College Basketball Play of the Day for 3/3/12

Gonzaga

Gonzaga hosts BYU today in a matchup featuring a couple of evenly matched teams.

Even though Gonzaga hasn't been all that great at covering this season, I still like them covering the 2 points they are favored by tonight at home.

ByU has won 6 out of their last 7 and Gonzaga has won 5 of their last 6.  Should be quite a battle late tonight in Spokane.  But take the Zags.

College Basketball Play of the Day for 2/25/12

Kansas

Missouri at Kansas today as this could be the last meeting between these teams a Big XII foes.  Missouri is leaving the Big XII to head to the SEC.

Both teams will be seeded highly when it comes to seeding in the NCAA Tournament, but these teams are bitter rivals.

I can't see Kansas losing this game, and even though the line is 8.5, I somehow see the Jayhawks covering the 8.5.  Should be a great game, by two top teams, enjoy this Big XII battle.

College Basketball Play of the Day for 2/12/12

Michigan

The best college basketball game on the slate for today has to be Illinois visiting Michigan.

This game features two of the upper echelon temas in the Big 10. 

Michigan comes in at 18-7 and a perfect 13-0 at home.  Illinois, 16-8 faces a tough task as they try to get in the discussion for a NCAA tournament bid. 

If Illinois was getting more points, I would like them.  They are only getting 6 points on the road and they aren't a great road team or a road dog.

Michigan is 19-7 ATS in their last 26 home games.

Take Michigan and give the 6.

Aircraft Carrier Ready to Host College Basketball

Two of the best teams in college basketball tip off on Friday night, but the venue is a place college basketball has never gone before.  It will be played on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier.

Friday night’s game between North Carolina and Michigan State on the aircraft carrier in San Diego is the result of three years of planning and untold logistical obstacles to conquer. Seating for 7,000 people has been constructed on the flight deck, along with two large video boards and several hospitality tents at a cost of $2 million, paid by private donors and corporate sponsors.

Secret Service agents will arrive early Friday morning to sweep the ship because President Obama is expected to attend the 4 p.m. game and Magic Johnson and James Worthy will be the honorary captains for their alma maters, Michigan State and North Carolina.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said Friday's game is meant to honor service members and veterans, to show the nation on Veterans Day "how important sports is to the sailors and Marines out there as a way to connect to family and friends."

There is also the public relations value, Mabus said, of appealing to young men and women who might consider joining a branch of the armed services.

The Vinson was commissioned in 1982 and in 1986 became the first aircraft carrier to operate in the Bering Sea. On Oct. 7, 2001, became the first aircraft carrier deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom. It has conducted 4,200 combat missions as part of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010, when the ship was en route home to San Diego, it was diverted to Haiti to assist in hurricane relief efforts. Earlier this year it was the ship to hold Osama bin Laden's body after he was killed.

No tickets will be sold. Each school received about 400 tickets, Quicken Loans, the title sponsor and State Farm, the secondary sponsor, received some and the rest went to men and women in the military.

Each team will wear specially designed uniforms resembling camouflage gear for the game, and an 86-pound trophy, a replica of the Carl Vinson, has been made.

"I hope it's a great game," Mabus said, "but more than that I hope this will bring some attention to our sailors and Marines, to all of our armed forces on Veterans Day. This is to thank them."

College BB Teams Earn Frequent Flyer Miles this Summer

Forget the Maui Classic, forget the Great Alaska Shootout, and pay no attention to the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. 

The travel season has begun early for dozens of college hoops teams who are allowed to take a trip abroad every few years as kind of a preseason for the upcoming college basketball season.

Coaches can use this time to give their young teams some valuable experience or use as a recruiting tool to show potential recruits that they take a cool trip every few years.

Here is the list of who's going where:

LSU Italy May 17-27

Mississippi State Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris Aug. 5-15

Villanova France, Netherlands Aug. 7-16

West Virginia Italy Aug. 8-21

Texas A&M Switzerland, France Aug. 8-17

Iowa State Italy Aug. 9-19

Illinois Italy Aug. 10-20

Louisville Bahamas Aug. 10-14

Baylor Toronto Aug. 11-16

DePaul France Aug. 11-21

California Sweden, Norway, Denmark Aug. 12-22

USC Brazil Aug. 12-21

Georgetown China Aug. 13-24

Duke China, Dubai Aug. 14-26

Virginia Tech Canada Aug. 16-18

Oregon Italy Aug. 22-Sept. 2

Stanford Spain Sept. 3-14

Northern Iowa Brazil Aug. 1-9

Murray State Canada Aug. 4-9

North Florida Canada Aug. 4-10

La Salle Canada Aug. 6-9

Hawaii China, Japan Aug. 6-21

Wichita State Brazil Aug. 7-18

Ball State Canada Aug. 8-16

Dayton Amsterdam, Paris Aug. 8-18

Illinois State Canada Aug. 8-13

UTSA Australia Aug. 9-19

Drake Australia, New Zealand Aug. 10-20

Wright State Italy Aug. 10-20

Central Florida Canada Aug. 10-15

Creighton Bahamas Aug. 11-17

Stony Brook Ireland, England, France Aug. 11-22

UMKC Italy Aug. 11-20

Duquesne Canada Aug. 12-15

Elon Germany, Italy Aug. 12-22

Oakland Canada Aug. 13-15

Fairfield Italy Aug. 15-25

BYU Greece Aug. 15-27

UT-Arlington Vancouver Aug. 16-23

Albany Canada Aug. 19-25

Saint Louis Canada Aug. 19-29

Santa Clara Vancouver Sept. 5-10

I believe three of the Duke games in China are going to be televised on ESPN (imagine that) and how about Cal's trip to Scandinavia, Stanford to Spain, and Drake to Australia and New Zealand.  Great spots.  And how about Duke's side trip to Dubai.  You can do that when you are Duke.