ACC Fan Blog - ACC News and Opinions

Battle for Tobacco Road

2009-02-09T10:35:00.002-05:00

I'm completely pumped now for Carolina at Duke. Thanks to some wonderful friends I was able to go yesterday to the world premiere of HBO's "Battle for Tobacco Road", HBO's new documentary on the Duke-Carolina basketball rivalry.

I was familiar with most of the older stories thanks to Art Chansky's book, and of course lived through and watched the last 25 years in the history, but this film brings it all to life in a way a book or typical public media can't. Even those non-hoop fans who have to live with those of us who have it in our blood will love this film and maybe get at least a little understanding of what the ACC, local rivalries, and this rivalry in particular mean to those of us who have grown up with it.

It premiere's Monday, Feb 23 at 9pm on HBO, so be sure to set the DVR or plan a watching party.

More details at
http://www.hbo.com/events/unc_duke/index.html

Gavin Grant Arrested

2009-01-14T17:22:00.001-05:00

This breaks my heart. Full story at WRAL.

A former N.C. State basketball player has been charged with a felony count of obtaining property by false pretenses.

Gavin Grant, 23, surrendered to authorities Tuesday on the charge, which stems from credit card fraud at Saks on Oct. 14, 2008, authorities said.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4313403/

Anyone want to blog?

2009-01-10T13:42:00.002-05:00

As you can tell, we haven't had many posts lately. Many reasons for it, between work, kids, life time gets short. As I sit here watching NC State at Clemson the real reason is revealing itself to me. I just haven't been into basketball much since early last season. And, whatever enthusiasm I did have last year was completely sapped watching NC State in the ACC Tournament last year as Gavin Grant was benched and low put on JJ's NBA audition.

Maybe the feeling will turn around if there is a little success, but right now as a State fan I feel completely hopeless about this team. With no hope of making the NCAA's, the state games become somewhat meaningless. I can get excited about Davidson, I can even be excited for Clemson to maybe have a good year. I'll be up for Duke/UNC, but overall, so much of the season doesn't matter. I know State won't make the tournament, I know Duke/UNC/Clemson/Davidson will. So maybe I'll just start saving my money and effort for March.

Anyone want to blog for a while?

Duke Fights Back

2008-11-17T11:34:00.004-05:00

(Photo courtesy GoDuke.com)

Duke Fights Back To Down Rhode Island 82-79

Analysis from DukeFanB:

Some things became apparent during the Duke versus Rhode Island game yesterday. Duke was not ready to play at the level which Rhode Island brought to Cameron. They played with determination throughout, and the Rams certainly did not look like a team that will finish ninth in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Jimmy Baron, who apparently idolized J. J. Redick, brought back memories of some memorable Duke games during Redick’s tenure at Duke during his second half explosion in Cameron.

It is obvious why Greg Paulus is not starting and playing as many minutes as in the past. His defense is still lacking. Most duke fans had hoped by now that Paulus would have improved his technique to become a better defender. Nolan Smith has to get the lion’s share of minutes for Duke not to break down on defense. What many people fail to realize about Duke’s defense is that the pressure on the ball out front is an absolute. If this does not occur then wing players and post players appear to be weak on defense even when they are in proper position. This is why Duke looks so bad at times against people with better than average point guards.

Secondly, Gerald Henderson must assert himself more. Yesterday, he got in foul trouble. However, he must use his slashing and leaping ability to apply relentless pressure to opposing defenses. He also can be a lock down defender with his athleticism and quickness.

Additionally, Coach “K” should not revert to his often failure to properly utilize his bench which fails to develop experience and confidence for reserves that pays dividends in the future (March). It also leads to team stalwarts burning out both physically as well as emotionally.

Now for some positives: Kyle Singler appears to be on the road to becoming another special player. He is certainly the most versatile player Duke has had since Shane Battier. This is not a comparison; it is a fact. Save Luol Deng whose brief stay left fans depressed and Duke in a lurch, Singler could make this team rise to great heights.

Furthermore, John Scheyer played a great game and is rounding into what Duke has needed for quite some time. He along with Singler willed Duke to win on Sunday. That may be the most important key coming out of the Rhode Island game. In the past few years, Duke would have solely relied on the “three” and lost. This week should give more possible answers with a possible match up with UCLA.

Amaker cleared...

2008-09-14T19:47:00.002-05:00

Back in March we wrote about Possible Trouble for Tommy Amaker related to possible recruiting violations at Harvard.

ESPNU reports

Ivy League clears Harvard, Amaker of recruiting questions

Based on the investigation it appears no violations took place. That's good news for a coach I think most ACC Fans can pull for.

2008-2009 ACC Hoops Schedule Released

2008-08-28T10:24:00.002-05:00

Full listing on ACCNation

The things that jump out as interesting to me (these don't count possible holiday type tourneys)

Clemson is at Illinois, hosts Alabama, at Charlotte.
Duke at Purdue and Michigan, hosts Davidson.
Carolina has Kentucky and goes to Maui.
NC State goes to Davidson and plays Marquette, plus visits Florida.
Virginia at Syracuse and Minnesota, plus plays Xavier.
VaTech has Wisconsin, at Georgia plus a couple of tournaments.
Wake plays Indiana.

Coach K brings home Gold

2008-08-24T17:54:00.002-05:00

By SCOTT FOWLER

McClatchy Newspapers

Coach Mike Krzyzewski led the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team back to the mountaintop Sunday in China. Team USA survived a scare from Spain and won the gold medal.

After its 118-107 victory on the final day of the Olympics, you would have thought this band of NBA superstars was a college team. They teased. They hugged. They danced. At the suggestion of LeBron James, all 12 players came to the postgame news conference instead of just one.

And so we finally had the answer to the question of whether a college coach at Duke could manage a team of multi-millionaire pros to Olympic gold. He could, and the way he could do it was by turning them back into kids again.

"We have not had one second of problem as a coaching staff with our team," an emotional Krzyzewski said afterward. "It's been the greatest experience of my life."

No one would have said that about the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, which disgusted onlookers with its me-first attitude, casual play and third-place finish. U.S. senior men's national director Jerry Colangelo tabbed Krzyzewski to rebuild the U.S. squad into a team that would not only win, but win the right way.

It sounded hokey, but Krzyzewski can do hokey like no one else. He can make it all real. As the final seconds ticked away in Sunday's game, Coach K and Colangelo first exchanged a long hug. Then Krzyzewski kissed Colangelo on the cheek.

"We've been joined at the hip for the last three years," Colangelo said, referring to Krzyzewski's three-year commitment to coach the U.S. team that began in 2006. "We had a common goal. So that was kind of a culmination. I never expected to be kissed by Coach K, but that was a great moment."

Each year Krzyzewski reminds me a little more of North Carolina coach Dean Smith, and now the two sport another similarity. Smith was the U.S. Olympic coach in 1976, another year when American basketball needed a star-spangled boost after getting a controversial silver medal in the 1972 Olympics.

Smith did the Olympics his way, too. He drew some criticism for putting four of his Tar Heels on what was then an all-college team; then he won a gold medal.

Krzyzewski had a much higher talent level to work with - and much better opponents to face. He was smart not to overcoach this squad, and to make them understand how deeply he cared.

The best player on the floor Sunday was the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade. Coach K had helped nurture Wade's fragile ego through shoulder and knee injuries that had made Wade questionable for these Olympics. After the final, Wade brought that up on his own.

"I want to thank Coach K for believing in me, and I've told him that," Wade said. "He was the one who was always checking on me, seeing how I was doing. He was the one who believed in me coming back to this team."

Krzyzewski insisted on good defense - one of his hallmarks during his three national titles at Duke - but many times let the Olympic offense develop on its own. Said U.S. team member Chris Bosh, who admits to having once hated Coach K while he played at Georgia Tech: "We don't run too many plays. We just spread the floor, break guys down and share the ball."

Sounds easy, doesn't it? Even Krzyzewski's wardrobe reflected his "less is more" approach with Team USA. He ditched the dark suits he wears at courtside at Duke for a more casual Olympic look. The final was typical. Coach K wore a black polo shirt and gray slacks. It looked like casual Friday at the office.

But Krzyzewski was anything but casual about his team. He worked the referees. He prepared so feverishly - like he was a young coach at Army again - that his wife, Mickie, said she didn't recognize him. He took nothing for granted.

Marques Johnson to transfer from N.C. State

2008-08-13T14:38:00.003-05:00

Wral Reports.

Guard Marques Johnson has decided to transfer from NC State, and will not be a part of the Wolfpack men’s basketball team for the upcoming 2008-09 season.

“Marques felt it would be in his best interest to take advantage of an opportunity somewhere else,” said head coach Sidney Lowe. “He definitely has handled himself with as much class as anybody that I’ve been around since he has been at NC State.”

Johnson transferred to N.C. State from Tennessee for the spring semester in 2007, and completed only one season with the Pack. The 6-goot-6 guard saw action in 21 games after having to miss the first eight contests due to NCAA transfer rules.

This isn't a huge surprise given it started looking like he was the 3rd point in the rotation this coming year and with more guards on the way. Still pretty odd to see someone transfer twice. You have to expect a few transfers as Sidney tried to build a team quickly and now works to upgrade the talent level, but let's hope not too many.

Josh Howard Returns to Winston....and gets Arrested

2008-08-01T13:57:00.002-05:00

WXII Reports:
Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Howard was arrested and charged Thursday after a Winston-Salem police officer said he spotted him drag racing with another vehicle on Silas Creek Parkway near Highway 421.

Engin Atsür on ESPN

2008-07-31T08:06:00.001-05:00

ESPN is running USA Basketball against Turkey a couple of times today. I've only seen a few moments of it so far but enough to see Engin get used by Kobe. Great to see him though.

Sidney get a big one

2008-07-28T13:56:00.002-05:00

WRAL reports...

Wolfpack gets commitment from four-star guard

Lorenzo Brown, a four-star guard from Georgia, has committed to N.C. State, packpride.com is reporting.

The 6-foot-4 Brown becomes the Wolfpack’s second basketball commitment for the Class of 2009. He plays at Centennial High in Roswell, Ga. Brown is considered a quick player and solid shooter who could evolve into a college point guard. He continues Sidney Lowe’s push for sleek, versatile players who can play a more up-tempo style.

State also has a commitment from 6-5 Scott Wood of Marion, Ind. More...

Leaving early for Europe

2008-07-25T13:09:00.001-05:00

This is the newest trend that will steal away ACC Stars

Dickey gives up senior season to go pro in Ukraine

Georgia Tech center Ra'Sean Dickey has given up his senior season to play professionally in the Ukraine.

Coach Paul Hewitt said Wednesday the 6-foot-10 Dickey signed a contract with Budivelnyk Kiev of the Ukrainian Super League. He redshirted last season to recover from acute tendinitis in his right knee and had a year of eligibility remaining.

"Ra'Sean and his family have decided that the time is right for him to begin his professional basketball career, and we wish him all the best," Hewitt said.

Dickey played in 89 games over three seasons, averaging 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 60.1 percent from the field. His best season was 2005-06, when he averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.

The Yellow Jackets were 15-17 last season, including 7-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Billy Packer Retires

2008-07-14T19:02:00.003-05:00

This is a shock to me. Most of my friends HATE Billy Packer as we've talked about before. But growing up watching Thacker and Packer, I came to love the way he calls games. I trust his opinions. He wasn't perfect, made some mistakes at time, but all in all, I think knows more about the game than just about anyone on TV.

Well, news today is that CBS decided they were done with him. Speculation is that Clark Kellogg, who I also like a lot, will be paired with Jim Nance for Final Fours. Latest word is that today Packer said he is probably done calling basketball for good, meaning no Raycom/JP ACC Games. My hope is that this is just his initial feeling and that he'll change his mind on this front.

State's Coach Harris case finally done

2008-06-27T06:13:00.003-05:00

As we talked about last year, NC State assistant basketball coach Larry Harris had some legal troubles last year. Looks like those are finally behind him. We'll probably never know details of what happened exactly, but all indications are the officer at a minimum over-reacted to a situation.

Story from N&O.

UNC/Duke Documentary

2008-06-25T14:28:00.003-05:00

Just caught this on The Buzz.

N&O Reports:

Carolina-Duke rivalry headed to HBO

Without "The Sopranos" or "Sex and the City," HBO needs programming. The premium cable channel is turning to Duke and UNC for help. HBO will air a documentary about the ACC's biggest rivals in Feb. 2009, according to SI.com's Richard Deitsch.

Full Story...

Heels dominate ACC Basketball next year...

2008-06-16T18:25:00.003-05:00

Maybe, but this sure makes it seem more likely...

UNC's Lawson, Ellington, Green to return

I'm not too sure Ellington or Green were seriously going to be 1st rounders, but Carolina is certainly better with them. Lawson I believe probably would have been, but his recent legal troubles raised enough questions to cost him some serious $$'s, and coming back started making more and more sense.

Vinny Del Negro?

2008-06-09T22:38:00.003-05:00

TSN.ca It's up to Vinny Del Negro to raise Bulls from ashes
Chicago Tribune, United States - 1 hour ago
Now it's Vinny Del Negro, the assistant general manager of the Suns and a man who has never coached a day in his life. If there are a few other people ...
NBA source: Bulls offer coaching job to Del Negro The Associated Press
Bulls expect to name Vinny Del Negro head coach Chicago Sun-Times
Vinny Del Negro to coach Bulls: report CBC.ca

JJ Gone

2008-06-08T06:55:00.002-05:00

Word is that JJ Hickson is staying in the NBA draft. I hope he does well and gets the payday he's after.

As far as NC State goes, a few thoughts come to mind:

Some may view the Hickson experience as Lowe vs. Sendek test. My belief is that Sendek had found a path to sucess in college by for the most part concentrating on guys that are 4 year guys. You could argue that he just couldn't draw one and done talent, and that is certainly true given that his offensive system wasn't about showcasing individual talent. But, it isn't a simple decision. Would you rather have a JJ Hickson or a Marcus Melvin? An OJ Mayo or Gavin Grant? A John Gilchrist or Engin Atsure? When you look at everything from potential trouble to graduation rates, I'm not sure what I'd do.
We've all talked about NC States chemistry issues. It brings up thoughts of addition through subtraction that was the basis of thin NC State hopes after the departure of Kenny Inge and company. No one should doubt that JJ Hickson was the best player on the court for NC State last year. BUT, I strongly believe that Sidney Lowe fell in love with the NBA body and potential of JJ, and completely lost his way offensively last year. Let's hope JJ's departure forces Lowe to install a college offense with some flow that allows his players to actually play the game, as opposed to last years endless series of set plays designed to exploit Hickson's strength.

Ty Lawson Arrested

2008-06-06T14:08:00.000-05:00

Washington Post Tar Heels' Ty Lawson Arrested For Driving After Drinking
AOL SPORTS, NY - 2 hours ago
North Carolina point guard (and NBA draft hopeful) Ty Lawson was arrested for driving after consuming alcohol in Chapel Hill. ...
UNC Point Guard Ty Lawson Charged with Driving TransWorldNews (press release)
Ty Lawson Latest Tarheel To Suffer Cruel Fate Of Demon Liquor Deadspin
North Carolina's Ty Lawson charged with DWI The Associated Press

Former Dookie and Presidential Politics

2008-05-19T15:01:00.001-05:00

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2008/may/19/beck-and-call-ex-duke-basketball-player-has-become/

Reggie Love and Obama.
The presidential candidates are all middle-age or elderly. Their campaigns, though, run on the power of youth, driven by legions of eager 20- and 30-something staff members.

Their ranks are thick with political-science geeks. The people who knew in third grade how many Electoral College votes went to Utah. The people who harbored dreams of a West Wing office before they could even drive.

And then there's Reggie Love.

At 26, Love, a former basketball and football player at Duke University, isn't exactly sure how he ended up as one of Barack Obama's most indispensable aides on the trail this year.

As Obama's "body man," he has spent almost every hour of every day with the presumptive Democratic nominee for the past 15 months.

He makes sure that Obama gets up on time in the morning, gets in the shower and has breakfast. He makes sure he has his daily briefing books and list of fundraisers or super delegates to call that day. He makes sure he gets to bed at night.

In between, he does a thousand other tasks that busy presidential candidates cannot do for themselves.

Love isn't quite sure how he ended up here, which is remarkable in an arena populated by young, careerist politicos.

Love is a native of Charlotte and majored in political science at Duke University, but until he fell into a job in Obama's Senate office in Washington in early 2006, he didn't expect to actually work in politics.

"Before I started working for Barack, I was very cynical about politics," he said in an interview this month.

He hoped to become a professional athlete. And though many people harbor those dreams unrealistically, Love almost made it -- and still might, at least overseas.

He was never the best player on Duke's basketball team during his run from 2000 to 2005. Playing forward and center, though, he was a key role player during a stretch in which Duke won a national championship and several ACC championships.

On Duke's sub-par football team, Love stood out. As a 6-foot, 4-inch, 225-pound wide receiver, he was good enough to try out for two NFL squads, the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, though he missed the cut for both.

In 2006, he was considering entering a training program for a Wall Street investment bank, when a friend alerted him to an opening in Obama's Senate office in Washington. He got the job, and when Obama decided to run for president, moved on with him.

Mentally, he said, the past 15 months on the campaign trail have been like playing four straight seasons of college sports. Physically, he's feeling better than he did during the bruising NFL training camps.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Obama pointed out that one of the body man's most important roles is making sure the candidate isn't overwhelmed by demands to call fundraisers, or meet local supporters or edit a speech.

Love's temperament is suited for the job, he said.

"People … want me here or want me there, or are making requests, or are wanting some phone call out of me. Having somebody who is a good people person is really important," he said of Love.

At a campaign rally in Charlotte, Love's hometown, the weekend before the North Carolina primary, Obama coaxed a reluctant Love onto the stage, calling him "one of the staffers I love the most."

"He is there, day in, day out, never complains, has always got a cheerful attitude," Obama told the crowd. "He is going to be going places."

Basketball rivalries in North Carolina are fierce, and hatred of Duke is intense in many pockets. But Love said he didn't meet a single person who said they would not vote for Obama because of his decision to bring a Blue Devil on staff.

"Even though the Duke-Carolina rivalry is fierce, there's some civility to it. Much more so than with the (University of) Maryland fans," he said.

The body-man position has been around for years, but only gained recognition with the television show The West Wing, which made a lead character of the president's body man, Charlie Young.

The job is both exhausting and frequently repetitive, and includes lots of menial jobs. At a restaurant in Greensboro on the eve of the North Carolina primary, Love held Obama's box of hot wings while the candidate worked the crowd. Love carries his suit jacket when Obama gets warm.

The pressure is intense. He and other staff members are surrounded by hundreds of press members, so the fear of accidentally saying something to damage the campaign is real. Even seemingly trivial things get reported.

For example, earlier this month Obama, Love and other staff members went to the back of the campaign plane to challenge members of the press to a game of Taboo, a word-association game.

Players offer clues to teammates to get them to guess words. One of Love's clues, "where gay people buy clothes" was reported by dozens of news outlets. Obama guessed Abercrombie & Fitch. The answer was The Gap. More...

Carolina Transfer

2008-05-18T16:03:00.003-05:00

Alex Stephenson is leaving Carolina. This one isn't too surprising considering Carlina is loaded and this kid does have NBA potential if he lands somewhere with exposure and playing time. All eyes are on the NBA Draft deadline now at Carolina to see if Green, Lawson and Ellington are gone or coming back. Lawson is the real key to whether Carolina is great or just very good next year.

Tom Hammonds in Drag

2008-04-26T16:26:00.001-05:00

Hammonds drops basketball for drag racing

Shooting free throws in front of a hostile crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium is among the most difficult tasks in sports. Timing the clutch, throttle and start lights at a drag strip is another.

Tom Hammonds has done both.

This weekend, the former Georgia Tech all-American returns to North Georgia to compete in maybe the sport that's first in his heart. Hammonds ran a pro stock during Friday's first round of qualifying at the Southern Nationals at the Atlanta Dragway. The second round of qualifying continues today with the elimination rounds on Sunday.

"They're both tough," Hammonds said. "I enjoy them both, that's probably why I'm so hooked on drag racing. It's so competitive. I think a lot of athletes have trouble when they hang up the sneakers because they don't have anything competitive to fall back onto. One of the things I love about this particular class is that it is maybe the most competitive in all of motor sports. I jumped from the frying pan into the fire when I got into this class."

Hammonds has some work to do to make the Southern Nationals finals on Sunday. Hammonds failed to qualify in the top 12 after two rounds on Friday. He ran ties of 6.747 seconds (23rd) and 6.775 (22nd) on Friday. He needs to shave nearly a full second off of that time in two qualifying rounds today to keep racing on Sunday.

"It's kind of good and bad," Hammonds said. "We definitely have some room for improvement. The obstacle that we're facing now is getting the correct tuneup. We have the power to run with the best in this class. But I just think we're missing on our tuneup."

Hammonds has qualified for three elimination rounds in six races this season.

Racing is a sport that does not give much elbow room to people who buy their clothes at the big-and-tall stores. Cockpits are cramped. Steering columns and control pedals are positioned a little too up close and personal for people with limbs long like a Sunday drive. Hammonds stands 6-foot-9 and played in the NBA for 12 seasons. Just like buying a suit, he can't squeeze into anything right off of the rack.

"My Chevrolet Cobalt's made specifically for me," Hammonds said. "It takes my height into consideration. My seat's notched into the frame. My pedals are further forward and the steering column is a little bit raised up. I feel safer in my Cobalt going 205 mph than I do in my own car going 85. Believe me, I can get out of it fast when I need to."

Hammonds is one of the best basketball players Georgia Tech has ever produced. He was a two-time all-ACC performer, a third-team all-American and had his jersey retired after averaging 20.9 points and 8.1 rebounds in 1989. He was the ninth overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft and played 12 seasons for the Washington Bullets, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.

"I've got a lot of good memories. It feel good to come back," Hammonds said. "It feels good to be able to come back and reminisce about some of the old times because I'm getting old. I feel old too. It's good to see a lot of old faces."

Hammonds comes from a hot rod family so he had racing in his blood before basketball. His father, Tom Hammonds II, was a racer and the younger Hammonds took over for his father.

"I've been doing this most of my life," Hammonds said. "My dad used to do a lot of racing and everybody wants to grow up to be like your dad. I just got bit by the bug. If I go one week or two weeks without smelling rubber, I'm in bad shape. That's just what I like to do. I love to drag race. Other than playing basketball, that's all I've ever done."

Hammonds started racing professionally while he still played in the NBA. He entered his first pro stock competition in 1997. He qualified for his first elimination field also in 1997.

He retired from the NBA in 2001 and three weeks later he made his first final. He finished 14th in points in 2002, his only full racing season.

He dropped out of racing in 2004 to buy a Chevy dealership in Darlington, S.C. But he couldn't stay away from the track and sold the business to return to racing.

"Running that desk wasn't competitive enough for me," Hammonds said. "I missed racing too much so I decided to sell out and come back to what I love."

Dawkins finally gets a job

2008-04-26T12:36:00.001-05:00

I was really wondering if this would ever happen.

Stanford hires Johnny Dawkins as basketball coach

Johnny Dawkins has accepted Stanford's offer to become the school's next basketball coach, sources have told the Mercury News.

Dawkins, 44, is a former Duke star who has served on the Blue Devils' coaching staff since 1998. He replaces Trent Johnson, the Pacific-10 Conference coach of the year who left this month for Louisiana State after leading the Cardinal to the Sweet 16.

Incoming freshman Jarrett Mann told the Mercury News this morning that he received a call late Friday night from point guard Mitch Johnson, who informed Mann of the hire. Mitch Johnson was on Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby's search committee.

"Mitch sounded like he was excited," Mann said.

Mann, a 6-foot-5 swingman, said he likes the fact that Dawkins also played in the NBA.

During his playing career at Duke, Dawkins scored 2,556 points - then a school record - and led the Blue Devils to the 1986 NCAA final.

ACC Big 10 Challenge Schedule - Minus State

2008-04-16T09:10:00.002-05:00

The schedule of next years ACC - Big 10 Challenge has been released. I'm not sure this is how it works, but it appears that the last place team in the ACC doesn't get to play the next year, so no Wolfpack this year.

Full Story from Baltimore Sun:

2008 ACC-Big Ten Challenge

Monday, Dec. 1

Wisconsin at Virginia Tech

Tuesday, Dec. 2

Ohio State at Miami
Clemson at Illinois
Duke at Purdue
Virginia at Minnesota
Iowa at Boston College

Wednesday, Dec. 3

Michigan at Maryland
Indiana at Wake Forest
North Carolina at Michigan State
Florida State at Northwestern

Barnstorming Seniors

2008-04-14T08:03:00.003-05:00

I was wondering if these games still existed. Of course when I was growing up, the basketball scene was very different. There was 1 game on mid-week, and we watched it no matter who it was. Then if you were lucky there might be 2 ACC games on during the weekend. At least that is the way I remember it. In the days before we managed to get Wake Forest tickets, one of the highlights of the year was the YMCA sponsored all-star game at the end of the season, where ACC seniors and some other local college players would play in an all-star game. It was a blast, especially given that for many of us it was the only chance to see our hero's in person.

With the over-exposed nature of college basketball now, not suprisingly, these aren't as big anymore, but still looks like fun:

ACC basketball buzz hits Surry Central

Jeremy Moorhouse

Staff Reporter

Surry Central High School will be buzzing on Monday night when the ACC All-Stars take on the Surry County All-Stars in the 30th annual ACC All-Star Barnstorming Tour.

The ACC All-Star team features Duke's DeMarcus Nelson, North Carolina's Quentin Thomas and N.C. State's Gavin Grant while the Surry County team is composed of former players from Surry Central, North Surry, East Surry, Mount Airy and Elkin High Schools.

Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Former North Surry basketball coach Ron King will coach the ACC team and Surry Community College coach Tony Searcy will coach the Surry team.

“We are hoping the gym is full, the floor is full and that there are people in the lobby,” said Surry Central athletic director Mark Snow. “We have plenty of tickets available.

“We are excited about it. We think it's going to be a good time.” More...