Hardee's embraces N.C. college football

Yes, it has morphed into somewhat of a tacky, sexist company, but ya gotta hand it to Hardee's. The North Carolina-born restaurant is celebrating the just-started 2011 college football season across the state with a special promotion.

Every Tuesday this season, Hardee's restaurants statewide will offer a 5-piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders(TM) combo meal for the reduced price of $5, a savings of over $2.

More than 230 Hardee's restaurants statewide will participate in "Team Tender Tuesdays." The promotion begins Tuesday, Sept. 6 and runs the duration of the 2011 regular football season, according to a press release.

Fans throughout North Carolina are encouraged to take advantage of "Team Tender Tuesdays," whether cheering for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, the East Carolina University Pirates, the North Carolina State University Wolfpack or the Appalachian State University Mountaineers. (What? No Duke? No Wake Forest?)

In addition to "Team Tender Tuesdays," Hardee's will sponsor on-field promotions at three games during the season. At each game a fan will be given the chance to kick a field goal at halftime. If the kick is good, every fan in the stadium will receive a coupon for a free Hand-Breaded Chicken Tender(TM) Wrapper.

"Hardee's was born in North Carolina and we recognize the big role college sports play in the lives of many of our customers here," said Jerry Allsbrook, chief marketing officer for Boddie-Noell Enterprises, the largest Hardee's franchisee in North Carolina and the U.S. "We're looking forward to continuing our tradition of supporting North Carolina's love of football with our 'Team Tender Tuesdays' and on-field kick promotions."

Hardee's Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders are fresh, all-white-meat chicken tenders, hand-dipped in eggs and buttermilk and lightly breaded. The Tenders were added to the menu last year and were introduced to Hardee's by Boddie-Noell who first developed the menu item in the company's North Carolina test kitchens. The 5-piece Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders combo meal includes Natural-Cut French Fries and a beverage. ...

Here's a shocker: N.C. ACC football teams not expected to do well

The media has made its preseason Atlantic Coast Conference picks, and the Hokies of Virginia Tech are the early favorites.

Not surprisingly, the four N.C. teams are not expected to compete for a division or conference title.*

Here are the preseason picks:

ACC Championship votes:

1. Virginia Tech (50)
2. Florida State (26)
3. Miami (10)
4. Georgia Tech (8)
5. (tie) Boston College and UNC (2)

Atlantic Division

1. Florida State (78)
2. Clemson (16)
3. Boston College (4)
4. NC State
5. Wake Forest
6. Maryland

Coastal Division

1. Virginia Tech (62)
2. Miami (20)
3. Georgia Tech (11)
4. North Carolina (5)
5. Duke
6. Virginia

*In all honesty, the goings-ons and uncertainty at UNC probably prevented the Heels from ranking higher.

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.

Quick hits: 'Blood Done Sign My Name' opens, and UNCG talks drug school

Movie version of 'Blood Done Sign May Name' opens
"A movie about the killing of a black man in 1970 in North Carolina and the trial that resulted in the acquittals of white men is opening nationally," says the AP.

" 'Blood Done Sign My Name' opens on Friday on screens in large cities, but also in several North Carolina cities, including Charlotte and Raleigh. The movie is based on the memoir of the same name by Tim Tyson, a Duke University professor who grew up in Oxford during the time of the shooting and trial.

"Screenwriter Jeb Stuart, who directed 'Blood,' is best known for writing action films such as 'Die Hard' and 'The Fugitive.' The movie was filmed in North Carolina, mostly in Monroe and Shelby, and stars Nate Parker and Rick Schroder. ..."

IMDB.com

UNCG's proposed pharmacy school gains attention

"After a year of gathering dust in Chapel Hill, UNCG’s proposal for a pharmacy school is finally getting some attention," says the News & Record.

"David Perrin, UNCG’s executive vice chancellor and provost, told the UNCG Board of Trustees on Thursday that a team of consultants will visit the university March 5 to review the proposal. All are from outside the state and are either current or former pharmacy school deans.

"The consultants will report their findings to UNC system officials. UNCG administrators said they expect their request to be placed on the Board of Governors’ April agenda. ..."

John Hope Franklin passes away

From the News & Observer ...

John Hope Franklin, the revered historian who chronicled the South and gave definition to the African-American experience, died this morning at the age of 94.

Franklin, the James B. Duke professor of history emeritus at Duke University, died at Duke Hospital, said David Jarmul, a spokesman for Duke University.

Franklin was considered one of the most influential historians of the 20th century. His book "From Slavery to Freedom," first published in 1947, was a seminal work on African-American history and has sold 3.5 million copies.

His scholarship helped ensure that no American history book could be complete without the story of African-Americans, and that America had to confront the reality of slavery and segregation in its past.

He was at the forefront of some of the biggest turning points in the nation's civil rights history. In 1953, he helped NAACP lawyers with research for the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education school desegregation case. In 1965, he joined a group of historians who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King from Selma to Montgomery. Five decades after his masterpiece was published, he was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1997 to lead a national intiative on race. ...

RIP, Dr. Franklin.

Ferry schedules to be cut

The News & Observer's Bruce Siceloff is reporting that budget constraints will lead to the N.C. DOT's Ferry Division to cut some ferry schedules this summer.

"The changes will affect tourists and fishermen who take the Pamlico Sound ferries to Ocracoke Island, and commuters who use the Cherry Branch - Minnesott Beach and Bayview - Aurora river ferries," Siceloff writes.

"The Pamilco Sound toll ferry, which usually adds more runs for the busy summer season, will stay on its reduced winter schedule this year: four round trips daily (instead of the usual six) between Cedar Island and Ocracoke, and two trips (instead of four) between Swan Quarter and Ocracoke. ..."

Go to www.ncferry.org or call 1-800-293-3779 for more information.

One of the "neatest" (do people still say "neat"?) things about North Carolina's ferry system is the fact that the vessels are named after the state's colleges and universities, as these photos show the Duke and N.C. State ferries, respectively, proving that the ferries are named for private and public schools.

North Carolina basketball report (9)

Duke moved ahead of North Carolina, but that will be settled Sunday in the ACC season finale.

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

Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology: bracket | video

Monday’s game
Davidson 90, Elon 78 | boxscore

Saturday’s game
Duke at North Carolina, 4

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

2. Duke (24-5, 4-2)
Last week: 4
beat UNC Asheville, Davidson, N.C. State, Wake Forest
lost to Wake Forest, North Carolina
Bracketology: No. 3 seed in the East, vs. Ivy League champion

3. North Carolina (24-3, 4-1)
Last week: 3
beat UNC Asheville, N.C. State (2), Duke
lost to Wake Forest
Bracketology: No. 1 seed in the West, vs. Ohio Valley champion

ACC career scoring leaders        pts
1. J.J. Redick                  2,769
2. Tyler Hansbrough             2,678
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    21.3   7.8   0.9   .539   6-15   .849
Ty Lawson     15.8   2.6   6.5   .569   .494   .815

Lawson: seventh in nation in assists, seventh in 3-point shooting.

17. Wake Forest (22-5, 7-2)
Last week: 18
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest
lost to N.C. State, Duke
Bracketology: No. 3 seed in the South, vs. Patriot League champion

               pts   reb   ast    2pt    3pt     ft
Jeff Teague   20.0   3.4   3.7   .504   .494   .832

67. Davidson (23-6, 6-1)
Last week: 59
beat N.C. State, Appalachian State, Elon, Western Carolina,
UNC Greensboro (2)
lost to Duke
Bracketology: No. 11 seed in the Midwest, vs. Florida State

Stephen Curry scored his 2,500th point Monday night. | story

               pts   reb   ast    2pt    3pt     ft
Stephen Curry 28.5   4.3   5.8   .522   .386   .873

100. N.C. State (15-12, 6-5)
Last week: 90
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, N.C. Central, Wake Forest
lost to Davidson, Duke, North Carolina (2), Wake Forest

183. UNC Charlotte (11-17, 1-1)
Last week: 166
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State

DiJuan Harris: fourth in nation in assists (7.3).

189. Western Carolina (14-14, 4-5)
Last week: 203
beat UNC Greensboro (2), Elon, Appalachian State
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville, Appalachian State, Davidson,
Elon

199. UNC Asheville (11-15, 5-3)
Last week: 204
beat Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb (2), High Point (2)
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke

208. East Carolina (10-15, 3-2)
Last week: 187
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest

Brock Young: second in nation in assists (7.6).

217. Gardner-Webb (10-16, 2-3)
Last week: 220
beat Western Carolina, High Point
lost to UNC Asheville (2), High Point

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

252. Campbell (12-15, 1-2)
Last week: 270
beat UNC Asheville
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State

258. Appalachian State (11-17, 6-4)
Last week: 254
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell, Elon (2), Western Carolina,
UNC Greensboro
lost to UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Davidson, Western Carolina

273. UNC Wilmington (7-24, 3-2)
Last week: 276
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central, Elon
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina

280. Elon (8-18, 1-7)
Last week: 264
beat Western Carolina
lost to Appalachian State (2), Western Carolina, Davidson,
UNC Greensboro (2), UNC Wilmington

317. Winston-Salem State (6-19, 1-4)
Last week: 319
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State, N.C. A&T (2)

321. UNC Greensboro (4-24, 3-8)
Last week: 324
beat Appalachian State, Elon (2)
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina,
Western Carolina (2), Davidson (2), Appalachian State

326. High Point (6-20, 2-3)
Last week: 328
beat N.C. Central, Gardner-Webb
lost to N.C. State, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville (2)

Cruz Daniels: 10th in nation in blocks (2.72).

339. N.C. Central (2-25, 0-5)
Last week: 339
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 (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.

State-Carolina will meet at the end of the season

Duke and North Carolina will play for the Victory Bell once again. But this year, the Blue Devils and Tar Heels will meet on Nov. 7 -- almost a month before the end of the ACC football season. The Heels will instead meet N.C. State in its last regular-season game, not Duke. State and Carolina meet on Nov. 28 in Raleigh.

The ACC's schedule was released today.

ACCNow has a look at the N.C. teams' respective schedules.

-N.C. State
-UNC
-Duke
-Wake Forest
-East Carolina

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.

Former N.C. Gov. Scott & oldest living MLBer Werber pass away

Rob Christensen has penned a nice piece about the passing of former Gov. Bob Scott, who died today at age 79.

"Scott served as the state's chief executive from 1969 to 1973, a time of social unrest arising from racial divisions and the Vietnam War. Scott was instrumental in unifying the state's university system and helped push through the legislature the first tax on tobacco -- then a political sacred cow. ...

" 'North Carolina has lost one of our greatest governors today, and many of us have lost a friend,' Gov. Beverly Perdue said in a statement.

"Scott, she said, 'always believed that North Carolina could be a better place, with wider doors of opportunity for all our people, and he worked to make it so.' She ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset Tuesday. ..."

Across the Piedmont, in Charlotte, Bill Werber, the oldest living Major League Baseball player, died at age 100.

Werber was also the first basketball All-American at Duke.

"Werber had lived in Charlotte since 1998 at the Carriage Club retirement community to be near daughter Pat Bryant, who closely supervised his day-to-day care.

"Even into his late 90s, Werber would stay up past his normal 9 p.m. bedtime to watch Duke basketball games on TV.

"He often wore a Duke golf shirt and usually kept a Duke blanket wrapped around his legs."

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

Wolfpack: State football champs

(Sorry for the tardiness of posts; a newborn baby will do this to ya.)

With NC State's 41-10 whipping of UNC on Saturday (a win that has State fans, well, excited), the Wolfpack has laid claim to being the best program in the state. At least, that's Coach Tom O'Brien's theory.

But is he correct?

WRAL's Dane Huffman says ... maybe. If you're counting recent success, you gotta give the edge to Wake Forest. National prominence this year? UNC. A chance at a conference title? ECU.

The Pack did go undefeated against everyone from the state that they played. And State beat App State in recent seasons -- seasons that saw the 'Neers win consecutive national titles.

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.

Clemson picked to win ACC football; App expected to win SoCon

The Clemson Tigers are the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference's football championship this year, as predicted by members of the media.

Clemson was picked No. 1 in the (still ill-named) Atlantic Division. I'm guessing by looking at the preseason rankings that Clemson is expected to knock off Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game. The Hokies are expected to leave the (equally ill-named) Coastal Division.

As far as N.C. teams go, UNC-Chapel Hill is expected to finish second in the Coastal, and Wake Forest second in the Atlantic. At the other end of the spectrum are Duke and N.C. State, who are expected to finish last in the Coastal and Atlantic, respectively.

In other football news, three-time national champ Appalachian State has been picked to win the Southern Conference ... again. The Mountaineers received eight of nine first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll.

Elon University was picked second, while Western Carolina was picked eighth.