We're off today.....

UPDATE (Birkel): Please do see my analysis of the KU-KState game from last night which is the very next post down the page.



.......on official Basketblog i.e. my other job is calling me, business. A couple of tidbits to hold you over.

Valuable Victory for Terps
Greivis Vasquez scores 25 points as Maryland adds to Virginia's road woes Wednesday with a critical 85-75 win at Comcast Center to move to 13-8 (3-3 ACC).

K-State Finally Beats Kansas at Home
Michael Beasley scored 25 points, Bill Walker had 22 and No. 22 Kansas State ended a 24-year, home-court losing streak against Kansas with an 84-75 victory Wednesday night against the previously unbeaten Jayhawks.

Making a place at UNC
UNC's Deon Thompson serves as a complementary post player to 6-foot-9 All-America Tyler Hansbrough, but the 6-8, 240-pound sophomore wants to do more.

UNC hosts Eagles after 7-day break
The last time North Carolina had this many days off between games in the ACC season, the Tar Heels lost.

NCSU vs. Duke: Defense is key
Tonight's game between the two rivals at Cameron Indoor Stadium could come down to which team plays the better defense

KU v K-State

Because high school seniors who might otherwise be drafted highly cannot choose to go pro, those young men will have to choose a college to attend for one year. Michael Beasley is just such a player and he went to Kansas State!!

Pay attention coaches. If you can land a Beasley or a Carmelo Anthony caliber player, you can compete on the national stage.

Pay attention players. If you go to Georgia Tech (Chris Bosh) and have to play against Duke and Carolina four times in a season, you're not going to change the power dynamic of a conference, more than likely**. But if you go somewhere where not much is expected and the overall competition in a conference is decent but not great, you can become a legend.

Michael Beasley can eat in Manhattan, Kansas FOR FREE for the rest of his life. Even when he's rich (next year) he'll have restaurant owners refusing his perfectly spendable greenbacks. I guarantee it.

24 years of losing to your in-state rival is a long time. Wow. On your court. Double wow. Congratulations to the Kansas State Fightin' Beasleys.

**Apologies to Kenny Anderson who, in my defense, stayed two years but was NBA-ready by today's standards right out of high school.

The Daily Roundup: Wednesday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage!!!


PHOTO: Ish sinks the 'Canes.


Getting your mind right:
Memphis, Kansas Could Enjoy Smooth Sailing

Lawyer: Andy Pettitte Will Back Trainer : "A lawyer for Andy Pettitte's former personal trainer said Tuesday he believes the pitcher will tell Congress he discussed human growth hormone with Roger Clemens between the 2001 and 2002 seasons." Ohhh Roger.....time to come clean my man...time to come clean.


Coach offers $1.5 million for leaving W. Virginia


Dale Earnhardt Jr. is no longer with the company and has left the building





The conference headlines:

Andrew Jones of the Wilmington Star: Coach K deserves credit for makeover: "Duke likely won't win the national championship, but that doesn't mean the Blue Devils can't have a magical season."




Wake Forest

Sw(Ish) means win for Deacons:"Ex-Central Cabarrus star Ish Smith sinks Hurricanes
Wake Forest point guard Ish Smith, the ball cradled in one arm and the court wide open before him, calculated the odds."

Deacons win a nail-biter : "Smith hits jumper in final seconds to give WFU 70-68 win over MiamiA year ago, as a freshman, Ish Smith of Wake Forest was best known for leading the ACC in assists.This season he's getting acclaim for his finishing touch."


Miami

UM loses in final seconds to Wake : "Winning on the road in the Atlantic Coast Conference has become more than just almost impossible for the University of Miami -- it has become a heartbreaking experience, too."

Smith's shot with 2.6 seconds left sinks Hurricanes : "Call it "Heartbreaker No. 2" on the road for the Miami Hurricanes. For the second consecutive time, the Hurricanes left an arena in this state with a loss in the closing moments."


Virginia Tech

Big first half, strong FT shooting propel Tech past FSU

Tech nixes 'Noles: "Virginia Tech gets 22 points from A.D. Vassallo and cruises over Florida State, 89-80."


Florida State

Hokies keep Seminoles on the skid: "The Virginia Tech fans started doing the chop with 35 seconds left."

Mayhew completes interview for FSU AD job: "Martin Mayhew admitted that not having experience as a collegiate athletics administrator is his greatest weakness as a candidate to become Florida State's next athletic director. But the current Sr. V.P. with the Detroit Lions said there is much he can... "


North Carolina
UNC's Greg Little has no offseason : "After starting the last two games of the season at tailback and scoring the winning touchdown against Duke, North Carolina freshman Greg Little fulfilled another goal as a Tar Heel last month: He swished a 3-pointer."

Little enjoying time with basketball team :"Greg Little's time with the North Carolina basketball team has revealed two things about the former Hillside star. First, Little's a good dancer. He's been a key addition to Danny Green's pre-game routine, moving and shaking to "Jump Around" just before tip-off."




Duke
Duke basketball notebook : "It looked like Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski drew his first technical foul of the season Sunday at Maryland for arguing about the lack of an offensive goaltending call, but Krzyzewski joked that he was whistled for taking a stand for something else. "

Devils nab top-10 QB prospect : "David Cutcliffe came to Duke with the reputation as one of the nation's best developers of quarterbacks. Now Cutcliffe's first recruiting class will feature one of the nation's best quarterbacks."

Two Duke receivers face charges in incident : "Duke wide receivers Eron Riley and Austin Kelly face misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident at a Ninth Street nightclub late Friday night. " Duke football, coming of age!


Maryland

Men's college basketball: 'Boom' time for Terps

U-Md.-U-Va. Has NCAA Implications




Georgia Tech

FINALLY GETTING THE POINT : "It wasn't a secret to many that Georgia Tech desperately needed better point guard play. But, outside of maybe Paul Hewitt, few believed freshman Maurice Miller (right) was the answer."

Tech, Uzzi to meet :"Virginia moves into mix with Yellow Jackets, Alabama for 6-4, 295-pound Chamblee lineman."




Virginia

Virginia Travels To Maryland For ACC Encounter

Cavaliers look for a couple positives


Clemson

Jacksonville Pipeline: "Take a look at this year’s recruiting map and an orange paw might well be the marker to locate Jacksonville. Counting a pair of safeties from the southern part of St. John’s County, Clemson stands to sign at least six players from the Jacksonville area next week, tapping back into a pipeline that has funneled more than its share of recruits in the Tigers’ direction."

Gator pledge lands back on the market: "Defensive end Chaz Sutton (6-foot-4, 230) of Savannah committed to Florida in July and remained firm with his pledge until getting a call from the Gators the Monday after his official visit."

Baseball Widmann ready for his return :"Clemson coach Jack Leggett was grateful Stan Widmann at least heard him out. Leggett routinely meets with players during the fall to discuss their progress. He had a different spiel lined up for Widmann, who was rehabilitating from surgery to remove a benign tumor from his vertebrae."



Boston College

BC football to open at Kent St. in 2008: "Although it won't be officially released for a few days, Boston College's football schedule is set for the 2008 season, with seven home games and two early open dates that will help coach Jeff Jagodzinski and offensive coordinator Steve Logan break in an offense led by a new starting QB."

The Daily Roundup: Tuesday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage!!!

PHOTO:Meet the #1 Football and top 50 basketball recruit in the country, Terrell Pryor: Bigger, faster, stronger! Story below.

Getting your mind right:

America's most wanted : "Quarterback Terrell Pryor has the speed to outrun opponents and the arm to hit open receivers. Oh, and he's also the nation's most coveted prospect." Dude is sick.....and is now listing Duke as a possibility.

'The Foul' adds new twist to Duke-UNC rivalry: "Hansbrough's broken nose and Henderson's suspension a hot topic. Duke's Gerald Henderson committed one of the most famous fouls in ACC basketball history last season."

The ACC Insider, Andrew Jones: ACC Hoops Report Card: "Focused Duke and red-hot Georgia Tech earn A+ grades."

Star system for rating players might not mean much in college

John Feinstein of the Washington Post: Plenty Lost in All the Hype

The conference headlines:

INSIDE THE ACC

Duke, UNC climb in Top 25

RETURNING: Vitale will be back for Duke vs. UNC

UNC, N.C. State, Duke get commitments

Jack Daly of the Durham Herald Sun - Defense not only factor in Final Four runs: "Before North Carolina is condemned because of its defensive liabilities, it should be noted that the worst two defensive teams to reach the Final Four in the last six years were both coached by Roy Williams."

Duke
Defense always standard for Duke : "Ten days ago, Duke's only senior, DeMarcus Nelson, was talking about the importance of scoring off turnovers. Where have I heard that one before?"

Virginia

U.VA. NOTES

Clemson

Baseball Widmann ready for his return: "After missing a year because of a neck tumor, the Tigers shortstop has been cleared to rejoin the team. Clemson coach Jack Leggett was grateful Stan Widmann at least heard him out. Leggett routinely meets with players during the fall to discuss their progress. He had a different spiel lined up for Widmann, who was rehabilitating from surgery to remove a benign tumor from his vertebrae."

Basketball Tigers post play takes another hit: "Already handicapped by one significant injury, Clemson is bracing for life with both of its frontcourt starters being dinged."

Georgia Tech

Causey honored by ACC: "Jackets guard named conference's player of the week after averaging 18 points in two road wins."

Improved point guard play fueling Tech's surge

Hemingway earns ACC weekly award

Florida State

'Noles playing waiting game for commitments: "Another big recruiting weekend for Florida State's football program hasn't produced public commitments for the Seminoles. Not yet, or at least not outside of the one they already had from defensive end Toshmon Stevens of Crescent City."

New candidate emerges for FSU AD

Miami

UM hopes star's shooting slump ends :"What can you do to end a shooting slump? University of Miami coach Frank Haith has prescribed Jack McClinton with an age-old remedy: shoot, shoot and shoot some more."

UM faces tough task at Wake : "Dino Gaudio did his best to avoid the tears."

Questions from the Comments

This query:

Why do you think "A good mid-major with solid PG play will give Duke trouble in the post-season."? So far, the evidence seems to be that to beat Duke you have to be able to dominate on the inside to exploit Duke's interior weakness, and have a solid point guard and overall team ball handling to neutralize Duke's defensive strength. That's actually a pretty rare combination in the current college game. I certainly don't see any mid-majors that balanced.

Can you explain what you're seeing that a mid-major (or other teams) should be exploiting? Only one loss nearly 20 games in against a decent schedule means that either you don't have a lot of weaknesses, or that the ones you have aren't exploitable by most teams.

from the comments is a good one. And I'm happy to devote some of my analytical ability to the task.

*********************
First, when I think of mid-majors these days I think of George Mason. I think of Gonzaga. And I think of Davidson. Those teams are pretty darned good and only one of the ACC teams this year would want to play those three on a regular basis: UNC-CH.

Second, Duke has no primary ball handler. Paulus is a pretty good college PG for a quarterback. So Duke must share the ball handling duties which puts a lot of pressure on DeMarcus Nelson. Nelson just happens to be the most dynamic player on Duke's squad which means a team with a solid scoring PG can stress Duke's rotation by shifting Nelson's duties primarily to a ball-hawking role instead of his more comfortable off-the-ball defensive position. This changes the defensive rotation Duke must employ. Nelson already leads the team in minutes by over 3 per game so any increased strain on him will mean less production in other areas.

Third, mid-major teams are typically older than Duke. Those players are stronger and more reliable than the young players Duke employs. This means that although they won't be as talented as Duke is, they will stay at home on defense to contain the drives while consistently rotating to outside shooters in a manner most teams Duke plays have not. In other words, Duke will have to play better against a disciplined team of less skilled 23 year old players than they do against Clemson or Maryland or FSU. Those teams are filled with players of immense talent but unfortunately that is where we must stop in our compliments; they are not disciplined.

Finally, Duke has no consistent low post scorer. Gone are the days of Sheldon Williams, Elton Brand and even Cherokee Parks. Duke depends on consistently getting to the rim or kicking for three point attempts. That means Duke is prone to cold streaks if it can't hit the long distance shots. And that's bound to happen against a good solid team.

Now, this is not to say that a mid-major is likely to beat Duke. I have not said so much. What I have said is that Duke will struggle to get out of the first weekend. They will not, imo, roll to the Elite 8 without a care, as they have in the past.

They're solid but vulnerable.

The Daily Roundup: Monday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage

Getting your mind right:
Tiger Wins Buick in a Rout to Tie Palmer : "Tiger Woods joined the King, and left everyone else at the Buick Invitational feeling like paupers. In his most dominant start to a season, Woods built an 11-shot lead Sunday until his game and the fickle weather turned cold on the back nine. A birdie on the last hole gave him a 1-under 71 and an eight-shot victory, giving him 62 for his career to tie Arnold Palmer on the PGA Tour list." If you missed the show....wow.

The conference headlines

The Charlotte Observer's Top 50 Football Recruits

The ACC Insider - Duke-Maryland Notebook: "Blue Devils scoring big off their defense."

Mike Wise of the Washington Post: Terps Need More Work

Rick Maese of the Baltimore Sun: UM making progress toward consistency

Duke

Duke takes down Maryland: "With a significant size advantage and the homecourt advantage helping Maryland become the first team all season to lead Duke at halftime, it took everything that Duke's five players on the floor could muster for the Blue Devils to draw even with 10 minutes left to play."

Devils refuse to lose : "Duke's DeMarcus Nelson scores 19 of his 27 points in the second half against Maryland as the Blue Devils play one of their best halves of the season. Duke rallies from a nine-point, first-half deficit to win 93-84."

Maryland

Maryland Falls to No. 4 Duke (From the Washington Post) - "Facing its biggest deficit of the season Sunday in a hostile environment, No. 4 Duke shows its resilience in denying Maryland another upset, rallying for a 93-84 victory at Comcast Center."

Half-shelled : "Maryland's Shane Walker (left) and Dave Neal battle Duke's Kyle Singler for a rebound. Maryland built a nine-point halftime lead, handing Duke its largest deficit of the season, but the Blue Devils responded with a 22-12 run to start the second half. Duke then turned away a late rally by the Terps and held on for a 93-84 victory."

Virginia Tech

Hokies top BC in OT

Boston College

OT doesn't pay off for BC: "The good, the bad, and the ugly all showed up yesterday at Conte Forum. Officially, it was an 81-73 overtime loss to Virginia Tech for coach Al Skinner's Boston College Eagles, a defeat that left the crowd of 8,062 muttering a lot of "if onlys" as they made their way to the exits."

Thorns scores nine in OT to lift Hokies to 81-73 win over Eagles: "Virginia Tech's Hank Thorns chased Boston College's Tyrese Rice all over the floor for the first 40 minutes, then played like him in the final five."

Georgia Tech

OVERTIME THRILL:"Matt Causey scored 12 of his 18 points in overtime as Georgia Tech won its second consecutive ACC, beating reeling Virginia."

Receiver Donley leaves Tech: "Former Charlton County star, one of the top players from 2007 recruiting class, says he'll transfer."

Coutu hopes to kick start his draft status

Tech picks up three commitments

Virginia

Familiar flop for Cavs: "Again, U.Va. fails to maintain big lead in losing to an ACC foe."

Cellar dwellers: "Virginia takes over sole possession of last place in the ACC."

UVa Insider: Offering Evans make sense on a lot of fronts

Miami

McClinton rallies UM past No. 25 Clemson : "Jack McClinton spent the better part of a pivotal Atlantic Coast Conference showdown with No. 25 Clemson like he has the past few weeks: searching for his shooting touch. Luckily for the University of Miami, he found it just in time Sunday."

Marquee attraction : "Booker T. Washington cornerback Brandon Harris made an official visit to the University of Miami this past weekend in hopes of narrowing his choice."

UM reaping a bumper of QBs

Clemson
’Canes rain 3’s to stop Tigers: "Jack McClinton shook off his shooting woes and helped Miami snap a losing streak. Mired in a 2-for-14 funk, McClinton hit three consecutive 3-pointers over a 1:21 span late in the game as Miami rallied and defeated Clemson 75-72 Sunday afternoon."

Purnell preaches the big picture to Tigers

Football Cheraw star ready for his next big move: "Jaron Brown’s versatility has him in demand as Michigan, Clemson and USC vie for his services. During spring practice at the end of his sophomore year, Jaron Brown began to grab the attention of college recruiters. The recruiters were at Cheraw High to check out Braves’ end Cliff Matthews, but it quickly became apparent that Brown, a wide receiver and defensive back, also would be a star. Two years later, the Braves’ top wide receiver/defensive back is just days away from making his college choice."

Time running out to attract worthy talent: "THE NUMBER OF available recruiting prospects on Clemson’s and USC’s boards is quickly dwindling. Both schools added players last week with Clemson gaining offensive lineman Kenneth Page (6-foot-3, 290 pounds) of A.C. Flora and defensive lineman Brandon Thompson (6-2, 275) of Thomasville, Ga."

Wake Forest

A Solid Choice: Aminu, prized basketball recruit, showed loyalty to Wake Forest, Gaudio

Duke vs. Maryland

Down here in Florida the game is covered on some off-brand channel.
But it's on.

Now the question: Can Duke do what Carolina could not?

UPDATE:
Duke did what Carolina did not.
Why?The answer is simple: ball pressure.

Maryland had too many trips down the court that resulted in turnovers or missed free throws. The turnovers are a direct result of ball pressure because Maryland's PG is erratic. The missed FTs are an indirect result of pressure because the Maryland players were clearly tired down the stretch. The Maryland bigs no longer had the lift that was giving Duke trouble in the first half. There were fewer blow-by drives in the final 5 minutes than in any other stretch of the game.

A good mid-major with solid PG play will give Duke trouble in the post-season. But Maryland is not solid with the ball. Neither Juan Dixon nor Steve Blake is walking through that proverbial door. And Maryland will struggle therefore.

Meanwhile, Duke got a big game out of DeMarcus Nelson. Nelson finally looks like the player most of us imagined when he was recruited out of California as that state's leading scorer and rebounder in boys high school history. If he continues to mature and Duke does the unthinkable and wins the ACC regular season, Nelson will be deserving of league-MVP consideration while Tyler Hansbrough is the clear MOP.

Random(ish) Musings

I'm watching a bit of the Indiana-UConn matchup on television and something struck me: Indiana hasn't been a threat to win a national title in 15 years -AND- UConn hasn't been very good since they lost Okafor and Gordon after winning the title in 2003. Really that's a bit surprising since I think Jim Calhoun is a terrific coach. So I started thinking about the teams that have historically and recently been very good and I noticed a pattern.

The pattern is that every team except Duke, Carolina and Kansas** has had an extended period when they just weren't very good. Carolina wasn't good for one year under the coach we don't mention around these parts. But it rhymes with Rat Morty. And Duke wasn't good for one season when Coach K had back troubles. (Spare me the trash talk 'cause I've heard it all before.) Kansas has been consistently good for a while even though I don't expect them to win a title unless Danny Manning miraculously walks through that proverbial door.

Meanwhile, UCLA has had some poor seasons. Syracuse has fallen by the wayside. Georgetown had a very bad period that is only recently ended. Michigan is terrible. Kentucky stinks. Louisville suffered during Denny Crum's last few season. Saint John's isn't even on the map. Georgia Tech can't keep its players more than one year. Utah doesn't rate a mention since Majerus left. On and on.

The fact that UNC has managed to have four different coaches in the last 12 years and still maintained consistently high play is remarkable. Duke has done it with the same coach but one assumes he'll be around for several more years at which time Duke will pay for the best coach available. And Kansas has stayed a dangerous team even though they lost their head coach to the Heels.

Anyway, that struck me as interesting and under-discussed. YMMV.

**I'm not including Arizona in this conversation because 1) they're not very good this year and 2) Lute Olson may not return and that could alter the landscape significantly.

Australian Open Ladies Final

Ana Ivanovic

versus


Maria Sharapova

The Daily Roundup: Free Throw Friday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:

The Weekend Smoke from the Stogie Guys.com: Stogie Reviews: Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu No. 2 (Exclusivo Zona del Este)

Rick Maese of the Baltimore Times: Basketball film scores as civil rights history lesson: Excellent read. The movie was originated by Earl Monroe and friends of Winston Salem State University. A must see.....

From the Washington Post: Huggins Is a Work In Progress

The conference headlines:

Caulton Tudor of the Raleigh News and Observer: Parity, but not balance - If there's rhyme or reason to be found in the first few league games of the ACC men's basketball season, it's that the parity of the past three years can't be dismissed as an anomaly.

Aaron McFarling of the Roanoke News: Hokies throw away chance to slay another giant

Matt Winkeljohn of the AJC: Jackets digging deeper:"Matt Winkeljohn likes what he sees from the hoop squad, believes it can do some damage this season."

LENOX RAWLINGS of the Winston Salem Journal: Wolfpack's problem at point guard is worsening

The ACC Insider:

Coach K Receives Major Honor: "Duke coach recognized by USA Basketball."

UNC-Miami Observations: "Tar Heels rebound from first loss of season."

Get over there!!

Duke
Blue Devils pound 'frisky' Hokies : "Virginia Tech tries to out muscle and out hustle Duke in Thursday's ACC matchup, but both teams did their share of pushing and shoving while the Blue Devils secured an 81-64 victory. Duke stays undefeated in the ACC."

Devils settle in, pull away in heated matchup: "Duke point guard Greg Paulus couldn't help but hear the coordinated chants and the bevy of boos cascading down on him Thursday night at Cassell Coliseum, and he just couldn't help himself when he drained a 3-pointer late in the first half to extend Duke's lead."

Virginia Tech
Hokies take a hit: "Duke takes control in the second half to run away from Tech in a physical contest."

NC State
Pack's Lowe commits secondary violation: "N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe committed a secondary violation of NCAA rules in discussing a basketball prospect, an NCSU athletics official said Thursday."

North Carolina

Tar Heels get a 'break' heading into homestretch

Maryland

College Football: Terrapins' Friedgen Makes Changes to Coaching Staff

Virginia

UVa Insider: Offering Evans make sense on a lot of fronts

Georgia Tech

Tech gets 3 commitments: "Jackets expand recruiting class with Ala. QB, Fla. OT and CB from South Carolina."

Florida State

Lilly hunkers down with the Dawgs: "Georgia made the hiring of John Lilly as its tight-ends coach official on Thursday afternoon. The departure of Lilly from Florida State, where he has been coaching 13 years, was first reported earlier this week."

Miami

4 Bulls stars enroll at UM : "Just in the nick of time, three of the four highly regarded Northwestern football players who committed to play for the University of Miami -- including quarterback Jacory Harris -- started classes at UM on Thursday and will be on campus for spring practice, said Rodney Harris, Jacory's father, and two university sources."

Good news for UM on recruits

The Daily Roundup: Thursday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:

For you NASCAR heads: Can Dale Jr. get over hump? and 3 drivers first to feel move by Earnhardt

Teresa Earnhardt out front and running the show at DEI : "High above the showroom floor, Teresa Earnhardt surveyed her employees as they hurriedly finished setting up for a reception. When everything was finally in place and her media guests had been seated, the owner of Dale Earnhardt Inc. gracefully made her way to the front of the crowd to deliver a brief welcoming address. Then, the woman who has spent the past seven years shunning the press, stepped off the stage and worked the room."

Rodriguez, WVU had long been at odds: "Even before the first snap at fall football practice, Rich Rodriguez and his agent were pursuing a promised "culture change" at West Virginia, e-mails obtained by The Associated Press show."

BCS no match for March Madness

From the Washington Post: The Academic Bar Is Raised, and Coaches Bristle

The conference headlines:

Michael Cunningham of the South Florida Sun Sentinel: Hurricanes not at the Tar Heels' level

North Carolina
Heels bounce back : "UNC forward Tyler Hansbrough scores 27 of his season-high 35 points in the second half to secure a 98-82 victory over Miami. The effort helped the No. 5 Tar Heels overcome a more aggressive, but still wobbly, defensive performance."

Heels take care of Miami: " North Carolina was going to score more points than Miami come hell or high water. The Tar Heels usually do that no matter what the circumstances — they entered Wednesday’s game as the second-highest scoring team in college basketball. But when you throw in the fact UNC was four days removed from its first loss of the season, you had to figure the Hurricanes were going to get the Tar Heels’ best shot."

Miami

Hurricanes can't keep up with fired up UNC : "This was not a case of the Miami Hurricanes not playing well enough."

Barefoot and basketball

Georgia Tech

Tech earns road win over N.C. State

Tech's strategy: defend State like it defended UNC

Nationally-ranked Tech women face Duke

Chiefs hire former Gailey assistant

Tech among schools still looking for '08 opponent

Florida State

'Noles stuff Cavs:"Toney Douglas wants to change his image. Florida State's point guard doesn't want to be known..."

FSU hires Shults as academic chief »

Top tailback Harper eyes visit to FSU »

Carvalho sweeps Maclay defense »

NC State
Wolfpack feels the sting : "The Wolfpack stays close even as Georgia Tech's aggressive play produces points off turnovers, but a chance to tie at the buzzer misses. The Yellow Jackets win 77-74."

Wolfpack unable to fend off Jackets: "Georgia Tech rallies to pull out 77-74 win; N.C. State falls to 12-6."

Wolfpack has Cause(y) for concern:"Georgia Tech finally figured out how to win a game at the RBC Center. All the Yellow Jackets had to do was shoot 59.2 percent from the floor and get a second straight huge game from Matt Causey."

Virginia

Seminoles leave Cavs off guard: "After letting a 10-point second-half lead slip away last night at Florida State, the Virginia Cavaliers needed Sean Singletary to deliver some of his trademark heroics. But this time, he appeared mortal."

Cavs go flat in stretch: "Florida State overcomes an 10-point second-half deficit and scores on its last seven possessions to top Virginia."

Duke

First-place Duke hitting the road

Duke at Virginia Tech: "Duke guard Jon Scheyer has found a new, highly productive role off the bench this season."

Devils preparing for a battle : "One word can best describe Duke’s series with Virginia Tech since the Hokies joined the ACC. Tough." True, but that was because of VaTech's former extremely talented guard play. Paulus is a little better now and Tech is a little less talented at the point. That could prove to be a bad combo.

Virginia Tech

As a Devil insider, Singler showing plenty

Wake Forest

Wake Forest is hit hard by injuries: "Williams breaks right hand, will have minor surgery today; McFarland sprains knee."

Beijing Olympics

I would not want to be an Olympic athlete, having trained all my life, only to face the conditions that are reported in today's Washington Post:

Recent measurements show that on some days the amount of smoke and dust particles in the air exceeds by three to 12 times the maximum deemed safe by the World Health Organization. So while some teams say they are encouraged by the progress, they are preparing for the worst. Jacques Rogge, the head of the International Olympic Committee, has said events could be rescheduled if the air quality does not meet safety standards on a given day.

"The magnitude of the pollution in Beijing is not something we know how to deal with. It's a foreign environment. It's like feeding an athlete poison," said David Martin, a respiratory expert who is helping train U.S. marathoners.

Frank Filiberto, a physician for the U.S. boxing team, thought concerns about Beijing's pollution were exaggerated -- until he came to visit.

In November, he accompanied 11 boxers to the Chinese capital for a competition. On their first morning there, Filiberto said, the men returned from their daily 20-minute training run complaining of burning eyes, coughing, congestion and breathing difficulties. Only six of the 11 boxers ended up feeling well enough to compete.

"In my opinion boxers are probably the finest athletes in the world," Filiberto said. "But they didn't think they could make it three rounds in Beijing." Filiberto and the coaches were so alarmed that they ordered the boxers to jog only in hotel hallways thereafter.

That sounds truly horrible. Here's hoping the IOC makes better choices in the future. And here's hoping China cleans up, much the same way other countries have when they become richer.

The Daily Roundup: Wednesday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:

JOHN DELONG of the Winston-Salem Journal: Work ethic, drive to excel is paying off for Howard

Mike Bianchi: Urban Meyer should pay if he broke recruiting rules : "Now we know why Urban Meyer is such a great recruiter."

The conference headlines:

Sizing up the wide-open ACC:"Even with North Carolina’s surprising loss to Maryland on Saturday, UNC and Duke still are universally considered the top two teams in the ACC, with their order to be determined at least initially by their first meeting of the season on Feb. 6."

Andrew Jones of the Wilmington Star: Wolfpack needs to build on success: "What a dramatic moment at the RBC Center last Saturday night."

At Wake, Prosser's Spirit Lives On

Clemson
Tigers get a little extra to top Wake: "Oliver Purnell labeled it another walk in the park. Judging by its pedometer, Clemson has grown fond of taking the long route."

Men's basketball postgame:"KEY MOMENT: Up 76-73 in overtime, reserve forward Sam Perry, a 63 percent free-throw shooter, hits two foul shots with 15.8 seconds remaining — thanks in part to a lane violation — to make it a two-possession game."

Davis is at peace with his decision: "Downtime gives Clemson’s halfback some perspective on his NFL decision. As 7 o’clock comes and goes each morning, Clemson tailback James Davis is glad he decided to return to college."

Wake Forest

Missed opportunity :"Wake Forest isOn his first opportunity to beat an ACC opponent on the road, freshman James Johnson of Wake Forest passed. The result was a botched three-on-one fast break at the end of regulation that allowed Clemson to extend the game into overtime, where the Tigers pulled out a wild 80-75 victory over the frustrated Deacons."

Hood leaves job at Wake Forest

NC State

Pack, Jackets preparing for pivotal game tonight

Georgia Tech at N.C. State: "NCSU coach Sidney Lowe was watching on TV last week when North Carolina edged Georgia Tech in Atlanta and heard UNC's Tyler Hansbrough call the Yellow Jackets "very physical.""

Pack, Devils add football recruits

North Carolina

Williams: Heels' defense needs to improve: "North Carolina and Miami, each coming off losses, to square off in key ACC game tonight."

Ellington's family heads south with son: "Wayne Ellington will move away one day, probably to make a living in the NBA. His home will be the crowded arenas, practice gyms and posh hotels professional teams inhabit."

Miami
King toughs it out : "Miami senior Anthony King is back for a fifth year and is eager to make the most of his final college season. He gets shot at North Carolina tonight."

UM catches UNC team on rebound : "On Saturday, there were no signs of fiery emotion that earned North Carolina center Tyler Hansbrough that nickname. As he sat in the players' lounge at the Dean Smith Center after the Tar Heels were upset at home by Maryland, intensity was replaced with disbelief."

UM braces for UNC, tries to forget tough loss : "Most coaches who are about to take on North Carolina would prefer to spend every second of game preparation trying to figure out ways to beat Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson and the rest of Roy Williams' talented bunch."

UM snags receivers coach Hill from Pitt

UM star recruit Jacory Harris named Florida's 'Mr. Football'

Bill Young to be Hurricanes' defensive coordinator

Decommitments adding up: "So linebacker Ramon Buchanan becomes the latest to jump ship. He becomes the..."

Maryland

Tracking the Terps: Five biggest UM upsets under Williams

Virginia Tech

Tech gives Greenberg contract extension: "Virginia Tech announced a new six-season contract for men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg, which could keep him at Tech through the 2012-13 season." Well deserved....

Georgia Tech

Taking on new roles: "Paul Hewitt's been shaking up the lineup, and the Yellow Jackets have been responding."

Gailey says Tech experience will help in NFL

Florida State

Wanted: Tight ends coach. Recruiting coordinator. Apply within.

Recruiting update: FSU earns commitment from Ohio OL

Carolina Fans Acting Badly

Some female student at UNC embarrassed herself (one hopes) and her university (undoubtedly) when she yelled "Go back to the ghetto!" as the Maryland players left the Dean Dome Court Saturday afternoon. (Video here.)

I would like to say several things, one of which I've already said: The unidentified female should be publicly excoriated. She should suffer tremendous social probation and outrage. She should be embarrassed by and regretful of her actions.

The university, which is a governmental body, should not punish the female in spite of her outrageous speech. Outrageous speech is protected every bit as much by the First Amendment as normal conversations. In fact, for the First Amendment to mean anything, outrageous speech must be protected against the intrusion of governmental forces.

Finally, the assumption of the Sporting News blog writer that the offender is a "rich girl" is insulting. Carolina's students are not overwhelmingly rich. So the assumption that this offensive female is rich tells me more about the bias of the blog writer than about the target of his criticism. The blog writer should be chastised, I believe, for his offensive assumption about the Carolina student body.

"But," you might ask, "why is being called rich offensive."

The answer is that in context the author of the blog post is flippantly conflating the issues of ignorant actions, race and wealth. This sort of mixing of issues obscures the real issues which I mentioned above. Second, it allows the casual observer or commenter to cast too wide a net over the student body at UNC, which is unwarranted. Finally, matters of race and wealth do not show a strong correlation. Poor men are as prone to the failures of human kind in no greater measure, it seems to me, than are rich men.

There is nothing inherently wrong with richness. There is something, I believe, inherently wrong with the opinion the female in the video expressed. Therefore, the conflation of the two issues by the blog writer is wrongheaded and unnecessary. We do not have to turn to name calling no matter the issue. The idea that name calling is a decent substitute for well-crafted argumentation simply does not hold.

The Sporting News writer should be embarrassed, to a lesser degree than the female in the video, for taking a cheap shot at the UNC student body through the female proxy.

The Daily Roundup: Tuesday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:

Memphis Replaces NC Atop Hoops Poll : "Memphis replaced North Carolina as the No. 1 team in college basketball Monday, the Tigers' first appearance in 25 years at the top of The Associated Press poll."

JOHN DELONG of the Winston Salem Journal: A NIFTY MOVE: NBA defuses controversy by considering Spurs' Duncan a forward, not a center, for All-Star voting

Ex-W.Va. coach Rodriguez contends he's victim of smear campaign

The conference headlines:

The ACC Insider: ACC Hoops Report Card - "Duke and Maryland do A-plus work while UNC and FSU get Ds."

Dascenzo: Consistency still key to Duke's success under Krzyzewski :"Sixteen games and 15 wins into his 28th season as Duke's basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski is doing one of his better jobs."

NC State
A high-five for Lowe, Pack : "N.C. State won on Saturday because of the kind of play the Pack likely will need to be successful Wednesday against Georgia Tech and the rest of the season."

Heralded lineman commits to State

Maryland
Williams: Terps need to be 'mature' after thrill of UNC win: Yes, he didn't seem thrilled after seening his players dance around on the court after the win.

Recruiting Report: Meet UM commitment Devonte Campbell

North Carolina
How will the Heels respond? : "The North Carolina men's basketball team will hope it mimics the 2005 team's reaction to a loss more than it replicates what the 2007 squad did after a defeat."

Georgia defender commits to UNC

Wake Forest

Deacons to hit the road again :"WFU will try to topple powerful Clemson tonight."

Virginia Tech

VT Insider: Onus on Ore now

Hokies' Allen issues apology:"Tech forward must sit out two games for bumping official."

Men's basketball responds to Allen suspension

Daunting tests tougher for Tech

Ore returning to Tech

Virginia

UVa Insider: First two Leitao classes not contributing much

Move a gain Cav's Joseph : "Adrian Joseph dreams of Trinidad, enjoys U.Va. opportunity."

Singletary climbs past Reynolds on scoring list

Singletary's mates join him for win

Leitao: Cavaliers play as practice

Making the grade still hard for Cavs

Sewell's status in question

Clemson

Tigers hope to trim their recovery time: "Clemson will try to avoid another big-loss hangover against Wake Forest. It is not a stretch to think Clemson is the overwhelming favorite in tonight’s 7 p.m. tip against Wake Forest at Littlejohn Coliseum. But it is a stretch to think the Tigers have completely moved on from Saturday’s poor performance at Duke."

NFL draft Advice proves a risky prospect: "Clemson coach Tommy Bowden has a stock answer for any underclassman who decides to dip his toe in the NFL pool. It goes something like this."

Clemson's Davis backs out of NFL Draft

State colleges Clemson’s Richardson to play in Senior Bowl:"Clemson offensive lineman Barry Richardson is among the 100 top senior NFL draft prospects participating in the 2008 Under Armour Senior Bowl this week in Mobile, Ala."

Taking a break for the King!

Today, we celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My school is closed today (Birkel, are you all open today) so that means I get to attend a nice MLKJr event, catch up on some emails and, of course, have a nice stogie along the way. If you don't know a lot about Dr. King or your memories from 4th grade civics class are fading, take this time to educate yourself. Hey, don't thank us.... it's what we try to do on the Basketblog.

Yesterday's News

I'm sure most of you spent the afternoon watching the New England Patriots beat an undermanned San Diego Chargers team in the bitter cold. And now you're probably sitting in the comfort of your various and sundry living rooms watching the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants. So, for one more weekend the world is focused on football.

But yesterday we saw what the BasketBlog believes were far more important games: ACC basketball.

Carolina looked talented and disinterested yesterday against a Maryland team that wanted it more. A team like Maryland knows that it's not going to win the national championship. So it plays against UNC or Duke like it's the biggest game of the year. And a team like UNC knows that its only goal is winning the NCAA tourney. So the dog days of mid-January are as removed from their overall emphasis as is possible. So Carolina didn't play defense the way it can and Maryland made them pay. This loss will, I believe, jerk Carolina out of its malaise. In the end, I think this loss will prove more significant than any victory ever could.

Meanwhile, Duke looked very good in two spurts against Clemson. The first spurt got Duke to an early lead which Clemson overcame to keep the game close. The second closed the game and assured a victory. Both required significant ball pressure resulting in turnovers and timely shooting. If Duke shoots well, they're capable of scoring with anybody in the country. And if a Duke opponent doesn't have top-flight point guard play, they're in trouble. But at the end of the day this game proved to me that Duke cannot impose its will against a rugged inside team with a quality PG. And that means they're in trouble when they get to the tournament.

My predictions:

Carolina routs Duke in a couple of weeks.
Carolina makes at least the Elite 8.
Duke will struggle to make the second weekend of the Big Dance.

We shall see.

The Daily Roundup: FreeThrowFriday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage:

Getting your mind right:

The Weekend Smoke from the StogieGuys.com: Stogie Reviews: Vegas Robaina Famoso (Cuban)

Hamm plays on in new league's logo: "Mia Hamm retired in 2004 as soccer's most storied female player. Now she's getting her kicks again as the image of a new league."

Staying Away: Move to coliseum, annex has hurt Rams' attendance :"Drawing fans to basketball games has been a trying process for Winston-Salem State this season.But Athletics Director Chico Caldwell says he knew that this was coming." Win, and they will come. Coach Collins will have this team winning soon, without a doubt.

Toyota's speedy session has NASCAR buzzing: " After a difficult - some may even call it disastrous - inaugural season at NASCAR's top level, Toyota has made marked improvements in its Sprint Cup program." Here it comes.......

The conference headlines:
Dascenzo: Cutcliffe proud of Manning :"New Duke football coach David Cutcliffe’s voice was full of vigor and excitement Tuesday morning for two reasons. “I’m recruiting,” Cutcliffe said. "

ACC's muscle a bit atrophied: "It is not unusual for the ACC to be rated as the nation's strongest college basketball conference, as has been the case for much of this season, or to be dominated by two North Carolina schools wearing different shades of blue."

ACC Notebook: "The primary criticism of Duke is that the Blue Devils don't have a quality inside game."

NC State
Costner mired in scoring slump : "It's safe to say N.C. State's Brandon Costner has been one of the ACC's biggest mysteries this basketball season. The 6-foot-9 sophomore is averaging 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds a game after 16 games."

North Carolina
Tar Heels improve endgame: "North Carolina was 2-6 last season in games decided by eight or fewer points. This year the team is 3-0 in down-to-the-wire duels."

Perfect? Heels don't want to hear it :"If nothing else, North Carolina’s hard-fought win over Georgia Tech on Wednesday night showed the hazards of wondering aloud if the Tar Heels will run the table." They "shouldn't" really be seriously threatened until their home match against Duke. Virginia will be their next traditional tough road game i.e. even the best Carolina teams have been known to give one up in Charlottesville.

Duke

Scheyer's sense of déjà vu helped lift Devils: "Duke’s lone loss this season, a game against Pittsburgh in which the Blue Devils led by 16 points at one juncture, was a point of discussion at halftime of Wednesday night’s game at Florida State."

Georgia Tech

Jackets' Causey full of fight: "After battling two taller, older brothers in the family driveway, Matt Causey didn't find playing the Tar Heels so daunting."

Recruiting recap: Tech's Daryl Smith

Recruiting recap: Tech's Jamal Lewis

Clemson

Clay leaves Tigers: "Linebacker returns home to continue healing after death of sister in 2006 accident. When linebacker Antonio Clay went home at this time last year, there was optimism his Clemson football career would resume."

The Daily Roundup: Thursday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage!!!

Getting your mind right:
Knight joins the 900 club with victory

Durham: Don't Blame Us for Lacrosse Case :"The city of Durham says it should be dropped from a lawsuit filed by three former Duke lacrosse players wrongly accused of rape, arguing that the plaintiffs were overreaching in an effort to put taxpayers on the hook for a prosecutor's mistakes."

Andrew Jones ofthe Wilmington Star: Costner's Numbers Don't Lie:"Sophomore's numbers hammer home what we already know."

The ACC Insider: Winning is all that matters to Nelson: " It took a while, but DeMarcus Nelson has grown comfortable balancing his role as Duke's only captain and its best player."


The conference headlines:
Second annual ACC Talent Index: "There are no shortcuts to the top of the ACC but you can't get there without talent. "

In ACC, It's Only At the Top

Top 100 Southern Football recruits


North Carolina
Heels push back in bruising victory : "Danny Green sinks one of two free throws and blocks one of Georgia Tech's final shots to stave off an upset bid, giving the No. 1 Tar Heels their first win in Atlanta since 2001."

Heels feeling lucky:" North Carolina escapes 83-82 to remain unbeatenNorth Carolina is still unbeaten.North Carolina has a win over Georgia Tech at Alexander Memorial Coliseum in the Roy Williams era.And North Carolina is feeling mighty fortunate in both regards.The top-ranked Tar Heels squeezed out an 83-82 victory last night by rallying from a seven-point deficit in the second half and then coming up with two defensive stops in final seconds."


Duke
Devils survive tussle :"Seventh-ranked Duke survived the Florida State Seminoles with a 70-57 victory at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Wednesday night in the Blue Devils' first true test on the road."

Upperclassmen step up for Devils: "A trio of Duke players making their first trip to Florida State made it look easy in the early stages Wednesday night."

Cutcliffe begins to fill Duke's need for speed with recruit :"On the day he was hired, Duke football coach David Cutcliffe vowed to seek out speed on the recruiting trail."


Virginia Tech
Hokies nip struggling Cavaliers in overtime


Boston College
BC trips up No. 21 Miami in men's basketball, 76-66:"After getting trounced by 25 points against Kansas, then scoring only 51 points against Robert Morris in a humiliating home-court loss, the Boston College men's basketball team seemed to learn from the sins of its nonconference setbacks."


Clemson

Tigers take the easy rout against ’Pack:"Clemson's Terrence Oglesby passes the ball against North Carolina State's Courtney Fells, center, and Tracey Smith during the first half of the baketball game in Clemson, S.C., Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard). K.C. Rivers reclined with his legs crossed, while Cliff Hammonds assumed the role of cheerleader, waving his towel as a show of support."

Football Powell says 'no' to Florida: "Clemson running backs coach Andre Powell has never left a coaching job in which he would be retained."


Georgia Tech
320-pounder commits to GT:"Enterprise (Ala.) offensive lineman Barnes says yes to Jackets, no to 'Bama, Auburn, Louisville."

Gailey hired by Chiefs:"Fired Tech coach named K.C. offensive coordinator; inherits one of worst NFL attacks."

Tech will play Louisville in football

A look back, forward at Tech recruits



Wake Forest
Young Wake Forest learns lesson :" Deacons' outside shooting was missing in action in 71-64 road loss to Terrapins."


Maryland
Terps' Bowie moves from ballboy to backcourt


Miami
UM men lose to BC for 13th straight time : "The University of Miami had an opportunity Tuesday night to put its troublesome history against Boston College behind it and take..."

Hurricanes fire wide receivers coach Mosely -

Kansas: Def. coordinator not a Hurricane : "The University of Kansas denied a report Wednesday night that Kansas defensive coordinator Bill Young had accepted a job to fill the same position at the University of Miami."

Don't sound the alarm yet on UM hoops: "Way too early to begin believing this UM team isn't ready to compete in the ACC."

Early enrollees off limits:"Spent the last couple days trying to track down an interview with incoming..."

God Bless Them

A van full of Canadian high school basketball players collided with a truck, killing eight. Four survived.

Many of the survivors will have a hard time with "survivor's guilt" but I hope they recovery fully, physically and mentally.

When things like this happen, it reminds me that sport is important only as a diversion, but not in and of itself. Enjoy your weekends, dear readers. And hug your loved ones.

The Daily Roundup: Tuesday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage:

PHOTO: Xavier Lee to the NFL!?!?!?! Looks like he's going to give it a shot.

Getting your mind right:

UNC, Memphis, Kansas Lead AP Poll: Georgetown Moves Up to No. 5

Cash, apology settle UNC-CH soccer suit: "The sexual harassment lawsuit against UNC women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance never made it to a jury, but it gained national attention and helped draw boundaries between coaches and players." $385 G and an admission.....we'll now see how far 19 National Championships in 29 seasons will take you. Wow.....

Stuck with the BCS: "UGA presidents' 8-team college football playoff plan isn't getting much support from the NCAA." Surprise, Surprise.

The conference headlines:

Inside the ACC Wolfpack seeks better start

LENOX RAWLINGS of the Winston-Salem Journal: A healthy Zoubek could be key for Devils

Neil Amato of the Wilmington Star: Perfection likely out of Heels' reach: I don't know....Duke @ home, @UVa, @Maryland....those are the games and places good TarHeel teams have taken tough losses or faced let downs. Get past those and these Heels could go undefeated during the regular season.

Florida State

Xavier Lee turns down move to Tightend, enters NFL draft

Xavier Lee won't return to Florida State

NC State
Pack coach keeps it positive : "N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe avoids outbursts despite a 93-62 blowout loss to top-ranked North Carolina on Saturday."

Lowe may make some changes when State takes on Clemson

Wake Forest

Gaudio: Deacs' attitude upbeat WFU will try for ACC road win at Maryland tonight

North Carolina

Tar Heels get 8th-ranked N.C. prospect

New Bern star commits to UNC: "Reddick to play football at Carolina. "

Virginia

U.Va. alters policy: Will allow January admissions.

Miami
Miami eyeing Alleva: "Duke assistant athletic director Jon Jackson confirmed that there had been no contact between Duke AD Joe Alleva and the University of Miami, which is looking for a new AD."

Scoring is a shared effort for Hurricanes : "Before the season, guard Jack McClinton was the only Miami Hurricanes basketball player to receive any recognition."

Miami Hurricanes show mettle in first ACC test

UM star recruit Jacory Harris named Florida's 'Mr. Football'

Virginia Tech

Harris staying at Tech: "Virginia Tech junior cornerback Victor "Macho" Harris is returning to school next fall after all."

Clemson

Draft 2008 To stay or to go: "As each NFL-bound junior running back’s name was called off, Clemson’s James Davis took a crack as draft guru, offering a reason why the player’s college reputation might exceed his pro worth."

Booker adds a new weapon: "Clemson’s center has expanded his arsenal with the 3-point shot . Clemson sophomore center Trevor Booker is reveling in his new found glory as a long-range marksman."

Georgia Tech

Gardner will return to anchor offensive line

Tech recruits, looking back and ahead

Debate rages at NCAA voting

Jackets burn up chances vs. Hurricanes

Tech hoops: Time to get serious

Maryland

Tracking the Terps: Licking their wounds

The Daily Roundup: Thursday

The BEST ACC Basketball Coverage!!!

PHOTO: UNCA center Kenny George.....not bad...not bad at all.

Getting your mind right:
Marion Jones' judge may get tough : "Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that disgraced Olympic track star Marion Jones deserves no more than six months in prison, even though a judge has suggested he might impose a longer sentence."

Dascenzo: Time has come for a college football playoff: "Early every January, it's inevitable that this happens. Somebody asks me why college football can't be smart, like college basketball. It's a good question and one many college presidents either cannot answer or don't seem to want to."

Handling the Pressure: "The nation's best basketball schools all courted Greg Monroe, but the Georgetown-bound senior said he felt at ease with Coach Thompson."

The conference headlines:

Swofford to evaluate plus-one BCS format

From the 50 yard Line Blog: N.C. State's Morgan may be making mistake

Lennox Rawlings of the Winston-Salem Journal: ADJUSTMENTS: Deacons have worked hard to correct flaws in their game, and positive results are beginning to show

North Carolina
Slam sparks Heels : "During the second half of the top-ranked Tar Heels' 93-81 victory over UNC-Asheville on Wednesday, North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough showed why the moniker "Psycho T" has stuck."

Heels contend with UNCA big man:"Tyler Hansbrough had an inkling Kenny George was in the vicinity. Really, it would've been impossible for him not to have an idea UNC Asheville's enormous center was around."

Stepheson rejoins Tar Heels

Stepheson gets warm welcome : "After missing two games to be with his ill father in California, Alex Stepheson received a rousing ovation from the Smith Center crowd when he checked into North Carolina’s win over UNC Asheville on Wednesday night."

Bullock headed to Tar Heels: "Kinston's Reggie Bullock, one of the top sophomore basketball players in the country, averages 18.5 points."

Duke
Devils outrun Owls : "The Blue Devils, already a small team before having to play Temple without two of its five frontcourt players, successfully played, rebounded and battled while beating Temple 74-64 at the Wachovia Center."

Clemson

Charlotte shocks No. 18 Clemson: "Goldwire has 21 points, 10 rebounds. It didn't take an upset in a presidential primary to produce a surprise winner in South Carolina." Kind of saw this one coming. Oliver has get to get the boys refocused.

Tigers lose one, keep one: "Davis leaves Clemson for the NFL Draft, but Kelly has a change of heart. Where Clemson tailback James Davis’ mother failed, receiver Aaron Kelly’s succeeded. Spurning family wishes, Davis announced Tuesday he would forgo his final season of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft."

NC State
Wolfpack victory comes with a loss : "After a third-straight plodding first half, the Pack struggles offensively but conquers N.C. Central 54-29 on Wednesday night with a smothering defense. Courtney Fells injures an ankle as ACC opener against UNC looms."

Pack grows by four: "NCSU freshmen eligible for fall."

Georgia Tech

"JUST LIKE FOOTBALL": Georgia defeats Georgia Tech - "Georgia's Dave Bliss (white jersey) battles for a rebound with Georgia Tech's Alade Aminu Wednesday in Athens. The Bulldogs won by seven and Georgia fans chanted "Just like football!" in the closing seconds. The Bulldogs won on the gridiron in November."

Miami
Clippers sign former UM star Guillermo Diaz

Crunch time for UM recruits : "With signing day in four weeks, UM is making a late push to close out an excellent recruiting class that's deep and talented in receivers, linebackers, defensive linemen and quarter-"

Canes are back in Top 25 : "returned Monday to The Associated Press Top 25. The Hurricanes (13-1) were back in the rankings at No. 25 after being out for one week. UM started the season with 12 consecutive wins and were ranked for two weeks, reaching No. 19."

Wake Forest

Deacons' Williams tests sprained ankle

Maryland
A Talent Finder Is a Keeper

Maryland vs. Holy Cross