GC NBA System Play
Friday NCAAB Highest rated total + 5* Perfect system side. NBA Never lost Blowout system side + Triple Angle dog with bite. Free NBA System Play below.
On Friday the Free NBA System Play is on the New York Knicks. Game 856 at 7:35 eastern. The Bucks fit the negative system below that plays against rested road dogs that scored 90 or more as a home favorite of -5 or more and shot 45% or higher, vs an opponent that scored 90 or more as a home dog and shot 45% or less. If the posted total is 190 or higher, these road dogs are 0-12 straight up and 1-11 ats. This game is a a rematch from Last week as the Knicks will look to avenge their 5 point loss in Milwaukee. The Knicks will do so knowing they are 5-0 straight up and ats as a home favorite from -3.5 to -6. This game would have qualified as a late phone play at -4 or less. However at -6 the Knicks are still worthy of Bonus Play status. On Friday I have the Highest rated NCAAB Total and a 5* Perfect system side + NBA Blowout system and Power dog Play. The NBA Stayed hot cashing with the big total on Thursday. For the Bonus Play take the Knicks. GC
SU:0-12 (-11.6)ATS:1-11-0 (-7.1)
Friday NCAAB Highest rated total + 5* Perfect system side. NBA Never lost Blowout system side + Triple Angle dog with bite. Free NBA System Play below.
On Friday the Free NBA System Play is on the New York Knicks. Game 856 at 7:35 eastern. The Bucks fit the negative system below that plays against rested road dogs that scored 90 or more as a home favorite of -5 or more and shot 45% or higher, vs an opponent that scored 90 or more as a home dog and shot 45% or less. If the posted total is 190 or higher, these road dogs are 0-12 straight up and 1-11 ats. This game is a a rematch from Last week as the Knicks will look to avenge their 5 point loss in Milwaukee. The Knicks will do so knowing they are 5-0 straight up and ats as a home favorite from -3.5 to -6. This game would have qualified as a late phone play at -4 or less. However at -6 the Knicks are still worthy of Bonus Play status. On Friday I have the Highest rated NCAAB Total and a 5* Perfect system side + NBA Blowout system and Power dog Play. The NBA Stayed hot cashing with the big total on Thursday. For the Bonus Play take the Knicks. GC
SU:0-12 (-11.6)ATS:1-11-0 (-7.1)
NORM HITZGES
CBB
·******** Double Play—Ohio State – vs Kentucky
·******** North Carolina – vs Marquette
·******** Florida State – vs VCU
·******** Florida State/VCU Under the total
NBA
·******** Indiana – vs Sacramento
·******** Indiana/Sacramento Over
·******** Detroit/Cleveland Under
·******** Boston – vs Charlotte
·******** Memphis/Chicago Under
·******** Chicago – vs Memphis
·******** Denver – vs Washington
·******** LA Clippers + vs Lakers
CBB
·******** Double Play—Ohio State – vs Kentucky
·******** North Carolina – vs Marquette
·******** Florida State – vs VCU
·******** Florida State/VCU Under the total
NBA
·******** Indiana – vs Sacramento
·******** Indiana/Sacramento Over
·******** Detroit/Cleveland Under
·******** Boston – vs Charlotte
·******** Memphis/Chicago Under
·******** Chicago – vs Memphis
·******** Denver – vs Washington
·******** LA Clippers + vs Lakers
HRC PREMIUM NBA ACTION-March 25th
Capper: JSM Sports (Handicappers Paradise)
Play Strengths
*****************
2* Action
5* Selection (Rated)
8* Premium (Rated)
10* Diamond (Rated)
*****************
[862] Boston |5*|Bet A|-10|B+3|Network N/A|7:35 pm EST
[866] Chicago |5*|Bet A|-5|B+3|Network N/A|8:05 pm EST
note*
This is the "NBA Hardwood System" (3 game chase)
NBA Hardwood LOSSES- 0
A. 17 wins
B. 7 wins
C.
Capper: JSM Sports (Handicappers Paradise)
Play Strengths
*****************
2* Action
5* Selection (Rated)
8* Premium (Rated)
10* Diamond (Rated)
*****************
[862] Boston |5*|Bet A|-10|B+3|Network N/A|7:35 pm EST
[866] Chicago |5*|Bet A|-5|B+3|Network N/A|8:05 pm EST
note*
This is the "NBA Hardwood System" (3 game chase)
NBA Hardwood LOSSES- 0
A. 17 wins
B. 7 wins
C.
Gold Sheet
North Carolina 84 - Marquette 75—Surviving and advancing. That’s what
our old pal Billy Packer called his syndicated TV show that originated from Las
Vegas two years ago. And, regardless of some of the struggles Roy Williams’
North Carolina has endured over the past two weeks in the ACC Tournament
and the Big Dance (0-5 vs. the number), the Heels are still surviving and
advancing. As is Marquette, one of only two Big East reps still breathing after
the sub-regionals.
We’re just not sure this matchup works favorably for the Golden Eagles,
who are well-advised not to test their instincts to speed up the pace against
such a deep and explosive foe. The Golden Eagles were involved in their share
of grinders in Big East play, but the fact they scored 75 points or more 18 times
(and were their conference’s leading scoring team) and shot 47% from the floor
might tempt them to trade buckets, which we expect could invite some
problems.
Indeed, the challenge presented by the Heels is far different from what
Marquette saw in the sub-regionals against Xavier and Syracuse, and for much
of the season in the Big East, where there were only a handful of legit “bigs” that
warranted some extra attention. Now, the Golden Eagles have to face two of
them in 7-foot Tyler Zeller (15.2 ppg) & 6-10 John Henson (11.9 ppg, plus eight
consecutive double-doubles), who will test Marquette’s slowish 6-11 Chris
Otule, a decent shot-blocking force, but who will not be comfortable being lured
away from the bucket, as especially Zeller can do. And Zeller (in particular) and
Henson will provide a far greater challenge than Syracuse’s Rick Jackson, who
was effectively contained by the Golden Eagles last Sunday in Cleveland. That
sort of versatility from Roy Williams’ post threats will also limit how much Golden
Eagle HC Buzz Williams can entrust 290-lb. frosh widebody Davante Gardner,
who can usually deliver some quality minutes off the bench, but is unlikely to be
effective against the more-mobile Heel frontliners. Meanwhile, UNC is 16-2 SU
since fast-developing true frosh Kendall Marshall took over the PG chores from
Larry Drew Jr., who left the program in late January. With the exception of a few
lapses (such as a sloppy Second Round win last Friday over Long island),
Marshall has offered a far steadier hand at the controls than Drew and was able
to limit the TOs (only 9) vs. a Washington team that likes to ignite its transition
game via TOs, much as do the Golden Eagles.
We do expect Marquette to do some damage in transition, as well as in halfcourt
sets, especially with Carolina springing several leaks on the stop end last
week in Charlotte. The abilities of swingmen 6-7 Jimmy Butler (15.8 ppg) & 6-
6 Jae Crowder (11.6 ppg) to attack the bucket from the wings, and well as G
Darius Johnson-Odom’s (16 ppg) commando raids into the paint, could be
effective, as were Long Island and, especially, Washington’s attacks last week.
Which makes the “over” another interesting recommendation. And the Heels
could find themselves in trouble early with another of their notorious slow starts.
But the fact Marquette probably won’t mind engaging the Heels in an uptempo
game, and with the valuable Butler likely focusing much of his efforts to slow the
Heels’ rampaging 6-8 frosh Harrison Barnes (23 ppg last week in Charlotte),
we’re not sure the matchups work favorably for the Golden Eagles, who lost
plenty of games (13 of ’em) to NCAA tourney teams this season.
Kentucky 75 - Ohio State 72—Kentucky has been waiting a while for Big
Dance revenge vs. Ohio State. Try 49 years, or since Adolph Rupp’s Wildcats
were beaten in back-to-back years in the Elite Eight by Fred Taylor’s Buckeyes,
who featured Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, and a backup forward with the last
name of Knight, whom you might see every once in a while these days on ESPN.
But whereas Cotton Nash and those early ‘60s UK editions couldn’t handle
Lucas & Co., the new edition of the Wildcats under John Calipari might have a
better chance.
It won’t be easy, but personnel-wise, at least, the Cats might be constructed
as well as anyone to expose whatever flaws are in the Buckeye arsenal.
Many keen observers believe the best way to attack Ohio State is with a
lengthy backcourt that owns wings capable of handling the ball and exploiting
one potential Buckeye shortcoming defensively on the perimeter, while helping
to force tempo. Whatever chance George Mason had in the third round was
undone by wing Luke Hancock’s absence, but the Wildcats can attack with
much more athleticism and greater numbers. Ohio State’s perimeter defenders
are going to have their work cut out, especially with Calipari’s electric frosh Gs
Brandon Knight (17.7 ppg & 41% triples) and Doron Lamb (13 ppg & 47% treys)
able to extend the defense with their ability to bomb from beyond the arc; the
Wildcats ranked 12th nationally this season in 3-point shooting, just a tick under
40%. Indeed, UK is loaded with just the sort of lengthy, athletic wings, including
6-7 Darius Miller and 6-6 DeAndre Liggins, to take advantage of the floor
spacing that the abilities of Knight & Lamb to bomb will create. And that
Lexington weaponry has matured in a hurry, rolling to the SEC Tourney title and
then further forged in the battles of NCAA combat last week vs. the awkward
challenges of Princeton & West Virginia, with future pro Knight illustrating his
burgeoning confidence in the clutch with his poised game-winner against the
Tigers.
That’s only half the battle against the Buckeyes, who have a chilling KO
punch on attack with their collection of dagger-throwers, led by Gs Jon Diebler
(50% triples), William Buford (44% beyond the arc), and David Lighty (also 44%
treys). But the Cats can counter those big OSU Gs with their aforementioned
length and physicality that helped UK’s defense allow less than 39% shooting
from the floor TY. We also have a hard time envisioning the Buckeyes boatracing
the Wildcats and toying with their backcourt as they did vs. Mason’s
smaller Gs, as Calipari can certainly go to school on the handful of teams that
limited the damage OSU could cause from the perimeter, when Bill Carmody’s
Northwestern matchup zone and aggressive tactics from Purdue & Wisconsin
(against whom the Buckeyes shot only a combined 29% beyond the arc in their
lone defeats) effectively slowed the Buckeye machinery. The UK battle plan
must also account for punishing 6-9 OSU man-child frosh Jared Sullinger (17
ppg). But one of Calipari’s pleasant surprises this season has been rugged 6-
10 sr. Josh Harrellson emerging as an effective “garbage man” in the paint,
doing the dirty work necessary on the blocks. A steady diet of slower Big Ten
foes and flawed opposition in the sub-regional are not foolproof indicators that
Ohio State can survive what is arguably its toughest fundamental challenge of
the season to date.
Kansas 68 - Richmond 64—Southwest top seed Kansas made sure it
didn’t suffer another second-game exit, as the Jayhawks systematically
dismantled veteran (but, oh, so inconsistent) Illinois last Sunday, 75-59. More
impressively, with the defensively-sound Illini focused on the KU’s Morris twins,
that duo of Marcus & Markieff easily surpassed their combined season average
of 31 ppg and 16 rpg, going for 41 and 24 vs. Illinois, including 24 of the
Jayhawks’ first 29 points in the second half. Even more impressively, as coach
Bill Self has pointed out several times this season, his twin juniors are still
learning how best to play with each other and their teammates in KU’s high-low
offense.
At the early spread of 10½, however, there is a substantial case to be made
for veteran Richmond, with its well-seasoned, well-coordinated group of four
senior starters, including G Kevin Anderson, the slickest, trickiest player on the
floor. HC Chris Mooney has his Spiders nearly perfectly synchronized, rolling to
victory in the A-10 Tournament, edging very capable Vanderbilt in their NCAA
opener, then methodically dissecting Morehead’s zone defense for a 17-point
cruise (65-48) in the NCAA’s newly-dubbed “Round Three.” With those wins,
Richmond has now covered its last nine games.
Kansas will want a faster pace in this matchup. But the Spiders, with their
version of the Princeton offense, will give up control of the tempo only
grudgingly. And, partly because Anderson (17 ppg, 42% triples, 75% FTs) is
usually controlling the ball, the effectiveness of the Richmond big men—as a
group—is often overlooked. Mobile 6-10 F Justin Harper (18 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 45%
treys, 79% FTs) is one of the most versatile Fs in the country. 6-9 sr. C Dan
Geriot (42% from the arc; 2.8 apg) can also step out to hit the trey and is one of
the nation’s best big-man passers. 6-9 junior Darrius Garrett—while not an
offensive force—is a proven defender & shot blocker off the bench who will
come in handy vs. the Morris twins.
It is true that the Spiders, who invert their big men so often, can be hurt on
the boards, where Richmond is -1.7 rpg for the season. However, there is also
a good chance that the Morris twins and backup big man Thomas Robinson will
be disoriented a bit by having to repeatedly chase the Spider frontliners out to
the perimeter. And well-coordinated Richmond makes few mistakes (7th in the
nation with only 10.3 TOs pg game). The Spiders are 6-2 as an underdog this
season after going 8-2 getting points last season. You get the idea. Superior
Kansas likely moves on, but playing Richmond figures to be no picnic.
Virginia Commonwealth 61 - Florida State 60—Would probably prefer
the small favorite Seminoles in this matchup IF key man 6-9 Chris Singleton
(who leads the team in scoring & rebounding and is third on the squad in triples
made, despite missing time due to his recent foot injury) were healthy. But the
big F appeared to be far from his normal self in Florida State’s first two rounds
of the tournament, playing 26 total minutes off the bench, hitting only 2 of 7 FGs,
and collecting only 4 rebounds vs. 7 fouls! Can we count on the NBA prospect
reaching his prior form by the time this game is played? If he does, the
Seminoles—with their throttling, NCAA-leading 36% FG defense—might
advance.
However, there are more reasons than just Singleton’s recovery from his
foot fracture for us to take a look at confidence-filled VCU. HC Shaka Smart is
rapidly making a reputation for himself after his Rams knocked off Southern Cal,
Georgetown and Purdue in impressive fashion last week in winning three
games in five days in two different cities. And, his Rams, whose shot selection
can sometimes be called into question, have played intelligent, poised ball
throughout, regardless of the tempo or foe. 5-10 sr. G Joey Rodriguez has
stayed under control, mobile 6-9 sr. Jamie Skeen (15 ppg, 39% triples) has
been a matchup problem, as expected, and Smart’s deep and athletic group of
wings have helped VCU fire in 29 of 70 (41%) triples, led by sr. Brandon
Rozzell’s 10 of 21.
The Rams’ hot streak might not carry over vs. the ferocious perimeter
defense of Florida State. But VCU has shown several times that it can play at
a slower pace as well as its preferred uptempo style, recently grinding out a win
in the Backetbusters at Wichita State and keeping its poise against defensiveminded
USC. And the Seminoles have some faults of their own, namely, 66%
free-throwing and only 33% trey marksmanship. Plus, FSU can suffer from
offensive inconsistency, evidenced by the team’s 513 turnovers TY vs. only 401
assists. Duke, for example, is +86. Moreover, the Rams’ 9-3 mark as a dog TY
should not be overlooked.
Given FSU’s fine defense, combined with its offensive shortcomings,
perhaps “under” might be the best rout, especially with the game being played
in the spacious Alamodome, with its somewhat unusual configuration for these
college hoopsters.
North Carolina 84 - Marquette 75—Surviving and advancing. That’s what
our old pal Billy Packer called his syndicated TV show that originated from Las
Vegas two years ago. And, regardless of some of the struggles Roy Williams’
North Carolina has endured over the past two weeks in the ACC Tournament
and the Big Dance (0-5 vs. the number), the Heels are still surviving and
advancing. As is Marquette, one of only two Big East reps still breathing after
the sub-regionals.
We’re just not sure this matchup works favorably for the Golden Eagles,
who are well-advised not to test their instincts to speed up the pace against
such a deep and explosive foe. The Golden Eagles were involved in their share
of grinders in Big East play, but the fact they scored 75 points or more 18 times
(and were their conference’s leading scoring team) and shot 47% from the floor
might tempt them to trade buckets, which we expect could invite some
problems.
Indeed, the challenge presented by the Heels is far different from what
Marquette saw in the sub-regionals against Xavier and Syracuse, and for much
of the season in the Big East, where there were only a handful of legit “bigs” that
warranted some extra attention. Now, the Golden Eagles have to face two of
them in 7-foot Tyler Zeller (15.2 ppg) & 6-10 John Henson (11.9 ppg, plus eight
consecutive double-doubles), who will test Marquette’s slowish 6-11 Chris
Otule, a decent shot-blocking force, but who will not be comfortable being lured
away from the bucket, as especially Zeller can do. And Zeller (in particular) and
Henson will provide a far greater challenge than Syracuse’s Rick Jackson, who
was effectively contained by the Golden Eagles last Sunday in Cleveland. That
sort of versatility from Roy Williams’ post threats will also limit how much Golden
Eagle HC Buzz Williams can entrust 290-lb. frosh widebody Davante Gardner,
who can usually deliver some quality minutes off the bench, but is unlikely to be
effective against the more-mobile Heel frontliners. Meanwhile, UNC is 16-2 SU
since fast-developing true frosh Kendall Marshall took over the PG chores from
Larry Drew Jr., who left the program in late January. With the exception of a few
lapses (such as a sloppy Second Round win last Friday over Long island),
Marshall has offered a far steadier hand at the controls than Drew and was able
to limit the TOs (only 9) vs. a Washington team that likes to ignite its transition
game via TOs, much as do the Golden Eagles.
We do expect Marquette to do some damage in transition, as well as in halfcourt
sets, especially with Carolina springing several leaks on the stop end last
week in Charlotte. The abilities of swingmen 6-7 Jimmy Butler (15.8 ppg) & 6-
6 Jae Crowder (11.6 ppg) to attack the bucket from the wings, and well as G
Darius Johnson-Odom’s (16 ppg) commando raids into the paint, could be
effective, as were Long Island and, especially, Washington’s attacks last week.
Which makes the “over” another interesting recommendation. And the Heels
could find themselves in trouble early with another of their notorious slow starts.
But the fact Marquette probably won’t mind engaging the Heels in an uptempo
game, and with the valuable Butler likely focusing much of his efforts to slow the
Heels’ rampaging 6-8 frosh Harrison Barnes (23 ppg last week in Charlotte),
we’re not sure the matchups work favorably for the Golden Eagles, who lost
plenty of games (13 of ’em) to NCAA tourney teams this season.
Kentucky 75 - Ohio State 72—Kentucky has been waiting a while for Big
Dance revenge vs. Ohio State. Try 49 years, or since Adolph Rupp’s Wildcats
were beaten in back-to-back years in the Elite Eight by Fred Taylor’s Buckeyes,
who featured Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, and a backup forward with the last
name of Knight, whom you might see every once in a while these days on ESPN.
But whereas Cotton Nash and those early ‘60s UK editions couldn’t handle
Lucas & Co., the new edition of the Wildcats under John Calipari might have a
better chance.
It won’t be easy, but personnel-wise, at least, the Cats might be constructed
as well as anyone to expose whatever flaws are in the Buckeye arsenal.
Many keen observers believe the best way to attack Ohio State is with a
lengthy backcourt that owns wings capable of handling the ball and exploiting
one potential Buckeye shortcoming defensively on the perimeter, while helping
to force tempo. Whatever chance George Mason had in the third round was
undone by wing Luke Hancock’s absence, but the Wildcats can attack with
much more athleticism and greater numbers. Ohio State’s perimeter defenders
are going to have their work cut out, especially with Calipari’s electric frosh Gs
Brandon Knight (17.7 ppg & 41% triples) and Doron Lamb (13 ppg & 47% treys)
able to extend the defense with their ability to bomb from beyond the arc; the
Wildcats ranked 12th nationally this season in 3-point shooting, just a tick under
40%. Indeed, UK is loaded with just the sort of lengthy, athletic wings, including
6-7 Darius Miller and 6-6 DeAndre Liggins, to take advantage of the floor
spacing that the abilities of Knight & Lamb to bomb will create. And that
Lexington weaponry has matured in a hurry, rolling to the SEC Tourney title and
then further forged in the battles of NCAA combat last week vs. the awkward
challenges of Princeton & West Virginia, with future pro Knight illustrating his
burgeoning confidence in the clutch with his poised game-winner against the
Tigers.
That’s only half the battle against the Buckeyes, who have a chilling KO
punch on attack with their collection of dagger-throwers, led by Gs Jon Diebler
(50% triples), William Buford (44% beyond the arc), and David Lighty (also 44%
treys). But the Cats can counter those big OSU Gs with their aforementioned
length and physicality that helped UK’s defense allow less than 39% shooting
from the floor TY. We also have a hard time envisioning the Buckeyes boatracing
the Wildcats and toying with their backcourt as they did vs. Mason’s
smaller Gs, as Calipari can certainly go to school on the handful of teams that
limited the damage OSU could cause from the perimeter, when Bill Carmody’s
Northwestern matchup zone and aggressive tactics from Purdue & Wisconsin
(against whom the Buckeyes shot only a combined 29% beyond the arc in their
lone defeats) effectively slowed the Buckeye machinery. The UK battle plan
must also account for punishing 6-9 OSU man-child frosh Jared Sullinger (17
ppg). But one of Calipari’s pleasant surprises this season has been rugged 6-
10 sr. Josh Harrellson emerging as an effective “garbage man” in the paint,
doing the dirty work necessary on the blocks. A steady diet of slower Big Ten
foes and flawed opposition in the sub-regional are not foolproof indicators that
Ohio State can survive what is arguably its toughest fundamental challenge of
the season to date.
Kansas 68 - Richmond 64—Southwest top seed Kansas made sure it
didn’t suffer another second-game exit, as the Jayhawks systematically
dismantled veteran (but, oh, so inconsistent) Illinois last Sunday, 75-59. More
impressively, with the defensively-sound Illini focused on the KU’s Morris twins,
that duo of Marcus & Markieff easily surpassed their combined season average
of 31 ppg and 16 rpg, going for 41 and 24 vs. Illinois, including 24 of the
Jayhawks’ first 29 points in the second half. Even more impressively, as coach
Bill Self has pointed out several times this season, his twin juniors are still
learning how best to play with each other and their teammates in KU’s high-low
offense.
At the early spread of 10½, however, there is a substantial case to be made
for veteran Richmond, with its well-seasoned, well-coordinated group of four
senior starters, including G Kevin Anderson, the slickest, trickiest player on the
floor. HC Chris Mooney has his Spiders nearly perfectly synchronized, rolling to
victory in the A-10 Tournament, edging very capable Vanderbilt in their NCAA
opener, then methodically dissecting Morehead’s zone defense for a 17-point
cruise (65-48) in the NCAA’s newly-dubbed “Round Three.” With those wins,
Richmond has now covered its last nine games.
Kansas will want a faster pace in this matchup. But the Spiders, with their
version of the Princeton offense, will give up control of the tempo only
grudgingly. And, partly because Anderson (17 ppg, 42% triples, 75% FTs) is
usually controlling the ball, the effectiveness of the Richmond big men—as a
group—is often overlooked. Mobile 6-10 F Justin Harper (18 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 45%
treys, 79% FTs) is one of the most versatile Fs in the country. 6-9 sr. C Dan
Geriot (42% from the arc; 2.8 apg) can also step out to hit the trey and is one of
the nation’s best big-man passers. 6-9 junior Darrius Garrett—while not an
offensive force—is a proven defender & shot blocker off the bench who will
come in handy vs. the Morris twins.
It is true that the Spiders, who invert their big men so often, can be hurt on
the boards, where Richmond is -1.7 rpg for the season. However, there is also
a good chance that the Morris twins and backup big man Thomas Robinson will
be disoriented a bit by having to repeatedly chase the Spider frontliners out to
the perimeter. And well-coordinated Richmond makes few mistakes (7th in the
nation with only 10.3 TOs pg game). The Spiders are 6-2 as an underdog this
season after going 8-2 getting points last season. You get the idea. Superior
Kansas likely moves on, but playing Richmond figures to be no picnic.
Virginia Commonwealth 61 - Florida State 60—Would probably prefer
the small favorite Seminoles in this matchup IF key man 6-9 Chris Singleton
(who leads the team in scoring & rebounding and is third on the squad in triples
made, despite missing time due to his recent foot injury) were healthy. But the
big F appeared to be far from his normal self in Florida State’s first two rounds
of the tournament, playing 26 total minutes off the bench, hitting only 2 of 7 FGs,
and collecting only 4 rebounds vs. 7 fouls! Can we count on the NBA prospect
reaching his prior form by the time this game is played? If he does, the
Seminoles—with their throttling, NCAA-leading 36% FG defense—might
advance.
However, there are more reasons than just Singleton’s recovery from his
foot fracture for us to take a look at confidence-filled VCU. HC Shaka Smart is
rapidly making a reputation for himself after his Rams knocked off Southern Cal,
Georgetown and Purdue in impressive fashion last week in winning three
games in five days in two different cities. And, his Rams, whose shot selection
can sometimes be called into question, have played intelligent, poised ball
throughout, regardless of the tempo or foe. 5-10 sr. G Joey Rodriguez has
stayed under control, mobile 6-9 sr. Jamie Skeen (15 ppg, 39% triples) has
been a matchup problem, as expected, and Smart’s deep and athletic group of
wings have helped VCU fire in 29 of 70 (41%) triples, led by sr. Brandon
Rozzell’s 10 of 21.
The Rams’ hot streak might not carry over vs. the ferocious perimeter
defense of Florida State. But VCU has shown several times that it can play at
a slower pace as well as its preferred uptempo style, recently grinding out a win
in the Backetbusters at Wichita State and keeping its poise against defensiveminded
USC. And the Seminoles have some faults of their own, namely, 66%
free-throwing and only 33% trey marksmanship. Plus, FSU can suffer from
offensive inconsistency, evidenced by the team’s 513 turnovers TY vs. only 401
assists. Duke, for example, is +86. Moreover, the Rams’ 9-3 mark as a dog TY
should not be overlooked.
Given FSU’s fine defense, combined with its offensive shortcomings,
perhaps “under” might be the best rout, especially with the game being played
in the spacious Alamodome, with its somewhat unusual configuration for these
college hoopsters.
Racing at Santa Anita with Marc Doche: Off the Turf … Again
Rain, rain … go away! For the fourth straight day wet weather has disturbed the racing at Santa Anita and we are off the turf again. That leaves us with just a field of five in the first race and a field of four in race three.
On a positive note, the late Pick 4 sequence is still rather competitive and it appears we’ll have a dry weekend with warmer temperatures and more sun in store for next week.
In today’s featured allowance optional claiming event for older females going seven furlongs, renowned chef Bobby Flay’s Triple Cream makes her return to the races off nearly a six-month layoff.
http://www.pick4blog.com
Rain, rain … go away! For the fourth straight day wet weather has disturbed the racing at Santa Anita and we are off the turf again. That leaves us with just a field of five in the first race and a field of four in race three.
On a positive note, the late Pick 4 sequence is still rather competitive and it appears we’ll have a dry weekend with warmer temperatures and more sun in store for next week.
In today’s featured allowance optional claiming event for older females going seven furlongs, renowned chef Bobby Flay’s Triple Cream makes her return to the races off nearly a six-month layoff.
http://www.pick4blog.com
