Sunday, August 23, 2009

College Basketball Picks - Ten Top Tips of Winning Selections

With 347 teams in NCAA Division I to choose your basketball picks from, it is obvious you need some filters, as well as some strategies. Let's look at ten ways to improve your winning ratio for college basketball picks.

1. You might begin by concentrating your basketball picks on just a few of the 32 conferences available. Rivalries are well documented and can give you some historical insight into what to expect of your basketball picks. For all college sports picks, in fact, you should always include at least a few teams looking to avenge last year's defeat to a rival.
2. Early in the season, teams play outside their conferences. This can make handicapping your NCAA picks difficult, but not impossible. Look for teams with a lot of returning players. Experience counts, especially during the first few weeks when teams are finding their legs and shooting range.
3. In college, team rosters are much more volatile than they are in the pros, and this can greatly affect your NCAA sports picks. Pay close attention to injury reports, coaching changes, ineligibilities and scandals at the schools-anything that might throw a team off its stride.
4. The home court advantage cannot be over emphasized in college basketball picks. It is so strong, in fact, that an unranked team playing at home against a ranked team will often cover the spread, no matter how few points are given.
5. Coaches get teams fired up for important games. Your picks should include games that are "must wins" to retain in contention for tournament berths, and also home teams recently blown out on a road trip, who are looking for redemption in front of fans.
6. Many teams start the season strong, looking invincible and going undefeated for their first 8 to 10 games. Then the heartbreaking loss arrives. When you see this situation, some great college basketball picks are those teams playing their first game after a loss. The ability to rebound applies to more than working the boards.
7. Betting the underdog, especially at home, is a good strategy most of the time. But when you see top-ranked teams hit the road, don't dismiss their chances to cover the spread, especially later in the season when more is on the line, such as conference titles. Make your basketball picks based on momentum as well as stats.
8. You should be extra careful whenever you see a point spread posted that seems impossibly large. The favorites are quite capable of winning over lesser teams by wide margins. If a spread looks too good to be true, it probably is. Take you college basketball picks elsewhere.
9. When conference play reaches its cruising altitude in mid-season, all the numbers associated with point spreads and over/under totals become more predictable, for bookmakers as well as you. This is the time to consider putting your NCAA basketball picks on a teaser parlay card. You get more points for underdogs, or give up fewer for favorites, and the totals can be adjust up or down, too. You can create a teaser parlay with as few as two or three basketball picks.
10. March Madness is tournament time, when it is do or die for all of your picks. Give special attention to little know underdogs. The top seeds are under more pressure and have more to lose, so the lesser know that are playing their hearts out for fun and the upset, often come through on the spread, if not winning outright.



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Big Bucks For Buckets - Profiting With Basketball Picks

When considering sports picks, you cannot neglect the only major team betting unaffected by weather. Basketball is undeniably America's most popular indoor sport. It takes over the mindset of sports fans for nine months a year. So the more you know about basketball picks, including both professional basketball picks as well as amateur basketball picks, the more you can profit from your handicapping abilities.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is comprised of 30 teams, organized into six divisions of five teams each. Each team dresses for 12-13 preseason games and 82 regular season games between October and April. Half the games are played at home and half away. Each team schedule includes 52 match-ups against opponents within their own conference and 16 within their own division.

Rivalries within divisions will certainly be one focus of your NBA picks. Look for teams to play well at home against conference opponents, and choose underdogs whenever the spread looks favorable. Also keep an eye out for streaks. When a team gets hot, it can stay that way for weeks. The opposite is also true, as NBA franchises fall into slumps. NBA picks that include streaking teams tend to fare better that those that don't. Injuries, fatigue, attitude and coaching all come into play.

Many say the NBA regular season is only a preliminary to set the seeds for the playoffs. Indeed, fewer than half the teams are cut, as 16 advance to post-season play. This is when your knowledge of previous NBA picks, and sports picks in general, becomes most useful. Which teams have demonstrated their resolve to rise to the occasion in the home stretch? Which have been able to cover the spread when playing on the road?

Defense becomes more important than offense in the playoffs, as does home court advantage. By the time June rolls around and the conference champions are known, recreational bettors will jump into action heavily. If you've got a line on the underdog, look for odds to swing in your favor as sports books attempt to balance massive betting on favorites. If you've done well with your NBA picks up to this stage, you will be in position to press your bets as the season comes to a close, without risking your original bankroll.

Collegiate basketball offers even more action and basketball picks that the pros. NCAA Division I is comprised of 347 teams, divided into 32 conferences, plus a group of unaffiliated independents. There are also numerous teams in the lower divisions, II and III. This means you have college basketball picks by the hundreds to choose from each week. The amount of information available is staggering.

For that reason, it's best to focus attention on a few conferences or a single region. You can really become an expert if you limit your betting to a less extensive list of college basketball picks .

The NCAA teams play exhibitions and hold informal tournaments prior to their regular season, which runs from November to March. A collegiate season typically includes around 35 games, featuring seven a month. Just like in the pros, conference rivalries need to be watched carefully, as do records at home and away. You can get great insight into college basketball picks by remembering these are student athletes, who are not as used to travel and the demands of work on top of study. Big spreads are quite common.

After the regular season, March Madness ensues. That's when the national champion is decided through single-elimination post-season play-the NCAA Tournament. Many of the teams that don't make the grade participate in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), another opportunity to exercise your understanding of college basketball picks.

Both NBA picks and NCAA basketball picks can earn you profits for three-quarters of the year. As with all sports picks, the key is to study, keep records, look for opportunities and pace yourself. You'll have plenty of winners among your basketball picks if you remain patient and stick to your handicapping strategy.


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NBA Vertical Jump - What to Look For in a Vertical Jump Programme

When you are looking to improve your jumping ability then its very important to find the right vertical jump programme for you. Not sure which is best for you? Here are a few ideas to get you thinking more.

* First off, research to find some potential programmes. Easy enough - just look on the internet for jumping programmes, or more specifically in this case - NBA vertical jump. Then write down some basic pointers about what you find.

* Secondly, you need to find a programme that delivers the results you are looking for. This is where you should research the product and try to find out what others are saying about their own results. Read the reviews for example. Ask on internet forums.

* Thirdly, ensure that it meets your budget levels. No need for the most expensive of the bunch as this is no guarantee to your success. After all, Michael Jordan did not have access to any expensive programme I would suspect so do you really need top of the range here? You just need something that is going to help you get results.

* Fourthly, find one that will help you to achieve your goals. Otherwise you will just be wasting your hard-earned cash. Every programme promises some sort of end result. See what really appeals to you and then make your decision based upon this.

* Lastly, try to find a programme that stimulates you, preferably in more ways than one. Is your potential choice going to be one that is written word alone or does it also include videos? The more stimulating you find it the better chance you will follow through on its suggestions and take action. Some choices may only offer downloadable PDF documents, which is actually fine for many of us. Ideally however, you perhaps would be better suited to one that includes a video to "see how its done". This makes the approach to learning more facilitating and more enjoyable all round. I wish you well and success!



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Saturday, August 15, 2009

How Should I Train to Jump Higher?

The question of how can I jump higher is frequently asked, the answer is everyone is different and your mechanical make up will dictate the limits of your jumping abilities. All you can do is follow a good program and give it all you've got.

The process of training to jump higher is relatively straight forward but does require a commitment. To undertake a program it will take months to make real progress and must be kept up so as not to loose what you have earned.

First find a vertical jump program that you feel may work for you and stick with it. Do not jump from one program to another trying to find a quick fix because you will not make as much progress. Be persistent with your program and you will see improvement in your jump height.

You will have to spend time in the beginning working at strengthening the legs. The thigh muscles are the main muscle group to work on because they are more responsible for being able to jump. It is weak thighs that limit many people from being able to jump higher.

The most important exercise to use to strengthen the thighs would be the squat. The next would be dead lifts; both of these exercises will really develop the thigh muscles and also have the side benefit of being a good whole body workout. The bulk of your strengthening phase will be using these two exercises plus a few other leg exercises.

Following the strengthening phase you could start to do plyometric type workouts. These would be for developing explosive strength in your legs. Be careful with plyometrics and do not over do them. Plyometrics are stressful to the body and if not done correctly could be counter productive. Only do them two or three times a week.

These two components are the more important parts of the vertical jump training. You will find there are other things that to do that are part of your training. Do them all correctly without cheating and you will see progress.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Archbold

Are You a Natural at Vertical Jumping?

So many want to increase their vertical jump in basketball or volleyball but just can't seem to achieve their goal. You must understand just because one person can add 10 inches to their vertical for example, does not mean everyone can do it too, we are all made up different. Who knows, you may be able to do better or maybe not, everyone is different.

Some people seem to have a natural gift to be able to dunk a basketball or jump high at the volleyball net to spike the ball. When we are born some of us start off with all the right stuff and grow up having that natural ability. The rest of us have to work harder to get those physical abilities.

Here we are, now we want to be able to jump higher, those of us that need to work extra hard and those with the natural ability. To reach that goal we all need to use the same techniques.
A good coach or a good vertical jump program would be the way to go. Some of us may only be able to add a couple inches to our jump and others will add much more.

It will take strengthening the legs, developing explosive strength and even learning the correct technique to jump. Even proper diet plays a roll, if the body weight is too high reduce it; extra weight can help hold you down. Do not try to workout everyday, 4 or 5 times a week is enough. The body needs time to recover and avoid burn out or injury.



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How to Make You Jump Higher - 3 Simple Tips

If you want to jump higher then there are three simple things you can do that if you do will answer your question and show you how to make you jump higher. This is nothing to do with silly shoes or height increase hormone injections or exercise schedules that will actually blow your knees and joints out.

Tip 1- Make sure you train in a healthy way. I'm shocked at some of the fads and training programs out there. Many training schedules designed to help you jump higher say that you should repeatedly jump 7 days a week for extended periods of time. If you do this then you face an 80% chance of permanently ruining your knees.

What good is it to be able to jump higher if in a year you can barely walk? Don't overdo exercises, make sure you rest properly and mix up your program. Yes focus on leg muscles, but don't just do jumps. That isn't smart if you want to know how to make you jump higher.

Tip 2- Eat well. Guys who know what they are doing know how to eat smart for growth and height girls know that if they eat bad they get fat. Well guess what? If you are carrying a few extra pounds then gravity is making sure that you aren't jumping as high as you could be!

Losing weight through eating well may be one way to increase the height of your jump, but another reason to eat the right kinds of food is that it gives your body the fuel it needs to build your body after doing exercises. You want to get the maximum benefit out of your jump training and eating the right foodstuffs can be a major part.



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Discover the Best Exercise To Jump Higher

Thank you for visiting this website. I assume you are here because you are looking for ways to improve your vertical jumping abilities. Fortunately, finding an exercise to jump higher is not that hard to find. However, you must ask yourself - how bad do I want this? Am I willing to put in the work and the time to get that super human jumping ability that I seek? If the answer to each of the questions are yes, then you have come to the right place.

Many athletes and non-athletes are always looking for the ideal exercise to jump higher. They're looking for ways to add valuable inches to their vertical jump. In this article, I will attempt to highlight not one but a few exercises to help you jump higher. First, you must target the right muscles in order to get results. Be careful not to waste your time, because not all jumping exercises are created equal. You must focus all of your attention to building fast twitch muscles in order to increase your vertical jumping abilities.

The number one exercise to jump higher is box jumps, which is a great exercise for building a killer vertical. Box jumps are performed by jumping from side to side over a one to two feet high box. This exercise should be done regularly to see great results.

The number two exercise to jump higher is called rim jumps. To perform rim jumps you will need to go to a basketball hoop. Stand under the rim and proceed to jump and touch the rim. It's ok if you cannot touch the rim. Continue to this for about ten to twelve reps. Once your feet hit the floor jump back up immediately. This is a great way to build fast twitch muscle.

The number three exercise to jump higher is called the speed rope. This exercise is so simple that many people overlook the benefits. This exercise plays an integral part in developing fast twitch muscles that will have you jumping out the gym. The best part about this exercise is that all you need is a jump rope. This is a good thing because you can perform this exercise at home or in the office. Therefore, you will have no excuse not to do this one.

The three exercises above will get you started on the right track to increasing your jumping abilities. There is no one exercise to jump higher; you must do a series of them to really get good results. However, if you want to increase your jumping abilities a lot quicker, you may want to look into a proven program that have helped hundreds of people realize their dreams of flying.



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Sunday, August 2, 2009

Dwight Howard Vertical Jump and Strength Workout

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Dwight Howard is 6"11 and weighs 265 pounds, but he wasn't always this powerful. Since he came into the NBA he has hit the weights hard and gotten much stronger. In fact, since his rookie year he has increased his bench press from 185 to 360. That is almost double!! So what is Dwight Howard's workout routine? Let's find out...

Dwight Howard has to give a lot of credit to his personal trainer, Joe Rogowski. Joe has given Dwight a workout routine that has helped him gain muscles mass and explosive power. Joe Rogowski does an excellent job at mixing up Dwight's workout routine. One day he will lift very heavy weight to gain strength and power, the next he focuses on plyometrics routines for speed and agility. Below are a few of the key exercises that Joe has Dwight Howard perform...

Bench Press - Dwight mixes this up using the straight bar and dumbbells. Rogowski likes to have Dwight perform the pyramid routine. The pyramid he uses is 10-8-6-4-2.

Leg Press - Joe prefers to have Dwight use the leg press machine over free weight squats. Dwight has back hyperextension and Joe doesn't want to put Dwight's back at risk. The leg press machine is a safe exercise and it allows Dwight to go with very heavy weight.

The Perfect Push Up - One of Dwight's favorite exercises is the push up. He performs many of his push up routines at his home. In fact, he integrates his push ups into video game sessions. For example, when he's playing a boxing game (his favorite), Dwight does a set every time he knocks someone out. Role-playing game? Every time he dies, he pumps out as many push-ups as possible.

Dwight Howard has an impressive 39" vertical leap. Joe Rogowski incorporates plyometric exercises and speed drills into Dwight's workout routine as well. This keeps him flying above the rim so he can continue to throw down those impressive SUPERMAN DUNKS! A few of his favorite exercises to increase his vertical leap include box jumps, sprints and the jump rope.



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San Antonio Spurs' Four NBA Championships

The San Antonio Spurs have won 4 NBA championships throughout their history. All of those championships came under the leadership of coach Gregg Popovich and superstar forward Tim Duncan. Here are brief histories of the Spurs' 4 NBA championship titles:

1. 1998-99 Season. The San Antonio Spurs' first ever NBA championship came in the lockout-shortened 1999 season. The Spurs had the home court advantage throughout the playoffs and ended up beating the New York Knicks 4-1 in the Finals. The Spurs were led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson while the Knicks were led by Larry Houston and Latrell Sprewell. Duncan won his first NBA Finals MVP Award after a thoroughly dominant performance in the Finals.

2. 2002-03 Season. The Spurs won their second championship in 2003, ending the Los Angeles Lakers' three years domination of the NBA. The Spurs defeated a New Jersey Nets team led by superstar point guard Jason Kidd 4-2 in the Finals. This 2003 Spurs team was once again led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

3. 2004-05 Season. The Spurs' third title came in the 2004-05 season. David Robinson had already retired, so Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili assumed the role as Tim Duncan's main sidekicks in this 2005 team. The Spurs faced the defending champions Detroit Pistons in the Finals and went on to win the series 4-3. Duncan cemented his reputation as one of the greatest players in NBA history by winning his third NBA Finals MVP Award.

4. 2006-07 Season. The Spurs won their fourth NBA title in 2007. Led once again by the trio of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, the San Antonio Spurs swept the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. Toni Parker was chosen as the Finals MVP after his great effort in the 2007 NBA Finals.


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Chicago Bulls' 6 NBA Championships

The Chicago Bulls have won 6 NBA championships throughout their history. All of those victories came in the 1990s under the leadership of coach Phil Jackson and superstar players Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Here are brief histories of the Bulls' 6 NBA championship titles:

1. 1990-91 Season. The Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship in 1991 by defeating a Los Angeles Lakers team led by superstar guard Magic Johnson in the Finals. The Lakers won the first game on the Bulls' home floor before the Bulls stormed back and won the next four games. Michael Jordan was chosen as the Finals MVP.

2. 1991-92 Season. The Bulls successfully defended their title in the 1991-92 NBA Season. They beat a Portland Trail Blazers team that was led by superstar guard Clyde Drexler in six games. Michael Jordan was again chosen as the Finals MVP.

3. 1992-93 Season. After successfully winning the 1993 NBA title, the Chicago Bulls became the first NBA team since the 1960s Boston Celtics that were able to win three straight NBA titles. Facing a Phoenix Suns team that was led by the regular season MVP Charles Barkley in the Finals, the Bulls were able to win the series 4-2. Michael Jordan successfully won his third straight NBA Finals MVP Award.

4. 1995-96 Season. After one and a half years absence from the NBA, Michael Jordan was back to lead the Chicago Bulls to their fourth NBA title in 1996. That season, the Bulls compiled a 72-10 win-loss record that was still the best regular season record in NBA history. In the Finals, the Bulls defeated the Seattle Supersonics in six games.

5. 1996-97 Season. The Bulls successfully defended their title in 1997. Facing the Western Conference champions Utah Jazz that was led by Karl Malone and John Stockton in the Finals, the Bulls emerged victorious in six games. Michael Jordan won his fifth Finals MVP Award.

6. 1997-98 Season. The Bulls' last NBA championship came in 1998, after they defeated the Utah Jazz in a repeat of the 1997 NBA Finals. The Bulls were able to replicate their success from the previous season by winning the series 4-2. Michael Jordan was once again chosen as the Finals MVP.



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