Sunday’s 6-pack:
Six of the best prospects for the Washington Nationals:
1) Dylan Crews, OF
2) James Wood, OF
3) Brady House, 3B
4) Cade Cavalli, P
5) Yohandy Morales, 3B
6) Jackson Rutledge, P
Quote of the Day
“Success in life comes not from holding a good hand, but in playing a poor hand well.”
Denis Waitley
Sunday’s quiz
Marcus Camby led UMass to the Final Four in 1996; who was their coach back then?
Saturday’s quiz
Steve Kerr played his college basketball at Arizona.
Friday’s quiz
In the movie Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon plays a janitor at MIT who has a gift for Math; Robin Williams played the psychologist who helped him find direction in his life.
*****************************************
— Big 12
Houston 82, Baylor 76, OT
Cougars led 29-12 early on.
Four Baylor subs played, but totaled only 21:00.
Houston was +11 in turnovers (19-8).
Oklahoma 84, Oklahoma State 82 OT
Cowboys led by 11 late in first half.
Both teams shot 62%+ inside the arc.
Both teams had a sub score 20 points.
Houston leads Iowa State by a game, Kansas by two games.
— ACC
Wake Forest 83, Duke 79
Neither team led by more than six points.
Both teams shot 62%+ inside the arc.
Duke scored 1.30 points/possession but lost; a red flag.
North Carolina 54, Virginia 44
Tar Heels had lost eight in a row in Charlottesville.
UNC won despite star G Davis going 1-14 from the floor.
UNC G Ryan made 6-11 shots on the arc.
North Carolina leads Duke by a game, Virginia/Wake Forest by 3 games.
— SEC
Kentucky 117, Alabama 95
Wildcats scored a ridiculous 1.46 points/possession.
Kentucky led by 37 with 8:37 left in game.
Alabama allowed 85+ points in all eight of their losses.
Auburn 97, Georgia 76
Auburn was 14-26 on arc, Georgia 3-14.
Tigers scored 1.43 points/possession.
Auburn is 21-6, 0-4 in games decided by less than 10 points.
Alabama/Tennessee lead the SEC at 11-3; Auburn/South Carolina are 10-4.
— Pac-12
Arizona State 73, Washington State 61
Coogs beat Arizona, then lose to the Sun Devils. Oy.
Loss ends Wazzu’s 8-game winning streak.
USC 62, UCLA 56
This game was 34-34 at halftime, after USC led 33-19 early on.
Trojans snap a 7-game road losing streak.
Bruins are 14-13, 9-7 in the Pac-12; they’ll need a great Pac-12 tournament to get into the NCAA’s for the fourth year in a row.
Arizona leads Washington State by a half-game, Oregon by 2 games.
ESPN’s Bracketology has only two Pac-12 teams getting in the NCAA’s.
— Big West
Cal-San Diego 92, Cal-Irvine 88 OT
Both teams had double-digit leads in this game.
Tritons have won four in row, 13 of last 16 games.
These teams are tied for first in Big West, but Cal-San Diego isn’t eligible for the Big West tournament; this is only their 4th season as a D-I team.
— WAC
Abilene Christian 79, Grand Canyon 73
Antelopes lost last two games, after a 24-2 start.
Wildcats were 29-36 on foul line, Grand Canyon was 19-24.
Tarleton State 82, Cal Baptist 65
Tarleton State was +12 in turnovers (17-5)
Texans have won eight games in a row.
Tarleton only played 7 guys; they’re #354 in bench minutes.
Grand Canyon/Tarleton are tied in loss column for the WAC lead; their conference tournament should be very interesting.
— Upsets of the Day:
Air Force (+18.5) 78, New Mexico 77
Tex-San Antonio (+13.5) 64, North Texas 62
Brown (+11.5) 78, Cornell 74
Oregon State (+10.5) 85, Stanford 73
Eastern Michigan (+10.5) 58, Ball State 56
Abilene Christian (+8.5) 79, Grand Canyon 73
Georgia Tech (+8.5) 80, Miami 76
Sacramento State (+7.5) 66, Montana State 63
— Word of the Day: Voracious- someone who has a huge appetite, whether for reading, knowledge or food.
— Famous people with birthdays on February 25
Ric Flair, 75
Carrot Top, 59 (real name Scott Thompson)
Bob Brenly, 70
Cesar Cedeno, 73
Rashida Jones, 48
Jeff Fisher, 66
— Missouri Valley
Northern Iowa 91, Drake 77
This loss probably makes Arch Madness a must-win for Drake.
Both teams shot over 60% inside the arc.
Tytan Anderson had 18 points, 18 rebounds for UNI.
Indiana State 88, Ill-Chicago 73
Sycamores have won 11 of their last 13 games.
Larry Bird’s alma mater has the #1 eFG% in the country.
Indiana State leads Drake by a game.
Bracketology is saying the MVC is a one-bid league.
— Ivy League
Brown 78, Cornell 74
Cornell loses as an 11-point favorite, after beating Yale Friday.
Cornell, Yale, Princeton are tied for first, at 9-2.
Brown/Harvard are tied for 4th in Ivy with three games left; only four teams make it to the Ivy League tournament.
— Southern
Samford 87, East Tennessee State 71
Bulldogs led 53-27 at halftime.
Samford shot 75% (18-24) inside the arc.
Samford leads SoCon by three games, which will only put pressure on them in conference tournament, since the SoCon is a one-bid league.
— Mid-American is the #24 league this season, the lowest it has been ranked in this century; they were #20 two years ago, their next lowest ranking.
— Big Sky
Eastern Washington 85, Northern Colorado 76
Northern Colorado led by 12 midway thru first half.
Cedric Coward scored 30 points, had one assist; his job is to shoot.
Eastern Washington has a 2-game lead in Big Sky, with three games left.
— WCC
Gonzaga 94, Santa Clara 81
Zags have won six in row, 11 of last 12 games.
Despite that, Bracketology has Gonzaga as a bubble team; they play Saint Mary’s Saturday, then probably again in the WCC tournament- they better at least split with the Gaels.
Saint Mary’s 88, San Diego 62
Gaels have won 15 games in a row, after an 8-6 start.
Bracketology has Saint Mary’s as a 6-seed, so they’re pretty much in the NCAA’s.
WCC is the 11th-ranked conference this year, its lowest rank in six years. BYU bolting for the Big X this year hurt the WCC’s rating.
Six of the best prospects for the Washington Nationals:
1) Dylan Crews, OF
2) James Wood, OF
3) Brady House, 3B
4) Cade Cavalli, P
5) Yohandy Morales, 3B
6) Jackson Rutledge, P
Quote of the Day
“Success in life comes not from holding a good hand, but in playing a poor hand well.”
Denis Waitley
Sunday’s quiz
Marcus Camby led UMass to the Final Four in 1996; who was their coach back then?
Saturday’s quiz
Steve Kerr played his college basketball at Arizona.
Friday’s quiz
In the movie Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon plays a janitor at MIT who has a gift for Math; Robin Williams played the psychologist who helped him find direction in his life.
*****************************************
Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday……
Seven Top 25 teams lost Saturday……— Big 12
Houston 82, Baylor 76, OT
Cougars led 29-12 early on.
Four Baylor subs played, but totaled only 21:00.
Houston was +11 in turnovers (19-8).
Oklahoma 84, Oklahoma State 82 OT
Cowboys led by 11 late in first half.
Both teams shot 62%+ inside the arc.
Both teams had a sub score 20 points.
Houston leads Iowa State by a game, Kansas by two games.
— ACC
Wake Forest 83, Duke 79
Neither team led by more than six points.
Both teams shot 62%+ inside the arc.
Duke scored 1.30 points/possession but lost; a red flag.
North Carolina 54, Virginia 44
Tar Heels had lost eight in a row in Charlottesville.
UNC won despite star G Davis going 1-14 from the floor.
UNC G Ryan made 6-11 shots on the arc.
North Carolina leads Duke by a game, Virginia/Wake Forest by 3 games.
— SEC
Kentucky 117, Alabama 95
Wildcats scored a ridiculous 1.46 points/possession.
Kentucky led by 37 with 8:37 left in game.
Alabama allowed 85+ points in all eight of their losses.
Auburn 97, Georgia 76
Auburn was 14-26 on arc, Georgia 3-14.
Tigers scored 1.43 points/possession.
Auburn is 21-6, 0-4 in games decided by less than 10 points.
Alabama/Tennessee lead the SEC at 11-3; Auburn/South Carolina are 10-4.
— Pac-12
Arizona State 73, Washington State 61
Coogs beat Arizona, then lose to the Sun Devils. Oy.
Loss ends Wazzu’s 8-game winning streak.
USC 62, UCLA 56
This game was 34-34 at halftime, after USC led 33-19 early on.
Trojans snap a 7-game road losing streak.
Bruins are 14-13, 9-7 in the Pac-12; they’ll need a great Pac-12 tournament to get into the NCAA’s for the fourth year in a row.
Arizona leads Washington State by a half-game, Oregon by 2 games.
ESPN’s Bracketology has only two Pac-12 teams getting in the NCAA’s.
— Big West
Cal-San Diego 92, Cal-Irvine 88 OT
Both teams had double-digit leads in this game.
Tritons have won four in row, 13 of last 16 games.
These teams are tied for first in Big West, but Cal-San Diego isn’t eligible for the Big West tournament; this is only their 4th season as a D-I team.
— WAC
Abilene Christian 79, Grand Canyon 73
Antelopes lost last two games, after a 24-2 start.
Wildcats were 29-36 on foul line, Grand Canyon was 19-24.
Tarleton State 82, Cal Baptist 65
Tarleton State was +12 in turnovers (17-5)
Texans have won eight games in a row.
Tarleton only played 7 guys; they’re #354 in bench minutes.
Grand Canyon/Tarleton are tied in loss column for the WAC lead; their conference tournament should be very interesting.
— Upsets of the Day:
Air Force (+18.5) 78, New Mexico 77
Tex-San Antonio (+13.5) 64, North Texas 62
Brown (+11.5) 78, Cornell 74
Oregon State (+10.5) 85, Stanford 73
Eastern Michigan (+10.5) 58, Ball State 56
Abilene Christian (+8.5) 79, Grand Canyon 73
Georgia Tech (+8.5) 80, Miami 76
Sacramento State (+7.5) 66, Montana State 63
— Word of the Day: Voracious- someone who has a huge appetite, whether for reading, knowledge or food.
— Famous people with birthdays on February 25
Ric Flair, 75
Carrot Top, 59 (real name Scott Thompson)
Bob Brenly, 70
Cesar Cedeno, 73
Rashida Jones, 48
Jeff Fisher, 66
— Missouri Valley
Northern Iowa 91, Drake 77
This loss probably makes Arch Madness a must-win for Drake.
Both teams shot over 60% inside the arc.
Tytan Anderson had 18 points, 18 rebounds for UNI.
Indiana State 88, Ill-Chicago 73
Sycamores have won 11 of their last 13 games.
Larry Bird’s alma mater has the #1 eFG% in the country.
Indiana State leads Drake by a game.
Bracketology is saying the MVC is a one-bid league.
— Ivy League
Brown 78, Cornell 74
Cornell loses as an 11-point favorite, after beating Yale Friday.
Cornell, Yale, Princeton are tied for first, at 9-2.
Brown/Harvard are tied for 4th in Ivy with three games left; only four teams make it to the Ivy League tournament.
— Southern
Samford 87, East Tennessee State 71
Bulldogs led 53-27 at halftime.
Samford shot 75% (18-24) inside the arc.
Samford leads SoCon by three games, which will only put pressure on them in conference tournament, since the SoCon is a one-bid league.
— Mid-American is the #24 league this season, the lowest it has been ranked in this century; they were #20 two years ago, their next lowest ranking.
— Big Sky
Eastern Washington 85, Northern Colorado 76
Northern Colorado led by 12 midway thru first half.
Cedric Coward scored 30 points, had one assist; his job is to shoot.
Eastern Washington has a 2-game lead in Big Sky, with three games left.
— WCC
Gonzaga 94, Santa Clara 81
Zags have won six in row, 11 of last 12 games.
Despite that, Bracketology has Gonzaga as a bubble team; they play Saint Mary’s Saturday, then probably again in the WCC tournament- they better at least split with the Gaels.
Saint Mary’s 88, San Diego 62
Gaels have won 15 games in a row, after an 8-6 start.
Bracketology has Saint Mary’s as a 6-seed, so they’re pretty much in the NCAA’s.
WCC is the 11th-ranked conference this year, its lowest rank in six years. BYU bolting for the Big X this year hurt the WCC’s rating.
MILWAUKEE is 16-4 Over (11.6 Units) when playing 4 or less games in 10 days over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 15-30 ATS (-18 Units) after a win by 6 points or less in the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 12-3 Over (8.7 Units) in home games after having won 3 of their last 4 games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) off a road loss in the current season.
ATLANTA is 6-21 ATS (-17.1 Units) on Sunday games in the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in home games when playing 4 or less games in 10 days in the current season.
DENVER is 183-139 Over (30.1 Units) in February games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in road games when playing 6 or less games in 14 days in the current season.
Will Hardy is 21-7 ATS (13.3 Units) against Southwest division opponents (Coach of UTAH)
PORTLAND is 8-27 ATS (-21.7 Units) in home games in the second half of the season in the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 8-0 Under (8 Units) after failing to cover 5 or 6 of their last 7 against the spread in the current season.
LA LAKERS are 15-30 ATS (-18 Units) after a win by 6 points or less in the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 12-3 Over (8.7 Units) in home games after having won 3 of their last 4 games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) off a road loss in the current season.
ATLANTA is 6-21 ATS (-17.1 Units) on Sunday games in the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in home games when playing 4 or less games in 10 days in the current season.
DENVER is 183-139 Over (30.1 Units) in February games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in road games when playing 6 or less games in 14 days in the current season.
Will Hardy is 21-7 ATS (13.3 Units) against Southwest division opponents (Coach of UTAH)
PORTLAND is 8-27 ATS (-21.7 Units) in home games in the second half of the season in the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 8-0 Under (8 Units) after failing to cover 5 or 6 of their last 7 against the spread in the current season.
NBA
Sunday, February 25
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milwaukee @ Philadelphia
Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 11 games
Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
LA Lakers @ Phoenix
LA Lakers
LA Lakers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 18 of LA Lakers's last 22 games on the road
Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Dallas @ Indiana
Dallas
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Dallas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Cleveland @ Washington
Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games on the road
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Orlando @ Atlanta
Orlando
Orlando is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Orlando's last 7 games
Atlanta
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
Chicago @ New Orleans
Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chicago's last 10 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago's last 8 games
New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Orleans's last 10 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans's last 8 games when playing at home against Chicago
Denver @ Golden State
Denver
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State
Golden State is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Golden State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Oklahoma City @ Houston
Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games
Houston
Houston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
San Antonio @ Utah
San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of San Antonio's last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 7 games when playing on the road against Utah
Utah
Utah is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 7 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Charlotte @ Portland
Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games
Charlotte is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Portland
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Portland is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Sacramento @ LA Clippers
Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Sacramento's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Sacramento's last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
LA Clippers
LA Clippers is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games at home
LA Clippers is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, February 25
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milwaukee @ Philadelphia
Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 11 games
Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
LA Lakers @ Phoenix
LA Lakers
LA Lakers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 18 of LA Lakers's last 22 games on the road
Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Dallas @ Indiana
Dallas
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Dallas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Cleveland @ Washington
Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games on the road
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Orlando @ Atlanta
Orlando
Orlando is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Orlando's last 7 games
Atlanta
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
Chicago @ New Orleans
Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chicago's last 10 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago's last 8 games
New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Orleans's last 10 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans's last 8 games when playing at home against Chicago
Denver @ Golden State
Denver
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State
Golden State is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Golden State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Oklahoma City @ Houston
Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games
Houston
Houston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
San Antonio @ Utah
San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of San Antonio's last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 7 games when playing on the road against Utah
Utah
Utah is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 7 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Charlotte @ Portland
Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games
Charlotte is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Portland
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Portland is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Sacramento @ LA Clippers
Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Sacramento's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Sacramento's last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
LA Clippers
LA Clippers is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games at home
LA Clippers is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25
| Game | Time(ET) | Pick | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIL at PHI | 01:00 PM | MIL -4.5 U 234.0 | +500 +500 |
| LAL at PHO | 03:30 PM | PHO -3.5 O 240.5 | +500 +500 |
| DAL at IND | 05:00 PM | IND +1.0 U 252.0 | +500 +500 |
| CLE at WAS | 06:00 PM | CLE -12.5 U 234.5 | +500 +500 |
| DEN at GS | 07:00 PM | GS -1.0 U 230.5 | +500 +500 |
| OKC at HOU | 07:00 PM | HOU +6.5 U 234.0 | +500 +500 |
| ORL at ATL | 07:00 PM | ORL -1.5 O 226.0 | +500 +500 |
| CHI at NO | 07:00 PM | NO -4.0 O 222.0 | +500 +500 |
| SA at UTA | 08:00 PM | UTA -6.5 O 240.5 | +500 +500 |
| CHA at POR | 09:00 PM | POR -2.5 U 212.5 | +500 +500 |
| SAC at LAC | 09:30 PM | LAC -5.5 U 239.5 | +500 +500 |
Monday’s 6-pack:
Some of the college hoop teams getting highest %age of their points on foul line:
25.5%- Rio Grande Valley
25.1%- Arkansas
24.7%- Maryland
24.6%- Grand Canyon
24.4%- Lindenwood
24.1%- Texas El Paso
Quote of the Day
“We must either find a way or make one.”
Hannibal
Monday’s quiz
Last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999; who was their coach then?
Sunday’s quiz
Marcus Camby led UMass to the Final Four in 1996; John Calipari was their coach back then.
Saturday’s quiz
Steve Kerr played his college basketball at Arizona.
********************************
— Stat of the Day: Last year, Braves’ OF Ronald Acuna had 41 at-bats where the at-bat ended when he was behind 0-2 in the count; he got hit by a pitch once, hit one sac fly, and went 15-39 on the other 39 at-bats. Hitting .385 when you’re done is impressive.
Overall, Acuna was down 0-2 in a total of 105 plate appearances; he hit .340 in those at-bats, with five walks.
— MLB is getting greedy; teams not only have spring training caps you can buy, they have a different set of batting practice caps, which will be worn during the season. High quality hats, but they cost freakin’ $45, which saves me lot of $$$.
I have a nice hat collection, but I’m not buying any more Oakland A’s stuff until they start trying to win again. The A’s batting practice cap is a good one, too.
Separate question on a sore subject: Why would own own a pro sports franchise if you’re not going to try to win? The A’s franchise is so mis-managed that it can’t possible go up in value. I’d be very happy if the guy who owns the Golden State Warriors bought the A’s- he’d try to win.
— Cubs have an OF prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong; his mother is the actress Ashley Crow, who was the mom in the movie Little Big League.
— Eight major league teams have new managers this year.
— Houston Astros used only 41 players all of last season, fewest of any team in the major leagues.
— Word of the Day: Disgruntled- someone who is angry or dissatisfied.
— One of the things about the transfer portal in college basketball is that teams come together at a different pace; one team that is hot right now are the Loyola Ramblers in the A-15. After a 6-5 start, Loyola has gone 14-2, winning/covering their last seven games in a row. Opponents are shooting 43% inside the arc, the #5 rate in the country.
— Arizona Wildcats have 18 basketball players listed on their roster; eight of them are from other countries. Only three of their players are from Arizona.
— Alabama has four lefties on its team, which is a little unusual.
— Atlanta Hawks’ G Trae Young tore ligaments in the pinky on his left hand; he is out for at least four weeks.
— Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State 84-82 Saturday, possible the last time these rivals will ever play basketball against each other. Oklahoma is bolting to the SEC and there are no scheduled pre-conference meetings in the future.
In this age of college sports where greed is good, it is inconceivable that the teams won’t eventually schedule an annual meeting— the games would sell out, and probably get on ESPN or Fox or something. But for now, the two rivals are going their separate ways.
— UCLA is hiring former NFL offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy was its OC; he coached at UCLA back from 2003-05, and won two Super Bowl rings as an assistant with the Chiefs.
— Famous people with birthdays on February 26
Phil Villapiano, 75
Wayne Gretzky, 63
JT Snow, 56
Marshall Faulk, 51
Jose Reyes, 41
Monday would’ve been Paul Newman’s 99th birthday.
— St John’s 80, Creighton 66
Johnnies were +10 in turnovers (13-3).
St John’s was 32-64 inside arc, 2-8 on 3’s; old-school approach.
Creighton forces fewer turnovers than any team in country.
— Memphis 78, FAU 74
Both teams shot 58%+ inside the arc.
Teams combined to shoot 12-55 on the arc.
FAU split its last six games; they need to right the ship to stay above the bubble.
— South Florida 79, SMU 68
Bulls have won 13 games in a row, 20 of last 21.
SMU was only 15-31 on the foul line.
South Florida shot 63.6% inside the arc.
— Wright State 96, Oakland 75
Oakland led 38-37 at halftime.
Raiders are 8-2 in last ten games, after a 9-10 start.
Wright State is shooting 59.2% inside the arc (#4).
— Ohio State 60, Michigan State 57
Spartans led by 12 with 11:07 left in the game.
Teams combined to shoot 7-33 on the arc.
Michigan State is 1-7 in games decided by 7 or less points.
— Was watching A’s-Dodgers spring training game Sunday; the TV analyst was Rick Monday, who played for the A’s back when I was a little kid- they traded him for P Ken Holtzman after the 1971 season, which made the A’s pitching championship-level. A’s won three World Series in a row after they acquired Holtzman.
Rick Monday played 19 years in the majors, had a career OPS of .804, was a darn good player who is now a terrific analyst with a great voice. He does radio for the Dodgers but in the spring, they do simulcasts on TV. Was excellent listening to him Sunday.
Some of the college hoop teams getting highest %age of their points on foul line:
25.5%- Rio Grande Valley
25.1%- Arkansas
24.7%- Maryland
24.6%- Grand Canyon
24.4%- Lindenwood
24.1%- Texas El Paso
Quote of the Day
“We must either find a way or make one.”
Hannibal
Monday’s quiz
Last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999; who was their coach then?
Sunday’s quiz
Marcus Camby led UMass to the Final Four in 1996; John Calipari was their coach back then.
Saturday’s quiz
Steve Kerr played his college basketball at Arizona.
********************************
Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a busy weekend……
— Chicago Cubs re-signed OF Cody Bellinger for three years, $80M— Stat of the Day: Last year, Braves’ OF Ronald Acuna had 41 at-bats where the at-bat ended when he was behind 0-2 in the count; he got hit by a pitch once, hit one sac fly, and went 15-39 on the other 39 at-bats. Hitting .385 when you’re done is impressive.
Overall, Acuna was down 0-2 in a total of 105 plate appearances; he hit .340 in those at-bats, with five walks.
— MLB is getting greedy; teams not only have spring training caps you can buy, they have a different set of batting practice caps, which will be worn during the season. High quality hats, but they cost freakin’ $45, which saves me lot of $$$.
I have a nice hat collection, but I’m not buying any more Oakland A’s stuff until they start trying to win again. The A’s batting practice cap is a good one, too.
Separate question on a sore subject: Why would own own a pro sports franchise if you’re not going to try to win? The A’s franchise is so mis-managed that it can’t possible go up in value. I’d be very happy if the guy who owns the Golden State Warriors bought the A’s- he’d try to win.
— Cubs have an OF prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong; his mother is the actress Ashley Crow, who was the mom in the movie Little Big League.
— Eight major league teams have new managers this year.
— Houston Astros used only 41 players all of last season, fewest of any team in the major leagues.
— Word of the Day: Disgruntled- someone who is angry or dissatisfied.
— One of the things about the transfer portal in college basketball is that teams come together at a different pace; one team that is hot right now are the Loyola Ramblers in the A-15. After a 6-5 start, Loyola has gone 14-2, winning/covering their last seven games in a row. Opponents are shooting 43% inside the arc, the #5 rate in the country.
— Arizona Wildcats have 18 basketball players listed on their roster; eight of them are from other countries. Only three of their players are from Arizona.
— Alabama has four lefties on its team, which is a little unusual.
— Atlanta Hawks’ G Trae Young tore ligaments in the pinky on his left hand; he is out for at least four weeks.
— Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State 84-82 Saturday, possible the last time these rivals will ever play basketball against each other. Oklahoma is bolting to the SEC and there are no scheduled pre-conference meetings in the future.
In this age of college sports where greed is good, it is inconceivable that the teams won’t eventually schedule an annual meeting— the games would sell out, and probably get on ESPN or Fox or something. But for now, the two rivals are going their separate ways.
— UCLA is hiring former NFL offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy was its OC; he coached at UCLA back from 2003-05, and won two Super Bowl rings as an assistant with the Chiefs.
— Famous people with birthdays on February 26
Phil Villapiano, 75
Wayne Gretzky, 63
JT Snow, 56
Marshall Faulk, 51
Jose Reyes, 41
Monday would’ve been Paul Newman’s 99th birthday.
— St John’s 80, Creighton 66
Johnnies were +10 in turnovers (13-3).
St John’s was 32-64 inside arc, 2-8 on 3’s; old-school approach.
Creighton forces fewer turnovers than any team in country.
— Memphis 78, FAU 74
Both teams shot 58%+ inside the arc.
Teams combined to shoot 12-55 on the arc.
FAU split its last six games; they need to right the ship to stay above the bubble.
— South Florida 79, SMU 68
Bulls have won 13 games in a row, 20 of last 21.
SMU was only 15-31 on the foul line.
South Florida shot 63.6% inside the arc.
— Wright State 96, Oakland 75
Oakland led 38-37 at halftime.
Raiders are 8-2 in last ten games, after a 9-10 start.
Wright State is shooting 59.2% inside the arc (#4).
— Ohio State 60, Michigan State 57
Spartans led by 12 with 11:07 left in the game.
Teams combined to shoot 7-33 on the arc.
Michigan State is 1-7 in games decided by 7 or less points.
— Was watching A’s-Dodgers spring training game Sunday; the TV analyst was Rick Monday, who played for the A’s back when I was a little kid- they traded him for P Ken Holtzman after the 1971 season, which made the A’s pitching championship-level. A’s won three World Series in a row after they acquired Holtzman.
Rick Monday played 19 years in the majors, had a career OPS of .804, was a darn good player who is now a terrific analyst with a great voice. He does radio for the Dodgers but in the spring, they do simulcasts on TV. Was excellent listening to him Sunday.
TORONTO is 18-35 ATS (-20.5 Units) after 2 or more consecutive unders in the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 12-3 Over (8.7 Units) in road games after playing a home game in the current season.
BROOKLYN is 32-13 Over (17.7 Units) when the total is 210-219.5 in the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 8-0 Under (8 Units) against Pacific division opponents in the current season.
NBA
Dunkel
Monday, February 26
NBA
Monday, February 26
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toronto @ Indiana
Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Detroit @ New York
Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing New York
New York
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Brooklyn @ Memphis
Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Brooklyn's last 8 games
Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Memphis is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Brooklyn
Miami @ Sacramento
Miami
Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games
Sacramento
Sacramento is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Miami
Sacramento is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Miami
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DETROIT is 12-3 Over (8.7 Units) in road games after playing a home game in the current season.
BROOKLYN is 32-13 Over (17.7 Units) when the total is 210-219.5 in the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 8-0 Under (8 Units) against Pacific division opponents in the current season.
NBA
Dunkel
Monday, February 26
NBA
Monday, February 26
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toronto @ Indiana
Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Detroit @ New York
Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing New York
New York
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Brooklyn @ Memphis
Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Brooklyn's last 8 games
Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Memphis is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Brooklyn
Miami @ Sacramento
Miami
Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games
Sacramento
Sacramento is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Miami
Sacramento is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Miami
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
— Kansas State 94, West Virginia 90 OT- Wildcats led by 22 at the half.
— K-State has now won its last 12 overtime games.
— North Carolina 75, Miami 71- Miami kept it close, going 14-30 on arc.
— St Louis Cardinals signed SS Brandon Crawford.
— Dodgers traded OF Manuel Margot to the Twins, for a minor leaguer.
— UMass is joining the Mid-American Conference, starting in 2025-26.
Quote of the Day
“The one stat that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is heart and poise and togetherness and just fight.”
Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard
Tuesday’s quiz
Steph Curry’s father Dell Curry played in the NBA for 16 years, scoring 12,670 points; where did he play his college basketball?
Monday’s quiz
Last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999; Jeff Van Gundy was their coach.
Sunday’s quiz
Marcus Camby led UMass to the Final Four in 1996; John Calipari was their coach back then.
****************************************
— ACC
Duke- since 2017, they’re 15-2 in ACC tourney games.
From 2012-14, Louisville won 3 straight conference tourneys; since joining the ACC, they’re 3-7 in conference tournament games.
Miami- since 2006, they’re 15-3 in their first ACC Tourney game each year.
North Carolina hasn’t won an ACC Tournament since 2016; they’ve gone WL in five of seven tournaments since then.
Syracuse- since joining the ACC, they’re 5-8 in conference tournament games.
— Big East
Since joining the Big East…….
Butler is 3-9 in the Big East Tournament
Creighton is 9-9
DePaul is 5-15
Marquette is 14-16 (won tournament LY)
Xavier is 8-11 (4 of last 5 tournament losses were in OT)
Midwestern teams haven’t fared too well in this event (Creighton is 0-4 in Finals)
Tournament is played in Madison Square Garden, one of St John’s’ home floors; they haven’t won a Big East tournament since 2000.
— Big 14
since 2011, Illinois is 8-11 (won ’21 tournament)
since 2014, Indiana is 6-9 (0-1 all-time in tournament finals)
since 2007, Iowa is 9-15 (was 4-0 in winning ’22 tournament)
since 2012, Michigan State is 18-7, won four tournaments (last one, 2019)
last two years, Purdue is 5-1; they won the tournament last year.
— Big X
since 2006, Kansas Jayhawks are 36-7 in the Big X Tournament.
since 2015, Baylor is 112-60 in regular season Big X games, 3-8 in Big X tourney.
since 2014, Iowa State won four Big X Tournaments; the other six years, they were 1-5 in the first round.
since 2003, Kansas State is 12-19 in the Big X Tournament.
since 2017, Oklahoma is 1-6.
Since 2014, Texas Tech is 3-9.
— Pac-12
Arizona won five of the last eight Pac-12 Tournaments.
since 2011, Colorado is 11-1 in its first tourney game (2-8 in last 10 second games)
since 2013, Oregon is 20-7 in Pac-12 Tournaments (won 3 tournaments).
USC has gone WL in six of last seven tournaments, WWL in the other.
UCLA hasn’t won Pac-12 Tournament since 2014 (WWL each of the last two years).
Utah is 1-7 in last seven tournaments.
— SEC
Alabama won two of last three tournaments.
Arkansas went WL the last three years.
You’re reading armadillosports.com
Mississippi State went WL the last six years.
Missouri went WL the last four years.
since 2010, Auburn is 7-11 (3-1 in ’15, 4-0 in ’19, 0-10 the other 10 years).
from 2015-18, Kentucky won four straight tournaments; since then, they’re 2-4.
since 2016, South Carolina is 1-6.
Since 2018, Tennessee is 9-5.
— Atlantic 15
since joining the A-15, VCU is 16-8, winning the tournament twice.
since 2011, #1-seed has won only three of the 13 tournaments.
— Big West
Last 11 tournaments, eight different schools have won a title.
— CAA
Last seven years, six different teams have won this tournament; Charleston is only team with two tournament titles in that span.
— MAAC
Iona won this tournament six of last eight years; since 2013, they’re 27-4.
— MAC
Last four tournaments, four different teams won a tournament title.
— Mountain West
This event is played in Las Vegas; UNLV hasn’t won it since 2008, and is 2-5 since 2019.
since 2014, San Diego State is 25-7, 3-6 in tournament title game.
#1-seed won this tournament the last three years.
— WCC
since 2004, Gonzaga is 41-4 in the WCC Tournament.
since 2010, Saint Mary’s is 19-12 (3-9 against Gonzaga).
Last time someone other than Gonzaga/Saint Mary’s won the WCC Tournament was 2008, when #3-seed San Diego won.
— Kansas State 94, West Virginia 90 OT- Wildcats led by 22 at the half.
— K-State has now won its last 12 overtime games.
— North Carolina 75, Miami 71- Miami kept it close, going 14-30 on arc.
— St Louis Cardinals signed SS Brandon Crawford.
— Dodgers traded OF Manuel Margot to the Twins, for a minor leaguer.
— UMass is joining the Mid-American Conference, starting in 2025-26.
Quote of the Day
“The one stat that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is heart and poise and togetherness and just fight.”
Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard
Tuesday’s quiz
Steph Curry’s father Dell Curry played in the NBA for 16 years, scoring 12,670 points; where did he play his college basketball?
Monday’s quiz
Last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999; Jeff Van Gundy was their coach.
Sunday’s quiz
Marcus Camby led UMass to the Final Four in 1996; John Calipari was their coach back then.
****************************************
Tuesday’s Den: Conference tournament trends…….
Conference tournament trends……..— ACC
Duke- since 2017, they’re 15-2 in ACC tourney games.
From 2012-14, Louisville won 3 straight conference tourneys; since joining the ACC, they’re 3-7 in conference tournament games.
Miami- since 2006, they’re 15-3 in their first ACC Tourney game each year.
North Carolina hasn’t won an ACC Tournament since 2016; they’ve gone WL in five of seven tournaments since then.
Syracuse- since joining the ACC, they’re 5-8 in conference tournament games.
— Big East
Since joining the Big East…….
Butler is 3-9 in the Big East Tournament
Creighton is 9-9
DePaul is 5-15
Marquette is 14-16 (won tournament LY)
Xavier is 8-11 (4 of last 5 tournament losses were in OT)
Midwestern teams haven’t fared too well in this event (Creighton is 0-4 in Finals)
Tournament is played in Madison Square Garden, one of St John’s’ home floors; they haven’t won a Big East tournament since 2000.
— Big 14
since 2011, Illinois is 8-11 (won ’21 tournament)
since 2014, Indiana is 6-9 (0-1 all-time in tournament finals)
since 2007, Iowa is 9-15 (was 4-0 in winning ’22 tournament)
since 2012, Michigan State is 18-7, won four tournaments (last one, 2019)
last two years, Purdue is 5-1; they won the tournament last year.
— Big X
since 2006, Kansas Jayhawks are 36-7 in the Big X Tournament.
since 2015, Baylor is 112-60 in regular season Big X games, 3-8 in Big X tourney.
since 2014, Iowa State won four Big X Tournaments; the other six years, they were 1-5 in the first round.
since 2003, Kansas State is 12-19 in the Big X Tournament.
since 2017, Oklahoma is 1-6.
Since 2014, Texas Tech is 3-9.
— Pac-12
Arizona won five of the last eight Pac-12 Tournaments.
since 2011, Colorado is 11-1 in its first tourney game (2-8 in last 10 second games)
since 2013, Oregon is 20-7 in Pac-12 Tournaments (won 3 tournaments).
USC has gone WL in six of last seven tournaments, WWL in the other.
UCLA hasn’t won Pac-12 Tournament since 2014 (WWL each of the last two years).
Utah is 1-7 in last seven tournaments.
— SEC
Alabama won two of last three tournaments.
Arkansas went WL the last three years.
You’re reading armadillosports.com
Mississippi State went WL the last six years.
Missouri went WL the last four years.
since 2010, Auburn is 7-11 (3-1 in ’15, 4-0 in ’19, 0-10 the other 10 years).
from 2015-18, Kentucky won four straight tournaments; since then, they’re 2-4.
since 2016, South Carolina is 1-6.
Since 2018, Tennessee is 9-5.
— Atlantic 15
since joining the A-15, VCU is 16-8, winning the tournament twice.
since 2011, #1-seed has won only three of the 13 tournaments.
— Big West
Last 11 tournaments, eight different schools have won a title.
— CAA
Last seven years, six different teams have won this tournament; Charleston is only team with two tournament titles in that span.
— MAAC
Iona won this tournament six of last eight years; since 2013, they’re 27-4.
— MAC
Last four tournaments, four different teams won a tournament title.
— Mountain West
This event is played in Las Vegas; UNLV hasn’t won it since 2008, and is 2-5 since 2019.
since 2014, San Diego State is 25-7, 3-6 in tournament title game.
#1-seed won this tournament the last three years.
— WCC
since 2004, Gonzaga is 41-4 in the WCC Tournament.
since 2010, Saint Mary’s is 19-12 (3-9 against Gonzaga).
Last time someone other than Gonzaga/Saint Mary’s won the WCC Tournament was 2008, when #3-seed San Diego won.
ORLANDO is 9-0 ATS (9 Units) in home games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=13 turnovers/game in the current seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) in road games after having won 2 of their last 3 games in the current season.
J.B. Bickerstaff is 8-23 ATS (-17.3 Units) after failing to cover the spread in 4 or more consecutive games (Coach of CLEVELAND)
BOSTON is 48-29 ATS (16.1 Units) in the second half of the season in the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS are 17-3 Under (13.7 Units) in road games in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 12-1 ATS (10.9 Units) in road games after failing to cover 3 of their last 4 against the spread over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 12-1 Over (10.9 Units) in home games when playing 4 or less games in 10 days over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in home games versus terrible teams - outscored by their opponents by 6+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 12-3 ATS (8.7 Units) when playing 4 or less games in 10 days in the current season.
PORTLAND is 8-28 ATS (-22.8 Units) in home games in the second half of the season in the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) in road games after having won 2 of their last 3 games in the current season.
J.B. Bickerstaff is 8-23 ATS (-17.3 Units) after failing to cover the spread in 4 or more consecutive games (Coach of CLEVELAND)
BOSTON is 48-29 ATS (16.1 Units) in the second half of the season in the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS are 17-3 Under (13.7 Units) in road games in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 12-1 ATS (10.9 Units) in road games after failing to cover 3 of their last 4 against the spread over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 12-1 Over (10.9 Units) in home games when playing 4 or less games in 10 days over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in home games versus terrible teams - outscored by their opponents by 6+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 12-3 ATS (8.7 Units) when playing 4 or less games in 10 days in the current season.
PORTLAND is 8-28 ATS (-22.8 Units) in home games in the second half of the season in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Tuesday, February 27
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Golden State @ Washington
Golden State
Golden State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
Brooklyn @ Orlando
Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Brooklyn's last 9 games
Brooklyn is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games at home
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Dallas @ Cleveland
Dallas
Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Dallas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Cleveland
Cleveland is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home
Cleveland is 19-4 SU in its last 23 games
Philadelphia @ Boston
Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home
Utah @ Atlanta
Utah
Utah is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Utah
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games at home
New Orleans @ New York
New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans's last 7 games on the road
New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of New York's last 17 games at home
San Antonio @ Minnesota
San Antonio
San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of San Antonio's last 14 games
Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Minnesota is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Detroit @ Chicago
Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
Chicago
Chicago is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Charlotte @ Milwaukee
Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Charlotte's last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 8 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games
Houston @ Oklahoma City
Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 10 games when playing Oklahoma City
Houston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Miami @ Portland
Miami
Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 9 games when playing at home against Miami
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 27
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Golden State @ Washington
Golden State
Golden State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
Brooklyn @ Orlando
Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Brooklyn's last 9 games
Brooklyn is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games at home
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Dallas @ Cleveland
Dallas
Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Dallas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Cleveland
Cleveland is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home
Cleveland is 19-4 SU in its last 23 games
Philadelphia @ Boston
Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home
Utah @ Atlanta
Utah
Utah is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah's last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Utah
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games at home
New Orleans @ New York
New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans's last 7 games on the road
New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of New York's last 17 games at home
San Antonio @ Minnesota
San Antonio
San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of San Antonio's last 14 games
Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Minnesota is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Detroit @ Chicago
Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
Chicago
Chicago is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Charlotte @ Milwaukee
Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Charlotte's last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 8 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games
Houston @ Oklahoma City
Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 10 games when playing Oklahoma City
Houston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Miami @ Portland
Miami
Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 9 games when playing at home against Miami
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27
| Game | Time(ET) | Pick | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS at WAS | 07:00 PM | GS -10.5 U 244.5 | +500 +500 |
| BK at ORL | 07:00 PM | ORL -6.5 U 208.0 | +500 +500 |
| DAL at CLE | 07:00 PM | DAL +4.0 O 231.0 | +500 +500 |
| UTA at ATL | 07:30 PM | ATL -2.0 U 238.0 | +500 +500 |
| NO at NY | 07:30 PM | NY +6.0 U 215.0 | +500 +500 |
| PHI at BOS | 07:30 PM | PHI +11.5 U 231.5 | +500 +500 |
| SA at MIN | 08:00 PM | SA +12.5 U 224.0 | +500 +500 |
| DET at CHI | 08:00 PM | DET +10.5 U 224.0 | +500 +500 |
| CHA at MIL | 08:00 PM | MIL -14.0 U 219.0 | +500 +500 |
| MIA at POR | 10:00 PM | MIA -7.0 U 213.0 | +500 +500 |
| HOU at OKC | 10:00 PM | OKC -10.0 U 234.5 | +500 +500 |
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
— Cavaliers 121, Mavericks 119- Strus hit a 60-footer at the buzzer for the win.
— Warriors 123, Wizards 112- Curry was 4-17 on arc; other Warriors were 17-30.
— Celtics 117, 76ers 99- Boston shot 65.4% inside the arc.
— T’wolves 114, Spurs 105- SA’s starters were +6, their subs minus-51.
— Pistons 105, Bulls 95- Chicago was 2-29 on the arc.
— Dodgers 9, White Sox 6- Some guy named Ohtani hit a home run.
Quote of the Day
“If we had better quarterback play, I may not be standing here at the podium.”
new Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris
Wednesday’s quiz
Who is the only coach to win both an NBA championship and a college national title?
Tuesday’s quiz
Steph Curry’s father Dell Curry played in the NBA for 16 years, scoring 12,670 points; he played his college basketball at Virginia Tech, which don’t recruit his two sons, both of whom are in the NBA.
Monday’s quiz
Last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999; Jeff Van Gundy was their coach.
*******************************************************
UConn made it to the Final Four in 2009, after that 6-overtime loss, but the next two years, Huskies were 16-20 in Big East games- the natives were restless. Jim Calhoun had won two national titles, but it had been six years since the last one.
So what happened? UConn, after losing four of its last five regular season games, goes 5-0 and wins the Big East Tournament, then as a #3-seed, they won the national championship, in coach Calhoun’s 2nd-to-last season at UConn.
My point? March Madness is great because…..you never know what’s going to happen.
— NFL Combine is this week; ESPN/NFL Network will show lot of guys running the 40-yard dash and doing drills. Best part of the Combine we don’t see; the interviews teams do with players, as they try to figure out which players they should draft.
By the way, it has been 52 years since New Orleans Saints drafted a QB in the first round; they drafted Archie Manning that year, Peyton Manning’s father.
— There were six NBA games Tuesday with a double-digit favorite, the most of any night so far this season.
— In the NFL, of the 14 players with the biggest salary cap hit for 2024, four of them play for the LA Chargers.
— In college football, Boise State is bringing back former HC (1998-2000) Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator; he’s been a head coach at Boise, Arizona State, Tampa Bay Bucs.
UMass is jumping from the A-15 to the MAC, which is very bad news for its basketball program; A-15 is the #8 basketball league in country, MAC is #24 league. UMass isn’t the first school to sacrifice its basketball team to try and save its football program.
Last five years, the Minuteman are 6-46 on the gridiron, as an independent.
— In baseball……..
LA Dodgers signed utility guy Kike Hernandez for one year, $4M.
San Francisco Giants signed SS Nick Ahmed.
Speaking of the Giants, the last 17 years on Opening Day, San Francisco started a different left fielder every year, and this year figures to make it 18 in a row.
Switching from DirecTV to YouTube TV last year has mostly been a plus for me; one of the best parts is I can watch replays of baseball games all night long, if I want, which is really good during spring training. Not great for my sleeping habits, but whatever……
— Movie of the Day: Against All Odds (1984)- A gangster hires an ex-football player to find his girlfriend. When he finds her, they fall in love, and then things get complicated.
Jeff Bridges is the football player, James Woods is the gangster, Rachel Ward is his wife. Also in this movie: Richard Widmark, Alex Karras.
— Famous people with birthdays on February 28:
Mario Andretti, 84
Bubba Smith, 79
Bernadette Peters, 76
Brian Billick, 70
John Turturro, 67
Ickey Woods, 58
Luka Doncic, 25
— Kansas State’s basketball team has won its last 12 overtime games.
— North Carolina (2016/2017) is the last team to make the Final Four two years in a row.
— Old Dominion basketball coach Jeff Jones retired; he had a 560-418 career record as a coach, after his playing days at Virginia.
— 34 of the last 46 national champs in college basketball (73.9%) were 10-1 or less to win the national title when the tournament started.
— BYU 76, Kansas 68
Jayhawks led by 12 early in 2nd half; their 19-game home win streak ends.
Kansas is 6-5 in last 11 games, after a 13-2 start.
Kansas is 3-2 when McKullar doesn’t play.
— Kentucky 91, Mississippi State 89
Bulldogs led by 13 early in second half.
Reed Sheppard hit a 14-foot runner with 0:00.5 left for the win.
Loss snaps Miss State’s 5-game winning streak.
— Indiana 74, Wisconsin 70- There was a 15-minute delay in second half, when a fire alarm went off in the arena. Game was tied when that happened. Badgers are 2-6 in their last eight games.
— UNLV 75, Wyoming 69 OT
Rebels have won eight of their last nine games.
Kalib Boone had 24 points, 12 rebounds (7 offensive)
— Northern Illinois 75, Toledo 72
Rockets were a 15-point home favorite.
Toledo led by 9 with 14:33 left to play.
NIU was 10-23 on the arc, Toledo 6-19.
— Clemson 69, Pittsburgh 62
Pitt was +8 in turnovers, led by 10 midway thru first half.
Clemson starts four seniors; they’re 6-1 in last seven games.
— Cavaliers 121, Mavericks 119- Strus hit a 60-footer at the buzzer for the win.
— Warriors 123, Wizards 112- Curry was 4-17 on arc; other Warriors were 17-30.
— Celtics 117, 76ers 99- Boston shot 65.4% inside the arc.
— T’wolves 114, Spurs 105- SA’s starters were +6, their subs minus-51.
— Pistons 105, Bulls 95- Chicago was 2-29 on the arc.
— Dodgers 9, White Sox 6- Some guy named Ohtani hit a home run.
Quote of the Day
“If we had better quarterback play, I may not be standing here at the podium.”
new Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris
Wednesday’s quiz
Who is the only coach to win both an NBA championship and a college national title?
Tuesday’s quiz
Steph Curry’s father Dell Curry played in the NBA for 16 years, scoring 12,670 points; he played his college basketball at Virginia Tech, which don’t recruit his two sons, both of whom are in the NBA.
Monday’s quiz
Last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999; Jeff Van Gundy was their coach.
*******************************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……..
— From 2006-10, UConn went 0-5 in the Big East Tournament; during that time, they went 55-31 in Big East regular season games, but they came up empty at MSG in March, even losing a 6-overtime game to Syracuse in 2009.UConn made it to the Final Four in 2009, after that 6-overtime loss, but the next two years, Huskies were 16-20 in Big East games- the natives were restless. Jim Calhoun had won two national titles, but it had been six years since the last one.
So what happened? UConn, after losing four of its last five regular season games, goes 5-0 and wins the Big East Tournament, then as a #3-seed, they won the national championship, in coach Calhoun’s 2nd-to-last season at UConn.
My point? March Madness is great because…..you never know what’s going to happen.
— NFL Combine is this week; ESPN/NFL Network will show lot of guys running the 40-yard dash and doing drills. Best part of the Combine we don’t see; the interviews teams do with players, as they try to figure out which players they should draft.
By the way, it has been 52 years since New Orleans Saints drafted a QB in the first round; they drafted Archie Manning that year, Peyton Manning’s father.
— There were six NBA games Tuesday with a double-digit favorite, the most of any night so far this season.
— In the NFL, of the 14 players with the biggest salary cap hit for 2024, four of them play for the LA Chargers.
— In college football, Boise State is bringing back former HC (1998-2000) Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator; he’s been a head coach at Boise, Arizona State, Tampa Bay Bucs.
UMass is jumping from the A-15 to the MAC, which is very bad news for its basketball program; A-15 is the #8 basketball league in country, MAC is #24 league. UMass isn’t the first school to sacrifice its basketball team to try and save its football program.
Last five years, the Minuteman are 6-46 on the gridiron, as an independent.
— In baseball……..
LA Dodgers signed utility guy Kike Hernandez for one year, $4M.
San Francisco Giants signed SS Nick Ahmed.
Speaking of the Giants, the last 17 years on Opening Day, San Francisco started a different left fielder every year, and this year figures to make it 18 in a row.
Switching from DirecTV to YouTube TV last year has mostly been a plus for me; one of the best parts is I can watch replays of baseball games all night long, if I want, which is really good during spring training. Not great for my sleeping habits, but whatever……
— Movie of the Day: Against All Odds (1984)- A gangster hires an ex-football player to find his girlfriend. When he finds her, they fall in love, and then things get complicated.
Jeff Bridges is the football player, James Woods is the gangster, Rachel Ward is his wife. Also in this movie: Richard Widmark, Alex Karras.
— Famous people with birthdays on February 28:
Mario Andretti, 84
Bubba Smith, 79
Bernadette Peters, 76
Brian Billick, 70
John Turturro, 67
Ickey Woods, 58
Luka Doncic, 25
— Kansas State’s basketball team has won its last 12 overtime games.
— North Carolina (2016/2017) is the last team to make the Final Four two years in a row.
— Old Dominion basketball coach Jeff Jones retired; he had a 560-418 career record as a coach, after his playing days at Virginia.
— 34 of the last 46 national champs in college basketball (73.9%) were 10-1 or less to win the national title when the tournament started.
— BYU 76, Kansas 68
Jayhawks led by 12 early in 2nd half; their 19-game home win streak ends.
Kansas is 6-5 in last 11 games, after a 13-2 start.
Kansas is 3-2 when McKullar doesn’t play.
— Kentucky 91, Mississippi State 89
Bulldogs led by 13 early in second half.
Reed Sheppard hit a 14-foot runner with 0:00.5 left for the win.
Loss snaps Miss State’s 5-game winning streak.
— Indiana 74, Wisconsin 70- There was a 15-minute delay in second half, when a fire alarm went off in the arena. Game was tied when that happened. Badgers are 2-6 in their last eight games.
— UNLV 75, Wyoming 69 OT
Rebels have won eight of their last nine games.
Kalib Boone had 24 points, 12 rebounds (7 offensive)
— Northern Illinois 75, Toledo 72
Rockets were a 15-point home favorite.
Toledo led by 9 with 14:33 left to play.
NIU was 10-23 on the arc, Toledo 6-19.
— Clemson 69, Pittsburgh 62
Pitt was +8 in turnovers, led by 10 midway thru first half.
Clemson starts four seniors; they’re 6-1 in last seven games.
What a night.............
CNOTES - FEB 27
| Game | Score | Pick | Amount | Status | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden State Washington | 123 112 | GS -10.5 Under 244.5 | +500 +500 | Win Win | +500 +500 |
| Dallas Cleveland | 119 121 | DAL +4.0 Over 231.0 | +500 +500 | Win Win | +500 +500 |
| Brooklyn Orlando | 81 108 | ORL -6.5 Under 208.0 | +500 +500 | Win Win | +500 +500 |
| Utah Atlanta | 97 124 | ATL -2.0 Under 238.0 | +500 +500 | Win Win | +500 +500 |
| Philadelphia Boston | 99 117 | PHI +11.5 Under 231.5 | +500 +500 | Loss Win | -550 +500 |
| Detroit Chicago | 105 95 | DET +10.5 Under 224.0 | +500 +500 | Win Win | +500 +500 |
| New Orleans New York | 115 92 | NY +6.0 Under 215.0 | +500 +500 | Loss Win | -550 +500 |
| Miami Portland | 106 96 | MIA -7.0 Under 213.0 | +500 +500 | Win Win | +500 +500 |
| Houston Oklahoma City | 95 112 | OKC -10.0 Under 234.5 | +500 +500 | Win Win | +500 +500 |
| San Antonio Minnesota | 105 114 | SA +12.5 Under 224.0 | +500 +500 | Win Win | +500 +500 |
| Charlotte Milwaukee | 85 123 | MIL -14.0 Under 219.0 | +500 +500 | Win Win | +500 +500 |
Armadillo Sports
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
— Cavaliers 121, Mavericks 119- Strus hit a 60-footer at the buzzer for the win.
— Warriors 123, Wizards 112- Curry was 4-17 on arc; other Warriors were 17-30.
— Celtics 117, 76ers 99- Boston shot 65.4% inside the arc.
— T’wolves 114, Spurs 105- SA’s starters were +6, their subs minus-51.
— Pistons 105, Bulls 95- Chicago was 2-29 on the arc.
— Dodgers 9, White Sox 6- Some guy named Ohtani hit a home run.
Quote of the Day
“If we had better quarterback play, I may not be standing here at the podium.”
new Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris
Wednesday’s quiz
Who is the only coach to win both an NBA championship and a college national title?
Tuesday’s quiz
Steph Curry’s father Dell Curry played in the NBA for 16 years, scoring 12,670 points; he played his college basketball at Virginia Tech, which don’t recruit his two sons, both of whom are in the NBA.
Monday’s quiz
Last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999; Jeff Van Gundy was their coach.
***************************************************
— From 2006-10, UConn went 0-5 in the Big East Tournament; during that time, they went 55-31 in Big East regular season games, but they came up empty at MSG in March, even losing a 6-overtime game to Syracuse in 2009.
UConn made it to the Final Four in 2009, after that 6-overtime loss, but the next two years, Huskies were 16-20 in Big East games- the natives were restless. Jim Calhoun had won two national titles, but it had been six years since the last one.
So what happened? UConn, after losing four of its last five regular season games, goes 5-0 and wins the Big East Tournament, then as a #3-seed, they won the national championship, in coach Calhoun’s 2nd-to-last season at UConn.
My point? March Madness is great because…..you never know what’s going to happen.
— NFL Combine is this week; ESPN/NFL Network will show lot of guys running the 40-yard dash and doing drills. Best part of the Combine we don’t see; the interviews teams do with players, as they try to figure out which players they should draft.
By the way, it has been 52 years since New Orleans Saints drafted a QB in the first round; they drafted Archie Manning that year, Peyton Manning’s father.
— There were six NBA games Tuesday with a double-digit favorite, the most of any night so far this season.
— In the NFL, of the 14 players with the biggest salary cap hit for 2024, four of them play for the LA Chargers.
— In college football, Boise State is bringing back former HC (1998-2000) Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator; he’s been a head coach at Boise, Arizona State, Tampa Bay Bucs.
UMass is jumping from the A-15 to the MAC, which is very bad news for its basketball program; A-15 is the #8 basketball league in country, MAC is #24 league. UMass isn’t the first school to sacrifice its basketball team to try and save its football program.
Last five years, the Minuteman are 6-46 on the gridiron, as an independent.
— In baseball……..
LA Dodgers signed utility guy Kike Hernandez for one year, $4M.
San Francisco Giants signed SS Nick Ahmed.
Speaking of the Giants, the last 17 years on Opening Day, San Francisco started a different left fielder every year, and this year figures to make it 18 in a row.
Switching from DirecTV to YouTube TV last year has mostly been a plus for me; one of the best parts is I can watch replays of baseball games all night long, if I want, which is really good during spring training. Not great for my sleeping habits, but whatever……
— Movie of the Day: Against All Odds (1984)- A gangster hires an ex-football player to find his girlfriend. When he finds her, they fall in love, and then things get complicated.
Jeff Bridges is the football player, James Woods is the gangster, Rachel Ward is his wife. Also in this movie: Richard Widmark, Alex Karras.
— Famous people with birthdays on February 28:
Mario Andretti, 84
Bubba Smith, 79
Bernadette Peters, 76
Brian Billick, 70
John Turturro, 67
Ickey Woods, 58
Luka Doncic, 25
— Kansas State’s basketball team has won its last 12 overtime games.
— North Carolina (2016/2017) is the last team to make the Final Four two years in a row.
— Old Dominion basketball coach Jeff Jones retired; he had a 560-418 career record as a coach, after his playing days at Virginia.
— 34 of the last 46 national champs in college basketball (73.9%) were 10-1 or less to win the national title when the tournament started.
— BYU 76, Kansas 68
Jayhawks led by 12 early in 2nd half; their 19-game home win streak ends.
Kansas is 6-5 in last 11 games, after a 13-2 start.
Kansas is 3-2 when McKullar doesn’t play.
— Kentucky 91, Mississippi State 89
Bulldogs led by 13 early in second half.
Reed Sheppard hit a 14-foot runner with 0:00.5 left for the win.
Loss snaps Miss State’s 5-game winning streak.
— Indiana 74, Wisconsin 70- There was a 15-minute delay in second half, when a fire alarm went off in the arena. Game was tied when that happened. Badgers are 2-6 in their last eight games.
— UNLV 75, Wyoming 69 OT
Rebels have won eight of their last nine games.
Kalib Boone had 24 points, 12 rebounds (7 offensive)
— Northern Illinois 75, Toledo 72
Rockets were a 15-point home favorite.
Toledo led by 9 with 14:33 left to play.
NIU was 10-23 on the arc, Toledo 6-19.
— Clemson 69, Pittsburgh 62
Pitt was +8 in turnovers, led by 10 midway thru first half.
Clemson starts four seniors; they’re 6-1 in last seven games.
— Nevada 77, Colorado State 74
Kid on Nevada banked in a half-court shot at the buzzer for the win.
Wolf Pack has won seven of their last eight games.
Colorado State lost last three games, by total of 11 points.
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
— Cavaliers 121, Mavericks 119- Strus hit a 60-footer at the buzzer for the win.
— Warriors 123, Wizards 112- Curry was 4-17 on arc; other Warriors were 17-30.
— Celtics 117, 76ers 99- Boston shot 65.4% inside the arc.
— T’wolves 114, Spurs 105- SA’s starters were +6, their subs minus-51.
— Pistons 105, Bulls 95- Chicago was 2-29 on the arc.
— Dodgers 9, White Sox 6- Some guy named Ohtani hit a home run.
Quote of the Day
“If we had better quarterback play, I may not be standing here at the podium.”
new Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris
Wednesday’s quiz
Who is the only coach to win both an NBA championship and a college national title?
Tuesday’s quiz
Steph Curry’s father Dell Curry played in the NBA for 16 years, scoring 12,670 points; he played his college basketball at Virginia Tech, which don’t recruit his two sons, both of whom are in the NBA.
Monday’s quiz
Last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999; Jeff Van Gundy was their coach.
***************************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……..
— From 2006-10, UConn went 0-5 in the Big East Tournament; during that time, they went 55-31 in Big East regular season games, but they came up empty at MSG in March, even losing a 6-overtime game to Syracuse in 2009.
UConn made it to the Final Four in 2009, after that 6-overtime loss, but the next two years, Huskies were 16-20 in Big East games- the natives were restless. Jim Calhoun had won two national titles, but it had been six years since the last one.
So what happened? UConn, after losing four of its last five regular season games, goes 5-0 and wins the Big East Tournament, then as a #3-seed, they won the national championship, in coach Calhoun’s 2nd-to-last season at UConn.
My point? March Madness is great because…..you never know what’s going to happen.
— NFL Combine is this week; ESPN/NFL Network will show lot of guys running the 40-yard dash and doing drills. Best part of the Combine we don’t see; the interviews teams do with players, as they try to figure out which players they should draft.
By the way, it has been 52 years since New Orleans Saints drafted a QB in the first round; they drafted Archie Manning that year, Peyton Manning’s father.
— There were six NBA games Tuesday with a double-digit favorite, the most of any night so far this season.
— In the NFL, of the 14 players with the biggest salary cap hit for 2024, four of them play for the LA Chargers.
— In college football, Boise State is bringing back former HC (1998-2000) Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator; he’s been a head coach at Boise, Arizona State, Tampa Bay Bucs.
UMass is jumping from the A-15 to the MAC, which is very bad news for its basketball program; A-15 is the #8 basketball league in country, MAC is #24 league. UMass isn’t the first school to sacrifice its basketball team to try and save its football program.
Last five years, the Minuteman are 6-46 on the gridiron, as an independent.
— In baseball……..
LA Dodgers signed utility guy Kike Hernandez for one year, $4M.
San Francisco Giants signed SS Nick Ahmed.
Speaking of the Giants, the last 17 years on Opening Day, San Francisco started a different left fielder every year, and this year figures to make it 18 in a row.
Switching from DirecTV to YouTube TV last year has mostly been a plus for me; one of the best parts is I can watch replays of baseball games all night long, if I want, which is really good during spring training. Not great for my sleeping habits, but whatever……
— Movie of the Day: Against All Odds (1984)- A gangster hires an ex-football player to find his girlfriend. When he finds her, they fall in love, and then things get complicated.
Jeff Bridges is the football player, James Woods is the gangster, Rachel Ward is his wife. Also in this movie: Richard Widmark, Alex Karras.
— Famous people with birthdays on February 28:
Mario Andretti, 84
Bubba Smith, 79
Bernadette Peters, 76
Brian Billick, 70
John Turturro, 67
Ickey Woods, 58
Luka Doncic, 25
— Kansas State’s basketball team has won its last 12 overtime games.
— North Carolina (2016/2017) is the last team to make the Final Four two years in a row.
— Old Dominion basketball coach Jeff Jones retired; he had a 560-418 career record as a coach, after his playing days at Virginia.
— 34 of the last 46 national champs in college basketball (73.9%) were 10-1 or less to win the national title when the tournament started.
— BYU 76, Kansas 68
Jayhawks led by 12 early in 2nd half; their 19-game home win streak ends.
Kansas is 6-5 in last 11 games, after a 13-2 start.
Kansas is 3-2 when McKullar doesn’t play.
— Kentucky 91, Mississippi State 89
Bulldogs led by 13 early in second half.
Reed Sheppard hit a 14-foot runner with 0:00.5 left for the win.
Loss snaps Miss State’s 5-game winning streak.
— Indiana 74, Wisconsin 70- There was a 15-minute delay in second half, when a fire alarm went off in the arena. Game was tied when that happened. Badgers are 2-6 in their last eight games.
— UNLV 75, Wyoming 69 OT
Rebels have won eight of their last nine games.
Kalib Boone had 24 points, 12 rebounds (7 offensive)
— Northern Illinois 75, Toledo 72
Rockets were a 15-point home favorite.
Toledo led by 9 with 14:33 left to play.
NIU was 10-23 on the arc, Toledo 6-19.
— Clemson 69, Pittsburgh 62
Pitt was +8 in turnovers, led by 10 midway thru first half.
Clemson starts four seniors; they’re 6-1 in last seven games.
— Nevada 77, Colorado State 74
Kid on Nevada banked in a half-court shot at the buzzer for the win.
Wolf Pack has won seven of their last eight games.
Colorado State lost last three games, by total of 11 points.
