The Confidential

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Archive for the category “Correspondents”

06 Apr 2013

State of the Pack: QBs and more

There was an interesting email in my box yesterday from our own administrator Anthony Caffery (aka Commander Caffrey). It referenced the possibility of Drew Allen, Oklahoma backup, transferring to State. Unfortunately the article he directed me to seemed to indicate that Allen is leaning toward Syracuse.  Here’s the link:

Since as the article states he will be eligible immediately following any transfer that makes him a player in the mix for us if he decides to come to State.  Which begs the question: what does the QB situation look like for the Pack in 2013?
The two leading candidates to start are Colorado transfer Pete Thomas and soph Manny Stocker.  Thomas seems to have a slight edge right now and is getting more first-team snaps. Coach Doeren told the Charlotte Observer that he wanted to go with the guy who makes the fewest mistakes. Link is here:
Of course we will continue to look at the QB and other positions on the Wolfpack roster as the spring and summer progress.  New coaches and coordinators, new season coming…I am starting to yearn for fall.  At least the part after the less-than-ambitious non-conference schedule.
Here are a few items about other Pack teams:
Basketball:
The 2013-14 edition of the Wolfpack will not look much like this season’s, and perhaps that is a good thing.  But TJ Warren says he will stay, and he was one of the brighter spots on the Cardiac DOA Pack.
On the women’s side, former Pack assistant Wes Moore was hired as the new HC.  Moore comes from UT Chattanooga with an impressive career winning percentage of .767 and 16 trips to the Big Dance, so it seems the ladies are in good hands.
Baseball:  Finally, a quick baseball update. I admit to not really following college baseball until CWS time, but now that we are “in-between” the two attention-grabbing sports, why not take a peek?
Happy to report that the Pack is fine, ranked #25 and coming off a 14-inning win over #30 Virginia Tech.  As a matter of fact, the ACC is fine with the following Top 30 teams:  UNC #1, Virginia #6, Florida State #7, Georgia Tech #16, and as stated already, the Wolfpack at #25 and the Hokies at #30. As for the Futures, we have Louisville at #14 and Notre Dame at #24.
Posted by mikemab2000 in ACC only, Baseball, Basketball, Football, NC State Correspondent, Rankings, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
03 Apr 2013
2 Comments

NCAA Tournament- Final Four Conference Breakdown

The tickets to Atlanta have been punched, and this time, only two major conferences remain. What’s left is a who’s who of the future of the ACC, an upstart underdog and a Michigan team that looks a lot like the Fab Five. Let’s see how they got there.

ACC

Tournament Teams (4)- Duke, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State

Remaining Tournament Teams (0)-

Verdict- No one was going to beat Louisville after what happened to Kevin Ware. No one. Not Duke, not the Miami Heat. No one. The raw emotion that Ware’s gruesome injury caused among his teammates, his coach and the crowd, were just too much to overcome for the Blue Devils. So while they went mostly cold in the second half, they can hang their heads high. After all, the season ended in a much better way than last year’s first-round flameout against Lehigh. An Elite Eight, while the standard for such a high-level program, is still an accomplishment. Coach K loses highly-productive seniors Ryan Kelly, Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry this offseason, but he reloads next year with a class headed by #2 recruit Jabari Parker.

Big East

Tournament Teams (8)- Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse, Marquette

Remaining Tournament Teams (2)- Louisville, Syracuse

Verdict-  We should really just merge this section with the  one for the ACC, but we won’t, because the Big East deserves one last send-off. It really is incredible that a conference that had such a bad first round has been able to rebound with such a great Final Four. It’s things like this that make the Tournament so incredible , and it’s what we’ll miss so much when basketball season ends. Syracuse looked impressive in a 55-39 sleeper against soon-to-be former conference rival Marquette, while Louisville cruised to an emotional win over soon-to-be conference rival Duke in the Elite Eight. Both teams have the potential to go all the way, and they proved this during this past round, but Louisville has the better matchup on paper this weekend. Since both remaining teams will be heading to Greensboro in the next few years, we’re not sure what type of foundation this leaves the “new” Big East…

 Big Ten

Tournament Teams (7)- Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois

Remaining Tournament Teams (1)-  Michigan

 Verdict- And one remains. The story all year has been about how great the Big Ten is, and here we are, with Michigan in the Final Four. Does this silence the critics? It’s hard to tell. The Wolverines have a lot to prove, but they look up to the challenge. Sunday’s game against Florida proved that they ‘re capable of handling elite teams and hanging with high-level programs. That’s a good sign. And it’s not to say that Michigan isn’t a high-level program too, but they haven’t experienced the same kind of success that the Gators have recently. That’s just a fact. Michigan is really quite an interesting team. They’re a talented team, but they’re not a surprise team like Wichita State. They’ve been a good team, but they weren’t expected to be here like Louisville. Can they finally bring a banner back to Ann Arbor? This time they won’t have to take it down…

 SEC

Tournament Teams (3) – Missouri, Ole Miss, Florida, Kentucky

Remaining Tournament Teams (0)-

Verdict- It’s hard to explain what happened to Florida. They just…couldn’t do it. They’re definitely as talented as Michigan. And Billy Donovan is a great coach. But sometimes it’s just not mean to be. Teams come out cold. They lose focus. They get in a hole early. And that’s what happened to Florida on Sunday. Unfortunately for them, it meant the end of their season. And unfortunately for the SEC, it meant the end of their tournament. While the conference may never be a hoops powerhouse, Kentucky once again becomes a team to watch in 2014. If they’re able to add Canadian phenom Andrew Wiggins, they just might cut down the nets again next year. Not bad for a team that couldn’t even win one game in the NIT.

It all ends in less than a week. It’s been an exciting basketball season, and it really is too bad that it’s almost over. While there haven’t been any truly exceptional teams this year, the parity seen has created one of the most unpredictable tournaments in years. Don’t be surprised if the Shockers win it all on Monday.

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Basketball, March Madness, UNC Correspondent
30 Mar 2013

NCAA Tournament- Elite Eight Conference Breakdown

Eight teams remain. Just like that, the field has been cut in half again. After an up-and-down second round filled with blowouts and surprises, the Sweet Sixteen proved to be just as exciting, producing the Tournament’s first overtime game. Are these the best eight teams in the country? Maybe, maybe not. But they’re the best eight in this tournament.

ACC

Tournament Teams (4)- Duke, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State

Remaining Tournament Teams (1)- Duke

Verdict- Miami just couldn’t take care of business. Forget that Reggie Johnson couldn’t play due to injury, this is a team that scored only 16-points in the first half of Thursday’s loss against Marquette. That’s a not a winning formula. Now they must seek to replace departing seniors Julian Gamble,  Kenny Kadji, Garrius Adams, Trey McKinney-Jones, Durand Scott and Johnson, while dealing with the real possibility that star sophomore point guard Shane Larkin still has time to enter the NBA Draft. Looking at the team’s roster, that’s just about every single player who got significant minutes this season. They just didn’t capitalize on the rare experience that they had, and the opportunity to do so has passed. Duke, on the hand, is leaning hard on its veterans to great success, as five out the seven players in Duke’s tight rotation are upperclassmen. Led by senior wingman Seth Curry, the Blue Devils looked confident in their first win against Power-Six competition this tournament.  Say what you will about Duke always receiving favorable seeding (and they do, just look at the 2010 Championship cakewalk), but they don’t often lose to teams that they shouldn’t, and they have the ability to overachieve when they need to. Next up is a strong Louisville team, which will be a preview of future ACC matchups when the Cardinals officially join the conference in 2014. With powerful scorers on both sides, look for this to be the most exciting game of Sunday’s lineup.

Big 12

Tournament Teams (5)- Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Kansas

Remaining Tournament Teams (0)-

Verdict- With just three minutes left in the Jayhawks’ game against Michigan, it looked like the boys from Lawrence were going to walk their way into the next round of the Big Dance. A healthy lead, and a favorable clock, were only two of the factors working in their favor. But then they worked against themselves. They got lazy. They got content. That’s when Trey Burke took over. After a scoreless first half, he exploded in the second half, and made a capped off Michigan’s unlikely run when he made a three-pointer to tie the game with 4.3 seconds left. The Big 12 has now been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. It’s easy to think that the ceiling for this Kansas team was higher, but they lost focus when it counted the most. And it cost them their season.

Big East

Tournament Teams (8)- Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse, Marquette

Remaining Tournament Teams (3)- Louisville, Syracuse, Marquette

Verdict- Suddenly, the Big East has gone from an afterthought, to a real threat in this tournament (if you ignore the fact that Louisville and Syracuse are now ACC teams). Marquette didn’t just hang on in this round, as they had against Davidson and Butler, they destroyed a hapless Miami team that fell to the inconsistency that has plagued them all season. Louisville and Syracuse looked strong in wins over tough competition, with the Orange taking out the second number one seed, the Indian Hoosiers. In the Elite Eight, the Big East will face a problem that it often encounters this time of year- Syracuse and Marquette are playing each other, which means that only two Big East teams can advance to the Final Four.  With a tough matchup against a veteran Duke team, the Louisville Cardinals must stay focused if they want to make it to Atlanta too.

 Big Ten

Tournament Teams (7)- Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois

Remaining Tournament Teams (2)-  Ohio State, Michigan

 Verdict- For the first time since the Fab Five, Michigan will be in the Elite Eight. Think about that for a minute. That’s twenty years. Where have they been? It’s hard not to be impressed with the program that John Beilein is building in Ann Arbor though, especially after an unlikely comeback against a dominant Kansas team. A once proud program, the Wolverines now carry the banner for the conference with their longtime rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes. While Big Ten fans will still point to their league’s dominance this year, their tournament success has now been eclipsed by the resurgent Big East, which has three teams still dancing. In order to defend the title of “best conference” bestowed on them this season, the Big Ten must come out strong in the Elite Eight. A favorable matchup against a well-coached Wichita State team could have Ohio State looking ahead at the wrong time, while Michigan needs to stay focused in order to not fall prey to their own success.

 Pac-12

Tournament Teams (5)- Oregon, Arizona, UCLA, California, Colorado

Remaining Tournament Teams (0)-

Verdict- Much like the Big 12, the Pac-12 is now without a representative in the Big Dance. Neither loss was surprising, as both schools lost to higher-seeded teams. Yet, while Oregon can hang their heads high after a surprising run in the Tournament, Arizona probably can’t help but think that the opportunity to advance got away from them. Long before LaQuinton Ross’ last-second shot, an early 11-point lead quickly became only a four-point lead at halftime. The killer instinct seen in the first few minutes of the game, was replaced by a frantic effort to keep up, and the Wildcats just couldn’t hang on. While the conference might have had a better-than-expected tournament, it has to be disappointing nevertheless.

 SEC

Tournament Teams (3) – Missouri, Ole Miss, Florida, Kentucky

Remaining Tournament Teams (1)- Florida

Verdict- Florida is now the bad guy. After taking out Tournament-darling, and pseudo in-state rival Florida Gulf Coast, the Gators now have a target on their back. Everyone loves a Cinderella. No one likes the team that beats them. In order to advance to the Final Four, Florida must embrace this role and run with it. They face a Michigan team that just completed a surprising run of its own; the unexpected Cinderella of the third round. If they can use their position as a strength, it would not be surprising to see the Gators in Atlanta next weekend.

It’s hard to believe that it took this long to get an overtime game in the Tournament. While there have been numerous buzzer-beaters, an all-out, grind-fest hasn’t been seen until now. Here’s to hoping that the Elite Eight can reach the bar that has just been set.

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Basketball, March Madness, UNC Correspondent, Uncategorized
28 Mar 2013
2 Comments

State of the Pack: The Pursuit of Gottfried

Yesterday it was reported by several outlets that Wolfpack Coach Mark Gottfried was THE choice among UCLA alumni for their head coaching vacancy.  Some also said he would take the job if offered.

IMHO the UCLA job is a step down.  Not to demean them, historically they have us beat, but the John Wooden era is long over.  Heck, moving from any ACC school to another conference is probably a step in the wrong direction, at least when it comes to basketball.

This correspondent was outraged that he might consider such a move. I was going to write a scathing post, but real life intervened and I didn’t have time yesterday.

By this afternoon, the news had changed somewhat.  Coach G tweeted last night that he is committed to State, and UCLA is apparently moving in a different direction, wooing Butler’s Brad Stevens.  So I took a deep breath and wadded up my mental notebook paper, missing the trash can as usual, even in my mind.  For now, this looks like a non-issue.

More basketball news:  Lorenzo Brown announced today his intent to skip his senior season and enter the NBA draft.  He and Gottfried feel that he will be a first-round pick; I think second round is more realistic.  While we will of course miss him, we thank him for his time at State and wish him the best.  He can probably learn more about the NBA and what it will take to succeed there by making the jump, even if it means riding the pine for a while.

That’s it for now.  Enjoy the tournament and I hope your team makes the Final Four, especially if it is one of the two remaining ACC or one of the “future” teams.  And have a great Easter weekend.

Posted by mikemab2000 in ACC only, Basketball, March Madness, NC State Correspondent, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
28 Mar 2013

Sweet Sixteen: Oregon vs. Louisville, LukeRuss Oil Stadium

(Credits: Disney/University of Louisville)

(Credits: Disney/University of Louisville)

When the University of Louisville takes the court to face the Oregon Ducks in the Sweet Sixteen in Indianapolis on Friday, there will be much speculation as to whether the Cardinals can extend their tournament domination by beating up on the Ducks like they did the Aggies and Rams.

Of course, the team Rick Pitino & Co. will face is unlike the previous foes in rounds two and three; Oregon hails from a power conference whereas NC A&T and Colorado State hail from conferences which are not at the top of the college basketball food chain.

The Cardinals have made their way to the Sweet Sixteen by beating their opponents by an average of 28.5 points and shooting over 56 percent from the field.  The Cardinals shot better from the charity stripe against Colorado State and scored 24 points off 20 Ram turnovers.

Enter the Ducks of Eugene.  After defeating ranked UCLA in the PAC-12 conference title game, Oregon beat its first two opponents by 13 points (Oklahoma State) and 14 points (Saint Louis) by shooting over 45 percent from the field.  One disparity jumps out when studying the statistics from the Ducks’ victories thus far – they shot 38 percent from behind the arc versus OK State and 72 percent against Saint Louis.  This inconsistency from three-point range could murk the waters in the Round of 32.

However, when the casual observer looks further into both teams’ overall shooting percentages this season, the teams appear comparable.  Louisville is shooting 44.5 percent from field goal range and Oregon is averaging 44.7 percent.  Louisville is averaging 33.17 percent from behind the arc and Oregon is shooting 33.27 percent.

In a game where offensive statistics can tell a story of two similar teams, one must dig deeper to find a true winner on paper.

Horses and Hoops prediction: this game will come down to turnovers.  Louisville committed 456 turnovers (12.6 per game) on the whole while Oregon turned the ball over 543 times (15 per game).

Guard play and defensive pressure will play pivotal roles in this matchup.  With Louisville’s tendency to force more turnovers and to score lots of points off those errors, I expect the Cardinals to keep up the intensity and stifle the Oregon offense.  Besides, the Big East was strides better than the PAC-12 in the 2012-13 season and these figures must be viewed in light of conference competition and defense.

My analysis hinges upon there being no hiccups or surprise injuries (knock on wood) in Friday’s matchup at 7:15 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium.  Hopefully, Russ Arena’s furor and Luke Hancock’s consistency will travel with the Cardinals to Indianapolis and descend with the same intensity to create a LukeRuss Oil Stadium all clad in red.

Posted by MBenjAdams in ACC only, Basketball, Louisville Correspondent, March Madness, Predictions, Schedule and tagged , , , , ,
26 Mar 2013
2 Comments

NCAA Tournament- Sweet Sixteen Conference Breakdown

It’s been a couple days  since the Round of 32. The dust has settled, and a little under a quarter of the field of 68 still remain. Teams have gone home.  Careers have ended. And yet, 16 teams are still alive. Let’s check back in on the six power conferences and see how they stack up.

ACC

Tournament Teams (4)- Duke, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State

Remaining Tournament Teams (2)- Duke, Miami

Verdict- A lot of question marks remain for the conference after a second round that didn’t go exactly as planned. North Carolina blew an 11-point lead against rival Kansas in what amounted to a home game for the Jayhawks. The Lawrence, Kansas campus lies just minutes from Kansas City and the very vocal, and very partisan crowd, let the overmatched and undersized UNC team know it. North Carolina simply didn’t have the strength inside to maintain their lead once Kansas got back on track. Yet, despite an early exit, the most painful part of the season for Tar Heel fans begins now- who stays and who goes? The decisions of sophomores James Michael McAdoo, PJ Hairston, and junior Reggie Bullock, could very well determine whether the team takes a step forward, or backward next year. Since none of the players are seen as first-round locks, most experts, Coach Roy Williams included, see a much stronger and more veteran Tar Heel team taking the court next year.

But what North Carolina has to gain, Duke and Miami have to lose. How far can these veteran teams go before their seasons end and they lose the leadership of players like Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly and Kenny Kadji? Both senior-laden teams put together solid, yet unimpressive wins over inferior opponents. They face tougher competition in the Sweet Sixteen in a strong Michigan State team (Duke), and a Marquette team that keeps on winning even when it shouldn’t. News of out Coral Gables today is not encouraging for the Hurricanes, who will be missing floor-swallowing big-man Reggie Johnson, who had a procedure done and did not travel with the team. How they can adjust without him will say a lot about their chances to move on.

Big 12

Tournament Teams (5)- Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Kansas

Remaining Tournament Teams (1)- Kansas

Verdict- As usual, Kansas continues to carry the banner for the Big 12 Conference. After an impressive comeback win over North Carolina, the Jayhawks move on to face the best team that Michigan has had since the Fab Five of the early nineties. A team, that ironically, none of the current players would remember. Needless to say, Kansas has their work cut out for them to match the energy of Michigan’s Trey Burke. But don’t count out Bill Self’s team just yet. It isn’t easy to win a national championship, or 300 games at one school, but as of Sunday, Self has done both. The x-factor will be how the Jayhawks can handle being away from the home environment that the early rounds in Kansas City gave them.

Big East

Tournament Teams (8)- Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse, Marquette

Remaining Tournament Teams (3)- Louisville, Syracuse, Marquette

Verdict- Marquette survived again and future ACC members Louisville and Syracuse moved on. That seems to be the story of the 2013 NCAA Tournament for the Big East. But how many times can the Golden Eagles escape elimination? To put things in perspective, Marquette, a seminal tournament team, and the collegiate home of Dwyane  Wade, has won both of their tournament games by a total of 3 points. The (regular) Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast have won their first two round games by a total of 20 points in their first NCAA Tournament appearance. If the Miami Hurricanes are able to play to their full potential this weekend, except to see the Golden Eagles packing their bags when the final buzzer sounds. As for Louisville, a favorable matchup with a surprising Oregon team should leave them on-guard, but confident for another appearance in the Elite Eight. Syracuse must contain Cody Zeller, the “Big Handsome,” and Victor Oladipo if they want to move past the Hoosiers.

 Big Ten

Tournament Teams (7)- Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois

Remaining Tournament Teams (4)- Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana

 Verdict- The Big Ten currently leads all BCS conferences with 57% of its eligible teams still alive in the Big Dance (compared to 50% for the ACC, 20% for the Big 12, 37.5% for the Big East, 40% for the Pac-12 and 33% for the SEC). Yet, slowly, but surely, their dominance has chipped away. Difficult matchups with top teams Duke (#2 seed), Kansas (#1 seed) and Syracuse (#4 seed- should have been seeded above Marquette) make the performance of the conference in the Sweet Sixteen a crucial part in determining whether the  league is a contender, or over-hyped pretender. Ohio State also can’t look past an Arizona team that will come out strong after rolling-over inferior opposition. The most interesting development to come out of the Midwest? The firing of Minnesota Coach Tubby Smith. While, Smith never got the job done like he did during his championship-winning tenure at Kentucky, it’s certainly curious to wonder whether the Golden Gophers think they can bring someone better to the great white north. The firing of Seth Greenberg at Virginia Tech, a perennial bubble coach, led to numerous transfers, and a plummet in the standings at the worst possible time. Will Minnesota bounce back, or fall down?

 Pac-12

Tournament Teams (5)- Oregon, Arizona, UCLA, California, Colorado

Remaining Tournament Teams (2)- Oregon,  Arizona

Verdict- The Confidential’s prediction of the firing of Ben Howland became prophetic when his departure from UCLA was announced earlier this week. While the change wasn’t surprising (there have been strange rumblings surrounding the program for years), the rejections by VCU’s Shaka Smart and Butler’s Brad Stephens for the head coaching position, may have come as a shock to Bruins fans. As Oregon continues to overachieve, and Arizona faces its first truly tough matchup of the tournament, the news  out of Westwood remains the most compelling. Will current NC State coach Mark Gottfried, who has numerous UCLA ties, make his way across the country next season? Only he knows. But if current juniors CJ Leslie and Lorenzo Brown follow through with rumored plans to enter the NBA Draft, and UCLA offers Gottfried the job, you can bet that he won’t be wearing red again anytime soon.

 SEC

Tournament Teams (3) – Missouri, Ole Miss, Florida, Kentucky

Remaining Tournament Teams (1)- Florida

Verdict- In the end, Ole Miss’ surprising season came to an end at the hand of another unexpected tournament team, First Four survivor La Salle.  Marshall Henderson did his best to keep the Rebels alive, but it wasn’t enough, as Florida became the only SEC team remaining at the end of the Round of 32. The Gators face an interesting in-state matchup with tournament darling, Florida Gulf Coast, who has cruised through the first two rounds after making the field for the first time. While they have the firepower to move on to the Elite Eight, the Gators have to remember that this Eagles team beat another in-state rival, fellow Sweet Sixteen team, Miami, earlier this season. Can Florida save the reputation of the conference, in a way that a floundering Kentucky team could not? Or will it just be another stop in a surprising run by everyone’s new favorite Cinderella.

While the excitement of the first four days has ended, and games cannot be found on TV all-day everyday anymore, intriguing third round matchups create an exciting and potentially unpredictable Sweet Sixteen. It is almost impossible to predict who will be left standing after this weekend, and after all, who would want to? With this year, it’s just more fun to go along for the ride.

.

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Basketball, UNC Correspondent
23 Mar 2013
1 Comment

NCAA Tournament- Round of 32 Conference Breakdown

Now that the real first round of the tournament is done (we won’t count the First Four), it’s time to see how each power conference is doing. While we all love the Cinderellas of the A-10, we’re going to focus on the big guys for now. As usual, the Big East has had a tough first two days.

ACC

Tournament Teams (4)- Duke, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State

Remaining Tournament Teams (3)- Duke, Miami, North Carolina

Verdict- NC State didn’t live up to the hype this year. With so much talent returning, and a highly heralded recruiting class in tow, the Wolfpack were expected to challenge for the ACC title this season. Instead, they stumbled to the finish and played on Thursday in the conference tournament. Fittingly, they lost in the first round of the NCAAs too. Duke and Miami looked strong in convincing first-round wins, while North Carolina can only hope to become more consistent after it gave up a 20-point lead against Villanova. Next up, its tournament nemesis, Kansas.

Big 12

Tournament Teams (5)- Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Kansas

Remaining Tournament Teams (3)- Iowa State, Kansas

Verdict- The first round wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t as good as it should have been for the Big 12. Marcus Smart and the Oklahoma State Cowboys looked lost against an Oregon Ducks team that, despite its decent 26-8 record, wasn’t expected to be much of a force in the tournament. Kansas State suffered a disappointing loss to La Salle, while Oklahoma was outmatched by San Diego State from the stronger Mountain West. All eyes will be on Kansas City as the Jayhawks look to continue their hot streak against former coach Roy Williams and the Tar Heels.

Big East

Tournament Teams (8)- Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse, Marquette

Remaining Tournament Teams (3)- Louisville, Syracuse, Marquette

Verdict- It’s been another bad tournament for the Big East, which has had very little success in the first round the past few years. Marquette barely squeaked by Davidson, Georgetown lost to tournament first-timer Florida Gulf Coast, Cincinnati couldn’t hold on against Creighton and Villanova’s comeback just wasn’t enough against North Carolina. In the last year of its current configuration, the old Big East went out in typical fashion. The lone bright spots were wins by future ACC members Louisville and Syracuse.

Big Ten

Tournament Teams (7)- Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois

Remaining Tournament Teams (6)- Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois

Verdict- The Big Ten has lived up to the hype so far, having virtually no trouble with its first slate of games. Wisconsin’s early exit came at the hands of Marshall Henderson and a hot Ole Miss team who was one three #12 seeds to beat a #5 seed this year.

Pac-12

Tournament Teams (5)- Oregon, Arizona, UCLA, California, Colorado

Remaining Tournament Teams (3)- Oregon, Arizona, California

Verdict- If you had told me at the start of the season that UCLA would lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, I would have said you were crazy. Not with Shabazz. Not when they’re starting to turn things around. But the University of Carolina at Los Angeles (See Larry Drew, David Wear, Travis Wear) has just been too inconsistent, despite a late season surge. Coach Ben Howland’s place on the hot seat doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon…unless he’s fired.

SEC

Tournament Teams (3) – Missouri, Ole Miss, Florida, Kentucky

Remaining Tournament Teams (2)- Ole Miss, Florida

Verdict- Where’s Kentucky? The year’s worst (major) basketball conference finished the first round almost exactly as predicted. Missouri lost early and Florida, predictably, blew out their opponent. But Ole Miss’s stunning upset of Wisconsin has the Big Ten on the clock.

So far, the 2013 NCAA Tournament has been one of the most exciting in recent years. From stunning upsets by tournament first-timers, to old-fashioned brawlers, it’s been a perfect way to end an unpredictable season. With five current, or future, ACC teams still in the mix, the conference is in a prime position to bring home another title to college basketball’s greatest conference.

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Basketball, March Madness, Rankings, UNC Correspondent, Uncategorized, Weekend Preview
22 Mar 2013

State of the Pack: Tournament Postmortem

One and done.  The saddest words in NCAA Basketball fandom.

This year, they apply to the Wolfpack.  Yes, I am going to once more whine about What Went Wrong, but first the all-important Disclaimer:

No disrespect intended to the Temple Owls.  They are a very good team and played an excellent game.  Hey, they were a Nine seed; can we really be surprised that they upset an Eight?  Not me, folks; I had them to win this one in my bracket.  It’s one of the few things that are going right there, and the one thing I wanted to be wrong about.

As usual, the Pack came out with an air of entitlement, as if they could just walk out there and would be awarded victory.  They didn’t realize until they were down 18 that this was a bad plan.  When they did, they went to the usual Plan B:  Scott Wood.

Unfortunately, Temple remembered to guard Wood, and he was stifled until late in the 2nd.  Meanwhile, the Owls had a three-point threat of their own in Jake O’Brien, and he dropped 4 of 6 from behind the arc for 12 of his 18 pts.  State rarely got a hand up against him.  Frankly, it seems the Pack had one player who played defense with any consistency all year, that being Richard Howell.

Just when all seemed lost, State started to rally.  Wood began to hit, starting with a couple of free throws followed by threes on two successive possesions. But it was late in the second half by then.  Still, Pack nation had new hope.

Things really got interesting when the lead was cut to two on a Lorenzo Brown three-changed-to-two with two seconds left (no gripe though, his foot was clearly on the line per the replay).  But Temple guard Khalif Wyatt would have none of it.  When he was fouled on the next possession, he calmly sank two free throws to bury the Pack.  Wyatt finished with 31 points to lead all scorers, while Lorenzo Brown led State with 22.

In addition to the forementioned problems, State could not buy a free throw of their own.  This had been a season-long problem as well, and is inexcusable.  Only Wood gets a pass on this one; the rest of the team should spend the entire summer shooting free throws.

So goes another season, and it is not likely anyone will be picking State to win the conference next year.  That won’t be a bad thing, as we seem to fare better when we can sneak up on people.  Except for 1974, and David Thompson isn’t coming back.

So what now?  I suggest the usual:  watch and root for (or against, if you are one of those nobody-but-us fans)  Carolina, Miami and yes, even Duke.  Enjoy the upsets.  Writhe in pain as your bracket inevitably crumbles (or maybe that’s just me).

Football is coming.  And the expectations will be close to zero.

Just the way we like it.

Posted by mikemab2000 in ACC only, Basketball, March Madness, NC State Correspondent, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , ,
21 Mar 2013
3 Comments

2012-13: Year of the Louisville Cardinals

#L1C4(Credits: www.gocards.com)

#L1C4
(Credits: http://www.gocards.com)

As I sit and look at the bracket and ponder about how the Louisville Cardinals gracefully landed in the top spot, many thoughts about my alma mater come to mind.  The superstitious person in me doesn’t want to speak about the excitement I feel as we begin the future and the tournament as the favorite.  Saying these things aloud could have detrimental effects.  Maybe.

Please be advised that the following article is not me speaking.  Rather, I share my thoughts out of respect for the team and conscious of my part in not producing a disaster.

[So, Louisville won a share of the Big East regular season title and then went on to win the conference tournament.  Wow. In its last year as currently aligned, the Big East from 2005 to 2013 will go down in history as arguably the toughest conference in the country’s collegiate basketball scene.  The pride I feel as a graduate of the university is palpable to anyone who encounters me – notwithstanding church events and tennis matches as a coach at a local high school, I have been wearing nothing but Cardinal gear for the past year.

2012 was a soaring year for Cardinal athletics.  From the numerous Big East championships won across the program to keeping Charlie Strong as head coach of football to being invited to the ACC to winning the Sugar Bowl in striking fashion to having a fabulous season in basketball, I’m not sure what else I could have asked for as a fan.  Sure, playing for a national championship in football would have been nice, but I’m confident that rosy scenario will someday arise and I don’t believe any fan could possibly be disappointed with Charlie Strong & Co.’s success thus far.

And let’s not forget about academics.  When West Virginia was chosen to join the Big 12, I think it’s fair to say the decision was based solely on the Mountaineers’ earned status as a football powerhouse.  In contrast, UofL’s unanimous selection as a future member of the Atlantic Coast Conference was purely a decision made with all facets of the university’s attributes in mind.  Everyone knows our athletic programs and facilities are top notch, but keep in mind that the ACC, much like the Big Ten, would not allow any school to enter its ranks unless it saw something tangible and obvious in the academic reputation of the institution.

When Florida State was added to their ranks, detractors complained that FSU’s academics were not strong enough to warrant admission.  This sentiment has been repeated about UofL and, of course, I take offense to it.  We have a Top 100 law school, a respected medical school always pushing the envelope, a business school which receives accolades on a yearly basis and an undergraduate program dedicated to a vast plethora of academic programs.  The university’s footprint is seen throughout the commonwealth and we are well represented across the nation in business, research and academia.

What the ACC saw in Florida State is akin to what it now sees in UofL – the trajectory of the university’s academics are on the rise and rising fast.  While not at the AAU level (besides, the AAU’s wheels of adding member universities is arguably much slower than those of the judicial system), Louisville will soon become associated with consortiums and programs alongside institutions like Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia.  That association and willingness to share academic success and research opportunities with all ACC members partially strengthened FSU’s reputation and no doubt Dr. James Ramsey kept his university eye on the ACC for this reason.

There is a reason there were all kinds of rumors and reports that we had an invite “in hand” to the Big 12 but were not acting on it.  It’s one thing to say that a source believes something might happen, but to say that an invite was already extended and the ball was in our court is a whole ‘nother beast.  Personally, I believe Dr. Ramsey and athletic director Tom Jurich had agreed early on that the ACC would be the better body to associate with,  and with time and continued diligence on our part, that invite would come.

But back to the major event ahead of us.  The NCAA tournament is perhaps the most widely known event in America, save the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby.  We have already proved that our football program was indeed worthy of the ACC’s glance and we have shown that our basketball legacy is strong enough to be included with the likes of Duke and North Carolina.  However, on the biggest stage in America in the same timeframe as our invite to our soon-to-be new conference, winning the tourney will blow the roof off every building in Louisville.  It’s that big of a situation here in Kentucky.

Nothing else matters right now.  The banter with Kentucky fans, the arguments from detractors, the long-positioned monkey of Big East football on our backs, the unspoken title of Little Brother, the association with “poor and backward” Appalachia – none of it matters.  Of course, those things have never really mattered to many of us living in the Bluegrass State, but I think it’s safe to say nothing else has mattered less that those do right now.

The Road to the Final Four should be tread with a determination unlike any other, and I know Rick Pitino, Peyton Siva, Gorgui Dieng, Chane Behanan, Russ Smith, Wayne Blackshear, Stephan Van Treese, Kevin Ware, Luke Hancock, Montezl Harrell and everyone associated with basketball team has it in them.  Every indicator points to the events of the 2012-13 season as the Year of the Cardinals.

This has been a long time in the making, my friends.  Perhaps I am more biased than the next guy, but living in the City of Louisville and seeing and experience all it has to offer makes me fully believe we are an idea whose time has finally come and will continue to come to many around the country.

Go get ‘em Cards.  Represent your fine university, represent your big city and represent your upstanding identities.  Win or lose, this is a special time in Louisville.  Good things come to those who wait, but success comes quicker to those who wait and plan and execute.  This. Is. Our. Year.]

#L1C4

Posted by MBenjAdams in Basketball, Conference Realignment, Football, Louisville Correspondent, March Madness and tagged , , , , , , , ,
17 Mar 2013
4 Comments

…and the ACC continues to be disrespected

* This article is about the 2012-2013 ACC- Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Louisville are considered to be a part of the Big East Conference

Has anybody else noticed how unbelievably often the ACC is disrespected these days? From the endless message board rumors of our imminent demise, to the cheap shots about our football, it’s like we can’t catch a break about anything. ESPN pundits and national news sportscasters are too busy mouthing-off their own unfounded opinions that they fail to notice that we still have top-tier academics and the best overall athletic programs in the nation.  Our football is improving and our basketball might just be “back.” But, why say something good when you can hop on the bandwagon and put us down? I get it. We’re not the “flavor of the month. We’ll “never get better.” Our “sub-par TV deal reflects our sub-par product.” But is this actually what people would think if they did the research themselves instead of listening to ESPN? The Worldwide Leader is notorious for creating news. They pick a league, and make sure everyone thinks that it’s the best. For years, it’s been the Big East in basketball. Has the Big East been “bad” in basketball? Absolutely not. Has it been deserving of its one million bids that it seems to get every year? Not really, since most Big East teams flame out in the first few rounds. The ACC has the most NCAA basketball titles of any BCS conference in the past decade. Down or not, that says something.

But now the Big East is dead, so ESPN has hitched their train to the next big thing- The Big 10. I’ve already gone on record on this site many different times with my distaste for the Big 10. I believe I’ve even gone as far to say that if my school joined the Big 10 that I’d never watch college athletics again. It’s not necessarily the specific schools, it’s just that I can’t stand the complete arrogance that surrounds the conference. Are their academics bad? No. Are they better than ours? No. Is their football bad? Sure, it absolutely was this year. (But ESPN insists that the ACC was worse because they just can’t bear to say that we’re actually improving). I can accept those things. People make up their minds and won’t change them no matter what you say. But there’s one thing I just won’t accept- the absolutely unwarranted hype around Big 10 basketball this season.

Does the Big 10 have quality teams? Absolutely, even if their style of play is incredibly boring and hard to watch. Are they deserving of 7 bids and such high rankings, compared to the ACC’s four? I can’t say the word “no” enough. The snubs of Maryland and Virginia, two absolutely quality tournament-level teams, have been discussed enough and the specifics don’t need to be mentioned here. But to say that the Big 10 is just head and shoulders above everyone else is unbelievable. This is, the same Big 10 that the ACC tied in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge this year, isn’t it? This is, the same Big 10 that the ACC holds a winning 8-6 record against this season, with wins against “top teams” like Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Minnesota, isn’t it? ESPN can spit out all of the statistics that they want to- RPI, BPI…you name it. But it doesn’t matter if Ohio State ranks ahead of the ACC in every single category imaginable. If they still lose head-to-head they STILL LOSE. That’s the problem with the media. They like to over-analyze things when it’s really much simpler. Have certain ACC teams been down in recent years? Sure. But UNC and Duke both won multiple titles in the most recent decade. That’s four more than the Big 10. It doesn’t matter what your rebounding differential is, or what your pace is if you can’t replicate it on the floor each night. UNC averaged 7 made 3-pointers going into their regular season finale against Duke. So “statistically,” the Tar Heels shouldn’t have lost because with 7 3’s instead of 1 they would have won the game. But they didn’t, they got blown out. Statistics don’t matter during the game, the actual play is the only thing that does.

The most recent ESPN Magazine issue was a Big 10 love-fest. It states that certainly, “everyone” agrees that Trey Burke is the best point guard in the nation. Have these people watched Shane Larkin? My guess is that the only reason they think Burke is better is because he plays in the Big 10. Is Burke a bad point guard? Certainly not. I’m all about giving credit where credit is due. He’s in the top-3 this year no question. But I’m also about seeking the truth when bias gets in the way. I love the ACC. And I’m not delusional enough to think that we were the best conference this season in basketball, we probably weren’t. But I know one thing for certain- we deserved more bids than we got and we deserve more respect than we receive. That’s not a statistical matter, it’s just pure fact.

Posted by Mr. Tar Heel in Basketball, UNC Correspondent, Uncategorized

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