Top-ranked Jayhawks draws top overall NCAA seed

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

03/15/2010 -

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -Look who's lurking deep in the Midwest bracket where Kansas proudly sits as overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

It's none other than Tennessee and Oklahoma State - the ``2'' in that glittering 32-2 record that the Jayhawks compiled while dominating a Big 12 Conference that sent seven teams into the 65-team field.

As expected, the Jayhawks were given the distinction of being overall No. 1 and, as hoped, get to play their opening game against Lehigh in Oklahoma City - an easy drive down Interstate 35 from Lawrence. But they weren't thinking that the only teams to beat them would be right there in their same bracket.

``My eyes got big,'' said sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor. ``Maybe we'll get a chance to get these guys back.''

Tennessee, seeded No. 6 in the Midwest, beat the Jayhawks 76-68 on Jan. 10, while seventh-seeded Oklahoma State - Kansas coach Bill Self's alma mater - was an 85-77 winner on a cold night in Stillwater on Feb. 27.

But that was the last loss for a deep and talented Jayhawk team led by Sherron Collins, its all-conference senior guard, and Cole Aldrich, the 6-foot-11 junior center who shattered the team record this year for blocked shots.

Self made it clear they were in no mood to look ahead.

``There's also a team that beat us twice in there last year - Michigan State,'' said the coach of the team that was ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press poll all but four weeks this season.

``You would think if we had a chance to play any of those teams, it could mean two things. Either the other team will be confident, or it could mean that we would be angry,'' Self said. ``But we're not going that far. We've got to win a two-game tournament. You win a two-game tournament, the next two games obviously will be against quality opponents.''

It's the ninth time Kansas has been a No. 1 seed and the third time in four seasons they've rolled up 30 wins.

Kansas State, in the meantime, drew the No. 2 seed in the West Regional, the highest seeding ever for the Wildcats and an honor that Self said was ``well deserved.''

The Wildcats, who finished second to Kansas in the Big 12 tournament and regular season, will also get to play in Oklahoma City on Thursday against No. 15 seed North Texas.

``I didn't really know what to expect, but I'm happy we got a two-seed,'' said Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen. ``We have a chance to make a deep run. I think the players that were here my freshman year understand the venue and everything that's there. But it's a great opportunity. We get a chance to go into the tournament, face some teams that are good.''

Self said he would not argue with anyone who claimed the Midwest is the toughest regional.

``I would agree wholeheartedly,'' he said. ``If we're the overall No. 1 and you've got a team out there that's also the No. 2 seed (Ohio State) that several people thought were in the conversation for a No. 1 seed, and then you have in my opinion a team that played unbelievably down the stretch - Georgetown. Your No. 4 seed (Maryland) is your ACC co-champion, and your five-seed (Michigan State) is the Big Ten co-champion, or tri-champion. You can make a case looking at it like that.''

Perhaps with the experience of 2008 in mind, when the Jayhawks beat Memphis in overtime for the NCAA title, Self said he will not let his team worry about anybody but Lehigh.

And if they get by Lehigh, they will be concerned only with the next game, the winner between Northern Iowa and UNLV.

``We can get kind of carried away with the tournament if you look ahead,'' Self said. ``You can't look too far ahead because if you do, you might be preparing for something that doesn't even exist. You've got to stay in the present and the present is this weekend.''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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Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

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Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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