NCAA Capsules-East Regional

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/15/2010 -

Lexington, 32-2.

Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: John Calipari.

Conference: Southeastern. Bid: SEC champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 1.

Tournament Record: 100-45, 50 years. Last appearance: 2008.

Scoring: Team (79.2); John Wall 16.9; DeMarcus Cousins 15.3; Patrick Patterson 14.7; Eric Bledsoe 10.8.

Rebounds: Team (41.4); DeMarcus Cousins 10.1; Patrick Patterson 7.3; John Wall 4.2.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.7/14.5); John Wall 6.4/4.0; Eric Bledsoe 2.9/3.2.

3-pointers: Team (.341); Darnell Dodson 46; Darius Miller 40; Eric Bledsoe 40; John Wall 30.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: Critics can fault Calipari all they want, but he knows how to recruit and he knows how to win. And that combination makes him just less than a deity in the bluegrass state. Wall has gotten most of the headlines, but Cousins and Patterson give the Wildcats ample firepower on both ends of the court.

East Tennessee State

Johnson City, Tenn., 20-14.

Nickname: Buccaneers. Coach: Murry Bartow.

Conference: Atlantic Sun. Bid: Atlantic Sun champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 16.

Tournament Record: 2-9, 8 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (69.2); Tommy Hubbard 14.1; Micah Williams 12.5; Justin Tubbs 12.0.

Rebounds: Team (36.4); Tommy Hubbard 8.3; Isiah Brown 5.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (10.9/14.9); Jocolby Davis 2.4/2.2; Sheldon Cooley 1.8/1.5.

3-pointers: Team (.310); Justin Tubbs 73; Micha Williams 40.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: The Bucs lost four starters from last year's NCAA tournament team, but they haven't missed a beat. After earning a No. 6 seed to the Atlantic Sun tournament, they knocked off a Mercer team that had won both of their previous meetings.

---Texas

Austin, 24-9.

Nickname: Longhorns. Coach: Rick Barnes.

Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 8.

Tournament Record: 33-30, 27 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (81.2); Damion James 18.0; Avery Bradley 11.7; Dexter Pittman 10.6; Jordan Hamilton 9.8; Gary Johnson 9.4; J'Covan Brown 9.3.

Rebounds: Team (42.2); Damion James 10.4; Dexter Pittman 5.8; Gary Johnson 5.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.5/13.9); Dogus Balbay 3.9/1.6; Varez Ward 2.8/2.8; J'Covan Brown 2.4/2.1; Avery Bradley 2.1/1.6.

3-pointers: Team (.345); Jordan Hamilton 53; Avery Bradley 42; J'Covan Brown 36; Damion Jones 35.

Last Ten: 5-5.

The Skinny: Texas joined a dubious club earlier this season by becoming one of only five schools to go from No. 1 in The Associated Press poll to unranked. They were spanked by Baylor in the Big 12 tournament, so it's not like the Longhorns are riding a lot of momentum, either.

Wake Forest

Winston-Salem, N.C., 19-10.

Nickname: Demon Deacons. Coach: Dino Gaudio.

Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 9.

Tournament Record: 27-21, 21 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (73.0); Al-Faroug Aminu 15.7; Ishmael Smith 13.3; C.J. Harris 10.0.

Rebounds: Team (41.8); Al-Faroug Aminu 10.7; Chas McFarland 7.1; L.D. Williams 5.6; Ishmael Smith 4.7.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.8/15.2); Ishmael Smith 6.0/2.9.

3-pointers: Team (.313); Ari Stewart 39; C.J. Harris 34.

Last Ten: 5-5.

The Skinny: Aminu was the only player in the ACC to average a double-double, and along with Smith forms one of the best tandems in the country. The Demon Deacons looked like a lock in mid-February, before losing four straight to mediocre opponents.

---Temple

Philadelphia, 29-5.

Nickname: Owls. Coach: Fran Dunphy.

Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: Atlantic 10 champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 5.

Tournament Record: 31-27, 27 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (64.9); Ryan Brooks 14.3; Juan Fernandez 12.6; Lavoy Allen 11.5.

Rebounds: Team (37.1); Lavoy Allen 10.9; Ryan Brooks 4.4; Luis Guzman 4.2.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.8/10.5); Juan Fernandez 3.7/2.0; Luiz Guzman 3.3/1.6; Ryan Brooks 2.3/1.3; Lavoy Allen 2.3/1.5.

3-pointers: Team (.338); Juan Fernandez 71; Ryan Brooks 54.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: Their defining win may have been against cross-town rival Villanova, but Temple has been consistent all season. Local products Brooks and Allen lead the way on offense for Dunphy, a candidate for national coach of the year.

Cornell

Ithaca, N.Y., 27-4.

Nickname: Big Red. Coach: Steve Donahue.

Conference: Ivy League. Bid: Ivy League champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 12.

Tournament Record: 0-5, 4 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (75.3); Ryan Wittman 17.5; Jeff Foote 12.3; Louis Dale 11.9.

Rebounds: Team (34.1); Jeff Foote 8.2; Randy Wittman 4.0.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.5/12.3); Louis Dale 4.8/2.1; Chris Wroblewski 3.3/1.9; Jeff Foote 2.3/2.4.

3-pointers: Team (.434); Ryan Wittman 100; Chris Wroblewski 51; Louis Dale 43; Geoff Reeves 39; Jon Jaques 39.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: Wittman is the guy to watch, the first Cornell player to be voted Ivy League player of the year. Must be in the genes, too. He's the son of Randy Wittman, who was Big Ten player of the year for Indiana in 1983 and a member of the Hoosiers' 1981 national championship team.

---Wisconsin

Madison, 23-8.

Nickname: Badgers. Coach: Bo Ryan.

Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 4.

Tournament Record: 20-14, 15 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (67.5); Trevon Hughes 15.4; Jon Leuer 14.8; Jason Bohannon 11.8; Jordan Taylor 10.2.

Rebounds: Team (32.4); Jon Leuer 5.8; Keaton Nankivil 4.8; Trevon Hughes 4.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.8/8.9); Jordan Taylor 3.6/1.2; Trevon Hughes 2.7/2.0; Jason Bohannon 2.2/1.3.

3-pointers: Team (.361); Trevon Hughes 71; Jason Bohannon 66; Jordan Taylor 33.

Last Ten: 7-3.

The Skinny: Leuer missed time earlier this season with a broken wrist and Taylor has struggled with his shot. When those two guys are hitting, though, the Badgers are tough to beat. Throw in Hughes and Wisconsin has enough playmakers to make a deep postseason run.

Wofford

Spartanburg, Va., 26-8.

Nickname: Terriers. Coach: Mike Young.

Conference: Southern. Bid: Southern champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 13.

Tournament Record: First year. Last appearance: First year.

Scoring: Team (69.4); Noah Dahlman 16.8; Jamar Diggs 9.4; Junior Salters 7.7.

Rebounds: Team (35.5); Tim Johnson 7.9; Noah Dahlman 6.3.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.6/11.9); Brad Loesing 3.0/1.4; Jamar Diggs 2.6/2.0.

3-pointers: Team (.349); Junior Salters 66; Cameron Rundles 28.

Last Ten: 10-0.

The Skinny: The Terriers have won 13 straight games entering the NCAA tournament, thanks largely to Dahlman's consistent play. He's has a streak of 47 games with at least 10 points. Wofford's 26 wins is the most since the 1959-60 season.

---Marquette

Milwaukee, 22-11.

Nickname: Golden Eagles. Coach: Buzz Williams.

Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 6.

Tournament Record: 34-28, 27 years. Last appearance: 2009

Scoring: Team (72.3); Lazar Hayward 18.1; Jimmy Butler 14.9; Darius Johnson-Odom 12.8.

Rebounds: Team (31.8); Lazar Hayward 8.6; Jimmy Butler 6.6; Jeronne Maymon 4.2.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.2/10.3); Maurice Acker 3.7/1.2; David Cubillan 2.8/1.0; Dwight Buycks 2.2/1.7; Darius Johnson-Odom 2.3/2.0; Jimmy Butler 2.1/1.1.

3-pointers: Team (.406); Darius Johnson-Odom 72; Lazar Hayward 61; Maurice Acker 48; David Cubillan 45.

Last Ten: 7-3.

The Skinny: Hayward provides much-needed veteran leadership, especially considering Marquette tends to play every game close. Still, it's hard to discount a team that made a great run in the Big East tournament.

Washington

Seattle, 24-9.

Nickname: Huskies. Coach: Lorenzo Romar.

Conference: Pac-10. Bid: Pac-10 champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 11.

Tournament Record: 15-15, 14 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (79.8); Quincy Pondexter 19.8; Isaiah Thomas 17.1; Matthew Bryan-Amaning 8.7; Venoy Overton 8.5.

Rebounds: Team (38.4); Quincy Pondexter 7.5; Matthew Bryan-Amaning 5.9; Justin Holiday 4.4; Isaiah Thomas 4.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.0/12.8); Venoy Overton 3.2/2.3; Isaiah Thomas 2.9/2.4; Abdul Gaddy 2.2/1.7.

3-pointers: Team (.325); Isaiah Thomas 57; Scott Suggs 36; Elston Turner 35.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: The Huskies were making their case for the NCAA tournament event before the Pac-10 tournament. With some sound arguments, too. Only two teams out of 79 previously that won 11 games in the Pac-10 failed to make the dance, and neither had 20 regular-season wins. Think the selection committee paid attention?

---New Mexico

Albuquerque, 29-4.

Nickname: Lobos. Coach: Steve Alford.

Conference: Mountain West. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 3.

Tournament Record: 6-12, 11 years. Last appearance: 2005.

Scoring: Team (76.6); Darington Hobsen 16.2; Roman Martinez 13.8; Dairese Gary 12.7; Phillip McDonald 10.7.

Rebounds: Team (38.7); Darington Hobsen 9.2; Roman Martinez 6.0; A.J. Hardeman 5.6.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.4/11.2); Darington Hobsen 4.6/3.0; Dairese Gary 3.9/1.8.

3-pointers: Team (.375); Roman Martinez 94; Phillip McDonald 69; Darington Hobson 38.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: Alford was the Mountain West coach of the year while Hobson was the player of the year? The Lobos are one of the youngest teams in the nation, with only one senior in Roman Martinez, but don't think they're approaching the tournament as merely a learning experience. New Mexico expects to make a run.

Montana

Missoula, 22-9.

Nickname: Grizzlies. Coach: Wayne Tinkle.

Region: East. Seed: No. 14.

Conference: Big Sky. Bid: Big Sky champion.

Tournament Record: 2-8, 7 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2006.

Scoring: Team (70.0); Anthony Johnson 19.6; Brian Ovale 9.7; Ryan Staudacher 8.6; Will Cherry 8.3.

Rebounds: Team (32.6); Brian Ovale 6.9; Derek Selvig 5.0.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.2/12.2); Anthony Johnson 3.0/2.7; Will Cherry 2.4/1.8.

3-pointers: Team (.404); Ryan Staudacher 68; Anthony Johnson 45.

Last Ten: 9-1.

The Skinny: The Grizzlies rallied from a 22-point deficit against Weber State in the conference championship game. Anthony Johnson scored 34 of his career-high and tournament-record 42 points in the second half, including the Grizzlies' last 21 points.

---Clemson

Clemson, S.C., 21-10.

Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Oliver Purnell.

Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 7.

Tournament Record: 8-9, 9 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (73.8); Trevor Booker 15.3; Demontez Stitt 11.2; Andre Young 9.1; Tanner Smith 9.0.

Rebounds: Team (37.1); Trevor Booker 8.3; Jerai Grant 4.6; Tanner Smith 4.2.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.3/14.8); Demontez Stitt 3.3/2.6; Trevor Booker 2.5/1.8; Andre Young 2.4/1.8; Tanner Smith 2.2/2.1.

3-pointers: Team (.335); Andre Young 55; David Potter 47; Demontez Stitt 28.

Last Ten: 6-4.

The Skinny: The Tigers are making their third straight NCAA tournament appearance, matching a school record set from 1996-98 when current Texas coach Rick Barnes was roaming the sidelines. Keep an eye on Booker, the only player in ACC history with 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 blocks and 100 steals.

Missouri

Columbus, 22-10.

Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Mike Anderson.

Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.

Region: East. Seed: No. 10.

Tournament Record: 21-22, 22 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (78.1); Kim English 14.1; Marcus Denmon 11.0; Laurence Bowers 10.1.

Rebounds: Team (35.8); Keith Ramsey 5.8; Laurence Bowers 5.6; Justin Safford 4.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.5/13.3); J.T. Tiller 3.1/2.4; Zaire Taylor 2.6/2.1.

3-pointers: Team (.372); Marcus Denmon 67; Kim English 61; Zaire Taylor 36.

Last Ten: 6-4.

The Skinny: Think the last few days have been tense for the Tigers? They were already firmly ensconced on the bubble before 12th-seeded Nebraska stunned them in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. Their frenetic, full-court style makes them a tough out - now that they're in.

---West Virginia

Morgantown, 27-6.

Nickname: Mountaineers. Coach: Bob Huggins.

Conference: Big East. Bid: Big East champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 2.

Tournament Record: 20-22, 22 years. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (73.0); Da'Sean Butler 17.4; Kevin Jones 13.5; Devin Ebanks 11.8; Darryl Bryant 9.7.

Rebounds: Team (38.4); Devin Ebanks 8.2; Kevin Jones 7.1; Da'Sean Butler 6.3; Wellington Smith 4.1.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.7/11.7); Da'Sean Butler 3.3/1.7; Darryl Bryant 3.2/2.1; Devin Ebanks 2.5/2.1; Joe Mazzulla 2.2/0.9.

3-pointers: Team (.336); Da'Sean Butler 61; Darryl Bryant 40; Wellington Smith 35; Kevin Jones 33.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: Already the expectations are soaring at West Virginia. One fan wrote to Huggins upset that his team had not been able to put teams away. Of course, the fan sent that letter before an overtime win against Villanova in the Mountaineers' regular-season finale.

Morgan State

Baltimore, 27-9.

Nickname: Bears. Coach: Todd Bozeman.

Conference: Mideastern Athletic. Bid: MEAC champion.

Region: East. Seed: No. 15.

Tournament Record: 0-1, 1 year. Last appearance: 2009.

Scoring: Team (76.8); Reggie Holmes 21.8; Kevin Thompson 12.8; Dewayne Jackson 10.1; Troy Smith 9.3.

Rebounds: Team (40.3); Kevin Thompson 11.9; Reggie Holmes 4.3; Dewayne Jackson 4.3; Ameer Ali 4.0.

Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.7/13.5); Sean Thomas 3.1/1.8; Danny Smith 2.9/1.7.

3-pointers: Team (.338); Reggie Holmes 99; Dewayne Jackson 54.

Last Ten: 8-2.

The Skinny: Holmes was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year for a reason, scoring 17 in the league title game. The key to the Bears is playing under control. They had 20 turnovers in that win over South Carolina State, and that won't get it done against the big boys in the NCAA tournament.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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Syracuse, N.Y., 28-4.Nickname: Orangemen. Coach: Jim Boeheim.Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.Region: West. Seed: No. 1.Tournament Record: 50-32, 32 years. Last appearance: 2009.Scoring: Team (81.5); Wesley Johnson 16.0; Andy Rautins 11.7; Kris J

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

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