Author Archives: Bobby Roberts

Can Pacers Still Win NBA Championship?

It has been a tale of two seasons for the Indiana Pacers. They began the season playing like the best team in the NBA, but they’ve hit a wall since the trade deadline.

Thanks to the Miami Heat’s recent struggles, the Pacers find themselves with the best record in the Eastern Conference. They have been an average team since early February.

Indiana was the best defensive team in the NBA, but have allowed multiple 100+ point games in the past few weeks. Paul George and Roy Hibbert haven’t played like All-Stars and the addition of Andrew Bynum, Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen haven’t made the team better.

Can the Pacers hold off the Miami Heat and keep the #1 seed in the East?

Do they match up well with the top five teams in the NBA?

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Dayton Newspaper Trolls Ohio State Fans

The Dayton Flyers upset in-state powerhouse THE Ohio State Buckeyes in the NCAA Tournament. The Dayton Daily News knew exactly how to rub salt on the wound.

The person who thought of the ‘THE University of Dayton’ headline should be given a promotion.

2014 NCAA Tournament: Betting Picks Against The Spread

I love the NCAA Tournament. It’s my favorite time of year. The underdog victories in early rounds and the yearly tradition of coming up with a creative excuse to call in sick to work on Thursday and Friday. It should be a national holiday.

Since Sunday, I’ve been filling out NCAA Tournament brackets, writing game previews and scouring sites for College Basketball odds. I had to wait a few hours for them since they weren’t immediately available after the Selection Show.

I have a ritual the first day of the tournament. I spend the first few hours at home watching the first two sets of games (probably still in my pajamas). I then make it to a Buffalo Wild Wings or BBQ rib joint and watch the next set. I then close out the night back at home drinking a six-pack of good IPAs.

I pick all the NCAA Tournament first (second?) round games against the spread. Can Harvard pull off the upset against Cincinnati?

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2014 March Madness: #7 Texas vs #10 Arizona State

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

Texas doesn’t have a good track record in the NCAA Tournament. The blame is often placed on head coach Rick Barnes…and it should be. If you can’t win a few games with Kevin Durant on your team, something is wrong.

Arizona State’s backcourt is one of the best in the Pac-12. They run their offense through them and take good shots. It helps that they have more than one player who can shoot the lights out from deep.

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #8 Kentucky vs #9 Kansas State

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari is a great recruiter, but turning over a roster every year might be getting to him. The players on his roster will go onto the NBA and have great careers, but the last two seasons have been disappointing.

Kansas State played one of the hardest schedules in college basketball. They were playing a ranked team every other night. I am surprised they survived and played well enough for an at-large bid.

Can the Kentucky freshman pull it together and make some noise in the tournament?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #7 Oregon vs #10 BYU

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

Oregon had a rocky start to the Pac 12 portion of their schedule. They had some bad losses, but redeemed themselves with wins at UCLA and against Arizona.

BYU has third highest-scoring offense in college basketball. Their non-conference schedule went pretty rough, but settled down once they starting playing West Coast Conference games. Many ‘bracketologists’ had them as one of the last four teams to get in. As a #10 seed that clearly was not the case.

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #6 Baylor vs #11 Nebraska

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

Nebraska was the most surprising team in the Big Ten. It has been a long time since they made an NCAA Tournament appearance. They had a big wins, but were also blown out too many times. Do they belong in the tournament this season?

The Big 12 was really good this season. Six teams in the conference made the NCAA Tournament. Baylor was only .500 in the conference and was still deemed good enough for a #6 seed. Was that the correct seeding or should they have been ranked lower?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #5 Oklahoma vs #12 North Dakota State

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

Oklahoma survived the Big 12 without any injuries. That feat alone is worth a round of applause. Head coach Lon Kruger has lead the Sooners to back-to-back tournament appearances. Kruger has taken five teams to the NCAA Tournament and has gone as far as the Final Four.

North Dakota State could be this year’s Cinderella team. They aren’t as flashy as Florida Gulf Coast’s ‘Dunk City’, but they are as efficient as they come. NDSU’s Taylor Braun is fun to watch and could have a future in the NBA.

Can the North Dakota State Bison knock off a major program?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #8 Gonzaga vs #9 Oklahoma State

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

Oklahoma State was supposed to be a title contender. Marcus Smart would have been a top three pick in last year’s NBA Draft, but he decided that he needed to work on his shot, so he returned to school. Things haven’t worked out as planned and at one point, looked like they may not even make the NCAA Tournament.

Gonzaga has been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament for the last fifteen years. They were once a Cinderella, but have been a favorite for a decade. They have yet to reach the Elite Eight. Is this the year Gonzaga makes history?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #7 UConn vs #10 St. Joseph’s

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

UConn is making their return to the postseason. This is the first year they are eligible and they want to send senior Shabazz Napier off with a successful NCAA Tournament run. Head coach Kevin Ollie doesn’t have any postseason coaching experience. How will that affect UConn in the first round?

St. Joseph’s haven’t appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 2008. Coach Phil Martelli has been there the head coach since 1995, but hasn’t seen much success since Jameer Nelson and Delonte West were in the Hawks backcourt. Can Martelli spark St. Joseph’s to pull off a first-round upset?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #6 North Carolina vs #11 Providence

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

North Carolina has a laundry list of marquee wins this season. They didn’t let the P.J. Hariston drama distract the team. They were the best team in the country during a stretch in January and February.

The Providence Friars makes their first NCAA Tournament appearance in ten years. It has also been that long since they had back-to-back seasons finishing with a record over .500. Are they ready for the bright lights of the Big Dance?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2014 March Madness: #4 Michigan State vs #13 Delaware

We are picking every NCAA Tournament game in an effort to help you fill out your bracket and win your office pool.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo knows a few things about how to win the NCAA Tournament. They struggled with injuries once they started the Big Ten schedule, but are now healthy.

Delaware was the cream of the crop in the Colonial Athletic Conference. They ran through the conference schedule and won the tournament. They did struggle in their non-conference schedule. Is this indication they may struggle against Michigan State?

If Gary Harris plays up to his potential, could he win the Most Outstanding Player award?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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