Sending out the Happies

Happy Birthday to Dean Smith.

Open discussion thread--
Possible topics:

• Where does Dean rank all-time among coaches?
• Will Dean's record for all-time victories fall? To whom?
• Does Pat Summitt's record compare favorably to Dean's?
• Is Dean Smith Coach K's b*tch? (kidding)
• What about Clarence "Big House" Gaines?

Big House is the all-time winningest HBCU coach. Summitt leads among women's basketball coaches. Both are HOFers and both won more than 800 college basketball games.

PTI

I thought this comment was really funny.

Tony Kornheiser just said his two favorite moments of the Oscars were...

(DISCLAIMER: It's a bit of a blue comment. Don't look if you're easily offended.)

Check the comments for the answer.

NCAA Report Released

For general information, go here. The specific school-by-school information has been sent to AD's. Here's a searchable database for your school.

A good story from the LA Times. (natch)

Here's Maryland's take.

The Daily Roundup: Monday

The Docket:

EXTRA - NCAA Grade report to be released this afternoon. Just in case some of you weren't aware, this new report will report the academic progress of a school's athletes and, in the future, will result in loss of scholarships for failing scores. We'll post the update as soon as it's released.

Quote of the Day - "He's about as athletic as a small elephant." Roy Williams on Sean May after win over Maryland.

"With the win over Maryland, UNC solidified the 40th time in 52 ACC seasons that it has finished .500 or better on the road against conference teams." That's pretty solid stuff, and a great win for Carolina. Lots of loose ball grit and hustle plays.....just like I asked on Friday.

Strong second half seals the win for Wake Forest over Virginia at the Joel.

Clemson breaks down FSU and moves out of last place in the ACC. Tigers look NIT bound while FSU looks to a long off season.

Lenox Rawlings of the Winston Salem Journal says that Chris Paul is tired of the hardball tactics uesd against him. Guess what Chris, if you think this is bad, you wait until better versions of Jameer Nelson get hold of you. Solution: get in the weight room.

David Steele of the Baltimore Sun says that Maryland is searching for answers in a season of "what ifs.'

Adam Lucas of TarHeelBlue.com on the Carolina Mosh Pit.

So, who is really the ACC Rookie of the Year, Marvin Williams or Sean Singletary? "UVa freshman point guard Sean Singletary has been difficult to keep off the court, and has quietly matched Ralph Sampson with five ACC Rookie of the Week honors."

"Anybody who tells this poor kid he's a lottery pick should be arrested for grand lying." Michael Wilbon on John Gilchrist in his piece today on the losses suffered yesterday by Maryland and Georgetown.

Pat Forde of ESPN.com says that Chris Paul is the ACC Player of the Year and Shavlik Randolph is the ACC Bust of the Year.

It appears that Luol Deng is adjusting just fine to his new home in Chicago. If Duke had that guy this year..............wow, they would be REALLY tough to beat.

Not an ACC story, but Clarence "Big House" Gains is a living legend right here in North Carolina and continues to inspire the folks at Winston Salem State University.

"Conference tournament time is a big deal for small conferences looking to make a name - and a few bucks - for themselves."

Roosters

Returning to the issue of cockfighting, via Beldar.

'Cause the peeps demand it.

Bracketology

I heard ESPN's Joe Lunardi who writes the Bracketology column for ESPN.com on the radio at 12:35 this afternoon.

He surprised me by stating Virginia Tech was one of the last four teams "IN" the tournament at the moment. I did not see that coming.

But props to our boys from Blacksburg who may have a chance to secure their own position as a tourney team AND deny Maryland a chance to dance next weekend.

Could that be the GotW on the BasketBlog? Or will it be that rivalry game on Tobacco Road?

We'll see.

GotW Analysis

PREVIEW
This does not bode well.

North Carolina, led by the top offense (89.9 points a game) in the conference, is outscoring teams by an average of 21.2 points a game. The Tar Heels lead the ACC in shooting (.506), three-point percentage (.408) and assists (20.3).
Meanwhile, the Terps are second to last in the ACC in defense, allowing 75.8 points a game. Last year, the Terps' perimeter and transition defense was maligned at times, yet they were holding teams to 72 points.

However, one of the reasons Carolina shoots so well is Raymond Felton's ability to compromise a defense off the dribble. Carolina has a roster filled with good open floor shooters. But if they are forced to put the ball on the floor before shooting... who knows? So, what's at stake?

Could Maryland, now 16-9, receive an at-large bid with a record of 16-12? Yes, it's possible. But the Terrapins would be crazy to bank on it, especially since a loss to Virginia Tech, with an RPI of 100, would drop Maryland's own RPI. While a loss today doesn't torpedo Maryland, a victory over North Carolina would put the Terrapins into the tournament for certain.

Win today and Maryland can relax against Virginia Tech. Lose today and the season may ride on their ability to win on the road in Blacksburg next weekend.


CAROLINA
Rashad McCants didn't travel to Maryland. We send out our best wishes for a full, complete and speedy recovery that occurs just after next Sunday's Duke-Carolina matchup. (What about Ed? -- Editor. He probably roots for a quicker recovery. -- Birkel) After making 90 consecutive starts, Carolina will miss his presence for the second straight game.

Next year's team will be deeper (if everybody returns) due to their three McDonald's All-American recruits (Duke has three too.) and might be able to sustain a high level of play without a superstar. But one must question if this Carolina team is deep enough to win against good competition if their best, if least consistent, player remains incapacitated. True, they didn't have many problems "cutting the heart out" of that team in Raleigh without McCants but the only similarity with this weekend's opponent is jersey color.

How to Defend Carolina
(1) Stop Sean May.
Sean May does not have a go-to move. He doesn't have the 16 footer off the window (Duncan) or the Dream Shake. He doesn't have the turnaround jumper from the low block (Jordan) or the jump hook (Alonzo) to get a guaranteed two. However he's big, strong and active around the basket. A good defender who can keep May in the eight to ten foot range and off the backboards could keep May quiet on the offensive end. Such defenders are difficult to find and I haven't been able to find one on Maryland's roster. But somebody needs to step forward and get it done. Is Ibekwe ready to deliver a 40 minute defensive virtuoso performance? And can his teammates help him in a team defense concept?

(2) Force Jackie Manuel, David Noel, Jawad Williams and Marvin Williams to hit jumpers with guys in their faces.
Marvin's physicality makes him a difficult matchup. He's big enough to punish small defenders and too quick for many big guys. All Carolina's mediums (as opposed to bigs and smalls) run the break. But each of them is fairly one dimensional. Jackie Manuel is a hustler with a limited offensive repertoire. Marvin Williams gets most of his points by running out on the break. Noel and Jawad Williams are solid contributors who can't be expected to win games against top-tier talent.

(3) Allow Raymond Felton to shoot but not Melvin Scott
Raymond Felton is best when he's making others better. Although his shooting percentage has increased markedly from last year he has to make me believe it. And if Felton beats opponents with jumpers then they just have to take their medicine. Melvin Scott, on the other hand, cannot be allowed to get open looks. With 138 threes in the record book, Scott has demonstrated his value to the 'Heels as a long range shooter. But he's not going to beat you to the rim consistently like Felton. So, in summation, back off Felton and play Scott up close.

(4) Cross your fingers
What else can you do? Carolina can go through mental lapses but has enough depth that it's unlikely the entire team will have have an off night. Therefore defensive rebounding is a key. If Carolina has a bad night you can't let them have second shots to get back on track. Without McCants nobody on the Carolina's roster can get their own shot with any consistency. But the team that can excuse the Basketblog's plan has to have incredible discipline. Other than Illinois I haven't seen a truly disciplined college basketball team this season.


MARYLAND
First order of business: Mike Grinnon and Darien Harry will be honored on Maryland's senior night. It's the last home game of the season and we at the ACC BasketBlog doff our hats to guys who had to practice every day but never gained the spotlight. We hope Henry recovers well from his earlier knee surgery. We at the BasketBlog understand those difficulties all too well. Perhaps being the only player in Maryland basketball history to claim an NCAA championship and an ACC tournament championship will continue to speed his recovery.

Can Maryland win by outhustling Carolina? Some have questioned Carolina's desire to scrap for every loose ball. To hustle in the tough games that will mark them as a great team. Don't count Gary Williams among those questioning UNC's hustle. Maryland will have to win every loose ball if they plan to win because they're just not as deep or talented at Carolina.

Maryland sits at #36 in the most recent RPI. (And yes, I know the RPI has many detractors. So what? If that's what the NCAA Selection Committee uses that's the one that deserves attention. Deal.) That means they could really use this win to guarantee an NCAA tourney selection. However, because Virginia Tech looms as the last game of the season, the Terrapins don't need to feel extraordinary pressure to make Carolina Gary Williams' 16th top-5 ranked victim. A good loss in a regionally televised game (How many of the NCAA selectors will see this one?) won't mean much if Maryland can beat Virginia Tech for its eighth league win.

That said, this Terps team should be loose and ready to protect its home court. But what are the odds that this Maryland team can avenge its earlier loss at the Dean Dome? Well consider the fact that the Terps have played four teams twice. They've swept two of them (including Duke, natch) and been swept by the other two (including Clemson). (link) That pattern doesn't bode well for this weekend's rematch with the boys in baby blue. I just hope Jeremy doesn't internally combust at halftime of this game like he did during the Clemson game.

So, there is little evidence that this Maryland team is able to change its style. If it is unable to adapt, Maryland will need a spectacularly good shooting game. That is not the sort of chance on which to depend. Even Nik Caner-Medley's 19.3 point per game average over the last 13 games does not enough confidence instill. Carolina must pay NKM special attention but they have the length and young, fresh legs to guard him closely.

Without BasketBlog fav NKM doing the damage, one really must question how Maryland will score enough to push Carolina. Is it possible that Mike's favorite guard, John Gilchrist, can focus his considerable talent and carry his team. If he thinks "it's just a game" we at the BasketBlog cannot imagine his doing so.

If they can't adapt at home with an NCAA tournament selection in the offing, I'm not sure this team will make any noise in March. No sign points to a Maryland win. Even Coach Gary Williams is frustrated by his team's inconsistent defense. But expect a "good loss." This game will be close enough in the second half to give false hope to Maryland fans. But expect Carolina to extend the lead in the final minutes and win comfortably.

OTHER
It appears a Maryland assistant coach is going to take the University of Vermont head coaching job after the season. I hope he gets the Board of Regents to change their mascot's name in short order. Thank you.

UPDATE: Manuel's name fixed. Webster does not play for the 'Heels.

The Daily Roundup: Sunday

The Docket:

Georgia Tech brightens their NCAA hopes with a second half rally to defeat The "U" in Miami. Yellowjackets move to 7-7 with Wake and Clemson left. Miami drops to 7-8 with only one game remaining....at Duke. NIT!

Wolfpack's Collins 'sees the light' in defeat of Hokies. One win down, two more to go if State is to have a chance to Dance.

Frank Dascenzo of the Durham Herald Sun says that the Wolfpack aced a crucial test.

Duke escapes the City after a hard fought win over St.Johns.

It may be time for everybody to give Lee Melchioni the credit he deserves and call the Duke "Big 3" the "Fantastic 4".

Maryland's back is against the wall today as Carolina visits the Comcast Center without star Rashad McCants. Michael Wilbon of PTI thinks this is a big game, time 3, for the Washington DC area.

The Terps must find consistancy, and quickly, if they want to make the Dance. It all starts on the defensive side of the court.

Deacons expect to play a much improved Virginia team today in the Joel.

Clemson and FSU play today in a must win game for the Tigers if they are to keep their NIT hopes alive.

Aaron McFarling of the Roanoke News says that Tech picked a bad time for a bad day.

Marvin Williams is adjusting well in his first year at UNC according to Bill Cole of the Winston Salem Journal.

Ed Hardin of the Greensboro News and Record says that March always reveals what February conceals.

According to Caulton Tudor of the Raleigh News & Observer, point guards get short shrift in All ACC voting. Not on the ACC Basketblog team where we had 3 who play it full time every night and 2 more who will do so on the next level.

ACC recruits fill the McDonalds roster. Well, not really when you consider that Carolina and Duke have 6 of the 7 who will report to ACC schools next year with NC State, somehow, nabbing one.

According to the Hampton Roads Daily Press, winning on the road in the ACC is not as daunting as it once was.

The Daily Roundup: Saturday

The Docket:

David Scott of the Charlotte Observer forecasts the NCAA Tournament. His number one seeds include Carolina and Wake.

Since there has been much discussion in the comments section on the impact of Refs on games, I thought this piece from the Fayetteville News was appropriate (even if it is now 6 days old).

Mike Jarvis II gets a chance to see his old team as Duke takes on St. Johns.

Virginia Tech needs wins down the stretch to solidify its place in the NCAA Tournament. At 7-6 in the league, a win today in Raleigh against 5-8 NC State would be a good start. With a 111 RPI, they have some real work to do. Remember, UVa. was left out of the tournament in 2002 with a 9-7 league record and a 42 RPI. As this article states, the Hokies might have to win out!

David Steele of the Baltimore Sun says that Maryland's seesaw season does not sit well at all with Gary Williams.

Danelius remains the mystery man for the Deacons. He contributes, but stays in the background.

Looks like McCants is likely out for the Maryland game. Now, we will see the heart, character, and hopefully hustle of this UNC team in a most hostile environment as the Terps are in a must win situation and will bring the heat.

This is a nice story on Illian Evtimov and his impact on a young Bulgarian orphan who became Illian's pen pal.

Hey, Melvin Scott, opportunity just came to your door in the form of more playing time.

Caulton Tudor gives his takes on this weekend's ACC basketball games.

NC State's Andrew Brackman is motivated to get back on track for the Wolfpack.

"Rapid Fire Remarks" on College Basketball from the Raleigh News & Observer. By the way, is Coach K going to suspend himself for using a 'goon' against Wake's Chris Paul last week? Is Duke going to follow Temple's honorable lead and suspend their coach for this sort of poor sportsmanship? Hmmmmm......

Dickie V says that JJ Redick is one of the three fearless shooters in college basketball.

'Canes NCAA hopes depend on one more victory according to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. I think they need to steal one in the ACC Tournament just to be sure.

UVa. standout Gary Forbes seems to have found his game at the right time.

Virgina Tech's Coleman Collins becomes a force on the floor while dealing with tough off the court issues.

FTF: Duke Post

Let me tell you first that this will not be my best effort. But an effort I will make. Complete in its paucity and crapitude, I will take the rightful ripping I deserve in the comments section with aplomb. (Sometimes using big words is a good way to get people to overlook your obvious idiocy.)

Anywho...

The folks over at ESPN.com think Duke is a #2 seed at the moment. I disagree. I think Wake and Carolina are both #1 seeds and there's no way the Tourney Selection Committee will give one conference three of the top eight seeds. As you may remember, I earlier predicted a 6-3 finish for the Blue Devils. I stand by that assessment. I just can't figure out whether St. John's or Miami will get them. 'Cause Carolina will choke, choke, choke against Duke. (/smack talk)

The injury to Sean Dockery will likely hurt Duke in the ACC tournament. However, I still think they're a Final Four team. With half a week's rest they win their Sweet 16 game without much effort, IMO. And I trust Coach K to prepare on one day's rest. He'll be matched against a lesser coach, unless, frankly, he's matched against UConn's Jim Calhoun who is his equal over the last 10-15 years, IMO.

Also, Duke has wins against several quality teams. That list includes Davidson (I'm not kidding about this.), Michigan State, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech (twice), Carolina (twice?), and Wake. They're as battle tested as any team in America because they depend on junior and senior leadership.

THIS CAN'T BE GOOD: Hanson Brothers reference.

AND: Basketball schedules through 2008 have been released.

SOMETHING EXTRA: Both Carolina and Duke are ranked in top five for women's basketball. Gotta send out the props to both teams. This Sunday the teams will meet in Durham. Even Chubby Checker is excited about it.

FINAL NOTE: Vermont University must be made to change their mascot. The Western Carolina Univeristy mascot is the only true Catamount.

GotW voting is closed

Here are the results:

UNC at Maryland ------------ 69 votes
Georgia Tech at Miami ------ 37 votes
Va Tech at NCSU ------------- 35 votes
FSU at Clemson ---------------- 7 votes
Virginia at Wake --------------- 5 votes
FAMU at NC A&T ------------ 4 votes
Duke at St/ John's ------------- 3 votes

Finally I get to write a pre-game analysis that doesn't involve Duke. YEAHHH!

I still think the voters screwed the pooch. But we're a democracy except when we're not. You know, like when we post pictures of hotties-- of both the beef and cheese varieties.

All right. Now I'm off to do some research. I'll get back to you.

The Daily Roundup: Friday

The Docket:

Duke's Dockery is out indefinitely with a torn MCL suffered during Duke's win against Georgia Tech.

Has Basketball expansion in the ACC been all that conference officials hoped it would be, or, is this a 'be careful what you wish for' situation?

The new SI.com Power Rankings.

The ACC office appears to have gotten the new conference model worked out.

Not an ACC story, but I think a good take by Caulton Tudor on the basketball situation down at ECU.

Who can beat Illinois? North Carolina, Wake Forest, Duke, and .........Georgia Tech according to Mike Jenson of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

It seems that Mr. Descenzo of the Durham Herald Sun has already narrowed the Player of the Year race in the ACC down to two candidates: JJ Redick and Raymond Felton. Interesting choices.

Based on these comment from Gary Williams, do you think John Gilchrist might be having grade issues and NBAitus flare ups? Maybe it's just me, but I didn't think this was very well masked by Gary.

When they needed it most, Georgia Tech's offense failed them.....again.

Maryland and Georgia Tech make ESPN.com's Bottom Ten list. Oh boy.......

Officer says that Coach K was instrumental in making him the leader that he is today.

FTF: A 'Dynamite' Season for Maryland

I was watching the pointless movie "Napolean Dynamite" a few days ago and Napolean's opening line brought to mind the attitude of Maryland's players in this similarly pointless basketball season:

Kid: "What are you going to do today, Napolean?"
Napolean Dynamite (annoyed): "Whatever I feel like I wanna do. Gosh!"

That in mind, I nearly spit out my coffee this morning when I read this statement from Maryland's anguished starting point guard:

"I don't know how everybody else feels, but it's just a game," [Terps G John Gilchrist] said. "It always should be a fun thing. It's not like you walk out on the floor and it's like, 'I must win this game' or 'We need to go to the NCAA tournament.' Putting all this pressure on it, it's downright silly, in my opinion."

[Insert spit take here.]

Having fun is for the non-scholarship players in Division III basketball. If you get a free ride to an ACC school, you damn straight better feel like each game is a "must win" and that you "need to go to the NCAA tournament." What is Gilchrist talking about? Flippin' idiot! Gosh!

Most students who go to college pay full tuition. Those kids can do what whatever the heck they want. They can binge on Cheetos, spend their days on the couch watching cartoons, or drink themselves silly every night with scantily-clad sorority chicks on Frat Row. Whatever. They're paying full price. If they crash and burn, and end up working in a car wash, no big deal. They blew their own money (or more likely, their parents' money).

But Gilchrist and the other scholarship players on the Terps squad are getting a free ride. The student body and alumni donors are paying for their "education." Many of these kids don't deserve admission on academic merit, so their real education is in basketball. The school is making an investment by waiving tuition for each of these players. The return they expect is hard play and a shot at the post-season, and the money and prestige it brings the school. Any scholarship player who feels he doesn't owe a duty to the school to return the favor of a free education they might not otherwise qualify for can go elsewhere, like Frostburg or Salisbury.

There has long been a debate on whether college basketball players should get paid. They do. They get the free ride. They get to travel around the country and even internationally on the school's dime (I was 23 before I first flew on a plane). They get free medical attention from the team doctors. They get free gear (you should have seen what I wore in college). They get perks. You can't deny it. When I was at Maryland, former point guard Duane Simpkins racked up over $8,000 in on-campus parking tickets over two years because he preferred to park his car in a handicapped spot next to the dining hall every day to avoid walking too far to eat. A former AAU coach paid for his tickets until he was caught. If I had a 10-cent late fee at the library, I wouldn't have been permitted to e! nroll for the next semester. These days, the football team has its own chow hall and dorm. These kids couldn't be treated better. And don't even get me started on how easy it is for them to woo the ladies (OK, bad point, but it's true)!

For the average student, Gilchrist's statement would equate to something like saying to your professor, "Gee, calculus should be fun. It's not like I should be required to 'study hard for tests' or 'try to graduate.' All this pressure to get good grades is silly in my opinion." Freakin' idiots! Ugh!

This Maryland team (16-9) needs to get its head on straight. If they don't win one of the next two games, the tournament may not be calling. A three game losing streak heading into the postseason will not look good, nor will season sweeps by NC State and Clemson who are 4-18 against the rest of the ACC. The Duke wins were big, but name any other significant wins all year. Do the State and Clemson sweeps counterbalance the Duke sweep? Will the rest of Maryland's wins against lackluster competition be the tie-breaker? Let's hope Maryland does not need to find that out.

I will leave it to Birkel to break down the UNC game. (Dangerous thing, that!! -- Birkel) My sights are on Virginia Tech. This is a road game, and a must win. The "road" is not a place where Maryland has had much success this season (2-5). Virginia Tech (14-10, 7-6), as of this writing, has a better conference record than Maryland (7-7) by a half-game. We all know at this point that the Hokies are an excellent squad.

Containing G Zabian Dowdell and G/F Carlos Dixon will be priority number one for the Terps. Each of these players has the potential to light up the scoreboard. But just as important will be strong play under the basket. Ebekwe, Garrison, and Bowers need to learn to control themselves and stay in games. The Terps cannot afford to have the big guys in constant foul trouble with Coleman Collins on the floor. Maryland can win at Virginia Tech, but it should be a heckuva contest.

Maryland losses in its last two contests could bring the Terps' season to a quick and painful end, like Napolean's sweet jump on Pedro's bike. It's not too late, however, for the Terps to learn some dance grooves instead and hit the post season with some flippin' momentum.

This week's games: Saturday Feb., 27 at UNC, 5:30ET (FSN).

Mike is our Maryland correspondent and an attorney in Delaware.

FTF: UVa's Sean Singletary!

Well, Virginia’s slim hopes for a bid to the dance ended on Saturday at home against the enigma that is the 2004-2005 Maryland Terrapins. The game wasn’t on TV here in Birmingham (we were treated to Texas Tech-Oklahoma State game instead). CBS did, however, show overtime, which I watched on the 4 inch black and white TV at the office, where I had gone to listen to the game over the internet.

In the overtime periods, we got a glimpse of how special Sean Singletary is going to be for some team (hopefully UVa) over the next few years. He finished with 23 pts, 9 assists, and only 1 TO. But you had to see the OT to understand how much he can control the game.

The ACC Rookie of the Week made Gilchrist look silly a few times. He wanted the ball and was smart with it. If he hadn’t fouled out in the 2d OT, UVa wins. In the first OT, he scored or assisted on all of Virginia’s 13 points, plus he knocked the ball away from Gilchrist as time expired. His teammates love him.

Since this is a blog, and blogs are for making ridiculous claims, I’ll say that Sean Singletary deserves to be ACC Freshman of the Year. Is he the best freshman? Probably not—that honor goes to Marvin Williams. But he has started all year and means the most to this team. That was apparent when he fouled out Saturday, and the Hoos didn’t score again. They only got one good look, and that was when Elton was fouled.

In other news, if your team shoots the same percentage for FG%, 3-Pt%, and FT%, one of those numbers is going to smell bad. And Virginia’s 44% from the charity stripe, aided by a smooth 3-13 effort from senior captain Elton Brown and capped by an air ball down 2 with under 20 seconds left in the OT, reeked to high heaven and rendered moot a heroic display of resiliency by the team.

More expansion unrest: see this column by Gregg Doyel. Reminder: I blame tortured result of expansion we have on Duke and Carolina and that lady from NC St who flip-flopped her vote. We should have Syracuse and BC this year. Seriously, is anyone outside of Blacksburg happy that the Hokies are here?

By the way, guess who has the ACC’s best non-conference win, according to the RPI? That’s right- Virginia. By the way, according to the RPI, Kansas, loser of 3 straight, is still ranked higher than undefeated Illinois.

Finally, the Duke Basketball Report posted this possible list of candidates for the soon-to-be-vacant UVa job:

Rick Majerus
Mike Montgomery
Rick Carlisle
Mike Brey (Notre Dame)
Bob McKillop (Davidson)
Jeff Capel (VCU)
Jerry Wainwright (Richmond)
Josh Pastner (ass’t as Arizona)

Majerus has health/dedication issues, Carlisle and Montgomery won’t come, I don’t know enough about McKillop, I think Capel is too young, and wouldn’t be excited about Wainwright. This leaves Brey and Pastner. Brey would be fine, but Pastner is an intriguing choice, and would be a good one, says DBR. But he has never had a head job, and the man is younger than I am, for goodness sake. Nice try, DBR; not this time. But Pastner has some support among some of the more knowledgeable fans over at thesabre. So I will store that name away. But I guess I am hoping for Brey.

Matt is an Attorney in Birmingham.

FTF: Why I’m not excited- Carolina’s Suspect Heart & Hustle Franchise Application

I admit it…..I’m one of those hard to please kind of guys when it comes to effort on the basketball court. As a youth I was a hustle, heart, brains and, errrrrrrr, savvy (see “dirty”) kind of a player. I never played on a team I didn’t start for and, trust me, it wasn’t because of my devastating speed and agility (although I must say that I had the sweetest mid range game in the Winston Salem School System, but went largely unnoticed b/c I had a coach who insisted that I was a center and not focused enough on basketball. Do I sound bitter 14 years after the fact?).

As I’ve watched my Tar Heels this year, I have gone from total excitement and optimism to fending off feelings of doubt about this team's long term chances. Why do I doubt the top scoring team in the country? Why do I doubt the best % defensive team in the ACC? How could I possibly be feeling less than giddy over the top rebounding team in the league? Two words and two teams: Hustle and Heart, Wake and Duke.

Now, I can feel the temperature rising in Tar Heel nation. This Tar Heel (Version 7.0 post Dean) team is the best we’ve had since Cota, Jamison and Carter. What a phenomenal group of athletes they were. What poetry in motion when they were rolling. What... a lazy group they could be at times when it came to floor burn, who wants it more, setting the hustle and heart tone for the game, type of plays. And who did they lose to: the hustle and heart kings of the tournaments from Utah. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the 2004-2005 version of that Tar Heel team.

Folks, Hustle and Heart make a difference. Is this Carolina team a better defensive unit and a bit deeper than the JCC unit? Absolutely. Do they have the same lazy, I’m so athletic I don’t have to worry about really doing all of the little things, attitude of that ‘98 team? Absolutely.

The things that separate the good teams from the exceptional teams are superior talent and coaching coupled with grit, heart, and lots of hustle. Does anyone remember Larry Johnson’s UNLV teams ever losing an open court loose ball battle? How about a rebound tip every being lost by Moses Scurry? That team could outrun and outscore anybody. More importantly, they were lockdown defenders and dogged when it came to owning the rights to the hustle and heart franchise in ALL facets of the game.

The only team that every challenged them for those franchise rights was Duke. One time, the Devil’s got pummeled for their insolence. The next time, they took what was theirs, and have not looked back since. I hate to say it, but Duke owns the hustle and heart franchise now. Coupled with great talent and a great coach over the years, they are difficult to beat because 99% of the time, they play like they are the underdog and give all of themselves to win. On top of that, they have 6 McDonalds All Americans at any given time.

In comparison, Carolina will now reclaim their footing in the hamburger race (3 this year vs. Dukes 3). That is not the issue. The problem is this: Carolina players still slide out of the way of charges on occasion (see Sean May’s fancy footwork around Brockman as the 6’10 tank barreled through the lane for the last of his 8 point spurt in the NC State game). When they do take charges, most of the time they are half hearted blocks. Carolina players reach for loose balls instead of committing to a head first showdown on the floor with the opposing player (see Rashad McCants reaching into the pile instead controlling the pile ala Chris Paul and Taron Downey). They talk about the Franchise, but they don’t really act like they want to give up the capital for ownership.

I know, I know, this Carolina team is the best defensive team to set foot in Chapel Hill since the early 80’s. I can’t reach back as far as some of you, but I can’t remember a team that had the ability to wreck the opposition from all 5 positions on both sides of the ball:

They run the floor.
They attack the basket.
They lock down the opposition.

They... look at the ball first, think about it, and then try to retrieve it with as little body contact as possible. Jawad Williams still REFUSES, on a consistent basis, to absorb contact in the paint and make bigger players pay the price for their clumsy ways. He has developed an assortment of plastic man type maneuvers to get his shot up and avoid contact. I can’t argue with the results. He is an NBA talent with 3pt range, solid handle, and a great understanding of the game. However, he need only look one seat down the bench to see what he could have been with more dedication to the weight room and a little more heart (and, raw athleticism): Marvin.

I wish they all had the heart of Marvin. I wish they played with the "I’ll break your neck" type mentality that guy brings to the court. I wish they would just give it all up for the team like my new favorite Carolina player and Heart & Hustle President in waiting does.

Loose ball: Marvin’s on the deck. Charge to be taken: Marvin gives a legitimate effort to get there and take the contact. Rebound tip: Marvin hurls himself at the ball and then at the basket like he is playing his last game. That’s what Carolina needs from all of the players. That’s what they are consistently lacking to this point.

Wake has the heart and hustle down but their guards are too small to last in a tournament that gets more bruising the further you go. You have to be able to pressure the wings on a consistent basis and stop somebody. Wake has shown a reluctance, or inability, to do that consistently. Carolina has that part of it covered.

Duke owns the heart and hustle franchise. God bless them, if they didn’t wear that ugly shade of blue and beat up on my school so much, I would grudgingly pull for them. They are 20-4 right now b/c they have 3 stars, a star for a coach, and NOBODY out works them. Their bodies might fail them, their players might face foul trouble, their shots might not be falling, but you will not beat them because they lack hustle and heart. Ask Carolina. Ask Wake. Ask Maryland. Even ask Virginia Tech. Duke can win it because they won’t beat themselves by getting out hustled. Carolina still lags in this department.

I know, it’s like trying to nit pick Shack for not being a 70% free throw shooter and, therefore, not worthy of his well earned status as the games MVP. I just worry that this team will lose their chance because they got out worked. I worry about that one loose ball that got away and resulted in a game winning shot. I think about Dixon and Blake, Jason Williams and Battier, and I wonder: Who are Carolina’s hustle and heart players who can also drop 20 when the time comes? Who will slap you in the mouth on one play, take the charge on the next, and then take your heart with a devastating 3 or a thunderous dunk? Are they really dependant on a freshman for that?

Wake outworked us, and beat us. Duke outworked us, and beat us. Santa Clara just beat us (no Felton excuses, please). We have the 3 and the dunk, but do we have the capital to turn around our heart and hustle franchise. At 23-3 I ought to be excited, but I get more worried as the days go by and our uniforms remain pearly white, and our knees and elbows remain scab free. I’m going over to Carver right now to do some suicides and loose ball drills. I’ll be ready if you need me, Coach!

Ed is still smarting over not playing at all in the 2^nd half of the State Semi Finals against Greensboro during his senior year at Carver High School. He remains a fish out of water in Asheboro

Sean Dockery

Thanks to a reader, John (last name withheld JIC), for directing me to this article on MSNBC's website:

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke guard Sean Dockery is out indefinitely because of a knee injury sustained Wednesday night in a victory over Georgia Tech.
Dockery, who played in Duke’s first 24 games, tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, the school announced Thursday.

Thanks for the tip. We're getting this to you only five hours after it was announced. Don't forget to check here first for up-to-date ACC basketblog news.

That's a really tough break for the Devils who already had a thin bench. In my mind this moves Duke down a couple of notches unless Nelson is ready to play a lot more minutes. Dockery's energy will be sorely missed.

And if any of you guys have tips, send them to us.

Poll

What is the Game of the Weekend?
	Duke at St. John's
	VaTech at NCSU
	FAMU at NC A&T
	Georgia Tech at Miami
	UNC at Maryland
	Virginia at Wake
	FSU at Clemson
Free polls from Pollhost.com

The comments below are open for any topic you wish to discuss. It's a completely open thread. You want to discuss Mischa Barton, feel free. The qualities of Linux versus Windows, fine. Or, maybe basketball. And vote once every 24 hours for your favourite.*

For the British readers.

UPDATE: I've moved the poll to the top of the page so you can vote again. (It's a once every 24 hours dealie.) Given this week's results I thought some of you might want a second bite at the apple.

The Daily Roundup: Thursday

The Docket:

Duke escapes the thriller dome behind the late 3pt shooting of Lee Melchionni. Devils moves to 10-4 in league play while GT falls to 6-7.

Wake Forest squeaks past Longwood in a thriller at the Joel.

Phillip Ramati of the Macon Telegraph says that when BJ Elder struggles, so does Tech. They don't have too many opportunities.......

Neil Amato says that Carolina's improved defense has them looking like a true Final Four contender. Agreed.

When called upon, UNC's Melvin Scott was ready and took full advantage against NC State.

The ACC Notebook- Paul Haith, BJ Elder, Olu Babalola, and the curious Maryland Terps.

Maryland's Gilchrist says that individual players are dealing with personal issues and that the public should not know every detail of those players lives. True enough.....

Even with loss to Clemson, all hope is not lost for Maryland.

McCants improving according to Mom...might be ready for Maryland this weekend. Carolina is going to need all of the help they can get to beat a motivated Terps team.

Eddy Landreth of the Chapel Hill News says that there is still time for ACC teams to change their fortune.

The Queen City could be in a prime position to host Wake and North Carolina for the NCAA Tournament.

off topic

All right, fellas. Here's a little more cheesecake for you.

And some beefcake for the female readers. Sorry I've neglected you 'til now. And here. And here. And, finally, here.

Now, I get the inclusion of Barry Zito, Andy Roddick and Michael Vick in Group 4. But I don't see the Lance Armstrong inclusion in Group 1. Maybe it's just me.

Finally, there is an ACC link. Stevie Franchise made the list in Group 2.

The Daily Roundup: Wednesday

The Docket:

Clemson sweeps season series with Maryland. That is absolutely ridiculous.....Fire everybody!

Diaz and Hite lead The "U" to a victory over Florida State. Hurricanes move to 7-7 in league play.

Tar Heels play without McCants and pull away from NC State for 10 pt victory at the RBC Center. Felton was on fire as Carolina moved one full game ahead of Wake Forest. Slide Show.

Caulton Tudor of the Raleigh News & Observer says that NC States NCAA hopes are fading....fast.

Neil Amato of the Durham Herald Sun says that despite the victory, UNC could use McCants.

Lenox Rawlings of the Winston Salem Journal says that Carolina can beat you on the ground or from the air.

Duke's early schedule may have been a little soft, but they face some tough road games down the stretch.

Rana Cash of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution says that Yellow Jackets center Luke Schenscher is a bit underrated and overlooked.

ACC/Big 10 Challenge gets a 6 year extension.

Adam Lucus of TarHeelBlue.com says that Carolina is tough enough.

An Off Topic Post

Are you a wine person? Do you like a nice wine?

Here's a wine blog for your pleasure.

And here's an obligatory Mischa Barton update. Did you know she was in the Sixth Sense and Notting Hill? Did you know she was born in London, England?



More photos here.

And Olivia Wilde here.



And finally, Serena.


Okay, I'm done. For now.

UPDATE: Due to some technical issues which I am unable to solve, I am giving you the links where the pictures shoulda been. Maybe I'll get it straight eventually. But probably not. I'm an idiot.

UPDATE: Another attempt at posting pics on the front page.

The Daily Roundup: Tuesday

The Docket:

The AP Poll - Carolina up, Wake down, Duke down, Maryland up to 27th.

ESPN Coaches Poll

Jeff Sagarin Ratings Index

ACC Men's Basketball Teleconference

Seeding procedures for the 2005 ACC Tournament at the MCI Center.

The Charlotte Observer asks this morning if NC States Herb Sendek will survive? He ignores the jeers, critics and, apparently, common sense. I'm a fan of his offense but it requires his players to perform on such a thin margin for error in this league. The top teams are always going to be able to blow it up with patience and superior athleticism.

Apparently, the Pack can't wait for UNC to enter the RBC Center for tonight's rematch at slow down tempo. Be careful what you ask for.

Neil Amato of the Durham Herald Sun says that the Pack must get a win tonight against the Heels.

Miami plays at FSU tonight and both teams have learned from tough breaks during the ACC season.

Florida State's freshmen try not to fall into a losing mindset despite the close losses this year.

Hamilton says that the players are in place at FSU for a winning outcome. Coach, you better get to work b/c I see athletes with no discipline and no sense of direction.

With a win against Clemson tonight, Maryland would move to 8-6 in the conference and, most likely, be a safe bet for the Big Dance.

Sharrod Ford's mom has been a constant presence during her son's games while at Clemson.

This weekend's games between Virginia Tech v. NC State and Miami v. Georgia Tech will have lasting implications on each teams NCAA hopes.

Caulton Tudor asks if anyone actually thought Duke would lose 3 in a row. Not the experts at the ACC Basketblog.

Andy Britt talks about UNC's last 10 games against NC State.

The Deacons say that the Duke game is behind them and that they are focused on the rest of the season. They need to be focused on how to stop somebody.....you just can't give up that many points and expect to beat really good teams. Frank Dascenzo of the Durham Herald Sun agrees with us.

The Daily Roundup: Monday

The Docket:

Jeff Gordon wins his 3rd Daytona 500. That's right, I watched every second of the Daytona 500 as it was the biggest event on TV yesterday. Hey, we try to be serious sports heads around here, sometimes.

The Bracketology 101 Field of 65 as of Feb 20.

Coach K goes to his bench for inspiration and Duke runs away from the Deacons in the 2nd half. Wake seniors move to 0-4 in Durham. I just couldn't see three losses in a row for Duke and, apparently, neither could the Devils.

Frank Dascenzo of the Durham Herald Sun says that this win could not have come at a better time for the Duke.

Skip Prosser thinks Duke's strategy of starting their "foul squad" was "curious". He didn't say he was unhappy with the move, but he was clearly irritated by it. Play ball, Skip, play ball.

Georgia Tech escapes Tallahassee in the last 0.4 seconds of the game to keep their NCAA hopes alive another day.

Refs show FSU no respect with foul call that sent Elder to the line with 0.4 seconds to play. Elder powered up to the rim surrounded by three Seminole players who had their arms stretched to the sky. FSU has now lost 6 games by a combined 10 points.

Fred Barakat and the ACC office finally think they have the new basketball rotation worked out. Let's hope so.

NC State is hunting wins in order to make the Dance. Most likely, they would need to win 3 out of their last 4, finishing the season 8-8 in conference. Their first shot is against UNC at home on Tuesday.

Lorenzo Perez of the Raleigh News & Observer says that Wake Forest was simply no match for Duke's red hot JJ Redick (who, by the way, is making a stronger case by the day for ACC Player of the Year.)

The Daily Roundup: Sunday

The Docket:

Quick start propels Heels to win over Tigers.

Tigers don't look like they can end jinx any time soon.

Maryland slips past UVa. in double overtime.

Hokies move into two way tie with Maryland for 4th in the ACC after defeat of The "U"

David Droschak of Tarheelblue.com says defense is the key for wins in March for Heels.

Yellowjackets still have major work to do.

On a Roll: Deacons having a dang good season.

Blue Devils look to end February fade.

Adam Lucas: Living History

Duke v. Maryland is great without the hate.

There's been some discussion of the use of the word "killer" on this blog. So, I give you the above picture.

The Daily Roundup: Saturday

The Docket:

Previewing Carolina vs. Clemson, 1:00 Dean E. Smith Center. Barn burner, I'm sure.

"Through 79 years, 14 U.S. presidents and 2,000 minutes on the basketball court, Clemson’s oh-for-forever streak stands. Fifty times, the Tigers have played a basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C. Fifty times, they have lost. “When (the Tar Heels) came here (in January), I was unsure how the game was gonna go,” Clemson senior Olu Babalola said. “I don’t know. I just feel good about this game. I feel God is going to help us this time — the basketball gods.”"

All streaks come to an end, Mr. Babalooa. I just don't think it will be today.

Maryland says they have put the NC State loss behind them and are completely focused on Virginia. They better be because this UVa team is much different, and much better.

John Feinstien of the Washington Post says that Pete Gillen is in a tough spot. Indeed.....I don't know if he can save himself at this point short of finishing 7-9 in the conference and getting a win in the ACC and an invite to the Dance. That seems unlikely at this point.

Virginia Tech has to get over the win against Duke quickly and focus on The "U".

The Hokies think they can hang their hat on the Duke win as they build their program. This is the ACC, guys. You are looking at about 85% losses against the Dukies going forward, if not more. It is kind of like Carolina beating Miami in football this year. You have angered the Empire.

Wake Forest is winless against Duke at Cameron under Skip Prosser. I'm not confident that streak will end after Dukes loss to Virginia Tech.

Walking on at UNC is a family tradition for the Everett household.

Adam Lucas of Tarheelblue.com says that Sean May's game reflects the meaning of his body art: "He Can". Interesting......

It seems that the loyal readers of the ACCBasketblog are not the only people who hate my idea of keeping the Big 4 together. Caulton Tudor is on your side as well. I can't say that I agree with his reasoning that putting strong against strong and weak against weak would somehow hurt the ACC's chances of getting more teams into the tournament. I don't get that reasoning. Help!

Roy Williams says that he wants no part of Kansas in the NCAA tournament for a variety of reasons. We know how you must feel, coach. We also know that if the NCAA tournament committee can set up a Kansas v. UNC Final Four match-up....they will! Brace yourself, Roy.

Gregg Doyal says : " Powerful people are gathering behind the scenes at Virginia to throw their weight behind the following four men, one of whom they'd like to see become the Cavaliers' next coach: Michigan's Tommy Amaker, George Washington's Karl Hobbs, former St. John's coach Mike Jarvis and former Ohio State and Philadelphia 76ers coach Randy Ayers." Is Virginia a better job then Michigan? I don't really think so. Tommy, stay were you are for once and don't leave another program in a mess like you left the 'Hall.

JamesOn Curry in the news again.....but this time, it's good news. I don't blame UNC for pulling his scholarship (6 felony counts) and I hope everything works out for him. I'm glad he's moving forward.

Hoopsville's Jeff Ullman says that North Carolina is primed for a championship run. Perhaps, but are they primed not to turn the ball over 23 times against great D (see Duke loss).

GotW Analysis

First things first, in a major shout out to Ben, here's ESPN's Page 2 delivering a 90201 vs. The OC breakdown. (about half way down the page) About the OC's babes:

It's a murderer's row.

Indeed. And then there's this priceless line about 90210:

Again, Ian Ziering was one of the stars of this show. The man had a blonde mullet perm. Repeat: Blonde mullet perm.

Good point.


Game of the Week Analysis
As Ed mentioned below in his Daily Roundup, Duke has lost two straight entering this weekend's matchup with Wake Forest. That's the fourth time in eight years that Duke has lost two in a row. Eight. Years. Certainly Wake will provide stiff competition and quite likely give Duke its third loss in a row. But let's look back at the losses.

The Maryland game involved a ton of foul calls. Duke really didn't have a shot on the road in a game that went to overtime without four of their top six players. That one was a well fought, if poorly played, game. And Maryland just had too much down the stretch. In the VaTech game you have to give Duke some credit for good decision making on the last play of the game. Although Daniel Ewing never squared his shoulders and thus drifted on his final second jumper, trying to win the game was the right move. A two point shot only gets Duke into OT. And they had four guys in foul trouble so playing for OT didn't make sense. Now, I'm not sure Ewing is the right guy for the last shot--he's not shown a propensity for sealing victories--but he was wide open. But he never got square to the basket. Oh well.

So it's not like Duke is reeling from poor play. Instead they're reeling from everybody playing their best game against the Dukies. Let's face it, right now Duke is a giant target and every team in the ACC is giving the proverbial 110% when Coach K's boys come to town. This game, however, is at Duke. And guess what. Nobody on Wake's team has ever won at Cameron Indoor.

Wake Forest tried its hardest to lose the first game against Duke. They didn't act like they were supposed to win by 15 because they're more skillful than Duke from 1 through 8. But note to WFU: You're more talented than Duke 1 through 8. They should've put that game on ice but instead showed, yet again, their lack of killer instinct.

At the 1 CP is a lot better than Daniel Ewing as soon as he decides he is. But for whatever reason CP has a mental block that keeps him from truly dominating. CP has to show lead his team and prove his boys that he can win big games outside the Joel. Is he too nice to do that? We'll know by Sunday. On paper it's advantage Wake. But they don't play the games on paper.

At the 2 J.J. Redick is only slightly better than Justin Gray. Redick's more productive than Gray and is in good enough shape to run off picks and screens for a full game. Neither of these guys is a defensive stopper. (And that's the main thing missing in this year's Duke team from their previous Final Four teams.) But Gray has shown the knack for hitting a big shot or two. This is a very slight Duke edge. Or maybe a push.

At the 5 Shelden Williams is more polished than Eric Williams. But a good part of that is the fact that Eric has been out of shape until this season. Eric's big, strong and active and can be the equal of Shelden in the low post. Eric's not the defensive presence of Shelden, who could be a national defensive player of the year candidate, but he's a good defensive rebounder so he is able to help Wake on both ends.

Danelius, Levy, Downey, Strickland and Visser are better than Shavlik, Nelson, Melchionni, Dockery and Love. But the difference is actually not that great except for Shavlik's inability to stay on the floor due to foul trouble. This is one of those games where the matchups are pretty close and the refs may play a role. Duke cannot win a closely called game. Duke depends on its top three players and cannot afford losing any of them. But Wake does not have the big, athletic, tough guys who will put pressure on Redick, Ewing and Shelden, IMO.

Prediction
For all the advantages Wake has heading into this game I think Duke will win this one and earn the 3^rd consecutive regular season split in this series. But, if Wake wins this game I know they're ready to make the jump to national title contender and Skip Prosser deserves a raise. Right now I'm just not a believer in Wake against the other top-tier teams. But I'm not confidently predicting this one. Not at all.

FTF: From Virginia - "You’re Welcome, ACC"

I thought it might be interesting to take another look at ACC expansion and its effect on ACC hoops. Before the season, most ACC fans were bemoaning the demise of the ACC. One Carolina fan in my office was complaining that it’s not fair that UNC no longer gets to open with Clemson on both rotations. He didn’t have a real reason for why he was upset, except that it would be different from “tradition.”

I tend to be a traditionalist, but I don’t have much patience for opposition to expansion for the sole reason of a change in tradition (even though there’s now a college class about ACC history). ACC “tradition” has actually changed quite a bit over the years. As a recap, the conference began in 1953 with seven initial members--Clemson, Duke, Maryland, UNC, State, South Carolina, and Wake—and an 8^th (UVa) joining later that year. USC left in 1971; Georgia Tech was admitted in 1978. FSU entered in 1991; VPI and Miami followed in 2004.

1954-1970 (17 seasons): 8 teams

1971-1977 (7 seasons): 7 teams

1978-1990 (13 seasons): 8 teams

1991-2003 (13 seasons): 9 teams

The 16 game double-round-robin schedule was around for only 13 years. It is too bad to see the double-round robin (which I believe has been in place since the beginning) go, but the reason for dissatisfaction should be something other than Carolina doesn’t get its way or might have to play somebody other than a patsy for its opening round game. The point: the ACC is not sacrosanct has been evolving for some time.

One problem is fairness in the schedules. No one could complain when everyone played each other twice. Now, there will be inequities because no two teams are equal and you play some teams twice and some once. It is obviously an advantage if you only have to play the stronger teams once (and a huge advantage if you get them at home).

Furthermore, the non-Carolina schools can no longer promise season ticket holders that they’ll get to see Duke and UNC every year. And there will be less ACC Tourney tickets per school (though this is alleviated somewhat by moving to bigger venues, such as the MCI Center in DC).

But the biggest complaint before the season was simply the watering down of ACC hoops with the addition of two bottom feeders. This was certainly my biggest complaint. Couldn’t wait to get fired up when lowly Miami comes to town.

How have these complaints stacked up so far? Well, there were complaints this year about the schedule. But really, there have always been complaints related to Duke and UNC always having easier opponents early and tougher opponents later. And I don’t see any one team being significantly disadvantaged by the schedule this year. UVa actually caught a break on the schedule in a down year; they could still go dancing despite being blown out by every ranked team they play (well, they have to win against Maryland tomorrow). So far, I don’t think schedule inequity is that big a deal.

Season ticket holders and long time donors to schools who looked forward to seeing UNC and Duke come to town every year have a valid complaint. Again, how would you like it if a supermodel were scheduled to come visit your home, but then got replaced by your ugly cousin? Even if the supermodel was going to act snotty, beat the snot out of you in Stratego, and then leave--you’d still prefer the supermodel.

And (unfortunately) Miami and VPI have acquitted themselves quite well in the ACC. The main drawback here is that ACC fans can’t quite be as haughty as we once were about ACC basketball being superior to every other conference. But two Big East bottom feeders are now tied for 4^th in our conference. Yikes! Claims of the demise of ACC basketball were greatly exaggerated.

On the whole, UVa fans now regret that expansion ever happened, but the honest reason is that it has helped our big rival tremendously. So we can’t really be objective.

I had started this entry with the idea of recapping the expansion process and how badly the whole process was bungled at every stage by Swofford and friends, which I was reminded of when the ACC office again proved its incompetence this week with the scheduling snafu linked below. That was unbelievable. The proposed plan could work, by the way, if they grouped the schools into 4 pods, and had teams in Pod A play each other twice, play pod B on the road, pod C at home, and pod D twice, then rotate pods in successive years; it can’t work if they try rotating only 1 or 2 teams per year—they must rotate all home only games from 1 year to all away only or all play twice the second year.

I also wanted to apologize on behalf of Hoos everywhere for subjecting the conference to the Hokies; but remember, if the Carolina schools had gotten on board earlier, we could have had Syracuse—which hoops fans would love to see—instead of the Hokies. This is what Hoo fans were banking on actually, that Duke and UNC would see the inevitable and agree to take ‘Cuse and BC—but Duke and Carolina stubbornly refused to assent to any expansion—and now have to deal with the Hokies. Ugh.)

Go Hoos.

Matt is an Attorney in Birmingham, Alabama.

FTF: Clemson Ramblings and Insight

For those of you that actually enjoyed reading my ramblings, I apologize for the absence of an article last week and the form of this one, but it is hard to convince a court or a client to hold off because you need to work on a sports article. Seems like a good excuse to me, but they just don’t seem to buy it. Anyway...

I would like to begin by thanking the ACC powers that be for at least giving Purnell and Company a chance to develop a basketball program – home and away with Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and WF for next year, with single games only against Duke, UNC, Maryland, BC (wow that was odd to write), NC State, and Miami. Wouldn’t mind trading WF for Miami. (I’ll trade a competitive game to the end, any day, with the 34 point shellacking that we took from WF.)

By the way, as to the argument that I (and many others) made about the ACC’s passing on Syracuse to take BC - i.e. why would you pass on a strong basketball school that could help maintain the ACC’s basketball prominence with a mediocre football and mediocre basketball school that isn’t even watched in the market that the ACC heads were claiming to be tapping into - I might have been wrong. Kind of like when I thought Iron Eagle was as good as Top Gun. (Come on, you had to love Pappy.)

Did anyone see ESPN’s piece on J.J. Redick Saturday night? Who goes on national television, complains about the nasty things that the fans say, and says that he vents his frustrations through poetry? Why didn’t he just follow that with a commentary that he secretly likes to put on women’s clothes and listen to Barry Manilow to really give opposing fans some fodder? I guarantee you drunken college students across the ACC immediately started writing cheers in iambic pentameter explaining what Redick can do to himself (in reference to his complaints about what Maryland fans were saying).

How about the article in the new last week about the man from Wales that made a bet that he would cut off his testicles if his team loss? As you might guess his boys lost. Not one to squelch on a bet, the guy went home, kept up his end of the bet, and then walked back to the bar with them in his hands. Is there any question that the most likely fan base in the ACC to make a bet like this would be the Cameron Crazies, and would anyone actually try to stop them?

Now back to Clemson, which is what I am supposed to be writing about. Something that has surprised me about this season (beside the fact that Columbia’s coverage of college basketball is pretty much limited to AM radio) is the lack of concern over the direction of the program. My thought has been that most people genuinely think that Purnell has the program going in the right direction, and I definitely think this is part of it. But the more I thought about it since my other article, the more I also think it is the product of the football program. This same theory applies to how Bunting has managed to maintain his job at UNC. Back in the Cliff Ellis basketball years, success in football was a given. We had Buckner, Kirkland, McGlockton, and James Trapp on the same defense. So we could focus on other things, and that was Cliff Ellis’ shortcomings. It was time to move on because we had the time to worry about basketball. This, however, isn’t the case now. All focus is on the football program. Football in the fall, recruiting in the early spring, and spring training in the later spring. This is actually a blessing in that it takes the heat off of Purnell and the team, but it eventually makes for a difficult sale to “top-shelf” high school basketball players. Just ask Bunting. The Doherty years took the heat off of him, but the recruiting has now fallen off for the football program.

Finally, we beat UGA. I would try to provide some tremendous insight, but you can’t provide much from box scores. It seems that seven scholarships and a starting five that were just born when Salt-N-Peppa were topping the charts (that’ll make you feel old) aren’t very good. But I did read that they brought the physical defense that one would expect from a Rick Barnes’ protégé. A little late for the run to the NIT that everyone was preaching before the Miami loss, but a win nonetheless.

Thanks for the column Stacy, we're glad you're back.

The Daily Roundup: Friday

The Docket:

Virginia Tech beats a top10 team for the first time in 19 years by defeating Devils. This cannot be good news for Wake Forest entering Cameron on Sunday. When is the last time Duke lost three is a row? Not good, Skip..........

Aaron McFarling of the Roanoke Times says the atmosphere, students, and Virginia Tech team were perfect for an upset. Sounds like an exciting time up there.

Rashad McCants seems to have rebounded from a mid season slump.

The new ACC Men's basketball schedule is full of errors and inequities. Guys, why not go to divisions, play those teams in your division twice and everybody else once on a rotating home and away basis. That way every team plays each other at least once.

Division 1: BC, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, FSU
Division 2: Duke, UNC, NC State, Wake, Miami , Clemson

As you can see, I'm a Big 4 homer and don't care that Division 2 would be a murderers row year in and year out. Division 1 could be pretty tough as well.

Miami Coach Frank Haith has an emergency appendectomy and will not coach Saturday. Take your time and get well, coach.

Clemson comes to Chapel Hill on Saturday with hopes of doing what has never been done by any Clemson player.....getting a win.

Apparently, Gary Williams had some rather, shall we say, motivational words for his boys after the NC State loss.

ACC Notes by Rana Cash of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.

Andy Katz's Mailbag. See questions 6, 7 & 8.

SI.com's Luke Winn Power Rankings. Devils down, Deacons up.

FTF: Today's Maryland Forecast: Uncertainty

Have you ever noticed when looking at the extended weather forecast, sometimes the days furthest out will have nearly identical high and low temperatures? Whenever I see that, I think to myself, Nice try…The weatherman has no idea what is going to happen and he is playing it safe (unlike usual when he has no idea and is just taking a wild stab at it). That is the approach I feel like taking with this week's column. Writing about a bunch of nothing, because in this 6-6 conference season, I don't know what is going to happen with these Terps (15-8, overall) and I would prefer to play it safe.

On Saturday night, we beat Duke in one of the most well-played and balanced games of the season. A "team win" if there ever was one. Six players scored in double digits, including F Ekene "Lazarus" Ibekwe. G Chris McCray went a clutch 10-10 from the line. F Nik Caner-Medley, G Mike Jones, and F Travis Garrison willed in shots that mattered. In his best game of the season, G John Gilchrist did it all: score, rebound, and set up his offensive players in nearly completing the first Maryland triple-double in 18 years (But what about those two awful missed free throws under pressure near the end of regulation? - Editor Hey, even Superman takes his lumps every movie. - Mike). Solid basketball. The result: Maryland sweeps Duke for the first time during Gary Williams' tenure and beats the Blue Devils for the third straight time, including last season's ACC championship game.

(I have to admit, for the first time in my life, I don't loathe Coach K and his players. This winning stuff is taking the edge off my irrational hatred of everything Duke. Of course, this could be because 1) we've beaten Duke twice this season, and 2) both times I watched with Dick Vitale on mute. But don't get me wrong, I still despise them.)

That takes us to Wednesday night's game at NC State. We lost, giving us a 6-6 conference record. Even Steven. Inherent in being 6-6 is the roller coaster ride. Winning streaks and losing streaks are rare. Highs and lows rule the day. You're in the Top 25, then right back out of it. It's .500. Neither up, nor down. This year is a lot like that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry always seems to come out dead even in the end. He throws a $20-bill out the window to test his theory, and ends up moments later unexpectedly finding one in his jacket pocket. Kinda like losing to ACC #1 Duke one week, then losing to ACC #11 Clemson the next. Or sweeping Duke, then immediately getting swept by NC State. You get the picture. Even.

I know a little bit about how the Wolfpack felt crushing Maryland again, this time by 19 points. Heavy rain and melting snow flooded my basement, so just prior to Wednesday night's contest, I went downstairs and mopped the floor…just like Julius Hodge and the Pack did for the second time this season to the Terps. Back and forth, mop, mop, mop. In two contests against Raleigh's Finest, the Terps whimpered (if turtles can do that) to the tune of a combined 34 points of shell whoopin'. There is nothing like playing Maryland shortly after they come off a big win against Duke to put a halt to your own team's woes. Especially if you are NC State and needing a win to stay on the bubble. They gotta love seeing those red and black jerseys staring at them from the other side of the court.

Last week I predicted Maryland would finish the season 17-10. But I figured we'd lose to Duke and UNC, and go 2-1 on the road vs. State, VTech, and UVA. The one loss I figured was for Wednesday's game in Raleigh, so by my calculations, we're up one game on my prediction. 18-9 is not out of the realm of possibility. (We will not lose to Clemson again!) Unfortunately, with the loss at NC State, we have yet to score that second win of the season on the road, with two now remaining.

Tomorrow night we have sharpshooter Devon Smith and the dangerous Virginia Cavaliers (13-10, 4-7), winners of their three of their last four, in Charlottesville. A win against our lesser cross-border rival is no sure thing, especially on the road. As the ACC and NCAA tournaments approach, Maryland needs to show now that they can win outside Comcast Center. Furthermore, since Maryland is now Duke's daddy, they need to show that they can win both on the road and do it against someone other than their most often vanquished foe in this year's ACC.

Will UVA be their second road victim of the season? Come on, I told you I'm playing it safe!

This week's games: Saturday at UVA, 3:30 ET on CBS; Tuesday vs. Clemson, 8 ET.

(New Team Note: As my brother's band, Quadropus, laid down the perfect soundtrack for last Saturday's victory over Duke (plenty loud enough to drown out Dookie V), I had occasion to speak to the one person in the bar cheering for Duke. I was surprised to find that this individual was a Virginia Tech grad. I asked her why she was cheering for the most hated team in the ACC, and she said something lame about her brother...blah, blah, blah. Obviously, a newbie to the conference. She'll learn.)

(And finally, a sincere apology: I know I mentioned that I would write this week's column from the perspective of the everyday Terps fan…but I failed. Circumstances kept me from making it to College Park last weekend, so I'll have to reschedule for another date. My humblest apologies. You can always leave your comments below, however. In fact, I encourage you to do so.

Mike is an Attorney in Delaware, waiting for Gary to summon him to the bench to take over end of game situations.

FTF: The Throat Slash: Sign of the Times, Cultural Norm, or Just Bad Taste

As you are probably able to guess from the headline, this piece is not specifically about Carolina Basketball. The piece seeks to address an issue that is not necessarily common, but one that has reared its head in two premiere ACC basketball programs this year. Wake Forest’s Taron Downey and Carolina’s Rashad McCants both performed “throat slash” gestures during games on national TV. Both were summarily thrashed on PTI and other sports news programs. Both players issued apologies for their actions. End of story, or so I thought.

As has become habit, this week one of my fraternity brothers (Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Theta Omicron Chapter, YO YO!) made a suggestion to me in terms of a topic that might make for a good discussion piece. His suggestion centered around the pink elephant of Black cultural influence on the game and the overzealous nature of majority media outlets in criticizing Black athletes. In full, his request was as follows:

Ed,
Have you ever written about how today's college athletes are often misunderstood i.e. players doing things that, to their peers or culture, aren't a big deal but to a lot of majority Americans may seem very disrespectful i.e. the throat slash, talking trash, being overly confident (even when they back it up), the “UNC is like being in jail” comment, etc. It just seems that a lot of their actions are blown out of proportion and they want these players to be like the All-American white guy? What do you think?

To clarify the issue further, I took the liberty of putting words in my fraternity brother’s mouth. I stripped his inquiry to the most relevant and, admittedly, volatile core. The essence of the question is this: Do White people blow the actions of Black players (or, white players who “act” black) out of proportion? Aren’t these actions just a natural expression of emotion and culture i.e. you dunk on your boy in the hood, you give him the throat slash and a little trash talk to take home with him?

When I first considered his query, I was quick to reason "they probably do over react." Upon considering the matter more closely (perhaps, 2 minutes more closely) I came to a more disturbing conclusion. What White people and the majority media thought was not the most important issue at hand. The most important issue was an apparent acknowledgement by two highly intelligent Black males that throat slashing, trash talk, boorishness (even when they back it up) and stupidity (UNC is like being in jail?) were cultural norms and should be overlooked by white people as just part of who these players are.

How unfortunate. How sad. How dangerous. How…..absolutely unreasonable and contrary to everything that my Black parents and his Black parents and most of my close friends' Black parents had ever taught us about sportsmanship and how to conduct ourselves as reasonable and respectful people. How twisted that we, if even for a moment, would attempt to take cultural ownership of the very traits and stereotypes that our parents marched, begged, and bled to rid our race of. How telling that in 2005, if even for a brief moment, two educated Black males would consider what is right, “white”, and move to take ownership of what is clearly and unequivocally wrong as “Black culture” and, therefore, forgivable.

Sighhhhhhhh... forgive me Dr. King, Harriett Tubman, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B DuBois, momma and daddy. For a very brief moment your boy had done gone and lost his mind!

As is my nature, I may “swerve” but I am never far from the right path. As I quickly regained my footing, I posed the following questions to him:

1. Is the throat slash a "cultural" thing? Is that really something Black people want to claim or acknowledge as legitimate in any way, shape or form? This, especially during a time when people (and for our purposes, Americans and American soldiers) are literally getting their "throats slashed" seems particularly unseemly and unsightly.

2. Are trash talk and boorish behavior "cultural" norms that we want to claim as a "black thing"? Should we really be taking an active stand to support this type of behavior and chastising majority media outlets for truthfully pointing out the negative impact these acts have on the game?

3. Is it necessary to stand beside a player just because he is Black? Rashad McCants has continuously done immature and idiotic things, all the way back to the 10th grade when he was cut from his AAU team for the same type of selfishness that got him cut from the US World Team last summer. He says he's misunderstood, but then he is silly enough to make the 'jail statement' followed by the throat slash two weeks after every national media outlet in the country murdered the Wake player for doing the same thing. I just don't see the cultural bias in the way the media reacted. I see a kid who is highly immature, who happens to be Black, and also happens to always be near idiotic outcomes.

Let’s not attribute stupidity, immaturity and boorishness to black cultural norms.

I felt better after that, like I had recovered from an almost crippling personal tragedy of sorts. At that moment sports, as they say, begin to reflect very real issues in life, and we dug a bit further:

Why does 'clean' have to be 'White'? Why does correct English have to be 'White'? Why does good sportsmanship have to be 'White guy All American'? Why can’t it just be RIGHT! The bigger question is this: Are there really White standards and Black standards for decency, fair play, and sportsmanship that we as Black people are willing to publicly argue about and attempt to justify?

I think not.

In my opinion, you play on a very slippery slope when you start trying to slice the pie that thin. I'm not willing to take on throat slashing, trash talking, and poor sportsmanship as a cultural thing that Whites need to look beyond. None of us (red, purple, green, black or pink) should!

The truth is this: Black players still aren't afforded enough public praise through the recognized media “code” words for excellence (savvy, heady, coach’s son, aware, team player) to balance the negative ramifications of Blacks saying "Black inner city culture is trash talk, throat ‘slashing’, and one-upmanship. You White people are blowing it out of proportion." Such talk could be very dangerous to the good work that coaches and universities have done over the years to heal the wounds of the past.

Drop the "inner city" from that sentence, and it could turn into "Black culture is athletic, selfish, individualistic, explosive, of low IQ (basketball or otherwise) and intimidating." Boil it down to it’s most basic form, let it get into the wrong hands, and what at first seemed so innocent to me and my fraternity brother morphs into “White is right, and Black is……other than right.”

A very, very slippery slope, indeed.

Rashad McCants and Taron Downey, I apologize to you for almost weighing you down with some cold stereotypes. The next time you want to talk trash, be braggadocios or taunt the opposing side or crowd with a throat slash, remember that it’s not cool and, by all means, not a cultural norm. It’s just poor taste and not what citizens of this country marched, prayed, and died for on your behalf. If that is all you learn in February during our nation’s Black History Month, consider yourself ahead of the game.

After 32 years, I almost forgot.

Ed is still Waiting for Godot…..and a fish out of water in Asheboro