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.

Six more inducted into N.C. Sports Hall of Fame

The N.C. Sports Hall of Fame (based at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh) recently added a half-dozen new deserving members.

"John Swofford, ACC commissioner since 1997 and a former quarterback at North Carolina, is in the class. Also in the class are Appalachian State head football coach Jerry Moore, North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell and former East Carolina and Wake Forest men's basketball coach Dave Odom," said WRAL.

"Former North Carolina State running back and Canadian Football League star Willie Burden, and veteran golfer Roger Watson are also inductees."

The News & Observer's Caulton Tudor writes today that it's only a matter of time before Carolina Hurricanes legends Ron Francis and Glenn Wesley are added.

"Nowhere to be found is anyone with a hockey background. That should change soon," writes Tudor. "Under the 10-year state residency rule for non-North Carolina natives, former Carolina Hurricanes stars and current employees Ron Francis and Glen Wesley will be eligible for consideration in the 2010 voting."

Hoops notes: UNC most valuable team, NCAAs begin today

The North Carolina Tar Heels are the most valuable college basketball team in America, according to Forbes.

"The Heels generate nearly $26 million for the university, including $16.4 million in operating revenue, making the university one of the few in the nation that make more money from basketball than football, according to the story," writes the News & Observer.

The Duke Blue Devils rank eighth, while N.C. State and Wake Forest tied for 18th among the top 20 teams.

Go Tobacco Road!

The NCAA men's basketball tournament gets under way today. (Click here for the schedule.) The Tar Heels take on Radford at around 2:50 in Greensboro. The Blue Devils will take on Binghamton in Greensboro tonight around 9:40. Wake will take on Cleveland State tomorrow at around the same time.

(Speaking of Greensboro, former Clemson and current Texas coach Rick Barnes, a Hickory native, says he regrets his row with former UNC coach Dean Smith a dozen years ago or so.)

Other ACC teams in the tournament include Maryland, Boston College, Florida State and Clemson.

Oh, in case you haven't heard, the President has picked "N.C." to win it all.

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 (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.

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

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.

A little N.C. flavor in Copenhagen

"There is a distinctively North Carolina flavor at the American ambassador's home in the Danish capital," writes the Winston-Salem Journal.

"Paintings by artists from the state adorn the walls of 'Rydhave,' a house noted for its beauty and history. And business leaders from North Carolina who recently visited found the state flag flying outside and a meal of barbecue, biscuits and pecan pie imported from the Tarheel state.

"The decor and dishes reflect the heritage of Jim Cain, who grew up in Winston-Salem and uses his home-state's heritage to put the best face on American foreign diplomacy."

Read on for more about Cain, who has worked in Raleigh as an attorney, businessman and even president of the Carolina Hurricanes. (Cain even once used the same Raleigh barber as one certain blogger. Ahem.)

"Public attitudes toward the U.S. have worsened throughout Western Europe since the onset of the Iraq War," said Pete Furia, a professor of political science at Wake Forest University.

"However, official relations between the U.S. and Denmark over the same period have been warmer than those between the U.S. and larger European countries like Germany and France."

Cain has "encouraged Danes to visit his home state," says the paper.

"He helped Danish students spend time in both North Carolina and Winston-Salem through various exchange programs during the past three years. He also came to Winston-Salem with the Danish ambassador to the United States, Friis Petersen, in 2006 to speak to law students at Wake Forest."

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.

Quick hits: Wake to drop SAT, ACT; USS Kitty Hawk drops anchor for the last time; and the guy who dropped 'Andy's' theme passes away

Wake Forest to drop ACT, SAT
"In a groundbreaking move, Wake Forest University will no longer require applicants to submit SAT or ACT test scores for admission, school officials [announced on Tuesday]," said the News & Observer.

"Wake Forest will become the only top-30 national university in the U.S. News & World Report ranking to make the standardized tests optional. The policy change takes effect with the freshman class starting in 2009.

"University officials say they changed their policy after reviewing extensive research that shows the tests favor wealthy students and aren't the best predictors of college success. ..."

USS Kitty Hawk says sayonara
"The oldest active ship in the U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk, made its final departure from Japan on Wednesday to be decommissioned after nearly half a century of service," said the Associated Press.

"The Kitty Hawk, with sailors lining its decks, pulled away from Yokosuka port just south of Tokyo to the cheers of hundreds of schoolchildren and the sounds of brass bands.

"It flew the 'Don't Tread on Me' flag, which designates it as the oldest ship in the Navy.

"The Kitty Hawk, the last conventionally powered aircraft carrier in the Navy, is to be replaced later this summer by the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered carrier. ..."

'Andy Griffith' composer dies
"Earle H. Hagen, who co-wrote the jazz classic 'Harlem Nocturne' and composed memorable themes for 'The Andy Griffith Show,' 'I Spy,' 'The Mod Squad' and other TV shows, has died. He was 88," according to the Associated Press.

"Hagen, who is heard whistling the folksy tune for 'The Andy Griffith Show,' died Monday night at his home in Rancho Mirage, his wife, Laura, said Tuesday. He had been in ill health for several months.

"During his long musical career, Hagen performed with the top bands of the swing era, composed for movies and television and wrote one of the first textbooks on movie composing. ..."

North Carolina basketball report

The second annual All-North Carolina teams ...

First team
Forward: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
23.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 54.6 2-point shooting,
81.7 free throw shooting

Much more polished than last season, Hansbrough edges Curry and Reid for player of the year in the state.

Forward: Arizona Reid, High Point
23.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 56.1 2-point shooting,
74.6 free throw shooting

Reid is sixth in points and sixth in rebounds nationally.

Forward: Kyle Hines, UNC Greensboro
19.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 56.2 2-point shooting,
62.8 free throw shooting, 3.06 blocks

Hines ranks ninth in the country in blocks.

Guard: Stephen Curry, Davidson
25.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 54.6 2-point shooting,
43.8 3-point shooting, 89.8 free throw shooting

Curry is fifth in the nation in points, and his total shooting percentage (2-point + 3-point + free throw) of 188.2 is better than any season by J.J. Redick.

Guard: Ty Lawson, North Carolina
12.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 58.6 2-point shooting,
81.5 free throw shooting

Nobody is better from free throw line to free throw line.

Second team
Forward: Jonathan Rodriguez, Campbell
20.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 51.8 2-point shooting,
76.5 free throw shooting

Forward: James Johnson, Wake Forest
14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 57.4 2-point shooting,
68.9 free throw shooting

Johnson is the pick over J.J. Hickson of N.C. State, Kyle Singler of Duke, Vladimir Kulianin and T.J. Carter of UNC Wilmington and many, many others.

Center: Kenny George, UNC Asheville
12.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 69.0 2-point shooting,
66.2 free throw shooting, 3.41 blocks

George is 7-foot-7! He also leads the nation in field goal percentage and is seventh in blocks.

Guard: DeMarcus Nelson, Duke
15.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 54.7 2-point shooting,
40.8 3-point shooting, 60.7 free throw shooting

Nelson is the best perimeter player on a team full of them.

Guard: Jason Richards, Davidson
12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 51.5 2-point shooting,
73.6 free throw shooting

Richards passes to Curry and does it well, leading the nation in assists.

Final rankings
RPI rankings, team (overall record, record vs. North Carolina teams)
WITH whether each team made the NCAA tournament and how

2. North Carolina (32-2, 6-1)
Last week: 2
beat Davidson, UNC Asheville, N.C. State (2), Wake Forest, Duke
lost to Duke

IN: automatic berth, ACC

UNC beat Clemson 86-81 in the ACC tournament final, winning their record 17th conference championship.

7. Duke (27-5, 5-2)
Last week: 4
beat N.C. Central, Davidson, N.C. State (2), North Carolina
lost to Wake Forest, North Carolina

IN: at-large berth

Duke lost to Clemson 78-74 in the ACC tournament semifinals.

35. Davidson (25-6, 11-4)
Last week: 41
beat N.C. Central, Appalachian State (2), Western Carolina (2),
Elon (3), UNC Greensboro (3)
lost to North Carolina, Duke, UNC Charlotte, N.C. State

IN:: automatic berth, Southern Conference

The Wildcats were 23-0 in the conference, including the tournament.

68. UNC Charlotte (20-13, 5-0)
Last week: 86
beat High Point, Appalachian State, Wake Forest, Davidson,
Gardner-Webb

OUT: lost to Temple 60-45 in Atlantic 10 semifinals

100. Wake Forest (17-13, 4-3)
Last week: 87
beat N.C. Central, Winston-Salem State, Duke, N.C. State
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, North Carolina

OUT: lost to Florida State 70-60 in ACC first round

103. N.C. State (15-16, 4-6)
Last week: 92
beat Davidson, Western Carolina, N.C. Central, Wake Forest
lost to East Carolina, North Carolina (2), Duke (2), Wake Forest

OUT: lost to Miami 63-50 in ACC first round

State closed the season with nine consecutive losses, finishing with a losing record for the first time since 2001.

125. UNC Greensboro (19-12, 7-4)
Last week: 130
beat UNC Wilmington, Elon (2), Appalachian State (2),
Western Carolina (2)
lost to Appalachian State, Davidson (3)

OUT: lost to Davidson 82-52 in Southern Conference semifinals

126. UNC Wilmington (20-13, 2-1)
Last week: 133
beat N.C. Central, East Carolina
lost to UNC Greensboro

OUT: lost to George Mason 53-41 in CAA semifinals

143. UNC Asheville (19-9, 4-2)
Last week: 143
beat Campbell (2), Western Carolina, High Point
lost to North Carolina, High Point

OUT: lost to Winthrop 66-48 in Big South championship

154. Appalachian State (17-13, 5-6)
Last week: 157
beat Campbell, UNC Greensboro, Elon, Western Carolina (2)
lost to Charlotte, Davidson (2), Elon, UNC Greensboro (2)

OUT: lost to UNC Greensboro 63-46 in Southern Conference quarterfinals

200. Gardner-Webb (15-16, 2-2)
Last week: 201
beat High Point, Campbell
lost to UNC Charlotte, Campbell

OUT: lost to Jacksonville 89-80 in Atlantic Sun semifinals

210. Elon (13-18, 2-7)
Last week: 218
beat Western Carolina, Appalachian State
lost to Davidson (3), UNC Greensboro (2), Western Carolina, Appalachian State

OUT: lost to Davidson 65-49 in Southern Conference championship

231. High Point (13-14, 1-3)
Last week: 233
beat UNC Asheville
lost to Charlotte, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

OUT: lost to Winthrop 61-53 in Big South semifinals

234. N.C. A&T (11-16, 1-1)
Last week: 215
beat Winston-Salem State
lost to Winston-Salem State

OUT: lost to Delaware State 64-62 in MEAC quarterfinals

255. East Carolina (9-18, 2-1)
Last week: 251
beat N.C. State, N.C. Central
lost to UNC Wilmington

OUT: lost to Tulsa 66-49 in Conference USA opening round

279. N.C. Central (3-23, 1-7)
Last week: 293
beat Winston-Salem State
lost to Duke, Wake Forest, Davidson, Western Carolina,
UNC Wilmington, East Carolina, N.C. State

OUT: independent

Saturday: beat Winston-Salem State 60-56

293. Western Carolina (9-21, 2-10)
Last week: 296
beat N.C. Central, Elon
lost to UNC Asheville, Elon, N.C. State, Davidson (2),
Appalachian State (2), UNC Greensboro (3)

OUT: lost to Wofford 58-49 in Southern Conference opening round

312. Winston-Salem State (10-18, 1-3)
Last week: 303
beat N.C. A&T
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. A&T, N.C. Central

OUT: independent

Saturday: lost to N.C. Central 60-56

311. Campbell (9-20, 1-4)
Last week: 311
beat Gardner-Webb
lost to UNC Asheville (2), Appalachian State, Gardner-Webb

OUT: lost to Belmont 75-66 in Atlantic Sun quarterfinals

North Carolina basketball report

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

2. North Carolina (29-2, 6-1)
Last week: 3
beat Davidson, UNC Asheville, N.C. State (2), Wake Forest, Duke
lost to Duke

The latest installments of the best players in ACC history from Patrick Stevens, The Washington Times’ ACC basketball beat writer, and myself: 1975-86 and 1987-95.

Tom Knott of The Washington Times writes about Tyler Hansbrough.

Hansbrough: 10th in the country in points (23.1)

4. Duke (26-4, 5-2)
Last week: 4
beat N.C. Central, Davidson, N.C. State (2), North Carolina
lost to Wake Forest, North Carolina

41. Davidson (24-6, 11-4)
Last week: 44
beat N.C. Central, Appalachian State (2), Western Carolina (2),
Elon (3), UNC Greensboro (3)
lost to North Carolina, Duke, UNC Charlotte, N.C. State

Monday: beat Elon 65-49 in Southern Conference championship

Stephen Curry scored 23 points as the Wildcats completed a 23-0 run through the conference, including the tournament.

Stephen Curry: fifth in points (25.2)

Jason Richards: first in assists (7.9)

86. UNC Charlotte (18-12, 5-0)
Last week: 94
beat High Point, Appalachian State, Wake Forest, Davidson,
Gardner-Webb

Wednesday: vs. Rhode Island in first round of Atlantic 10 tournament, 9 p.m.

87. Wake Forest (17-12, 4-3)
Last week: 85
beat N.C. Central, Winston-Salem State, Duke, N.C. State
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, North Carolina

92. N.C. State (15-15, 4-6)
Last week: 83
beat Davidson, Western Carolina, N.C. Central, Wake Forest
lost to East Carolina, North Carolina (2), Duke (2), Wake Forest

State has lost eight consecutive games.

130. UNC Greensboro (19-12, 7-4)
Last week: 139
beat UNC Wilmington, Elon (2), Appalachian State (2),
Western Carolina (2)
lost to Appalachian State, Davidson (3)

Sunday: lost to Davidson 82-52 in Southern Conference semifinals

Kyle Hines: ninth in blocks (3.06)

133. UNC Wilmington (20-13, 2-1)
Last week: 135
beat N.C. Central, East Carolina
lost to UNC Greensboro

Sunday: lost to George Mason 53-41 in CAA semifinals

Vladimir Kulianin: second in field goal percentage (.667)

143. UNC Asheville (19-9, 4-2)
Last week: 131
beat Campbell (2), Western Carolina, High Point
lost to North Carolina, High Point

Saturday: lost to Winthrop 66-48 in Big South championship

Kenny George: first in field goal percentage (.690), eighth in blocks (3.41)

157. Appalachian State (17-13, 5-6)
Last week: 153
beat Campbell, UNC Greensboro, Elon, Western Carolina (2)
lost to Charlotte, Davidson (2), Elon, UNC Greensboro (2)

Saturday: lost to UNC Greensboro 63-46 in Southern Conference quarterfinals

201. Gardner-Webb (15-16, 2-2)
Last week: 206
beat High Point, Campbell
lost to UNC Charlotte, Campbell

Friday: lost to Jacksonville 89-80 in Atlantic Sun semifinals

Thomas Sanders: ninth in rebounds (10.8)

215. N.C. A&T (11-15, 1-1)
Last week: 227
beat Winston-Salem State
lost to Winston-Salem State

Thursday: vs. Delaware State in MEAC tournament quarterfinals
in Raleigh

218. Elon (13-17, 2-7)
Last week: 249
beat Western Carolina, Appalachian State
lost to Davidson (3), UNC Greensboro (2), Western Carolina, Appalachian State

Monday: lost to Davidson 65-49 in Southern Conference championship

233. High Point (13-14, 1-3)
Last week: 238
beat UNC Asheville
lost to Charlotte, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville

Thursday: lost to Winthrop 61-53 in Big South semifinals

Arizona Reid: seventh in points (23.9), sixth in rebounds (11.0)

Mike Jefferson: fourth in assists (7.0)

251. East Carolina (9-17, 2-1)
Last week: 251
beat N.C. State, N.C. Central
lost to UNC Wilmington

Wednesday: vs. Tulane in opening round of Conference USA tournament

293. N.C. Central (2-23, 0-7)
Last week: 292
lost to Duke, Wake Forest, Davidson, Western Carolina,
UNC Wilmington, East Carolina, N.C. State

Saturday: vs. Winston-Salem State, 4:30 p.m.

296. Western Carolina (9-21, 2-10)
Last week: 291
beat N.C. Central, Elon
lost to UNC Asheville, Elon, N.C. State, Davidson (2),
Appalachian State (2), UNC Greensboro (3)

Friday: lost to Wofford 58-49 in opening round of Southern Conference tournament

303. Winston-Salem State (10-17, 1-2)
Last week: 309
beat N.C. A&T
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. A&T

Saturday: at N.C. Central, 4:30 p.m.

311. Campbell (9-20, 1-4)
Last week: 317
beat Gardner-Webb
lost to UNC Asheville (2), Appalachian State, Gardner-Webb

Wednesday: lost to Belmont 75-66 in Atlantic Sun quarterfinals