very big play for me -- buffalo bulls (+1)
bowling green under 122
kent state (-2.5)
bowling green under 122
kent state (-2.5)
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thursday ncaa basketball/mac tournament .......
- Thread starter gman2
- Start date
buffalo bulls ( 11-7 / 20-8 )
vs.
toledo rockets ( 11-7 / 16-12 )
crazy to think that the two preseason mac favorites are meeting up in the quarterfinal round of the mac tourney. this one is also a rematch of the quarterfinal from last year (won by toledo 97-85). both teams got off to slow starts this year but are now playing their best ball as the season winds down. toledo has won 9 of their last 12; buffalo has won 10 of their last 13. caught this game in person last year and heres what i took from that one: buffalo got their first taste of march basketball in cleveland but were still a little young and inexperienced. they were very well-represented (which really impressed me. they had a definite edge in fan support even though toledo is much closer). now with the 12pm start, im not sure what to expect as far as the fans go for each team. but it wouldnt surprise me to see buffalo bring a shitload of people again since theyre new to this 'mac tourney' thing. but aside from that, you could just tell that toledo won that game last year because of experience. buffalo knows what to expect now and i think theyre just far more balanced than toledo. no secret that ive made good money off toledo this season (football and hoops) but i dont think theyre good enough inside to hang with buffalo. bulls were on the short end of the whistle last season and their big guys got into foul trouble early and that played a big role in the outcome. refs were really whistle-happy too (58 total fouls called in a non-overtime game- toledo shot 45 FTs, buffalo shot 30 --yikes). both teams have a stud go-to guy. buffalo has the mac player of the year (battle) and toledo counters with triplett (who has torn buffalo a new ass over his career). but buffalo has a significant edge on the interior and thats where i think this one will ultimately be decided. bulls a much better rebounding team than toledo and the rockets undersized frontline is gonna have their hands full with buffalo's big guys (who go 6'10 across). also think that buffalo holds an edge in 'secondary scorers'. sammy villegas has been a huge disappointment for toledo this year. when hes on, hes a deadly shooter. but he hasnt been on all year and he offers very little else besides shooting. he hit four 3s in the tourney game last year and played well but just hasnt been the same this year. buffalo got their feet wet last season at the gund. now i think they come to take care of business. really see buffalo wire to wire here.
vs.
toledo rockets ( 11-7 / 16-12 )
crazy to think that the two preseason mac favorites are meeting up in the quarterfinal round of the mac tourney. this one is also a rematch of the quarterfinal from last year (won by toledo 97-85). both teams got off to slow starts this year but are now playing their best ball as the season winds down. toledo has won 9 of their last 12; buffalo has won 10 of their last 13. caught this game in person last year and heres what i took from that one: buffalo got their first taste of march basketball in cleveland but were still a little young and inexperienced. they were very well-represented (which really impressed me. they had a definite edge in fan support even though toledo is much closer). now with the 12pm start, im not sure what to expect as far as the fans go for each team. but it wouldnt surprise me to see buffalo bring a shitload of people again since theyre new to this 'mac tourney' thing. but aside from that, you could just tell that toledo won that game last year because of experience. buffalo knows what to expect now and i think theyre just far more balanced than toledo. no secret that ive made good money off toledo this season (football and hoops) but i dont think theyre good enough inside to hang with buffalo. bulls were on the short end of the whistle last season and their big guys got into foul trouble early and that played a big role in the outcome. refs were really whistle-happy too (58 total fouls called in a non-overtime game- toledo shot 45 FTs, buffalo shot 30 --yikes). both teams have a stud go-to guy. buffalo has the mac player of the year (battle) and toledo counters with triplett (who has torn buffalo a new ass over his career). but buffalo has a significant edge on the interior and thats where i think this one will ultimately be decided. bulls a much better rebounding team than toledo and the rockets undersized frontline is gonna have their hands full with buffalo's big guys (who go 6'10 across). also think that buffalo holds an edge in 'secondary scorers'. sammy villegas has been a huge disappointment for toledo this year. when hes on, hes a deadly shooter. but he hasnt been on all year and he offers very little else besides shooting. he hit four 3s in the tourney game last year and played well but just hasnt been the same this year. buffalo got their feet wet last season at the gund. now i think they come to take care of business. really see buffalo wire to wire here.
ohio bobcats ( 11-7 / 18-10 )
vs.
kent state flashes ( 11-7 / 20-11 )
both teams won going away on their home courts this year (ksu by 17 in kent, ou by 26 in athens). always a bit tricky to cap quick-turnaround rematch games (kent/ohio just played five days ago) but the flashes hold a big edge in experience and 'march at the gund' means 'kent state playing for a tourney berth'. this is a program that steps it up when it counts. theyve been knocked off in the mac title game the last few years by the #1 seed (cmich 2 yrs ago, wmich last year) but they are near dominant in the early rounds of the mac tourney, winning their last 5 non-title games by margins of 31,10,13,3,and 22. kent is usually the most well-represented team in terms of fans/students/alumni at the gund as well. bobcats made big strides this year, but they lack the experience to make a run in this tourney. i will mention, however, that ohio has played kent very tough the last few years and the flashes never have an easy time with this team. thats whats keeping me from going bigger with this play. but kent just knows how to win at this time of year. line is more than reasonable as well.
vs.
kent state flashes ( 11-7 / 20-11 )
both teams won going away on their home courts this year (ksu by 17 in kent, ou by 26 in athens). always a bit tricky to cap quick-turnaround rematch games (kent/ohio just played five days ago) but the flashes hold a big edge in experience and 'march at the gund' means 'kent state playing for a tourney berth'. this is a program that steps it up when it counts. theyve been knocked off in the mac title game the last few years by the #1 seed (cmich 2 yrs ago, wmich last year) but they are near dominant in the early rounds of the mac tourney, winning their last 5 non-title games by margins of 31,10,13,3,and 22. kent is usually the most well-represented team in terms of fans/students/alumni at the gund as well. bobcats made big strides this year, but they lack the experience to make a run in this tourney. i will mention, however, that ohio has played kent very tough the last few years and the flashes never have an easy time with this team. thats whats keeping me from going bigger with this play. but kent just knows how to win at this time of year. line is more than reasonable as well.
bowling green under 122
expecting a real grinder here. everything i said about detroit in the horizon the last few days, you can pretty much apply to miami in the mac. when it gets to tourney time, you know the redhawks are gonna turn up the defense and make it a halfcourt game. possessions are really valued and fast breaks are few and far between. bowling green has been scoring a little more this year, but dakich is an old school coach who knows that defense wins games in this tourney. and i doubt bg is gonna find much success trying to run on miami anyways. the lone meeting this year was a dead under and had very little pace. dont see much changing here. two very well-coached teams. line in this game seems too high as well. im not sold on bowling green this season, but no way in hell could i give a dakich-coached team that many points in march. should be a 59-55 kind of game.
expecting a real grinder here. everything i said about detroit in the horizon the last few days, you can pretty much apply to miami in the mac. when it gets to tourney time, you know the redhawks are gonna turn up the defense and make it a halfcourt game. possessions are really valued and fast breaks are few and far between. bowling green has been scoring a little more this year, but dakich is an old school coach who knows that defense wins games in this tourney. and i doubt bg is gonna find much success trying to run on miami anyways. the lone meeting this year was a dead under and had very little pace. dont see much changing here. two very well-coached teams. line in this game seems too high as well. im not sold on bowling green this season, but no way in hell could i give a dakich-coached team that many points in march. should be a 59-55 kind of game.
for those interested:
mac tourney gametrackers/livestats
http://mac-sports.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/mac-tournament-central-2005.html
amd i would assume the entire tournament audio should be available here when gametime arrives.
http://www.sportstalkcleveland.com/
mac tourney gametrackers/livestats
http://mac-sports.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/mac-tournament-central-2005.html
amd i would assume the entire tournament audio should be available here when gametime arrives.
http://www.sportstalkcleveland.com/
gl gman2, ive been cold as a spinster eating an industrial size eskimo pie; nickelback loves the Buff game too ... Ill try CTing U in a reverse psychology move and say I will not jinx this time! 
March onto madness!
take care
gregg
March onto madness!
take care
gregg
