Nevada is Offshore Books Best Friend

By Brian Gabrielle - Covers Experts

BoDog President Rob Gillespie was only half joking when he said everyone on the Costa Rican sports store's staff would receive a special gift by Thursday: a Nevada Wolf Pack jersey to wear during this weekend's Big Dance. Cry your hearts out, Zags. Sob, sister UNLV

"Nevada was our biggest winner Thursday and again Saturday," Gillespie explained, referring to the NCAA Tournament's first two rounds. The upstart Wolf Pack, seeded 10th in the St. Louis Regional, shocked No. 7 seed Michigan State in its Big Dance opener, then, somewhat ironically, stunned perennial "Cinderella" Gonzaga 91-72 in Round 2. The little Catholic school in Spokane, Wash., that has toiled for eons to become a respected national powerhouse, snared a No. 2 seed this year but failed to snag an equally coveted Sweet 16 berth. Now Nevada is Cinderella and hoping to ride the golden coach first class to San Antonio for the Final Four the first weekend in April. The Wolf Pack is getting 4 points From Georgia Tech on Friday.

In ousting Gonzaga, Nevada left once-mighty UNLV on the sidelines sweeping up ashes and remembering the good ol' days. The hapless Rebels lost a first round NIT game at Boise State and quickly flew the welcome wagon home to greet yet another new coach. UNLV, the 1990 national champion, long held dominion over its Reno neighbor as far as Silver State bragging rights were concerned. Then Coach Jerry Tarkanian was run off and the dynasty died even as it was being born. Last week, UNLV hired Lon Kruger to resurrect the Rebels from the ashes and restore a basketball program that most recently was entrusted to Charlie Spoonhour and his son Jay.

"I knew Nevada had something going so it wasn't a big surprise, but I didn't expect them to win going away like they did," Gillespie continued. "They looked as if they were possessed. I thought Gonzaga would make more of a run at it. There are some people who think Georgia Tech is going to win the whole thing. Maybe Nevada's goal this year was to make the Sweet 16, that's where they put the bar, and they got there. No one is going to take Georgia Tech lightly or be surprised by them."

Overall, according to Gillespie, BoDog.com enjoyed an "outstanding" weekend with 48 games spread over four days and pooches barking loudly to the tune of 28-20. Personally, however, he's weary of the way tournament games have been tangoing rather than waltzing along. "I'm sick and tired of watching these teams just go up and down the court, especially the last five minutes," Gillespie said. "They get fouled, go to the free throw line, then run up and down the floor again until another foul is called. I haven't seen a good buzzer-beater yet. But it was a good weekend for the house."

Gillespie was surprised Alabama-Birmingham beat overall No. 1 seed Kentucky in the second round, also in the St. Louis Regional, but actually was more taken aback when the underdog Blazers stopped Washington in Round 1. "It was bigger for us," Gillespie said. "The game was pick'em, they won by two (102-100 in the Dance's first dual-100 contest in regulation in a decade) and it was a key upset that hurt a lot of sweetheart teaser bettors. Then UAB-Kentucky killed my bracket on Sunday." The Blazers are getting 4 points from Kansas, another legendary tournament team and two-time national titlist, on Friday. The Jayhawks were toppled 81-78 by Syracuse in the 2003 National Championship Game.

Gillespie had St. Joseph's as one of his four top seeds and gives the Philadelphia school lots of kudos, but says the Hawks will have a tough time getting to San Antonio. Billy Packer obviously would agree; he's a Wake Forest alum and the Demon Deacons are getting 2 1/2 points from St. Joe's in a Thursday matchup at East Rutherford, N.J. "I don't know about this one," Gillespie said. "It's tough to say. Wake Forest is a good team, it's getting points and it has big game experience. We'll see."

The winner will have to meet either Oklahoma State or Pittsburgh to make the Final Four. The Panthers are 2 1/2-point underdogs in that Thursday matchup, also at East Rutherford. "I've been high on Oklahoma State right along," Gillespie said.

The BoDog president also was high on Mississippi State, until it was blown away by Xavier. The Musketeers are 2 1/2-point pooches to Texas at Hotlanta on Friday. "Anytime you lose to Xavier by 15 points, it has to be embarrassing," Gillespie said. "But I think the biggest surprise of the tournament to me so far was Alabama beating Stanford to get to the Sweet 16."

Gillespie likes UConn to emerge from Phoenix and Duke to triumph at Atlanta. The Huskies are giving up 8 1/2 points to Vanderbilt at Phoenix on Thursday and the Blue Devils are 7 to 7 1/2-point favorites over Illinois at Phoenix on Friday. "They both have a long way to go, of course," Gillespie said. "Duke has the winning tradition and UConn is a pretty good team right now. I think Oklahoma State could get to the title game and that there's a good possibility Duke will play Oklahoma State for the National Championship."

Gillespie adds the tournament's first four days went well in all areas. "Everything ran nice and smooth," he said. "The phone volume was down, but the handle was higher than a year ago. We do 95 percent of our business on the Internet and there's always a rush the day of a game, especially in the hours before it goes off. Bets come in for $1,000 apiece. It's very pleasant."

(Lynda Collins covers the Sportsbook Scene for Brian Gabrielle Sports)