Island (-1.0) @ LaSalle
We're going with the home team, as the Explorer's have rattled off five wins in a row, while the Rams have dropped their last five. LaSalle's home record (5-5) is sketchy, but they are amazingly in contention for a second seed in the A-10. The Rhody's, once mentioned as one of the conference's four possible bids, have simply lost it. The last defeat, an 85-68 whoopin' at suckerfish George Washington, is their latest example of impotence. Rhode Island will still be slipping down the slide once this one is done.
Ohio State @ Minnesota (-2.5)
This battle for the fifth-seed in the Big Ten tourney will hinge on the Buckeyes big-boy Kosta Koufas. If G Butler can find his man in the middle consistently, I like Ohio State's chances. It's about time for some "Matta Magic", and I believe the Coach will will his team to a very winnable game, even if it is on the road. The Gophers haven't beaten a decent team at home, and I don't think Tubby's club will do so today.
Missouri @ Baylor (-5.5)
Let's hop back on the Baylor bandwagon. The Tigers lone two road wins, both in conference, were fairly close (66-62 @ Colorado, 86-78 OT @ Nebraska). The Bears need a statement win against an average Big 12 foe, and this seems like the appropriate time. The line is a little heavy, but if Baylor is up half way through the second half, I envision them pouring it on, as opposed to laying low.
Kansas State @ Kansas (-13.0)
Too many points, kids; too many points. There is no way Michael Beasley let's this one get this far gone. K-State's freshman stud will take over the offense when necessary, and might fall short, but not by 13. He has some respectable help underneath the basket with Bill Walker, who will play up to his potential in this rivalry. The Jayhawks have smoked Big 12 competition consistently at the Phog, which is why the V-Boys have this line so high. But I foresee an MJ performance out of MB.
###
The Recap
Three-sweep baby! Richmond and Florida both took care of business, and Cincy kept it close enough to beat the spread. 19-16-3 going into the weekend suits me just fine.
Come back Monday to see how the weekend went-A.B.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Purusing the Lines:02/27/08
Dropped back to even (16-16-2) after Drake's tough loss. In these Bulldog's defense, Missouri State was closing their ancient arena, the John Q. Hammons Student Center, on senior night (they have five seniors on their roster), and emotion simply inspired them to levels which none of the Bears had ever previously attained. They shot .596 from the floor and .643 from the arch. Maybe Drake did play tired or overconfident after the Butler win, but I view MSU's shooting numbers as products of divine intervention.
###
This is why I love NCAA Basketball most of all. Any given night, an unheard of group of kids can come together and take out a Goliath. March Madness proves this every year, but it is also clearly evident and exciting to watch in the regular season and conference tourneys as well.
Anyway, just gotta get back up on that horse...
Richmond (-2.0) @ St. Bonaventure
The Bonnies have had a rough, rough season, especially in the A-10. With only one conference win, they are a lock to finish in last place assuming they lose tonight. And that's what I'm assuming. Richmond is currently third in the A-10, and the team is playing for a quality seed in the conference tournament. Go Spiders!
Florida @ Georgia (-1.0)
"The World's Largest Cocktail Party" rivalry takes it to the hardwood. Georgia has been relentless at home against the non-elite teams in the SEC, losing only at Stegeman to the conference big-boys: Tennessee, UK and Vandy. They are also well balanced, with 10 of the twelve on the roster playing double-digit minutes.
But these Bulldogs have nothing to play for (save pride), and the Gators have an outside shot to make The Tourney. I'm banking on Billy Donavan to have his young squad amped up to make a late season run, and I predict it starts in Athens.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburg (-11.0)
Too many points. Cincinnati is sitting a game up over the Panthers in league play, beat them at home by 3, and Coach Cronin still has his Bearcats believing they have a shot in the Big East tourney. UC couldn't handle the Hoyas' bigs, losing by twenty this past Saturday. But Pitt doesn't present that problem. I'm feeling this game is close with a few minutes left, Cincinnati gets spun in the "foul cycle", and they lose on the road by 6.
We'll check the Pac-10 action come tomorrow.
late-A.B.
###
This is why I love NCAA Basketball most of all. Any given night, an unheard of group of kids can come together and take out a Goliath. March Madness proves this every year, but it is also clearly evident and exciting to watch in the regular season and conference tourneys as well.
Anyway, just gotta get back up on that horse...
Richmond (-2.0) @ St. Bonaventure
The Bonnies have had a rough, rough season, especially in the A-10. With only one conference win, they are a lock to finish in last place assuming they lose tonight. And that's what I'm assuming. Richmond is currently third in the A-10, and the team is playing for a quality seed in the conference tournament. Go Spiders!
Florida @ Georgia (-1.0)
"The World's Largest Cocktail Party" rivalry takes it to the hardwood. Georgia has been relentless at home against the non-elite teams in the SEC, losing only at Stegeman to the conference big-boys: Tennessee, UK and Vandy. They are also well balanced, with 10 of the twelve on the roster playing double-digit minutes.
But these Bulldogs have nothing to play for (save pride), and the Gators have an outside shot to make The Tourney. I'm banking on Billy Donavan to have his young squad amped up to make a late season run, and I predict it starts in Athens.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburg (-11.0)
Too many points. Cincinnati is sitting a game up over the Panthers in league play, beat them at home by 3, and Coach Cronin still has his Bearcats believing they have a shot in the Big East tourney. UC couldn't handle the Hoyas' bigs, losing by twenty this past Saturday. But Pitt doesn't present that problem. I'm feeling this game is close with a few minutes left, Cincinnati gets spun in the "foul cycle", and they lose on the road by 6.
We'll check the Pac-10 action come tomorrow.
late-A.B.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Purusing the Lines:02/26/08
Weekend 'Cap
For your listening pleasure: a little Contemporary Hippie (New Monsoon)
The Ohio-George Mason game was a lot closer than the final score (69-57). I had given up all hope at the half, with the Bobcats down 32-19. But Bubba Walther, a scrawny 6-5 white-boy with a sweet shot, got hot. (It took me a while to pick out which player he was watching the game. With a name like "Bubba", I assumed he was one of the big-boys). He scored 18 of his 21 in the second frame, leading his team (and me) to the victory.
Cleveland State smoked Marist just as I predicted, and Tennessee took out the undefeated Tigers in Memphis. I'll assume you heard all about it. If you didn't get a chance to watch, the teams certainly lived up to all their hype. Best game I've witnessed this season.
As for my loser's, I overrated OK and did not give enough props to the Longhorns. I will not underestimate them Texas boys again; they're looking Final Four worthy. And UConn lost a close one on the road to 'Nova. No excuses to be had on that pick.
And what about those Drake Bulldogs!? My gut said pick'em over Butler, but my brain convinced the fingers to type the sentence, "(Butler's) edge on the boards should hence be profoundly evident if they can force the other Bulldogs into tough shots". What freakin' edge on the boards, they got out rebounded 31-25?! But the real disparity was at the charity stripe, where Drake went 18-20, while Butler, 10-18. 62.5% ain't gonna a cut it. See Memphis' 42.1% as further evidence.
###
All right, let's get to the action, and change the tunes. Just not in the mood for mind-numbing jams this morning. How 'bout a little Colorado-flavored pickin' by Oakhurst. Ahh, that's more like it.
This weekend's 3-3 record puts my season total at 16-15-2. I'm staying afloat above that .500 sea, but need a couple quality picks to be comfortably buoyant. Or maybe just one. Not a lot on the line I like this evening.
Ohio State is getting +8.0 at Indiana, but the Buckeyes have been playing poorly as of late, and the potential for a blow-out is lurking. The Sampson Conspiracy has some thinking the Hoosier's will flounder, but D.J. White and Eric Gordon may turn this into a rallying cry. IU beat OSU in Columbus by six a few weeks back. Beating them by eight seems reasonable, but that spread is still a little too thick for my sandwich.
Same with South Florida and New Mexico's match-ups. If the V-boys dropped these lines a touch, I'd want in. But both are -4.0 at home, against Seton Hall and BYU respectively, which is a little too much cushion in my opinion for the underdogs, who both have decent shots at winning straight up.
As for the game of the evening, Tennessee/Vandy, the Vol's are -2.0 on the road. I'd give the points at any other time of the season, save after that hard fought win at Memphis. This is a classic let-down-after-the big-one scenario, and the Commodores have been kicking some butt as of late, winning six straight in-conference. Factor in their undefeated record at home (17-0), and I just don't like Tennessee's chances of making the state sweep. But, I ain't betting against them.
So who's left? My good buddies the Bulldogs.
Drake (-1.0) @ Missouri State
Still no love. They just beat the #8 team in the nation on the road by seven. I think they can handle the #8 squad in the Missouri Valley Conference. There is the potential for the same let-down-after-the big-one scenario, but this is a much safer pick than the aforementioned battle. Ken "The Gem" Pomeroy has them separated by 68 in his rankings. I think that's worth a point playing in their walkin' shoes.
Check back tomorrow. Hopefully we can find a few more games of interest.
adios-A.B.
For your listening pleasure: a little Contemporary Hippie (New Monsoon)
The Ohio-George Mason game was a lot closer than the final score (69-57). I had given up all hope at the half, with the Bobcats down 32-19. But Bubba Walther, a scrawny 6-5 white-boy with a sweet shot, got hot. (It took me a while to pick out which player he was watching the game. With a name like "Bubba", I assumed he was one of the big-boys). He scored 18 of his 21 in the second frame, leading his team (and me) to the victory.
Cleveland State smoked Marist just as I predicted, and Tennessee took out the undefeated Tigers in Memphis. I'll assume you heard all about it. If you didn't get a chance to watch, the teams certainly lived up to all their hype. Best game I've witnessed this season.
As for my loser's, I overrated OK and did not give enough props to the Longhorns. I will not underestimate them Texas boys again; they're looking Final Four worthy. And UConn lost a close one on the road to 'Nova. No excuses to be had on that pick.
And what about those Drake Bulldogs!? My gut said pick'em over Butler, but my brain convinced the fingers to type the sentence, "(Butler's) edge on the boards should hence be profoundly evident if they can force the other Bulldogs into tough shots". What freakin' edge on the boards, they got out rebounded 31-25?! But the real disparity was at the charity stripe, where Drake went 18-20, while Butler, 10-18. 62.5% ain't gonna a cut it. See Memphis' 42.1% as further evidence.
###
All right, let's get to the action, and change the tunes. Just not in the mood for mind-numbing jams this morning. How 'bout a little Colorado-flavored pickin' by Oakhurst. Ahh, that's more like it.
This weekend's 3-3 record puts my season total at 16-15-2. I'm staying afloat above that .500 sea, but need a couple quality picks to be comfortably buoyant. Or maybe just one. Not a lot on the line I like this evening.
Ohio State is getting +8.0 at Indiana, but the Buckeyes have been playing poorly as of late, and the potential for a blow-out is lurking. The Sampson Conspiracy has some thinking the Hoosier's will flounder, but D.J. White and Eric Gordon may turn this into a rallying cry. IU beat OSU in Columbus by six a few weeks back. Beating them by eight seems reasonable, but that spread is still a little too thick for my sandwich.
Same with South Florida and New Mexico's match-ups. If the V-boys dropped these lines a touch, I'd want in. But both are -4.0 at home, against Seton Hall and BYU respectively, which is a little too much cushion in my opinion for the underdogs, who both have decent shots at winning straight up.
As for the game of the evening, Tennessee/Vandy, the Vol's are -2.0 on the road. I'd give the points at any other time of the season, save after that hard fought win at Memphis. This is a classic let-down-after-the big-one scenario, and the Commodores have been kicking some butt as of late, winning six straight in-conference. Factor in their undefeated record at home (17-0), and I just don't like Tennessee's chances of making the state sweep. But, I ain't betting against them.
So who's left? My good buddies the Bulldogs.
Drake (-1.0) @ Missouri State
Still no love. They just beat the #8 team in the nation on the road by seven. I think they can handle the #8 squad in the Missouri Valley Conference. There is the potential for the same let-down-after-the big-one scenario, but this is a much safer pick than the aforementioned battle. Ken "The Gem" Pomeroy has them separated by 68 in his rankings. I think that's worth a point playing in their walkin' shoes.
Check back tomorrow. Hopefully we can find a few more games of interest.
adios-A.B.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Weekend Picks 02.23.08
Just when you start to get cocky, the NCAA Basketball gods slap you in the face. I took an 0-2 hit Thursday night, as my Ohiotucky teams provided no love. Xavier decided to destroy Duquesne, and Dayton began to climb the stairs of the slide destined for that NIT pool. See my previous blog for details.
So, now sitting at 13-12-2, let's look for some locks on the line. And don't call it a comeback...
Connecticut @ Villanova (-1.0)
The Huskies have been hot, winning 10 in a row since their debacle at Providence. 'Nova has won their past two in grandiose fashion, beating St. John's and West Virginia by 22+, but I cannot envision UConn going out like that. Thabeet and Price will be too much for the Wildcats.
Oklahoma @ Texas (-9.0)
With Longar Longar back from injury, the Sooners have played like a team deserving of an NCAA bid. Add in the Griffin Bros. under the boards, and I can't see the Longhorns win by more than 5.
Tennessee @ Memphis (-6.0)
Let's get some action in on the match-up of the year (at least the regular season) . I'm picking the road-dogs once again. This should be titillating college hoops, as both teams are averaging 80+ points a game and lack defensive moxie. Add up the one vs. two hype, the in-state fight for bragging rights, and the collective bravado of both these big-time coaches, and it equals a buzz-beater attempt at the end to win this game. At least I hope so. Lord knows I'll be sitting on the couch with "No. 1 New York Style Chinese Fast Food" (Fortune Kitchen: Best Chinese Delivery in Denver in the opinion of the Drunken )rophet) till the last shot.
###
And let's take a look at this weekend's BracketBusters action. Gotta love this ESPN creation, getting to see the little guys play on the big stage. But first, a semi-quick rant...
I do not understand the assumed disrespect associated with a team labeled as "mid-major". Sticks and stones, bitches. So your school doesn't get million+dollar alumni donations, which buy million+ dollar facilities, and your conference doesn't receive million+ dollar TV contracts. Then you are a mid-major. This is no disgrace; in fact, an institution's fans should be proud that their administrators actually put academics ahead of athletics.
Gonzaga is collectively considered by most talking heads and sports typists to have ascended to the next "level", whatever that means. Arguably, Ohiotucky's own X-men are on the verge of staking their claim as a "non-mid-major", going so far as to decline an award given to guard Drew Lavendar as mid-major player of the week earlier in the season. Don't care, they're mid-majors.
Look, Gonzaga and Xavier have total student enrollments of 6,610 and 6,666 respectively (according to infosource.com), they're Jesuit schools, and they don't have football teams. Sure the Bulldogs have made it to the Dance the last nine seasons, and the Muskies 17 out of the past 22 seasons. Both stats are quite remarkable, but it doesn't matter. They are mid-major programs, the best of the mid-majors. They are much better teams, this year and for the past decade, than most of the BCS schools.
But this is what it comes down to: conference affiliation. If you want to shed this self-perceived perception of injustice, join a power conference. That is exactly what Cincinnati, Louisville, Charlotte, etc. did when they fled to the Big East. The teams in Conference USA were not considered mid-majors when the ranks were stacked with quality opponents. Now, I would venture to debate that Memphis has actually dropped into the mid-major category strictly based on the Tiger's level of competition. It doesn't matter if they are ranked number one and are working on an undefeated season. Where in the rulebook does it state that a mid-major can't be number one and undefeated? And if we are determining a mid-major's status by Tourney appearances, Memphis has only made it five times in the past 11 seasons.
Enough of the rant, let's get to the BracketBuster picks
George Mason @ Ohio (-2.0)
At the moment, the Bobcats are down by 5 after an 8-0 run to start the second half. I took them before the above tirade interrupted by analysis of my prognostications, so I gotta stick with them. I was basically banking on home-court advantage, because I believe these teams are pretty evenly matched.
Marist @ Cleveland St. (-7.0)
I like the Vikes! They've been on a roll as of late, and if they could take out Butler on their home court, I think they smoke the Red Foxes. The Marist squad hasn't been nearly as tested compared to Cleveland St., shown by the 70 point disparity in their SOS, and I believe the home court hype built into this BracketBusters event will carry the Vikings to a big win.
Drake @ Butler (-5.5)
Might as well make a move on the mid-major game of the season. I'm sticking with the Horizon boys at home. Drake has lost two out of three after their amazing run, as teams have started to figure out how to stop their perimeter attack. I'm guessing Butler will have studied the tapes. Their edge on the boards should hence be profoundly evident if they can force the other Bulldogs into tough shots.
Talk to y'all M0nday-A.B.
So, now sitting at 13-12-2, let's look for some locks on the line. And don't call it a comeback...
Connecticut @ Villanova (-1.0)
The Huskies have been hot, winning 10 in a row since their debacle at Providence. 'Nova has won their past two in grandiose fashion, beating St. John's and West Virginia by 22+, but I cannot envision UConn going out like that. Thabeet and Price will be too much for the Wildcats.
Oklahoma @ Texas (-9.0)
With Longar Longar back from injury, the Sooners have played like a team deserving of an NCAA bid. Add in the Griffin Bros. under the boards, and I can't see the Longhorns win by more than 5.
Tennessee @ Memphis (-6.0)
Let's get some action in on the match-up of the year (at least the regular season) . I'm picking the road-dogs once again. This should be titillating college hoops, as both teams are averaging 80+ points a game and lack defensive moxie. Add up the one vs. two hype, the in-state fight for bragging rights, and the collective bravado of both these big-time coaches, and it equals a buzz-beater attempt at the end to win this game. At least I hope so. Lord knows I'll be sitting on the couch with "No. 1 New York Style Chinese Fast Food" (Fortune Kitchen: Best Chinese Delivery in Denver in the opinion of the Drunken )rophet) till the last shot.
###
And let's take a look at this weekend's BracketBusters action. Gotta love this ESPN creation, getting to see the little guys play on the big stage. But first, a semi-quick rant...
I do not understand the assumed disrespect associated with a team labeled as "mid-major". Sticks and stones, bitches. So your school doesn't get million+dollar alumni donations, which buy million+ dollar facilities, and your conference doesn't receive million+ dollar TV contracts. Then you are a mid-major. This is no disgrace; in fact, an institution's fans should be proud that their administrators actually put academics ahead of athletics.
Gonzaga is collectively considered by most talking heads and sports typists to have ascended to the next "level", whatever that means. Arguably, Ohiotucky's own X-men are on the verge of staking their claim as a "non-mid-major", going so far as to decline an award given to guard Drew Lavendar as mid-major player of the week earlier in the season. Don't care, they're mid-majors.
Look, Gonzaga and Xavier have total student enrollments of 6,610 and 6,666 respectively (according to infosource.com), they're Jesuit schools, and they don't have football teams. Sure the Bulldogs have made it to the Dance the last nine seasons, and the Muskies 17 out of the past 22 seasons. Both stats are quite remarkable, but it doesn't matter. They are mid-major programs, the best of the mid-majors. They are much better teams, this year and for the past decade, than most of the BCS schools.
But this is what it comes down to: conference affiliation. If you want to shed this self-perceived perception of injustice, join a power conference. That is exactly what Cincinnati, Louisville, Charlotte, etc. did when they fled to the Big East. The teams in Conference USA were not considered mid-majors when the ranks were stacked with quality opponents. Now, I would venture to debate that Memphis has actually dropped into the mid-major category strictly based on the Tiger's level of competition. It doesn't matter if they are ranked number one and are working on an undefeated season. Where in the rulebook does it state that a mid-major can't be number one and undefeated? And if we are determining a mid-major's status by Tourney appearances, Memphis has only made it five times in the past 11 seasons.
Enough of the rant, let's get to the BracketBuster picks
George Mason @ Ohio (-2.0)
At the moment, the Bobcats are down by 5 after an 8-0 run to start the second half. I took them before the above tirade interrupted by analysis of my prognostications, so I gotta stick with them. I was basically banking on home-court advantage, because I believe these teams are pretty evenly matched.
Marist @ Cleveland St. (-7.0)
I like the Vikes! They've been on a roll as of late, and if they could take out Butler on their home court, I think they smoke the Red Foxes. The Marist squad hasn't been nearly as tested compared to Cleveland St., shown by the 70 point disparity in their SOS, and I believe the home court hype built into this BracketBusters event will carry the Vikings to a big win.
Drake @ Butler (-5.5)
Might as well make a move on the mid-major game of the season. I'm sticking with the Horizon boys at home. Drake has lost two out of three after their amazing run, as teams have started to figure out how to stop their perimeter attack. I'm guessing Butler will have studied the tapes. Their edge on the boards should hence be profoundly evident if they can force the other Bulldogs into tough shots.
Talk to y'all M0nday-A.B.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Purusing the Lines:02/21/08
Quick 'Cap
Took a bit of a hit last night, going 1-2, putting my NCAA Basketball season record at 13-10-2. I was confident of all my picks, but sure enough the upset bug bit. Miami (FL) pulled off their first victory against Duke in 45 years, and K-State decided not to play defense, allowing the Cornhuskers to shoot nearly 52% from the floor. Who would have thunk either of these events could happen? I guess the V-Boys, that's how they got their jobs. At least the Badgers played up to their potential, saving me from complete defeat.
Now, for today's action, we're looking at both A-10 representatives from The Ohiotucky. I swear I'll get the Ohiotucky article done this weekend. I am mentally considering this as a term paper that is a week late, which I've promised the professor is going to be the best he's ever read. I just need some more time, man!
Dayton(-1.5) @ LaSalle
I'm trusting the Flyers realize their Tourney hopes will be on the line each and every game they play the rest of the season. I'm not just talking making it; I'm saying making an impact.
Sure Braketology guru Joe Lunardi has them as an eleven seed in his weekly endeavor. I'm just afraid he and Dayton's fans are banking on the Selectors to weigh in Chris Wright's absence due to injury way to heavily. RPI is fine according to the awe-inspiring Ken Pomeroy, SOS respectable. But a continuing string of inconsistent play, and an early A-10 Tourney loss, and there is no fourth team playing meaningful games in March from the conference.
After Lasalle, Dayton hosts Xavier and St. Joe's, and must travel to Fordham and the Bonnies. These all seem like possible wins; home court against the Big Dogs, and the "@" games against weaker opposition, is the preferred formula. But it can be the scariest as well. X and Joe beat you up at your house, and the nothing-to-lose teams put a TOYB (Target On Your Back) and play inspired hoops.
Now let's spin this toward the positive. If the Flyers can take care of business at UD Arena, step up as the Roadie and beat the teams they should, and make it to the finals of the A-10 T, you may very well see a 25+ win team, with the "Wright-stuff" returning, going in as a 6/7 seed. Story of the year stuff, kids. The potential is there. Then we will see what kind of damage the full-strength squad can do against those BCS bastards.
So what does this all have to do with the action? One word, and let's spell it out people..
M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N
I'm assuming Coach Gregory is preaching the "one-game-at-a-time" principle, but the big picture (or big bracket) is clearly posted on the wall. Find a way to win this one, and your table is getting set. Lose to a foe you should be able to handle, and that slippery slide is getting that much more slippery.
Duquesne @ Xavier (-10.5)
I like the Musketeers, I don't like them by 11. Xavier has been a team that blows opponents out, particularly the aforementioned Flyers. But Coach Miller may use his bench late if the game seems in hand towards the end, resting his starters, and letting the competition back in the scene. That's assuming this isn't close. Ask the Flyers how tough the Dukes can play when you invite them into your confines, losing by 2. I'm guessing X by 7.
No-Action Friday awaits, so I'll probably work on The Ohiotucky Report tomorrow. If you really want to know my angle on the Princeton/Yale game, you can always e-mail: abcigar@hotmail.com.
late-A.B.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Purusing the Lines:02/20/08
Couldn't get to the lines yesterday, had some work to do on some upcoming Fantasy Baseball drafts. But we've got a couple months until The Boys of Summer are back, so let's see what Vegas has to offer this fine morning...
(P.S. 12-8-2 folks. I knew my X-men could pull it off Monday night.)
Kansas State (-3.0) @ Nebraska
My first reaction when I saw the spread was comparable to a lost lamb returning to it's mother's teat. But upon further review, this is a risky game. K-State has been a bit stale on the road, losing @ Mizzou and T-Tech on their past two treks. The Wildcats also don't have a true big-man to match up with Aleks "The Monster" Maric, which usually lends pause to me picking a roadie. But Michael "The Man-Beast" Beasley got Maric in foul-trouble in Manhattan, got his 35 & 13, and should be able to handle the work underneath. The Cornhusker's don't have another player averaging double-digit points, so if "The Monster" has to serve any time on the bench,
K-State should go off. Plus the Wildcats are playing for a tie atop the Big 12, great motivation before match-ups at Baylor and hosting Texas.
Duke (-6.0) @ Miami (FL)
Coach K will not allow his team to slack-off again after the loss at Wake. The Dukies have too much talent and too many option, with five players averaging 10+ points. Enough said.
Wisconsin (-2.0) @ Illinois
Might as well stay consistent and pick another travelin' favorite. The Illini' have nothing left to play for save pride, which they left on the Assembly Hall floor after the loss to Indiana. The Badgers are shooting to even-up with Purdue atop the Big Ten standings after the Boliermakers fell to Indiana last night. This one shouldn't be close, but you never know when you're betting against the home team.
Stop by tomorrow to see how we did.
late-A.B.
(P.S. 12-8-2 folks. I knew my X-men could pull it off Monday night.)
Kansas State (-3.0) @ Nebraska
My first reaction when I saw the spread was comparable to a lost lamb returning to it's mother's teat. But upon further review, this is a risky game. K-State has been a bit stale on the road, losing @ Mizzou and T-Tech on their past two treks. The Wildcats also don't have a true big-man to match up with Aleks "The Monster" Maric, which usually lends pause to me picking a roadie. But Michael "The Man-Beast" Beasley got Maric in foul-trouble in Manhattan, got his 35 & 13, and should be able to handle the work underneath. The Cornhusker's don't have another player averaging double-digit points, so if "The Monster" has to serve any time on the bench,
K-State should go off. Plus the Wildcats are playing for a tie atop the Big 12, great motivation before match-ups at Baylor and hosting Texas.
Duke (-6.0) @ Miami (FL)
Coach K will not allow his team to slack-off again after the loss at Wake. The Dukies have too much talent and too many option, with five players averaging 10+ points. Enough said.
Wisconsin (-2.0) @ Illinois
Might as well stay consistent and pick another travelin' favorite. The Illini' have nothing left to play for save pride, which they left on the Assembly Hall floor after the loss to Indiana. The Badgers are shooting to even-up with Purdue atop the Big Ten standings after the Boliermakers fell to Indiana last night. This one shouldn't be close, but you never know when you're betting against the home team.
Stop by tomorrow to see how we did.
late-A.B.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Quick 'Cap 02/18/08
Cleveland State beat the spread, Oklahoma pulled off the "upset", and if South Carolina scores one more point, I would have had a clean sweep. This weekend's NCAA Basketball action puts me at 11-8-2. Not bad, not bad at all.
The only game I'm looking at tonight is an A-10 showdown involving one of my favorite Ohiotucky schools:
Xavier @ Rhode Island (PK)
Gotta go with my Musketeers, though they have been winning by the skin of their teeth. Their past three victories have been by a combined eight points, and two of those were by two points on the road against teams, that on paper, Xavier should have handled a bit more easily. Classic TOB game, and the Rams will be pumped up to knock off the A-10 leader. But I'm banking on the inside presence of Josh Duncan, on fire as of late, to be the defining factor. Normally wouldn't wager on this one, but I'm up a couple of games, and I'm feeling lucky.
Talks to yous tomorrow-A.B.
The only game I'm looking at tonight is an A-10 showdown involving one of my favorite Ohiotucky schools:
Xavier @ Rhode Island (PK)
Gotta go with my Musketeers, though they have been winning by the skin of their teeth. Their past three victories have been by a combined eight points, and two of those were by two points on the road against teams, that on paper, Xavier should have handled a bit more easily. Classic TOB game, and the Rams will be pumped up to knock off the A-10 leader. But I'm banking on the inside presence of Josh Duncan, on fire as of late, to be the defining factor. Normally wouldn't wager on this one, but I'm up a couple of games, and I'm feeling lucky.
Talks to yous tomorrow-A.B.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Weekend Picks 02.16.08
Sorry (as if anybody cares) I didn't get to explain the mystical NCAA Basketball Realm of Ohiotucky yesterday. Should have time this afternoon while watching some awesome College Hoops baby!
I also woke up too late to land any action on the early game I really wanted: 'Hoyas @ (-3.0) @ the Orangemen. Thank God I slept in, or it sure looks like it at the moment, with Georgetown down by 6 real points with 7:27 left, and this Greene kid draining threes.
Now my excuse for both of the above was an impromptu rendezvous with an old buddy, Ronnie Supe. We've previously discussed producing a sports blog for YouTube, and last night we actually did some recording, just to check out the camera, lighting issues, etc. Your's truly may soon be co-hosting the Ron Superior Sports Manifesto. Keep ya posted. Now let's get to it...
Cleveland State @ Butler (-12.5)
Gotta stick with my Vikings (who got me to 10-7-2, more about the game leading into the Ohiotucky piece). Not saying they'll win, just thinkin' they'll hang. The Bulldogs have beaten up some quality teams at home (the 19 points drumming of my Buckeyes comes to mind), but this Horizon conference showdown means too much to Cleveland State for a 12 point letdown. I hope.
Oklahoma @ Texas Tech (-2.5)
According to our new best friend at Crimson and Cream Machine, Longar Longar will return to action today. He could be the difference-maker. Since breaking his leg in the loss against A&M (which occurred in the first three minutes of the match-up, and he still played the last thirteen minutes) the Sooners have lost two of three, most notably a roadie against lowlife Colorado. If Longar can log some quality minutes, super-frosh Griffin should get the additional inside presence he needs to lead his team to a big W desperately needed if Oklahoma is to stay in Tourney contention.
Then again, TT hasn't lost a home game this season, and handled Big 12 big-boys A&M and K-State fairly easily in Lubbock. Can baby-Bobby keep this up? I don't know, I don't wanna play anymore! But since we've done the research, let's stick with my initial gut-call, pick the Sooners, take the points, and pray.
Alabama @ South Carolina (-2.5)
A little SEC bottom-feeder action. At first glance, I was leaning toward the home-team. Scouring the blogs supported my initial reaction, especially the insight of our newest best friend at Bama Hoops. Even if you don't care about this game click the link. The lovely USC co-ed's picture posted is worth it.
'Bama hasn't won a road game, is a bit undersized vs. the Gamecocks, and nobody in the entire state gives a fuck about college hoops, save our newest best friend. Actually, at this end of his blog he mentions he just topped 50,000 hits. Kudos, newest best friend. I hope I someday get to 50.
That's it for the action today, kids; the V-Boys aren't offering any other gifts I care to declare.
Check back later tonight for The Ohiotucky Review.
As always, best o' luck-A.B.
I also woke up too late to land any action on the early game I really wanted: 'Hoyas @ (-3.0) @ the Orangemen. Thank God I slept in, or it sure looks like it at the moment, with Georgetown down by 6 real points with 7:27 left, and this Greene kid draining threes.
Now my excuse for both of the above was an impromptu rendezvous with an old buddy, Ronnie Supe. We've previously discussed producing a sports blog for YouTube, and last night we actually did some recording, just to check out the camera, lighting issues, etc. Your's truly may soon be co-hosting the Ron Superior Sports Manifesto. Keep ya posted. Now let's get to it...
Cleveland State @ Butler (-12.5)
Gotta stick with my Vikings (who got me to 10-7-2, more about the game leading into the Ohiotucky piece). Not saying they'll win, just thinkin' they'll hang. The Bulldogs have beaten up some quality teams at home (the 19 points drumming of my Buckeyes comes to mind), but this Horizon conference showdown means too much to Cleveland State for a 12 point letdown. I hope.
Oklahoma @ Texas Tech (-2.5)
According to our new best friend at Crimson and Cream Machine, Longar Longar will return to action today. He could be the difference-maker. Since breaking his leg in the loss against A&M (which occurred in the first three minutes of the match-up, and he still played the last thirteen minutes) the Sooners have lost two of three, most notably a roadie against lowlife Colorado. If Longar can log some quality minutes, super-frosh Griffin should get the additional inside presence he needs to lead his team to a big W desperately needed if Oklahoma is to stay in Tourney contention.
Then again, TT hasn't lost a home game this season, and handled Big 12 big-boys A&M and K-State fairly easily in Lubbock. Can baby-Bobby keep this up? I don't know, I don't wanna play anymore! But since we've done the research, let's stick with my initial gut-call, pick the Sooners, take the points, and pray.
Alabama @ South Carolina (-2.5)
A little SEC bottom-feeder action. At first glance, I was leaning toward the home-team. Scouring the blogs supported my initial reaction, especially the insight of our newest best friend at Bama Hoops. Even if you don't care about this game click the link. The lovely USC co-ed's picture posted is worth it.
'Bama hasn't won a road game, is a bit undersized vs. the Gamecocks, and nobody in the entire state gives a fuck about college hoops, save our newest best friend. Actually, at this end of his blog he mentions he just topped 50,000 hits. Kudos, newest best friend. I hope I someday get to 50.
That's it for the action today, kids; the V-Boys aren't offering any other gifts I care to declare.
Check back later tonight for The Ohiotucky Review.
As always, best o' luck-A.B.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Purusing the Lines:02/14/08
No time for tunes today. Let's get to the some NCAA Basketball...
Quicks Caps:
My personal Big Three (Cinninati, Ohio State, Xavier) all won last night. None of them big surprises, but it put a smile on my face. And Cincinnati is keeping it's razor-thin hopes of a tourney bid alive. We'll discuss more on all the teams from the Ohiotucky region tomorrow on No-Action Friday.
No major upsets last night. I thought K-State would show better. Dayton is belly-sliding toward the NIT kiddie-pool after the loss to Duquense, a team that may cause some real trouble in the A-10 tourney. I'm afraid the Flyers problems are/were deeper than injuries. Again, they'll be in the Ohiotucky conversation mentioned above.
As for the Money Picks: (9-7-2)
Good ol' Drake lost for the second time this season, their first defeat in the Missouri Valley, but those boys could still cover the spread, keeping my lucky-ass over .500, since...
Baylor got buried early and couldn't recover. They made the second half run I predicted, outscoring the Cowboys 54-44. Too bad the Bears were down by twenty at the half. Well, too bad for me, and them, and their fans, and the folks who bet on them.
Quick Picks:
Haven't even pulled up the spread page, provided by the good folks at VegasInsider.com. But I'm guessing I only got time to research one match-up:
Cleveland State @ Valparaiso (-6.0)
Diggin' deep for some action today, so we're playing in the Horizon. Both teams have struggled as of late. Valpo's losing streak of 1-5 began with a six-point defeat in Cleveland. The Vikings have won two in a row after dropping five straight, including four straight losses on the road to the middle of the Horizon pack. I wouldn't bet the money-line on Cleveland State, but I think they'll keep it close enough to cover the spread.
###
Stanford may have problems against the Sun Devils, seems like this may be a TOB match-up, but the spread (-3.0 to -4.0) isn't enough to lure me into the mix. The -18.0 the Boys in V-town are lending West Virginia is tempting as well, but Rutgers has been blown out consistently this season, and I ain't trusting the Scarlet Knights with a nickel.
Tune in tomorrow, should be a good one. The magical region of Ohiotucky will be revealed!
adios-A.B.
Quicks Caps:
My personal Big Three (Cinninati, Ohio State, Xavier) all won last night. None of them big surprises, but it put a smile on my face. And Cincinnati is keeping it's razor-thin hopes of a tourney bid alive. We'll discuss more on all the teams from the Ohiotucky region tomorrow on No-Action Friday.
No major upsets last night. I thought K-State would show better. Dayton is belly-sliding toward the NIT kiddie-pool after the loss to Duquense, a team that may cause some real trouble in the A-10 tourney. I'm afraid the Flyers problems are/were deeper than injuries. Again, they'll be in the Ohiotucky conversation mentioned above.
As for the Money Picks: (9-7-2)
Good ol' Drake lost for the second time this season, their first defeat in the Missouri Valley, but those boys could still cover the spread, keeping my lucky-ass over .500, since...
Baylor got buried early and couldn't recover. They made the second half run I predicted, outscoring the Cowboys 54-44. Too bad the Bears were down by twenty at the half. Well, too bad for me, and them, and their fans, and the folks who bet on them.
Quick Picks:
Haven't even pulled up the spread page, provided by the good folks at VegasInsider.com. But I'm guessing I only got time to research one match-up:
Cleveland State @ Valparaiso (-6.0)
Diggin' deep for some action today, so we're playing in the Horizon. Both teams have struggled as of late. Valpo's losing streak of 1-5 began with a six-point defeat in Cleveland. The Vikings have won two in a row after dropping five straight, including four straight losses on the road to the middle of the Horizon pack. I wouldn't bet the money-line on Cleveland State, but I think they'll keep it close enough to cover the spread.
###
Stanford may have problems against the Sun Devils, seems like this may be a TOB match-up, but the spread (-3.0 to -4.0) isn't enough to lure me into the mix. The -18.0 the Boys in V-town are lending West Virginia is tempting as well, but Rutgers has been blown out consistently this season, and I ain't trusting the Scarlet Knights with a nickel.
Tune in tomorrow, should be a good one. The magical region of Ohiotucky will be revealed!
adios-A.B.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Purusing the Lines:02/13/08
For your audio enjoyment:
Pickin'N'Grinin' (Wednesday's 10-12, Saturday's 9-11 PST) discovered on Hootenay Coop Radio
Brought to you by our bluegrass neighbors up north, the West Kootenay Bluegrass Society.
And let's get back to some real NCAA Basketball action after yesterday's hiatus:
Baylor @ Oklahoma State (-1.0 via Bodog)
Still no love for the Bears from the bookies. Cash in now my friends. Baylor has had a rough stretch as of late, losing three of the last four. But two of those set-backs were to teams they were supposed to get beaten by, especially on the road (@KU & UT). And let's blame the home loss to Oklahoma on the quintuple-OT hang-over after their victory against A&M. Baylor is a much deeper team, with eleven (out of 12) playing double-digit minutes (OK St. has eight), and should run down the Cowboys at the end.
Drake @ Southern Illinois (-3.5)
Another roadie underdog. That's how I like 'em. Sure the Salukis have won 17 in a row at home, and are 59-1 at SIU Arena versus Missouri Valley foes since 2001. But the punch-drunk Bulldogs have handled their toughest tasks on the road this year, winning them all except the that second game of the season @ St. Mary's, which is no head-shaker.
Let's let the omnipotent Pomeroy in on this one. 8 vs. 76 RPI, 28 vs. 78 in his esteemed ratings. And heck, let's get our buddy Jeff Sagarin opinion as well: 14 vs. 80. No way Drake is an underdog in this one, not by three and a half. If they lose, buzzer beater. If they cruise, I'd call it a 7-8 point victory. Won't be easy, but this year's Mid-major darlin' should make it to 23-1.
These are the only two I games I'd put cash on the barrel. I like Maryland to keep it close against the Dukies, and Dayton to start it's late-season push to get in The Dance now that the Flyers are getting healthy (though Charles Little is back, they are still waiting on Chris Wright. Hope the Comitte takes this into account).
Staying in the A-10, I think Rhode Island can handled Temple in Philly, but after what they did to the X-men, I ain't betting against the Owls. And let's give K-State the nod over Bobby's boy, even giving Texas Tech 3.5 room for error. Pat Knight will be looking for a job post-March.
We'll once again check the big-board tomorrow.
And as for the music link I introduced, they went to political B.S. interviews about Canadian energy concerns and racial issues. I'll try to make a better pick Thursday.
late-A.B.
Pickin'N'Grinin' (Wednesday's 10-12, Saturday's 9-11 PST) discovered on Hootenay Coop Radio
Brought to you by our bluegrass neighbors up north, the West Kootenay Bluegrass Society.
And let's get back to some real NCAA Basketball action after yesterday's hiatus:
Baylor @ Oklahoma State (-1.0 via Bodog)
Still no love for the Bears from the bookies. Cash in now my friends. Baylor has had a rough stretch as of late, losing three of the last four. But two of those set-backs were to teams they were supposed to get beaten by, especially on the road (@KU & UT). And let's blame the home loss to Oklahoma on the quintuple-OT hang-over after their victory against A&M. Baylor is a much deeper team, with eleven (out of 12) playing double-digit minutes (OK St. has eight), and should run down the Cowboys at the end.
Drake @ Southern Illinois (-3.5)
Another roadie underdog. That's how I like 'em. Sure the Salukis have won 17 in a row at home, and are 59-1 at SIU Arena versus Missouri Valley foes since 2001. But the punch-drunk Bulldogs have handled their toughest tasks on the road this year, winning them all except the that second game of the season @ St. Mary's, which is no head-shaker.
Let's let the omnipotent Pomeroy in on this one. 8 vs. 76 RPI, 28 vs. 78 in his esteemed ratings. And heck, let's get our buddy Jeff Sagarin opinion as well: 14 vs. 80. No way Drake is an underdog in this one, not by three and a half. If they lose, buzzer beater. If they cruise, I'd call it a 7-8 point victory. Won't be easy, but this year's Mid-major darlin' should make it to 23-1.
These are the only two I games I'd put cash on the barrel. I like Maryland to keep it close against the Dukies, and Dayton to start it's late-season push to get in The Dance now that the Flyers are getting healthy (though Charles Little is back, they are still waiting on Chris Wright. Hope the Comitte takes this into account).
Staying in the A-10, I think Rhode Island can handled Temple in Philly, but after what they did to the X-men, I ain't betting against the Owls. And let's give K-State the nod over Bobby's boy, even giving Texas Tech 3.5 room for error. Pat Knight will be looking for a job post-March.
We'll once again check the big-board tomorrow.
And as for the music link I introduced, they went to political B.S. interviews about Canadian energy concerns and racial issues. I'll try to make a better pick Thursday.
late-A.B.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Purusing the Lines:02/12/08
Some intriguing match-ups this Tuesday evening in the NCAA Basketball world, and I don't want a piece of any of them. Sorry kids, but the lines are not kind today.
So let's take a look at some of the match-ups and discuss why I would not lay a dime on them:
North Carolina (-8.5) @ Virginia
As noted by the ever-anonymous A.P., the 'Heels have been plagued by injuries at the point guard position. Is this enough to prevent N.C. from following Clemson's lead last Thursday, a 31 point dismantling of the lowly Cavaliers? I seriously doubt it. If threatened with eternal damnation unless I made a pick today, I'd give the nod to the 'Heels to cover the spread.
But, I'm more concerned about the "TOB".
TOB (Target on Back) theory contends that a team ranked high in the polls, or leading their particular NCAA basketball conference standings, is going to inspire their opponents to give it their best shot, lay it all on the line, leave everything on the court, insert your clique here. This is obviously not a unique epiphany, but I probably abide by it more than most.
Does the logic thus follow that you never bet on a TOB team? Never say never, but I try to shy away, especially when they are playing on the road. UVA has had it's "challenges" this season, especially in ACC play (1-8? poor bastards), but this is the classic nothing-left-to-lose scenario, and the Cav's just might keep it close through pride alone.
Kentucky @ Vanderbilt (-4.0)
Make or break for the Wildcats in my opinion if they still have dreams of dancing come March. But I can't bet against the Commodores unbeaten record at home. Vandy is ranked 65 slots higher in the RPI (12 to 87), but 20 slots lower in the magnificent Mr. Pomeroy's rankings (51 to 71). Face held in a toilet, I'll take UK with the points.
Michigan State @ Purdue (-1.5)
The war for Big-Ten supremacy (a.k.a. conference tourney seeding) begins this eve. Let's look at the serious battles remaining on the contender's schedules:
MSU: @Purdue (tonight of course), @ IU (2/16), @ WISC (2/28)
Purdue: vs. MSU (see above), @ IU (2/19), @ OSU (3/4)
Indiana: hosting WISC, MSU, PUR, OSU (2/13,16,19,26 respectively)
Wisconsin: @ IU (2/13), vs. OSU (2/23 or 2/24 dependent on TV execs), vs MSU (2/28)
Ohio State: figure it out from all of the above.
Point being, these teams are going beat the shit out of each other, setting up one helluva Big-Ten Tourney. The Vegas Boys will keep the lines on all of these games tight, and without a dominant force, I won't play any of this action.
But if my mother was held hostage by hippies who forced me to take an angle, I'd go Baby Boilermaker's by five. Nietzel hasn't been the weapon he was last season, and Izzo hasn't been able to coach confidence into his other nondescript employees.
Flip to my Lou friends- A.B.
So let's take a look at some of the match-ups and discuss why I would not lay a dime on them:
North Carolina (-8.5) @ Virginia
As noted by the ever-anonymous A.P., the 'Heels have been plagued by injuries at the point guard position. Is this enough to prevent N.C. from following Clemson's lead last Thursday, a 31 point dismantling of the lowly Cavaliers? I seriously doubt it. If threatened with eternal damnation unless I made a pick today, I'd give the nod to the 'Heels to cover the spread.
But, I'm more concerned about the "TOB".
TOB (Target on Back) theory contends that a team ranked high in the polls, or leading their particular NCAA basketball conference standings, is going to inspire their opponents to give it their best shot, lay it all on the line, leave everything on the court, insert your clique here. This is obviously not a unique epiphany, but I probably abide by it more than most.
Does the logic thus follow that you never bet on a TOB team? Never say never, but I try to shy away, especially when they are playing on the road. UVA has had it's "challenges" this season, especially in ACC play (1-8? poor bastards), but this is the classic nothing-left-to-lose scenario, and the Cav's just might keep it close through pride alone.
Kentucky @ Vanderbilt (-4.0)
Make or break for the Wildcats in my opinion if they still have dreams of dancing come March. But I can't bet against the Commodores unbeaten record at home. Vandy is ranked 65 slots higher in the RPI (12 to 87), but 20 slots lower in the magnificent Mr. Pomeroy's rankings (51 to 71). Face held in a toilet, I'll take UK with the points.
Michigan State @ Purdue (-1.5)
The war for Big-Ten supremacy (a.k.a. conference tourney seeding) begins this eve. Let's look at the serious battles remaining on the contender's schedules:
MSU: @Purdue (tonight of course), @ IU (2/16), @ WISC (2/28)
Purdue: vs. MSU (see above), @ IU (2/19), @ OSU (3/4)
Indiana: hosting WISC, MSU, PUR, OSU (2/13,16,19,26 respectively)
Wisconsin: @ IU (2/13), vs. OSU (2/23 or 2/24 dependent on TV execs), vs MSU (2/28)
Ohio State: figure it out from all of the above.
Point being, these teams are going beat the shit out of each other, setting up one helluva Big-Ten Tourney. The Vegas Boys will keep the lines on all of these games tight, and without a dominant force, I won't play any of this action.
But if my mother was held hostage by hippies who forced me to take an angle, I'd go Baby Boilermaker's by five. Nietzel hasn't been the weapon he was last season, and Izzo hasn't been able to coach confidence into his other nondescript employees.
Flip to my Lou friends- A.B.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Weekend Recap: 02.11.08
For your listening pleasure:
Al and the Transamericans
No clue, accidentally clicked on it on the SugarMegs site. Seems amusing so far...
O.K. so I have a clue now (had to do the research, at least a google/myspace/wikipedia go round)
Some moe. boys and a bunch of other semi-famous jam bandsters. They are good. I'll get Ali to comment below if you'd care for more information.
Let's get to the recap.
My picks: 2-1-1 (8-6-2)
Shouldn't have taken Penn State, and Michigan still sucks. But taking a crappy team over a crappy team just cause ya don't think the first crappy team is as crappy as the following crappy team is not a wise move. Especially when the crappy team you're picking is playing on the crappy road. Crap.
Texas got me the push, but just barely. I thought the Longhorns were buried. Down by thirteen in the second half? To Iowa State? I thought y'all wanted to play for a Championship? Sure they squeeked out the victory in OT, and matched the spread, and "all conference games are tough on the road." But that game left a taste in my mouth. Not sure what that taste is, but it has an inkling of some pansy-ass fruited water. I'm not sure I'll trust them come March. I may be overreacting, but we'll see how they roll.
As for my pair of winners, Baylor seemed like an easy pick to beat the spread. They play like a quality team: not dominant, but confident. I didn't think they were losing by seventeen, not against the Jayhawks, wearing that target on their back ever-so proudly. Random NCAA tourney prediction: both get bounced in the second round. Screw the Big-12.
Wright State Raiders bitches!! Yeah, they barely beat the spread but "all conference games are tough on the road." Keep an eye on the Horizon. Probably back to a one-bid conference this year (Butler of course), but ya never know. The Bulldogs are already a lock this season, hence a Wright State or a Cleveland State could get a winnable 5-12 match-up in The Tourney with a conference tourney victory. Random NCAA Tourney Prediction: two Horizon teams make it to the Land of 32.
Other observations on a Sunday eve/Monday morn:
The Buckeyes don't suck, but they ain't getting far in the NCAA Basketball after-life. They looked weak hosting Indiana yesterday, and I'm using the adjective literally. Kosta Koufos got out muscled by Indiana's D.J. White, and none of the OSU guards had the buckeyes to attack the Hoosiers 2-3 zone consistently.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not bitching. This is a very young team, and in my opinion does not have as much raw talent as many of the other programs on the Bubble. I 'd actually like to see them get snubbed by the committee and picked for the NIT. Then Thad Matta will have a real chance of ingraining some tourney toughness into his team, instead of the one-and-done (maybe two-and-done, depending on seeding) the Buckeyes are destined for.
***
I love watching You-clu get upset (that's UCLA for you folks not familiar with the blog). In fact, I love watching any Pac-10 team get upset. Mainly personal bias, but there is also my belief this conference is a bit overrated. According the the man Ken Pomeroy, the Pac-10 is ranked second in overall RPI, but is ranked 20th in Avg. Non-Conference Strength of Schedule. That's means as a conference in general they played a bunch of pussy-cats. And I like watching bullies get beaten up, even by other bullies.
Of course there are exceptions, some huge. 'Zona has the No. 1 SOS, and No. 3 non-con. You-clu holds the No. 22 SOS, but non-con SOS drops to triple-digits at 107. And tied-for-first-in-the conference Stanford? non-con SOS of 271! Pathetic. We're talking Loyola-Chicago, Alcorn St., Troy, Vermont pathetic (The two teams ranked above and below in this category). Obviously there is nothing they can do about this now, but next season "Cardinal", grab your buckeyes and play at least some decent teams.
I'm not feeling any of these or the rest of the Pac-10 bunch as legit contenders come Tourney time, save UCLA. You really can't stop "The Love", and he may will his team to another Final Four, if his guards settle down and handle the defensive pressure to which they are subject. Tourney foes should let The Love get his 17.5/11, and try to take Collison out of the game. Though Washington big-man Artem Wallace seemed to hold The Love in check according to the box-scores, Kevin simply didn't get enough love (i.e the rock) from his guards.
Quick Picks for 02.11.08
I don't really like any of the action this evening, but I'll make a couple of unofficial picks for y'all.
Loyola-Marymount @ Gonzaga (-31 Sportsbook)
Too many points, simple as that. It's a 60/40 the 'Zags only win by 28.
Kansas (-5.5 Sportsbook) @ Texas
I'd take the points again if put in a head-lock, but Kansas has the ability to submit the Longhorns.
Gotta run, we'll do some real Purusing of the Lines come Teusday .
late-A.B.
Al and the Transamericans
No clue, accidentally clicked on it on the SugarMegs site. Seems amusing so far...
O.K. so I have a clue now (had to do the research, at least a google/myspace/wikipedia go round)
Some moe. boys and a bunch of other semi-famous jam bandsters. They are good. I'll get Ali to comment below if you'd care for more information.
Let's get to the recap.
My picks: 2-1-1 (8-6-2)
Shouldn't have taken Penn State, and Michigan still sucks. But taking a crappy team over a crappy team just cause ya don't think the first crappy team is as crappy as the following crappy team is not a wise move. Especially when the crappy team you're picking is playing on the crappy road. Crap.
Texas got me the push, but just barely. I thought the Longhorns were buried. Down by thirteen in the second half? To Iowa State? I thought y'all wanted to play for a Championship? Sure they squeeked out the victory in OT, and matched the spread, and "all conference games are tough on the road." But that game left a taste in my mouth. Not sure what that taste is, but it has an inkling of some pansy-ass fruited water. I'm not sure I'll trust them come March. I may be overreacting, but we'll see how they roll.
As for my pair of winners, Baylor seemed like an easy pick to beat the spread. They play like a quality team: not dominant, but confident. I didn't think they were losing by seventeen, not against the Jayhawks, wearing that target on their back ever-so proudly. Random NCAA tourney prediction: both get bounced in the second round. Screw the Big-12.
Wright State Raiders bitches!! Yeah, they barely beat the spread but "all conference games are tough on the road." Keep an eye on the Horizon. Probably back to a one-bid conference this year (Butler of course), but ya never know. The Bulldogs are already a lock this season, hence a Wright State or a Cleveland State could get a winnable 5-12 match-up in The Tourney with a conference tourney victory. Random NCAA Tourney Prediction: two Horizon teams make it to the Land of 32.
Other observations on a Sunday eve/Monday morn:
The Buckeyes don't suck, but they ain't getting far in the NCAA Basketball after-life. They looked weak hosting Indiana yesterday, and I'm using the adjective literally. Kosta Koufos got out muscled by Indiana's D.J. White, and none of the OSU guards had the buckeyes to attack the Hoosiers 2-3 zone consistently.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not bitching. This is a very young team, and in my opinion does not have as much raw talent as many of the other programs on the Bubble. I 'd actually like to see them get snubbed by the committee and picked for the NIT. Then Thad Matta will have a real chance of ingraining some tourney toughness into his team, instead of the one-and-done (maybe two-and-done, depending on seeding) the Buckeyes are destined for.
***
I love watching You-clu get upset (that's UCLA for you folks not familiar with the blog). In fact, I love watching any Pac-10 team get upset. Mainly personal bias, but there is also my belief this conference is a bit overrated. According the the man Ken Pomeroy, the Pac-10 is ranked second in overall RPI, but is ranked 20th in Avg. Non-Conference Strength of Schedule. That's means as a conference in general they played a bunch of pussy-cats. And I like watching bullies get beaten up, even by other bullies.
Of course there are exceptions, some huge. 'Zona has the No. 1 SOS, and No. 3 non-con. You-clu holds the No. 22 SOS, but non-con SOS drops to triple-digits at 107. And tied-for-first-in-the conference Stanford? non-con SOS of 271! Pathetic. We're talking Loyola-Chicago, Alcorn St., Troy, Vermont pathetic (The two teams ranked above and below in this category). Obviously there is nothing they can do about this now, but next season "Cardinal", grab your buckeyes and play at least some decent teams.
I'm not feeling any of these or the rest of the Pac-10 bunch as legit contenders come Tourney time, save UCLA. You really can't stop "The Love", and he may will his team to another Final Four, if his guards settle down and handle the defensive pressure to which they are subject. Tourney foes should let The Love get his 17.5/11, and try to take Collison out of the game. Though Washington big-man Artem Wallace seemed to hold The Love in check according to the box-scores, Kevin simply didn't get enough love (i.e the rock) from his guards.
Quick Picks for 02.11.08
I don't really like any of the action this evening, but I'll make a couple of unofficial picks for y'all.
Loyola-Marymount @ Gonzaga (-31 Sportsbook)
Too many points, simple as that. It's a 60/40 the 'Zags only win by 28.
Kansas (-5.5 Sportsbook) @ Texas
I'd take the points again if put in a head-lock, but Kansas has the ability to submit the Longhorns.
Gotta run, we'll do some real Purusing of the Lines come Teusday .
late-A.B.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Picks o' the Weekend
For the lines:
www.vegasinsider.com
For your listening enjoyment:
A little Jeff Austin and Chris Castino
For the record:
At first glance, I liked BC with +19, but they've been blown out on the road. An 18 point defeat at UVA? The Blue Devils may decide just to bury them early and never let the lead drop below twenty.
I hate to bet against the Ohio Bobcats, but that game could be closer than 5 their way.
Here's four relatively solid ones. Taking all visitors again; I don't know why I do this to myself.
Texas (-6) @ Iowa State
ISU just blew their nine game home winning streak, getting whooped by the A&M boys. The Longhorns are better than A&M. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams will make mince-meat of the Cyclones' D. If the game is close at the end, say Iowa State's down by 5, then they'll have to start fouling. That's a worst-case scenario. I'm feeling Texas dominates.
Penn State @ Michingan (-4.5)
I mean, Michigan SUCKS. I'm not just saying this because I'm a Buckeyes fan; they are terrible. Penn State's not a whole helluva lot better, but at least they're a .500 squad, have a huge win over Michigan State to lean on, and beat the Illini on the road. The Wolverines don't deserve favorite status, not for the rest of the season.
Baylor @ Kansas (-17)
Seventeen points? No respect for the Bears. They ain't gonna win, but I think Baylor is good enough to make this a reasonable Big 12 contest. The Jayhawks have been blowing out folks consistently in Lawrence, but The Gut is saying the Bears keep the loss in the single digits.
Wright State (-2.5) @ Youngstown State
This was your Horizon league Auto-bid last year! Sure they graduated their leadeing scorer, whose name I can't remember, but sophmore guards Todd Brown and Vaughn Duggins are combining for 28 a game. And their leading rebounder is from my hometown, good ol' Middletucky, OH. And my mom went to grad school at Wright State. Seriously, the Raiders are on a 7 game win streak, YSU has won two of the past ten, both against bottom-of-the-bottom feeders Detroit. A 3+ victory is to be expected.
Talk to ya on the flip side-A.B.
www.vegasinsider.com
For your listening enjoyment:
A little Jeff Austin and Chris Castino
For the record:
At first glance, I liked BC with +19, but they've been blown out on the road. An 18 point defeat at UVA? The Blue Devils may decide just to bury them early and never let the lead drop below twenty.
I hate to bet against the Ohio Bobcats, but that game could be closer than 5 their way.
Here's four relatively solid ones. Taking all visitors again; I don't know why I do this to myself.
Texas (-6) @ Iowa State
ISU just blew their nine game home winning streak, getting whooped by the A&M boys. The Longhorns are better than A&M. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams will make mince-meat of the Cyclones' D. If the game is close at the end, say Iowa State's down by 5, then they'll have to start fouling. That's a worst-case scenario. I'm feeling Texas dominates.
Penn State @ Michingan (-4.5)
I mean, Michigan SUCKS. I'm not just saying this because I'm a Buckeyes fan; they are terrible. Penn State's not a whole helluva lot better, but at least they're a .500 squad, have a huge win over Michigan State to lean on, and beat the Illini on the road. The Wolverines don't deserve favorite status, not for the rest of the season.
Baylor @ Kansas (-17)
Seventeen points? No respect for the Bears. They ain't gonna win, but I think Baylor is good enough to make this a reasonable Big 12 contest. The Jayhawks have been blowing out folks consistently in Lawrence, but The Gut is saying the Bears keep the loss in the single digits.
Wright State (-2.5) @ Youngstown State
This was your Horizon league Auto-bid last year! Sure they graduated their leadeing scorer, whose name I can't remember, but sophmore guards Todd Brown and Vaughn Duggins are combining for 28 a game. And their leading rebounder is from my hometown, good ol' Middletucky, OH. And my mom went to grad school at Wright State. Seriously, the Raiders are on a 7 game win streak, YSU has won two of the past ten, both against bottom-of-the-bottom feeders Detroit. A 3+ victory is to be expected.
Talk to ya on the flip side-A.B.
Friday, February 8, 2008
No-Action Friday: 02/08/08
Recap: 02/07/08
Now that's what I'm talkin' about! 6-5-1 after You-clu and IU both beat the spreads, and I knew I should have taken the Trojans.
O, Gambler's Remorse, such a fickle lover.
Indiana got lucky in 2 OT, and I have to admit a bit of arrogance I assumed. The crowd did mess with Gordon's head for the entire first half; I dismissed the effect it would have on the freshman. Those people were mean; certainly would have rattled me.
The Bruins did it with superior talent and confidence. The Cougars made a valid effort to contain "The Love", but were finally beaten down toward the end underneath. Which happened to coincide with Collison's second-half awakening.
Question of the Day:
Is WSU this year's last year's Clemson?
The second half of their Pac-10 season has the potential for profit or disgrace. Let us consider...
IF:
They can stop "The Condiment" (my newest nickname, for O.J. Mayo of course; he makes everything taste better! I'll work on it.) on Saturday, (which I'm intrigued to see the line on) they will put themselves in a decent position for...
Revenge matches at the Oregon's. The Pullman sweep has to have both home teams hungry for redemption, but on paper/the processing of computers, let's assume the Cougar's numbers hold, launching them into...
Home games against the Ari's. The Bay Boy's beat you at home? Why not the Ari's? But we'll give ya a split, which leads to...
Those Bay Boys, inviting you into their own arenas. No way in hell WSU escapes with two wins, let alone one. So as for the finale..
Beat up a weak Washington team. This is still an in-state rivalry, so no guarantee the Huskies will assume the doggie-position. But I'm trying to stay positive.
So at best, we'll call this a 6-2 run. They make it to finals from the third seed in the P10 tourney, and receive a decent slot come Selection Sunday. All is well for a shot at the sweet-sixteen.
Then again:
Let's play negative-Nate. Playing in the Pac-10 obviously helps their profile, but even if they go 6-2 to close the season, and we give them a couple wins in the conference tourney, they will have assumably lost to the only top-25 team they will have played (Stanford, & I'm guessing twice).
But 2-6 is just as possible. The only guaranteed money-line wins in my opinion are at Oregon St. and hosting Arizona St. At 7-11 in conference, 19-11 overall, might the Cougars be smelling a bit like last year's Tigers?
On The General's End:
Enough has been said so I'll make this quick. Nobody forced these kids to go play for him, or stay with the program. You knew you were going to go play for one of the biggest assholes in sports history.
Now I say that with no disrespect to Coach Knight. I imagine he'd tell ya he was an asshole if the question was honestly asked. There's nothing wrong with that. What do you think it takes to be a successful General? You think Patton or U.S. Grant, (or Hilter, Castro, Mao, etc..) were freakin' nice guys? It generally helps to be a real prick if you really want to win.
But you know Bobby, a lot of coaches have gotten a lot out of their players without tirades, head-butts, chair throwing. A little bit more self-control might of put you in a different echelon.
But fuck it! Seriously, how many games did you will those boys to win? You took a bunch of Indiana schmucks and made champions out of them! That was your job. You may have used tactics that seem a little harsh compared to other teachers, but the mission was generally accomplished.
Aside 1: I swear to God my choir teacher in high school is the closest thing I've ever personally confronted that reminds me, from my understanding from two-minute ESPN clips, of Bobby Knight.
You've never met a crazier bitch: insanely intelligent, perfectionist extrordinaire, could smile right through you and bleed your soul. She'd get so pissed off over the littlest shit and make a complete ass out of you in front of everyone. But we had a God-Damn good choir; you actually put effort into the organization in her presence, and saw/listened to the results.
Aside 2: To boys entering high-school: do the gay shit, at least your first couple of years. Marching Band, the Thesbian club, etc. If you have any game whatsoever, this is where you meet chicks. Until you get a car.
Anyway, let's get to the weekend picks:
Now that's what I'm talkin' about! 6-5-1 after You-clu and IU both beat the spreads, and I knew I should have taken the Trojans.
O, Gambler's Remorse, such a fickle lover.
Indiana got lucky in 2 OT, and I have to admit a bit of arrogance I assumed. The crowd did mess with Gordon's head for the entire first half; I dismissed the effect it would have on the freshman. Those people were mean; certainly would have rattled me.
The Bruins did it with superior talent and confidence. The Cougars made a valid effort to contain "The Love", but were finally beaten down toward the end underneath. Which happened to coincide with Collison's second-half awakening.
Question of the Day:
Is WSU this year's last year's Clemson?
The second half of their Pac-10 season has the potential for profit or disgrace. Let us consider...
IF:
They can stop "The Condiment" (my newest nickname, for O.J. Mayo of course; he makes everything taste better! I'll work on it.) on Saturday, (which I'm intrigued to see the line on) they will put themselves in a decent position for...
Revenge matches at the Oregon's. The Pullman sweep has to have both home teams hungry for redemption, but on paper/the processing of computers, let's assume the Cougar's numbers hold, launching them into...
Home games against the Ari's. The Bay Boy's beat you at home? Why not the Ari's? But we'll give ya a split, which leads to...
Those Bay Boys, inviting you into their own arenas. No way in hell WSU escapes with two wins, let alone one. So as for the finale..
Beat up a weak Washington team. This is still an in-state rivalry, so no guarantee the Huskies will assume the doggie-position. But I'm trying to stay positive.
So at best, we'll call this a 6-2 run. They make it to finals from the third seed in the P10 tourney, and receive a decent slot come Selection Sunday. All is well for a shot at the sweet-sixteen.
Then again:
Let's play negative-Nate. Playing in the Pac-10 obviously helps their profile, but even if they go 6-2 to close the season, and we give them a couple wins in the conference tourney, they will have assumably lost to the only top-25 team they will have played (Stanford, & I'm guessing twice).
But 2-6 is just as possible. The only guaranteed money-line wins in my opinion are at Oregon St. and hosting Arizona St. At 7-11 in conference, 19-11 overall, might the Cougars be smelling a bit like last year's Tigers?
On The General's End:
Enough has been said so I'll make this quick. Nobody forced these kids to go play for him, or stay with the program. You knew you were going to go play for one of the biggest assholes in sports history.
Now I say that with no disrespect to Coach Knight. I imagine he'd tell ya he was an asshole if the question was honestly asked. There's nothing wrong with that. What do you think it takes to be a successful General? You think Patton or U.S. Grant, (or Hilter, Castro, Mao, etc..) were freakin' nice guys? It generally helps to be a real prick if you really want to win.
But you know Bobby, a lot of coaches have gotten a lot out of their players without tirades, head-butts, chair throwing. A little bit more self-control might of put you in a different echelon.
But fuck it! Seriously, how many games did you will those boys to win? You took a bunch of Indiana schmucks and made champions out of them! That was your job. You may have used tactics that seem a little harsh compared to other teachers, but the mission was generally accomplished.
Aside 1: I swear to God my choir teacher in high school is the closest thing I've ever personally confronted that reminds me, from my understanding from two-minute ESPN clips, of Bobby Knight.
You've never met a crazier bitch: insanely intelligent, perfectionist extrordinaire, could smile right through you and bleed your soul. She'd get so pissed off over the littlest shit and make a complete ass out of you in front of everyone. But we had a God-Damn good choir; you actually put effort into the organization in her presence, and saw/listened to the results.
Aside 2: To boys entering high-school: do the gay shit, at least your first couple of years. Marching Band, the Thesbian club, etc. If you have any game whatsoever, this is where you meet chicks. Until you get a car.
Anyway, let's get to the weekend picks:
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Purusing the Lines:02/07/08
Recap:
Lucky to get out of yesterday 1-1. I knew St. Joe's had played the Saturday before , but I didn't realize they had played four games in the past eight nights. Never would have picked them on the road after that stretch. Memphis looked like they were going to win by fifty at the half, but like I predicted, they let the Mustangs "back in the game", and score enough to stay under the spread.
So I'm stuck again just under .500 at 4-5-1. Let's see if we can pick up a couple of wins tonight.
Indiana(-1.5) @ Illinois
Sure, the Illini faithful are still whining about Gordon's renege, and supposedly Champaign will be all over him this evening, but it won't matter. Even if Gordon would have chosen their fine institution to play his one year of college hoops, I don't think even the very talented freshman could have corrected their season. Bruce Weber simply doesn't have the scorers to make it to the their ninth Big Dance in a row, or beat Indiana by two at home. Hope he has a decent recruiting class coming in.
UCLA(-2.0) @ Washington St.
Taking two favored teams on the road may not be wise, especially with You-clu losing the services of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute due to a tweaked ankle. But I calling shenanigans on the Cougars. Two early road wins in a row against Baylor & the 'Zags have their RPI & Pomeroy numbers up, but their 69 SOS shows they've played selected competition, and the Oregon's sweep in Pullman suggests they may not be battled-tested enough to take on "The Love".
I really wanted to pick another game today, but none of the other match-ups stick out. I like USC over UW, Rhode Island over UMass, and Xavier should take care of business in St. Louie. But I just can't take another roadie, especially with the X-Men favored by 8.5.
So we'll see you here back tomorrow for No-Action Friday. I swear I'll get to that Bobby rant. -A.B.
Lucky to get out of yesterday 1-1. I knew St. Joe's had played the Saturday before , but I didn't realize they had played four games in the past eight nights. Never would have picked them on the road after that stretch. Memphis looked like they were going to win by fifty at the half, but like I predicted, they let the Mustangs "back in the game", and score enough to stay under the spread.
So I'm stuck again just under .500 at 4-5-1. Let's see if we can pick up a couple of wins tonight.
Indiana(-1.5) @ Illinois
Sure, the Illini faithful are still whining about Gordon's renege, and supposedly Champaign will be all over him this evening, but it won't matter. Even if Gordon would have chosen their fine institution to play his one year of college hoops, I don't think even the very talented freshman could have corrected their season. Bruce Weber simply doesn't have the scorers to make it to the their ninth Big Dance in a row, or beat Indiana by two at home. Hope he has a decent recruiting class coming in.
UCLA(-2.0) @ Washington St.
Taking two favored teams on the road may not be wise, especially with You-clu losing the services of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute due to a tweaked ankle. But I calling shenanigans on the Cougars. Two early road wins in a row against Baylor & the 'Zags have their RPI & Pomeroy numbers up, but their 69 SOS shows they've played selected competition, and the Oregon's sweep in Pullman suggests they may not be battled-tested enough to take on "The Love".
I really wanted to pick another game today, but none of the other match-ups stick out. I like USC over UW, Rhode Island over UMass, and Xavier should take care of business in St. Louie. But I just can't take another roadie, especially with the X-Men favored by 8.5.
So we'll see you here back tomorrow for No-Action Friday. I swear I'll get to that Bobby rant. -A.B.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Purusing the Lines:02/06/08
3-4-1 Baby! Drake kept up the nation's second-longest winning streak, and Butler pulled off the three point win, matching the spread, in the last 15 seconds. That's what I call getting lucky, on the court and with your bookmaker.
I use Sportsbook.com for my daily lines in these blogs, not out of need, since I of course have my own bookie, but I like their site and I eventually hope to get advertising dollars from them, and they seem to have the most money. Honesty never hurt a legit gambler. So, considering their three-point spread, I get a push on the Butler-Valpo game. Let' see what we can find on the line to get us over that .500 mark.
St. Jospehs @ Duquesne
First one on the board on VegasInsider.com (I like to compare the Vegas lines with the offshore sites, and wouldn't mind getting some ad money from them as well), and it's the pick of the day. The Hawks are fresh off an ass-spanking of 'Nova (talk about a team that's fallen apart. I'd also like to talk about the tradition of NCAA hoops in Philly, but that's a Friday blog), and Duquesne has lost two in a row by 15 and 16 respectively, the fifteen at home to UMass last Wed, the sixteen visiting the Bonnies, who are 1-6 in conference, 7-14 overall.
The Minutemen fiasco was only their second loss at home this season mind you, and the first was to a fully loaded Pitt squad. But giving them favorite status, if only by a point, sounds like dollar signs (do dollar signs make sounds?). RPI's aren't even close: 44 to 98. The Illustrious Mr. Pomeroy has them a bit closer in his rankings: 53-83, but still, come on, Jesus Mirimba, (that's "hey-zeus mirimba" like the Latinos say it. One of my favorite Nicholson quotes, from the original Batman, when he's looking at pictures of Kim Basinger? Remember? Of course you don't, nobody does.) this would be a major upset.
SMU @ Memphis
Give me the 31.5! Memphis will destroy the Mustangs, but watch Calipari call the dogs off in the second half. This is basically a meaningless game for the Tigers, as are the rest of their games in Conference US-gay, and I'm predicting a twenty to twenty-five point win. SMU will give it their all against the No. 1 team in the land, fall well short, but not get torched like that.
talk to y'all tomorrow-A.B.
I use Sportsbook.com for my daily lines in these blogs, not out of need, since I of course have my own bookie, but I like their site and I eventually hope to get advertising dollars from them, and they seem to have the most money. Honesty never hurt a legit gambler. So, considering their three-point spread, I get a push on the Butler-Valpo game. Let' see what we can find on the line to get us over that .500 mark.
St. Jospehs @ Duquesne
First one on the board on VegasInsider.com (I like to compare the Vegas lines with the offshore sites, and wouldn't mind getting some ad money from them as well), and it's the pick of the day. The Hawks are fresh off an ass-spanking of 'Nova (talk about a team that's fallen apart. I'd also like to talk about the tradition of NCAA hoops in Philly, but that's a Friday blog), and Duquesne has lost two in a row by 15 and 16 respectively, the fifteen at home to UMass last Wed, the sixteen visiting the Bonnies, who are 1-6 in conference, 7-14 overall.
The Minutemen fiasco was only their second loss at home this season mind you, and the first was to a fully loaded Pitt squad. But giving them favorite status, if only by a point, sounds like dollar signs (do dollar signs make sounds?). RPI's aren't even close: 44 to 98. The Illustrious Mr. Pomeroy has them a bit closer in his rankings: 53-83, but still, come on, Jesus Mirimba, (that's "hey-zeus mirimba" like the Latinos say it. One of my favorite Nicholson quotes, from the original Batman, when he's looking at pictures of Kim Basinger? Remember? Of course you don't, nobody does.) this would be a major upset.
SMU @ Memphis
Give me the 31.5! Memphis will destroy the Mustangs, but watch Calipari call the dogs off in the second half. This is basically a meaningless game for the Tigers, as are the rest of their games in Conference US-gay, and I'm predicting a twenty to twenty-five point win. SMU will give it their all against the No. 1 team in the land, fall well short, but not get torched like that.
talk to y'all tomorrow-A.B.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
The Recap: 02.05.08
2-4. Not bad for the first weekend, but ain't nobody making no money that way. Let's take a quick look at the results, then we'll get to our picks of the day, and a little rant on The General.
The Winners
Kentucky over Georgia
If anybody is interested in a side bet, I'm wagering Kentucky (10-9) will make the Big Dance. They still have to travel to Vandy, Tenn, and USC (what the hell, on March 5?), but if they win two of three of these, lose only one other conference game, the Wildcats will find themselves at 18-11 headed into the SEC Tourney. Make it to the Championship game, lose to the Vol's, and the Selection Committee punches UK's ticket with twenty wins. That's a thin limb from which I dangle, but with the SEC down a bit this year, I feel the run's a comin'.
Purdue over Illinois
Speaking of mediocre conferences, the Big Ten's RPI (according to the much-acclaimed Mr Pomeroy) is the worst of the BCS schools. And when Purdue is tied for first at 8-1, you know something weird is going on. These Boilermakers are very young, and relatively deep, with nine players averaging 20+ minutes (four freshman, two soph's). Purdue has a chance to make some true believers this weekend at Wisconsin, and three days later hosting Michigan State. We'll be checking those lines when they're posted.
The Losers
Marquette over Cincy
What happened to my Bearcats? The Golden Eagles have sucked on the road, and Cincy was actually showing a little moxie in the Big East? What happened was Ousmane Barro, who had season highs in minutes and points, and tied his season high in rebounds, using his size to confound Cronin's squad. Tom Crean played his cards precisely, and got the much-needed road win Marquette needed. Then they got smoked at home by the 'Ville last night. The Big East is a wreck.
Youclu over Arizona
My bad. Overrated the Bayless/Budinger brigade and the 'Zona D. Underrated "The Love" and his trio of heroes: Collison, Shipp, and especially Westbrook. My bad.
Texas over Baylor, Davidson over Chattanooga
Off by a point or two in both of these games. Respectable, but not acceptable. There are no good losses!! Betting against the Longhorns at home was risky; betting the Moc's over Davidson a gut shot in the dark. That's why they call it gambling, kids.
Picks o' the Day
A couple of mid-major's for ya...
Butler (-3.0) over Valparaiso
Butler has had ten days to prepare for this game, and though they have had a couple of stumbles on the road this year in the Horizon, I think the Bulldogs will take care of business.
Drake over Illinois State (-4.0)
I like Drake. Going against last week's theory (Davidson) that a team is bound to lose one in-conference game, I'm betting this ain't the one. And if it is, it will be a buzzer-beater.
We'll get to The General tomorrow. The whisky is starting to kick in, and I've gotta get to work.
The Winners
Kentucky over Georgia
If anybody is interested in a side bet, I'm wagering Kentucky (10-9) will make the Big Dance. They still have to travel to Vandy, Tenn, and USC (what the hell, on March 5?), but if they win two of three of these, lose only one other conference game, the Wildcats will find themselves at 18-11 headed into the SEC Tourney. Make it to the Championship game, lose to the Vol's, and the Selection Committee punches UK's ticket with twenty wins. That's a thin limb from which I dangle, but with the SEC down a bit this year, I feel the run's a comin'.
Purdue over Illinois
Speaking of mediocre conferences, the Big Ten's RPI (according to the much-acclaimed Mr Pomeroy) is the worst of the BCS schools. And when Purdue is tied for first at 8-1, you know something weird is going on. These Boilermakers are very young, and relatively deep, with nine players averaging 20+ minutes (four freshman, two soph's). Purdue has a chance to make some true believers this weekend at Wisconsin, and three days later hosting Michigan State. We'll be checking those lines when they're posted.
The Losers
Marquette over Cincy
What happened to my Bearcats? The Golden Eagles have sucked on the road, and Cincy was actually showing a little moxie in the Big East? What happened was Ousmane Barro, who had season highs in minutes and points, and tied his season high in rebounds, using his size to confound Cronin's squad. Tom Crean played his cards precisely, and got the much-needed road win Marquette needed. Then they got smoked at home by the 'Ville last night. The Big East is a wreck.
Youclu over Arizona
My bad. Overrated the Bayless/Budinger brigade and the 'Zona D. Underrated "The Love" and his trio of heroes: Collison, Shipp, and especially Westbrook. My bad.
Texas over Baylor, Davidson over Chattanooga
Off by a point or two in both of these games. Respectable, but not acceptable. There are no good losses!! Betting against the Longhorns at home was risky; betting the Moc's over Davidson a gut shot in the dark. That's why they call it gambling, kids.
Picks o' the Day
A couple of mid-major's for ya...
Butler (-3.0) over Valparaiso
Butler has had ten days to prepare for this game, and though they have had a couple of stumbles on the road this year in the Horizon, I think the Bulldogs will take care of business.
Drake over Illinois State (-4.0)
I like Drake. Going against last week's theory (Davidson) that a team is bound to lose one in-conference game, I'm betting this ain't the one. And if it is, it will be a buzzer-beater.
We'll get to The General tomorrow. The whisky is starting to kick in, and I've gotta get to work.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Picks for the Weekend: 02.02.08
All underdogs this week, just how I like it. Read 'em and weep.
The Big Boys (Top 25 Match-Ups)
Marquette @ Cincinnati:
After giving a pure ass-whoopin' to West Virginia in Morgantown, the Bearcats look to defend their home court for the third time against a ranked opponent from the Big East. And why not three in a row? Marquette has been TERRIBLE on the road in conference (and I don't use all-caps loosely) . Blow-out losses to WV, UConn, and the 'Ville contrast dramatically with good home wins against Wisc., Prov, and ND. Screw the points, Vaughn & Co. will will their way to a victory against an undersized, disconfident Golden Eagles team (yes, I made up "disconfident").
Baylor @ Texas:
We're taking the points in this one out of necessity. Longhorns by four is my call, unless the last 60 seconds turns into garbage time. Baylor played like a tree'd 'coon in the 5OT win against Texas A&M, and they're just nasty enough to put up a fight against a Texas team that's playing up and down ball as of late in my opinion. Losing to Mizzou, even on the road, is a pretty weak loss. And winning by only two points against OK St. and Colorado (the latter in Austin) doesn't sit well with this prognosticator. The Bears will hang, if not win. Giving 71/2 is a bit too much, Vegas boys. But we''l take your money; you certainly owe us.
Arizona @ UCLA
Let's give a little more props to the Wildcats than six points. Though I don't think any one on the Arizona squad will be able to handle "The Love", USC thwarted them in the Pauley Pavillion by limiting the Westbrook/Collison/Shipp ship to 13 for 35 from the floor (not Shipp's fault, he was 7-13). Are Arizona's guards as good defensively as the Trojans? I don't think so. But will they be able to limit the Youcla (yes, that's how you pronounce it) perimeter enough to let Bayless and Budinger keep the game close? I'd put a few bucks on it.
Purusing the Lines
Purdue @ Illinois
Have any of these odds-maker's watched the Illini play this season? Home court means nothing to these underachievers, with losses to Miami OH and Tennessee State in Champaign. And ya wanna give them 4.5-5 points against a Boilermakers team that is 7-1 in the Big Ten? You fellas is crazy!
Davidson @ Chattanooga
Davidson is going to lose one in the Southern Confernce, and this might be the game. The Mocs (what was wrong with Moccasins? Is this a PC thing, or did they not like their nickname being a pair of shoes?) play tough at home, i.e. a 12 point win at home against the Appalaician State, after losing by nine on their court. I like the 5 points.
Kentucky @ Georgia
Here's my "Play the name, not the numbers" pick of the week. It's freakin' UK, they shouldn't ever be underdogs to the Bulldogs. Georgia has lost at home to East Tennessee State and Tulane! I'm guessing the newly inspired Wildcats will take care of business in Athens.
The Big Boys (Top 25 Match-Ups)
Marquette @ Cincinnati:
After giving a pure ass-whoopin' to West Virginia in Morgantown, the Bearcats look to defend their home court for the third time against a ranked opponent from the Big East. And why not three in a row? Marquette has been TERRIBLE on the road in conference (and I don't use all-caps loosely) . Blow-out losses to WV, UConn, and the 'Ville contrast dramatically with good home wins against Wisc., Prov, and ND. Screw the points, Vaughn & Co. will will their way to a victory against an undersized, disconfident Golden Eagles team (yes, I made up "disconfident").
Baylor @ Texas:
We're taking the points in this one out of necessity. Longhorns by four is my call, unless the last 60 seconds turns into garbage time. Baylor played like a tree'd 'coon in the 5OT win against Texas A&M, and they're just nasty enough to put up a fight against a Texas team that's playing up and down ball as of late in my opinion. Losing to Mizzou, even on the road, is a pretty weak loss. And winning by only two points against OK St. and Colorado (the latter in Austin) doesn't sit well with this prognosticator. The Bears will hang, if not win. Giving 71/2 is a bit too much, Vegas boys. But we''l take your money; you certainly owe us.
Arizona @ UCLA
Let's give a little more props to the Wildcats than six points. Though I don't think any one on the Arizona squad will be able to handle "The Love", USC thwarted them in the Pauley Pavillion by limiting the Westbrook/Collison/Shipp ship to 13 for 35 from the floor (not Shipp's fault, he was 7-13). Are Arizona's guards as good defensively as the Trojans? I don't think so. But will they be able to limit the Youcla (yes, that's how you pronounce it) perimeter enough to let Bayless and Budinger keep the game close? I'd put a few bucks on it.
Purusing the Lines
Purdue @ Illinois
Have any of these odds-maker's watched the Illini play this season? Home court means nothing to these underachievers, with losses to Miami OH and Tennessee State in Champaign. And ya wanna give them 4.5-5 points against a Boilermakers team that is 7-1 in the Big Ten? You fellas is crazy!
Davidson @ Chattanooga
Davidson is going to lose one in the Southern Confernce, and this might be the game. The Mocs (what was wrong with Moccasins? Is this a PC thing, or did they not like their nickname being a pair of shoes?) play tough at home, i.e. a 12 point win at home against the Appalaician State, after losing by nine on their court. I like the 5 points.
Kentucky @ Georgia
Here's my "Play the name, not the numbers" pick of the week. It's freakin' UK, they shouldn't ever be underdogs to the Bulldogs. Georgia has lost at home to East Tennessee State and Tulane! I'm guessing the newly inspired Wildcats will take care of business in Athens.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
01/22/08
Conference play is just getting interesting as the young guns so much talked about this season are either making or breaking, the newly installed systems of freshman coaches are finally coming to fruition, and injuries (as well as returning players) are weighing heavily on teams. Let's look at a couple of my favorites from each category:
Diaper Dandies:
(Is this phrase copy written by Dickie V.? Godspeed on his recovery; I've been jonesing for the voice of NCAA Basketball. And I'm glad he'll be OK, of course. God I'm a selfish bastard. Point is, if ESPN owns the rights to this term, sue me. I work at Kinko's, and I own a '78 Cherokee that won't start.)
Michael Beasley, K-State
24.6/12.6. Enough said, but I'll say more. Domination. 6'9 playing like 9'6. Held his own with Oklahoma's own frosh phenoms of Longar Longar (note to Mr. and Mrs. Longar: how about a little creativity? How about "Fred"?) and Blake Griffin (OU is done as far as an NCAA birth if he's done for the season), then Beasley played the most timely minutes of his short career as his team destroyed Texas A&M. As a Cincy boy, I'd like to credit Huggy-Bear for procuring this amazing talent, not to mention why Bill Walker cared to grace the wheat fields of Manhatten. But you have to give props to Frank Martin, who is certainly worthy of being revered in the second part of this segment. And less not forget the misfortunes of David Hoskins, to tie this in to the aforementioned trifecta. Assuming he could have recovered from his left knee injury, and even slightly improved on last season's accomplishments of 14.5/5.9, we may be talking K-State as a Final Four contender.
Eric Gordon-Indiana
Sure, there are many other one-and-done college players that could be discussed, but let's take a quick look at what Gordon has meant in the first few months to this storied program. 22.4 pts. is certainly a blessing, but only 3.3 reb., and turn/assist ratio of 2.3 to 3.6? Sure, IU is 16-1, their only loss being to a fantastic but inconsistent Xavier squad. But with a SOS of 152, who has Eric had to face? And the Big-Ten is the least of the BCS schools in RPI by conference, so he and his team are not going to be seriously challenged save for a sparse tough match-ups. Will Kelvin Sampson's team be ready for a March draw (assuming as Joe Linardi does they land a 3-seed) against an inspired 13 seed, such as Davidson? Or maybe Big-Ten teams decide to clamp down on Gordon, and Indiana (guaranteed a bid already) ends up a 5 against the roll-of-the-dice MAC tourney champ? And your hypothetcial second round dance partner? Bet they've had a tougher road to travel. Indiana may make it to the Sweet Sixteen as the Big-Ten rep, but if I was a betting man, I'd check the lines at game time.
Something's freaking out with this blog site, so I'll get to our other topics tomorrow.
late-craig
Diaper Dandies:
(Is this phrase copy written by Dickie V.? Godspeed on his recovery; I've been jonesing for the voice of NCAA Basketball. And I'm glad he'll be OK, of course. God I'm a selfish bastard. Point is, if ESPN owns the rights to this term, sue me. I work at Kinko's, and I own a '78 Cherokee that won't start.)
Michael Beasley, K-State
24.6/12.6. Enough said, but I'll say more. Domination. 6'9 playing like 9'6. Held his own with Oklahoma's own frosh phenoms of Longar Longar (note to Mr. and Mrs. Longar: how about a little creativity? How about "Fred"?) and Blake Griffin (OU is done as far as an NCAA birth if he's done for the season), then Beasley played the most timely minutes of his short career as his team destroyed Texas A&M. As a Cincy boy, I'd like to credit Huggy-Bear for procuring this amazing talent, not to mention why Bill Walker cared to grace the wheat fields of Manhatten. But you have to give props to Frank Martin, who is certainly worthy of being revered in the second part of this segment. And less not forget the misfortunes of David Hoskins, to tie this in to the aforementioned trifecta. Assuming he could have recovered from his left knee injury, and even slightly improved on last season's accomplishments of 14.5/5.9, we may be talking K-State as a Final Four contender.
Eric Gordon-Indiana
Sure, there are many other one-and-done college players that could be discussed, but let's take a quick look at what Gordon has meant in the first few months to this storied program. 22.4 pts. is certainly a blessing, but only 3.3 reb., and turn/assist ratio of 2.3 to 3.6? Sure, IU is 16-1, their only loss being to a fantastic but inconsistent Xavier squad. But with a SOS of 152, who has Eric had to face? And the Big-Ten is the least of the BCS schools in RPI by conference, so he and his team are not going to be seriously challenged save for a sparse tough match-ups. Will Kelvin Sampson's team be ready for a March draw (assuming as Joe Linardi does they land a 3-seed) against an inspired 13 seed, such as Davidson? Or maybe Big-Ten teams decide to clamp down on Gordon, and Indiana (guaranteed a bid already) ends up a 5 against the roll-of-the-dice MAC tourney champ? And your hypothetcial second round dance partner? Bet they've had a tougher road to travel. Indiana may make it to the Sweet Sixteen as the Big-Ten rep, but if I was a betting man, I'd check the lines at game time.
Something's freaking out with this blog site, so I'll get to our other topics tomorrow.
late-craig
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