2009 West Coast Conference Tournament Preview

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03/05/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The West Coast Conference Tournament will be held at a neutral site for the first time, as Orleans Arena in Las Vegas will serve host to the 23rd annual event.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs, the only ranked team in the league, earned the top seed once again with a perfect 14-0 ledger. The Bulldogs will begin play in the semifinals, as will the Saint Mary's-CA Gaels, who claimed the second seed with a 10-4 finish. At 9-5, the University of Portland Pilots captured the third seed and 7-7 Santa Clara earned the fourth spot. Both the Pilots and Broncos earned first round byes and will begin play in the quarterfinals. The San Diego Toreros will begin defense of their title as the fifth seed after going 6-8, and they will meet 2-12 and eighth-seeded Loyola Marymount in the first round. The other first round matchup pits the seventh-seeded San Francisco Dons against the sixth-seeded Pepperdine Waves.

The winner of this event earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

The WCC Tournament kicks off on Friday, with eighth-seeded Loyola Marymount tangling with fifth-seeded San Diego. The Lions won just three of 30 total games this season, but one of those victories did come against San Diego. LMU though, went 0-17 away from home and hasn't won this event since 1990. The Toreros on the other hand, upended Gonzaga in the finals last season for their second championship, but they also had the luxury of hosting this event. San Diego was considered a challenger for the WCC title coming into the season, only to struggle for the most part and finish with a losing record within the league.

The first round will concluded with the seventh-seeded Dons hooking up with the sixth-seeded Waves. The Dons went only 3-11 in league play, but they did win two of their last three games, including a 70-62 besting of Pepperdine in their finale. USF is just 12-21 all-time in this tourney and hasn't taken home the hardware since 1998. Pepperdine has gone even longer without a title, claiming its third in 1994. Losers of four straight down the stretch, the Waves ended up with just a 5-9 conference ledger.

On Saturday, the quarterfinal round gets started with fourth-seeded SCU clashing with the winner of the LMU/San Diego matchup. The Broncos fielded a young team that came together in the second half of the season, winning eight of their last 11 bouts. SCU has won this event twice, with the last coming in 1993, and own a 23-20 mark all-time in the tourney.

The second quarterfinals tilt will feature third-seed Portland against the survivor of the USF/Pepperdine battle. The Pilots put together one of their best campaigns in recent memory at 18-11, but losses in their final two outings cost them a potential second seed. Portland could have certainly used the higher seed, as it is just 7-20 all-time in this tournament, winning its only title in 1996.

The top-seeded Bulldogs will make their much anticipated debut in the first game of the semifinals on Sunday. Gonzaga swept the WCC for the third time in history, becoming the first league member to accomplish that feat. The Bulldogs have won nine straight and 11 of the last 12 WCC regular season crowns and are looking to add to their league record nine tourney titles. Gonzaga is 33-13 all-time in this event and has been in the finals 11 straight years and 13 of the last 14. Gonzaga had its run of four straight championships stopped with a loss to San Diego last season.

The second-seeded Gaels will bring the semifinal round to a conclusion on Sunday. SMC was supposed to challenge Gonzaga for the league title, but the loss of star guard Patrick Mills in late January put an end to those hopes. Mills, averaging a team-high 18.7 ppg prior to breaking his right hand, is out for an indefinite period of time. The Gaels though, did show they could win without Mills and enter the postseason riding a five-game winning streak. SMC won its only title in 1997 and it is just 17-21 lifetime in this event.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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