ARIZONA is 11-2 ATS (8.8 Units) after a non-conference game in the current season.
CONNECTICUT is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) when seeded 4 or higher in the NCAA tournament over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 7-1 Over (5.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games in the current season.
ILLINOIS are 7-0 ATS (7 Units) after leading in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half in the current season.
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Thursday, March 28
Thursday’s games
Clemson vs Arizona (-7.5) (@ Los Angeles)
Clemson (23-11) ranked #23 by KenPom
Tempo: #257
Experience: #26
Continuity: #65
Clemson won its first two NCAA games, scoring 77-73 points.
Clemson is shooting 54.4% inside arc (#38)
Tigers are 12-1 in non-conference games.
Opponents are shooting 46.9% inside arc (#43)
Clemson is 8-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
Tigers are 9-3 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Clemson’s schedule, to this point: #23
bench minutes: #232
Since 1997, Clemson is 0-2 in Sweet 16 games.
Arizona (27-8) ranked #5 by KenPom
Tempo: #16
Experience: #81
Continuity: #211
Arizona won first two NCAA games, scoring 85-78 points.
Wildcats are 11-2 in non-league games.
Arizona has #24 eFG% in country.
Wildcats are a top 5 rebounding team in country.
Arizona is 10-4 against teams in the top 50.
Arizona’s schedule, to this point: #30
bench minutes: #281
Since 2009, Arizona is 3-4 SU in Sweet 16 games.
Since 2019, #2-seeds are 6-4 SU in Sweet 16 games.
This is first time since 2015 that a #2-seed played a #6-seed in this round.
Pac-12 teams are 3-3 SU/ATS vs ACC teams this year.
San Diego State (-5.5) vs UConn (@ Boston)
San Diego State (26-10) ranked #17 by KenPom
Tempo: #266
Experience: #44
Continuity: #117
San Diego State won four of its last five games.
Aztecs’ last four losses were all by 5 or less points.
Aztecs have #26 eFG% defense in country.
San Diego State is 11-2 in D-I non-conference games.
Aztecs are 7-9 against top 50 teams.
San Diego State’s schedule, to this point: #32
bench minutes: #211
Since 2011, San Diego State is 1-2 in Sweet 16 games.
Since 2005, eight #5-seeds have played in the Sweet 16; underdogs went 8-0 ATS in those games.
UConn (32-3) ranked #1 by KenPom
Tempo: #315
Experience: #69
Continuity: #149
UConn won nine in row, 23 of last 24 games.
Huskies won the national title last year.
UConn has #5 eFG% in country, #5 eFG% defense.
Huskies are #15 team on offensive boards.
Huskies are 13-2 vs teams ranked in top 50.
UConn’s schedule, to this point: #41
bench minutes: #229
Last four times UConn made Sweet 16, they also made Final Four.
UConn (-6.5) beat San Diego State 76-65 in national title game LY.
UConn held Aztecs to 32.2% from the floor.
Mountain West teams are 2-1 SU/ATS vs Big East teams this year.
Last six years, #1-seeds are 6-5-1 ATS in this round.
Alabama vs North Carolina (-4.5) (@ Los Angeles)
Alabama (23-11) ranked #14 by KenPom
Tempo: #8
Experience: #63
Continuity: #276
Alabama is 3-1 in its last four games.
They gave up 99+ points in four of their last five losses.
Crimson Tide is 10-5 in non-conference games (NC SOS #16).
Alabama has #10 eFG% in country.
Crimson Tide is #26 team on offensive boards.
Opponents are shooting 50.9% inside arc (#209)
Crimson Tide is 5-11 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Alabama’s schedule, to this point: #4
bench minutes: #133
Under Oats, Alabama is 0-2 SU in Sweet 16, losing by 7-10 points.
North Carolina (29-7) ranked #9 by KenPom
Tempo: #41
Experience: #6
Continuity: #179
UNC won 10 of its last 11 games.
Tar Heels are 10-3 in non-conference games.
UNC has #15 eFG% defense in country.
Tar Heels are #6 team in country on defensive boards.
UNC is 9-4 against teams in the top 50.
UNC’s schedule, to this point: #16
bench minutes: #332
Since 2004, UNC is 8-2 ATS in Sweet 16 games.
This year, SEC teams are 16-12 SU/18-10 ATS vs ACC opponents.
Last six years, #1-seeds are 6-5-1 ATS in this round.
Since 2012, #4-seeds are 10-14-1 ATS in this round.
Illinois vs Iowa State (-1.5) (@ Boston)
Illinois (28-8) ranked #10 by KenPom
Tempo: #71
Experience: #11
Continuity: #136
Illinois won six in row, nine of last ten games.
Illini is 11-2 in non-league games.
Last four games, Illinois scored 91.3 ppg.
Illini has #31 eFG%, #46 eFG% defense in country.
Illini is 4th-worst team in country at forcing turnovers.
Illinois is 9-6 against teams in the top 50.
Illinois’ schedule, to this point: #33
bench minutes: #238
Last time Illini made Elite 8 was 2001.
Iowa State (29-7) ranked #7 by KenPom
Tempo: #205
Experience: #124
Continuity: #197
Iowa State won 13 of its last 15 games.
Cyclones are 13-2 in non-conference games (NC sked #346).
Cyclones are forcing turnovers 25.5% of time (#2)
Iowa State has #34 eFG% defense in country.
Iowa State is 12-5 against teams in the top 50.
Iowa State’s schedule, to this point: #44
bench minutes: #235
Since 2014, Iowa State is 0-3 SU in Sweet 16 games.
This year, Big X teams are 4-3 SU/ATS vs Big 14 opponents.
Since 2016, #2-seeds are 7-4 ATS vs #3-seeds in this round.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Thursday, March 28
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Thursday, March 28
CONNECTICUT is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) when seeded 4 or higher in the NCAA tournament over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 7-1 Over (5.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games in the current season.
ILLINOIS are 7-0 ATS (7 Units) after leading in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half in the current season.
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Thursday, March 28
Thursday’s games
Clemson vs Arizona (-7.5) (@ Los Angeles)
Clemson (23-11) ranked #23 by KenPom
Tempo: #257
Experience: #26
Continuity: #65
Clemson won its first two NCAA games, scoring 77-73 points.
Clemson is shooting 54.4% inside arc (#38)
Tigers are 12-1 in non-conference games.
Opponents are shooting 46.9% inside arc (#43)
Clemson is 8-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
Tigers are 9-3 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Clemson’s schedule, to this point: #23
bench minutes: #232
Since 1997, Clemson is 0-2 in Sweet 16 games.
Arizona (27-8) ranked #5 by KenPom
Tempo: #16
Experience: #81
Continuity: #211
Arizona won first two NCAA games, scoring 85-78 points.
Wildcats are 11-2 in non-league games.
Arizona has #24 eFG% in country.
Wildcats are a top 5 rebounding team in country.
Arizona is 10-4 against teams in the top 50.
Arizona’s schedule, to this point: #30
bench minutes: #281
Since 2009, Arizona is 3-4 SU in Sweet 16 games.
Since 2019, #2-seeds are 6-4 SU in Sweet 16 games.
This is first time since 2015 that a #2-seed played a #6-seed in this round.
Pac-12 teams are 3-3 SU/ATS vs ACC teams this year.
San Diego State (-5.5) vs UConn (@ Boston)
San Diego State (26-10) ranked #17 by KenPom
Tempo: #266
Experience: #44
Continuity: #117
San Diego State won four of its last five games.
Aztecs’ last four losses were all by 5 or less points.
Aztecs have #26 eFG% defense in country.
San Diego State is 11-2 in D-I non-conference games.
Aztecs are 7-9 against top 50 teams.
San Diego State’s schedule, to this point: #32
bench minutes: #211
Since 2011, San Diego State is 1-2 in Sweet 16 games.
Since 2005, eight #5-seeds have played in the Sweet 16; underdogs went 8-0 ATS in those games.
UConn (32-3) ranked #1 by KenPom
Tempo: #315
Experience: #69
Continuity: #149
UConn won nine in row, 23 of last 24 games.
Huskies won the national title last year.
UConn has #5 eFG% in country, #5 eFG% defense.
Huskies are #15 team on offensive boards.
Huskies are 13-2 vs teams ranked in top 50.
UConn’s schedule, to this point: #41
bench minutes: #229
Last four times UConn made Sweet 16, they also made Final Four.
UConn (-6.5) beat San Diego State 76-65 in national title game LY.
UConn held Aztecs to 32.2% from the floor.
Mountain West teams are 2-1 SU/ATS vs Big East teams this year.
Last six years, #1-seeds are 6-5-1 ATS in this round.
Alabama vs North Carolina (-4.5) (@ Los Angeles)
Alabama (23-11) ranked #14 by KenPom
Tempo: #8
Experience: #63
Continuity: #276
Alabama is 3-1 in its last four games.
They gave up 99+ points in four of their last five losses.
Crimson Tide is 10-5 in non-conference games (NC SOS #16).
Alabama has #10 eFG% in country.
Crimson Tide is #26 team on offensive boards.
Opponents are shooting 50.9% inside arc (#209)
Crimson Tide is 5-11 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Alabama’s schedule, to this point: #4
bench minutes: #133
Under Oats, Alabama is 0-2 SU in Sweet 16, losing by 7-10 points.
North Carolina (29-7) ranked #9 by KenPom
Tempo: #41
Experience: #6
Continuity: #179
UNC won 10 of its last 11 games.
Tar Heels are 10-3 in non-conference games.
UNC has #15 eFG% defense in country.
Tar Heels are #6 team in country on defensive boards.
UNC is 9-4 against teams in the top 50.
UNC’s schedule, to this point: #16
bench minutes: #332
Since 2004, UNC is 8-2 ATS in Sweet 16 games.
This year, SEC teams are 16-12 SU/18-10 ATS vs ACC opponents.
Last six years, #1-seeds are 6-5-1 ATS in this round.
Since 2012, #4-seeds are 10-14-1 ATS in this round.
Illinois vs Iowa State (-1.5) (@ Boston)
Illinois (28-8) ranked #10 by KenPom
Tempo: #71
Experience: #11
Continuity: #136
Illinois won six in row, nine of last ten games.
Illini is 11-2 in non-league games.
Last four games, Illinois scored 91.3 ppg.
Illini has #31 eFG%, #46 eFG% defense in country.
Illini is 4th-worst team in country at forcing turnovers.
Illinois is 9-6 against teams in the top 50.
Illinois’ schedule, to this point: #33
bench minutes: #238
Last time Illini made Elite 8 was 2001.
Iowa State (29-7) ranked #7 by KenPom
Tempo: #205
Experience: #124
Continuity: #197
Iowa State won 13 of its last 15 games.
Cyclones are 13-2 in non-conference games (NC sked #346).
Cyclones are forcing turnovers 25.5% of time (#2)
Iowa State has #34 eFG% defense in country.
Iowa State is 12-5 against teams in the top 50.
Iowa State’s schedule, to this point: #44
bench minutes: #235
Since 2014, Iowa State is 0-3 SU in Sweet 16 games.
This year, Big X teams are 4-3 SU/ATS vs Big 14 opponents.
Since 2016, #2-seeds are 7-4 ATS vs #3-seeds in this round.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Thursday, March 28
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Thursday, March 28
MARQUETTE is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
PURDUE is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in road games in non-conference games in the current season.
HOUSTON is 10-2 ATS (7.8 Units) neutral court, total is 130-134.5 in the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in road games when the total is 140 to 149.5 in the last 3 seasons.
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Friday, March 29
Friday’s games
NC State vs Marquette (-6.5) (@ Dallas)
NC State (24-14) ranked #53 by KenPom
Tempo: #148
Experience: #14
Continuity: #244
NC State won its last seven games, after a 2-7 skid.
Opponents are shooting 34.3% on the arc (#219)
Wolfpack is 11-6 in games decided by 7 or less points, or in OT
NC State is 10-7 ATS as an underdog this year.
Wolfpack is 10-3 in non-conference games.
NC State is 5-8 against teams ranked in the top 50.
NC State’s schedule, to this point: #47
bench minutes: #266
Under Keatts, NC State is 2-2 in NCAA Tourney games.
Since 2005, Wolfpack is 0-3 in Sweet 16 games.
Marquette (27-9) ranked #13 by KenPom
Tempo: #93
Experience: #138
Continuity: #3
Marquette won first two NCAA games, scoring 87-81 points.
Kolek had 58 points, 22 assists in those two games.
Eagles are forcing turnovers 21.1% of time (#20)
Marquette is shooting 56.6% inside arc (#13)
Eagles are 17-9 vs teams ranked in top 100.
Marquette’s schedule, to this point: #8
bench minutes: #192
Marquette is in Sweet 16 for first time since 2012.
Shaka Smart won his only Sweet 16 game, in 2011.
This year, Big East teams are 5-3 SU/4-4 ATS vs ACC opponents.
Since 2015, #11-seeds are 3-6 ATS in Sweet 16 games.
Since 2019, #2-seeds are 6-4 ATS in Sweet 16 games.
Gonzaga vs Purdue (-5.5) (@ Detroit)
Gonzaga (27-7) ranked #12 by KenPom
Tempo: #86
Experience: #132
Continuity: #218
Gonzaga won 11 of its last 12 games.
Zags are 11-4 in D-I non-conference games.
Gonzaga is shooting 58.3% inside arc (#7)
Opponents are shooting 44.6% inside arc (#10)
Gonzaga is 3-5 against teams in the top 50.
Gonzaga’s schedule, to this point: #100
bench minutes: #342
Last eight years, Gonzaga is 5-3 SU in Sweet 16 games.
Zags are 2-2 ATS as an underdog this season.
Purdue (31-4) ranked #3 by KenPom
Tempo: #174
Experience: #68
Continuity: #11
Purdue won its first two NCAA games, by 28-39 points.
Boilers made 20-37 shots on the arc in those games.
Boilers are shooting 40.7% on the arc (#2)
Purdue has #13 eFG% in country.
Boilers are 13-0 in non-conference games (NC schedule #10).
Purdue is #6 team on offensive boards.
Boilers are 13-4 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Purdue’s schedule, to this point: #6
bench minutes: #233
Coach Painter is 1-5 SU/ATS in Sweet 16 games.
November 20 in Hawai’i, Purdue (-5) beat Gonzaga 73-63.
Zags shot 6-32 on arc in that game.
Since 2012, #4-seeds are 10-14-1 ATS in this round.
Since 2005, eight #5-seeds have played in the Sweet 16; underdogs went 8-0 ATS in those games.
Duke vs Houston (-4.5) (@ Dallas)
Duke (26-8) ranked #6 by KenPom
Tempo: #245
Experience: #203
Continuity: #24
Duke won its first two NCAA games, against #13, #12 seeds.
Duke is 11-2 in their non-conference games.
Duke is 0-2 ATS as an underdog this year.
Blue Devils have #18 eFG% in country.
Duke is #53 team on defensive boards.
Blue Devils are 5-5 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #71
bench minutes: #279
Duke is 5-1 SU in its last six Sweet 16 games.
Houston (32-4) ranked #2 by KenPom
Tempo: #346
Experience: #92
Continuity: #127
Houston won 13 of its last 14 games.
Cougars are 15-0 in their non-conference games (NC SOS #225).
Houston has #2 eFG% defense in country.
Opponents are shooting 43.1% inside arc (#3)
Cougars are 16-4 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Houston’s schedule, to this point: #22
bench minutes: #198
Under Sampson, Houston is 2-2 SU in Sweet 16 games.
This year, ACC teams are 10-3 SU/ATS vs Big X opponents.
Since 2012, #4-seeds are 10-14-1 ATS in this round.
Last six years, #1-seeds are 6-5-1 ATS in this round.
Creighton vs Tennessee (-6.5) (@ Detroit)
Creighton (25-9) ranked #11 by KenPom
Tempo: #227
Experience: #8
Continuity: #41
Creighton won nine of its last 11 games.
Bluejays are 11-2 in non-conference games.
Creighton has #3 eFG% in the country.
Bluejays have #10 eFG% defense in country.
Creighton forces fewest turnovers in country.
Creighton’s schedule, to this point: #28
bench minutes: #356
Bluejays played three starters 49:00+ in Sunday’s double OT win.
Last 25 years, Creighton is 1-1 SU in Sweet 16 games.
Tennessee (26-8) ranked #8 by KenPom
Tempo: #78
Experience: #29
Continuity: #67
Tennessee won nine of its last 11 games.
Vols have #4 eFG% defense in country.
Vols are 12-3 in non-conference games.
Tennessee is 9-7 against teams in the top 50.
Tennessee’s schedule, to this point: #11
bench minutes: #289
Since 1997, Coach Barnes is 3-5 SU in Sweet 16 games.
His last Sweet 16 win was in 2008.
This year, SEC teams are 3-2 SU/4-1 ATS vs Big East opponents.
Since 2019, #2-seeds are 6-4 ATS in Sweet 16 games.
Since 2016, #2-seeds are 7-4 ATS vs #3-seeds in this round.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Friday, March 29
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Friday, March 29
PURDUE is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in road games in non-conference games in the current season.
HOUSTON is 10-2 ATS (7.8 Units) neutral court, total is 130-134.5 in the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in road games when the total is 140 to 149.5 in the last 3 seasons.
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Friday, March 29
Friday’s games
NC State vs Marquette (-6.5) (@ Dallas)
NC State (24-14) ranked #53 by KenPom
Tempo: #148
Experience: #14
Continuity: #244
NC State won its last seven games, after a 2-7 skid.
Opponents are shooting 34.3% on the arc (#219)
Wolfpack is 11-6 in games decided by 7 or less points, or in OT
NC State is 10-7 ATS as an underdog this year.
Wolfpack is 10-3 in non-conference games.
NC State is 5-8 against teams ranked in the top 50.
NC State’s schedule, to this point: #47
bench minutes: #266
Under Keatts, NC State is 2-2 in NCAA Tourney games.
Since 2005, Wolfpack is 0-3 in Sweet 16 games.
Marquette (27-9) ranked #13 by KenPom
Tempo: #93
Experience: #138
Continuity: #3
Marquette won first two NCAA games, scoring 87-81 points.
Kolek had 58 points, 22 assists in those two games.
Eagles are forcing turnovers 21.1% of time (#20)
Marquette is shooting 56.6% inside arc (#13)
Eagles are 17-9 vs teams ranked in top 100.
Marquette’s schedule, to this point: #8
bench minutes: #192
Marquette is in Sweet 16 for first time since 2012.
Shaka Smart won his only Sweet 16 game, in 2011.
This year, Big East teams are 5-3 SU/4-4 ATS vs ACC opponents.
Since 2015, #11-seeds are 3-6 ATS in Sweet 16 games.
Since 2019, #2-seeds are 6-4 ATS in Sweet 16 games.
Gonzaga vs Purdue (-5.5) (@ Detroit)
Gonzaga (27-7) ranked #12 by KenPom
Tempo: #86
Experience: #132
Continuity: #218
Gonzaga won 11 of its last 12 games.
Zags are 11-4 in D-I non-conference games.
Gonzaga is shooting 58.3% inside arc (#7)
Opponents are shooting 44.6% inside arc (#10)
Gonzaga is 3-5 against teams in the top 50.
Gonzaga’s schedule, to this point: #100
bench minutes: #342
Last eight years, Gonzaga is 5-3 SU in Sweet 16 games.
Zags are 2-2 ATS as an underdog this season.
Purdue (31-4) ranked #3 by KenPom
Tempo: #174
Experience: #68
Continuity: #11
Purdue won its first two NCAA games, by 28-39 points.
Boilers made 20-37 shots on the arc in those games.
Boilers are shooting 40.7% on the arc (#2)
Purdue has #13 eFG% in country.
Boilers are 13-0 in non-conference games (NC schedule #10).
Purdue is #6 team on offensive boards.
Boilers are 13-4 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Purdue’s schedule, to this point: #6
bench minutes: #233
Coach Painter is 1-5 SU/ATS in Sweet 16 games.
November 20 in Hawai’i, Purdue (-5) beat Gonzaga 73-63.
Zags shot 6-32 on arc in that game.
Since 2012, #4-seeds are 10-14-1 ATS in this round.
Since 2005, eight #5-seeds have played in the Sweet 16; underdogs went 8-0 ATS in those games.
Duke vs Houston (-4.5) (@ Dallas)
Duke (26-8) ranked #6 by KenPom
Tempo: #245
Experience: #203
Continuity: #24
Duke won its first two NCAA games, against #13, #12 seeds.
Duke is 11-2 in their non-conference games.
Duke is 0-2 ATS as an underdog this year.
Blue Devils have #18 eFG% in country.
Duke is #53 team on defensive boards.
Blue Devils are 5-5 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #71
bench minutes: #279
Duke is 5-1 SU in its last six Sweet 16 games.
Houston (32-4) ranked #2 by KenPom
Tempo: #346
Experience: #92
Continuity: #127
Houston won 13 of its last 14 games.
Cougars are 15-0 in their non-conference games (NC SOS #225).
Houston has #2 eFG% defense in country.
Opponents are shooting 43.1% inside arc (#3)
Cougars are 16-4 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Houston’s schedule, to this point: #22
bench minutes: #198
Under Sampson, Houston is 2-2 SU in Sweet 16 games.
This year, ACC teams are 10-3 SU/ATS vs Big X opponents.
Since 2012, #4-seeds are 10-14-1 ATS in this round.
Last six years, #1-seeds are 6-5-1 ATS in this round.
Creighton vs Tennessee (-6.5) (@ Detroit)
Creighton (25-9) ranked #11 by KenPom
Tempo: #227
Experience: #8
Continuity: #41
Creighton won nine of its last 11 games.
Bluejays are 11-2 in non-conference games.
Creighton has #3 eFG% in the country.
Bluejays have #10 eFG% defense in country.
Creighton forces fewest turnovers in country.
Creighton’s schedule, to this point: #28
bench minutes: #356
Bluejays played three starters 49:00+ in Sunday’s double OT win.
Last 25 years, Creighton is 1-1 SU in Sweet 16 games.
Tennessee (26-8) ranked #8 by KenPom
Tempo: #78
Experience: #29
Continuity: #67
Tennessee won nine of its last 11 games.
Vols have #4 eFG% defense in country.
Vols are 12-3 in non-conference games.
Tennessee is 9-7 against teams in the top 50.
Tennessee’s schedule, to this point: #11
bench minutes: #289
Since 1997, Coach Barnes is 3-5 SU in Sweet 16 games.
His last Sweet 16 win was in 2008.
This year, SEC teams are 3-2 SU/4-1 ATS vs Big East opponents.
Since 2019, #2-seeds are 6-4 ATS in Sweet 16 games.
Since 2016, #2-seeds are 7-4 ATS vs #3-seeds in this round.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Friday, March 29
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Friday, March 29
Armadillo Sports
Thursday’s 6-pack:
Over/under win totals for the NFL next fall:
11.5— Ravens, Chiefs, 49ers
10.5— Bills, Bengals, Cowboys, Lions, Eagles
9.5— Falcons, Packers, Texans, Dolphins, Jets
8.5— Rams, Bears, Browns, Colts, Jaguars, Chargers
7.5— Saints, Steelers, Seahawks, Bucs
6.5— Cardinals, Raiders, Vikings, Giants, Titans, Commanders
Quote of the Day
“For the last month, I’ve been thinking about next season, to be honest.”
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, after Saturday’s loss to Gonzaga
Thursday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, what actor played the Joker?
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie The Natural, when Robert Redford played a 30-ish ballplayer who came out of nowhere to become a star, Wilford Brimley played the manager of the New York Knights.
Tuesday’s quiz
2021 was last time two #1-seeds played for the college basketball national title, when Baylor beat Gonzaga, 86-70.
************************************************
— Happy Opening Day, everyone; they played couple of games in Korea last week, but today is the real Opening Day, except in NY/Philly, where those games have already been rained out.
I’ll be posting statistical knowledge on the baseball page every day starting next week sometime, after the teams have some games under their belt.
— They have a restaurant at my hotel, Du-Par’s, a 24-hour place that is very good, but tonight, they had this little robot/cart delivering the meals to the tables. I’m sitting there looking at my phone, and the cart pulls up next to me— its a little spooky.
— Seton Hall 91, UNLV 68
Pirates never trailed; they shot 11-25 on the arc.
Seton Hall shot 64.9% inside the arc, scored 1.30 points/possession.
Pirates play Georgia in the NIT semi-finals next week.
— Utah 74, VCU 54
Utes jumped out to a 16-2 lead; Rams were 5-26 on the arc.
Only one guy on VCU scored more than 8 points.
Utah plays Indiana State in the NIT semi-finals, at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.
— Seattle 77, High Point 67
Seattle wins the CBI championship.
High Point led by 3 with 11:23 left in the game.
Redhawks finish season with the #12 eFG% defense in country.
— Norfolk State 75, Fort Wayne 67
Norfolk State wins the CIT championship.
Fort Wayne led 41-23 late in the first half.
Norfolk State put four guys in double figures; two of them were subs.
— If you’re in Las Vegas, check out the sportsbook at the MGM Grand; good place to bet on and watch games, with an excellent pizzeria around the corner to the left.
— Famous birthdays for March 28:
Rick Barry, 80
Len Elmore, 72
JK McKay, 71
Glenn Davis, 63
Jason Garrett, 58
Vince Vaughn, 54
Chris Long, 39
Stefani Germanotta, 38 (Lady Gaga)
Derek Carr, 33
Christian Walker, 33
Will Smith, 29 (Dodgers catcher)
— Purdue is 5-0 this season against the other teams in the Sweet 16.
— 7 of the teams in the Sweet 16 played in the Maui Classic, either this year or last year.
— College basketball coaching stuff:
Louisville hired Charleston coach Pat Kelsey (70-27 in three years there)
Florida Atlantic hired John Jakus as basketball coach; he was an assistant coach at Baylor, and has also worked at Gonzaga.
Long Beach State hired San Diego State assistant Sam Acker as its new head coach; had was with the Aztecs for five years, at Hawai’i/Boise State before that.
Belmont hired Tennessee-Martin coach Ryan Ridder (40-25 the last two years) as its new coach.
Tennessee-Martin hired Jeremy Shulman, who was 346-107 in 14 years coaching at Eastern Florida State, a junior college.
Siena hired Syracuse assistant Gerry McNamara as its new coach.
— NFL’s Detroit Lions re-signed QB Nate Sudfeld, who played in six games over four seasons with the Eagles/Lions. He’s never started an NFL game, completing 25-37 passes, for 188 yards.
— Of all the active baseball players, Mike Trout/Jose Ramirez are the only two with five 20-20 seasons; 20+ home runs, 20+ stolen bases.
— Red Sox OF Tyler O’Neill has hit a home run on each of the last four Opening Days.
— Chicago White Sox have only one pitcher on their roster this year, who was also on the White Sox’ roster last year.
— Only five major league franchises have been sold in the last 12 seasons, Orioles being the fifth; it would be nice if some really rich person bought the A’s this year, so they can go to Las Vegas and compete for playoff spots.
— I was wearing my A’s cap in the sportsbook tonight; a guy comes up to me and asks how I think they’ll do in Las Vegas. He told that he had a friend who was Al Davis’ chauffeur back in the day, when Davis owned the Oakland Raiders. The guy has been to 33 Super Bowls, including 20 in a row at one point.
He is retiring from his job now and is moving from San Diego to Las Vegas; good guy. I’ve had some excellent conversations with total strangers in sportsbooks here; this was one of those.
Thursday’s 6-pack:
Over/under win totals for the NFL next fall:
11.5— Ravens, Chiefs, 49ers
10.5— Bills, Bengals, Cowboys, Lions, Eagles
9.5— Falcons, Packers, Texans, Dolphins, Jets
8.5— Rams, Bears, Browns, Colts, Jaguars, Chargers
7.5— Saints, Steelers, Seahawks, Bucs
6.5— Cardinals, Raiders, Vikings, Giants, Titans, Commanders
Quote of the Day
“For the last month, I’ve been thinking about next season, to be honest.”
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, after Saturday’s loss to Gonzaga
Thursday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, what actor played the Joker?
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie The Natural, when Robert Redford played a 30-ish ballplayer who came out of nowhere to become a star, Wilford Brimley played the manager of the New York Knights.
Tuesday’s quiz
2021 was last time two #1-seeds played for the college basketball national title, when Baylor beat Gonzaga, 86-70.
************************************************
Thursday’s Den: Happy Opening Day!!!
— Happy Opening Day, everyone; they played couple of games in Korea last week, but today is the real Opening Day, except in NY/Philly, where those games have already been rained out.
I’ll be posting statistical knowledge on the baseball page every day starting next week sometime, after the teams have some games under their belt.
— They have a restaurant at my hotel, Du-Par’s, a 24-hour place that is very good, but tonight, they had this little robot/cart delivering the meals to the tables. I’m sitting there looking at my phone, and the cart pulls up next to me— its a little spooky.
— Seton Hall 91, UNLV 68
Pirates never trailed; they shot 11-25 on the arc.
Seton Hall shot 64.9% inside the arc, scored 1.30 points/possession.
Pirates play Georgia in the NIT semi-finals next week.
— Utah 74, VCU 54
Utes jumped out to a 16-2 lead; Rams were 5-26 on the arc.
Only one guy on VCU scored more than 8 points.
Utah plays Indiana State in the NIT semi-finals, at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.
— Seattle 77, High Point 67
Seattle wins the CBI championship.
High Point led by 3 with 11:23 left in the game.
Redhawks finish season with the #12 eFG% defense in country.
— Norfolk State 75, Fort Wayne 67
Norfolk State wins the CIT championship.
Fort Wayne led 41-23 late in the first half.
Norfolk State put four guys in double figures; two of them were subs.
— If you’re in Las Vegas, check out the sportsbook at the MGM Grand; good place to bet on and watch games, with an excellent pizzeria around the corner to the left.
— Famous birthdays for March 28:
Rick Barry, 80
Len Elmore, 72
JK McKay, 71
Glenn Davis, 63
Jason Garrett, 58
Vince Vaughn, 54
Chris Long, 39
Stefani Germanotta, 38 (Lady Gaga)
Derek Carr, 33
Christian Walker, 33
Will Smith, 29 (Dodgers catcher)
— Purdue is 5-0 this season against the other teams in the Sweet 16.
— 7 of the teams in the Sweet 16 played in the Maui Classic, either this year or last year.
— College basketball coaching stuff:
Louisville hired Charleston coach Pat Kelsey (70-27 in three years there)
Florida Atlantic hired John Jakus as basketball coach; he was an assistant coach at Baylor, and has also worked at Gonzaga.
Long Beach State hired San Diego State assistant Sam Acker as its new head coach; had was with the Aztecs for five years, at Hawai’i/Boise State before that.
Belmont hired Tennessee-Martin coach Ryan Ridder (40-25 the last two years) as its new coach.
Tennessee-Martin hired Jeremy Shulman, who was 346-107 in 14 years coaching at Eastern Florida State, a junior college.
Siena hired Syracuse assistant Gerry McNamara as its new coach.
— NFL’s Detroit Lions re-signed QB Nate Sudfeld, who played in six games over four seasons with the Eagles/Lions. He’s never started an NFL game, completing 25-37 passes, for 188 yards.
— Of all the active baseball players, Mike Trout/Jose Ramirez are the only two with five 20-20 seasons; 20+ home runs, 20+ stolen bases.
— Red Sox OF Tyler O’Neill has hit a home run on each of the last four Opening Days.
— Chicago White Sox have only one pitcher on their roster this year, who was also on the White Sox’ roster last year.
— Only five major league franchises have been sold in the last 12 seasons, Orioles being the fifth; it would be nice if some really rich person bought the A’s this year, so they can go to Las Vegas and compete for playoff spots.
— I was wearing my A’s cap in the sportsbook tonight; a guy comes up to me and asks how I think they’ll do in Las Vegas. He told that he had a friend who was Al Davis’ chauffeur back in the day, when Davis owned the Oakland Raiders. The guy has been to 33 Super Bowls, including 20 in a row at one point.
He is retiring from his job now and is moving from San Diego to Las Vegas; good guy. I’ve had some excellent conversations with total strangers in sportsbooks here; this was one of those.
Armadillo Sports
Friday’s 12-pack:
Budgets of the 12 college hoop teams still standing (not counting NIL $$$):
$28M- Duke
$24M- UConn
$17M- Gonzaga
$15.8M- Marquette
$14.3M- Tennessee
$13.2M- Illinois
$10.9M- Alabama
$10.2M- Creighton
$10M- NC State
$9.8M- Houston
$8.8M- Purdue
$8M- Clemson
Quote of the Day
“He [Daniels] is going to be so committed to taking care of himself that you’re not going to have to worry about size or [if] he doesn’t weigh enough. Lamar [Jackson] has done a pretty good job with his size. [Patrick] Mahomes I wouldn’t consider him a giant. Because he [Daniels] is going to get the ball out to the playmakers and make plays. For Washington.”
LSU football coach Bryan Kelly, talking about QB Jayden Daniels
Friday’s quiz
Who was the last QB the New Orleans Saints drafted in the first round?
Thursday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, Cesar Romero played the Joker.
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie The Natural, when Robert Redford played a 30-ish ballplayer who came out of nowhere to become a star, Wilford Brimley played the manager of the New York Knights.
****************************************************
— Alabama 89, North Carolina 87
Tar Heels led 54-46 at halftime.
Alabama outscored UNC 43-33 in second half.
North Carolina star Davis was 0-9 behind the arc.
Crimson Tide is in Elite 8 for first time since 2004.
— Clemson 77, Arizona 72
Clemson is in the Elite 8 for the first time since 1980.
Tigers are 9-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
Since 2009, Arizona is 3-5 SU in Sweet 16 games.
Under coach Lloyd, Arizona is 88-18, but only 4-3 in NCAA Tourney games.
2022- was #1-seed, lost to #5-seed Houston
2023- was #2-seed, lost to #15-seed Princeton
2024- was #2-seed, lost 77-72 to #6-seed Clemson
— Illinois 72, Iowa State 69
Illini never trailed; they led by 13 early in game, then hung on.
Illinois survived going 15-29 on the foul line.
Illinois is in Elite 8 for first time since 2005.
Underdogs were 3-1 SU Thursday; they were 1-15 SU in second round.
— UConn 82, San Diego State 52
UConn is 23-1 since Christmas.
Huskies had 21 offensive rebounds, Aztecs 17 defensive boards.
UConn won/covered its last nine NCAA Tournament games.
San Diego State shot 36.2% from the floor, 5-22 on arc.
— Famous birthdays for March 29:
Denny McLain, 80
Walt Frazier, 79
Earl Campbell, 69
Billy Beane, 62
Brain Jordan, 57
Matt Olson, 30
— Pirates 6, Marlins 5 (12)
Miami led 5-2 after six innings.
Jake Burger was 3-4, with 3 RBI.
Pittsburgh batters struck out 17 times.
— Rangers 4, Cubs 3 (10)
Pinch-hitter Jankowski tied game with 9th inning home run,
Jonah Heim’s walk-off single ended the game in the 10th.
Cubs’ P Steele left game with a hamstring injury.
— Bronx 5, Astros 4
Houston led 4-0 after two innings.
Juan Soto threw out game-tying run at the plate in 9th inning.
Astros had 13 hits, were only 3-9 with runners in scoring position.
— Diamondbacks 16, Rockies 1
Arizona scored 14 runs on 13 hits…….just in the 3rd inning.
Lourdes Gurriel was 3-5, with three runs scored, 5 RBI
Arizona was 12-15 with runners in scoring position.
— Tigers 1, White Sox 0
Only run of game scored on a 3rd inning sac fly.
Tarik Skubal allowed only 3 baserunners in six IP.
White Sox had three hits, never got a runner to second base.
— Reds 8, Nationals 2
Cincinnati led 7-0 in the third inning.
Reds’ DH Martini hit two homers, knocked in five runs.
Frankie Montas tossed six shutout IP in his Cincinnati debut.
— Padres 6, Giants 4
Trailing 3-2, Padres scored four runs in 7th inning.
Xander Bogaerts had the g0-ahead single.
Yu Darvish allowed one run in 5 IP.
— Dodgers 7, Cardinals 1
Dodgers led 5-0 after three innings.
Tyler Glasnow allowed 3 baserunners in 6 IP in his Dodger debut.
Freddie Freeman was 2-3 with 2 runs scored, 3 RBI
— Orioles 11, Angels 3
Baltimore led 7-0 after four innings.
Corbin Burnes struck out 11 guys in 6 IP, in his Orioles debut.
Trout/Rengifo had the Angels’ only two hits.
— Blue Jays 8, Rays 2
Game was 1-1 after the fifth inning.
Springer, Biggio, Guerrero homered for Toronto.
Zach Eflin was tagged for six earned runs in 5.2 IP.
— Guardians 8, A’s 0
Shane Bieber struck out 11 batters in six shutout IP.
David Fry was 3-4, with two runs scored.
Attendance in Oakland’s last-ever home opener: 13,522
— Twins 4, Royals 1
Pablo Lopez allowed only four baserunners in 7 IP.
Royce Lewis homered, later left game with a leg injury.
Carlos Correa was 3-4, with two RBI.
— Red Sox 6, Mariners 4
Tyler O’Neill homered on Opening Day for 5th year in a row, an MLB record.
Rafael Devers was 2-4 with a homer and two RBI.
Mitch Haniger hit a home run for Seattle.
Friday’s 12-pack:
Budgets of the 12 college hoop teams still standing (not counting NIL $$$):
$28M- Duke
$24M- UConn
$17M- Gonzaga
$15.8M- Marquette
$14.3M- Tennessee
$13.2M- Illinois
$10.9M- Alabama
$10.2M- Creighton
$10M- NC State
$9.8M- Houston
$8.8M- Purdue
$8M- Clemson
Quote of the Day
“He [Daniels] is going to be so committed to taking care of himself that you’re not going to have to worry about size or [if] he doesn’t weigh enough. Lamar [Jackson] has done a pretty good job with his size. [Patrick] Mahomes I wouldn’t consider him a giant. Because he [Daniels] is going to get the ball out to the playmakers and make plays. For Washington.”
LSU football coach Bryan Kelly, talking about QB Jayden Daniels
Friday’s quiz
Who was the last QB the New Orleans Saints drafted in the first round?
Thursday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, Cesar Romero played the Joker.
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie The Natural, when Robert Redford played a 30-ish ballplayer who came out of nowhere to become a star, Wilford Brimley played the manager of the New York Knights.
****************************************************
Friday’s Den: Wrapping up a busy Thursday…….
— Alabama 89, North Carolina 87
Tar Heels led 54-46 at halftime.
Alabama outscored UNC 43-33 in second half.
North Carolina star Davis was 0-9 behind the arc.
Crimson Tide is in Elite 8 for first time since 2004.
— Clemson 77, Arizona 72
Clemson is in the Elite 8 for the first time since 1980.
Tigers are 9-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
Since 2009, Arizona is 3-5 SU in Sweet 16 games.
Under coach Lloyd, Arizona is 88-18, but only 4-3 in NCAA Tourney games.
2022- was #1-seed, lost to #5-seed Houston
2023- was #2-seed, lost to #15-seed Princeton
2024- was #2-seed, lost 77-72 to #6-seed Clemson
— Illinois 72, Iowa State 69
Illini never trailed; they led by 13 early in game, then hung on.
Illinois survived going 15-29 on the foul line.
Illinois is in Elite 8 for first time since 2005.
Underdogs were 3-1 SU Thursday; they were 1-15 SU in second round.
— UConn 82, San Diego State 52
UConn is 23-1 since Christmas.
Huskies had 21 offensive rebounds, Aztecs 17 defensive boards.
UConn won/covered its last nine NCAA Tournament games.
San Diego State shot 36.2% from the floor, 5-22 on arc.
— Famous birthdays for March 29:
Denny McLain, 80
Walt Frazier, 79
Earl Campbell, 69
Billy Beane, 62
Brain Jordan, 57
Matt Olson, 30
— Pirates 6, Marlins 5 (12)
Miami led 5-2 after six innings.
Jake Burger was 3-4, with 3 RBI.
Pittsburgh batters struck out 17 times.
— Rangers 4, Cubs 3 (10)
Pinch-hitter Jankowski tied game with 9th inning home run,
Jonah Heim’s walk-off single ended the game in the 10th.
Cubs’ P Steele left game with a hamstring injury.
— Bronx 5, Astros 4
Houston led 4-0 after two innings.
Juan Soto threw out game-tying run at the plate in 9th inning.
Astros had 13 hits, were only 3-9 with runners in scoring position.
— Diamondbacks 16, Rockies 1
Arizona scored 14 runs on 13 hits…….just in the 3rd inning.
Lourdes Gurriel was 3-5, with three runs scored, 5 RBI
Arizona was 12-15 with runners in scoring position.
— Tigers 1, White Sox 0
Only run of game scored on a 3rd inning sac fly.
Tarik Skubal allowed only 3 baserunners in six IP.
White Sox had three hits, never got a runner to second base.
— Reds 8, Nationals 2
Cincinnati led 7-0 in the third inning.
Reds’ DH Martini hit two homers, knocked in five runs.
Frankie Montas tossed six shutout IP in his Cincinnati debut.
— Padres 6, Giants 4
Trailing 3-2, Padres scored four runs in 7th inning.
Xander Bogaerts had the g0-ahead single.
Yu Darvish allowed one run in 5 IP.
— Dodgers 7, Cardinals 1
Dodgers led 5-0 after three innings.
Tyler Glasnow allowed 3 baserunners in 6 IP in his Dodger debut.
Freddie Freeman was 2-3 with 2 runs scored, 3 RBI
— Orioles 11, Angels 3
Baltimore led 7-0 after four innings.
Corbin Burnes struck out 11 guys in 6 IP, in his Orioles debut.
Trout/Rengifo had the Angels’ only two hits.
— Blue Jays 8, Rays 2
Game was 1-1 after the fifth inning.
Springer, Biggio, Guerrero homered for Toronto.
Zach Eflin was tagged for six earned runs in 5.2 IP.
— Guardians 8, A’s 0
Shane Bieber struck out 11 batters in six shutout IP.
David Fry was 3-4, with two runs scored.
Attendance in Oakland’s last-ever home opener: 13,522
— Twins 4, Royals 1
Pablo Lopez allowed only four baserunners in 7 IP.
Royce Lewis homered, later left game with a leg injury.
Carlos Correa was 3-4, with two RBI.
— Red Sox 6, Mariners 4
Tyler O’Neill homered on Opening Day for 5th year in a row, an MLB record.
Rafael Devers was 2-4 with a homer and two RBI.
Mitch Haniger hit a home run for Seattle.
Saturday’s 6-pack:
Highest Opening Day payrolls in the major leagues:
$226M— Bronx
$221M— Phillies
$212M— Mets
$204M— Blue Jays
$199M— Braves
$192M— Dodgers (doesn’t include Ohtani’s $68M deferred $$$)
Quote of the Day
“I think the goal is to make the playoffs. Pretty simple. Let’s not overthink this. If we don’t make the playoffs, obviously I’d be disappointed.”
Mets owner Steve Cohen
Saturday’s quiz
When was the last time a Pac-12 team won the college basketball national title?
Friday’s quiz
Archie Manning was the last QB the New Orleans Saints drafted in the first round, in 1971.
Thursday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, Cesar Romero played the Joker.
****************************************
Guy hits a home run, he crosses the plate, is handed his bat and gets to hit again.
I’d like to see a minor league try that rule out for a year or two.
— NC State 67, Marquette 58
Wolfpack lost seven of its last nine regular season games.
Wolfpack is 8-0 in postseason games; they start four seniors.
Marquette shot only 4-31 on the arc.
This year is 50th anniversary of NC State beating Marquette in the national title game.
— Duke 54, Houston 51
Houston star Shead sprained his ankle, sat out the second half.
Houston lost by 3; they shot 2-8 on the arc, 9-17 on the foul line.
Duke has allowed 51 ppg in its three NCAA Tourney wins.
Since 2000, there have been eight regional finals between conference rivals; the underdogs went 5-3 SU/6-2 ATS in those eight games.
— Tennessee 82, Creighton 75
Creighton led 35-34 at halftime.
Tennessee is in Elite 8 for second time, first time since 2010.
Teams combined to shoot 22-47 on the arc.
— Purdue 80, Gonzaga 68
Boilers beat Gonzaga by 10 points in November, by 12 here.
Zach Edey scored 27 points, had 14 rebounds.
In 2018, Virginia was the first #1-seed to lose to a #16-seed.
In 2019, Virginia won the national title.
Last year, Purdue was the second #1-seed to lose to a #16-seed.
Boilers are three wins away from duplicating Virginia’s feat.
— Was sitting next to a guy in the sportsbook during the Creighton-Tennessee game; big guy missed a layup and the guy says “Hell, I would’ve made that one.”
He was on at least his third Corona; I was skeptical.
— Sitting in a sportsbook for last four days, with ton of TVs around, it is obvious that ESPN cares very little about baseball; there was more talk about NFL prop bets for the fall than there was about the first couple days of baseball season.
— Anyway, why would you bet on NFL season win totals before the draft, especially since there might be some big trades happening in the next 3-4 weeks?
— Famous birthdays for March 30:
John Astin, 94
Jerry Lucas, 84
Eric Clapton, 79
Celine Dion, 56
Richard Sherman, 36
Chris Sale, 35
Alex Bregman, 30
— RIP to the great actor Louis Gossett, who passed away this week at age 87; he won both an Oscar and an Emmy. I remember him best as a priest in Blue Chips; he taught at the school where Penny Hardaway’s character played ball. All the famous coaches were recruiting him.
RIP, sir.
— Braves 9, Phillies 3
Phillies led 2-0 after six innings.
— Brewers 3, Metgs 1
Freddy Peralta allowed one hit in six IP.
— Giants 8, Padres 3
Matt Chapman hit two homers, knocked in five runs.
— Dodgers 6, Cardinals 3
Teoscar Hernandez homered twice for the Dodgers.
— Mariners 1, Red Sox 0
George Kirby got 20 outs, didn’t allow a run.
— There was a great article in The Ringer this week, about TV announcer Ian Eagle, who will be calling his first Final Four next week.
Eagle is the son of a comedian and a singer; when he was 6, he was on stage at a club in the Catskills, doing imitations of celebrities.
Back in the late 70’s, there was a very popular Xerox commercial, about a monk who copied his precious documents, instead of copying them by hand. Brother Dominic was the monk; the actor who played him was Ian Eagle’s father.
This article made it clear that Ian Eagle is universally respected/liked, an unusual combination these days. It was encouraging to read it.
Highest Opening Day payrolls in the major leagues:
$226M— Bronx
$221M— Phillies
$212M— Mets
$204M— Blue Jays
$199M— Braves
$192M— Dodgers (doesn’t include Ohtani’s $68M deferred $$$)
Quote of the Day
“I think the goal is to make the playoffs. Pretty simple. Let’s not overthink this. If we don’t make the playoffs, obviously I’d be disappointed.”
Mets owner Steve Cohen
Saturday’s quiz
When was the last time a Pac-12 team won the college basketball national title?
Friday’s quiz
Archie Manning was the last QB the New Orleans Saints drafted in the first round, in 1971.
Thursday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, Cesar Romero played the Joker.
****************************************
Saturday’s Den: Random stuff with the weekend here…..
My suggestion for a new rule in baseball; think about it for a minute before you scoff:Guy hits a home run, he crosses the plate, is handed his bat and gets to hit again.
I’d like to see a minor league try that rule out for a year or two.
— NC State 67, Marquette 58
Wolfpack lost seven of its last nine regular season games.
Wolfpack is 8-0 in postseason games; they start four seniors.
Marquette shot only 4-31 on the arc.
This year is 50th anniversary of NC State beating Marquette in the national title game.
— Duke 54, Houston 51
Houston star Shead sprained his ankle, sat out the second half.
Houston lost by 3; they shot 2-8 on the arc, 9-17 on the foul line.
Duke has allowed 51 ppg in its three NCAA Tourney wins.
Since 2000, there have been eight regional finals between conference rivals; the underdogs went 5-3 SU/6-2 ATS in those eight games.
— Tennessee 82, Creighton 75
Creighton led 35-34 at halftime.
Tennessee is in Elite 8 for second time, first time since 2010.
Teams combined to shoot 22-47 on the arc.
— Purdue 80, Gonzaga 68
Boilers beat Gonzaga by 10 points in November, by 12 here.
Zach Edey scored 27 points, had 14 rebounds.
In 2018, Virginia was the first #1-seed to lose to a #16-seed.
In 2019, Virginia won the national title.
Last year, Purdue was the second #1-seed to lose to a #16-seed.
Boilers are three wins away from duplicating Virginia’s feat.
— Was sitting next to a guy in the sportsbook during the Creighton-Tennessee game; big guy missed a layup and the guy says “Hell, I would’ve made that one.”
He was on at least his third Corona; I was skeptical.
— Sitting in a sportsbook for last four days, with ton of TVs around, it is obvious that ESPN cares very little about baseball; there was more talk about NFL prop bets for the fall than there was about the first couple days of baseball season.
— Anyway, why would you bet on NFL season win totals before the draft, especially since there might be some big trades happening in the next 3-4 weeks?
— Famous birthdays for March 30:
John Astin, 94
Jerry Lucas, 84
Eric Clapton, 79
Celine Dion, 56
Richard Sherman, 36
Chris Sale, 35
Alex Bregman, 30
— RIP to the great actor Louis Gossett, who passed away this week at age 87; he won both an Oscar and an Emmy. I remember him best as a priest in Blue Chips; he taught at the school where Penny Hardaway’s character played ball. All the famous coaches were recruiting him.
RIP, sir.
— Braves 9, Phillies 3
Phillies led 2-0 after six innings.
— Brewers 3, Metgs 1
Freddy Peralta allowed one hit in six IP.
— Giants 8, Padres 3
Matt Chapman hit two homers, knocked in five runs.
— Dodgers 6, Cardinals 3
Teoscar Hernandez homered twice for the Dodgers.
— Mariners 1, Red Sox 0
George Kirby got 20 outs, didn’t allow a run.
— There was a great article in The Ringer this week, about TV announcer Ian Eagle, who will be calling his first Final Four next week.
Eagle is the son of a comedian and a singer; when he was 6, he was on stage at a club in the Catskills, doing imitations of celebrities.
Back in the late 70’s, there was a very popular Xerox commercial, about a monk who copied his precious documents, instead of copying them by hand. Brother Dominic was the monk; the actor who played him was Ian Eagle’s father.
This article made it clear that Ian Eagle is universally respected/liked, an unusual combination these days. It was encouraging to read it.
CONNECTICUT is 9-0 ATS (9 Units) when seeded 4 or higher in the NCAA tournament over the last 2 seasons.
CLEMSON is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games after 5 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers in the current season.
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Saturday, March 30
Clemson vs Alabama (@ Los Angeles)
Clemson (24-11) ranked #19 by KenPom
Tempo: #257
Experience: #25
Continuity: #65
Clemson won its first three NCAA games, scoring 77-73-77 points.
Clemson is shooting 54.6% inside arc (#35)
Tigers are 13-1 in non-conference games.
Opponents are shooting 47% inside arc (#47)
Clemson is 9-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
Tigers are 10-3 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Clemson’s schedule, to this point: #17
bench minutes: #232
Clemson’s only other trip to Elite 8 was in 1980.
Tigers played all five starters 30:00+ in Thursday’s win.
Clemson has never been to the Final Four.
Alabama (24-11) ranked #14 by KenPom
Tempo: #10
Experience: #62
Continuity: #276
Alabama is 4-1 in its last five games.
They gave up 99+ points in four of their last five losses.
Crimson Tide is 11-5 in non-conference games (NC SOS #16).
Alabama has #11 eFG% in country.
Crimson Tide is #25 team on offensive boards.
Opponents are shooting 50.5% inside arc (#176)
Crimson Tide is 6-11 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Alabama’s schedule, to this point: #3
bench minutes: #135
Alabama has never been to the Final Four.
Since 2017, underdogs are 6-2 ATS in regional finals without a #1 or #2-seed.
This year, SEC teams are 17-12 SU/19-10 ATS vs ACC opponents.
Illinois vs UConn (@ Boston)
Illinois (29-8) ranked #10 by KenPom
Tempo: #69
Experience: #11
Continuity: #136
Illinois won seven in row, 10 of last 11 games.
Illini is 12-2 in non-league games.
Illini is 4-2 ATS as an underdog this season
Last five games, Illinois scored 87.4 ppg.
Illini has #34 eFG%, #44 eFG% defense in country.
Illini is 3rd-worst team in country at forcing turnovers.
Illinois is 10-6 against teams in the top 50.
Illinois’ schedule, to this point: #23
bench minutes: #237
Last time Illini made Final Four was 2005.
UConn (34-3) ranked #1 by KenPom
Tempo: #319
Experience: #69
Continuity: #149
UConn won 10 in row, 24 of last 25 games.
Huskies won the national title last year.
UConn has #7 eFG% in country, #3 eFG% defense.
Huskies are #12 team on offensive boards.
Huskies are 14-2 vs teams ranked in top 50.
UConn’s schedule, to this point: #35
bench minutes: #230
Last four times UConn made Sweet 16, they also made Final Four.
Big 14 teams are 10-8 SU/9-9 ATS vs Big East teams this year.
Last six years, #1-seeds are 6-5-1 ATS in this round.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Saturday, March 30
NCAAB
Saturday, March 30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illinois @ Connecticut
Illinois
No trends to report
Connecticut
No trends to report
Clemson @ Alabama
Clemson
Clemson is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Alabama
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Clemson's last 6 games when playing Alabama
Alabama
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Alabama's last 6 games when playing Clemson
Alabama is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Clemson
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Saturday, March 30
CLEMSON is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games after 5 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers in the current season.
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Saturday, March 30
Clemson vs Alabama (@ Los Angeles)
Clemson (24-11) ranked #19 by KenPom
Tempo: #257
Experience: #25
Continuity: #65
Clemson won its first three NCAA games, scoring 77-73-77 points.
Clemson is shooting 54.6% inside arc (#35)
Tigers are 13-1 in non-conference games.
Opponents are shooting 47% inside arc (#47)
Clemson is 9-1 ATS as an underdog this season.
Tigers are 10-3 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Clemson’s schedule, to this point: #17
bench minutes: #232
Clemson’s only other trip to Elite 8 was in 1980.
Tigers played all five starters 30:00+ in Thursday’s win.
Clemson has never been to the Final Four.
Alabama (24-11) ranked #14 by KenPom
Tempo: #10
Experience: #62
Continuity: #276
Alabama is 4-1 in its last five games.
They gave up 99+ points in four of their last five losses.
Crimson Tide is 11-5 in non-conference games (NC SOS #16).
Alabama has #11 eFG% in country.
Crimson Tide is #25 team on offensive boards.
Opponents are shooting 50.5% inside arc (#176)
Crimson Tide is 6-11 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Alabama’s schedule, to this point: #3
bench minutes: #135
Alabama has never been to the Final Four.
Since 2017, underdogs are 6-2 ATS in regional finals without a #1 or #2-seed.
This year, SEC teams are 17-12 SU/19-10 ATS vs ACC opponents.
Illinois vs UConn (@ Boston)
Illinois (29-8) ranked #10 by KenPom
Tempo: #69
Experience: #11
Continuity: #136
Illinois won seven in row, 10 of last 11 games.
Illini is 12-2 in non-league games.
Illini is 4-2 ATS as an underdog this season
Last five games, Illinois scored 87.4 ppg.
Illini has #34 eFG%, #44 eFG% defense in country.
Illini is 3rd-worst team in country at forcing turnovers.
Illinois is 10-6 against teams in the top 50.
Illinois’ schedule, to this point: #23
bench minutes: #237
Last time Illini made Final Four was 2005.
UConn (34-3) ranked #1 by KenPom
Tempo: #319
Experience: #69
Continuity: #149
UConn won 10 in row, 24 of last 25 games.
Huskies won the national title last year.
UConn has #7 eFG% in country, #3 eFG% defense.
Huskies are #12 team on offensive boards.
Huskies are 14-2 vs teams ranked in top 50.
UConn’s schedule, to this point: #35
bench minutes: #230
Last four times UConn made Sweet 16, they also made Final Four.
Big 14 teams are 10-8 SU/9-9 ATS vs Big East teams this year.
Last six years, #1-seeds are 6-5-1 ATS in this round.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Saturday, March 30
NCAAB
Saturday, March 30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Illinois @ Connecticut
Illinois
No trends to report
Connecticut
No trends to report
Clemson @ Alabama
Clemson
Clemson is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Alabama
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Clemson's last 6 games when playing Alabama
Alabama
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Alabama's last 6 games when playing Clemson
Alabama is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Clemson
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Saturday, March 30
Sunday’s 6-pack:
Lowest Opening Day payrolls in the major leagues:
$61,945,000— A’s
$83,256,500— Pirates
$96,696,400— Marlins
$98,523,712— Rays
$99,744,368— Orioles
$99,843,528— Guardians
Quote of the Day
“There’s no such thing as a sure thing, thats why they call it gambling.”
Oscar Madison, The Odd Couple
Thursday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, what well-known actor played the Penguin?
Saturday’s quiz
1997 was the last time a Pac-12 team (Arizona) won the college basketball national title.
Friday’s quiz
Archie Manning was the last QB the New Orleans Saints drafted in the first round, in 1971.
******************************************
Game was 23-23 with 1:49 left in first half.
At that point, UConn went on a 30-0 run.
Huskies shot 65.1% inside the arc.
Last two years, UConn is 10-0 SU/ATS in NCAA Tournament.
— Alabama 89, Clemson 82
Alabama scored 1.25 ppp, grabbed 16 offensive rebounds.
Crimson Tide is in the Final Four for the first time.
Alabama shot 16-36 on the arc.
Clemson was 8-26 on the arc, 8-16 on foul line.
— Favorites were 2-0 ATS in Saturday’a basketball games; since 2013, underdogs are still 24-18 ATS in regional final games.
— Birmingham 27, Arlington 14
First UFL game of the season was 11-11 at halftime.
Stallions outgained Arlington, 409-262.
Birmingham converted 8-12 on third down.
— Michigan 18, St Louis 16
Bates kicked a 64-yard field goal with 0:08 left for the win.
St Louis led 3-0 at halftime.
Battlehawks were 5-15 on third down, Michigan 2-9.
Under was 2-0 on the first day of the season.
— In-game betting is popular here in Las Vegas; have listened to people talk about it all week. One guy the other night was chirping for about an hour, trying to hit middle on the Alabama-North Carolina total; he was convinced he was going to hit it, but he don’t.
In the sportsbook here at SunCoast, they have betting windows and they have kiosks and very comfortable chairs. The snack bar off to the side has good sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches.
— Famous birthdays for March 31:
Shirley Jones, 90
Christopher Walken, 81
Gabe Kaplan, 79
Rhea Perlman, 76
Ed Marinaro, 74
Mick Luckhurst, 66
Ron Brown, 63
Steve Smith, 55
— Cardinals 6, Dodgers 5 (10)
Yamamoto allowed only two baserunners in his five IP, but LA’s bullpen blew a 2-0 lead in the 7th inning. Good bounce back start for Yamamoto.
This game had the first rain delay at Dodger Stadium since 2015.
— Braves 12, Phillies 4
Atlanta starter Fried threw 43 pitches, didn’t finish first inning.
Braves scored 21 runs in winning their first two games.
— Pirates 9, Marlins 3
Pittsburgh scored 22 runs in its 3-0 start.
— Brewers 7, Mets 6
Hoskins went 3-4 with a home run and four RBI.
— Did I mention the sportsbook here is next to a movie theater, and they sell Orville Redenbacher popcorn there? Tremendous!!!
— Guardians 12, A’s 3
Cleveland scored 26 runs in its 3-0 start.
— Twins 5, Royals 1
Kansas City led 1-0 after seven innings.
Twins scored four runs in the top of the 9th.
— New York 5, Houston 3
Astros are 0-3 for the first time since 2011.
Houston led this game 3-1 after six innings.
Season is three days old; Astros’ bullpen is 0-3.
Lowest Opening Day payrolls in the major leagues:
$61,945,000— A’s
$83,256,500— Pirates
$96,696,400— Marlins
$98,523,712— Rays
$99,744,368— Orioles
$99,843,528— Guardians
Quote of the Day
“There’s no such thing as a sure thing, thats why they call it gambling.”
Oscar Madison, The Odd Couple
Thursday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, what well-known actor played the Penguin?
Saturday’s quiz
1997 was the last time a Pac-12 team (Arizona) won the college basketball national title.
Friday’s quiz
Archie Manning was the last QB the New Orleans Saints drafted in the first round, in 1971.
******************************************
Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday
— UConn 77, Illinois 52Game was 23-23 with 1:49 left in first half.
At that point, UConn went on a 30-0 run.
Huskies shot 65.1% inside the arc.
Last two years, UConn is 10-0 SU/ATS in NCAA Tournament.
— Alabama 89, Clemson 82
Alabama scored 1.25 ppp, grabbed 16 offensive rebounds.
Crimson Tide is in the Final Four for the first time.
Alabama shot 16-36 on the arc.
Clemson was 8-26 on the arc, 8-16 on foul line.
— Favorites were 2-0 ATS in Saturday’a basketball games; since 2013, underdogs are still 24-18 ATS in regional final games.
— Birmingham 27, Arlington 14
First UFL game of the season was 11-11 at halftime.
Stallions outgained Arlington, 409-262.
Birmingham converted 8-12 on third down.
— Michigan 18, St Louis 16
Bates kicked a 64-yard field goal with 0:08 left for the win.
St Louis led 3-0 at halftime.
Battlehawks were 5-15 on third down, Michigan 2-9.
Under was 2-0 on the first day of the season.
— In-game betting is popular here in Las Vegas; have listened to people talk about it all week. One guy the other night was chirping for about an hour, trying to hit middle on the Alabama-North Carolina total; he was convinced he was going to hit it, but he don’t.
In the sportsbook here at SunCoast, they have betting windows and they have kiosks and very comfortable chairs. The snack bar off to the side has good sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches.
— Famous birthdays for March 31:
Shirley Jones, 90
Christopher Walken, 81
Gabe Kaplan, 79
Rhea Perlman, 76
Ed Marinaro, 74
Mick Luckhurst, 66
Ron Brown, 63
Steve Smith, 55
— Cardinals 6, Dodgers 5 (10)
Yamamoto allowed only two baserunners in his five IP, but LA’s bullpen blew a 2-0 lead in the 7th inning. Good bounce back start for Yamamoto.
This game had the first rain delay at Dodger Stadium since 2015.
— Braves 12, Phillies 4
Atlanta starter Fried threw 43 pitches, didn’t finish first inning.
Braves scored 21 runs in winning their first two games.
— Pirates 9, Marlins 3
Pittsburgh scored 22 runs in its 3-0 start.
— Brewers 7, Mets 6
Hoskins went 3-4 with a home run and four RBI.
— Did I mention the sportsbook here is next to a movie theater, and they sell Orville Redenbacher popcorn there? Tremendous!!!
— Guardians 12, A’s 3
Cleveland scored 26 runs in its 3-0 start.
— Twins 5, Royals 1
Kansas City led 1-0 after seven innings.
Twins scored four runs in the top of the 9th.
— New York 5, Houston 3
Astros are 0-3 for the first time since 2011.
Houston led this game 3-1 after six innings.
Season is three days old; Astros’ bullpen is 0-3.
PURDUE is 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games in non-conference games in the current season.
DUKE is 9-2 ATS (6.8 Units) in road games in March games over the last 2 seasons.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Sunday, March 31
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Sunday, March 31
NC State vs Duke (-6.5) (@ Dallas)
NC State (25-14) ranked #49 by KenPom
Tempo: #148
Experience: #14
Continuity: #244
NC State won its last eight games, after a 2-7 skid.
Opponents are shooting 33.5% on the arc (#156)
Wolfpack is 11-6 in games decided by 7 or less points, or in OT
NC State is 11-7 ATS as an underdog this year.
Wolfpack is 11-3 in non-conference games.
NC State is 6-8 against teams ranked in the top 50.
NC State’s schedule, to this point: #39
bench minutes: #289
Under Keatts, NC State is 3-2 in NCAA Tourney games.
Last time Wolfpack made the Final Four, 1983.
Duke (27-8) ranked #5 by KenPom
Tempo: #254
Experience: #197
Continuity: #24
Duke won its first three NCAA games, giving up 51 ppg.
Duke played three starters 38:00+ in Friday’s win.
Duke is 17-11 ATS as a favorite this year.
Blue Devils have #19 eFG% in country.
Duke is #56 team on defensive boards.
Blue Devils are 6-5 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #50
bench minutes: #282
Since 2013, Duke is 2-3 SU in regional finals.
This is teams’ third meeting in last 27 days.
March 4, Duke (-6) won 79-64 at NC State
March 14, Wolfpack (+11) upset Duke 74-69 in ACC Tournament.
Since 2000, in regional finals between conference rivals, underdogs are 5-3 SU/6-2 ATS.
Since 2016, #9 or lower seeds are 6-3 ATS in regional finals.
Tennessee vs Purdue (-3.5) (@ Detroit)
Tennessee (27-8) ranked #6 by KenPom
Tempo: #78
Experience: #29
Continuity: #67
Tennessee won 10 of its last 12 games.
Vols have #5 eFG% defense in country.
Vols are 13-3 in non-conference games.
Tennessee is 10-7 against teams in the top 50.
Tennessee’s schedule, to this point: #10
bench minutes: #287
Since 1997, Coach Barnes is 1-2 SU in Elite 8 games.
Tennessee is in Elite 8 for first time since 2010.
Purdue (32-4) ranked #3 by KenPom
Tempo: #198
Experience: #67
Continuity: #11
Purdue won its first three NCAA games, by 28-39-12 points.
Boilers made 29-57 shots on the arc in those games.
Boilers are shooting 41% on the arc (#1)
Purdue has #10 eFG% in country.
Boilers are 14-0 in non-conference games (NC schedule #11).
Purdue is #6 team on offensive boards.
Boilers are 14-4 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Purdue’s schedule, to this point: #4
bench minutes: #241
Coach Painter is 0-1 SU in regional final games.
SEC teams are 10-5 SU/ATS vs Big 14 opponents this season.
Last 6+ years, #1-seeds are 7-5-1 ATS in regional finals.
NCAAB
Sunday, March 31
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Carolina State @ Duke
North Carolina State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Carolina State's last 6 games when playing Duke
North Carolina State is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Duke
Duke
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Duke's last 6 games when playing North Carolina State
Duke is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing North Carolina State
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Sunday, March 31
DUKE is 9-2 ATS (6.8 Units) in road games in March games over the last 2 seasons.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Sunday, March 31
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Sunday, March 31
NC State vs Duke (-6.5) (@ Dallas)
NC State (25-14) ranked #49 by KenPom
Tempo: #148
Experience: #14
Continuity: #244
NC State won its last eight games, after a 2-7 skid.
Opponents are shooting 33.5% on the arc (#156)
Wolfpack is 11-6 in games decided by 7 or less points, or in OT
NC State is 11-7 ATS as an underdog this year.
Wolfpack is 11-3 in non-conference games.
NC State is 6-8 against teams ranked in the top 50.
NC State’s schedule, to this point: #39
bench minutes: #289
Under Keatts, NC State is 3-2 in NCAA Tourney games.
Last time Wolfpack made the Final Four, 1983.
Duke (27-8) ranked #5 by KenPom
Tempo: #254
Experience: #197
Continuity: #24
Duke won its first three NCAA games, giving up 51 ppg.
Duke played three starters 38:00+ in Friday’s win.
Duke is 17-11 ATS as a favorite this year.
Blue Devils have #19 eFG% in country.
Duke is #56 team on defensive boards.
Blue Devils are 6-5 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #50
bench minutes: #282
Since 2013, Duke is 2-3 SU in regional finals.
This is teams’ third meeting in last 27 days.
March 4, Duke (-6) won 79-64 at NC State
March 14, Wolfpack (+11) upset Duke 74-69 in ACC Tournament.
Since 2000, in regional finals between conference rivals, underdogs are 5-3 SU/6-2 ATS.
Since 2016, #9 or lower seeds are 6-3 ATS in regional finals.
Tennessee vs Purdue (-3.5) (@ Detroit)
Tennessee (27-8) ranked #6 by KenPom
Tempo: #78
Experience: #29
Continuity: #67
Tennessee won 10 of its last 12 games.
Vols have #5 eFG% defense in country.
Vols are 13-3 in non-conference games.
Tennessee is 10-7 against teams in the top 50.
Tennessee’s schedule, to this point: #10
bench minutes: #287
Since 1997, Coach Barnes is 1-2 SU in Elite 8 games.
Tennessee is in Elite 8 for first time since 2010.
Purdue (32-4) ranked #3 by KenPom
Tempo: #198
Experience: #67
Continuity: #11
Purdue won its first three NCAA games, by 28-39-12 points.
Boilers made 29-57 shots on the arc in those games.
Boilers are shooting 41% on the arc (#1)
Purdue has #10 eFG% in country.
Boilers are 14-0 in non-conference games (NC schedule #11).
Purdue is #6 team on offensive boards.
Boilers are 14-4 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Purdue’s schedule, to this point: #4
bench minutes: #241
Coach Painter is 0-1 SU in regional final games.
SEC teams are 10-5 SU/ATS vs Big 14 opponents this season.
Last 6+ years, #1-seeds are 7-5-1 ATS in regional finals.
NCAAB
Sunday, March 31
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Carolina State @ Duke
North Carolina State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Carolina State's last 6 games when playing Duke
North Carolina State is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Duke
Duke
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Duke's last 6 games when playing North Carolina State
Duke is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing North Carolina State
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Sunday, March 31
Armadillo Sports
Monday’s 6-pack:
Last 22 college hoop national champs, by conference:
8— ACC
7— Big East
3— SEC
3— Big X
1— American
None— Pac-12, Big 14
Quote of the Day
“I think our guys now are expecting to win. It’s beautiful to watch.”
NC State basketball coach Kevin Keatts
Monday’s quiz
Where was Danny Hurley the head coach, before he went to UConn?
Sunday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, Burgess Meredith played the Penguin; he later played Mickey, the boxing trainer in Rocky.
Saturday’s quiz
1997 was the last time a Pac-12 team (Arizona) won the college basketball national title.
*************************************************
— There have been 55 baseball games so far this season; of the 110 starting pitchers, only four lasted 7+ innings:
Thursday- Pablo Lopez, Minnesota- 7 IP, 84 PT
Saturday- Logan Gilbert, Seattle- 7 IP, 91 PT
Sunday- Paul Blackburn, A’s- 7 IP, 88 PT
Brady Singer, Kansas City- 7 IP, 98 PT
Only 30 of the 55 starting pitchers finished the sixth inning.
— NC State 76, Duke 64
Duke led 27-18 with 1:39 left in first half.
Wolfpack is 9-0 since March 12.
NC State was 2-7 in its last nine regular season games.
— Purdue 72, Tennessee 66
Purdue is in Final Four for first time since 1980.
Tennessee’s entire team was 7-11 on foul line.
Zach Edey scored 40 points; he was 14-22 on foul line, by himself.
— Pointspreads for Final Four:
Purdue -9.5 vs NC State
UConn -11.5 vs Alabama
— San Antonio 27, DC Defenders 12
Defenders were 5-14 on 3rd down, Brahmas 1-8
San Antonio converted 3-4 fourth down plays.
Defenders’ only TD came on a 40-yard pass on a fake field goal.
— Memphis 18, Houston 12
Showboats’ QB Cookus threw for 204 yards and a TD.
Memphis was 9-15 on third down, Houston 3-8.
Time of possession: Memphis 39:32, Houston 20:28.
— Famous birthdays for April 1st:
Ali McGraw. 85
Willie Montanez, 75
Annette O’Toole, 72
Mark Jackson, 59
Daniel Murphy, 38
Brook and Robin Lopez, 36
— Torey Lovullo has been the Arizona Diamondbacks’ manager since 2017, winning the NL title last year; his father Sam was a producer on the old TV show, Hee Haw.
— Brewers 4, Mets 1- Mets’ GM David Stearns quit the Brewers to jump to New York, but the Mets start his tenure by getting swept at home by Milwaukee.
— Dodgers 5, Cardinals 4- Max Muncy’s 2-run homer in the 8th inning was a game-winner.
— Pirates 9, Marlins 7 (11)
Marlins scored five runs in the first inning.
Pittsburgh’s bullpen allowed two runs in 20.1 IP in the 4-game sweep.
Miami was the last MLB team to hit a home run.
— Reds 6, Nationals 5
Will Benson tied game with a 2-out home run in the 9th inning.
Next batter, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, walked it off with another homer, his first hit in 13 at-bats this season.
— New York 4, Astros 3
Juan Soto’s 9th-inning single, his 3rd of the day, was the game-winner.
Houston is 0-4 for the first time since 2011.
— Tigers 3, White Sox 2
Andy Ibanez’ pinch-hit single in the 9th inning was the game-winning hit.
Both back-up catchers started this game, batted 9th; they both hit a home run.
— Cubs 9, Rangers 5
Chicago scored four runs in 9th, salvaged Game 4 of the series.
Cubs’ bullpen threw five shutout innings.
— A’s 4, Guardians 3
Abraham Toro’s bases-loaded walk gave the A’s their first win of the year.
Paul Blackburn tossed seven shutout innings.
Monday’s 6-pack:
Last 22 college hoop national champs, by conference:
8— ACC
7— Big East
3— SEC
3— Big X
1— American
None— Pac-12, Big 14
Quote of the Day
“I think our guys now are expecting to win. It’s beautiful to watch.”
NC State basketball coach Kevin Keatts
Monday’s quiz
Where was Danny Hurley the head coach, before he went to UConn?
Sunday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, Burgess Meredith played the Penguin; he later played Mickey, the boxing trainer in Rocky.
Saturday’s quiz
1997 was the last time a Pac-12 team (Arizona) won the college basketball national title.
*************************************************
Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Sunday……..
— There have been 55 baseball games so far this season; of the 110 starting pitchers, only four lasted 7+ innings:
Thursday- Pablo Lopez, Minnesota- 7 IP, 84 PT
Saturday- Logan Gilbert, Seattle- 7 IP, 91 PT
Sunday- Paul Blackburn, A’s- 7 IP, 88 PT
Brady Singer, Kansas City- 7 IP, 98 PT
Only 30 of the 55 starting pitchers finished the sixth inning.
— NC State 76, Duke 64
Duke led 27-18 with 1:39 left in first half.
Wolfpack is 9-0 since March 12.
NC State was 2-7 in its last nine regular season games.
— Purdue 72, Tennessee 66
Purdue is in Final Four for first time since 1980.
Tennessee’s entire team was 7-11 on foul line.
Zach Edey scored 40 points; he was 14-22 on foul line, by himself.
— Pointspreads for Final Four:
Purdue -9.5 vs NC State
UConn -11.5 vs Alabama
— San Antonio 27, DC Defenders 12
Defenders were 5-14 on 3rd down, Brahmas 1-8
San Antonio converted 3-4 fourth down plays.
Defenders’ only TD came on a 40-yard pass on a fake field goal.
— Memphis 18, Houston 12
Showboats’ QB Cookus threw for 204 yards and a TD.
Memphis was 9-15 on third down, Houston 3-8.
Time of possession: Memphis 39:32, Houston 20:28.
— Famous birthdays for April 1st:
Ali McGraw. 85
Willie Montanez, 75
Annette O’Toole, 72
Mark Jackson, 59
Daniel Murphy, 38
Brook and Robin Lopez, 36
— Torey Lovullo has been the Arizona Diamondbacks’ manager since 2017, winning the NL title last year; his father Sam was a producer on the old TV show, Hee Haw.
— Brewers 4, Mets 1- Mets’ GM David Stearns quit the Brewers to jump to New York, but the Mets start his tenure by getting swept at home by Milwaukee.
— Dodgers 5, Cardinals 4- Max Muncy’s 2-run homer in the 8th inning was a game-winner.
— Pirates 9, Marlins 7 (11)
Marlins scored five runs in the first inning.
Pittsburgh’s bullpen allowed two runs in 20.1 IP in the 4-game sweep.
Miami was the last MLB team to hit a home run.
— Reds 6, Nationals 5
Will Benson tied game with a 2-out home run in the 9th inning.
Next batter, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, walked it off with another homer, his first hit in 13 at-bats this season.
— New York 4, Astros 3
Juan Soto’s 9th-inning single, his 3rd of the day, was the game-winner.
Houston is 0-4 for the first time since 2011.
— Tigers 3, White Sox 2
Andy Ibanez’ pinch-hit single in the 9th inning was the game-winning hit.
Both back-up catchers started this game, batted 9th; they both hit a home run.
— Cubs 9, Rangers 5
Chicago scored four runs in 9th, salvaged Game 4 of the series.
Cubs’ bullpen threw five shutout innings.
— A’s 4, Guardians 3
Abraham Toro’s bases-loaded walk gave the A’s their first win of the year.
Paul Blackburn tossed seven shutout innings.
Armadillo Sports
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Major League leaders in batting average:
.571— Anthony Volpe, NYY
.520— Mookie Betts, LA
.500— Will Smith, LA
.500— Bobby Witt, KC
.471— Michael Taylor, Pitt
.462— Corey Seager, Tex
Quote of the Day
“I went and watched (football) practices, I sat in on staff meetings, I shadowed him for a day, I went on road trips with him to see how they operated. I tried to learn as much as I could. It never nagged me or bothered me that football was huge at Alabama. I loved it. It’s better for recruiting, it’s better for everything for us. I tried to learn from it.”
Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats
Tuesday’s quiz
How many career hits does Mike Trout have in playoff games?
Monday’s quiz
Danny Hurley was the head coach at Rhode Island, before he went to UConn.
Sunday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, Burgess Meredith played the Penguin; he later played Mickey, the boxing trainer in Rocky.
******************************************************
— Astros 10, Blue Jays 0
Ronel Blanco threw a no-hitter in his 8th major league start.
Kyle Tucker, Yainer Diaz both hit two home runs.
First win for Houston after an 0-4 start.
— Tigers 5, Mets 0 (10)
Olson threw 5.2 scoreless IP, Manaea 6 scoreless IP.
Kelly hit a 3-run homer in the 10th inning.
Mets have been outscored 19-8 in their 0-4 start.
— Reds 6, Phillies 3 (10)
Steer hit a grand slam in the 10th inning.
Reds’ bullpen threw 4.2 IP, didn’t allow an earned run.
Phillies lost three of first four games (over 4-0)
— Orioles 6, Royals 4
Westburg hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th.
Royals had tied game 4-4 in top of the 9th.
Baltimore is off to a 3-1 start.
— Famous birthdays for April 2nd:
Reggie Smith, 79
Linda Hunt, 79
Roy Gerela, 76
Christopher Meloni, 63
Adam Rodriguez, 49
Austin Riley, 27
— USC basketball coach Andy Enfield bolted to SMU; Trojans were 106-100 in Pac-12 play in their 11 years under Enfield, making five NCAA Tournaments.
USC is bolting to the Big 14 next year, SMU (for some reason) will be in the ACC.
— Steve Lutz is the new basketball coach at Oklahoma State; he is 69-35 in three years as a head coach, two at A&M-Corpus Christi (47-23), one at Western Kentucky (22-12).
— QB Carson Wentz signed a deal to be Patrick Mahomes’ backup in Kansas City. Wentz is 47-46-1 in eight years as an NFL starter.
— Peter Marshall, one of the best game show hosts ever, turned 98 years old over the weekend; there is a special about him on YouTube, including an old episode of Hollywood Squares, with Charley Weaver, Rose Marie, John Davidson.
— Word of the Day– Reunion- two or more people coming together again after being away from each other for a while.
— Rangers 9, Rays 3
Adolis Garcia hit his 100th career home run.
Josh Jung knocked in four runs, but later broke his wrist, is out indefinitely.
— Pirates 8, Nationals 4
Pirates are 5-0 for the first time since 1983.
Pittsburgh scored 43 runs in its first five games.
This game was 3-3 after the 7th inning.
— Angels 7, Marlins 4
Miami is 0-5, giving up 42 runs in those games.
Last two nites, Marlins led 5-0/4-0 after first inning, but lost both games.
Mike Trout hit two home runs for the Angels.
— Red Sox 9, A’s 0
In a 5-inning stretch from 8th inning Sunday thru 3rd inning of this game, the A’s made eight errors. 8 errors. 5 innings. No bueno.
Tanner Houck tossed six shutout IP, striking out 10 guys.
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Major League leaders in batting average:
.571— Anthony Volpe, NYY
.520— Mookie Betts, LA
.500— Will Smith, LA
.500— Bobby Witt, KC
.471— Michael Taylor, Pitt
.462— Corey Seager, Tex
Quote of the Day
“I went and watched (football) practices, I sat in on staff meetings, I shadowed him for a day, I went on road trips with him to see how they operated. I tried to learn as much as I could. It never nagged me or bothered me that football was huge at Alabama. I loved it. It’s better for recruiting, it’s better for everything for us. I tried to learn from it.”
Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats
Tuesday’s quiz
How many career hits does Mike Trout have in playoff games?
Monday’s quiz
Danny Hurley was the head coach at Rhode Island, before he went to UConn.
Sunday’s quiz
On the classic TV show Batman, Burgess Meredith played the Penguin; he later played Mickey, the boxing trainer in Rocky.
******************************************************
Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but……..
— Astros 10, Blue Jays 0
Ronel Blanco threw a no-hitter in his 8th major league start.
Kyle Tucker, Yainer Diaz both hit two home runs.
First win for Houston after an 0-4 start.
— Tigers 5, Mets 0 (10)
Olson threw 5.2 scoreless IP, Manaea 6 scoreless IP.
Kelly hit a 3-run homer in the 10th inning.
Mets have been outscored 19-8 in their 0-4 start.
— Reds 6, Phillies 3 (10)
Steer hit a grand slam in the 10th inning.
Reds’ bullpen threw 4.2 IP, didn’t allow an earned run.
Phillies lost three of first four games (over 4-0)
— Orioles 6, Royals 4
Westburg hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th.
Royals had tied game 4-4 in top of the 9th.
Baltimore is off to a 3-1 start.
— Famous birthdays for April 2nd:
Reggie Smith, 79
Linda Hunt, 79
Roy Gerela, 76
Christopher Meloni, 63
Adam Rodriguez, 49
Austin Riley, 27
— USC basketball coach Andy Enfield bolted to SMU; Trojans were 106-100 in Pac-12 play in their 11 years under Enfield, making five NCAA Tournaments.
USC is bolting to the Big 14 next year, SMU (for some reason) will be in the ACC.
— Steve Lutz is the new basketball coach at Oklahoma State; he is 69-35 in three years as a head coach, two at A&M-Corpus Christi (47-23), one at Western Kentucky (22-12).
— QB Carson Wentz signed a deal to be Patrick Mahomes’ backup in Kansas City. Wentz is 47-46-1 in eight years as an NFL starter.
— Peter Marshall, one of the best game show hosts ever, turned 98 years old over the weekend; there is a special about him on YouTube, including an old episode of Hollywood Squares, with Charley Weaver, Rose Marie, John Davidson.
— Word of the Day– Reunion- two or more people coming together again after being away from each other for a while.
— Rangers 9, Rays 3
Adolis Garcia hit his 100th career home run.
Josh Jung knocked in four runs, but later broke his wrist, is out indefinitely.
— Pirates 8, Nationals 4
Pirates are 5-0 for the first time since 1983.
Pittsburgh scored 43 runs in its first five games.
This game was 3-3 after the 7th inning.
— Angels 7, Marlins 4
Miami is 0-5, giving up 42 runs in those games.
Last two nites, Marlins led 5-0/4-0 after first inning, but lost both games.
Mike Trout hit two home runs for the Angels.
— Red Sox 9, A’s 0
In a 5-inning stretch from 8th inning Sunday thru 3rd inning of this game, the A’s made eight errors. 8 errors. 5 innings. No bueno.
Tanner Houck tossed six shutout IP, striking out 10 guys.
UTAH is 2-15 ATS (-14.5 Units) in road games after 2 straight games with 9 or less offensive rebounds in the last 3 seasons.
GEORGIA is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in road games after one or more consecutive overs in the current season.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Tuesday, April 2
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, April 2
Tuesday’s NIT games (@ Indianapolis)
Utah vs Indiana State (-3.5)
Utah (22-14) ranked #46 by KenPom
Tempo: #58
Experience: #79
Continuity: #116
Utah won its first three NIT games, scoring 83 ppg.
Utes are 12-2 in non-conference games.
Opponents are shooting 47.2% inside arc (#50)
Utes have #42 eFG% in country.
Utah is #53 team on defensive boards.
Utes are 5-7 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #44
bench minutes: #132
Indiana State (27-8) ranked #42 by KenPom
Tempo: #38
Experience: #125
Continuity: #193
ISU won nine of its last ten games.
Sycamores have the #1 eFG% in country.
ISU is #9 team on defensive boards.
Sycamores are 12-2 in non-conference games.
ISU is shooting 80.3% on foul line (#2)
Sycamores are 6-4 vs teams ranked in top 100.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #126
bench minutes: #360
Indiana State will have home crowd edge, with game in Butler’s gym.
Pac-12 teams are 2-1 SU/ATS vs MVC teams this season.
Georgia vs Seton Hall (-4.5)
Georgia (20-16) ranked #78 by KenPom
Tempo: #109
Experience: #120
Continuity: #282
Georgia won its first three NIT games, scoring 78.3 ppg.
Before the NIT, Dawgs were 3-11 in their last 14 games.
Georgia is 8-15 vs teams ranked in top 100.
Dawgs have #215 eFG% in country.
Georgia is #238 team on defensive boards.
Their last five games (4-1) were all decided by 6 or fewer points.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #41
bench minutes: #65
Seton Hall (23-12) ranked #57 by KenPom
Tempo: #248
Experience: #10
Continuity: #194
Seton Hall won five of its last six games.
Pirates are 10-4 in non-conference games.
Seton Hall is #19 team on offensive boards.
Seton Hall is 8-2 in games decided by 6 or less points, or in OT.
Pirates are 12-10 vs teams ranked in top 100.
Seton Hall’s schedule, to this point: #58
bench minutes: #355
SEC teams are 3-3 SU/5-1 ATS vs Big East teams this year.
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Tuesday, April 2
GEORGIA is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in road games after one or more consecutive overs in the current season.
NCAAB
Dunkel
Tuesday, April 2
NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, April 2
Tuesday’s NIT games (@ Indianapolis)
Utah vs Indiana State (-3.5)
Utah (22-14) ranked #46 by KenPom
Tempo: #58
Experience: #79
Continuity: #116
Utah won its first three NIT games, scoring 83 ppg.
Utes are 12-2 in non-conference games.
Opponents are shooting 47.2% inside arc (#50)
Utes have #42 eFG% in country.
Utah is #53 team on defensive boards.
Utes are 5-7 vs teams ranked in top 50.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #44
bench minutes: #132
Indiana State (27-8) ranked #42 by KenPom
Tempo: #38
Experience: #125
Continuity: #193
ISU won nine of its last ten games.
Sycamores have the #1 eFG% in country.
ISU is #9 team on defensive boards.
Sycamores are 12-2 in non-conference games.
ISU is shooting 80.3% on foul line (#2)
Sycamores are 6-4 vs teams ranked in top 100.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #126
bench minutes: #360
Indiana State will have home crowd edge, with game in Butler’s gym.
Pac-12 teams are 2-1 SU/ATS vs MVC teams this season.
Georgia vs Seton Hall (-4.5)
Georgia (20-16) ranked #78 by KenPom
Tempo: #109
Experience: #120
Continuity: #282
Georgia won its first three NIT games, scoring 78.3 ppg.
Before the NIT, Dawgs were 3-11 in their last 14 games.
Georgia is 8-15 vs teams ranked in top 100.
Dawgs have #215 eFG% in country.
Georgia is #238 team on defensive boards.
Their last five games (4-1) were all decided by 6 or fewer points.
Duke’s schedule, to this point: #41
bench minutes: #65
Seton Hall (23-12) ranked #57 by KenPom
Tempo: #248
Experience: #10
Continuity: #194
Seton Hall won five of its last six games.
Pirates are 10-4 in non-conference games.
Seton Hall is #19 team on offensive boards.
Seton Hall is 8-2 in games decided by 6 or less points, or in OT.
Pirates are 12-10 vs teams ranked in top 100.
Seton Hall’s schedule, to this point: #58
bench minutes: #355
SEC teams are 3-3 SU/5-1 ATS vs Big East teams this year.
NCAAB
Long Sheet
Tuesday, April 2
Armadillo Sports
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
— Indiana State 100, Utah 90- Utes shot 17-29 on the arc and still lost.
— Seton Hall 84, Georgia 67- Sycamores-Pirates play for NIT title Thursday.
— Eastern Washington basketball coach David Riley bolts to Washington State.
— Ex-Xavier/Louisville coach Chris Mack is the new coach at Charleston.
— Over is 12-2 in Alabama’s last 14 basketball games.
— Tropicana Hotel/Casino here in Las Vegas closed for good this week.
Quote of the Day
“Where were you when I played?”
90 year-old broadcaster Bob Uecker to the crowd in Milwaukee Tuesday, when they gave him a standing ovation before the game
Wednesday’s quiz
Before he became the coach at Alabama, which college team did Nate Oats coach?
Tuesday’s quiz
Mike Trout is 1-12 with three walks in his three career playoff games.
Monday’s quiz
Danny Hurley was the head coach at Rhode Island, before he went to UConn.
*****************************************
I’m going to start posting daily baseball knowledge on the MLB page next Friday (April 12), but in the meantime, here are some trends to get you thru this week:
— Miami Marlins are 0-6; over is 5-1 in those games, their bullpen is 0-3. Marlins led two of the games 4-0/5-0 after the first inning.
— Cincinnati Reds are 3-2; all five games went over the total. Reds haven’t scored a run in the first inning yet.
— Detroit Tigers are 4-0; their bullpen got three of the four wins.
— New York Mets have been outscored 19-8 in their 0-4 start.
— Pittsburgh Pirates scored 39 runs in their 5-0 start, all road games.
— Bronx is off to a 5-1 start; their bullpen got four of the five wins.
— Famous birthdays for April 3rd:
Eric Braeden, 83
Gary Pettis, 66
Alec Baldwin, 66
Tim Conroy, 64
Eddie Murphy, 63
Pervis Ellison, 57
Rodney Hampton, 55
Jared Allen, 42
Kam Chancellor, 36
— Astros are off to a 1-6 start; game-winning run in four of the six losses came from the 7th inning on. Under is 5-1 in their last six games.
— Rockies are 1-5; they scored a total of seven runs in the five losses, nine runs in the one win.
Kris Bryant is off to an 0-16 start; the guy makes $28M a year, after playing in 122 out of a possible 324 games in 2022-23. Not good.
— Diamondbacks scored in the first inning in five of their six games.
— Cubs won their last three games, scoring 26 runs; their scored 3-2 runs in their two losses.
— Over is 4-0-1 in the Dodgers’ last five games.
— Giants lost their last three games; over is 6-0 in their games this season.
— Nationals lost three of their four games (over 4-0)
— Four of last five Seattle games stayed under the total.
— Word of the Day– Squander- waste an opportunity to succeed.
— Braves are 3-2; their starting pitchers are 1-0- four of their five games came down to their bullpen. Atlanta scored 30 runs in their three wins; 2-4 runs in their losses.
— Milwaukee Brewers are 4-0 (under 3-1).
— Philadelphia Phillies are 2-3; all five games went over the total. Phillies scored in the first inning in their last four games.
— San Diego Padres lost four of their last five games; over is 4-1-1 in their last six games.
— Los Angeles Angels won their last three games, after an 0-2 start.
— Boston Red Sox won their last three games, scoring 19 runs.
— Chicago White Sox lost four of first five games (under 3-1-1).
— Something I’ve never seen before; Tuesday night, A’s-Red Sox are tied 4-4 in bottom of 10th, A’s have a guy on 3rd, one out. They score, they win.
Boston walks JJ Bleday intentionally; A’s have guys on 1st and 3rd.
Boston brings in a 5th infielder, but doesn’t load the bases with another walk.
Next batter hits a ball right back to the pitcher but instead of getting an easy double play, he gets the runner trying to come home. The 5th infielder goes back to the outfield.
They strike out the next hitter, then win the game in the 11th inning. Had never seen a fifth OF used like that before.
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
— Indiana State 100, Utah 90- Utes shot 17-29 on the arc and still lost.
— Seton Hall 84, Georgia 67- Sycamores-Pirates play for NIT title Thursday.
— Eastern Washington basketball coach David Riley bolts to Washington State.
— Ex-Xavier/Louisville coach Chris Mack is the new coach at Charleston.
— Over is 12-2 in Alabama’s last 14 basketball games.
— Tropicana Hotel/Casino here in Las Vegas closed for good this week.
Quote of the Day
“Where were you when I played?”
90 year-old broadcaster Bob Uecker to the crowd in Milwaukee Tuesday, when they gave him a standing ovation before the game
Wednesday’s quiz
Before he became the coach at Alabama, which college team did Nate Oats coach?
Tuesday’s quiz
Mike Trout is 1-12 with three walks in his three career playoff games.
Monday’s quiz
Danny Hurley was the head coach at Rhode Island, before he went to UConn.
*****************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week baseball trends…….
I’m going to start posting daily baseball knowledge on the MLB page next Friday (April 12), but in the meantime, here are some trends to get you thru this week:
— Miami Marlins are 0-6; over is 5-1 in those games, their bullpen is 0-3. Marlins led two of the games 4-0/5-0 after the first inning.
— Cincinnati Reds are 3-2; all five games went over the total. Reds haven’t scored a run in the first inning yet.
— Detroit Tigers are 4-0; their bullpen got three of the four wins.
— New York Mets have been outscored 19-8 in their 0-4 start.
— Pittsburgh Pirates scored 39 runs in their 5-0 start, all road games.
— Bronx is off to a 5-1 start; their bullpen got four of the five wins.
— Famous birthdays for April 3rd:
Eric Braeden, 83
Gary Pettis, 66
Alec Baldwin, 66
Tim Conroy, 64
Eddie Murphy, 63
Pervis Ellison, 57
Rodney Hampton, 55
Jared Allen, 42
Kam Chancellor, 36
— Astros are off to a 1-6 start; game-winning run in four of the six losses came from the 7th inning on. Under is 5-1 in their last six games.
— Rockies are 1-5; they scored a total of seven runs in the five losses, nine runs in the one win.
Kris Bryant is off to an 0-16 start; the guy makes $28M a year, after playing in 122 out of a possible 324 games in 2022-23. Not good.
— Diamondbacks scored in the first inning in five of their six games.
— Cubs won their last three games, scoring 26 runs; their scored 3-2 runs in their two losses.
— Over is 4-0-1 in the Dodgers’ last five games.
— Giants lost their last three games; over is 6-0 in their games this season.
— Nationals lost three of their four games (over 4-0)
— Four of last five Seattle games stayed under the total.
— Word of the Day– Squander- waste an opportunity to succeed.
— Braves are 3-2; their starting pitchers are 1-0- four of their five games came down to their bullpen. Atlanta scored 30 runs in their three wins; 2-4 runs in their losses.
— Milwaukee Brewers are 4-0 (under 3-1).
— Philadelphia Phillies are 2-3; all five games went over the total. Phillies scored in the first inning in their last four games.
— San Diego Padres lost four of their last five games; over is 4-1-1 in their last six games.
— Los Angeles Angels won their last three games, after an 0-2 start.
— Boston Red Sox won their last three games, scoring 19 runs.
— Chicago White Sox lost four of first five games (under 3-1-1).
— Something I’ve never seen before; Tuesday night, A’s-Red Sox are tied 4-4 in bottom of 10th, A’s have a guy on 3rd, one out. They score, they win.
Boston walks JJ Bleday intentionally; A’s have guys on 1st and 3rd.
Boston brings in a 5th infielder, but doesn’t load the bases with another walk.
Next batter hits a ball right back to the pitcher but instead of getting an easy double play, he gets the runner trying to come home. The 5th infielder goes back to the outfield.
They strike out the next hitter, then win the game in the 11th inning. Had never seen a fifth OF used like that before.
