Sports Betting Scandal Update!

I just read the following article on ESPN,  and I will summarize the main points for my lazy readers.

The article is alleging that former Toledo University football and basketball players were recruited into a point-shaving scheme by some local businessmen-turned-crooks.  The amounts bet were interesting and I've listed them below.  

The games involving Toledo

The indictment alleges Ghazi [Gary] Manni and Mitchell Karam used interstate telephone facilities to place bets knowing the games were fixed, including these Toledo basketball games:
• 11/20/05: $42,000 vs. South Carolina
• 11/27/05: $10,000 vs. SMU
• 12/3/05: $10,000 vs. Northern Illinois
• 12/17/05: $44,000 vs. St. Bonaventure
• 12/21/05: $21,000 vs. East Carolina
• 1/4/06: $10,000 vs. Kent State
• 1/7/06: $15,000 vs. Akron
• 1/15/06: $17,000 vs. Bowling Green
• 1/18/06: $21,000 vs. Miami [Ohio]
• 1/24/06: $40,000 vs. Northern Illinois
• 2/1/06: $40,000 vs. Western Michigan
• 2/4/06: $20,500 vs. Central Michigan
• 2/7/06: $20,000 vs. Kent State
• 2/18/06: $30,000 vs. Detroit Mercy
• 11/20/06: $25,000 vs. Va. Commonwealth
• 12/2/06: $21,000 vs. Vanderbilt
• 12/19/06: $21,000 vs. Detroit Mercy

This is a good amount of money.  I'd be very curious to know their winning percentage for that run of games .  The article is interesting as much for what it mentioned as for what it didn't mention.  It didn't mention how many of those bets they won.  But they did bet on roughly 17 games, averaging around $30,000 per game.  If they won 80% of their games, they would have made a profit of roughly $300,000.  Thats a nice profit!

Its too bad the article doesn't go into details of games won or lost.  But I think that if the players are trying to lose a game on purpose then that is definitely possible to win 80% of one's bets.  

Thoughts on the Final Four

I was watching UNC beat down on Villanova last night and appreciated how strong UNC's defense is.  They had so much size on their perimeter players that they completely clogged the lane and they completely flustered them into forcing up perimenter shots.  And of course, rushed perimeter shots rarely go in.  

It also got me thinking about some of the stats I see used for the pros being translated down to college basketball.  Does anyone measure defensive efficiency and offensive efficiency?  It seems like college basketball, with its diversity of players, fast turnover of players, etc., really can make it difficult to stay on top of like the pros.  

Also, college players only play forty minutes a game and roughly 35 games a season, so thats much fewer minutes that they play and it can muck up the statistical analysis because of a much smaller sample size.  

I should re-read the book on handicapping college basketball.  College basketball could definitely be an area of lucrative investment opportunities.  It would require sharper observation skills, but there is also more opportunity for players to quit if they have less to play for.  

Defensive rotations might be practiced less later in the season, etc., etc., etc. 

Also I heard the announcers discussing how UNC remembered their humiliating Final Four defeat last year and wanted to make sure they started strong in the Final Four.  I think that may have played a role in their focus and seriousness because they were definitely focused.