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Bearcats stuck in last placeNCAA Basketball Betting Lines02/05/2007 - CINCINNATI (AP) -Before their first meeting as a team, coach Mick Cronin decided he wouldn't talk about wins and losses with his Cincinnati Bearcats this season. He knew a team that was put together on the fly was going to have big trouble in the Big East. The trouble is bigger than anyone imagined. With only eight games left in the regular season, the Bearcats (10-12, 1-7) are stuck at the bottom of the conference. There's little chance they will make the 12-team field for the Big East tournament - the bottom four get left out. Instead, they're headed for their worst finish since they went 11-17 under coach Tony Yates in 1987-88, two seasons before Bob Huggins began resurrecting the program. ``It's a true test of character, what we are going through,'' Cronin said. It's a tough test all around. Following a 73-64 loss to St. John's on Sunday, point guard Jamual Warren dropped his head in disbelief at how the poor-shooting Bearcats had let another game get away on their home court. Asked how much the season was wearing on him, Warren mumbled, ``I couldn't even tell you.'' The numbers tell it all. Cincinnati is near the bottom of every significant statistical category in the 16-team Big East. The Bearcats are third-worst in scoring at 65.5 points per game, last in blocks, second-to-last in assists and second-to-last in field-goal percentage. The only team that's behind them in most categories is Rutgers, the team that beat them 54-42 in Cincinnati in their league opener. They play again at Rutgers on Saturday. Every other team on the schedule has a winning record overall, and five of the last eight games are on the road. Cincinnati plays back-to-back home games against Notre Dame and No. 22 Georgetown. The struggles aren't a surprise. When school president Nancy Zimpher forced Huggins out shortly before the start of last season, then kept assistant Andy Kennedy for the entire season in an interim capacity, Cincinnati missed out on a recruiting class. No one will commit to a school that doesn't have a coach under contract. It was going to be a season of transition for the Bearcats anyway. Cincinnati lost five seniors - four of them starters - to graduation. When Cronin got the job on March 23, he hurriedly assembled a roster of what was left - mainly, junior college players. There's not much height, depth or experience, which leads to erratic play and lopsided losses. In some games, they simply lack the talent to keep up. The discouraging days are those like Sunday, when the Bearcats let a struggling St. John's team lead the entire game. The Bearcats played good pressure defense, but did little else right. Cincinnati shot 33 percent from the field and went only 16 of 27 on free throws. ``You can't make mistakes in the Big East,'' forward John Williamson said. ``It's a powerhouse.'' Cronin's job is to prevent his players from crumbling mentally down the stretch. The Bearcats have lost nine of 10 since Dec. 30, a free fall that is taking a toll. During the loss to St. John's, players angrily gestured at one another when a play broke down. Cronin tells them they will be stronger individually for what they're enduring. ``It's easy to be a front-runner in life,'' Cronin said. ``People say, 'Don't quit.' You don't have to worry about that when things are going well.'' Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTINGNCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.) "To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good." Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida. Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October. USC Trojans - 10.5 wins A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention. Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2 "There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach." Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1 The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1 If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J. Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines . |
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