FSU Getting No Respect - Relax, It's Nothing New
by CelticPride on Mar 18, 2009 10:33 AM EDT
23 comments
So ESPN says that FSU is the most likely "giant" aka top seed to get knocked out early. Pomeroy has us losing in the first round to Wisconsin.When we beat anyone, it's because they were seriously flawed (Clemson) or undermanned (UNC).
In a nutshell, we get no respect.
But the truth is, the national media doesn' t really cover FSU basketball. You heard it in the announcing during the ACC championship. "FSU should have a significant advantage on the boards because of their height." If you'd followed FSU hoops at all this year, you know that our defensive rebounding is one of our biggest challenges. In other words, the national media hasn't done their homework on our hoops.
A lot of the computer programs base our ratings on our early season before we had Kitchen in the lineup and we had close games against mediocre/bad teams. I completely agree we should have beaten Jacksonville and Stetson by more than two. When we lost to Northwestern, we couldn't handle the press at all. We were young, disorganized and confused. But this is a different team now.
Our advantages are defensive intensity, depth, TD and our ability to make plays in close games down the stretch. We never fold up our tents and go home. We always make a run to get us back in the game. The only game in which we didn't compete was @ Wake Forest. Other than that, this team has played with determination and the belief that they can win every game. Overcoming the 19-pt deficit @Clemson is the premier example, but you saw it game after game.
I'm not going to downplay our problems. Turnovers and controlling our defensive glass are issues. One factor that I think hasn't gotten much attention is Uche's back injury. When he's healthy, he provides a solid big with scoring potential that gives TD and Alabi a third wheel on offense.You could see it affected his minutes in the ACC tournament. Of course, the national media was too obsessed with Lawson's toe. Heck, he should have played. We would have had Demercy step on his foot once, and then he could have been out for the big dance. :)
But our positives far outweigh our shortcomings. when you watch our games, you have to remember that our games are never decided in the first half. We always have a second half run in us. And down the stretch, Alabi, Loucks, Dulkys (even Singleton) and especially TD +make+ plays.
I've watched or listened to every FSU bball game this year. I fully expect to see us reach Beantown to face whatever heavy-weights are there to meet us. Go Noles
NB1 The Big Ten is the only conference against which we have a losing record (0-1) this year. We can change that in our next game
NB2 FSU has yet to lose consecutive games this year and we lost our last one in the ACC championship game. Wisco had a *six* game losing streak early in Big Ten play.
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A beautiful example
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/ncaatourney?vid=12518640
Listen to Greg Anthony describe us as wanting to play an up-tempo game b/c we play in the high-octane ACC.
If you watched our games, we slow other teams down and play a grind-it-out half-court style.
Also an uptempo game is usually not good for big guys like we have.
they tend to tire quickly and have a harder time getting up and down the floor.
That's because every team from the ACC plays the same style
Obviously
RAYS BASEBALL: ALL YOUR BASES ARE BELONG TO US
Your first mistake was listening to Greg Anthony
Dude is related to Amato. “brother from a different clown mother”
nice clown ref.
I think Matt would like that one
Why is the sky blue? Because, God Loves the Infantry
Clearly we had a young and inexperienced team early on this season
… with a lot of upside I might add!
At least one voice on ESPN had us making the sweet 16, saying "I like Florida State, they were playing great at the end of the year."
That was President Barack Obama.
I didnt vote for him but at least my boss can pick them.
Why is the sky blue? Because, God Loves the Infantry
I'm already beating him
He had Alabama St. in the opener. I had Morehead St.
RAYS BASEBALL: ALL YOUR BASES ARE BELONG TO US
you know
FSU doesnt get any respect. But why should they. Its not like we ever had a sport team that was on top for 10-20 years. wait that was the Football team. Well its not like the other teams are good. Im wrong about that too arnt I. I think the track team and baseball teams have been good(at least tell this year). I think most dont want to give FSU love because they are Jelious because where we are and what we can get.
Why is the sky blue? Because, God Loves the Infantry
Hey media: boom....roasted!
Yeah, but you know what, I like it that way. Makes it more fun to have an empty bandagon an win it all.
I think most dont want to give FSU love because they are Jelious because where we are and what we can get.
It may just be tit envy. They’re just hatin’ on Chuck Amato’s fine rack.
by O-Town Nole on Mar 20, 2009 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions
futures odds for fsu to win tourney went from 100:1 now at 50:1
31:1 to win east
yesterday the 3rd highest public bets were on FSU, today we still hold 6th place
Top 10 NCAAB Public Bets
- 832 Louisville 87%
Top 10 NCAAB Public Bets
- 526 Oklahoma 85%
- 522 Villanova 83%
- 836 Pittsburgh 81%
- 828 Syracuse 79%
- 852 Florida State 78%
- 840 Michigan State 75%
- 848 Missouri 75%
- 529 Western Kentucky 74%
- 528 Washington U
UCLA vs. Villanova
What a game this is to be. UCLA had very tough competition in round 1 vs. a very good VCU team who if they had not made countless mistakes early, could have won this game. Or, the fact they miss many FT’s they would be 1 round further. Maynor is a stud btw. Villanova had their hands full against American but was able to pull through late. I actually like UCLA here given their coaching and methodical way of moving along in a game. But, again, can easily go both ways.
Western Kentucky vs. Gonzaga
I think Gonzaga has their hands full today. This WKy team is experienced from last year’s tourney experience and this team is not happy to be here – they expect to be here. A lot of points to be tossed at Wky here although Gonzaga had a horrible first half against Akron and will look to establish themselves early. Wky will also have tougher competition than a “Frasier-less” Illinois team.
Michigan vs. Oklahoma
The biggest public play on the board today is Oklahoma. Oklahoma looked impressive in their first game, but Michigan is playing well. They took down Clemson and I can see them giving Oklahoma fits all day today as well. I like how Coach B has his boys play, I’m still not sold on Oklahoma.
Texas vs. Duke
Let me start by saying that I think Duke has a cake walk in many ways to the Sweet 16. Texas played well against Minnesota, but Minny was in most of that game. I wish it was Minny and that defense that was facing them as they would give Duke fits. It’s hard for me to lean on Texas, they depend too much on the outside shot of Abrhams. I can see this either way. The public is split.
Saturday’s Early Action
By Brian Edwards
The 65-team field will be down to 32 going into Saturday’s afternoon action. Gamblers are loving life with an outstanding Villanova-UCLA showdown tipping off the festivities at 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
That game will stand on its own, followed by a pair of games that’ll start at 3:20 and 3:35. Those contests are Memphis-Maryland and UConn-Texas A&M.
Can the 10th-seeded Terrapins take out the Tigers? Will the red-hot Aggies send the first No. 1 seed packing? Let’s take an in-depth look at these matchups.
UCLA vs. Villanova
—The Pac 10 and Big East will square off in this 3/6 matchup from the East region at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The winner advances to the Sweet 16 to face the Duke-Texas winner.
—Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Villanova (27-7 straight up, 16-14 against the spread) as a two-point favorite with a total of 146. As of early Friday night, most books had ‘Nova at 1 ½ with the total lowered to 145.
—Jay Wright’s team got all it wanted in its first-round win over American. The Wildcats trailed by 10 at intermission and by as much as 14 in the second half. They didn’t go in front until Dwayne Anderson buried a 3-pointer for a 55-52 lead with 6:21 left. From there, ‘Nova pulled away for an 80-67 victory, but the Eagles took the cash as 15-point underdogs.
—Anderson and Dante Cunningham finished with 25 points apiece in the win over American. Corey Fisher chipped in with 11 points off the bench. Scottie Reynolds, the team’s playmaking point guard, was shaky with four turnovers compared to two assists and just eight points on 2-of-7 shooting.
—UCLA (26-8 SU, 16-16-1 ATS) survived a game effort from VCU and collected a 65-64 victory in Thursday’s first-round game. Ben Howland’s team led by 11 at intermission, but VCU’s Eric Maynor rallied his team to within one and had a chance to win when his shot at the horn was off the mark. The Rams covered the number as 8 ½-point underdogs. Josh Shipp had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Bruins, who are attempting to make their fourth consecutive appearance in the Final Four.
—I called out UCLA’s Darren Collison before the VCU game, suggesting that Maynor would eat him alive. I wasn’t wrong by any means, but I do need to give Collison credit for his defense on the game’s final play. His strong contest forced Maynor into a difficult look. Collison finished with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting, dishing out only two assists compared to three turnovers. Maynor had 21 points, seven assists and six rebounds. (For the record, my distaste for Collison stems from him essentially saying ‘uncle’ and fouling out on purpose with nearly three minutes left of last year’s Final Four loss to Memphis.)
—‘Nova owns a 7-4 spread record in 11 games as a single-digit favorite. Meanwhile, the Bruins have only been underdogs twice, going 1-1 ATS.
—Although the ‘under’ has cashed in each of its last three games, the ‘over’ still maintains a lucrative 21-12 overall record in UCLA games.
—Totals have been a wash (15-15) for ‘Nova overall, but the ‘over’ is on a 3-1 run in its last four games.
—These schools haven’t met since 2002 when ‘Nova won a 58-57 decision as a one-point favorite.
—Tip-off is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
Maryland vs. Memphis
—LVSC opened Memphis (32-3 SU, 22-12 ATS) as a nine-point favorite with a total of 134. As of Friday night, the number was still nine but the total was adjusted to 132. The Terps are plus-350 on the money line (risk $100 to win $350).
—Maryland (21-13 SU, 16-10-2 ATS) advanced to the second round by beating California 84-71 as a 1 ½-point underdog. Greivis Vasquez paced the winners with 27 points, five rebounds and four assists.
—Like Villanova against American, John Calipari’s squad had plenty of anxious moments in a nip-and-tuck slugfest against Cal-St. Northridge in the first round. In fact, there were nine ties and 13 lead changes before Memphis pulled away for an 81-70 win as a 20-point ‘chalk.’ Roburt Sallie, averaging just 4.5 point per game coming into the tournament, erupted for a career-high 35 points on 12-of-17 shooting. He drained 10-of-15 shots from 3-point range and finished with four rebounds, three steals, one assist and zero turnovers. Tyreke Evans had 15 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals.
—I guess we can give Gary Williams his genius card back, right? Williams came under heavy scrutiny early in the season after a home loss to Morgan St. and losing by more than 40 at Duke. Nevertheless, he has the Terps dancing again and with a shot to get back to the Sweet 16. And last time I checked, he still has a national-title ring to sport when he feels like it.
—Williams can thank Vasquez for this team’s success. The junior point guard is averaging 17.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
—In case you’re wondering, Memphis hasn’t improved much at the free-throw line. The Tigers were 12-of-21 (57.1%) at the charity stripe against the Matadors.
—Maryland has been a money maker as an underdog this year, compiling a 10-6 spread record in 16 such spots.
—Memphis is 2-4 ATS in six games as a single-digit ‘chalk.’
—The ‘under’ is 16-11-1 overall for the Terps.
—The ‘under’ had cashed in eight consecutive Memphis games before the ‘over’ hit in its win over CS-Northridge. For the season, the Tigers have watched the ‘under’ go 22-12 overall.
—Tip-off at the Sprint Center in Kansas City is slated for 3:20 p.m. Eastern.
Connecticut vs. Texas A&M
—Most books are listing UConn (28-4 SU, 12-14 ATS) as a 10-point favorite with a total of 139. The Aggies are plus-500 on the money line.
—Texas A&M (24-9 SU, 16-9 ATS) has won seven of its last eight games, including Thursday’s 79-66 first-round win over BYU as a three-point underdog. Bettors (like me) who backed A&M on the money line earned a plus-130 payout. Bryan Davis was the catalyst with 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.
—Jim Calhoun was hospitalized on Thursday for dehydration and missed his team’s dominant 103-47 win over Chattanooga as a 20-point favorite. Stanley Robinson scored a team-high 24 points, while Jeff Adrien finished with 13 points, 16 rebounds and four assists. Hasheem Thabeet and A.J. Price added 20 points apiece.
—Mark Turgeon’s team has covered the number in seven of its last nine games. The Aggies have been particularly effective in roles as underdogs, cashing in seven straight such situations and 10 of 13 for the year.
—With Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado out of the Tournament, Thabeet is the premier shot blocker remaining in the field. The 7’3" center changes more shots than he blocks and limits foes from coming into the paint with confidence.
—The ‘over’ has cashed in five straight games for the Aggies and seven of their last eight. However, the ‘over’ is just 13-12 overall for the season.
—Tip-off at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia is scheduled for 3:35 p.m. ET.
B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets
—A tip of the cap to East Tennessee St., which gave top-seeded Pitt all it wanted for 38 minutes before the Panthers pulled away late for a 72-62 win. The Bucs easily took the cash as 21-point underdogs.
—What if ETSU had made its free throws? The Bucs were an abysmal 12-of-24 from the charity stripe.
—West Virginia is the only Big East team to be eliminated so far.
—LSU is all that’s left of the SEC after Tennessee went down in a nail-biter against Oklahoma St. Speaking of the Vols, they had some of the worst possible possessions I’ve ever seen a team have in a
—I didn’t realize that Missouri has never been to the Final Four.
Editor’s note: Brian Edwards cleaned house during Thursday’s first-round games, posting a 5-2 record with a pair of money-line winners! Brian has picks galore available today for both the NIT and NCAA Tournaments, including this pay-if-it-wins-only selection!
Saturday’s Late-Night Action
By Chris David
No. 12 Western Kentucky vs. No. 4 Gonzaga
The second game on Saturday from Portland’s Rose Garden features a South Regional battle between Western Kentucky (25-8 SU, 17-13 ATS) and Gonzaga (27-5 SU, 15-14 ATS).
Sportsbook.com opened the Bulldogs as 10 ½-point favorites, while the total is hovering between 143 and 144 points. The number seems fair, considering the Gonzaga faithful will be out and about in the Great Northwest.
"The line says a lot," said VI handicapper Pat Hawkins. "WKU is much better than its seed. This is a team that beat Louisville during the regular season. They have experience and have been here before. Still, why are they catching double digits? Probably because this is arguably the most talented Gonzaga team we’ve seen."
W. Kentucky was one of four underdogs to win outright in Thursday’s first round. The school held off Illinois 74-70, which kept the tradition of the 12-seed upsetting the No. 5 seed in the tournament. WKU cashed tickets on the money-line at a price of plus-170 (Bet $100 to win $170).
The Hilltopppers have been golden for gamblers lately. The victory in the first round was their eighth in a row, and more importantly it was their sixth consecutive cover against the number.
WKU controlled the game right from the start, but still needed to hit clutch free throws at the end to seal it. Against Illinois, the Hilltoppers struggled from the charity stripe with a dreadful 13-of-22 (59%) performance.
Reaching the Sweet Sixteen won’t be unfamiliar for WKU, who accomplished the feat last year. Again as a No. 12 seed, the Hilltoppers defeated Drake and San Diego before bowing out against top-seed UCLA. The school covered all three games during their run.
Gonzaga advanced to this matchup by defeating Akron 77-64. Despite trailing 38-35 at halftime, the Bulldogs busted out in the final 20 minutes and actually had a shot to cover as 14-point favorites. Unfortunately, backers were backdoored with a meaningless free throw at the end that watched the Zags fail to cover. The Bulldogs shot 52 percent from the field and drilled 26-of-31 (84%) free throw attempts as well.
The victory for head coach Mark Few and Gonzaga was their 10th in a row and nine of them have come by double digits. The team has gone 5-4 ATS during this stretch.
Thursday’s win for Gonzaga also snapped a two-game first round losing streak in the NCAA Tournament for the school. Last year, the Zags lost to Davidson and two years ago to Indiana. Gonzaga has reached the second round seven times in school history and wound up reaching the Sweet Sixteen four times.
WKU (5-1) and Gonzaga (7-1) have both been solid bets on neutral courts this year. The ‘under’ is on a 4-1 run for the Hilltoppers, but the ‘over’ has gone 7-2 in the last nine games for the Zags.
Tip-off from the Rose Garden is set for 8:10 p.m. EDT. The winner will meet the winner of North Carolina and LSU in Memphis next weekend.
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 2 Duke
The last game on Saturday’s card features an East Regional battle from Greensboro Coliseum between Texas (23-11 SU, 12-18 ATS) and Duke (29-6 SU, 16-16 ATS). Even though the Blue Devils have the more known basketball program, the Longhorns have been more successful in the tournament recently. Recently, Texas has earned trips to five Sweet 16’s, two Elite Eights and reached the Final Four in 2003.
Penciling Duke into your Sweet 16 pool used to be automatic, watching coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils make nine straight trips to the regional semifinals from 1998 to 2006. However, they’ve come up short the past two years.
Duke’s weakness is its lack of size and some pundits believe Texas has the ability to control the boards in this matchup. Looking at the opening number (Duke -7) it makes you believe the oddsmakers agree.
"Texas is a team that a lot of people forgot about this year," said VI handicapper Jason Johnson. "Rick Barnes’ club didn’t have a good regular season and went unnoticed in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. If you look at their non-conference schedule, it shows that they can play with victories over UCLA, Villanova, Wisconsin and a tough loss to Michigan State too."
The Longhorns are loaded up front with Damion James and Dexter Pittman. The duo combined for 35 points in the team’s 76-62 win over Minnesota on Thursday, but it was guard A.J. Abrams that stole the show with 26 points. The school covered as a five-point ‘chalk’ and the combined 138 points easily went ‘over’ the closing number of 126.
Most would expect Duke to play small ball and keep James and Pittman outside the paint, which would probably force Texas to zone up and not get the big guys in foul trouble. If they go zone, then the Blue Devils will have plenty of attempts to drain the long ball, which is what they did in the first round against Binghamton.
Duke shot 49 percent from the field and drilled nine 3-pointers en route to an 86-62 win over the Bearcats. Jon Scheyer led six players in double figures with 15 points. Most of the team’s in the ACC like to run ‘n gun but Duke is one of the few that puts defense first. The defense is giving up 65.5 PPG, which has helped the ‘under’ go 20-13.
Since the game is in Greensboro, North Carolina it’s practically a home game for Duke even though some UNC fans will probably be wearing Orange come Saturday. Still, the Blue Devils posted a 16-1 record at Cameron this year and were 7-0 in neutral court games. The Longhorns struggled to a 4-6 road ledger, but were 6-2 in neutral court encounters.
Texas might be a public ‘dog in this spot but bettors should be aware that the school was just 12-18 (40%) versus the number this year and is just 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10, which includes Thursday’s cover.
If past history holds true, then Duke will be advancing. The Blue Devils have won and covered three straight against Texas, winning by an average margin of 28.3 PPG.
Televised coverage from Greensboro is set 8:15 p.m. EDT. The winner will head to Boston next weekend for a showdown of the winner between Villanova and UCLA.
WISCONSIN (19 - 12) vs. FLORIDA ST (25 - 9) Top Trends for this game. WISCONSIN is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season. FLORIDA ST is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in all games this season. FL
WISCONSIN (19 – 12) vs. FLORIDA ST (25 – 9)
Top Trends for this game.
WISCONSIN is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
FLORIDA ST is 18-9 ATS (8.1 Units) in all games this season.
FLORIDA ST is 18-9 ATS (8.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
FLORIDA ST is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
WISCONSIN is 1-0 against the spread versus FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
WISCONSIN is 1-0 straight up against FLORIDA ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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