Romar's steady hand key to Washington's success
SEATTLE (AP) -Lorenzo Romar doesn't vary from the core teaching principles that are largely responsible for Washington's unprecedented success since he took over the basketball program in 2002.
Even two months ago, when the Huskies were at the lowest point in their ragged season, sitting 3-5 in conference play and winless on the road, his message and demeanor remained the same. He kept challenging his players to be better when they were good, and boosting their fallen egos when they struggled.
With the Huskies looking up from the bottom of the Pac-10, critics and message boards lit up wondering if Romar was the right coach for Washington's future.
Now that the Huskies are winners of nine straight and headed to the NCAA tournament regional semifinals for the third time in Romar's tenure, those same fans are wondering if this has been the finest coaching job by the two-time Pac-10 coach of the year.
The 11th-seeded Huskies face No. 2 seed West Virginia on Thursday night in Syracuse, N.Y.
"He's pretty much been consistent. Even when we weren't playing at a certain level he coached at a certain level and now we're starting to try and match that level he's coaching at," forward Justin Holiday said. "He knows the way he wants it. He's not going to change. He's going to keep it the same until we figure it out."
Washington figured out what Romar wanted from his players in time to stage a dramatic late-season run, going from tournament afterthoughts to being among the field still playing on the second weekend of a bracket-thrashing tournament.
They were lost in the middle of January. Stars were distrustful of teammates. Rotations and roles weren't defined. The Huskies remained juggernauts at home, but defined dysfunctional on the road.
Romar got his team some confidence with four straight home wins in late January and early February. They won on the road for the first time Feb. 13 at Stanford and took off from there.
The Huskies have won nine straight games on the road or on a neutral court, including their Pac-10 tournament title victory and wins over Marquette and New Mexico in the first two rounds of the NCAAs.
Their current winning streak is the longest since an 11-game run in the 2006 season, the last time Washington reached the round of 16.
"Your team just being on the borderline of really, really doubting themselves, to come back from that and now be in the Sweet 16 is very rewarding," Romar said. "To see certain players step up and have an impact, such as a Matthew Bryan-Amaning that wasn't having as great a season up to that point, that has been gratifying. To see the team come together as a group is awesome to see."
By getting his team back to the round of 16, Romar also gets an opportunity to exorcise some of his personal demons.
Four years ago, Romar took the fifth-seeded Huskies to Washington, D.C., where they led No. 1 seed Connecticut into the closing seconds. Then Rashad Anderson's 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left - when Romar chose not to foul up by three - forced overtime. UConn went on to win 98-92.
Romar candidly admitted this week that the loss to UConn still haunts him.
"If I would never experience as a head coach an opportunity to go to the Final Four and win a national championship, that UConn game will always haunt me, because I remember how close it was," Romar said. "When we were sitting in the locker room that night after the game I was thinking to myself 'I hope we have a chance to get back here again, because many others have been in this position and never made it back."'
The Huskies are now back, again the decided underdogs against another Big East team. Washington's win over Marquette in the first round snapped a 10-game losing streak against Big East competition. A win over the Mountaineers would be Washington's deepest tournament run since reaching the 1953 Final Four.
"He's never going to stop working hard and he just found a way. He found a way for this team to start winning games," Washington star Quincy Pondexter said. "He found a way for us to all buy into what he was teaching us and it's paid off now."
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.
Booker ready for final NCAA chance
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) -Devin Booker recalls the frustration of teammate and older brother, Trevor, last weekend after their highly regarded Clemson team was upset in its opening game at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
Devin, a Clemson freshman, figured it best to leave big bro alone.
"I can guess how he'd be to lose" at the NCAA tournament, Devin said of Trevor, the Tigers' star forward and the biggest reason why Clemson earned its third straight trip to the NCAAs after a decade without any.
Now, Trevor Booker's got one final chance to leave an even bigger legacy before he goes - of NCAA success when the Tigers (21-10) take on Missouri (22-10) in the East Regional at Buffalo, N.Y., on Friday.
"It'll be real big. We haven't gotten that win yet," Booker said. "Just to get one win, it'll be a big chip off my shoulder."
Booker's shoulders have carried Clemson much of the past four years.
He came to the Tigers in 2007, a young forward who instantly worked himself into the starting lineup among a group of more experienced standouts and averaged more than 10 points a game.
That group took a big surge forward in Booker's sophomore season, reaching the ACC tournament final before falling to North Carolina, and earning its first NCAA tournament berth in 10 years. Booker upped both his scoring and rebounding and established himself as one of the league's most dangerous and reliable post players.
In 2009, Booker led the ACC in rebounding and field goal percentage - the first to pull that off since NBA star Tim Duncan at Wake Forest 12 years earlier - and took Clemson to another NCAA tournament.
Each of those seasons, however, ended in disappointment. The Tigers missed the NCAAs in 2007 after a 17-0 start, settling for a run to the NIT finals. Clemson dropped its NCAA openers the past two seasons, leaving Booker knowing he and the Tigers could've done more.
"We can't really worry too much about the past," point guard Demontez Stitt said. "Right now, we have to look forward."
That's not always so easily done.
Booker took last year's NCAA first-round loss to Michigan as hard as anyone after the Tigers unraveled so badly that Terrence Oglesby was ejected for throwing a deliberate elbow.
Faced with an end-of-season choice, Booker quickly decided he wanted to return to Clemson for his senior season and a last chance to push the Tigers to that NCAA win.
"Although he probably didn't show, it made him mad," Devin said. "This NCAA tournament, it means a lot to him."
Trevor Booker's never been the rah-rah leader who uses his voice to motivate teammates. Missouri coach Mike Anderson found that out last summer when he worked with Booker in Colorado Springs, Colo., during tryouts for the United States team that competed in the World University Games. "He's a quiet guy, but his game speaks for itself," Anderson said.
And it has spoken loudest in some of Clemson's biggest games of the past few years.
Booker had 21 points and eight rebounds in a 74-47 win over Duke at Littlejohn Coliseum in 2009, the Blue Devils' largest margin of defeat in nearly two decades.
This season, he had nine of his 10 points in the final seven minutes in 62-53 win over ACC power Maryland, and went for 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Tigers rallied late to win at Florida State, 53-50 - two victories that likely went a long way to ensuring Clemson's latest NCAA bid.
"He's ready to step his game up," Devin said.
Trevor Booker has a lethal first step and incredible body control when he gets the ball near the basket. If he gets some help from Clemson's outside shooters, Booker can be unstoppable. But if teammates can't hit jumpers, defenders can put two or three players in the way to harass Clemson's star.
Booker understands he'll have to excel against Missouri no matter how much or how little his teammates contribute.
"Hopefully, we can get this win," Booker said, "and keep going from there."
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.
College Basketball Picks - #10 Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners
No. 10 Texas Longhorns (19-3 SU, 9-9 ATS) at Oklahoma Sooners (12-9 SU, 8-10)
Here are some NCAAB Betting Trends which may impact this game:
Texas: 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games
Texas: Total has gone OVER in 3 of their last 4 games
Oklahoma: 6-4 ATS at home
Oklahoma: Total has gone UNDER in 4 of their last 5 games
Saturday, February 6: 4:00 p.m.
One of college basketball's fiercest rivalries will have another chapter written Saturday, when the Texas Longhorns travel to play the Oklahoma Sooners in this year's edition of the ''Red River Rivalry.''
Despite being ranked No. 1 as recently as two weeks ago, the Longhorns have struggled recently in the NCAA betting odds. They finally got back on track Monday night, in a dominating victory against Oklahoma State on the road.
The surprise star of that game was true freshman Jordan Hamilton, who shocked everyone with the performance of his career, scoring a career-high 27 points. His previous high was 17. Hamilton is not the only scorer on this team though, as the Longhorns put up 84.7 points per game, which ranks third nationally.
Leading the charge is potential All-American Damion James, a senior forward who has completely refined his overall game. On the season, James is this team's leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 18 and 11. Avery Bradley provides scoring on the wing, as the true freshman scores 12 points a contest. And joining James down low is fellow senior Dexter Pittman, who is averaging close 12 points a game, but has struggled recently, scoring in double-figures in just two of his last eight games.
As for Oklahoma, it has been an extremely disappointing season in Norman, as this team was ranked in the top 20 to start the season, but has been free falling since. They've lost three of their last four games.
Part of the reason for the struggles, has been bad play from the player who was expected to lead this team, Willie Warren. Warren was a budding star last year, averaging 15 points a game in the shadow of Blake Griffin. However, he has struggled in 2010, as his field goal percentage shooting has gone down, his turnovers have gone up, and his 3-point shooting stroke has all but vanished. He missed two the Sooners last three games, but will be in the lineup on Saturday.
With Warren struggling, the one bright spot for Oklahoma has been the play of fellow guard, Tommy Mason-Griffin. Although a freshman, Mason-Griffin has probably been this team's best player, as he's currently averaging close to 13 points per game. He had his best game in a Sooners uniform recently, when he scored 38 points in a win over Iowa State.
While this is one of the premiere rivalries in the game, it could get one-sided on Saturday. Texas comes into it having seemingly, finally figured themselves out. They played their best game of the season against Oklahoma State, and should roll through Oklahoma in this one.
They say that you need to throw out the records when two rivals get together. In this case, that won't be true. Take the Longhorns in this weekend's betting odds.
College Basketball Pick: Texas by 13
(c) 1994-2009 BetUS.com. All Rights Reserved.
NCAA Basketball Picks - UCLA Bruins at Oregon Ducks
UCLA Bruins (9-10 SU, 9-8 ATS) at Oregon Ducks (10-9 SU, 4-11 ATS)
NCAA Betting Lines: Oregon -3 1/2
Here are some NCAA Basketball Betting Trends which may impact this game:
UCLA: 2-1 ATS in their last 3 games
UCLA: Total has gone UNDER in their last 4 games
Oregon: 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games
Oregon: 2-7 ATS at home
The 2010 college basketball season has proven to be unkind to the Pac-10. The once proud conference may end up with just one team in this year's NCAA Tournament, after having at least one of its teams in three of the last four Final Fours. If things are to change for anyone, it will have to happen soon, and could very well happen Thursday night in Eugene, Oregon.
There, the UCLA Bruins will travel to face the Oregon Ducks. While this hasn't been a typical season for UCLA, they have played better of late, sweeping both Washington and Washington State at home last weekend.
The biggest problem for UCLA this season, is that for a team that once took pride in their defense, they've been surprisingly awful on that end of the court this season. They allow 68 points per game, which ranks 171 st in college basketball. And even more embarrassing is a 44 percent opponent field goal percentage that ranks them at an unbelievable 247th in all of college basketball.
The Bruins will never blow the doors off the building on offense, but have come along nicely of late. This season, they are led by a young backcourt, that is being forced to learn on the fly. Leading the way is sophomore Malcolm Lee, who is averaging 13.5 points per game, as well as a team-high 3.6 assists per contest as well. Michael Roll and Jerime Anderson also start in the backcourt, but it is the frontcourt where the Bruins are especially thin. Drew Gordon, a starting forward, decided earlier this year to transfer, and it hasn't been easy replacing his 11 points and five rebounds per game.
As for the host Oregon Ducks, they are a team that's in a major tailspin, having lost their last five games. And when you look at the stats it's really simple to see why. In those five losses, the Ducks have allowed 77 points a game to the opposition, and only scored 60 points a game themselves. It has been especially bad on the defensive end, where Oregon gave up 89 points to Cal and 84 to Stanford last weekend.
Look, there's no nice way to put it, there isn't a lot of good basketball being played in the Pac-10 right now. But while Oregon is in the midst of a tailspin, UCLA actually seems to be piecing together a half decent season.
And having played well their last several games, look for them to have the advantage Thursday, even though Oregon is traditionally one of the toughest road venues in the Pac-10.
It hasn't been easy for anyone in this conference in 2010, but UCLA is finally coming on strong. Take the Bruins as underdogs in Thursday's college basketball betting.
NCAA Basketball Pick: UCLA + 3 1/2
(c) 1994-2009 BetUS.com. All Rights Reserved.
NCAAB Betting Odds -- Baylor Bears Host UMass Minutemen
Massachusetts (7-11 SU, 5-8 ATS, 6-4-1 O/U) vs Baylor (14-3 SU, 8-2 ATS, 7-3 O/U)
The University of Massachusetts has fallen on some seriously hard times since former head coach John Calipari bolted the program back in 1996.
Now, a mediocre team with no national 'blue chip' players, the Minutemen will try to snap a four-game losing streak when they battle the Baylor Bears on Saturday at 4 PM ET.
UMass doesn't have a shot against a Baylor team that has been playing some very inspired basketball.
Massachusetts has not topped the 70-point plateau in three games and suffered a heartbreaking 70-69 loss to St. Bonaventure on Wednesday,
The Minutemen had a two-game ATS winning streak snapped but have gone a solid 5-4 ATS over the last nine games.
Baylor vs Massachusetts >> Join to Bet Now
Baylor is coming off an 81-75 loss to Kansas on Wednesday, but easily cashed in for college basketball betting backers as a 14-point road underdog to move to a scorching 6-1 ATS over its last seven games.
Here is a look at the college basketball betting trends surrounding this contest.
Minutemen are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games.
Minutemen are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 non-conference games.
Bears are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Saturday games.
Bears are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
Bears are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
Analysis: With no point spread posted for this matchup and no recent meetings between these teams to look back on, I surmise the points spread for this matchup will have Baylor favored by somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-10 points.
Either way, I say play the Bears to win and cash in against their inferior opponents.
Baylor is the better ballclub at both ends of the floor in this matchup.
The Bears average 77.3 points per game to the Minutemen's 70.5 points per contest while allowing just 64.6 points per game compared to the 74.3 per game that UMass allows.
Massachusetts has lost three games in a row by double figures and I expect Baylor to help make it four in a row in this game. Play the Bears if the spread doesn't go to far past 10 points.
Eric's Expert Picks: Baylor Bears minus the points
(c) 1994-2009 BetUS.com. All Rights Reserved.
College Basketball Betting - Best Betting Teams in the First Half
As the college basketball betting season winds towards March Madness, BetUS Sportsbook takes a look at the best teams in the land against the spreads so far in '09-'10...
St. Mary's Gaels (12-2 ATS) It's hard to argue with this one. The Gaels may not be playing the greatest of competition on the season, but they're certainly demolishing that competition. St. Mary's is averaging outscoring its foes by nearly 17 points per game. Its power on the inside is getting the job done, as C Omar Samhan is one of the rare talents in the country that can say he is averaging at least 20 points and ten boards per game. In the WCC, college basketball betting fans can expect plenty of victories against the NCAA basketball point spread in the weeks to come.
Northern Iowa Panthers (11-4 ATS) The Panthers have clearly already done enough to make the NCAA Tournament out of the Missouri Valley Conference. We've already seen a bit of everything from this team. UNI has proven that it can demolish lesser opponents, win against big programs at home, and take care of business on the road. There's no doubting a team that already has wins and covers on a neutral court against Boston College, at home against Siena, at Creighton, at Southern Illinois, and at Illinois State.
Villanova Wildcats (11-4 ATS) Cat Scratch Fever! Villanova is flying high into Big East play and has its sights set on another Final Four. If not for that one slip up at Temple, this team would be considered amongst the elite in the land. Still, if the NCAA Tournament started today, G Scottie Reynolds and his experienced mates would probably be on the #2 line instead of the #1 line, but so far in Big East play, a 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS mark has to turn heads. If Nova can stop Georgetown this weekend, expect to see it be sitting at 20-1 heading into February's big road games.
UNLV Runnin' Rebels (11-4 ATS) If the Rebels don't fall off the horse in Mountain West play, they should be shining their dancing shoes for another trip to the NCAA Tournament. They've already scored a major victory over New Mexico in the Pit, and even though most of the rest of their schedule is filled with mediocrity, they've simply crushed those mediocre opponents and pounded them into submission. UNLV started the year off at 4-0 ATS and has covered six of its L/7 after a bit of a lull.
Syracuse Orange (10-3 ATS) Much like Villanova; Syracuse is seen as a team of "what if" right now. The Orange was shocked at home by Pittsburgh two weeks ago to kick off the new year, but since then, they've been unstoppable. HC Jim Boeheim's bunch has covered three straight over Memphis, South Florida, and Rutgers. The bad news for the Cuse is what's coming up in the near future. Until you get to the St. John's game on March 2nd, there isn't a game on this schedule that you look at and say, "Yep, this is a sure fire victory." The challenges are going to be very difficult for Syracuse to keep up this blistering ATS rate.
(c) 1994-2009 BetUS.com. All Rights Reserved.
Badgers vs. Spartans Preview
#17 Wisconsin Badgers (12-2) vs #10 Michigan State Spartans (11-3)
Wisconsin: 12-2 SU, 8-4 ATS
Michigan St.: 11-3 SU, 4-9 ATS
The No. 17 Wisconsin Badgers will travel to East Lansing on Wednesday as they take on the #10 Michigan State Spartans at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center.
The Spartans defeated the Badgers 61-50 the last time the two teams met on Feb 22, 2009. It was Wisconsin's only loss of the season. So the Badgers will be looking for a little revenge in this weeks match up.
Wisconsin played staunch defense holding Penn State to 35.4 percent shooting while they executed their potent swing offense to rout the Nittany Lions 63-46 on Sunday, notching their sixth straight victory. Badgers' leading scorer, Jon Leuer, spent much of the afternoon on the bench in foul trouble while Trevon Hughes scored 18 points to lead Wisconsin in the win. Starting senior guards Hughes along with Jason Bohannon are living up to expectations as they combined for 29 of the team's 63 points, 11 of the team's 13 assists and 10 rebounds in the win over Penn State.
They also combined for 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals in the Badgers huge win over Ohio State. It has been all defense and rebounding for the Badgers in their first 14 games as they have held half of their opponents to 46 points or less.
The Spartans Kalin Lucas -last year's Big Ten Player of the Year, was integrated back into the Michigan starting line up after spending some time in coach Izzo's doghouse over leadership issues.
It must have worked as Lucas posted 21 points helping to lift the Spartans to a 91-70 victory over No. 25 Northwestern in their Big Ten opener on Saturday. The Spartans are clicking with only one noticeable flaw-defending the 3-point shot. Opponents are shooting 32.1 percent overall from 3-point range.
Wisconsin has proven that it can compete and win against high-caliber teams this season as they beat an undefeated Duke team for the first time in school history with a 73-69 home win on Dec. 2.
The Spartans have played five big games, winning two--Gonzaga at home and Northwestern on the road.
Wisconsin vs Michigan St. Odds
The odds makers have the Badgers as +10-point underdogs in this one.
A Few Trends:
Wisconsin' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wisconsin's last 5 games
Wisconsin' is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Wisconsin is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Michigan State
Michigan State' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Michigan State is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Wisconsin
Michigan State' is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Michigan State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Wisconsin
Free Badgers vs. Spartans CBB Pick
Expect the Badgers to give the Spartans a showdown but come up just short of a win.
(c) 2009 - Sports Betting Forums, Daily Sports Handicapping Free Picks.
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