College World Series

I attended UNC-Chapel Hill from 1989 to 1993. Although I'm a big baseball fan, I was never that interested in college baseball. I will say that I enjoy watching Coach Fox's teams over the last 10 seasons on the tube. I prefer Coach Fox over Coach Roberts simply because Coach Fox has a more magnetic personality. Coach Fox's teams have provided the Tar Heels with better results, too.

Fourth straight year to Omaha...that's a very impressive resume for the Tar Heels. We don't have any noticable weaknesses, either. I don't expect the Heels to win the college world series (they would have to win 4 straight games...quite doable but against the competition, it will be hard to provide).

I haven't posted anything about the baseball Heels, but it's more because of my limited enthusiasm for college baseball. I look forward to the day when the players are actually using wooden bats.

Blue Blood

This past week I've been reading "Blue Blood", authored by Art Chansky. The book is mostly about the UNC-Duke rivalry, both on and off the hardwood courts. I checked it out at the local library, and I'd recommend anyone to read it if you are a die hard UNC or Duke fan.

It's been over 2 months since UNC defeated Michigan State for the National Championship. I don't see UNC going back and repeating next year, but we will be competitive. Duke will be a force to be reckoned with, but they lost their best player, Gerald Henderson, to the draft.

A look at the 2009-10 Duke Blue Devils:

At Point Guard, I'm giving the nod to Eliot Williams over Nolan Smith. Both are solid point guards, but Duke seemed to be a tad better with Eliot in control. Both are an improvement over Greg Paulus.

At Shooting Guard I've got Jon Scheyer penciled in. He's a solid player, and he should have a great senior season. I see Nolan Smith subbing for Scheyer. Martin Pocius will fill in as needed.

Small Forward is a bit of a dilemma. The Blue Devils could go small and move Scheyer to the small forward position, or they could go big and have Kyle Singer play it instead. My gut feeling is that Singler is more ideal in the 3 position. Singler prefers the perimeter, and he's fast enough to guard smaller men, too.

Power Forward could be filled by the freshman Ryan Kelly, or Coach K could play Lance Thomas. Kelly has more athleticism, but Thomas has more experience and has savvy. Singler can also play this position, so power forward should be in good hands next year.

Center should go to Mason Plumlee, who is much better than Zoubek. The center must be able to rebound, and both candidates should get plenty of minutes next year.

I see the Blue Devils starting off with a 9 player rotation. However, most of the players are either unproven (Kelly, Plumlee, and to a certain extent Pocius) or they have been in Coach K's doghouse (Smith, Williams, and Zoubek). Thomas is a decent player, but he's more of a role player than a star. Singler and Scheyer are great college basketball players, and next year they will have to step up their game to another level.

When I made my predictions about next year, I had Duke leading the way. Losing Gerald Henderson hurts, but the Blue Devils didn't lose much more (Paulus, McClure). They should be better, but younger. They will have more size, but they won't be as fast. I still believe the Blue Devils will win the regular season, but it's more by default. If UNC can get solid production from the point, the Heels will be in the driver's seat. At this time, the point guard position is a question mark, so I give a small edge to the Blue Devils.

So who is ready for some ACC football?

In a nutshell, the 2008 season was the seaon of mediocrity. I don't see it changing much from last year. 4 teams went 5-3 within conference, and 6 teams went 4-4. It will be a tad different next year, but don't expect 1 team dominating either division within the ACC.

Early preseason picks:

Atlantic Division:

1. Maryland. Fear the turtle. The Atlantic Division is the deeper division, and the Terps should have enough offense and defense to win it next year.
2. Wake. Strong team, bend but don't break defense, and a solid offense. Grobe is a great coach.
3. FSU. Bowden has egg on his face, and I don't believe FSU will recover next year. He's got the talent, but does the Seminoles have the discipline?
4. BC. A good team that lost a good coach. This team could surprise me, but I don't see it happening in 2009.
5. NCSU. O'Brien has rebuilt the Pack, and they should be in a Bowl game next year.
6. Clemson. A new coach, but the same overrated players. I don't see them recovering from the black cloud that has been over the program the last 5 years.

Coastal Division.

1. VT. The Hokies are the kings of this division, and they will not disappoint the Blacksburg fans next year. Great Defense and a marginal offense will win them another trip to the ACC Championship.
2. GT. Decent team, good coach, and great prospects will take the Yellow Jackets to runners-up in 2009.
3. UNC. The Heels could surprise me, but I don't think it will be in 2009. QB is a question mark, and the WR positions are vacant. The running game made strides in 2009, but it's still not dominant. The Heels will have to rely on its Defense in 2009, and that still scares me.
4. Miami. Shannon is on the hot seat, and it will get hotter as the year goes by. I don't believe the Hurricanes will make much strides in 2009.
5. Virginia. The program needs another coach. UVA played good ball at times last year, but I don't believe 2009 will be very bright for the Cavs.
6. Duke. Cutcliffe is a solid coach, and winning 4 games last year was just short of a miracle. He doesn't have the talent, and 2009 will be hard for the Blue Devils. In a couple of years, Cutcliffe will have the team in a bowl game...

ACC Basketball: a 2009-2010 preview

I've been silent since the conclusion of the 2008-09 basketball season. Not much to discuss regarding college sports, so I thought I'd make a couple of comments about next season. Going into the 2009-2010 season, there are plenty of uncertainties regarding the league. I thought I'd take a dive and make my own predictions about the upcoming year. I'll start from the bottom and go up.

12. Virginia. This program has been on the downslide ever since the 1994-95 season. I don't blame Jeff Jones...he went thru a divorce that was frown upon by the Cav alumni. I blame a lack of leadership within the Athletic Department. This team doesn't have many high quality players. They may win 3 or 4 games in Conference next year.

11. NC State. I'm not picking on the Pack, but they are losing Costner, McCauley and Fells, their top 3 players from last year. They should be okay at the point, and they have some prospects to help out at shooting guard, but besides Tracy Smith, they don't have a lot of talent in the paint. They should win 5 or 6 Conference games.

10. Virginia Tech. I'm hesitant on picking the Hokies this close to the bottom, but I don't think they will be as good as they were last year. They will have a young team next year, and A.D will not be on the team. They have a good young team, but they will struggle next year. I can see them winning 6 conference games next year.

9. Georgia Tech. Hewitt is on the hot seat, and the one reason why he'll be back in Atlanta is the great recruits he will have next year. However, the recruits are better as a whole than as viewing them individually. They could suprise me next year. 6 or 7 conference wins is my prediction.

8. Boston College. No Tyrese Rice, and no recruits coming in. I thought last year the team overachieved, but they will be pressed to meet last year's productivity. 6 or 7 conference wins should be expected.

7. Florida State. This team is solid, but they lost a lot of their offense and defense when Douglas graduated. 7 or 8 wins will be expected.

6. Wake Forest. Last year was a disappointment for the Demon Deacons, especially as the season progressed. They have lost Teague, Johnson and Hale, but they did bring in a good recruiting class. This should be a fun team to watch, and they will start out fast out of the gate. But a young team will tire as the season progresses. 8 or 9 wins will be a good season for the Deacs.
5. Miami. Last year's team was a disappointment, and they did lose Graham, McClinton and Asbury. But they have a solid recruiting class that will make the Hurricanes into an NCAA tourney team. 8 or 9 wins should be expected.

4. Maryland. Gary Williams is on the hot seat...no questions about it. Gary will respond with a good season. Last year the Terps sneaked into the tournament, but they shouldn't have to sneak in this time. They lost David Neal, but Gary Williams will have two great prospects coming in, plus a team that is 1 year older. 9 or 10 wins should be expected.

3. Clemson. This team is a year older, and they have a lot of talent returning, plus they have 3 decent prospects coming to Littlejohn next year. An exciting team that plays sound defense. We should see the Tigers win 10 or 11 games next year.

2. UNC. A great team that has simply retooled. Sure, we lost Green, Hansbrough, Lawson, Ellington and Frasor, but we brought in the best recruiting class in the nation. I see 11 or 12 wins as the goal.

1. Duke. Coach K has a great team, even without Henderson. Singler is solid, and so is Sheyer and Williams. Coach K has a deep bench that will prevent his players from being tired. I see 12 or 13 wins next year.

UNC 89, Michigan State 72. NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!

Go Heels!

I watched the game with my college roomie at the Dean Dome...great experience. The Dean Dome was literally shaking! Great experience, and I had great company.

The game, from a purist point of view, was not that exciting unless you wore the shade of Carolina Blue. The Heels dominated the first 10 minutes of the game, leading at one time by a score of 34-11. So how did the Heels do it?

1. Ty Lawson, Mr. Point guard. He was my pick for the Final Four MOP, especially since he had 7 steals in the first half. He is the best 5 foot 11 inch point guard of all time. Super strong, super fast, and super smart.
2. Wayne Ellington, Mr. Shooting guard. He's a deadly scorer. He won the MOP, and he has won the hearts of the Tar Heel Nation.
3. Psycho T....Mr. Intensity. I really believe that his presence makes everyone else on the court a better player.
4. Deon Thompson, Mr. Role player. He led the team the first 10 minutes of the game with his shooting touch and rebounding skills.
5. Roy Williams, Mr. UNC. His tenure at UNC has been more exciting than any other 6 years of Carolina basketball history. The man can recruit, he can motivate, and he can flat out coach.

I'd like to say goodbye to our Seniors.....they were all special. Frasor accepted his role off the bench, being regulated as a backup his last 3 years. Mike Copeland, who may not have played much, kept things loose in the locker room and on the bench. Danny Green, with his exciting play, could really hit the open 3 when the game is on the line. Tyler Hansbrough...not enough can be said about this Senior, so I will just say "Thank you" for his 4 years of service.

Ellington and Lawson are probably heading to the pros. We should accept this as their right, and just be thankful that they came back to UNC so we can get the National Championship.

Teamwork wins National Championships, and UNC had the best team concept in the college basketball this year.

Go HEELS!!!

UNC vs Michigan State, tonight at 9:20 p.m.

The only time I like playing these late night games is when we play for the National Championship.



Don't assume that the Heels will win the National Championship....it's just too early for us to "hang up the banner" until the game has been played. Many people assume that we will tonight because we blew out Michigan State earlier this year. Michigan State is a different team now...back in December, they came off a long road trip and were exhausted, plus they played without Suton. He's back, and the team is now on a roll.

Keys to a UNC victory:

1. Defense. Without tough D, UNC will struggle. This is a broken record, but this is reality.
2. Make your free throws! UNC was 22-37 against the Wildcats. Consider this an exception, but we must make our free throws tonight.
3. Feed the monster. Hansbrough has been okay during the tournament, but he's due for a big night. Pound the ball inside and feed Psycho T.
4. Don't force jump shots. UNC's perimeter game carried the Heels to the Championship game. Ellington, Green, and Lawson were on fire. Don't expect 11-22 from 3 point land tonight. If we get 7 3-pointers tonight, I'll be happy.
5. Get the early lead. When UNC obtains the early lead, we can dictate the tempo of the game. Michigan State is not as explosive in the transition game as the Heels. If the game becomes a half-court matchup, the Heels will be in for a long night.

UNC has the better talent, and they have Hansbrough, Green, and Frasor playing their last game for the Heels. Ellington and Lawson may be playing their last game tonight. Expect a strong effort from the Heels. Michigan State has the homecourt advantage, but the Heels very seldom are rattled by being the road team. Michigan State is not only playing for themselves, but they are playing for a state that has been decimated by economic woes (highest unemployment in the nation). North Carolina has the 4th highest unemployment, so this point may be moot.

Final Prediction: UNC 82, Michigan State 72.

UNC 83, Villanova 69

Go Heels!

Who would have thought that the Heels would beat Villanova by 14, and, at the same time...

1. Be out-rebounded.
2. Be out-scored in the paint.
3. Commit the same amount of turnovers as their opponents.
4. Shoot 40.3% from the field for the entire game.
5. Miss 15 free throws.

That's why we play the game! On paper, the Heels were impressive in the first half, shooting 58%. Ellington was on fire, and Green played a very respectable game.

The Heels will play for the National Championship tonight. Be prepared for anything that might occur!