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February 7 , 2007 - SPORTS NEWS - SPECIAL EDITION MARCH MADNESS COLLEGE BASKETBALL SPORTS NEWS



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COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICKS- (covers.com): what happend to the duke vs unc rivalry. to get some action down on the North Carolina-Duke game could end up feeling a lot like parents returning home from holiday to find out their kids have thrown a wild party.

The house is in shambles, the valuables are missing and the two kids they thought were angels, are passed out drunk on the front lawn. What the hell happened here? Tobacco Road just isn’t what is used to be. What was once the biggest game outside of March Madness is now a shell of what it used to be. The crown jewel of Rivalry Week is supposed to be the battle for ACC supremacy, not a matchup of the conference’s third and fourth place teams. The current state of this classic showdown has a lot of bettors scratching their heads and asking "how did it get to this?" In the past, UNC-Duke was the showcase of the nation’s top talent – theirs against ours. Except this year, the Blue Devils really don’t have theirs. A down year in recruiting and the loss of its top three players has left Duke lacking the elite talent it is best known for. The Blue Devils have been treading water in the ACC this season (5-4, 4-5 ATS), relying on inexperienced and athletically mediocre players to keep their heads above .500. Sophomores Josh McRoberts and Greg Paulus carry the bulk of this task and while they are both talented basketball players, they’re not in the same league as what bettors have come to expect from Duke. The Tar Heels, on the other hand, are the opposite. After suffering a similar fate as Duke last season, North Carolina boasts the top recruiting class in the country and returned its biggest weapon, sophomore center Tyler Hansbrough. Freshmen Brandon Wright, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson have all taken starting roles, but it is UNC’s youth that has been the cause of its two conference losses this year. With no real upperclassmen to lead the Tar Heels, they have trouble staying focused when the going gets tough. Despite the wisdom of head coach Roy Williams, the young UNC players look lost when they can’t execute the game plan and don’t have the veterans to get them back on track. These inconsistencies shouldn’t sway bettors away from Wednesday’s game, which still has all the hype and history of previous UNC-Duke meetings. Early projections from line consultants had the spread around Duke +2 before opening at +4, with the rare constant factor in this matchup keeping the Tar Heels from giving more points. The faces on the court may change every year but the one thing that stays the same in this rivalry is the impact of the home-court atmosphere. No other school depends more on the energy of its student section than the Blue Devils, whose "Cameron Crazies" seem to have as much impact on oddsmakers as they have on visiting teams.
Currently coming off of back-to-back losses, the Blue Devils have never had to count on outside factors as much as they do for this game. Their troubles have drawn a blitz of media fire since non-conference play and their up-and-down play has led to a 12-11 record against the spread. While UNC is also coming off an upset loss to N.C. State, this game doesn’t hold the same importance to the Tar Heels as it does to Duke. A win over the Blue Devils in Durham will be just another feather in the cap of what should be an impressive 2007 campaign for North Carolina. However, a victory for Duke over its hated rival is the only way for the Blue Devils to erase the mistakes of the past and quiet the criticism of others. Holding home court against North Carolina could give the Blue Devils their 17th win over the Tar Heels in their last 21 meetings and would make it the 11th consecutive time the underdog has covered in this game, which speaks volumes for the intensity of this rivalry. So while the 223rd edition of the Tobacco Road showdown doesn’t have a No. 1 versus No. 2 billing, it still has North Carolina against Duke. And that will always be enough to make it interesting.

 

NCAA BASKETBALL PICKS: (covers.com): minnesota center returns. The Minnesota Golden Gophers should see the return of big man Spencer Tollackson Wednesday night against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Tollackson hasn’t played since breaking two bones in his left hand on Jan. 6 against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Tollackson will have to wear a supportive cast on the injured hand and will likely have to play through pain for some time. Oddsmakers have set Minnesota as a 3-point underdog at home. The total is set at 122 1/2. “I think if people are looking for Spencer to come back and all of a sudden be this special player, where he was at when he left, it's unfair to him, unfair to the rest of our team. It's going to take some time,” Gopher coach Jim Molinari told Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribute. Greg Sindall of SportsInteraction.com says Tollackson's presence should benefit Minnesota in the paint. "Having a guy who isn't going to get pushed around as much should help Minnesota," Sindall says. "I'd say he's probably worth 2-points." The 6-foot-9 center has missed the last seven games and his team has gone 3-3-1 against the spread without him.
 

NCAA BASKETBALL FREE PICKS- (associated press): coach williams rips tar heels.
 
   North Carolina looked just about unbeatable during the past three weeks. To listen to coach Roy Williams, it caught up to the fifth-ranked Tar Heels on Saturday.

Facing a North Carolina State team that played just seven players, North Carolina's bigger, deeper and more talented roster suddenly looked very ordinary. The Wolfpack knocked down shots from start to finish -- including 77 percent after halftime -- for an 83-79 upset that afterward had Wolfpack fans storming the court to celebrate. Meanwhile, Williams was angry at what he perceived as a lack of passion and toughness from his team. Even worse, it was a lesson the Tar Heels claimed they had learned after a loss at Virginia Tech that cost them the No. 1 ranking three weeks ago. "I think we're too fat and happy and expected to win by walking out there," Williams said. "I don't have the answers. The only thing I know is I thought they had much more passion for the game today than we did. I don't understand that, never will understand that as long as I live. You just have to congratulate them. They dominated us and I really felt that way." The Tar Heels take on the No. 10 Bruins Wednesday night at Duke. Oddsmakers have yet to release a line. Few could have predicted this kind of outcome considering the way the Tar Heels (20-3, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) had been playing lately. Since the 94-88 loss to the Hokies, North Carolina had won the past five games by an average margin of 27 points. Included in that stretch were three straight road wins by 20-plus points, the first such run for the program since 1946. That surge ended with last weekend's 92-64 win at then-No. 17 Arizona. The Tar Heels followed that game with a 105-64 win against Miami, a performance so dominating that even the home fans headed for the exits early. Those wins had the Tar Heels alone atop the ACC heading into their game against a Wolfpack team positioned near the bottom of the league standings. But N.C. State shot 61 percent for the game, including 13-for-17 in the second half, against a defense that had steadily improved in recent weeks. By the time reporters entered the locker room afterward, the coaches' message lingered on the dry-erase board: "They shot 76 percent in the 2nd half, outrebounded us 31-25." Now the freshman- and sophomore-laden Tar Heels must figure out what went wrong before Wednesday's game at No. 8 Duke. "We don't make excuses for ourselves," said rookie Brandan Wright, who scored 15 points. "We don't say 'We're young.' We don't say anything like that. Coach puts us on the court for a reason: it's for us to get the job done. There's no excuse." Sophomore Marcus Ginyard said it was a familiar feeling from the Virginia Tech loss, where the Tar Heels trailed by as many as 23 points before rallying late. It's a lesson they'll have to learn all over again. "At times we come out and play as if, 'We're North Carolina, we're going to win because we're here,"' Ginyard said. "The sad thing is that's something this team learned from the Virginia Tech game. "We came into Virginia Tech thinking, 'We're North Carolina, they're Virginia Tech, we're a better ballclub.' But they played better as a team and they played hard. It's the same thing N.C. State did today."

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(associated press): suspensions hurts miami. Miami's already-thin frontcourt suffered another blow Tuesday, when forward Raymond Hicks was suspended indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules. "We are very disappointed to lose Ray," Miami coach Frank Haith said. "However, we have certain team rules and when you make a choice to break those rules there are consequences." Hicks was averaging 5.6 points and 2.7 rebounds for Miami, which is already missing most of its big-man rotation. Center Anthony King (wrist) and forwards Adrian Thomas (abdominal) and Fabio Nass (knee) have all been lost to season-ending injuries, and forward Jimmy Graham has missed Miami's last six games with a broken hand. Miami (9-14, 2-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) will try to snap a six-game losing streak when it hosts Boston College (16-6, 7-2.)

NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICKS- (associated press): pitt faces tough big east stretch.  -College students look forward to spring break. College basketball coaches such as Pitt's Jamie Dixon do not.

When Dixon saw a nine-day layoff in his team's schedule, he was concerned. That is an uncommonly long break for a team that likes to stay busy - the Panthers played three games in three days in November - and there were worries about getting rusty and losing their competitive edge. To make up for the lack of a game last weekend, Dixon decided to make one of his own. The Panthers divided themselves into two squads picked by the seniors and held a 24-minute scrimmage Saturday. We actually thought about opening it up and having some people there, but then you get into some rules technicalities, Dixon said Monday. It was definitely a good atmosphere, the way people (his players) were talking before and after the game. They were arguing, which is a good sign for me, and they were mad when they lost. The No. 6 Panthers (20-3, 8-1 Big East) haven't played since beating Villanova 65-59 on Jan. 29. Guys were able to run their mouths and have a little bit of fun, senior forward Levon Kendall said. Guys get to hassle each other and exchange words and compete at the same time. The Panthers won't lack for competition the rest of the season, as their remaining eight games - two against West Virginia - are against opponents with winning records. Four teams have 16 wins or more, including the Mountaineers (18-4) and No. 12 Marquette (20-4), both of whom Pitt plays twice this season. Pitt's schedule gets much busier starting with Wednesday's game in Morgantown, followed by home games against Providence (14-7) on Saturday and Louisville (16-7) on Monday. Pitt also has Saturday-Monday games the following weekend against Washington (14-8) at home on Feb. 17 and Seton Hall (12-10) on the road Feb. 19. The Panthers have lost at West Virginia the last two seasons, but beat the Mountaineers twice in three games last season - once in the Big East tournament. The games have been close and competitive, though Dixon won't point to West Virginia as his team's biggest rival. In our conference, you can't focus on one game being a rivalry, Dixon said. There was talk that UConn was a rivalry, but every game seems to be made up as a rivalry and there's no question people talk about us. Every place we go to play, the crowds seem to be bigger than what they've had. We understand wherever we play, it's going to be a big game for them. Kendall and the other seniors haven't warned the freshmen what it's like to play in the WVU Coliseum, where the fans - and the noise - can be intimidating. Kendall can't wait to see how the younger players react to hearing the musket-shooting Mountaineer mascot for the first time. That's one of the toughest places to play, for sure, Kendall said. Their fans are almost always the most ruthless and always getting on you before the game. They've got a big student section ... and they're right there on top of you. West Virginia lost four of the top five players from its NCAA round of 16 team from a season ago, but still shoots the 3-pointer well and causes numerous turnovers with its 1-3-1 defense. The Mountaineers make an average of 10.5 3-pointers per game, led by Frank Young and his 3.27 per-game average. They have something that works, they're getting it done, Kendall said. It's kind of the same formula they had in the past, guys that are unselfish, guys that can shoot the ball. They do what they do and they do it well.


NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICKS: (associated press): washington state looking forward to first 20 win season since 1994-95.

 First-year coach Tony Bennett is trying to make sure Washington State doesn't get caught up in the numbers, as impressive as they are. The 14th-ranked Cougars are one win away from their first 20-win season since the 1993-94 team went 20-11. They've posted only four 20-win seasons since 1950 and could tie the school record for victories with wins in their last seven regular-season games. If we focus too much on the number of wins to get to this place, we'll find ourselves unsure and worrying about the wrong things, Bennett said Tuesday as the Cougars (19-4, 8-3 Pac-10) prepared to host Stanford on Thursday and California on Saturday. Books have yet to release a line for either game. If you focus on how you are playing, if you play good ball, you can have success. It's more about quality at this point. But Bennett did acknowledge with the Cougars second in the Pac-10, and virtually assured of their first NCAA tournament appearance since the 1993-94 season, it's impossible not to think ahead. It would be big for our program, no question, Bennett said. If we play good basketball against Stanford on Thursday, it will position us where we want to be. The brass ring only goes around every so often and you've got to grab it when it's there. Washington State has been to the NCAAs only four times in its history. The Cougars' sweep of the Arizona schools last week lifted them four spots in The Associated Press Top 25, equaling their highest ranking ever. They also were ranked No. 14 on Jan. 25, 1949. Their three straight weeks in the rankings, and four total this season, are both school records. Washington State's 72-66 win at Arizona on Thursday may have seemed more significant, but its 48-47 escape at last-place Arizona State on Saturday indicated the Cougars can win even on bad days. Washington State scored just 12 points in the second half, blew a 16-point lead and gave the Sun Devils several chances to win in the closing seconds. Rarely is one half of good basketball enough in this league, Bennett said. We've got to really be focused on our quality of play. When the quality slips, that's a concern. Washington State forward Daven Harmeling was voted Pac-10 player of the week for averaging 14 points in the sweep of the Arizona schools. Harmeling, a sophomore, also received the honor Dec. 11. He is the fourth player in program history to win the award twice, joining Mark Hendrickson, Donminic Ellison and Joe Wallace. Bennett said Harmeling's good play in the first half against Arizona State gave the Cougars the cushion to withstand their second-half collapse. He's a humble kid, unselfish, Bennett said.

FREE COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICKS- (covers.com): top ten ats teams as of 2/07/07.

  
1. Butler 
2. Mississippi 
3. Davidson
4. Weber St.
5. West Virginia
6. Indiana St. 
7. Stanford
8. Duquesne
9. Southern California 
10. Kansas St. 13
 
 
 

FREE COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICKS- (associated press.com) ucla's pauly pavillion to get

renovation.
 
 UCLA has selected an architectural firm to prepare preliminary renovation and expansion designs for Pauley Pavilion. The school wants to dedicate the restored arena on Oct. 14, 2010, which would be former coach John Wooden's 100th birthday. HOK Sport of Kansas City, Mo., was chosen by a selection committee from among 10 firms that responded to the school's request for submissions. Among the renovations being considered are a retractable seating system to bring spectators closer to the court; new concession areas, restrooms and modern technology to enhance fan experience; new and expanded locker rooms, medical treatment and media rooms and dedicated practice facilities; a main lobby that would serve as a central entrance; and redevelopment of the area between the football practice field and the arena. Pauley Pavilion opened in 1965 and is the home court for men's and women's basketball, volleyball and gymnastics. COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICKS: (associated press) morgan state coach and former cal coach faces assult charges.  Morgan State basketball coach Todd Bozeman was charged with misdemeanor assault after an argument with a restaurant employee following a close loss to Longwood. Bozeman also is being charged with curse and abuse, Sgt. Pam Wilson said Monday.
Bozeman "just went belligerent, screaming that he didn't want ham sandwiches," and grabbed and shook a female assistant manager.
Police were called to Mulligan's restaurant near the Longwood campus Saturday after Bozeman arrived to pick up dinner for the team, according to restaurant manager Carlos Holland. Holland said Bozeman "just went belligerent, screaming that he didn't want ham sandwiches," and grabbed and shook a female assistant manager. "We had kids in here eating, nice and quiet with their families," Holland said. "He's the head coach of a university, showing a bad example." According to a source close to Bozeman, the coach denied to his attorney that he put his hands on the employee. Bozeman, the source said, said the woman's story was "fabricated" and that he re-entered the restaurant seeking reimbursement because the sandwiches he was given were not what he ordered. He and the employee then had a verbal exchange, the source said. Bozeman was not taken into custody, according to Police Chief Stuart Dunnavant. Bozeman plans on returning to Virginia soon to resolve the issue, the source said, but not until after Monday. Morgan State beat Delaware State, 54-40 on the road Monday, snapping Delaware State's 22-game home win streak. Officials at the Baltimore, Md., university are looking into the matter, including interviewing Farmville police and speaking with Bozeman and others present during the argument, Morgan State spokesman Clinton R. Coleman said.
"We believe that this whole incident appears to have grown out of a terrible misunderstanding, and of course we regret that it occurred," Coleman said. "We are taking a wait-and-see approach to this." Morgan State blew a 10-point second-half lead and lost to Longwood 75-73 at the buzzer. NCAA BASKETBALL PICKS: (associated press): butler enters top 10. In a week that saw remarkable movement in the ESPN/USA Today men's basketball coaches' poll, No. 1 Florida was the only team among the 25 ranked in this week's poll to hold its ground.
Oregon and Duke were the only teams to fall out of the top 10. Replacing the two were Horizon League leader Butler (22-2), which climbed two spots to No. 9, and Memphis (19-3, unbeaten in Conference USA) at No. 10. Oregon and Duke fell in tandem, settling in at 15th and 16th, respectively. More top 10 changes of note: • UCLA (20-2) moves from No. 5 to No. 2 on the strength of victories over then-No. 9 Oregon and Oregon State. • There was a Big Ten shuffle among the top five, with Ohio State (20-3) moving from No. 4 to No. 3 and Wisconsin (22-2) dropping from No. 2 to No. 4. The teams are tied for the Big Ten lead at 8-1. • North Carolina fell from No. 3 to No. 5 after losing to unranked NC State on Saturday. Florida (21-2) defeated Vanderbilt and Tennessee and received 30 of 31 first-place votes, the other going to UCLA. Kicking off the second 10 were Nevada, Marquette, Air Force, Washington State (jumping from 17th to 14th after its second win over Arizona), Oregon, Duke, Oklahoma State, Kentucky (with a six-spot leap from 24th to 18th), Alabama and Southern Illinois. The Salukis (19-5) at No. 20 were one of three new entrants this week. USC (18-6) joined in a tie for 21st and Georgetown (16-5) came in at No. 23. Ranked last week, Virginia Tech (18th), Clemson (21st), Arizona (22nd) and UNLV (T-25th) fell from the poll.