Four Corners

Every Monday-Thursday (and occasional weekend games) renowned college basketball expert, Money, will be handicapping the games for you. Picks and thoughts will be posted prior to tip-off, typically by 3:30 pm pst.

Are the Olympics over yet? Wow, these are incredibly boring games. I try to get into and watch some of it, but it always seems like ice skating is on. So I give it a couple of minutes and then I wait for them to fall and then I start thinking about "skating with the stars" and then I start thinking about "dancing with the stars" and then I start thinking that Jerry Rice needs to go home and spend some time with his kids and give his TV life a break.

NBC is really promoting hockey as the big show-case for Olympics. Hockey? Does anybody watch it now? This is a sport that went away for a year and nobody cared. Now we are supposed to get excited about US vs. the Russia? The cold war is over. I am not rooting against Russia anymore. The only thing about hockey that excites me is Janet Jones and her huge gambing problem. Does anybody know if she won her 75k superbowl bet?

Are these really our best athletes? Bode Miller looks like an ASS. He looked like an ass before the events started but he thought he would be an ass with a gold medal. Now he is just a drunk idiot. Apollo Anton OhOh can't do anything right and he was considered America's goldenchild. Aside from a couple of hot sisters in the curling event, I won't watch this anymore.

Bring on the Missouri Valley Conference!

Money's trip to the Bank: (Money's Cash cow to date - 29 wins, 24 losses). The team in ALL CAPS is my pick.

UCONN -3.5 @ West Virginia
Both teams are coming off losses, but Uconn is better and more angry.

TENNESSEE -1 @ Alabama
Alabama has been playing well, but they can't compete with this team.

MISSOURI STATE +3 @ Wisc-Milwaukee
This is a lock.

INDIANA STATE +5 @ Western Michigan
Also a lock.

MARQUETTE +1.5 vs. Pittsburgh
This win will solidify their spot in the tournament.

NOTE: There is a comment field at the end of each article if you feel like expressing your anger publicly.

4 Minutes of Hell

Each Friday we will look at the AP top 25 with our eye on the prize, the tournament, and examine who is heading in the right direction and who is not. We will also project our top 4 seeds each week, leading up to the Big Dance.

AP Top 25

1) Uconn – Their loss at Villanova will make them stronger. They are still the best team in the country.
2) Duke – It will take a major meltdown for them the #1 seed to elude them.
3) Memphis – Won’t lose again, and won’t be challenged until the NCAA tournament. They have a #1 seed locked up.
4) Villanova – Curious to see how their fantastic guards stack up against Georgetown’s frontcourt.
5) Gonzaga – No reason to lower their rankings, but they are not the fifth best team in the country.
6) Texas – I don’t know if I can get past their 30 point loss to Duke.
7) George Washington – They are not going away. I still don’t think highly of this team though.
8) Tennessee – A great team like this will go in and beat Alabama in their house.
9) Pittsburgh – A good, but boring team. They will lose to Marquette on Saturday.
10) Florida – Impressive win vs. LSU, at least in my eyes.
11) West Virginia – This is the lucky team that gets to play Uconn after losing.
12) Ohio state – Most teams lose in Wisconsin, so we will forgive them for that loss.
13) Boston College – They have been playing well recently, but they have not been challenged since their loss to Duke.
14) Illinois – The cure for a slumping team? Indiana comes to town!
15) UCLA – Will bounce back from Washington loss with an easy victory over USC.
16) Michigan State – These guys are pissing away their season.
17) Georgetown – The loss to Marquette hurts.
18) Iowa – They looked fantastic in beating MSU at home.
19) Oklahoma – Playing much better, despite the loss to Colorado.
20) Washington – Stringing together a couple of nice wins, with a favorable schedule down the stretch.
21) North Carolina State – I don’t know what to make of this team. I don’t trust any ACC team.
22) Kansas – Young and extremely talented team.
23) North Carolina – Very little expected of this team at the beginning of the year. Playing great now.
24) Bucknell – We have a Patriot league sighting. They beat Kansas in the tournament last year and return the same starting five.
25) LSU – Have you seen Baby Shaq, Glen Davis? He wore #34 last year, but has not switched to #1, as he does not like the comparisons. In fairness to Davis, he is only 6-9, 310 lbs.

The Next team? Indiana State. Not likely to make the tournament, but playing well recently.

Seeds Wash. D.C Atlanta Minneapolis Oakland
1 Duke, Memphis, Uconn, Villanova
2 Iowa, Texas, Tennessee, Gonzaga
3 Florida, Pittsburgh , Ohio State, UCLA
4 George Washington, Illinois , Boston College, Kansas

Comments: I had to put Villanova in as a number 1 seed. Gonzaga slipped out because they barely beat stanford at home. Uconn remains a number 1 seed. Iowa and Ohio State made big impressions on me. I am reluctantly putting George Washington and Boston College in my top 16. I am not going to fight it anymore, but they will exit the tournament early. Beware of the Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, KU!


NOTE: There is a comment field at the end of each article if you feel like expressing your anger publicly.

Four Corners

Every Monday-Thursday (and occasional weekend games) renowned college basketball expert, Money will be handicapping the games for you. Picks and thoughts will be posted prior to tip-off, typically by 3:30 pm pst

Money had a bad night last night, his worst of the season so far, losing 4 games and winning only one. In fairness to Money, he did lose one game by 1/2 point and another by 2. But, when I win them by a half a point, you don't hear me talking about luck. It was all part of my plan.

A good plan involves a short-term memory, which is what all good gamblers need to have. Let's press on.


Money's trip to the Bank: (Money's Cash cow to date - 28 wins, 23 losses). The team in ALL CAPS is my pick.

MIAMI +8 @ Boston College
Two similariar style teams that will keep the game close.

MARQUETTE +2 vs. Georgetown
Don't look ahead to the next game vs. Villanova G-Town!

NOTE: There is a comment field at the end of each article if you feel like expressing your anger publicly.

Four Corners

Every Monday-Thursday (and occasional weekend games) renowned college basketball expert, Money will be handicapping the games for you. Picks and thoughts will be posted prior to tip-off, typically by 3:30 pm pst

We are now 2 fortnights (sounds sooner than 4 weeks) away from the anticipated “play-in” game for the NCCA tournament. If you are not paying attention, the time has come to start; Money can help. Valentine’s day is over. Hopefully we all have some good will bottled up for the next couple of days. The time is now to make your march madness plans.

Joe Leonardo da Vinci, the Mona Lisa of college basketball, puts out weekly reports of who is in the tournament and who is out. He is quite accurate.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

A few things jump out at me, as I fill this bracket out according to da Vinci’s seeds. A good team will be “rewarded” with a 4 or a 5 seed. I would not want those seeds. First of all, each tournament has the usual 12/5 upset, so if you are sitting there in the 5 hole, you have to be worried. Let’s say that both the 4 and 5 seeds win. They will quickly have to play each other, which would likely pit two very good teams against each other in the second round, and then ultimately play the #1 seed. No changes have been made to the brackets, but this year, the #1 seeds are good, but there will be a major drop off starting at the #2 seeds. It somehow does not sound as daunting of a game to play Ohio State or Gonzaga, in the second round, even if you are the #10 seed.

Alternatively, I would feel real good if I was a #3 or a #6, or even for that matter, a #2 seed. You could stick all of those teams in a hat and place them in any of those seeds and each one would have a good chance at winning.

We still have a lot of basketball left to play, so these seeds will likely change a bit. Who is Money’s final four, based on this bracket? Thanks for asking! I have #6 LSU coming out of Atlanta, #4UCLA from Oakland, #1 Uconn emerging from Washington D.C. and #12 Arkansas standing tall in Minneapolis

Money’s trip to the Bank: (Money’s Cash cow to date – 27 wins, 19 losses). The team in ALL CAPS is my pick.

MINNESOTA +6.5 @ Michigan
Michigan is falling quickly.

LaSALLE -14.5 vs. St Bonaventure
Player of the year candidate Steven Smith getting it done for the Explorers. Don’t confuse this guy with the bag pipe from ESPN, Steven Zzzzzz. Smith.

PENN STATE +4.5 vs. Indiana
Indiana should not be giving anyone points. This team is a train-wreck.

ARKANSAS -4.5 @ Mississippi
The hogs are one of Money’s best moneymakers.

NORTHWESTERN +15.5 @ Illinois
Illinois is reeling and will try not to lose for the third time in a row. They will win, but not by more than 15.

NOTE: There is a comment field at the end of each article if you feel like expressing your anger publicly.

Four Corners

Every Monday-Thursday (and occasional weekend games) renowned college basketball expert, Money will be handicapping the games for you. Picks and thoughts will be posted prior to tip-off, typically by 3:30 pm pst

As I watched the Gonzaga defeat Stanford 80-76 on Saturday night, one thing became clear to me. Gonzaga, the #5 team in the country, is not going to make it very far in the NCAA tournament; sweet 16 at best. If they have that much trouble at the Kennel with Stanford, a mediocre team in the Pac 10 who won’t make the NCAA tournament, winning 2, 3, even 4 games on a neutral court will be damn near impossible.

First of all, they do not defend. If you do not defend, you will lose, simple as that. This is not something they will be able to fix in the next month. Secondly, Stanford had no answer for Adam Morrison. It was expected that he would get his 30 points, because this is something that Stanford lacks, a lock-down defender. Most good teams will have one or two of these defenders, and while they may not be able to stop Morrison, they might be able to limit him. This will in turn force Gonzaga to beat you with their other players, which will render their season over at the sweet 16.

I would love to be wrong on this point, as I really enjoy watching Morrison and the longer he plays, the better Money’s tournament experience will be.


Money’s trip to the Bank: (Money’s Cash cow to date – 25 wins, 17 losses). The team in ALL CAPS is my pick.

ALABAMA +5.5 at South Carolina
The tide is quietly rolling along.

INDIANA STATE +9 vs. No Iowa
I don’t expect an upset, but I do think Northern Iowa will look past this game.

MARYLAND +1.5 at Clemson
If there is such a thing as a “must win” game in February, this is it.

IOWA -3 vs. Michigan state
Michigan state will be fired up for this game after losing their lead at Minnesota. It won’t matter.


NOTE: There is a comment field at the end of each article if you feel like expressing your anger publicly.

Four Corners

Every Monday-Thursday (and occasional weekend games) renowned college basketball expert, Money will be handicapping the games for you. Picks and thoughts will be posted prior to tip-off, typically by 3:30 pm pst

I must admit that I know very little about the NBA. I know Detroit is doing very well. I know the Warriors are doing better than last year, with Manute Bol finally pulling his weight. I can name almost any player’s college alma matter. But, that’s about it.

So I was surprised at myself when I had such a strong reaction to this loser’s new shoe commercial. Who said this while narrating his new shoe commercial?
“Love me or hate me, it's one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fade away, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved, for the exact same reasons.''

You probably know that this quote comes from Kobe Bryant. What an idiot. I don’t hate him for any of those reasons. I hate him because he is phony. I hate him because from day one he has tried to be Michael Jordan, not Kobe Bryant. I hate him because he is so cocky, that he had to be the man in L.A. as opposed to playing with Shaq together and winning many, many titles. I hate him because he is a loser, and I won’t be buying his shoes. I think I hate the NBA too now.

Money’s trip to the Bank: (Money’s Cash cow to date – 24 wins, 15 losses). The team in ALL CAPS is my pick.

UCONN -3 at Villanova
This will be the lowest point spread for UConn we will see for the remainder of the year.

KANSAS -2.5 at Oklahoma State
I love Kansas right now. Nobody is talking about them, except Money.

NEVADA -9 vs. La Tech
I got burned by this game when they played earlier in the season. But there is an old saying in Nevada that says - fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.

NOTE: There is a comment field at the end of each article if you feel like expressing your anger publicly.