Just like a boxer finds his gym or a runner finds his track, a basketball player needs to find his court.
Easier said than done here in San Jose, Costa Rica where soccer fields outnumber basketball courts at least 50-1.
Outdoor basketball courts in public parks are poorly-maintained by the powers-that-be in Costa Rica, leaving hoop courts in bad shape with holes and craters in the blacktop, bent rims, no nets or otherwise unplayable conditions.
Like most countries of the world, Costa Rica is a soccer-first nation.
The sport of basketball battles cycling, tennis, surfing and combat sports to become the country's "second sport."
The best indoor hoop facility in San Jose is available at the Costa Rica Tennis Club, a facility across the street from La Sabana Park and within walking distance of National Stadium.
Josh Erickson, former head coach of the men's national team in Costa Rica, recently talked about the challenges of promoting basketball in a soccer-crazy environment.
"Resources are the biggest challenge," Erickson said.
"The basketball leagues here are semi-professional so it's rare to see elite basketball players stay and play in Costa Rica."
"A star player may receive a small stipend or possibly room and board, but he's not going to be able to make a career out of basketball."
"My advice to Costa Rican teenagers with basketball talent is to travel to the United States where they can compete against elite talent and world-class speed at an early age."
Erickson continued, "Our national team is comparable to a mid-level college basketball program in the States."
"Think George Mason or New Mexico," he said.
Interesting to note, current New Mexico head basketball coach Paul Weir served as an assistant coach to the Costa Rica men's national team just three years ago.
A SHOT TO THE HEART...Indiana freshman guard Rob Phinisee launched a buzzer-beating, 35-foot shot that hit nothing but net last Saturday to give the Hoosiers yet another narrow win this season.
The unsuspecting victim was in-state rival Butler at the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis.
Phinisee's dramatic shot devastated Butler supporters, both fans and gamblers alike.
Butler did everything right on the final play, denying IU stars Romeo Langford and Juwan Morgan from touching the ball, only to have a little-known freshman drain the game-winner.
For those who took Butler +2, it was a tough loss to stomach considering Indiana was never clear of the number until the sound of the buzzer.
Indiana's largest lead of the game was the final score, 71-68.
The Hoosiers have now won four straight games by a combined margin of only eight points.
IU head coach Archie Miller, a devoted follower of basketball analytics, is a definite improvement over predecessors Tom Crean, Kelvin Sampson and Mike Davis.
IF I WERE A BOOKMAKER...I would employ Ken Pomeroy's model to project won-loss records and then offer conference win totals for all 351 Division I college basketball teams.
Not only would I offer the wager in November and December before conference play begins in earnest, but also I would update the win totals every night to give players a crack at the wager in January and February.
The unique offering would attract attention from professional and recreational players while creating publicity for the creative proposition.
At the onset, I would require players lay -115 each way until recording a proven record of bookmaking success and then dropping the price to the more standard -110.
LESSON LEARNED....A friend recently asked about the greatest lesson learned after 30 years of trying to gamble and win in the sports books of Nevada.
Easy answer.
Like the disclaimer displayed on your rear-view mirror (Objects in mirror are closer than they appear), the house edge of 11/10 (4.54%) is larger than it appears.
It makes sense because only a small percentage of players in the sports betting universe are able to profit over time.
EOG contributor ComptrBob recently offered an interesting point about his challenge to find edges in the sports betting marketplace.
Bob earned a Master's Degree in aeronautical engineering before enjoying a wildly-successful career in computer programming.
Bob claims successful sports betting is the biggest challenge of his three-pronged professional career, tougher than calculating orbital velocities or cracking the most sophisticated computer code.
MONDAY'S BEST BET...Play 538 Houston Rockets -5 (-110) over the Utah Jazz at BetDSI.
Third meeting of the season between the Jazz and Rockets after Utah won the first two meetings by a combined 38 points.
Enough is enough.
Granted, the Rockets are one of the biggest disappointments over the first two months of the season, having lost 14 games already this season after losing 17 all of last season.
However, they've shown signs of life over the past week, winning and covering three straight games with James Harden recording back-to-back triple-doubles.
The Rockets catch the Jazz off a poor performance last Saturday afternoon in Mexico City against the Orlando Magic.
I typically bet well-schooled teams like the Jazz over the Rockets, however the spot tonight screams Houston.
Lay the price.
Easier said than done here in San Jose, Costa Rica where soccer fields outnumber basketball courts at least 50-1.
Outdoor basketball courts in public parks are poorly-maintained by the powers-that-be in Costa Rica, leaving hoop courts in bad shape with holes and craters in the blacktop, bent rims, no nets or otherwise unplayable conditions.
Like most countries of the world, Costa Rica is a soccer-first nation.
The sport of basketball battles cycling, tennis, surfing and combat sports to become the country's "second sport."
The best indoor hoop facility in San Jose is available at the Costa Rica Tennis Club, a facility across the street from La Sabana Park and within walking distance of National Stadium.
Josh Erickson, former head coach of the men's national team in Costa Rica, recently talked about the challenges of promoting basketball in a soccer-crazy environment.
"Resources are the biggest challenge," Erickson said.
"The basketball leagues here are semi-professional so it's rare to see elite basketball players stay and play in Costa Rica."
"A star player may receive a small stipend or possibly room and board, but he's not going to be able to make a career out of basketball."
"My advice to Costa Rican teenagers with basketball talent is to travel to the United States where they can compete against elite talent and world-class speed at an early age."
Erickson continued, "Our national team is comparable to a mid-level college basketball program in the States."
"Think George Mason or New Mexico," he said.
Interesting to note, current New Mexico head basketball coach Paul Weir served as an assistant coach to the Costa Rica men's national team just three years ago.
A SHOT TO THE HEART...Indiana freshman guard Rob Phinisee launched a buzzer-beating, 35-foot shot that hit nothing but net last Saturday to give the Hoosiers yet another narrow win this season.
The unsuspecting victim was in-state rival Butler at the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis.
Phinisee's dramatic shot devastated Butler supporters, both fans and gamblers alike.
Butler did everything right on the final play, denying IU stars Romeo Langford and Juwan Morgan from touching the ball, only to have a little-known freshman drain the game-winner.
For those who took Butler +2, it was a tough loss to stomach considering Indiana was never clear of the number until the sound of the buzzer.
Indiana's largest lead of the game was the final score, 71-68.
The Hoosiers have now won four straight games by a combined margin of only eight points.
IU head coach Archie Miller, a devoted follower of basketball analytics, is a definite improvement over predecessors Tom Crean, Kelvin Sampson and Mike Davis.
IF I WERE A BOOKMAKER...I would employ Ken Pomeroy's model to project won-loss records and then offer conference win totals for all 351 Division I college basketball teams.
Not only would I offer the wager in November and December before conference play begins in earnest, but also I would update the win totals every night to give players a crack at the wager in January and February.
The unique offering would attract attention from professional and recreational players while creating publicity for the creative proposition.
At the onset, I would require players lay -115 each way until recording a proven record of bookmaking success and then dropping the price to the more standard -110.
LESSON LEARNED....A friend recently asked about the greatest lesson learned after 30 years of trying to gamble and win in the sports books of Nevada.
Easy answer.
Like the disclaimer displayed on your rear-view mirror (Objects in mirror are closer than they appear), the house edge of 11/10 (4.54%) is larger than it appears.
It makes sense because only a small percentage of players in the sports betting universe are able to profit over time.
EOG contributor ComptrBob recently offered an interesting point about his challenge to find edges in the sports betting marketplace.
Bob earned a Master's Degree in aeronautical engineering before enjoying a wildly-successful career in computer programming.
Bob claims successful sports betting is the biggest challenge of his three-pronged professional career, tougher than calculating orbital velocities or cracking the most sophisticated computer code.
MONDAY'S BEST BET...Play 538 Houston Rockets -5 (-110) over the Utah Jazz at BetDSI.
Third meeting of the season between the Jazz and Rockets after Utah won the first two meetings by a combined 38 points.
Enough is enough.
Granted, the Rockets are one of the biggest disappointments over the first two months of the season, having lost 14 games already this season after losing 17 all of last season.
However, they've shown signs of life over the past week, winning and covering three straight games with James Harden recording back-to-back triple-doubles.
The Rockets catch the Jazz off a poor performance last Saturday afternoon in Mexico City against the Orlando Magic.
I typically bet well-schooled teams like the Jazz over the Rockets, however the spot tonight screams Houston.
Lay the price.
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