Second-seeded Villanova takes on Robert Morris in first-round action

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/18/2010 - Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 15th-seeded Robert Morris Colonials will have a tough task this afternoon in the South Region, as they take on the second-seeded Villanova Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

The Colonials will be making their second straight appearance in the Big Dance and the seventh overall in school history, which is the most by any team in Northeast Conference history. However, in the past NCAA Tournaments for Robert Morris the team is just 1-7. This season the Colonials tallied 23 overall victories and claimed their second straight NEC Tournament title.

The Wildcats will be making their sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, which is one off the school mark of seven straight showings set from 1980 to 1986. This will be the 31st overall showing in the tournament for Villanova, which is 48-30 all-time. Last season the Wildcats made a tremendous run in the Big Dance, advancing to the Final Four before falling to eventual champ North Carolina, 83-69. Villanova enters this contest with a 24-7 ledger, but the team dropped five of its last seven matchups.

This will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the hardwood, and the winner of this contest will move on to the second round to battle either Richmond or Saint Mary's.

The success this season for Robert Morris can be attributed to the team's play at the defensive end of the floor, as the Colonials are limiting opponents to just 65.7 ppg. Teams are shooting 40.9 percent against the Colonials this season, but the team has done a solid job defending against the three-point shot, as opponents are connecting on just 32.3 percent from long range. Unfortunately at the other end of the floor, the team has faltered a bit. In fact, Robert Morris possesses just one player averaging double figures, and that is Karon Abraham, who comes into this game netting 13.4 ppg. Abraham is a dangerous weapon from behind the arc, and has connected on a sensational 44.2 percent of his three-point attempts (80-of-181). Rob Robinson is contributing 9.9 ppg and a team-high 5.5 rpg, but the scoring pool dries up after that, with the team producing just 68.5 ppg on the season.

The Wildcats have been one of the most dangerous scoring teams in the country from the start this year, and they possess a sensational guard tandem in Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher. Reynolds is one of the best guards in the country, and is a proven leader on the floor, coming into this matchup leading the Wildcats with 18.5 ppg. Reynolds, who is shooting 39.9 percent from behind the arc, has also dished out 103 assists on the season. As for Fisher, he is very similar to Reynolds in the aspect of being a quick guard that can score a multiple of ways. Fisher, who is averaging 13.7 ppg on the year, has also distributed a team-best 125 assists on the year, while committing just 65 turnovers. Taking care of business down low has been Antonio Pena, who is chipping in 10.9 ppg, to go along with a team-high 7.4 rpg for Villanova, which as a whole is producing a healthy 82.5 ppg, behind a respectable 46.5 percent shooting effort.

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Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch

Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.

Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

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