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Barack Obama capped off a long campaign day in Indiana by playing a game of pickup basketball. He donned sweat pants and a USMC shirt to take on some area high-schoolers. Obama’s team won 15-5. (April 26)

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The Edmonton Chill are trying to help the Toronto Raptors find their next Jamario Moon.
The Chill have come to an affiliation agreement with the Raptors, beginning this season.
“How much more exciting can it be for a player when they come to an IBL franchise?
“These guys aren’t getting rich playing in the IBL, but this is an opportunity for improvement individually so they can get better contracts next year playing overseas or wherever they play,” said Chill head coach Paul Sir.
“But to now have an NBA team affiliated and looking closely at what you’re doing on the court, it’s a phenomenal opportunity.
“Jamario Moon played in the IBL last year and now he’s with the Raptors. I think there were 12-18 kids out of the league (last year) were playing in NBA summer leagues or the D-League, so it’s very good basketball.”
The agreement between the two teams will give the Raptors a chance to invite players on the Chill to their summer league so they can get a better look at them as a possible fit into their system.
For the Chill, it will give them the opportunity to attract even stronger talent. If the Raptors have a prospect they want to keep their eye on, they can look at the Chill as a possible destination.
It was a big day yesterday as Chill got into the spirit of March Madness.
They are closing in on putting the finishing touches to their roster and they introduced three more players to their roster all with NCAA Division I experience.
Marques Hayden, Sean Dockery and Lee Scruggs have all played in the biggest college basketball tournament in the world with Kansas State, Duke and George-town respectively.
Scruggs is a 6-foot-11 forward who has the ability to shoot from the outside and he’s a proven shotblocker. Dockery was an elite point guard at one of the most dominant NCAA schools in Duke and will give the Chill the quickness and strength needed in the back-court.

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Before this Thursday, it is important to get your future bets down on who will win each region in the NCAA Tournament. Why, you ask? Because the odds are outrageous on some teams that figure to make huge runs in this years’ Big Dance.
This is especially true in the Mid-West Region where the number one seeded Kansas Jayhawks were given the worst of it by the NCAA Selection Committee. While UCLA gets to play Xavier and Duke, Kansas has to go through no less then four or five teams that could upset it before reaching the Final Four.
I’ve listed the top teams below along with their BetUS future odds to win the Mid-West Region. Kansas’s odds by the way are even money. I hate them at those odds. Look elsewhere, folks!
Wisconsin Badgers + 500 - - 5 to 1 are excellent BetUS odds on who I think is the most likely candidate to make it to the Final Four out of the Mid-West Region. Wisconsin has been knocking on the door the past few years. This is the year they should kick it down. They play excellent defense, have two terrific big-men and are expertly coached. Wisconsin beat the Michigan State Spartans to win the Big-10 Tournament last weekend. That should set them up perfectly for a deep and decisive run in the NCAA Tournament.
Clemson Tigers + 750 - - Clemson could have beaten the number 1 ranked and top-seeded East Regional favorite North Carolina Tar Heels in the ACC Tournament Championship Game last Sunday. Sure, the Tigers sort of lost themselves late in the game, but I think the disappointment will only help them in this region. Clemson is a tough team. Tough teams find ways to win in the Big Dance.
Vanderbilt Commodores + 1500 - - If Vandy ever decides that they can shoot, pass, and dribble on the road as well as they do at home, they could possibly not only make it to the Final Four but win the whole damn thing. The Commodores are a very, very good team. They just need to realize that they can beat teams like Tennessee every night if they just take their time and play Vanderbilt basketball.

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The Miami Redhawks (17-15 SU, 17-14 ATS) will try to take care of business in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) on Wednesday night when they take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (20-13 SU, 15-12-1 ATS) in a game that is set to tip off at 8 PM ET at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa.
At BetUS Sportsbook, Tulsa is listed as a 3.5-point favorite, with a total of 122 points.
Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* MIA-O has won and covered four of its last six games
* MIA-O has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* MIA-O has covered six of its last eight road games
* MIA-O has lost nine of its last 13 road games SU
* TUL has won four of its last five games SU
* TUL has played four of its last five games UNDER the total
* TUL has own its last seven home games SU
* TUL has covered its last six home games
Tulsa is looking for redemption, having been blown out in the Conference USA tournament by Memphis (77-51). They’ll probably come in here with an offensive edge, as Ben Uzoh, averaging over 15 points per game, leads a balanced attack. Tulsa has been a strong home performer, covering its last six as the host, and as we know, in the NIT there are no games on neutral sites until the final four teams get together at Madison Square Garden.
Yes, trends would seem to favor Tulsa, but there may be an emotional advantage on Miami’s side. For the last four games, the Redhawks have been without head coach Charlie Coles, who is sidelined with a heart ailment. the team has played inspired basketball since then for interim mentor Jermaine Henderson, beating Buffalo and Bowling Green to close the season, then beating Ohio in the MAC tourney before falling to Kent State, the eventual conference champ.

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Alabama’s basketball team will play the waiting game today as it has for virtually every one of Mark Gottfried’s 10 years as the Crimson Tide basketball coach.
This time, though, the rewards are much lower.
Alabama’s overtime loss to Mississippi State in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament on Friday knocked the Crimson Tide out of contention for an NCAA tournament bid, but the introduction of a new postseason tournament likely means the Crimson Tide’s season isn’t complete.
The Gazelle Group, which has put on the various early-season tournaments throughout the country, announced last year it would launch a new 16-team postseason tournament named the College Basketball Invitational.
Although Alabama won’t be among the 65 teams invited to the NCAA tournament, it is an inviting pick for either the CBI or the 32-team National Invitation Tournament. Both open play at various college arenas on Tuesday and issue invitations tonight after the NCAA’s “Selection Sunday.”
“You have to be invited but you always want to play,” Gottfried said. “We’ve got young players. I think our team is a team that has really improved recently. If you asked the question, could this team win some games in the NIT, I think the answer is yes. We’re playing awfully well this time of year and I hope we get a chance to play.”

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In Las Vegas, there will be lines on the games, but in every single office in America there will be brackets passed out for the most exciting office pool of the season. This is it, the NCAA bracket contests that take away so much production time for workers at so many companies.
The Kansas Jayhawks are in and they are a number one seed after their exciting conference tournament win on Sunday over the Texas Longhorns. The other three top seeds are also set and the UCLA Bruins snagged one as did the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Memphis Tigers who have only lost one game all season long.
Expect all kinds of weird terms to be tossed around, ESPN will have their Bracketology 101 at the ready. Their brackets are here . There will be so many upsets that just destroy so many brackets early but that is what makes it March Madness. I’m in Las Vegas so my wagers are legal but I have just as much fun with my brackets this time of year.There is nothing like it, March Madness kicks off on Tuesday, with the play in game of Coppin State vs. Mount St. Mary’s. The real tournament then starts on Thursday and Friday with the real first round. Don’t pick too many upsets early on in the tournament and good luck.

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With the end approaching, it’s time to put 18 weeks of play into perspective. Nine teams fighting for one spot in the NCAA tournament will make for an interesting weekend at the America East women’s basketball championship, which began last night in Hartford.
The Binghamton Bearcats go in as the No. 5 seed, and will face the Albany Great Danes in the quarterfinals. Binghamton has never advanced past the semifinals of the America East championship, nor has it beaten Albany this season—two hills they hope to climb this weekend.
“We are going to have to make changes,” said BU head coach Rich Conover after being swept by Albany. “We’ll have to make those minor adjustments.”
The Bearcats were led by senior Laine Kurpniece, who was selected to the All-Conference first team for the first time after averaging 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this season. Classmate Laura Sario was selected to the All-Conference team third team. She averaged 9.9 points per game in her final season.
“We are very happy for both Laine and Laura,” Conover said. “They have both been major contributors for our program and we are very appreciative of everything they have done for us.”
Kurpniece has been Binghamton’s go-to player and has taken the team on her shoulders on many occasions.

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ATLANTA — Even as the ball left Mykal Riley’s hands, Alabama coach Mark Gottfried thought the Crimson Tide’s season would be extended another day.
“I watched the ball and my heart said that is in the basket, we’re winning the game, we’re playing tomorrow,” Gottfried said. “It seemed like the ball went down in the net and came out of there. And that’s kind of been our year.”
Riley’s 3-pointer from the left side of the floor hit the inside right side of the rim and bounced up and off the left side of the rim at the buzzer as Mississippi State escaped with a 69-67 overtime win over the Crimson Tide in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament at the Georgia Dome on Friday night.
Riley had tied the game in regulation from nearly the same spot in the floor, sinking a 3-pointer that hit the right inside part of the rim, bounced up and fell back through as the horn sounded, touching off a mad celebration on the Alabama bench.
That celebration was short-lived as a powerful storm moved through the area, shattering windows in nearby hotels and damaging the Georgia Dome. Fans left their seats as the north side of the dome was hit by high winds, knocking the interior insulation from the arena in three places and sending bolts from the ceiling dropping into the crowd.

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Movements in the world of basketball Friday:
National Basketball Association
NBA-Suspended San Antonio F Bruce Bowen for one game without pay for his actions during a game against New Orleans on March 12.
SEATTLE SUPERSONICS-Recalled C Mouhamed Sene from Idaho (NBADL).
Women’s National Basketball Association
CONNECTICUT SUN-Traded F Kristen Rasmussen to Minnesota for F Tamika Raymond.
MINNESOTA LYNX-Signed G Ashley Awkward.
SEATTLE STORM-Signed G Sue Bird to a multiyear contract.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Takia Starks scored a game-high 18 points to lead Texas A&M (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) to a 65-39 victory over Missouri on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 women’s tournament.
The fourth-seeded Aggies will move on to face Iowa State at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The ninth-seeded Cyclones won in an overtime upset of top-seeded Kansas State earlier Wednesday.
La Toya Micheaux added 11 points for the Aggies (24-7), winners of seven straight games and 11 of their last 12. Micheaux, normally relied upon for rebounding and defense, hadn’t scored in double figures since Dec. 9 against New Orleans.
A day after the Tigers became the first No. 12 seed in tournament history to win, it was a much different story for Missouri (10-21).
The Tigers failed to get anything going against Texas A&M’s tight man-to-man defense. Missouri shot 34 percent from the field and committed 20 turnovers.
The game got out of reach for the Tigers quickly after the second half began, as the Aggies went on a 13-4 run and took a 42-26 lead when Danielle Gant hauled in a full-court heave from Patrice Reado and put in an uncontested layup.

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