UNI inks Jacobson to long-term deal
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) -Northern Iowa and coach Ben Jacobson have agreed to a new 10-year deal that includes a substantial pay raise.
Panthers athletic director Troy Dannen announced the details Wednesday. It will increase Jacobson's annual salary to $450,000 starting next season, with annual raises of $25,000 throughout the length of the contract that runs through 2020.
Jacobson's old contract paid him $289,300 per year and ran through 2016.
Northern Iowa (30-4) will face Michigan State (26-8) in the Midwest Region semifinals in St. Louis on Friday night.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.
Former No. 1 Texas seeks new start in NCAA
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -With his team reeling as it heads into the NCAA tournament, Texas coach Rick Barnes sounds like a gardener trying to coax life out of a dying plant.
"Sometimes you keep watering it and watering it and hope that it sprouts," Barnes said.
Then again, sometimes it drowns.
Texas isn't dead yet, but it's a long, long way from being the team that was once considered a favorite to win the national championship.
Everything looked great when Texas was 17-0. But after earning the first No. 1 ranking in school history back on Jan. 11, Texas lost nine of its next 16 games and was given the No. 8 seed in the East Region. The Longhorns (24-9) play No. 9 Wake Forest (19-10) on Thursday night in New Orleans.
Despite two months of struggles, Barnes and his players are trying to sound optimistic about the tournament.
"It's been difficult at times, but they have never wavered pulling for each other," Barnes said. "The point is, we're part of 65 teams right now that are still playing. We all start out 0-0 and even our players have seen enough of this to know that anything can happen on any given night."
Senior guard Justin Mason noted that every team faces the same challenge: win six in a row to win the national championship.
"It's a new season for every team," Mason said.
The old one started so well for Texas.
Texas was 15-0 when it hit No. 1 and then won its first two games on top. At the time, the players seemed to understand the ranking was nice but might not last. Senior forward Dexter Pittman said it was more important to get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
"If you would have asked me who the No. 1 team was in the second week of January last year, I couldn't tell you. But I do know who won the national championship," Barnes said at the time.
Then the spiral started. Texas tumbled further down the rankings every week. On March 1, they became just the fifth team in the history of the AP rankings to fall all the way out after reaching No. 1.
The problems are everywhere.
Poor free throw shooting (last in the Big 12) cost them in close games. Erratic guard play hurt them in others. Two guards, Varez Ward and Dogus Balbay, were lost for the season with injuries. Pittman, a 6-foot-10, 290-pound forward who was a force when Texas was undefeated, saw his game drop off dramatically after Christmas.
Barnes himself has seemed inconsistent as he tried to mix and match his lineup and the on-again, off-again status of freshman guard J'Covan Brown is a prime example.
Brown started several early games, then went to the bench. He scored 28 points against No. 1 Kansas in a reserve role and the performance earned him a return to the starting lineup. He had 12 points, six assists and pushed the tempo in a 40-point win over Nebraska.
But it didn't last.
After playing 32 minutes with eight points and a team-high six assists in a season-ending loss to Baylor, Brown played three minutes in a win over Iowa State in the Big 12 tournament. When Texas played Baylor again, another loss, Brown played 16 minutes.
The only constant has been senior forward Damion James, an all-Big 12 selection averaging 18 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He is the career rebounds leader in the Big 12.
James flirted with going to the NBA after his junior season then decided to stay for one more year, taking aim at Texas' first Final Four since 2003.
It will take four wins to get there, six to win it all. The Longhorns haven't won three in a row since Jan. 9-16. Even if they get by Wake Forest, a likely game against No. 1 seed Kentucky awaits on Saturday.
"I have at least 40 more minutes of college basketball left, so I am just happy to be in that situation and be able to play," James said. "Anyone can win it."
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press.
Villanova vs. Georgetown - College Basketball Odds & Predictions
Villanova vs. Georgetown - College Basketball Odds & Predictions: On Satuday, Feb. 6, the only mens college hoops game matching two ranked teams takes place in the Big East when the No. 2 Villanova Wildcats visit the No. 7 Georgetown Hoyas (noon Eastern, ESPN). Villanova tops the Big East standings at 9-0, and has its sights set on not just a conference title, but one of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament that would likely come with it. Georgetown, meanwhile, is 6-3 in the Big East, and one of four teams from that conference ranked in the top eight.
College basketball oddsmakers at SPORTSBETTING list the Hoyas as 2-chalk home favorites versus Villanova with a 151 1/2 total.
The Hoyas enter the game with a 16-5 overall record and a 6-4 mark in the BIG EAST Conference after a 72-64 loss to South Florida on Wednesday night.
Villanova enters the game with a 20-1 overall record and a 9-0 mark in the BIG EAST Conference. The Wildcats are ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 2 in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches poll. Led by senior guard Scottie Reynolds, who is averaging 18 1/2 points per game, the Wildcats have won 11-straight games, their lone loss a 75-65 decision to Temple.
Antonio Pena netted 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Villanova past Seton Hall 81-71 on Tuesday night. Villanova failed to cover as 10.5-point home favorites, while the game played UNDER the 166.5-point total listed by oddsmakers.
Austin Freeman and Greg Monroe score 21 points each for Georgetown in a 72-64 loss to South Florida on Wednesday night. The Hoyas failed to cover the 13-point spread, while the final score played OVER the posted total of 135.
College basketball predictions: Take the home team in this game - Georgetown -2.
(c) 1997-2009 Point Spreads "All Rights Reserved".
College Hoops Betting - St. Johns vs. Pittsburgh
College Basketball Betting Lines: Pittsburgh -8 1/2
They say there's never an easy night in the Big East. And when St. Johns and Pitt get together, that will certainly be the case, with both teams in desperate need of a win in Thursday's odds.
Let's start with Pitt. Things were going wonderfully for the Panthers up until just a week ago, when they lost games to Georgetown and Seton Hall. Now reeling, they are in desperate need of a victory over St. Johns.
Here are some NCAAB Betting Trends which may impact this game:
St. Johns: Total has gone UNDER in 3 of their last 4 games
St. Johns: 4-2 ATS on the road
Pittsburgh: 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games
Pittsburgh: 1-2 SU in their last 3 games
Pitt's leading scorer is sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs. The Baltimore native has come on strong in his second season in the Big East, averaging a team leading 17 points per game. But while he did score 23 points Sunday against Seton Hall, Gibbs was held in check in the Panthers loss to Georgetown, scoring just eight points on 3 for 16 shooting.
The most underrated player on the Panthers might be forward Gary McGhee, a workhorse down low. While McGhee doesn't get a lot of publicity because of his limited scoring, he is maybe the most valuable player on this team, averaging almost seven rebounds a game. Jermaine Dixon has come on strong of late, scoring in double figures in the Panthers last two games.
As for St. Johns, a season that started with dreams of an NCAA Tournament berth are going down the drain in a hurry. Even on the road Thursday, they need to win this game.
Leading the way for the Red Storm is D.J. Kennedy. Kennedy is an athletic 6'6 guard, and maybe the most talented player on this team. Of course the bad news for St. Johns is that when he struggles, so does the team. In Saturday's loss to Villanova, Kennedy shot just 2 for 12 from the field, and finished with 10 points. Fellow guard Dwight Hardy has come on strong of late, and had maybe his best game of the season scoring 19 points against Villanova.
With both teams struggling it's tough to say that either has the definitive advantage going in. Most experts would agree though that Pitt should be favored. They are more experienced, having gone to last year's Elite Eight, and are better coached with Jamie Dixon (a potential National Coach of the Year candidate), working the sidelines. Plus they get the Red Storm at home, where they're nearly unbeatable: Pitt is 10-1 this season at the Petersen Events Center.
Pitt isn't always the most aesthetically pleasing team to watch, but they do seem to win. Even with their two losses last week they are still alone at third place in the Big East behind only Villanova and Syracuse, which are both ranked in the top five.
And they won't lose this game. With both teams desperate for the win, take the team with more talent, and the home-court advantage. Take the Pitt Panthers when you place your NCAA Basketball bets Thursday.
College Hoops Betting Pick: Pitt -8 1/2
(c) 1994-2009 BetUS.com. All Rights Reserved.
College Hoops Betting Odds - Xavier vs. #17 Temple in A-10 Battle
Key Trends
Xavier is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Xavier is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 road games
Temple is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
Temple is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games at home
Temple is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 home games against Xavier
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Xavier's last 9 games
The Xavier Musketeers (12-5 SU, 10-6 ATS, 11-4 O/U) and the Temple Owls (15-3 SU, 11-7 ATS, 5-9-1 O/U) will renew their longstanding A-10 rivalry tonight when the foes hit the court at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia at 7 PM ET.
411 on the Owls
Fran's apparently the man.
Former longtime University of Penn head coach Fran Dunphy looks like he's in the process of building another national powerhouse after taking Penn to unprecedented heights during his time with the Ivy League school.
Now, after moving to Temple following the retirement of beloved former head coach John Chaney, Dunphy is working his magic once again.
The 17th-ranked Owls got an early lead on UMass on Saturday before cruising to a 76-64 victory to pick up their fourth win in a row.
Temple failed to cover the college basketball point spread as a 15-point home favorite but has gone a solid 6-4 ATS over its last 10 games.
411 on the Musketeers
Xavier has also won four straight games coming into tonight's matchup, beating Dayton 78-74 on Saturday despite failing to cover the NCAAB money line as a 5-point home favorite. The Musketeers have also gone 6-4 ATS over their last 10 games.
Analysis: My hometown Temple Owls may have the higher profile and national ranking coming into this contest, but the Xavier Musketeers aren't very far off from their longtime rivals.
These two teams play at a totally different pace with the Musketeers averaging 78.6 points per game and allowing 69.0 points per contest and Temple putting up 64.6 points per contest and allowing just 56.0 points per outing.
I like Xavier's up-tempo style and ability to score the ball and feel they could really give the Owls some trouble tonight despite being on the road.
Xavier has gone 4-2 ATS in its last six road games and a stellar 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games as a road underdog.
I know the Musketeers have struggled to cover the college basketball point spread against the Owls, but these two teams have split the last four games evenly and whenever these two teams meets, it usually turns into an all-out brawl to the finish.
I like the Xavier Musketeers to cover the spread in a narrow loss.
College Hoops Betting Pick: Xavier +5 Points
(c) 1994-2009 BetUS.com. All Rights Reserved.
Gonzaga at St. Mary's
Moraga, CA - Saint Mary's has fallen short as Gonzaga's main competition for the top spot in the West Coast Conference in recent years. This season, the Gaels may be tougher for the Bulldogs to shake.
The 17th-ranked Bulldogs, seeking their 10th straight WCC regular-season title, face perhaps their biggest challenge in league play as they visit Saint Mary's on Thursday night.
Gonzaga (12-3, 1-0) rose two spots in the poll after beating Portland 81-78 in its conference opener Saturday night. The Bulldogs held off a late rally, as they did in a 72-70 road win over the Gaels on Feb. 12.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com have made St. Mary's -3 point spread favorites for Thursday's game against Gonzaga Current College Basketball Public Betting Information shows that 55% of more than 233 bets for this game have been placed on Gonzaga +3.
"Once we focus on what we need to do down the stretch, we usually get it done," senior guard Matt Bouldin said.
Bouldin averaged 17.3 points as Gonzaga went 3-0 against Saint Mary's last season, finishing four games ahead of the Gaels in the WCC before beating them 83-58 in the league title game March 9. Saint Mary's (15-2, 2-0) has finished second to Gonzaga in the regular season in five of the past six seasons.
The Gaels could be poised to finally overtake the Bulldogs. They have won five straight and 13 of 14, receiving 25 votes in this week's poll.
Gonzaga had lost three of four at Saint Mary's prior to last season's meeting.
The Bulldogs, though, have every reason to feel confident entering this matchup. They lead the series 50-23, and their only losses this season have come against then-No. 7 Duke, then-No. 10 Michigan State and a tough Wake Forest team.
Bouldin leads Gonzaga with 15.4 points and 4.4 assists a contest. He has five 20-point performances this season and two in his last four games against the Gaels.
Freshman Elias Harris has given the Bulldogs another consistent scoring option in recent weeks. The forward averaged 18.5 points in his last four games after being held to less than six in three of his previous four contests.
Harris joins 7-footer Robert Sacre in the frontcourt. Sacre reached double digits in scoring in his first six games but was held to less than 10 in six of his last nine contests.
Sacre totaled five rebounds in his last two games. Gonzaga could certainly use a better performance from him as he matches up with Omar Samhan, the best big man in the conference.
Samhan had 24 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in Saint Mary's 80-72 win over Santa Clara on Sunday night.
The 6-11 senior has 920 rebounds and has moved past Tom Meschery into second place on the Gaels' all-time list. Diamon Simpson holds the record with 1,130.
Samhan is averaging 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. The senior, though, managed 9.3 points a game over his last four matchups with the Bulldogs.
Freshman Matthew Dellavedova gives the Gaels a productive scoring option on the perimeter. The guard is averaging 13.4 points and 4.1 assists while shooting 42.0 percent from 3-point range.
Dellavedova made 57.1 percent (12 for 21) of his attempts from beyond the arc in his last four games.
(c) 1999-2009 TheSpread.com Inc.
College Basketball Betting - #13 Connecticut at #12 Georgetown
College Basketball Betting Spread:
The Week That Was: Connecticut
The Huskies moved to 2-1 in Big East play with a pair of home-court victories.
On Saturday, Jan. 2, UConn whipped Notre Dame, 82-70, behind four standout performances from coach Jim Calhoun's lineup. Forward Stanley Robinson outplayed Notre Dame big man Luke Harangody by posting 22 points and snatching 16 rebounds. Robinson was helped out by guards Jerome Dyson (20 points and 10 assists) and Kemba Walker (11 points and 10 assists), who both delivered double-doubles in this off-campus game in Hartford, Conn. A fourth contributor to the Connecticut cause was junior center Charles Okwandu, who produced 10 points and hit all five of his field goal attempts in a game his team won by 12 points.
On Wednesday, Jan. 6, UConn returned to its campus site -- Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. -- and earned a hard-fought 71-63 win over visiting Seton Hall. Connecticut forced only six turnovers from the Pirates, but the Huskies more than made up for that defensive deficiency by hounding Seton Hall into 35.5 percent shooting from the field. With Connecticut hitting 51 percent of its shots, the Huskies had too much scoring punch for coach Bobby Gonzalezs Pirates.
The Week That Was: Georgetown
The week began in suburban Chicago for coach John Thompson III's ballclub. Georgetown waxed a DePaul team that could very possibly go winless in the Big East regular season for the second straight year. The Hoyas made quick work of the anemic Blue Demons in a comfortable 67-50 victory. Georgetown had four players score in double figures and shot 57 percent for the game. At the other end of the floor, DePaul hit only 39 percent of its field goal attempts and was unable to generate any sustained rhythm in its halfcourt sets. The quiet and businesslike performance was just what Georgetown needed, but a few days later in Milwaukee, the Hoyas ran into a buzzsaw.
On Jan. 6 at the Bradley Center, the homestanding Marquette Golden Eagles clipped the Hoyas, 62-59. Georgetown shot 49 percent, but since the Hoyas forced only nine Marquette turnovers, they couldn't get easy baskets in transition. With the Golden Eagles hitting 12 of 26 3-point shots, GU's steady shooting didn't matter as much as it ordinarily would have. Another key element of the three-point loss was that GU big man Greg Monroe scored only nine points and had only six shot attempts.
Outlook & Pick
This game will be on Georgetown's home court, but the Hoyas will be bothered by UConn's depth, length and defense. This is a game that should be played in the low 60s and will not feature a very fast tempo. Connecticut has rarely enjoyed an intact roster this season, but a Georgetown team that has won ugly on many occasions might have to win another inelegant game. The verdict here is that Connecticut will disrupt Georgetown's ''Princeton offense'' and walk out of Washington, D.C., with a victory.
College Basketball Pick: Connecticut
(c) 1994-2009 BetUS.com. All Rights Reserved.
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