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.
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Quick hits: Bobcats should stick around a while. Young smokers? Maybe not
Contract binds Bobcats to Charlotte
"Bob Johnson may be disappointed by Charlotte's lukewarm reception to his basketball team, but the Bobcats and the city appear stuck with each other for some time," says the Charlotte Observer.
"Johnson complained this week that Charlotte's corporate community isn't buying enough of his most expensive club seats and suites, and that he's losing money on the four-year-old NBA team.
"But Johnson, the team's majority owner, said he won't sell or move the team -- and acknowledged that his arena deal with the city makes leaving virtually impossible.
"Details of the controversial arena contract suggest that Johnson received one of the best deals in the NBA, but he also is anchored to Charlotte for years. ..."
N.C. teen smoking rates hit all-time low
"Teen smoking rates in the Tar Heel State are at all-time lows. Recently released results from the 2007 North Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey show smoking among middle school and high school students is down significantly since 2003," says News 14 Carolina.
"... It is a movement that is spreading across the state. According to survey figures, the number of teen smokers in North Carolina has dropped by 34,000 in the last four years.
"More than 7,500 middle school and high school students took part in this year's survey. They came from 191 schools from more than 70 school districts across the state. ..."
"Bob Johnson may be disappointed by Charlotte's lukewarm reception to his basketball team, but the Bobcats and the city appear stuck with each other for some time," says the Charlotte Observer.
"Johnson complained this week that Charlotte's corporate community isn't buying enough of his most expensive club seats and suites, and that he's losing money on the four-year-old NBA team.
"But Johnson, the team's majority owner, said he won't sell or move the team -- and acknowledged that his arena deal with the city makes leaving virtually impossible.
"Details of the controversial arena contract suggest that Johnson received one of the best deals in the NBA, but he also is anchored to Charlotte for years. ..."
N.C. teen smoking rates hit all-time low
"Teen smoking rates in the Tar Heel State are at all-time lows. Recently released results from the 2007 North Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey show smoking among middle school and high school students is down significantly since 2003," says News 14 Carolina.
"... It is a movement that is spreading across the state. According to survey figures, the number of teen smokers in North Carolina has dropped by 34,000 in the last four years.
"More than 7,500 middle school and high school students took part in this year's survey. They came from 191 schools from more than 70 school districts across the state. ..."
Monday, March 24, 2008
Sweet Davidson
It's a lead too easy not to write.
Easter Sunday. Davidson ("Son of David") slays the Giant. And, heck, if I were a sportswriter, I would probably have done the same thing.
The Davidson Wildcats have done the unthinkable. No, not getting to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament; anyone who actually followed them this season knew they were more than capable of that. No, the amazing thing that Bob McKillop's team has done is upstage the UNC Tar Heels in what basically became Carolina's home away from home, the RBC Center. And the Wildcats did it at the same time as the Heels were awing the basketball world with complete beat-downs of Mount St. Mary's and Arkansas. Thorough beatdowns, at that.
What Davidson is showing is that playing good teams makes you better, a novel concept, that.
Davidson's miracle run, in all likelihood, will hit a dead end at some point. But for now they have captivated the country, and have kinda sorta united N.C. basketball fans. Carolina fans were pulling for the team in red, on N.C. State's home court. And McKillop himself admits to stealing ideas from Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams.
"In the NCAA Tournament, that basketball reality show brought to you by 60 Minutes, the drama reaches such a crescendo that 15 minutes of fame can stretch into 48 hours," writes Lenox Rawlings.
"By then, most Americans tire of the gritty spud sprouts from Southwest Idaho State and start looking for a fresh thrill. Short attention spans usually match the limited staying power of the ’Taters, who flop about seven minutes into the second round.
"A grateful nation considered putting Davidson in the hall of fleeting fame yesterday. The Wildcats fell 17 points behind Georgetown moments after halftime, and shooting star Stephen Curry finally displayed mortal flashes.
"As it turned out, any skeptics gave up too quickly, and perhaps Georgetown started counting to Sweet 16 too early. ..."
"The Wildcats are so corny that they carry stacks of textbooks into the locker room and sing a Neil Diamond song with their fans, 'Sweet Caroline.' After the hand-in-glove show, that’s precisely what Davidson did, right in front of the team’s main booster section with the pep band pumping up the music and drawing North Carolina fans into the refrain. The scene amused [guard Jason] Richards.
" 'We definitely know the words,' he said. 'The whole school knows the words.'
"Right now, the whole basketball world knows about the small school with the big team. Davidson, sweet Davidson."
Easter Sunday. Davidson ("Son of David") slays the Giant. And, heck, if I were a sportswriter, I would probably have done the same thing.
The Davidson Wildcats have done the unthinkable. No, not getting to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament; anyone who actually followed them this season knew they were more than capable of that. No, the amazing thing that Bob McKillop's team has done is upstage the UNC Tar Heels in what basically became Carolina's home away from home, the RBC Center. And the Wildcats did it at the same time as the Heels were awing the basketball world with complete beat-downs of Mount St. Mary's and Arkansas. Thorough beatdowns, at that.
What Davidson is showing is that playing good teams makes you better, a novel concept, that.
Davidson's miracle run, in all likelihood, will hit a dead end at some point. But for now they have captivated the country, and have kinda sorta united N.C. basketball fans. Carolina fans were pulling for the team in red, on N.C. State's home court. And McKillop himself admits to stealing ideas from Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams.
"In the NCAA Tournament, that basketball reality show brought to you by 60 Minutes, the drama reaches such a crescendo that 15 minutes of fame can stretch into 48 hours," writes Lenox Rawlings.
"By then, most Americans tire of the gritty spud sprouts from Southwest Idaho State and start looking for a fresh thrill. Short attention spans usually match the limited staying power of the ’Taters, who flop about seven minutes into the second round.
"A grateful nation considered putting Davidson in the hall of fleeting fame yesterday. The Wildcats fell 17 points behind Georgetown moments after halftime, and shooting star Stephen Curry finally displayed mortal flashes.
"As it turned out, any skeptics gave up too quickly, and perhaps Georgetown started counting to Sweet 16 too early. ..."
"The Wildcats are so corny that they carry stacks of textbooks into the locker room and sing a Neil Diamond song with their fans, 'Sweet Caroline.' After the hand-in-glove show, that’s precisely what Davidson did, right in front of the team’s main booster section with the pep band pumping up the music and drawing North Carolina fans into the refrain. The scene amused [guard Jason] Richards.
" 'We definitely know the words,' he said. 'The whole school knows the words.'
"Right now, the whole basketball world knows about the small school with the big team. Davidson, sweet Davidson."
Friday, July 27, 2007
Skip Prosser, 1950-2007
Just a horrible, horrible story about Wake Forest's basketball coach, who died on July 26 at age 56.
Winston-Salem Journal sports columnist Lenox Rawlings -- ever so skillful with the quill -- makes the analogy between a basketball season's end and the end of life.
"Seasons always end.
"Seasons seldom end on 10-foot ladders cutting down nets or on makeshift stages hugging trophies.
"Seasons usually end in concrete hallways and dank basements and steamy locker rooms. Seasons usually end with showers dripping and tears dropping and someone moaning in the next room, overwhelmed by swift finality. ...
"Across the far-flung basketball universe yesterday, thousands of people shared Coach Prosser’s seat. They slumped on sofas and leaned on friends in bewildered disbelief.
"They closed their eyes and saw Prosser spinning on his heels in front of the Deacons’ bench, his strawberry hair and coattail blowing in his personal breeze. They saw his right arm gesturing and his lips puckering and his beet-red head shaking defiantly, every ounce of his considerable energy conveying one simple message: You guys missed that call. ...
"Dino Gaudio, a Wake Forest assistant, worked with Prosser at Central Catholic High in Wheeling, W.Va. In the early stages of a season that ended with a state championship, Prosser’s team lost a game in Ohio.
" 'The kids were in the showers in the locker room chatting a little bit,' Gaudio said years later, 'and he felt they weren’t taking the loss hard enough. He walked into the shower. It had a curb on it holding in this much water.'
"Gaudio held his hands 6 inches apart.
" 'I’ll never forget when he walked back out. His shoes were soaked, and so were his pants, up to his ankles, but he got his point across to those kids that we don’t take losing like that. He’s always taken it incredibly, incredibly hard. I think he takes it hard because he always blames himself. You’ll never hear him, anywhere he’s been, blame the kids.'
"Nobody blames anybody today, but lots of people take losing Skip Prosser very, very hard."
Winston-Salem Journal sports columnist Lenox Rawlings -- ever so skillful with the quill -- makes the analogy between a basketball season's end and the end of life.
"Seasons always end.
"Seasons seldom end on 10-foot ladders cutting down nets or on makeshift stages hugging trophies.
"Seasons usually end in concrete hallways and dank basements and steamy locker rooms. Seasons usually end with showers dripping and tears dropping and someone moaning in the next room, overwhelmed by swift finality. ...
"Across the far-flung basketball universe yesterday, thousands of people shared Coach Prosser’s seat. They slumped on sofas and leaned on friends in bewildered disbelief.
"They closed their eyes and saw Prosser spinning on his heels in front of the Deacons’ bench, his strawberry hair and coattail blowing in his personal breeze. They saw his right arm gesturing and his lips puckering and his beet-red head shaking defiantly, every ounce of his considerable energy conveying one simple message: You guys missed that call. ...
"Dino Gaudio, a Wake Forest assistant, worked with Prosser at Central Catholic High in Wheeling, W.Va. In the early stages of a season that ended with a state championship, Prosser’s team lost a game in Ohio.
" 'The kids were in the showers in the locker room chatting a little bit,' Gaudio said years later, 'and he felt they weren’t taking the loss hard enough. He walked into the shower. It had a curb on it holding in this much water.'
"Gaudio held his hands 6 inches apart.
" 'I’ll never forget when he walked back out. His shoes were soaked, and so were his pants, up to his ankles, but he got his point across to those kids that we don’t take losing like that. He’s always taken it incredibly, incredibly hard. I think he takes it hard because he always blames himself. You’ll never hear him, anywhere he’s been, blame the kids.'
"Nobody blames anybody today, but lots of people take losing Skip Prosser very, very hard."
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
State-Carolina ACC final draws huge TV ratings
If house- and yardwork around the Triangle appeared neglected on Sunday, there's a valid reason why: the ACC Tournament championship game.
The tournament final between N.C. State and North Carolina drew mammoth ratings in the Raleigh area. According to WRAZ researcher Gerald Belton, the the average quarter-hour ratings during the game Sunday afternoon were 22.0 with a 45 share, which represents 221,000 households.
"That's a huge number for this market, on par with what a highly anticipated Duke-Carolina basketball game would draw," said the Raleigh News & Observer.
"The peak time for viewing was between 2:45 p.m. and 3 p.m., with a 32.1 rating with a 58 share, or 323,000 households."
The tournament final between N.C. State and North Carolina drew mammoth ratings in the Raleigh area. According to WRAZ researcher Gerald Belton, the the average quarter-hour ratings during the game Sunday afternoon were 22.0 with a 45 share, which represents 221,000 households.
"That's a huge number for this market, on par with what a highly anticipated Duke-Carolina basketball game would draw," said the Raleigh News & Observer.
"The peak time for viewing was between 2:45 p.m. and 3 p.m., with a 32.1 rating with a 58 share, or 323,000 households."
Friday, March 09, 2007
Miami's Haith knows what we're talking about
Miami Hurricanes men's basketball coach Frank Haith, a native North Carolinian, could definitely relate to our discussion about childhood ACC tourney memories.
"This is the greatest tournament in the country, the crowd, the fans," Haith told the Wilmington Star-News. "Obviously growing up in North Carolina, Friday afternoons in high school, when the TVs are turned on and the teachers aren't teaching but we're watching the ACC tournament, obviously it's very special."
"This is the greatest tournament in the country, the crowd, the fans," Haith told the Wilmington Star-News. "Obviously growing up in North Carolina, Friday afternoons in high school, when the TVs are turned on and the teachers aren't teaching but we're watching the ACC tournament, obviously it's very special."
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
It's that time of year again
As a native North Carolinian, few things elicit the excitement of the ACC basketball tournament. And even though this year's tournament is in a foreign land (Tampa, Florida), some 700 miles from where it should be (Greensboro or, at the very least, Charlotte or Atlanta), there's still some excitement for the tournament in this 32-year-old body that hasn't been present to a tournament in about 6 years.
And, believe it or not, I have the North Carolina public school system to thank for that excitement.
After all, "ACC Tournament Week" in elementary and middle school was almost like an in-school vacation. I can remember teachers pretty much making up lesson plans based around the tournament. Specifically, math teachers would have students calculate just how far it is between, say, College Park and Tallahassee. Or history teachers would have students research the Morrill Act (which paved the way for Land Grant colleges), or how the different schools were founded. And so on and so on.
The whole week was topped off when TVs were wheeled into the classrooms to watch the Friday morning and afternoon session of games from the tournament. And, of course, schoolchildren wore their favorite teams colors. Of course, being that we were in North Carolina in the 1980s and early 1990s, the classrooms were pretty much split between red and light blue. (There was no such thing as Duke fans back in those days. And I remember just one Wake Forest fan, K.C. Gold. I always respected that about him.)
For those of you who grew up in North Carolina, do you have similar memories? And for those that did not, was there a similar level of excitement for "the tournament" in your state?
And, believe it or not, I have the North Carolina public school system to thank for that excitement.
After all, "ACC Tournament Week" in elementary and middle school was almost like an in-school vacation. I can remember teachers pretty much making up lesson plans based around the tournament. Specifically, math teachers would have students calculate just how far it is between, say, College Park and Tallahassee. Or history teachers would have students research the Morrill Act (which paved the way for Land Grant colleges), or how the different schools were founded. And so on and so on.
The whole week was topped off when TVs were wheeled into the classrooms to watch the Friday morning and afternoon session of games from the tournament. And, of course, schoolchildren wore their favorite teams colors. Of course, being that we were in North Carolina in the 1980s and early 1990s, the classrooms were pretty much split between red and light blue. (There was no such thing as Duke fans back in those days. And I remember just one Wake Forest fan, K.C. Gold. I always respected that about him.)
For those of you who grew up in North Carolina, do you have similar memories? And for those that did not, was there a similar level of excitement for "the tournament" in your state?
Monday, March 05, 2007
Quick hits: N.C. primary update & luring the Final Four
Bill seeks earlier N.C. primaries
"By the time North Carolinians vote in next year's presidential primary, the races in each party will have long been determined," writes the Charlotte Observer.
"That's why some state legislators want to move the 2008 primaries, now scheduled for May, to Feb. 5. That's the date at least 20 other states are considering as an option for their primaries, a de facto national primary day that likely would decide the nominees.
"Candidates usually only stop in North Carolina to refuel their checkbooks on their way to early primary states, such as South Carolina. Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for example, visits Charlotte for a fundraiser on Friday. Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York comes April 2.
"On Thursday, a state Senate committee is expected to start debate on a bill to move up the N.C. presidential primaries.
" '(Candidates) come here to raise money,' said state Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, who introduced the bill. 'We can wave to them as they go down the street to the fundraiser, and we can wave to them again as they go to the plane to Iowa and New Hampshire.' ..."
Greensboro seeks 2012 Final Four
"The reviews are in, and by all accounts, Greensboro knows how to throw a basketball party," writes the News & Record.
"The ACC Women's Tournament final Sunday between North Carolina and N.C. State was sold out for the fifth straight year in Greensboro. And for the eighth straight year, the tournament set an attendance record with 69,159 fans showing up.
"But the party's only getting started. Many of those fans will be back in three weeks when the NCAA women's regional tournament rolls into town. And both the ACC and NCAA women will be back at the Greensboro Coliseum next year.
"So now that Greensboro has proven its love for women's basketball, the question is: What's next?
"The short answer: Nothing, for now.
"But city officials are hoping to parlay all this basketball madness into something bigger: the women's Final Four in 2012. ..."
"By the time North Carolinians vote in next year's presidential primary, the races in each party will have long been determined," writes the Charlotte Observer.
"That's why some state legislators want to move the 2008 primaries, now scheduled for May, to Feb. 5. That's the date at least 20 other states are considering as an option for their primaries, a de facto national primary day that likely would decide the nominees.
"Candidates usually only stop in North Carolina to refuel their checkbooks on their way to early primary states, such as South Carolina. Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for example, visits Charlotte for a fundraiser on Friday. Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York comes April 2.
"On Thursday, a state Senate committee is expected to start debate on a bill to move up the N.C. presidential primaries.
" '(Candidates) come here to raise money,' said state Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, who introduced the bill. 'We can wave to them as they go down the street to the fundraiser, and we can wave to them again as they go to the plane to Iowa and New Hampshire.' ..."
Greensboro seeks 2012 Final Four
"The reviews are in, and by all accounts, Greensboro knows how to throw a basketball party," writes the News & Record.
"The ACC Women's Tournament final Sunday between North Carolina and N.C. State was sold out for the fifth straight year in Greensboro. And for the eighth straight year, the tournament set an attendance record with 69,159 fans showing up.
"But the party's only getting started. Many of those fans will be back in three weeks when the NCAA women's regional tournament rolls into town. And both the ACC and NCAA women will be back at the Greensboro Coliseum next year.
"So now that Greensboro has proven its love for women's basketball, the question is: What's next?
"The short answer: Nothing, for now.
"But city officials are hoping to parlay all this basketball madness into something bigger: the women's Final Four in 2012. ..."
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