What is North Carolina's most iconic brand?

Pepsi.

Texas Pete.

Krispy Kreme.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image courtesy of NCTripping.com

Every North Carolinian must ______

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

Sliding Rock image from Blue Ridge Mountain  Life

What's the most important building in North Carolina?

 

NC State's student newspaper, Technician, celebrated its 100th anniversary this past weekend. (Congrats!) One part of the festivities included a tour of William Neal Reynolds Coliseum on campus.  I was not able to make the tour (I've seen the renovated "Old Barn" a number of times in recent years), but some friends of mine did. One comment that was made during the tour was this: Reynolds Coliseum is the most "historic" building in the state of North Carolina based on all of the major events that have taken place there and the presidents and cultural events that have taken place within those walls.

This got me/us thinking: What IS the most historic, or maybe the most important building in this great state? Maybe it is Reynolds. Basketball-wise alone it hosted the old Dixie Classic, the first years of the ACC Tournament, NCAA tourney games and so many great State-Carolina/State-Duke games, etc. It has also hosted Presidents Reagan, Obama and Clinton; has welcomed the Rolling Stones, Louis Armstrong, Elton John and more; and numerous other musical events and student events.

What other buildings could be in contention? One could argue the Greensboro Coliseum. One could possibly make the case for Biltmore house, which is one of the most visited homes in the United States. Or perhaps the state Capitol, or the Legislative Building. You could also make a case for the Woolworth location in Greensboro, which is today the site of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

What are your thoughts? What is the most "historic" building in the state? 

Reynolds photo courtesy of wikimapia.org; Woolworth's photo courtesy of americanhistory.si.edu

Joints that rep N.C. ... but aren't in N.C.

A buddy of mine (hey, Matt!) told me last week about his visit to Pine State Biscuits in Portland, Oregon. What initially caught my eye was his photo of a Cheerwine container being used to hold condiments. "Hey, that's pretty cool!" was my initial thought. But then Matt pointed out that Pine
State Biscuits was started by three guys from North Carolina. (And, let's face it: "Pine State" can work here or in the Pacific Northwest.)

Here's a little bit about Pine State Biscuits, courtesy of their website:

Pine State Biscuits began as a brainchild centered around…what else? The quest for the perfect, buttery, flaky, homemade biscuit. Kevin Atchley, Walt Alexander, and Brian Snyder knew biscuits all too well from growing up in North Carolina, but having relocated to Portland, Oregon, they craved the down­ home­ cooking they knew from childhood. So they banded together and decided to bring the Southeast to the Northwest.

This got me wondering about other restaurants around the country with North Carolina-inspired foods or ambiance. The most famous one that I first thought of was Brother Jimmy's BBQ in New York City. Brother Jimmy's has become a Mecca of sorts for people in NYC (and Maryland and Florida, among other places) who crave a taste of home -- or of ACC basketball.

Brother Jimmy’s has celebrated over 25 years of legendary North Carolina, slow-smokin’ barbeque. As suggested by the restaurant’s slogan – “Put Some South in Yo’ Mouth” - Brother Jimmy’s mission was, and still is, to bring “down-home” cooking, hospitality and merriment to the heart of the Northeast.

Over the years, Brother Jimmy’s established itself as the home away from home for A.C.C. Alumni. Homesick alums from Duke, UNC, N.C. State, Georgia Tech, U.V.A., Clemson, Maryland, and Wake Forest began to flock to Brother Jimmy’s to catch the big Duke/UNC game, or to watch the Demon Deacons take on the Terps. By opening in Manhattan’s most popular neighborhoods, Brother Jimmy’s found a home in the hearts of New Yorkers. It has become the restaurant in NYC that reminded Southerners what good ‘ol Southern hospitality was all about and showed Northerners just what they’d been missing all these years.

Any other places around the country (or the world, for that matter) that offer a taste of Carolina?  Does Pepsi's headquarters in New York state count?

What would be worth fighting for today?

I absolutely love how Our State magazine republishes and re-posts some of its past articles. Even for a Carolinaphile* like myself, I'm constantly learning new things. For instance, earlier this week, Our State promoted a 2016 article by the great Philip Gerard on an interesting footnote of history, something he called The Great Oyster War.

Now, it wasn't exactly a full-scale war. More of a "skirmish," if anything. Writes Gerard:

As wars go, it was a minor affair, pitting a few hundred off-islanders against a small, determined band of about 40 Ocracokers. But the stakes were as high as they get: control of precious watery territory, defense of a community’s livelihood, and the preservation of an endangered fishery.

It began with a government survey, quickly escalated into piracy and an attempted murder in broad daylight on the streets of New Bern — and ended as a footnote in history, most recently recorded in the Ocracoke Island Journal.

Please read the rest of this fascinating story. It's a great snapshot into how folks react when their livelihood is threatened. Also, how does one become the modern Oyster Commissioner? I totally want that gig.

But this got me thinking: is there a modern equivalent of something that would lead Tar Heels to stand their ground and take up arms against outsiders who are infringing on a way of life?

My first inclination was over barbecue, but even within the state there is a passionate yet respectful rivalry that is East-West centered rather than North-South. (It's a very civil Civil War, if you will. Plus, we all can agree that Eastern or Lexington is superior to South Carolina 'cue.)

Here are some other topics that could lead to an uprising, in no particular order:

• Taking away our "First in Flight" designation. (Looking at you, Ohio.)
• Federal mandate that bans The Shag as being "too risque"
• The Quebecois coming down to take our hockey team
• A "reboot" of the "Andy Griffith Show"
• Moving the ACC Tournament to some northern place like New York City. (Oh, wait ....)

What else?


*I may have just made up a term. 

Image courtesy of Carolinafishmarket.com

Latest class of N.C. Sports Hall of Fame announced

The Old North State has produced its fair share of superstars in the sporting world. And some more folks are about to be recognized for their contributions.

The N.C. Sports Hall of Fame recently announced the 2018 class of inductees. This year's class includes people involved in sports as diverse as baseball, golf, tennis, volleyball -- and even speedskating - though this year's class skews to baseball.

“The achievements of this year’s class of inductees enrich North Carolina’s remarkable sports heritage, and the individuals have certainly earned the honor of joining the 336 men and women who have been previously enshrined,” said Nora Lynn Finch, president of the Hall. “This is our 55th class, and we look forward to celebrating this special time in our state’s sports history."

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article193709249.html#storylink=cpy

Here, courtesy of the N&O, is a bit more about this year's inductees, who will be enshrined on May 4 in Raleigh:

DONNA ANDREWS: An outstanding golfer, Andrews won a major title on the LPGA Tour and five other tournaments during her time on the tour from 1990 to 2005. She finished in the top 10 in money earned in a season three times. The Lynchburg, Va., native is now a teaching pro in Pinehurst.

SCOTT BANKHEAD: Bankhead, an All-American pitcher at North Carolina, had a 10-year major league career, including six with the Seattle Mariners, with whom he won 14 games in 1989. The Raleigh native and Asheboro resident produced two of the best seasons in Tar Heel history.

HAL “SKINNY” BROWN *: Brown pitched for six teams in his major league career, which spanned from 1951 to 1964. His best season came in 1960 with the Orioles. Baltimore battled the Yankees all summer for first place in the American League race before finishing second. Brown, born in Greensboro, went 12-5 with a 3.06 ERA that season.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article193709249.html#storylink=cpy

 

CHRIS CAMMACK*: Almost 50 years after graduation, Cammack still ranks as one of N.C. State’s best all-around baseball players. The Fayetteville native starred at third base for four years, earning all-ACC honors four times and set the Wolfpack record for single-season batting average with a .429 mark in 1969. He was also a point guard on a state championship high school basketball team at Fayetteville High.

JOEY CHEEK: Cheek, a Greensboro native, has won three Olympic medals in speed skating. He began as an inline skater as a teen before switching to speed skating. He won medals in the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Games. He is also a well-known humanitarian, co-founding Team Darfur, an international association of athletes devoted to raising awareness of humanitarian crises related to the war in Darfur.

WES CHESSON: Chesson, a native of Edenton, played for former Duke star Jerry McGee in high school at Holmes High and then went on to Duke himself. He was a star receiver and punter for the Blue Devils in the late 1960s. By the time he graduated, he was the leading receiver in ACC history and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons.

LAURA DUPONT *: A native of Louisville, Ky., Dupont moved to Charlotte as a teenager and quickly dominated the state’s junior tennis tournaments. She attended North Carolina, where she won the pre-NCAA national collegiate championship. After graduation, she joined the WTA Tour, where she was a standout in both singles and doubles.

MINDY BALLOU FITZPATRICK: Fitzpatrick, a native of Sea Level, was a volleyball and basketball standout at West Carteret High School. She went on to become a collegiate basketball star at South Carolina, where she played from 1983-86 and was a three-time All-American. She later became a championship surfer.

BILL HAYES: Hayes spent 27 years as a college head football coach and won 195 games, including stints at N.C. A&T (1988-2002) and Winston-Salem State (1976-87). After his coaching career, he served as athletic director at his alma mater, N.C. Carolina Central, Florida A&M and Winston-Salem State.

JACK HOLLEY*: Holley was an outstanding athlete at New Hanover High School and graduated from Guilford College. He coached 46 years at the high school level, and his football teams won 412 games, which placed him in the top 10 nationally at one time. His stops included Tabor City and two long stints at Wallace-Rose Hill, among others.

PAUL JONES*: Jones, born in Thomasville and a graduate of East Carolina, compiled a brilliant basketball coaching record at Kinston High School. He spent 38 seasons there, from 1957 through ’95, and his teams won 662 games and 18 conference championships along with two N.C. High School Athletic Association state titles and four runner-up finishes. He also coached a team to a state title in baseball.

MIKE MARTIN: Martin has built one of the greatest collegiate baseball programs in the country in his 38 years at Florida State. The Gastonia native has the most wins and the highest winning percentage of any active coach. Under his direction, Florida State has become a fixture in the national polls and NCAA Tournament play.

FRANK “JAKIE” MAY*: A Youngsville native, May had a 14-year major league career. The left-hander pitched for three National League teams between the 1917 and 1932 seasons. He had 72 major league wins, including 15 for Cincinnati in 1927, and finished his career with a 3.88 ERA.

JOE WEST: West was born in Asheville, graduated from Rose High in Greenville and played football at Elon. He is the longest tenured umpire currently working in major league baseball, with over 40 seasons, and prior to his induction in the Hall has worked in six World Series, nine League Championship series and three All-Star games.

FRED WHITFIELD: Whitfield has teamed with Michael Jordan to run the Charlotte Hornets. President and chief operating officer of the franchise, which he joined in 2006, the native of Greensboro graduated from Campbell University and is in that school’s sports Hall of Fame. Thousands of young people in Charlotte have benefited from his civic work over the years.

*Inducted posthumously

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article193709249.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article193709249.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article193709249.html#storylink=cpy

Finish this sentence: You can't call N.C. home if you haven't ...

This was an actual request I got from a friend the other day.

"Finish this sentence: You can't call North Carolina home if you haven't ..."

My immediate, gut reaction was to answer with a place that you must visit. The next thought was that it has to be somewhere unique to the state.

"Visit Jockeys Ridge," was my answer. (I do think that's a good one.)

My second answer was Grandfather Mountain.

But it's such a good question, and one that's open to all sorts of interpretation. Instead of just focusing on locations, perhaps it's actual ACTIVITIES that are required of North Carolinians in order to earn (or keep) their N.C. ID cards. These could be things like:

Attended an ACC basketball game.

Hiked to the top of Mount Mitchell.

Visited Old Salem.

Hit the slopes.

And so on.

So, what would YOU say is the answer to this great question?


Jockeys Ridge photo from Our State. Grandfather Mountain image from ExploreAsheville.com.

The ACC Tournament still holds sway in N.C. classrooms

Media reports are saying that the Atlantic Coast Conference is on the brink of playing its marquee event, the men's basketball tournament, at the Barclay's Center in New York, as early as in 2017. It's an inevitability of massive conference expansion that will -- not unlike NASCAR's major boom of the past 20 years -- leave some long-timers feeling passed by while the powers that be hope the move will broaden the event's appeal. (I'm not a NASCAR fan, so I can't speak as to how that actually worked out or not.)

And while this move is likely to rub some Big Four fans the wrong way, take heart: it appears that even today, after years of expansion moves and enlarging the ACC's footprint to the point that it's almost unrecognizable, the good people of North Carolina still give a flip about the ACC tourney.

Case in point: yesterday, my first grader told me that they "studied" the ACC tournament in school.

It made me smile.

"When I was a kid," I said, sounding like the old man I've become, "we actually watched the games in class."

"We did watch it!" she said.

I smiled even larger.

Yes, I know in these days of budget cuts and Common Core and EOGs, watching basketball is probably not the most efficient use of time. But the fact that this is still done, even in some parts of North Carolina, makes me proud. The ACC tourney is a big part of who we are; it's a major part of our identity. Heck, I remember teachers using the tournament as a way to enhance teaching. One teacher -- in the days before Google Maps -- had her students determine how far it was from College Park, Md., to Tallahassee, Fla. (Ah, the old, "new" ACC.) And I may be reaching here, but if for a couple of days each March, some students in some rural N.C. schools actually got interested in the idea of going to college, then what is wrong with that?

Yes, this probably honestly nothing more than nostalgia that warms my heart. But so be it. As my buddy James Curle said over at Riddick & Reynolds a few years ago, "If you're a teacher in one of these pockets who insists on still watching the tournament in class. God bless."

Indeed.

ACC Tourney nostalgia

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

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

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

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

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

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

It didn't use to be this way.

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.

DT, Laettner to college hoops Hall

The two greatest men's basketball players in ACC history are headed to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

"Former NCAA champions Christian Laettner of Duke and David Thompson of N.C. State will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, which announced its eight-person 2010 class on Wednesday," says the News & Observer.

"Laettner led Duke to four Final Fours and NCAA championships in 1991 and 1992. He received national player of the year honors in 1992 and ranks third in Duke history in career points (2,460) and rebounds (1,149).

"He is the NCAA Tournament's career scoring leader with 407 points and made one of the most famous shots in NCAA history in overtime in a 1992 regional final to lift Duke to a 104-103 win over Kentucky.

"Thompson was one of the most athletic players in the history of the game and was named The Associated Press' national player of the year twice. He led N.C. State to the 1974 NCAA title and was selected as ACC player of the year in 1973, 1974 and 1975. He averaged 26.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game over his career.

"He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996."

Congrats to both.

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 (10)

Stephen Curry isn’t going to the NCAA tournament — Davidson lost to College of Charleston in the Southern Conference semifinals — but he is the Player of the Year in the state.

No player meant more to his team. When Curry (28.6 points, 5.7 assists) didn’t play against The Citadel last month, the Wildcats lost by 18 points.

The rest of the first team: Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, Jeff Teague of Wake Forest and Gerard Henderson of Duke.

Lawson played the point as well as anyone in ACC history, and Henderson went from good to great during the season, averaging 19.8 points in conference games.

The ACC office says Hansbrough is the first four-time, first-team unanimous selection. Don’t believe them: He was not unanimous his sophomore season.

It’s a perimeter team, so Mike Krzyzewski is the coach.

Danny Green of North Carolina, Kyle Singler of Duke, James Johnson of Wake Forest lead the bench.

Jonathan Rodriguez of Campbell and Ola Atoyebi of Elon make the cut in a bad year for the small schools. Tracy Smith went from role player to State’s best player.

The last spot goes to walk-on Daniel Mercer of UNC Wilmington. The junior averaged 13.4 minutes and 2.3 points in his first year of organized basketball since the eighth grade. | story

I am excited about Mercer’s success, because I coached him in a Raleigh Parks & Recreation league from 2000 to 2002.

All stats are per 30 minutes.

First team     pts   reb   ast    2pt    3pt     ft
Curry         25.6   3.9   5.1   .528   .382   .876
Lawson        16.2   2.8   6.7   .571   .467   .809
Hansbrough    21.1   8.1   0.8   .528   9-19   .849
Teague        18.3   3.1   3.3   .502   .469   .827
Henderson     17.0   5.1   2.5   .526   .343   .771
Bench          pts   reb   ast    2pt    3pt     ft
Green         15.5   5.2   3.2   .558   .444   .827
Singler       15.8   7.3   2.5   .492   .367   .708
Johnson       14.3   8.3   2.1   .598  18-60   .691
Rodriguez     15.4   8.2   1.9   .495  19-53   .790
Atoyebi       17.3   7.5   0.8   .578    0-1   .731
Smith         17.0   7.4   1.0   .546    0-0   .598
Mercer         5.1   4.7   0.5   .705    0-0   .133

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

2. Duke (25-6, 4-3)
Last week: 2
beat UNC Asheville, Davidson, N.C. State, Wake Forest
lost to Wake Forest, North Carolina (2)
ACC tournament: vs. TBA in quarterfinals, 9:30 p.m. Friday

3. North Carolina (26-3, 5-1)
Last week: 3
beat UNC Asheville, N.C. State (2), Duke (2)
lost to Wake Forest
ACC tournament: vs. TBA in quarterfinals, noon Friday

ACC career scoring leaders        pts
1. J.J. Redick                  2,769
2. Tyler Hansbrough             2,717
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.

10. Wake Forest (24-5, 7-2)
Last week: 17
beat N.C. Central, UNC Wilmington, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, North Carolina, Duke, N.C. State
lost to N.C. State, Duke
ACC tournament: vs. TBA in quarterfinals, 7 p.m. Friday

69. Davidson (25-7, 8-1)
Last week: 67
beat N.C. State, Appalachian State (2), Elon (2), Western Carolina,
UNC Greensboro (2)
lost to Duke
Southern Conference tournament: lost to College of Charleston
59-52 in semifinals

100. N.C. State (16-13, 6-5)
Last week: 100
beat High Point, UNC Greensboro, Winston-Salem State,
East Carolina, N.C. Central, Wake Forest
lost to Davidson, Duke, North Carolina (2), Wake Forest
ACC tournament: vs. Maryland in first round, 7 p.m. Thursday

189. Western Carolina (14-15, 4-5)
Last week: 189
beat UNC Greensboro (2), Elon, Appalachian State
lost to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville, Appalachian State, Davidson,
Elon
Southern Conference tournament: lost to College of Charleston
67-48 in quarterfinals

202. UNC Asheville (12-16, 5-3)
Last week: 199
beat Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb (2), High Point (2)
lost to Campbell, North Carolina, Duke
Big South tournament: lost to Radford 94-86 in semifinals

206. UNC Charlotte (11-19, 1-1)
Last week: 183
beat UNC Greensboro
lost to Appalachian State
Atlantic 10 tournament: lost to Saint Joseph’s 76-72 in first round

214. East Carolina (10-16, 3-2)
Last week: 208
beat Campbell, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro
lost to N.C. State, Wake Forest
Conference USA tournament: lost to Tulane 69-59 in first round

219. Gardner-Webb (10-17, 2-3)
Last week: 217
beat Western Carolina, High Point
lost to UNC Asheville (2), High Point
Big South tournament: lost to Liberty 88-77 in first round

251. Appalachian State (12-18, 6-5)
Last week: 258
beat UNC Charlotte, Campbell, Elon (2), Western Carolina,
UNC Greensboro
lost to UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Davidson (2),
Western Carolina
Southern Conference tournament: lost to Davidson 84-68
in quarterfinals

254. N.C. A&T (13-15, 2-0)
Last week: 234
beat Winston-Salem State (2)
MEAC tournament: vs. Coppin State in first round, 8 p.m. Thursday

258. Campbell (12-16, 1-2)
Last week: 252
beat UNC Asheville
lost to East Carolina, Appalachian State
Atlantic Sun tournament: lost to Lipscomb 82-52 in quarterfinals

274. Elon (9-20, 1-8)
Last week: 280
beat Western Carolina
lost to Appalachian State (2), Western Carolina, Davidson (2),
UNC Greensboro (2), UNC Wilmington
Southern Conference tournament: lost to Chattanooga 79-78
in quarterfinals

Ernie Nestor has stepped down after six seasons as Elon’s basketball coach.

275. UNC Wilmington (7-25, 3-2)
Last week: 273
beat Appalachian State, N.C. Central, Elon
lost to Wake Forest, East Carolina
CAA tournament: lost to Hofstra 79-66 in first round

316. UNC Greensboro (4-25, 3-8)
Last week: 321
beat Appalachian State, Elon (2)
lost to UNC Charlotte, N.C. State, East Carolina,
Western Carolina (2), Davidson (2), Appalachian State
Southern Conference tournament: lost to College of Charleston
69-56 in first round

321. Winston-Salem State (6-21, 1-4)
Last week: 317
beat N.C. Central
lost to Wake Forest, N.C. State, N.C. A&T (2)

327. High Point (6-21, 2-3)
Last week: 326
beat N.C. Central, Gardner-Webb
lost to N.C. State, Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville (2)
Big South tournament: lost to Radford 82-58 in first round

Bart Lundy is out as High Point’s basketball coach after a 9-21 season and a last-place finish in the Big South Conference.

338. N.C. Central (2-26, 0-5)
Last week: 339
lost to Wake Forest, UNC Wilmington, High Point,
Winston-Salem State, N.C. State

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.

Want ACC tourney tix?

Dane Huffman is reporting that if you want the normally hard-to-get ACC men's basketball tournament tickets, Monday's the day.

The ACC announced Tuesday that tickets for the 2009 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament will be available for sale on a tournament book basis starting Monday, March 2.

The 56th annual ACC Tournament is scheduled for March 12-15 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. The tournament has not had a public sale since 1966, although tickets were available at the gate on the day of games in Tampa in 2007.

“Due to the unique combination of playing this year’s tournament in a dome during very trying economic times, our league has the opportunity to offer a public sale of ACC Tournament tickets," ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. “Playing in the Georgia Dome provides a great stage for our conference teams and Atlanta has been a terrific partner. Having already sold more tickets to this year’s tournament than the capacity of any of our other venues, our schools felt it would be appropriate to offer the remaining tickets to college basketball fans in the Atlanta area.”

Tickets can be purchased, starting Monday, by contacting Ticketmaster by phone at 404-249-6400 or 1-800-326-4000 or by going to http://www.ticketmaster.com/section/sports.

So there you go.

North Carolina basketball report (8)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Teague: fourth in nation in 3-point shooting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brock Young: leads nation in assists (7.8).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

North Carolina basketball report (7)

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

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

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

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

Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology: Bracket | Video

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brock Young: leads nation in assists (7.8).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Only Sacramento State, Alcorn State and NJIT are worse.

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

Wow.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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