Shout out to reader Bryan Knight for bringing this to my attention.
Here’s a clip from the Dan Patrick show today where the radio host discusses the possibility of Urban Meyer returning to the sidelines as USC’s coach. In the snippet, Patrick is sharing information received from a source, which includes a reference to Villanova’s Mark Jackson as well:
Is Villanova a Philly school?
Just kidding. This story is about Jay Wright, who reportedly turned down a huge money offer to coach the UCLA Bruins.
That’s via Ben Bolch at the Los Angeles Times, who wrote an article titled “The back story on UCLA’s long, strange search for a basketball coach.” In the piece, he shares the content of a text message sent from UCLA senior associate athletic director Josh Rebholz to major donors after the program failed to land John Calipari from Kentucky.
Here’s the first of two relevant Jay Wright passages:
Rebholz told the donors in the message viewed by The Times that the search committee started with a list of more than 60 candidates that included some of the biggest names in coaching: Calipari, Stevens, Tom Izzo, Jay Wright, Billy Donovan, Mark Few and Tony Bennett.
And the second after the jump:
Kevin and Russ bounce around the Villanova, Temple, and St. Joe’s news, 6-for-6 fans, discuss why the Sixers season feels like a chore, the Sixers’ depth issues and the postseason, Brett Brown’s job security, Monty Williams, the timing of the Flyers’ signing of Michael Raffl, Phillies banning tweeting during player/manager availabilities, a brand-new eSports arena, and answer Twitter questions.
Please subscribe to the show ([iTunes] [Google Play] [Stitcher] [RSS]), leave a 5 star review, and follow us on Twitter: @Kevin_Kinkead @JoyOnBroad
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Audio after the jump:
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Even the defending National Champions two of the last three years get knocked down every once in a while.
I’ve watched the replay of B.J. Taylor’s jumper and Aubrey Dawkins’ ensuing put-back that each somehow failed to fall at least a dozen times now. I still can’t believe that both of these shots spun off the rim:
Brutal…#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/ILdnsS8vIc
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 24, 2019
We were that close to half of America’s brackets blowing up and CBS Sports producers scrambling to find something to talk about for the next two weeks other than Zion Williamson. It would’ve been chaos, but instead it was just a crushing loss for UCF and an agonizing beat for bettors who had the courage to go against a Blue Devils squad that was more than -900 on the moneyline and remains the odds-on favorite to win it all.
Enter PointsBet Sportsbook to save the day. While they can’t soften the blow for UCF or fans of the team, they decided to do something for moneyline bettors who just barely missed out on a strong payout:
⚠️The Karma Kommittee Ruling Is In⚠️
-Missed Dunk
-Tacko 5th Foul
-TWO RIM-OUTS AT THE ENDThe fact that even Coach K felt terrible was enough.
WE ARE REFUNDING ALL UCF MONEYLINE BETS IN FULL!
No $25 limit here, you #ChargeOn fans deserve it all back!
THIS IS #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/0pEoOJPWqC
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) March 24, 2019
I don’t remember the bookie from down the street ever showing such mercy.
Other NJ online legal sportsbooks have also run bad beat promos. In January, FanDuel offered its users a $100 refund on the Bears’ “double doink” playoff loss to the Eagles. New Jersey law allows companies to run deals such as these, but they are usually capped around $25. PointsBet refunding full bet amounts is obviously great for promotional purposes, but it’s also undoubtedly a merciful reprieve for UCF moneyline bettors, making them almost as lucky as Duke.
SPORTSBOOK | SIGNUP BONUS | NEW JERSEY |
|---|---|---|
 | FIRST BET MATCHED UP TO $500 | CLAIM OFFER |
 | $1,000 IN RISK FREE BETS | CLAIM OFFER |
 | $500 RISK FREE BET | CLAIM OFFER |
 | BET $50 GET $50 | CLAIM OFFER |
 | $250 DEPOSIT BONUS | CLAIM OFFER |
 | $500 IN FREE BETS | CLAIM OFFER |
 | $10 FREE BET WITH NO DEPOSIT | CLAIM OFFER |
Underdogs were active during Thursday’s Round of 64 games with 10 such teams covering the spread. In fact, at one point late Thursday afternoon, underdogs had either already covered or were covering in every game. Still, despite so many favorites struggling against the number, 12 of 16 higher seeds managed to survive and advance, setting up an intriguing Saturday set of games. If you’re anything like me, filling out a bracket and joining a pool is fun, but loading up on individual games is my favorite way to do March Madness betting. So, let’s look at second round odds at New Jersey sportsbooks and run through some need-to-know information before locking in your picks.
Three months ago my boss came to me and told me I would be covering a conference beginning on March 21. I’m sure I blankly looked at up her with my dead, beady eyes and agreed to it. It was three months away. Who cares about something that’s going to happen in three months.
Two weeks ago my wife asked me if I had put any thought into a March Madness bracket.
Oh shit. Does that start on the third week of March or the fourth? THE THIRD WEEK OR THE FOURTH?!
Of fucking course. March 21. First day of the tournament. Basketball, alcohol, legalized gambling….. CONFERENCE?!
That dog won’t hunt.
So here I am, in some God forsaken state, in a God forsaken convention hall, listening to much more successful men and women talk about their accomplishments that I couldn’t begin to understand. But am I a quitter? Am I just going to sit here and let the greatest four days of the year slip through my fingers?
Am I not going to watch any of the first two rounds of the March Madness tournament? Of course not. I’m no communist.
I decided to keep a running diary of my trials and travails of the first day of the tournament and my desperate attempts to stay connected on one of the greatest sports days of the year.
And yes, I’m well aware this is a complete ripoff of a Bill Simmons creation, but I’m sure he never did one for the first day of the tournament (don’t Google that please).
After Zion Williamson’s impressive return to Duke’s lineup last weekend, the Blue Devils blazed their way through the ACC Tournament and earned the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed in the process. Williamson, for his part, erased any doubts about his post-injury effectiveness by averaging 27 points and 10 rebounds per game over the three-game stretch. In the process, he became the first player in ACC history to win the conference’s Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Tournament MVP honors. He’s…pretty good:
watching this Zion Williamson steal and dunk on repeat forever
🎥 @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/w7qsk99BPJ
— SB Nation (@SBNation) March 16, 2019
Stacked with three potential lottery picks in Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish, Duke looks poised to make a championship run. Consider the following:
"Killer's kill, Killer's Kill" -Zion Williamson 😱😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/oY96e7yKBe
— SportsTalkOnly (@SportsTaIkOnly) March 17, 2019
Might as well cancel the tournament. We have a winner, right?
Not so fast. Consider the following before backing Duke in your March Madness betting.
Despite Duke’s pedigree and strong finish in the wake of Williamson’s return, there’s plenty of reasons Duke could fall flat on its face in this tournament. How? Here three reasons and change why Duke will not win the NCAA Tournament.
Also, for those of you in New Jersey looking to bet against the Blue Devils, here’s our list of the best NJ sportsbooks for March Madness:
21+ Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler
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