Billikens battle Rams in first game of CBI finals

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03/29/2010 - Richmond, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Virginia Commonwealth Rams host the Saint Louis Billikens tonight in the championship round of the 2010 College Basketball Invitational at the Siegel Center in Richmond. The CBI finals is a best-of-three series, and SLU will host VCU in game two on Wednesday night.

The Rams certainly have the edge heading into tonight's clash, as they are an impressive 17-1 home, including 10 straight wins. The latter two of those victories came in this event -- a 93-86 triumph of the College of Charleston and an 88-75 besting of Boston University in the semifinals last Wednesday. VCU has now defeated eight teams with 20-plus wins on the season and that certainly deserves recognition.

As for the Billikens, they have played all three games of this tournament at home, helping them to 18 wins at Chaifetz Arena. After outlasting Indiana State (63-54) and Green Bay (68-62, 2OT), Saint Louis topped Princeton, 69-59, in the semifinals last Wednesday. The Billikens have now won 23 games overall, their most since the 1994-95 campaign.

This bout marks the first-ever meeting between VCU and SLU on the hardwood.

The Billikens shot an efficient 54.5 percent from the field, their second-best performance of the campaign, and scored 21 points off 14 Princeton turnovers in a 69-59 win in the semifinals of this event last week. Kwamain Mitchell led the SLU charge with 21 points and five assists, while Willie Reed turned in his ninth double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. For the season, Mitchell paces Saint Louis in scoring at 16.3 ppg and he also has a team-high 47 steals. Reed, the team's top rebounder at 8.1 rpg, tacks on 12.4 ppg, while Cody Ellis adds 10.9 ppg and 5.1 rpg to the rotation. The Billikens are a team that relies on stingy defense to get the job done, as they are holding foes to 59.7 ppg and 39.8 percent shooting from the floor for the season.

The Rams drained 11 three-pointers and scored 21 points off 17 Boston University turnovers, as they captured an 88-75 victory in the semifinal round of this tournament last week. VCU suffered just nine giveaways itself, while shooting 48.5 percent from the field. Bradford Burgess led the way with 20 points, and Joey Rodriguez added 19 points and five assists. Larry Sanders also had a big night, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. It was a typical effort for Sanders, who paces the team with 14.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg and 84 blocks for the season. Rodriguez adds 12.7 ppg, to go with a team-high 5.9 apg, and Burgess chips in 10.7 ppg. As a unit, the Rams are producing a solid 76.4 ppg.

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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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