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03/18/2010 - San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year, the Butler Bulldogs kick off first-round action of the 72nd annual event this afternoon against the Miners of Texas-El Paso at HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
The good news for the Bulldogs is that they have all five starters back from last year's team which fell in the first round of the tourney against LSU, 75-71. Butler is playing in the event for the 10th time overall and is hoping to at least even its record in the tourney because as it stands now the squad is 8-9 since making its first appearance back in 1962.
The fifth-seeded Bulldogs ripped through the Horizon League yet again this season with a perfect record of 18-0 and are enjoying the longest win streak in the nation at a staggering 20 games. The most recent loss for the squad came back on December 22nd against UAB, another Conference USA program, by a score of 67-57 on the road.
As for the 12th-seeded Miners, the 1966 NCAA Champions back when they were known as Texas Western, they too are trying to even their record in the tourney (14-15) in this, their 17th appearance. UTEP won its first outright conference title in 23 years during 2009-10 as it finished an impressive 15-1 in Conference USA action and set a school record for the most wins in league play as a result.
The winner of this first-ever meeting will head to the second round of the tourney to face the winner of the Murray State/Vanderbilt contest on Saturday.
Under the direction of Tony Barbee, the 2010 C-USA Coach of the Year, the Miners not only put together one of the best offenses in the league, they also took care of opponents with a stingy defense that allowed foes to shoot just 39 percent from the field and tally 64.2 ppg. Randy Culpepper, the Conference USA Player of the Year who is now fourth on the school's all-time scoring list, knocked down a school-best 80 three-pointers on his way to posting 18.0 ppg. Derrick Caracter, an All-C-USA Second-Team selection, handled the action on the inside for the group with his 8.0 rpg and 13.8 ppg, shooting an impressive 55.6 percent from the floor when he wasn't sitting on the bench because of foul trouble. Jeremy Williams and Arnett Moultrie accounted for 10.1 ppg each, combining for better than 11 rebounds per contest, while Julyan Stone (6.1 ppg) sacrificed his own offense to set up teammates with his 173 assists in 32 starts.
Like the Miners, Butler is also big on defense, having limited opponents to just 60.0 ppg on 41.4 percent shooting from the floor and 30.9 percent beyond the arc this season. The squad is permitting just over 10 assists per contest, which means foes have had to create a lot of one-on-one play in order to get quality looks at the basket. Gordon Hayward is one of four players scoring in double figures with his 15.4 ppg, adding a team-best 8.5 rpg for a team that has managed to top the opposition on the glass by more than three rebounds per game this season. Shelvin Mack (13.9 ppg), Matt Howard (12.3 ppg) and Willie Veasley (10.3 ppg) have all been crucial pieces to a Butler puzzle that has generated 70.1 ppg. Hayward, a finalist for the Wooden Award this year, and Mack could have some inside information on one of the key players for the Miners, seeing as how they both played with Moultrie on the USA Men's Team at the FIBA U-19 World Championships last summer, but that also goes both ways because Moultrie can also use that relationship to his advantage as well.
<< Bears and Bearkats collide in South Regional action
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Playing in their second NCAA Tournament in
the last three seasons, the Baylor Bears will tangle with the Sam Houston
State Bearkats in first round action of the South Region at New Orleans Arena
this afternoon
<< Second-seeded Villanova takes on Robert Morris in first-round action
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' D
<< Washington and Marquette meet in first round of 2010 NCAA Tournament
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles and
the 11th-seeded Washington Huskies will meet in the first round of the NCAA
Tournament's East Region.
Up next for the winner of this contest is a second-round clash
<< Wake Forest and Texas do battle in 2010 NCAA Tournament
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The East Region of the 2010 NCAA Tournament
features a first-round matchup between the eighth-seeded Texas Longhorns and
the ninth-seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Awaiting the winner of this tilt is a sec
Slumping Sharks try to bounce back against Canucks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the San Jose Sharks are coming off their most
lopsided defeat of the season, the Vancouver Canucks are dealing with the loss
of one of their biggest weapons.
San Jose will try to halt a three-game slide this evening
Battered Blackhawks pay a visit to Kings >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When you are one of the top teams in the NHL, you tend to
have a target on your back. That term has taken a literal meaning for the
Chicago Blackhawks as of late.
Chicago will try to snap a three-game losing streak and rec
Reynolds, Fisher held out of Villanova starting lineup >>
Providence, RI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Villanova guards Scottie Reynolds and Corey
Fisher were not in the starting lineup for Thursday's NCAA Tournament opener
against Robert Morris.
CBS Sports reported that head coach Jay Wright called it a
Crew bounced from Champions League >>
Toluca, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Crew were bounced out of the
CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday night after a 3-2 loss in Mexico vs.
Toluca.
Toluca, which advances with a 5-4 aggregate score, faces fellow Mexican s
Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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