College Hoops News and Notes!
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| Triple Threat Sports - 3/30/2008 2:02 AM |
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by Bill Milton of Triple Threat Sports As I sit here awaiting the North Carolina/Loiusville game Saturday night, several things from all three national tournaments come to mind. Most have to do with the pointspread, some do not, and others "sort of" do. This is a stream of consciousness idea, with some research (including a 90% NCAA Tournament system I just found) backing it up... First off, I really like the idea of three tournaments. That is probably because I am a college hoops junke that is going to be sad when next Monday rolls around. However, the Big Dance, the NIT, and the new CBI all have their own identity, and each has its own things that I really like about it. Locking onto the charm of the NCAA's is not tough, as the winner is the national champion, cuts down the nets, and gets the now obligatory CBS "One Moment In Time" montage. All the upsets along the only serve to make the event even more fun, and when a team like Davidson gets this far it captures the imagination of non junkies everywhere, just like George Mason did two seasons ago. Being in Vegas, I talked to some sportsbook directors and managers, and they said that this Davidson situation is different from that of George Mason, as in that case everyone was betting against Mason just about every game, but this time the Davidson Wildcats are the public and professional bettorschoice for the most part. It is noteworthy that the last eleven teams seeded 10 through 12 (since 1986) to reach the Elite Eight are 2-9 SU in that game, but my research shows that those teams are 9-1-1 ATS. Looking specifically at #10 seeds like Davidson, those teams are 0-6 SU, but lost by just one in 1987, by three in 1990 and 1991, by four IN OVERTIME, in 1997, by five in 1999, and by 12 in 2002 in a game (Kent State vs U Conn) that was much closer than the final margin shows. All in all those ten seeds in the Elite Eight are 5-0-1 ATS, with the average loss only being 4.7 points per game. As for the NIT, they reward the winners of their regions with trips to Madison Square Garden to play in the final rounds. This "mecca of hoops" gets everyone ready to play, and the NIT games are usually well played and hard fought. It is interesting that Ohio State played in the preseason NIT finals as well, and also interesting that the Buckeyes and Florida Gators have a chance to meet for another (albeit less meaningful) title. Maybe this time OSU will better the Gators! Finally, the CBI offers a completely new twist, as finalists Bradley and Tulsa are set to meet in a Best of Three series to determine the champion. These are two teams that every NCAA and NIT coach was happy to not have to play, and these should be very entertaining games. Tulsa has the edge since they host Game 1 and would host Game 3, but if Bradley gets hot they are quite capable of stealing one of those games and winning the title, as I do expect them to win Game 2 at home. However it works out, the Best of Three idea for colleges is very interesting, and the folks at the CBI and Fox Sports Net are to be given kudos for trying something new. Thanks for your time, and enjoy the rest of the Madness! |
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