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William Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:28:00 +0000

Since we are not offering a full coverage of the big Wolrd Cup this summer taking place in South Africa we are going to have to pass you onto our European friends WH: William hill allows you to be a part of all the world cup action - check the odds for the most entertaining football matches.

We will not be offering live odds so feel free to use William hill for the live world cup odds and news on the biggest soccer event of the year.

Butler-Duke

noreply@blogger.com (NotaFish) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:47:00 +0000

Duke has opened up as a seven-point favorite over Butler following their 78-57 dismantling of West Virginia. Early action has pushed the number to as high as eight in some books. It's a big number but don't get carried away and fall victim to 'last game syndrome. (college basketball lines)

When it comes to championships, every bettor faces ‘last game syndrome.’ The sinking realization that this will be the last major event of your favorite sport for months forces the gambler in you to consider risking muti-unit plays. After all, this is your last chance at getting action for months, right? Might as well go out with a bang and make the game more ‘exciting.’

You don’t have to be that guy. You’ve worked hard to build up units all season long, if you see an edge here take it but no reason to get carried away. For those of you still on the fence, here’s a breakdown of Duke-Butler:

1. The Slipper Don't Fit

Please end all discussion of Butler as the tourney’s Cinderella. The Bulldogs opened the season ranked #11 in the nation and finished #8 in the polls. Butler has won 25 straight games including victories over Syracuse, Michigan State, and Kansas State. Butler is the real deal. They shouldn’t be fitted for any glass slippers if they can pull it off because they’ve been wearing a big ole size 20 shoe all year.

2. Something's gotta give

Butler has played stifling defense all tourney long, holding all five opponents to under 60 points. They've held 12 of their last 13 opponents under 60. Duke has failed to surpass the 60-point barrier just once this season, a 57-46 victory over Virginia.

Can we expect Duke to continue it's torrid 3-point shooting (13-25 against WVU)? Even if Duke cools off, the Blue Devils are still averaging just under 80 points per game it's past two contests while Butler has barely managed to average 60 themselves. They shot an abominable 30.7 percent against Michigan State. This number must improve if they want to cover.

3. A little help, please?

Butler's Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack were the only two players to record a made field goal in the first half of the MSU game. Matt Howard (12.4ppg) is questionable with a concussion, and if he's a scratch it's difficult to imagine how Butler is going to manage the glass against 7-foot Duke center Brian Zoubek and the 6'10 Plumlee twins, Miles and Mason. Duke snares an offensive rebound on 40% of their first FGA per possession, this doesn't fare well for the undersized guard lineup of Butler..

Duke's big three (Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler) have combined to average 58 points this tournament. Smith has taken his game to the next level this tourney -- if Duke wins tonight expect him to be named MVP. Butler needs to counter by having someone other than Hayward or Mack step up because Duke's big three is going to get their points regardless. Their X-factor is senior Willie Veasley (10ppg) -- they need him to be aggressive and have a big night knocking down shots from the perimeter for Butler to keep pace with the Blue Devils.

4. Intangibles

Normally, you give the intangible nod to Duke based on coach K alone. But doing so here would be based on name brand recognition only -- Matt Stevens is a cold blooded expert when it comes to matching up with opponents. His on-the-ball pressure forced Michigan State to cough the ball up 16 times and he kept MSU's bigs in foul trouble the entire game. This will be a tougher feat with a more disciplined Duke squad, while their defense is softer than Izzo's Spartans, it's also less foul prone and won't leave Butler in the double bonus for the better part of either half.

Experience won't play a big factor as neither team has a player who has ever played in a Final Four. There's the argument that no #5 seed has ever won the national championship or that this is Butler's first Final Four ever but these won't be the determining factors in the game. In the end, it's all about matchups.

Butler will need to execute a near perfect game plan and shoot the lights out to win SU tonight. Their disadvantage on the boards and lack of scoring options is a potential recipe for disaster against a team like Duke. The only Butler play is taking the points in the first half, but never feeling comfortable taking a team you don't believe can win SU. Don't expect Duke to rain 3's against a much tougher defense, but expect their bigs to eventually wear down Butler's thin frontline and create enough second chance opportunities to take Butler to cover against the spread in the end in what should be a close game with Duke edging it out.

Don't be sad that College Basketball is ending for the year you still can get all your NBA picks and basketball odds until Baseball season heats up right here at Coopers Sports Picks.

Final Four Set

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:55:00 +0000

The final four is set and it seems like only yesterday that 64 teams were competing for the top spot and now we are down to 4. So the final four will have Butler playing Michigan State on Saturday April 3rd in Indianapolis, Indiana and West Virginia will be facing off against Duke live on CBS as well on Saturday. The game times have yet to be determined but we will keep you posted along with access to all the winning picks and below is a recap of Sundays Games.

Final Score: Michigan State 70, Tennessee 69

Raymar Morgan sank the go-ahead free throw with 1.8 seconds left, and Michigan State held on to take a 70-69 win over Tennessee in the Midwest Regional final and make it back to the Final Four. Durrell Summers sank four three-pointers and finished with 21 points to lead the fifth-seeded Spartans (28-8), who will make a second straight Final Four appearance. Michigan State, which has now reached the Final Four six times since 1999, advanced to last year's title game before losing to North Carolina. Morgan ended with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Draymond Green also added 13 points in the victory, which sets up a national semifinal matchup with Butler, the West Region champion, next Saturday in Indianapolis. Wayne Chism had 13 points to pace Tennessee (28-9), which was playing in its first-ever Elite Eight contest, but failed to reach the Final Four for the first time in school history despite shooting better than 51 percent.

Final Score: Duke 78, Baylor 71

Nolan Smith finished with a career-high 29 points, leading top-seeded Duke back into the Final Four with a 78-71 victory over Baylor in the South Regional final. Duke had not advanced to the Final Four since 2004, but did so Sunday thanks to a potent three- point shooting attack. Smith hit 4-of-6, while Jon Scheyer made 5-of-10 on his way to 20 points. The Blue Devils (33-5) made only 22 field goals, but half of them came from beyond the arc. Duke is the only No. 1 seed left in the tourney and will look to advance to the national title game for the first time since 2001 next Saturday in Indianapolis. The Blue Devils will play West Virginia, the East Region champion, in a national semifinal. LaceDarius Dunn had 22 points and six rebounds for the Bears (28-8), who were looking to make the Final Four for the first time in the modern era, having last gotten there in 1950. Ekpe Udoh added 18 points, 10 boards, six assists and five blocks for third-seeded Baylor.

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Michigan State beats Maryland at the buzzer

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Tom Izzo can celebrate leaving Spokane Washington on his way to St. Louis as Michigan State defeated the Maryland Terps after a valiant comeback and lead with .6 seconds left when the three point shot went up that defeated the Terrapins 85-82.

NCAA Tournament Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:08:00 +0000

Below is the recap on the NCAA Tournament round two games.

Final Score: Saint Mary's 75, Villanova 68

Providence, RI (Sports Network) - Omar Samhan carried Saint Mary's with 32 points on 13-of-16 shooting, as the 10th-seeded Gaels upended the second- seeded Villanova Wildcats, 75-68, in the second round of the South Region. Samhan added seven rebounds and recorded a big block in the final minute for Saint Mary's (28-5), which had little trouble getting past Richmond on Thursday for its first NCAA Tournament victory in 51 years. Mickey McConnell chipped in 15 points, including a go-ahead, banked three-pointer down the stretch, as the Gaels earned back-to-back wins in the tourney for the first time in program history. Saint Mary's will next play Baylor, which defeated Old Dominion on Saturday. Matthew Dellavedova ended with 14 points and helped shut down Villanova's Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher, who were both held out of the starting lineup for undisclosed reasons in the first round against Robert Morris. The Wildcats (25-8) pulled out an overtime win in that one, but a third straight trip to the Sweet 16 wasn't in the cards after Reynolds hit 2-of-11 from the field to finish with a meager eight points in the loss. Fisher went 3-for-13 for nine points, while Corey Stokes led the way with 15. Maalik Wayns and Antonio Pena came off the bench to provide 10 and nine, respectively, for 'Nova, which shot 36.2 percent from the floor to end its chance at a second consecutive Final Four appearance.

Final Score: Baylor 76, Old Dominion 68

New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - LaceDarius Dunn had 26 points and six rebounds as third-seeded Baylor took down 11th-seeded Old Dominion, 76-68, in the second round of the South Region of the NCAA Tournament. Josh Lomers had 14 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks while Tweety Carter added 12 points and eight assists for the Bears (27-7), who will play No. 10 seed Saint Mary's in the next round as the Gaels shocked second-seeded Villanova earlier on Saturday. Baylor has never advanced past the Sweet 16 and is into the third round for the first time since 1950 when the event featured just eight schools. Frank Hassell had 15 points and eight rebounds, Gerald Lee added 15 points, while Kent Bazemore donated 13 points and seven assists for the Monarchs (27-9), who defeated Notre Dame in the opening round of the tournament.

Final Score: Butler 54, Murray State 52

San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Gordon Hayward had 12 points and seven rebounds and forced a turnover on the game's final possession, allowing fifth- seeded Butler to escape HP Pavilion with a slim 54-52 decision over 13th- seeded Murray State in second-round play of the West Region. Matt Howard hit 1-of-2 free throws with 17.5 seconds remaining to give the Bulldogs a 54-52 lead. After grabbing the rebound on the second miss, the Racers opted not to call a timeout and swung the ball to Isacc Miles and then to Isaiah Canaan at the top of the key. Canaan dribbled precious seconds off the clock before deciding to give the ball up to first-round hero Danero Thomas near halfcourt. Thomas, who hit a game-winning jumper to upset Vanderbilt on Thursday, never got a chance to duplicate the feat, as Hayward tipped the ball into the backcourt and corralled the loose ball as the buzzer sounded. Ronald Nored provided the go-ahead points down the stretch and finished with a game-high 15 to go with six assists for Butler (30-4), which won for the 22nd straight time despite shooting just 36 percent from the field. The Bulldogs, who have now reached the Sweet 16 three times in the last eight years, will next face the winner of the Gonzaga/Syracuse contest. Canaan hit all four of his three-point tries on his way to a team-high 14 points for Murray State (31-5), which was trying to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.

Final Score: Tennessee 83, Ohio 68

Providence, RI (Sports Network) - J.P. Prince scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and Tennessee took down Ohio, 83-68, in the second round of the Midwest Region. Scotty Hopson had 17 points, while Wayne Chism finished with nine points and 12 rebounds for the sixth-seeded Volunteers (27-8), who will face either Georgia Tech or Ohio State next week in the Sweet 16. Tommy Freeman drained six threes en route to a game-best 23 points for the 14th- seeded Bobcats (22-15), who shocked Georgetown on Thursday. DeVaughn Washington logged 16 points and eight boards and D.J. Cooper also contributed 16 points with six boards and five assists in defeat. Armon Bassett had 32 points in the win over Georgetown, but was limited to seven points on 2- of-10 efficiency from the field in the loss to Tennessee.

Final Score: Northern Iowa 69, Kansas 67

Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - Ali Farokhmanesh scored 16 points, including a critical three-pointer in the final minute, and Northern Iowa stunned No. 1 overall seed Kansas, 69-67, in the second round of the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. Jordan Eglseder had 14 points and five rebounds for the ninth-seeded Panthers (30-4), who will make their first appearance in the Sweet 16, where they will face either Michigan State or Maryland. Marcus Morris scored 16 points to pace the Jayhawks (33-3). Cole Aldrich posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in defeat. Sherron Collins struggled to find his rhythm in his final collegiate game for Kansas, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting and a game-high five turnovers. This is Kansas' earliest exit at the NCAA Tournament since 2006 when the Jayhawks lost to Bradley in the first round. The defeat was a shocker, considering the Jayhawks were not only the top overall seed, but they were trying to win the national title for the second time in three years. In 2008, they beat Memphis for the championship, and last year Kansas fell to Michigan State in the Sweet 16. Before this Cinderella run, the Panthers lost in the first round their previous four times in the tournament. Prior to 2010, the only win Northern Iowa had at the NCAA's was in 1990 against Missouri. Northern Iowa beat UNLV in the first round on Thursday, when Farokhmanesh played hero with a deep three-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining. Northern Iowa led nearly the entire game, but Kansas closed the gap to 63-62 with 42.8 seconds remaining behind its relentless fullcourt pressure. Farokhmanesh then drained his fourth three-pointer of the game to help slay Goliath. The Panthers are the first team to beat a No. 1 seed in the second round since UAB and Alabama did it to Kentucky and Stanford in 2004.

Final Score: Washington 82, New Mexico 64

San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Quincy Pondexter poured in 18 points and pulled down five rebounds, as the 11th-seeded Washington Huskies dominated the third-seeded New Mexico Lobos, 82-64, in second-round play of the East Region. Matthew Bryan-Amaning added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Huskies (26-9), who have won nine in a row and are 14-2 since January 26. Isaiah Thomas made four three-pointers on his way to 15 points while dishing out seven assists. Elston Turner had 10 points off the bench for Washington, which knocked off sixth-seeded Marquette by an 80-78 final in the first round on Thursday. The Huskies, who will be appearing in the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in school history, will next play either 10th-seeded Missouri or second-seeded West Virginia. Dairese Gary carried New Mexico (30-5) with 25 points. Darington Hobson chipped in 11 points and nine boards for the Lobos, who have made it to the second round seven times in program history but have still never won consecutive games in the NCAA Tournament. Roman Martinez added 10 points off the bench for New Mexico, which snuck past 14th-seeded Montana, 62-57, on Thursday.

March Madness Scores Thus Far

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:41:00 +0000

So far it has been the wild and crazy excitement that everybody has expected, right? The opening round has had an amazing and astonishing endings as expected and we have had 7 games that were all decided by three points or less. So if you were playing against the spread and took the favorites on every game that was giving more than 3 points than you would have made out quite alright for the opening round.

The key is when examining the March Madness Odds this year is you can not get too caught up in what happens one day because like life everyday is a new. So if you had followed the same metrics of taking every team that had less than a 3 point spread in their favor you would be 50% today 1-1 while Cooper is 2-0.

With that rule in mind today you would have taken the victory in the Xavier game as they beat Minnesota by 11 points and where only giving up one point and you would have lost in the Temple vs. Cornell game as the Philadelphia school defeated the Ivy Leaguers from Ithaca 78-65.

Yesterdays scores had the Florida Gators losing in double over time to BYU 99-92. Notre Dame being upset by Old Dominion by one point 51-50. Villanova beating Robert Morris in a near upset as they battled back and forth after having a lousy first half and thus pulling ahead in over time when it mattered. Murray State upsetting 21st ranked Vanderbilt 66-65. In the Lone Star State showdown Baylor beat out Sam Houston State by a score of 68-58, while Kansas state toppled North Texas 82-62.

Saint Mary's California beat Richmond 80-71, Butler ran over Texas El-Paso 77-59, Northern Iowa held up over UNLV by 3 points 69-66. Number 1 seeded Kentucky Wildcats beat Eastern Tennessee state by 29 points 100-71, Ohio State started off the upset and possible Cinderella story as they screwed up everybody's march madness brackets by beating Georgetown 97-83. Washington defeated Marquette by a score of 80-78, Wake Forest narrowly defeated Texas 81-80, overall number one ranked Kansas beat Lehigh 90-74, New Mexico beat the big sky grizzly's of Montana 62-57 and Tennessee rounded out the three point theory beating San Diego State 62-59.

March Madness Brackets Now Available

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:57:00 +0000

Free Printable March Madness Brackets are now set and good to go for all of you waiting to fill out the brackets and start off your office pool.

Kentucky, Duke Blue Devils, and Syracuse

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:02:00 +0000

The Kentucky Wildcats in the east, the Duke Blue Devils in the south, Syracuse in the West and Kansas Jayhawks in the midwest round out the number one seeds leaving both West Virgina and Ohio State out of the number one seeds. With Kentucky and Duke overall ranked 2 and 3 respectively with Syracuse as the last seeded number one team.
More March Madness action to come shortly.

Kansas Jayhawks Land number 1 seed

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:00:00 +0000

With selection Sunday here. The Kansas Jayhawks have been named the overall number 1 seed overall for the NCAA basketball tournament. Live on CBS.

Getting Ready for March Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:33:00 +0000

Don't know about you but the staff here is certainly Giddy for March Madness to start. The conference championships are as exciting as ever and before you know it we will be at selection sunday!

So in the meantime to get your fix here is our Free Printable 2010 March Madness Brackets. Enjoy.

Superbowl hangover March madness Brackets Time

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:09:00 +0000

Superbowl Hangover

It's a sad day. As the last bits of lingering confetti are swept off Bourbon street, reality sinks in.

Football season is officially over. So how can gridiron diehards keep their bankrolls in the black for the next six months? Before you strap on steel construction boots and fluff up your catering resumes, remember to sharpen your handicapping skills in preparation for the the holy grail of sports -- March Madness.

The Superbowl might be king for an evening but the NCAA tournament is the undisputed grandaddy of all wagering events. Why worry about the tourney now when we're still three weeks away from selection sunday? Some guy named John Wooden once told us: "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." Who better to heed such advice from than a man who won a record ten NCAA tournaments? Sports bettors are by nature impulsive beasts, but profitable ones must plan and prepare their strategy weeks in advance before launching their assault on the books.

March Madness Brackets and office pools are great for camaraderie but the real value is handicapping the opening round games. Neutral sites, overinflated spreads, and matchups between small conference darkhorses and power conference big dogs create a myriad of opportunities for the bettors to fatten their wallets. It's no secret that underdogs have covered opening round games at a 60% clip over the past 15 years. While system bettors have successfully subscribed to the blanket underdog method for years, be sure exercise caution and examine individual matchups first. The books are adjusting lines to counter the growing parity in college hoops so don't be the one to get caught off guard if this is the year that oddsmakers finally catch up.

It's never fair to bash system plays if they are profitable but the most successful sports handicappers are purists who objectively examine single outcomes to protect themselves from a potential system catastrophe. Now is the time to pay attention to the following:

1. Start paying attention to the obscure conference with automatic invites. Conferences such as the Horizon (Butler), Sun Belt (Western Kentucky), America East (UMBC), Missouri Valley (Drake), Southern (Davidson), etc. Do some research on which teams are running away with their leagues (such as Cornell in the Ivy League) and familiarize yourself with their rosters and coaching philosophies. Put more emphasis on teams that dominate both their regular season and postseason tourneys. When the first spreads are posted, be educated enough to know which smaller conference teams are ailing: information such as who is missing their leading rebounder or second leading scorer and how important they are to their team's success can be the difference between winning and losing.

2. Ignore streaks. Even if a team runs the table during the regular season the one and done format of the tourney guarantees nothing. Teams that end conference play on a hot streak rarely carry over similar success in the tournament because they don't have the familiarity of facing in-conference opponents they've already had the luxury of playing and scouting earlier in the season. There's simply less info and film available for smaller conference teams because they get far less media exposure and televised games whereas the smaller name programs have the advantage of pulling tape on every game of their better known opponents.

3. Do factor in certain historical trends. Certain programs (Michigan State, Duke) have cement reputations for postseason success. Their respective coaches prepare their teams with rigorous non-conference schedules and have the innate ability to turn up the heat in March. Teams with tourney experience and seasoned coaches are capable of overachieving in down regular season years. Conversely, other programs consistently struggle in the tourney despite an impressive regular season body of work (Arizona, Louisville, Pittsburgh). Be careful not to ride a high powered offensive team that traditionally flounders against a defensive oriented team that uses a shot clock eating four corners reminiscent offense (anyone remember 13th seeded Princeton's upset of 4th seeded UNLV in '96?).

Do your homework on the above and you'll be well prepared come Selection Sunday. Feel free to fill out multiple low risk brackets too, just remember not to go Rick Neuheisel on us.

NBA weekly Honors

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:32:00 +0000

Bosh, Durant earn NBA weekly honors

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh and Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for the period ending January 31.

Bosh paced the Raptors to a 3-0 week while leading the league in rebounds (16.0 rpg) and ranking fifth in scoring (25.7 ppg). The Georgia Tech product recorded a double-double in each contest and became the first player in franchise history to have at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in three straight games. Bosh posted 26 points, 15 boards, and a season-best seven assists versus the Pacers on January 31.

Durant guided the Thunder to a 2-1 week and led the league in scoring (34.3 ppg). The 6-foot-9 Texas product had a season-high 45 points to go with 11 rebounds against the Warriors on January 31. In that game, Durant made a season-best 16 field goals on 21 attempts (76.2 percent).

Other nominees for the award were Atlanta's Joe Johnson, Charlotte's Gerald Wallace, Cleveland's LeBron James, Denver's Chauncey Billups, Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut, Orlando's Dwight Howard and Utah's Andrei Kirilenko.

21 Year old Indiana Player Dies

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:45:00 +0000

Southern Indiana's Lewis dies after fall

Evansville, IN (Sports Network) - University of Southern Indiana senior center Jeron Lewis died Thursday night after falling hard to the floor in his team's game at Kentucky Wesleyan College.

A release from the school said Lewis fell with a little over four minutes to play and was rushed to Owensboro Medical Health Center. However, no other details from the school were available at the time of the release.

"The University community is heartbroken with the passing of this outstanding young man," said USI president Linda L.M. Bennett. "Jeron was an excellent example of a student athlete who strove to be the best that he could be. He will be truly missed, not only by his teammates, but by the University community. Our prayers are with Jeron's family in their time of need."

Lewis, who was 21 years old, was in his second season with USI.

Texas inches closer to Kansas in men's hoops poll

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:03:00 +0000

Texas' victory over North Carolina on Saturday swayed a few voters in the media and enabled the Longhorns to move closer to top-ranked Kansas in the latest Associated Press men's college basketball poll.

Kansas (10-0), which posted a 75-64 win over Michigan on Saturday, remained a solid No. 1 with 55 first-place votes and 1,611 total points from a nationwide media panel.

However, Texas (10-0) took six top votes away from the Jayhawks for a total of seven and 1,543 points after its 103-90 win over North Carolina in the first basketball game at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Kentucky (11-0) again garnered a No. 1 vote and remained third, followed by Purdue and Syracuse. The Orange again received two first-place votes.

West Virginia, Duke, Villanova, Michigan State and North Carolina round out this week's top 10. Michigan State moved up three spots after an 80-58 win over IPFW and will visit Austin to meet the Longhorns on Tuesday. The Tar Heels, despite their third loss of the season on Saturday, remained 10th.

The second 10 consists of Connecticut, Kansas State, New Mexico, Georgetown, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Ohio State, Florida, Texas A&M and Butler. Kansas State moved up five places, while unbeaten New Mexico vaulted six spots. Both were unranked before last week.

Tennessee tumbled seven spots after a loss at Southern California, while Florida dropped five places after losing to Richmond.

The last five teams ranked this week are Temple, Washington, Texas Tech, Clemson and Gonzaga. Temple is ranked for the first time since November 2001, while Clemson is back in the poll after an earlier stint this season.

Texas Tech dropped seven spots after a loss at Wichita State, while Gonzaga fell 10 spots after a 76-41 loss to Duke at Madison Square Garden.

Georgia Tech and Cincinnati both dropped out. The Yellow Jackets lost to Florida State in overtime on Sunday, while the Bearcats lost to UAB last Wednesday.

In addition to the Michigan State/Texas matchup, Tuesday's slate also features Texas A&M at Washington. On Wednesday, Ole Miss will visit West Virginia.

In Rememberance of the great Jim Valvano

noreply@blogger.com (Cooopers Pick) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:29:00 +0000

We will be succesful if we focus on 3 things and 3 things only. Have a dream, a goal, and work for it. Having courage are just some of the amazing points that the great Jimmy V spoke about at the 1993 espys in one of the most remarkable and memorable speeches of all time. I urge all of you to enjoy the precious moments you have, be enthusiastic and keep your dreams alive">
"500,000 people will die this year from cancer" and thanks to this man this serious issue was brought back out to the table to help raise money for cancer research.

Don't Give up Don't Ever Give up

Please go to http://www.Jimmyv.org or 1-800-4JimmyV if you wish to help.

November Madness

noreply@blogger.com (NotaFish) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:34:00 +0000

The smell of processed turkey is in the air and Tim Floyd has his eye on this kid. This can only mean one thing: college hoops season is upon us.

The recreational bettor loves placing early season wagers on the holy grail of sports betting: the NCAA tournament. Last year's favorites, UNC, offered little value to futures players opening at 3-1 to win it all. Despite a minor mid-season conference hiccup, the odds on the Tar Heels never increased beyond 3.5-1 all season.

Younger squads opening with good odds (Wake Forest 50-1, Connecticut 20-1, Pittsburgh 25-1) all took turns as the regular season #1 but couldn't hold the throne for longer than two weeks. When the smoke settled in late March, the most intriguing Final Four team was undoubtedly Villanova (opened at 75-1). Carolina blue made quick work of the Wildcats and Tom Izzo's Spartans (20-1 preseason), cruising to lopsided double digit victories in both games.

So what can we learn from last season handicapping this season's futures?

Recent history suggests the #1 seed is king. Since 2000, a #1 seed has cut down the nets 7 out of the last 10 years. The exceptions were one #2 seed (UConn in '04) and two #3 seeds (Melo's Syracuse in '03 and Florida in '06). The last three national champions have been #1 seeds (UNC, '08 Kansas, '07 Florida).

This tells us the cinderellas and dark horses make occasional deep tourney runs but can't be trusted to win it all. There might be value in capping individual matchups during the tourney, but that's about it.

This leaves us with one major problem: how can we predict who's going to be the #1 seeds at the end of the season? This isn't the perfect formula, but I think their are three key ingredients: non conference SOS (strength of schedule), conference prestige, and star power.

Let's put some early favorites up to the formula test.

Kansas (Preseason poll ranking #1, SOS #48, Conference Ranking #3)
Odds to win 3-1 (Live College basketball odds)
At 3-1, it's impossible to make an argument for any team in today's climate of college hoops. This team has all the goods to make to Indianapolis: a strong anchor in the post (Cole Aldrich) and a senior playmaker to they can feed the ball to in crunch time (Sherron Collins). They have the experience, a tough SOS, and a seasoned tournament head coach. Still, the likelihood of this squad to to hoist the John Wooden trophy compared to last year's 3-1 UNC squad are significantly smaller. Stay away unless you can find better odds.
Pick value (1-10) - 4

Michigan State (Preseason poll ranking #2, SOS #29, Conference Ranking #2)
Odds to win 10-1
10-1 is about right. The team is led by an explosive backcourt (Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers) that can spark a ten-point run in the blink of an eye. It's tourney tested and it's head coach (Tom Izzo) is arguably the best postseason coach this decade. The main concern is the frontcourt is undersized and young. While sophomores Draymond Green and Delvin Roe stepped up big during State's runner-up tourney finish last season, they are still very raw offensively (3.3 and 5.6 ppg last season, respectively). This team lives and dies by it's guard play and guard oriented teams traditionally struggle to bring home the bread in the tournament. Still, it's hard not to believe Izzo won't find a way to make it work come march.
Pick value - 7

Kentucky (Preseason poll ranking #5, SOS #94, Conference Ranking #6
Odds to win 6-1
Hands down the most controversial pick out there. Three of Ronald Mcdonald's very own diaper dandies are expected to start (PG John Wall, SG Eric Bledsoe, and C Demarcus Cousins). The virtuoso recruiter (John Calipari) switched horses in midstream, dodging an impending NCAA investigation to come to UK. None of this can answer the real question nagging wildcat backers: is this team really a contender?

There's no question Calipari can develop freshmen talent (see Dajuan Wagner, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans). He does such a good job with first-year players they keep leaving him for the NBA after one go-around. But final four runs require more than just young legs: you need balance, depth, and team chemistry. There's simply no way to tell if these team will develop these key ingredients. If Jodie Meeks had decided to stick around for his senior season, I could give this pick the thumbs up.
Pick value- 3

Duke (Preseason poll #12, SOS #119, Conference Ranking #1)
Odds 11-1
The Dukies have fallen on hard times, failing to advance to the elite eight for the fifth straight season. The ACC finally has some competition as the premier conference this season with strong, balanced arguments coming from both the Big Ten and Pac-10.
Still, counting out the Blue Devils is a mistake. There are engraved adages in sports betting: don't bet against Tiger, Peyton, Belichick/Brady. Coach K absolutely deserves to be in this conversation. SF Kyle Singler is the go-to-guy again this season with the usual lights out 3-point shooting cast led by senior PG Jon Scheyer. This is an experienced and hungry team you can expect to rack up wins early before being tested in conference play. I wouldn't be surprised if they wrestle away the ACC title from the Tar Heels this season and secure the ACC's annual guaranteed #1 seed.
Pick value - 5

Teams worth taking a look (35-1 Washington, 35-1 California , 20-1 Purdue, 20-1 Tennessee, 15-1 Louisville)

Thanks, but no thanks (65-1 Michigan, 18-1 West Virginia, 12-1 Villanova, 8-1 UNC)

The "I feel like gambling" picks (55-1 Maryland, 50-1 Wake Forest, 50-1 Butler, 65-1 Clemson)

For all the best NCAA Basketball Picks check out Cooper's Sports Picks.

Duke takes on the Buckeyes

noreply@blogger.com (CoopersPick NCAAB) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Buckeyes take on Dukes in 2K Sports Classic

Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - The 2K Sports Classic continues in Columbus this evening, as the 16th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes host the James Madison Dukes at Value City Arena.

This will be the season-opener for the Dukes, who are coming off an impressive 21-win campaign, marking the most wins in one season for a JMU squad since the 1992-93 season. With four starters back in the mix, coach Matt Brady will be looking for similar results in his second season at the helm.

As for the Buckeyes, they opened their new campaign on Monday with a convincing, 100-60 decision over Alcorn State. It was the fifth straight season-opening victory for Ohio State under the tutelage of coach Thad Matta. Ohio State posted 22 wins a year ago, but the season ended in heartbreaking fashion, as the Buckeyes were bounced from the NCAA Tournament in the first round with a double-overtime loss to Siena.

With respect to the all-time series between the two schools, the Dukes hold a 1-0 edge over Ohio State. The victory came in the first round of the NCAA Tournament back in 1982, as JMU defeated the Buckeyes, 55-48.

There was plenty to be happy about heading into the season for JMU, as the team was expected to return four starters to the mix. The best of the bunch being sophomore Julius Wells, who was tabbed CAA Rookie of the Year after averaging 11.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg last year. Wells stands at 6-5 and should be even tougher this season with a year of experience under his belt. Fellow sophomore Andrey Semenov, who played sparingly last season will likely join Wells in the paint, while senior Dazzmond Thornton will serve as the veteran of the frontcourt. Semenov posted 8.2 ppg and 4.1 rpg in a reserve role, and Thornton progressed as last year moved along, and could be primed for an even bigger improvement this season. All is not rosy however with JMU's personnel, as talented guard Devon Moore (10.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg as a freshman), will miss the entire season after suffering a knee injury. Senior Pierre Curtis, who led the team with 99 assists a year ago, will need to step up in Moore's absence as a scorer, after posting 9.3 ppg a year ago.

College basketball Picks

The Buckeyes opened their new campaign in grand fashion, as the team dominated Alcorn State, 100-60. Ohio State shot 53.4 percent from the field and connected on an impressive 14-of-33 attempts from behind the arc. Jon Diebler, who shot 41.6 percent from behind the arc last season and averaged 11.2 ppg, led the way in the win over Alcorn State with 22 points and continued his sharp shooting, knocking down 6-of-9 three-point attempts. William Buford added 19 points, but the best player on the floor was Evan Turner, who collected a triple-double with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. This looks like Turner's team once again, as the guard led the squad last season with 17.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 131 assists and 58 steals. As for Buford, he posted 11.3 ppg a season ago, and when teamed with Turner and Diebler this is clearly one of the best guard trios in the nation. Expect all three players to once again play a vital role in the team's success this evening and throughout the season.

NCAA Basketball

noreply@blogger.com (CoopersPick NCAAB) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:39:00 +0000

The ncaa basketball season is nearing so check back shortly to Coopers Pick for all the best sports blogging action.