Monday, February 25, 2008

Carolina Takes Down Wake


The Heels' handled Wake Forest last night for their fifth win in a row.  Like the State game, the game was relatively close early as the Heels maintained a 4 to 10 point lead for most of the half.  

The stage was set for the second half by Ellington's three just before halftime.   Ellington was 3 for 5 from behind the arch last night, and once again helped carry Carolina's offense.

Hansbrough had another great game.  He is so good that it's easy to take him granted. But as well as Thomas has played lately it's Psycho T who has really stepped it up in the wake of Lawson's injury.  Hansbrough has developed a well rounded offensive game; he's got spin moves, power moves, that shot put hook shot, a mid range game, and of course his free throw shooting.  In a word - unstoppable.  In addition to his 29 points Hansbrough got McFarland in foul trouble. When McFarland picked up his fourth foul early in the second half the game was basically over.

I like the way the Heels started the second half.  Carolina repeatedly went inside to Hansbrough, Ellington and Green shot well, but I also liked the defense in the first 10 minutes of the half.   It was a very methodical effort by the Heels as they eventually led by 19 points.  

Green especially had a nice run the second half, and finished with 15 points and 9 rebounds.  His three after Wake had closed to 12 put the game away.

Finally, a word about Quentin Thomas.  Once again he had a nice game running Carolina's new, efficient half court sets.   What an asset he'll be in the NCAA tournament; with Lawson and Thomas the Heels will be able to run and play a half court game, if needed.

The Heels now have a week off before they play at BC next weekend.  As well as Q has played, Lawson may finally get back on the court after the week layoff.   

Random Hoop Thoughts
  • State got waxed again in Charlottesville, trailing by 27 at one point.  I'm starting to develop a macabre interest in the Wolfpacks' ineptitude.
  • Miami defeated Maryland and has an inside track to make the NCAA tournament.  Maryland is now firmly on the bubble.
  • Finally, I was impressed by Wake.  They have four legit players in Teague, Johnson, Smith and McFarland; all four are either freshmen and sophomores. Watch out for them next year, though if they make it to 8-8 the Duke win should get them in the tournament this year.  The ACC deserves six teams in the NCAAs this season (UNC, Duke, Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Wake).

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Not impressed

My kids and I went to the Wizards game last night against the Bobcats.  We got great seats at a nice price courtesy of StubHub, but the main reason we went was to be in the same room as Raymond Felton.  

It was quite an alumni night.  On the Wizards you've got Brendan Haywood (who had 15 and 7), all star Antawn Jamison (who had a great game and led the 'Zards to the 15-point win) plus assistant coach Mike O'Koren. In addition to Felton - who played okay but did not look comfortable in the half court offense the Bobcats run; I'd love to see him on a west coast team that likes to run - the Bobcats feature Jeff McInnis, the injured Sean May, plus Phil 'Greatest Heel of All Time' Ford on the bench as an assistant coach.  Buzz Peterson also works for the Bobcats, hired by team president/part-owner/former roommate/best friend Michael Jordan.

In addition to Carolina, Fayetteville was also in the house as former Fayetteville State coach and alumni Jeff Capel Jr. - the father of Duke grad Jeff Capel III, the current coach at Oklahoma, and Carolina's Jason Capel - is another of the Bobcats' assistants.

After the game I came home to watch the Memphis-Tennessee game, and part of the heavyweight reunification bout between Vladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov.   As you know, Tennessee and Klitschko both won, but I don't know which team/fighter was less impressive.

Neither Tennessee nor Memphis looked that good to me.  Both teams took bad shots and seemed easily flummoxed into making bad plays.  Both teams finished the game at under 40 percent shooting, and Memphis shot less than 50 percent from the free throw line.  The Tigers came out hot then seemed to lose interest.   And as Memphis rallied late Tennessee looked really nervous - except on that last shot.

Part of it may have been the hype, which probably made some of the players nervous.  But as I watched it was hard for me to picture either team giving Carolina problems - or Duke or Clemson for that matter.

Klitschko was even less impressive.  At 6'7" he is a physical marvel and a heck of a physical specimen, and is much bigger, taller and has a much longer reach than Ibragimov, a Russian Avar.   After the third round he realized he could win on jabs alone, and never really committed to the fight.   He won a unanimous decision after 12 lack luster rounds without much action - or punching - at all.  It got so boring that his trainer, the legendary Emmanuel Stewart, told Klitschko he was going to win but criticized his own fighter for not committing to the bout or throwing enough punches.  

I wasn't impressed.  Hansbrough could have taken all four of them - Memphis, Tennessee, Ibragimov, and Klitschko - by his damnself.



Saturday, February 23, 2008

Big Games Loom As ACC Season Goes to the Wire

There are quite a few huge games left in the last 4 weeks of the ACC regular season.  This looked like a down year for the ACC.  Despite possessing the best RPI in the country, and dominating the ACC-Big 10 challenge for the seventh year in a row, for weeks it looked like the ACC would be a four and at best a five bid league in terms of the NCAA tournament.

But three games last week changed that.  Duke's two loses to Wake and Miami have placed those teams firmly on the bubble.  And Virginia Tech's impressive bounce back win - on the road - over Maryland coupled with their very favorable schedule places the Hokies back in contention.  

All of a sudden, one can envision a scenario where the ACC gets seven teams into the field of 65.

Here is my team-by-team breakdown - in no particular order - of the remainder of the ACC regular season (courtesy of my visit to the eye doctor on Friday; I was there for two hours and between tests was able to forecast the remainder of the season):

FSU: despite a nice win over Clemson last week I think the Noles will finish by going 1-3 and 5-11 overall; they only have one more winnable game on the schedule, at home vs. BC, with a huge game vs. Miami in Tallahassee to the last regular season game for FSU; that game will mean more to UM so I have the Canes winning that tilt.

BC: only one winnable game left on their schedule, against Georgia Tech at home; after a nice start to the ACC season I think they'll finish at 5-11.

Maryland: the Terps have the most challenging remaining schedule of any ACC team; you can see them losing their last four games - 3 roads games vs. Wake, Virginia, and Miami, and a home game vs. Clemson;  I think they'll beat Clemson and limp to an 8-8 finish in the conference; the selection committee heavily weighs how a team played in their last 10 games, so they may be in trouble at 8-8; that loss to the Hokies was huge; will their win against Carolina get them in, or will early season losses at home to American and Ohio relegate the Terps to the NIT? with 8 regular season wins it will probably take a win in the ACC tournament to get Maryland into the NCAA.

Miami - I blogged about this last week, but Miami controls their own destiny; win against Duke was huge; they have 3 more winnable games left against Maryland, BC, and Virginia, a winnable road game against FSU, and a big big game at Clemson; simply winning at home gets the Canes to 8-8, and taking the Noles in the finale gets them to 9 wins and into the NCAA tournament; it also means NC-native Frank Haith is the ACC coach of the year. 

Georgia Tech - should win their last 3 homes games and finish 7-9.

Virginia Tech - Seth Greenberg would be coach of the year if not for Haith, assuming of course that VPI wins their last 3 home games against Georgia Tech, Boston College and Wake; their one road game is winnable too, against Clemson; they should finish 3-1 and with 9 wins in the conference; 9 isn't always the magic number, but it should get them in.

Virginia - I thought they'd go 11-5 this year, but instead will likely finish at 5-11 after going 3-2 the rest of the way; I do have them upsetting Duke in Charlottesville, though.

NCSU - only one winnable game on their schedule against FSU in Raleigh; Pack will finish the season in last place as one of four 5-11 ACC squads while Herb Sendek returns to the NCAA tournament as coach of Arizona State.

Wake Forest - another great story a la Miami and the Hokies; Gaudio could win coach of the year as sentimental choice and with 8 conference wins; the Deacons are great at home but bad on the road; if that pattern persists they will finish at 8-8 and on the same bubble as Maryland; will Duke win get them in? huge game looming @ Virginia Tech; like Maryland, they probably need a win in the ACC tournament to secure an invitation to the big dance.

Clemson - if they win their remaining two home games - against Miami and Virginia Tech - they get to 9 wins and in; road games versus Maryland and Georgia Tech are also winnable.

Duke - should finish with 12 wins even with an upset loss to Virginia; I have Carolina beating them for the third year in a row in Cameron to end the season.

Carolina - I see the Heels running the table behind Hansbrough and Q, with Lawson returning to burn the Devils in Durham.

So my final standings are:
UNC 14-2
Duke 12-4
Clemson 9-7
Va Tech 9-7
Miami 9-7
Maryland 8-8
Wake 8-8
Ga Tech 7-9
BC, FSU, 
NCSU, Virginia 5-11

Huge games left:
Maryland at Miami - TODAY
Miami at Clemson - Feb. 27
Wake at Georgia Tech - Mar 1
Clemson at Maryland - Mar 2
Wake at Virginia Tech - Mar 4
Miami at FSU - Mar 8
Carolina at Duke - Mar 8
Maryland at Virginia - Mar 9





Friday, February 22, 2008

Hellenic Football Update

Greek professional football teams generally do not fare well in European competitions. But that had changed a bit this year, as all of the big 3 of Hellenic soccer - Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, and AEK - advanced in their respective tournaments.

That momentum came to a halt this week, as Pana and AEK were eliminated from the UEFA Cup tournament after reaching the round of 32.

And despite outplaying UK power Chelsea for most of the game, Olympiakos had to settle for a 0-0 tie. They really needed that game since it was on their home pitch in Athens. Game two of the two-game series is in March at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea is very tough to beat. The winner of that game advances. But if it's a tie I think the Reds advance; havingn scored an away goal is one of the tie breakers.

The good news on the Hellenic football horizon is the upcoming June Euro 2008 Championship where Greece will be defending their Euro 2004 title.

The Q Bandwagon

It's not just Carolina and Hellenic Blue Blog - the whole internet is on the Q bandwagon.

There is a nice piece at Insidecarolina.com on Q - http://northcarolina.scout.com/2/731074.html - that reminds us: "Thomas is averaging 7.7 points and 6.5 assists per game in Lawson’s absence, while connecting on 53.6 percent of his field goal attempts for the season. His on-court demeanor has changed dramatically from a seemingly overwhelmed backup to a smooth, calming presence as the Tar Heels ‘ starting point guard."

Ditto the Wilmington paper with their story on no longer doubting Thomas at http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080221/NEWS/802210418/1005/NEWS

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Heels Humiliate Pack For Second Time This Season

It wasn't a 30-point blow out like the earlier game in Chapel Hill, but Carolina once again humiliated the Wolfpack tonight.

The Heels methodically took apart the Pack in the second half, led by Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Quentin Thomas. Hansbrough finished with 32 points, 12 boards and 5 steals. He simply ate up State in the second half.

As great as Hansbrough was the whole team looked great. Offensively the Heels were efficient and smart, and as a result shot 52 percent for the contest. And defensively the Heels were much more aggressive in the second half.

In addition to Hansbrough, Ellington, Q and Roy had great games.

Ellington had another great shooting night; his slump is dead and buried. Best of all, he made shots from all over the court - on threes, pull ups and drives. He was 8 for 13, finished with 21 points and 8 boards. Eight boards!

Q had another nice, confidence-building effort against the Pack. He looked cool and in control tonight as he ran the offense and shot the ball well, making great decisions all game long. He finished with 10 points - on 5 of 7 shooting - and 7 assists (versus only 2 turnovers). Thomas looked like a first-string ACC point guard tonight.

And let's give Roy some love. The defensive adjustments the Heels made at the break fueled the run that quickly put this game away early in the second half.

Roy and those three players were stellar, and I haven't even mentioned Marcus Ginyard, who finished with 13 and 6, including two nasty spirit-crushing - almost coach-firing - dunks.

If I was a State fan I would be embarrassed by that team and their effort. Two of Ginyard's dunks we uncontested - in the half court! State did not compete in the second half, which is incredible when you consider it was a home game against their most heated rival.

But I guess Hansbrough can do that to a squad, crowd and school. When he is this unstoppable, relentlessly getting the ball where he likes it and making shots - that can demoralize anyone or any team. Tonight he had everything working: making shots down low, a few 12 footers, a few spin moves taking it to the rack, and those five steals.

As good as Hansbrough was, State was that bad.

A Few Random Thoughts:
  • Carolina has won two straight games by more than 50 points with Q at the point, and overall are 5-1 without Lawson. I love the mental toughness the Heels have developed in the face of losing Ty for six games, and can't wait to see how well the Heels play once Lawson returns.
  • Even without Lawson, the way Q has played lately the Heels could be a final four team with Thomas at the point. As long as Ellington shoots it like he has lately, Hansbrough keeps being Hansbrough, and Q keeps gaining confidence you never know how far this line up could go.
  • And the Heels are now tied for first in the ACC after Miami's upset of Duke tonight in the Gables. I'm not terribly surprised by this score. Miami was coming off a win, and knew going in that a win over the Devils would dramatically enhance their chance of making the NCAA tournament. They pulled it off tonight, scoring 96 points against Duke.
  • The U plays Maryland next, with the Terps coming off a loss at home to Viriginia Tech. Maryland looked terrible on offense, and let the Hokies hang around for 35 minutes. In the last five Virginia Tech got hot, Maryland got tentative and the Hokies stole a win in College Park.
  • Tonight's results remind you of why college basketball is college basketball. Virginia Tech, coming off a 39 point humiliation to Caroline, BEATS the team that beat Carolina - on their home floor. Miami beats a team - Duke - at home that beat Carolina in Chapel Hill, the same Carolina team that defeated Miami in Coral Gables by 16.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Heels, Hokies, Hoops and Hellenic Football

Great to watch the Heels rout the Hokies on Saturday afternoon. It reminded me of those halcyon days of yore, you know January.

It was a great win no matter how you look at it, but especially sweet in the context of recent nail biters and over time wins, to say nothing of the many injuries and ailments the Heels have had to deal with. Under normal circumstances, a 39-point beat down by the Heels would not be that noteworthy, but for me me there were three nice story lines from the 92-53 win.

One, don’t forget that Virginia Tech swept the season series against the Heels last year. The loss in Chapel Hill was the most galling, as Carolina lost another overtime game to Jamon Gordon and last year’s pretty good Hokie squad. This year the Heels are excelling, or at least making plays and winning, in overtime.

Two, the Heels blew out an ACC team while using second and third-string players for much of the game. Not only did Q have a tremendous game - more on that later - but Alex Stephenson played a great game on both ends of the court and Will Graves was on the floor during key stretches of the tilt versus Tech. It’s been said quite a bit lately, but the silver lining of these injuries is more time and experience for players like Graves and Q.

And three, how great was Q today? By far this was his best game as a Heel. He is playing with such confidence now, as evidenced by his two DUNKS against the five from Blacksburg. His dunk in the first half also featured a great cross over dribble to get him into the lane and to the rack. Great to see a guy who has persevered play so well when given the chance. Thomas finished with six points, seven boards and six assists against Virginia Tech.

I think he will be able to handle State on Wednesday, and the Heels should be in great shape again when Lawson returns.

Hoops Random Thoughts
  • I guess Wake has recovered from the post-Chris Paul talent slump they’ve endured, to say nothing of the challenge of recovering from the sudden death of Skip Prosser. I only watched the second half of that game, but came away impressed by the way Wake fought back after Duke retook the lead after trailing at half. It was the first time I’ve seen Wake play, but they looked pretty athletic on offense and defense.
  • Wake’s defense kept Duke’s perimeter game in check, but the foul trouble didn’t help the Devils either. Most of those fouls looked legit; I don’t know if Duke was tired or that much slower than Wake or what. But whatever the reason, I think it’s ridiculous for the referees to foul out six players - six starters - in a game. And here’s an excuse for me to repeat one of my core hoop beliefs: 9 times out of 10, when an offensive player drives to the hoop and a foul is called it SHOULD be on the defense for a block; let the offense flow.
  • It was quite a Wake Forest weekend with the NBA all star game in New Orleans revolving around Chris Paul. Interesting to note that only three schools had two players each in the All Star game: Wake with Paul and Tim Duncan, Carolina with Sheed and Antawn Jamison, and UConn with my man Caron Butler (nice article in the Post), Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton.
  • UConn and Carolina makes sense, but who would have ever thought that Wake would be in that company? [Then again, 20 years ago who would have thought the Huskies would replace Indiana in the college hoops pantheon of Carolina, UCLA, Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, ?Arizona?UConn?] Also interesting to note that neither player was able to lead Wake to a Final Four in their six years in Winston-Salem.
  • Wake has to be considered a bubble team for the NCAA tournament now, and Miami can played itself back onto the bubble after their win this weekend over Georgia Tech (if Tech had held on to defeat the Huskies two weeks ago they could have gotten back on the bubble too). So the ACC should get at least four: Carolina, Duke, Clemson, Maryland; hopefully five with Wake, and maybe six if Miami rises to the occasion.
  • The Canes are intriguing. They are 4-6 in the conference but control their destiny. Their next three games are key: they host Duke and Maryland, then visit Clemson before finishing with three winnable games - against Virginia and BC in the Gables then a rivalry game at FSU - to close out the season. Eight wins in the ACC should get them in, especially if - and it’s a HUGE IF - they can take down Duke and/or Maryland and Clemson on the road.
Random NBA Thought
  • I didn’t watch any of the All Star game though I intended to since Jamison and Sheed were in there. The whole weekend has gotten too hype-driven and superficial to watch or enjoy. That said, I have to give David Stern and the NBA props for going to New Orleans. The mandatory service day on Friday was nice, but almost more importantly it was good to focus the media - what media the NBA generates - on the still shameful state of post-Katrina New Orleans. How that story has faded off the front page of the papers is embarrassing.
Hellenic Football Thoughts
  • Finally, some Greek soccer news. Olympiacos plays at Chelsea tomorrow in the sweet 16 of the European Champions league. Chelsea is favored but Olympiacos comes in feeling confident after winning a road game for the first time in 32+ years in the Champions league.
  • Panathinaikos plays Rangers in the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup (the consolation-prize tournament to the Champions league). Pana scored a mild upset in the first game of the two-game series by tying the Scottish squad over the weekend. Game two is in Athens on Thursday.
Almost Completely Random Presidents Day Musing
  • How about that James Knox Polk, UNC 1818? He helped launch a semi-bogus war against Mexico in an effort to spread slavery (plan was to admit Texas but also New Mexico and Arizona as slave states). But the Mexican-American war also got us California, which seems like a good thing. The war also gave a one-term Congressman from Illinois a national platform to criticize an unjust war. Of course that lanky member of Congress was Barack Obama, I mean Abraham Lincoln.
Have a nice presidents day!

February 18, 2008