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The Bum's Final 4 Pod's + All You Need to Know !

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  • The Bum's Final 4 Pod's + All You Need to Know !

    Butler vs. Michigan State

    The college basketball world descends upon Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for this year’s Final Four. It all starts off on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. EDT on CBS when the hometown Bulldogs take on the Spartans for the right to play in the national final.

    Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened this game up with Butler (32-4 straight up, 16-20 against the spread) as a 1 ½-point “chalk” with a total of 125. There hasn’t been much movement on that spread one way or the other, but the total has been bumped up to 126. Bettors looking to Tom Izzo to make it back to the title game can expect plus-105 on the money line (risk $100 to win $105).

    Michigan State (28-8 SU, 15-19 ATS) successfully defended its Midwest Regional crown by the Volunteers 70-69 on the strength of Raymar Morgan’s free throw with less than two seconds left in regulation. The Spartans cashed in as two-point underdogs and cashed for a plus-115 return.

    Durrell Summers paced the Spartans with a game-high 21 points, four rebounds and an assist. Morgan posted 13 points and 10 boards against the Vols, while Draymond Green scored 13 points with a pair of blocked shots.

    Prior to dumping the sixth-seeded Vols, the Spartans squeaked by New Mexico State (70-67), beat Maryland (85-83) at the buzzer and controlled Northern Iowa (59-52) in the Sweet 16. Michigan State covered the number in all but the first game against the Aggies where they were a heavy 13-point favorite.

    The fact that Izzo has his team back in the Final Four for the second straight year is nothing short of impressive. Consider that this was a region that housed the No. 1 overall seed in Kansas. It also had the Big Ten champion Buckeyes and Big East power Georgetown. So it’s no wonder that all the experts were picking this to be the toughest draw in the entire tournament. But Michigan State was able to avoid all three of those teams en route to Indy. Yet they did make it to this point after losing floor general Kalin Lucas midway through the game against the Terrapins with a torn left Achilles tendon.

    The Bulldogs weren’t considered to be much of a threat to emerge out of the West Region this year. They were posted as the fifth-seed in that bracket and facing a sexy upset pick in No. 12 UTEP. Yet Butler found a way to emerge out of that game with a 77-59 win. Brad Stevens’ club also survived against Murray State (54-52) and upset top-seed Syracuse (63-59) to advance to the Elite Eight.

    In the regional final, Butler got to take on the No. 2 Wildcats. Kansas State was coming off of an epic double-overtime victory over Xavier, and was listed as a four-point fave to cut down the nets in Salt Lake City.

    The Bulldogs took advantage of an opponent that was playing on heavy legs to wrap up their first national semifinal berth with a 63-56 win. They dominated in shooting from the field (46%-39%), beyond the arc (47%-33%), at the free throw line (70%-50%) and won the battle of the boards (36-27).

    Butler’s Gordon Hayward led all scorers with 22 points to go along with nine rebounds in a winning effort. Shelvin Mack did his part in the Bulldogs’ win with 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists. And Ronald Nored proved to be quite the pickpocket with a team-high four steals against K-State to compliment his five rebounds and five assists.

    Now the Bulldogs find themselves playing just six miles away from their campus for a right to play in the national final. They’re also foreign territory as a program since this is their first trip to the Final Four. Could that play a factor in how they act in this game? It’s possible, but they also had never been to the Elite Eight before this season either.

    The Spartans are no strangers to this stage as they’re entering their second straight Final Four and the sixth in Tom Izzo’s 15 years running the program.

    What could be a factor for Butler is the fact they have only played one other game in a football stadium such as this. They wound up losing to the Gators 65-57 in the Midwest Region semifinal back in 2007 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. A plus for gamblers in that game is that the Bulldogs did cover that game as 10 ½-point pups. Michigan State on the other hand, is no stranger to this location as they won and covered against both the Jayhawks and Rick Pitino’s Cardinals in last year’s Midwest Regionals.

    One thing that Butler does know how to do is win the tight matchups. The Bulldogs were listed as single-digit favorites 14 times this season; they went 14-0 SU and 8-6 ATS in those contests. The ‘over’ was a big winner as well by going 10-4 in that stretch.

    Michigan State has gone just 4-3 SU and ATS in its seven games as an underdog. However, the Spartans have shown up as a stronger wager in this spot recently with a 3-0 SU and ATS run.

    The Spartans have been a decent ‘under’ team this year at 15-11-2, but the ‘over’ is 15-12 for Butler. Yet, the Bulldogs have watched the ‘under’ go 7-2 in their last nine games.

    Regardless of the winner of this contest, they’ll be an underdog on Monday night. Mike Seba of LVSC has tabbed Duke as a 3 ½-point fave against the ‘Dogs and 4 ½-point favorites over the Spartans. Against the Mountaineers, Butler is a 1 ½-point pup with MSU listed as a 2 ½-point underdog.
    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

  • #2
    Duke vs. West Va.

    For the first time since 2004, Duke (33-5 straight up, 22-13-2 against the spread) is back in the Final Four as the lone No. 1 seed remaining in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Waiting for the Blue Devils in the national semifinals will be West Virginia, which is back in the Final Four for the first time since 1959.

    Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Mike Krzyzewski’s team as a two-point favorite with a total of 131. As of early this morning, most books had Duke listed as a 2 ½-point ‘chalk’ with the total still at 131. Bettors can take the Mountaineers on the money line for a plus-125 return (risk $100 to win $125).

    West Virginia (31-6 SU, 17-19 ATS) is still alive after knocking off top-seeded Kentucky 73-66 as a four-point underdog in last Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY. Bob Huggins’ team hooked up money-line backers with a plus-160 payout, as the long-time head coach at Cincinnati improved to 8-1 in nine career head-to-head matchups against John Calipari (in other words, Cal is Huggy’s do-boy!).

    Joe Mazzulla, the junior guard who has been hampered by a shoulder injury for most of the last two seasons, got his first start of the year against the ‘Cats and responded with a career-high 17 points before fouling out with nearly three minutes remaining. Mazzulla, as you might recall, came under heavy scrutiny – especially from ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb – last week after starting point guard Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant broke his foot.

    While this space suggested that Bryant’s loss was in no way a ‘deal-breaker’ for WVU because of Mazzulla’s moxy and experience, pundits like Gottlieb spent last week harping on how Mazzulla was a complete non-factor offensively. I sent out this tweet last Wednesday: Memo to WVU's Joe Mazzulla: Don't sweat ESPN's Doug Gottlieb, who had a career FT% of 45.7 and shot at a 24% clip from 3-point land.

    Mazzulla wasn’t the only ‘Neer taking it to UK last Saturday. Da’Sean Butler knocked down four treys and finished with a team-high 18 points. Kevin Jones added 13 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocked shots, while Devin Ebanks had 12 points and seven boards.

    Most importantly, WVU defended tenaciously, utilizing a 1-3-1 zone that gave Kentucky fits. Mazzulla was instrumental in using his speed and strength running the baseline, while Butler and/or Ebanks’ presence out top with their length and athleticism really caused problems for UK’s guards.

    WVU’s defense forced the ‘Cats to miss their first 20 attempts from beyond the arc and to shoot an atrocious 4-of-32 from 3-point range for the game. We might see the Mountaineers use a little of that same 1-3-1 zone against Duke, but we’re more likely to see WVU go man-to-man with hopes of using its superior speed to give the Blue Devils problems.

    Duke appeared to be in serious trouble in its South Region finals matchup against Baylor in Houston. The Bears led by a 35-32 count at intermission and were seemingly in control the entire second half until an extremely controversial whistle completely turned the game.

    With Baylor leading 59-57 at the 4:37 mark, Quincy Acy caught a pass on the baseline and darted to the basket. Duke center Brian Zoubek, playing with four fouls at the time, ran up under Acy and clearly didn’t beat him to the spot. Replays showed that there was no question that it was a block, which would’ve fouled out Zoubek and sent Acy to the charity stripe for two shots.

    Instead, a charge was inexplicably called. On the ensuing possession, Nolan Smith buried a 3-pointer to five Duke the lead. Several possessions later, Zoubek grabbed a crucial offensive rebound and immediately dished the ball back out for Jon Scheyer, who knocked down a trey to give the Blue Devils a 67-61 advantage.

    Although Duke was in control for the outright win with a 70-62 lead at the 1:36 mark, another controversial call was certainly felt by gamblers. Scheyer got tied up around midcourt and as the whistle was blown, words and ‘love taps’ (harmless elbows) were exchanged.

    To use a football term, there’s no doubt that it should’ve been an ‘offsetting’ situation. In other words, call a double technical or just let it go. Instead, Baylor was charged with a technical and Scheyer made both free throws.

    When Baylor missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, Duke moved on with a 78-71 win as a five-point favorite. Obviously, Baylor backers would’ve been looking at a push instead of a loss if the technical had not been called. The 149 combined points sailed ‘over’ the 138-point total.

    Smith finished with a game-high 29 points for Duke, draining 4-of-6 attempts from long range. Scheyer had 20 points on 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Kyle Singler was held to just five points and shot an abysmal 0-for-10 from the field, but that factoid probably has Dookies feeling even better about their chances this week.

    These schools met in the Sweet 16 two seasons ago with Mazzulla leading WVU to a 73-67 win as a four-point underdog. The 140 combined points fell ‘under’ the 146-point total. Mazzulla nearly recorded a triple-double, scoring 13 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out eight assists. Butler fouled out and was limited to just 19 minutes of play, finishing with eight points and five boards.

    Scheyer had 15 points off the bench in the 2008 loss to the Mountaineers, while Singler had just six points and was plagued by foul trouble.

    The ‘under’ was on a 7-0 run for the Mountaineers and was looking golden to cash once again in their win over Kentucky. However, the ‘Cats began a foul-fest with nearly three minutes remaining and the free throws galore down the stretch allowed for the ‘over’ to become the winner in that contest.

    For the season, the ‘under’ is 19-15 overall for WVU. The ‘under’ is 22-15 overall for Duke.

    During Thursday’s edition of the Power Hours on VI Radio, I posed this question to handicapper Andy Iskoe: Do bettors have a genuine concern about the officials if thinking about fading Duke against West Va?

    Iskoe said, “Oh, I think it’s a very legitimate concern when going against Duke this time of year. You always have to wonder if it’s going to be a situation where you have five players going against seven or eight with the men in stripes siding with the Blue Devils. The NCAA’s contract with CBS is up here in a few months, so there’s no doubt that it’s important to get the best ratings possible on Monday night, and we all know Duke will attract better rating in the title game than West Virginia would.”

    Also on the Power Hours, I asked BoDog Sportsbook Manager Richard Gardner about how the action was going (as of Thursday night) for the two semifinal matchups. Gardner said, “We’ve been getting good two-way action for both games thus far, but we’ve taken a considerable more amount of action on the WVU-Duke game. More money has come in on the Mountaineers, but plenty of players are taking the Blue Devils as well.”

    This game will tip approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Michigan St.-Butler.

    **B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

    --LVSC oddsmaker Mike Seba provided me with these numbers for the four potential national-title game matchups: Duke -3.5 vs. Butler; Duke -4.5 vs. Michigan St.; West Va. -1.5 vs. Butler; WVU -2.5 vs. Michigan St.

    --Duke is the only No. 1 seed to make the Final Four. West Virginia was the second seed in the East region, while Butler and Michigan State were both No. 5 seeds.

    --Duke is 4-0 ATS in the Tournament, covering against Arkansas Pine-Bluff, California, Purdue and Baylor. Ditto to WVU in wins and spread covers against Morgan St., Missouri, Washington and Kentucky.

    --Bob Huggins returns to the Final Four for the first time since taking Nick Van Exel and the Cincy Bearcats to the 1992 national semifinals in Minneapolis, where they lost to…….Michigan’s Fab Five, which lost to Duke in the finals.

    --Best NCAA Tourney Games so far:
    1-K-St. over Xavier in double OT
    2-No. Iowa over Kansas
    3-Michigan St. over Tennessee
    4-Washington over Marquette
    5-BYU over Florida in double OT

    --With top seeds Kansas, Syracuse and Kentucky going down, the Blue Devils are now the ‘chalk’ for future wagers. Most books have the Blue Devils at plus-135 (risk $100 to win $135). WVU has the second-shortest odds at around plus-230, while Butler and Michigan St. are at plus-350 and plus-400, respectively.
    Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

    Comment


    • #3
      Betting the National Semifinals

      Butler, Michigan State, Duke and West Virginia. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four. Yep, just like I predicted. Except I forgot to tell everyone.

      All joking aside, we’re extremely excited about this year’s Final Four betting at Bodog’s online sportsbook. There are some really good stories coming out of the tournament, with all four teams making for compelling viewing and (we hope) plentiful wagering.

      If truth be told, we’re probably hoping for a Duke-Butler final, since I’m not sure you could write a better storyline than a Cinderella team playing at home against the mighty (and hated by many) Blue Devils.

      If you ask Bodog’s oddsmakers, a Duke-Butler final is actually the most likely match-up. We’ve got the Bulldogs by 1.5 over Michigan State and the Blue Devils by 3 over West Virginia.

      I expect most of the action on the favorite in each of the semifinal games. Not only has Butler won 24 games in a row, the Bulldogs will have home-field advantage at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Plus, there’s the whole Cinderella factor. There are certain teams that captivate the public’s imagination. In the first few rounds, bettors loved Cornell. Now, everyone loves Butler. We’ll have to wait and see for certain if everyone loves the Bulldogs enough to bet on them, but I’m not worried about getting offside with Michigan State money.

      That said, Michigan State will be making its sixth Final Four appearance since 1999. Coach Tom Izzo knows what he’s doing, even if the Spartans will continue to play without star guard Kalin Lucas. I can see a few of our sharper players being intrigued by a scenario where a team with the pedigree of Michigan State Is an underdog to a team that spent the season beating up on the Horizon League.

      Moving on, Duke should be able to draw significant betting interest in the semifinals as well, especially by just 3 points over the Mountaineers. The Blue Devils have beaten some very good teams in this tournament and their narrowest margin of victory was 7 points (over Baylor in the Elite 8).

      West Virginia is a tough team to get behind for many bettors. The Mountainers don’t shoot the ball very well (except, it turns out, from behind the arc against Kentucky) and rely on defense and rebounding to get the job done. That’s not a sexy style and as silly as wagering on a team’s style sounds, a lot of people still do it.
      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

      Comment


      • #4
        Inside the Numbers - Final Four

        The NCAA Tournament concludes next Monday from Indianapolis, where Butler, Duke, Michigan State and West Virginia will look to cut down the nets at Lucas Oil Stadium. Not many pundits predicted this quartet to reach the Final Four, not even our experts.
        Just three VegasInsider.com handicappers, Brian Edwards, Dave Cokin and Jimmy Boyd, expected the Blue Devils and Mountaineers to reach Indy. And only Jamie Tursini expected the Mountaineers to win the national championship according to our Final Four Conesus Picks.

        Even though the last four schools could be deemed as surprises by the amateur fan, this tournament was somewhat chalky outside of opening weekend upsets by Ohio (+13) over Georgetown and Northern Iowa (+11.5) against Kansas.

        Despite those shockers, the favorites still managed to produce a 38-22 straight up record. The underdogs did go 28-30-2 against the spread. Total players watched the ‘under’ prevail to a 32-28 mark, which included a 6-2 mark in Sweet Sixteen play.

        The point-spreads are short this weekend and could be tighter in the championship game too.

        Here is a closer look at the statistics and paths for the remaining four schools in the Big Dance.




        Final Four from Indianapolis
        School Seed (Opening Odds) How they got here Gambling Notes
        DUKE 1 (8/1)
        Defeated No. 16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 73-44
        Defeated No. 8 California 68-53
        Defeated No. 4 Purdue 70-57
        Defeated No. 3 Baylor 78-71
        4-0 Against the Spread
        The 'under' has gone 3-1
        Duke won the rebound game in all four battles
        Blue Devils went 2-1 versus Big East, 'over' went 2-1
        Outscored all four opponents in the second-half

        West Virginia 2 (10/1)
        Defeated No. 15 Morgan State 77-50
        Defeated No. 10 Missouri 68-59
        Defeated No. 11 Washington 69-56
        Defeated No. 1 Kentucky 73-66
        4-0 Against the Spread
        The 'under' went 3-1 and is on a 7-1 run
        Opponents have shot 33.8% in the first four
        All four wins have come by nine or more
        Had the easiest path to Indy, when you add up total seeds (37)

        Michigan St. 5 (50/1)
        Defeated No. 12 New Mexico State 70-67
        Defeated No. 4 Maryland 85-83
        Defeated No. 8 Northern Iowa 59-52
        Defeated No. 5 Tennessee 70-69
        3-1 Against the Spread
        Total went 2-2
        Only team to win all games by single digits
        The 'over' went 3-1 in the first half
        Won the rebound edge in first three, tied UT (24-24)

        Butler 5 (50/1)
        Defeated No. 12 UTEP 77-59
        Defeated No. 13 Murray State 54-52
        Defeated No. 1 Syracuse 63-59
        Defeated No. 2 Kansas State 63-56
        3-1 Against the Spread
        The 'under' went 3-1
        All four opponents held under 60
        1-1 vs. Big 10 - OSU (74-66), Minnesota (73-82)
        Connected on 33 bombs from 3-point land in first two rounds




        Analyzing stats is one of many tools used in handicapping and often leads to a better idea of the team/teams that you may or may not wager on. Below is a complete breakdown of the teams in this year's Final Four.

        Key: SU - Straight Up Record, ATS - Against the Spread Record, O-PPG - Offensive Points Per Game, D-PPG - Defensive Points Per Game, FG% - Offensive Field Goal Percentage, 3-PT% - Three-Point Field Goal Percentage, FT% - Free Throw Percentage


        Final Four Stats
        Seed Team SU ATS Road/Neutral Record O-PPG D-PPG FG% 3-PT% FT%
        1 Duke 33-5 22-13 16-5 77.4 61.1 44.2 38.2 76.1
        2 West Virginia 31-6 17-19 18-4 72.8 63.1 43.1 33.6 70.3
        4 Michigan State 28-8 15-20 13-6 72.4 64.1 40.8 34.3 68.8
        5 Butler 32-4 16-20 17-4 69.4 59.6 44.9 34.5 73.9
        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

        Comment


        • #5
          Butler coach mistaken for player

          INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Hollywood celebrities would pay good money - and lots of it - to have Brad Stevens' problem.

          A security guard mistook Butler's boyish-looking coach for one of his players Thursday when the Bulldogs arrived at Lucas Oil Stadium for practice.

          ``It's the first time that's happened in probably two years,'' Stevens said. ``I don't mind it happening at all. It makes me feel good.''

          At 33, Stevens is one of the younger coaches in the country, and certainly one of the youngest to ever take a team to the Final Four. Mike Krzyzewski, Bob Huggins and Tom Izzo, his three counterparts in Indianapolis this weekend, all have at least 20 years on him.

          When Izzo and Michigan State won the national title here in 2000, Stevens was a year out of college and working down the street for Eli Lilly.

          Since the NCAA started keeping thorough records in 1972, only Bob Knight was younger when he brought his Indiana team to the Final Four in 1973. Before that, Ray Meyer was 29 when he took DePaul to the Final Four in 1943, and Branch McCracken was 31 when he took Indiana in 1940.

          Butler (32-4) plays Michigan State (28-8) in the first semifinal Saturday night.

          Stevens doesn't make a big deal out of his age or his youthful appearance. But he doesn't try to hide it, either. When the Bulldogs upset second-ranked Kansas State last weekend to reach the Final Four, Stevens celebrated by giving one of his players a high-flying chest bump.

          And when he was asked about the security guard snub, Stevens just smiled.

          ``It's obvious he didn't see me shoot, handle (the ball) or run,'' he said. ``Then he would have been like, 'What are you doing here?'''

          ---

          SUMMER SCHOOL: The National Association of Basketball Coaches put a new twist on an old issue: They want all Division I schools to pay for summer classes.

          Tubby Smith and others acknowledged that some critics will see the push as an attempt to get more practice time with players. But executive director Jim Haney insists the real advantage would be helping students earn their degrees, thereby improving the school's Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate, measures that determine how schools are performing in the classroom.

          ``It's about more than becoming a better basketball player, it's an opportunity to get better in the classroom,'' Haney said. ``It's the catalyst to graduation.''

          It also might be one of the biggest discrepancies in Division I athletics because some schools pick up the summer tab while others don't. Haney said he has seen studies that show summer courses can have a significant impact on APR and GSR scores.

          But what about the perception that coaches simply want more practice time with their players?

          ``I think it's a unique time, without the pressure of the season, without the media there,'' former Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. ``So from a coaching perspective it might be looked at as we want more time for basketball, but what we really want is more time to help our young men.''

          ---

          HAMMING IT UP: So much for West Virginia feeling the increasing pressure that comes with deep tournament runs.

          ``It seems like the further we go, the more fun we have,'' forward Kevin Jones said. ``We just enjoy each other's company. This team's chemistry is unlike any other team I've ever been around. We just kind of enjoy the moment, and when it's time to be serious, we definitely are a serious team.''

          Some Mountaineers created quite the viral stir two weeks ago when videos posted on John Flowers' Twitter page featured Da'Sean Butler, Jonnie West and Joe Mazzulla lip-synching and dancing to a Brian McKnight song.

          They've come up with some more silly ones since then, including one in which Mazzulla plays Will Smith's role in a spoof of the opening credits to the 1990s sitcom ``The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,'' and another in which Butler slaps West with the ultimate insult - calling him a ``jive turkey.''

          ``I don't know what a jive turkey is,'' Jones said with a laugh. ``I think it was some slang from the '70s.''

          Those hotel-room hijinks have kept things loose as the Mountaineers (31-6) prepare for Duke (33-5) on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. When all of its 71,300 seats are filled, it will be significantly more populous than the largest city in West Virginia (Charleston, pop. 50,302).

          ``Riding up to it, it's intimidating, because 70,000 people is kind of a ridiculous (number) to play in front of in college,'' senior Wellington Smith said. ``So I'm just happy to be here, and I'm trying to take it in as it comes.''

          ---

          GRADING COACHES: The NCAA's plan to start grading coaches isn't exactly winning universal support.

          National Association of Basketball Coaches executive director Jim Haney said his group believes the decision to come up with coaching Academic Progress Reports will come with built-in problems. The NCAA intends to measure the academic progress of players under each coach in Division I and could release the first batch of numbers this summer.

          ``I think our coaches have concerns about it because they'll inherit programs with things that they have nothing to do with and yet it will impact their APRs,'' Haney said.

          The NCAA believes using a cumulative formula to track coaches, even after their moves, will help recruits make more informed decisions about which school they want to attend based on academics.

          But how fair is it to the coaches?

          ``I don't think you'll find a coach in college basketball that doesn't want an athlete to graduate and be successful,'' former Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. ``But I think it really starts with the foundation in high school. When we get them, I think we do a pretty good job.''

          ---

          COFFEE KLATCH: Louisville coach Rick Pitino was in Indianapolis on a recruiting trip recently when he turned around and recognized Butler coach Brad Stevens in line behind him.

          Pitino told the barista he'd pay for whatever Stevens ordered and the two coaches made small talk before heading back to the nearby gym where an AAU tournament was being held.

          A month later Pitino found a note on his desk. Inside was a gift card from Starbucks with a brief note of thanks from Stevens.

          ``Now I've got to send him something back,'' Pitino said. ``He's a great guy.''

          ---

          FILM BUFF: Shelvin Mack has watched plenty of film since getting to Butler. But it's the one he hasn't seen that is the most interesting.

          The sophomore has yet to see ``Hoosiers,'' the movie that immortalized Indiana basketball and made a star out of Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler's gym.

          ``I was supposed to watch it this summer,'' Mack said.

          Instead, he spent his summer playing on the U.S. team for the U-19 world championships.

          The Bulldogs have been asked about ``Hoosiers'' oh, about a million times since reaching the Final Four. You know, plucky Indiana boys make good, small-school team taking on the big boys. The movie is based on tiny Milan High, which beat Muncie Central to win the 1954 Indiana state title. Bobby Plump, who hit the game-winning jumper, went on to play at Butler.

          Butler is no Hollywood fluff, however. The Bulldogs knocked off top-seeded Syracuse and No. 2 seed Kansas State to get back home for the Final Four.

          ``It's fine with me,'' Stevens said of the comparisons. ``I think it's nothing but positive.''

          Mack will have to take his word for it.

          ``All I know is Bobby Plump hit the shot,'' Mack said.

          ---

          MAYOR OF MORGANTOWN?: The worst thing about being friends with Da'Sean Butler, Wellington Smith says, is that everyone else in Morgantown seems to know him, too.

          Such is life for Butler, who hit six game-winning shots this season.

          ``I hate walking around campus with him, just because everybody stops and starts talking with him,'' Smith said with a smile. ``I'm just like that lone guy. I'm like, 'I'll see you later.'''
          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

          Comment


          • #6
            Final Four Betting Trends & Notes

            The Final Four teams in the 2010 NCAA Basketball Tournament might not be the exact grouping that you or I had projected, but nonetheless, there is plenty of drama and intrgiue concerning the matchups. For bettors, the biggest questions surround the pointspread, and for some of the answers, at least those concerning recent betting history at the Final Four, we've prepared a Trends & Notes piece. Good luck.


            Since the ’98 title game, in Final Four weekend games where seed #’s are not equal, the better seed owns a 18-8 SU & 19-7 ATS mark, for 73.1%. There has only been one game in that span in which the winner did not cover, that being Connecticut over Duke in ’04 semifinals.

            Final Four weekend Favorites of 3-7.5 points are on a 16-5 SU & ATS (76.2%) run since ’99.

            In terms of seeds, the #3’s own the best ATS record of any other since ’87, going 13-7 ATS (65%).

            Seeds of #4 or worse that reach the Final Four are only 1-8 SU & ATS (11.1%) thereafter since ’99 when not playing one another.

            #1 seeds that have matched up with a lesser seed in the semifinals and final game have gone 13-4 SU & ATS (76.5%) over the L12 years. When favored by less than 8-points in such games, they were 10-2 SU & ATS (83.3%).

            The ACC owns the best record of any power conference that has reached the Final Four since ’98, going 8-4 SU & 9-3 ATS (75%) in the semifinal and final rounds of the tournament.

            Non-power conferences, or those rated ‘B” or below, are 2-5 SU & ATS in their appearances in Final Four weekend games since ’98.

            In the championship game, only two underdogs have won SU and/or ATS this decade (2-8, 22%), Syracuse (over Kansas in ’03), and Kansas (over Memphis in ’08).

            Now, here's more from Marc Lawrence of Playbook.com...

            It’s onward to Indianapolis for the Final Four games. To put the wraps on the 2010 NCAA Tournament, listed below are some interesting trends and angles to consider before our Fab Four takes a final spin in Circle City this weekend. All results listed below are ATS (Against The Spread) since 1991 unless noted otherwise. Enjoy…

            FINAL 4 ROUND NOTES

            • #1 Seeds that are 4-0 ATS in this tourney are 2-4 SU and 1-5 ATS (Duke)
            • #2 Seeds are 1-7 ATS off a DD ATS win (West Virginia)
            • Teams off BB SU dog wins are 2-8 ATS (Butler)
            • ACC teams are 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS since 2002 (Duke)
            • Big East teams are 0-3 ATS since 2004 (West Virginia)
            • Teams with the greater win percentage are 8-2 ATS L5Y (Butler and Duke)
            • Returnees from last year in this round are 11-4 SU and 10-5 ATS (Michigan St)

            CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES

            • #1 Seed favs are 6-1 ATS
            • #2 Seeds are 0-5 ATS off an ATS win
            • #5 or worse Seeds are 0-3 SU & ATS
            • Favorites of 5 < pts are 10-1 ATS
            • Favorites who scored 80 > pts in the Final 4 round are 4-1 ATS
            • Teams with a win percentage of .810 < are 0-4 SU & ATS
            • Teams off 5 straight Tourney ATS wins are 4-1 ATS
            • Teams that have scored the most points in the tourney are 14-5 SU and 12-7 ATS
            • Underdogs of 3 > pts off a SU dog win are 1-5 ATS
            • Big East teams are 3-0 ATS
            • ACC teams are 9-2 ATS
            • Big 10 teams are 1-6 ATS

            COACH ME UP

            • Butler’s Brad Stevens: 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS as an NCAA tourney favorite… 5-2 SU and 5-1-1 ATS versus Big 10 opponents… 41-2 SU at home, including 3-0 SU and 2-0-1 ATS versus Big 10 opponents.

            • Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski: 39-4 SU versus .750 or less opponents and 14-11 SU versus greater than .750 foes, including 7-12-1 ATS as a favorite in this tourney… 5-1 SU and 4-2 in Final Four games and 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS in NCAA championship games.

            • Michigan State’s Tom Izzo: 10-0 SU and 6-4 ATS versus Horizon League competition… 21-5 ATS versus opponent off SU and ATS win in this tourney… 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS in Final Four and 1-1 SU and ATS in championship games in this event.

            • West Virginia’s Bob Huggins: 9-7 SU and ATS versus ACC opposition, including 3-1 SU and ATS in this tourney… 1-5 ATS as a dog in this tourney… 18-3 SU and 15-5-1 ATS versus .718 or less opponents –but- 8-13 SU and 6-15 ATS versus .724 or greater foes in this tourney.

            There you have it, trends and notes of teams and coaches for the NCAA Final Four and out games played the last 20 years. I hope you’ve enjoyed the tournament as much as I have. I’ll return during the NBA playoffs with an overview of some Good, Bad, and downright Ugly stats and trends. Until then, enjoy the rest of the ‘Dance’.
            Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

            Comment


            • #7
              Michigan St's Roe playing hurt on bad right knee

              INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Michigan State's run to the Final Four has been filled with player injuries.

              Forward Delvon Roe is playing on a bad right knee, pushing through excruciating pain every day as the Spartans prepare for Butler in Saturday night's semifinal.

              Coach Tom Izzo and point guard Korie Lucious call him a warrior. Roe has refused surgery, saying he wants to help his team win a national title after falling to North Carolina in last year's championship game.

              He says a championship would make the pain worth it.
              Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

              Comment


              • #8
                Michigan State vs. Butler Betting Preview

                The first semi-final of the Final Four is the most unusual pairing since No.11 George Mason was matched against No. 3 Florida in 2006. Though we weren’t really certain just how good the Gators truly were until a couple days later, at least they were among the top 12 seeds in that tournament. This year, Michigan State and Butler are a pair of five seeds, which happens to be the lowest matchup of seeds since fifth-seeded Florida faced eighth-seeded North Carolina ten years ago.

                Doing it the Izzo way

                Michigan State (28-8, 15-20 ATS) is trying to return to national championship game and has had quite a journey. In this tournament alone, the Spartans have wins by 1, 2 and 3 points and “beat down” of Northern Iowa by a whole seven points. Michigan State players do deserve props for making it this far, since it would appear unlikely that any of the other three teams still playing college basketball would be here if they lost their leading scorer like Tom Izzo’s team did in Kalin Lucas.

                The Spartans are 19-8 ATS in all neutral court games over the last three seasons and will have to follow the same formula that got them to Indianapolis. Durrell Summers is averaging 22 points in last three contests, scoring from inside and out. Raymar Morgan has more picked his spots, but made a volume of buckets when his team needed it most. Draymond Green is big body that is difficult to maneuver on either side of the floor and is among the reasons Michigan State outrebounds teams by 8.7 per contest. Korie Lucious has stepped his game taking over the point and though he makes the occasional head-shaking turnover, he’s been an exceptional facilitator and has a feel when to take the right shot. The Spartans are 15-6 ATS away from home having won four of their last five games over the last two years.

                Bulldogs believe in the “Butler Way”

                Cinderella doesn’t get to this dance scrubbing floors, which by why Butler (32-4, 16-20 ATS) is not a fairly tale. The Bulldogs have won 24 consecutive games (13-11 ATS) with a staunch defense, not having surrendered more than 59 points in the tournament and doing so just once in previous 12 encounters. This makes them difficult to beat as a coach that has faced Butler noted.

                “They’re the best late-game defensive team I’ve played against, with switching and making all the right decisions. They’re really good in late-game decisions both offensively and defensively. I was really impressed. Everything they do is so solid.”

                Butler is up to 7-3 ATS in the NCAA’s and while Brad Stevens looks like Tom Izzo’s unpaid assistant in charge of taping opposing teams games, this dude can coach. He’s put together this smothering help-defense and brings calmness, as you don’t see Butler players wide-eyed when the opponent makes a surge.

                Sophomore point guard Ronald Nored said this, “If you beat us, it won’t be because you rattled us.”

                Butler will experiment with four guards and Gordon Hayward against the Spartans to see how they adjust. This offense has given the Bulldogs a quickness edge which opens up the lane for different players to take their man off the bounce or run “pick and rolls” or “pick and pops” in isolation sequences.

                This is close

                Sportsbook.com has Butler as one-point favorites, with total of 126.
                Coach Stevens has a motto made for texting-TGHT- which stands for, The Game Honors Toughness. Butler showed their “onions” giving away leads to Syracuse and Kansas State, before bulling the neck and putting each team away in the final minutes. The Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS after a combined score of 125 points or less in consecutive contests and 7-1 against the number when seeded 5th to 8th in the NCAA tournament. They are 8-0 OVER on a neutral court floor when the total is 129.5 or less, however the crowd will be far from neutral with hometown team getting the support from locals.

                Michigan State is 29-15 ATS in all their NCAA appearances over the last 13 years and is 8-1 ATS as a neutral court underdog of six points or less or pick and are 25-11 UNDER versus teams who average 33 or less rebounds a game on the season after 15 or more have been played.

                The excitement swells until 6:05 Eastern tip, with Final Four squads off two upset victories like Butler 2-8 ATS.
                Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                Comment


                • #9
                  West Virginia vs. Duke Betting Preview

                  You want intensity? I said do you want intensity! Well get up off the couch, sit straight up with both feet planted firmly on the floor, because Bob Huggins and Mike Krzyzewski have narrowed eyes, with taunt faces, having prepared their teams as only they can for the second Final Four game of the day involving a 1 and 2 seed.

                  Missed shots, no problem

                  Of the four finalists in downtown Indianapolis, West Virginia (31-6, 17-19 ATS) is the poorest shooting team at 43.1 percent. For the Mountaineers, this just means opportunity for their athletic leapers to spring into action, collect the orange and put it back in the basket. West Virginia averages 15.5 offensive rebounds a game and is 8-1 ATS in road affairs when they grab 40 to 44 rebounds a contest since Huggins returned to alma mater.

                  Butler University isn’t the only butler in town, as the Mountaineers have Da'Sean Butler, who at least in West Virginia circles has opponents saying “the butler did it”. This is what a Big East coach said about Butler the player.

                  “[Da’Sean Butler] is so versatile. Our guy did a good job on him. We tried to limit his touches. In their five-man motion [offense], they’ll run 25 seconds off the clock if they don’t get a quick one. They keep moving. Butler has won so many games and hit so many big shots. We kind of overplayed him and let someone else do it. When he has the ball, he can score from ‘3.’ He can penetrate, and he hits the boards hard.”

                  Long athletes like Devin Ebanks, Kevin Jones and Wellington Smith pound the glass and have understood their roles in the offense better as the season has unfolded. It’s little wonder why the ‘Teers have tore off 10-game (7-3 ATS) winning streak.

                  Dukies have depth

                  Quietly, a few whispers had been heard that possibly Coach K no longer had the Midas touch in bringing in top-rate recruits to Durham, particularly tall ones. This has led to a few early exits in the Big Dance the past few seasons. This season has been a renaissance for Duke (33-5, 22-14-1 ATS), with frontline players complimenting its best players and adding a physical aggressiveness not seen around the program lately.

                  Maybe it was the practices, or Mason and Miles Plumlee acting like the Hanson brothers from “Slap Shot”, but all of the sudden the Blue Devils were devilish on defense and demons on the offensive boards. Brian Zoubek finally became the player the Duke coaches had envisioned, being an ill-tempered rebounder and defender, with a real thirst for winning. Lance Thomas had played an undersized center in his career, but was allowed to move to four spot on the floor and his confidence and energy increased.

                  The Plumlee brothers gained confidence themselves and started moving out opposing players like bouncers at a Durham night spot. Kyle Singler got into the act and Duke was like the Pistons of 1989-90, the “Bad Boys” with polite smiles as opposed to snarls. This Duke team fooled everyone, even the oddsmakers, which is why they are 21-13 ATS after playing consecutive games as favorite this season.

                  Combat gear required

                  Duke is a short two-point favorite at Bookmaker.com, with total falling to 131. The Blue Devils do not shoot the rock a great deal better than West Virginia at 44 percent, but tracks down 14.6 offensive rebounds a contest and they are 20-8 ATS after two straight games with 15 or more offensive boards. Duke is 12-2 OVER in a neutral court setting where the total is 130 to 139.5.

                  The Mountaineers are the bettor’s best pal with 16-2 ATS record in a NCAA tournament conflicts and 11-4 UNDER after they have covered the spread this season.

                  Games involving 1 vs. 2 seeds have the higher seed 5-4 SU in the Final Four since field was taken to 64 teams. Two betting twists of note: two seeds off a double digit spread win are 1-7 ATS in this round, but a top seed that is unbeaten ATS to this point is 1-5 ATS in next outing.
                  Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    thanks for the info buddy
                    MLB 2012***100-98 +$215 OR +2.15 UNITS
                    HUGE PLAYS 2-1

                    NFL 2011-2012** 6-10
                    0-0TOP PLAYS

                    NCAA FBL 2011-2012**** 26-23

                    4-1 TOP PLAYS


                    GOY 33-12 ALL SPORTS

                    AS of 6/3/12

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                    • #11
                      Your welcome buddy....We can use whatever edge we find......good luck Tech Fan
                      Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Butler's way leads to Final Four

                        INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -In today's one-and-done college basketball world, team ball can be a tough sell.

                        At Butler, it's the rule.

                        With most of its roster from Indiana or bordering states, Butler recruits are well-versed in the school's expectations before they arrive on campus. If they're not interested in playing the Butler way, well, there's no assurance Butler wants them anyway.

                        ``I'm sure that's happened in the past 10 years for whatever reason, but I've never seen it,'' said Darnell Archey, an assistant coach and former Butler player. ``Some player might not be a good fit, but it goes both ways. The kid might not be interested in playing that way, either.''

                        Many teams have an us-against-the-world credo, some kind of touchstone used when players describe how they compete - a fill-in-the-team phrase that is almost universal. Butler's players and coaches are no different, insisting they've made it to their hometown Final Four because they've stayed true to their principles and played basketball the Butler way.

                        The 19-word sentence - ``The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness, accepts reality, yet seeks improvement everyday while putting the team above self'' - is open to individual interpretation. But the words truly mean something on the 4,500-student campus of a school founded by abolitionists in 1855, when the slavery question was pushing the nation toward civil war.

                        On Friday, Butler center Matt Howard broke a shoelace before practice - the one in front of 30,000 people at Lucas Oil Stadium. Little-used freshman Emerson Kampen quickly untied his left shoe, handed over the shoestring and spent the next 50 minutes shooting baskets with, essentially, one good foot.

                        It was Kampen's biggest contribution to the Bulldogs' Final Four run.

                        ``We're all about each other, I think that's what all 15 of us do,'' said Kampen, who has played in only eight games this season. ``We'll do whatever it takes to make each other better, that's what has gotten us here.''

                        Take 2003, when Butler reached the NCAA tournament regional semifinals. Three senior players - two of them starters - spent the morning after their upset of Louisville selling tickets to their own Sweet 16 game in the Hinkle Fieldhouse lobby.

                        That memorable scene may have never occurred without the assistance of backup Rob Walls.

                        During the closing minutes of the Louisville game the day before, forward Joel Cornette ran over a water cooler while chasing down a loose ball. Walls, the only other player who wore size 15 shoes, took off his sneakers, handed them to Cornette and watched the rest of the game in his socks as Cornette played on.

                        ``I think it's a lot easier to give up your shoelace than it is to give up your shoes,'' coach Brad Stevens said with a smile after being reminded of that 2003 scene. ``But that is something we never talk about unless it's asked. We want to show what The Butler Way means with our actions.''

                        A month ago, Howard dived into the Hinkle Fieldhouse crowd to save a loose ball - even though it was late in what turned out to be a 25-point victory in the Horizon League tourney championship game. Last February, the players helped assistant coach Kevin Kuwik cope with the death of his girlfriend, who was killed in a plane crash.

                        On Friday, they were celebrating with the hometown fans who helped carry them from the West Regional back home to Indiana, walking off the court to a standing ovation.

                        But what is most unique is that Butler hasn't changed its ways.

                        It plays defense first, relies on precision passing and celebrates team accomplishments with more fervor than individual awards. Players still go to class, even if it means taking a shuttle bus back to campus during Final Four weekend. They never reflect on past victories, only looking ahead to keep the momentum going for the next group of Butler players and coaches.

                        ``What I take from it is it's about having this accountability for yourself and your teammates, and when you're accountable, you're going to do your job, you're not going to leave your teammate out to dry,'' Howard said, explaining his vision of The Butler Way. ``You're not going to do something stupid that's going to hurt your family, your coaches, your team and the university. It's about doing your job, doing the right thing every day, every moment.''

                        Stevens insists that even this season's mind-blowing success won't change anything.

                        Yes, the Bulldogs need two more wins to bring home a national title and the big stage has certainly given Butler an opportunity to make its sell to dozens of high school players.

                        Yet the 33-year-old coach said of recruiting: ``It's not for everybody.''
                        Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Michigan St's Roe playing hurt on bad right knee

                          INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Michigan State guard Korie Lucious is getting used to the questions by now.

                          He was asked about the transition of stepping in at point guard for the injured Kalin Lucas. He was asked about Chris Allen's sprained arch.Then he was asked if he was impressed with how Delvon Roe has played through an injury to his right knee.

                          ``We've got a lot of people on this team that want to win,'' Lucious said Friday, a day before the Spartans face Butler in the Final Four. ``With these injuries and them being hurt a little bit, they're willing to sacrifice themselves and get out there and play hard for the team.''

                          Roe's effort might best sum up Spartan basketball. He has put off surgery against his parents' wishes in hopes of playing for a national title.

                          Roe knows he will be in excruciating pain on game days and he doesn't care. He wakes up in the morning and goes through the same routine in hopes of easing the agony.

                          ``Put an icepack on, put some tape on my knee to release the pressure off the joint where the pain is,'' he said.

                          Roe's right knee with a meniscus injury is so badly damaged that he can't make things worse by suiting up.

                          ``The pain was getting worse and worse and worse, but I had to realize that the reason why I was playing through it was because I wanted to have the ability to win a national championship,'' he said. ``Now, I'm just two games away from achieving that goal and making that pain and everything all worth it.''

                          Roe is contributing, though not as much as he'd like. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound sophomore is averaging 6.5 points and five rebounds after going through the same grueling process.

                          ``Come game time, I do a lot of stretching and rolling, ride a bike. Put some type of cream on my knee. Depending on where the pain is, I might take a shot,'' he said.

                          At halftime, he usually rides a stationary bike and stretches. He says it takes at least two days for him to return to normal after a game, sometimes four. He practiced Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium with protection around his knee. He took it easy, and clearly wasn't comfortable.

                          Sometimes, he wonders if he made the right choice, especially when the thought flashes through his mind that his next jump could be his last.

                          ``Why am I doing this?'' he asks himself. ``Am I crazy? I'm dying here right now.''

                          His parents asked the same questions.

                          ``They didn't like it at all,'' he said of his decision to keep playing. ``They didn't think I should go through something that painful when I could just get the surgery and been halfway to getting myself back to the real Delvon Roe.''

                          Michigan State coach Tom Izzo didn't try to sway Roe either way, but he checked why he was making his decision.

                          ``He came to make sure, is that really what I wanted to do,'' Roe said. ``He knew it was going to be a hassle to go through all of the things I was going to have to go through.''

                          But Roe decided after a loss to Ohio State on Feb. 21 that he was going to give his best, even if it was less than before.

                          ``You realize that, this is not going to be my last moment out here,'' he said. ``I'm going to get better, I'm going to get healthy. If I'm going to play Big Ten basketball, I'm going to go all out.''

                          His teammates respect his toughness.

                          ``He's a warrior,'' Lucious said. ``I didn't even really know his knee was hurting until the Maryland (Sweet 16) game. I don't think he likes to play through pain, but he wants to help the team win.''

                          The pain, though, has made him a shadow of his former self. He won several national awards as an underclassman at St. Edward High School in Euclid, Ohio, but missed all but one game his senior year with a knee injury. He had microfracture surgery, but recovered in time to start 31 of 38 games as a freshman at Michigan State. He averaged 5.6 points and 5.2 rebounds.

                          He has played hurt for most of this season. It isn't the same injury as he had in high school, though it is to the same knee.

                          Instead of being a dynamic, athletic player, he must rely on fundamental skills.

                          ``Completely different,'' he said. ``You're have to think the game a little bit more. Your quickness is not going to be as quick as it is. You've got to be sure you're mentally able to handle the fatigue because you're not able to practice much.''

                          He's having surgery in a few weeks. Before that, he wants to give his senior teammates a championship gift: ``I wanted to send the seniors out right, and I knew that by me having surgery, our chances of getting to this level wouldn't have been as high.''
                          Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

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                          • #14
                            Coach K's still got his touch

                            INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -With every year that passed with a Duke-free Final Four, the skeptics became louder: Had Mike Krzyzewski somehow lost his touch?

                            Maybe not.

                            Perhaps the 63-year-old Hall of Famer was merely waiting for his current crop of maturing players to figure out how to storm through a bracket. It might have taken longer than it ever did during his three-decade reign in Durham, but Coach K is back at the Final Four.

                            And at least one of his former stars never questioned whether he'd return to college basketball's biggest stage.

                            ``I didn't have any doubts. One thing people need to know about Coach K, is if they have doubts, they are mistaken,'' said Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, who led Duke to its most recent national title in 2001.

                            ``That guys figures out ways to be successful,'' he added. ``That's why he's been successful for 25 years. He's got three championships, working on a fourth championship maybe this year in Indiana. He takes critics on, and he figures out ways to be successful. We don't have the most talented team in the country, but guess where we are?''

                            They're in familiar territory for their coach, even if none of the current players have advanced this deep into the bracket before.

                            The Blue Devils (33-5), who play West Virginia (31-6) on Saturday night in the national semifinals, are in the Final Four for the 11th time under Krzyzewski but first time since 2004, when these players were in high school - or younger.

                            And for those doubters who wondered whether Krzyzewski had grown out of touch with younger generations of players, whether his time coaching the U.S. Olympic team had taken too heavy a toll back home in Durham, or whether he simply became a victim of his own success - well, Coach K just doesn't seem to care too much about them.

                            ``Anyone who's successful over a period of time is going to have detractors, not just for a few years, but throughout your career,'' Krzyzewski said. ``That's just part of the game. Everybody has that, and not to take that personally. No one is going to get everybody supportive of them. So I think you just go about your business. This isn't about my vindication or anything like that. It's about coaching this group of kids who deserve your full commitment.''

                            What impresses his next adversary is how Krzyzewski, a noted protege of Bob Knight, has been able to carve out his own path, whether he's leading the Americans to the gold medal or chasing a fourth national championship with the Blue Devils.

                            ``I think there's no question that (Knight) had a tremendous influence on Mike,'' West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. ``Mike's done a great job through the years of playing to his guys' strengths and letting them play to their strengths. I think that's to be commended. I think Mike is very much his own man.''

                            Krzyzewski, who is seven wins shy of 800 at Duke, has long maintained that his second job with the Olympians has only made him a better college coach because working with NBA players gave him a broader perspective on the game.

                            ``Some people would say that's hurt your program - that's just so crazy dumb to think that,'' Krzyzewski said. ``It was one of the worst trains of thought of how you analyze me, that (coaching Olympians is) going to hurt me and my program, because it's done nothing but help, and help, I think, a lot. I know I'm a better person. A dirtbag before, I'm a better dirtbag.''

                            In a break from the school's recent past, he reportedly accepted a verbal commitment from the first junior-college transfer in Duke history, forward Carrick Felix of the College of Southern Idaho.

                            While NCAA rules prohibit him from discussing recruits before a letter of intent has been signed, Krzyzewski said he would entertain the idea of signing a JUCO player only if he could play three seasons ``because it would be impossible to graduate from Duke.''

                            Said former player Elton Brand, one of the first to leave Duke early for the pros: ``Coach really wants guys to be there for longevity. He wants guys to graduate and become great men, regardless of basketball. That's what he's about. He's about family, and he's about seeing his student athletes grow into great individuals.''

                            Krzyzewski also sounds determined to make Final Fours an every year thing again at Duke - and maybe even chase a coincidental bit of symmetry. Nine years passed between Krzyzewski's second title in 1992 and the '01 crown. Nine years later, and Duke's back in the Final Four again, still dealing with those heightened expectations that were raised during the days of Christian Laettner and Grant Hill.

                            ``I'm really very excited for my team. I really love these guys,'' Krzyzewski said. ``They have suffered from comparisons, which shouldn't happen. It just absolutely shouldn't happen, to what's happened before. It's a different landscape. It's different. They haven't been given credit along their careers for what they're doing and what they're trying to accomplish. I'm really pleased for them.''
                            Remember the 3 G's Gambling, Golf, Girls not in any particular order.....

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                            • #15
                              thank you for all your time very informative reading

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