Wagerers cash in on unknown Gulf Coast

In what likely was junior guard Jamaal Franklin’s final game at San Diego State, he became a forgotten footnote to the biggest story of the NCAA Tournament. Nothing beats a good underdog story, and this is a great one.

In any other year, La Salle and Wichita State would be in the spotlight. But the Explorers and Shockers are in the shadows of a more stunning tale.

“One guy said, ‘Who the (bleep) is Florida Gulf Coast?’ ” LVH sports book director Jay Kornegay said, recalling a scene from Friday afternoon. “And you could tell by the way he said it that he bet Georgetown.”

The Eagles overcame the odds again Sunday, beating the stuffing out of Franklin and the Aztecs 81-71 to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16. San Diego State, a 7½-point favorite, lost the game and the popularity contest at the books.

“We took a ton of bets on Florida Gulf Coast. We got crushed on that game,” Kornegay said. “That team is fun to watch, first of all. The public loves them. I like them. It’s not a fluke. It’s just a very hot team right now.”

Andy Enfield is a hot coach, too. Time will tell if he has the staying power of Butler’s Brad Stevens or Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart, coaches who made improbable runs to the Final Four in recent years.

Enfield and the Eagles dominated Georgetown, a 13½-point favorite, in their opener, and they opened as 12-point ’dogs to Florida in the next round Friday.

“With most Cinderella stories and a team from nowhere like that,” Kornegay said, “normally it’s one upset and out.”

The five teams from the Mountain West are out, compiling a 2-5 record. The Aztecs, who typically win with defense, allowed Florida Gulf Coast to shoot 55.9 percent from the field. The Eagles displayed mesmerizing ball movement while attacking with no fear on the offensive end.

Who the heck is Florida Gulf Coast? Meet and greet guards Bernard Thompson, Sherwood Brown and Brett Comer.

Can the Eagles take down the Gators, too? The oddsmakers obviously don’t think so, but they already have been fooled twice.

Despite paying the public for its faith in Florida Gulf Coast, Kornegay said the books essentially broke even over the weekend after winning results Thursday and Friday. He called Sunday “the calm after the storm,” when bettors hit the wall after three days of around-the-clock action.

With 52 games in the record books, favorites are 26-25 against the spread, according to TheLogicalApproach.com handicapper Andy Iskoe, who grades games by the LVH’s closing line. There was one pick-em game. As for the totals, 28 games went under and 24 over.

Fifteen underdogs won outright, including La Salle over Mississippi on Sunday. Wichita State knocked out No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Saturday.

A few ’dogs came up a little short. Temple fell apart in the final minutes of a 58-52 loss to Indiana, Illinois put a scare into Miami, and Iowa State was beat just before the buzzer when Aaron Craft hit a 3-pointer in Ohio State’s 78-75 victory.

The Cyclones erased a 13-point deficit but were unable to overcome some questionable officiating. A terrible call that went against the Fighting Illini in the final minute all but sealed their fate, and the officials did Creighton no favors in its 66-50 loss to Duke.

In general, the officiating in the tournament has been acceptable, but as Kornegay said, “In every sport, some of the better teams get the benefit of the doubt on the 50/50 calls.”

But the Blue Devils were the better team, and Bluejays star Doug McDermott was not at his best. He scored 21 points, going 12 of 12 at the foul line but only 4-for-16 from the field, and Creighton was sent packing.

Kansas, a 6½-point favorite, was a long shot to cover when facing a 30-21 halftime deficit. But the Jayhawks wiped it out quickly and buried North Carolina, 70-58.

The Sweet 16 features some classic matchups, including Kansas as a 2-point favorite over Michigan. Louisville, a 10-point favorite over Oregon, looks like the hottest team.

Franklin finished with 20 points for San Diego State, which made a respectable showing for its struggling conference. The Mountain West faded again in mid-March. The league has sent 20 teams to the NCAA field since 2008, and the results (10-20 straight up, 8-21-1 ATS) are less than impressive.

The Aztecs ran into a story out of “Caddyshack.” As Carl Spackler once said, “Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It’s in the hole.”

Florida Gulf Coast busted brackets and beat the odds.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts “The Las Vegas Sportsline” weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM, 98.9 FM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.