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**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:34 AM

Wild continue NHL odds road trip at Vancouver

The Wild and Canucks have split their previous four meetings this season.
Suffering back-to-back 4-0 shutout losses is certainly not the way the Minnesota Wild wanted to begin a four-game road excursion. Things definitely won’t get any easier Monday night when the Wild continue their trip with a stop in Vancouver for a fifth matchup with the league-leading Canucks. The puck drops at 7 p.m. (PT).

The goal drought could not have occurred at a poorer time for a Minnesota team caught in a logjam for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

Friday’s 4-0 setback at Dallas as 165 road underdogs lowered Minnesota’s ledger to 35-27-2-5 and left the club with 77 points. That’s four points out of the final playoff spot currently occupied by the Kings, Coyotes and Flames.

The fact that the Wild are eight games above .500 is pretty remarkable considering they have allowed eight more goals (184) than they have scored (176).

Minnesota surrendered three goals to Dallas in a span of 1:31 late in the second period. It was the quickest three goals the club has ever allowed on the road.

That was more than enough to put a fork in the Wild and extend the squad’s winless streak in Dallas to 0-10-4 since March 21, 2003.

Minnesota started its current four-game voyage last Thursday with a 4-0 shutout loss at Nashville, so the Wild have now suffered back-to-back shutout losses for the fourth time in team history and first time since 2003.

Both games to begin the trip dipped below the closing total, leaving the ‘under’ 37-27-5 in Minnesota’s first 69 contests. The two losses also lowered Minnesota’s road ledger to 18-14-1-2, which almost matches its 17-13-1-3 home mark.

Mikko Koivu (finger) and Cal Clutterbuck (upper body) still haven't returned to the Minnesota lineup. Guillaume Latendresse, three games into his comeback, suffered a lower body injury in Friday’s loss. All three players are listed as “questionable” on the Don Best Sports injury report.

Vancouver returns home after a wildly successful road trip that saw the club win all five games.

The expedition ended Saturday when the Canucks defeated Calgary as 120 road favorites, 4-3. The win gave Vancouver a league-leading 99 points and left them 29 games above .500.

Vancouver also leads the league in goals scored (229) and has the NHL’s best home ledger (23-7-1-4). The ‘under’ is 35-33-2 in Vancouver’s first 70 overall outings and 10-4 in its last 14 home dates.

Minnesota has split its first four meetings against Vancouver this season, with the ‘over/under’ also split. However, the ‘over’ is 7-2 in the last nine series matchups.

The Wild registered a 6-2 victory in the first matchup on Oct. 19 as 130 home underdogs thanks to going 3-for-3 on the power play. The Canucks went 1-for-6 with the man advantage and outshot the Wild, 27-24.

The two squads met three days later, with Vancouver notching a 5-1 victory as a hefty 215 home favorite. Both teams failed to score on the power play, with Vancouver getting five chances to Minnesota’s four. The Canucks again outshot the Wild, 35-24.

The third meeting (Jan. 16) saw the Wild blank the Canucks 4-0 as 130 home underdogs. Anton Khudobin, playing in just his second game of the season for the Wild, stopped 32 shots to register the win. Vancouver again held a 32-25 advantage in shots on goal.

Vancouver evened the season series on Feb. 15 with a 4-1 victory as a 105 road underdog despite getting outshot, 29-14. Both teams notched a power play goal.

Monday’s goalie matchup figures to be Minnesota’s Niklas Backstrom against Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo. Backstrom is 21-17-0-4 with a 2.39 GAA and .924 save percentage. Luongo is 32-13-2-5 with a 2.24 GAA and .924 save percentage.

Minnesota concludes its tough four-game road journey Thursday at San Jose against the Sharks. Vancouver stays home for a Wednesday meeting against the Colorado Avalanche.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:35 AM

Miami Heat host Spurs on NBA betting slate

The Spurs cruised past the Heat by 30 points in San Antonio on March 4.
Maybe, just maybe, the Miami Heat are rolling once again.

There hasn’t been any crying in South Florida the past four days as the Heat have posted consecutive impressive home wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.

These victories came following five consecutive losses, a streak some thought impossible from a team featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

But now another major test comes for the Heat courtesy of the San Antonio Spurs, owners of the best record in the NBA at 54-12. No other team has fewer than 17 losses and more than 47 victories.

The Heat host San Antonio Monday night at 5:05 PT with ESPN televising.

Miami’s mental toughness came into question, not to mention its status as an elite team, during the five-game losing streak that included a blown 24-point home lead to Orlando, a 30-point road loss to the Spurs and a one-point home loss to Chicago that left some players in tears.

During this five-game skid, Miami averaged 91.8 points. That’s 10 points down from their 101.6 season average per game.

Then, in perhaps their most crucial game of the season, the Heat defeated the Lakers, 94-88, this past Thursday as one-point home ‘dogs. The Lakers brought an eight-game winning streak into the matchup.

Now the Heat appear back on track following their most impressive showing of the year, destroying Memphis, 118-85, on Saturday night as 7 ½-point home favorites. The combined 203 points went ‘over’ the 197-point total.

Wade and James enjoyed huge games in the blowout. James scored 27 points despite sitting out the fourth quarter. Wade had a dazzling line of 28 points, nine assists, five rebounds and five blocked shots. The last guard to have statistics like that in a game was Michael Jordan in 1988.

Perhaps lost in the glare of Wade and James was recently acquired veteran point guard Mike Bibby. He produced 17 points and four assists in 25 minutes while connecting on all five of his shots from beyond the arc.

Bibby’s presence has aided starting point guard Mario Chalmers, who is shooting 47 percent from the field and 53 percent from three-point territory during the last five games.

As criticized as the Heat have been this season, they still were within 2 ½ games of Boston for the top spot in the Eastern Conference going into Sunday’s action.

Miami also clinched a postseason berth with 17 games remaining, the earliest it has accomplished that feat in franchise history.

San Antonio keeps winning but hasn’t been highly motivated. The Spurs are 8-3 in their last 11 games, but just 3-8 ATS.

The Spurs did cover in their last game, defeating Houston this past Saturday, 115-107, as one-point road underdogs. The combined 222 points went ‘over’ the 211-point total.

The Rockets had won seven of their first nine games following the All-Star break going into their matchup against San Antonio. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 21 points. Manu Ginobili chipped in 19 points while Antonio McDyess had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

San Antonio has covered in eight of its last 11 road contests. The Spurs conclude a three-game road trip at Dallas on Friday giving them three days off following this matchup.

The Spurs buried the Heat, 125-95, when they hosted them on March 4. San Antonio was 2 ½-point favorites and the combined 220 points went ‘over’ the 195 ½-point total.

The Spurs hit a record 17 3-pointers in the victory. The Heat may still have been in a funk losing to Orlando the night before after blowing a 24-point lead.

The ‘under’ has cashed in six of the past seven times Miami has met a team with a winning record. The ‘over’ has cashed in six of San Antonio’s last seven games.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:36 AM

NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Betting Preview

Ohio State, Kansas, Pitt and Duke enter the dance as No. 1 seeds.
Time to put the soapboxes away and concentrate on what is instead of what if.

All the debates, speculation and discussions on airwaves and around water coolers this past week or two evaporated in less than an hour on Sunday night when the 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed. If you spend more than five minutes right now worrying about the VCU's, UAB's, St. Mary's and Colorado's of the world, you've wasted more than six minutes of your life.

With tip-off times and TV lineups still being finalized, here are some early thoughts and predictions for this year's Big Dance.

Final Four Picks
It's very difficult not to like both Ohio State (East Region) and Kansas (Southwest) making it to Houston that first weekend of April. There's no real joy from a gambling standpoint picking the biggest chalk – until it wins, that is – but in a season that has so many potential national champions, the Buckeyes and Jayhawks rose above them all.

There's a possible Sweet 16 matchup for Ohio State with No. 5 Kentucky, a game that would be very intriguing. No. 2 North Carolina looked awful for most of the ACC Tournament, and it's difficult right now to think of the Tar Heels as a big threat to the Buckeyes in the end.

Kansas has a much tougher 8/9 draw in Round 2 facing the winner of the UNLV/Illinois game and will also have to get through Louisville most likely to make Regional Final where I expect them to meet third-seeded Purdue.

The Southeast Region is a crapshoot. Pittsburgh draws the top seed with a hard second round matchup against either Butler or Old Dominion. I really like No. 13 Belmont against No. 4 Wisconsin for an opening round upset as well as No. 11 Gonzaga over. No. 6 St. John's. Second-seeded Florida really doesn't impress me, but the Gators are a threat assuming they get to New Orleans for the Sweet 16. Kansas State, seeded fifth, will end Florida's bid then.

Duke, the No. 1 seed in the West Region, gets to open its title defense in Blue Devil-friendly Charlotte before actually heading west to Anaheim. The Devils' initial opponent there should be No. 4 Texas but the Longhorns have a tough opener against Oakland and then will likely have to get through No. 5 Arizona. If there's no joy in picking chalk then there's certainly no joy in picking Duke. Ultimately, I like the winner of the 2/3 contest between San Diego State and UConn to take the region. Count me among those who have caught Kemba Fever with the Huskies heading to the Final Four.

The mess that is the Big East
Speaking of the Huskies, how 'bout that Big East? The conference grabbed 11 spots in the dance with its ninth seed in the conference tourney, Connecticut, winning it all with five victories in five days.

Marquette drew an 11th-seed in the East Region for honors as the lowest-seeded Big East , but Villanova at No. 9 in the same regional has the most to prove among conference entries. A preseason co-favorite with Pitt to win the Big East, 'Nova just about played itself out of March Madness with five losses to close the regular season and 10 defeats in the final 15 games.

If the Wildcats are going to redeem themselves, they'll have to get past George Mason to start with and then top-seeded Ohio State.

There are a pair of potential BE second-round matchups looming. No. 3 Syracuse and No. 11 Marquette are possible combatants in Cleveland next Sunday; the Golden Eagles scored a 76-70 win as two-point home favorites against the Orange in late-January, Syracuse's fourth-straight loss at the time.

UConn and Cincinnati are very likely to face off next Saturday in Washington DC. The Bearcats were 3½-point favorites when the Huskies posted a 67-59 upset in Cincinnati a little more than two weeks ago.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:38 AM

Bracketology Update

March 13, 2011

Well, we've come to the end of the line. After almost three months of Bracketology reports, they all become as quickly forgotten as most college football bowl games after Selection Sunday. This is also a time of another rite of March, that being the fretting over the final at-large teams in Big Dance field. But we'll be lucky to see any of those teams being discussed actually sticking in the field beyond sub-regional weekend.

Interestingly, we haven't yet seen any true "Bubble Busters" this March, unless another Missouri Valley rep joins surprise conference tourney winner Indiana State in the field of 68. Then we'll know the Sycamores bumped out somebody from another conference. Otherwise, there haven't been any, although there is one last chance on Sunday with Dayton having advanced to the A-10 finale at Atlantic City vs. Richmond. The Selection Committee would never disclose as much (since they never confirm "last in" or "first out" teams), but for our bracket purposes we suspect Alabama is in the biggest trouble if the Flyers win. Whatever, rest assured Bama and anyone else on the bubble will be Richmond fans on Sunday. Some might also put Penn State as a potential bubble thieve, but we have the Nittany Lions into our field regardless what happens in the Big Ten finale at Indianapolis vs. Ohio State.

Four conference tourney finals remain on Sunday, and following is a brief preview for what's at stake...

ACC... Likely at stake in another Duke-North Carolina finale is a regional top seed, somewhere; the winner gets it, and the loser gets a number two seed, likely behind Pitt in the Panthers' region. We now think Jamie Dixon's squad will be one of the four number one seeds, along with one from among the Tar Heels and Blue Devils.

SEC... Florida and Kentucky are both looking very good for protected seed (1 thru 4 regionally) status, with the Gators in the frame for as high as a 2 seed with a win over Coach Cal's Cats Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

Big Ten... Don't expect Penn State to pull a flop-er-roo as did Minnesota in last year's Big Ten finale vs. Ohio State. Talor Battle won't let Penn State take it easy, and the Nittany Lions likely approach this one as if they need it to make the field (even though we think they've already made it).

Atlantic 10... Dayton is the only consensus "Bubble Buster" left in the conference tourney field when it takes on Richmond in the A-10 finale at the old Convention hall on The Boardwalk in Atlantic City. All that is at stake for the Spiders is a better regional seed.

In or out? Here's our look at a handful of teams straddling the cut-line entering Selection Sunday...

Penn State... Now with a pair of wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State, plus their fast finish in the regular season, we suspect that Ed DeChellis' Nittany Lions have done enough to make the field.

Georgia... Despite two losses in the last week to Alabama, we still think the Dawgs have a slightly better at-large case than the Tide. No bad losses, 21 wins, a decent mark in the rugged SEC East, and RPI and SOS (strength of schedule) numbers in the low 40s suggest UGa should still get a look. And if the Dawgs do get the call, we would watch out for them next week.

Alabama... The Tide could have at least used a few style points in Saturday's SEC semifinal vs. Kentucky; instead, Bama didn't deliver any in a 72-58 loss. But we're thinking the Committee will value the Tide's comfy win margin atop the SEC West (admittedly in a down year), it's solid finish the second half of the season, and wins over Kentukcy, Tennessee, and Georgia twice to overcome some lesser non-conference and RPI numbers remember, Bama missed then-injured star F JaMychal Green for a few early-season contests. The Tide also has a 16-0 mark at home in Tuscaloosa this season, but the only way Bama plays again at Coleman Coliseum is in the NIT.

Colorado... We moved the Buffs to the wrong side of the cut-line last night to make room for Penn State. CU is still in with a shout of sneaking into the field, with its three wins over Kansas State and another over Texas. Upon inspection, however, two of those wins over K-State were when the Wildcats were floundering, and there are plenty of other holes in this profile. CU is hardly a an at-large shoe-in.

Illinois... Sorry, Illini fans, we aren't buying the case. Although the win over North Carolina (before the Heels turned into...North Carolina) way back in the ACC-Big Ten challenge remains a nice chip to cash with the Selection Committee, we can't overlook 10 losses in Illinois' last 16 games, essentially half of the season. Those are not at-large types of numbers, and the early exit in the Big Ten Tourney vs. Michigan didn't help.

Southern Cal... We know about all of the big-name scalps claimed by SC (Texas, at Tennessee, UCLA, Arizona, at Washington), but almost all of those are canceled out by some awful losses vs. TCU, Bradley, Rider, Oregon State, and Oregon...twice. And now HC Kevin O'Neill is in hot water after being involved in a "verbal altercation" with a fan at last week's Pac-10 Tourney. We suspect the 14 losses (six to sub-100 entries) is going to make this selection too hard to justify.

Well, it's been fun the past three months with Bracketology, and we look forward to starting again next December. In the meantime, here are our final projections as of Sunday morning; stay tuned for the Selection Show later this afternoon on CBS.

Bracketology Projections
Seed EAST SOUTHEAST SOUTHWEST WEST
1 Pitt Ohio State Kansas North Carolina
2 Duke Florida San Diego State Notre Dame
3 UConn Louisville Purdue Kentucky
4 Wisconsin Texas Syracuse BYU
5 Kansas St. St. John's Washington West Virginia
6 Old Dominion Xavier Vanderbilt Arizona
7 UNLV UCLA Cincinnati Texas A&M
8 Temple Florida State Georgetown Utah State
9 Clemson Richmond George Mason Michigan
10 Butler Michigan State Gonzaga Virginia Tech
11 Tennessee Missouri Villanova Marquette
12 East 12* Memphis Penn State West 12*
13 Princeton Belmont Oakland Indiana State
14 Wofford Morehead State Akron No. Colorado
15 St.Peter's Long Island Bucknell UCSB
16 Boston U SE 16* SW 16* UA-Little Rock

*Notes

East
East 12 play-in game: Alabama vs. UAB

Southeast SE 16 play-in game: Hampton vs. UNC-Asheville

Southwest SW 16 play-in game: UTSA vs. Alabama State

West West 12 play-in game: Georgia vs. Saint Mary's

Last four in: Alabama, UAB, Georgia, Saint Mary's

First four out: Colorado, Illinois, Southern Cal, Boston College

Next four out: Missouri State, Wichita State, Harvard, UTEP

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:39 AM

Bracket Analysis

March 13, 2011

The brackets are out for the 2011 NCAA Tournament and as always, we aren’t without controversy. Let’s begin our discussion with the bubble teams that got in and the ones that got shafted.

UAB and VCU’s inclusions in the field were the biggest shockers. The Blazers won the Conference USA regular-season title, but they went down against East Carolina in the C-USA Tournament quarterfinals. VCU (23-11 straight up, 13-20 against the spread) lost five of its last eight games and was beaten seven times in Colonial play.

The Rams are in one of the play-in games against Southern Cal. These teams will square off in Dayton on Wednesday. The winner will be slotted as a No. 11 seed against Georgetown, a team that has lost four in a row.

Most books opened USC as a four-point favorite vs. VCU. The Trojans will have head coach Kevin O’Neill back after he was suspended during the Pac-10 Tournament for a verbal incident with an Arizona fan.

The other play-in game for at-large teams will pit Clemson against UAB. Most betting shops have installed the Tigers as five-point favorites. They nearly knocked off North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals, only to blow a big lead and lose in overtime.

There are a slew of teams, most notably Saint Mary’s, Colorado, Va. Tech, Alabama and Harvard, who feel like they got snubbed. Yes, I said Harvard, which I clearly think had a better year than both UAB and VCU. My votes would’ve gone to Saint Mary’s and Colorado instead of VCU and UAB.

The top seeds are Ohio State, Kansas, Duke and Pittsburgh. I think the Panthers have the toughest path to Houston with potential opponents including the Butler-ODU winner, Kansas State, St. John’s and Florida. The Red Storm beat the Panthers a few weeks ago.

Ohio St. will get a tough game from Kentucky in the Sweet 16, but I think its opponent to get to the Final Four will come against a No. 6 seed, Xavier. I have the Buckeyes getting to the Final Four with only one major hurdle (UK).

John Calipari’s team has caught fire at the right time, winning six in a row including a pair of wins over second-seeded Florida. The Wildcats have talent galore with future lottery picks in Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, but they lack depth with only six players getting major minutes.

Duke bounced back from its loss at North Carolina in the regular-season finale to thump the Tar Heels in the finals of the ACC Tournament. The defending champs won’t have it easy in the second round against the Tennessee-Michigan winner. Both teams have fabulous freshman players in Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Duke’s region probably has the most talented No. 4 seed in Texas for a potential Sweet 16 game. However, the Longhorns slumped down the stretch and face a dangerous Oakland team in the first round.

**Déjà vu**

--In the 2003 NCAA Tournament, Florida was a No. 2 seed and was sent to Tampa to play in its home state. That same year, Michigan State had a disappointing campaign and was a No. 10 seed. The Spartans beat Temple in their first-round game and then got the Gators in the second round. Tom Izzo’s team dominated Matt Bonner, David Lee and Co. and cruised to a blowout victory over UF. Sparty also bested Florida in the national-title game in 2000. In other words, UF fans weren’t happy to see Michigan St. as a potential foe.

--West Va. upset top-seeded Kentucky in the Elite Eight last season. If form holds, these teams will square off in a second-round matchup in Tampa.

--Josh Pastner has Memphis back in the NCAA Tournament to face the team he played for during his collegiate days, Arizona. Pastner also served as an assistant under Lute Olson.

--Lon Kruger left Illinois to take the head-coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks back in 2000. He’ll face his former team when UNLV takes on the Illini in an 8/9 matchup. Bruce Weber really needs to win this game. Most spots have tabbed the Rebels as 1 ½-point favorites.

--The Selection Committee is making UConn play on a Thursday even though it just played five days in a row while winning the Big East Tournament. Likewise, the committee did Georgia a similar injustice following its wild run through the SEC Tournament in 2006. Due to a tornado in Atlanta, UGA had to play a doubleheader on Saturday and also play on Sunday. Nevertheless, the Dawgs were forced to play on Thursday at noon Eastern. They predictably faded down the stretch, letting an eight-point halftime lead get away in a loss to Xavier.

--UConn will face 14th-seeded Bucknell, which was also a No. 14 seed when it upset Kansas in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

**Wild Cards**

--If Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving can return and be productive, the Blue Devils’ chances of repeating will go up exponentially. Irving, who has been out since November with a toe injury, averaged 17.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds in eight games before being sidelined. His status remains very iffy but he was seen doing conditioning drills and shooting around at the ACC Tourney.

--Will Georgetown’s Chris Wright be his normal self when the sixth-seeded Hoyas take the court against the USC-VCU winner? If not, John Thompson III’s team will be in trouble. Georgetown comes into the tournament on a four-game losing streak, but it deserves the No. 6 seed if Wright is back at 100 percent.

--Watch out for Michigan’s ultra-talented backcourt. If Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. play their best games, Duke will need its A-Game to get past the Wolverines, who I think will knock off Tennessee in an intriguing first-round showdown. Michigan comes into the tournament on an incredible 12-1 ATS roll.

--When you have the best point guard in America, you’ve got a shot against anybody. On that note, Xavier is going to be a dangerous out with Tu Holloway running the show. I believe the Musketeers would’ve been a No. 4 seed had they won the A-10 Tournament, but they got upset by Dayton. That loss doesn’t concern me, though. Xavier will upset Syracuse behind Holloway’s 3-point shooting against the Orange’s zone defense. When you have range like Holloway (and me), you can shoot over zones by using your range. Chris Mack’s squad will also take down second-seeded North Carolina. This program keeps rolling along through coaching changes and gut-wrenching losses in the NCAA Tournament. Xavier lost to eventual runner-up Ohio St. in overtime of the 2007 tourney only after the Buckeyes hit a late 3-ball to force the extra session. In 2009, the Musketeers led Pitt in the final minute of their Sweet 16 showdown, but LeVance Fields made all the plays on the final possessions to propel the Panthers to victory. Then last year, Holloway and Jordan Crawford led a furious second-half rally to force overtime before falling to Kansas St. in yet another crushing defeat.

--How much gas does UConn have left in the tank after playing five consecutive days? The Huskies are playing great, as evidenced by their improbable run through the Big East Tournament. Kemba Walker averaged 26.0 points per game to lead the way, doing his best Gerry McNamara impersonation in the process. UConn is a No. 3 seed that’ll face Bucknell as an 11-point ‘chalk.’

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Arkansas fired John Pelphrey after four seasons and is reportedly poised to target Missouri head coach Mike Anderson, who was Nolan Richardson’s top assistant during the program’s glory days in the 1990s. As I’ve been prone to point out many times through the years, Richardson took a lot of heat for the way he forced the school’s hand in dismissing him in 2002. He essentially dared the school to get rid of him by saying, “they can pay me my money.” Well, here we are nine years later and the Razorbacks have one combined win in the NCAA Tournament since handing Richardson his pink slip. In other words, Nolan was right all along. His thinking was basically this: If they think they can find a coach to provide as much success as me, then good luck. Obviously, Arkansas has had no such luck but if Anderson returns, he’ll bring back the 40 Minutes of Hell Philosophy. Most importantly, he'll more than likely be able to keep a stellar incoming recruiting class together. If Anderson takes the job and keeps this class that's ranked as the nation's third-best, something tells me Bud Walton Arena will be rocking again soon.

--According to SportsByBrooks, Wyoming is trying to hire former Oregon head coach Ernie Kent and the leading candidate for the Texas Tech job is Billy ‘Clyde’ Gillispie, the much-maligned former head coach at Texas A&M and Kentucky.

--Georgia head coach Mark Fox’s wife is a graduate of the University of Washington. The Dawgs will take on the Huskies in a first-round contest. Most books opened Washington as a 5 ½-point ‘chalk.’

--It’s too easy making ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb look like a clown. He went to great lengths last year to rip West Va. guard Joe Mazzulla for his lack of punch offensively going into the Mountaineers’ Elite Eight game against Kentucky. Mazzulla was replacing starting point guard Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant, who was out with a broken foot. I quickly broke out Gottlieb’s abysmal shooting numbers from 3-point land and at the free-throw line during his playing career at Oklahoma St. All Mazzulla did was dominate John Wall on both ends of the floor and score a career-high 17 points in WVU’s upset win over UK. This time around, Gottlieb has irked this space by calling Florida ‘the most overrated team in the tournament.’ For starters, let’s clarify to readers that UF is the team that ended Gottlieb’s playing career in a blowout win at the Carrier Dome in the Elite Eight of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. Let’s also note UF’s stellar 11-3 record against RPI Top 50 teams and 17-4 mark against RPI Top 100 squads. The Gators own a 13-3 record against teams in the NCAA field.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:41 AM

Colorado, Virginia Tech headline NIT field

March 13, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) - Perhaps the NCAA tournament selection committee confused Alabama-Birmingham with Alabama, and Virginia Commonwealth for Virginia Tech.

The two bubble teams from power conferences were passed over Sunday in favor of a pair of mid-major teams from their very own states. The Crimson Tide and Hokies were relegated to the NIT, giving the consolation tournament its deepest field in years.

Alabama and Virginia Tech were joined as No. 1 seeds by Colorado and Boston College on Sunday night, two more teams that had high hopes of playing in the NCAA tournament. They'll host first-round games Tuesday and Wednesday, with the championship game March 31 in New York City.

``I just feel like the way we're playing right now, we're one of the top 68 teams in the country,'' Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. ``I know that. But we're not in the tournament. We have to deal with it and move on. We have to make a statement in the NIT.''

Seth Greenberg and the Hokies have sweated out the selection process the past three years, missing out each time, and figured a win over Duke in late February might finally make the difference. It turned out they needed to beat the Blue Devils in the ACC tournament, too.

``It's a chance to continue to play,'' Greenberg said. ``That's going to be my approach.''

All of the high-profile schools sent tumbling into the NIT give it plenty of star power, even if they won't be under the brightest lights of March Madness.

``All you have to do is look at the field in the NIT and see, from top to bottom, how many quality teams are in it,'' said Dayton's Brian Gregory, whose team lost to Richmond in the Atlantic-10 title game Sunday. ``If that doesn't fire you up, you probably shouldn't be playing.''

Only nine teams in the field have yet to reach 20 wins. Eight have at least 24, including Coastal Carolina from the Big South, St. Mary's from the West Coast Conference, Missouri State from the Missouri Valley and Fairfield from the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference.

They earned automatic bids by winning their regular-season conference titles.

``The thing that really impacted us was we had 14 automatic qualifiers,'' NIT selection chair C.M. Newton said. ``We had a record number, the most we've ever had before was eight.''

The marquee opening-round matchup might be Alabama, bumped from the NCAA bubble by a Georgia team it beat twice this season, against Coastal Carolina, which went 28-5 but lost to eventual champion UNC-Asheville in its conference tournament title game.

The other games in the Tide's quarter of the bracket include second-seeded Miami against Florida Atlantic; third-seeded Missouri State against Murray State; and fourth-seeded New Mexico against No. 5 seed UTEP, which missed a shot at the buzzer in a 67-66 loss to Memphis in the Conference USA title game. The Tigers ended that game on a 17-4 run.

Top-seeded Colorado will face Texas Southern in the opening round, while second-seeded St. Mary's faces Kent State in the same portion of the bracket. Third-seeded Colorado State will face Fairfield and No. 4 seed California will play Mississippi.

Boston College earned a date with McNeese State in the opening round, with the winner playing fourth-seeded Northwestern or No. 5 seed Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Second-seeded Washington State plays Long Beach State and third-seeded Oklahoma State plays Harvard, which hoped for its first NCAA bid since 1946 after a crushing loss to Princeton in a tiebreaker game.

``It's been very exciting for us to be in the position we're in, to have these opportunities, to play in these kind of games at this time of the year,'' Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said.

As for the Hokies, well, it seems they're getting tired of playing these kind of games this time of year - at least when it comes to the NIT.

They'll open this time against Bethune-Cookman, with the winner getting Wichita State or Nebraska in the second round. Second-seeded Cleveland State will face Vermont, while defending NIT champion Dayton faces the College of Charleston.

``What I'd like to know is if there's ever been a team that's won nine games in the ACC and played the non-conference schedule that we played and beat a No. 1 seed and still didn't get in,'' Greenberg said, still smarting from another NCAA snub late Sunday night.

``I'd love to see the research on that.''

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:43 AM

BYU earns No. 3 seed, faces Wofford

March 13, 2011

PROVO, Utah (AP) - BYU players were excited, not disappointed, at receiving a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and facing the Wofford Terriers in a second-round game Thursday in Denver.

``We had a great year this year and the selection committee saw that and wanted to reward us for that,'' point guard Jimmer Fredette said of playing fairly close to home. ``This is the highest seed since I've been here and we have a good opportunity to do some things in the tournament with our talent and the confidence we have. I look forward to going out with a bang in my senior year.''

Two weeks ago, the Cougars (30-4) harbored hopes of a No. 1 seed after climbing to a No. 3 ranking only to have leading rebounder Brandon Davies booted off the team for violating the school's honor code. They dropped two of their last five, including a 72-54 loss Saturday to San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference tournament finals.

``Obviously you would love to have a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, but no matter what seed, you have to beat teams to advance,'' BYU guard Jackson Emery said.

``I think it's good placement for us,'' forward Noah Hartsock added. ``We have a great fan base out in Denver and I think that's really going to help with all the support.''

Despite the double-digit loss to the Aztecs, a team BYU beat twice during the regular season, Fredette said the eighth-ranked Cougars' psyche isn't damaged.

``We've been good about when we lose a game, coming back and getting a win right afterward,'' said Fredette, the nation's leading scorer and Player of the Year candidate.

The key will be getting some rest after playing three physical games in three days.

Fredette admitted he was a ``little sore,'' but promised it was nothing to worry about. Hartsock was still hoarse after taking a shot to his throat against San Diego State. And senior forward Logan Magnusson, one of the players asked to pick up the slack since Davies' departure, has a sore back.

``It's important now to settle into the routine of this week,'' BYU coach Dave Rose said. ``We've got some guys that have been through this before. Monday and Tuesday practices will be important for us for preparation and also to recover from a tough game. The mindset first and foremost with our guys is while it's an NCAA tourney game, it's a bounce-back game for us. We need to get back on the winning track.''

They face a Wofford team that is playing in its second straight NCAA tournament and riding an eight-game winning streak.

It can only help the Cougars that the game is in Denver, where the thin air of the Mile High City should help a team used to playing an uptempo style at high altitude.

If BYU gets past the Terriers (21-12), the Cougars will face the winner of the St. Johns-Gonzaga game on Saturday.

Many figure BYU will only go as far as Fredette can carry them.

Last year, Fredette scored 37 points as BYU upset Florida, 99-92, in double-overtime to advance to the NCAA's second round under the old format. It was the Cougars' first NCAA tournament win in 17 years, but they lost to No. 2 seed Kansas State, 84-72, in the second round when Fredette hit just 5 of 13 shots for 21 points.

This year he leads the nation, averaging 28.3 points.

He scored 52 in a payback win over New Mexico in the conference tourney semifinals on Friday but saw his shooting percentage drop as the Aztecs tried to make the rest of the Cougars beat them in the finals.

They couldn't.

``We had good looks the other night, but for whatever reason we had a hard time getting them (to fall),'' Rose said. ``This can be a really consistent offensive rebounding team and when we're in the right mindset and playing with the right energy, we can get a lot of second and third possessions with how active we are.''

Without Davies, the Cougars are just 3-2, and their lack of experience inside could hurt most if they advance deeper into the tourney.

Though Davies will not be allowed to play again this season, he was allowed to accompany the team to Las Vegas for the conference tournament. Rose said it has yet to be determined whether Davies will be allowed to travel with the team to Denver.

Fredette isn't worried about outside distractions, or the spotlight being on him.

``I'm pretty used to it and I don't worry about what other people's expectations are - mine are usually bigger,'' he said.

Players said there was no animosity that San Diego State received the No. 2 seed in the West.

``I don't think there's an easy road in the tournament,'' Fredette said. ``Even a No. 1 seed has got to play an 8 or 9 seed and some are ready to go.''

This will be BYU's fifth straight NCAA tourney appearance, and the fourth for Fredette in four years.

``We advanced last year and hopefully we'll advance even further this year,'' Fredette said. ``It's do or die. I just have to go out there and play with those type of expectations.''

This will be BYU's 26th appearance in the NCAA tournament. The No. 3 seed matches the highest the Cougars have ever been seeded in the NCAAs. They were a No. 3 seed in 1980, when the Cougars earned a first-round bye then fell to No. 6 seed Clemson in the second round.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:43 AM

Princeton to face Kentucky in opener

March 13, 2011

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) - Princeton is back in the NCAA tournament after a six-year absence and, as usual, one of college basketball's giants stands in its way - a situation followers of the Tigers are familiar with.

One day after beating Harvard in a playoff game on Doug Davis' buzzer beater, the Ivy League champion was given a 13th seed Sunday and will meet fourth-seeded Kentucky (25-6) on Thursday in a second-round game in the East Regional.

Kentucky beat Princeton 72-58 in a first-round game in 1977, the only other NCAA meeting between the schools

Under coach Pete Carril, Princeton was famous for scaring major programs in the NCAA tournament. The most famous is still a one-point loss to top-seeded Georgetown in 1989 and there was also near-wins over Arkansas and Villanova.

The Tigers beat defending champion UCLA in 1996, Carril's final year. Current head coach Sydney Johnson played in that game, which occurred 15 years ago Monday.

Johnson, who was satisfied with the 13th seed, hopes a new generation can duplicate such magic.

``We've got to make our own history,'' the fourth-year coach said. ``I've challenged our guys. Obviously, we've done some nice things in the tournament. But those teams have done that by, every year, stepping up to their challenge and that's what we have to do.''

The game will be a marked contrast in style and philosophy.

Princeton is the academic powerhouse whose players grow up in the Tigers' deliberate system of precise ball movement. Kentucky coach John Calipari recruits blue chippers into his up-tempo program and often loses them to the NBA after one year.

Johnson's immediate concerns were Kentucky freshmen Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight.

``Knight controls the game and he can shoot it,'' Johnson said. ``Terrence Jones is obviously an NBA talent.''

Dictating tempo will be a key.

``We have to play our style of basketball and I think we'll be fine,'' Davis said. ``Those guys want to get up and down the court. But we're not going to back down.''

If Princeton has one advantage, it's the vaunted system incorporated by Carril and tweaked by his successors.

``I think no matter who you are in the country you've heard about the Princeton offense, but I don't think a lot understand it fully, so we'll try to take them by surprise,'' said sophomore Ian Hummer, who averages a team-leading 13.9 points. ``Sometimes I even get confused.''

Princeton is making an Ivy League-record 24th NCAA appearance, but its first since 2004, the Tigers' longest drought since 1970-75. Princeton went to the tournament nine times in 16 years before going 38-45 with no postseason appearances under Joe Scott from 2004-2007.

After two rebuilding seasons under Johnson, Princeton went 22-9, finished second in the Ivy and went to the semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational last year.

Princeton's 25 wins are the most since the 1997-98 team won a school-record 27.

Johnson said there was never a timetable to get back in the tournament.

``I just wanted us to compete as hard as we could and try to win every basketball game,'' he said. ``Finally, we've been able to turn the corner.''

Johnson is one of three former Tiger players to coach a team into the NCAAs this year, along with Georgetown's John Thompson III and Richmond's Chris Mooney. Johnson played with Mooney and coached under Thompson before coming to Princeton.

``I hope we're getting the program back to where it was when Coach J played,'' senior Dan Mavraides said. ``We have a lot of confidence in ourselves with what we've done this year, the teams we've beaten and how we played. We're definitely ready for this challenge.''

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:44 AM

Buckeyes favored to win NCAA tournament

March 13, 2011

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Sports books in Las Vegas casinos made Ohio State the favorite to win the NCAA tournament despite a tough draw that includes North Carolina, Syracuse and Kentucky in the same bracket.

The race and sports book at the Las Vegas Hilton made Ohio State a 7-2 favorite to win the tournament, Executive Director Jay Kornegay said Sunday shortly after the selections for the tournament were announced.

But Kornegay said the Buckeyes got a more difficult bracket than fellow No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, which has Florida, BYU and Wisconsin as the next-highest seeds in its region.

``Actually, Pittsburgh and Ohio State should be switching spots,'' Kornegay said. ``It's unusual for a No. 1 seed to have to deal with that kind of competition or those kind of teams that have the potential of playing very well and being competitive.''

Kornegay and others still think Ohio State is the best team in the country.

The Buckeyes finished the season 33-2, winning the Big Ten tournament and regular-season titles to reach the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in seven years. They will play the winner of the Texas-San Antonio-Alabama State game in Cleveland on Friday.

Oddsmaker Tony Sinisi of Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which provides betting lines to more than 90 percent of casinos in Nevada, said the firm planned to set its lines Sunday night but sees Ohio State as a 5-2 favorite.

Mike Colbert, race and sports director for Cantor Gaming, which runs four sports books in Las Vegas, said Ohio State's tough draw was enough to put it on par with Kansas as 6-1 favorites to win the title.

``There's four legit - legit - national champion contenders in the same bracket,'' said Colbert, who runs books at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, M Resort, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Tropicana. ``It's a loaded bracket.''

If the high seeds all win, the Buckeyes would have to beat Kentucky in the round of 16 and North Carolina in the round of eight to win its bracket. Conversely, Pittsburgh would have to beat Wisconsin and Florida.

The Hilton gave Pittsburgh 12-1 to win the title, Kornegay said. The other No. 1 seeds, Kansas and Duke, were each 5-1 to win the tournament.

Cantor gave Duke 9-1 odds and Pittsburgh 10-1 odds, Colbert said.

Among No. 2 seeds, Colbert said San Diego State got the easiest draw in the western region, with Duke at the top and Connecticut the No. 3 seed.

``I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them get into the Final Four,'' he said.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:46 AM

UW's Overton cleared to play in NCAAs

March 13, 2011

SEATTLE (AP) - Washington backup point guard Venoy Overton has been reinstated and will play with the Huskies in the NCAA tournament on Friday against Georgia.

Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said on Sunday that Overton would play in the NCAAs.

Overton was suspended for the Pac-10 tournament after he was charged by the Seattle city attorney with providing alcohol to a minor. Overton was a spectator on the bench as Washington won the conference tournament title.

Overton spoke briefly on Sunday, while not directly addressing his case. Overton said the last two months have been difficult and that public opinion was almost more of a punishment than his suspension.

Overton's case stemmed from an allegation by a 16-year-old girl that Overton sexually assaulted her at an apartment in Seattle Jan. 8. King County prosecutors declined to file charges.

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 12:47 AM

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
03/13/11 3-*5-*0 37.50% -*960 Detail
03/12/11 4-*4-*0 50.00% +*80 Detail
03/11/11 6-*2-*2 75.00% +*2365 Detail
03/10/11 7-*2-*0 77.78% +*2715 Detail
03/09/11 6-*5-*0 54.55% +*425 Detail
03/07/11 4-*6-*0 40.00% -*1135 Detail
03/06/11 5-*5-*0 50.00% +*45 Detail
03/05/11 3-*7-*0 30.00% -*1720 Detail
03/04/11 9-*3-*0 75.00% +*3135 Detail
03/03/11 7-*4-*1 63.64% +*1750 Detail
03/02/11 7-*5-*0 58.33% +*770 Detail
Totals 61-*48-*3 55.96% +7470

Monday, March 14

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Atlanta - 1:05 PM ET St. Louis -113 500
St. Louis -

Detroit - 1:05 PM ET Detroit +105 500
Washington -

Florida - 1:05 PM ET Florida +111 500
Minnesota -

Philadelphia - 1:05 PM ET Houston -101 500
Houston -

Pittsburgh - 1:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +125 500
Baltimore -

Chi. Cubs - 4:05 PM ET Seattle -113 500
Seattle -

LA Dodgers - 4:05 PM ET Texas -118 500
Texas -

Milwaukee - 4:05 PM ET San Francisco -123 500
San Francisco -

Oakland - 4:05 PM ET Oakland +102 500
Cleveland -

San Diego - 4:05 PM ET San Diego +116 500
Chi. White Sox -

Cincinnati - 4:10 PM ET Colorado -118 500
Colorado -

NY Yankees - 7:05 PM ET Boston -121 500
Boston -

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 03:35 PM

NBAMonday, March 14

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 7:00 PM ET New Jersey +5 500
New Jersey - Under 187.5 500

Oklahoma City - 7:00 PM ET Oklahoma City -7.5 500
Washington - Over 209 500

San Antonio - 8:00 PM ET Miami -4.5 500
Miami - Under 199.5 500

L.A. Clippers - 8:00 PM ET L.A. Clippers +5.5 500
Memphis - Over 202.5 500

Denver - 8:00 PM ET Denver +3 500
New Orleans - Over 199.5 500

Phoenix - 8:30 PM ET Phoenix +7 500
Houston - Over 217 500

Philadelphia - 9:00 PM ET Utah +1.5 500
Utah - Under 199 500

Golden State - 10:00 PM ET Golden State +1 500
Sacramento - Under 216.5 500

Orlando - 10:30 PM ET L.A. Lakers -6 500
L.A. Lakers - Under 188 500

------------------------------------------------------------

NHLMonday, March 14

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Tampa Bay - 7:00 PM ET Toronto -104 500
Toronto - Over 5.5 500

San Jose - 8:00 PM ET San Jose +111 500
Chicago - Under 5.5 500

Minnesota - 10:00 PM ET Minnesota +182 500
Vancouver - Under 5.5 500

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 03:35 PM

Red-hot Sharks go for season sweep of Chicago

SAN JOSE SHARKS (39-22-8, 86 pts)

at CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (37-24-8, 82 pts)

Puck drops: Monday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Chicago -135, San Jose +115, Total: 5.5

The defending champs host one of the hottest teams in the NHL on Monday when the Sharks invade Chicago to take on the Blackhawks.

San Jose enters having lost its past two games in shootouts, but have earned points in 21 of its past 24 games, going 18-3-3 over that span. The Sharks currently sit in third place in the Western Conference, three games ahead of Los Angeles. Patrick Marleau has five points in his past five games. Ryane Clowe is one of just two players in the NHL with at least 100 points and 200 penalty minutes since the beginning of last season. Anaheim's Corey Perry is the other.

The Blackhawks have earned points in 10 of their past 11 games, but are 0-1-2 in their past three games. They enter tied for sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind Phoenix and L.A. for fourth, and one point ahead of Calgary for eighth. Jonathan Toews has 10 goals and 19 points in his past 12 games.

The Sharks are likely to be without Scott Nichol (upper body) and Kent Huskins (upper body). Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell was forced to leave in the middle of Sunday's game due to a foot injury, which means it's unlikely he'll play Monday night. Dave Bolland (head) is questionable for Monday and Jordan Hendry is out for the season with a torn ACL.

This is the fourth and final meeting between the teams that reached the Western Conference Finals last season. The Sharks are going for a season sweep of the Blackhawks, as they've outscored Chicago 12-6 in three victories. The champs don’t have much room for error down the stretch, so I expect the Hawks to handle their business at home and at the same time send a message that they will be a team to deal with come playoff time. I’m taking Chicago. The FoxSheets says:

SAN JOSE is 3-9 ATS (25.0%, -13.2 Units) after playing 4 consecutive home games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was SAN JOSE 2.5, OPPONENT 2.9 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 03-14-2011, 03:36 PM

Bryant's game-time decision Monday vs. Magic

ORLANDO MAGIC (42-25)

at LOS ANGELES LAKERS (47-20)

Tip-off: Monday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
Line: Los Angeles -6, Total: 188

The Lakers host the Magic on Monday in a battle between former NBA Finals opponents. Los Angeles defeated Orlando 4-games-to-1 in the 2009 NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant will be a game-time decision due to a left ankle injury.

The Magic are 29-36 ATS this season, which includes a 12-18 record ATS on the road. They have lost four straight and five of their past six ATS. Orlando defeated Phoenix by 23 on Sunday, winning for just the second time in their past five games. They enter Monday fourth in the Eastern Conference, 3½ games ahead of the Atlanta Hawks for the all-important homecourt advantage in the first round. Dwight Howard scored 26 points and grabbed 15 rebounds against the Suns, extending his double-double streak to 24 games. Howard is averaging 24.5 PPG and 15.5 RPG over this impressive run. Howard scored 31 points while pulling down 13 rebounds in the Magic’s 89-75 win over the Lakers in Orlando in February. He has recorded six straight double-doubles against the Lakers, averaging 22.0 PPG and 14.0 RPG. Orlando held the Lakers to just 2-of-16 shooting from three-point range in their win in February.

All of Los Angeles (the part that roots for the Lakers and not the Clippers), held their collective breath on Saturday when Kobe Bryant left the game against Dallas after coming down awkwardly on his ankle after having his shot blocked. Bryant returned in the fourth quarter, but his status for Monday is unclear. The Lakers are 33-34 ATS this season, and their 12-18 record ATS at home is one of the worst in the NBA. The Lakers have won eight of their past 10 ATS, but just two of those ATS victories have come at home. The Lakers are an NBA-best 9-1 SU since the All-Star break. They have really clamped down on their opponents since, holding them to 41% FG and 88.1 PPG. Bryant has been very effective in his minutes this season. He is averaging just 33.9 minutes per game, which is the fewest minutes per game for Kobe since his second season in the NBA when he was a reserve and played 26.0 minutes per game. Taking into consideration Kobe Bryant’s limited minutes, his scoring average is much more impressive. In fact, Bryant is averaging 35.4 points per 48 minutes this season, the most in the NBA.

The Lakers have won 19 of their last 23 home meetings against the Magic. They seem to have their playoff-faces on and ready to defend their title. I’m taking Los Angeles. The FoxSheets shows another highly-rated reason to side with the Lakers:

Play Against - Road underdogs (ORLANDO) - after failing to cover 4 of their last 5 against the spread, good team, winning 60-75% or more of their games on the season. (64-26 over the last 5 seasons.) (71.1%, +35.4 units. Rating = 3*).

This highly-rated FoxSheets trend backs the Under.

ORLANDO is 25-6 UNDER (80.6%, +18.4 Units) after scoring 100 points or more 3 straight games over the last 3 seasons. The average score was ORLANDO 98.4, OPPONENT 93.4 - (Rating = 3*).

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