What is North Carolina's most iconic brand?

Pepsi.

Texas Pete.

Krispy Kreme.

Those are some of the most well-known brands in America, and they were born in North Carolina. But they are not alone. The Old North State has also given birth to some other high-profile brands like Cheerwine, Mount Olive pickles, Bojangles, Hardee's and Goodys powders. 

We can also add to the list Cook-Out and Biscuitville, though they are both more regionally-bound brands and Biscuitville, admittedly, started in Danville, VA. Also, don't sleep on Lance crackers:

In 1913 Phillip Lott a food broker from Charlotte got stuck with 500 pounds of peanuts. He sold them and was then inspired to create the now popular snack company.

(Also: What is the deal with all this food?!) 

But what is the most iconic "brand" of all to come from North Carolina?

One could argue sports/college brands like the ACC, UNC, Duke, NC State would make the list. Or perhaps NASCAR (which got its start in the hills of the state). 

Or, perhaps, the most famous brand is just "barbecue." I think we may all agree on that ... though WHICH kind may still lead to some PASSIONATE discussions.

Image courtesy of NCTripping.com

Every North Carolinian must ______

 

I don't recall what it was that spurred this thought, but the other day I wondered, "What are the quintessential things that every North Carolinian MUST do at least once?" 

It may have been an article about the dunes at Jockeys Ridge that had me thinking about it. Or it may have been a discussion about Sliding Rock. Regardless, what do you think are the things that should be givens if you are to call North Carolina home?

Here are a few off the top of my head, in addition to the aforementioned ones:

• Attend an ACC basketball game
• Visit the Biltmore House
• Enjoy barbecue at one of the holy cathedrals of 'cue
• Spend a day (or half-day) at Tweetsie Railroad
• Test out if the legend about The Blowing Rock is legit
• Pay a visit to Old Salem
• Enjoy a pork chop sandwich and the Mayberry sites in Mount Airy
• Watch an outdoor drama like "The Lost Colony," "From This Day Forward" or others
• Play Pinehurst No. 2 (or any other great course)
  

 

What else would you include on this list? Please share in the comments.

Sliding Rock image from Blue Ridge Mountain  Life

ACC Tourney nostalgia

The first day of the ACC Tournament is behind us, but does the tourney still hold the luster it once did?

Our buddy James over at RiddickandReynolds.com has an excellent piece on the impact the tournament once had -- especially if you were a school child in the state of North Carolina.

The ACC Tournament as I knew it ended when they stopped wheeling TVs into the classrooms on Quarterfinal Fridays.

Now, I'm sure there are a few pockets in the state where in-class watching of the tournament is still done. Pockets of the state the transplants haven't discovered yet or don't dare venture into; where the average age of folks borders on AARP Qualifing Age; where time has stood still since 1980 and creeps along at a snail's pace relative to the world around it.

If you're a teacher in one of these pockets who insists on still watching the tournament in class, God bless you.

But the practice has largely died off because—unlike it was in the 80s and 90s—the ACC Tournament's slow slide into "meh" status no longer justifies teachers sacrificing class time to keep tabs on it.

It didn't use to be this way.

ACC Hall of Champions to open next year

I'm piecing this together, but from what I can tell (from here and here) construction is set to begin soon on the ACC's Hall of Champions in Greensboro.

The building will be more than 8,000 square feet in size and will be a "tribute to the Atlantic Coast Conference, its coaches and athletes."

The facility will be adjacent to the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

Tar Heels claim fifth* national title

Congratulations to the University of North Carolina Tar Heels for winning its fifth national title in men's basketball last night, with a complete and utter thumping of Michigan State -- in Detroit, no less -- 89-72.

And special congrats to Tar Heel big man Tyler Hansbrough, who, love him or hate him, made a courageous decision to come back to school for his senior year just to win a title.

"Sounds like I made a pretty good decision," Hansbrough said after the game. "Nothing beats this feeling right here."

As you might imagine, there was a celebration on Franklin Street. The town of Chapel Hill seems to have a good grasp on how to handle these things.

And, as is the nature of sports, the discussion this morning isn't so much "man, that was great!" but "can they do it again?" and: "who will stay in Chapel Hill?"

In somewhat (not really) related news, this is just further proof of N.C.'s dominance over Michigan.

Michigan native Brian Groesser and his wife live 750 miles away in a new North Carolina home that looks straight off the set of "Gone with the Wind." His brother moved south two years ago; a cousin left Michigan to join them last year [according to the Detroit Free Press].

Between them, they have six college degrees, four high-paying white-collar jobs, and fewer and fewer connections to Michigan.

"Right now," said Groesser, whose North Carolina license plate reads WOLVRINE, "there's nothing that would draw me back to Michigan." ...

The state had a net loss of 18,000 college-educated residents in 2007, according to a Detroit News analysis of Census Bureau data. The loss, the equivalent of half the faculty and staff of the University of Michigan leaving for warmer climates in one year, was second-worst in the nation, behind only New York.

The two fastest-growing landing spots for Michigan expats today are both in North Carolina, with the number moving to Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte almost doubling between 2000 and 2007. Those cities, with comparatively booming economies and reasonable housing prices, are illustrative of the cities now claiming some of Michigan's most upwardly mobile residents. ...

*Six if you count the Helms Foundation one in the 1920s. I don't.

North Carolina basketball report (8)

North Carolina beat State, and Duke beat Wake. State plays at Wake this week in the losers bracket.

Only five of the 19 North Carolina schools have winning records.

Bracketology is not included this week, because it was produced by a committee of ESPN experts with random conference tournament results provided by the NCAA.

Wednesday’s game
Davidson 70, UNC Greensboro 49 | boxscore

Thursday’s game
Wake Forest 85, N.C. State 78 | boxscore

Saturday’s game
UNC Greensboro 74, Elon 66 | boxscore

Rankings (results through Sunday’s games)
RPI rankings, team (overall record, record vs. North Carolina teams)

3. North Carolina (23-3, 4-1)
Last week: 4
beat UNC Asheville, N.C. State (2), Duke
lost to Wake Forest

ACC career scoring leaders        pts
1. J.J. Redick                  2,769
2. Tyler Hansbrough             2,650
3. Johnny Dawkins               2,556
4. Rodney Monroe                2,551
5. Bryant Stith                 2,516

I’ve decided not to include Dickie Hemric (2,587 points), because his first two seasons were in the Southern Conference — before the ACC was formed.

               pts   reb   ast    2pt    3pt     ft
Hansbrough    21.0   7.7   0.9   .528   6-15   .843
Ty Lawson     16.2   2.6   6.3   .579   .494   .809

Lawson: 10th in nation in assists, ninth in 3-point shooting.

4. Duke (22-5, 4-2)
Last week: 5
beat UNC Asheville, Davidson, N.C. State, Wake Forest
lost to Wake Forest, North Carolina

Duke’s latest lineup — Gerald Henderson, Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas and Elliot Williams — scored 101 points in a win over Wake Forest. | boxscore

18. Wake Forest (20-5, 6-2)
Last week: 16
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, North Carolina, Duke
lost to N.C. State, Duke

               pts   reb   ast    2pt    3pt     ft
Jeff Teague   20.3   3.5   3.7   .511   .513   .832

Teague: fourth in nation in 3-point shooting.

59. Davidson (21-6, 5-1)
Last week: 50
beat N.C. State, Appalachian State, Elon, Western Carolina,
UNC Greensboro
lost to Duke

               pts   reb   ast    2pt    3pt     ft
Stephen Curry 28.6   4.1   5.9   .523   .377   .867

Curry: leads the nation in scoring, 10th in steals (2.63).

90. N.C. State (15-10, 6-4)
Last week: 91
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, N.C. Central, Wake Forest
lost to Davidson, Duke, North Carolina (2)

166. UNC Charlotte (10-16, 1-1)
Last week: 179
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State

DiJuan Harris: fifth in nation in assists (7.0).

187. East Carolina (10-13, 3-2)
Last week: 181
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest

Brock Young: leads nation in assists (7.8).

203. Western Carolina (12-13, 4-5)
Last week: 189
beat UNC Greensboro (2), Elon, Appalachian State
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville, Appalachian State, Davidson
Elon

204. UNC Asheville (11-14, 5-3)
Last week: 203
beat Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb (2), High Point (2)
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke

220. Gardner-Webb (8-16, 2-3)
Last week: 195
beat Western Carolina, High Point
lost to UNC Asheville (2), High Point

254. Appalachian State (10-16, 6-4)
Last week: 242
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell, Elon (2), Western Carolina,
UNC Greensboro
lost to UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Davidson, Western Carolina

239. N.C. A&T (11-13, 2-0)
Last week: 249
beat Winston-Salem State (2)

264. Elon (7-17, 1-6)
Last week: 260
beat Western Carolina
lost to Appalachian State (2), Western Carolina, Davidson,
UNC Greensboro, UNC Wilmington

270. Campbell (10-15, 1-2)
Last week: 298
beat UNC Asheville
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State

276. UNC Wilmington (7-22, 3-2)
Last week: 279
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central, Elon
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina

319. Winston-Salem State (5-18, 1-4)
Last week: 314
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State, N.C. A&T (2)

324. UNC Greensboro (3-23, 2-7)
Last week: 316
beat Appalachian State, Elon
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina,
Western Carolina (2), Davidson, Appalachian State

328. High Point (5-18, 2-3)
Last week: 324
beat N.C. Central, Gardner-Webb
lost to N.C. State, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville (2)

339. N.C. Central (1-24, 0-5)
Last week: 340
lost to Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, High Point,
Winston-Salem State, N.C. State

Only Grambling, Sacramento State, Alcorn State and NJIT are worse.

North Carolina basketball report (7)

Wednesday’s games
North Carolina 89, N.C. State 80 | boxscore
UNC Asheville 81, High Point 78 (OT) | boxscore

Thursday’s games
Appalachian State 70, UNC Greensboro 69 | boxscore
Elon 72, Western Carolina 66 | boxscore

Saturday’s games
Western Carolina 69, UNC Greensboro 56 | boxscore
N.C. A&T 68, Winston-Salem State 61 | boxscore

Sunday’s games
Duke 101, Wake Forest 91 | boxscore
UNC Wilmington 75, Elon 72 | boxscore

Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology: Bracket | Video

Rankings (results through Sunday’s games)
RPI rankings, team (overall record, record vs. North Carolina teams)

North Carolina beat Duke, which has lost four of six. State beat Wake, which has lost four of seven. Stephen Curry is day to day.

Only five of the 19 North Carolina schools have winning records.

4. North Carolina (22-2, 3-1)
Last week: 6
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the Midwest, vs. Big South champion
beat UNC Asheville, N.C. State, Duke
lost to Wake Forest

ACC career scoring leaders      pts
1. J.J. Redick                2,769
2. Tyler Hansbrough           2,612
3. Johnny Dawkins             2,556
4. Rodney Monroe              2,551
5. Bryant Stith               2,516

I've decided not to include Dickie Hemric (2,587 points), because his first two seasons were in the Southern Conference — before the ACC was formed.

Hansbrough: 21.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, .527 2-point percentage and .839 free throw percentage

Ty Lawson’s assist-to-turnover ratio is 3.40. The single-season record is held by N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe, who had 3.35 in 1982-83.

Lawson’s career ratio of 2.69 is second all-time to Lowe’s 2.94.

Lawson: 15.9 points, 6.4 assists, 1.9 turnovers, 2.1 steals, .586 2-point percentage, .494 3-point percentage, .805 free throw percentage

5. Duke (20-5, 3-2)
Last week: 1
Bracketology: No. 3 seed in the East, vs. America East champion
beat UNC Asheville, Davidson, N.C. State
lost to Wake Forest, North Carolina

Point guard Greg Paulus is back in the starting lineup, with mixed results:

                    min   pts   ast   stl   w-l
First 22 games     18.4   5.5   1.6   0.9  19-3
Last three games   31.0   9.3   2.3   3.0   1-2

16. Wake Forest (19-4, 6-1)
Last week: 14
Bracketology: No. 2 seed in the South, vs. Ivy League champion
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, North Carolina, Duke
lost to N.C. State

50. Davidson (21-4, 5-1)
Last week: 50
Bracketology: No. 9 seed in the East, vs. Florida State
beat N.C. State, Appalachian State, Elon, Western Carolina,
UNC Greensboro
lost to Duke

X-rays on Stephen Curry’s injured left ankle are negative and the nation’s leading scorer will be listed as day to day. | story

Curry: 29.0 points, 5.8 assists, 2.65 steals, .528 2-point percentage, .388 3-point percentage and .872 free throw percentage

91. N.C. State (14-9, 6-3)
Last week: 115
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, N.C. Central, Wake Forest
lost to Davidson, Duke, North Carolina

179. UNC Charlotte (9-15, 1-1)
Last week: 167
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State

DiJuan Harris: fifth in nation in assists (6.8).

181. East Carolina (10-11, 3-2)
Last week: 161
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest

Brock Young: leads nation in assists (7.8).

189. Western Carolina (11-12, 3-4)
Last week: 206
beat UNC Greensboro, Elon, Appalachian State
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville, Appalachian State, Davidson

195. Gardner-Webb (8-14, 2-3)
Last week: 156
beat Western Carolina, High Point
lost to UNC Asheville (2), High Point

203. UNC Asheville (9-14, 4-3)
Last week: 195
beat Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb (2), High Point
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke

242. Appalachian State (9-14, 5-4)
Last week: 242
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell, Elon (2), Western Carolina
lost to UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Davidson, Western Carolina

249. N.C. A&T (9-13, 1-0)
Last week: 280
beat Winston-Salem State

260. Elon (6-16, 0-5)
Last week: 245
lost to Appalachian State (2), Western Carolina, Davidson,
UNC Greensboro

279. UNC Wilmington (6-21, 2-2)
Last week: 254
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina

298. Campbell (8-15, 1-2)
Last week: 268
beat UNC Asheville
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State

314. Winston-Salem State (5-16, 1-3)
Last week: 315
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State, N.C. A&T

316. UNC Greensboro (3-21, 2-5)
Last week: 312
beat Appalachian State, Elon
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina, Western Carolina,
Davidson

324. High Point (5-17, 2-3)
Last week: 333
beat N.C. Central, Gardner-Webb
lost to N.C. State, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

340. N.C. Central (1-22, 0-5)
Last week: 339
lost to Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, High Point,
Winston-Salem State, N.C. State

Only Sacramento State, Alcorn State and NJIT are worse.

The unwashed masses may actually be able to buy ACC Tourney tickets

Wow.

For the first time since LBJ was in office, a public sale of ACC men's basketball tickets may actually happen, writes Ken Tysiac.

Karl Hicks, who directs the ACC's men's basketball operations, said the "perfect storm" of holding the tournament in its largest venue during a huge economic downturn has some schools holding unsold tickets.

The tournament is scheduled March 12-15 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The dome has been configured for 36,000 seats – 4,083 fewer than its biggest crowd
in 2001 — in a slightly smaller set-up to help ensure that fans get a good view of the game.

But some schools have been unable to sell their allotment of 2,600 tickets. Hicks said the ACC is redistributing unsold tickets to schools whose demand exceeds the number of tickets they’ve been allotted.

Still, he said, there’s a chance the schools won’t be able to sell all the tickets to their boosters, and that could lead to a public sale of unused tickets. ...

There could be some hesitation among ACC members eager to preserve their boosters’ exclusive control over tickets. But the desire to generate revenue and welcome new fans might trump that hesitation and cause the ACC or the individual schools to sell tickets to the general public.

Never thought in a million years -- even in a down economy -- that this would happen.

North Carolina basketball report (6)

Wednesday’s games
North Carolina 101, Duke 87 | boxscore
N.C. State 82, Wake Forest 76 | boxscore
UNC Asheville 87, Gardner-Webb 78 (OT) | boxscore

Saturday’s games
High Point 61, Gardner-Webb 57 | boxscore
Western Carolina 89, Appalachian State 84 | boxscore

Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology: Bracket | Video

Rankings (results through Sunday’s games)
RPI rankings, team (overall record, record vs. North Carolina teams)

Duke lost to Clemson on Wednesday by 24 points — and the Blue Devils are still No. 1 in the RPI. But the Tigers are No. 8, and the RPI doesn’t care how badly a team loses. | boxscore

Only five of the 19 North Carolina schools have winning records.

1. Duke (20-3, 3-1)
Last week: 1
Bracketology: No. 2 seed in the West, vs. Patriot League champion
beat UNC Asheville, Davidson, N.C. State
lost to Wake Forest

Duke’s loss to Clemson was its worst since the national championship in 1990, when UNLV beat the Blue Devils by 30 points.

Then there’s the legend of Speedo Guy, 2003.

6. North Carolina (20-2, 2-1)
Last week: 4
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the Midwest, vs. MEAC champion
beat UNC Asheville, N.C. State
lost to Wake Forest

Tyler Hansbrough: 22.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, .529 2-point percentage and .843 free throw percentage

Ty Lawson: seventh in assists (6.6).

14. Wake Forest (18-3, 6-0)
Last week: 14
Bracketology: No. 2 seed in the East, vs. Big South champion
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, North Carolina, Duke

50. Davidson (19-4, 5-1)
Last week: 30
Bracketology: No. 8 seed in the West, vs. Utah
beat N.C. State, Appalachian State, Elon, Western Carolina,
UNC Greensboro
lost to Duke

College of Charleston beat Davidson 77-75 on Saturday, ending the Wildcats’ 43-game Southern Conference winning streak and dropping them 20 spots in the rankings. | boxscore

Stephen Curry: 28.7 points, 6.2 assists, 2.88 steals, .530 2-point percentage, .380 3-point percentage and .865 free throw percentage

Curry: first in scoring, sixth in steals.

115. N.C. State (12-9, 5-3)
Last week: 102
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, N.C. Central
lost to Davidson, Duke, North Carolina

156. Gardner-Webb (8-12, 2-1)
Last week: 189
beat Western Carolina, High Point
lost to UNC Asheville

161. East Carolina (9-10, 3-2)
Last week: 192
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest

Brock Young: first in assists (7.8).

167. UNC Charlotte (8-14, 1-1)
Last week: 193
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State

195. UNC Asheville (8-13, 3-3)
Last week: 226
beat Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb, High Point
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke

206. Western Carolina (10-11, 2-4)
Last week: 229
beat UNC Greensboro, Elon
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville, Appalachian State, Davidson

242. Appalachian State (9-12, 5-3)
Last week: 268
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell, Elon (2), Western Carolina
lost to UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Davidson

245. Elon (5-14, 0-5)
Last week: 252
lost to Appalachian State (2), Western Carolina, Davidson,
UNC Greensboro

254. UNC Wilmington (6-19, 2-2)
Last week: 276
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina

268. Campbell (8-13, 1-2)
Last week: 295
beat UNC Asheville
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State

280. N.C. A&T (7-13, 1-0)
Last week: 309
beat Winston-Salem State

312. UNC Greensboro (3-18, 2-5)
Last week: 328
beat Appalachian State, Elon
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina, Western Carolina,
Davidson

315. Winston-Salem State (4-15, 1-3)
Last week: 320
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State, N.C. A&T

333. High Point (3-17, 1-3)
Last week: 332
beat N.C. Central
lost to N.C. State, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

339. N.C. Central (1-22, 0-5)
Last week: 340
lost to Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, High Point,
Winston-Salem State, N.C. State

Only Sacramento State, Southern, Alcorn State and NJIT are worse.

North Carolina basketball report (5)

This week’s schedule
Monday: Davidson 89, Western Carolina 65 | boxscore
Tuesday: N.C. State 87, N.C. Central 59 | boxscore
Thursday: Davidson 75, UNC Greensboro 54 | boxscore
Saturday: Appalachian State 77, Elon 63 | boxscore

Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology: Bracket | Video

Rankings (results through Sunday’s games)
RPI rankings, team (overall record, record vs. North Carolina teams)

Duke lost at Wake Forest but kept the top stop, and 14 of the 19 North Carolina schools rank in the bottom half of the RPI.

1. Duke (19-2, 3-1)
Last week: 1
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the Midwest, vs. MEAC champion
beat UNC Asheville, Davidson, N.C. State
lost to Wake Forest

4. North Carolina (18-2, 2-1)
Last week: 7
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the West, vs. Patriot League champion
beat UNC Asheville, N.C. State
lost to Wake Forest

Tyler Hansbrough: 22.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, .547 2-point percentage and .843 free throw percentage

Ty Lawson: seventh in assists (6.5).

14. Wake Forest (17-2, 6-0)
Last week: 12
Bracketology: No. 2 seed in the South, vs. Big South champion
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, North Carolina, Duke

30. Davidson (17-3, 3-1)
Last week: 37
Bracketology: No. 9 seed in the East, vs. Ohio State
beat N.C. State, Appalachian State, Elon
lost to Duke

Stephen Curry: 29.0 points, 6.4 assists, 2.90 steals, .542 2-point percentage, .379 3-point percentage and .868 free throw percentage

Curry: first in scoring, 10th in assists, seventh in steals.

102. N.C. State (11-8, 4-3)
Last week: 110
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State, East Carolina
lost to Davidson, Duke, North Carolina

189. Gardner-Webb (7-11, 2-1)
Last week: 180
beat Western Carolina, High Point
lost UNC Asheville

192. East Carolina (7-10, 3-2)
Last week: 166
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest

Brock Young: first in assists (8.0).

193. UNC Charlotte (7-13, 1-1)
Last week: 193
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State

226. UNC Asheville (6-13, 3-3)
Last week: 203
beat Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb, High Point
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke

229. Western Carolina (9-9, 2-3)
Last week: 234
beat UNC Greensboro, Elon
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville, Appalachian State

252. Elon (4-13, 0-4)
Last week: 281
lost to Appalachian State, Western Carolina, Davidson,
UNC Greensboro

268. Appalachian State (7-11, 4-3)
Last week: 255
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell, Elon, Western Carolina
lost UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Davidson

276. UNC Wilmington (5-18, 2-2)
Last week: 270
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina

295. Campbell (7-12, 1-2)
Last week: 305
beat UNC Asheville
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State

309. N.C. A&T (5-13, 1-0)
Last week: 280
beat Winston-Salem State

320. Winston-Salem State (3-14, 1-3)
Last week: 330
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State, N.C. A&T

328. UNC Greensboro (2-17, 2-4)
Last week: 322
beat Appalachian State, Elon
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina, Western Carolina

332. High Point (2-16, 1-3)
Last week: 333
beat N.C. Central
lost to N.C. State, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

340. N.C. Central (1-21, 0-4)
Last week: 338
lost to Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, High Point,
Winston-Salem State

Only Southern, Alcorn State and NJIT are worse.

North Carolina basketball report (4)

Game of the Week: BC at N.C. State women, Thursday at 7 p.m.
Kay Yow always wanted more fans at women’s basketball games. Attending this game would be a fitting tribute.

Game of the Week II: Duke at Wake Forest, Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Blue Devils defend their No. 1 (RPI) ranking against the No. 12 Demon Deacons.

Game of the Week III: UNC at N.C. State, Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
This game will have to be State’s Super Bowl.

Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology: Bracket | Story

Rankings (results through Sunday’s games)
RPI rankings, team (overall record, record vs. North Carolina teams)

1. Duke (18-1, 3-0)
Last week: 1
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the Midwest, vs. Southland champion
beat UNC Asheville, Davidson, N.C. State

7. North Carolina (16-2, 1-1)
Last week: 7
Bracketology: No. 2 seed in the South, vs. Ivy League champion
beat UNC Asheville
lost to Wake Forest

Tyler Hansbrough: 22.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, .537 2-point percentage and .842 free throw percentage

His brother — Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame: is sitting out this season after transferring from Mississippi State.

Tyler: 10th in the country in scoring.

Ty Lawson: fifth in assists (6.7).

12. Wake Forest (16-1, 5-0)
Last week: 11
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the West, vs. Big Sky champion
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, North Carolina

37. Davidson (15-3, 3-1)
Last week: 31
Bracketology: No. 8 seed in the East, vs. Virginia Tech
beat N.C. State, Appalachian State, Elon
lost to Duke

Stephen Curry: 29.3 points, 6.4 assists, 2.95 steals, .553 2-point percentage, .385 3-point percentage and .854 free throw percentage

Curry: first in scoring, ninth in assists and seventh in steals.

His brother — Seth Curry, Liberty: 20.7 points, .506 2-point percentage, .386 3-point percentage and .781 free throw percentage

110. N.C. State (10-7, 4-2)
Last week: 117
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State, East Carolina
lost to Davidson, Duke

166. East Carolina (7-8, 3-2)
Last week: 174
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest

Brock Young: first in assists (8.2).

180. Gardner-Webb (6-10, 2-1)
Last week: 193
beat Western Carolina, High Point
lost UNC Asheville

193. UNC Charlotte (6-12, 1-1)
Last week: 206
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State

203. UNC Asheville (6-11, 3-3)
Last week: 189
beat Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb, High Point
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke

234. Western Carolina (7-9, 2-3)
Last week: 219
beat UNC Greensboro, Elon
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville, Appalachian State

255. Appalachian State (6-10, 4-3)
Last week: 272
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell, Elon, Western Carolina
lost UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Davidson

270. UNC Wilmington (5-16, 2-2)
Last week: 289
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina

280. N.C. A&T (5-11, 1-0)
Last week: 273
beat Winston-Salem State

Thomas Coleman: ninth in blocks (2.89).

281. Elon (3-11, 0-4)
Last week: 288
lost to Appalachian State, Western Carolina, Davidson,
UNC Greensboro

305. Campbell (5-12, 1-2)
Last week: 301
beat UNC Asheville
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State

322. UNC Greensboro (2-14, 2-4)
Last week: 317
beat Appalachian State, Elon
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina, Western Carolina

330. Winston-Salem State (2-13, 1-3)
Last week: 315
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State, N.C. A&T

333. High Point (2-14, 1-3)
Last week: 337
beat N.C. Central
lost to N.C. State, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

Cruz Daniels: ninth in blocks (2.89).

338. N.C. Central (1-20, 0-4)
Last week: 334
lost to Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, High Point,
Winston-Salem State

Nine of the 19 North Carolina teams (47 percent) rank in the bottom 26 percent of the sport.

North Carolina basketball report (3)

This week’s schedule:

Tuesday
N.C. State at Duke, 8 p.m.

Saturday
Western Carolina at Appalachian State, 5 p.m.
N.C. A&T at Winston-Salem State, 6 p.m.

Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology: Bracket | Story

Rankings (results through Sunday’s games)
RPI rankings, team (overall record, record vs. North Carolina teams)

1. Duke (16-1, 2-0)
Last week: 2
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the Midwest, vs. SWAC champion
beat UNC Asheville, Davidson

7. North Carolina (15-2, 1-1)
Last week: 9
Bracketology: No. 2 seed in the East, vs. Big South champion
beat UNC Asheville
lost to Wake Forest

Tyler Hansbrough: 22.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, .534 2-point percentage and .853 free throw percentage

11. Wake Forest (16-0, 5-0)
Last week: 16
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the South, vs. Ohio Valley champion
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, North Carolina

No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.

No. 1 in the coaches poll.

The only undefeated team in college basketball.

No. 11 in the RPI.

Clemson wasn’t impressed either. | Video

Notice the headline on that video is “Wake Forest-Clemson Fan Interference.”

The fan didn’t interfere. The player fell into the stands.

31. Davidson (13-3, 3-1)
Last week: 28
Bracketology: No. 8 seed in the East, vs. Kansas
beat N.C. State, Appalachian State, Elon
lost to Duke

23,000 Stephen Curry fans can’t be wrong.

Curry: 29.1 points, 6.5 assists, .543 2-point percentage,
.359 3-point percentage and .854 free throw percentage

117. N.C. State (10-5, 4-1)
Last week: 119
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State, East Carolina
lost to Davidson

174. East Carolina (6-7, 3-2)
Last week: 149
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest

189. UNC Asheville (5-10, 3-3)
Last week: 146
beat Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb, High Point
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke

193. Gardner-Webb (5-9, 2-1)
Last week: 192
beat Western Carolina, High Point
lost UNC Asheville

206. UNC Charlotte (5-11, 1-1)
Last week: 172
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State

219. Western Carolina (6-7, 2-2)
Last week: 188
beat UNC Greensboro, Elon
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

272. Appalachian State (5-9, 3-3)
Last week: 253
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell, Elon
lost UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Davidson

273. N.C. A&T (4-10, 0-0)
Last week: 270

288. Elon (2-10, 0-4)
Last week: 258
lost to Appalachian State, Western Carolina, Davidson,
UNC Greensboro

289. UNC Wilmington (4-15, 2-2)
Last week: 297
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina

301. Campbell (4-10, 1-2)
Last week: 286
beat UNC Asheville
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State

315. Winston-Salem State (2-11, 1-2)
Last week: 293
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State

317. UNC Greensboro (2-12, 2-4)
Last week: 324
beat Appalachian State, Elon
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina, Western Carolina

334. N.C. Central (1-18, 0-4)
Last week: 330
lost to Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, High Point,
Winston-Salem State

337. High Point (2-12, 1-3)
Last week: 336
beat N.C. Central
lost to N.C. State, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

Nine of the 19 North Carolina teams (47 percent) rank in the bottom 21 percent of the sport.

North Carolina basketball report (2)

This week’s research — the best shooters in ACC history (1985-94):

1. Mark Price
2. Jeff Lebo
3. Rodney Monroe
4. Kenny Smith
5. Hubert Davis

Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology is included as part of each team’s resume. Bracket | Story | Video

Rankings (results through Monday’s games)
RPI rankings, team (overall record, record vs. North Carolina teams)

2. Duke (14-1, 2-0)
Last week: 2
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the East, vs. MEAC champion
beat UNC Asheville, Davidson

9. North Carolina (13-2, 1-1)
Last week: 11
Bracketology: No. 2 seed in the West, vs. Big South champion
beat UNC Asheville
lost to Wake Forest

Tyler Hansbrough is averaging 22.4 points and 7.5 rebounds and shooting 55.0 percent from 2-point range and 84.6 percent from the free throw line.

16. Wake Forest (14-0, 5-0)
Last week: 31
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the South, vs. Ohio Valley champion
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, North Carolina

28. Davidson (11-3, 2-1)
Last week: 22
Bracketology: No. 7 seed in the Midwest, vs. Saint Mary’s
beat N.C. State, beat Appalachian State
lost to Duke

Bob Knight on Stephen Curry: “Take a good look at him, because he’s as good a passer as has ever played college basketball.” | Video

Curry is averaging 28.5 points and 6.7 assists and shooting 53.7 percent from 2-point range, 36.1 percent from 3-point range and 85.1 percent from the free throw line.

119. N.C. State (9-4, 4-1)
Last week: 133
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State, East Carolina
lost to Davidson

146. UNC Asheville (4-9, 2-3)
Last week: 140
beat Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke

149. East Carolina (6-6, 3-2)
Last week: 148
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest

188. Western Carolina (6-5, 2-2)
Last week: 166
beat UNC Greensboro, Elon
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

192. Gardner-Webb (3-9, 2-1)
Last week: 170
beat Western Carolina, High Point
lost UNC Asheville

172. UNC Charlotte (5-9, 1-1)
Last week: 182
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State

253. Appalachian State (5-7, 3-3)
Last week: 198
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell, Elon
lost UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Davidson

258. Elon (2-8, 0-0)
Last week: 209
lost to Appalachian State, Western Carolina

270. N.C. A&T (3-10, 0-0)
Last week: 214

293. Winston-Salem State (2-10, 1-2)
Last week: 239
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State

297. UNC Wilmington (4-13, 2-2)
Last week: 290
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central,
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina

286. Campbell (2-8, 1-2)
Last week: 322
beat UNC Asheville,
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State

330. N.C. Central (0-18, 0-4)
Last week: 332
lost to Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, High Point,
Winston-Salem State

324. UNC Greensboro (1-11, 1-4)
Last week: 335
beat Appalachian State
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina, Western Carolina

336. High Point (2-10, 1-2)
Last week: 338
beat N.C. Central
lost to N.C. State, Gardner-Webb

Nine of the 19 North Carolina teams (47 percent) rank in the bottom 27 percent of the sport.

North Carolina basketball report

Game of the Week: Davidson at Duke, Wednesday at 7 p.m. Everybody’s All-American Stephen Curry (29.2 points, 7.0 assists) comes to Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Game of the Week II: UNC at Wake Forest, Sunday at 8 p.m.
The Demon Deacons are ranked fourth in the Associated Press poll but just 31st in the RPI. They have played the 217th toughest schedule, with wins over N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State, Cal State Fullerton, UTEP, Baylor, Indiana, Bucknell, Wright State, Richmond, East Carolina, Radford and BYU.

Rankings (results through Monday’s games)
RPI rankings, team (overall record, record vs. North Carolina teams)

2. Duke (12-1, 1-0)
beat UNC Asheville

The Greg Paulus Experience is over. Paulus, who turned down the quarterback job at Notre Dame to play basketball at Duke, has started just one game this season.

11. North Carolina (12-1, 1-0)
beat UNC Asheville

Insert Tyler Hansbrough comment — good or bad — here.

22. Davidson (9-2, 1-0)
beat N.C. State

Curry’s shooting percentages are down, but he’s averaging three more points and four more assists than last season.

31. Wake Forest (13-0, 4-0)
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina

There are only four North Carolina teams in the top 100. The new Big Four, I guess.

133. N.C. State (9-3, 4-1)
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State, East Carolina
lost to Davidson

140. UNC Asheville (3-8, 1-3)
beat Western Carolina
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke

148. East Carolina (5-5, 3-2)
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest

166. Western Carolina (4-5, 0-2)
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

170. Gardner-Webb (2-8, 1-0)
beat Western Carolina

182. UNC Charlotte (5-7, 1-1)
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State

198. Appalachian State (4-5, 2-1)
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell
lost UNC Wilmington

209. Elon (2-5, 0-0)

214. N.C. A&T (3-8, 0-0)

239. Winston-Salem State (2-8, 1-2)
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State

290. UNC Wilmington (3-11, 2-2)
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central,
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina

322. Campbell (2-8, 1-2)
beat UNC Asheville,
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State

332. N.C. Central (0-16, 0-4)
lost to Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, High Point,
Winston-Salem State

335. UNC Greensboro (0-10, 0-3)
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina

338. High Point (1-9, 1-1)
beat N.C. Central
lost to N.C. State

Rodney Rogers paralyzed in ATV accident

Durham native and former Wake Forest basketball player Rodney Rogers is paralyzed as the result of an all-terrain vehicle accident, according to The News & Observer. | ESPN.com

Dave Odom, who coached Rogers when he earned All-America honors at Wake Forest and was the 1993 ACC Player of the Year, said Wednesday that his former star is paralyzed from the shoulders down.

“Say a prayer for Rodney and his family,” Odom said.

Barry Saunders writes that Rogers had a “legendary physique,” and that’s what struck me as especially stunning when I heard about his paralysis: The Durham Bull, an athlete defined by his body, is now rendered helpless by it.

I watched Rogers beat N.C. State in Reynolds Coliseum when I was in school. He had two 360-degree dunks in a display of his body as art.

Career statistics: Wake Forest | NBA

Preseason is premature

The injured Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina and Stephen Curry of Davidson were named to the Associated Press preseason All-America team Monday, earning this response from “bsee65” at ESPN.com:

“Preseason All-America? You’re kidding, right? Let’s let these guys earn it on the court.”

The rest of the team: Luke Harangody of Notre Dame, Darren Collison of UCLA and Blake Griffin of Oklahoma.

For an informed opinion on the preseason Associated Press poll, go to Patrick Stevens’ D1SCOURSE blog. He’s an AP voter.

No surprise: UNC preseason national No. 1

Roy Williams' Tar Heels are the unanimous preseason favorite to win the NCAA men's basketball national title.

"North Carolina received all 31 first-place votes as the unanimous No. 1 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, which was released Thursday," says ESPN.com.

"Since ESPN began participating in the coaches' poll in 1997-98 -- USA Today began the poll in 1991 -- the Tar Heels are the first unanimous preseason No. 1. They're also the top-ranked team for the second straight preseason.

"The other Final Four teams from 2008 earned strong rankings. UCLA came in at No. 4 and national runner-up Memphis landed at No. 12. The Tigers and Bruins have been ranked in the coaches' Top 25 for 61 consecutive weeks, the longest active streak."

The Duke Blue Devils are in at fifth place in the preseason poll.

"North Carolina's candidacy as the nation's top-ranked team and national championship favorite got a significant boost last spring when player of the year Tyler Hansbrough announced he would return for his senior season. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in leading the Tar Heels (36-3) to the winningest season in school history while sweeping the major national player of the year awards.

"Hansbrough already has qualified to become the eighth player in school history to have his jersey retired and can add several more records to his resume in his final season. He will be the first returning Associated Press national player of the year since LSU's Shaquille O'Neal in 1991."

Miami of the ACC is 16th, while Davidson is 20th and Wake Forest 24th.

Quick hits: Wild horses, old piers and Ol' Roy

Study looks at how many wild horses are enough
"A study is being launched to determine what impact wild horses have on the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina, where the animals compete increasingly with visitors for space," says the AP.

"The Corolla Wild Horse Fund estimates the study could cost $800,000 and take up to two years, The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported Monday.

"Karen McCalpin, executive director of the fund, said the group plans to commission researchers from N.C. State to examine the effects the horse herd has on marshes and grass.

"The fund and the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge agreed in 1999 to limit the herd to about 60 horses. The herd currently numbers 101 and McCalpin said she thinks a herd of 120 to 130 would be good for long-term health. ..."


N.C. aquarium agency closer on bidding on pier
"The head of North Carolina's aquarium agency says he hopes a rebuilt pier on the Outer Banks will be open for use by 2010," says the AP.

"North Carolina Aquariums director David Griffin said the agency will begin seeking bids this week on the Jennette's Pier project, The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported Monday.

"The $15 million project would rebuild the pier to 1,000 feet and design it to withstand hurricanes of 130 mph. The pier would include alternative energy generators and a 200-seat meeting area. ..."


UNC hoops No. 1 in media poll
"For the second straight season, North Carolina was the unanimous pick of media members Sunday to win the ACC in men's basketball," says Ken Tysiac.

Quick hits: New sports channel, interstate for the Carolinas

Fox Sports launches Carolinas network
"After agreeing to televise more Carolina Hurricanes games, landing a deal to carry the Charlotte Bobcats and adding South Carolina to its lineup, Fox Sports South decided it had enough programming to launch a Carolinas network," says the N&O.

"Hence the new Fox Sports Carolinas, to be abbreviated as FSCR in television program listings. You'll be able to get it on the same channel you're using to watch FSN South, for example channel 50 if you subscribe in Raleigh to Time Warner Cable. FSN South will send a more Carolinas-specific feed to Time Warner for viewers in those two states, says Jeff Genthner, senior vice president and general manager of Fox Sports South and FS Carolinas. ...

"FS Carolinas will televise 65 Canes games this year (up from 55), 70 Bobcats games and 43 ACC men's basketball games, including 19 on Sunday nights. The new regional sports network will look for additional opportunities to line up programming of local interest. ..."


New interstate to Myrtle Beach?
"South Carolina is now clear to start buying land for a new interstate to the Grand Strand," says the AP.

"State and federal highway officials signed papers Wednesday in Columbia for the northern stretch of Interstate 73. The action clears the way for buying land for the interstate between I-95 and the North Carolina state line. ...

"Interstate 73 will one day link Myrtle Beach and Michigan. It will provide the first interstate connection to the beach, which is the heart of South Carolina's $16 billion tourism industry. ..."

Sweet Davidson

It's a lead too easy not to write.

Easter Sunday. Davidson ("Son of David") slays the Giant. And, heck, if I were a sportswriter, I would probably have done the same thing.

The Davidson Wildcats have done the unthinkable. No, not getting to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament; anyone who actually followed them this season knew they were more than capable of that. No, the amazing thing that Bob McKillop's team has done is upstage the UNC Tar Heels in what basically became Carolina's home away from home, the RBC Center. And the Wildcats did it at the same time as the Heels were awing the basketball world with complete beat-downs of Mount St. Mary's and Arkansas. Thorough beatdowns, at that.

What Davidson is showing is that playing good teams makes you better, a novel concept, that.

Davidson's miracle run, in all likelihood, will hit a dead end at some point. But for now they have captivated the country, and have kinda sorta united N.C. basketball fans. Carolina fans were pulling for the team in red, on N.C. State's home court. And McKillop himself admits to stealing ideas from Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams.

"In the NCAA Tournament, that basketball reality show brought to you by 60 Minutes, the drama reaches such a crescendo that 15 minutes of fame can stretch into 48 hours," writes Lenox Rawlings.

"By then, most Americans tire of the gritty spud sprouts from Southwest Idaho State and start looking for a fresh thrill. Short attention spans usually match the limited staying power of the ’Taters, who flop about seven minutes into the second round.

"A grateful nation considered putting Davidson in the hall of fleeting fame yesterday. The Wildcats fell 17 points behind Georgetown moments after halftime, and shooting star Stephen Curry finally displayed mortal flashes.

"As it turned out, any skeptics gave up too quickly, and perhaps Georgetown started counting to Sweet 16 too early. ..."

"The Wildcats are so corny that they carry stacks of textbooks into the locker room and sing a Neil Diamond song with their fans, 'Sweet Caroline.' After the hand-in-glove show, that’s precisely what Davidson did, right in front of the team’s main booster section with the pep band pumping up the music and drawing North Carolina fans into the refrain. The scene amused [guard Jason] Richards.

" 'We definitely know the words,' he said. 'The whole school knows the words.'

"Right now, the whole basketball world knows about the small school with the big team. Davidson, sweet Davidson."