2010 NCAA Tournament: Thoughts & Reactions

Well, the bracket is here. Bracket Day is winding down and all that's left is to listen to Vitale ramble about making a mid-major play the Big East schedule. Oh, we already did that? Sorry. I guess all that is left then is to dish out some Blue Team-style analysis and opinions. Per tradition, we will analyze the 2010 NCAA Tournament bracket selection first, with thoughts on the field itself, seeding, and the big picture. I'm seeing some region-by-region work over the next couple of days, then the Tar Heels' path to the Final Fo-...nevermind. Maybe instead, we'll wait a few weeks then take a look at the season that was for Carolina and the seasons to come. I'm sure I'll post my predicted bracket late Wednesday or early Thursday for anyone that cares as well. For now, let's go ahead and get busy with the initial thoughts segment of our program.

In or Out: I think the committee was close to getting this right, but is inconsistent in who they put in. To me, there were two schools of thought: 1) value lots of wins over weak competition and cite the eye test; or 2) value the tough schedules and quality victories while overlooking a few blemishes. Utah State, UTEP, Virginia Tech, & Cal fall into the first group while Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, and Georgia Tech fall into the latter. Clearly, there was room for both in the tournament, but Illinois & Virginia Tech both found themselves on the outside looking in. I think, therefore, that the perceived inconsistency between these two groups actually forms a consistency of sorts: neither school of thought wins out, they just guessed on who the best candidates were. How is Utah State's resume better than Virginia Tech's? How is Florida's resume better than Illinois'? And you can cross that up too, Utah State is better than Illinois and Florida than Virginia Tech? I don't think there was a solid formula this year at all and that is probably what does not set well with some coaches. I personally felt Illinois was more deserving than VT or Utah State, but it is not the end of the world.

On a side note, Jay Bilas said that the entire argument was stupid. His point was that there is little reason to argue over who is the 34th at-large team or the "65th" best team in the field because that team will not be playing for the National Championship. I suppose he has forgotten about George Mason's Final Four run, because the Patriots were a sqaud who were admitted to the field under heavy fire and yet proved themselves more than worthy of inclusion. No doubt someone among the last four or so teams in the field will win at least one game, maybe more. I like Jay and think he does a good job, but he is wrong on this argument.

Finally, I feel bad for Virginia Tech, as the excitement around basketball was very high here in Blacksburg this season. While Seth Greenberg has taken tremendous heat, some of it justified, for the weak non-conference schedule, one should not lose cite of the weak ACC schedule the Hokies faced. This is the major problem with unbalanced scheduling, which is now present in all of the BCS Big Six leagues, sans the Pac-10. VT played Duke, Maryland, and FSU (the top three in the ACC) only once apiece and went 0-3. They played the bottom of the league (UVA, UNC, NC State, and Miami) twice each and went 6-2. Hence, 10-6 in the ACC suddenly does not look so good, you know? That portion of the schedule is completely out of control for the coaches, but it remains a fact on the resume of the Hokies and other teams. To me, this hurt Virginia Tech's chances just as much as the non-conference schedule.

Seeding: I'll be honest, I was not too down on the seeding initially. But, now that I've sat down and digested the bracket (along with some sushi), I am beginning to scratch my head. It seems that all of the Big East teams got pushed on the high end of their seeding range, especially Notre Dame & Marquette. Temple got hosed, they've been solid all year and I think their resume is much stronger than Butler, Maryland, or Vanderbilt. A 4-seed at worst, imo. Cornell also took a low spot, as did Siena, both of whom I could see in the 10-seed range. The 6-seed for Tennessee was harsh as well. I could go on for a while here, as there just is not a lot of rhyme or reason to the way these teams were seeded.

So, why is this? I think it has a lot to do with the high number of non-major teams in the field. This year's bracket includes sixteen non-Big Six conference squads seeded twelfth or higher. That's a lot, folks, 1/3 of the top forty-eight teams in the field. That is 33% more than last year based on my quick look back and math skills, both of which should be verified. My point is that I think there was a sense of comparing apples and oranges and grapes and watermelons this year instead of having an easier criteria of teams from power leagues with similar resumes. You can thank the down year from the Pac-10 for blessing us with those extra spots. Instead of six Pac-10 teams getting into the field like last year, we had two. That left four more spots for other leagues to essentially fill in, which gave us the 33% increase in teams from outside the Big Six among the 12-seeds and higher.

Big Picture: This tournament bracket is imbalanced, period. Take a look at Kansas. Oh, Kansas. There was not much doubt in my mind who to pick this year at any point in the season until seeing the Midwest region. A road that goes through 28-4 Northern Iowa or UNLV, then Michigan St/Maryland, Ohio St/Georgetown/Tennessee? Wow. Let me put it this way: if Carolina was having a normal year and was a 1-seed stuck with the path Kansas just got, I'd be livid. The saving grace for KU is that the bottom of the Midwest region could blow up, because the 7, 10, & 11 seeds are all capable of beating any team, any place, any time. It looks to me like there are no less than five teams in this region that could earn a Final Four berth: KU, Ohio St, Georgetown, Michigan St, & Tennessee.

Kentucky and the East region is no walk in the park either. That tantilizing matchup with former number one Texas looms in the second round, with an experienced, physical team likely waiting in the Sweet 16 in the form of Wisconsin or Temple. West Virginia has been playing incredible ball the few weeks, but could have a rough time with Clemson or Missouri in the second round. I'm interested to see what Washington can do now that they're healthy and playing focused ball as well.

On the flip side, both the South & West regions are much softer. Duke itself is a weak 1-seed, as I think their style could lead to them exiting before Indianapolis this season. Villanova has struggled down the stretch, but has the experience and players to return to the Final Four. None of the other teams really jump out of the South region as scary: Baylor is erratic, Purdue is without Hummel, Texas A&M has trouble scoring...the list goes on. Notre Dame is finally starting to click, but I wonder about their ability to continue playing at a high level. I saw a great tweet earlier as well, basically saying that Louisville would either beat Duke or lose by 26 points. I'd take it a step further and say Louisville could see the Elite 8 or lose by 26 points to California - they are that maddening. To me, this is the region most likely to implode and give us a number of upsets.

Syracuse becomes a default selection of sorts in the West region, as they are definitely the best team out there. Pittsburgh & Vanderbilt are both squads I felt would be ripe for disappointment entering the tournament and somehow they ended up 3 and 4-seeds respectively in the West. It is not quite equal to the famed UCLA Invitational of 2008, but I think Syracuse got a break. I will admit to wondering if the committee might have considered this a tradeoff for sending them out west to begin with. I know things aren't supposed to work like that, but the thought crossed my mind nonetheless. Kansas St is strong at the bottom of the bracket, but they have a habit of hurting themselves with bad shots and missed free throws. They are talented, but I'm just not sure they can focus for four straight games and earn their way into the Final Four.

We'll take a more in-depth look at the regions the next couple of days and delve into some potential matchups and extended runs. I know that a lot of you readers (a lot if a relative term when there aren't many readers, but whatever) are Carolina fans and alums who are bummed that the beloved Heels are not part of March Madness. Take this season to relax and gain some further perspective on how fortunate we are to cheer for a team that not only participates in the NCAA Tournament most every March, but wins lots of games and some championships too. There is a reason that Roy Williams mentions in almost every winning post-game press conference that "we feel very fortunate to have won tonight" - because they are. I love March Madness for all of the pomp and circumstance around it, but especially when it involves Carolina. Just think, it will make it that much sweeter when we're back in the tournament and spitting nails over a bad call or just chewing on nails in the final two minutes of a tight game. 2005 does not happen without 8-20 and 201X might not happen without this year's NIT. We'll be back.

Happy March Madness to all and to all a good night.

2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Prognostication

Just because it is tradition, here is my final bracket prognostication for the 2010 NCAA Tournament:

Midwest (1):
1. Kansas
2. Georgetown
3. Purdue
4. Tennessee
5. Maryland
6. BYU
7. Oklahoma St
8. Notre Dame
9. St. Mary's
10. ODU
11. UTEP
12. Siena
13. Cornell
14. North Texas
15. Vermont
16. Robert Morris

West (4):
1. Duke
2. West Virginia
3. Temple
4. Baylor
5. Butler
6. Michigan St
7. Gonzaga
8. Missouri
9. Louisville
10. San Diego St
11. Goergia Tech
12. Florida
13. Oakland
14. Murray St
15. Lehigh
16. ETSU

East (2):
1. Kentucky
2. Kansas St
3. Villanova
4. New Mexico
5. Texas A&M
6. Richmond
7. Northern Iowa
8. Clemson
9. Marquette
10. Washington
11. Wake Forest
12. Illinois
13. Ohio U
14. UCSB
15. Montana
16. Winthrop vs Ark Pine Bluff

South (3):
1. Syracuse
2. Ohio St
3. Pittsburgh
4. Wisconsin
5. Vanderbilt
6. Texas
7. Xavier
8. FSU
9. Cal
10. UNLV
11. Utah St
12. Houston
13. New Mexico St
14. Wofford
15. Sam Houston St
16. Morgan St

I have the least confidence in Utah State being a part of this tournament of the teams most are projecting in, along with Florida. I really think Illinois gets in based on 5-9 vs the RPI top 50. Utah State, on the other hand, is only 2-1 against the RPI top 50. I think Florida's overall resume is stronger than Utah State, Virginia Tech, or Mississippi St, giving the nod to the Gators. So, for the record, Florida is my last team in, then Minnesota, then Illinois. The first teams out would be Utah State, Virginia Tech, Mississippi St, Seton Hall, & Rhode Island. Also, I just changed my mind six times on Utah State/Minnesota/Florida before settling on the above. It does seem to me that Utah State and Virginia Tech would have good arguments, so 3 out of 5 from the last three in/first two out should be the final bracket.

I will say that I hope the Hokies get in the tournament, I'm just not convinced that such a weak non-conference schedule, combined with the easiest ACC schedule within the league, can be rewarded despite a 23-8/10-6 record. Stressful time for the hoops fans and staff here in Blacksburg.

Merry Bracket Day to you all.

Dook vs Carolina Live Rundown 2nd Half

...and the rivalry continues...

10:00pm: Using halftime to respond to text messages and BBM's. Don't say it people, don't even think it.

10:05pm: Smilin' Dan describes Hansbrough's style of play as a whirling derbish. Indeed. I wish the derbish had some eligibility left.

10:06pm: Bobby Frasor tweets in "pretty awesome to see his jersey in the front row". Yes sir, it is.

10:07pm: I gave Duke too much credit: 23% shooting in the first half. And they're ahead. 23% ain't happening again folks, it's just not.

10:09pm: Graves gives up a trey to Singler to start the half. I'm going to lose it.

10:10pm: Ginyard for three - bang. Do it, Marcus.

10:11pm: II with two terrible plays, as pointed out on TV. Roy is going to punch him.

10:12pm: Marcus on the break...pass it, oh no, ehhhh...yes!

10:15pm: Ginyard does a terrific job rotating on defense to deny a Chewbek dunk. That's what he does, kids, makes the plays you don't see in the boxscore.

10:17pm: Duke is killing it on the offensive glass. This never used to happen when #50 was inside. It's not just the talent drop-off, it is the toughness and intensity that we miss. Tyler would have bruised four Devils in the first half on rebounds and none of those guys would want a piece by the second half. No one does that anymore. Carolina needs a bruiser. I finally realized this. I think this is why Roy wanted Delvon Roe & Samardo Samuels two recruiting classes ago. Davis and Big Z are fine, but I wouldn't use "tough" to describe either at this point.

10:20pm: 19 offensive rebounds for Duke, proving the above point tenfold. Geez.

10:22pm: Dex should find the bench soon: a three-point brick and a stupid foul outside.

10:25pm: 43-39 Heels, timeout Duke. Gene and Psycho T high-five their approval. Roof about to go off the Dome.

10:28pm: We can't stop Singler. This is foreboding.

10:30pm: Does anyone know how much the Braves' offer to Johnny Damon is worth? I'm fine paying the guy $6 million on a one-year deal, just not $10 million. I guess it doesn't matter if it is only for one year, but I don't want July to roll around and the Bravos not be able to make a deadline deal because of finances committed to Damon, ya know? It would be nice to get a for-real lead-off hitter though and let Escobar or McClouth bat 2-hole.

10:34pm: Scheyer misses two free fros when he shouldn't have been at the line to begin with; Marcus fouled him on the floor, not the shot. Ball don't lie, Rasheed. Of course, Davis comes down and clanks two for the Heels too.

10:39pm: Tied at 45-45, eight-minute media timeout. Hokies are up on State 59-42 at the same point in the game. Beating State has not come easy for VT, so this would count as a decent win if only to get the monkey off their back.

10:44pm: "Grab a freakin' rebound Ed, %@&$#%^@"

10:45pm: The question now for the Tar Heels is who is going to make a play...cue Will Graves. We NEED you Will.

10:46pm: 54-48 Duke. Get out the fork...

10:54pm: and stick it in, we're done. Scheyer nails a contested three-pointer and a miss from Graves on a terrible shot. 59-50.

10:55pm: The "we're done" is not only for tonight, but for the season. Barring a miraculous turnaround and/or a run of four (yes, four) victories in the ACC Tournament, the Heels will miss the NCAA Tournament this year and are well on their way to missing post-season play all together. I really don't know if they will finish at .500 or above. It will be interesting to see how the team responds to being 2-7 and losing tonight in the only real chance to put a shot in the team's collective arm. Marcus played his ass off tonight, Larry & Will had their moments, and Henson was long...but it is just not enough.

Congratulations to Duke on a gutty win in a game in which they shot horribly. The Devils did a great job crashing the glass and were flat out tougher than the Heels, which has not been the case in recent years. I don't really think Duke is very good because they still struggle to control quick guards and get no point production down low (except when they're killing us on the glass and tipping the ball back in).

Carolina meanwhile continues to struggle late in games when the other teams tightens the screws defensively. It is like a collective panic ensues, shots are rushed, and no one is capable of stepping up and hitting the big shots when we absolutely need them. This season will not end pretty the way things are progressing right now.I agree with what Roy said about this team not playing hard enough, which just totally blows my mind. That characteristic, maybe more than the record and losing, is why the 2009-2010 Tar Heels are a total disappointment as of early February.

Dook vs Carolina Live Rundown 1st Half

It is 9:00pm and that means gametime is upon us. The Blue Team presents a Live Rundown full of intensity and passion: it's Duke vs Carolina.

9:00pm: UCONN at Syrcuse is bringing us a good finish that the Huskies just managed to screw up. A bad three-pointer and inability to stop the long pass over the top robs UCONN of an upset on the road at the Carrier Dome.

9:01pm: We've got Tim Brando and Smilin' Dan Bonner bringing us the action tonight from Chapel Hill. It could be worse. We are at least spared Vitale screaming all night about whatever he screams about. I just hear loud noise with him now. It all sounds the same.

9:03pm: #50 goes into the rafters tonight, last time anyone will don these digits. Shockingly it will read "Hansbrough" instead of "Bersticker".

9:07pm: Tip-off time. Go Heels.

9:07pm: Hess, Jones, & Ayers - good officiating crew in Chapel Hill.

9:08pm: I just realized the Virginia Tech vs NC State game has started. I doubt I focus on it too much tonight, but go Hokies nonetheless.

9:09: Duke is deflecting the ball left and right. Awesome. But Ed Davis dunks to put up the first points tonight for the Heels. 2-0 lead...stop the game now.

9:11pm: The 2-3 zone on the baseline out-of-bounds plays yields a Singler three-pointer. Heels have got to find another way to defense the in-bounds play, this is not working anymore.

9:14pm: 9-4 Duke at the first media timeout. I am rattled by this "type and watch the game" thing already. The Hokies are up 10-4 and I have no idea how anyone has scored. I do know that Ted Valentine is officiating this game, which makes me relieved that he didn't end up about 30 miles down the road tonight.

9:16pm: Chewbek misses a bunny and I get to roll out the first Chewbacca roar of the evening. Always a crowd pleaser.

9:22pm: James McAdoo is behind the bench. James, graduate early and enroll at CH now. Like tomorrow morning. PJ Hairston, I now see you too. Likewise, just come on over to Carolina and suit up. As I type this, Dex clanks a free fro.

9:19pm: Liesl BBM's in to say that she found ESPNUnavailable on her DirecTV package.

9:23pm: Henson channeling Sam Perkins and blocking two shots! Quietly, it appears John may be trying to get off the short bus and graduate to playing real live college basketball.

9:25pm: Completely sick of "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" Gatorade commercial. It was maybe kinda sorta ok the first time...the hundreth? Not so much.

9:26pm: VT is 10-10 from the field and leads State 26-7. Carolina is not 10-10.

9:27pm: Will Graves' lack of defense is killing the Heels as Dan Bonner points out. But his three-pointer from Burlington is not. He has to go for 25 tonight to get Carolina some points and off-set all the ones he gives up. Seriously, we need a big game from Will to have a chance.

9:30pm: Holy Henson Batman. John narrowly misses a steal, comes all the way back for the board, which leads to a Drew II layup. Follows with a spike on the next possession. John! Welcome to the party son.

9:32pm: Tie game. Fist pump. 20-20 at the media timeout. Crowd is good thus far tonight. Way to show up for the Duke game folks. I sat through every game of 8-20, least ya'll students can do is pull a not-so-good team through a few games here. *gets off soapbox*

9:35pm: Hokies are still rolling. I'm not sure what Seth Greenberg will have to yell about at halftime. In other news, ESPN is showing the VT/State game on the mothership in all Raycome markets. This could really drop the Duke/Carolina ratings in the Triangle and in Virginia. Not that any of you care, but still.

9:37pm: I think we have 95 blocked shots thus far. "Duke is having trouble finishing around the rim"...not the first time some of the Dookies have heard that one.

9:40pm: Henson, Gumby, and Good Heavens all in the same sentence from Smilin' Dan. Eventually settles on "Mr. Gadget" to describe Henson. Good heavens indeed.

9:41pm: Marcus Ginyard battles for a loose ball and saves a possession. Get up off that game haters. He'd die for this team to be good. Finishes the possession with a dunk to give the Heels their first lead since 2-0, 24-23 at the four minute timeout.

9:44pm: Float like a butterfly...

9:45pm: I think they should remake that commercial with pictures of Tiger Woods "stinging like a bee". Now THAT would make me buy Gatorade.

9:48pm: II misses a three which Deon rebounds clean. He manages to dribble, gets tied up briefly, and loses the ball cleanly to three Devils without ever diving on the floor. That is why, talented as he may be, Thompson has the reputation for PLAP.

9:50pm: Scheyer miss, scramble, three guys on the floor, scramble some more, Drew controls....and one, bitch.

9:51pm: 28-27 Duke at the half. I feel like we won the National Championship again. Ok not really. But the first half was just as ugly as Carolina needs to make this entire game in order to have a chance to win. This team ain't winning pretty (or at all recently), so they've got to learn to grind games out and do it on the glass and defensive end. Duke shot about 30% the first half I bet, including some open misses, which cannot be expected the rest of the night. The Heels have got to keep the intensity up and make some shots to win this one.

Blue vs Blue Live Rundown Upcoming

I don't expect much from tonight's battle of the blues, so I think I can type and think while also watching the game. Thus, we're going for a Blue Team Live Rundown tonight, as Carolina vs Dook is also joined by Virginia Tech vs NC State. I don't recall ever publishing a rundown during a Tar Heels game, so this will be a first. Could be a last too. And if you think I'm striving for a Bill Simmons special reverse jinx, you dang right.

Prediction: Dook 83 UNC 69

Paging Henny Penny...

If you couldn't figure it out against College of Charleston, were still a bit slow during the blowout at Clemson, or didn't quite get the point on Saturday in the loss to Georgia Tech, you HAD to figure it out during the Wake Forest game: these Tar Heels just aren't very good.

This game was over two minutes in. Ish Smith, as pointed out numerous times on TV, was far and away the best player on the floor. I now understand how teams felt when Ty Lawson would zoom down the floor and scoop up a shot off a made basket. I guess I quickly forgot my rule in college hoops: when one team has a dominate point guard, they will likely win the game. In the college game, a great point man just makes things so easy for his teammates, not to mention scoring points himself. The drop-off dunks and kick-out threes come after a great point guard breaks down the defense, and that's what we saw tonight.

Aminu was huge as well. He dominated the glass, along with my boy McFarland. Twice in the second half, Wake Forest batted the ball around before first Aminu, then Tony Woods, corralled the ball for a slam dunk/layup. It was at this point that I realized how much I took Tyler Hansbrough's toughness, tenacity, and passion for granted. As a team, the Tar Heels play like a bunch of vaginas. Some of the freshmen just aren't big enough yet to push people around, I'll acknowledge that. However, size and toughness is not necessarily the same thing. This team has size, but little toughness.

The little things kill Carolina - a missed box-out, not talking on a defensive switch, getting pinned underneath while your guy hits an open three, etc. The reason the 2005-2006 team overachieved and became a "whole is greater than the sum of the parts" squad was because they did a lot of these little things on a regular basis. Leadership, basketball I.Q., whatever you want to attribute it to - they did it. The team absolutely does not understand this concept.

I don't like calling out individual players, but I'm going to say something here and try to move on: John Henson is one of the most disappointing "hyped" players I have ever seen as a freshman at an elite college program. This might not be his fault - he didn't assign himself the "#5 in the country" ranking. The recruiting pundits opined that he was a Brandan Wright clone, a possible-if-not-likely one-and-done guy, a dude who could play the 3-spot because of his varied skillset. He played point guard early in high school, the story goes, and was a better player because of it. Um, what? Has anyone seen this "skillset" this season? He is long and can block shots...but that's about it thus far. Three fouls and two turnovers in nine minutes tonight. He scored going 1-2 out the foul line after one of the slowest, most awkward one-man fast breaks I've ever seen (and it was a four-on-one break). He looked like a 6-10 Special Olympian running down the floor - and I'm sorry if I've offended any of the Olympians. Moving on...

This team very clearly has no confidence, as individuals, in their teammates, or in the collective unit. The off weekend must change that. Roy said something in his postgame about a Kansas team he coached that lost eight in a row, I believe in his first season. He had them watching "Hoosiers", "Rocky III", and eating bologna sandwiches. Well, it is indeed time to dust off every trick in the book, Ol' Roy, starting Thursday. I already mentioned it last week, so without belaboring the point - ACC play is NOT the time to try to find your confidence and figure things out. Right now, the Heels look like a wounded fish with all the other sharks swimming in circles around them, sniffing out the blood in the water and ready to bite.

So where do we go from here? For the fans, I'd recommend hard liquor. This ain't turning around fast. For the team, the expectations have to be lowered even more for this season. Get it together enough to make the NCAA Tournament and win twenty games. Continuing to play like this will not equal either of those things happening.

I don't mean to sound spoiled here. I realize that Carolina won the National Championship last year, and has won two in five years. That is outstanding. I'm still proud to be a Tar Heel and always will be. I wouldn't trade places with Duke, State, Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA (ok, bad example this season) or anyone else this year or any other year. You cannot replace the excitement and passion of a title. But, living in the here-and-now, it is really frustrating to watch this team struggle. We all thought it could be a down year, but probably not quite this rough. I'm not throwing in the towel or giving up on the 2009-2010 team; I hope they improve and make a good run of things. But, I'm no longer expecting it. And that's what's frustrating.

Clemson Catastrophe & ACC Notes: The U

An absolutely abyssmal performance on the road tonight for Carolina. Clemson's MO under Coach Purnell has been full-court pressure that often leads to easy transition buckets for the Tigers. In discussing the game with a friend earlier today, I said that the Heels could not turn the ball over and expect to compete, much less win. It was that simple. Well, they finished with about 73 turnovers, so mission not-so-accomplished. I'm not writing any more about this game for fear of being too reactionary. Just know that I did laundry from the twelve minute mark on of the second half. Also, know that Roy Williams' tie was gawd awful. Burn it Roy. Finally, know that I wore untested "Carolina Gameday" boxers tonight that I received for Christmas. Needless to say, I will no longer be wearing these drawers on gamedays.

Moving on to something new for this college hoops season: The Blue Team will feature team notes on each ACC team I get to see play in person. As you know, I work every home basketball game at Virginia Tech courtside and get to see at least nine ACC teams (including the Hokies) every season. Tonight, the Hokies opened ACC play by beating the Miami Hurricanes 81-66. VT actually led 48-13 at one point late in the first half, so this was never much of a game. However, there are still a few decent takeaways on the Canes despite their poor performance, so let's delve into the first set of ACC Notes.

The initial quality that jumps out about Miami is their athleticism. Every single guy on this team looks like a stud athlete. They are very smooth and fast. That being said, the collective skill of this team is not all that good. Shooting is streaky, turnovers are frequent, and good decision-making is not always present. They remind me a lot of Eddie Sutton's Oklahoma State teams of recent years, just not quite as good. However, Miami is going to be tough to beat when they defend well and can get out and run a lot, as not many teams are able to keep up with the Canes.

From an individual standpoint, no one player really jumped out to me as "the guy". Dwayne Collins is supposed to be option one, but he is still inconsistent. The Hurricanes did not do a good job, especially early on in this game, of getting into their offense. Every set seemed to get blown up, either by a turnover or just good defense from the Hokies. As a result, Collins was not a factor. He did completely sky over Victor Davila for a put back in the second half, so you know the tools are there. He's probably just waiting to unleash 30 & 13 on the Heels later this year.

Durand Scott, a freshmen guard from New York, is going to be a good one for Miami. He was a 4* recruit coming out of high school and really showed great burst and toughness tonight. He was frustrated with his team & his individual play at times tonight, but I think was the typical "New York competitiveness" coming out. He is a physically strong kid and will really be a good scorer once he hones his jumper.

Likewise, Reggie Johnson, a redshirt freshmen from North Carolina, shows a lot of promise as well. He is a big body, very much reminding me physically of current Tar Heel Deon Thompson when he was a rookie. He is not polished, but seems to use his size well and can at least man up defensively. If Frank Haith & his staff can work with this kid, Johnson could develop into a force before his Miami career is over.

On the flip side, sophomore Dequan Jones was a 5* guy coming out of high school, a huge recruiting get from Haith & Co. However, he is the definition of "athletic without skill" right now. Sure, he can rebound and defend, but he doesn't have much handle or a consistent jumper. I reckon he's going to improve and his body is off the charts, but the basketball skills have not caught up yet for this guy.

Overall, I think Miami is going to be alright. They took a lot of bad shots tonight, making some but missing more. I'm sure playing in a tough road environment did not help, but they seemed to lose composure and get rattled (reminds me of another team that lost on the road in the ACC tonight). However, there are four seniors on the team, so hopefully these guys will take it upon themselves to pull their team together and get better. I think I just a caught the Canes on a bad night tonight and we'll see the real Miami develop to the tune of 9-7 in the league. The battle, of course, will be with the selection committee to get past their atrocious non-conference schedule and snatch a bid.

One other quick note related to the Canes. They have a guy, whom I assume to be a senior in school there, who serves as a team manager. He sat on the end of their bench tonight and did all of the manager things: water, stools, clipboard, towels, etc. He also lept to his feet after nearly every made basket, clapped with far-too-enthusiastic vigor, and screamed at the officials on more than one occasion. It was bad enough that I noticed the other "end of the bench guys" (trainers, stat guy, strength guy, etc) discussing his behavior after a particularly strong reaction/meltdown in the second half. Somehow the Hokies' student section, the Cassell Guard, did not notice how into the game this guy was. But let me tell you, he heard them anyway. Every "Uuuuuuuu suck" or "Just like foot-ball" chant by the students was met by a slew of f-bombs, glares, and fidgety body language. I really thought this kid was going to lose it and strangle someone for yelling at his beloved Hurricanes. It's a long season dude, and you've got seven more ACC road environments to visit. You might want to chill out and relax, because if another school realizes how into the game you are, you could find yourself the target of their chants. Worse yet, if you snap on an official, Frank Haith will be looking for a new manager. It's just a game man.

We'll get to another ACC Notes segment next week, as the Boston College Eagles come calling to Blacksburg. I doubt I'll bother with a formal UNC breakdown at any point, given the amount of coverage the Heels already receive. We'll save the Hokies for later in the season, after they have developed a bit more. In the meantime, enjoy watching NBC screw themselves & Tennessee scramble to find a new coach not named Butch Davis.

Observations from Bob Uecker's Seat

Every college basketball season, I get the chance to watch a lot of ACC Basketball up close and personal. Sunday night led me to Chapel Hill to "work" the Tar Heels vs Hokies affair. Thanks again to Bill, Mike, & Damian for allowing me to tag along. Here are a few thoughts from the game at the Smith Center:

- First, the Hokies' side of things. Virginia Tech played hard the entire game, but clearly ran out of gas. Malcolm Delaney was outstanding the first half, but his bum ankle and being a touch out of game shape seemed to catch up to him in the second frame. Not to mention the job Marcus Ginyard did on him defensively.

- The Hokies, as discussed many times over in our office, still need a consistent third offensive option or will have to rely on the "total team effort" to provide points. To me, it looks like Dorenzo Hudson can be that guy if he does not press so much. Relax and let your offense come to you. Dude plays hard too.

- Coach Greenberg really remains fairly composed when facing Carolina. He and his staff seem to emphasize staying poised in tough road environments and it works well against the Heels. Sans the blowout in Chapel Hill during the 2006-2007 season, the Hokies have played Carolina very tough in the four seasons I've been at VT.

- While already a decent squad this year, the Hokies could be really, really good next season. No major players graduate from the rotation and one would not expect Delaney to leave for the pros following this year. So, bring everyone back, add in a stud transfer from UF named Allan Chaney, plus two solid recruits that will contribute immediately and you could have a very good Virginia Tech lineup in 2010-2011.

- Moving on to the game atmosphere a little bit...the Smith Center was barely 50% full five minutes prior to the game. Then, the National Anthem ended and it was 95% full. Guess everyone was racing in from the cold still?

- Anoop Desai, Carolina alum and one of last year's American Idol contestants, sang the anthem. He and his parents sat right behind us - very nice people. His father was right amused by the parade of hotties coming up to Anoop for pictures. But what he didn't see were the two girls sitting across the court from us on the front row trying to take his son's picture during the game. Anoop is still a Carolina celeb, I reckon.

- People always joke about Duke's insane number of student managers, but the Heels have a ton as well. I'm not sure what everyone's role is, but most of the row immediately behind the scorer's table is full of students who assist the basketball program in some way, shape, or form. They don't all run out and mop up sweat during the game or pass out water to the players, but they did all seem to have pre-game and post-game duties.

- Dr. Holden Thorp, the Chancellor at UNC, sits right behind the TV commentary guys across from the scorer's table. The lady next to him, whom I presume to be his wife, Patti, jumped during the "Jump Around" segment of pregame festivities with as much enthusiasm and vigor as I have ever seen. The chic was basically raising the roof. Very...nerdy, yes, but incredible support from the presumed Mrs. Thorp.

- Also during pregame, Carolina has implemented the UNC Drumline into the starting lineup introductions. I assume this just started this season after the addition of the new lights, but correct me if I am wrong. Either way, I don't recall ever hearing of this at any other schools around the country. Anyone know of any?

- One quick officiating note: they botched the injured player/who shoots the foul shot ruling. Under the new rule for this season, the coach of the team that commits the foul is granted the chance to appoint a foul shooter from among the remaining four players on the floor for the injured team. Had the foul on Davila been intentional or flagrant, then Virginia Tech would have been able to select the player to shoot. In this case, Roy Williams should have been given the choice of the four players on the floor to shoot the free throws (he likely would have chosen Terrell Bell from the four on the court at the time). In any event, it worked out for the Tar Heels because freshman Ben Boggs checked in and missed the front-end of the one-and-one.

- Now, moving to the Carolina side of things. First off, Dexter Strickland is really fast in person. I know he looks it on TV, and no, he's not nearly in the Lawson/Felton/Kenny Smith category. But when you see him in person, that's probably the first thing you notice. He's also very smooth. Going to be a great player for Carolina no doubt.

- Tyler Zeller really struggled Sunday night. Big Z seems to excel against shorter opponents, but has a bit of trouble with 1) big and physical because he's not strong with the ball all the time; and 2) quick players, including guards coming in and stripping rebounds. He definitely brings the ball down low too often and is very robotic at times. I'm sure you've heard the Eric Montross comparisons (tall, white, gets down the court well, baby hook), but I currently think of him closer to a more offensive-minded Kevin Salvadori, who was a teammate of Montross. Chill out, Z will end up better than Salvadori (who was no slouch by his senior year & got a sniff in the NBA), but he is comparable right now.

- Finally, for people who have freaked out about this team, keep in mind the comparisons that have arisen with the 2005-2006 Baby Heels who were led by David Noel (I thought Adam Lucas referenced this in passing following a recent game, but I'm striking out on the link again). That team started out 1-3 in league play, then 2-4. They fell out of the polls all together a few times that season, including after the home loss to Dook in early February (shouts to Burt for making the down-and-back with me from Clemson that day/night/early morning). Eventually, Carolina climbed back to #10 in the polls. Now imagine if that team had been without David Noel & Reyshawn Terry for a few weeks and that's what we've had recently with Ginyard & Graves missing. Somehow this team is still ranked #13 (ridiculous and clearly based on talent, potential, and the name on the jersey) and will be fine if they "get it". Point: getting Marcus & Will back healthy, contributing, and, most importantly, leading, will make this team look a lot better.

I think that's enough from Sunday's game. We'll hit up some more topics later this week, including the NFL playoffs and Carolina's football recruiting. Thanks to everyone who texted compliments on the purple shirt last night. As I told G Elliott, purple is very "in" this season. Be good ya'll.

Tha Crossroads

Now tell me whatcha gonna do
when there ain't nowhere to run
and whatcha gonna do
when there ain't nowhere to hide
when judgement comes for you

- Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - "Tha Crossroads"

I thought The Blue Team was dead. Not enough time on my hands to write, yet too much to say. Too many other things that are more important to do. But one bad night of hoops can change your entire perspective on shi-...stuff. Plus, when someone asks, "hey, what do you think?", the Blue Team obliges.

"Tha Crossroads" is a touching rap song off the E. 1999 Eternal album of legends Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. It is an ode to homies fallen, specifically Eazy Mother-Effin' E, who had just died of AIDS. The point of the song, besides honoring lives lost, is about those left on this earth making a decision with what to do with their lives; how one reacts following adversity, in this case the loss of a loved one.

I think you know where this is heading. The 2009-2010 Carolina basketball team is officially at its crossroads. For each individual, for the coaches, for the team as a whole: whatcha gonna do? This question is not at all unfamiliar: I asked the same thing of last year's team. Most every team who wins anything in any sport goes through a "whatcha gonna do" moment in its season.

The difference for this year's Tar Heels is this question has been building gradually over a month or so. A bad half against Syracuse? Ok, they're better than everyone thought. A bad ten minutes against Kentucky? Alright, it was the first road game. 103 effing points given up to Texas? Maybe Jerry Jones' video board really is too big. But the disconcernment has snowballed with lackluster wins against non-conference foes in recent weeks.

The last three weeks of December are the most important weeks for a college hoops team. First, players go through exams and need to focus/stay eligible (after all, they are student-athletes). Next, there are tons of practices due to the NCAA restrictions on practice hours easing up with students gone for the holidays. That means a lot of time to bond and get better. Finally, you generally get to play against some lesser competition many of those games, which means that big wins and confidence should result if you have a good team.

Therein lies the problem. Carolina has not had a single game this season that it played well for a full forty minutes. Numerous writers have commented on it & Coach Williams has pointed it out, but it wasn't really a problem until tonight's loss to College of Charleston. There's really no need to dissect the loss; it happened, it's over. The reaction moving forward is ten times more important than exactly what went wrong. But, big picture, a number of things have to change:

1) Health. Marcus Ginyard & Will Graves are not Magic & Larry. But they're two of the few veterans on this team, and the best defender and shooter respectively. The prescence and consistently solid play of these two individuals is imperative to this season's success. Duh.

2) Youth. I don't think this is going to change, and what I mean is the inexperienced guys are going to continue to be a bit up-and-down the rest of the season. But, some level of consistency has to emerge from all of the young guys. Notice I did not say "freshmen". I mean everyone not named Marcus Ginyard or Deon Thompson.

3) Defense. Coach Williams said early in pre-season practice that this team had a chance to be very good defensively, going as far as to say they had the ability to be better than the 2005-2006 team protecting the house (tried to find a link, but failed. Here's the best I could do). That has absolutely not been the case. I likewise prognosticated this summer with friends that this team would win more games "ugly" than the other teams under Roy, with good defense and rebounding. A "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" type of team. Again, wrong. I think everyone expected the youth to be a problem, for there to be some bad shooting nights, and to see some turnovers. But terrible defense? The breakdowns have been the only consistent trait of the Heels on the defensive end of the court. More than anything else, this absolutely, positively must get better if this team wants to reach its potential.

I realize that Carolina won the National Championship last season. It is not the end of the world if 2009-2010 is a "down" year that ends in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. But this team still has a lot of talent, a lot of depth, and a lot of potential. The Heels will get better - Coach Williams won't have it any other way. I keep telling everyone who's ready to jump off a cliff that by the time they host Dook in Chapel Hill, this squad is going to be very good. I still believe that 100%. But, I don't play. I'm not on the team. To quote The Rock, it doesn't matter what I think. The team has been knocked down and now they are the ones who have gotta answer the bell.

So again, here we are, a year later. Another team that's not buying in entirely, not playing the type of defense you have to play to be successful. Judgement has come for the Tar Heels and there ain't nowhere to hide. The coming weeks will tell us how they react at their collective crossroad.

This Blog is Looking a Little Blue in the Face...

It's been long enough, Blue Team. Nearly two months without a post? Enough already, write something so people can begin wasting time at work and in class again. Somehow I've managed to not write anything on Michael Vick, Brett Favre, Serena Williams, Carolina's hoops schedule, Kanye West, the MLB pennant races, or the nude jogger in Waxhaw, NC (no, it's not anyone in my family...I don't think). The obligatory college football & NFL previews were also temporarily shelved. But, in honor of Mark McGwire, let's keep all that in the past and move forward...sort of.

The NFL season is only a week old and yet it has already surprised us in numerous ways. Though there were not that many "upsets" once the games actually ended, there were some incredible games and finishes where we might not have expected them. Keep this in mind: every season, there are probably 4-6 teams that are going to make the playoffs, barring a major injury. There are probably 6-8 teams that barring a miracle, make-a-movie-about-it season, are not going to make the playoffs. Everyone else looks about even on paper in mid-September. You can seemingly count on Pittsburgh, New England, & probably the New York Giants this year. I'd argue that's all. Indy has defensive issues and a ton of new coaches, Tennessee's QB is still Kerry Collins, San Diego apparently is going to continue playing down to the level of its competition, Baltimore is stuck behind Pittsburgh and doesn't have a go-to offensive weapon in the AFC. Philadelphia is replacing the late Jim Johnson as its Defensive Coordinator and always must deal with a fragile QB & RB in MccNabb & Westbrook, Minnesota & Green Bay both have system challenges (Minny's offensive changes around Favre & the Packers transition into a 3-4 defense), and the Panthers...well, they suck. Even though the "playoff locks" don't always end up being dominant, they generally are going to finish in the top six of their conference. My point is this: there aren't as many locks this year. Bill Simmons has said that he feels the NFL has entered the "Tyson Zone" of unpredictability and I would agree with that; the above analysis helps show us why.

That being said, I think the AFC looks pretty simple this year. The Patriots, Colts, Titans, Steelers, Ravens, & Chargers are all solid. I also like the J-E-T-S to be good under Rex Ryan - lowered expectations and not dealing with the Brett Favre hoopla will help this team. Give me 6 of those 7 in the post-season. The NFC is a bit tougher, as the Giants, Iggles, Vikings, & Packers are the only team I'm counting on for much right now. The NFC South is pretty wide open and the NFC West just shouldn't put a team in the post-season anymore. The only "sleepers" I'll give you are the aforementioned J-E-T-S and Coach Singletary's 49ers (might they manage 9-7 and a division title?). I'm not counting New Orleans as a sleeper, as it wouldn't surprise anyone if they are very, very good this season. The Super Bowl smells like New England vs Green Bay to me, with the Pats coming out on top.

A quick aside: I checked out ESPN.com's NFL Predictions chart last week and noticed a startling trend: no one picks an NFC team to win the Super Bowl. Out of 16 guessers (cause that's all they're doing: guessing, just like you or me), not a one picks a National Football Conference foe to take home the Lombardi Trophy. Weird.

Moving on to the hometown Panthers, last Sunday was obviously awful. The entire team played poorly, but Jake Delhomme was clearly the worst, giving the Eagles possession of the football five times by himself. Add this performance to last season's post-season debacle and you get this. Of course, he's not the only one under fire. Apparently a 38-10 loss at home in the FIRST GAME of the season, after going 12-4 and winning the NFC South last season, is worthy of John Fox's job coming into question. Sigh.

The Panthers are 0-1. Just like Cincinnati, just like Arizona (Remember them? The team who murdered the Pamfuzz in the playoffs last year?), just like Tennessee. You don't get two losses for a bad performance like that. Now, don't get me wrong: I don't think 2009 is going to be a great season for the Carolina Panthers. The schedule is tougher, the depth is thin, and their best run stuffer is already done for the season...the karma is just not there for this team. Then again, last season started with its best player punching out its big-money defensive back in training camp and still ended up 12-4 - some karma, huh? Anyway, I do not foresee 12-4 again, but I also do not think we're headed for 4-12 either. Things often snowball in the NFL, so it's important to right the ship and get a win in at least one of the next two games (at Atlanta, at Dallas) so the team isn't staring at 0-3 and having to deal with the media and fans tearing them to bits. Even at 1-2, the season can easily be salvaged. So don't risk breaking your leg jumping off the bandwagon yet. Breath, stretch, shake and let game one go.

Moving to the college game, I have not had the chance to see a lot of games thus far. I did catch the Carolina game at UCONN (what an ugly game), I've seen Michigan play and win twice thanks to being in Michigan for Labor Day (congrats again to Gracie and Ryan), and I was able to watch USC squeak by The Overrated State University (henceforth my name for the Buckeyes). Of course I saw the employer, Virginia Tech, in both its effort versus Alabama & Marshall. The Hokies will be fine, typical 10-2 or 9-3. But my Tar Heels...I'm concerned. Health is far too big of an issue and it's only September. The offensive line was thin in May and is anorexic now, special teams are shaky, and the wide receivers have not given me any reason to be optimistic for this season, sans Erik Highsmith's two big 3rd down conversions last Saturday. The defense has done a nice job thus far, but the offense must find a way to put consistent points on the board and be able to move the football like they did during the fourth quarter at UCONN. My 8-4 prediction is starting to feel more like 6-6. Sigh again.

But in other news, Carolina did win the 2009 National Championship. Happy sigh. I feel better.

No promises, but The Blue Team seems to be back in bidness. We'll turn our attention to more of the world of sports again sometime soon. Bye bye bye...