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

Positive 5 2009–2010 Week 16

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.

All the Pos 5 move on, after going 12-0 SU this past VCO week. They will play in either the NIT or the “Big Dance,” the NCAAs. They covered the spread 7 out of 12 times to put the season numbers, on the eve of “lose and go home time” at 110-60 SU and 70-62 ATS 53% A couple of teams, Tenn and UNLV, have still to finish their conference finals today and if victories, tomorrow. Win or lose however, both will be in either the NIT or NCAAs.

Ivy League champs Cornell (27-9) will send off, to Wall St. or Washington DC, 9 seniors including the second highest scorer in the league (by .2 of a point), Ryan Whitman.

Siena (27-6) winners of the MACC will lose 6 seniors, that includes 5-11 guard, Just-in-love Smith…(on the square!).

23-game winner Tennessee (with one or two games remaining, will find out Sunday where they are seeded for “March Madness.” The Volunteers will have 8 seniors departing, including last years leading scorer, who has not played since Dec. because of some misguided actions in a moving vehicle...

The 24-7 Rebels (with 1 or 2 games remaining) lose Tre’Von Willis and four other seniors.

The 25-6 Gaels will bid “adios” to West Coast Conference rebound leader Omar Samhan. Samhan is also No. 3 in scoring, 1st in blocks, 5th in FG5 and possibly the leaders in “Bully foals”—another Dennis Rodman, perhaps?

I will let you know how the Pos 5 are doing/did do next week.

Till then “wishing you/me nothing but net”...