NCAA Basketball – Barack Obama makes his picks for the Presidential Bracket

This time around, President Barack Obama didn’t take that many chances and even though he is the most renowned advocate of change and the change we can believe in, he certainly goes for the safe route when taking on the NCAA Bracket. This time around President Obama is not taking too many risks as he had chosen the 4 top seeded teams to waltz their way pass the Sweet 16 dance and overpower their rivals in the Elite Eight and straight into the Final Four.

The US President says that the Duke Blue Devils, the Kansas Jayhawks, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Pittsburgh Panthers are all expected to not only follow what the Selection Committee said where the favorite teams but also what the sportsbook-world handicappers are saying would be the strongest teams of the bracket.

Once again, Obama went for the Kansas Jayhawks to be win the Big Game. Obama’s national Champion would face the Ohio State Buckeyes, the No. 1 overall seed of the 68-team tournament, on the final. Barack Obama holds a 1-1 record when it comes to picking the National Championship. He was right on in 2009 when he went with the North Carolina Tar Heels for to win it. Last year, he wasn’t that accurate, as he picked the Jayhawks. They were a bit of a disappointment and it was the Duke Blue Devils guided by Coach K. who would go on to win the NCAA Tournament.

This year again, Obama is holding strong to the Jayhawks and putting his faith on the Morris brothers. According to Barack Obama those two could guide Kansas into great things. In his own words, those twins have depth and experience. One thing is for certain, Obama might be one of holds one of the most privileged and complicated offices in the world, but he seems to still find time to know who is who in college basketball.

NCAA Basketball – It was a rough week for the top ranked teams

The Duke Blue Devils are back at the top of the NCAA basketball. The Blue Devils were fifth in last weeks poll but each and every one of the four teams ahead of them lost during the week, giving the voters enough of a boost to put Duke back on the top. This has been a good season for Duke. As of press time the Blue Devils hold a 25-2 record overall and have won 12 out of their 13 games in the ACC.

The other big move in the AP Poll rankings came for the guys from St. John’s. A team that had become national power in the 1980’2, the Red Storm was certainly missing most of its spark in the latest seasons, and the team had failed to arrive to the NCAA Tournament since 2002. The last time St. Johns was ranked in the AP Poll was in the final poll of the 1999-2000 season, when they finished 18th nation wide.

Even though St. John’s isn’t having its best season, as with a 17-9 overall and 9-5 on the Big East those numbers alone don’t give the team much bragging rights, the truth is that the Red Storm has been brilliant at knocking down highly ranked teams. With key wins over Duke, Notre Dame, No.15 Connecticut and No.11 Georgetown, that enough should have given St. Johns a chance to be among the ranked teams. But it wasn’t until the Red Storm defeated Pittsburgh that they got some attention from the voting coaches.

But perhaps the biggest news came from upsets from the four top ranked teams. The rough week started Monday when Kansas lost 84-68 at Kansas State. Yes, this is only the third time in 45 games that the Wildcats take down the Jayhawks. Saturday was the rough day for former No. 2 Texas Longhorns, which lost 70-67 at Nebraska, and like we said then it was former No. 4 Pittsburgh, which lost 60-59 to St. John’s at the Madison Square Garden.

It is quite an unusual week for college hoops. As a matter of fact, the last time that the 4 top ranked teams in the nation all lost in one week was back in Nov. 25, 2003. That time around it was No. 1 Connecticut, No. 2 Duke, No. 3 Michigan State and No. 4 Arizona who lost their games.

The team that is going to have to deal with even more issues now is Kansas. The Jayhawks not only lost their top spot on the rankings, but just recently head coach Bill Self said made the announcement that junior guard Tyshawn Taylor was going to be suspended indefinitely for breaking team rules. It’s certainly going to be a big lost for the Jayhawks as Taylor has been a starter in all but one of the games that Kansas has played for their 25-2 record this season. The reasons behind the suspension have not been specified and we have yet to hear any rumors worth spreading.

This week Duke leads the AP Poll. Ohio State sits second while Kansas finishes the podium. Pittsburg managed to keep its fourth place, while Texas finished 5th this week. San Diego State, Brigham Young, Purdue, Notre Dame and Arizona complete the rest of the top 10 in the usual order.

NCAA Basketball – Virginia Tech Upsets No.1 Duke

The Virginia Tech Hokies have been lingering in the NCAA bubble for the last three years. Last season, it really seemed as if the V-Tech was going to make it into the NCAA tournament, but instead they ended up their postseason taking a go at the NIT. This time around, the Hokies needed results against top-ranked teams if they wanted to grab some attention from the selection committee. And let’s be clear about this: a win this late in the season against the top-ranked team in the nation is certainly the best way to earn a ticket into March Madness.

The Virginia Tech team took advantage of a late-game 15-4 run to turn around a six point deficit against Duke to a 5 point lead that was just enough to hand the Blue Devils their third loss of the season. Jeff Allen scored 17 points to lead Virginia Tech to a 64-60 home win against Duke. After the win the Hokies recorded their fourth all-time win over AP No. 1 ranked teams.

With a 19-8 overall season and playing for 9-5 in the ACC, Virginia Tech’s season has not been exactly an utter success. On the other hand, Virginia just got back from a 4 game losing strike in the series against the Duke Blue Devils, and they took this win right when it hurt most: when Duke finally climbed to the top of the AP polls. Not only that but the Hokies made worth their home-court advantage. What really matters is that the Hokies were capable of breaking Duke’s seven game winning-streak against conference rivals on the road gaining the notoriety that the team is urged of right now.

The crowd was loud and sometimes they even got a bit personal against Duke’s Seth Curry. This was the first appearance at Cassell Coliseum for Seth Curry, whose father, Dell Curry, is somewhat of a legend at Virginia Tech. Not only is he the second-leading scorer in Hokies history but also the first player whose number the institution retired.

Seth Curry was recruited by the Hokies but wound up at Liberty and transferred to Duke after one season seeking a bigger challenge. Now he had to come back and play before his old man an a couple thousand angry fans. He wasn’t great. He played 15 minutes and went home scoreless. It seems as if Curry just couldn’t handle the pressure.

The Hokies led 42-37 until Andre Dawkins’s 3-pointer for Duke with 16:45 brought the Blue Devils back to life. Following this three-pointer Duke got back in the game with a 14-3 burst that put the No.1 team in the nation ahead. Singler had seven points in this run alone, and finished it off with a 3-pointer that gave Duke a 51-45 advantage with over 11 minutes to play. But it was just not enough.

Singler led Duke with 22 points but his shooting was a bit off-target. He completed only 6 of 19 shots. Duke also relied on Nolan Smith and his 18 points, but that was not enough to counter the great performance from the Hokies starters, all which had double figures.

Jeff Allen led the Hokies with 18 points and 15 boards. Erick Green brought in 12 points and Malcolm Delaney had 11 points as the Hokies improved to 4-7 in their record against teams ranked No. 1. Just to get you into the right zone, the Hokies have won 3 of those 4 games in the last 5 seasons. Perhaps it is time to let the V-Tech Hokies play in the big tournament in March.

NCAA Basketball – Kansas State stuns Texas Longhorns

They say that every good story worth telling has two sides to it. This might also hold true to a vast array of daily life circumstances. If you have made it past the play-for-fun stage and enter the realm of either recognizing that in sports there’s either winning or losing, you’ll know exactly what is happening in Austin, Texas.

For the Longhorns, both on college basketball and particularly in college football, there is always a huge deal of pressure set upon coaches, players, and even fans. The Texas Longhorns might not have the most ambitious educational program in the United States, but you can be quite certain that when it comes to collegiate sports, they are expected to pass with flying colors. Every season: no exceptions. Anything other then making it into the NCAA Tournament, or going for a BCS Bowl Game is considered failure.

Kansas State doesn’t really live up to the same expectations. At least they don’t have to. First of all because for decades now, the Wildcats have been overshadowed by the Kansas Jayhawks. Things are not as intense when it comes to NCAA sports in Manhattan as they are in Lawrence, Kansas. But this time around, it really seems as if the Wildcats are giving it their very best to change those expectations and perform against the odds.

Yes, for the most part, Kansas State had been somewhat of a disappointment. They started as the No. 2 team in the nation before the season kicked in, but surely but slowly the Wildcats were underperforming. But recently things began to click in. After a 75-70 win over the Longhorns, last night, the Wildcats have now recorded its 5th consecutive win and 7th in the last 8 games played. To really get things into perspective, the Wildcats have defeated 3 teams in the top 30 in this last streak.

Great games by Jacob Pullen and Rodney McGruder have pushed Kansas State to collect wins over Kansas, Missouri, and Texas just to name the latest wins against ranked teams.

The Texas Longhorns, on the other hand, are falling into a slurp just two weeks after some sports reporters had believed that they would have no trouble dominating the Big 12. Texas lost for the third time during the last 4 games, putting a very significant and lopsided end to an 11-consecutive-win streak that had prompted them into top 5 positions in the rankings.

Things have not been good in Texas. The Longhorns have not been able to rely on some of their key-players who have failed to live up to their expectations. For instance: Jordan Hamilton shot 5 of 18 from the floor on this last game. And it is not a matter of having just one bad game. Everybody has a bad night, but heck, it really seems as if Hamilton totally lost his aim. In the Longhorns last three losing games, Hamilton has gone 15-of-58 from the field.

An 11-0 start in conference play had the Longhorns among the top contenders for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Now they’re trying finding their way back to the top and not having to worry too much about how much down they are going to fall.

Kansas State is finally figuring out how to get back on the winning side of things. There are some signs that warn us about what this guys could do in March. For instance consider that this is the Wildcats’ fifth straight win and first on the road over a Top Ten team since 1994. We’ll take that as a good omen.

NCAA Basketball – Wisconsin serves Ohio State its first defeat of the season

by Stephen Lars on Feb.14, 2011, under Basketball, Sports News

Everything that goes up must eventually come down. There is somewhat of a certain beauty when the big teams go down. It’s not just the disappointment of seeing a brilliant team lose its perfect season, or the fight of the underdog to play against the odds and pull off an impressive win. Yes, there is some sort beauty behind the fall of the perfect; perhaps it is something like the upside of failure.

And the Wisconsin Badgers now all about it. The crowd couldn’t resist much longer and stormed in the court as the home team was working its way up to defeat a No.1 ranked team for the first time since 1962. The Badgers put on one heck of a comeback on the second half to close on a 15-point margin to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes by 71-67.

Playing the underdog is somewhat of an act of sheer faith. Yes, sometimes the spread is so significantly unbalanced that going for the little team is exciting and worth taking your chances. And yet there is a whole other approach when it comes to wagering on sports such as the College Hoops: playing against the team that is breaking all the records.

The Ohio State Buckeyes had had one phenomenal season this year, brining in not only the schools second best ever season starting winning streak. At 24-0 the Buckeyes had only one better record from the season kickoff and it came in 1960-61 when Ohio State went on for a 27-0 start. But then it all went south.

The man of the hour was no other then Jordan Taylor who in 13 minutes was capable of leading the Badgers into an impressive come from behind win over the best team in the Nation. Taylor scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, working Wisconsin to keep the NCAA Division I basketball championship from having a perfect team since Indiana had its flawless season back in the 1975-76 season.

Taylor was the spark that started the 15-0 fire from the Badgers completing 8 straight points, including back to back three’s that really gave Wisconsin that special boost to build up enough momentum to hold back the Buckeyes desperate attempt for a comeback.

For those of you fond of stats and records, the Wisconsin Badgers have joined Florida as the only team to defeat the same No.1 team in the Nation on both NCAA football and NCAA basketball during the same academic year. As a matter of fact this is the first time that a NCAA team has defeated the No. 1 team in both football and basketball during the same season.

The Badgers have been a good team this season. Even though the squads numbers aren’t as impressive as most fans would like, at 19-5 overall and 9-3 in Big Ten conference play, the Badgers have been quite outstanding when playing at home. One must take into consideration that this is the Badgers 17th straight win at home. Wisconsin was sharp from the three point line, hitting 12 of 24 3 to really guide the team into the upset. But by the halftime break it sure didn’t look like the Badgers would be close after such a big deficit.

Taylor worked the Badgers momentum hitting a floater and two deep 3-pointers, then Wisconsin went on another 10-0 run at the end of the game to hold on to their advantage

NCAA Basketball – Jacob Pullen leads Kansas State to a win over Kansas

Instate Rivalry in college sports are among the most exciting games in NCAA regulated sports. There is so much tradition and so much history involved in each of this games that one can’t help but to feel a certain fascination for these games. So when Kansas State hosted the Kansas Jayhawks at the Fred Bramlage Coliseum in Manhatan, KS, it really seemed as if all the ingredients for a great game where on the ground.

And here is where it gets really interesting. Kansas State has been up to this point somewhat of a disappointment the No. 3 ranked team before the season kickoff was now unranked and could only hold onto a mediocre 16-9 record overall and 4-6 mark in the Big 12 before the game began. So Kansas State had to deal with the fact that the team had not have a good win since Thanksgiving and as if that was not enough, the team’s off the court shenanigans has brought them a couple of suspensions to their starters. Jacob Pullen was suspended for 3 games while Curtis Kelly took a 6-game suspension for violating NCAA rules.

On the side of the Jayhawks, there team was going through a great moment and just a couple of hours prior to the game the Jayhawks had pushed the Texas Longhorns from the top to claim themselves as the No. 1 team in the nation. So yes, on one side of the story the Jayhawks had to defend their votes that placed them ahead of the Longhorns; on the other hand, Kansas State really had to bring on their A-game and prove their fans that their season was not over.

And what better way to prove they are still alive and worthy of going to March Madness then taking a win over their instate rivals: the Kansas Jayhawks. That’s when Jacob Pullen began to shine. The senior guard was capable of turning the game around with a brilliant performance, scoring 38 points to lead the Wildcats to an outstanding upset 84-68.

To really put things into perspective, you might need to know that this is one of the most lopsided rivalries as the Wildcats have only won 2 of their previous 45 games against the Jayhawks. Pullen and company have now made that 3 wins in their head to head matchup. This was one heck of an upset. Just a month ago, the Jayhawks had beat the Wildcats by 24 points. But that was all going to change. Kansas State was a dominant, well paced and organized team.

Even head coach Bill Self, from Kansas, had to agree that the Wildcats were a much stronger team. In the press conference he commented:

NCAA Basketball –This season’s College Basketball biggest losers

Every season before the college hoops begin we, or at least those of us really fond of NCAA college basketball, we have this tendency of getting together an assessing our favorite teams. We take into consideration not only the official rankings and polls, but also the team’s performance during the previous season and we even take a look at what the sportsbooks have to say when it comes to predicting a winner of the NCAA basketball championship.

The Big Schools in college basketball usually shine their brightest in the preseason and if they have had a great performance during March Madness and they keep on surviving in our NCAA College Hoops bracket, then there is a good chance that we have great hopes for them during this season. But sometimes they tend to be a disappointment. This is a quick review of the most notable college hoops underachievers so far this season.

Heading this list is no other than Michigan State. The Spartans where the No.2 seed before the season started. Now, a couple of months into the season, the squad is not even ranked, and even thought they still have a chance of making it into March Madness, there is a very good chance that the Spartans might not make it into the NCAA Tournament. What’s wrong? Well, for starters they have recently taken a couple of bad losses. They lost to Iowa and Wisconsin by a combined 46 points, which is just simply an utter disappointment considering this is a squad that has come off two consecutive Final Fours. Tom Izzo really should start thinking about what his squad has to do to right this sinking ship.

Of course we couldn’t continue the list without mentioning the guys from Kansas State. Here’s the catch: the No. 3 ranked team before the season kickoff is now unranked and holds a mediocre 16-8 record overall and 4-5 mark in the Big 12. The squad has not have a good win since Thanksgiving and as if that was not enough, the team’s off the court shenanigans has brought them a couple of suspensions for their starters. Jacob Pullen was suspended by 3 games while Curtis Kelly took a 6-game suspension for violating NCAA rules. Just to keep on pilling the great news, Wally Judge, a sophomore for whom there where fairly high hopes just recently quitted the team. Some believe that they could still make it into the NCAA Tournament. They might as well just give another team a chance at the March Madness.

Last but not least of an underperformer we have Gonzaga. At the beginning of the regular season, Gonzaga was ranked as the No. 12 team in the Nation. The West Coast Conference team now holds a 15-9 record overall and a 5-3 record in conference play. The Bulldogs have managed to achieve a couple of decent non-conference wins against teams such as Marquette, Baylor and Xavier. But things have looked very bleak ever since the 2011 kicked in. It really looks like if the Gonzaga Bulldogs want to get a part of the pie and play with the big boys in March, they must win the West Coast Conference to get a bid. If things keep on looking like they have, it will probably be the first time since the new millennium that Gonzaga fails to win its league.

NCAA Basketball – Villanova holds on to early lead to defeat Syracuse

Villanova got back at Syracuse and gives the Orange its 2nd straight loss. Last time they meet the Syracuse Orange (18-2, 5-2 in the Big East) held Villanova to a 8-of-28 on three-pointers for an overwhelming 18 point win at the Carrier Dome. On this last game, it was time for payback. Guards Maalik Wayns and Corey Fisher worked together for a combined 6 out of 7 shooting from outside the arc in the first half to give Villanova a 40-29 margin on the first half. That was enough to survive Syracuse’s effusive comeback in the last minutes and win the game 83 to 72.

Maalik Wayns scored 21 points, completed 1 rebound, 2 assists and 2 steals to lead Villanova into securing its 8 win in the last 11 games against Syracuse. The Orange had depended mostly on a zone defense to secure a very good record so far this season, keeping teams to a low 28 percent conversion rate from the three point range. Still, it was up to Jay Wright, Nova’s head coach, to guide the Wildcats into braking past the zone-system and clear up an ample margin so early in the game.

Corey Fisher was another key-player for the Wildcats. He scored 16 points, recorded seven assists and four turnovers. Corey Stokes had also 16 points and Antonio Pena 10 and Villanova gave the Syracuse Orange their second consecutive lost, after recording 18 consecutive wins from the very beginning of the season. Villanova scored all but two of its 24 attempts.

For the Syracuse Orange Rick Jackson had 16 points and 15 rebounds, to complete his 13th double-double, and Brandon Triche completed 14 points. This was the second straight game for each squad against a top-10 team. Villanova lost 61-59 at No. 8 Connecticut on Monday, when the Orange lost 74-66 at Pittsburgh after falling behind 19-0.

After missing the loss to Pittsburgh due to a head injury, Syracuse’s Kris Joseph led all scorers with 23 points, 16 in the second half. Villanova made a season-best 11 3-pointers in the win, shooting 45.8 percent (11 for 24) from 3-point range.

Syracuse will now play Seton Hall on Tuesday. They will then hit the road to play Marquette on Saturday. The Villanova Wildcats are 17-2 and 5-1 in the Big East for the season, holding on to quite a good record so far this season. Villanova sits second in the Big East Standings followed closely by Syracuse. The Big East is lead by Pittsburgh, which holds an impeccable 7-0 record on conference play and 19-1 overall record. Syracuse is third in the AP top 25. The Ranking is lead by the Ohio State Buckeyes with an 18-0 season and then followed by the Kansas Jayhawks. The guys from Kansas are 17-0.

Stick around for more coverage on NCAA Basketball. We’ve got all your wagering needs covered. Whether you want to bet on parleys, straight bets, full games or half times, Betias.com is your best choice.

2010-11 Big Ten College Basketball Conference Title Odds

By Robert Ferringo

Here are the odds to win the Big Ten Conference regular season title. Wager is on team to win conference listed. Tiebreaker is team who gets lower seed (1 seed is lowest) in conference tournament is winning wager.

Below the college basketball odds I have some predictions, recommendations, or suggestions - whatever you want to call them - on how to wager this futures bet. Enjoy.

Indiana

2010-11 NCAA College Basketball Championship Futures Odds

By Robert Ferringo

Here are the odds to win the 2010-11 College Basketball National Championship. Below the odds I have some predictions, recommendations, or suggestions - whatever you want to call them - on how to wager this futures bet. Enjoy.

Alabama

2010-11 Pac-10 College Basketball Conference Championship Odds

By Robert Ferringo

Here are the odds to win the Pacific 10 Conference regular season title. Wager is on team to win conference listed. Tiebreaker is team who gets lower seed (1 seed is lowest) in conference tournament is winning wager.

Below the college basketball odds I have some predictions, recommendations, or suggestions - whatever you want to call them - on how to wager this futures bet. Enjoy.

Arizona

2010-11 Big 12 College Basketball Conference Championship Odds

By Robert Ferringo

Here are the odds to win the Big 12 Conference. Wager is on team to win conference listed. Tiebreaker is team who gets lower seed (1 seed is lowest) in conference tournament is winning wager.

Below the college basketball odds I have some predictions, recommendations, or suggestions - whatever you want to call them - on how to wager this futures bet. Enjoy.

Baylor

2010-11 ACC College Basketball Conference Title Odds

By Robert Ferringo

Here are the odds to win the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title this year. Wager is on team to win conference listed. Tiebreaker is team who gets lower seed (1 seed is lowest) in conference tournament is winning wager.

Below the college basketball odds I have some predictions, recommendations, or suggestions - whatever you want to call them - on how to wager this futures bet. Enjoy.

Boston College

2010-11 SEC College Basketball Conference Title Odds

By Robert Ferringo

Here are the odds to win the SEC East regular season title. Wager is on team to win conference listed. Tiebreaker is team who gets lower seed (1 seed is lowest) in conference tournament is winning wager.
Below the college basketball odds I have some predictions, recommendations, or suggestions - whatever you want to call them - on how to wager this futures bet. Enjoy.

Florida

2010-11 Big East College Basketball Conference Title Odds

By Robert Ferringo

Here are the odds to win the Big East regular season title. Wager is on team to win conference listed. Tiebreaker is team who gets lower seed (1 seed is lowest) in conference tournament is winning wager

Below the college basketball odds I have some predictions, recommendations, or suggestions - whatever you want to call them - on how to wager this futures bet. Enjoy.

Connecticut

College Basketball Review: Navy-Texas Random Thoughts

By Robert Ferringo

I just finished re-watching the Navy-Texas game from Monday night. It’s always good to get that second viewing to really hone in on the specifics of how things are rolling. I know it is only one game, against an inferior opponent, but here are some snap thoughts about the Longhorns:

- I think that this team is going to have a lot of the same issues that it had last year. That’s to say that this will be a pretty good team this year. They’ll hang around the Top 25, flirt with being in the Big 12 race, make the NCAA Tournament but not survive the opening weekend. I think that’s the ceiling for this team for a variety of reasons. They have the potential and certainly the talent to surprise me. But they have a long way to go - particularly learning to play together - before they can tap that potential.

- First, the most important player on this team is Jordan Hamilton. If he is aggressive on offense

Eligible 2010-2011 College Basketball Transfers

By Robert Ferringo

I have long contended that freshmen, all freshmen, are overrated in college basketball. However, a well-situated transfer can have a bigger impact because their appearance (or absence) isn’t always calculated into the lines by the oddsmakers and isn’t always as quickly reacted to by the books. Further, a player that has already been proven on the college stage is a lot easier to handicap than an inconsistent, overrated (or both) freshman.

This year there are several transfers that I think can step in and have a big impact. The entire Boston University team will be built out of transfers, essentially. Greg Echenique should tear up the Missouri Valley. And guys like Alex Legion, Olek Czyz, and Juan Pattillo are going from contributing on winning major programs to weaker mid-major leagues that they should tear up.

Regardless, don’t forget to factor key transfers into you preseason college basketball handicapping. Here is a list of transfers that will be eligible at some point this season, and next week I will have a list of guys who have transferred this year but won’t be ready until next season (but their absence will still impact this year):

Name             Pos     Ht/Wt   Year  To              From
Quincy Diggs       F    6-6/195   So   Akron           New Orleans
Charles Hinkle   G/F    6-5/210   Jr   American        Vanderbilt
Troy Brewer       SG    6-5/175   Jr   American        Georgia
Anthony Breeze     F    6-5/230   Jr   Appalachian St. Coastal Carolina
Omar Carter        F    6-5/220   Jr   Appalachian St. Char. Southern
Alex English       C   6-10/235   Jr   Arizona St.     Colgate
Jeff Peterson     PG    6-0/192   Jr   Arkansas        Iowa
Malcoln Kirkland  PF    6-8/230   Jr   Arkansas St.    Oklahoma St.
Dusty Mills        G    5-7/160   Jr   Ball St.        Kentucky
Chris Kurz         F    6-8/210   So   Boston U.       Arizona St.
Darryl Partin      G    6-6/190   Jr   Boston U.       La Salle
Matt Griffin       G   5-10/180   Jr   Boston U.       Rider
Patrick Hazel      F    6-6/220   Jr   Boston U.       Marquette
Frankie Dobbs      G    6-3/185   So   Bryant          Ohio
Chris O’Brien      G    6-4/205   So   Cal Poly        San Francisco
Drake U’u          G    6-5/210   So   Cal Poly        Hartford
Andre Hardy        F    6-6/230   Jr   CS Fullerton    Oral Roberts
Bryce Smith        G    6-5/205   So   CS Northridge   San Diego St.
Keishawn Mayes     F    6-7/225   Jr   Campbell        Md. Eastern Shore
Gaby Belardo       G    6-2/180   So   Canisius        South Florida
Terry Tidwell      F    6-8/230   So   Central Ark.    Ark. Pine Bluff
Tom Herzog         C    7-0/250   Sr   Central Florida Michigan St.
Jamar Briscoe     PG   5-10/165   So   Charlotte       NC Central
Omar Wattad        F    6-5/225   Jr   Chattanooga     Georgetown
Mike Holmes       PF    6-7/230   Sr   C. Carolina     South Carolina
Anthony Raffa      G    6-0/165   So   C. Carolina     Albany
Wes Eikmeier      SG    6-3/175   So   Colorado St.    Iowa St.
Greg Echenique    PF    6-9/260   So   Creighton       Rutgers
Clint Mann         F    6-8/222   So   Davidson        Iowa St.
Josh Parker       PG    6-0/186   Jr   Dayton          Drake
Trevor Noonan      C    6-9/225   Jr   Denver          Air Force
LaMarcus Lowe    F/C   6-11/200   So   Detroit         Western Michigan
Jordan Clarke     SF    6-8/243   So   Drake           Vermont
Kraidon Woods     SF    6-8/200   Jr   Drake           Binghamton
Seth Curry        PG    6-1/175   So   Duke            Liberty
Devin McDonald     G    6-0/185   Sr   E. Kentucky     New Orleans
Kore White         F    6-8/245   So   Fla. Atlantic   Marshall
Kevin Cantinol     C    6-9/250   Jr   Fla. Gulf Coast Mississippi
Alex Legion       SG    6-5/200   Sr   Fla. Int’l      Illinois
Brandon Moore      F   6-10/207   So   Fla. Int’l      Arkansas
Jeremy Allen       G    6-4/186   Jr   Fla. Int’l      Central Michigan
Jonathan Wills    SG    6-6/180   Jr   Fresno St.      New Mexico
Gerald Robinson   PG    6-1/165   Jr   Georgia         Tennessee St.
Zane Johnson      SG    6-6/210   Jr   Hawaii          Arizona
Mike Moore         G    6-5/195   Jr   Hofstra         Fordham
Trumaine Johnson   G    6-2/180   Jr   Houston         San Diego
Lamar Thomas       F    6-9/205   So   Houston Baptist Fordham
Paul Carter       PF    6-8/203   Sr   Ill. Chicago    Minnesota
Trey Blue         SG    6-3/200   So   Illinois St.    Fordham
Darion Anderson   SG    6-2/205   Sr   Iowa St.        Northern Illinois
Stephen Thomas     G    6-1/170   Jr   IUPUI           Dayton
Earl Pettis        G    6-5/240   Jr   La Salle        Rutgers
C.J. Garner        G   5-10/160   So   Long Island     South Alabama
David Perez        G    6-3/190   Jr   La. Lafayette   Centenary
Fred Brown        SG    6-2/190   Jr   La. Monroe      Kansas St.
Malcolm White     PF    6-9/225   Jr   Louisiana St.   Mississippi
Chris Smith        G    6-2/200   Jr   Louisville      Manhattan
Demetrius Jemison PF    6-8/240   Sr   Manhattan       Alabama
Eladio Espinosa   PF    6-7/220   So   Marshall        South Florida
Johnny Thomas     SF    6-6/205   Jr   Marshall        North Carolina St.
Travis King       PG    6-2/215   Sr   UMBC            George Washington
Charles Carmouche SG    6-2/175   Jr   Memphis         New Orleans
Cookie Miller     PG    5-7/165   Jr   Miami OH        Nebraska
Jordan Dumars     PG    6-5/220   Jr   Michigan        South Florida
Jason Jones      F/G    6-6/200   So   Middle Tenn.    Texas El Paso
Jimmy Oden         G    6-3/188   Jr   Middle Tenn.    Lipscomb
Nick Williams     SG    6-4/225   So   Mississippi     Indiana
Reggie Chamberlain G    6-0/170   Jr   UMKC            Wichita St.
Dion Nesmith       G    6-0/185   So   Monmouth        Northeastern
Phil Wait          C    7-1/250   So   Monmouth        St. John’s
Drew Kelly         F    6-7/253   Fr   Morehead St.    Miami OH
Kamyron Brown     PG    6-2/180   Jr   Nebraska        Oregon
Malik Story       SG    6-5/225   So   Nevada          Indiana
Olek Czyz         PF    6-7/240   So   Nevada          Duke
Quintrell Thomas  PF    6-8/245   So   UNLV            Kansas
Drew Gordon       PF    6-9/245   Jr   New Mexico      UCLA
Emmanuel Negedu   PF    6-7/220   So   New Mexico      Tennessee
Kevon Moore        G    6-3/185   Jr   Niagara         NC Wilmington
Justin Knox       PF    6-9/240   Sr   North Carolina  Alabama
Justin Leemow     PG    6-1/175   Jr   NC Central      South Florida
Landon Clement    SG    6-2/180   Jr   NC Central      NC Greensboro
Josh Snodgrass     G    6-4/220   Fr   North Florida   American
Parker Smith       G    6-3/150   So   North Florida   Tennessee St.
Reggie Hamilton   PG   5-11/175   Jr   Oakland         UMKC
Alex Kellogg      PF    6-7/225   Jr   Ohio            Providence
Barry Honore      PF    6-7/270   Jr   Oklahoma        Southern
Carl Blair        PG    6-3/205   So   Oklahoma        New Orleans
Nate Lozeau        C   6-10/270   Jr   Portland St.    San Diego
DeShawn Mitchell   G    6-5/205   So   Rider           UNLV
Femi Akinpetide    F    6-6/220   So   Sacred Heart    UMKC
Chris Gabriel      C   6-10/260   So   San Diego       New Mexico St.
James Rahon       SG    6-5/202   So   San Diego St.   Santa Clara
Mark McLaughlin   SG    6-6/200   Fr   Seattle         Baylor
Eniel Polynice     G    6-5/220   Sr   Seton Hall      Mississippi
Brandon Walters   PF    6-9/246   Jr   Siena           Seton Hall
Malik Cooke       SF    6-6/210   Jr   South Carolina  Nevada
Ron Anderson      PF    6-8/255   Jr   South Florida   Kansas St.
Jio Fontan        PG    6-0/185   So   Southern Cal    Fordham
Diamond Taylor    SG    6-4/175   Fr   Southern Ill.   Wisconsin
Mike Davis         C   6-11/255   Jr   St. Francis NY  Seton Hall
Kenton Walker II   F    6-9/235   Jr   St. Mary’s      Creighton
Blaise Ffrench     G    6-1/185   So   St. Peter’s     Texas El Paso
Jeronne Maymon    PF    6-6/240   So   Tennessee       Marquette
John Fields       PF    6-9/230   Sr   Tennessee       NC Wilmington
Matt Marseille     F    6-5/205   So   Tennessee Tech  Centenary
Zac Swansey        G    6-1/180   Jr   Tennessee Tech  Georgia
Liam McMorrow      C    7-0/260   So   Tennessee Tech  Marquette
Hank Thorns       PG    5-9/160   Jr   Texas Christian Virginia Tech
Brandon Provost    G    6-3/189   So   Tx Pan American Air Force
Ivory McGilvery    G    6-0/200   Jr   Tx Pan American Prairie View A&M
Perry Petty        G    6-1/180   Jr   Tx Pan American Santa Clara
Garland Judkins   SF    6-3/195   Jr   Tx San Antonio  Arizona
Harrison Smith     G    6-3/205   Sr   Texas Southern  Texas
Kevin Galloway     F    6-7/215   Sr   Texas Southern  Kentucky
A.J. Stewart       F    6-9/240   Jr   Texas St.       Kentucky
Matt Staff        PF    6-9/220   So   Texas St.       New Mexico
Anthony Wright    SF    6-6/235   Sr   Toledo          Michigan
Braxton Dupree    PF    6-8/260   Jr   Towson          Maryland
DeAndrae Ross      G    6-2/175   Jr   Troy            South Alabama
Flynn Cayman       F    6-8/212   Jr   Troy            Colorado St.
Will Weathers      G    6-0/165   So   Troy            Central Florida
D.J. Magley       PF    6-9/255   Jr   Tulsa           Western Kentucky
Scottie Haralson  SG    6-4/220   So   Tulsa           Connecticut
Eddie Miller       G    6-5/205   Jr   UC Davis        California
Daman Starring     G    6-4/190   So   UC Irvine       Centenary
Morgan Grim        F    6-8/220   Jr   Utah St.        Utah
Matt Glass         F    6-8/210   Jr   Vermont         Massachusetts
Allan Chaney      PF    6-9/235   So   Virginia Tech   Florida
Nikita Meshcharakov  PF 6-7/215   Jr   Wake Forest     Georgetown
B.J. Porter        G    6-3/190   So   Weber St.       Portland
Juan Pattillo     SF    6-6/215   Sr   W. Kentucky     Oklahoma
Teeng Akol        PF   6-11/230   So   W. Kentucky     Oklahoma St.
Christian Wolf     F    6-9/250   So   Wis. Milwaukee  Florida Gulf Coast
Mitchell Carter    C   6-10/270   Jr   Wis. Milwaukee  South Carolina
Johann Mpondo      F    6-8/230   Jr   Wright State    New Orleans
James Dean         G    6-2/185   So   Wyoming         Wis. Milwaukee
Damian Eargle      F    6-7/215   So   Youngstown St.  NC Greensboro

Robert Ferringo is a writer and a professional sports handicapper for Doc’s Sports. He has banked nearly $30,000 in profit for his $100-per-Unit bettors (and nearly $300,000 in profit for his dime bettors) with his nonconference picks over the last four years. He is considered one of the best college basketball cappers in the country and is set for his best year yet. You can sign up for his college basketball picks and get more information here.

Posted at 10:52 am

NCAA Basketball – Austin Rivers commits to Duke

by Stephen Lars on Oct.09, 2010, under Basketball

It’s a bit early for to start making up your mind on who’s going to win the NCAA Basketball National Championship, even more, it’s a bit too soon to make your picks for the Final Four. Nevertheless, as a player interested in wagering on the NCAA college hoops, you have probably already made up your mind on who you might end up putting up on your list. Anyhow, after they officially bring in Austin Rivers, it seems as if head coach Mike Krzyzewski is going to see his team ranked among the top 5 teams in the nation.

The talented shooting guard from Winter Park High School in Florida, has changed his mind and has now decided to stick around with Duke. It seems that Krzyzeswki, who is not only Duke’s head coach, but also the mastermind behind Team USA’s successful win in the FIBA World Basketball Championship last month, was a key-component in Rivers’ decision.

As of press-time, Rivers is No. 1 ranked player in the recruiting class of 2011, and has had offers made by all the top teams in the Nation. He met with head coach Bill Self, from the Kansas Jayhaws, but it seems that Kansas was not the right pick for the young athlete. He had also met with Roy Williams from University of North Carolina. But things just didn’t fit right between the talented player and the Tar Heels.

Just in case you had not heard of the kid, he is certainly making a good name in the Basketball world. And he is doing it all on his own. Ok, let’s not forget that it usually helps to have a dad who not only understands the sport but has been the architect behind what we can call the Boston Celtic’s revival. Yes, that’s right, the 6-foot-4, 189 pound Austin Rivers is no other then Doc Rivers’ son.

Not only is he a leader when it comes to scoring, but when teams tend to double guard him, he is capable of turning the table around and become a quite talented playmaker. It is going to be very interesting as the season unfolds to see whether Austin River can have a successful freshman year at Duke. We are a bit positive about the young player’s future. It wouldn’t be too much of a shocker if Duke had one heck of a year.

NBA basketball picks and previews 4/28/09

4 games are being played tonight and two series can be wrapped up today if teams can win on the road. Firstly in San Antonio Dallas who are leading 3-1 can upend the 3rd seed for the first shock of the play-offs if they can go into the Spurs’ home and win. Secondly the Houston Rockets can cause a 4th/5th shock of sorts if they can beat Portland in Oregon and this seems the more likely. Portland just hasn’t been able to cope with Yao Ming all series and it looks like it will cost them while Brandon Roy hasn’t been able to have the same success against the Houston defense. They even managed to lose a 6 point lead going into the 4th quarter on Sunday night which has led them to this situation and it was down to sloppy play that led to turnovers.

They know that tonight is last chance saloon and with Ming averaging 15 points a game in this series they know that they’ll need to find a suitable match-up to stop him. Not only that but Aaron Brooks is averaging 16 points and Luis Scola 17 suggests that so far in the play-offs Houston are a fast-paced shooting team. Tip off is at 10pm ET and the game is on NBA TV.

As always, if you’re looking to bet on sports, head over to http//www.SportsBettingChamp.com for information on how to win 97% of your sports bets!

Tags: basketball picks, bet on sports, NBA picks

This entry was postedon Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 at 1:18 amand is filed under NBA Basketball.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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NBA basketball picks and previews 4/29/09

Only 2 games are being played tonight and the aforementioned Denver Nuggets can see off the New Orleans Hornets in Denver and book their place in the Conference Semi-Finals with one more win. After their demolition of New Orleans in New Orleans on Monday the Nuggets went 3-1 up and are a game away from winning their series at a canter, each Denver win has seen a double digit margin of victory with the lowest being 15. This has sent a big signal to the rest of the Western Conference and could possibly set up a tantalising Western Conference Final between 1st seeds L.A and 2nd seeded Denver in a shootout. The Nuggets have only once been kept under 100 points in this series and when that happened they lost 95-93 in New Orleans in Game 3 but responded in glittering fashion with a historic 121-63 victory in Louisiana. In that game Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points and is averaging 21 points in this series while Chauncey Billups is leading the Nuggets with 25 points a game. New Orleans will have to pray for a miracle if they want to be in the next round of the play-offs and to do so will have to beat Denver, a team that’s only lost 8 times in the regular season at home, 3 times in a row with two in Denver. Tip-off is at 10.30pm ET and the game is on TNT.

As always, if you’re looking to bet on sports, head over to http//www.SportsBettingChamp.com for information on how to win 97% of your sports bets!

Tags: basketball picks, bet on sports, NBA picks

This entry was postedon Thursday, April 30th, 2009 at 3:07 amand is filed under NBA Basketball.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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