NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Why Some Surprises Aren't Shockinghttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/why-some-surprises-arent-shocking/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/why-some-surprises-arent-shocking/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/why-some-surprises-arent-shocking/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

John Calipari
The roll call of eye-popping scores began with the start of the college basketball season. And there's a chance they won't slow down soon, for an important reason: this time, the names on the front of the jerseys tell less of a story than the names on the back.

The opening week's finals look like someone's idea of a joke. The opening acts, in exhibition season, should have warned everybody: LeMoyne 82, Syracuse 79, and Georgia Tech 84, Indiana (Pa.) 76 in overtime. Then, when the games counted: Texas-San Antonio 62, Iowa 50. Cornell 71, Alabama 67. Wofford 60, Georgia 57. Rider 88, Mississippi State 74. Cal State-Fullerton 68, UCLA 65 in two overtimes.

None of that includes Kentucky 72, Miami of Ohio 70, in Game Two of the John Calipari Era in Lexington; if not for freshman John Wall's heroics in, literally, the final second, that era would have been a carbon-copy of the start of the now-infamous Billy Gillispie Era (loss at home to Gardner-Webb in his second game).

Calipari, however, waited until Game Three to inadvertently get to the root of the November surprises: they shouldn't really be surprises. After seeing his team follow up its surrender of 15 3-pointers to Miami with 18 more in a win over Sam Houston State Thursday, the coach was steaming. "This may be, at this point, the worst defensive team I have had since 1988 (at Massachusetts),'' he said. "I was so mad a couple of times, my head almost popped off.

"I love my team, and we have a chance to be good, but we also have a chance of being bad if we don't start changing some things.''

Calipari, of course, had dropped broad hints since the start of practice that his freshman-laden, fourth-ranked team has a lot of learning to do, and that the win total might not match what Kentucky followers take for granted. The early upsets and narrow escapes by the big-name teams in the major conferences indicate that Calipari is far from alone. At a lot of programs, reputations precede accomplishments, even potential.

Take two of Kentucky's Southeastern Conference brethren who took early beatings -- both, realistically, should have been expected. Both Georgia and Alabama made well-documented coaching changes in midseason last year, brought in new head men this season, have gutted rosters, and are consensus picks to be among the worst in the conference this season. Losing to, respectively, Wofford and Cornell is par for the course.

"Honestly, I think we caught them at a good time, while Coach (Anthony) Grant is still trying to get his stuff in,'' Cornell coach Steve Donahue admitted after the win in Tuscaloosa. The two leading scorers that night, Ryan Wittman and Jeff Foote, were both seniors combining for 40 of the Big Red's 71 points.

Wofford, meanwhile, had five starters returning from a 16-win team last season; Georgia's roster features eight freshmen and sophomores, and one of the few seniors expected to lead, forward Albert Jackson, injured his left wrist in preseason practice and played only three minutes against the Terriers.

The examples abound. UCLA had suffered heavy talent losses the last two seasons, since the end of its run of three straight Final Fours. Iowa, meanwhile, has had a talent drain since head coach Steve Alford departed to New Mexico, and Todd Lickliter, the hot name from Butler at the time he was hired in 2007, is 0-2 after falling to Duquesne. Iowa, with nine freshmen and sophomores, next faces No. 3 Texas in a now much-less stellar matchup in the CBE Classic in Kansas City Monday.

Of course, the table was set for this kind of start to the season by the exhibition shocker heard 'cross the country, LeMoyne's victory in the Carrier Dome. And the pattern holds there, too: Syracuse lost four key players, including NBA draftee Jonny Flynn, and is importing a ton of newcomers. The Orange apparently learned fast, heading into Friday's Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic championship game against No. 6 North Carolina with three regular-season wins by an average of 31.3 points -- including Thursday's throttling of 13th-ranked Cal, whose coach, Mike Montgomery, had said going into the game, "I don't think any of us are as good as we are going to be later on.''

Roy WilliamsSyracuse's opponent Friday is in the same boat, and like Calipari, Roy Williams has gone past preaching patience and into pleading for it. As the games in Madison Square Garden approached, he wondered when he'd discover a go-to player down the stretch to replace the NBA-ticketed quartet of last season: "It'll be interesting to see who will do it when they're geared to stop you when the game's on the line.''

And no one can explain what happened to defending SEC tournament champion Mississippi State, all its returning talent (some of it which dipped a toe into the NBA Draft waters last offseason) and its lofty preseason ranking. Rider does have four starters back from a team that won 19 games and played postseason ball (the CBI, for what that's worth). The Bulldogs have five starters returning.

Bulldog forward Kodi Augustus spoke for the entire college basketball nation when he said: "This is Rider. (We're) preseason ranked No. 18 in the country. We're not supposed to lose our first game, home opener. Wow. It's crazy."

That one, yes, is crazy. The others that seem so crazy at first glance ... not so much. If those scores surface two or three months for now, though, crazy would fit.

Of course, that's assuming another surprise evolves Saturday ... when Rider plays at Kentucky.

Why Some Surprises Aren't Shocking originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>john caliparijohn wallroy williamsryan wittmanDavid SteeleFri, 20 Nov 2009 13:54:00 EST ACC Players, Coaches Wag Finger at New Taunting Rulehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/acc-players-coaches-wag-finger-at-new-taunting-rule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/acc-players-coaches-wag-finger-at-new-taunting-rule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/acc-players-coaches-wag-finger-at-new-taunting-rule/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

ACC referee Karl HessGREENSBORO, N.C. -- The talk of the Atlantic Coast Conference's basketball media day Sunday was the trouble a player could get into if he talked too much.

Or said the wrong thing, or gestured the wrong way, or celebrated excessively, or did anything else that might be considered "unsporting behavior,'' according to a new zero-tolerance policy approved for this season by the NCAA.

Many of the players and coaches gathered at Greensboro's Grandover Resort bluntly said they either did not like the change, didn't understand why it was necessary, or both. The biggest issue: there is too much room left for the wrong interpretation.

"If you dunk on someone or whatever -- that's just someone's game. They take pride in it, "insisted Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney. "They don't mean to disrespect people, but that's sometimes how it comes out.

"I think they should have done a survey with the players, asked us for our input,'' he added. "We're the ones playing, and they wouldn't know how we feel about it unless they ask us. They wouldn't know how it affects how we play if they don't ask how we feel."

Said Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez -- formally voted by the media as preseason first-team all-ACC, and informally picked as the player most constrained by the new rule -- "What if you dunk on someone, and it's a crazy dunk, and you can't keep the emotions inside of you? I guess that's what they want us to do. But, that's why they have rules.''

Not even a coach's reputation as "old school'' kept him from being perplexed by the new rules, which call for a technical if an official -- at his discretion -- deems a player's actions as over the line.

"That's why college basketball is a great game, because of that exuberance,'' Maryland coach Gary Williams said, adding that there is a distinct difference between celebration and taunting. "These are 18-and-22-year-old kids who have grown up playing a certain way. It may not be the way I grew up playing it, but it's a great way to play.

"And I hope nobody gets penalized for making a great play and being penalized for it. You've seen it in football already,'' he added. "Hopefully, nobody loses a game over something like that.''

Williams was referring to the infamous "excessive celebration'' football penalty that essentially cost Georgia a victory over LSU earlier this month, a mistake the Southeastern Conference later had to admit to and for which the officiating crew was suspended. Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt also recalled that play, and laughed when asked about the new basketball rule.

"You always teach your players to respect the game, so I think it's important that you're serious about that -- but I'm smiling, because you're putting a lot on the officials,'' Hewitt said. "They're officiating the best athletes in college sports ... This is just another thing you're piling on their plates.''


The taunting rule is one of a handful of changes or areas of emphasis to be put into play this season. There now will be a specific blocking-charging area under the basket, but one that will not be marked by a line as in the NBA. Also, the use of replay will be expanded to determine whether certain fouls are called flagrant, intentional or technicals; three-seconds will be scrutinized more; excessively swinging elbows by a player with the ball will be subject to flagrant fouls; the choices coaches have in picking a replacement foul shooter when the fouled player is injured were narrowed, and distracting free-throw shooters once they are at the line was outlawed.

Even as he was explaining the new taunting rules, ACC officiating supervisor John Clougherty admitted that the Georgia-LSU situation "went too far.'' On the other hand, he said, the basketball officials would now have wide latitude on calling, for example, pointing at an opponent or standing over him after a dunk, flexing muscles, posing, speaking or gesturing to him.

The players would have to walk a fine line between celebrating with teammates and inspiring a home crowd, Clougherty said, and acting unsportsmanlike. As a guide, he said, "Act like you've been there, don't embarrass your opponent.''

Coaches and players don't mind the obvious unsportsmanlike acts being whistled, but they said there are too many that are being confused with normal expressions of excitement. With those, they said, there's no good reason to halt them anyway.

"You're not doing anything wrong, you're just showing the love of the game,'' Williams said. "It doesn't bother me. Obviously it bothers some people ... This is the 2009-2010 season. We're not playing in the 1960s, where everybody wears a crew cut.''

One of the few players who believed it would not alter how he plays was North Carolina forward Deon Thompson: "Not with our team. Our coaches don't like when our team dunks in a guy's face and taunts him -- he doesn't like that,'' meaning head coach Roy Williams.

Hewitt pointed out that with the way players grow up playing ball nowadays, traveling all over the country and building friendships in competition that continue as they move to differing college teams, what might look like trash-talk might be a completely innocent exchange between long-time acquaintances. "I don't think that was considered when they put this in,'' Hewitt said, adding that it would not have hurt for coaches as well as players to be "consulted'' on such a move.

Ironically, Thompson has such a bond with Clemson's Trevor Booker, a teammate on the United States' under-19 World University Games squad in Belgrade last summer; Booker, also a preseason all-ACC pick, boasted of what he and his team would do to Thompson's Tar Heels, and said of the rule, "That's a big one for me; I like showing my emotions ... They have to let you get your crowd into it.''

North Carolina, the defending regular-season and NCAA champs, and Duke, winners of last year's ACC tournament, tied for first in the preseason voting, the first time there has been a tie in 41 years of media voting. Duke's Kyle Singler was chosen player of the year and was joined on the all-conference first team by Vasquez, Booker, Delaney and North Carolina's Ed Davis. Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors was the overwhelming pick for rookie of the year.

The 2012 tournament, already awarded to Atlanta, will be played in Philips Arena rather than the Georgia Dome, the site the last two times the city hosted it, conference officials announced. The two preceding it and the three following it will be held at the Greensboro Coliseum.

ACC Players, Coaches Wag Finger at New Taunting Rule originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Derrick FavorsEd DavisGary WilliamsKyle SinglerKyleSinglerPaul HewittDavid SteeleSun, 25 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST Hewitt on Latest Scandal: Not All Coaches Guilty by Implicationhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/28/hewitt-on-latest-scandal-not-all-coaches-guilty-by-implication/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/28/hewitt-on-latest-scandal-not-all-coaches-guilty-by-implication/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/28/hewitt-on-latest-scandal-not-all-coaches-guilty-by-implication/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Thank goodness for Georgia Tech basketball coach Paul Hewitt, a historically gifted recruiter who has been allergic to scandal. He represents a segment of his profession that could squeeze inside a foul lane.

Duplicity and college basketball are now one. I mean, if you name a program that has acquired a bigger-than-life player in recent years (Memphis and Southern Cal come to mind), it's like this: The odds are greater than Dick Vitale screaming into a microphone that such a program is destined for the NCAA slammer.

Hewitt disagrees. For one, he is high profile as president of the Black Coaches and Administrators and as a veteran of the Atlantic Coast Conference. So if he decided to shove a few of his peers under the bus, others would roll the wheels back and forth across his tongue.

Still, he believes what he says regarding, not only this new SAT flap involving former Memphis star Derrick Rose and possible NCAA violations, but other silliness in his sport that keeps dribbling into view.

You have the O.J. Mayo mess at Southern Cal, where Trojans coach Tim Floyd allegedly was his star player's ATM machine. You have Kelvin Sampson's addiction to cell phones at Oklahoma and later at Indiana. You have that mysteriously high jump between test scores for Brandon Jennings during his attempt to attend Arizona. (That was before he ran a fast break from high school to the European League.) You have the allegations of UConn folks using illegal means to acquire a player who was so troubled that he attended five high schools in four states.

You also have Hewitt trying to put things into perspective.

"There are going to be more and more cases where we find out that a player was involved in something that broke an NCAA rule and that the person behind that probably doesn't work for that institution -- and probably has no interest in that young man getting an education, but yet the blame will be thrown at the feet of the coach," said Hewitt, over the phone Thursday from Indianapolis, where the BCA is holding its annual convention and expo. "There's going to be people out there robbing the banks. But there's also going to be people out there driving by and having somebody jump in their car and say, 'Go,' and it's going to be like, 'What's going on?,' and they all get arrested.

"If three out of 10 coaches are caught up in something, I'm going to suggest to you that one and a half of those are innocent bystanders who were just hit by crossfire and another one and a half intentionally went out and did things wrong."

Who's who? That's the problem.

Given the huge bucks involved when a team keeps advancing in March Madness, more than a few coaches are into cheating or looking the other way. It's called trying to keep from getting fired. Plus, their fans are modern-day Joe Hardys. Remember? Hardy was the primary guy in the play "Damn Yankees" who was so obsessed with short-term pleasure that he sold his soul to the devil, just for a chance to help his Washington Senators whip the Yankees in the World Series.

Hewitt isn't a Joe Hardy. Hewitt is just a solid combination of coach and person who once took one of his nine Georgia Tech teams to the Final Four title game. He also has recruited a slew of blue chippers, ranging from Chris Bosh to Jarrett Jack to Javaris Crittenton to Thaddeus Young to Derrick Favors.

Not a hint of scandal.

"I'm not sitting here telling you that I know that every player I brought to Georgia Tech was 'clean,' and I wouldn't dare tell you that," Hewitt said. "I'd be naive or lying, because I can't tell you that there isn't a kid out there who was identified at a very early age, and some guy grabbed him, and all of a sudden for the last three or four years, he was providing him with sneakers, and a burger from time to time, and money to attend his prom, or a plane ticket to go to an AAU tournament.

"No, I can't tell you that. Not in the climate that's out here now, and we [in the NCAA] don't do anything to combat that sort of thing."

What should the NCAA do?

Hewitt took a breath. Then he didn't take another one for a while, as he added with conviction, "The NCAA should sit down with the NBA Players Association and tell them, 'Hey, look. We have a problem with your agents contacting these kids at an early age. We have a problem with illegal recruiters and runners on campuses and things like that. We have no control of those people. You do.'

"Not only that, the people who govern our game have to do a better job of getting the truth out to the media, and they have to take an active role in helping us avoid these situations. We also have to win the hearts and souls of these kids. I tell my kids all the time, 'Don't ever let somebody do for you what you should be doing for yourself, because you'll always end up on the short end.' "

So will your school -- and your coach.

And, ultimately, your sport.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.

Latest College Basketball Images

    Pall bearers prepare to unload the casket of Wayman Tisdale during his funeral, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Tom Gilbert)

    AP

    The hearse carrying the casket of Wayman Tisdale moves through Tulsa, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Shane Bevel)

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    The hearse carrying the casket of Wayman Tisdale moves through Tulsa, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Shane Bevel)

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    John Wall, flanked by his sister Tonya Pulley and Dr. Frank Summerfield, formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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    John Wall formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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    John Wall laughs with his sister Tonya Pulley during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, where he announced he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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    Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall discusses his decision to commit to playing basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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    Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall, center, discusses his decision to commit to playing basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. At left is Word of God Christian Academy's Dr. Frank Summerfield and at right is Wall's sister Tonya Pulley. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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    Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall, right, and Dr. Frank Summerfield discuss Wall's decision to commit to playing college basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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    Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall discusses his decision to commit to playing college basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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Hewitt on Latest Scandal: Not All Coaches Guilty by Implication originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 28 May 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brandon JenningsChris BoshDerrick FavorsDerrick RoseJarrett JackJavaris CrittentonKelvin SampsonOJ MayoPaul HewittThaddeus YoungTim FloydTerence MooreThu, 28 May 2009 22:30:00 EST Georgia Tech Takes Down Wake Foresthttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/31/georgia-tech-takes-down-wake-forest/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/31/georgia-tech-takes-down-wake-forest/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/31/georgia-tech-takes-down-wake-forest/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Georgia Tech Yellowjackets are without a doubt the best team in the country with a 1-6 conference record. They lost to NC State and BC in overtime and Maryland by seven. They have come close, but failed to seal the deal in close games. That changed today in a significant way. The Yellowjackets took down Wake Forest in Atlanta 76-74.

Wake Forest just could not keep Georgia Tech out of the lane, other than continually fouling. The Yellow Jacket's penetration really bothered the Demon Deacons, allowing GT to keep it close despite being not shooting as well and a dismal 3-for-18 from behind the arc.
In the final seconds, Georgia Tech tied the game at 74. With only 7.3 seconds left, Wake tried to inbounds the ball and threw it away under pressure.

Iman Shumpert brought the ball up for Georgia Tech, started to drive to the basket and pulled up for a jumper just past the free throw line. Shumpert had been only 3-for-9 in the game, but this shot was true. The Yellow Jackets had their first lead since there was nine minutes left in the game, and Wake Forest could not even get the ball inbounds.

The loss will keep Wake Forest from having a shot at reclaiming the number one ranking in the polls. They would have had an outside shot, even assuming that UConn beats Providence tonight. Now, they will probably stay right where they are in a week that saw them beat Duke at home then lose to Georgia Tech on the road.

Georgia Tech Takes Down Wake Forest originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichSat, 31 Jan 2009 14:43:00 EST John Wall Won't Be Swayed By Derrick Favors' Decision to Attend Georgia Techhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/15/john-wall-wont-be-swayed-by-derrick-favors-decision-to-attend/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/15/john-wall-wont-be-swayed-by-derrick-favors-decision-to-attend/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/15/john-wall-wont-be-swayed-by-derrick-favors-decision-to-attend/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Derrick Favors and John Wall are the top two recruits in the nation -- Favors, as we mentioned yesterday, was rated number one by Scouts and Wall has been listed as Rivals number one overall prospect.

Favors is now off the board, having committed to be a Yellow Jacket for one year his college career. Wall, meanwhile, remains on the market, so to speak, but there's good news for the teams (Baylor, Duke, N.C. State, Memphis mainly; Kansas, Oregon and Miami are also in consideration) currently pursuing the point guard.

He won't be swayed by Favors decision to attend Georgia Tech when making his decision.
Word of God [Raleigh] coach Levi Beckwith confirmed that notion Thursday.

"I doubt he's going to Georgia Tech," Beckwith said, laughing during a telephone interview.

"I don't think he's sitting by the TV or sitting by the radio trying to find a reason to go where he's going to go," Beckwith said.
So, in theory, if you're Sidney Lowe and the NCSU Wolfpack, you're feeling fairly decent about your chances. Although, purportedly, Wall's commitment to the Pack would probably hinge on landing DeMarcus Cousins. Otherwise, expect to see him roll to one of the higher profiles schools that have courted him for the past few years; although regardless, he's going to hold off for a while before announcing where he actually attends.

John Wall Won't Be Swayed By Derrick Favors' Decision to Attend Georgia Tech originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>demarcus cousinsDemarcusCousinsderrick favorsDerrickFavorsjohn wallJohnWallsidney loweSidneyLoweWill BrinsonThu, 15 Jan 2009 23:20:00 EST Derrick Favors Is Very, Very Good: Video Reminderhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/derrick-favors-is-very-very-good-video-reminder/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/derrick-favors-is-very-very-good-video-reminder/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/derrick-favors-is-very-very-good-video-reminder/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Derrick Favors, the number-one ranked college basketball prospect in the country, just announced that he will attend Georgia Tech for his brief stint in the NCAA. As a reminder that Favors is kind of decent, enjoy the following YouTube mashup of him posting a 42-point, 20-rebound, 12-block line.



So, yeah, to say that he's good is probably an understatement -- Favors will most likely only be in Atlanta for a single year, but he's going to make Georgia Tech very, very watchable while he's there.

Derrick Favors Is Very, Very Good: Video Reminder originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>derrick favorsDerrickFavorsWill BrinsonWed, 14 Jan 2009 20:30:00 EST Derrick Favors, Country's Top Prospect, Commits to Georgia Techhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/derrick-favors-commits-to-georgia-tech-completes-monster-jacket/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/derrick-favors-commits-to-georgia-tech-completes-monster-jacket/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/derrick-favors-commits-to-georgia-tech-completes-monster-jacket/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Derrick Favors, the number one college basketball prospect in the country according to Scout, announced his college decision today and he's going to be a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket.

Paul Hewitt (right), GT coach, is probably pretty thrilled. Sidney Lowe, who runs the the coffee-less N.C. State Wolfpack, well, probably not so much.

It was mentioned as well during the press conference that the Jackets are hoping to land John Wall, the number one point guard in the country. That seems unlikely though -- Wall and Favors only had Memphis as a common recruiting link.

It was rumored that Favors was heading to Tech anyway -- it's not a total coincidence that he announced his intentions on ESPNU ... 30 minutes before the Jackets tipped off against the Blue Devils in ESPN's prime spot.

And even if Georgia Tech doesn't get Wall, they're already set for the class of 2009; Favors joins Mfon Udofia (ranked sixth at point by Scout) and Kammeon Holsey (28th at power forward) to give Hewitt three out of the top 100 overall recruits.

Derrick Favors, Country's Top Prospect, Commits to Georgia Tech originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>derrick favorsDerrickFavorsjohn wallJohnWalljonathan wallJonathanWallkammeon holseyKammeonHolseymfon udofiaMfonUdofiapaul hewittPaulHewittsidney loweSidneyLoweWill BrinsonWed, 14 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST Atlantic Coast Conference Season Set to Begin: A Quick Once-Overhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/03/atlantic-coast-conference-season-set-to-begin-a-quick-once-ove/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/03/atlantic-coast-conference-season-set-to-begin-a-quick-once-ove/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/03/atlantic-coast-conference-season-set-to-begin-a-quick-once-ove/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ACC has had an interesting start to the season. You have top-ranked North Carolina just rolling over everyone and flexing their muscle. Duke has looked very impressive for most of the year. Wake Forest and Clemson are still undefeated and climbing the polls.

Still, there have been some bad moments. Miami hasn't looked as good as advertised, Maryland followed up one impressive win by getting blown out twice. Virginia Tech has lost on two buzzer beaters. Then there is the glut of also-rans that litter the bottom half of the league.

Conference season doesn't get into full swing for another week or so and there has already been two league games played. There are some big non-conference game this week (Ga Tech at Alabama, Xavier at Virginia, NC State at Florida, Wake Forest at BYU) but the highlight will be the ACC's top two teams starting conference play.

The big game will be North Carolina opening up conference play against Boston College. Sure, they are on other ends of the spectrum, but the game boasts the two favorites for ACC Player of the Year. We know all about UNC's Tyler Hansbrough, but BC's Tyrese Rice was right behind Psycho T all last year. In their last meeting, Rice dumped 46 points on the Heels and nearly pulled off a late season upset (Sunday, 5:30 PM ET).

Other big games this week: Virginia Tech at Duke (Sunday, 7:45 PM ET)

Player to watch: Other than Rice and Hansbrough, all eyes at the Dean Dome should be on Ty Lawson. Lawson is having an All-American season thus far but hasn't faced anyone like Rice, yet. Like I said, Rice popped 46 points on the Heels. That was also Lawson's first game back from an ankle injury so he was at a disadvantage. Let's see if his new defensive intensity will be effective against one of the ACC's best.

Pre-Conference Power Rankings

1. North Carolina -- The No. 1 ranked team in the nation has won all 12 of their games by double-digits, a school record.

2. Duke -- When on, they are one of the best teams in the country. But we all saw in Michigan what they look like when they aren't.

3. Wake Forest -- Still undefeated and could be a top four team next week. One of the deepest teams filled with guys you've never heard of.

4. Clemson -- The Tigers have shown that toughness that Oliver Purnell has injected into the program. Their blasting of Miami proved that.

5. Miami -- There is no question that Jack McClinton and the Canes are a tournament-calibar team. However, they don't seem to be on the same page at times, the offense bogs down and the defense isn't focused.

6. Florida State -- The Seminoles may actually be putting together the kind of season we've been waiting for. The loss to Northwestern was puzzling but they gave good effort in a loss to Pitt. Let's see how they do against Duke in ten days.

7. Maryland -- They followed a blowout of Michigan State by getting ran out of the gym by Gonzaga and Georgetown. Still, they've beaten Michigan and all the teams they are supposed to.

7. NC State -- Injuries and inconsistent play has hit the Wolfpack yet again.

9. Virginia Tech -- Well, they've beaten the teams they are supposed to and have been close in their four losses. Remember that Xavier needed a miracle shot to beat them and Wisconsin beat them at the buzzer.

10. Boston College -- They have a few nice wins on the resume, but nothing overly shocking. Let's see how they handle a January stretch at UNC and then hosting Miami and Wake Forest.

11. Virginia -- Three of their four losses aren't horrible. Losing at home to Liberty is.

12. Georgia Tech -- Their home loss to Virginia knocks them down here. Their upcoming schedule looks daunting as well so they may stick here for a while.

Atlantic Coast Conference Season Set to Begin: A Quick Once-Over originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jack mcclintonJackMcclintonty lawsonTyLawsontyler hansbroughTylerHansbroughtyrese riceTyreseRiceShiloh CarderSat, 03 Jan 2009 01:16:00 EST ACC/Big Ten Challenge Heads Into Final Day as Even as It Can Gethttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/acc-big-ten-challenge-heads-into-final-day-as-even-as-it-can-get/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/acc-big-ten-challenge-heads-into-final-day-as-even-as-it-can-get/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/acc-big-ten-challenge-heads-into-final-day-as-even-as-it-can-get/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is entering its final day of action. Both conferences have won three games. The ACC has a slim lead in points, 405 to 402.

One interesting note is that the ACC was 33-4 at home during the first nine years of the Challenge. They've already lost two home games this year.

Let's take a look back at what has happened:

Wisconsin 74, Virginia Tech 72: The Badgers avoided an upset with a Trevon Hughes jumper with 0.7 seconds remaining. The Tech loss was the first for an ACC team at home in the Challenge in 11 games. Big Ten leads 1-0

Ohio State 73, Miami-FL 68: How about another road win for the Big Ten? Miami's Jack McClinton was ejected after taking a swipe at a Buckeye player. After an agressive run by the Canes, Ohio State mounted a second half comeback and pulled out the win. Big Ten leads 2-0.

Clemson 76, Illinois 74: Clemson puts the ACC on the board with their own road win. The Tigers' Demontez Stitt led the Tigers with 18 points and they used their defensive pressure to force 17 Illini turnovers. Big Ten leads 2-1.

Boston College 57, Iowa 55: Iowa's Andrew Brommer missed the front end of a one-and-one with 0.4 seconds left as the Hawkeyes fell to BC. Boston College held on despite scoring just one point in the final 4:45. Challenge tied 2-2.

Duke 76, Purdue 60: Jon Scheyer came back to his home turf and scored 20 points for the Blue Devils. Kyle Singer was scorching hot late to put the game away. The win helped flex the ACC's muscle. ACC leads 3-2.

Minnesota 66, Virginia 56: The Cavs shot a horrid 31% from the field and the Gophers tied up the Challenge again. Freshman Colton Iverson led Minnesota with 14 points. Series tied 3-3.

That means that tonight's games will determine the winner of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Big Ten has never won this thing but has a decent chance to get it done tonight. There are at four winnable games, even though the ACC is the oddmaker's favorites in each contest. Here are the Big Ten's best bets tonight:

1-Florida State at Northwestern: The Noles are the better team in this one, but they are by no means locks to win on the road.

2-Michigan at Maryland: Can you really trust the Terps? They did beat Michigan State last week, but Michigan has a win over UCLA under their hat.

3-Penn State at Georgia Tech: Tech is usually tough at home and it will be interesting to see how the Nittany Lions fare on the road. Still, it is hard to trust the Yellow Jackets who nearly lost to Jacksonville State.

4-North Carolina vs Michigan State: UNC is the unanimous No. 1 team, but the Spartans are scared of no one.

5-Indiana at Wake Forest: The ACC can already chalk this one up.

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Heads Into Final Day as Even as It Can Get originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>accbigtenchallengeShiloh CarderWed, 03 Dec 2008 01:37:00 EST ACC/Big Ten Challenge Begins Tonighthttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/01/acc-big-ten-challenge-begins-tonight/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/01/acc-big-ten-challenge-begins-tonight/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/01/acc-big-ten-challenge-begins-tonight/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is back once again. This is the 10th edition of the Challenge with the ACC winning it in each of the first nine seasons.

The ACC has won 16 of the last 22 games in this series.

Already we've seen a few games between ACC and Big Ten teams: Duke beat Michigan in the 2K Sports Championship game; Maryland beat Michigan State in the Old Spice Classic. Purdue beat Boston College in the Preseason N.I.T.

So let's take a look at what the next three days have in store.

Wisconsin at Virginia Tech (Mon. 7 pm ET): The Badgers are 0-5 as the road team in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tech is coming off a tough showing in the Puerto Rico Tip Off. They lost two games by a total of five points and barely beat Elon in the 7th-place game at home. Both could find themselves in the NCAA Tournament in March. Watchability: It is a decent appetizer to get ready for the Challenge.

Ohio State at Miami (Tue. 7 pm ET): This would have made on heck of a football game several years ago. Now it's a darn good hoops game. It will be interesting to see Ohio State deal with the Miami guards and Miami deal with Ohio State's size. Miami is the only school on either side to not have won a game in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Watchability: One of the darkhorses to be the best game this week.

Iowa at Boston College (Tue. 7 pm ET): Neither team has big plans this year but both have the ability for a few upsets. The Eagles have won both their previous ACC/Big Ten Challenge games. Watchability: The best part of this game is seeing BC's Tyrese Rice tear it up. The fact that it's relegated to ESPNU says it all.

Clemson at Illinois (Tue. 7:30 pm ET): This is potentially a great game. Neither team is of elite status, but both are solid. The Illini just beat Vanderbilt while Clemson is already 7-0. Watchability: It's definitely good for a flip during the Ohio State-Miami game. Don't watch if you are allergic to the color orange.

Virginia at Minnesota (Tue. 8:30 pm ET): Two teams that no one expects anything from. These are the games, however, that prove the ACC's superiority as the ACC's bottom is usually better than the Big Ten's. Watchability: You probably won't be able to see the game anyways.

Duke at Purdue (Tue. 9 pm ET): Seeing Duke play an actual road game is a rarity. So is seeing the Blue Devils lose in the Challenge (they are 9-0). Both teams have high hopes for the season and the atmosphere in West Lafayette will be outstanding. Watchability: The best game of the day.

Indiana at Wake Forest (Wed. 7 pm ET): This has the potential to be the biggest mismatch of the Challenge. This game was set up according to last year's standings. Wake is extremely talented and extremely deep. Indiana is neither. Watchability: Use this as a chance to see the Demon Deacons' talented squad. Nothing more.

Penn State at Georgia Tech (Wed. 7:30 pm ET): This is the best chance for a Big Ten upset. As usual, Tech is struggling against weak opponents. Penn State has looked pretty good to start the season. Watchability: Only if you are a big, big fan.

Michigan at Maryland (Wed. 7:30 pm ET): Both the Wolverines and Terps have pulled off two of the biggest upsets thus far against UCLA and Michigan State, respectively. Both are as hit-and-miss as you can get from each conference. The Terps, for example, followed up an 18-point win over the Spartans with a 22-point loss to Gonzaga and a 27-point loss to Georgetown. Watchability: This should be a good game with a ton of runs. Worth a look if you have ESPNU.

North Carolina vs Michigan State (Wed. 9 pm ET): This is the biggest game of the Challenge. So big that they are playing it at Ford Field. Interesting note: Michigan State is the only Big Ten team with a winning record in the Challenge. North Carolina is just 4-5 in the Challenge ... tied for worst among schools who have been in all nine of them. Watchability: This game is the best chance for the Heels to lose a game before ACC play. See them get beat or see them continue their dominating season.

Florida State at Northwestern (Wed. 9:30 pm ET): This should be an easy Noles win (again, the ACC's bad is better than the Big Ten's). Watchability: With it going on at the same time as UNC-Michigan State, why watch?

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Begins Tonight originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Shiloh CarderMon, 01 Dec 2008 06:10:00 EST ACC Power Poll: Does Anyone Have a Chance to Top North Carolina?http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/14/acc-power-poll-does-anyone-have-a-chance-to-top-north-carolina/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/14/acc-power-poll-does-anyone-have-a-chance-to-top-north-carolina/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/14/acc-power-poll-does-anyone-have-a-chance-to-top-north-carolina/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

College basketball is back, ladies and gentlemen! That means it is time for the first ACC Power Poll of the season. Most of this is based on projections, theories and guess-work.

There is always one team that surprises us each year (Miami was that team last year) and one that disappoints us (NC State). Let's begin!

1-North Carolina: There hasn't been a favorite this heavy in a long, long time.

2-Duke: Remember that the Blue Devils were a game from winning the ACC last year. Gerald Henderson is my darkhorse for ACC Player of the Year.

3-Miami-FL: The Canes have a great shot at the ACC Championship and a deep run in the NCAAs.4-Wake Forest: The young Deacs surprised many last year. This year, they get that great recruiting class Skip Prosser put together right before he passed away.

5-Virginia Tech: The Hokies' bubble burst last season, but much of that team remains. Can a team be a darkhorse three straight seasons?

6-Clemson: The Tigers go back to mediocrity. There is talent here but no James Mays or Cliff Hammonds to be the soul of the team.

7-Maryland: Greivis Vasquez is an outstanding leader but the Terps lack any inside presence to contend in the ACC.

8-Florida State: If freshman Chris Singleton can live up to all his hype, maybe the Noles could contend for a postseason berth.

9-Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have had a tough offseason that has gutted the roster. Some talent remains, just not enough.

10-NC State: Will it really be addition by subtracting J.J. Hickson? Let's see which Brandon Costner will show up this year.

11-Boston College: Tyrese Rice is the first, second and third options for the Eagles this season.

12-Virginia: Sean Singletary did everything for the Cavs last year. He's gone now.

ACC Power Poll: Does Anyone Have a Chance to Top North Carolina? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brandon costnerBrandonCostnerchris singletonChrisSingletoncliff hammondsCliffHammondsgerald hendersonGeraldHendersongreivis vasquezGreivisVasquezjames maysJamesMaysjj hicksonJjHicksonsean singletarySeanSingletarytyrese riceTyreseRiceShiloh CarderFri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt Wants a Shorter Season, Even if it Means Less Payhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/31/ga-techs-paul-hewitt-wants-a-shorter-season-even-if-it-means-l/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/31/ga-techs-paul-hewitt-wants-a-shorter-season-even-if-it-means-l/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/31/ga-techs-paul-hewitt-wants-a-shorter-season-even-if-it-means-l/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Georgia Tech head basketball coach Paul Hewitt is becoming one of my favorite coaches. He has no problem challenging the status quo and questioning the way the NCAA does things.

His newest rant is about how the college basketball season is too long. Hewitt thinks the season shouldn't start until after Thanksgiving and teams should play fewer games. If that means he gets paid less money, he's cool with that.
"You want to pro-rate my salary, go ahead," Hewitt said. "I would do it tomorrow. Because it just puts a lot of stress on our guys."

"I do find it interesting that we talk out of both sides of our mouth about the need to graduate and the need to make sure the grades are good," Hewitt said. "And we keep increasing the standards, but we don't give the kids any more time to be successful."
I applaud Hewitt because he honestly fights for the student part of the student-athlete. This past summer, he had a heated debate with the Knight Commission over their stance on punishing head coaches for grade point averages. It isn't that he's making excuses to save his rear, but he claimed coaches ask players to take easier courses that will keep their grades up instead of allowing them to take a more challenging course-load.

Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt Wants a Shorter Season, Even if it Means Less Pay originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>paul hewittPaulHewittShiloh CarderFri, 31 Oct 2008 11:05:00 EST ACC Latest to Seek Restrictions on Players Testing NBA Drafthttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/28/acc-latest-to-seek-restrictions-on-players-testing-nba-draft/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/28/acc-latest-to-seek-restrictions-on-players-testing-nba-draft/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/28/acc-latest-to-seek-restrictions-on-players-testing-nba-draft/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Almost every spring, there are mumblings and grousing by college coaches about the length of time allowed for college players to decide about whether they should enter the NBA Draft or come back to play college basketball for another year. There are rumors of changing the rules to shorten the time for students to reconsider. Most of the times the complaints are off-the-record, because no coach wants to be seen as undermining or not supporting their players considering the NBA Draft.

Coaches hate the rule, though, because it puts them in a difficult spot. They don't know if they will have an open scholarship or need to go after one more recruit. It creates uncertainty for them, their recruiting and plans for the following season.

Well, the ACC has drafted a proposal to make the change.
The ACC plans to propose NCAA legislation that would force men's basketball underclassmen to decide within seven to 10 days after the NCAA title game whether they are leaving for the NBA draft. ...
Under the legislation, "there would be no grace period - either you're in or you're out," said Karl Hicks, the ACC's associate commissioner for basketball operations. "We feel that's what would work best for the student athletes and that's what would work best for the coaches."
So, uh how does it help the student-athletes? No testing the draft process? No tryouts? No grace period to reconsider?

All it does is help the coaches. Specifically, the coaches at major programs -- like the ACC.
The plan would be to force the players to make an irrevocable decision 7 to 10 days after the National Championship game. By a remarkable coincidence, that just happens to time out to when the late signing period begins.

In other words, it is to benefit the coaches who may need to replace a couple players who declare for the draft. They may be a bit behind other schools, but they have time and the certainty of knowing they have an open scholarship to pursue the recruits.

For programs outside of the major conferences, this means an increased competition for the late signees. A late-bloomer, or a talent that didn't show as much between his junior and senior year suddenly becomes worth pursuing by the bigger powers.

The present rules are great for the student-athletes. They can go through camps, practice for NBA teams. Consult with the NBA about their draft status. Get real, feedback and have plenty of information to make a decision. Considering the importance of forgoing the rest of a scholarship and pursuing a professional basketball career at that point, having the time to make the decision for freshmen, sophomores and juniors has led to more that come back for at least one more year. A player like K.C. Rivers at Clemson found out he wasn't nearly as desirable to NBA scouts as he believed and returned for his senior year -- and the being able to graduate.

The justification for changing the rule -- beyond that it makes things easier for the coaches -- is pointing to the fact that in college football, players only have a short period to declare and then only 72 hours to change their mind. Of course, the NFL restricts the quantity by restricting early declarations to juniors and/or players who are three-years removed from high school.

The NBA has only two rounds, is open to all underclassmen and foreign players. It is really difficult to compare the two systems. The main reason, though, is that it is all about the poor coaches and the uncertainty to the programs.

"Basically you'd like to move on," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Also, what happens, for a two-month period guys who may not be in your program become your priority. And the guys who are still in the program don't get any attention. ... They get devalued."

The kids not getting attention get devalued? Isn't that a problem with the coaches then?

If the coaches are so concerned about stability and the poor kids still in the program not getting any attention, then by all means, it is time to focus on those issues. A big rule change that would help stability would be to restrict coaching free agency.

All head coaches that have a job, would only have two weeks after the season ends to consider a new job elsewhere in the NCAA. Remove the uncertainty from the programs, and that would definitely be fairer to the student-athletes. No late job-jumping and recruits wanting out. There would be far more stability and certainty. Of course, that would limit the freedom and chance to make more money for the coaches, so that would be unfair.

ACC Latest to Seek Restrictions on Players Testing NBA Draft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichTue, 28 Oct 2008 13:08:00 EST How I Spent My Summer Vacation: ACChttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/30/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation-acc/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/30/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation-acc/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/30/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation-acc/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

With the fall beginning and college basketball just around the corner, it's time to look back at what our favorite teams did during their summer vacations. Some did some good things; some had a bad time. So let's look back at who did what in our How I Spent My Summer Vacation series.

Today's look is the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Roy Williams Hits Jackpot When All His Guys Return

The Tar Heels were at quite the crossroads. After a great season ended with a disappointing loss to Kansas, Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green all decided to take a look at the NBA Draft. Hansbrough decided to come back, but the other three entered the draft with the opportunity to come back to school if they didn't like their draft status.

If any or all left, the Heels were facing some uncertainty heading into the season. Yes, they'd still be a good team but they'd have a few holes.

In a somewhat surprising move, all three Heels decided to come back for one last hurrah. That means Ol' Roy gets everyone back from that Final Four team (sans a transferred Alex Stepheson and a graduating Quentin Thomas -- both role players). They also bring in three McDonald's All Americans.

Now the Heels are scary deep, scary talented and very experienced. They will enter the season as probably a clear-cut No. 1 ranked team with a NCAA Tournament Championship as the goal. Anything less will be a huge disappointment.

Coach K Turns Golden

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski spent his summer vacation in China coaching the USA Olympic basketball team. Team USA won the gold in a thrilling victory over Spain and reasserted America as the best hoops country in the world.

Now Coach K heads back to his day job, coaching a Duke program that sees themselves as the kings of college hoops. The Blue Devils are experienced, talented and primed for a run back to the Final Four.

What people are interested to see is how Krzyzewski's time with the NBA guys will affect Duke. I don't think that the team will suffer from not having him while he was with the Redeem Team, but what nuances may K add into his already lethal arsenal? Remember that last season he brought Mike D'Antoni's (former Suns, now Knicks head coach who served as an assistant for Team USA) offensive system to Duke with some great success.

Maryland's Revolving Door

Gary Williams has been on a hot seat of sorts. That's unfair to a man that took the Terps to a National Championship earlier this decade. However, NIT appearances and questionable recruiting have taken him out of favor from the Maryland faithful.

During this offseason, Williams watched several players bolt. Bobby Maze couldn't get his grades up to university standards so he moved on to Tennessee. Gus Gilchrist was put off by the ACC's intraconference transfering rules and left for South Florida. Stud recruit Tyree Evans was run out of College Park once his police record and jail time were made public.

J.J. Hickson Leaves N.C. State

Despite all the commotion about what the UNC players might do, there was still just one underclassman that left an ACC program for the NBA. Freshman forward J.J. Hickson decided one year at N.C. State was enough and entered the NBA Draft. He was selected with the 19th pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There have been one-and-dones in the ACC and players have left early for a long time. But this was really the first offseason where we saw premiere guys "testing the waters".

Hickson leaving N.C. State also creates an interesting void. After the 2007 season, the Wolfpack were being buzzed about as a sleeper team. Hickson was the best player on the 2007-2008 team but they stumbled in the standings. With no Hickson, will the Pack go back to its better days? We'll have to see.

Psycho T's Leap

While Tyler Hansbrough didn't leap into the NBA Draft, he did find time to leap into a pool. From a balcony. Hansbrough received some flak for pulling off the stunt, but continues to feed his "Psycho T" persona.

Waiving Good-bye!

Sean Singletary (Virginia), DeMarcus Nelson (Duke), James Gist (Maryland), J.J. Hickson (NC State), James Mays (Clemson), Jason Rich (Florida State), Anthony Morrow (Ga Tech) and Deron Washington (Va Tech).

Welcoming in

Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest), Tony Woods (Wake Forest), Tyler Zeller (North Carolina), Miles Plumlee (Duke), Ed Davis (North Carolina), Elliot Williams (Duke), Olek Czyz (Duke), Iman Shumpert (Ga Tech), Andre Jones (Clemson) and DeQuan Jones (Miami).

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: ACC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex stephesonAlexStephesonandre jonesAndreJonesanthony morrowAnthonyMorrowbobby mazeBobbyMazedanny greenDannyGreendemarcus nelsonDemarcusNelsondequan jonesDequanJonesderon washingtonDeronWashingtoned davisEdDaviselliot williamsElliotWilliamsgary williamsGaryWilliamsgus gilchristGusGilchristhowispentmysummervacationiman shumpertImanShumpertjames gistjames maysJamesGistJamesMaysjason richJasonRichjj hicksonJjHicksonmike krzyzewskiMikeKrzyzewskimiles plumleeMilesPlumleequentin thomasQuentinThomasroy williamsRoyWilliamssean singletarySeanSingletarytony woodsTonyWoodsty lawsonTyLawsontyler hansbroughtyler zellerTylerHansbroughTylerZellertyree evansTyreeEvanswayne ellingtonWayneEllingtonShiloh CarderTue, 30 Sep 2008 22:48:00 EST ACC Releases 2008-2009 Schedulehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/acc-releases-2008-2009-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/acc-releases-2008-2009-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/acc-releases-2008-2009-schedule/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ACC has released the 2008-2009 college basketball schedule. Now we can start getting our markers out and circling some dates.

Here is the first dates for marking: UNC at Duke on February 11th ... Duke at UNC on March 8th.

North Carolina: UNC has a tough schedule ... with Kentucky as their second game of the season, the loaded Maui Invitational ... and a game against Michigan State at Ford Field. Penn, Oral Roberts, Rutgers and Nevada aren't pushovers. There is also a rematch against UNC-Asheville, also known as the "game Tyler Hansbrough dunked on a 7'7 guy"

Duke: Coach K won't have Kobe, LeBron or D-Wade ... but he won't be seeing Spain or Argentina, either. They will play Xavier in East Rutherford right before Christmas and host Georgetown in the middle of January. Duke will also play a true road game (that isn't in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge) when they take on Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Miami: The Canes will play in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. They will get Ohio State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge ... which looks like a great football contest a few years ago. Miami will also visit Kentucky and St. John's.

Clemson: They'll play in the Palmetto Classic in Charleston, SC. They'll also go up the road to UNC-Charlotte to try to avenge a loss from last year. They will play at Illinois and South Carolina ... then host Alabama (by the way: Clemson hosts Alabama's football team this Saturday).

NC State: The Wolfpack head to Charlotte to take on Davidson. Uh-oh! NC State gets some national TV love with a road game at Florida on January 3rd. They also host Marquette. The Wolfpack will actually host two games at good ol' Reynolds Coliseum.

Florida State: They'll face Cincinnati in the opening round of the Las Vegas Tournament. The Noles will host Pittsburgh in late December. Their annual date with Florida will take place on December 2nd.

Virginia: The Cavs are bringing it a bit. They'll host Xavier and Auburn ... and travel to Minnesota and Syracuse.

Maryland: Yawn! They do open with Bucknell and then play in the Old Spice Classic.

Wake Forest: The Deacs breakout season takes them on a tour of the state (NC Central, UNC-Wilmington, Winston-Salem State) before heading off to the Anaheim Classic.

Virginia Tech: Hey! Not fair! The Hokies will play in both the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic and the Holiday Festival in New York. Indiana and Bucknell will be decent battles ... as will traveling to BYU.

Boston College: They will be in the preseason NIT before hosting Iowa in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Other than a game at UMass, there really isn't much on the non-con schedule worth a second glance.

Georgia Tech: Tech will spend some time on the west coast as they'll visit USC and Pepperdine. The Jackets will revisit their SEC roots as they have a roadie at Alabama ... and will host Georgia and Vanderbilt.

ACC Releases 2008-2009 Schedule originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Shiloh CarderWed, 27 Aug 2008 01:01:00 EST ACC Places Duke #1 in 'ESPN.com Top Programs'; UNC is #3; Everyone Else is Backhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/acc-places-duke-1-in-espn-com-top-programs-unc-is-3-every/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/acc-places-duke-1-in-espn-com-top-programs-unc-is-3-every/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/acc-places-duke-1-in-espn-com-top-programs-unc-is-3-every/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

ESPN.com has played out its top programs since the 1984-1985 season (when the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams).

As expected, Duke placed in the top spot. No one has won more NCAA Championships, Final Fours, Sweet 16s, NCAA Tournament wins, first team All Americans, 30-win seasons, #1 seeds or top-ten NBA picks in the time frame.

North Carolina placed #2 on Friday ... but due to a research error was dropped behind Kansas to #3 on Saturday. Apparently they screwed up how many conference titles Kansas won and All Americans North Carolina had.

After that, there is a huge gap until the next ACC school: #28 Maryland. The Terps (ahead of Purdue; behind Ohio State) are the only ACC school besides Duke and North Carolina to win an NCAA Tournament during the time frame. What knocked them down was the fact that they have just one ACC title since 1985.

Georgia Tech ranks fourth from the ACC at #33 overall. Tech (ahead of Penn; behind Oklahoma State) can roll out some great names but haven't had the elite success to match.

The other ACC schools ...

#38-Wake Forest: Produced elite players Tim Duncan and Chris Paul but hasn't made a Final Four.
#52-NC State: State had some good years in there ... and some horrible ones. Infractions hurt.
#70t-Boston College: Most of this was from their Big East years.
#70t-Virginia
#111-Clemson
#128-Florida State
#145t-Miami (Fla)
#210-Virginia Tech

The ACC finished third in the "prestige rankings" behind the Big East and the Big Ten.

ACC Places Duke #1 in 'ESPN.com Top Programs'; UNC is #3; Everyone Else is Back originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Shiloh CarderSun, 27 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Ga Tech's Dickey Decides to Leave School and Play Professionally in Ukrainehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/ga-techs-dickey-decides-to-leave-school-and-play-professionally/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/ga-techs-dickey-decides-to-leave-school-and-play-professionally/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/ga-techs-dickey-decides-to-leave-school-and-play-professionally/#commentsFiled under: ,

First we had Arizona recruit Brandon Jennings heading to an Italian team when he couldn't get himself academically eligible for school. Next, we had NBA player Josh Childress signing with a Greek team instead of staying in the NBA.

Now, we have a guy just leaving during his college career and going to Europe.

Meet Ra'Sean Dickey, a Georgia Tech power forward. He is leaving school to play for a team in the Ukraine. Dickey would have been a fifth-year senior after he missed all of 2007-2008 with academic and injury issues. It is believed that he will sign with the same Ukrainian team as former Yellow Jacket teammate Anthony Morrow.

While Dickey isn't anywhere near as high profile as Jennings or Childress, it is still interesting to see this happen.
"We wish Ra'Sean well as he starts his pro basketball career," [GT coach Paul Hewitt] said by phone. "He certainly has every intention on finishing college. We have all mutually decided that it is in his best interests to start his pro basketball career."

That is interesting because the Yellow Jackets have only nine scholarship players heading into the season. Tech has had ten guys leave via graduation, transfer or pro ball and hasn't been adept at bringing anyone new in.
"We'll be fine," Hewitt said. "There is a possibility that we may be getting another kid. We're probably not going to have as much depth as we'd like, but if everybody stays healthy, we'll be fine."

Ga Tech's Dickey Decides to Leave School and Play Professionally in Ukraine originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brandon JenningsBrandonJenningsJosh ChildressJoshChildressPaul HewittPaulHewittRaSean DickeyRaseanDickeyShiloh CarderThu, 24 Jul 2008 13:01:00 EST Ga Tech's Paul Hewitt to Knight Commission: 'You're Turning Education Into a Race.'http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/06/17/ga-techs-paul-hewitt-to-knight-commission-youre-turning-edu/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/06/17/ga-techs-paul-hewitt-to-knight-commission-youre-turning-edu/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/06/17/ga-techs-paul-hewitt-to-knight-commission-youre-turning-edu/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

While basketball fans love stats, none really want to hear about boring numbers like graduation rates, grade-point averages and surveys.

College coaches care about those things, which is why they have the Knight Commission meetings. The Knight Commission has been striving for academic reform in college athletics for decades and, over the past four year, punishing programs who fail to meet certain academic and graduation requirements.

Well, as he was sitting and listening to these numbers flow ... Georgia Tech head basketball Paul Hewitt coach got tired of it. He flipped on his mic and had at it:
"While I like to see everyone who reaches college earn a degree," Hewitt said, "we need to find more effective ways to achieve our goals. I do have a problem with putting numbers out there, saying 'Meet these numbers or else. You're turning education into a race."

"I'm getting tired of coaches getting beat up," Hewitt said, "when I think we are doing a very responsible job."

He kind of has a point. Hewitt also said that these pressures on coaches to keep their athletes' grades up may/has forced some of them to steer those students to easier courses. The ACC has discussed this issue in their conference meetings.

Hewitt also had a heated debate with Len Elmore -- the former Maryland star (and lawyer) who is an ESPN analyst and member of the Knight Commission. Hewitt, like Elmore, hates the one-and-done rule. However, Hewitt wants to see the baseball rules adopted ... either go to the draft after high school or stay at least three years of college. Elmore wanted to see no players draft-eligible until at least three years of college (they even used this opportunity to dump on LeBron James and why he has no mid-range game).

Hewitt went off on the NBA, saying the agents are turning college campuses into "the wild west". He even mentioned how the NFL manages to punish agents who engage in questionable behavior with college kids.

Oh, and it wasn't as if Hewitt wasn't prepared for this meeting. He pulled out his own statistics for everyone to hear:
Hewitt then pulled out his own set of statistics, based on federal graduation rates and supplied by the NCAA. His chart noted that white male basketball and football players -- despite scholarships and access to tutors and other perks received as athletes -- have a graduation rate lower than that of the white male general student body. Conversely, black football and basketball players and women's basketball players graduate at a pace ahead of the general student body for their respective groups.

My favorite suggestion (by "favorite" I mean "one that made me laugh the hardest") was to make basketball a one semester sport and have a shorter season. Even he admitted that would never, ever happen.

Still, Hewitt brings up some valid points. I think the NBA's one-and-done deal is bad for both parties (I support the idea, but agree that athletes should stay in school longer than just one season) and I do think that pressuring for grade-point averages or sanctions are levied is a slippery slope. Not to say that it isn't important to keep up with the grades, but the fact that a school and a coach faces discipline will certainly mean that they could steer a kid to an easier course-load.

Like Hewitt, I don't see the Academic Performance Review to be a bad thing ... but it isn't the only tool out there to do, what they say, is their goal. Make sure these kids get the most from their academics while in college and to keep coaches from shoving guys through the system. Maybe Hewitt has lit a fire.

Ga Tech's Paul Hewitt to Knight Commission: 'You're Turning Education Into a Race.' originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>LeBron JamesLebronJamesLen ElmoreLenElmoreShiloh CarderTue, 17 Jun 2008 16:17:00 EST A Sign of a Down ACC? They May Not Have a Player Drafted in the First Roundhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/06/17/a-sign-of-a-down-acc-they-may-not-have-a-player-drafted-in-the/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/06/17/a-sign-of-a-down-acc-they-may-not-have-a-player-drafted-in-the/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/06/17/a-sign-of-a-down-acc-they-may-not-have-a-player-drafted-in-the/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

You want another sign showing the decline of ACC basketball over the past few years? How about that the ACC had just one underclassman declare (and keep his name in) for the NBA Draft this season.

That guy is J.J. Hickson, and there is even a line of reasoning that NC State may be better without him.

There really were just a few really outstanding seniors leaving (Duke lost DeMarcus Nelson; Virginia lost Sean Singletary). There is a chance where the ACC will have no players taken in the first round of the draft (Hickson is the lone hopeful).

Typically, the ACC fills the draft up with all kinds of talent.

  • Last year, three ACC players were lottery picks ... part of six total that were taken in the first round.
  • Three players went in the first round in 2006.
  • In 2005, seven players went in the first round. (five went in the lottery; three went in the top five).
  • In 2004, only Duke's Luol Deng was taken in the first round.

Remember, that was mostly when high school players also were in the draft, meaning less spots for colliegate players. So, what could the upcoming ACC season look like?

If you read articles all over the internets, you would assume that North Carolina will crush everyone on their way to a National Championship. That could happen, but that really is selling the ACC short. There are some really good teams who have high expectations as well.

Start with the Heels' rival, Duke. They'll return most of a squad that nearly won the ACC last year. Miami is loaded as well and could be a top ten team. As I said before, NC State could rectify chemistry issues now that Hickson is gone. Virginia Tech will be right there. There is a lot of talent at Florida State. Wake Forest started to turn things around last year and welcome in the late Skip Prosser's loaded 2008 class.

In fact, the ACC has done very well recruiting. According to Scout.com, Wake Forest brings in the #3 ranked recruiting class ... North Carolina is #5 ... Duke is #13 ... Florida State is #14.

The conference has done even better in 2009. Guys like John Henson (UNC), Mason Plumlee (Duke), Dexter Strickland (UNC), Milton Jennings (Clemson) and Leslie McDonald (UNC) will become household names (not to mention guys like Derrick Favors and Dante Taylor who are leaning toward ACC schools).

Nine of the top twelve scorers are returning. Five of the top seven rebounders. Seven of the top ten assist-men. Of the All-ACC teams last year (1st, 2nd and 3rd), 11 of the 15 players are coming back ... including three from the first team (Tyler Hansbrough, Tyrese Rice, Jack McClinton).

A Sign of a Down ACC? They May Not Have a Player Drafted in the First Round originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>DeMarcus NelsonDemarcusNelsonjj hicksonJjHicksonSean SingletarySeanSingletaryShiloh CarderTue, 17 Jun 2008 12:55:00 EST ACC Looking at Expanding the Basketball Schedule to Eighteen Gameshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/04/30/acc-looking-at-expanding-the-basketball-schedule-to-eighteen-gam/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/04/30/acc-looking-at-expanding-the-basketball-schedule-to-eighteen-gam/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/04/30/acc-looking-at-expanding-the-basketball-schedule-to-eighteen-gam/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Two weeks ago, I mentioned that one of the ACC's biggest offseason stories would be (again) looking into expanding the conference basketball season to 18 games. For the third straight season, the current system of scheduling has been a talking point.

Last year, Virginia won a share of the ACC regular season crown with what was, statistically, the weakest schedule in the conference. This past season, Virginia Tech played UNC, Duke and Clemson just once apiece ... and that may have cost them an NCAA Tournament bid.

Now, the ACC may look into expanding the season from 16 to 18 games.

The Big East, Big Ten and Pac-10 all play the 18-game schedule and it hasn't hurt them come tournament time. The ACC is currently in a tournament funk (getting bids and winning games) and losing those bids to teams from those conferences.

Some say that adding the two extra games actually hurts the conference's RPI because it means those bad teams have to play more games, too. True, but one of the reasons the ACC continues to sit near the top of those RPI standings is because their "bad" teams are usually better than the other league's "bad" teams.

Typically the lower level teams in the ACC still can stick with the best of the bunch. Last season, Boston College and Virginia put scares into #1 ranked North Carolina. That's what has made the ACC what it is.

Now, there would be the worry that it would cannibalize the league a bit. I don't see it that way: I see it as giving an opportunity for those bubble teams to get an extra game or two against the ACC's top teams, pumping up their RPI and giving them a shot to get a big win or two on their tournament resume. It may cost a UNC or Duke a loss on their record, but could give a Florida State or Virginia Tech that one extra win they need to get in.

The ones who hate this idea is the coaches, of course. They say the ACC season is hard enough and that adding those two games who hurt their non-conference scheduling. The conference ... outside of Clemson ... prides itself on taking on anyone anywhere (well, as long as anywhere for Duke is New York).

ACC Looking at Expanding the Basketball Schedule to Eighteen Games originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Shiloh CarderWed, 30 Apr 2008 12:45:00 EST