NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Syracuse Tops No. 6 UNC to Win 2K Sports Classic Championship

FanHouse Newswire — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:05:00 EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Brandon Triche and Arinze Onuaku combined for 13 points in Syracuse's 22-1 run to open the second half and the Orange went on to a 87-71 victory over No. 6 North Carolina on Friday night in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic.

The Orange (4-0) were the only unranked team in the semifinals of the tournament that benefits Coaches vs. Cancer but they left Madison Square Garden with blowout wins over No. 13 California and the Tar Heels (4-1).

North Carolina had a 39-37 halftime lead but that was gone in a hurry as Triche and Onuaku had field goals in the first 40 seconds. By the time the run ended 8 minutes into the second half Syracuse had a 59-40 lead.

Tournament MVP Wesley Johnson (pictured, right) had 25 points for the Orange, who beat California 95-73 in the semifinals. Onuaku finished with 15 points and Triche had 11.

Johnson, a 6-foot-7 junior transfer from Iowa State, was 10 of 17 from the field, including making half of eight 3-point attempts, and had eight rebounds.

Ed Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Marcus Ginyard added 15 points for the Tar Heels, who lost almost all of a 19-point second-half lead before beating No. 15 Ohio State 77-73 to reach the title game.

North Carolina missed its first 13 shots of the second half and turned the ball over six times as the Orange just didn't miss. Syracuse started the half by making 10 of its first 14 shots and the baskets were coming down low from Onuaku and from the perimeter including a 3 by Johnson that made it 57-40.

The Tar Heels closed to 68-60 on a 3 by David Wear with 7:04 left, but Onuaku had the first and last baskets of a 6-0 run that ended any thoughts of a comeback for the ages.

The first half had the crowd, which was split almost evenly between Carolina Blue and Syracuse Orange, on a ride of runs that kept Madison Square Garden in a constant roar more accustomed to late in the season than late November.

Syracuse scored the first eight points of the game and was up 11-2 when Andy Rautins hit a 3.

It didn't take long for North Carolina to get right back in it as the Tar Heels scored 11 straight points, including two 3s by Will Graves.

There were four lead changes and four ties the rest of the half, which ended with the Tar Heels leading 39-37. It wasn't a perfect half as both teams had 10 turnovers.

Ohio State beat California 76-70 in the third-place game.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Syracuse Tops No. 6 UNC to Win 2K Sports Classic Championship originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isiah Thomas Will Coach FIU Tonight Despite Mother's Heart Attack

Chas Rich — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:24:00 EST

Filed under: UNC, Mid-Majors, Coaches

With the exception of New York Knicks fans, there will not be much booing tonight when Isiah Thomas steps on the court at the Dean Dome. UNC fans will not be cheering for Thomas or his FIU team, but who is going to boo a guy on the same day his mother has heart surgery after a heart attack on Saturday?

According to Jeff Goodman at FOXSports.com, Thomas' mother told him to go and coach the game. This will be Thomas' national debut as a college coach. Not much is expected from a very bad Golden Panthers team that has to play the defending national champs in Chapel Hill.

Isiah Thomas Will Coach FIU Tonight Despite Mother's Heart Attack originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Season Quietly Tips Tonight

Chas Rich — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:54:00 EST

Filed under: Syracuse, UNC, ACC, Big East, Campus, Media Watch

Tonight is the opening night for college basketball. Defending champion North Carolina tips off at 7PMtonight on ESPN, followed by Syracuse. Plus teams like California and Ohio State start their season as part of one of the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. All with little hype despite being on one of the ESPN family of networks.

So, the quiet start kicks off what has become the annual lament among college basketball writers. There are no festivities. There is no "celebration." There is no coordination. There is only a quiet and disjointed start to college basketball.

The reasons are familiar. Both external and internal. Pro and college football are dominating most of the market. The NBA and NHL have been underway for a few weeks, as well. Plus the NCAA and basketball programs do themselves no favors with teams no organized start to the season. Teams kicking off their season with no rhyme or reason (other than planning around on-campus football games). College basketball just gets lost in the shuffle.
As usual there are the suggestions that the NCAA, the major conferences and ESPN do more to promote the opening night and week of college basketball. Make it some sort of "tip-off" event that celebrates the start of the season. Get some early high profile games going to drum up interest and kick the season off with a bang. Get the general public paying attention earlier and have fans take notice of more than just their own team's games.

Count me among those who have no interest in changing the system. I love college basketball. I will be in the small group watching games tonight instead of Monday Night Football. The last thing I want to see, though, is a big intersectional game played in the first week of the season.

There's a reason most major programs start out with a bunch of low-level patsies and less than stellar competition. Most teams are still getting their game together. They have only been practicing as a team for a month while classes are well underway -- unlike college football which gets to start practicing before the semester gets underway. They have played maybe two exhibition games against Division II or III opponents.

Unless it is a veteran team comprised of juniors and seniors, the players are still trying to get a better sense of how to play with each other. The play is sloppy and filled with mistakes. Coaches are still experimenting with rotations and maybe implementing wrinkles to their systems.

Even the best teams are not playing particularly crisp basketball for the first couple weeks of the season. I do not want to see Texas play Michigan State this week. I want to see it in December when the teams have worked out a lot of the kinks and will be at a higher level.

ESPN seems to have the better idea with waiting to actively kick off the season. Their college hoops marathon starting at midnight Eastern on November 17 is a fun idea engaging plenty of programs in one 24-hour period. Games include Gonzaga-Michigan State, Memphis-Kansas, Temple-Georgetown and Arkansas-Louisville. It is under-promoted at this point (which admittedly seems an impossibility when it comes to ESPN, but there it is).

College basketball has grown because it builds in attention and excitement all season long. It culminates with the NCAA Tournament, but every year the interest only increases as the season continues. The understated and underpublicized start to the season fits.

Season Quietly Tips Tonight originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIU Now Happy to Play UNC

Chas Rich — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:34:00 EST

Filed under: UNC, ACC, Mid-Majors

Merely a week ago Florida International, their coach Isiah Thomas and athletic director Pete Garcia were threatening to pull out of a preseason basketball tournament when they found out that they were going to play UNC rather than Ohio State. Forget that their contract specified that it was and either/or situation at the discretion of the organizers, they were taking a stand against being "bullied." They were standing up for the "little guys" in college basketball.

Yeah. So much for that. It's now about the greater good of the Coaches vs. Cancer charity that the tournament supports.

"We are honored to play against North Carolina, the defending national champions," Thomas said. "We are happy to participate in the cause and we are proud to be invited and want to help promote the American Cancer Society in any way we can."

Right. More likely it was the realization that they were locked into the contract. To say nothing of the fact that if they pulled out, they would also lose the three home games in late November that also came with the deal. Games they would have no chance to replace at this point.

FIU Now Happy to Play UNC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIU Upset Over Having to Play UNC

Chas Rich — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:40:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State, UNC, ACC, Big Ten, Mid-Majors, Campus, Coaches, Media Watch

Florida International has not played a game yet under new coach Isiah Thomas, but the program is acting like it is already a player in college basketball. They are threatening to pull out of the 2K Sports Classic Tournament, which benefits the Coaches vs. Cancer charity, because they are no longer slated to be the road patsy for Ohio State. Instead they are getting sent to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina.

The Golden Panthers had agreed to play in the preseason tournament even before Isiah Thomas was hired as the head coach. It had been presumed that they would go to Columbus to play the Buckeyes. Ohio State had indicated on its Web site that FIU would be the opponent. FIU and Thomas referenced starting the season there.

Last week, though, the Gazelle Group which operates the tournament contacted FIU about being switched. FIU's athletic director Pete Garcia refused, but he really did not have a choice. The contract FIU signed stated that FIU would play either North Carolina or Ohio state at the sole discretion of the Gazelle Group. Somehow that does not seem fair to FIU.

"Would they do what they're doing to us to Duke, or to North Carolina? No," Garcia said. "But they'll do it to FIU and any other school out there like FIU."

Hello? You are the patsy school that has to go on the road in this tournament, and expected to lose to the bigger program. You get some nice national exposure on ESPN and a check for the beating -- something nearly "any other school out there like FIU" would love to get. You are FIU. You are one of the worst programs in the country. Most people cannot keep you straight with Florida Atlantic. Of course they would treat you this way and not like a prestigious, brand-name program.

There is no principle to this. They signed a contract that is clear. Maybe they were hoping for a lighter beating from Ohio State rather than North Carolina, but that is not principle. That is whining. Clearly FIU's athletic director (and probably the coach) does not understand that a glamor hire does not elevate FIU beyond novelty act until they actually win something.

FIU Upset Over Having to Play UNC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now North Carolina Can Fully Enter the John Wall Sweepstakes

Chas Rich — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: UNC, ACC, NBA Prospects, Recruiting, North Carolina

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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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Onion Peels: Duke, Carolina Have Similar Sunday Games, Different Endings

Will Brinson — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Boston College, Butler, Davidson, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, UNC, USC, Virginia, University of Miami, North Carolina

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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Have the Crazies Lost Their Creativity?

Will Brinson — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, UNC, ACC, Campus, Fans, Media Watch, North Carolina

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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Ty Lawson Is North Carolina's MVP

Will Brinson — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:15:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, UNC, ACC, Coaches, Media Watch, North Carolina

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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Coach K Knows Duke Is Lacking

Will Brinson — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:35:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, UNC, ACC, Coaches, Media Watch, North Carolina

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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Hansbrough Joins 4-for-4 Cameron Club

Will Brinson — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:10:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, UNC, ACC, Fans, North Carolina

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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'Crazy Towel Guy' Is Popular at Duke

Will Brinson — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, UNC, ACC, Campus, Fans, Video, North Carolina

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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Tobacco Road Live Blog and Twittering From Cameron: UNC-Duke

Chas Rich — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, UNC, ACC

As noted by Shane Bacon, in between Brett Farve's latest retirement (he really means it this time) and Alex Rodriguez admitting to taking something, there is going to be an actual sporting event taking place. The first installment of the North Carolina-Duke game.

It is one of the best rivalries in sport. Despite the presence of Dick Vitale, it is still a must-see game. That both teams are ranked in the top-six only adds to the excitement. Both have had stops at No. 1 in the polls. Both have designs on having a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

FanHouse has embedded Will Brinson at Cameron to provide Twitter updates on the liveblog or you can just follow Twitter user: NCAAFanHouse. Join us shortly before 9 PM EST for tonight's live blog.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=02afc7ec92&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;UNC-Duke&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Tobacco Road Live Blog and Twittering From Cameron: UNC-Duke originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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North Carolina Shoots Down Terps

Will Brinson — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland, UNC, ACC, Coaches, Fans, North Carolina

North Carolina landed some tough news tonight, finding out that both Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves will miss the remainder of the season because of injury and suspension, respectively.

And while the news might have dampened spirits after the game, you couldn't really tell throughout a 108-91 beatdown that saw the Tar Heels hit 16 3-pointers -- seven from Wayne Ellington -- as they inspired an already exuberant Dean Dome crowd that showed up to see whether or not the Tar Heels could break a losing streak against a Maryland team that was suddenly slightly arrogant for no apparent reason.

So the question with the loss of Ginyard now becomes if North Carolina can play enough defense to contend for the national title. Based on tonight's game, they seem content simply to keep scoring in lieu of defense.

Maryland played well, shooting 48 percent from the field, but Ellington's outside shooting and the Tar Heels' transition game was just too much for the Terps to handle.

Ty Lawson and Danny Green each added four 3-pointers and Tyler Hansbrough chipped in with one as well as he scored 24 points. That these four players counted for all 16 of those 3-pointers and all but 13 of the team's total points score has to be slightly terrifying.

Graves' absence and Ginyard's injury mean increased minutes for Carolina's stars, and might seriously challenge the Tar Heel's depth.

As for Maryland, well, again, they played well, and a few times seemed poised to make a run that could actually cut the lead down to less than 10. But there's definitely something that can be said about not running your mouth before heading into someone else's house. Especially when "someone else" is a "top-five nationally ranked team."

North Carolina Shoots Down Terps originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maryland Player Snarks North Carolina

Will Brinson — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland, UNC, ACC, Campus, Coaches, Fans, Media Watch, North Carolina

The Maryland Terrapins haven't lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels since 2005-06. Seems pretty crazy, no? Of course, regardless of that run, you would think Maryland's players would have snuck into tonight's game against Carolina somewhat humbly, having already run their mouths before getting embarrassed by Duke this year.

They did not though. At least Landon Milbourne didn't, anyway. He made sure to point out the streak to the Diamondback, Maryland's student newspaper.

"I've been here for three years, and we haven't lost to North Carolina yet," forward Landon Milbourne said with a slight smirk.

"Sometimes teams go in there - if you're not ranked and [they are] - you might come in there and think, 'We're the underdog, and we have to do certain things differently,'" Milbourne said. "Coach tells us all the time, we don't have to change that much about our game. We just have to play hard. When we play hard, we're pretty tough to beat. If we come out with the intensity we came out with the other night, I think it will be a pretty good game for us."

In fairness to Milbourne, the Terps aren't involved in a blowout ... yet. Carolina leads Maryland by double digits with six to go in the second half, but there's probably a bigger issue at stake here: Is Gary Williams really in control of his team right now?

Williams is known as a taskmaster, and the fact that he would allow his team to snarkily trash talk the Tar Heels before heading to the Dean Dome after the Greivis Vasquez fiasco heading into Cameron is fairly mindboggling. People can state he's not on the hot seat based on his championship all they want, but if this team keeps embarrassing itself publicly, it's hard to believe he couldn't land in hot water.

Update: Carolina, in the time it took me to type two paragraphs, has stretched the lead to 21 and look dangerously poised to blow this game out.

Maryland Player Snarks North Carolina originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good Is Great for College Hoops

Ray Holloman — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut, Duke, Pittsburgh, UNC, Wake Forest, North Carolina

First there was North Carolina. Then there was a brief fling with Pittsburgh that ended quicker than a Hollywood marriage. Wake Forest took over next, and the NTSB is still investigating that one-week crash. Then came Duke, which notched a stay atop the rankings that, like Eliot Spitzer's hotel bills, were charged in hours, not days.

This year, it seems, everybody is getting a shot at No. 1.

Just wait Dallas Academy, that 100-0 score won't last. Your time is coming.

But until then, the most dangerous proposition in sports this side of accepting an Evite from Pacman Jones belongs to Connecticut.

Five different teams have claimed the No. 1 ranking since the beginning of January and for four, like a Michael Phelps Saturday night, the high ended in embarrassment.

Yes, greatness, like movies about chimps in space, Charles Barkley's fave five and your retirement savings, is gone with the year 2008.

2009 is the year of good.

And nothing could be better for college basketball.

Sure, great teams are fun to watch every now and again, to see 12 guys march through the field like Patton's Third Army in a Red Rover game. But predictable dominance isn't what makes college basketball the best thing on television that's not accidentally broadcast by Comcast.

Last year was the season of wall-to-wall great. North Carolina grew into a top-flight team, and, so long as they didn't have to play defense, were a tank in a soap box derby. Memphis lost just once in the regular season and came within a free throw of the championship. UCLA went to a third straight Final Four with Kevin Love throwing sweet arcing outlet passes that would make Kurt Warner return to bagging groceries. And none was better than Kansas, which steamrolled North Carolina 40-12 out of the gate and clawed its way past Memphis.

Sure, all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four for the first time ever, but pulling for each of those teams was like rooting for IBM.

The last time there was no dominant team, we watched a George Mason run to the Final Four that did more for miracles than anyone since the 1980 U.S. hockey team and Lyle Lovett's marriage to Julia Roberts. That same year, LSU shocked top-seed Duke on a night J.J. Redick made Plaxico Burress look like a marksman shot, and marched to the Final Four behind the larger-than-the-dinner-table Big Baby Davis. Ben Howland made his first run to the final weekend and Florida's famed '04 recruiting class rebounded from a three-game losing skid in late February to bring home the Gators' first NCAA Tournament title.

And this is what makes college basketball great. Unpredictability.

College basketball isn't the neatly homogenized NFL, made up of 32 teams with all the comparative difference of the Olsen Twins. It isn't the BCS guarantee that the top two teams meet and leaves the non-blue bloods out to clean Urban Meyer's golf cleats, or the NBA's 40-games-in-40-nights death march to the NBA Finals.

It's Madness. And no year is better than this one.

And even though UConn is the latest team, let's just say there's no need to write that in chisel, unless of course you friend Billy Packer on Facebook and that's just how the cranky fella communicates.

The Huskies, who play Louisville tonight, may have the shortest actual reign at No. 1. Their best true road victory was over RPI 76 Notre Dame, losers of five straight games, while Louisville has been near perfect at home, knocking off Kentucky, West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Connecticut has done a miserable job of pressuring the basketball this season as well, ranking 325th in the nation in turnover percentage, while Louisville's early season struggles were marked by the inconsistent play of point guard Edgar Sosa.

Then again they may be the first team to hold No. 1 longer than the run of Manimal.

But they'll still be a flawed team, just like a Duke squad that's still developing its point guard play, a North Carolina team that's learning to ratchet up the defense, a Pittsburgh team that can't quite figure out how to play without DeJuan Blair and an Oklahoma team that's about as deep as a Paris Hilton rant.

They're all missing something. They're all just good.

And for college basketball, that's just great.

Good Is Great for College Hoops originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roy Williams Told Tyler Hansbrough He 'Stunk' Against Florida State

Will Brinson — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:49:00 EST

Filed under: UNC, ACC, Coaches, Media Watch, North Carolina

The North Carolina Tar Heels were one missed Ty Lawson 3-pointer away from being in serious danger of a third ACC loss. That doesn't sound too scary, I suppose; the importance of last night's win over Florida State is probably better understood through the harsh words of coach Roy Williams towards his star Tyler Hansbrough.

Williams told Hansbrough, according to his quotes following the game, that he "stunk."

"He didn't play very well," Williams said of Hansbrough, who missed the last 6:29 of the first half after collecting three fouls. "I told him he stunk tonight."

Roy's right -- Carolina's leading rebounder last night was Lawson, which is beyond shocking, and certainly points towards Hansbrough's lack of effort. It's still surprising, though, to hear Psycho T criticized; he's the Tim Tebow of college basketball and hearing his coach complain about his effort is pretty rare.

Of course, no one thought this Carolina team would be flirting with three ACC losses this early in the season, so I guess it shouldn't be too surprising to see Roy pull any available trick out of the bag.

Roy Williams Told Tyler Hansbrough He 'Stunk' Against Florida State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ty Lawson Hits Buzzer Beater to Down Florida State

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:11:00 EST

Filed under: UNC, ACC, Video, North Carolina

In a game where Tyler Hansbrough scores just eight points, Wayne Ellington misses 10 of his 13 shots as the team shoots 38 percent from the field, embattled point guard Ty Lawson saved the day. His running three-point shot just as the buzzer sounds handed No. 6 North Carolina an 80-77 victory over unranked Florida State.

After a shot clock violation by the Seminoles, Lawson takes the inbounds pass and blew down the court to set up his game winning shot. Lawson's 21 points led the Heels as Hansbrough missed scoring double-digit points for the first time in 56 games.

Ty Lawson Hits Buzzer Beater to Down Florida State originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1

Will Brinson — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, NC State, Notre Dame, Syracuse, UCLA, UNC, USC, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, SEC, Coaches, Fans, Media Watch

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics as soon as the polls come out.

Headlining: It's obvious, right? Duke tops both polls for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 regular season and we're all ~~depressed~~ ecstatic! I want to say that it's hard to like this Blue Devil team, but when is it easy to like Duke? (Answer: When you're a Duke fan. Or when the Blue Devils are playing Carolina.) That being said, the 2008-09 incarnation isn't nearly as hate-able as previous teams.

Gerald Henderson is a freakish athlete who tries hard, Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer embody a certain Durham stereotype, but at least they're not Chris Collins and Wojo, and Greg Paulus has been relegated to a supporting role and has yet to play more than 24 minutes a game.

The antipodal proposition alone should be worth a slightly less odoriferous and palatable annoyance. (Yes, I'm pretending that I graduated from Duke and write for Slate.) Of course, there's still the matter of butting heads with the previous top team, Wake Forest, Wednesday, but for now: Everyone respects Duke.

Freefallin': Georgetown (12/14 to 25/23), Syracuse (8/8 to 15/15) and Notre Dame (19/19 to UR/22). In fairness to all three teams, the Big East is really good. And in fairness to the pollsters, this group of teams combined to lose five games (the Irish lost that Saturday prime timer as their only game of the week en route to three straight losses; coughing one up to Marquette Monday won't help their case either) last week, so it's not that shocking. The Big East teams are certainly going to beat up on each other all season long and they'll fluctuate; anything other than the same from the top tier ACC teams would be surprising as well.

You Gotta Rise Up: Kentucky (UR/UR to 24/UR), UCLA (17/16 to 13/11). It's never a total shock when two big name programs -- Louisville could apply here too, I suppose, just based on the relative inaction of the top 10 -- win a couple of games and start vaulting higher. In Kentucky's case, it's Jodie Meeks helping to propel the Wildcats back into the rankings for the first time since November ... 2007. It wouldn't seem that long if it wasn't Kentucky we're talking about, but the Wildcats are held to a higher standard. Presuming they can beat both Mississippi and South Carolina this week, it's safe to say you'll see them ranked in both polls next week.

Hyped: Clemson (12/11). Yes, the Tigers only have two losses, but they're still in the top 15. And while I don't necessarily know that the Tigers are en route toward a total and utter meltdown, I certainly won't vouch that they aren't, either. They've got games against Virginia Tech, Duke, Florida State and Boston College in their next four matchups. Two of those teams have beaten No. 1-ranked squads ... and they're the two inferior teams on the schedule. A win against Georgia Tech kind of righted the ship, but there's a distinct possibility that they could go 0-4 over that span.

Bunked: Arizona State (14/14). Call me a Herb Sendek homer if you want, and I won't care. I love the guy, and all he does is produce teams that go to the NCAA Tournament. His last five teams at N.C. State went to the Big Dance and It's not far-fetched to say that the Wolfpack would probably deal with an annual tourney bid right now. The Sun Devils are not a high-scoring bunch, and losses to USC and Cal aren't impressive, but James Harden is a baller and 22 points per game in Sendek's offense might be equal to 49 anywhere else.

WTF?: No one from the coaches' poll dropped. Like, literally no one. Florida is this -- makes pinching motion with index and thumb -- close to inching in, just one point shy of Gonzaga, and Utah State is right behind, but it's still really unusual to see a poll with no movement whatsoever.

People That Vote Are Smart: Ron Morris of The State in Columbia, S.C., takes the cake. He really thinks highly of Luke Harangody, so much so that he puts Notre Dame at No. 14 in his poll. Yes, the Irish are a talented team, but when he voted they had lost three straight, and they've dropped four straight now. It's kind of tough to bump a team from No. 14 to unranked in one week, but here it's arguably deserved. He also has UConn and North Carolina ahead of Duke.

Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clemson Travels to Chapel Hill, Loses ... Just Like Previous 53 Times

Ryan Wilson — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Clemson, UNC, ACC

The undefeated season went out the window when the Tar Heels dropped a "no way they lose that" game to Boston College. The national championship talk then took a hit when North Carolina was outclassed at Wake Forest.

So folks were understandably concerned about Wednesday night's matchup with 10th-ranked Clemson, even though the Tigers have never, ever beaten the Heels in the Dean Dome, Carmichael Auditorium, Woollen Gymnasium or anywhere else in Orange County., N.C.

No need to worry, apparently; Clemson's 0-53 record in Chapel Hill coupled with Wayne Ellington's 29-points-per-game average against the Tigers virtually guaranteed the outcome before tip-off.

Fate aside, Clemson played extremely well early. The combination of pressure defense and red-hot shooting (thanks, largely, to Terrence Oglesby's 17 first-half points) put the Tigers up five midway through the first 20 minutes. But a "yep, here it comes" late first-half UNC run gave them a 45-40 lead at the break.

In retrospect, it would've been completely reasonable for Clemson head coach Oliver Purnell to put his kids on the bus and head back to South Carolina instead of playing the second half. And in a sense, that's exactly what happened.

The Tigers managed just 30 points in the final 20 minutes; the Heels, led by Ellington (25 points, seven rebounds), would hang 94 on a very good Clemson team that, under no circumstances, can beat UNC on its home court. It's almost impossible to fathom, actually. I mean, even the Washington Generals accidentally eke out a win against the Globetrotters every once in awhile. Yet here we are, 83 years after the two teams first met, and the Tigers are still looking for their first win.

On the upside, neither the ACC nor NCAA tournaments are in Chapel Hill, so there's that.

Oh, and in case you're wondering what else was going on in 1926, the year Clemson first lost to the Heels in Chapel Hill, ESPN provided these fun facts: Calvin Coolidge was president, the Frankford Yellow Jackets were NFL champions, and God saw fit to give us Joe Paterno.

Clemson Travels to Chapel Hill, Loses ... Just Like Previous 53 Times originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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