Broseph's Bits And The Tuesday Gospel

The real conference tournaments kick off this week as teams make their last second push to glory and a chance to be one of 68 in the NCAA tournament or one of seemingly hundreds who will play in a tournament that only gamblers will care about. With that, let's take a look and see who is going to make some noise.

ACC (3/10 - 3/13) -- It's a down year for the conference despite what their fans want to tell you. North Carolina and Duke are the cream of the crop with Florida State being the 3rd seed by default. They are a shell of themselves without Chris Singleton. It would be a major upset if Carolina and Duke didn't meet again this season for the 3rd time in the title game. If you are looking for a sleeper, it could be the winner of UVA and Miami. The Hoos grind it out and force you to play at a pace you just aren't used to while the Canes are the head scratching team with a ton of talent that just hasn't been put together. CHAMPION: North Carolina

Atlantic 10 (3/8 - 3/13) -- This is a conference that always seems to have upsets and intrigue. Xavier and Temple are the cream of the crop and definite tournament teams. The Spiders have the talent to knock off anyone in the conference. The Musketeers haven't exactly treated the tournament as life or death and that strategy has paid off in the NCAA Tournament. Temple should heed that and look to bow out gracefully as the Owls don't have the depth they had in past years. If Richmond can get past Rhode Island, a team they lost to at home this season, the Spiders will be your conference champion. CHAMP: Richmond

Big 12 (3/9 - 3/12) -- Plenty of intrigue with Texas sliding and Kansas State seemingly hitting their stride. The Wildcats are a dangerous team and a quarterfinal matchup against the Jayhawks will light up the Sprint Center. On the other half of the bracket, Baylor and Missouri will present problems for the two and three seeded squads from Texas. This conference is a tough one to call so I'm going to go chalk and take the Jayhawks. Their road isn't tough until the title game. CHAMP: Kansas

Big East (3/8 - 3/12) -- The best tournament in America gets underway this week in the historic Madison Square Garden. This one is WIDE open with a whole host of teams who could take it. We've seen the squads with the double bye fail last season so those teams aren't a guarantee to take it. The best matchup could be the eventual 4/5 game with St. Johns looking to wrest away the title "New York's team" from Syracuse. Ninth seeded UConn would win a lot of conferences, but they are playing in the first round in this monster. I don't think the double byes will be an issue this year. CHAMP: Pittsburgh

Big 10 (3/10 - 3/13) -- Yawn. I'll admit it...this conference is about as intriguing as paint drying in my eyes. I keep waiting for Michigan State to wake up and play like Tom Izzo teams do. They'll have to roll thru Iowa, Purdue and Wisconsin before getting to the title game. I don't see much intrigue out of this conference. Give me the chalk. CHAMP: Ohio State

Conference USA (3/9 - 3/12) -- This one is on UTEP's campus as the Miners get the benefit that Memphis had all those years it was in their town. The one seed is UAB. This conference is a one big league barring one of the bubble teams making an uber run. Remember UCF? Yeah, they fell down big time after their undefeated start. Homecourt rules in this one. CHAMP: UTEP

MAC Conference (3/8 - 3/12) -- Some may be asking why this is here. This conference has always provided excitement and fun as the teams battle on campus sites and then Cleveland. Kent State is the class of the conference, but Ohio may be the hottest team in there. Buffalo is about as dangerous an eight seed as there is in ANY conference in the country. They've had some good wins this season and could upset Kent State in the second round. We're going to take the team playing some of the best basketball right now. CHAMP: Ohio

Mountain West Conference: (3/8 - 3/12) -- It's Jimmer's world vs. UNLV's home court. This tournament will be intriguing to see if BYU can handle the step up in talent without Brandon Davies. UNLV gets a tough first matchup with Air Force who makes you work for every basket and takes time running their offense. Should they win that, they'll most likely face the Aztecs and their balanced attack. This is an underrated conference with Jimmer vs. the Running Rebs my final. CHAMP: UNLV

PAC-10 (3/9 - 3/12) -- The Staples Center will host this spectacular tournament as the PAC 10 tries to get more teams into the tournament. Washington and USC are on the bubble as well as UCLA. Arizona held on for dear life at home against the Huskies. U-Dub has way too much talent, but a first matchup with Wazzu could prevent any sort of run and a postseason bid. Still, I think Washington puts it together and gets help from USC who will knock off Arizona. CHAMP: Washington

SEC (3/10 - 3/13) -- Underwhelming. Outside of Florida and Kentucky, this conference has a lot of teams that you can mix and match. The one squad to keep a look out for is Mississippi State who has been a thru a ton with the problems of talented Renardo Sidney and Ravern Johnson. Still, when they want to play, they are going to beat a lot of teams. Mississippi State may have the most talent outside of UK and Florida. Tennessee and Georgia are also intriguing if they get past their first round matchups. Who knows what Volunteers team will show up on a day-to-day basis. CHAMP: Mississippi State

Broseph's Bits And The Wednesday Gospel

I'd like to think I'm not subject to the east coast bias that the left side of the country swears that we have. The amazing thing is that they probably have the better brand of basketball right now. One of the most captivating games of the early season was San Diego State @ Brigham Young which showed us the great talents of Jimmer Fredette. Utah State is ruling the roost in the WAC and will bring a stellar record into the field of 68. They are ranked as of right now and rightfully deserve to be. Jump to the West Coast Conference which is no longer Gonzaga's playground. St. Mary's lost Omar Samhan from last year's tourney team, but they haven't lost a beat. The Gaels are 20-4 and have proven themselves to be a tough out. Oh yeah, Gonzaga's not going to go away quietly. I smell a run for the Zags in the future. We may not have heard the last of them yet.

The PAC 10 features Arizona, UCLA, Washington and Washington State who each will be threats in the tournament. The Wildcats are the only team ranked right now, but that's because Washington has yet to figure out how to win away from home. The Huskies are one of the most exciting teams in the land to watch with their up and down style. This is conducive to high-scoring affairs. UCLA and Washington State have the talent to upset a team or two. We mentioned the Aztecs and Cougars above as one of the better games of the season. The Mountain West also features UNLV and New Mexico who each have also stepped up with nice wins this season. The Running Rebels may need some help to get in, but Tre'Von Willis and Chace Stanback are pretty tough on opponents. They need to improve on the 0-4 record against the three teams ahead of them on the standings. Heck, Colorado State is 16-7 this season and playing good basketball.

With the ACC and SEC having down years, the balance of power in this country may actually finally be balanced. Granted the Big East's 17 team conference still has the most power overall, but the balance of the PAC 10, Mountain West and WCC helps out. The Big 12 represents the Midwest nicely with Texas, Kansas, Texas A&M and Missouri all playing good ball right now. Point is, no matter what part of the country you currently live in, chances are you are near some good basketball. Now that the NFL is over, go support the local school...whether they are Kansas or Centenary who is still looking for their first win.

It's on to the picks now. Yesterday we went 1-1 with the Clemson total going way over and Wichita State losing outright. That was a shock. Here's a few more winners.

Kent State -13.5 -- The Golden Flashes hope to continue their streak of double digit conference home victories on Wednesday night when they host woeful Eastern Michigan. KSU is 15-7, 6-2 in the MAC and currently on a four game win streak during which they've won every game by at least 13. The team scores 68.5 points per game while giving up 63.5 which is good for 40th in the country. Kent State has a multitude of scoring weapons beginning with Justin Greene (15.7 ppg), Rodriquez Sherman (12.1 ppg) and Carlton Guyton (11.5 ppg). Eastern Michigan doesn't have that luxury. They are led by Brandon Bowdry who averages 20 points per contest. The next highest scorer is Derek Thompson at 9.9 ppg then Darrell Lampley 6.6 ppg. They score only 61.6 points per game as a team which is 147th in the nation. The Eagles have won just one road game against woeful Toledo. They fell by 14 at Ohio and 17 at Western Michigan in conference. Overall, EMU is 6-16, 3-6 in the MAC. They have played "better" at home which is not where they will be Wednesday night.

Richmond -5.5 -- The Spiders play their rematch with George Washington on Wednesday. Richmond defeated GW 68-58 at home on January 19th in a rugged type of game. The Spiders have actually played better on the road this season winning seven straight. Five of the seven victories away from home during that streak were by double digits. Richmond is led by Justin Harper (17.7 ppg) and Kevin Anderson (16.4 ppg). They also get contributions from Dan Geriot and Darien Brothers. GW is 12-11, 5-4 in the Atlantic 10. They are led by Tony Taylor and his 14.8 points per game. The Colonials score only 65.4 points per game while giving up 66.4. They are a hard team to figure as they've won at Oregon State, but also lost to Harvard and St. Bonaventure at home. The Colonials have lost five of their last seven games and are entering this one off a 73-67 win at Charlotte. The Spiders have what it takes to win on the road in this one.

Missouri State -15 -- We've been fading Bradley as of late and unfortunately without much luck. The Braves hit the road for the 2nd straight game to play Missouri State. Bradley has won two straight games knocking off Creighton and Southern Illinois. They had lost 11 straight contests in conference including the first meeting with the Bears. On January 16th, Bradley fell 78-67 at home. It's been chronicled that the team relies on Andrew Warren (19.3 ppg) and Dodie Dunson (10 ppg). BU scores only 63.7 points per game while giving up 68.5. Missouri State is 18-6, 10-3 in the Missouri Valley. They score 70.5 points per game while giving up only 62.7. This is a balanced attack with Kyle Weems (16.4 ppg), Will Creekmore (11.7 ppg) and Jermaine Mallett (11.4 ppg) leading the way. At home, this team takes out the trash when it comes to bad teams. They beat SIU by 13, Evansville by 15, Illinois State by 11, St. Louis by 16 and Arkansas Little Rock by 34. I will continue to fade Bradley especially on the road against the cream of the MVC crop.

DEVELOPING: UMass To MAC...???

Which seems odd... instead of bolstering the Big L-East or something along that line of questioning...

And this could happen as soon as next month... Mark Blaudschun of the Boston Globe reported on Friday.

The newspaper reported that MAC officials visited the campus and also Gillette Stadium -- where some UMass home games could be played.

"We're not going to comment on anything regarding that," said UMass athletic director John McCutcheon, according to the newspaper. "But our discussions involve football only and we are still talking about making a decision sooner rather than later."

Like Temple, UMass wants to remain in the Atlantic 10 for other sports, especially basketball ((considering the lucrativity of that conference over the MAC)), but the MAC would ask that the schools play non-conference hoops games against MAC opponents as a trade-off.

The move can't be made official until September when a moratorium is lifted for I-AA schools get the chance to jump to D1. UMass then would have to go through a two-year transition period before becoming a full MAC member in 2013.

Here's highlights from their loss to Rhode Island from a month ago...
((HT: UMassAthletics/CBS3))

TWTW: Miami Gets MAC Title

((HT: ESPN/Youtube))

Of course, it also helps when you get conversions like this on 4th and 20


Last year Miami of Ohio lost 11 games. Now, the Miami RedHawks are Mid-American Conference champions.

Austin Boucher threw a touchdown pass to Armand Robinson with 33 seconds left and Miami of Ohio won the MAC championship with a 26-21 victory over Northern Illinois (25th BCS/24th AP).

"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good," Boucher said. "It got tipped but the play still got made."The RedHawks (8-4) have been both.

The HQ has no idea how Robinson got that WIDE OPEN!!!

The other "champion" Miami wins the MAC for the first time since 2003 and their conference-best 15th title overall a season after they finished 1-11.

Hurrahs and appropriate huzzahs to Mike Haywood when no one gave him much of a chance to do anything...

The MAC Gets S- MAC- ed By A Pair Of FCS Schools, Both From The Big South Conference

Yeah I know, it's the Mid-American Conference and some think it's not much above the Football Championship Subdivision but that conference is in the Football Bowl Subdivision and a pair of MAC schools got schooled by a couple of Big South schools.

Gardner-Webb travelled to Akron, Ohio and to take on the Akron Zips and took the zip out of tire town. The Runnin' Bulldogs defeated Akron in overtime 38-37.

It was the first time Gardner-Webb had defeated a FBS team.

You can see the pictures from Akron below. (Thanks Akron Zip Clips/Youtube.com)




“Obviously we are very excited as a football team right now,” Gardner-Webb head coach Steve Patton said. “I was most proud of the way our kids did not quit in this game and kept fighting. [The win] was a direct result of those kids playing for 60 minutes. We’ve come close before, down at Georgia Tech [in 2008] comes to mind, so this is a great result for us. We’re showing improvement and playing hard, and that’s all you can ask for.”


The Runnin' Bulldogs were led by their redshirt freshman quarterback Chandler Browning who led the comeback by throwing two touchdowns in the second half to James Perry III.

One hero for Gardner-Webb was senior cornerback Bryce Nixon who blocked the PAT after Akron scored in the first overtime. Then Juanne Blount then scored on a 4- yard run for the Runnin' Bulldogs and Ryan Gates nailed the extra point and Gardner-Webb pulled off the upset.

You know they are celebrating in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

Then it was Liberty's turn to pull off an upset as the Flames scortched Ball State 27-23.

Liberty quarterback Mike Brown threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another in the win for the Flames.

If you keep score of such things, that's five wins by FCS teams this season over FBS teams, three this Saturday.

Photo Courtesy: libertyflames.com

TWTW: Passion Buckets Invade Nation's Capital, Take Out Toledo

((HT: KCBS-TV, Los Angeles))

You never know what happens when Passion Buckets invade Washington, DC, but after UCLA's win over Temple in their bowl game they may want to keep going back.

The Owls were playing in their first bowl game in thirty years- which speaks volumes about the job Coach Golden has done while he's been with the program. They even had the early lead at the half, but someone reminded them that they were actually playing in a bowl game for the first time in thirty years.

Akeem Ayers returned an interception 2 yards for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter for a 30-21 win.

You could see the wheels come off for Temple, and you kinda felt for them, but they've done really well once they were abolished to the MAC.

The Bruins (7-6) finish with a winning record for the first time since 2006. Temple's only previous bowl appearance were the inaugural Sugar Bowl in 1935 and the Garden State Bowl in 1979.

SpoertsCentral's Jim Hill has your highlights...

LeFevour Sets Record,Chippewas Win MAC

((HT: WZZM-TV/Grand Rapids))

Dan LeFevour led Central Michigan to its third Mid-American Conference championship in four seasons and completed 28 of 39 for 255 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a 20-10 victory over Ohio at Ford Field.

His first touchdown pass, 14 yards to freshman receiver Cody Wilson, broke a Football Subdivision record for career total touchdowns. LeFevour passed Colt Brennan of Hawaii and Graham Harrell of Texas Tech, who each had 146.

The touchdown pass also was the 100th of LeFevour's career.

The Chippewas will now wait to find out which bowl game they will be in. The GMAC Bowl has first choice among the three bowls that have MAC affiliations. So, it's either Mobile, Detroit, or Toronto...

WZZM's Tom Clyde caught up with LeFevour before the game, and the records are discussed ahead of time...

Former Toledo Football Player Admits to Gambling Scheme

((HT: WUPW-TV/Myfoxtoledo))

Adam Cuomo, a former football player at the University of Toledo, admitted to alleged point shaving according to an affidavit unsealed this week in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

In the criminal complaint, federal investigators allege the 31-year-old Cuomo, "conspired to carry into effect a scheme in commerce to influence in any way, by bribery a sporting contest with the knowledge that the purpose of such scheme was to influence by bribery that contest, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 224(a)."

The criminal complaint was filed August 11, 2008, and unsealed this week. The affidavit was filed five days after FOX Toledo News first uncovered that Sammy Villegas, a former Rockets basketball player, was charged in a point-shaving scheme.

Villegas will be sentenced June 18 in federal court in Detroit. Federal prosecutors charged Villegas of felony conspiracy to influence a sporting contest by bribery.

Former Rockets running back Harvey "Scooter" McDougle, had charged dropped on a similar gambling offense.

When contacted, University of Toledo spokesman Matt Lockwood had no comment on the latest allegations.

On Friday, Lawrence Burns, Vice President of External Affairs for the university, commented on the latest allegations.

"We are aware of the criminal complaint and if the allegations are proven to be true, they certainly do not fit within the university’s values system," Burns said. "We take this matter seriously, however, we also consider it past history. The UT Athletic program has a very bright future and we are moving forward."

According to the complaint, the FBI believed Cuomo ((pictured, thanks Toledo SID)), who wore No. 32 for the Rockets, was a go-between for UT players and "with a known individual who went by the name of 'Gary,' and with others known and unknown, to influence the outcome of University of Toledo men's basketball and football contests through bribery."
Records state "Gary," is from the Sterling Heights, Michigan, in northern Metro Detroit.

Cuomo, from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, was a student-athlete for the Rockets from 2001-04. He only had 24 yards on six carries during the 2003 football season, but federal investigators allege he was integral in assisting gamblers.

Cuomo played in three games in 2002 for UT - Aug. 29 against Cal Poly, Sept. 7 against Eastern Michigan, and Nov. 17 against Central Michigan, all wins. He rushed 17 times for 40 yards and had three receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Federal agents believe the alleged point shaving scheme started around the fall semester of 2003.

The federal complaint mentions in addition to Cuomo, federal agents have interviewed three other unnamed former Toledo student-athletes. Two of the interviewed played football while the other person played men's basketball. They all admitted they had been involved in the alleged point shaving scandal with "Gary" and other unnamed people.

Federal agents believe the alleged point shaving scheme started around the fall semester of 2003. In the complaint, it says Cuomo met a coworker of "Gary's, who operated a cellular phone store in Toledo." In 2007, the FBI said in a statement that "Gary" and the cell phone store operator "regularly wagered on University of Toledo football and basketball games."

Additionally, the FBI said that Cuomo was introduced to "Gary," and the running back "introduced (the store operator) to other University of Toledo football and basketball players who gave him (the store operator) information to use in placing wagers on University of Toledo football and basketball games."

During a phone conversation on December 21, 2005, Cuomo "told 'Gary' that (Cuomo) was going to use a senior University of Toledo football player already participating in the point shaving scheme as an intermediary in an attempt to recruit a senior offensive lineman to help shave points in an upcoming football game by committing penalties during the game."
The Rockets defeated UTEP, 45-13, December 21, 2005, in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. - UT's only December football game.

No court date has been set. Federal authorities could issue an indictment in the coming month and start extradition proceedings.

The Cuomo complaint can be found by clicking in black...

OSG Sports Radio's Cory Kessler was out front on this story when it broke last year.
Here's the initial coverage from our end...

It's Not Easy Being Straight In Women's Hoops

At 6-2 and above average skills in the post, Brooke Heike appeared to have all the tools necessary to be successful for the women's basketball team at Central Michigan. There appeared to be one problem though, it seems Brooke likes guys.

Central Michigan University and it's head women's basketball coach Sue Guevara are being sued by Heike who claims being a heterosexual was a factor in losing her scholarship after two seasons with the Chippewas.

Heike says Guevara told her she wore too much makeup and was not the coach's "type." Heike says that meant she wasn't a lesbian.

Heike went from appearing in 11 games in 06-07, her freshman year, to playing in only 6 games as a sophomore in the 07-08 season. She lost her scholarship after last season and an appeals committee upheld that decision.

Central Michigan spokesman Steve Smith says the allegations have no merit. The lawsuit was filed last week in federal court in Bay City. It seeks an unspecified cash award.

Heike's bio from last season reads: athletic player who runs the floor well. Apparently she didn't care for carpet.

Photo Courtesy: Robert Barclay/CMU

UB Champs!!!

The University of Buffalo may be too good for its own good.

The Bulls took care of previously-unbeaten Ball State in the MAC Championship Game, 42-24. Brady Hoke's Cardinals turned the ball over five times and the Boys In Blue are heading to their first bowl game since 1958.

Once the Bulls take on, probably, one of those middle-of-the-road East squads ((at press time- looks like UConn)) they need to make sure Head Coach Turner Gill is well compensated for plenty of years to come.

Otherwise, Gill is headed to Syracuse.
Here's the fall-out from the upset of Ball State
((HT: WIVB-TV4 in Buffalo/Emma Orn))

Holy Toledo, Rockets Stun Michigan At The Big House

Michigan Stadium has seen some stunners the past 2 years. Appalachian State last year, Utah this year and now put the Toledo Rockets on that list. Toledo became the first Mid American Conference team to win at the Big House with a 13-10 win over Michigan. The Wolverines were 24-0 against MAC teams heading into this game.

Michigan had a chance, K.C. Lopata could have tied the game with 4 seconds left but missed a 26 yard field goal.

“This is obviously a great win. They all feel good, but this is a special one for us as a team.” Toledo Head Coach Tom Amstutz said.

“Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to play in the Big House." quarterback Aaron Opelt said. "My first time ever being here was playing today. So that was exciting, seeing all the fans. It felt great. It was an awesome accomplishment.”

Michigan is now in a world of hurt. The Wolverines are 2-4, their worst 6 game record since 1967. For the first time in 3 decades, Michigan fans are probably not making any post season bowl plans. The last time the Wolverines didn't go to a bowl was 1974 and that streak is in danger.

Saturday was a new low point in the storied history of Michigan football. It a cold dose of reality to 1st year head coach Rich Rodriquez.

"I'm just extremely disappointed and embarrassed." Rodriquez said. "The guys, everybody in that locker room is hurting. They're all disappointed. They're playing hard. They're just not playing well."

Photo Courtesy: Toledo Athletics

Your post-game coverage is courtesy of our friends at WTOL-TV...

Free Willy and the Temple Of Doom

In baseball these days, this would be called a "walk-off Hail Mary"

Let's just call it a game winner and leave it at that...
((thanks, the youtube and ESPNPlus))

Let's Go Buffalo...

Toledo Athletics Gambling Charges Related

The charges brought on former University of Toledo basketball player Sammy Villegas ((pictured, thanks nbc24.com)) have now been linked to the investigation of former football player Harvey "Scooter" McDougle, Junior, according to the FBI.

The McDougle investigation, highlighted on OSG Sports Radio last season, has now expanded according to an article by Joe Vardon in the Toledo Blade newspaper.

It had long been thought that the McDougle investigation was the only one occurring surrounding the Athletic Department.

Now, not so much...

Villegas is accused of taking bribes in order to shave points in his junior and senior season at UT- the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. The indictment also alludes to another unnamed player Villegas recruited for the same purpose, and to an incident where it alleged Villegas missed two free throws in a contest against Central Michigan.

In March of 2007, McDougle was charged with betting on a Toledo football game and recruiting fellow athletes for the purpose of shaving points. Those charges were dropped the following month, but both sides in the investigation admitted the investigation itself had not been concluded.

It is still believed that McDougle will not face any further charges.

WTVG-TV has coverage hyah
WNWO-TV has coverage hyah
((NB- Kristi Branam has her story in the video section))