February '10 Sports—Frank Marino's Hoops with the Tout Column

Positive 5 2009–2010 Week 13

E
ach week we track the 5 college hoop teams that I have determined will show a “positive return on investment” by season’s end. This year I have selected Cornell, Tennessee, St. Mary’s, Siena and UNLV.

Do I come with the same old rhetoric here, or do I simply admit that the Pos 5 got their butts kicked good, again? After going 2-8 ATS and 4-6 SU (the first negative week straight up, this season). The “5’s” numbers fell to 56-50 ATS and 84-38 SU. The 52% ATS is still a winner, but after laying the “juice” you don’t even have enough $$ to buy a “one way” bus ticket to the Dam.

Bottom line (I think) is, I guess I did not make the adjustment for the Pos 5’s opponents making an adjustment in the second half of conference play. Next season I’ll do that, along with some other tweaking...

In the mean time, we’ll stick with Siena, St. Mary’s, UNLV, Tennessee and Cornell, for the remaining two weeks of conference play. I will track them in their league playoffs and in the post season.

The Big Red of Cornell are 21-4 overall and sit atop the Ivy League.

The Vols of Tenn. are 19-6 and 3rd in the SEC East.

UNLV is 19-7 and 4th in the Mountain West.

The Saints of Siena are 22-5 and 4 games up in the MAAC.

And St. Mary’s Gaels are one game back of Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference and 22-5 on the season.

All of the Pos 5 should make either “The Big Dance” or the NIT...

I’ll see you next week, after we’re hopefully closer to 60% ATS.

May it be “nothing but net“ in the mean time…