Butler grad feels the madness
Nottawa, Mich. -- Charles Willer isn't much of a sports fan, but a Cinderella story unfolding in the annual NCAA basketball tournament has changed his television viewing habits the past few weekends.
Now, the Sand Lake resident is one game away from celebrating what he hopes is a victory by his college alma matter, the Butler Bulldogs. The upstart basketball team from the Indianapolis-based school is being hailed as the biggest dark horse in the history of the "March Madness" tournament.
Butler secured its spot in tonight's championship game against perennial basketball powerhouse Duke University by upending Michigan State on Saturday night.
"Was I interested in this tournament when it started? Yes and no," the 73-year-old Sturgis native said. "I'll usually get calls from a few people who will tell me early on that Butler is in the tournament."
As the team continued to advance this year, however, the frequency of phone calls has increased. Willer said a former student who now lives in North Carolina, and his brother, Bill, a White Pigeon resident, are the first to call to tell him when the Bulldogs are on TV.
Once his team made it to the Sweet 16, Willer said he went out of his way to note the dates and starting times of Butler's subsequent games.
Willer said he plans to watch tonight's championship game in the peace and quiet of his home. Though his passion for sports is limited, Willer said he understands the magnitude of Butler's tournament run and its unlikely appearance in what is essentially a home game for the Bulldogs, as the event is taking place in downtown Indianapolis. Butler plays home games six miles away, in Hinkle Fieldhouse, where the final scene from the movie "Hoosiers" was filmed.
A Butler University sticker in the corner of Willer's storm door has gone unnoticed by visitors for years. With the team's out-of-nowhere success lately, however, the decal has gotten plenty of attention.
"I had a delivery guy stop in the other day and right away he said, 'Oh, boy, how about that Butler University team,'" Willer said.
The son of the founders of Willer's Shoes in downtown Sturgis, Willer graduated from Sturgis High School in 1955. An organist from a young age, Willer said his interest in Butler stemmed from an article he read in the trade publication "Hammond Times," put out by the Hammond Organ Company.
"It talked about how Butler University was offering a music program for people interested in the Hammond organ," Willer said. "I was terribly interested, of course, so my parents and I went down there to learn more about it and meet with the dean of the music program."
Willer said prior to reading the article, he had no knowledge of Butler University, let alone the fact it was located in Indianapolis. In hindsight, however, he called his time at Butler "the greatest thing that ever happened to me."
From 1955 through 1961, Willer would go on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in music education. From 1957 through 1961 he worked special instruction in Butler's division of the Jordan College of Music, working with students attempting to hone their organ skills. Willer ultimately wound up teaching math at Sturgis Middle School from 1961 through 1998.
Willer said he has enjoyed seeing Butler University get so much attention through the tournament, and he's happy to know the spotlight will shine brightly on the Bulldogs' squad tonight.
"I've really been excited about this," Willer said. "I remain a (financial) supporter of Butler so I still feel very close to the school this many years later."
Despite the game's late start time - tip-off isn't slated until after 9 p.m. - Willer said he will watch the contest and hope his alma mater pulls off a win. Willer said he's a pretty low-key person but would likely celebrate a Butler win by imbibing in a Manhattan.
Copyright 2010 Sturgis Journal.
Duke advances to Elite Eight in March Madness
Duke defeated Purdue Friday night 70-57 in the Sweet 16 round of the 2010 NCAA tournament. The Blue Devils have advanced to the Elite Eight.
The game was close most of the way through, but in the last 10 minutes, top-seeded Duke began to pull away from fourth-seeded Purdue. Kyle Singler scored 24 points against the Boilermakers, and he also got eight rebounds. Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith scored 18 and 15 respectively, and Brian Zoubek, who fouled out late in the game, had 14 rebounds.
JaJuan Johnson led the Purdue Boilermakers with 23 points and five rebounds, and his teammate E'Twaun Moore scored 18. Though the game seemed that it could go either way through the first half and most of the second, Duke stepped up when it counted and won the basketball game 70-57 to advance to the Elite 8 in March Madness 2010.
Duke will face third-seeded Baylor at 5:05 pm ET on Sunday.
Copyright (c) 2009 Clarity Digital Group LLC
NCAA Tournament Betting Review
March Madness has spread through the sports betting community like some ravenous virus in a zombie flick. Even the most recreational bettor has been infected - and who could help it with all this drama?
The first week of the tournament produced more notable upsets than any other Big Dance in recent memory. No one is safe - not even the top seeds. That was apparent in the first round when Vanderbilt and Georgetown were shocked in their openers. And even more clear when No. 1 Kansas was given its walking papers by No. 9 Northern Iowa and No. 2 Villanova took one on the chin from No. 10 St. Mary's.
But while the underdogs are stealing the show this March, betting them has been a different story. Sure, the pups do have more bark to their bite in the NCAA, but heading into the Sweet 16 underdogs are just 23-24-1 ATS. And some of the biggest chalk in the tournament has been the best bet.
The Kentucky Wildcats, who struggled to cash in for bettors during the regular season thanks to all the hype around UK's stable of freshman stars, have been a cash cow in their first two games of the NCAA. The No. 1-seeded Wildcats rolled over East Tennessee State 100-71 as 18.5-point favorites in their opening game, then bulldozed through Wake Forest 90-60 as 9.5-point chalk in the second round.
Kentucky dances with Ivy League darlings Cornell in the Sweet 16. The Big Red have pulled in big green for their loyal backers. Cornell is 2-0 ATS after shocking Temple and Wisconsin and will face the Wildcats in Syracuse on Thursday. The Big Red should have a home-court advantage in that game with Ithaca just over an hour away.
The Syracuse Orange are also bringing in the bucks as a No. 1 seed. They've smashed their last two opponents, defeating Vermont 79-56 as 15.5-point favorites then ripping through Gonzaga 87-65 as 6.5-point chalk. The Orange are all the way in Salt Lake City facing the Butler Bulldogs in the Sweet 16.
The Horizon League's top team is no stranger to deep tournament runs. The Bulldogs covered the 2.5-point spread in a 77-59 win over UTEP then were nearly shocked by upset artists Murray State in the second round. Butler managed to sneak away with a 54-52 win on some careless dribbling from the Racers but couldn't cover as a 4-point favorite.
The other No. 1 seed still standing, the Duke Blue Devils, are also meeting oddsmakers' expectations. While many considered the Dukies to be the weakest of the top teams, Coach K's crew has proven them wrong by not only advancing to the Sweet 16 but winning in blowout fashion. And that's as good as gold to basketball bettors.
Duke has covered the spread in both its opening games of the NCAA. The Blue Devils destroyed Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the first round, 73-44 as 24-point chalk, then took down a talented Cal team 68-53 as 7-point favorites Sunday afternoon. That win set up a date with Purdue, who escaped the second round after a thrilling overtime win and cover against Texas A&M. The Boilermakers also covered in their opener, defeating Siena 72-64 as 4.5-point faves.
(c) 2000 - 2009 Cappersmall.com
March Madness Predictions - Possible #1 Seeds
With Selection Sunday only two days away, it's time to figure out who will be the one seeds in the big dance this year. It's a little harder this year than most as this whole season has been pretty topsy-turvy as far as who have been the dominate teams have been. With only the conference tournaments left to go, the contenders and pretenders have revealed themselves in different ways.
Locked in at #1
Kansas Jayhawks (30-2, 15-1 in Big 12)
Kansas has arguably been the best team in the college ranks the whole season only losing at Tennessee and at Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks have a championship pedigree, having won the NCAA title two years ago and are led by Senior point guard, Sherron Collins and Junior center, Cole Aldrich. Experience at the point guard position and in the paint make a deep run in the tournament significantly easier.
The duo is supported by a couple of extremely talented wings in freshman sensation, Xavier Henry and emerging sophomore forward, Marcus Morris. All four averages in double figures and are surrounded by a group of experienced role players. Kansas is a lock for the one seed and are likely to get the top seed overall.
Kentucky Wildcats (30-2, 14-2 in SEC)
The Kentucky Wildcats are the other lock for a one seed even if they falter in the conference tournament. Kentucky is the polar opposite team of Kansas in that they are led by youth instead of experience. Freshmen G John Wall, G Eric Bledsoe and PF DeMarcus Cousins have dominated the competition for most of the season with their only losses being at Tennessee and at South Carolina.
Junior center Patrick Patterson is the lone hold-over from the previous regime, but Coach John Calipari uses him as a leader on and off the court. Patterson and Cousins provide for a dynamic front court with size, strength, exceptional rebounding (10.1 Cousins, 7.5 Patterson) and superior scoring ability (15.6 points; Cousins, 14.9 points; Patterson). The guard play has been exceptional from John Wall who is the odds on favorite to be number one overall in this summer's NBA Draft. Look for Coach Cal to take another team deep into the NCAA tournament as Kentucky plays well beyond their years.
5dimes review: The Rest
The other teams in Division One are really playing for a 1A and 1B seed because Kansas and Kentucky are by far the elite teams this year.
But we need four number one seeds. There have been a bunch of good candidates, but many have been knocked off that pedestal in recent days. Here's the list of teams that couldn't make the cut.
Purdue Boilermakers (26-4, 14-4 in Big Ten)
Purdue lost its top player, Robbie Hummel to a season-ending knee injury late in the season. Up until that point, Purdue looked like a one seed and a sweep of the Big Ten tournament would still get them there, but without Hummel, Purdue is not an elite team. They're still very good, but not a one seed.
Kansas State Wildcats (25-6, 11-5 in Big 12)
K-State looked like a one seed until they dropped their last two regular season games to Kansas, in blowout fashion, and in overtime to lowly Iowa State. K-State will make an argument if they can sweep their way through the Big 12 tourney, but they will likely be destined for a two seed.
Ohio State Buckeyes (25-7, 14-4 in Big 12)
Ohio State lost potential player of the year, Evan Turner, to a fractured vertebrae early in the season for six games. The Buckeyes struggled without him and their seven losses are due to his inability to play for them at full strength for a lot of the season.
Now with Turner playing like a man possessed (and knocking down a game winning 40-footer a couple hours ago at the buzzer to edge Michigan), Ohio State may be the most dangerous two seed in the dance. Their seven losses will likely keep them from a top seed.
Final Two #1 Seeds
Syracuse Orange: (28-4, 15-3 in Big East)
Despite losing their last two games of the season, at Louisville with little to play for and everything at stake for the Cardinals, and in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament to Georgetown, the Orange will still get a one seed. In the game against Georgetown, the Orange lost center Arinze Onuaku to a knee injury and promptly lost control of the game to sophomore sensation, Georgetown forward, Greg Monroe. It is too bad because Onuaku held Monroe in check for most of the contest.
If Onuaku is seriously hurt, the Orange will be in trouble, but preliminary tests were negative. He is getting an MRI today. Now with added rest due to that loss, Syracuse will represent the Big East this year as the lone one seed from the conference.
Duke Blue Devils: (27-5, 13-3 in ACC)
The Dukies will get to be the final one seed this year. Led by senior guard, Jon Scheyer, Duke has dominated ACC competition and have looked like one of the best shooting teams in recent memory. C Brian Zoubek has played big minutes for the Blue Devils in the second half of the season and has become a force to reckon with underneath and added a dimension to the Blue Devils it has sorely needed for years; an inside/outside game. Look for Coach K to take his guys deep in the tournament again as a weak ACC has given Duke a one seed, making the path that much easier.
Make no mistake however; this team can be beaten by a team with better athleticism, as Duke's weakness has been athleticism since the days of Boozer and Battier almost a decade ago now.
Copyright (c) 2009 - Sports Betting Forums
Georgia State men's basketball one and done
The Georgia State University men's basketball team lost 68-67 Friday night against Hofstra University in a game that was oh so typical of the 2009-10 season. The Hofstra Pride and GSU were playing in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Championship at the Richmond (Va.) Coliseum. The Pride entered having won nine of their last 10 games.
Last weekend, the Panthers lost at Hofstra, 87-74, in the regular season finale. This time Georgia State exhibited more of their gritty, defensive style of play, but still lost the heartbreaker. Up 67-66 with 30 seconds to go, Hofstra gave the ball to the CAA's player of the year, 6-3 junior guard Charles Jenkins. Georgia State stopped him in the lane, but Jenkins found 6-10 senior forward Greg Washington open for a successful foul line jumper with 15 seconds left.
The Panthers then also gave the ball to their star player, 6-1 senior guard Joe Dukes, who had his usual all over the court game. Dukes scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists. But in a rare departure for Dukes, he had 10 turnovers and it was a turnover in the lane at the end that doomed GSU.
Georgia State was down 52-41 with 10 minutes to go. Senior 6-6 forward Ousman Krubally sparked the comeback with a pair of layups. Despite playing with four fouls, Krubally ended his college career in style with 19 points and four rebounds. Most impressive, he made 11 of 12 free throws despite his career average of making only about half of his foul shots.
Unlike last week's game against Hofstra, the Panthers rebounded and shot the ball well. There was no problem with the team's effort, but close games against superior opponents almost always went the wrong way for Georgia State this past season. GSU finished 12-20.
Copyright (c) 2009 Clarity Digital Group LLC
Nittany Lions put down Wildcats' attempt at record 19th winThe Big Ten standings show Penn State is the worst team in the conference. The way the team played against Northwestern shows otherwise.
The Nittany Lions (11-17, 3-13 Big Ten) blew out the Wildcats 79-60 in University Park, Pa., sweeping the season series. Wins over NU (18-11, 7-10) account for two of Penn State's three conference victories on the season.
"We didn't come out prepared," junior guard Michael Thompson said. "Every team in college basketball is a good team."
Penn State started strong and kept the pressure on. Though the Nittany Lions briefly trailed 6-5, they were able to score at will against NU's matchup zone, hitting seven of their first nine attempts from the field, while getting offensive rebounds on their two misses. It would take nearly seven minutes for Penn State to have a possession in which it did not score.
The Cats were able to stay close at first because of their 3-point shooting. Their first 18 points came off of six 3s, but it wasn't a sustainable form of offense.
"Early on, we're making those 3s," coach Bill Carmody said. "But you could tell they were fool's gold. They were end-of-clock, not-really- in-rhythm kind of shots."
It took NU until the 5:22 mark of the first half to score its first 2-point field goal. By then, the Cats were already down 11, and their lack of an inside presence was already hurting them.
"The entire year on the road, our center spot just hasn't been able to get any production. Almost none," Carmody said. "Our only real threat on the inside is Johnny (Shurna), and they were all over him."
As NU's hot shooting cooled off, Penn State's offense kept going. The Cats allowed 49 points in the opening period -more than they've allowed in entire games.
"It didn't matter the personnel that was in there," Carmody said. "Whatever we were trying to do - man, matchup, 1-3-1, it didn't matter. We just weren't able to stop them, which was reminiscent of a few games in the past couple of weeks."
Penn State went on to shoot 57 percent from the field. Carmody made the decision to become less reliant on playing the 1-3-1 zone defensively before last Thursday's game against Iowa, because opposing teams had been exploiting it with 3-point shooting. The scheme worked against Iowa, but backfired against Penn State.
The Cats often looked confused, which led to uncontested layups and 7-for-13 shooting from beyond the arc from the Nittany Lions. This was the best any opposing team has shot percentage-wise against NU all season long.
"After a while, they weren't even running an offense," Carmody said. "They just kept it spread and were taking our guys individually."
The game went out of hand in the second half, as a 14-point halftime lead increased to 20 by the 14-minute mark. NU's deficit grew to 25 points, which put the game effectively out of reach.
"We tried to fight back," Thompson said. "We just didn't come ready to play, and we got off to a slow start."
Much like in the first matchup between the teams, Penn State's scoring didn't come from point guard Talor Battle, who leads the conference in scoring and is the only player to average double figures on the team. Battle led the team with 16 points, but David Jackson and Chris Babb were key contributors, nailing 4-of-5 3-pointers.
"It's more about us," Thompson said. "For us to be successful, we need to do a better job communicating on defense."
The loss prevented the Cats from earning a school-record 19 wins, and guarantees that after a promising start, the Cats will finish with a losing record in conference.
"We haven't been a good road team all year, and the last three weeks our defense has been spotty at best," Carmody said. "We're not getting anything inside, and I don't know what to do."
dailynorthwestern.com
Missouri basketball knows road gets tough vs. BuffaloesBOULDER, COLO. -- It takes a lot to upset Missouri basketball coach Mike Anderson. But he was clearly perturbed when a postgame questioner characterized the Tigers' 70-53 victory over Nebraska on Jan. 23 as an "easy win."
"Easy win?" Anderson shot back. "I don't know what you've been watching, but there are no easy wins in the Big 12."
That certainly was true Wednesday night, when Texas A&M strolled into Mizzou Arena and did away with MU's 32-game home winning streak 77-74. At the same time, top-ranked Kansas pulled even in the final minute of the second half before prevailing in overtime at Colorado 72-66.
Obviously, Missouri (16-6 overall, 4-3 Big 12) will have no clear advantage when it takes on Colorado (11-11, 2-6) this afternoon at Coors Events Center, despite the Buffaloes' 10th-place standing in the league.
"When it gets to conference time, you can't dwell on losses or get too happy on wins, because on any given night any team can beat you," Mizzou guard Kim English said. "This is the best league in the nation."
Missouri appeared well on its way to another home-court triumph Wednesday, leading 55-46 with 12 minutes, 44 seconds remaining. The Aggies had other ideas.
The Tigers started clanking shots, A&M started hitting some while continuing to dominate the boards, and Mizzou's youth began to show. "We weren't getting ball movement, and guys started going one-on-one," guard Zaire Taylor said. "Sometimes you play to play, as Coach would say, instead of playing to win."
Gradually, Missouri's poise evaporated.
"We're still learning ... about composure, not panicking," Anderson said. "It's a never-ending lesson to be learned. But you've got to have poise, whether you're up or down, whether you're chipping away or building a lead."
That's even more amplified on the road: Big 12 home teams are 30-14 in conference play. In addition to its near miss vs. Kansas, Colorado on its home floor has knocked off No. 24 Baylor and Nebraska, and it fell to No. 11 Kansas State by just six points.
Still, Anderson's Tigers are 3-0 in Boulder. Before that, Mizzou had dropped four in a row there.
"Whether you're at your house or on the road, you're in a dog fight," MU guard J.T. Tiller said. "We have to come in with the mentality of killer instinct from here on out."
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