Bracket Breakdown
NCAA Basketball Betting Lines
03/18/2010 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Being a member of the selection committee
for the NCAA Tournament is a thankless job that always comes with harsh
criticism. This year is no different. While there were no real egregious
omissions (perhaps Mississippi State), the committee's seeding procedures have
to be called to task.
If it is how a team finishes the season as opposed to how it starts the
campaign that is most important, than there is really no justification for
Villanova - which began the year on fire but faltered big time down the
stretch - receiving a two-seed. On the flip side, not far from the Villanova
campus, the Temple Owls, who won the Atlantic 10 regular and tournament titles
and beat Villanova head-to-head, had to be disappointed when learning of their
five-seed.
The Wildcats were handed a gift in the South Region (although it remains to be
seen if they can capitalize on it), while the Owls have their work cut out for
them in the East.
Here is a breakdown of what to expect in all the regions, as the tournament
unfolds.
EAST: The Kentucky Wildcats earned a top-seed and rightfully so. John
Calipari's squad is oozing with talent, and there is little doubt that on the
biggest stage there is, youngsters like John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins will
shine. UK's half of the bracket features potential matchups with Texas, Temple
and or Wisconsin. None of those teams have the talent that Kentucky does and
the Wildcats should work their way into the Elite Eight with little to no
trouble. The bottom of the region is anchored by two-seed West Virginia. Bob
Huggins' Mountaineers are a solid squad at both ends of the floor and have a
flair for the dramatic, shown in their run to the Big East Tournament crown.
The biggest challenge in the bottom of the East may come from New Mexico. The
Lobos earned top-10 status this season, but still may be a little underrated
across the country. Other teams down low that could make some noise are
Missouri, Washington and Marquette. However, a Kentucky/West Virginia showdown
is likely, with the edge going to the team from Lexington.
SOUTH: The Duke Blue Devils may be the weakest top-seed in this event, but
Mike Krzyzewski's squad did win 29 games this year, capturing a share of the
ACC regular season title and then winning the ACC Tournament. OK, the ACC
isn't up to its lofty standards this season, but Duke is still a favorite to
get out of the region. The Blue Devils' half of the bracket lacks any real
pitfalls. Coach K's team gets Arkansas-Pine Bluff out of the gate, followed by
potential challenges in California or Louisville. Texas A&M is another
dangerous tournament team, while the winner of the Purdue/Siena matchup could
present a problem. The Boilermakers are not at full strength, while the 13th-
seeded Saints (27 wins) have a chance to be this year's Cinderella squad. The
bottom of the bracket features two-seed Villanova, but three-seed Baylor is
the popular pick to face off against Duke for the right to go to Indianapolis.
The Bears have dynamic scoring options highlighted by star guard LaceDarius
Dunn. Notre Dame caught fire down the stretch to earn entrance to the Big
Dance, but may not get past its first-round showdown with Old Dominion. 'Nova
will probably get past its first two opponents thanks to a favorable seeding,
but Baylor will end the Wildcats' bid at a second straight Final Four
appearance, setting up an Elite Eight matchup with Duke. The Blue Devils may
not be able to match Baylor's energy, as Scott Drew's squad packs its bags for
Indianapolis.
MIDWEST: Kansas is the top team in the country and certainly earned that
status, running away with the Big 12 championship yet again. However, the
selection committee did the Jayhawks no favors with perhaps the toughest field
among the four regions. The Midwest is full of obstacles for KU, which should
get tested in its half of the bracket, highlighted by a potential showdown
with Michigan State in the Sweet 16. There are a number of teams that could
emerge in the bottom half of the region to challenge Kansas for a spot in the
Final Four. Ohio State boasts perhaps the best player in the country in Evan
Turner, and the Buckeyes certainly have the resume (27 wins, Big Ten champs)
to
give Kansas a run for its money. However, Ohio State will not walk over
anyone,
with Tennessee, Georgetown and Oklahoma State making up a formidable bottom
half of the bracket. The Vols are one of two teams to top Kansas this year,
with the Cowboys being the other. The Hoyas are a physical team that can play
with anyone and possess a rugged center in Greg Monroe that can dominate in
the
middle. Still, Kansas is definitely tournament-tested, and possesses one of
the
game's top leaders in Sherron Collins. The Jayhawks will likely punch their
ticket to the Final Four, although it won't come easy.
WEST: Syracuse gets the top spot in the West and despite bowing out in the Big
East Tournament, the Orange remain the favorite to advance to the Final Four.
An Elite Eight appearance shouldn't be much of a problem, as Jim Boeheim's
squad is simply better than the rest of the field in its half of the bracket,
with or without the services of big man Arinze Onuaku (injured leg). A real
Cinderella could come in the form of Murray State. The Racers posted 30 wins
this year and could make some noise early on. The bottom half of the bracket
features two-seed Kansas State. The Wildcats had a highly successful season
(26 wins) and of their seven losses overall, three came to top-ranked Kansas,
including in the Big 12 Tournament title game. With dynamic guard play, Frank
Martin's squad has a chance to go far. BYU looms large in second-round play
and that showdown (providing the Cougars get past Florida) may just make
Jimmer Fredette a household name. BYU's explosive leader is among the nation's
top scorers and can carry the Cougars in this event. Pittsburgh, Minnesota and
Xavier all have the ability to win a couple of games, but none are likely to
advance beyond that. In the end, look for the Orange and Wildcats to square
off in the Elite Eight, and that is where the potential absence of Onuaku will
cost Syracuse.
When the dust clears. the Final Four will resemble the Big 12 Tournament, with
three of the team's representing that conference. Two one-seeds advance in
Kansas and Kentucky, while the other two come in the form of two-seed Kansas
State and three-seed Baylor.
John Calipari and Bill Self coached against one another in the NCAA
Championship game just two years ago and that one ended with Self and the
Jayhawks earning a memorable 75-68 overtime decision over Memphis. Self is
likely to get the win again this year. as Kansas' explosive playmakers and
veteran leadership will trump Kentucky's youthful talent base.
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London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko is now
pondering staying at White Hart Lane beyond the end of the season, even though
he seemed certain to move on in the January transfer window.
The 28-year-old Russi
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Roberto has dismissed rumors linking him with a switch to Red Bull New York in
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Michigan to host Notre Dame in first night game at Big House >>
Ann Arbor, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Michigan announced
Thursday it will host its first-ever primetime game on September 10, 2011
against rival Notre Dame.
"This will be an unprecedented game day atmosphere th
Let's play two: Fredette carries BYU over Florida in extra time >>
Oklahoma City, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmer Fredette drilled a pair of huge
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over Fl
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New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Keyon Carter made two crucial free throws
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round o
The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
read more
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