NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Random YouTube Magic: Maryland's Len Bias vs. North Carolina's Michael Jordan

Michael David Smith — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 06:49:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, Maryland, North Carolina

Hoopsvibe has uncovered this sweet video of a Michael Jordan-led North Carolina team beating a Len Bias-led Maryland team:

If you watch the whole video, you'll see that Jordan ends the game with one of the best dunks in college basketball history.

Almost as interesting as the video is the game story Hoopsvibe found. Note the byline:

By Michael Wilbon Washington Post Staff Writer

Those who argue that two great players can't make a team No. 1 in the nation obviously haven't seen enough of North Carolina all-Americans Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins.

Jordan had the presence of three players at times last night, shooting, stealing and rebounding in surreal sequences. His 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Perkins' 26 points and 12 rebounds, enabled Carolina to remain undefeated with a 74-62 victory over Maryland in packed Cole Field House.

The Tar Heels, all-Americas or not, held no big edge until the final minute. The Terrapins, for the most part, played like a team ranked fifth in the country. Sophomore forward Len Bias, with a career-high 24 points, and Adrian Branch, with 19, at times matched the splendor of Perkins and Jordan.

I wasn't aware that anyone ever argued that two great players can't make a team No. 1, but overall, you can see the promise in Wilbon just as you can see the promise in Jordan, and the unfulfilled promise in Bias.

Random YouTube Magic: Maryland's Len Bias vs. North Carolina's Michael Jordan originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 06:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Maryland Ranks Dead Last in Graduation Rate

Michael David Smith — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:14:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, Maryland

The NCAA on Wednesday released data on the graduation rates of college student-athletes who entered school between 1997 and 2000, and only one school in the country didn't graduate a single basketball player who enrolled during that time: Maryland.

Neither Maryland coach Gary Williams nor the school's administrators seem to think that is a big problem, though:

"They had a lot of on-court success, but we would've liked more off-court success," said Anton Goff, associate athletic director for academic support and career development. "For some reason or other, that didn't happen as far as graduation rates are concerned. We can't change the number now. We're not happy about it, but it was 10 years ago."

I don't like the way that a school's graduation rate has become shorthand for its academic integrity. A school with a high graduation rate isn't necessarily educating its student-athletes; it could just be making it incredibly easy to get a diploma.

On the other hand, a school that doesn't graduate any student-athletes is almost certainly not doing a very good job of making sure its scholarship athletes are actual students, which means there are almost certainly some pretty big problems at Maryland.

Hat tip: Sports by Brooks.

Maryland Ranks Dead Last in Graduation Rate originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Premature Preseason ACC 2007-2008 Hoops Rankings

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:15:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Georgia Tech Basketball, Duke Basketball, Boston College Basketball, Maryland Basketball, NC State Basketball, Wake Forest Basketball, ACC Basketball, Clemson Basketball, Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Washington, DC, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Carolina, Clemson, Florida State

This will be a transition year for most of the ACC. Pretty much everyone took a hit this offseason, with only four teams really looking like locks for the NCAA tournament. There is little doubt that North Carolina will be the favorite ... but remember that this was the case last year ... and UNC was nearly the #5 seed in the ACC tournament. NC State, Duke and Clemson have the best shot at giving the Heels trouble for the title

1-North Carolina: Sometimes subtraction isn't a bad thing. The Heels lose Brandan Wright and Reyshawn Terry, but the rotation should be tighter and everyone more understanding of their roles. If UNC is going to make its title run, they better do it now before Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough bolt.

2-NC State: Brandon Costner is my pick for ACC Player of the Year. With JJ Hickson running alongside him in the paint, Costner is free to show his entire game [similar to how Wright helped Hansbrough last year in Chapel Hill]. This team is ready to break out and get back into the ACC's elite. At issue is finding Engin Atsur's replacement ... since he was so key in the success of the Pack last year.

3-Duke: With Kyle Singler and Taylor King coming in, expect Duke to go back to its gun-slinging ways. Last year's team wasn't normal Duke: they struggled to find their offense and were very inconsistent shooting. The big issue this year is ... well, what happens if they keep missing those threes? Josh McRoberts is gone and there really isn't anyone reliable in the paint to score or rebound.

4-Clemson: Can the Tigers get back that team that was scorching the early part of the season? Well, they have four returning starters and has one of the better frontcourts in the conference. They just need to get their minds right. This team has the talent ... they just need to tighten the bolts and clean the sawdust.

5-Virginia: Dave Leitao better thank God that Sean Singletary came back. The ACC player of the year candidate will be asked to do even more with JR Reynolds and Jason Cain gone.

6-Maryland: Gotta love those Terps! The head-scratchers are gone, with their understudies ready to take their place. The team will rely on James Gist and Greivis Vasquez to become leaders on and off the floor. However, this streaky team must find someone who can hit a shot.

7-Georgia Tech: Tech was ready to take its place back on the national stage. Then the NBA snagged freshmen Thad Young and Javaris Crittenden. Now Tech is a team full of big men and no one around to take the heat off them. One good note: the Jackets get UNC, Duke and NC State only once apiece this year.

8-Boston College: Losing ACC Player of the Year Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall will be tough. Especially for a team that relied on those two [plus Tyrese Rice] for most of their offense last year. Rice is back and may be asked to do everything for the Eagles this year.

9-Miami: Frank Haith did an admirable job fighting during a season that saw his Canes kicked around. There is some talent on this team and a huge chip on their shoulders. They could sneak into the NCAAs.

10-Florida State: With ACC's leading scorer Al Thornton, the Noles underachieved yet again. Now he's gone. Jason Rich and Isaiah Swann could form a decent backcourt, but FSU lacks any kind of inside presence.

11-Wake Forest: This may be the calm before the storm. The Deacs were awful for most of last season before winning four down the stretch. Kyle Visser is gone and the big recruiting class is a year away. This is the year the other guys get their chance to show what they've got.

12-Virginia Tech: Ugh. Only four scholarship players are coming back from a team that nearly won the ACC last year.

Premature Preseason ACC 2007-2008 Hoops Rankings originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Remembering Len Bias

Nathan Fowler — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, Maryland

With the NBA draft coming up soon, today is a stark reminder of maybe the saddest draft related story of all time - the sudden and stunning death of Maryland star and Celtic's pick Len Bias on June 19th, 21 years ago. His death from a drug overdose shook the University of Maryland, the Boston Celtics and the entire NBA to their cores, a young man struck down in the prime of his life with the world laid out before him. It was just almost too sad to be to true.

Bias was a physical specimen, with remarkable strength for a player of his length and athleticism. As a senior at Maryland he averaged 23.2ppg and 7.0rpg and shot a remarkable 54% from the field. With a solid jumpshot that was almost unblockable because of his ability to elevate, he could score from all over the court and was one of the handful of best forwards in ACC history by the time he finished in College Park. Many have speculated what his NBA career would have been like, but there is little doubt that he had Hall of Fame type talent.

Len Bias would be 43 today, maybe just a couple of years removed from the end of a remarkable career where he carried the Celtics in the post-Bird era. Instead, the haunting 911 call - "This is Len Bias, you gotta get him back to life" sums up what many fans still feel.

Remembering Len Bias originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Terps Low Graduation Rates Could Cost Scholarships

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 04 May 2007 03:21:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Gossip, Washington, DC, Maryland

The University of Maryland men's basketball team could lose two scholarships due to a poor score in the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate.

Four of the six seniors on the Terps' basketball team are on track to graduate, but one is a walk-on who does not count toward the APR. Goff would not release the names of the two players in academic trouble. If those two don't graduate by the end of the summer, they could cost the program points if they don't return to school to earn their degree and they left while ineligible.

If either of those two fail to graduate, the Terps hoops team will fall below the passing mark and could possibly lose 10% of their scholarships ... which will round up to two. Not something that Maryland wants to have happen in the ultra-competitive ACC. The NCAA awards extra credit if you have a former player come back to school and graduate ... so expect Gary Williams to be on the phone to some guys to come back and help the program [hmmm ... Steve Francis usually has summers off].

Terps Low Graduation Rates Could Cost Scholarships originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 04 May 2007 03:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Byron Mouton Needed Geography Classes at Maryland

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:08:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, Washington, DC, Maryland

Former Terp, Byron Mouton, played on that Maryland 2002 National Championship team but done little else. He has played for 13 teams in nine different basketball leagues since then that include stops to Idaho, China, Germany and for a team in Cape Cod that played it's home games in a middle school gym. So when there was a chance for Mouton to return home to play near his Bowie, MD apartment ... he was happy. The team is the Wilmington Sea Dawgs of the ABA and the Delaware address of his new digs would keep him close to his roots. Well, except for one thing: it is the Wilmington that's in North Carolina.

Since he already signed the contract, he had to go [not that his options were all that great, anyways]. He gets $500 a week, 14 paid meals at Golden Corral and 7 meals at Chik-fil-A [no, I'm not kidding]. They play in small arenas in front of crowds that are not much bigger than at a rec league game. They take buses to games and sometimes when they get there, the game could be postponed because their opponent went bankrupt. None of his teammates care about if the team does well, just if they can do enough stat stuffing that some scout may actually look at them again. From the Washington Post:

During a pregame meal at Chick-fil-A in late February, Mouton tried to excite his teammates for a game against the Jacksonville Jam. "I've been looking on the ABA message boards," Mouton said. "Jacksonville is like number eight in the league power rankings. That's a few spots ahead of us."

"Nobody cares about this league, man," said Terrence Todd, Mouton's teammate. "Eat your chicken nuggets."

For every guy with NBA dreams that sets foot on the Final Four court in Atlanta this weekend, there will be four or five guys who will face the same challenges for the rest of their basketball careers. It won't be multi-million dollar contracts, fancy hotels or "making it rain" at strip clubs ... but dinners at fast food joints, bus rides and living check to check.

Just ask Byron Mouton about that. After, all, he was on that same huge stage in Atlanta five years ago.

Byron Mouton Needed Geography Classes at Maryland originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Defending Champ Terps Lose, Good Sign for Women's Hoops

Michael David Smith — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 06:41:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, Maryland, Women's Sports

Defending NCAA women's champion Maryland lost its second-round game to Ole Miss Tuesday night, and while that's bad news for the Terps, it's very good news for women's basketball, a sport that is getting more competitive and therefore more interesting.

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when a 2 seed defending champion like Maryland would hardly even need to show up to beat a 7 seed like Ole Miss -- the talent gap between the elite few and the middle of the pack was too great. In the 1980s and 1990s, women's basketball was emerging as a successful sport but not a particularly competitive one. Maryland, however, is the third defending champion this decade to lose in the second round of the tournament.

Another sign of the competitiveness of the sport is that Marist, a 13 seed, made the Sweet 16. Although women's hoops still has too many blowouts (in the last five years, there have been 35 30-point blowouts in the women's Tournament, eight in the men's) Marist represents a major step in the right direction.

Other good signs for women's basketball include the fact that the women get more TV time than the men, and the emergence of players with back-to-the-basket low-post skills, like Courtney Paris, who are showing that women can play a tough, physical style. The women's game is better now than it's ever been.

Defending Champ Terps Lose, Good Sign for Women's Hoops originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 21 Mar 2007 06:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Maryland, the Hottest Team in the Nation, Gets Extinguished

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 17:26:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Butler Basketball, Washington, DC, Maryland

Maryland had one heck of a run at the end of the regular season, winning 7 straight games. That included beating Duke twice and North Carolina once. However, since then, they lost to the last place team in the ACC [Miami] in the first round of the ACC Tournament, had a tough go-around with Davidson in the first round of the NCAA tournament ... then gets beat by the 5th seeded Butler Bulldogs, 62-59.

If anything typifies Maryland's recent three season stretch [in which this is the only season they made the tournament], it was the final minute of this Butler game. Maryland gave themselves a good chance to tie or take the lead by stealing an inbounds pass. However, they go down the floor and DJ Strawberry commits an offensive foul [a bad call, I might add] and never get a shot off. Now, down two, they play great defense for the entirety of the shot clock, only to give up an offensive rebound, resorting them to foul with under :04 remaining. After Butler hit the first free throw, Maryland rebounded the missed second shot and nearly got the ball stolen from them [Butler knocked it out of bounds]. On the final play, Mike Jones bobbled the pass, time runs out, and Maryland wasted another opportunity.

Now that is the Maryland we all know and love. A Terps team that just can't get it together. In a close game, the Terps missed 8 of 15 FTs, they forgot where their hottest shooter [Mike Jones] was, star DJ Strawberry goes 3-for-10 from the field and scores just 8 points and they turned the ball over 16 times. Despite all of the feelings that we shouldn't buy into them ... we did. Now they are back out of the tournament.

Maryland, the Hottest Team in the Nation, Gets Extinguished originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 17 Mar 2007 17:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

ACC Looks Good: Boston College and Maryland Advance

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College Basketball, Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Boston, Washington, DC, Boston College, Maryland

The ACC contiued its stellar week [ACC clubs NC State, Clemson and Florida State each won their opening round NIT games] as Boston College and Maryland won their NCAA tournament openers.

Boston College beat Texas Tech, 84-75, in their East Regional first round game. The Eagles stars shone bright this afternoon as Tyrese Rice, Sean Marshall and ACC Player of the Year Jared Dudley all caught fire and carried BC into the 2nd round. BC did was BC does. Those three stars combined for 66 points and shot 25-for-48 from the field and were the catalysts for a 14-4 run midway through the 2nd half that took control of this game.

BC heads to on to play tournament darling Georgetown on Saturday.

As for the Terps, they fought off a game Davidson squad, 82-70 in their Midwest Region opener. Maryland had problems dealing with Stephen Curry ... son of former Charlotte Hornet Dell Curry . But Maryland coach Gary Williams made the adjustment to have DJ Strawberry get in his face the rest of the game, making Curry's shots more difficult and forcing other Davidson players to have to beat them. It worked. Curry's shots weren't falling and he ultimately fouled out after scoring 30 points. Rest assured, Curry and Davidson will be heard from again as they will return all five starters.

Maryland advances to play the winner of the Butler-Old Dominion game.

The ACC is now 5-0 in post-season play with Duke and North Carolina set to lace them up tonight. Tomorrow, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech begin their tournaments.

ACC Looks Good: Boston College and Maryland Advance originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Madness Hair Watch: Maryland's Bambale Osby

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 14:41:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Maryland

My two favorite hairstyles are ones that look like they took a ton of time to fix ... and those that look like they haven't been touched in weeks. I really prefer the latter, since I haven't used a comb in about six years (for a variety of reasons).

That's why I love Maryland's Bambale "Boom" Osby. He's got that "I don't give a crap" fro going on to the point where you think he has his own personal theme music supplied by Sly and the Family Stone. If there is a pick with a fist back there, it's hidden pretty good. Now I know what the Incredible Hulk would look like if he was black. As Method Man once rapped, "I like my head notty and my nose piece snotty," and it fits Osby to a tee!.

Osby also fits the prototypical player that college fans love. No one heard of this guy before he arrived, but he busts his hump more than any of the stars on his team. He's a Ben Wallace-type whose chisled frame, work ethic and, of course, hair style makes him a fan favorite.

Madness Hair Watch: Maryland's Bambale Osby originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 15 Mar 2007 14:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Snap Judgment: Midwest Bracket

Charles Rich — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 18:21:00 EST

Filed under: Wisconsin Basketball, Arizona Basketball, Georgia Tech Basketball, Maryland Basketball, Oregon Basketball, Notre Dame Basketball, ACC Basketball, Big East Basketball, Big Ten Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, Mid-Majors Basketball, March Madness, Florida, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Oregon

Okay so #1 seed Florida is looking good for the Sweet 16. They have Jackson St. and then the winner of Arizona/Purdue.

Arizona and Purdue seems about right for an #8/9 game. Arizona has been up and down all season, while Purdue has overachieved a lot this season.

Mid-majors are going to be pissed about a 5-12 game with Butler and Old Dominion. Way to make sure two of the dangerous mid-majors will have to knock each other off.

Maryland might get a good game against Davidson, but it's not a bad draw.

Wisconsin will be a challenge to make the Sweet 16 after their first game.

UNLV/GT for the 7-10 will be a good one. I also like either team to give Wisconsin trouble.

Oregon should roll over Miami

That Notre Dame-WInthrop game is going to be a sexy "upset" pick.

Snap Judgment: Midwest Bracket originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 11 Mar 2007 18:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Final Br-ACC-etology: Can the ACC Get 8 Teams In?

Shiloh Carder — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Georgia Tech Basketball, Duke Basketball, Boston College Basketball, Maryland Basketball, NC State Basketball, Wake Forest Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Clemson Basketball, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State

Okay, the ACC tournament is done with UNC's 89-80 win over a very impressive NC State team today. One this we are certain of is that North Carolina will be in the dance. After that, there are teams pretty much in, but who knows how the committee views them or views this conference.

NORTH CAROLINA: IN. [RPI: 3, SOS: 5] They are in by winning the ACC tournament and will be, at worst, a #2 seed and will most likely play in the Winston-Salem pod next weekend. With UCLA losing two in a row [both to unranked teams] and depending on the outcome of the Big Ten tournament [UNC probably needs Ohio State to win that one] the Tar Heels could be looking at a #1 seed.

MARYLAND: IN. [RPI: 16, SOS: 10] The Terps have been very impressive over the 2nd half of the ACC season, and they probably won't get caught up by their loss to Miami on Thursday due to the overall weirdness of the ACC tournament. Right now, they are probably a #5 seed, but hopes to be a #4 that can get to that Winston-Salem pod.

DUKE: IN. [RPI: 15, SOS: 3]. Despite what people may hope, Duke is definitely in. I mean, their computer numbers are outstanding and it isn't like they've been losing to horrid teams. Still, there will be much debate about where Duke should be placed in the NCAA tournament. I feel either the #8 or #9 seed ... which, of course, should peeve off whomever the #1 seed in their bracket is.

BOSTON COLLEGE: IN. [RPI: 33, SOS: 12]. BC has pretty good computer numbers but has really fallen on hard times of late. Is their physical style getting them worn out? This should be around a #7 or #8 seed.

VIRGINIA TECH: IN [RPI: 32, SOS: 22]. Tech's biggest moments have come in their two wins over UNC and a big win at Duke. However, they've lost 3 of 4 and 4 of 6 which should drop them down in the same #7-#8 range that BC is in.

VIRGINIA: IN. [RPI: 54, SOS: 50]. If this team wasn't co-ACC champions, they'd be a marked team on the bubble. They played the weakest ACC schedule, were clipped in their first ACC tournament game and lost a huge game against Wake Forest to end their season. Their record says a #5 seed, but their numbers say a #7-#9 seed.

GEORGIA TECH: IN. [RPI: 52, SOS: 47]. To be honest, I don't see how this team is such a lock as people seem to think. They can't win on the road, they really only have three good wins [and two of them were at home when their opponent was drowning] and their numbers really aren't stellar. But, they have put it together at the right time and just the above average nature of the middle of the ACC pushes them in. They should be around a #9 or #10 seed, and could fall to a #11.

FLORIDA STATE: OUT. [RPI: 41, SOS: 18]: The odd thing is that if you just looked at the computer numbers, FSU would be in over Ga Tech and Virginia. However, they had a losing ACC record and just haven't done enough to warrant inclusion. They may have had a shot if teams like Butler, Xavier and Nevada didn't lose their conference tournaments.

CLEMSON: OUT. [RPI: 44, SOS: 54]. Hard to believe that an ACC team can be 17-0 at one point and still miss the tournament. But Clemson went 4-10 the rest of the season, lost to fellow bubble team Florida State in the first round of the ACC tournament and has just become the poster-child for a cupcake non-con season. If coach Oliver Purnell can figure out how to schedule some better teams in the pre-ACC season, they'll have a better shot.

NC STATE: OUT. [RPI: 89, SOS: 49]. Right now, NC State could be one of the best 65 teams in the nation. They beat ranked foes Duke, Virginia and Virgina Tech in three straight days, and nearly upset ranked North Carolina in the ACC Championship. Sidney Lowe has the Wolfpack on the right path and they could do some damage in the NIT. This is just a one year vacation from the dance for the boys in Raleigh.

Final Br-ACC-etology: Can the ACC Get 8 Teams In? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 11 Mar 2007 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Was This The Greatest Day of ACC Tournament Action Ever?

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 01:55:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Georgia Tech Basketball, Duke Basketball, Boston College Basketball, Maryland Basketball, NC State Basketball, Wake Forest Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Clemson Basketball, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State

Wow. What a day in the Tampa Bay area today. The ACC sent it's beloved tournament down to the Sunshine State for some good ol' fashioned fun. And, boy, was there some fun.

Four games. Four upsets.

Game one wasn't that big of an upset as the #9 Florida State Seminoles beat the #8 Clemson Tigers, 67-66. Probably the most talked about moment was from this game, as an iffy foul call with 1.5 seconds remaining gave Al Thornton a free throw to win the game for the Noles ... and most likely send Clemson packing for the NIT. Also, where else but college sports could you see the most dominant player in a game being interviewed, smile, and all you see are braces?
Next, the biggest of all the upsets. Miami, the last place team in the ACC, beat Maryland, 67-62, who entered the game as the hottest team in the nation. The Terps can beat Duke and UNC, but not Miami?
On to the Duke-NC State game, where the 10th seeded Wolfpack beat the Blue Devils, meaning this will be the first ACC finals in a decade that won't have Duke in it.
Finally, #11 Wake Forest beats Georgia Tech in double overtime, 114-112. Wake's Harvey Hale scored 1 point in regulation then 21 points in the two overtimes. This game also set ACC tournament records for most points scored by a team and most points scored in a game.

So we had Maryland, Duke, Clemson and Georgia Tech clocking out and going home today. All those teams have been ranked at some point and all were looking at getting into the NCAA tournament. Now, there could be some doubt about all of those teams. Entering the day, Florida State, NC State, Miami and Wake Forest were on the outside looking in. Really, only FSU has a look at it ... but if any of the others get on a nice roll, they could take the ACC title and an automatic bid. You just don't know this year.

Meanwhile, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Boston College sat in hotel rooms thinking to themselves that the road to an ACC championship just got a lot easier. Or that the first day of action proves that anything can happen.

Was This The Greatest Day of ACC Tournament Action Ever? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 01:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Maryland Terrapins

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Washington, DC, Maryland

Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Record: 24-8, 10-6 in conference
RPI: 16
How They Got In: At-Large.
Seed/Bracket: #5/Midwest

Mascot: Terrapins. Nothing strikes fear in opponents like a turtle! In the 1930s, a 300-lb bronzed turtle named Testudo was donated by the students to the school. The turtle, a diamondback terrapin, has over the years has been the target of opposing fans.

Big Win: Beating North Carolina, 89-87 with a pair of double digit comebacks. They've also toppled Duke twice, Winthrop, Illinois and Michigan State.

Notable Loss: Losing to Miami ... twice. During the season, they lost 63-58 in a game where the Terps shot 22% from the field. Then after winning 7 straight to close out the season, they lose to the 12th seeded Canes in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

Player You Should Know: This is a very senior laden team. DJ Strawberry has turned into one of ACC's best leaders and has really been the catalyst for the team's recent surge. Mike Jones ... who? ... Mike Jones is the guy who can pile points up in a hurry, or get lost on the court. If he continues to be hot - look out! They also have a tough front court of James Gist and Ekene Ibekwe, as well as that freshman splash [a pre-equisite in the ACC] of General Greivis Vasquez.

Outlook: This team has been the opposite of recent seasons. They started iffy and then got strong. Right now, they are the hottest team in the nation and are playing at such a high energy level. They have depth, talent, balance and a ton of experience, however it isn't NCAA tournament experience. What they aren't is a great half-court team, so tempo will be a key component for them. I think they can get past Davidson and the Butler/ODU winner to face off with Florida in the Sweet 16. The Terps can beat the Gators if they play as well as they did towards the end of the season. Maryland does have the ability to get to the Final Four.

NCAA Previews: Recognize the Maryland Terrapins originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 10:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

No Surprises With the ACC's Award Season

Shiloh Carder — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:54:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Georgia Tech Basketball, Duke Basketball, Boston College Basketball, Maryland Basketball, NC State Basketball, Wake Forest Basketball, ACC Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, Clemson Basketball, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State

In my personal ACC awards, I pretty much nailed what would ultimately be what the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association voters named for their awards.

Like me, they named Boston College forward Jared Dudley the Player of the Year. Dudley had a stranglehold of this honor for most of the ACC season. There was some late sentiment for Virginia's Sean Singletary [who had a great season as well] due to the Cavs' run for a share of the ACC title.

Both Dudley and Singletary did end up on the All-ACC team. They are joined by North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, Florida State's Al Thornton [who did end up 2nd in POY voting] and Virginia Tech's Zabian Dowdell. Again, no surprises at all here. In fact, I nailed that one with my mid-season awards I made in January. The 2nd team was made up of Virginia's J.R. Reynolds, Maryland's D.J. Strawberry, Boston College's Tyrese Rice, Duke's Josh McRoberts and North Carolina's Brandan Wright. The 3rd team is Wake Forest's Kyle Visser, Georgia Tech's Javaris Crittenton, NC State's Brandon Costner, Virginia Tech's Jamon Gordon and Miami's Jack McClinton.

Wright won the rookie of the year award, much to no one's surprise. This is the third straight season a Tar Heel has won this award. In 2005, Marvin Williams won it, while Tyler Hansbrough won it last season. Joining Wright on the All-Freshman team is teammate Ty Lawson, Georgia Tech's Crittenden, NC State's Costner and Duke's Jon Scheyer.

And...ho-hum...Virginia's Dave Leitao ended up as the Coach of the Year. Leitao took a team that many picked in the bottom half of the ACC and made them into co-champions.

No Surprises With the ACC's Award Season originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Here Is What Your ACC Teams Needs To Do Today

Shiloh Carder — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:48:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Duke Basketball, Boston College Basketball, Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, DC, Boston College, Maryland, North Carolina, Carolina, Florida State

There are three games left in the ACC season, and all three have ramifications to how next week's ACC tournament will be seeded. The games are Boston College at Georgia Tech, Clemson at Virginia Tech and Duke at North Carolina.

We know that:

NC State is the #10 seed
Wake Forest is the #11 seed
Miami is the #12 seed
Clemson and Florida State will be the #8 and #9 seeds and face each other Thursday in the ACC tournament. If Clemson wins today, they'll be the #8 seed. If not, they'll be the #9 seed.
If Ga Tech beats BC, then Tech is the #6 seed and Duke is the #7 seed. If Tech loses, the seeds switch

After that, it's a bit dicey. Using the ACC tiebreaker procedures, here is what's at stake today:

VIRGINIA

If UNC, BC and Va Tech all lose....Virginia is the top seed
If all those three win....Virginia is the #4 seed
If two of the three win....Virginia is the #3 seed
If one of the three win...Virginia is the #2 seed

NORTH CAROLINA

TO BE THE #1 SEED...UNC beats Duke and Virginia Tech loses to Clemson.
TO BE THE #2 SEED...UNC beats Duke and Virginia Tech beats Clemson.
TO BE THE #3 SEED...UNC loses to Duke and Boston College loses to Ga Tech.
TO BE THE #5 SEED...UNC loses to Duke and Boston College beats Ga Tech.

BOSTON COLLEGE

TO BE THE #1 SEED...BC beats Ga Tech and UNC loses to Duke
TO BE THE #2 SEED...BC beats Ga Tech and Virginia Tech loses to Clemson
TO BE THE #3 SEED...BC beats Ga Tech and Virginia Tech beats Clemson
TO BE THE #4 SEED...BC loses to Ga Tech

VIRGINIA TECH

TO BE THE #1 SEED...Va Tech beats Clemson and UNC beats Duke OR Va Tech beats Clemson and UNC and Boston College both lose
TO BE THE #2 SEED...Va Tech beats Clemson, UNC loses to Duke and Boston College beats Ga Tech OR Va Tech loses to Clemson, and both UNC and Boston College loses.
TO BE THE #3 SEED...Va Tech loses to Clemson and either UNC or Boston College loses
TO BE THE #4 SEED...Va Tech loses to Clemson, plus UNC and Boston College both win

MARYLAND

TO BE A #4 SEED....North Carolina must lose to Duke and Boston College must beat Georgia Tech
TO BE A #5 SEED....Anything else happens.

Excuse me if you wake up tomorrow and someone tells you different - I did not copy any of this from any web site. I actually worked out the tiebreakers with a good ol' pen and paper.

Here Is What Your ACC Teams Needs To Do Today originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Maryland Whips NC State; Needs a Duke Win For a Bye

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 20:10:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland Basketball, NC State Basketball, ACC Basketball, Maryland, North Carolina State

Maryland whipped NC State, 79-59, to earn their 7th straight win and clinch at least the 5th seed in next week's ACC tournament.

Now, Terps fans have to root for.....gulp.....Duke tomorrow afternoon in the Blue Devils' game at North Carolina. If UNC wins, the Terps are shut out of getting a bye. If Duke wins, they would tie UNC at 10-6 in conference play, own the tiebreaker, and become the 4th seed, earning a first round bye.

If Maryland indeed finishes in 5th place, they will play the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday. If they are a #4 seed, they'll most likely play UNC or Miami on Friday.

Maryland improved to 6-0 over the Big Four schools....or the ACC schools located in the state of North Carolina. They beat both Duke and NC State twice, and won their only meetings with UNC and Wake Forest. That has never happened for Maryland in ACC play...and hadn't happened since 1932-1933 when they all were in the Southern Conference. That year, the Terps played just UNC and Duke.

Maryland Whips NC State; Needs a Duke Win For a Bye originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 03 Mar 2007 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Last Weekend of ACC Regular Season Hoops Action

Shiloh Carder — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 11:51:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Georgia Tech Basketball, Duke Basketball, Boston College Basketball, Maryland Basketball, NC State Basketball, Wake Forest Basketball, ACC Basketball, Clemson Basketball, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State

This is it. Come Thursday, the ACC tournament begins which will be the last time we'll see a few of these teams. It also means that there are minimal chances to play your way off the NCAA bubble and a couple of chances to improve/blow your seeding. So here is the lineup:

Saturday

Florida State at Miami [RSN, noon]: This is a huge game for Florida State. Rumors are that Toney Douglas will be back, and if FSU can show that they can pop off this game, plus a run in the ACC tournament, they may be able to play their way in. The Selection Committee does take into account injuries. Of course, a loss to Miami would just kill off any shot. Pick: Florida State
Virginia at Wake Forest [Raycom, 1pm]: A win here for the Cavs and they'll be only the 2nd team from outside the state of North Carolina to get a #1 seed in the ACC tournament since 1997 [Maryland was the top seed in their 2002 National title season]....and their first title since 1981. Wake Forest needs a win here and a run in the ACC tournament to reach the postseason [either NIT or NCAA] for the 17th straight season. Pick: Virginia
NC State at Maryland [ABC, 3:30p]: Maryland has an outside shot at getting a bye in the ACC tournament, if they win and some other things happen around the league. Right now, the Terps are just playing for NCAA tournament seeding, and finishing off a magical run to end the season would be icing on the cake. Pick: Maryland

Sunday

Clemson at Virginia Tech [Raycom, 1pm]: Clemson needs this win. They are 6-9 in the ACC and it's hard to believe they could make the dance with 10 Ls, especially with the second half of the season they've had. Va Tech is in the tournament, still fighting for a bye in the ACC dance and trying to build up a better seed. Pick: Va Tech
Boston College at Georgia Tech [Fox Sports Net, 3pm]: Huge game here. Tech is in the middle of a wonderful week, after demolishing North Carolina and trying to build an NCAA tournament resume. They are about as on the fence as you can get. BC is in the tournament, but hard to figure out right now. Pick: Ga Tech
Duke at North Carolina [CBS, 4pm]: The two bitter rivals meet again to end an ACC season. UNC will know what it can do before this game, but as the weekend began, they could finish in 1st or could fall all the way down to 5th. UNC has been very average lately, going just 4-4 in the last month and pretty much shutting themselves out of a #1 seed [and working on screwing up their #2 seed]. Duke can't get an ACC bye, and could fall as far as 7th in the conference. Upset Pick: Duke

Last Weekend of ACC Regular Season Hoops Action originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 03 Mar 2007 11:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Br-ACC-ketology: One Game Left

Shiloh Carder — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: UNC Basketball, Georgia Tech Basketball, Duke Basketball, Boston College Basketball, Maryland Basketball, NC State Basketball, Wake Forest Basketball, ACC Basketball, March Madness, Clemson Basketball, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State

Normally, I do my Br-ACC-ketology on Monday mornings....but with one game left in the regular season, it's a good time to take a quick look to see who needs what this weekend.

LOCKED IN

North Carolina. They are in....but are falling out the race for a #1 seed
Maryland. The hottest team in the ACC beat UNC and Duke in back-to-back games.
Duke. They are 4-4 at home in conference play and have been unremarkable....but they, somehow, have solid numbers.
Virginia. You win 11 ACC games: you are in!
Virginia Tech. Yeah, 10 conference wins should be a lock, too.
Boston College. See above.

ON THE BUBBLE

Georgia Tech. Their RPI isn't that good, but they do have big wins over UNC, Memphis and Duke. They need to beat BC and get at least one win in the ACC tournament to make sure of it.
Clemson. The overtime win over Miami stops the bleeding, but it really didn't instill confidence with the selection committee. They have to beat Virginia Tech this weekend. If not, they'd be 6-10 in the ACC and that just isn't going to work.
Florida State. FSU is in major trouble here....just on the basis that both Ga Tech and Clemson swept them this year. If they are in a tiebreaker type situation, that would kill them. Plus that signature win over Florida doesn't seem as big of a deal as it once did.

CRAPPED OUT

NC State, Miami, Wake Forest. At least State can try to get into the NIT.

Br-ACC-ketology: One Game Left originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 02 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Please, ESPN, Give Us the Game We Want

Michael David Smith — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 21:25:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Basketball, Connecticut Basketball, Villanova Basketball, Maryland Basketball, ACC Basketball, Big East Basketball, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, Maryland

As I'm typing these words, Villanova leads Connecticut 71-64 with 40.8 seconds left. It's garbage time. This game is over.

But Villanova-Connecticut remains on ESPN even though Maryland-Duke has started. There's a little box in the upper-right corner of the screen telling me that Maryland leads Duke 7-6. Maryland-Duke is a better game than Villanova-Connecticut. What on earth is ESPN doing showing us garbage time?

I'll never understand the way the TV networks make their decisions when they have two games going on simultaneously. First of all, they don't allow enough time for the games to finish: It's common for college basketball games to last close to two and a half hours, and it's foolish for the networks to allow only two hours on their schedules for a game.

But it's even more foolish for the networks not to switch from a game that's all but over to a game that's still competitive. During a timeout with 30 seconds left in Villanova-Connecticut, ESPN studio host Scott Reese said, "Duke and Maryland already underway and it looks like it's going to be a whale of a ballgame." I agree, it's going to be a whale of a ballgame. How about letting me see it?

POSTSCRIPT: ESPN stayed with Villanova-Connecticut until the bitter end. When ESPN finally switched over, it was 21-19 Duke with almost seven minutes elapsed.

Please, ESPN, Give Us the Game We Want originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 28 Feb 2007 21:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments