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Romar's steady hand key to Washington's successNCAA Basketball Betting Lines03/24/2010 - SEATTLE (AP) -Lorenzo Romar doesn't vary from the core teaching principles that are largely responsible for Washington's unprecedented success since he took over the basketball program in 2002. Even two months ago, when the Huskies were at the lowest point in their ragged season, sitting 3-5 in conference play and winless on the road, his message and demeanor remained the same. He kept challenging his players to be better when they were good, and boosting their fallen egos when they struggled. With the Huskies looking up from the bottom of the Pac-10, critics and message boards lit up wondering if Romar was the right coach for Washington's future. Now that the Huskies are winners of nine straight and headed to the NCAA tournament regional semifinals for the third time in Romar's tenure, those same fans are wondering if this has been the finest coaching job by the two-time Pac-10 coach of the year. The 11th-seeded Huskies face No. 2 seed West Virginia on Thursday night in Syracuse, N.Y. ``He's pretty much been consistent. Even when we weren't playing at a certain level he coached at a certain level and now we're starting to try and match that level he's coaching at,'' forward Justin Holiday said. ``He knows the way he wants it. He's not going to change. He's going to keep it the same until we figure it out.'' Washington figured out what Romar wanted from his players in time to stage a dramatic late-season run, going from tournament afterthoughts to being among the field still playing on the second weekend of a bracket-thrashing tournament. They were lost in the middle of January. Stars were distrustful of teammates. Rotations and roles weren't defined. The Huskies remained juggernauts at home, but defined dysfunctional on the road. Romar got his team some confidence with four straight home wins in late January and early February. They won on the road for the first time Feb. 13 at Stanford and took off from there. The Huskies have won nine straight games on the road or on a neutral court, including their Pac-10 tournament title victory and wins over Marquette and New Mexico in the first two rounds of the NCAAs. Their current winning streak is the longest since an 11-game run in the 2006 season, the last time Washington reached the round of 16. ``Your team just being on the borderline of really, really doubting themselves, to come back from that and now be in the Sweet 16 is very rewarding,'' Romar said. ``To see certain players step up and have an impact, such as a Matthew Bryan-Amaning that wasn't having as great a season up to that point, that has been gratifying. To see the team come together as a group is awesome to see.'' By getting his team back to the round of 16, Romar also gets an opportunity to exorcise some of his personal demons. Four years ago, Romar took the fifth-seeded Huskies to Washington, D.C., where they led No. 1 seed Connecticut into the closing seconds. Then Rashad Anderson's 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left - when Romar chose not to foul up by three - forced overtime. UConn went on to win 98-92. Romar candidly admitted this week that the loss to UConn still haunts him. ``If I would never experience as a head coach an opportunity to go to the Final Four and win a national championship, that UConn game will always haunt me, because I remember how close it was,'' Romar said. ``When we were sitting in the locker room that night after the game I was thinking to myself 'I hope we have a chance to get back here again, because many others have been in this position and never made it back.''' The Huskies are now back, again the decided underdogs against another Big East team. Washington's win over Marquette in the first round snapped a 10-game losing streak against Big East competition. A win over the Mountaineers would be Washington's deepest tournament run since reaching the 1953 Final Four. ``He's never going to stop working hard and he just found a way. He found a way for this team to start winning games,'' Washington star Quincy Pondexter said. ``He found a way for us to all buy into what he was teaching us and it's paid off now.''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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FOOTBALL BETTINGAfter all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer. Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise. Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games. So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver. In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team. For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC. The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’. The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback. To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs. MySportsbook features easy-to-use online betting software that’s the most reliable in the industry. If you’re looking to bet underdogs, then this Sportsbook is the place - we have the best betting lines in the business. MySportsbook is your one-stop shop for all your betting needs - sports betting, poker, casino, and horse betting . MySportsbook offers every bet type with lightning fast settlement of wagers. Take advantage of free statistical analysis - including against-the-spread and straight-up trends - in MySportsbook’s game previews section. With MySportsbook there are unlimited free deposits and payouts - and no transaction fees! To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs. |
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