Taken from www.elitesportsinvesting.com
ESI takes a look at this early March classic, a tourney that traditionally features buzzer beaters, cinderella runs, and passionate play that surpasses every other conference tourney. This year's edition may go down in history as one of the best of all time, as the conference showcases the nation's top 2 teams, and four competitive first round games that resemble NCAA 2nd round type matchups. Major Big Dance implications on the line right from Wednesday's initial tipoff, as Syracuse and Cincinnati square off in a bubble matchup. No first round game features a line of more than 4.5, and all 12 teams in this tourney have a shot at making the NCAA tournament even if they don't win the tounament. The conference will receive 7-8 bids with 9 a distinct possibility.
IN:UConn, Villanova, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Marquette, and Georgetown. At least 1 of Cincy and Seton Hall are in even if they don't win their tough first round matchup.
ON THE BUBBLE: Cincy, Seton Hall, Syracuse. The Cuse are most likely in with a win over Cincy. If they prevail, the Bearcats probably need Seton Hall to lose to Rutgers to make it in. PROBABLY
NEED A RUN: Rutgers, Louisville, and Notre Dame all need at least 2 wins to merit consideration.
THE CHALK:
UCONN- From top to bottom, the nation's most talented team. They are loaded with NBA type talent, and are the nation's leader in rebounding margin (+10.7 per game!) and are second in defensive field goal percentage (37%), as well as the conference leader in field goal percentage (48%) and scoring average (81ppg). They have perhaps the best postseason coach in college basketball in Jimmy Calhoun, and have won 19 of their last 24 conference tourney games. Their only weakness is that with so many players capable of taking over a game, others often get phased out. Rudy Gay has #1 overall NBA draft type talent, but can be too unselfish.
VILLANOVA - Since last March, Nova was supposed to be my pick to win it all this year. I considered them a top 2-3 team when most were saying they were simply top 10-15 caliber. However, I backed off a bit, when Curtis Sumpter blew his knee for the second time this year. It is truly amazing that Villanova has gone 24-3 without Sumpter, who would be one of the nation's top 5-6 frontcourt players, and coule play the 3 or 4 position for them. This team never hung their heads. Their much heralded backcourt plays with as much fire and heart as any in recent memory, and 3 of the 4 guards are capable of lighting it up on any night, with the fourth Nardi, pretty darn good as well. They will go as far as their big men Wil Sheridan and Jason Fraser take them, because no one will out play them in the backcourt. Their weaknesses are frontcourt depth, and the fact that they are among the league's worst at defending the 3 (35%), mainly because they pressure the ball so much, and their guards have to concentrate on rebounding. If they should meet up with UConn again, realize that Nova is 19-7-1$ their last 27 games as an underdog.
The Sleeper
NOTRE DAME- The largest of the Irish's 10 conference losses was by 8 to Marquette. Their other 9 were by a total of just 27 points with 4 coming in Overtime. One has to wonder how a team with so many options capable of taking the big shot couldn't pull out 1 or 2 of those games (Mike Bray?), but that's a different story for a different time. The Irish are an eye-popping 18-3 their last 21 as an underdog away from home, and although their long range bombers, Quinn and Falls, get most of the recognition, they are definitely not one dimensional as PF Francis is a beast on the glass, and swingman Carter is becoming a force on the baseline. They hold foes to less than 42% from the field, and are a solid rebounding team (+2.4/game) as well. They lost road games at UConn, WVU, Pittsburgh, and Marquette by 1, 1, 3, and 2, and to the confernce's other leader, Villanova by 2 at home. If they have anything left in the tank after all of those heartbreakers, they can definitely win a couple in this tourney and have everyone talking about how a 6-10 regular season team in this rediculously tough contest can make the Big Dance without winning this tourney. First round matchup with the Hoyas defintely a tall task, though.
The ???
SYRACUSE- OK, giving points to Jimmy Boeheim's group in this tourney is suicide as they are 9-1$ to the number as a dog of 6 or less. However, their last 3 games were ugly, as they needed only to win one of those 3 to most likely be on the other side of the NCAA tourney bubble. Instead, they lost those games by 15, 37, and 10. Still, something about the look in Gerry Mcnamara's eye coming off that court in Sunday's home finale loss to Villanova tells us he's not done yet. He needs help, though as the Orangemen simply can't keep big men Roberts and Watkins out of foul trouble, and SG Devendorf needs to be reigned in at times. This team is only 1-6 SU/ATS against the conference's top
5 teams. Realize that the conference schedule was flat out brutal, though, with Uconn, Nova, and Cincy all twice.
PREDICTION Final 4: UConn, Nova, Pitt, and Notre Dame
Championship: Villanova over Uconn
_________________
Good ole' fashioned sports cappin'. NO GIMMICKS
ESI takes a look at this early March classic, a tourney that traditionally features buzzer beaters, cinderella runs, and passionate play that surpasses every other conference tourney. This year's edition may go down in history as one of the best of all time, as the conference showcases the nation's top 2 teams, and four competitive first round games that resemble NCAA 2nd round type matchups. Major Big Dance implications on the line right from Wednesday's initial tipoff, as Syracuse and Cincinnati square off in a bubble matchup. No first round game features a line of more than 4.5, and all 12 teams in this tourney have a shot at making the NCAA tournament even if they don't win the tounament. The conference will receive 7-8 bids with 9 a distinct possibility.
IN:UConn, Villanova, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Marquette, and Georgetown. At least 1 of Cincy and Seton Hall are in even if they don't win their tough first round matchup.
ON THE BUBBLE: Cincy, Seton Hall, Syracuse. The Cuse are most likely in with a win over Cincy. If they prevail, the Bearcats probably need Seton Hall to lose to Rutgers to make it in. PROBABLY
NEED A RUN: Rutgers, Louisville, and Notre Dame all need at least 2 wins to merit consideration.
THE CHALK:
UCONN- From top to bottom, the nation's most talented team. They are loaded with NBA type talent, and are the nation's leader in rebounding margin (+10.7 per game!) and are second in defensive field goal percentage (37%), as well as the conference leader in field goal percentage (48%) and scoring average (81ppg). They have perhaps the best postseason coach in college basketball in Jimmy Calhoun, and have won 19 of their last 24 conference tourney games. Their only weakness is that with so many players capable of taking over a game, others often get phased out. Rudy Gay has #1 overall NBA draft type talent, but can be too unselfish.
VILLANOVA - Since last March, Nova was supposed to be my pick to win it all this year. I considered them a top 2-3 team when most were saying they were simply top 10-15 caliber. However, I backed off a bit, when Curtis Sumpter blew his knee for the second time this year. It is truly amazing that Villanova has gone 24-3 without Sumpter, who would be one of the nation's top 5-6 frontcourt players, and coule play the 3 or 4 position for them. This team never hung their heads. Their much heralded backcourt plays with as much fire and heart as any in recent memory, and 3 of the 4 guards are capable of lighting it up on any night, with the fourth Nardi, pretty darn good as well. They will go as far as their big men Wil Sheridan and Jason Fraser take them, because no one will out play them in the backcourt. Their weaknesses are frontcourt depth, and the fact that they are among the league's worst at defending the 3 (35%), mainly because they pressure the ball so much, and their guards have to concentrate on rebounding. If they should meet up with UConn again, realize that Nova is 19-7-1$ their last 27 games as an underdog.
The Sleeper
NOTRE DAME- The largest of the Irish's 10 conference losses was by 8 to Marquette. Their other 9 were by a total of just 27 points with 4 coming in Overtime. One has to wonder how a team with so many options capable of taking the big shot couldn't pull out 1 or 2 of those games (Mike Bray?), but that's a different story for a different time. The Irish are an eye-popping 18-3 their last 21 as an underdog away from home, and although their long range bombers, Quinn and Falls, get most of the recognition, they are definitely not one dimensional as PF Francis is a beast on the glass, and swingman Carter is becoming a force on the baseline. They hold foes to less than 42% from the field, and are a solid rebounding team (+2.4/game) as well. They lost road games at UConn, WVU, Pittsburgh, and Marquette by 1, 1, 3, and 2, and to the confernce's other leader, Villanova by 2 at home. If they have anything left in the tank after all of those heartbreakers, they can definitely win a couple in this tourney and have everyone talking about how a 6-10 regular season team in this rediculously tough contest can make the Big Dance without winning this tourney. First round matchup with the Hoyas defintely a tall task, though.
The ???
SYRACUSE- OK, giving points to Jimmy Boeheim's group in this tourney is suicide as they are 9-1$ to the number as a dog of 6 or less. However, their last 3 games were ugly, as they needed only to win one of those 3 to most likely be on the other side of the NCAA tourney bubble. Instead, they lost those games by 15, 37, and 10. Still, something about the look in Gerry Mcnamara's eye coming off that court in Sunday's home finale loss to Villanova tells us he's not done yet. He needs help, though as the Orangemen simply can't keep big men Roberts and Watkins out of foul trouble, and SG Devendorf needs to be reigned in at times. This team is only 1-6 SU/ATS against the conference's top
5 teams. Realize that the conference schedule was flat out brutal, though, with Uconn, Nova, and Cincy all twice.
PREDICTION Final 4: UConn, Nova, Pitt, and Notre Dame
Championship: Villanova over Uconn
_________________
Good ole' fashioned sports cappin'. NO GIMMICKS
