Hokies battle Blue Devils in Blacksburg

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02/02/2012 - Blacksburg, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The seventh-ranked Duke Blue Devils get back to conference business, as they travel to Blacksburg to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in an ACC matchup at Cassell Coliseum.

The Blue Devils took a break from conference action this past weekend with a hard-fought 83-76 win over St. John's. With the win, Duke moved to 18-3 on the season. At 5-1 in conference play, Duke trails only Florida State (6-1) and North Carolina (6-1) in the league standings.

The Hokies are much further down the conference ladder, sitting just outside of the league basement at 1-5. Virginia Tech has dropped two straight and six of its last seven games, including a 73-69 setback at Maryland this past weekend.

This is the 46th meeting in a series that dates back to 1912. Duke has won 15 of the last 18 meetings overall and three of the last four matchups at Cassell Coliseum.

The Blue Devils built up a 22-point lead against St. John's and withstood a late rally by the Red Storm to earn the win. Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee were dominant in the frontcourt. Kelly finished with a game-high 16 points and nine rebounds. Plumlee added his ninth double-double of the season with 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, while Andre Dawkins and Austin Rivers tacked on 14 and 12 points, respectively. A balanced offensive attack, Duke is 12-1 on the year when four or more players score double figures in a game. One of the top scoring teams in the nation, Duke is shooting an efficient .489 from the field, just under 40 percent from the floor, and putting up 80.3 ppg. Five Blue Devils are currently averaging double figures, led by Rivers' 14.1 ppg. Kelly (12.7 ppg), Seth Curry (12.2 ppg) and Dawkins (10.2 ppg) add to the scoring deluge from the perimeter. Mason Plumlee has been a force down low, converting 61.8 percent from the field and averaging a near double-double with 12.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

Four players notched double figures for Virginia Tech against Maryland, but it wasn't enough to earn the win. Erick Green led the way in defeat with 18 points. Victor Davila and Dorenzo Hudson finished with 14 points apiece and Jarell Eddie chipped in 11. Tech fell behind early, connecting on just 6-of-25 from the floor in the first half (.240) and wasn't able to recover. The Hokies aren't the most explosive offensive team around, averaging a modest 67.7 ppg. However, the team still boasts of a +6.6 scoring margin thanks to stellar defensive play. Foes are averaging just 61.1 ppg, shooting under 40 percent from the floor (.396) and well under 30 percent from behind the arc (.259). Green leads the way with 15.9 ppg, shooting a healthy .472 from the floor. Hudson is also in double figures at 11.9 ppg. Eddie is just under the mark at 9.9 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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