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03/05/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 88th-annual Southern Conference Tournament is set to begin on Friday from the McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga.
Once again the top team in the Southern Conference was the Davidson Wildcats, who finished with a 16-2 mark against league opponents, grabbing the top seed in the South Division and one of the four first round byes. Chattanooga and Western Carolina finished the season tied at 11-9, but the Mocs grabbed the top seed in the North Division thanks to a tiebreaker. Western Carolina collected the second seed in the North Division, while The Citadel finished second in the South Division with a 15-5 ledger. All three teams will join Davidson in the quarterfinals, thanks to first round byes.
The College of Charleston Cougars finished tied with The Citadel in the South Division with a 15-5 mark, but since they finished on the wrong end of the tiebreaker the Cougars will battle the sixth-seed from the North Division, UNC Greensboro in first-round action. Claiming the third seed in the North Division was the Samford Bulldogs, who will take on the Furman Paladins, who were only good enough for the sixth spot in the South Division.
The other two matchups with pit the fourth-seeds from the North and South, Appalachian State and Wofford, against Elon and Georgia Southern, which finished in the fifth spot in the North and South Division, respectively.
Starting off postseason action will be the fifth-seeded Georgia Southern Eagles against the Appalachian State Mountaineers, who grabbed the fourth seed out of the North. The Eagles had their wings clipped this season, as the team grabbed just eight overall victories, finishing the year with a 5-15 mark in conference play. Georgia Southern comes into the tournament with 11 losses in its last 12 contests, and is currently surrendering 78.5 ppg, which ranks the team at the bottom of the Southern Conference. As for the Mountaineers, they stumbled down the stretch, losing five of their last seven matchups. The rough patch at the end of their schedule left the Mountaineers with a mere 9-11 mark in the Southern Conference, which was only good for fourth in the North Division. Much like their counterpart, the Mountaineers have also struggled defensively, allowing 76.6 ppg. If Appalachian State wants to grab its first title since 2000 the team will have to improve in that area on the floor.
Taking the third seed in the South Division is the College of Charleston Cougars, who will take on the UNC Greensboro Spartans in first-round action. The Cougars grabbed 23 victories this season, and finished with a very strong 15-5 mark in conference action. On top of their strong overall season, the team heads into this tournament playing great basketball, having won seven of its last eight games. The Cougars have relied on a dangerous offensive attack, as the team is netting 78.4 ppg, which is the second best in the Southern Conference. However, for the team to claim its first league title since 1999, the Cougars must perform better defensively. As for the Spartans, they closed out the regular-season with a 74-66 victory over Elon. However, it was just the fifth overall victory for UNCG, which finished with a terrible 4-16 ledger in conference action. The Spartans only have 10 wins in this tournament, and it is unlikely the team will see many more considering UNCG is netting just 63.2 ppg.
Another first-round matchup will have the Wofford Terriers battle the Elon Phoenix. The Terriers, who have enjoyed little success over the past few seasons, put forth a surprising display this year, winning 16 overall games, while posting a 12-8 mark in conference action. Wofford closed out its season with seven wins in its last nine games, and although the team has only five previous victories in this tournament, the Terriers are primed to make a small run this year. As for the Phoenix, they could do no better than fifth in the North Division. Elon collected just 10 wins on the season, but posted a meager 7-13 mark in league play. The team also stumbled down the stretch, losing five of its last seven games, including two in a row. Earlier this season the Phoenix were upended by Wofford, but by a narrow three-point margin in overtime.
The final matchup in the first round will have the Samford Bulldogs take on the Furman Paladins. The Paladins were one of the worst teams in the league this season, as the squad collected just six wins on the year. Furman also stumbled in league play, posting a 4-16 mark. Furman, which lost its last five games on the regular-season, was one of the worst offensive teams in the conference, netting just 61.3 ppg. As for the Bulldogs, they have relied on their tenacious defensive play, as the team was the top defensive squad in the Southern Conference, holding schools to just 61.7 ppg. Samford finished with the third-seed in the North Division, but the squad finished with just a 9-11 mark against conference teams, and closed out the year with six losses in its last nine contests.
The Southern Conference has been dominated by the Davidson Wildcats, and the team continued to tighten its stranglehold on the league with another regular- season title. The Wildcats have a league-best 56 tournament wins and have captured the title 10 times, and that includes three straight championships coming into this season. Since the beginning of the 2006-07 season the Wildcats have posted a remarkable 53-3 ledger in league action and that includes the team's 16-2 record in the SoCon this season. Overall Davidson finished with 25 wins on the year, mainly because of the play of standout guard Stephen Curry, who is leading the nation with 28.4 ppg. Curry is also pacing the Wildcats with 174 assists and is grabbing 4.3 rpg on the season. However, Curry is known mostly for his ability to score at will, and on February 28th against Georgia Southern, the guard scored 34 points, setting the Davidson career mark for points with 2,487. While Curry is the heart and soul of this team, the Wildcats are also receiving plenty of help from Andrew Lovedale in the paint, as the big man is contributing 12.5 ppg and a team-high 8.6 rpg. The Wildcats dropped a couple of conference games this season, but this is still their tournament to lose.
The last team to win the Southern Conference other than Davidson was the Chattanooga Mocs, who corralled the top seed out of the North. Other than the Wildcats, Chattanooga has won the most SoCon Tournament titles (nine) and tournament wins (48). Although Chattanooga is the top seed in the North this year, it is a deceiving accolade for the squad, which finished a game below .500 on the year overall. The Mocs were not that much better in league play as well, posting just an 11-9 record. A major reason for the mediocre ledger was the team's performance down the stretch, as Chattanooga dropped its last three regular-season games. The Mocs are one of the more dangerous scoring teams in the conference this year, as the squad is netting 76.5 ppg, which is good enough for third in the conference. Stephen McDowell has been the main scoring threat for Chattanooga, as the guard is netting 18.3 ppg. Where the Mocs do most of their damage however, is in the paint, as the team is led by Nicchaeus Doaks down low. Doaks is currently contributing 14.3 ppg on the year, and is pacing the team with 8.9 rpg. Joining Doaks in the post is Kevin Goffney and Khalil Hartwell, as Goffney is registering 13.3 ppg and 7.0 rpg, while Hartwell is chipping in with 9.2 ppg and 7.2 rpg.
The Citadel has been the laughing stock of the Southern Conference for many years, especially in tournament play, where the team is a pathetic 10-55. However, this year could be different for the Bulldogs, who grabbed the second seed in the South with a 15-5 conference mark. Overall the Bulldogs finished with 20 victories, marking only the second time in school history. The team was not dominant on the season offensively, but the squad is averaging 67.1 ppg. Demetrius Nelson has been the top scoring option on the year for The Citadel, as the forward is producing 16.1 ppg, to go along with a team-best 6.6 rpg. Cameron Wells, who is leading the team with 93 assists on the season, is also contributing 15.5 ppg. Fortunately the Bulldogs can rely on their strong defensive play, which carried the team through most of the season, as the Citadel is allowing just 64.2 ppg, which is good enough for second in the conference.
The second seed from the North Division is not on the same level as The Citadel, as the Western Carolina Catamounts finished with a mediocre 11-9 mark in league action. The Catamounts won their only SoCon title back in 1996, but their overall display in this tournament has been awful, as the team has racked up a record of 14-29 in this event. Heading into this postseason the Catamounts will need to rely on their solid play offensively, as the squad is currently netting 74.8 ppg, behind a 44.4 percent shooting effort. Harouna Mutombo is pacing the team with 14.6 ppg and is also grabbing a team-best 4.5 rpg. Brandon Giles is contributing 13.3 ppg for WCU, while Jake Robinson is chipping in 9.2 ppg. Brigham Waginger is only netting 8.6 ppg for WCU, but the guard has been a solid floor general, dishing out a team-high 101 assists. Unfortunately the team has endured some troubles defensively, as opponents are averaging 72.8 ppg against WCU, while shooting a high 47.0 percent from the floor.
<< 2009 Colonial Athletic Association Tournament Preview
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2009 Colonial Athletic Association
Tournament will take place in Richmond, Virginia, beginning with the first
round on Friday and wrapping up with Monday's title game.
The top four seeds each receive a
<< 2009 Big Sky Conference Tournament Preview
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 34th-annual Big Sky Conference
Tournament is set to begin this weekend, with quarterfinal action from campus
sites and semifinal and championship games to be played in Ogden, Utah.
The Weber State Wild
<< Creamer among three co-leaders in Singapore
Singapore (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off a disappointing finish in Thailand,
Paula Creamer fired a five-under 67 on Thursday to share the lead with two
other players after the first round of the HSBC Champions tournament.
Creamer, who
<< Report: Denver signs QB Simms
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos continued their off-season
spending spree by reportedly adding free agent quarterback Chris Simms to
their roster.
The Denver Post reports the 28-year-old Simms has joined the team, presumably
Dayton visits Xavier in pivotal Atlantic 10 battle >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dayton Flyers and 17th-ranked Xavier
Musketeers will do battle tonight in a game with major implications in the
race for the Atlantic 10 Conference title.
Xavier sits atop the A-10 standings with an 11-3
Nittany Lions seek upset of 23rd-ranked Fighting Illini >>
University Park, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Penn State Nittany Lions hope to
impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee with a Big Ten Conference
victory over the 23rd-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini.
Illinois carried a modest two-game w
Bruins host Beavers in Pac-10 tussle >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 20th-ranked UCLA Bruins are clearly
favored in tonight's Pac-10 Conference clash with the visiting Oregon State
Beavers.
Oregon State got hot recently, ripping off three consecutive wins.
Unfortunately
Wildats and Friars mix it up in Big East action >>
Villanova, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 11th-ranked Villanova Wildcats welcome
the Providence Friars to town for the second meeting of the season between the
Big East Conference rivals. Villanova squeaked by Providence in a 94-91 final
back on Feb
The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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My fellow Americans, as tempting as it may be to don the coat and HD-ready tie in order to deliver this State of the Game address before the cameras, I know better. As Brad Paisley sings on his latest album, "I'm so much cooler online."
The ideas for this annual essay to kick off the MySportsbook.com college football betting preview flowed like frat-house beer, which is to say they were cheap and spilled all over the floor. The 2007 season will be better than 2007, if only because there will be more of it. A year ago, the NCAA Football Rules Committee made two rule changes in the interest of speeding up the game. These changes went over like Kobe burgers at a vegan banquet.
To its credit, the rules committee rectified its mistakes. This season the clock once again will start when a kickoff is received, rather than when it is kicked, and the clock will not start so quickly on a change of possession.
However, kickoffs have been moved back five yards, to the 30, which will force more returns. (Thus forcing the clock to run. Clever, huh?) Special teams might decide a lot of games, because coaching strategy will come straight out of another new Paisley lyric (almost), I'd like to check you for kicks.
Paisley sings with a twang, which is why he's appropriate for this college football season. The sun coming up over the 2007 college football betting lines season rises from the south. It's a Southern football world. As the Southeastern Conference begins its 75th year, the power shift is noticeable.
Eight-figure budgets, glamorous settings -- and that's just for the head coaches. The SEC has four coaches who have won national championships -- the greatest aggregation of coaching know-how since Eddie Robinson dined alone.
Steve Spurrier, Phil Fulmer, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer have given lie to the idea that a conference championship game is too daunting a hurdle on the road to No. 1. In six of the past 10 seasons, the national champions played and won a conference championship game -- three of the six (Tennessee, 1998; LSU, 2003; Florida, 2007) from the SEC.
There will be more of the same this season, if the preseason prognostications are correct. Six SEC teams are in the preseason coaches' poll, more than from any other conference. Only one conference has talent so deep that a team with 15 returning starters, including the best quarterback in the league, from an eight-win season is considered an afterthought. That may speak more to Kentucky's losing legacy than to the wisdom of the predictions, but there you have it. And seriously, keep an eye on Wildcats QB Andre' Woodson.
The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.
So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.
USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster. Instead, the Trojans gathered themselves and routed Michigan, 32-18, in the Rose Bowl.
USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess (such as, without naming names, L.M. from Baton Rouge). The league only got deeper this season; Dennis Erickson is taking over an Arizona State team that never quite got out of its own way under his predecessor, Dirk Koetter.
Erickson will resume his quest to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools. Both he and Spurrier, now in his third season at South Carolina, returned to college football at schools with lower profiles than where they won their titles.
That isn't the case for the third coach looking for the national championship double. You may have missed this, but NASA reported the astronauts on the space shuttle last spring made contact with what can only be described as beings from another galaxy.
The leader of the aliens said, "We come in peace," followed by, "So how do you think Nick Saban will do at Alabama?"
The public is reacting to the new Crimson Tide coach as if he is the Barry Bonds of college football -- beloved at home for what his fans believe he is going to do, hated on the road for his intimidating attitude and for what his detractors believe he did (bend NCAA recruiting rules). I made this comparison from the dais at a charity dinner in Mobile, Ala., last month, and the chill that washed over me didn't come from the air conditioning.
Saban will attempt to prove that he can remake in Tuscaloosa what he built in Baton Rouge, much like another member of the national championship fraternity. Bobby Bowden is attempting to remake at Florida State what he built at, um, Florida State. Bowden rebuilt his offensive staff, bringing in four new coaches led by Saban's former offensive coordinator, Jimbo Fisher, to jump-start an offense that has been dead for a couple of years.
The Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to show new signs of life, too. That is said with no disrespect toward last season's champion, Wake Forest, which provided one of the best story lines of 2007. The Demon Deacons begin this season in their customary position, overshadowed by the Virginia Techs, Miamis and Florida States.
It's not that Wake will find it difficult to duplicate its success in 2007 as much as the feeling that success engendered. Surprising success is the narcotic of sport. It never feels quite so euphoric the next time. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese has figured this out. He refers to 2007, when a league looked down upon by fans and foes alike took three undefeated teams into November, as "Cinderella."
The fairy tale may be over, but the Big East has four genuine Heisman Trophy candidates in Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, and Rutgers tailback Ray Rice. Rutgers, as did Wake Forest and, of course, Boise State, proved last season that the have-nots in college football occasionally have quite a lot.
The Broncos' rousing 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl has raised the profile of all schools in conferences that don't get automatic BCS bids. This season, TCU and Hawaii are the preseason favorites to burst through the BCS doors and earn an at-large bid. The Warriors return 14 starters from an 11-3 team, including quarterback Colt Brennan.
Brennan not only broke the single-season record with 58 touchdown passes in 2007, but he also led Division I-A in passing efficiency (186.0). The senior is expected to contend for the Heisman Trophy, and neither his success nor the rise of his team should come as any surprise in the 2007 season.
After all, Hawaii is the southernmost team in the country.
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