The Bum's Saturday's Best Bets MLB- NBA-NHL-NCAAB !

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Saturday, March 26

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Baltimore - 1:05 PM ET Baltimore +122 500
Tampa Bay -

Pittsburgh - 1:05 PM ET NY Yankees -168 500
NY Yankees -

St. Louis - 1:05 PM ET St. Louis +103 500
Florida -

Washington - 1:05 PM ET Houston -119 500
Houston -

Atlanta - 1:10 PM ET NY Mets -114 500
NY Mets

LA Angels - 4:05 PM ET LA Angels +106 500
Chi. White Sox -

Chi. Cubs - 4:05 PM ET Texas -124 500
Texas -

LA Dodgers - 4:05 PM ET San Diego -115 500
San Diego -

Seattle - 4:05 PM ET Seattle +125 500
Milwaukee -

Kansas City - 4:10 PM ET Kansas City +113 500
Arizona -

Minnesota - 7:05 PM ET Boston -136 500
Boston -

Colorado - 10:05 PM ET Colorado +113 500
Oakland -

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NHL

Saturday, March 26

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Rangers - 1:00 PM ET NY Rangers +146 500
Boston - Over 5 500

Colorado - 4:00 PM ET Colorado +228 500
Los Angeles - Under 5.5 500

New Jersey - 7:00 PM ET New Jersey +114 500
Buffalo - Under 5 500

Washington - 7:00 PM ET Montreal -121 500
Montreal - Over 5.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:00 PM ET NY Islanders +137 500
NY Islanders - Over 5.5 500

Tampa Bay - 7:00 PM ET Tampa Bay +120 500
Carolina - Over 5.5 500

Toronto - 7:00 PM ET Toronto +167 500
Detroit - Under 5.5 500

Dallas - 8:00 PM ET Nashville -149 500
Nashville - Under 5 500

St. Louis - 8:00 PM ET St. Louis +106 500
Minnesota - Over 5.5 500

Anaheim - 8:30 PM ET Chicago -182 500
Chicago - Under 5.5 500

San Jose - 9:00 PM ET Phoenix -101 500
Phoenix - Under 5.5 500

Calgary - 10:00 PM ET Edmonton +169 500
Edmonton - Over 5.5 500


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NCAAB

Saturday, March 26

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Iona - 2:00 PM ET East Tennessee St. +2.5 500
East Tennessee St. - Under 146 500

Butler - 4:20 PM ET Florida -4 500
Florida - Under 132 500

Arizona - 6:55 PM ET Arizona +2.5 500
Connecticut - Over 145 500


NBA Posted Later when all lines are out...

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday, March 26

Game Score Status Pick Amount

New Jersey - 7:00 PM ET New Jersey +10 500
Atlanta - Under 185.5 500

New York - 7:00 PM ET Charlotte +4.5 500
Charlotte - Under 198 500

Indiana - 7:30 PM ET Detroit -2.5 500
Detroit - Under 203.5 500

Chicago - 8:30 PM ET Milwaukee +6 500
Milwaukee - Under 178 500

Dallas - 9:00 PM ET Dallas -6 500
Utah - Over 202.5 500

Toronto - 10:30 PM ET L.A. Clippers -11 500
L.A. Clippers - Under 212 500

[StarDust Bum]

Coaching Carousel

March 26, 2011

Like soccer's World Cup, wherein a number of national team managers will find themselves out a job before the month-long tournament is complete, college basketball doesn't waste much time when it comes to spinning out its unwanted coaches before the Big Dance concludes. Already, we had 31 coaching openings before the Sweet Sixteen commenced, with several more likely in the next couple of weeks as dominoes continue to fall and coaches move from one job to another.

Like most campaigns, a handful of high-profile jobs have come open over the past few weeks. Here's a quick look at some of the more-intriguing openings and the accompanying rumor mills...

Bradley... Jim Les was jettisoned after a disappointing (and injury-plagued) 12-20 season and a mere 54% winning mark over 9 years in Peoria, where more is expected from the Braves. A couple of successful mid-major head coaches, UW-Milwaukee's Rob Jeter and Long Beach State's Dan Monson, reportedly weren't interested after being contacted early in the process. Missouri Valley sources tell us that Bradley's focus has now shifted to Gonzaga assistant Ray Giacoletti (former Eastern Washington and Utah HC), Oral Roberts HC Scott Sutton, and IUPFW Mastodons HC Dane Fife.

Fresno State... Steve Cleveland cleaned up a messy Bulldog program he inherited six years ago but never got FSU headed in the right direction, and was reassigned in the athletic department after the recent WAC Tourney loss to Nevada. The long-ago glory days of Boyd Grant that spawned the Red Wave, and even the brief resurrection of the program under Jerry Tarkanian in the '90s, now seem like ancient history in the Central Valley. But a fancy arena and a support base that has shown it can quickly fill a bandwagon are positives about the job. WAC sources report that former Oregon HC Ernie Kent has interest in the position, but also that one from among several darkhorse candidates (former CS San Bernardino and Long Beach HC Larry Reynolds, now at nearby CS Stanislaus; former Fresno City College and Pepperdine HC and current UMass assistant Vance Walberg, architect of the "Dribble Drive Motion" offense employed by John Calipari and others; and current Fresno City College HC Ed Madec) could yet emerge.

Georgia Tech... Many hoops aficionados are debating how good of a job Tech really is, although any doubters are probably off the mark. Paul Hewitt brought some top-shelf talent to the program and took the Jackets to the national title game in 2004, but was victimized in recent years by early departures from one-and-done sorts such as Thaddeus Young and Gani Lawal, whose eligibility could have extended into this past season, which could have made GT a national contender. Hewitt's dismissal seemed a bit harsh to us, but we believe the potential is still great for the Yellow Jackets, located in the mecca of Atlanta, which is loaded with prep talent and should be a magnet for preps from around the region and elsewhere (the appeal of the "Showcase City of the South" on recruits should not be underestimated). Hewitt's buyout was supposedly north of $5 million, so AD Dan Radakovich might be a little hamstrung in his search, although some big names (such as Minnesota's Tubby Smith) have been mentioned. Keep an eye on a couple of up-and-comers still involved in the Sweet Sixteen as of Friday night, Richmond's Chris Mooney (who could "get while the gettin's good" with his senior-laden Spider team about to disperse), and Virginia Commonwealth's Shaka Smart, both reportedly high on the list. Others mentioned have been Harvard's Tommy Amaker, who has rehabbed his reputation in the Ivy League after previous stints at Seton Hall and Michigan; Dayton's Brian Gregory, a consistent winner with the Flyers; Missouri State's Cuonzo Martin, and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall.

Loyola-Chicago... The once-proud Rambler program is undergoing a housecleaning, with Jim Whitesell's string of .500-type marks not deemed suitable for continuing employment. An intriguing name to emerge in the Loyola search is that of Todd Lickliter, Brad Stevens' successful predecessor at Butler but now apparently looking back to the Horizon League to resurrect his career after a flameout in three seasons at Iowa. Another recently-dismissed coach, Providence's Keno Davis (who had success at Drake a few years ago) has also been mentioned, with current Western Michigan mentor Steve Hawkins' name also surfacing. In addition, there's an obligatory list of regional assistant coaches that includes Butler's Matthew Graves, Indiana's Tim Buckley, Northwestern's Tavares Hardy, Illinois' Jerrance Howard, Minnesota's Vince Taylor, and Vanderbilt's Tom Richardson, a longtime Kevin Stallings confidante who succeeded the Commodore mentor at Illinois State, before rejoining Stallings in Nashville. All are reportedly on the Rambler radar.

Missouri... Mike Anderson's annual flirtation with other jobs finally landed him the gig he always coveted at Arkansas, made all the sweeter by the deal super agent Jimmy Sexton was able to swing (reportedly $2.2 million per year) in Fayetteville. Anderson's hiring, by the way, is also viewed as a bridge-builder to the glory era for the Razorbacks, now that the anti-Nolan Richardson forces (including longtime AD Frank Broyles) have departed the scene. Anderson, of course, spent 20 years as a Richardson aide at Tulsa and Arkansas, filling in as the head coach on an interim basis after Nolan was dismissed in the 2001-02 campaign, before Anderson took the job at UAB, and then Mizzou. Big XII sources believe the frontrunner to succeed Anderson in Columbia is Missouri State's Cuonzo Martin, who won 26 games this year in Springfield and is part of the respected "Gene Keady coaching tree" that has also spawned the likes of Bruce Weber, Matt Painter, the aforementioned Kevin Stallings, and even Steve Lavin. Others getting mentioned for the Tiger job include Painter, Wichita State's Gregg Marshall, Virginia Commonwealth's Shaka Smart, and perhaps Memphis' Josh Pastner (though Bluff City sources maintain it is highly unlikely Pastner would bolt the Tigers with a top-shelf recruiting class ready to enroll, and the fact the Memphis job is a very desirable one).

North Carolina State... ACC observers suggest that AD Debbie Yow is more likely to make a good decision than predecessor Lee Fowler, influenced as he was by a very vocal minority of good 'ole boy Wolfpack backers (including former C Tom Burleson) who engineered favorite son Sidney Lowe's hiring a few years ago. Knowledgeable regional insiders completely dismiss the chatter that has Arizona's Sean Miller as a target (Miller is well-compensated in Tucson), but some other intriguing names have surfaced. Heading the list are Wichita State's Gregg Marshall, who had great success regionally at Winthrop before taking the job with the Wheatshockers, who have advanced to the NIT Final Four, and Texas A&M's Mark Turgeon. Raleigh is another rumored interest point for Minnesota's Tubby Smith, who might be looking to move from Minneapolis back to the south (Georgia Tech another possibility).

Oklahoma... Jeff Capel's recent ouster was not a terrible surprise to Sooner backers who had become disillusioned with the recent trajectory of the program (downward) and some of the recent controversies regarding Tiny Gallon. The Sooners have the money to pay for a high-profile coach, although their history suggests they will likely look just beneath the top layer, where they found their last three hires (Billy Tubbs from Lamar, Kelvin Sampson from Washington State, and Capel from Virginia Commonwealth). That's why some Norman sources are warning to keep an eye on Terry Evans, a former Sooner player and current Central Oklahoma HC, as the sort of sleeper that could emerge. Some other bigger names have also surfaced as possibilities, including that of Marquette's Buzz Williams, with ties to the region and an alum of nearby Oklahoma City University. Colorado's up-and-coming Tad Boyle could be a target as well (the Sooners can pay more than the cash-strapped Buff program these days).

Tennessee... The end of the Bruce Pearl regime is Knoxville was as expected as it was swift once the Volunteers crashed out of the Big Dance in embarrassing fashion vs. Michigan. UT and under-fire AD Mike Hamilton are reportedly aiming very high in their search for a replacement, with Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon apparently at the top of the wish list. Dixon, however, has routinely rejected other high-profile jobs in recent years, and Big East sources don't think that is about to change anytime soon. Another Big East coach, Villanova's Jay Wright, is also a potential target, as could be Texas A&M's Mark Turgeon and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall, who apparently has no shortage of likely suitors. SEC insiders also indicate that Belmont's Rick Byrd and Oakland's Greg Kampe have inquired about the Knoxville job but are not being seriously considered.

Utah... Nice-guy Jim Boylen's dismissal at the conclusion of the regular season was not unexpected, as the Utes prepare to move into the Pac-12 later this year. Sources in Salt Lake City indicate that discussions with Saint Mary's HC Randy Bennett had progressed to the point of contract negotiation, but that the Gaels' mentor has apparently pulled his name from consideration. There have also been local rumors that BYU HC Dave Rose, not exactly thrilled with the Cougs' move away from the Mountain West and into the lower-profile West Coast Conference next season, could potentially move the rival Utes. And though most sources are nixing those rumors, others have noted that Utah has not seemed to be in a hurry to fill the position, suggesting that AD Chris Hill might simply be waiting for BYU's season to end (which it did Thursday night) to follow up with any Rose possibilities. LSU HC Trent Johnson, a former Utah assistant, has denied interest after early indicators suggested otherwise. Former Alabama HC Mark Gottfried has also expressed interest, and some regional insiders suggest that Long Beach State's Dan Monson, with big-time experience at Minnesota and having put Gonzaga on the map in the late '90s before moving to Minneapolis, could yet emerge as a serious candidate. The name of Duke assistant and former Blue Devil G Steve Wojciechowski has also surfaced in the Salt Lake chatter.

Wyoming... Rumors from the Rockies have the Cowboys seriously courting Old Dominion HC Blaine Taylor, who has had a nice run with the Monarchs but might be looking to return to the mountain region after an earlier successful stint at Montana. Sources indicate that Wyo administrators (including AD Tom Burman and school president Tom Buchanan) made a recent stealth-like trip to Norfolk to meet with Taylor, although no official announcements have been forthcoming. Former HC Larry Shyatt, who once upon a time left Laramie for Clemson and is now a Billy Donovan assistant at Florida, has also been mentioned, as have Murray State HC Billy Kennedy (a Wyo assistant for one year under Benny Dees in the late '80s) and a pair of high-profile assistants, Mike Dunlap from St. John's and Joe Dooley from Kansas.

As always, stay tuned...