Big East heavyweights collide in Hartford

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/16/2009 - Hartford, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The eyes of the college basketball world will be fixed on Hartford tonight, as Big East powerhouses Connecticut and Pittsburgh vie for conference supremacy from the XL Center.

Pittsburgh carries a five-game win streak into this tilt, and the team owns a 23-2 overall record, including a 10-2 mark against conference opponents. The Panthers knocked off a pesky Cincinnati squad on Saturday in an 85-69 final, and all five wins during the current streak have come by double digits. Pitt has now won at least 20 games overall and 10 league contests in each of the last eight seasons.

As for UConn, it has won its last 13 games, as the lone loss for the club occurred against Georgetown back in December. Like the Panthers, the Huskies were in action just two days ago, and they held off Seton Hall in a 62-54 final. A win tonight would give the program its best start in history.

Connecticut owns a 30-23 series lead over Pittsburgh, which includes wins in three of the last four meetings.

Pittsburgh tied a school record by shooting 67.4 percent from the floor in the victory over Cincinnati on Saturday. Five Panthers reached double figures in scoring, and the individual who posted the lowest output out of that group, Levance Fields, was arguably the most impressive. In addition to his 11 points, Fields dished out 13 assists with zero turnovers, proving once again to be one of the nation's truly elite floor generals. Sam Young and DeJuan Blair both shot 7-of-9 from the field, scoring 18 and 17 points, respectively. Jermaine Dixon added 14 points, and Gilbert Brown posted 12. Through 25 games, Young is scoring 17.9 ppg, while Blair adds 15.4 ppg and 12.3 rpg. Fields is netting 11.1 ppg, and the fact that he has racked up 191 assists against only 46 turnovers is staggering. The Panthers are generating 78.3 ppg while yielding a mere 62.1 ppg to the opposition.

UConn center Hasheem Thabeet is the most physically imposing player in all of college basketball. The 7-3 center played the best game of his career against Seton Hall on Saturday, as he finished with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine blocks, narrowly missing what would have been a remarkable triple-double. The fact that Thabeet only committed one personal foul is proof of his tremendous discipline. While the big man shot 10-of-13 from the floor, the rest of the team combined to connect on only 12-of-44 field goal attempts. Jeff Adrien had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Huskies, who played their first full game without Jerome Dyson, who may miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Adrien leads UConn in scoring with 14.0 ppg, and he is second with 10.1 rpg. Thabeet checks in with 13.5 ppg, 10.8 rpg and 110 blocked shots, and those two players will have to help make up for the absence of Dyson's 13.2 ppg. A.J. Price, who has dished out 106 assists, is generating 12.1 ppg.

Wwwpchlotto NCAA Basketball Betting News

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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