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Singler: Duke may play zone in 2009-10

kentysiac — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0400

DURHAM — Junior forward Kyle Singler floated a possibility that seems to make sense for Duke’s unusually configured 2009-10 basketball team.

"What we’ve been talking about... is we might be playing a little more zone this year than in years past,” Singler said during an exclusive interview Thursday. “That might not be the way Coach [Mike Krzyzewski] wants to do it, but with the personnel that we have, we are a big team.”

Krzyzewski is known to disdain zone defenses and prefer a high-pressure man-to-man. But over the last three years or so, since he became involved with the U.S. Olympic team, Krzyzewski has softened his stance.

In 2007-08, Duke dabbled in a matchup zone Krzyzewski called “Orange” in honor of his close friend, Jim Boeheim. At Syracuse, Boeheim often uses a matchup zone to keep opponents out of the lane.

Last season, the Blue Devils experimented with a zone trap briefly at Georgia Tech and for a longer sequence at Boston College in a loss when they were struggling to defend opposing point guards.

Over the past few seasons, Krzyzewski also has taken pride in his willingness to change strategy to fit his personnel. In 2009-10, Duke’s personnel might be suited to a zone.

Now that guard Elliot Williams has transferred to Memphis, the Blue Devils have few options in terms of players who can pressure the ball. Kyle Singler’s move to small forward at 6-foot-9 means Duke will have a big lineup that will be difficult for opponents to shoot over if the Blue Devils play a zone.

"When you see big guys in that zone with their hands up, it takes a lot of space,” Singler said. “Teams, you don’t practice against it because you don’t have the size. It’s something teams don’t see day in and day out.”

Singler said Krzyzewski has discussed the idea with the team. During his yearly summer news conference on Tuesday, Krzyzewski mentioned that the Blue Devils will have to change the way they defend, but didn’t specifically talk about playing zone.

"You adjust to the people you have,” Krzyzewski said. “So I don’t see us picking up full-court man and dogging somebody with Kyle on a 5-11 guy. We’re not going to do that. You just figure out a little bit different way of playing your defense.”

Playing a lot of zone would certainly be different for Krzyzewski. Singler said it’s a good idea. With just two true guards — Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith — on a roster that includes a wealth of forwards, Krzyzewski is going to have to be creative.

That might mean playing some defenses that wouldn’t ordinarily be his favorite options.

N.C. State football loses four players

kentysiac — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:32:24 -0400

Four players who were expected to be on N.C. State’s 2009 football roster will not be with the team, the school announced Thursday.

Coach Tom O’Brien announced that sophomore cornerback Dominique Ellis is transferring. Three players who signed with N.C. State in February – Tyson Chandler, Raynard Randolph and Bryan Underwood – will not enroll in the fall.

Ellis played in all 13 games last season. Although he played mainly on special teams, he was considered a promising prospect.

"I appreciate everything the N.C. State coaching staff has done for me and taught me," Ellis said in a statement released by the school. "I learned a lot from them, but at this time, I think that for personal reasons, it’s in my best interest to continue my career at another school."

Chandler is an offensive lineman who was one of the top prospects in New Jersey. Underwood was supposed to add speed at wide receiver, and Randolph plays defensive tackle.

South Stanly DE picks Hokies over Pack

timstevens — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:11:54 -0400

South Stanly defensive end Justin Taylor has committed to Virginia Tech, picking the Hokies over fellow finalist N.C. State.

"He's only played one year of football," said South Stanly coach Luke Little Wednesday. "He's real raw. But everyone who looked at him was just so impressed by the way he hustles, and he's real athletic."

Once people got a look at the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Taylor during spring evaluations in May, the offers started coming in. He went from none to eight in less than a month.

"He just plays so hard; he's like a kind of wild man on the field," Little said. "You can teach football, but you can't teach effort."

Taylor, who has 4.65-second speed in the 40-yard dash, loved basketball and had to be talked into playing football. The results have been so impressive that he'll play some TE this fall as well as DE.

But Virginia Tech knows what it has. They plan to use Taylor as a pass-rushing defensive end, Little said.

Raleigh ranked No. 18 in 'sports obsession'

kentysiac — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:46:36 -0400

All those packed houses at Carter-Finley Stadium and the RBC Center apparently haven’t gone unnoticed.

Men’s Health Magazine ranked Raleigh as the No. 18 sports-obsessed city in the United States. The ranking of 100 major U.S. cities appears in the July/August issue of the magazine.

The magazine counted how many people in a given city attend college and professional baseball, basketball and football games in a given city. NASCAR attendance, the number of people vying for sports tickets and team apparel and the number of fans calling themselves foam-finger-waving fanatics also was taken into account, according to a news release from Men’s Health.

Arlington, Texas, was rated No. 1, followed by Aurora, Colo.; Colorado Springs; Indianapolis, and Columbus, Ohio. Miami was ranked last in the survey.

In the Carolinas, Charlotte (No. 9) was the only city rated ahead of Raleigh. Durham (33), Greensboro (35) and Columbia (83) also were included in the rankings.

Raleigh’s passion for college sports and the Carolina Hurricanes couldn’t have hurt. But civic leaders in the state capital shouldn’t boast too much about the ranking.

Such thriving sports fantasy destinations as Anchorage, Alaska (10), Manchester, N.H. (11), and Sioux Falls, S.D. (17), were ranked ahead of Raleigh.

Here is the complete list:

1, Arlington, TX, A+; 2, Aurora, CO, A+; 3, Colorado Springs, CO, A+; 4, Indianapolis, IN, A; 5, Columbus, OH, A-; 6, Jacksonville, FL, A-; 7, Forth Worth, TX, B+; 8, Dallas, TX, B+; 9, Charlotte, NC, B+; 10, Anchorage, AK, B+.

11, Manchester, NH, B+; 12, San Diego, CA, B+; 13, Denver, CO, B+; 14, Seattle, WA, B+; 15, Lexington, KY, B+; 16, Boise, ID, B; 17, Sioux Falls, SD, B; 18, Raleigh, NC, B; 19, San Antonio, TX, B; 20, Riverside, CA, B-.

21, Des Moines, IA, B-; 22, Fremont, CA, B-; 23, Lincoln, NE, B-; 24, Kansas City, MO, B-; 25, San Jose, CA, B-; 26, Oklahoma City, OK, B-; 27, Chicago, IL, B-; 28, Phoenix, AZ, B-; 29, Omaha, NE B-; 30, Austin, TX, B-.

31, Boston, MA, B-; 32, Nashville, TN, B-; 33, Durham, NC, C+; 34, Madison, WI, C+; 35, Greensboro, NC, C+; 36, Las Vegas, NV, C+; 37, Cheyenne, WY, C+; 38, Washington, DC, C+; 39, San Francisco, CA, C+; 40, St. Paul, MN, C.

41, Houston, TX, C; 42, Pittsburgh, PA, C; 43, Corpus Christi, TX, C; 44, Toledo, OH, C; 45, Montgomery, AL, C; 46, Anaheim, CA, C; 47, Buffalo, NY, C; 48, Minneapolis, MN, C; 49, Fargo, ND, C; 50, Providence, RI, C-.

51, Tulsa, OK, C-; 52, Fort Wayne, IN, C-; 53, Honolulu, HI, C-; 54, Billings, MT, C-; 55, Salt Lake City, UT, C-; 56, Detroit, MI, C-; 57, Louisville, KY, D+; 58, Memphis, TN, D+; 59, Milwaukee, WI, D+; 60, Wichita, KS, D+.

61, Baltimore, MD, D+; 62, Albuquerque, NM, D+; 63, Atlanta, GA, D+; 64, Charleston, WV, D+; 65, Oakland, CA, D+; 66, St. Louis, MO, D+; 67, Spokane, WA, D+; 68, Yonkers, NY, D+; 69, Cincinnati, OH, D+; 70, Birmingham, AL, D+.

71, Burlington, VT, D+; 72, El Paso, TX, D+; 73, Lubbock, TX, D+; 74, Little Rock, AR, D+; 75, Portland, OR, D; 76, Jackson, MS, D; 77, Bakersfield, CA, D; 78, Wilmington, DE, D; 79, Modesto, CA, D; 80, Baton Rouge, LA, D.

81, Cleveland, OH, D; 82, Bangor, ME, D; 83, Columbia, SC, D; 84, Rochester, NY, D; 85, Philadelphia, PA, D-; 86, Jersey City, NJ, D-; 87, Tampa, FL, D-; 88, New York, NY, D-; 89, St. Petersburg, FL, D-; 90, Norfolk, VA, D-.

91, Los Angeles, CA, D-; 92, Richmond, VA, D-; 93, Grand Rapids, MI, F; 94, Tuscon, AZ, F; 95, Sacramento, CA, F; 96, Orlando, FL, F; 97, Hartford, CT, F; 98, Fresno, CA, F; 99, Newark, NJ, F; 100, Miami, FL, F.

UNC inks 10-year deal with Nike

rpickeral — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:08:57 -0400

Update: The deal is worth nearly $38 million.

North Carolina has signed a 10-year deal with Nike to be the exclusive supplier of athletic footwear, apparel and accessory products to the Tar Heels, the school announced.

This marks UNC's fourth contract with Nike, and it is retroactive to July 1, 2008.

“The University of North Carolina is proud of its long-standing relationship with Nike,” UNC athletics director Dick Baddour said in a prepared statement. “This partnership has
benefitted all 28 varsity sports and provided millions of dollars for academics and student scholarships at the University.”

In addition to apparel and equipment — the value of which ranges from $2.8 million in the first year of the contract, to $3.4 million in the 10th, for a total of $31.6 million — Nike will give the University $2 million to the Chancellor’s Academic Enhancement Fund. Chancellor Holden Thorp says he will direct the funds to faculty support, according to the news release. The athletics department will also receive $1 million for signing the contract; those funds are being used to overhaul lighting and sound at the Smith Center.

Nike has also entered into individual contracts with each of UNC’s head coaches; only seven coaches had individual contracts with the company in the past.

UNC and Nike also affirmed their commitment to fair labor practices, which they adopted in the 2001 agreement — meaning Nike will continue to produce licensed products and
provide product to the University made in factories that provide fair working conditions and operate consistent with the labor standards in the
University's license agreements and Nike's own Code of Conduct.

Krzyzewski dislikes 'one-and-done' rule

kentysiac — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:04:06 -0400

Add Duke's Mike Krzyzewski to the list of college basketball coaches speaking out this summer against what's become known as the NBA's "one-and-done" rule.

Three years ago, a new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA's owners and players association effectively prevented players from entering the draft right out of high school.
The rule states that players must be at least 19 years old and one year beyond the graduation of their high school class before they can enter the draft.

That's led to a lot of players enrolling in college for one year of basketball before moving on to the pros.
Greg Oden, Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley have made big splashes in their only collegiate seasons.

Krzyzewski said that's helped the NBA by making them household names before they turn pro, but he questions its value to college basketball.

"They're part of the NCAA marketing machine and college basketball," Krzyzewski said Tuesday at his annual summer news conference. "It's a smart move (by the NBA). They don't have to pay a cent. They get to see a kid for a year longer. And they're marketed. I think it was fool's gold, really (for college basketball). Oh, we get a kid for a year. I don't think college basketball has benefited from that."

Other coaches, including Oklahoma's Jeff Capel, are bemoaning the rule that essentially forces some players to attend college against their will even though they may be ready for the NBA.

Brandon Jennings' recent success in the NBA draft after a year in Italy might inspire more players to spend a year making money overseas rather than playing college basketball.
But some still will choose college even though they don't have much interest in attending class.

Capel told the Kansas City Star that the rule makes a mockery out of education.
Krzyzewski said a culture has developed among elite players outside of academic programs where it's best that they go to the NBA.

"I'm not saying it's a bad culture," Krzyzewski said. "I'm saying it's a different culture that leads to the NBA. Now you're forcing them to go into our culture for eight months. I'm not sure that's (good). We’ve already seen problems from it."

Nonetheless, Krzyzewski sounded pessimistic that the one and done rule will change. It's in the hands of the NBA players' union and the owners, and Krzyzewski said it's not the most pressing issue those parties bring to the bargaining table.

Krzyzewski said college basketball would remain popular without one-and-done players, because it can market the tradition of schools such as Duke vs. North Carolina while the pros hype player matchups such as Kobe vs. LeBron.

And the two most scandalous college stories of the summer – investigations of O.J. Mayo at Southern California and Derrick Rose at Memphis – both involved one-and-done players.
That's not good for college basketball, and Krzyzewski doesn't have an easy solution.
"I don't know," he said. "I don't know how you change it."

Tudor's Take: K keeps climbing

caultontudor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:59:33 -0400

Mike Krzyzewski’s reaffirmation to Duke basketball comes as no surprise, but it is another sign that his eventual victory total will stand long after the current wave of big-name college coaches moves on.

At age 62, with 833 wins and likely to coach five more seasons if his health remains good, Krzyzewski easily should overtake his old coach, Bob Knight (902 wins), on the all-time list.

In 29 seasons with the Blue Devils, Krzyzewski’s teams have averaged an amazing 26.2 wins per season — and that’s after his first three averaged only 12.6. If he coaches to age 67 and averages 25 wins per season during the stretch, he would have 953 wins, which should keep him ahead of 67-year-old Jim Calhoun of Connecticut (805 wins) and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, 64, who has 799.

North Carolina’s Roy Williams, No. 8 on the active list with 594 wins, will turn 59 in August. If he coaches nine more seasons to age 67 and averages 25 wins, that would be 819 wins.

Among current coaches, Krzyzewski’s closest long-range challengers could be West Virginia’s Bob Huggins and Kentucky’s John Calipari.

The 55-year-old Huggins has 637 wins and would be close to the 940 mark if he works 12 more seasons and averages 25 wins. Calipari, age 50 with 441 wins, projects in the 870-win range if goes to age 67. Huggins has had some health trouble and Calipari may have to stay a step ahead of an NCAA posse for a while.

Wins and wins alone are not the be-all, end-all definition of coaching greatness, of course. The 700-win club seems to be adding a new member or two almost every other season, but the list of national championship winners is as difficult to crack as ever.

Krzyzewski and Williams have covered the gamut — winning a lot while also winning championship. While Williams may not catch Krzyzewski’s victory total, the late Adolph Rupp’s winning percent of 82.2 percent is within Williams’ reach.

At 594-138, he winning games at an 81.1 percent rate. That’s better than Krzyzewski’s 75.2 and even ahead of UCLA legend John Wooden’s 80.4.

Career wins list (active)

...................................AGE.......WINS
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke.......62.......833
Jim Calhoun, UConn...........67........805
Jim Boeheim, Syr...............64........799
Bob Huggins, WV...............55.........637
Tom Penders, Hsn.............64.........631
Gary Williams, Md............64..........625
Homer Drew, Valpo..........65..........602
Roy Williams, UNC...........58...........594
Bo Ryan, Wis....................61...........575

Career wins list

Bob Knight.............902
Dean Smith............879
Adolph Rupp...........876
Mike Krzyzewski......833
Jim Phelan.............830
Jim Calhoun...........805
Eddie Sutton..........804
Jim Boeheim..........799
Lute Olson.............799
Lefty Driesell.........786

ACC big on SI's money list

jpg — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:23:52 -0400

Sports Illustrated's list of the highest-paid athletes offers a light to anyone who has had their career path darkened by the economy recently.

Check out No. 17 on SI's "Fortunate 50" list: Stephon Marbury.

True, NBA gigs tend to be difficult to come by but Marbury, who hasn't been a viable NBA player in four years, was paid $18.6 million not to play basketball by the New York Knicks last season. (Note: the Knicks are the same franchise that once paid Larry Brown $18.5 million not to coach.)

The moral of Starbury's inspirational tale is not to work on your jumpshot but to do anything humanly possible to work for Isiah Thomas ... or the Knicks.

See, fellow former ACCer Stevie Francis checks in at No. 22. The ex-Terp made $17 million without playing a minute in the NBA last season. Guess who was responsible for that contract? Hint: rhymes with "mix."

Curiously, there are no ACC bloggers on the list but there are eight former ACC athletes, the most by any conference (you can keep your fancy football titles SEC!), followed by the Pac-10 with five.

UNC led all schools with three athletes and Georgia Tech, Arizona ($1 to the first person who can name those two without Google), Syracuse and Tennessee each had two. Of course, 20 people on the list never went to college, including half of the top 10.

The ACC's list:

14. Mark Teixeira (GT) MLB
16. Tim Duncan (Wake) NBA
17. Marbury (GT) NBA
22. Francis (Md) NBA
23. Vince Carter (UNC) NBA
33. Matt Schaub (UVa) NFL
36. Julius Peppers (UNC) NFL
48. Jason Brown (UNC) NFL

The affable Brown qualifies as the biggest surprise on the list, thanks to $20 million bonus he landed from the St. Louis Rams in free agency. Surely Philip Rivers' agent is salivating at Schaub's appearance, which is courtesy of a huge roster bonus.

Sun to set in the west

jpg — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:31:00 -0400

OMG! Alert the Wisconsin illuminati, Duke's basketball coach is not leaving for the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I will never leave Duke until I leave coaching," he said. "I'm not going to the Lakers. They have one of the great coaches in the game [in Phil Jackson]. I can't do it as well as he can."

Whew! Kevin White won't need Pete Gaudet's number after all.

More on latest Pack commitment

kentysiac — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:15:41 -0400

A bit more on Logan Winkles, the latest Wolfpack commitment:

Winkles is also an excellent wrestler, a first-team All-Region choice after going 34-4 in individual matches. He was an area champion and eventually, an all-American.

Although he started at LB and TE for Upson-Lee High in Thomaston, Ga., most colleges were recruiting him as a fullback. His 4.7-second speed in the 40-yard dash is a tad too slow for his prep positions.

Still, Winkles was a high school force to be reckoned with, in on 83 tackles with five sacks despite playing in eight games with an injured knee He also forced six fumbles.

- Stan Olson, The Charlotte Observer

UNC women get in-state commitment

kentysiac — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:34:31 -0400

Gastonia Forestview's Shannon Smith, an all-state basketball point guard last season as a junior, committed to North Carolina.

Smith's N.C. Flight/Carolina All-Stars travel teams have won N.C. AAU championships the past four years, and won the 2008 AAU Sophomore Super Showcase Championship last summer in Disney World.

Smith, 5-foot-7, averaged 26 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals to help Forestview reach the N.C. 3A title game. She had season-highs of 42 points and 12 assists (three times).

She was named the 2009 State Player of the Year by the North Carolina High School Coaches Association.

- Cliff Mehrtens, The Charlotte Observer

Pack gets two commits from Georgia

kentysiac — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:26:44 -0400

N.C. State has received two football commitments in the last week from middle Georgia players.

Upson-Lee tight end/linebacker Logan Winkles chose the Wolfpack on Sunday. As a junior last season, he made 75 tackles. He is 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds.

Macon (Ga.) Westside safety DeAnthony Green picked the Wolfpack on Thursday night. He is 6-4 and 200 pounds and made four interceptions last season. – The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph.

Georgia RB picks Duke

kentysiac — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:50:39 -0400

Duke has added the commitment of running back Juwan Thompson, who announced his decision Friday night.

While Thompson, who has 4.44-second speed in the 40-yard dash, picked the Blue Devils over Boston College and Mississippi, he also had offers from Minnesota, Stanford, Syracuse, Tulane, Virginia and Wake Forest.

"I visited Duke late in May right after I got out of school and I knew during that visit that I was going to Duke," Thompson said.

Thompson, a rising senior at Woodward Academy in College Park, Ga., is 5-foot-11 and 212 pounds. He said he felt comfortable with the coaching staff.

"When other schools came to recruit me, it wasn’t the same as Duke," he said. "Other coaches acted different and did not make it as much fun as they did. They were always happy, easy to talk to."

- Stan Olson, The Charlotte Observer

Heels under scholarship limit

jpg — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:16:54 -0400

UNC has gone from a shortage of football scholarships to a surplus.

Kicker Jay Wooten has decided to transfer and three recruits will enroll in prep school. What was once a 17-scholarship discrepancy is now a three-scholarship surplus for Tar Heels coach Butch Davis.

Wooten, who made 4-of-6 field-goal attempts and 11 extra points as a redshirt-freshman, shared the kicking responsibilities with Casey Barth in 2008. The school announced he was leaving the program on Monday, giving them 26 available scholarships.

Recruits Justin Dixon, J.R. Rhodes and Johnnie Farms are expected to enroll at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., which means what was once an incoming class of 29 is down to 23.

Smithfield-Selma coach Anthony Barbour said Monday that Dixon, a linebacker, was going to Hargrave. Scout.com reported Farms, a guard from Georgia, will enroll at Hargrave because of academic reasons.

Mike Briggs, Rhodes' coach at Durham Jordan, said Monday that the running back did qualify academically but will opt to go to Hargrave for a semester.

A fourth recruit, cornerback D.J. Bunn from Smithfield-Selma, is still waiting for a decision on his academic status, Barbour said.

Twenty of the recruits who signed in February are enrolled in summer school, a UNC spokesman said Monday. The NCAA allows a maximum of 25 players to enroll from one recruiting class but does not limit the number of players that can be signed.

Here's the breakdown of the scholarship math:

Enrolled
1. QB Bryn Renner
2. WR Joshua Adams
3. WR Erik Highsmith
4. WR Joshua McKie
5. WR Jheranie Boyd
6. RB Hunter Furr
7. G Brennan Williams
8. T David Collins
9. T Travis Bond
10. DE Donte Moss
11. DT Jared McAdoo
12. LB Kevin Reddick
13. LB Shane Mularkey
14. CB Josh Hunter
15. CB Gene Robinson
16. CB Terry Shankle
17. S Curtis Campbell
18. DB Mywan Jackson
19. ATH A.J. Blue
20. P C.J. Feagles

Not enrolled
21. CB D.J. Bunn
22. TE Prizell Brown
23. LB Hawatha Bell

Not coming
24. S Angelo Hadley (released from LOI)
25. WR Ray-Ray Davis (junior college)
26. QB Donavan Tate (professional baseball)
27. LB Justin Dixon (prep school)
28. RB J.R. Rhodes (prep school)
29. G Johnnie Farms (prep school)

They're gone:

Seniors
1. WR Cooter Arnold
2. G Bryon Bishop
3. P Terrence Brown
4. G Calvin Darity
5. WR Brooks Foster
6. S Trimane Goddard
7. S Jabir Jones
8. LB Mark Paschal
9. TE Richard Quinn
10. T Garrett Reynolds
11. WR Brandon Tate
12. LB Chase Rice

Early to NFL
13. WR Hakeem Nicks

Graduation
14. QB Cam Sexton
15. RB Richie Rich
16. WR Kenton Thornton
17. TE B.J. Phillips
18. G Aaron Stahl

Transfer
19. K Jay Wooten

Medical hardship
20. T Zack Handerson
21. G Mike Dykes
22. G Morgan Randall

Dismissed
23. WR Anthony Parker-Boyd
24. CB Tavorris Jolly
25. DE Darius Powell
26. LB Kenny Harris

Irving's surgery successful

kentysiac — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:25:38 -0400

N.C. State linebacker Nate Irving's surgery was successful and went as expected on Sunday after he suffered a broken leg and collapsed lung in a car crash early Sunday morning, school sports information director Annabelle Myers said Monday morning.

Irving suffered injuries that were serious but not life threatening in a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 while returning to campus from his home in Wallace, N.C., northwest of Wilmington.

Myers said coach Tom O'Brien visited Irving at the Wake Med Trauma Center on Sunday and said Irving feels extremely fortunate to be alive after the crash.

According to a state highway patrol report, Irving ran off the road at 4:40 a.m. near the 314-mile marker in western Johnston County. He was cited for careless and reckless driving, and being tired or sleepy may have contributed to the crash, according to the police report.

Irving is a junior who was expected to be one of the top linebackers in the ACC this season. Myers said Irving's playing status for the 2009 season has not yet been determined.

Irving hospitalized after car accident

kentysiac — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:00:47 -0400

By KEN TYSIAC
Staff Writer

N.C. State linebacker Nate Irving was scheduled for surgery Sunday evening after suffering non-life-threatening injuries in a car crash early Sunday morning.

Irving has a broken leg and collapsed lung and was taken to Wake Med Trauma Center according to a statement released by the school. He was cited with careless and reckless driving, according to a state highway patrol report, after a one-vehicle crash at 4:40 a.m. near the 314-mile marker on Interstate 40.

There is no indication in the police report that alcohol was involved, but the report indicates that being tired or sleepy may have contributed to the crash, which occurred near Cornwallis Road in western Johnston County.

Irving lost control of his vehicle and went off the road to the left, then overcorrected and swerved off the right side of the road, according to the police report. His vehicle struck two trees and came to rest in a ditch, according to the report.

Irving's stepmother, Frances Corbett, said Irving was returning to N.C. State's campus from his home in Wallace, N.C., which is about 35 miles northwest of Wilmington.

"He's doing really well," Corbett said. "He knows he's lucky to be alive."

Corbett said Irving expects to recover from his injuries quickly. Irving's status for the upcoming football season was not immediately clear.

In a statement released by N.C. State, coach Tom O'Brien said the team's thoughts and prayers are with Irving and his family.

"All of his teammates and coaches will be there to support him as he recovers and goes through the process of rehabilitation," O'Brien said.

Despite missing almost one-third of the 2008 season with injuries as a sophomore, Irving tied for third on N.C. State’s team with 84 tackles, earning honorable mention All-ACC honors.

He led the Wolfpack with four interceptions.

Staff writer Anne Blythe contributed.

Ken Tysiac: 919-829-8942 or ktysiac@charlotteobserver.com

Smiles, determination after NBA draft

rpickeral — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:34:10 -0400

UNC guard Wayne Ellington's reaction after to falling to No. 28 and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Thursday night's draft: "They'll be sorry,'' he told the Philadelphia Daily News, referring to the first 27 teams that didn't draft him.

Meanwhile, Duke wing Gerald Henderson, chosen No. 11, can't seem to get away from the Tar Heels. He now moving to Charlotte, i.e. Tar Heel South.

New Indiana Pacer Tyler Hansbrough plans to keep proving people wrong, according to the Indianapolis Star. (Sound familiar?)

And point guard Ty Lawson, traded from the Timberwolves, told the Denver Post he's excited to play for the Nuggets -- and to learn from Chauncey Billups

Seven ACC players drafted in first round

rpickeral — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:25:23 -0400

It was a friendly debate for Duke and North Carolina fans of late: Who would be chosen first during Thursday night’s NBA draft – The Forearm or The Nose?

In the end (or near the beginning, actually), it was Duke wing Gerald Henderson — whose flagrant forearm bloodied Tar Heel forward Tyler Hansbrough nose back in March, 2007, adding to the Tobacco Road rivalry lore — who became the first player taken. He was selected 12th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats.

Hansbrough, who graduated in May, was then taken 13th, by the Indiana Pacers.

Both were in the so-called ‘Green Room’ at Madison Square Garden in New York, sitting with friends and family (and in Hansbough’s case, UNC coach Roy Williams) as they waited to hear their names called.

Asked how much more he can improve in the NBA, Henderson told ESPN: “I don’t know right now. I hope I can take this game as far as I can. I’m going to work really hard at it, and we’ll see."

Asked by ESPN what kind of player the Pacers were getting, Hansbrough said: "A hard worker that knows how to win."

Wake Forest forward James Johnson was the next ACC player to go, 16th to the Chicago Bulls.

Then North Carolina’s Ty Lawson — last year’s ACC Player of the Year — was chosen 18th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was the third point guard drafted by the Wolves on Thursday night, joining international player Ricky Rubio and Syracuse’ Jonny Flynn, who were chosen No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Lawson was later traded to the Denver Nuggets.

Wake Forest point guard Jeff Teague then went 19th to the Atlanta Hawks, marking the first time the Demon Deacons have ever had two players chosen in the first round.

UNC shooting guard Wayne Ellington was chosen 28th by Minnesota, followed by Florida State point guard Toney Douglas, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers then traded to the New York Knicks.

In the second round, swingman Danny Green became the fourth Tar Heel taken when he was drafted 46th overall, by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Miami point guard Jack McClinton (51st overall, by San Antonio) was also chosen in the second round.

Thigpen: No question about leaving UNC

rpickeral — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:22:34 -0400

Football coach Butch Davis is trying to turn North Carolina into more than a "basketball school."

Apparently former linebackers coach — and Tar Heel player — Tommy Thigpen couldn't wait.

In case you missed the lively discussion at the Tar Pit, Thigpen, who left Chapel Hill to coach the secondary at Auburn after last season, told the Opelika-Auburn News there was no hesitation about leaving his alma mater for the Tigers.

“[I’ve been] watching that crowd respond on gamedays from watching highlight tape,” Thigpen told the paper. “I can’t imagine what it’s actually going to be like in August.”

He continues: “I wanted to be at a place where football was the issue."

And probably where the paycheck is an issue, too. Thigpen made $148,000 last season. Seven of Auburn's assistants had paychecks that ranged between $180,000 and $370,000.

Tar Heels nominated for ESPY

rpickeral — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:53:47 -0400

First, a national championship. Next, an ESPY?

North Carolina's basketball team has been nominated for the made-for-cable award in the team category, along with UConn's women's basketball team, the L.A. Lakers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fans will determine the winners in 37 different categories by voting online at www.espys.tv. The show will be aired July 19.

Yates' thumb healed, ego bruised

jpg — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:13:22 -0400

T.J. Yates braced for the inevitable after he injured his thumb playing Ultimate Frisbee.

The UNC quarterback knew his teammates would not let that one slide without cracking some jokes at his expense.

"That’s their job," Yates said.

Yates jammed the thumb on his right hand, trying to catch a Frisbee during a UNC team activity on April 22. The sprained thumb has healed and the jokes are over, for now, Yates said. After six weeks of rehab, he said he’s 100 percent and back to throwing the football and working out with his teammates.

He’s also doing his best to avoid any future non-football related accidents. Injuries have followed Yates at UNC. He broke a bone in his left ankle in 2008 and missed six games. Before that, he had surgery on his right shoulder following the 2007 season.

Yates, who enters his third season as the Tar Heels’ projected starting quarterback, bristled at the suggestion that he is injury-prone.

"I wouldn't say that," said Yates, who threw for 1,168 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. "I've caught some bad luck. Other than the ankle, I haven’t missed any games, so it hasn’t affected me too much."

For the record, linebacker Kennedy Tinsley was vying for the flying disc the same time Yates was, not that Yates is blaming Tinsley or anyone else for this latest, minor setback.

"It was a freak accident," Yates said. "I think because of the position I play, any little thing can get blow out of proportion. It was no big deal."

Psycho T will have company in NYC

rpickeral — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:05:48 -0400

North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough, who could be taken as early as 11th in the NBA draft Thursday night, said he debated whether to accept the invitation to sit in the Green Room at Madison Square Garden.

"But it's always been a dream of mine to be there and shake Mr. Stern's hand,” Hansbrough said during a phone interview Tuesday. “I also thought it would be a good opportunity for me to represent North Carolina and my part of Missouri."

He'll also have plenty of company. Hansbrough said his dad, mom, older brother Greg, UNC coach Roy Williams and his agent will be sitting at the table with him. In addition, Hansbrough said, teammates Bobby Frasor, Marcus Ginyard and Dewey Burke — as well as Frasor’s dad — are traveling to New York to sit in the stands.

“I'm starting to get nervous, a little jittery — just because you never know exactly what's going to happen, who's going to make trades, who's going to finally take you,'' he said. "But I'm really confident that things are going to turn out well.”

Bad break for Duke

jpg — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:12:31 -0400

Elliot Williams' decision to transfer from Duke on Wednesday suddenly breaks the ACC race wide open.

The Blue Devils will still be in the conversation to win the league, of course, because they have an edge in experience. But the loss of Williams, an athletic wing who only averaged 4.2 points per game, erodes their defensive abilities and overall quickness.

Assuredly, the Duke fan at-large feels for Williams. It's undoubtedly a bad break for the teenager and his family, but you also can't help but wince at what could have been for Duke in 2010.

Let's enter fantasyland, shall we? Admittedly, it's a dangerous venture, but given the precedent at UNC to hang on to stars for three and four years, it's not that outlandish to think both Gerald Henderson and John Wall could have been in Duke's lineup in October.

What could have been:

Starters
G John Wall
G Jon Scheyer
G Gerald Henderson
F Kyle Singler
F Brian Zoubek

Bench
G Elliot Williams
G Nolan Smith
F Ryan Kelly
F Lance Thomas
F Miles Plumlee
F Mason Plumlee

Whoa. Now take out Henderson or Wall, and it's still a Final Four team. Take out both and they still win the ACC. Take out Henderson, Wall and Williams, and Mike Krzyzewski's looking at:

Starters
G Smith
G Scheyer
G/F Singler
F Thomas
F Zoubek

Bench
G/F Kelly
F Miles Plumlee
F Mason Plumlee

Ouch. Still good but where are the guards? Without Williams, both Singler and Kelly will have to play the perimeter, which is fine for 3-point shooting purposes. But what about defense? You might actually see Coach K use a lot of 2-3 zone because there are no traditional perimeter reserves.

Either way, Jon Scheyer's going to shatter the ACC record for minutes-played this coming season.

And when it comes to the chase for the ACC title, Duke's suddenly in the same boat as UNC, Boston College or even Georgia Tech.

By the way, Duke hasn't been to the Final Four since 2004, a span of five years. Coach K has never gone more than five years between Final Four appearances at Duke.

Cue the Tar Heel fans, Laker conspiracy theorists and Duke haters.

Williams leaving Duke

rpickeral — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:35:59 -0400

Duke sophomore Elliot Williams — one of only three perimeter players returning for the Blue Devils — has decided to leave the school for family medical reasons, the school announced this morning.

He is seeking to transfer closer to his hometown of Memphis, and is expected to file an appeal for a waiver to be eligible for the 2009-10 season.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Elliot and his family," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a prepared statement. "We fully support him in his efforts to be closer to them during this trying time. He is a good young man with an opportunity to become an outstanding player. We wish him well as he determines his future. He will always be a part of our program and we will always be in his corner."

Williams' decision could prove a heavy blow to Duke, because it
leaves Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith as its only returning perimeter players. Williams averaged 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds a a freshman, and started 11 of the Blue Devils' final 12 games.

Krzyzewski has said he plans to move Kyle Singler — who played power forward and center his first two years — to the small forward position. But without Williams, the Blue Devils are left even thinner on the perimeter.

Williams had five double-figure scoring games as a freshman,
including a season-high 15 points at Maryland on Feb. 25. He also posted an 11-rebound game on Nov. 11 against Georgia
Southern and sparked a 101-91 Duke win over Wake Forest on Feb. 22 with a season-high four steals.

UNC's Graves will be back

rpickeral — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:04:08 -0400

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina coach Roy Williams said he fully expects wing Will Graves, who was suspended last February, to be on the court when the team opens practice in October.

He said Graves hasn’t been re-instated, per se, because the suspension was only for the remainder of last season.

“He’s got some conditions he’s got to take care of, and if he takes care of those conditions, he’ll be on our team Oct. 16 or 15th, whatever that Friday is,’’ Williams said. "… I’m under the assumption that he’s going to do what he was asked to do, and he’ll be out there on Oct. 15.”

Williams said the player made “great grades” during both of his first-session summer school courses. “He’s down in the weight room right now, and he’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to do."

Graves averaged 4 points and 11.2 minutes on last year’s national title team before he was suspended for breaking an unspecified team rule. His return is key for the Tar Heels because they have so few other perimeter players returning.

Hansbrough headed to 'green room'

rpickeral — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:35:57 -0400

The NBA is expected to release its list of invitees to Thursday’s draft later today. But one player who will definitely be in the so-called “green room” at Madison Square Garden in New York: UNC forward Tyler Hansbrough.

“He was planning to go up there either way, but when he got the call and invitation, he was pretty happy,’’ his father, Gene Hansbrough, said this morning.

Hansbrough, a four-time All-America, is expected to be picked somewhere in the teens of the first round. He planned to work out with the New Jersey Nets – who have the 11th overall pick – again on Tuesday.

“He could go as high as 11, and I don’t see him getting past Utah at 20,’’ NBA draft analyst Chris Monter said.

Davidson's Stephen Curry confirmed his green room invite last week. Duke guard Gerald Henderson is also expected to be on the list when it is released today; he said last week he’s already thinking about what suit he’s going to wear that night. UNC point guard Ty Lawson could also be invited.

Draft invitees sit front and center at Madison Square Garden Theatre in front of the commissioner, and when their names are called, they're brought up to the podium, given their new team's hat, and get a handshake and photo op.

Agents usually do their due diligence to try to make sure their clients will be fairly-early picks before they accept the invitation; otherwise, players risk sitting there for a long while -- in view of a lot of TV cameras.

Duke's Scheyer keeping up with draft

StephenAllan — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:44:31 -0400

It's rare for an athlete to admit to reading articles about his potential or current abilities.

But Monday morning in a phone interview, Duke guard Jon Scheyer said he is doing just that to prepare for life after Blue Devils basketball.

"I want to inform myself when it comes to next year so I know what teams look for," Scheyer said.

Scheyer's ex-teammate and best friend, Gerald Henderson, is currently going through the draft process himself after declaring for the draft April 25. Scheyer said while he does not initiate conversation about the draft, when it does come up, he listens as closely as he can to Henderson.

Scheyer used to not read any web sites, saying once he got to high school, he tried to avoid the coverage of him both in print and online. He said he still is dubious about most websites since he does not believe they can all have access to accurate information.

He did, however, say he enjoyed reading some web sites that have a proven track record.

Scheyer, one of three captains last year for coach Mike Krzyzewski, was third on the team with 14.9 points per game and led the team with 79 3-point field goals.

Five games that don't matter

jpg — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:07:08 -0400

• From Sunday's college football notes

Following up last week's "Five games that matter," here are five nonconference games that not only bear no consequence on the football season but are an affront to the people who have to pay money to watch them:

1. Georgia Southern at UNC (Oct. 10)

The Heels dumped Colorado for a second game with an FCS opponent, or what people who aren't paid by the NCAA call Division I-AA.

2. Jacksonville State at Florida State (Sept. 12)

FSU's one-time mantra "Anywhere, any time" has morphed into "Any I-AA team, any time."

3. Coastal Carolina at Clemson (Oct. 31)

The Chanticleers gave Penn State a run for its money, a 66-10 nail biter, last year.

4. Murray State at N.C. State (Sept. 12)

The Citadel connection makes sense, but the Racers? Give us Elon, Davidson, Winston-Salem State, Campbell or better yet, an Appalachian State rematch.

5. Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech (Sept. 5)

Progress. Paul Johnson only plays one I-AA team this year.

Pack will be patient with Lowe

jpg — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:19:07 -0400

Sidney Lowe's fourth season at N.C. State will be the first with his players.

The Wolfpack basketball coach expects progress in 2009-10, not a fight for his job. Lowe's boss, State athletic director Lee Fowler, agrees.

"There's no ultimatum that he has to make the [NCAA] tournament to keep his job," Fowler said Thursday. "The main thing is to make progress."

Lowe, who's 51-46 in three seasons, said Thursday he's not treating the upcoming season as a make-or-break one. With his biggest (six players) and best recruiting class (ranked 13th nationally), Lowe expects the program to take a step forward after going 16-14, with a 6-10 ACC record, in 2008-09.

"I think we're going to be better," Lowe said Thursday at his annual summer press conference. "Obviously winning is the most important thing but you have to look for progress. You have to look for development."

Fowler said he hasn't put any kind of time line on Lowe, whose contract runs through the 2012-13 season. Fowler said both sides understand the expectations at a school that has won two national titles and shares a backyard with North Carolina and Duke.

"The expectation is always to win but you have to be realistic," Lowe said. "You also have to have the right people in place and the right pieces. Sometimes time is a factor."

Lowe on Painter, Wall, schedule

jpg — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:18:51 -0400

Notes from Sidney Lowe's press conference on Thursday:

• The Wolfpack went 1-for-2 in the late recruiting period, landing forward DeShawn Painter but losing out on point guard John Wall.

Painter, a 6-9 power forward, orginally signed with Florida but was released from his LOI and chose the Wolfpack in May. Lowe called Painter's decision a "great break."

"It's a great opportunity to get in on a player like that so late," Lowe said.

As for the difference between Painter and Richard Howell, a fellow incoming freshman forward, Lowe said Painter was "longer and bouncier."

"Richard can face up and shoot it a little better," Lowe added.

And missing out on Wall, after being one of the first coaches to pursue the Raleigh product, Lowe said he only wishes Wall the best of luck.

"I hate that he had to go through certain things, but he'll be fine," Lowe said. "He's a good young man."

State's freshmen class is rated 13th nationally by Scout.com but you can't help but wonder what could have been. The Pack was a finalist for forward Derrick Favors (No. 1 overall), Wall (No. 2) and forward DeMarcus Cousins (No. 3).

Favors chose Georgia Tech over State while Kentucky, and first-year coach John Calipari, wound up with both Wall and Cousins.

• The Wolfpack will make nonconference trips to Marquette and Arizona this season and gets a preview of the Greensboro Coliseum, the site of the 2010 ACC Tournament, with a "road" game against UNC-Greensboro.

State also has a return home game with Florida, after visiting the Gators last season.

Spanning the ACC globe

jpg — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:10:45 -0400

Some football-themed links after a hoops-friendly Tuesday:

• The ACC title game will be played in prime time. (The ACC)

• Florida State is a public entity and so is the NCAA. Enough with the reindeer games with public information already. (Orlando Sentinel)

• Sorry, Clemson's not broke, its athletic department is just losing money. (The Post and Courier)

• BC linebacker Mark Herzlich has cancer but his football career might not be over. (ESPN)

• Here's something more web sites should do: a football review. (State Fans)

Purnell gets two-year extension

jpg — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:49:38 -0400

CLEMSON — Oliver Purnell has agreed to a two-year contract extension that keeps him among the highest-paid basketball coaches in the ACC.

Purnell is slated to make at least $1.35 million in guaranteed income next season, a bump from last season’s $1 million.

Details of the agreement come from a memo obtained from the university by The State on Monday.

The memo, dated June 1 and signed by Purnell and athletics director Terry Don Phillips, serves as formal notice until a new contract is drafted.

In March, Phillips said Purnell would receive a financial “enhancement” to his current deal when his name surfaced to fill coaching vacancies at Alabama and Georgia. At the time, Phillips said the length of Purnell’s contract was not changing, but Phillips was in favor of adding more years.

Purnell’s base salary is set to increase from $225,000 to $275,000, while his guaranteed supplemental income will jump from $775,000 to $1.075 million.

Last year, the 56-year-old Purnell agreed to a two-year extension through 2013-14. His deal now extends through 2015-16.

Purnell guided Clemson to its second NCAA tournament appearance in a row this past season, the school’s ninth overall.

He ranked fifth in reported ACC salaries last year behind UNC’s Roy Williams (estimated $2.5 million), Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski ($2.2 million), Maryland’s Gary Williams ($1.7 million) and Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt ($1.3 million). Wake Forest does not divulge salaries because it is a private institution.

Purnell has a complex retirement plan to which Clemson contributes. Nearly $1.1 million of the plan became vested when Purnell remained at Clemson through April 29, and $2.474 million becomes vested if he sticks around through the 2014 season.

This latest amendment calls for Clemson to contribute $250,000 to a deferred compensation account for each of the two new years on Purnell’s contract, presuming Purnell is still with the Tigers.

Purnell’s new agreement incrementally increases the amount he would owe Clemson if he leaves by his own choosing. Its costs Purnell more the longer he remains.

Should Purnell take a Division I coaching job before April 30 of next year, he owes Clemson $250,000. But each year thereafter, he would owe the university an additional $250,000, building to a $1.5 million buyout if he left before the final year of his contract.

Oglesby update: Former Clemson guard Terrence Oglesby expects to sign with an overseas professional team in early July, his father, Tony, said Monday.

Oglesby, who announced last month he was leaving Clemson after two seasons, did not declare early entry into the NBA draft. He has since signed with an agent, Tony said.

The 6-foot-2 sharpshooter from Cleveland, Tenn., participated in the June 6-8 Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy — a five-on-five showcase of Europe’s top draft prospects. Oglesby, playing alongside a pair of potential draftees in St. Mary’s guard Patty Mills and 6-9 Serbian forward Vladimir Dasic, tallied 17 points in three starts but reportedly struggled on the defensive end.

While three teams from France and another from Belgium have expressed interest, Oglesby likely will sign with a team from either Italy or Spain, Tony said. Oglesby spent the past two weeks visiting various overseas teams.

— Paul Strelow, The State

Second look at the ACC in 2009-10

jpg — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:46:41 -0400

• The State's SEC preview

Now that we know who's coming back, and Virginia's coach, let's take a second look (here's the first) at ACC hoops in 2009-10.

Robbi Pickeral and I will do this for the record in July, with the Summer Hoops Preview, but just for the sake of newness of the draft impact, the quick-and-dirty predicted order of finish:

1. Duke: Kyle Singler, finally in his natural position, will be the best player in the league. (Previous: 1)

2. UNC: New talent that hasn't played together yet. That's the only reason the Heels are behind Duke. (2)

3. Boston College: Guard Tyrese Rice was such a big part of that team, but the way Al Skinner's offense works, the remaining parts — with four starters back from an NCAA team — will function without Rice. (4)

4. Georgia Tech: Talent on top of talent. Memo to Paul Hewitt: Coach the team, not the refs. (5)

5. Florida State: Another huge loss (guard Toney Douglas) but bigs Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton and combo guard Derwin Kitchen give the Noles a great core. (6)

6. Maryland: Gary's tweeting about his new big men. They have to be an improvement from the burlap sack and Swiffer WetJet that manned the post last year — and still made the tourney. (7)

7. Clemson: Who's going to shoot without K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby? (3)

8. Virginia Tech: A three-man team has been reduced to a two-man team without A.D. Vassallo. (8)

9. Virginia: New Coach Syndrome gives the Hoos hope. (10)

10. N.C. State: The Sidney Lowe Era hits Phase 2 with his own players. (9)

11. Wake Forest: Maybe they'll have more structure on offense with Ish Smith at the point. Maybe Al-Farouq Aminu will develop into an All-ACC player. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. With Wake you never know. (11)

12. Miami: Not budging on this. Unlike FSU and BC, the Canes do not have the means to replace their superstar guard. And stop with the Villanova transfer (Malcolm Grant), he's not Jack McClinton. (12)

Staff photo by Chuck Liddy

Psycho T goes car shopping

rpickeral — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:48:11 -0400

So what does a soon-to-be first-round draft pick do between workouts?

Go car shopping.

Former North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough spent last weekend checking out the sleek rides at Performance BMW in Chapel Hill, he writes in his blog at NBA.com.

"Coach [Roy] Williams has always had a BMW, so I've always liked his,'' he writes. "But I'm out there looking at different ones because I've always been a truck guy all my life. So it's been pretty cool checking out the cars and driving them around."

Hansbrough, who has been moving up the mock draft boards, worked out for the Utah Jazz on Monday. The draft is June 25.

Wake's Teague 'following a dream'

rpickeral — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:58:18 -0400

Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio and assistant Jeff Battle met with point guard Jeff Teague and his family in Indianapolis on Sunday night to discuss the plusses and minuses of leaving his name in the NBA draft.

Gaudio said he had "an inkling" when he left about what the sophomore would do. And at around 3:15 p.m. today, the player made it official.

"He called, and told me he was going to leave his name in,'' Gaudio said in a phone interview today. "And I said, 'Congratulations.' He's following a dream that he's had since he first started bouncing a basketball."

Gaudio said he fully supports Teague, a second-team All-ACC selection last season who is projected to be a first-round draft pick on June 25. He joins Demon Deacons teammates James Johnson as an NBA early entrant this season, meaning Wake loses its top two scorers. Teague averaged 18.8 points per game.

Still, "I'm really excited about coaching this team,'' Gaudio said. "We've got a lot of veteran players coming back."

One key to the team's success will be forward Al-Farouq Aminu, last season's third-leading scorer. Wake also returns senior guard L.D. Williams and senior forwards Chas McFarland and David Weaver.

And unlike other teams in the league who are losing their star ballhandlers, Wake has a proven replacement: senior guard Ish Smith, who averaged 6.2 points off the bench after being sidelined at the beginning of the season with a foot injury. He started every game at point guard as a sophomore.

"I don't know if there was a more improved player last season,'' Gaudio said of Smith. "After he came back from his injury, he just got better and better."

Gaudio said he will miss Teague, but I told him, "no matter what, I will always be your coach,'' he said. "I'm excited for him.

NBA Draft: In or out

jpg — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:38:50 -0400

In a shock to no one, Greivis Vasquez — a second-round pick at best — will return to Maryland for his senior season, rescuing the Terps from a season in the abyss.

That makes the Terps the big winner in this year's draft version of "In or Out." Maryland gets to chase another 8-8 season with its best player, which puts them slightly behind last year's draft exit-strategy winner (UNC, duh).

Maryland isn't the only winner with today's official end of the "testing-the-waters" period for the NBA Draft on June 25.

Chalk up a win for Georgia Tech, with the return of forward Gani Lawal, not to mention guard Iman Shumpert. (Hey, with GT's track record with one-and-doners, anything is possible.)

Wake Forest stands as the biggest loser, with forward James Johnson and guard Jeff Teague exiting, although the Deacs kept forward Al-Farouq Aminu. After returning to the NCAA Tournament in 2009, the Deacs are tracking back towards the bottom third of the ACC in '10.

Even Duke, the preseason conference favorite, takes an "L." With Gerald Henderson, the Blue Devils could have contended for the national title.

Special citation to Clemson, which lost gunner Terrence Oglesby to Europe. Only Clemson.

Interesting, the ACC lost only one underclassman (N.C. State's J.J. Hickson) to the NBA last summer and the conference had one of its better basketball seasons.

With six early entrants, the returning players will have to put on their work boots to match last year's relative success by the conference (seven NCAA bids and the national championship).

On the bright side, it could have been worse for the ACC. Lawal, forward Ed Davis (UNC), forward Kyle Singler (Duke) and forward Solomon Alabi (FSU) all likely would have been first-round picks but opted to play one more year of college ball.

The final tally:

In the draft
G Jeff Teague, Wake Forest
F James Johnson, Wake Forest
G Gerald Henderson, Duke
G Wayne Ellington, UNC
G Ty Lawson, UNC
F Brandon Costner, N.C. State

Out
G Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
F Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech
F Dwayne Collins, Miami
F Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest

ECU announces game times

jpg — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:46:45 -0400

Take note, ACC teams, ECU announced the game times for its six home football games and the world did not spin off its axis.

The Pirates' opener with Appalachian State will kickoff at noon on Sept. 5. Their C-USA title defense begins on Sept. 19 with a 3:30 game with Central Florida.

The Thursday night showdown with Virginia Tech, on Nov. 5, had previously been set for 7:30 p.m.

The ACC released the first three weeks of its schedule but leaves the rest to the mercy of television. ECU and C-USA apparently have decided it's OK to throw your fan base the smallest of bones and let them plan for the football season.

ECU home kickoff times:

Sept. 5 App. State, noon (MASN)
Sept. 26 UCF, 3:30 (WITN)
Oct. 17 Rice, 3:30 (MASN)
Nov. 5 Virginia Tech, 7:30 (ESPN)
Nov. 21 UAB, 3:30 (MASN/WITN)
Nov. 28 Southern Miss, 1

Wake's Teague will stay in draft

rpickeral — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:45:29 -0400

Update: Official release from Wake Forest

Wake Forest point guard Jeff Teague will stay in the NBA Draft, school announced Monday.

"I'm in 100 percent," Teague told the Indy Star after working out with the Indiana Pacers.

Teague averaged 18.8 points and 3.5 assists a game as a sophomore; his decision means the Demon Deacons lose their top two scorers (forward James Johnson had already opted to stay in the draft).

Underclassmen have until 5 p.m. today to withdraw their names.

Five games that matter

jpg — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:23:19 -0400

• From Sunday's college football notes

With Florida State and Miami no longer the powers they once were, the ACC's reputation has been frappéd and served cold to its BCS brethren.

The Southeastern and Big 12 conferences have lapped the ACC, in terms of national reputation anyway, and the Pac-10, Big Ten, Big East and Mountain West can all make a claim to being superior to the ACC, at least in 2008.

The only way for the ACC to improve its status is to beat teams outside the league. These five games will go a long way toward achieving that goal:

1. Virginia Tech vs. Alabama, Sept. 5: After the Clemson debacle in last year's Chick-fil-A Kickoff, the Hokies have to understand the importance of this game, both to their own season and
the league's image.

After Alabama discarded the then-No. 9 Tigers 34-10 last September in Atlanta, the Tide moved into the national title chase, and Clemson fell into oblivion — ultimately costing Tommy Bowden his job and sullying the ACC's reputation.

2. Florida State at BYU, Sept. 19: The Cougars have won 32 games in the past three seasons, and the Mountain West Conference has been chirping about its success (13-7 record) against BCS teams (note the ACC was best among BCS conferences with a 17-14 mark).

This is the type of road opportunity the old FSU ballclubs used to routinely seize — and take a piece of sod back to Tallahassee to commemorate the win.

3. South Carolina at N.C. State, Sept. 3: The ACC and SEC split their 12 games in 2008, and South Carolina's 34-0 romp of State qualified as a highlight for the SEC.

If State is going to be one of the better ACC teams in 2009, it has to handle a middling SEC team at home.

4. Virginia Tech at East Carolina, Nov. 5: It's not good for the ACC champion to lose to the Conference USA champion, which happened in 2008.

The Hokies are 13-1 against the Big Four since joining the ACC in 2004 but 1-1 against ECU.

5. Florida State at Florida, Nov. 28: The Gators have won five straight in the rivalry, and coach Urban Meyer is 4-0.

Last year's 45-15 shellacking by the eventual national champs showed FSU, and the rest of the ACC, just how far away it is from the big time.

Lawal will return to Georgia Tech

rpickeral — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:02:28 -0400

Georgia Tech forward Gani Lawal plans to pull out of the NBA draft before Monday's 5 p.m. deadline, the forward told ESPN.com.

"I'm going back to school," Lawal said, according to the website. "I sat down with my family and after going through this positive experience, where I learned a lot and got a lot of exposure, I realized the best thing for me to do was to go back."

Lawal, who averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds last season, will be key for the Jackets, who won only two ACC games. Lawal's return, along with the addition of highly-touted forward Derrick Favors, should pull Tech out of the league dungeon next season — and perhaps even into NCAA tournament contention.

'No-charge' arc could come sooner

rpickeral — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 08:55:53 -0400

From today's college basketball column:

One of the reasons the NCAA basketball playing rules committee last month didn't recommend a painted arc to go along with the new "no charge" zone under the basket for "help" defenders was because it could have taken four years to institute a new painted line.

But when the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the roughly-24-inch no-charge area earlier this month, it did something smart: It opened the door to quicker implementation of a painted semicircle, if one is ever recommended and approved by the membership.

The Oversight Panel agreed that if the committee opts next summer to suggest that the no-charge zone be painted, the markings won't need to go through an experimental stage in 2010-11. That could allow arcs to be added in 2011-12, when the next rule book is printed, said Ty Halpin, the NCAA's associate director of playing rules administration.

The reason it could have taken up to four years had it been recommended this time around is that the NCAA rulebooks go through two-year cycles. Had the arc been an "experimental rule" next season, then had the Oversight Panel opted not to promptly approve it because of the cost of painting a new line on the court, it might not have made it to the floor until the 2013-14 rule book was ready to be printed.

The new rule is meant to curtail the increasingly physical play under the hoop. As I wrote about last month, it still likely won't solve the problem because without a painted arc in the designated area from the front of the backboard to the front of the rim, it will be difficult for officials to judge the boundaries of the no-charge area.

Rose Bowl to ESPN in '11

jpg — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:10:47 -0400

The tradition-happy Big Ten and Pac-10 must be doing cartwheels with ESPN's announcement that the Rose Bowl will be on ESPN starting in 2011.

The Worldwide Leader has already announced the move from over-the-air broadcast to cable for the other BCS bowls in Jan. '11. Friday ESPN said the "Grandaddy of Them All" would be moved to cable, too.

The Big Ten and Pac-10 are the last two obstacles to some form of a playoff in college football (if only a four-team format) because of tradition (read: the money the conferences are making with their separate TV deal for the Rose Bowl).

The lesson for today's announcement? Traditions change. Get used to it.

Visit with a purpose for Pack

jpg — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:40:59 -0400

• Photo gallery

If N.C. State's leadership quandary has you depressed, you can find some solace in coach Tom O'Brien's decision to take members of the Wolfpack football team to the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Camp Lejeune on Thursday.

That's a good thing that O'Brien and his players did yesterday, for both sides. The visit gives the Marines, injured in combat in either Iraq or Afghanistan, something to look forward to and the players a sense of perspective.

What hit me was how young the soldiers are. The stereotype of wounded veterans from movies is Lieutenant Dan from "Forrest Gump," not a kid fresh out of high school.

Of the dozen soldiers there on Thursday, almost all of them were between 19 and 22 — the same age as the football players.

"That's what most of the guys were talking about last year on the bus," O'Brien said. "These are the guys we went to high school with."

O'Brien invited the Marines to State's second home game, on Sept. 12, against Murray State.

You can learn more about the Wounded Warrior Battalion on its web site.

Psycho T does Charlotte

jpg — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:53:45 -0400

Would anyone be surprised if Charlotte took Tyler Hansbrough with the 12th pick in the NBA Draft?

Sure, that's higher than most projections for the ACC's career leading scorer, and the Bobcats have other needs, but we're talking about the Tar Cats (or is it Bob Heels?).

Even before dyed-in-the-wool baby blues Larry Brown and Michael Jordan became the floundering Bobcats' braintrust, Charlotte had a yen for Heels and certainly had no problem overvaluing them (Sean May at 13 anyone?).

So Psycho T's visit to Charlotte is par for the course.

What is surprising is Hansbrough's latent surliness with the draft process. At the combine, he basically told teams, via Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, to grab some film because his workouts would be limited.

On Wednesday, Hansbrough bristled at the "hard worker" label.

Easy, Big Fella. The draft process is designed to expose faults. For whatever reason, NBA teams are more interested in what you can do than what you have done.

And being a hard worker is not an insult. But let's not get carried away with the "I've expanded my game" rhetoric.

Hansbrough's a fantastic free-throw shooter, can rebound and run the floor. But he's not going to be Kevin Garnett — a power forward who can face the basket and shoot and block shots. Be who you are, T, and that's going to be enough for a long, successful career.

Four Tar Heels in MLB's top 15

rpickeral — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:34:39 -0400

North Carolina first baseman Dustin Ackley was drafted No. 2 overall by the Seattle Mariners, pitcher Alex White was picked No. 15 overall by the Indians, and two signees were chosen in the top 10. For more on the MLB draft, see the Balls & Strikes blog.

UNC's Breland diagnosed with cancer

rcarter — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:36:44 -0400

Staff photo by Chuck Liddy

North Carolina senior Jessica Breland has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and is undergoing treatment at UNC Hospitals, Breland's family and UNC announced today.

According to a news release, Breland is being treated with chemotherapy.

“The last few weeks have been a really emotional time for me, but I’ve got a very positive attitude about my treatment and I’m looking forward to getting healthy and getting back to playing basketball as soon as possible,” Breland said in a statement.

“I’ve been keeping my normal schedule, going to class, helping out with camp, and I’m not going to let this get me down. I’ve got lots of love and support from my family, my friends, my teammates and my coaches and I know I’ll be back and better than ever soon.”

Breland, of Kelford, has been one of the Tar Heels' key players during her career. Last year, she was Carolina's second leading scorer with 14.1 points and led the team with 8.5 rebounds per game.

Dr. Mario Ciocco of UNC Sports Medicine said Breland should respond to the treatment.

“Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a very curable form of cancer,” Ciocca said in a statement. “Factoring in Jessica’s age and her overall
good health and athleticism, we anticipate a positive response to her treatment. Her condition will be monitored closely here in Chapel Hill and she will continue to be reassessed throughout the summer.”

Breland's treatment is expected to continue through the fall.

“Obviously, this news came as a shock to everyone, but Jessica is a fighter and I know that she will attack this with the same attitude and energy she brings to the basketball court,” UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said in the release. “Our focus is 100 percent on helping Jessica to get better.

BC goes Weinke route

jpg — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:36:07 -0400

In need of quarterback help, Boston College took a page from Florida State's playbook. The Eagles added Dave Shinskie, a 25-year-old former baseball prospect, on Tuesday.

The Eagles lost probable starter Dominique Davis (transfer) last week. Enter Shinskie, who spent the past six seasons playing minor-league baseball.

FSU netted a national title and Heisman Trophy from its senior citizen quarterback, Chris Weinke. Like Weinke, Shinskie was a two-sport prep star who chose baseball over football out of high school.

Shinskie, 25, is expected to compete with Codi Boek and Justin Tuggle for the starting QB spot. Scout.com rated Shinskie, 6-4 and 215 pounds, a three-star recruit in the class of 2003. Shinskie said he also considered Rutgers and Pitt before signing with BC.

Collins returns to Miami

jpg — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:52:40 -0400

Dwayne Collins will play his senior season at Miami after all. Collins, a 6-8 power forward, took his name out of the NBA Draft.

He can now go back to being ignored by Frank Haith in Miami's offense, except when the Canes play Duke.

Elsewhere, the middle landscape of the ACC hinges on the decisions of Maryland's Grevis Vasquez and Wake's Jeff Teague, who have until June 15 to stay or leave the draft.

Wake's a tourney team with Teague but a fringe player, at best, in the league without him. Maryland's fighting for 12th without Vaz and back in the eight- to nine-win ACC range with him.

Either way, Miami's still the pick for last.

Good sign for State

jpg — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:14:47 -0400

• From Sunday's college football notes

After dealing with seemingly every injury and bad break in the book his first two seasons at N.C. State, Wolfpack football coach Tom O'Brien has started Year 3 with a welcomed turn of good fortune.

The return of defensive end Willie Young, who chose a fifth season in Raleigh over a shot at the NFL, is one reason O'Brien thinks 2009 may prove better than the previous two snakebitten seasons.

But he will knock on wood, just in case. The first two seasons, which O'Brien survived with an 11-14 record and one bowl trip, have taught the coach you can never be too careful.

Before the 2007 season, State lost tight end Anthony Hill to a freak knee injury in a conditioning drill. Then in the first game, running back Toney Baker blew out his knee, followed by a season-ending foot injury to running back Andre Brown in the sixth game.

Receiver Donald Bowens was lost to a back injury before the 2008 season. He was promptly followed by a parade of key players — from quarterback Russell Wilson to running back Jamelle Eugene, linebacker Nate Irving and Hill (again) — who spent extended time on the injured list.

Meanwhile, Baker missed his second straight season recovering from knee surgery. It got so bad in 2008 that at one point in October, State was about 40 healthy bodies under the 85-scholarship limit.

It would have been par for the course to lose Young, projected as a second-day draft pick, to the NFL. Young is already old for college football, after spending a year in prep school and redshirting a season. A month-and-a-half older than UNC basketball's Methuselah, Tyler Hansbrough, Young will turn 24 before the Pack plays a game this ACC season.

But Young decided to come back to improve his draft stock, along with N.C. State's chances in the wide-open Atlantic Division.

"Willie Young coming back was the best recruit we had," O'Brien said.

O'Brien told Young, who led the Pack with 6.5 sacks last season, that former Boston College defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka and Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry faced the same stay-or-go decisions.

Kiwanuka returned to BC in 2005 and was a first-round pick the following spring. Curry returned to Wake for 2008 and was the fourth overall pick in this year's draft.

"He can be like those two guys and play his way into the first round," O'Brien said.

O'Brien got a second bit of good news in the spring. Eugene, who missed all of spring practice with a shoulder injury, is "full go," the coach said. And Baker, who hasn't taken a snap in 24 games, is expected to be ready for the start of the season.

After going two seasons without a full complement of parts, O'Brien must feel like he's already 2-0.

UNC lineman ends career

jpg — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:57:02 -0400

The football career of UNC offensive lineman Aaron Stahl is over, the school announced Thursday.

Stahl, who graduated in May but had one season of eligibility remaining, started six games and played in all 13 for the Tar Heels in 2008. He broke his thumb in the fourth game of the season and switched from center to guard. He missed all of spring practice with a shoulder injury.

"I earned my degree from a great university," Stahl said in a statement released by the school. "[N]ow it's time for me to move forward with the next phase of my life."

Stahl was a candidate to start at left guard in '09, despite the missed time in spring practice. Redshirt freshman Jonathan Cooper and converted defensive end Greg Elleby are considered his likely replacements at left guard.

Despite the loss, UNC still returns three starters on its offensive line.

Stahl's decision frees up a needed scholarship for the 2009 season. UNC coach Butch Davis signed 28 recruits in the spring. With Stahl's exit, the Heels have 25 available scholarships.

"I understand Aaron's decision and appreciate all of his hard work and effort to make us a better football program," Davis said in a statement released by the school. "He was a versatile player, and when he was injured last year, he helped the team by moving to another position."