Post-Marquette Opinions

I attended my first NC State basketball game of the season last night. NC State lost a tough game, when Marquette made a long three with .4 left on the clock. A desperation attempt by Ben McCauley was after time expired (and may have only been a two, as well), so NCSU lost for the second time this season.

Instead of just providing a recap, I decided to take this opportunity to express my thoughts on the "State of the Program" at NC State. My boss on this blog told me he thought it would be a good thing to write...oddly enough, I agreed to the assignment.

Good Hands

The team is in good hands. I honestly believe that Sidney Lowe is the coach who can lead NC State back to the national scene. His recruiting efforts are paying off, and that is THE #1 way to improve a team: Add Talent. Coach Lowe did not step into an ideal situation. He had to learn the college game (which is probably still a work-in-progress), while at the same time trying to re-shape a roster. That is not an "overnight" job. In time, I believe that Sidney Lowe can get the job done.

I Believe Costner

I have read that Brandon Costner blamed his performance last year on the knee injury he suffered during the summer of 2007. I believe him. Costner is not a thin guy, so I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he really has to work to keep his weight down. A knee injury, coupled with the disappointment of not making the Pan-Am team, could have easily led to Costner having extra weight. During the season, it's difficult to lose weight while still maintain energy and "legs" for games and practices...especially if you're still bothered somewhat by a knee injury. He is thinner this year, and playing much better...but is "attitude" doesn't really look that much different. He is not a "rah rah" guy...he just plays. When his jumper is falling, he gets a little cocky, and that's about it. Last year, the jumper wasn't working, so the only attitude we saw consistently was the quiet guy, and people took that to mean an attitude problem. I no longer agree with that assessment. (There are the vicious Gavin Grant rumors, which I'm not getting into here....I'll just say that if THAT story is factual, I wouldn't blame Costner for having a little bit of a bad attitude)

Is There An "I" In McCauley?

I am starting to believe that there just may be an "I" somewhere in there. Last season, he was asked to sacrifice for the team. A future NBA player, JJ Hickson, joined the team, and he just happened to play Ben's position. This addition should have been a cue for Ben to adjust his role "for the good of the team", and move into a support/backup position. Instead, he pouted...a lot. I didn't understand just how much it bothered Ben to have to sit behind JJ last season until this year. I don't believe he's done an interview yet that didn't contain the phrase "The best thing about last year is that it's over". The more I hear it, the more I take it as code for "I'm back in my spot now, so the team will be OK." The problem with that logic is that Ben is not quite as good as Ben thinks he is. Last night's game is a prime example. Ben missed two late free throws that could have given NC State the lead. NC State stopped Marquette, then ran a play for Ben. Instead of kicking the ball out, he tried to score through a double team, and never came close to getting a shot away. Marquette makes a three, drive safely everyone. The correct play was to get the ball to someone who was open. The selfish play was to try to a) make amends for missing the free throws by forcing a shot or b) force a shot to try to be the hero.

I hope that Ben proves me wrong over the course of this season. If he doesn't, however, I hope that Tracy Smith starts to get some of his minutes. Smith is a solid contributor. Nothing fancy....just a smart, blue-collar type player, which is a good thing to have in a post player.

ACC Outlook

I think this team may have a chance to finish around .500 in ACC play. I don't believe that it's insane to think that they could sneak into the NCAA tournament. I am not predicting that they will, but they could. They have played down-to-the-wire games against two ranked opponents, so they should play competitive games against most ACC foes. As much as it hurts to say it, the only team that I would predict blowout losses against is UNC. Of course, I'm basically convinced that UNC is going to blow everyone out this season, so that is more about UNC's talent than it is NCSU's talent.

The Wolfpack is rebounding and shooting pretty well. Their defense has been OK, but some of the guards do not have the foot speed to keep up with faster opponents (which could be a problem in ACC play). The team has to eliminate careless turnovers. Last night, there were at least five turnovers that simply shouldn't have happened. Teams that aren't mega-talented (and NCSU is not mega-talented) absolutely can not afford to give free possessions to their opponents.

The team is good...not great, but good. They will have their "moments" this season, good and bad. So, relax Pack fans. It is OK to be optimistic about the season. The team could easily work its way into the middle of the pack in the ACC, which I would view as a huge step forward. Most likely, many of the 'Pack's games are going to be like last night, and come down to the final possession. Hopefully, a few of those games go the 'Pack's way.

The Rock Star Coach

The University of North Carolina Tar Heels are having a very good season.

Currently, they sit at 7-2, ranked 17th in the country, and are tied for first in the ACC's Coastal Division. Virginia Tech is the only team that can knock UNC out of the ACC Championship Game without the Heels losing a game.

That's the good.

The bad is...this. According to published reports, the University of Tennessee is attempting to lure head coach Butch Davis away from Chapel Hill. Last year, it was Arkansas, Butch's alma mater, that showed interest. That interest cost UNC almost $300,000 a year, and also resulted in promises being made for facililty improvements at Kenan Stadium. All of that followed a 4-8 first season in Chapel Hill.

This year, the team is better, and the (apparent) suitor is much more serious. Rumors are flying about UT potentially offering Nick Saban money ($4 million+) to lure Butch away. If true, UNC may not be able to keep Butch with a few hundred thousand dollars and some extra seats.

Two years, two rumors. Most likely, two raises. That is the problem with "Rock Star" coaches like Davis. As long as he is at UNC, whether it's for two more months or five years, there will always be a traditional "football" school that thinks they can lure him away. If UNC keeps him, it will get expensive...especially if the idea that "whatever Butch gets, Roy Williams gets" is true.

I wonder if UNC can continue promising Butch improved facilities, while at the same time doing nothing to the Dean Dome. Will ol' Roy start to get miffed? I don't believe that Roy will sit idly by while a football coach makes demand after demand. The one problem is that Roy doesn't really have any leverage. Everyone knows that Roy is at his dream job, which also happens to be THE big dog in college basketball. In order for Roy to get rumors started, he'd have to flirt with an NBA team (like Coach K a few years ago), and I just don't think Roy can convince anyone he'd leave UNC for the NBA.

Butch Davis' leaving UNC wouldn't surprise anyone.

Contrary to popular belief, most State fans I know don't think Davis is leaving. They also don't care one way or the other. It's just funny to see the "dance" start every season. UNC signed Davis to a larger contract than any football coach at the school had ever had...and if Butch is still the coach on New Year's Day, they will likely have given him raises after each of his first two years.

Can UNC afford to pay Butch $4 million a season? Should UNC add the 6 or 7 thousand seats (at a cost of $$millions) to Kenan Stadium it will take to make him happy? If Butch gets a big raise at the end of the year, how much will the assistants' pay go up? Will Butch actually agree NOT to let his agent float his name out next season? Will this process start all over again in a few weeks if Charlie Weis gets fired at Notre Dame?

Stay tuned...the show is just beginning.

This Weekend In The ACC

This week, there are three conference matchups in the Atlantic Coast Conference, along with five nonconference games. In the conference games, North Carolina travels to Miami, Duke hosts Virginia, and Maryland takes on Clemson in Death Valley.

In the nonconference matchups, NC State hosts South Florida, Virginia Tech goes to Nebraska, Wake Forest welcomes Navy, Rhode Island travels to Boston College, and Florida State plays Colorado in Jacksonville, FL.

NORTH CAROLINA AT MIAMI

I would choose the Tar Heels to win this game if TJ Yates was healthy. Most likely, the Heels would be coming off of a win against Virginia Tech, rather than a loss, if Yates had not suffered his broken foot. But, after seeing what Mike Paulus did last week, and remembering the "Cam Sexton experiment" from a couple of years ago, I can't pick the Heels. UNC will have to be effective in the running game to help out whoever plays at quarterback, and they have not been able to run the ball well up until now. I expect the Hurricanes to win.

VIRGINIA AT DUKE

Duke is favored by a touchdown in this game. Duke wins.

Hey, I'm a State fan...I'm not going to get too deep into a Duke/Virginia battle. It doesn't really matter. Virginia was horrible before they kicked their best QB (Peter Lalich) out of school...now they are worse. Duke is still less talented than most ACC teams, but they are well-coached now, and coaching makes a lot of difference.

MARYLAND AT CLEMSON

Maryland has looked better than expected the last couple of weeks. However, I'm not sure they are ready to go into Death Valley and beat the Tigers. I want the Terps to win, but I just don't think it's likely. A Maryland win would help NC State, since NCSU has already lost to Clemson. In order for State to finish ahead of Clemson in the standings, NCSU would have to finish the conference season a game ahead of Clemson. Technically, the Wolfpack can still have a tiebreaker advantage over the other teams in their division. Go Terps!

NONCONFERENCE GAMES NOT INVOLVING NC STATE

I really believe that all of the ACC teams will win their matchups this weekend. Wake Forest and Boston College should win handily. Virginia Tech could struggle with Nebraska, but I think the Hokies can pull out the victory. With FSU, there's really no way of knowing what will happen. They could win by 20, they could lose by 25. Much like UNC, Florida State's fortunes will depend on the performance at quarterback. I'm picking the 'Noles simply because they are in the ACC, and the conference needs the win.

SOUTH FLORIDA AT NORTH CAROLINA STATE

On paper, this game shouldn't be close. USF is ranked 13th (or 14th, depending on which poll you prefer), and NC State is unranked. NC State is going to be without its best defender, Nate Irving. Starting QB Russell Wilson is listed as doubtful with an undisclosed injury.

There's been a little smack talk between the coaching staffs this week, as well. Coaches from across the country traveled to USF this summer to learn the "secrets" of defending the spread option. The Bulls shut down West Virginia last year, so everyone wanted to learn how. When asked about that, Tom O'Brien reminded everyone about USF's bowl game (a shellacking at the hands of Oregon, which runs the spread option), and said "If they're the gurus, we'll just go somewhere else."

This irked USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham, so he fired back about how USF's coaches were "classy", then reminded everyone that NCSU didn't go to a bowl last year. You stay classy, Wally.

Anyway, I think the over/under for this game is 1.5. If Harrison Beck, who is scheduled to start in place of Wilson at QB, throws two or more interceptions, State loses. If not, State wins. NC State has played well enough of late to win games if they protect the ball. They have not played well enough to overcome lots of turnovers. Especially interceptions, because when the Wolfpack gives up an interception it often turns into a touchdown for the opposition.

Actually, the "Beck Factor" may not come into play. There is some internet speculation (and we all know how trustworthy that is) that Wilson will in fact play Saturday night. He was listed as "out" on Monday, but on Thursday's report was listed as "doubtful". If his injury is to his throwing shoulder (as reported by WRAL in Raleigh), then it may depend on how it feels when he wakes up Saturday.

Either way, I'm predicting an NC State victory. I foresee a hard-fought game that the Wolfpack finds a way to win in the fourth quarter. NC State goes into their conference schedule with back-to-back wins over Top 15 opponents.

Wow...

I haven't posted anything since August 25. At that time, I was quite excited by the fact the Russell Wilson was taking over as quarterback at NC State. I announced it by saying "Hello Mr. Wilson!" in the post just below this one.

As I write this, NCSU sits at 1-2. They have sandwiched losses to South Carolina (34-0) and Clemson (27-9) around a relatively lackluster victory over William and Mary. The defense has actually looked pretty good, and has been getting the turnovers that defensive coordinator Mike Archer and head coach Tom O'Brien talked about last year and over the summer. The problem has been that the offense has been inefficient.

That's really the nicest thing I can say about the offense.

Some of the ineptitude of the offense I attribute to Russell Wilson getting knocked out (literally) during the South Carolina game. The team had seemingly found a groove, and was moving the ball down the field, when Wilson got his bell rung. Daniel Evans entered, and you could literally hear the air come out of NC State's sails. Before you knew it, a 0-0 defensive struggle was a 34-0 blowout.

After missing the William and Mary game, Wilson played OK against Clemson. He didn't light the world on fire, but he did show an ability to avoid "big negative" plays. He may actually be too quick to throw the ball away. But, he is a redshirt freshman...I expect that as the season progresses he will learn when to challenge defenders and when to throw the ball away. Right now, he's a little timid about throwing the ball to receivers who aren't wide open.

So, going into this week, here's the story: NC State, decimated by injury, is getting ready to host the 15th-ranked team in the country. They are down to the 3rd string TE, have no receivers who made any significant contributions last year, have two converted defensive linemen starting on the offensive line, have lots of freshman and sophomores in the two-deep, and their quarterback is a RS-Fr. who has already been knocked cold this season. Recipe for disaster, right?

WRONG!!

That 15th-ranked team is from Greenville, NC. The East Carolina Pirates.

NC State's "get right" opponent.

Remember last year? 1-5 NC State went to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and thumped the Pirates.

This year, ECU is riding high. Their fans are talking about going undefeated and making the a BCS bowl. Tickets for the game are selling on the "black market" for ridiculous prices. The Pirates and their fans are hyped and ready to come to Raleigh. They have something in store for the Wolfpack.

Whatever. I do not and will not believe it until I see it.

I think that the ECU team that played Tulane is much closer to the real thing than the team that beat West Virginia. I don't think the Virginia Tech victory means much, because Virginia Tech with Sean Glennon at QB is not much better (if any) than NCSU on offense. I think that Russell Wilson will be much more comfortable this week, and will begin to put things together. The Wolfpack offense doesn't necessarily need to score a ton of points. They just need to string together a few first downs, so that the defense can stay off the field for a while. I think that happens this week.

I don't care who they have beaten. I don't care where they are ranked. They are still East Carolina.

North Carolina State will win the game.

Hello Mr. Wilson!!

Russell Wilson, a redshirt freshman, was named the starting quarterback for North Carolina State's season opening game against the University of South Carolina. The game will be played in Columbia, SC, Thursday night, and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Wilson beat out senior Daniel Evans for the starting spot, but NCSU coach Tom O'Brien said that Evans is likely to play in the game as well. Wilson is thought by most to be a run-first quarterback, but actually played in a very pass-oriented attack in high school.

With the announcement, State fans generally broke into two groups: Optimists and pessimists. State fans generally belong to one of these two groups, as I guess most fanbases do. These two groups can take the same set of quotes, and from them derive totally opposite meanings.

The following quotes are all from Coach O'Brien's press conference where he announced Wilson as the starter.

"It's just a situation where we need what he brings to the table right now."

The optimist thinks that means Wilson has a strong, accurate arm, with athleticism to move the pocket and create opportunities for the team. The pessimist thinks this is O'Brien acknowledging that the offensive line is going to be horrible, and the QB needs to be able to run for his life.

“The decision always came down to who we thought would give us the best opportunity to win a football game. Right now, our offense and the way we are structured it will be Russell Wilson. That was the deciding factor.”

The pessimist thinks...well, basically the same thing as above. That's what the pessimists always think. The optimists (I admit, I am one) think that Wilson brings an exciting new cache of talents to the offense. The playbook can be opened up a little more (maybe even expanded) to take advantage of his skill set.

I like the decision to start Russell Wilson. I think that since most State fans "know" Daniel Evans, the idea that Wilson beat Evans out for the job is a reason for optimism. He was chosen to replace a known commodity, so it is only natural for us to believe that he will significantly upgrade the quarterback position. In reading about Wilson's family and background, I think that he will be mature enough to handle the "bright lights" that accompany being the starting QB for a BCS team, even though he is relatively young.

I expect this year's N.C. State team to be quite a bit better than most preseason media polls suggest. I believe that several young players will be able to step into their new roles and produce solid results, and I believe Russell Wilson will be leading the way.

Go Pack!!

Is Glennon The Answer?

The 2008 North Carolina State football team held their first scrimmage Wednesday night, and as could be expected, the coaches were not exactly thrilled.

Ball control and penalties were problems, but Coach Tom O'Brien seems confident that the players can fix the issues. He pointed out that the team was still early in preseason camp, and stressed that a review of the scrimmage on videotape would tell more of a story about the team's performance than any available statistics.

"Statistics are statistics, and when you play yourself you don't know who's in there doing what," he said.

The most interesting (and important) position battle for the Wolfpack this season is the ongoing struggle to determine who will start at quarterback. In last night's scrimmage, Harrison Beck was the most productive, passing for 111 yards, with 5 completions in 6 attempts. Daniel Evans was 4 of 7 for 40 yards, Russell Wilson was 3 of 6 for 20 yards (with an interception), and Justin Burke was 3 of 6 for 52 yards.

The most interesting stat line of the night, however, belonged to true freshman Mike Glennon. He was 9 of 13 for 101 yards, and he also threw an interception. This is interesting because he threw twice as many passes as any other quarterback. Future scrimmages will determine if this was just a quirk in the playcalling, or if the coaches are giving Glennon a chance to prove himself capable of being the starter on opening night.

No matter who is chosen, the opening night starter will face the tough task of handling a road game in Columbia, SC against the Gamecocks of South Carolina...on ESPN...on Thursday night. Definitely not an easy task for any QB...but it will give the guy who starts the game a chance to cement himself as "the guy" to lead the team this season.

Who will it be? Stay tuned...

Brett Favre To The Jets

The Green Bay Packers have traded Brett Favre to the New York Jets for....oh who cares?

The Jets are still going to be average, at best, and the Packers are still going to have to deal with Aaron Rodgers learning how to play in the shadow of a legend. The Jets are paying an extra six million dollars ($12M for Favre vs. the $6M for soon-to-be-cut Chad Pennington) to be in the news a little more, but they won't be a serious contender in the AFC. The Packers have hitched their wagon to the untested Rodgers, who has arm-strength questions and a lack of in-game experience.
The best part is that the "saga" is over, and hopefully now the "Favre" ticker can go away from the ESPN crawl.

I have to say that it just doesn't seem scary to think of "Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers" coming to play your favorite NFL team. If Rodgers is unable to make "all the throws" as I have heard, that could explain why Ryan Grant held out of camp to get a new contract. If the deep ball is removed from Green Bay's arsenal, then Ryan will not enjoy the success he had a year ago. With Favre at QB, teams had to defend down the field, because he had the arm (and the mentality) to stretch the field. Does Rodgers?

Jerricho Cotchery (NCSU guy) has to be ecstatic today. He is the type of receiver that Favre will love...a guy who will make the tough catches in traffic.

Good luck to everyone involved. They are all going to need it.

Survey Says...

850 the Buzz's Bomani Jones posted a blog entry on Sunday that referenced a recent survey of North Carolinians. The survey found that 18% of North Carolina residents don't know that the Carolina Hurricanes exist. Also, only 10% of 500 residents polled said that they'd accept free tickets to a Hurricanes game.

The story quotes Mike Sundheim, director of media relations for the Hurricanes, as saying that "in the Stanley Cup finals, a guy for ESPN that was based here in Durham basically ripped us and said nobody cares about us. Well, that guy must have literally not left his house during the two months of the playoffs that year to say that nobody here cares."

That article was written by....Bomani Jones. How convenient.

The poll was done by a "summer fellow" (intern) of Public Policy Polling, Curtis Labban, who is from the University of North Carolina. Looking at the in-depth statistics, I find that Mr. Labban's survey is seriously flawed. Let's hope he was an unpaid intern.

10% of respondents to this automated phone survey would have chosen a ticket to a Hurricanes game. Well, they had SIX choices: the Hurricanes, Carolina Panthers, NASCAR, Charlotte Bobcats, UNC basketball, and Duke basketball. Only 16% chose NASCAR...does that mean that NASCAR's popularity in NC is falling? No, it means that people like football (29%) and UNC basketball (28%). Duke basketball came in at 13%, the Bobcats at 5%. Oddly enough, that adds up to 101%. Somehow, I think Mr. Labban should have rounded someone's number differently so that his poll showed results for 100% of respondents.

I like the Hurricanes. A lot. I normally go to a few games each season. However, in this survey, I would have chosen the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, for me, are more of a TV phenomenon. I understand that they are only a few hours from my house, and I've been to a few games, but it's expensive to go, and it would take all day, if not parts of two days. I just don't organize "Panther weekends" very often. However, for this phone survey, you're ranking teams in order of importance, not making "real world" decisions. For me, it would be Panthers, Hurricanes, Bobcats, and then NASCAR, UNC and Duke tied for last (unless the games happened to be against NC State).

I would have taken the Panthers tickets, but by the time the game came around, they could very well be on Craigslist. The appeal of "being there" is not that great to me, especially when I factor in all the time involved in getting there and getting back home. I know that the Hurricanes have well-managed traffic, and I can be home 30-45 minutes after the game ends. For a 7pm faceoff, I could leave home at 6:15 and be there.

The 18% that didn't know the Hurricanes existed is laughable. Could they name any hockey team? Do they follow any sports? You could have someone who knows the number and major sponsor of every NASCAR driver, but couldn't name a current NHL player for a million dollars.

There are over 1.5 million people in the Triangle. 23% of the people in the Triangle chose the Hurricanes tickets, second only to UNC basketball (27%).

If Mr. Jones wanted to talk about troubling statistics, he could have mentioned the Bobcats. They were only chosen by 5% of respondents as the free ticket of choice. In the mountains (828), 4% would go see the 'Canes, only 2% would take the shorter drive to Charlotte for the Bobcats. The only area code where the 'Cats reached double digits was 704, their home area code. And they only had 10% there. In the 910, NO ONE picked the Bobcats.

I guess everything doesn't really stop when the Bobcats play.

Greg Freakin' Norman

Greg Norman has a two-shot lead heading into tomorrow's final round the British Open.

That's the 2008 British Open. 53-year old Greg Norman leads Padraig Harrington and K.J. Choi by two shots.

Fifty-three.

It is an amazing accomplishment. No matter what happens Sunday morning (EST), this has been a phenomenal show by the Great White Shark. The Open Championship has been played under increasingly brutal conditions, and he has answered the challenge. The feat is made more impressive when you take into account the fact that he's been honeymooning for three weeks with his new bride, Chris Evert. Playing golf hasn't been his focus for some time now, and it has probably been even farther back on the list since the wedding.

I have read several articles claiming that this is a chance for Norman to "exorcise the demons" of his many failures in major championships. I don't necessarily think that is true. If he wins the Open, it won't change the fact that he lost the Masters even though he carried a 6-shot lead into the final round.

A win tomorrow, and he's the oldest player to win a major. A win tomorrow, and the first thing people talk about when they mention Greg Norman won't be the losses, the $100M+ divorce, the tennis legend new wife, or any of his business ventures. If he wins, the first thing anyone will say will be that he won the Open Championship at age 53. And that is all there needs to be to the story. No exorcism is needed.

Catching Up...

JJ Hickson was drafted 19th by the Cleveland Cavaliers. So, his decision to leave proved to be a good one. I don't think anyone should expect to see too much of him in the next couple of years, but I expect he'll be a contributor at some point. I wish him the best of luck.

Brandon Jennings is going to Europe to play. He was awaiting a third SAT result, attempting to meet NCAA qualification guidelines, but before the results were returned he decided to forgo college basketball. He is planning to sign with a European team for a year, then return to the US for next year's NBA draft. Jennings' success or failure will be an interesting case-study for future high school stars who may decide to take the same route. NBA and NCAA executives will all have interests/concerns about the outcome of Jennings' overseas adventure.

NASCAR had a race last week. They have another one this week.

The British Open is coming up soon, and for the first time in a long time, it's an absolute certainty that Tiger Woods will not win.

In other news, football starts cranking up at the end of this month. Most, if not all, NFL training camps open in late July, and most college camps open in early August according to the limited information I could find. Football is my favorite spectator sport, so I'm excited for the beginning of a new season. Both of my favorite teams (Carolina Panthers and NC State Wolfpack) are currently undefeated.

One other thing:

Josh Hamilton is the man.

More NASCAR Lawsuit Thoughts

Wow. This is my third NASCAR-related post in a week. That's about....three more than I ever thought I'd write. Ever. But, this lawsuit and the stories surrounding it have really piqued my interest.

Yesterday, I read an interview with Mauricia Grant on SI.com by Tom Bowles. I don't know if Mr. Bowles supports Ms. Grant, or if he is trying to make her look not-so-victimized, but I didn't think Ms. Grant came off very well in the article.

From the information in the story, it appears that Ms. Grant's position with NASCAR was her first real job in auto racing. She was interning at Irwindale Speedway in California during the fall of 2004, as part of her training with the Urban League Automotive Training Center in Los Angeles. She was hired by NASCAR in January of 2005.

"I knew that I didn't want to start at the bottom, in any type of oil changing capacity -- I wanted to start at the top. So, I aimed to work in a major league motorsports environment. And NASCAR was it."

That quote is from the article. Ms. Grant was obviously ambitious, and she states very clearly that she was not interested in "paying dues", so to speak. NASCAR, however, is in many ways a "dues paying" profession. I don't believe Tony Eury Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief, was a crew chief for his first job in racing. Ms. Grant's position does not seem to be one that would be "entry level", but it was (apparently) her first job in racing. Her quest to "start at the top" in racing was most likely aided by her gender and race.

When asked what NASCAR needed to do to make changes in the culture of the garage, Ms. Grant had this to say: "They need to stop hiring their ignorant brothers, cousins and uncles of theirs, and start hiring qualified, educated people to start running their multibillion dollar business. Stop giving 'Uncle Frank' a hookup knowing that he's ignorant." When asked if she thought diversity training would help, she said she didn't think it would change anything, then added: "You need to hire people who are well-rounded, educated, capable of stepping into any type of environment and not making themselves look like a fool."

I don't really think she comes across very well in these statements.

The most troubling revelation in the interview, for me at least, is the story of the spreadsheet. She states that in January of 2006, at the behest of her sisters, she began documenting the comments and actions that she found inappropriate. While I don't necessarily think it was a bad idea, I also think that from the moment she made the first entry until the day in October 2007 that she was fired, she was planning this lawsuit. Also, from that day in January 2006, if she ever "played along", or failed to report an incident that she later entered in her journal, then I don't think she should be allowed to sue for anything after that point.

If she reported each incident, and the accusations were ignored, then she may have a case. Plenty of people in offices all over the country tell jokes to and about their coworkers that would be inappropriate to tell people they didn't know. If Ms. Grant ever acted amused, rather than hurt, by a racial- or gender-based joke, without telling her coworkers, how would they know that they had crossed a line with her? I would almost bet that the (ill-advised, perhaps) attempts at humor were a sign of acceptance, rather than hate or disrespect of Ms. Grant.

Even though the interview raises serious questions for me about Ms. Grant's motives, I do not think her case should be summarily dismissed. The charge that two of her male coworkers exposed themselves to her is enough to get the case heard in court, simply because I can't imagine a scenario where anyone would think that behavior would be acceptable. If that allegation is proved to be true, then Ms. Grant will win the lawsuit. I don't think she'll get (or deserve) $225M, but she will win, and get a significant award.

UNC 3 Stay; Hickson Goes

All three of North Carolina's potential early NBA departures have decided to return to school.

Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green will all be back in Carolina blue next year, after "testing the waters" and deciding that they would be taken too deep in the draft. Armed with the information they obtained during the process, each player should make great strides over the summer as they work on their games.

It's no longer just the fans saying the Ellington should improve his defense. Or that Green should protect the ball better. Or that Lawson should have a more consistent jumper. Now, the players have gotten those same critiques from their prospective employers.

With the announcement of the players' return, UNC automatically becomes the (probably unanimous) pick to be #1 in the preseason polls. The Heels only lost Quentin Thomas and Alex Stepheson, while adding one the top-ranked recruiting classes in the country. Also, Bobby Frasor should be returning from his knee injury (as long as he stops jumping off of balconies).

Meanwhile, a few miles away in Raleigh, JJ Hickson issued a statement announcing that he had signed with an agent, ending his college career. If anyone was surprised by this announcement, I would be shocked. He was always going to be a one-and-done guy, so I really believe his "testing the waters" announcement was mostly insurance against injury.

As a State fan, I wish he would have stayed another year, but I can't blame him for going. I don't know much about his family situation, but he is in a position right now to impact the lives of those around him, and he is taking advantage of it. Hopefully, he gets drafted in the top 20, even though most projections I've seen have him in the mid- to late twenties.

It's disappointing to see such a talented player leave so quickly, but encouraging that Coach Lowe was able to get him to come to Raleigh in the first place. Hopefully, JJ's entry into the draft will enable Coach Lowe to recruit more players of his skill level in the future. Most of today's top high school players want to know that their college coach can get them into the NBA, so JJ's success would give Coach Lowe another thing to sell to recruits.

One For The Ages

It was billed as a mismatch. By one of the participants. And most others, as well.

However, the playoff to decide the 108th US Open was not a mismatch. It was an example of what makes golf a great game.

Two men whose games could not be much more different. One a 32 year old phenom in the midst of what may be the greatest golf career ever, the other a 45 year old veteran who has been solid, but not spectacular, on the PGA Tour for a long time.

One a physical specimen, one of the strongest golfers on Tour, routinely hitting the ball well over 300 yards, the other a more average player, with drives that were normally 30 yards farther back.

They proved, time and again, one of the first things I was told when I started playing golf years ago:

It's not how, it's how many.

The playoff was great to watch, as the players exchanged the lead several times, and each took a turn in control of the tournament. Both made runs, and both responded to those runs. Normally, when Tiger has a tournament in his grasp, his closest competitors tend to fold. Rocco Mediate stood toe-to-toe, and never flinched. He missed a couple of putts that would have won the US Open, but those putts were not "gimme's."

Rocco Mediate did not lose the US Open. Tiger Woods won it.

MotorSports.....Entertainment?

How convenient.

NASCAR, facing a $225M lawsuit, just happens to get the ultimate positive public relations story:

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., NASCAR's favorite son, won Sunday's race at Michigan International Raceway.

Now, people who know me understand that I don't consider NASCAR a sport. However, with this weekend's results, I have reached a decision. Taking a cue from the WWE, I have decided that I will refer to NASCAR as "motorsports entertainment."

Much like wrestling, which is a show, not a sport, NASCAR always seems to get the "fairy tale" ending. Dale Earnhardt Sr. dies at the Daytona 500, then, that same year, in the fall race at Daytona, Junior basically passes twenty cars in twenty laps to win. Tears ensue. I didn't cry, but I watched the last thirty laps (or so) of that race, and it was gripping television. It was like watching Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair in a 60-minute wresting classic.

Now, after leaving his father's race team for Hendrick Motorsports, Junior ends his 76 race winless streak on Father's Day. A week after the massive harassment and discrimination lawsuit is filed.

Somewhere in Connecticut, Vince McMahon is chuckling.

Tiger Vs. Rocco

After a grueling Sunday in San Diego, Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate will go one more round, as they prepare today for a rare US Open playoff. Woods forced the playoff with a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation.

The story of the day, rather than the one-on-one matchup, will be Tiger's left knee. He has been battling his surgically-repaired knee for the entire tournament, and over the course of the third and fourth rounds, it seemed as though the knee was winning. Somehow, Woods managed to hold things together well enough to force a playoff.

Now, the story becomes can he be effective enough on Monday to defeat Rocco Mediate?

NASCAR Responds To Lawsuit

You probably have read that NASCAR was accused of racial discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliatory termination in a $225 million lawsuit filed by former employee Mauricia Grant.

NASCAR chairman Brian Grant responded to the allegations, saying that when the lawsuit was filed, that represented the first time that NASCAR had heard her complaints.

I am torn on this subject. On one hand, it isn't hard to believe that Ms. Grant may have been subjected to some off-color remarks. On the other, it isn't hard to believe that she participated in the jokes, only to become disgruntled and sue. The truth, as usual, is probably somewhere in the middle.

In total, Ms. Grant alleges fifty-seven specific incidents of mistreatment (23 sexual harassment, 34 racial and gender discrimination). FIFTY-SEVEN!! I can't make myself understand why she would tolerate it for so long, unless she was planning the lawsuit and just gathering ammuntion. I don't think I would put up with that type of treatment for any length of time.

Also, the $225M amount is excessive, in my opinion. That equals over $3.9 million per alleged incident. If the incidents were so bothersome for her that they caused "depression, anxiety, nightmares, sleep disturbance, crying jags, headaches and gastrointestinal distress," I don't understand why she kept going to work.

Don't get me wrong. If NASCAR is found to be at fault, they deserve to be punished. Not to the tune of $225M, but punished severely. The amount requested seems, to me, to be overinflated. I would guess that Ms. Grant and her attorneys aimed high, in order to give themselves plenty of room to come down in a settlement, yet still get a nice dollar amount.

I do NOT think that NASCAR should settle this case out of court. Even if the lawsuit is upheld, NASCAR needs its fans to know that it does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any sort. In its response, NASCAR claims that several of Ms. Grant's claims are exaggerated, in some cases just plain false.

If NASCAR truly believes that Ms. Grant is not being truthful, the employees accused in the lawsuit deserve their support in court, even if it means taking the risk of losing. Agreeing to a settlement is agreeing to responsibility.

US Open Thoughts

The United States Open begins tomorrow morning at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.

It promises to be an entertaining tournament, mostly because the kikuyu grass that promises to torment the players. It is a thicker, stronger grass than is normally seen on golf courses, and kikuyu rough at US Open heights could actually be dangerous. It should at least give the course some teeth.

Maybe this year all of the pre-tournament talk about "hacking it 50 yards out of the rough" will actually be true. It seems every year the players and officials talk about how tough the rough will be to hit from, but then you only see a few guys who actually have to really just hack the ball back into the fairway.

Personally, I would prefer the US Open to have thicker, more penal rough, narrower fairways, and not as much length. Torrey Pines is listed at over 7600 yards, even though the USGA says that "most likely" it will play somewhere between 7400 and 7600 (but not over 7600) all four days. The actual length will depend on what they do with a few tee boxes that can be shortened or stretched.

With the length of the course, along with the graduated rough that will be in use, a semi-accurate power hitter will just pound the driver, then take his chances out of the rough. A short hitter has no chance, really, because he has to be in the fairway, and even then he will be hitting fairway woods and long irons into the greens. With today's clubs, a 6- or 7-iron from the rough is just as controllable as a 2-iron from the fairway, so the long hitter isn't really penalized for missing the fairway.

Anyway, the USGA didn't ask my opinion, so on to my "predictions."

Tiger Woods will win. I just can't pick against him. He shouldn't win, because you shouldn't be able to win the US Open when you haven't played competitively since the Masters because of knee surgery. But, he's Tiger Woods, so I won't be surprised if he's right in the thick of things on Sunday afternoon (or night, on the East Coast).

Other than Tiger, I'd probably just use the driving distance statistics to find favorites, then add Stewart Cink and Jim Furyk. Cink and Furyk are not super-long, but they hit the ball fairly straight and putt well. Cink has contended in quite a few Opens, and Furyk has won it. Any one of the long drivers could have a good week on the greens and get lucky, which is basically why Angel Cabrera is the defending champion.

Good luck, gentlemen.

Old Habits

I grew up a Celtics fan. Larry Bird was the main reason why. He was amazing to watch. He wasn't the fastest or strongest player on the court, but he could absolutely dominate a game. Plus, he could take over a game without scoring. His teammates could not afford to sit back and watch him, because the ball may bounce off of their face. Watching Larry Bird and his Boston teams is what made me want to go out in my backyard and practice my jumpshot. He was (and is) my favorite basketball player.

Having said all that, the current version of the NBA Finals stirs up a lot of old feelings. Boston versus the Lakers. It doesn't matter if it's Kobe and Pau instead of Magic and Kareem. It doesn't matter if it's KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen instead of Bird, McHale and Parish. It's still the Lakers versus the Celtics. It's still Showtime versus Fundamentals.

This series is the best thing to happen to the NBA in a long time. Fans that the NBA had lost long ago will tune in to watch the Lakers and the Celtics. It's hard to be ambivalent about this rivalry...people take sides. I am on the Celtics' side, and I have been for as long as I can remember. I probably always will be, I guess.

I am looking forward to a great series, hopefully won by the guys in green. It's not the same as it used to be, because plenty of the players are veterans new to their respective teams, rather than guys with histories in their current cities. That's one of the things that tends to turn people off about the "new" NBA. But, for the next week or two, I don't care about what people say is wrong with the NBA. As long as the Finals are Boston versus LA, the NBA is alright with me.

Go Celtics!

NC State, UNC Reach Super Regionals

Congratulations to the Wolfpack and the Tar Heels on reaching the second weekend of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Both teams are now just two wins away from a trip to Omaha for the College World Series.

North Carolina will host Coastal Carolina, and NC State will go on the road to face the Georgia Bulldogs.

Best of luck to both teams.

All-Encompassing Update

During the summer, there's not a lot of (ACC) football or basketball news to write about, so rather than driving myself insane trying to find topics, I will just occasionally (or more often, depending on what sparks my interest) weigh in on a few random topics.

JJ Hickson is probably staying in the draft. I don't think he should, but he didn't ask me. He chose not to play at the Orlando pre-draft camp, and wasn't invited for interviews and measurements only. Evidently, he's content with his current draft position...or he thinks he's going to blow the scouts away at his private workout that he will have soon. I believe his best chance of improving his draft stock would have been to go to Orlando and shine against other "wanna be" draftees. However, Sidney Lowe has been around the NBA quite a bit, and if JJ is following his advice, I will easily concede that he's doing the best thing for his particular situation.

The Danny Green saga is very interesting. Apparently, as long as the NBA doesn't specifically tell Mr. Green to pull out of the draft, he is going to stay in it. Tar Heel Fan has all of the UNC/NBA draft news anyone could need, including a couple of articles about Danny Green. It seems that being in prison made Danny Sr. an expert on the intricacies of the NBA draft process.

Football is only a few months away!!!

The United States Open is basically two weeks away. My early prediction: Tiger Woods wins! How's that for going out on a limb? I'll step out a little farther...Tiger will finish at -2, and will be the only golfer in red figures. Plenty of people will be predicting that someone other than Tiger will win, citing his long layoff for knee surgery. I say he will win, because he always wins at Torrey Pines. Also, in 2002, he missed quite a bit of time because of a similar knee surgery, and he won his first tournament back that year, as well. Where was that tournament played?? Yep..Torrey Pines.

Well, that's it for now. Check back soon for another all-encompassing update!

Golf Tournament!!!

Agape Kure Beach Ministries, a Lutheran organization that provides lots of educational opportunities for today's youth, is having a golf tournament in October. I played last year, and can tell you that it is an extremely well-run event, on a very well-maintained golf course (Echo Farms in Wilmington, NC).

I am not affiliated with the tournament (other than being Lutheran and supportive of AKB), but anyone who wishes to participate can either click the link above or email me with any questions. I will get them answered, even if I have to contact someone else!

I Agree With Gregg Doyel

I just felt like that should be the title of this entry.

It doesn't happen very often.

Anyway, Doyel's column about the death of Eight Belles just after the Kentucky Derby this past weekend was 100% correct. It is sad how many horses are sacrificed for the entertainment of a relatively small number of people.

Can you imagine if human athletes were treated the same way?

"LeBron James sprained his ankle in the second quarter of today's game, and had to be put down. He was replaced in the second half by......"

N&O's "Public Editor": Hatchet Work 'Justified'

In his normal Sunday column, News & Observer Public Editor Ted Vaden gave his take on the infamous "College Inn" story that recently appeared in the paper. It was written by Lorenzo Perez, with assistance from everyone's favorite reporter, Chip Alexander.

The story itself has been talked about and criticized by The Red and White from State. I don't feel that I need to give a summary of the article here, as anyone reading this probably knows about the article already.

Mr. Vaden, however, just gave his two cents on the subject in yesterday's paper, and I find his comments quite interesting. While critical of some aspects of the story, he ultimately decides that the story was justified. He actually says "stories", as he links two separate articles. One was an investigative waste of ink, spread across five columns of the Sports section front page. The other was questioning whether or not the Wolfpack Club should be allowed to benefit from a change in tax law that made the College Inn tax-exempt.

I have no problems with the tax question. The law is the law, and the College Inn either qualifies as tax-exempt or it doesn't.

The larger article, however, reads as a witch hunt, and I think Mr. Vaden takes the easy way out by citing both articles in his justification. The two articles are separate, and should be looked at that way.

There is lots of speculation and innuendo in the article, but no actual numbers that put NCSU anywhere near an NCAA violation. However, the oversight of the facility is questioned repeatedly, and the author seems to want to uncover some sort of wrongdoing on the part of NCSU or the Wolfpack Club.

In closing, Mr. Vaden ran this quote from Assistant Sports Editor Andrew Curliss:

"I view it as part of my responsibility to tell readers what these booster groups are up to."

I'm sure everyone is waiting for the in-depth looks at the Iron Dukes and the Rams Club that must be forthcoming.

I think the article could have been a positive, if the reporter had chosen to point out that owning a money-making business helps the Wolfpack Club have income that is not subject to the whims or its fanbase or the fluctuations of the economy. If the facility is well-maintained and well-managed, it will be a source of income that the Wolfpack Club can rely on, which can help eliminate the need for increased student fees to help with athletic costs.

Screams Heard In Cleveland

Tracy Boulian/The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer

Those screams were from this man, Brady Quinn, backup quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.

Why was Quinn screaming?

Because on Saturday, in New York City, when Vernon Gholston was selected 6th overall by the New York Jets, the "green room" was empty. The NFL invited six prospects to the draft, and they were the first six players taken.

Last season, Quinn was projected to be a high pick, and was invited to New York for the draft by the NFL. He was expected to be, at worst, the third pick, which was held by the Cleveland Browns. The Browns selected offensive tackle Joe Thomas, and Quinn's monumental slide began.

He fell all the way to 22nd, where the Browns selected him after moving up in a trade. Quinn had to sit, alone, in the green room for hours and listen to other players' names being called. The entire time, ESPN showed his reactions to each pick.

The 6-for-6 showing this past weekend is just one last little bit of salt in that wound for Brady Quinn.

Quick Post-Draft Panthers Thoughts

Marty Hurney and John Fox have basically bet their futures on Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah.
The Oregon running back and Pittsburgh offensive tackle were both drafted in the first round by the Panthers, who mortgaged next year's draft to move up and get Otah.

The Panthers draft, on paper, looks impressive. Stewart, if healthy, may be the opening day starter at RB. Otah could (should?) be the opening day right tackle. Iowa defensive back Charles Godfrey, who played corner in college, is expected to play safety for the Panthers. He is also expected to be able to challenge for a starting spot.

The Panthers' coaching staff and front office personnel are under a lot of pressure going into next season. If the team does not make the playoffs, changes are probably going to take place. Otah's development will be crucial, simply because of what was sacrificed to get him. The Panthers gave the Philadelphia Eagles their 2nd- and 4th-round picks this year, plus 2009's first round pick, to get the 19th pick in this year's draft and nab Otah. If next year's pick is better than 19th, and Otah wasn't a starter, then Fox and Hurney may very well end up unemployed.

No Tyler, But Other Heels "Testing Waters"

Tyler Hansbrough is coming back to UNC for his senior year. That decision was announced a few days ago, and at the same time it was announced that Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson will "test the waters." For those who don't know, that means that they will enter the NBA draft pool, but not hire an agent, thereby maintaining their college eligibility should they decide in the next month or so that they are not happy with their likely draft position.

Neither decision was particularly surprising, in my opinion. Hansbrough was always more likely to come back, and Ellington and Lawson always seemed more curious about "the process." I believe that Lawson is more likely to stay in the draft than Ellington, but I think there is a good chance that both end up back in Chapel Hill. Ellington is unlikely to be a first round draft pick, and Lawson is projected near the bottom of the first round. If Lawson has some impressive workouts, he may be able to move up into the 'teens, and he may decide that position is high enough for him to jump to the league. I don't believe Ellington can work his way into the first round.

And then there is Danny Green. It was announced over the weekend that he, too, would "test the waters." Even though his name wasn't mentioned by Roy Williams during the information-gathering process, there were rumors that he was going to enter his name into the draft. Those rumors have turned out to be truthful. This is a "no-risk" decision for Green, simply because as a junior, he won't have another year to "test the waters". Players are allowed to enter the draft and return to school only once, per NCAA rules. Next season would be Green's last at UNC anyway, so entering the draft without an agent is really a "no harm, no foul" exercise. It is unusual in that Coach Williams seems to have looked into Green's draft prospects, given Green a report, and advised him to stay in school. Green apparently decided that Coach Williams information was inaccurate. Rarely do players go against their coach's recommendation, especially at a high profile program such as UNC.

The most shocking part of this whole scenario to me is that Ellington is projected to be drafted ahead of Green. If I were an NBA GM, I would rather have Green than Ellington. Ellington has a very smooth jumper, but it was inconsistent this past season...as was the rest of his game. Green has a very good jumper, plays decent defense, rebounds, and even blocks a lot of shots for someone who's "only" 6'6".

Time will tell, I suppose. Best of luck to all the Tar Heels. I honestly hope that they all make the right decision, whether that means staying in Chapel Hill or going to the NBA. For much more in-depth analysis of Green's decision (and all other things UNC), check out Tar Heel Fan.

Final Game/Offseason UNC Post

***Disclaimer***
I understand that anything in this post that may be construed as negative is only written out of jealousy. Furthermore, I understand that I am totally unqualified to ask any questions about anything UNC basketbal related, because Roy Williams is in the Basketball Hall of Fame and I'm not...yet.


The University of North Carolina saw their basketball season come to an end on Saturday night in San Antonio, Texas. The Tar Heels were beaten by the Kansas Jayhawks 84-66 in one of the national semifinals.

UNC was 36-3, and they swept the ACC, winning the regular season and tournament championships. Losing in the Final Four is nothing to be ashamed of, either. Kansas is a very good team.

However, I am perplexed at some UNC fans' inability to turn a critical eye at their team following the loss. Almost every comment I have read from UNC fans trumpets their team's accomplishments, and I don't think I've seen one wondering how things went so wrong.

Kansas buried UNC with a first half avalanche. At one point, the score was 40-12. Roy Williams didn't do anything to try to stem the tide. In the biggest game of the season, he stuck with his "let 'em play" mentality, and the players dug a hole that proved too deep to escape. Last year, when State fans wondered why Roy didn't call any timeouts during NC State's victory over UNC, Carolina fans said Roy let the players struggle as a "learning tool." The Alamodome is a huge classroom, I guess.

In the second half, UNC made several surges, and eventually cut the lead to 4. Had a few bounces gone differently, UNC could have still had a shot at winning. One of the surges was countered by a Kansas surge, and Kansas burst began at a time when there was no one on the floor named Lawson, Hansbrough or Ellington. Other than blowouts and games Lawson missed due to injury, I'd be interested to know how often that happened this season. Especially in games where UNC was behind and struggling to catch up.

The loss actually becomes a part of a different story, one that I may do more research on later (but I doubt it). For the second straight year, UNC lost a game that they probably should have won. This Kansas no-show follows last year's collapse versus Georgetown. Other than 2005's championship run, Roy Williams has a history of under-achieving in the NCAA Tournament. Several of his Kansas teams failed to achieve expected tournament success, and this is the second straight disappointing exit at UNC.

Now, the UNC focus turns to how great next year will be. And it very well could be amazing. Most likely, at least two of the three UNC players who were expected to consider the NBA will now come back. There's a very good chance that Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough, and Wayne Ellington will all return. Add in a star-studded recruiting class, and things look great for the Heels going forward.

The only question: chemistry.

Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis are both 5-star power forwards. How do they work with returners Hansbrough, Deon Thompson and Alex Stepheson? Larry Drew is a 4-star point guard. He probably expected to battle Bobby Frasor for playing time. How will he like being potentially 3rd string?

Chemistry is a fickle beast. There are no guarantees. The UNC freshman class that included Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace had chemistry issues with the upper classmen. Chemistry problems do not prevent teams from being successful. UNC will be super-talented next season, and will be the odds-on favorite to win the ACC again. Chemistry can make a difference in a tournament game, though. If every single player is not on the same page, even the greatest team can fall.

Next season, Roy's task will be to juggle playing time and personalities.

Down To Two

The Final Four have been reduced to two.

On Saturday night in San Antonio, Memphis defeated UCLA by a score of 78-63, and Kansas beat North Carolina 84-66. Neither game lived up to the hype created during the week leading up to the game.

This year's Final Four was the first to have all four #1 seeds. It was supposed to be highly competitive, and riveting to watch. Only two of the teams were worth watching, and unfortunately they played in separate games.

If the same Memphis and Kansas teams that played Saturday night show up on Monday, the National Championship game could be a great one. If either team is sluggish, they could get blown right out of the Alamodome.

I believe that Memphis should win the game. I really think the UNC game was Kansas' big game, because of the Roy Williams angle. I am not sure they can bring the same effort and intensity to the next game, even if it is for all the marbles.

Hurricanes' Season Over

The Carolina Hurricanes saw their season end officially on Saturday night, as the Washington Capitals defeated the Florida Panthers to clinch the Southeast Division. The Hurricanes' only hope was for the Caps to lose.

The upcoming offseason should be very interesting, because several older veterans could be pushed out by young players. Several veterans missed significant time down the stretch, and the team played very well with them out. Jim Rutherford and Peter Laviolette will have to decide if the young players are ready for the NHL, or if they just caught lightning in a bottle.

Laviolette will likely have some questions to answer as well, simply because of the team's less-than-stellar finish. They had several "win and you're in" games, and didn't win them. I have already seen several people question the wisdom of inserting players coming back from injuries into the lineup, while taking away players who had contributed greatly to Carolina's playoff push. Loyalty to players is a good thing, in moderation...but with a handful of games left in the season, you don't have time for guys to "get their legs back."

Everyone has plenty of time to think about things, unfortunately.

Memo To CBS, ESPN and Kansas Fans...

Let me go ahead and get this out of the way:



There it is. I'm sure this video will be shown a time or two this week. I am also sure that I am going to be sick of it all by...about noon today.

It only matters to Kansas fans. They are the bitter people who can't believe that anyone would leave Kansas. Mostly because it's Kansas.

Everyone knows the story by now. Bill Guthridge retires, UNC tries to get Roy from Kansas, and he turns them down. In the process, he states rather plainly that he will never leave Kansas. That comment actually shows his belief in Matt Doherty more than anything else, because Roy thinks that he has turned down the only opportunity he would have to be UNC's head coach.

Who knew Doherty was only a three year guy? No one, especially not Roy Williams. The second time around, 'ol Roy couldn't say no.

No one was surprised. Well, no one who isn't a Jayhawk. Every person associated with UNC basketball remains associated with UNC basketball. It truly is a family. Doherty's reign of terror splintered the family, and Dean Smith wanted Roy to come back to "fix things."

That Roy turned down the Tar Heels once was a miracle, a true testament to his love for Kansas. Despite that, there was no way he was saying no a second time. Zero chance.

Now, we've got to hear about it all week. Kansas fans will curse Roy for leaving, and then in the same breath tell you all the reasons they are better off with Bill Self. Sort of an odd combination, if you ask me.

Most people agree that Roy's decision the second time around was made easier because of a rocky relationship with athletic director Al Bohl. Bohl was hired in 2001 to replace Bob Frederick, a longtime friend of Williams, and the didn't see eye to eye with Williams. After Williams criticized Bohl for firing KU football coach Terry Allen with 3 games left in the season, Bohl said this about Williams to the Kansas City Star:

"I'm running this program. I'm not asking Roy for permission to do things. It's a new era here. I'm going to run this program like a CEO would run a company. There's going to be no confusion over who's in charge."

Between the time that the above video was recorded, and Roy's acceptance of the UNC job, Bohl was fired. It was an attempt to make Roy happy enough to stay, but it was too late. As he cleaned out his office, I bet he realized who actually was in charge.

So, Kansas fans, just be happy for your team, and your coach. If you spend all week talking about Roy Williams, it won't be fair to Bill Self and his players. Roy Williams is coaching the team he should be coaching, and Kansas is doing just fine without him.

Let it go.

Davidson's Run Ends

I almost used "magical" to describe Davidson's run. I contemplated the use of "Cinderella."

I decided against both options.

Davidson just lost a game. Nothing more, nothing less.

They weren't embarrassed, like Texas and many other teams in this year's NCAA Tournament. As the clock expired, the ball was in the air, and the Wildcats had a chance to advance.

It just wasn't meant to be.

They were the feel-good story of this tournament, but only because they hadn't advanced this far since 1969. They seemingly came out of nowhere, but only because they came up a few points short in each of their early season games against major-conference teams. They played UNC, UCLA, Duke and NC State to close games, all on the road (or neutral sites). Once conference play started, they embarked on what would become the nation's longest winning streak.

Davidson had an outstanding season, and they don't deserve to have it belittled by being called Cinderella.

Stephen Curry established himself as a top-level college basketball player. And, even in the season-ender to Kansas, Davidson showed that they aren't a one-man show. The team shot 38.6%, and Curry had 25 points on 9-25 shooting. Before the game, if those two statistics were somehow available, no one would have given Davidson a chance. However, Curry's teammates all chipped in, scrapping for loose balls, making big shots, and Davidson had a chance at the end to win the game.

That's all any coach ever asks for...a chance at the end.

8 McDonald's All-Americans. Oh. My. God.

5 Stars. McDonald's All-American.

Must be some kind of player, right?

Maybe, maybe not. Duke's 2nd round loss to West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament prompted discussion about Duke's 8 McDonald's All-Americans, to West Virginia's zero.

With that in mind, I thought I'd take a little closer look at Duke's burger boys. I don't mean a statistical breakdown. I'm going to find each one on the Rivals150 from their days as a recruit, and see where they measure up. Not a scientific experiment, I understand. But it could be interesting.

DeMarcus Nelson has been solid for four years. He's a very good defender, and streaky on offense. If I were going to rank him today, however, I don't think I'd rate him a 5 star prospect. DeMarcus was 17th in the 2004 Rivals150. If you were to rank those players now, Nelson would likely drop. A quick sampling of some of the guys behind him: Al Horford (36th), Sean Singletary (56th), JamesOn Curry (72nd), Joakim Noah (75th), Chris Lofton (146th).

Greg Paulus was 11th on the 2005 Rivals150. One spot behind Tyler Hansbrough. Chris Douglas-Roberts, who is probably a better all-around player than Paulus, was 75th. Paulus was hyped because he was also a top quarterback recruit, so his basketball skills may have been embellished just a little.

Gerald Henderson was 11th in 2006, and I'm not going to argue with his spot. He is an amazing athlete, and has improved during both of his seasons at Duke. He doesn't have the jumpshot that I'd expect from a 5 star prospect who plays on the perimeter, but his shot does seem to be improving.

Jon Scheyer was 71st in 2006. That may actually be a little low for him, as he has been a very consistent player for Duke. His ranking does make me wonder exactly what the criteria is for selecting the McDonald's teams. There were 70 guys ranked higher than him, yet he was selected. Duke mystique??

Lance Thomas was 42nd in 2006. Based on what he's done at Duke, he should swap places with Scheyer. Thomas is the latest in a long line of failed attempts by Coach K to find a post player. Coach K tends to do that by recruiting a 6'8" wing player and sending him to Wojo's big man camp. That philosophy doesn't seem to work very well. Ask Shavlik Randolph and Josh McRoberts.

Taylor King was 37th in 2007.
Nolan Smith was 39th in 2007.
I will let the following comments count for both players: Jeff Teague was 57th and James Johnson was 62nd. I doubt that Wake Forest would want to trade. Daniel Hackett (66th) was a starter for USC. Also, I wonder how the 37th and 39th players end up in the McDonald's game. If recruiting rankings were always right, wouldn't the top 24 players be in the game?

Kyle Singler was 5th in 2007. He had a very good season, but he's ranked one spot ahead of Kevin Love (6th). I don't see how that happened. Singler seemed to hit the wall pretty hard at the end of the season, but prior to that he was playing at a high level. I'm not going to knock his ranking. I will question the quote that accompanies his profile, however: "Perhaps the most complete player in the 2007 class." Hmmm...the number one player from last year, a young man named Michael Beasley (have you heard of him?), would probably like to have a little talk with the author of that statement.

Basically, I would say that these 8 guys prove two things:

One, when it comes to ranking high school players, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Two, McDonald's likes players who commit to Duke. How else does the 71st player in the country get selected for the game?

Another Early Exit Prompts Duke Discussion

The Duke Blue Devils were beaten by the West Virginia Mountaineers in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. On paper, it's an upset. Duke was a 2 seed, WVU was a 7. In the real world, the game was probably a toss-up. Duke struggled the last few weeks of the season, and barely survived their first round opponent, Belmont.

Duke has lost the swagger. Well, that probably not true. Duke and it's fans still have the swagger. What they don't have is the aura that they used to have. Teams are not afraid of the jersey, as they may have been in the past.

Belmont's players were upset at the loss. They had watched the Devils on film, and knew exactly what to do to win. They executed their game plan very well, but fell just one point short. In years past, you'd hear players happy to have kept it close. Belmont felt that they had let Duke off the hook.

The Mountaineers of West Virginia didn't let the Devils off the hook. And, they weren't even impressed about their accomplishment.

WVU's Joe Alexander in the NY Times: “We knew that coming in that they were just going to stand around and not rebound, so we were ready to exploit that.”

WVU reserve Cam Thoroughman, from the same article: “Oh my God. Are you kidding?”

This was his response to finding out that Greg Paulus was one of the eight McDonald's All-Americans on Duke's roster. West Virginia has eight fewer than Duke. That's right...zero. This difference was not ignored by the Mounaineers in post-game comments.

“We don’t have any McDonald’s all-Americans and we don’t have any guys who were the No. 1 player in their state,” West Virginia center Jamie Smalligan said. “But I think that Coach K would love to have Joe Alexander on his team right now,” he added, referring to Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

It will be very interesting to find out what Duke fans are thinking about their team. Will they be confident that Coach K can turn it around? Why? Are they concerned that Coach K has lost his recruiting touch? There will be questions that Duke fans haven't asked in quite some time, but that are always asked when a traditional power has two consecutive early exits from the NCAA Tournament.

Play-In Comment

I've been meaning to write this ever since Selection Sunday, but haven't had the time.

The teams chosen for the play-in game of the NCAA Tournament get shafted. This year, Coppin State and Mount St. Mary's played in the game, which was played in Dayton, Ohio, as it is every year. Technically, MSM got their first NCAA Tournament win, defeating Coppin State 69-60. However, the Mount also lost a first round matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

How, exactly, do you have a win and a first round loss? Because the NCAA calls the Tuesday special the "Opening Round." Everyone who doesn't work for the NCAA (or one of the schools assigned to the game) calls it the play-in game.

The NCAA Tournament really begins on a Thursday, and arenas across the country host four games each. There is electricity in the air, and it is an event that every sports fan looks forward to watching. The play-in game is not, which is why Coppin State and Mount St. Mary's were cheated.

Coppin State won the MEAC Conference tournament. Mount St. Mary's won the NEC Conference tournament. The MEAC is the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The NEC is the Northeast Conference. They probably don't even qualify as mid-majors. In my opinion, that shouldn't matter. Both of these teams earned their way into the NCAA Tournament. They are champions. They aren't "bubble teams," and no one spent the day after Selection Sunday debating whether or not they should be in the tournament.

There are 34 at-large NCAA Tournament bids handed out on Selection Sunday. The last two teams in should be the teams in the play-in game. They are barely in the tournament, and every TV talking head debates which teams should be in their places. This year, Arizona and South Alabama would have been prime candidates. Since they are questionable tournament teams anyway, send them to Dayton, and let the winner be a 12-seed somewhere.

Even if Coppin State and Mount St. Mary's both get beaten in their opening game, at least they would have gotten to experience the excitement of the NCAA Tournament. I have a hard time believing they get that experience in Dayton.

Hickson To NBA? Possibly.

North Carolina State C/F JJ Hickson has decided to enter his name into the NBA Draft, head coach Sidney Lowe said on his final radio show of the season. Hickson will not hire an agent, but will show his wares at pre-draft camps and workouts. After determining where he is likely to be drafted, Hickson would then determine whether he stays in the draft or returns to NC State for another season.

Hickson's current draft status is unclear. Collegehoopsnet.com does not have him listed in their two round mock draft at all, but lists him as a potential first round pick. Draftexpress.com has Hickson projected to go 26th overall. Insidehoops.com projects JJ at 27th overall.

The assessment of Hickson's draft potential will be up in the air until the April 27th early entry deadline has passed. Up until that point, there are several players whose decisions about leaving college early for the NBA will affect where Hickson ends up in the draft.

Ultimately, the decision will most likely come down to Hickson's willingness to risk his future.

At the current projected draft positions, he would be going to playoff teams. Those teams are usually not as "needy" when it comes to rookies, so JJ could end up in the NBA Development League for long stretches. Also, rookie contracts are guaranteed for two year, with two more years as team options. If JJ is unable to crack the roster of the team that drafts him in two years, he may not get an immediate chance anywhere else. He'd then be faced with going overseas to try to work his way back to the NBA. Foreign basketball leagues are littered with U.S. players who thought they were more prepared for the NBA than they actually proved to be.

The only real risk in returning to NC State is injury. The work ethic that Hickson displayed as a freshman makes it likely that he would further develop his skills if he spent another year at NCSU. If he could improve his defense, and become better at recognizing double teams in the post on offense, Hickson would stand a good chance of improving his draft position considerably.

There really is no clear-cut right or wrong answer. It is entirely up to JJ. As a State fan, I'd like to see him spend another year in college, but I can't blame him for chasing his dreams, if that's what he ultimately decides to do. I wish him the best of luck, no matter what he decides.

Panthers Add DJ Hackett

The Carolina Panthers signed free agent wide receiver DJ Hackett to a two-year contract on Monday. The signing brings the number of actual living, breathing NFL wide receivers on the roster to three, up from one last year. Hackett joins the Panthers as the #2 wideout, according to his agent, Kevin Robinson.

Earlier this offseason, the Panthers welcomed back Muhsin Muhammad, a long time Panther who spent several years with the Chicago Bears. General manager Marty Hurney and head coach John Fox are hopeful that Hackett and Muhammad can open things up for All-Pro wideout Steve Smith.

Also, having more proven veterans on the roster should provide more tutelage for 2nd-year player Dwayne Jarrett, who had trouble learning the playbook and barely saw the field as a rookie. Jarrett faces potential disciplinary action after a recent DWI arrest.

The two additions should more than make up for the departures of Keary Colbert and Drew Carter, neither of whom could develop into consistent performers. Colbert has signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos, and Carter recently joined the Oakland Raiders.

Coach Calls Out Team...No, Not THAT Coach

"It's in front of our guys, what it takes to win," the coach said. "For whatever reason, I haven't brought it out in them. They're not committed to it. I don't think people change a whole lot, and I don't think you've seen the basketball team change at all this year. So it's hard for me to get overly thrilled or excited."

"I think we have some talent issues on the defensive end of the floor, footspeed-wise, that sometimes is not all their fault."

Wow. Strong words. Coach Lowe must have been really upset to lay into his team like that, huh? Not exactly.

The coach I'm referring to is Billy Donovan. I know, I know, Billy Donovan has two national championship rings, so he can call out his team. He's Roy Williams, Sidney Lowe is Matt Doherty.

Whatever.

I'm not writing this to say, "See, it's OK that Sid called out NCSU's players, because Billy did it, too."

Some of the things that Donovan said are what I want to talk about today. He mentions a couple of things that I have said about NC State's team in recent times. After reading this column by Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com, I believe Florida and NC State had similar teams.

Be honest. You read the first quote, and thought that Sid was "blaming the players" again, didn't you? I know you did. But these are not Sid's words, they are Billy Donovan's. He questions his players' internal makeup. He also says that he doesn't think it can be changed. I have said that quite a bit about NC State's team, mostly about the former coach's players.

The system that Herb Sendek used at NCSU catered to "not-so aggressive" players. A lot of perimeter activity, no real work in the paint. No need to get your hands dirty, so to speak. A few passes, a few jumpshots, and some back-door cuts. It is the offense of the underdog. Princeton ran it because it allowed their lesser-skilled players to remain somewhat competitive. Herb Sendek ran it for the same reasons, State fans just don't like to admit it.

NC State had problems in every phase of the game this season. That is without question. As long as I write, on this blog or anywhere else, I will never write a more factual statement than that one. Some of the blame has to go to Sidney Lowe, simply because he was the head coach.

The problem that I have is that everyone talks about all the talent there was at NC State this season, and how the team should have done so much more. I agree that the team under-achieved, but I disagree about the talent level. Each of the returning players has at least one serious flaw in his game. Serious enough that he can't cover up for it.

Gavin Grant: Athletic slasher, senior leader. Not very quick, not very good ball handler, leads more with his mouth than his play.

Courtney Fells: Athletic, shooter, good defender. Lacks focus, lacks consistent effort, streaky shooter, if he doesn't score early he disappears

Brandon Costner: Versatile inside-out threat. "Tweener"...too slow to play the 3, to soft to play the 4, too slow to defend against smaller players, too soft to defend in the paint

Ben McCauley: Big man with good touch around the basket. Finesse player, doesn't seem to thrive on contact, struggles defensively against physical players, doesn't go up strong on offense, tends to avoid contact rather than initiate it and get to the line, doesn't rebound as well as his size would indicate

These were the guys who were called upon to lead. They didn't. Some of them pouted about reduced playing time, as though they earned a spot last year, when there were only six guys capable of playing. Others talked about great things for the team, but didn't really do much to make it happen. They all seemed to take turns zoning out for varying periods of time. Apparently, they spent too much time in the offseason reading about how good they were going to be, and not enough time watching film of how bad they actually were a season ago.

Coach Donovan's remarks about foot-speed also hit home for this NCSU team. For me, it is actually a sign that maybe sometimes the team was trying harder than it looked. Yesterday, in the ACC Tournament, Miami seemed to get every loose ball. Was it lack of effort, or are Miami's players just faster? A fast player will beat a slow player to a loose ball almost every time.

While I would agree with those who say that Coach Lowe has to take some responsibility for this season's failures, I disagree with those who say it's wrong to blame the players. A quick look at things would say that these four were more inspired by unlimited playing time than they were about a chance to win. They sure seemed more "into it" when they were all playing 30-35 minutes a game last year, even though they lost a lot. This year, when they were asked to be part of what most agree should have been a better team, they balked.

Is there any one who thinks, after watching the whole season, that JJ Hickson should have been held back to help keep either Ben McCauley's or Brandon Costner's ego from getting bruised? Better players show up, and the older guys have to make room. Maybe they should have followed the examples set by Quentin Thomas, who watched as first Bobby Frasor, then Ty Lawson started ahead of him as freshman at UNC. Or maybe John Scheyer, who started last year for Duke, but this year is their sixth man, mostly because of Kyle Singler, a freshman.

I don't mean to absolve Coach Lowe of any blame, and I definitely don't think it's fair to Herb Sendek to blame his style or "his players" for the way this season played out. Having said that, the attitudes of these upper-classmen could very well have come from their time under Sendek. Like most freshman under Sendek, McCauley and Fells spent most of their freshman season on the bench. Costner was injured, and redshirted because of the injury. During and after Sidney Lowe's first season as coach, many questioned why McCauley and Fells were not given larger roles the previous season. Maybe now we see why.

In my opinion, Fells would serve the team better in a an old-school Vinnie Johnson-type role. VJ was a member of the Detroit Pistons who was called "Microwave" because of his penchant for entering a game, making a few plays, and going back out. This role would help alleviate Courtney's biggest flaw, which is a lack of focus. McCauley also would be better as a backup, I believe. He's not overly athletic, and played his best this year when he played in short bursts, rather than long stretches. If he and Hickson rotated, it would create headaches for defenses, because they play the same position, but their style of play is dramatically different. However, as with any post player, McCauley's success or failure depends in large part on what happens on the perimeter. Perimeter play is what doomed the Wolfpack.

There is another quote from coach Donovan, that I think also fits this Wolfpack team. It has absolutely nothing to do with coaching, motivation, focus, or determination:

"I don't think we're a quick, athletic team. When we line up and play against the physical, athletic teams, we get exposed."

You tell me which ACC teams don't fit the "physical, athletic" description, besides NC State.

StateFans' Wake Comparison A Little Off Base

StateFansNation posted this comparison of NC State's basketball season to Wake Forest's season. While everything in the comparison is factual, I can't really convince myself that the comparison is a fair one.

For one thing, they use recruiting rankings as part of their reasoning. Recruiting rankings are opinions, and the way that those opinions are reached are sometimes suspect.

Wake's class was 28th, but probably because they had 3 guys, and NCSU had four. Jeff Teague was the 8th-ranked point guard, and James Johnson was the 9th-ranked small forward. Both were four-star players. The third player, Gary Clark, was the 24th ranked shooting guard. NC State's class consisted of JJ Hickson (3rd center), Javier Gonzalez (30th point guard), Tracy Smith (18th power forward) and Johnny Thomas (40th small forward).

If you take the players national rank at their position, Wake's three average a 13.7, and the three that played this year for NCSU average 17. If you add in the fourth player, Johnny Thomas, State's average drops to 22.75.

Teague and Johnson Wake's top 2 scorers, and Teague is the leading rebounder. Hickson is NCSU's leading scorer and rebounder, but the difference is that Teague is not dependent on anyone else getting him the ball. JJ requires help to get the ball, and there hasn't been a lot of that for NCSU this year.

Also, StateFans mentions that Wake had to replace Kyle Visser, while NCSU had to replace Engin Atsur. Obviously, a senior point guard is more important than a senior PF/C. Atsur was responsible for a lot of the positive things that happened to the '06-'07 Wolfpack, while Visser was playing on a young team with a freshman point guard, Ishmael Smith.

I'm pretty sure that Wake Forest had 7 or 8 players during last year's season, as well. While that seems like something simple, remember that NCSU only had 6 that played regularly. And by regularly, I mean a lot. When Teague came in and earned a starting spot, he didn't replace anyone who had any reason to complain. There was no player on Wake's team who thought he was going to the NBA after this year that now had to back into Teague's shadow, and end up a shell of last year's version of himself.

The talent of JJ Hickson, and Sidney Lowe's (right) decision to try to utilize it as much as possible, may very well have led to some chemistry issues. The fact is, in today's college game, the players have to deal with not being guaranteed anything. They have to earn their minutes THIS YEAR, no matter what they did last year. With the current NBA rules, there are players every year in college who would have gone into the NBA. Sometimes, those players go to teams with returning players at their position. Returning players who are simply not NBA players. Should the more talented freshman sit, and yield to the less-talented upper-classman? Or should the upper-classman understand that the team is bigger than he is, and accept his role?

Ask Quentin Thomas. The UNC senior came in to back up Raymond Felton. Felton left, and Bobby Frasor took Thomas' starting spot, relegating him to the backup role, again. Then, Ty Lawson came in, and beat out Frasor, who became the backup, dropping Thomas to 3rd string. When injuries knocked both Lawson and Frasor out of the lineup, Thomas came in and performed. He wasn't sad, and he wasn't out of shape. He was ready to do his job.

StateFans also references the death of Skip Prosser in the comparison. While I'm sure they mean it as something that should have hurt the team, in reality it probably made the team immune to the type of chemisty issues that plagued NC State this season. Wake's players banded together to support Dino Gaudio, and each and every one of them would run through a wall for him. Also, Gaudio probably helped to recruit the players, and they probably still run a system similar to Prosser's.

The fact is, StateFans' comparison could be used as a reason to look forward to improvement next year. Last year's Wake team was 5-11, with a freshman PG learning the ropes. Ishmael Smith has played much better this year, just as NCSU fans should expect Javier Gonzalez to improve going into his sophomore season.

Julius Mays is a combo guard who is playing the point for his high school team, just as Jeff Teague did as a high school player. If Mays has the ability to penetrate a defense, he may be able to contribute very quickly next season. Also, CJ Williams, a G/F, will provide a boost to the team's overall quickness and athleticism. Also, Johnny Thomas will be healed from his injury, which should add another athletic slasher to the mix.

Finally, let's look at the preseason predictions. NCSU was picked third, Wake was picked 11th. I would say that's probably because all the media members knew Sidney Lowe, and did not know Dino Gaudio. If Skip Prosser were the coach, this Wake team would have been picked higher than 11th, I'm sure.

The fact is that last year both teams finished 5-11 in the ACC. Both teams lost a senior to the European leagues. Both teams brought in good recruiting classes. What reasoning was used to predict that they'd finish 8 places apart in the standings? I'd question the predictors, personally, who chose to believe the ACC Tournament performance instead of the performance for the entire season.

I choose to look at this comparison and think that next year could see NC State finish somewhere near .500 in the ACC. That would get them back to respectability, and show some of the doubters that Sid's plan may actually work.