Cashing In

Your "Bad Beat" for Sunday is on:

Providence (over 156) at Marquette.

The offenses were ahead of the defenses here in this game between the Friars and Golden Eagles. Well, actually, it was Marquette's offense that was rolling.

Fast forward to 1:58 remaining in the game and it was Marquette up in a laugher 93-63. Just one more point would put this thing over the total after Maurice Acker's three made it the 30 point game it was.

But nada, zero, zilch. The teams combined to miss the final five shots of the game and this thing ended right on the number for most. And for some it may have even been a loser depending upon their number?!?!?!?



Your winners for Monday are on:

3* 76ers (minus 1) at Minnesota.

2* Marist (plus 13) vs. Niagara.

A small winning 1-1 Sunday as the 3* Vikings came through to net a star when including the loss on the 2* Chargers.



With or without the banged up Allen Iverson I can't help but believe that the 76ers will win today in Minnesota. The Timberwolves are just dreadful. Granted I love Al Jefferson's game as the guy is a total monster down low but all in all the Wolves are possibly the worst team in the entire NBA, save maybe those Nets.

Philly is 13-26 which is far form being good but there is talent on this team. Andre Iguodala is really good and Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young, Samuel Dalembert and a few others can play as well.

The boys from the City of Brotherly Love have won three of four and seem to be picking up their game right about now. It's probably too late to make the playoffs in even the shoddy Eastern Conference but this team is a ton better than their record indicates and seem to be a little undervalued in this spot.

Kurt Rambis' squad was just drilled in Memphis, 135-110 and limp home here after going 0-4 on the road trip allowing at least 105 ppg in each game. I just don't see how anything will get fixed in time for the improving 6ers.



Marist is horrendous. The days of Rik Smits are long gone, there is no doubting that as they are 1-16 overall and don't have a guy that scores in double figures. But Niagara is not the squad they used to be and to lay a dozen plus on the road with a team that is not very good is just too much.

I do believe that we will fall to 1-17 as there is just nothing here on Chuck Martin's team but it's not like the Red Foxes get drilled by 40 game in and game out. These guys do continue to compete and actually earlier in the season lost by only seven to the Big East's Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

The Purple Eagles have lost three in a row and four of five. They just scored 47 points in a bad loss at Iona and a few weeks back lost to Air Force as a similar chalk to today. Niagara is trying to avoid a winless 0-4 road trip, to ask them to lace em up and win going away right now against anybody is a little too much to ask.