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/Patience Will Pay Off for Young Heelshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/patience-will-pay-off-for-young-tar-heels/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/patience-will-pay-off-for-young-tar-heels/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/patience-will-pay-off-for-young-tar-heels/#commentsFiled under:

Roy WilliamsWhen Roy Williams was asked exactly where he felt his North Carolina team stood at this point in the season, he responded with the sort of enthusiasm usually reserved for a weekend with your mother-in-law.

And, being Roy Williams, it was in the form of an anecdote.

"I had a friend of mine tell me, Roy, you have more patience than anyone I've ever seen,'" the Tar Heel coach said. "So I looked at him and said, 'What are you talking about?' He said, 'You haven't used any of it yet, so you've got it all stored up."

Now might be the appropriate time to start using a little.

In the Tar Heels first real test of the season against Ohio State, North Carolina opened with a Broadway worthy debut, pushing around Big Ten title hopeful Buckeyes on the way to a 77-73 victory-slash-statement.

At least for the first 39 minutes.

The remaining 60 seconds served precisely as a reminder as to why Job never picked up a clipboard.

The Heels, who led by as many as 19 midway through the second half, pushed their advantage to 10 points with just over a minute left in the game. But in the next 49 seconds, they would miss four of six free throws, give up two offensive rebounds and wind up on the wrong side of a 10-2 run.

But when Larry Drew stepped to the free throw line for the fourth time in the final minute, he made both and put the finishing touches on one of the biggest wins of the young seasons.

"I liked our competitiveness tonight," Williams said. "It is a very good basketball we beat. I think we have a good chance of being a very good basketball team. I wanted it to come sooner than it is coming to us."

According to Williams, though, the colorful coach didn't much dip into that overflowing cache of patience.. At halftime, the coach says he berated fifth-year senior leader Marcus Ginyard to make a point in front of his youthful club.
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"I chewed his rear end out probably the hardest I've ever got on him," Williams said. "If I'm going to chew him out, it scares the dickens out of the rest of the team. He's one of my pets."

After all, Williams has been here before. For the third time in his North Carolina career, Williams is starting with a young team and building towards a national title. Each of the first two ended successfully. But that doesn't mean they started there.

The Heels' early so-so wins over Florida International and Valparaiso began the whispers that this squad is an overrated group. But the first 39 minutes proved how good this team can be. The last proved how trying they are.

But this is the stuff of young basketball teams. Occasional bouts of greatness coupled with occasional bouts of nausea.

And these Tar Heels are young, even for college basketball, a sport where all but start handing out walkers at the beginning of junior year. North Carolina lost four starters from last year's team, including all-time ACC scoring leader Tyler Hansbrough and the player who beat him out for ACC player of the year honors last year, point guard Tywon Lawson.

Of the 11 players that Roy Williams played against Ohio State, eight were freshmen or sophomores.

But this is precisely the sort of challenge Williams has grown into as a coach. Where Williams was regarded as an outstanding recruiter at Kansas, he's become as good at player development as any coach in the nation.

Four years ago, while coming off his first national title in 2005, Williams also lost the heart of his team, when Sean May, Ray Felton, Rashad McCants and star freshman Marvin Williams all joined the NBA.

Those Heels, led by a freshman Hansbrough, were an inconsistent bunch for the first three months. They beat Kentucky early in the season, but then lost to a USC team that would fail to qualify for the postseason and dropped three of four to Miami, Virginia and Boston College. Only Boston College made the NCAA tournament.

And Williams again wore out his patience and probably his entire vocabulary of fricks, shucks and gosh dangs.

But by February, the Heels were again a top 10 team. At season's end, they beat No. 1 Duke in Cameron, courtesy of a 3-pointer from the freshman Hansbrough.

By the end of the year that started every bit as unpredictable as this one, they were a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.

And this is what the Heels have to look forward to.

Eventually.

Right now, they're being judged in the shadow of last year's team

"We could play a heck of a lot better than we have and still not win," Williams said."Last year, we said if we play well we're going to win, no matter who. That team isn't there yet."

But it might be getting there.

Ginyard, the fifth-year senior who was sidelined by a foot injury last year, has emerged as a team leader and is still one of the nation's most tenacious defenders. Against Ohio State, he forced the Buckeyes' versatile star Evan Turner into 11 turnovers. How impressive was that? Entering Thursday night's game the Buckeyes only had 15 turnovers in their first three games ("We had 15 turnovers by the first TV timeout [against Valpariaso]" Williams quipped earlier this week).

"I thought he competed his tail off tonight," Williams said of his defensive standout and occasional rant target. "He guarded Turner, he guarded Diebler. He made a big three at the end in front of our bench. I was nicer to him tonight than I was to him on Sunday night but he deserved it."

And for a team searching for someone to take the reins in the final minutes, the sophomore point guard Drew seemed more than willing to take on the pressure.

"I wanted the ball in my hands, especially for the last two free throws," Drew said. "You have to go through bad times to enjoy the highs, and I enjoyed making those last two free throws."

It might not immediately get easier for the Heels. They face No. 2 Michigan State Dec. 1, No. 4 Kentucky Dec. 5, and No. 3 Texas Dec. 19.

But North Carolina will likely turn into a national title contender by the end of the year. It may just take a little patience.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.

Patience Will Pay Off for Young Heels originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ray HollomanFri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST Heels Hammer, Then Hold Off, Buckeyeshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/heels-hammer-then-hold-off-buckeyes/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/heels-hammer-then-hold-off-buckeyes/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/heels-hammer-then-hold-off-buckeyes/#commentsFiled under:

Marcus GinyardNEW YORK (AP) -- There was so much to talk about after No. 6 North Carolina held on for 77-73 victory over No. 15 Ohio State in the 2K Sports Classic semifinals Thursday night.

There was the Tar Heels' big early lead that dwindled to two points in the final minute, something that can happen even to a sixth-ranked team early in the season. There was the exceptional defensive job by Marcus Ginyard on Ohio State's Evan Turner, something that has become common for a player considered one of the top stoppers in the country. There was coach Roy Williams' halftime rant directed at Ginyard, something that never happens.

"I chewed his rear end out probably the hardest I've ever got on him," Williams said of the fifth-year senior. "If I'm going to chew him out, it scares the dickens out of the rest of the team. He's one of my pets."

The one-way halftime discussion worked as North Carolina was in control until the final minute.

"That was the worst I can remember," Ginyard said of Williams' yelling session. "But he was right. If I'm going to be a leader of this team I have to play better, and I did in the second half."

Ginyard finished with 13 points and was 3 of 5 from 3-point range. But it was his defense on Turner that made the difference in the win that sent the Tar Heels (4-0) into Friday night's championship game against Syracuse, which beat No. 13 California 95-73 in the tournament the benefits Coaches vs. Cancer.

"No question, I take challenges like tonight very personally, and I get really excited about facing players like him," Ginyard said of Turner, who had a triple-double in Ohio State's opening win over Alcorn State with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. He matched that feat against the Tar Heels, but it was a lot different as he finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

The 6-foot-7 junior swingman, who had 17 rebounds in each of the first two games, couldn't go anywhere on the court without Ginyard, who missed most of last season with a stress fracture in his left foot.

Turner's time was limited as well by foul trouble, and his second personal was an offensive drawn by Ginyard.

"It was a rough night, obviously," Turner said. I'm bumped and bruised and I'll be back tomorrow.

"It was a rough first half, rough first 30 minutes of the game. They did a great job, and we just got to bounce back."

Deon Thompson had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Tar Heels, who led by 19 points with 10:23 to play.

The Buckeyes (2-1) finally started hitting from the outside at the same time the Tar Heels starting missing free throws, and Ohio State was within 75-73 on a 3 by Jon Diebler with 11 seconds left.

Larry Drew II, who missed four of his previous six free throws in the final minute, then made two from the line with 11 seconds left for the final margin.



"I wanted the ball in my hands, especially for the last two free throws," Drew said. "You have to go through bad times to enjoy the highs, and I enjoyed making those last two free throws."

Ohio State chipped away at the lead and was finally within single digits when David Lighty scored on a drive that made it 68-60 with 2:09 to go. Ginyard hit a 3 with the shot clock winding down to make it 71-60 with 1:36 to go, but the Buckeyes finally hit from the outside as William Buford and Lighty hit 3s as Drew struggled at the line.

Will Graves had 14 points for North Carolina, the defending national champions who have only one starter back from the team that beat Michigan State in April, and Drew finished with 11 points and eight assists and was 6 of 10 from the line.

Diebler had 17 points for Ohio State, which finished 6 of 21 from 3-point range after going 1 of 10 in the first half.

"We feel very fortunate," Williams said. "We have a chance to be a very good basketball team, but I want it a lot sooner than it's coming."

The Tar Heels had the lead to 10 points within the first 6 minutes, and it reached 16 points three times, the first at 29-13 on a 3-pointer by Ginyard with 5:40 left in the half.

Ohio State missed its first nine 3-point attempts, and the Buckeyes finished 1 of 10 from beyond the arc and shot just 29 percent (9 for 31) overall in falling behind 38-24 at the half.

"We obviously made a great comeback," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "I thought the first half we couldn't get the ball in the basket. We had some decent looks, the shots weren't falling for us. We had a stretch where I think we lost our composure, and they were able to get it to a double-digit lead. ... Hopefully we learned a lesson there getting ourselves ready to go right from the start."

Heels Hammer, Then Hold Off, Buckeyes originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FanHouse NewswireFri, 20 Nov 2009 00:08:00 EST Harrison Barnes Picks North Carolinahttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/harrison-barnes-picks-north-carolina/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/harrison-barnes-picks-north-carolina/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/harrison-barnes-picks-north-carolina/#commentsFiled under:

Once again, North Carolina beats Duke. And just about everybody else in the nation.

Harrison Barnes, the nation's top basketball recruit, selected the defending national champion Tar Heels over the Blue Devils, long rumored to be Barnes' fruont-runner, as well as UCLA, Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa State at a press conference at his high school in Ames, Iowa on Friday.

And if Barnes can play basketball half as well as he can draw out the suspense, Roy Williams is in for another banner year.

"The school I choose to be my alma mater, to leave my legacy had the right balance of academics and basketball," Barnes said after a speech that had thanked everyone from his mother to Internet recruiting sites, "I'm proud to announce the school I will attend is the coach's (that) I'm going to Skype ..."

Unfortunately, the voice-over IP phone system wasn't nearly as smooth as the polished-as-a-politician Barnes. After a brief wait staring at a projection screen, up popped the face of Williams.

"We got the whole team here!" Williams exclaimed when he and the Heels popped up in the Ames press conference.

"I can't wait to join all you guys," Barnes replied.

And with that, the defending national champions had won again.

Barnes, a 6-foot-7 do-it-all small forward, is the third five-star player to commit to the Tar Heels this year, according to Scout.com. He joins shooting guard Reggie Bullock and point guard Kendall Marshall, both ranked in the top five at their position.

The loss will be felt most acutely at Duke, which has now very publicly whiffed on its primary targets each year since landing Josh McRoberts, the top recruit of the class of 2005. The Blue Devils missed on Brandan Wright in the class of 2006, (North Carolina), Patrick Patterson (Kentucky) in 2007, Greg Monroe (Georgetown) in 2008 and Kenny Boynton (Florida) 2010.

Add Barnes to that list.

Barnes, who was downright presidential in his address to the assembled media, had often been described as the next Shane Battier or Grant Hill, largely because Mike Krzyzewski has been recruiting so long you'd be surprised to learn Krzyzewski didn't sign his birth certificate.

He was expected to be the centerpiece of a Duke resurgence, following the commitment of Kyrie Irving, the New Jersey point guard ranked fifth in the nation overall by Scout.com.

Now, the Blue Devils are left to scramble for a plan B yet again.

The only adjusting the Heels will have to do, however, is figure out where to fit another banner in the crowded Smith Center rafters.

Harrison Barnes Picks North Carolina originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>harrison barnesRay HollomanFri, 13 Nov 2009 16:24:00 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 John Wall's Misdemeanor Likely Won't Impact Recruitmenthttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/05/john-walls-misdemeanor-wont-likely-impact-recruitment/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/05/john-walls-misdemeanor-wont-likely-impact-recruitment/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/05/john-walls-misdemeanor-wont-likely-impact-recruitment/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

John Wall, the nation's top point guard recruit and possible No. 1 pick of the 2010 NBA draft, was charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering yesterday.

Contrary to what my colleague wrote, this will likely have minimal impact on the teams recruiting him.

So far no team or coach has even circulated a rumor that they are done recruiting Wall (though NCAA regulations prohibit coaches and programs from speaking directly about an unsigned recruit).

After Wall makes a decision, no doubt the snubbed coaches will imply or let intermediaries suggest that they stopped recruiting him after this incident. Fans of the snubbed schools will doubtlessly claim that they are happy that a "thug" and "criminal" like Wall is not going to sully their program.

Please.

Wall was cited -- not even arrested -- for misdemeanor breaking and entering (North Carolina GS Sec. 14-54(b)) last week. It was into an empty house, with no sign of forced entry (not a bad house, judging by the listing).

Essentially, Wall and a couple friends were stupid enough to decide to walk into an empty house. They did not take anything. Essentially, the police wrote him a ticket.
The officer saw Wall leaving from the rear door of the residence and detained him without incident, [Raleigh police spokesman Jim] Sughrue said.

A few minutes later, a second teenager, Bria Renea Draughn, 16, was detained while walking on a nearby street. A third, Reginald Leonard Jackson II, 17, was detained when he returned to the Laurel Glen Drive house, Sughrue said.

Each of the three was issued a citation on a misdemeanor charge of breaking and entering, said Wake County chief magistrate Gary Wills.

The citation is similar to one issued for a traffic violation, Wills said. "You can be cited for a misdemeanor breaking and entering," he said. No warrant was executed.
This is not to minimize what he did, but sneaking into an empty, abandoned house is not exactly an unheard-of action for teenagers, even an 18-year-old under plenty of scrutiny for his basketball prowess. When even a county magistrate is comparing it to a traffic violation, it is hard to draw real outrage.

Athletes in Trouble With the Law

    May 4: Prized recruit John Wall is charged with a misdemeanor breaking and entering. Click through to see more sports figures in trouble with the law.

    Chris Williams, Icon Sports Media

    May 4: NFL wide receiver Biren Ealy, pictured, and tight end Kolomona Kapanui were accused of being drunk, urinating in public and exposing themselves.

    Getty Images

    April 30: Former football star Lawrence Phillips, pictured here with the Dolphins in 1998, will go to trial on charges that he attacked his girlfriend in 2005. Phillips already is serving a 10-year sentence for hitting three teenagers with his car in Los Angeles.

    AFP / Getty Images

    April 26: Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips was cited for misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking a security guard in the face at a hotel.

    Tom Hevezi, AP

    April 22: Former Jaguars star Jimmy Smith faces multiple drug charges, plus a charge of driving with a suspended license following an arrest.

    Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images

    April 20: Purdue point guard Lewis Jackson pleads guilty to illegal alcohol consumption and possession of drug paraphernalia.

    Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images

    April 15: Eugene Edgerson, a former Arizona basketball player who tours with the Harlem Globetrotters, was arrested for the second time in two months on domestic violence charges.

    Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE / Getty Images

    April 16: Former Broncos running back Travis Henry admitted to a single count of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and faces 10 years or more in prison.

    Doug Pensinger, Getty Images

    April 13: Michigan State's Glenn Winston was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to assault charges.

    Carolyn Kaster, AP

    April 11: Buffalo Bills safety Donte Whitner was arrested on charges of aggravated disorderly conduct and resisting police outside a Cleveland nightclub.

    Paul Jasienski, Getty Images

John Wall's Misdemeanor Likely Won't Impact Recruitment originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 05 May 2009 13:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>john wallChas RichTue, 05 May 2009 13:44:00 EST Now North Carolina Can Fully Enter the John Wall Sweepstakeshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/04/23/now-north-carolina-can-fully-enter-the-john-wall-sweepstakes/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/04/23/now-north-carolina-can-fully-enter-the-john-wall-sweepstakes/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/04/23/now-north-carolina-can-fully-enter-the-john-wall-sweepstakes/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I never was clear why Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington waited until now to make their decision to enter the NBA Draft. The choice was never really in doubt.

The junior guards both are likely to go in the first round of the NBA Draft. Both nearly went pro as sophomores last season so the chances that they would stick around after winning the NCAA championship seemed slim at best.


Lawson is expected to be a lottery pick while Ellington will be a late first-round choice.The departure of both thins the UNC backcourt. Right now it would be sophomore Larry Drew running the point while incoming shooting guard Dexter Strickland would slide into Ellington's spot.

Of course, the departure of Lawson may also mean North Carolina could make a full run at uber-point guard recruit John Wall. Coach Roy Williams has been keeping in touch with him since the NCAA tornament ended. Despite some in Wall's entourage rumored to be against Williams, it is hard to say Roy Williams and UNC would have no shot.

Latest College Basketball Images

    Davidson's Stephen Curry, right, talks with his father and former NBA player Dell, left, and coach Bob McKillop, center, after a news conference at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., Thursday, April 23, 2009. Curry announced he would enter the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

    AP

    Davidson's Stephen Curry smiles during a news conference at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., Thursday, April 23, 2009. Curry announced he would enter the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

    AP

    Oklahoma City high school star Xavier Henry, right, announces that he has committed to play basketball for Kansas, during a news conference in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 23, 2009. Henry is considered the third-rated prospect in the country by both Rivals.com and ESPNU. Looking on at left is his mother, Barbara Henry. (AP Photo)

    AP

    Oklahoma City high school star Xavier Henry announces that he has committed to play basketball for Kansas during a news conference at Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 23, 2009. Henry is considered the third-rated prospect in the country by both Rivals.com and ESPNU. (AP Photo)

    AP

    Davidson's Stephen Curry pauses during a news conference at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., Thursday, April 23, 2009. Curry announced he would enter the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

    AP

    Davidson's Stephen Curry, left, is congratulated by Davidson College president Tom Ross, right, after a news conference at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., Thursday, April 23, 2009. Curry announced he would enter the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

    AP

    Oklahoma City high school star Xavier Henry laughs during a news conference in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 23, 2009. Henry, who announced that he has committed to play basketball for Kansas, is considered the third-rated prospect in the country by both Rivals.com and ESPNU. (AP Photo)

    AP

    Davidson's Stephen Curry, right, and his coach Bob McKillop, left, take questions during a news conference at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., Thursday, April 23, 2009. Curry announced he would enter the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

    AP

    Davidson's Stephen Curry, right, talks with his father Dell, left, and coach Bob McKillop, center, after a news conference at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., Thursday, April 23, 2009. Curry announced he would enter the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

    AP

    Davidson's Stephen Curry, left, chats with his mother Sonya, center, as his father Dell, right, looks on after a news conference at Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., Thursday, April 23, 2009. Curry announced he would enter the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

    AP

Now North Carolina Can Fully Enter the John Wall Sweepstakes originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichThu, 23 Apr 2009 16:50:00 EST Sorry T, Lawson Is True Top Heelhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/08/sorry-t-lawson-is-true-top-heel/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/08/sorry-t-lawson-is-true-top-heel/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/08/sorry-t-lawson-is-true-top-heel/#commentsFiled under: , ,


On a night North Carolina coach Roy Williams tried to start seven seniors, it turned out to be another reminder that all the Tar Heels really need is one junior.
No. 2 North Carolina 79, No. 7 Duke 71: Recap | Box Score | RPI | Scores

After all, for two days, North Carolina point guard Tywon Lawson had the most famous foot in sports this side of Tom Brady's protective boot.

Lawson, who injured his toe in practice Friday, was rumored to be on crutches leading up to Sunday's game against rival Duke. So when the ball went up at the Dean E. Smith Center, it was a bit of a surprise to see him in the starting lineup.

But to see him finish the Blue Devils was just downright predictable.

As predictable as the roar of the hometown crowd for departing senior Tyler Hansbrough. As predictable as Mike Krzyzewski's frequent umbrage with the refs. As dadgum predictable as Williams lacing his post-game press conference with a sugar bowl full of dadgums, frickins and doggones.

On a night dedicated to Hansbrough, Lawson would again remind everyone that he is the most important player in the nation. Even with a bad wheel.

"He wasn't the Ty we've seen all year long, but nine assists is pretty doggone good," Williams said after North Carolina's 79-71 win over rival Duke. "He's been so big in close games and he's played so well since the first two games [of the ACC season, both North Carolina losses]."

If this Lawson wasn't as good as it gets, the rest of the NCAA tournament field should just start spring break early, bone up for exams or do anything except try to survive a Bracketville brawl with these 'Heels. If Lawson gets better than he was Sunday, then the engraving has already been done on North Carolina's fifth national championship plaque.

The junior nearly put a triple-double on the Blue Devils. He grabbed eight rebounds, handed out nine assists and scored 13 points, including the five points that all but put the game out of reach, turning a four-point edge with 1:50 left into a nine-point edge 58 seconds later. He turned Duke's defense into a blue-and-white bag of pretzels and twisted through the lane with moves that made you think his joints were made of Play-Doh.

And for the fifth time in five career tries, Lawson beat Duke.

And somewhere along the way he proved what should be as obvious as the Alexander Julian trim on North Carolina's uniforms: Ty Lawson is the true leader of the Heels.

"He has been so big in close games," Williams said of Lawson, when asked about the ACC Player of the Year race. "And I'll say this too. I've never coached anybody that's had to face as much on the court as (Hansbrough) has faced, and he has been awfully impressive. To do the things he has done with two and three guys going at him, as physical as he has played ... I don't know who is player of the year, but you go past those two and I find it hard to believe."

But all you had to do was listen to Mike Krzyzewski to figure out who, exactly, won that game. His post-game autopsy singled out three plays that made the difference.

"I thought that three-point play by [Deon] Thompson, the 3-point shot by [Danny] Green and the 3-point play by Lawson," Krzyzewski said, "those three exchanges were what won the game."

Pour a bottle of luminol over those and you'll see Lawson's fingerprints everywhere. The Thompson bucket, which came after a Gerald Henderson dunk cut the lead to two with just over five minutes to play, came because Lawson's entry pass moved quicker than Duke's Lance Thomas, who was doubling down.

When a Jon Scheyer 3-pointer again trimmed the lead to two with 3:24 left, it was Lawson again who drove the lane so effectively you'd be excused for thinking he had a GPS chip somewhere in his head, and kicked it out for Green's wide-open 3-pointer.

And if there was any doubt left, Lawson took a nail-gun to Duke's coffin on the last of Krzyzewski's three plays. After the Blue Devils rebounded a Lawson miss with 1:18 left, Singler turned the ball over as he stumbled out of bounds with the ball. The Tar Heels got a new 35-second clock to protect their four-point edge. Lawson needed just 14 seconds to blow by Scheyer, sink a layup and head to the charity stripe for another point.

Lawson five. Duke zero.

"Ty Lawson," his coach added succinctly, "was awesome."

He'll never get the publicity of his teammate Hansbrough. Then again, the Tar Heel center couldn't get more fawning press coverage if his first name was Barack and his last name was Tebow. Look hard enough and the Florida quarterback and the president probably have their own Facebook group protesting his coverage.

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But what makes North Carolina so dangerous isn't the halfcourt game that Hansbrough excels in, and it sure as heck isn't its defense -- there are kids that go to the dentist with more enthusiasm than the Heels man up -- it's the Lawson-led transition game. Watch the speedy point guard go about his business and it'll look like defenders are wearing Army boots and running in sand. Watch him fly up the court for an and-1 layup, and you have to double-check that he isn't wearing ice skates.

Take Hansbrough out of that lineup, and you've still got what Williams would undoubtedly refer to as a heckuva frickin' team. Behind him, there's Deon Thompson, who scored 14 points, just three fewer than the team star in six fewer minutes. There's freshman Ed Davis, who would likely start on any other ACC team except perhaps Wake Forest. And on, and on, until your realize there's enough height on that team to clean Williams' gutters without fetching a ladder.

But there is no replacement for Lawson anywhere in college basketball.

When he went down a season ago, the Heels lost to an almost exact copy of this Duke team by 11. Backup Quentin Thomas filled in well enough that the Heels, with huge games from Hansbrough, didn't lose again in his six-game absence. But the only thing that was the same about those teams was the uniforms. And as good as Hansbrough has been this year, Lawson has been better. According to Ken Pomeroy's offensive ratings, Lawson is the single most efficient player in the nation, regardless of possessions used. Hansbrough is 21st.

When Lawson has been slowed, the Heels have lost. In North Carolina's three defeats, he's averaging just 3.7 assists per game, almost half of his season average of 6.4 assists. Keep him at five assists and under and you've got a shot of winning. Let Ty drop more than six dimes and you may as well hit Expedia.com for travel arrangements home.

Lawson did get a share of criticism earlier in the year when Jeff Teague and Tyrese Rice torched North Carolina in back-to-back losses to start the season and more than a few wondered if his heart was in college hoops. It was, after all, understandable criticism for a player who thought he'd be cashing paychecks in the NBA this season. (Lawson declared for the NBA Draft last year, but, after an inability to guarantee a top-20 selection returned to campus for a junior season. Some would say it was due to an alcohol charge just before the draft, but the oft-troubled NBA turning its back on a player for a minor arrest seems about as likely as a homeless man sending back a meal because the foie gras was paired with the wrong wine.).

Lawson's one-toe tribute to Willis Reed puts North Carolina almost exactly where it was before the start of ACC play, the favorite to cut down the nets in April.

That is, assuming his bum toe doesn't keep him from playing at full speed. These Heels have seen more injuries than a sweeps-week episode of ER this season; lose Lawson, and Williams may as well as start handing out more Kansas stickers, because North Carolina will need someone else to root for.

"It's just tough for me to move on it or pivot off it right now," Lawson said. "It felt numb. I felt like I was running on four toes. I was able to do everything I could, but now I'm coming down off it and it's real painful right now."

And if those words send a shiver colder than that ice pack on Lawson's foot up the spine of North Carolina fans everywhere, it's likely because they've long known what should be obvious to everyone.

There is no replacing Ty Lawson. And when he's healthy, there's no stopping him either.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.

Sorry T, Lawson Is True Top Heel originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Danny greenDeon thopmsondukeEd DavisJon Scheyermike krzyzewskinorth carolinaroywilliamsTy Lawsontyler hansbroughTylerHansbroughTywon LawsonRay HollomanSun, 08 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST Terps Work Overtime to Top Tar Heelshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/21/terps-stun-tar-heels-in-ot/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/21/terps-stun-tar-heels-in-ot/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/21/terps-stun-tar-heels-in-ot/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Maryland Terrapins broke out the Ronald McDonald, french-fry yellow unis for Saturday afternoon's game against the third-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, and for 30 minutes they played like a bunch of players destined for careers in the fast-food industry, or at least a profession that doesn't involve dribbling basketballs.

Junior guard -- and on-court cheerleader -- Greivis Vasquez scored the Terps' first 16 points to keep the game close, and then he didn't make another basket until 21 game minutes later. By that time, Maryland trailed by 16 and their already slim chances of backing into the NCAAs seemed pretty much gone.

Apparently not. Vasquez was just getting warmed up -- he would end the day with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists -- as were teammates Cliff Tucker and Eric Hayes. Tucker and Hayes combined for 39 points, primarily on 8-for-15 shooting behind the arc, and both played a central role in Maryland overcoming a double-digit second-half deficit and eventually pulling out the win in overtime.

Next up for the Terps: Duke. And if Gary Williams' team is going to sew up a tournament bid, beating the Blue Devils will virtually guarantee it. In the meantime, beating the Heels is a huge first step to the final 65, which goes a long way in explaining why fans stormed the court.

For North Carolina, they'll need a strong finish to lock up a No. 1 seed, but in the scheme of things, this loss doesn't mean much. Maryland's a tough place to play (unless you're Morgan State) and historically, Gary Williams has had success against the Heels. All that's left to do is for Roy Williams to drop a few f-bombs in the post-game presser, and UNC can then put the loss behind them.

Terps Work Overtime to Top Tar Heels originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Cliff TuckerCliffTuckerEric HayesEricHayesGary WilliamsGaryWilliamsGreivis VasquezGreivisVasquezRyan WilsonSat, 21 Feb 2009 18:10:00 EST Roy Williams Has a Public Potty Mouthhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/19/roy-williams-has-a-public-pottymouth/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/19/roy-williams-has-a-public-pottymouth/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/19/roy-williams-has-a-public-pottymouth/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

North Carolina effectively handled N.C. State last night, further cementing their status as top dog in the ACC. Roy Williams, however, didn't really have a predictable reaction. See, normally, you expect Williams to toast everyone with a Coca-Cola and to throw out an "Aw, shucks, ya'll" to help complete his public persona.

Instead of doing that, though, when repeatedly asked by ACC writer Andrew Jones about his team's inability to properly apply full court defensive pressure, he let loose with a little F-bomb.
If I knew the answer to that, do you still think we'd be $#&%-ing stinking? Everybody strike that f-word, I meant to say 'frickin.' Seriously, if you think I could figure it out, don't you think I would do it?
You can also hear the audio at 850 the Buzz if you're so inclined (NSFW) and basically when he drops the F-bomb, everyone breaks out laughing. Unfortunately, as WRAL's Jeff Gravely pointed out, you can't "strike live interviews."

It's not that big a deal; Williams has dropped an "S-bomb" on live television before, but it does speak to his two separate identities. As far as most of the public knows, Williams is a congenial Southerner who won't even let obscenities into his practice. Several of the public slips, though, tell us something different.

Roy Williams Has a Public Potty Mouth originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>roy williamsRoyWilliamsWill BrinsonThu, 19 Feb 2009 12:40:00 EST Tyler Hansbrough Suffered Concussionhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/17/tyler-hansbrough-concussed-sunday/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/17/tyler-hansbrough-concussed-sunday/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/17/tyler-hansbrough-concussed-sunday/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

North Carolina remained one of the nation's hottest team heading into the conference home stretch last week, beating up on Duke and then squeaking by a dangerous Miami team. They now have a very minor speed bump in their quest to win the ACC regular-season championship with a rivalry game against N.C. State Wednesday.

However, that hump may have gotten a touch bigger with the news that Tyler Hansbrough suffered a concussion during Sunday's game against the Hurricanes.
North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough suffered a slight concussion early in the second half of Sunday's win at Miami, coach Roy Williams said Monday night during his radio show.

His eight-point performance was "one of the worst games he's played all year," Williams said, until he took a charge in the final minutes to help secure the 69-65 victory.
Now, there are some people who might say that Williams often exaggerates with his players' injury status. For example, on Sunday, Ty Lawson was "sick as a dog" en route to hitting the game winner. Perhaps he picked up this trait from Michael Jordan while working Dean Smith's bench, or perhaps Carolina is just really suffering from some freak woes this year.

If Hansbrough's concussion is serious, you have to think that it could greatly impede Carolina's march to an ACC title. On the other hand, there's a decent chance that, with the way Lawson is playing these days, combined with the Tar Heels' overall talent edge over the Wolfpack, Hansbrough may not play at full throttle tomorrow night.

Tyler Hansbrough Suffered Concussion originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Dean SmithDeanSmithMichael JordanMichaelJordanRoy WilliamsRoyWilliamsTy LawsonTyLawsonTyler HansbroughTylerHansbroughWill BrinsonTue, 17 Feb 2009 16:50:00 EST Onion Peels: Duke, Carolina Have Similar Sunday Games, Different Endingshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/16/onion-peels-duke-carolina-have-similar-sunday-games-with-diffe/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/16/onion-peels-duke-carolina-have-similar-sunday-games-with-diffe/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/16/onion-peels-duke-carolina-have-similar-sunday-games-with-diffe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Onion Peels is a recap of last night's action and an unofficial Bill Raftery blog.

Duke and North Carolina were separated by a single game in the ACC standings heading into Sunday; little did Duke know it, but they nearly had a chance to tie the Tar Heels again. However, games against Boston College and Miami, respectively, ended the wrong way for the Devils.

Boston College 80, Duke 74: The same problems that have plagued the Blue Devils all season -- point guard play as well as lack of an inside presence -- came into play again Sunday afternoon.

Another problem, the ability to close teams out, was acknowledged by Gerald Henderson after the game:
"You can't mess around. If you have a team down you have to step on their throats," Henderson said. "That's been a problem with us this year - we haven't approached leads like that, so we need to change that."
Of course, the bigger problem again is at the point position. Greg Paulus played a whopping 25 minutes but only registered two points, two assists and dealing with four fouls. Additionally, Tyrese Rice was nearly unstoppable, hitting big shot after big shot down the stretch en route to 21 points, six boards and six assists. Joe Trapani, held to just five points in a loss to Clemson, posted 20 in 37 minutes while adding five blocks and seven boards.

North Carolina 69, Miami 65: The fact that Miami was 14-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points didn't seem to bother the Tar Heels, even though Jack McClinton, with 35 points last night, was a pretty big thorn. In the end though, it was Ty Lawson who again looked like Carolina's MVP and -- despite being sick -- managed to score 21 points while dropping what amounted to the game winning three pointer with just over 10 seconds remaining. Miami's a dangerous team, obviously, but the Tar Heels holding on gave them a two game ACC lead and seemingly, based on their remaining schedule, locked sights on this year's conference title.

Elsewhere: Arizona State, behind Jeff Pendergraph's double-double, helped kick Southern Cal a little further off the bubble. Virginia managed to really honor Sean Singletary, upsetting No. 12 Clemson at home. Nationally ranked Butler stumbled for the second time in two weeks, despite Matt Howard's 30 points, as they head into a February 21 matchup with Davidson, this time to Loyola-Chicago and Jordan Hicks, who poured in 23 for Loyola. Illinois took care of Indiana by double figures in a game that should really be more important.

Onion Peels: Duke, Carolina Have Similar Sunday Games, Different Endings originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>gerald hendersonGeraldHendersongreg paulusGregPaulusjack mcclintonJackMcclintonjeff pendergraphJeffPendergraphjoe trapaniJoeTrapanionionpeelssean singletarySeanSingletaryty lawsonTyLawsontyrese riceTyreseRiceWill BrinsonMon, 16 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST Have the Crazies Lost Their Creativity?http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/have-the-crazies-lost-their-creativity/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/have-the-crazies-lost-their-creativity/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/have-the-crazies-lost-their-creativity/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


FanHouse was on site for Duke-UNC. And we have Notes from Cameron Indoor.

Generally, Duke students are not just loud, they're also funny. It's what distinguishes them from everyone else in the country. And not funny in a crude N.C. State-Maryland kind of way, but in an intellectually superior, extremely clever kind of way. Not on Wednesday.

There were little-to-no player specific cheers and even some of the old standbys used by the Cameron Crazies were absent. Instead, we were treated to a whole heck of a lot of "Let's Go Duke," over and over again. After finding a "Cheer Sheet" -- the renowned slips of paper handed to students before games for synchronized harassment of opposing teams in Cameron after the game -- let's just say I was pretty disappointed.

Why? Because here's the Carolina player specific "playlist."
[Ed] Davis: Daddy's boy! or Roy's third choice
[Wayne] Ellington: Gerald's better!
[Danny] Green: You can't dance!
[Tyler] Hansbrough: You flop! You wine! You travel every time! or Tyler travels! Every time!
[Ty] Lawson: Ty fought the Law, and the Law won!
[Roy] Williams: Roy is diz-zy! Clap, Clap, Clap-Clap-Clap
I mean, no offense, but really? That's the best that a bunch of highly intelligent people could muster over the course of two weeks leading up to this game? Really?

(Aside/caveat: I've seen a substantial number of games at Cameron Indoor Stadium over the past 20-some years, and the students and fans during Wednesday's loss to North Carolina were as loud as I've heard them in a long time. But still, not so much on the creative side.)

Additionally, the Duke cheers for their own team were pretty "meh" -- they had nothing prepared for Greg Paulus and actually suggested the use of "Fee-Fi-Foe-Fum!" as a cheer for Brian Zoubek. The final straw might actually have been the students' decision to use "Bull-S***" as a chant when they disagreed with a call; while technically accurate, it's always more fascinating when they break out a well timed "We Beg to Dif-fer!" directed towards the referees.

Look, Duke fans aren't the reason the actual game itself happens, but they are a huge part of the atmosphere at Cameron Indoor Stadium. And frankly, I think we've all just come to expect a lot more out of them. It would be sad to think that they had lost their creativity.

Have the Crazies Lost Their Creativity? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brian zoubekBrianZoubekcameron craziesCameronCraziesdanny greenDannyGreened davisEdDavisgreg paulusGregPaulusnotesfromcameronindoorroy williamsRoyWilliamsty lawsonTyLawsontyler hansbroughTylerHansbroughwayne ellingtonWayneEllingtonWill BrinsonThu, 12 Feb 2009 08:30:00 EST No Trophy, but Challenge for Heelshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/no-trophy-but-challenge-for-heels/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/no-trophy-but-challenge-for-heels/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/no-trophy-but-challenge-for-heels/#commentsFiled under: , ,

North Carolina coach Roy Williams spent all week reminding anyone that would listen that there is no trophy given for beating Duke. He said it to his team, told it to the media, and probably mumbled it in the shower.

But after Ty Lawson slammed home point No. 100 in a 101-point presentation of just why these Heels are the baddest men in short pants and sneakers, leaving the Cameron crowd quieter than any 9AM lecture, well, maybe there should've been a trophy given.

Hang a banner. Give them an Oscar. Heck, create a Nobel Prize category in whuppings and split it up with that bong that crushed Michael Phelps.

Give each and everyone of those to the Heels. And then give them something else. Give them an apology.

North Carolina, we should've been talking about you all along.

When the Heels started 0-2 in the ACC following losses to Boston College and then Wake Forest, they were pronounced deader than the domestic auto industry.

Their defense, the story went, was college basketball's answer to a New Orleans levee, something that looked like it would do its job until the first decent storm blew into town. The chemistry between three would-be NBA draftees and a returning player of the year had all the pleasantness of vinegar meeting baking soda. Their coach couldn't strategize enough to win a game of Risk, even with Third Army to secure the board.

But, with a royalty check headed to Dennis Green, in the second half, the Heels were exactly who we thought they were.

Granted, with the way the last two-and-a-half seasons have gone for Duke, the value of embarrassing the Blue Devils is trading for cents on the dollar, like a Christmas tree on New Year's or that Lehman Brothers stock you never quite got around to unloading. A Duke collapse has become part of the arrival of spring, like the sound of a ball hitting a baseball player's bat or a hypodermic needle hitting a baseball player's cheek.

But beating the Blue Devils in their own house and at their own game of pressure defense and transition baskets, that tells us everything we need to know.

In the second half, the Tar Heels proved their defense was something more than just a Maginot line in designer shorts. They cut off Duke's penetration and forced the Blue Devils to shoot weakly from the perimeter. Even Duke's bruising inside-outside forward Kyle Singler and then wing Gerald Henderson, who can dart in and out of traffic better than a New York cabbie, couldn't find their way to the rim even if they'd stopped and asked someone in the front row for directions. Singler, Henderson and guard Jon Scheyer accounted for 26 shots in the second-half alone, most jumpshots. They hit just eight. The Blue Devils fired 15 3-pointers in the second half, and just nine in the first.

And when North Carolina's offense took off, the Blue Devils were little more involved than spectators on a NASCAR infield. Lawson had 21 in the second half a lone and the rest of the team followed in his jet wash.

And for 20 minutes, North Carolina was again the best team in the nation.



But Heels, we've seen this before. We've been down road. Dominant in February. Wondering just what happened when you didn't put it together for 40 minutes against a great team. We've seen darn near these exact band of players flash moments of brilliance in the ACC and moments of panic in March.

And we saw it again tonight in the first half.

Roy Williams called his own team "sorry" in the opening 20 minutes, and in the North Carolina's coach's gosh-darn saccharine and more-sugary-than-John Daly's diet sorta way, that's damn near Bob Knight tirade territory.

The Blue Devils shot 50 percent from the floor, drilled 6-of-9 largely uncontested 3-pointers, matched the Heels rebound for rebound and took an eight-point lead into the locker room.

Sure, that lead wasn't enough for Duke to hold off North Carolina. But if it's going out on a limb to say Duke won't be in the Final Four, it must be attached to a Sequiao and filled with rebar.

Other teams will be waiting in Detroit. Better teams. And last year, all it took was a bad half to land the Tar Heels in a 40-12 hole and set Billy Packer to dancing on the North Carolina's grave. Two years ago, a very similar Tar Heel team held a commanding lead on Georgetown in the Elite Eight before a scoreless drought opened the door to the Final Four to the Hoyas.

And as good as North Carolina's play was, there was still a list of things to work on. The defensive unit received a share of breaks during the game-clinching 17-0 run. On three of four Duke possessions, starting with a Greg Paulus pass right to Tywon Lawson, the Blue Devils simply threw the ball away without a hint of defensive pressure. Scheyer fell down trying to catch a pass for turnover two, Gerald Henderson tripped while dribbling for turnover three. Nolan Smith, unlike Duke's starters, did find a way into the lane on odd occassions, leaving open the question of how well the Heels will fare against better penetrating guards like Wake Forest's Jeff Teague, without perimeter stopper Marcus Ginyard. And Duke's front line largely kept up with the Heels on the glass, even pulling down 39 percent of their offensive rebounds, a number just high enough to question defensive intensity.

But North Carolina, we owe you an apology. In a year of good, you're the closest to great we've got, along with Connecticut and Pittsburgh.

And now it's time to cash in on the promise of the last three years and end the tease.

Sure, you beat Duke for the fourth straight time Cameron, but that night is already gone. Beating Duke doesn't win you a trophy and neither does being the best team in February.

But don't let Coach Williams tell you everything. No, you didn't win something for the display case tonight, but you did win something else, the challenge to prove that, for 40 minutes a game, for two more months of the year, that you were who we thought you were. The best team in college basketball.

No Trophy, but Challenge for Heels originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ray HollomanThu, 12 Feb 2009 07:30:00 EST Ty Lawson Is North Carolina's MVPhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/ty-lawson-is-north-carolinas-mvp/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/ty-lawson-is-north-carolinas-mvp/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/ty-lawson-is-north-carolinas-mvp/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

FanHouse was on site for Duke-Carolina. And we have Notes from Cameron Indoor.

Because Tyler Hansbrough is so dominant and because his will is so universally praised, it's fairly easy for other players on North Carolina's roster to get taken for granted. However, in seeing how dominant Ty Lawson was during UNC's 101-87 win over Duke on Wednesday, that line of thought may warrant rethinking.

Lawson guided UNC's offense to its most points against the Blue Devils since 1995 and scored 21 in the second half himself, helping the the Heels pull away from Duke. In doing so, he proved exactly why he is the most valuable player on UNC's roster this year.

Again, Hansbrough is outstanding. Wayne Ellington is a dynamic scorer who takes over games with his outside shooting. Danny Green is a freakish athlete and a perfect compliment to the other players already on the floor.

But Lawson, in a guard-driven game, enhances the Tar Heels' offense more than any other player on their roster. He's fast, he's smart, and as Mike Krzyzewski noted, strong as all get-out.

"He's going to play basketball for a long time," Krzyzewski said. "He's really strong and strong with the ball. He's in incredible shape. Even when you're trying to corral him, he keeps the ball so low ... he's strong low, and a lot of people aren't strong low.

"He played a great game tonight. It was almost impossible for us to defend him tonight on every exchange ... He's a great weapon for them, because he makes other weapons better."

Lawson has, so far in 2009, given the Tar Heels two wins all by his lonesome. Carolina's win over Florida State -- on a last-second Lawson 3-pointer -- is, without question, one of those, particularly when he was the team's leading rebounder.

And Wednesday against Duke, his second-half performance was the biggest factor in North Carolina winning their fourth straight game at Cameron Indoor. His post-intermission scoring outburst and ability to attack the basket repeatedly -- knowing he could too, as evidenced by his post-game statement that "We didn't think they could stay in front of us" -- absolutely changed the game.

It threw Duke out of rhythm, it forced them to try every conceivable defensive matchup (without answer, clearly) on the guard and, in the end, it let the Tar Heels pull away for a dominant victory against their biggest rival.

Hansbrough may get more (most?) of the credit for Carolina's success and that will likely be the case until he leaves, but it's almost impossible right now to justify pointing to anyone else other than Lawson for a No. 1 seed for North Carolina.

Ty Lawson Is North Carolina's MVP originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>danny greenDannyGreenmike krzyzewskiMikeKrzyzewskinotesfromcameronindoorroy williamsRoyWilliamsty lawsonTyLawsontyler hansbroughTylerHansbroughwayne ellingtonWayneEllingtonWill BrinsonThu, 12 Feb 2009 03:15:00 EST Coach K Knows Duke Is Lackinghttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/coach-k-knows-duke-is-lacking/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/coach-k-knows-duke-is-lacking/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/coach-k-knows-duke-is-lacking/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

FanHouse was on site for Duke-Carolina. And we have Notes from Cameron Indoor.

It's not a stretch to say that Duke is not as good as North Carolina. And Mike Krzyzewski is usually not afraid of placating the media by sandbagging his own team or building up an opponent. So hearing him praise the Tar Heels after Wednesday's 101-87 loss to UNC would be no shock whatsoever.

But to see him speak at his press conference following North Carolina's dominant second-half performance, well, there was some apparent exasperation as to how far behind the Tar Heels the Blue Devils actually stand.

He immediately praised both teams -- "our kids played their butts off" ... "Carolina had an A+ game tonight" -- but without being prompted, paused and briefly scanned the crowd of reporters before stating that "We're not as good as they are right now."

It's true. Maybe it's even obvious. But the look on his face as he said it wasn't the typical Coach K reaction to a tough game; he looked more pained than he did following the Clemson game, and there is definitely something to be said for that.

Additionally, Krzyzewski was immediately asked if "this team can be as good as Carolina" and without almost zero hesitation snapped back -- loudly mind you -- at the reporter in question, nearly yelling, "That won't be our goal."

It shouldn't be, of course. And it would be foolish to expect Coach K to agree to any semblance of that notion. At the same time, though, watching his quick reaction as he snapped out of some sort of alert but thoughtful trance, really did emphasize how far behind Carolina the Blue Devils are right now.

The Blue Devils lack a solution to their point guard problems, they have almost zero presence at center, and they can, at times, become entirely too dependent on 3-point shooting. And that realization, emphasized by Carolina's win, seemed pretty apparent to everyone tonight.

Coach K Knows Duke Is Lacking originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>mike krzyzewskiMikeKrzyzewskiNotesfromcameronindoorWill BrinsonThu, 12 Feb 2009 02:35:00 EST Hansbrough Joins 4-for-4 Cameron Clubhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/hansbrough-joins-4-for-4-cameron-club/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/hansbrough-joins-4-for-4-cameron-club/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/12/hansbrough-joins-4-for-4-cameron-club/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

FanHouse was on site for Duke-Carolina. And we have Notes from Cameron Indoor.

There are only four four-year players in the history of college basketball that have swept Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium for their career. Tim Duncan, Rusty LaRue and after Wednesday night, Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green.

North Carolina's win over Duke closes out a remarkable run for the Tar Heel star and reigning player of the year Hansbrough, and, love him or hate him, his dominance over his arch-rival is a pretty fitting addition to a cap that lacks only the feather of a national championship. The All-American forward downplayed the "record" and thinking about it before tip-off.

"This is a really tough place to play," Hansbrough said. "I didn't think we played our best basketball tonight, but you just have to come out and play. Leading up to the game I was so hyped up. I didn't want to think about the record. We just wanted to focus on the game."

Much of that focus seemed to show up during the second half, just in time for the Heels to pull away and win their fourth straight in Cameron. Of course, Carolina's win, and Hansbrough and Green joining LaRue and Duncan in the exclusive club, means some awkward news for Greg Paulus and the senior Blue Devil class: They never beat Carolina at home.

Naturally, this is a source of some discontent.

"It hurts," Paulus said after the game. "It really does. ... I don't get another chance to do it at home. ... You come to Duke to win these games."

No surprise to hear of that disappointment; Duke has failed to hold serve at home since February of 2005. Two wins at the Smith Center are nice, but as Paulus said, this has to hurt for anyone who spent all four years on the Blue Devil roster.

It's the other way around for Hansbrough, of course, and Green, but you have to imagine those two and Roy Williams won't be spending much time thinking about number four before moving their focus towards Detroit (this year's site of the Final Four).

Hansbrough Joins 4-for-4 Cameron Club originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>greg paulusGregPaulusnotesfromcameronindoorroy williamsRoyWilliamsrusty larueRustyLaruetim duncanTimDuncantyler hansbroughTylerHansbroughWill BrinsonThu, 12 Feb 2009 02:10:00 EST Lawson, UNC Too Much for Dukehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/lawson-unc-too-much-for-duke/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/lawson-unc-too-much-for-duke/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/lawson-unc-too-much-for-duke/#commentsFiled under: , ,

After North Carolina jumped out to an early 20-10 lead, the first half couldn't have gone much better for Duke Wednesday night. Seemingly everyone was on fire from three, with Greg Paulus leading the charge, hitting two shots from well behind the arc. Paulus also hit a tough step-back jumper in a very impressive first half.

Just as importantly, the Tar Heels weren't scoring nearly as easily as they've grown accustomed to. Tyler Hansbrough had just four points, and wasn't a factor after picking up his second foul at the 8:25 mark. Wayne Ellington managed to stay on the floor, but was uncharacteristically cold from the field. Add it all up and the Blue Devils had a somewhat surprising 52-44 lead at the break.

But things turned around for UNC pretty quickly in the second half. The most notable change was the emergence of Ty Lawson, who had just four points in the first 20 minutes. The Blue Devils simply had no answer for North Carolina's point guard, who had a ridiculous 21 points after the break.

Lawson was getting to the rim at will, and converting just about everything once he got in the paint. That, combined with 15 points from Hansbrough, and an impressive team performance from the line (27-of-31), allowed the Tar Heels to rack up an absurd 57 points in the second half.

On the other end, Duke's threes stopped falling -- they made only two in the second half, after draining six in the first -- which gave them very little chance of keeping up with UNC. Gerald Henderson, who had an excellent first half, was settling for unnecessary threes, rather than attempting to get to the basket.

The 101-87 win puts Carolina firmly in the driver's seat in the ACC. They're now 8-2 in the league, a full game ahead of Duke, with another matchup with the Blue Devils still to come in Chapel Hill. Barring an unforeseen string of losses, UNC is in great shape to end up with a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs.

Duke has now lost three of five, looking very underwhelming in its last three contests. They'll have to try and get back on track Sunday, when they visit a Boston College team that's lost two in a row itself.

Lawson, UNC Too Much for Duke originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jacob Wheatley-SchallerWed, 11 Feb 2009 23:30:00 EST 'Crazy Towel Guy' Is Popular at Dukehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/crazy-towel-guy-is-popular-at-duke/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/crazy-towel-guy-is-popular-at-duke/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/crazy-towel-guy-is-popular-at-duke/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

FanHouse was on site for Duke - Carolina. And we have Notes from Cameron Indoor.

Herb Neubauer is a legend at Duke basketball games. You probably know him as "Crazy Towel Guy." (He got his own Wiki page, but it was deleted.) This is because Neubauer, an elderly gentleman and tremendous Duke fan, wildly swings his white towel at least once a game as the students cheer him on. He's so endearing, in fact, that he's basically one of them. So much so that he comes in the student entrance. Witness below, as he chugs a Monster energy drink, smashes it on the ground and freaks out.

'Crazy Towel Guy' Is Popular at Duke originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>crazy towel guyCrazyTowelGuynotesfromcameronindoorWill BrinsonWed, 11 Feb 2009 21:45:00 EST UNC-Duke, Where College Hoops Beginshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/unc-duke-where-college-hoops-begins/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/unc-duke-where-college-hoops-begins/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/unc-duke-where-college-hoops-begins/#commentsFiled under: , ,

There is a story behind the Duke and North Carolina rivalry, but like any really good tale, or an Alex Rodriguez interview, facts have just a bit part to play.

It's been added to and embellished piece by piece like an heirloom quilt, its numbers tweaked as needed like the weight of a brag-about bass or the age on your wife's driver's license.

And the true origins, before Larry Brown and Art Heyman first went octagon in 1961, and before Dick Vitale ever spittled and bay-beed his way to prominence crowd-surfing the Crazies, have been lost in the kind of haze the general populace of Duke's west campus quad or Franklin Street will find itself in later tonight.

So let's just go back to the beginning and say that somewhere, around the time God decided to separate light from dark, and bulls decided red simply wasn't their color, Blue Devils and Tar Heels were decreed to just plain not like each other.

Consider it so long ago, that never-gonna-leave Tar Heel senior Tyler Hansbrough was just a sophomore in high school. Assuming we're reading the fossil record correctly.

Yes, the Almighty took the pine for a seventh-day blow, and then sometime later created the North Carolina-Duke rivalry just to let us know college hoops was around.

And ever since, there's been the biggest bit of bitter since they ripped the seams off the ball.

It is, in its way, the alarm between NFL players getting arrested at the Super Bowl and NFL players getting arrested at the NBA All-Star game, that reminds us that college basketball is underway.

And to give the Blue Two their due, it's almost always one heck of a game.

When it comes to rivalries, it's Duke and North Carolina and everybody else can just kick rocks.

There are others, of course. The Red Sox and Yankees play more times than Hal Steinbrenner has mood swings; Simpsons reruns think the AL East rivals are on TV too much.

Ohio State and Michigan have only twice played as the nation's top two ranked teams, in 2006, and that couldn't have turned out to be more pointless if they'd canceled bowl season all together. It certainly would've been less embarrassing. Since 1975, the first year the NCAA Tournament expanded to allow non-conference champions in basketball, Ohio State and Michigan have combined for two national titles in football. And at the moment, their game means little more than there's two more weeks of football left, thanks to Rich Rodriguez proving he can shred legacy as well as he can shred paper.

Since 1975, however, Duke and North Carolina have been to 22 Final Fours and won six national titles; when they're done with their first game, the race to the finish is just beginning.

And does anyone even remember the Redskins and Cowboys have a rivalry? The last time either of those franchises won anything that didn't end with a participation ribbon, they likely celebrated by doing the Macarena and cracking a Zima. All those two teams have taught us is that Cowboy's owner Jerry Jones' head a lot harder than former quarterback Gus Frerotte's, and you could put your kid through college selling January golf getaways in Dallas and D.C.

But it's not just the best rivalry that makes this yearly tilt so special, it's that the game kicks off a five-week march to Madness, ensuring that the end of the college basketball regular season isn't simply one long toilet break between the Super Bowl and the NCAA Tournament. March Madness itself would probably still be just as great without the presence of 24 players that know Mama Dips' and Bullock's menu backwards and forwards. But it's hard to believe the regular season would be as interesting.

Over the years, other rivalries have hit ebbs and flows, but none has replaced Tar Heels-Blue Devils. There's Purdue-Indiana (at least before Kelvin Sampson took it upon himself to give the wireless industry it's own personal stimulus bill and the rest of the team acted out Jim Bouton's Ball Four), but the Boilermakers have proved that zeros in Indiana don't only apply to tolerance for Bob Knight, they aptly describe the Boilermakers' postseason success since 1932.

There's UCLA and USC, but outside of UCLA's unquestionable greatness, O.J. Mayo handler Rodney Guillory is better known than any USC player. (Sincere apologies, Brian Scalabrine.)

Recently, Kentucky and Florida was appointment television, but if the SEC is even televised this year, it's probably battling the CW in the ratings.

Yet every year, Duke and North Carolina tells you something about the national title picture and gives you more entertainment than anything on television, at least that you don't have to make out between scrambled lines.

If you had to choose between betting this game meaning something or Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski ever letting one gray hair sprout, you'd better bet the parlay.

Tonight's game will mark the 64th time both schools have been ranked, the 41st time they've met in the top 10 and 11th time both are in the top five. At least one has played in 17 of the 24 Final Fours of the 64-team era and both were in the 1991 semifinals. Thirty-three of the 55 ACC titles have gone to one of these two teams.

Heck, the last time these two met and neither were ranked in a national poll, the scorekeeper probably used an abacus. That streak dates back to 1955, or, to put it another way, when Joe Paterno was an unknown assistant, John Wooden couldn't win squat in the NCAA tournament, and the NBA still called traveling.

And if old man Naismith were around these days, you'd have to believe the good doctor would be on StubHub trying to get a spot between the peach baskets to see basketball the way he intended.

It's passionate, it's fast-moving (at least since Smith's four corners, and later Serge Zwikker, moved on) and it's everything college basketball should be.



And, despite backup point guard Andre Buckner and ex-Heel coach Matt Doherty's philosophical disagreements, on, oh let's say, French Impressionism, it's generally Southern-fried courteous. The campuses are somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 miles and 15 minutes apart, depending on whether you can get down 15-501 without hitting fewer stoplights than number of youngens Nadya Suleman has.

Duke students don't need directions to Hectors and Carolina students ... well, they probably know Durham well enough to stay on their side of the tracks. Rivals Wayne Ellington and Gerald Henderson went to school together, and the duo's connection even managed to mend fences after Henderson bloodied Hansbrough's nose two years ago in the Smith Center.

They're may not be much fave-fiving, exactly, but they're probably not prank ordering 300 pizzas to the apartments either. (And besides, do you call Satisfactions or Gumby's?)

So, like Punxsatawney Phil marks the arrival of spring or the sound of gloves hitting balls and needles puncturing skin marks the start of baseball season, this game marks the arrival of hoops. Year, after year, after year, for as long as anyone can remember.

And maybe that's why the full story behind the decades of rivalry seems so murky. Maybe, in the end, Carolina-Duke just was the beginning.

UNC-Duke, Where College Hoops Begins originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>duke universityDukeUniversitymike krzyzewskiMikeKrzyzewskinorth carolinanorth carolina tarheelsNorthCarolinaNorthCarolinaTarheelstyler hansbroughTylerHansbroughRay HollomanWed, 11 Feb 2009 16:15:00 EST Today, Tobacco Road Runs Everywherehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/today-tobacco-road-runs-everywhere/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/today-tobacco-road-runs-everywhere/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/11/today-tobacco-road-runs-everywhere/#commentsFiled under: , ,


If it wasn't for the recent Alex Rodriguez news that has taken over ESPN's airwaves, the Duke and North Carolina game would be getting more hype than the new Eminem CD. For the Worldwide Leader, this game is a perfect storm of sorts. Full coverage, big names that draw two types of emotion and their very own Dicky V!

But it is one of those rare sporting events that mean a lot to just about everyone. I don't get pumped about the Red Sox and Yankees, and I have zero affiliation with Ohio State or Michigan. I grew up in Texas and went to school in Arizona and am as far from excited on a personal level for most of the big game match-ups as one could be.

The thing is, Duke and North Carolina do something for me.

For some reason, I feel when these two basketball teams face off, it is what sports is all about. You have two programs that respect the game, are taught to respect each other and, although the rivalry is heated, it is normally respectably heated. You don't see a lot of fists thrown or trash-talking or crying to the refs, though Larry Brown and Art Heyman, and Andre Buckner and Matt Doherty won't be Facebook-ing each other. You get a lot of high fives and floor slaps and the occasional bloody face, but it's usually more from hustle than hardship.

It is good basketball. It is fun to watch. As much as we bloggers tend to dog Dick Vitale, the man basically makes this game exciting. I guarantee the guy slept less than three hours on Tuesday, and you or I could toss back a case of Red Bull and not be nearly as excited as he will be when the ball is tipped.

I circle all of my school's games on the calender and tend to watch some Big 12 just because it is where I was raised. This game, however, played at Cameron Indoor Stadium, is what Dr. James Naismith was probably thinking when he hung those peach baskets up on the wall. "Maybe one day people will play this game with absolute and utter passion."

It is basketball at its rivalry-ness best and anyone that doesn't get into the game can't care that much about hoops. It is a game I have no affiliation with whatsoever, but a game I am rescheduling things around so I can sit in front of the television and hope to see another thriller.

Today, Tobacco Road Runs Everywhere originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Alex RodriguezAlexRodriguezAndre BucknerAndreBucknerArt HeymanArtHeymanDick VitaleDickVitaleLarry BrownLarryBrownMatt DohertyMattDohertyShane BaconWed, 11 Feb 2009 12:11:00 EST