And the Final Four is...

...somewhat of a surprise, at least the way I see it. 

Not to say that Michigan State and Villanova aren't great teams that deserve to make the trip to Detroit this week, but I just didn't see it happening. 

I think it was more the Spartans getting through that surprised me the most. Louisville has looked so good throughout the season and especially near the end of the year and to watch what Michigan State did to them was amazing. 

UCONN and UNC are the usual suspects who everyone thought should make it this far. I'm not surprised by either of them being where they are. They both have legitimate chances to win it all and are my picks for the title game a week from today. 

I'm going to think some throughout the week and post some pre-game thoughts prior to tip-off Saturday. 

I'm also going to be returning to N.C. State sports soon. And by soon I mean as soon as there is something worth talking about. We'll see how the baseball team does against ECU Wednesday. 

Elite 8 Picks

Okay, so six out of eight from the Sweet Sixteen isn't terrible. Not great, but not terrible. I still can't understand how the 'Cuse could not throw one in the ocean from behind the arc. Oh well. At least now I get to see Blake Griffin and Hansbrough go at it Sunday. 

So here they are. 

Saturday Games

Connecticut over Missouri, 81-80. The Tigers will probably prove me wrong again, but I just can't pick a team with no big names to go to the Final Four. Plus I'm a Big East homer so I think UCONN has it. 

Pittsburgh over Villanova, 71-67. Nova won the first and only matchup between the two teams this year at home. I just don't think they will be able to stop Blair in this one. Should be a ridiculous game. 

Sunday Games

Louisville over Michigan State, 82-70. Louisville has been as impressive as any team to me thus far. The pressure they put on teams with that press is just fun to watch. The Spartans don't have enough weapons. 

Oklahoma over UNC, 75-72. Hansbrough is good, but Griffin is on another level athletically. He hit his head on the backboard last night. The key for the Tar Heels, as usual, will be Lawson. If he plays like he has been Carolina will probably win. But I think the Sooners will slow him down and get the job done. 

There they are. We'll see how they go. 

Sweet 16 Picks

There is no method to the following madness. I'm picking all these games based on gut feeling only. No long drawn out explanations as to why one team deserves to win or why another team will most definitely lose. 

Here goes...

Thursday Games

Connecticut over Purdue, 81-65. Too much Thabeet and Adrien. 

Pittsburgh over Xavier, 68-60. Sam Young goes off. Again. 

Memphis over Missouri, 69-57. Blue Tigers for the win. 

Villanova over Duke, 72-68. I don't really know why. This one might be a wish more than a pick. 

Friday Games

Louisville over Arizona, 72-60. Earl Clark dunks on Buddinger and everyone else. 

Syracuse over Oklahoma, 72-71. Game I'm least confident of. 

Michigan State over Kansas, 68-63. Don't really care about this one. 

UNC over Gonzaga, 82-75. Lawson is fine. UNC will be too, unfortunately. Go ZAGS!

Love these picks? Hate 'em. Let me know. 

850 the Buzz ranks the coaches

Here's a ranking from a blogger on 850 the Buzz. 

Ranking the coaches: ACC Men’s Basketball

Some people say that the NCAA tournament is about guard-play.  They’re right, but it’s probably more about coaching than anything else.  There’s a reason why teams are successful in the post season, and while the players do the dirty work, the best coaches generally do the best in the post season.  That’s why the Big East has 5 teams still at the disco while the ACC is sitting at home apart from the 2 Hall of Famers on the league’s roster of coaches.  Here’s the way I see the list.

Sidney is near the bottom of the list and for the life of me I can't think of any reasons why he shouldn't be. I want to be able to say "No, no, no" and make up a dozen reasons for why Sidney should be higher, but I can't. 

That really is kind of sad. Such is the life of the basketball program right now. 

Non-revunues on the rise

We all know that the major revunue sports, football and men's basketball for the most part, dominate college athletics almost completely and particularly seem to dominate discussion in the ACC. I'll admit I'm a football homer. I would rather watch a random ACC or SEC football game on CBS than a baseball game in person at Doak Field. That's just how I operate. 

But this past weekend, at least at N.C. State, several non-revunues made their case for being the class of the Wolfpack athletic program. 

Gymnastics, Wrestling, Women's Diving and Golf all had banner weekends and are showing why they, too, should be looked at in the same way as football and basketball, at least right now. Two national champions, a league champion and a top 15 ranking prove that these sports deserve some credit. What these coaches have been doing with these programs deserves applause and appreciation from Wolfpack fans and shows the strength of the athletic program as a whole. 

Now I know that in many ways the program is judged on the major programs successes and failures and I'm fine with that. That's where the money comes from and that is where success and failure makes and breaks a program and Athletic Director. Heads roll because of football success, not gymnastics. But every now and then it's nice to step back and realize that there is more to life than football and basketball. This past weekend is a perfect example of that very thing. 

My time at N.C. State may not be filled with memories of ACC Championships, bowl games or trips to the NCAA Tournament, but this weekend will provide me some pretty cool things to remember down the road. 

Costner, Ferguson to forego final year

GoPack.com article...

NC State head men’s basketball coach Sidney Lowe has announced that redshirt juniors Brandon Costner and Trevor Ferguson will forego their final year of eligibility, and not return to the Wolfpack in 2009-10. Costner will earn a degree in communications in May, while Ferguson plans to earn a degree in science, technology and society in the summer.

I can't say I'm really surprised by this. I'm not really disappointed either. At the end of the year I felt like Costner could have cared less anyway so why would we want/need him back next year. The Ferguson choice makes more sense to me basically becasue he would have gotten little to know playing time next year. It would do Brandon some good to stick around and try and improve his draft outlook, but if he wants to go play in Europe that's fine by me. 

The more I think about next year's team, the more I'm beginning to realize how different it is going to look. For only one year the changes to the roster will re ridiculous. I don't know yet if that's a good thing or a bad thing. 

Why does Obama's bracket constitute breaking news???

I'll be the first to admit that I think Barack Obama having a bracket is cool. To know the leader of the free world cares about sports makes me feel like my life/career plans have more meaning, but do we really need to know about it on a daily basis?

I looked on WRALsportsfan.com today and they had a link to an Associated Press story discussing Obama making a comeback over the last couple of days. Why is this worthy of a story? 

And on Sportscenter the last couple of days I've been getting hourly updates about where Obama stands. I'm sorry to say this, but I don't care. It's cool to know he has a bracket and I'm interested in how he finishes, but I don't need 24/7 updates on his status and I definitely don't need WRAL telling me how he's doing. Is there not enough going on in the triangle for WRAL to cover?

For those of you who are obsessed with his bracket, here you go. Obama Bracket

Caldwell Won: Video Proof

Here's some video of the last few seconds of Darrion Caldwell's win in the finals. 

Still don't really know what to think of the backflip and tackle at the end. 

Probably Darrion being a little over the top combined with Metcalf being frustrated with getting whooped. Probably not a big deal at all in the long run...

A chalky first weekend

The first four days of March Madness are done and the Sweet 16, which kicks off this Thursday, is dominated by high-seeded teams. The top three seeds within each of the four reasons are all left and frankly I think that's great. 

I've heard a lot of talk on ESPN yesterday and today about how this is potentially bad for the tournament because people will lose interest. I call BS. This type of situation makes me want to watch even more. I can't wait to watch the best teams play each other and figure out who the best team is. Seeing the Cleveland State's of the world make deep runs in the tournament is great but eventually those teams lose to a big power and the world returns to normal. This way there won't be any wondering about George Mason or Davidson's ability to win it all. We'll just get to see the best teams battle it out. 

There is no real underdog left in the entire bracket. Arizona is a 12 seed but has considereable talent and could definitely make a run. The team I believe to be the biggest longshot at this point, regardless of seed, is Purdue. I just can't see them winning four more games. Every other team, including Arizona, can get the job done during the next two weeks and raise the trophy in early April. 

I'm going to think some more about the matchups and games the next couple of days and on Wednesday I'll post some thoughts and predictions for each region. Stay tuned...

Banner day for N.C. State

The N.C. State basketball team may be watching the NCAA Tournament from Raleigh and the baseball team may be stumbling out of the gate early this season but that surely doesn't mean N.C. State has nothing to be proud of athletically. 

On Saturday, two Wolfpack athletes brought national titles back to Raleigh and gave State fans something to cheer about. 

Wrestler Darrion Caldwell upset top-ranked Brent Metcalf in the 149-lb. title match in St. Louis. The impressive performance by Caldwell was aired on ESPN and served as the upset of the finals. Caldwell is the only wrestler to ever defeat Metcalf. Caldwell beat Metcalf once last season and then again on Saturday. The junior also received the tournaments Most Outstanding Wrestler award following the win. 

In swimming and diving, Kristin Davies won the NCAA platform dive competition in Texas with a score of 339.65. The championship was the first ever by an N.C. State diver. She also became the first female swimmer or diver to ever win a National Championship. 

On another note, the gymnastics team won the EAGL conference championship over the weekend. 

The basketball team may not have finished like N.C. State fans wanted, but people should be proud to know that other teams and individuals are representing N.C. State athletics well. 

Let the Madness begin

The games are underway already and the most exciting three weeks in sports is here.

There is something special about the NCAA Tournament which makes it different than any other playoff systems or postseason play out there. It's not that for three weeks the country is mesmerized by basketball or that bracket pools dominate discussion in offices across the country. The reason people cannot get enough of March Madness is simple, at least in my opinion.

The little man has a chance.

Like right now for example, Memphis is getting beat by Cal-State Northridge. The only thing I know about that team is that they are from the area of the 1994 earthquake. But on this day they could beat a tournament favorite and have a chance to continue on and win a National Championship, in theory.

Now I know the big guns usually win the tournament and dominate discussion, but every year there is at least one (and usually more) team that makes a run. That is what makes the tournament great. It's unlike any other playoff system in college sports or professional sports. It's not like college football's retarded BCS system or like even like the NFL's playoff bonanza. I do admit the NFL playoffs are amazing, but they just aren't quite the same as the NCAA Tournament. Random women who work at banks and middle schools don't care about the NFL playoffs or the BCS games, but I bet you they have a bracket filled out.

Now that I got that out, it's time to go watch some games (in class on my laptop, thank you Internet).

Back in Raleigh and back to reality

The trip is over and life is back to normal for me here in Raleigh. 

It's back to work and back to reality, unfortunately. 

On a sporting note, N.C. State's basketball season is over. Completely over. No NCAA (obviously). No NIT (not even close). No CBI (no thanks). I can't really say I'm surprised by any of those outcomes but it is disappointing to know that the basketball program is where it is right now. Late in the year the Pack showed improvement and played well at times, but the basketball program is most definitely in a transition period. 

The next one to two years are going to be important for Sidney and the team. I feel like the program is on the verge of taking the next step but it's going to take work. John Wall coming would definitely help, but I'm not counting on it. 

It sucks that the season is done, but that's the way it is. That is N.C. State basketball, at least right now. 

For the next few weeks things will be a little slower on the blog front, but I'm still going to find stuff to write about. Tom O'Brien held his first press conference of the spring today and spring practice will surely produce some good story lines. Also, baseball season is in full swing and State is not doing so hot right now. 

Keep checking back. As usual, I'll have plenty to say. 

A home away from home

During the last four days in the Georgia Dome I've had the opportunity to watch some amazing basketball and today's championship game was no different. I must say I've had a blast covering the ACC Tournament. 

My experience here in Atlanta has been great. Me and Matt Moore got to Loganville, Ga. (the home of my aunt and uncle and where we've "lived" the past four days) Wednesday night and since then everything feels like a blur. Thursday and Friday, which were both extremely long days, were great because of the quality basketball we got to watch and some of the people we got to meet. 

N.C. State's loss Thursday night to Maryland soured the first day but did not make me want to leave one bit. So we stayed to see some great basketball and take in the sights and sounds of a great tournament. 

I'm sure I won't remember a ton about the tournament or the trip a year from now. I won't remember getting lost multiple times in between downtown Atlanta and Loganville and I won't remember the crazy waitress we had at O'Charleys Saturday night, but I will remember the experience of being at an ACC Tournament. 

I'll remember who won and who lost and why. I'll remember talking with all kinds of different people in the media who were doing the exact same things as me for four days. But I think most of all I'll remember just being able to attend. You never know how life is going to turn out -- maybe I won't end up in journalism and this will be one of the last big events I cover before doing something else with my life. I certainly hope it wasn't, but if it was the 2009 ACC Tournament won't be something I'll soon forget. Hopefully it will be something I never forget. 

Wow...I just read back over that last paragraph and it's really cheesy. Hope you guys didn't throw up from that attempt to be centimental. 

Matt and I are headed for the exit and headed home. Hopefully this six hour drive will go by real quick. I might post when I get home depending on what time it is...

Duke wins it...

The Blue Devils just wrapped up a 79-69 win over the Seminoles to take home the crown. It wasn't that close. 

Duke dominated much of the game and put on a shooting exhibition from three point range. 

I'll post more soon. 

Championship Sunday

The teams are on the court warming up and the action is getting ready to get going. 

There isn't really much else to say about the game or the teams. All that matters now is which team goes out and plays well enough to get the victory. 

Check back later on. I'll post more updates about the final. 

One on one time with Leonard

So after the Florida State - Carolina game today I had the opportunity to sit and talk with FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton on press row for a good portion of the Duke and Maryland matchup. 

The Gastonia, N.C. native was surprisingly down to earth, even after defeating the top-seeded North Carolina in an epic game. 

He didn't have too much to say as he received congratulatory text messages on his very nice Palm Treo but he said talked just enough for me to get to know him a little. He also sat through two interviews while I sat next to him. In the picture he was mid-interview with ESPN. All the while though, Coach Hamilton was very nice and provided some interesting commentary on the Duke and Maryland game. Midway through the second half he leaned over and admitted that he didn't think the Terps would win. 

I definitely hope the Seminoles pull off the upset over the Blue Devils in Sunday's final if for no other reason than to see someone else win the ACC Tournament. That whole Duke/Carolina dominance during the last 10 years has gotten old. It would be cool to see FSU win it in the Seminoles first title game appearance ever. 

Matt and myself are headed over to the Georgia Dome fairly early tomorrow so I can do some extra work for Technician so check back tomorrow for more updates. 

Duke 67, Maryland 61

The Blue Devils wore down Maryland in this one, pulling away late with the help of one of those patented Duke runs which puts the Devils in position to win games. 

This particular run, which was a 9-0 spurt late in the second half, put Duke up 13 with five minutes remaining. 

John Scheyer was great, especially in the second half. He finished with 22 points and hit four three's. Kyle Singler wasn't bad either. The wing man tallied a double double and also chipped in three assists, two blocks and a steal. 

If today is any indication of what tomorrow's final will be like, I can't wait. Today's action was amazing. 

Check back later for more about today, including my one on one time with FSU coach Leonard Hamilton, and a preview of tomorrow. 

Down go the Heels

What a ball game. 

Florida State just beat North Carolina 73-70 in a truly terrific game here in Atlanta. Florida State was down by three at the half but shot 66 percent in the second half and hit six three pointers to put away the Tar Heels and move on the championship game Sunday. 

Once again, UNC played without ACC POY Ty Lawson and it really looked like it hurt the Heels. Bobby Frasor is no joke and Larry Drew has been solid, but neither of them had any sort of answer for Toney Douglas, who scored 27 points and got hit shot whenever he wanted. 

On a side note, North Carolin has to be disappointed with the play of Danny Green. The do-everything wing player who has played well throughout the yearwent 1 of 12 from the field and scored four points. That makes two games in a row he's looked downright awful. 

No matter who wins the late game, which is going on right now, Florida State has a legitimate chance to win the ACC Tournament. The 'Noles collection of talent is certainly impressive and with Douglas leading the way, they are scary. 

There is 8:54 left in the first of the second game and Duke has an 18-13 lead against the Terps. Check back later for more...

Time to get serious

The Tar Heels and Seminoles are being announced right this second as the action is getting ready to get going from semi-final Saturday here in Atlanta. 

There is a different feel in the Georgia Dome today. It's more than likely just beause of the increased importance of today's matchups. 

Anyway, check back later. I'm probably going to put up some longer summaries and quotes from the games today. 

Duke beats Boston College, barely

Not really a bug surprise in this one as far Duke getting the win. The Blue Devils got a 66-65 win over the sixth-seeded Eagles and move on to face Maryland in the semis Saturday. 

Boston College played well in a very sloppy and slow first half, but the Blue Devils superior players helped the team pull away and build a lead which it sustained through the majority of the second half. At that point it looked like Duke might run away and hide, but the Eagles made a late push to get close and had a shot at the buzzer to win. But Rakim Sanders' jumper at the horn bounced off the iron and punched Duke's ticket to the semis. 

Duke didn't look great, but it got the win and that's all that matters at times. 

Day two is in the books. Check back tomorrow for more. 

Maryland outlasts Wake

John Bazemore

I must say Maryland's 75-64 win over Wake Forest tonight comes as a bit of a surprise. Maybe not so much the fact that the Terps won, but more how they did it. 

The seventh-seeded Terrapins led for almost the entire game and played like they were the higher seeded team. Aside from James Johnson, Wake Forest looked confused, uninterested and at times, outmatched. 

Jeff Teague went scoreless in the first half and only mustered nine second half points. He shot 3 of 13 on the night. 

Now to the team that seemed to care. 

Maryland, led once again by Greivis Vasquez, put on an offensive as well as rebounding show on its way to reaching the semis tomorrow. Vasquez scored 22, dished nine assists and pulled down eight rebounds. Combine those numbers with last night and Vasquez, at least right now, is the tournament MVP.

Duke and BC are playing now and man it's exciting. Duke is up 11-2 with 11:00 minutes remaining in the first half. 

Life exists outside the Dome?

While I've been almost completely consumed with life inside the Georgia Dome the last couple of days, I have ventured outside for a few minutes at a time to check out some of the hot spots near the arena. 

Downtown Atlanta is a pretty cool place. I went over and checked out the CNN Center this afternoon. It's an impressive building. I think I'm going to head back tomorrow and take the guided tour, which from what I've heard gets you inside one of the CNN studios. We shall see. Should be cool. 

Florida State 64, Georgia Tech 62

Whew...what an ending. 

That makes two games in the books for Friday. In the second of four games in the Georgia Dome today, 12th seeded Georgia Tech played much like it did Thursday in its upset of 5th seeded Clemson by staying close with four seed Florida State throughout the game. The cinderella run in Tech's home city would not continue, however, as the Jackets fell to Florida State after having a lead with 11 seconds remaining. 

Georgia Tech could, and maybe should have won this game. The Seminoles should feel relieved to have survived the Buzz. They will have to play much better tomorrow if they hope to upset Carolina. 

Carolina 79, Virginia Tech 76

Photo by John Bazemore

The first game is done and top-seed Carolina is moving on the semi-finals Saturday. Virginia Tech led throughout much of the game and had plenty of chances to win, but the Tar Heels climbed on the back of their All-American Tyler Hansbrough down the stretch and pulled out a tough victory. There was a questionable jump ball call late, but I'm not a fan of making excuses based on officiating. Carolina won, Virginia Tech lost. Period. 

Obviously, I was hoping for the Hokies to pull off the upset. Pissed off Carolina fans are a beautiful sight. But it wasn't to be. The thing that sucks is that I don't Florida State or Georgia Tech can win, so it's going to be the Championship game before UNC gets a legit challenge. 

Check back for more game updates later.

The 'ol Roy rumors appear true

The discussion of Ty Lawson's hurt toe, which I initially thought was complete horse crap, may have a little more truth than anyone realized.

With 7:39 left in Carolina's game against Virginia Tech, Lawson has yet to touch the floor. And it isn't like the Tar Heels are whipping the Hokies and don't need Lawson. Carolina is trailing by one at the moment 68-67.

It will be interesting to see what happens if UNC wins and moves on. If they play well, does Roy continue to rest Lawson. He may say the ACC Tournament isn't a goal, but you have to believe it is important enough for him to want to win.

ACC Tournment: Day 2

The games get more interesting and more important today as the ACC quarterfinals get going. Virginia Tech and Maryland, in some ways, are still fighting for their tournament lives and could use a couple of victories to help their case. That should, at the least, create some interesting games today.

Virginia Tech takes on top-seed Carolina in the first game of the day, followed by 12 seed Georgia Tech, who beat fifth-seeded Clemson Thursday, facing off against fourth-seeded Florida State.

In the evening session No. 7 Maryland takes on second seed Wake Forest and sixth-seed Boston College faces off against third seed Duke.

I don't really know what to think of today's games. I feel like all of the lower seeds (yes, Georgia Tech too) have a good chance to win if they play well. Should be fun.

I'll post game summaries...Check back later on.

Long day...much more to come

Well day one in Atlanta is officially done. I'm headed to bed.

It stinks that the Pack got put out by the Terps, but I'm still excited for tomorrow. I'm sure I'll get to watch some good basketball from a world class facility.

All I can do now is hope the ACC can produce a game like Syracuse and UCONN did in the Big East tournament tonight. 6 overtimes. Really?

Check back in tomorrow. I'll post game updates during the day.

N.C. State 69, Maryland 74

Disappointing end to the year, but we have a chance to keep playing.

Check back later on...I'll have more. Time to work.

LIve Blog...

Tip-off time

It's that time...

It's going to be interesting to see if the Pack come out ready to play. 

Here's some video from earlier...

Check back for a live blog once the game starts.

Georgia Tech 86, Clemson 81

Well the Georgia Dome definitely heated up during the second game of the afternoon as the Yellow Jackets knocked off the No. 5 seeded Tigers from Clemson. 

Ga. Tech played well throughout the game, building a 13 point lead with 4 minutes remaining. The teams were tied at halftime at 39 apiece, but Tech played well the entire second half and looked in control for much of it. 

Clemson made a late push with the help of Terrence Oglesby three pointers and a couple of missed free throws by Tech. But the Jackets held up and held on for the big win. 

Lewis Clinch was ridiculous, scoring 32 points and hitting five three pointers. Gani Lawal also had a big game, scoring 20 points and hauling in 14 rebound. Clemson had six players in double figures, but simply could not play with the Jackets on this day. 

Good game for sure. 

Now I can officially look forward to the "game of the day." 

I'll be back later with a live game blog...

Hokies 65, 'Canes 47

Virginia Tech led throughout and dominated much of the action during the first game of the day. 

Jack McClinton could only score nine points, which doomed Miami from the start. Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney took 15 free throws, making 14 on his way to scoring 17 points. 

The 'Canes simply could not come out of their late season slump for whatever reason. Not an overly exciting game because of how poorly Miami played. Hopefully the action will pick from here on out.

Stay tuned for more...

Here we go...

Well, Virginia Tech and Miami just tipped off. The ACC Tournament is officially underway. 

The Georgia Dome sure has a lot of empty seats in it which surprises me to some extent, but it is Thursday at noon in a busy city. Hopefully the crowd will pick up during the afternoon. 

I'll post some game updates later on. Keep checking back...

Early score... 3-0 Va Tech. 

And it begins...

Well I'm in the old south and ready to get this show on the road. 

I couldn't even sleep last night from the excitement. Today should definitely be a good day. 

I'm planning on trying to do some different things today, including some photos and video. I'll post game updates from the early action and I'll have a "Cover It Live" blog during State's game. 

Keep checking back throughout the day and check technicianonline.com for some blog posts and photos we'll be putting up. 

ATL here I come...

Here's the first of hopefully many videos I'll post this weekend...

I'll check back in from good ole ATL...

ACC Tourney: Opening Round Breakdown

I've been thinking about the first round of the tournament for a couple of days now. Most of my thoughts have centered on how many games have the potential to be good games. Upon further consideration, I've taken a different approach and just tried to be as logical as possible with who I think will win and why. Here's a game by game look at the first round. 

Virginia Tech vs. Miami, 12 p.m.

My gut tells me the Hokies will take care of business and take care of the Hurricanes by 10 points or more but Miami is a scary team. They are the most disappointing team in the conference as far as record is concerned, and they certainly aren't on a hot streak entering tournament play. But that is what makes them scary. You have to figure they are going to find their early season form again at some point. When Miami is playing well, they can play with anybody in the ACC. Virginia Tech better be ready to play and be ready for the Jack McClinton show. This has the potential to be the best game of the day, as an 8-9 matchup should be. All that considered, I'll stick with my gut. Hokies 68, Hurricanes 61

Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, 2 p.m.

This game is the one I feel the most confident about of the first round contests, as far as predictions go. Clemson should beat the Jackets by 15. Now you never know how teams will respond to tournament settings, so maybe this game will be closer, but I don't see it. Georgia Tech has been the worst team throughout the year despite a couple of surprising wins and Clemson is an extremely talented five seed who can beat any of the four teams above it. On that note, I'll say...Tigers 81, Jackets 68

Maryland vs. N.C. State, 7 p.m.

Well, I think you all know what my gut says about this one. I'm hoping State shows up, plays to its capability, and picks up the win. If State plays well, both my heart and head tell me the Wolfpack can win. If the "we won't score in more than 12 minutes of the game" version of N.C. State shows up, it will be a quick trip to Atlanta. The key in this game for both teams, at least in my opinion, will be how Greivis Vasquez plays. I haven't watched Maryland play a ton, but I've watched enough to know that when Vasquez plays well, Maryland wins. When he doesn't, Maryland loses. Without solid play from Vasquez, the Terps look average at best and are not an NCAA tournament team. If Courtney Fells (or whoever) can slow Vasquez down, State has a great chance to win. Another key will be the forever inconsistent Brandon Costner. If he scores 15+, State will be well on its way to a victory. Wolfpack 73, Terps 65

Boston College vs. Virginia, 9 p.m.

This one is the most confusing of the entire first day. Obviously because of the seeds, it seems Boston College has a distinct advantage. But I don't think so. The reason for this is that I watched the Virginia-Maryland game this past weekend. If Mamadi Diane plays like he did against the Terps (23 points) and Mike Scott can hold his own inside against the Eagles big men, Virginia can definitely play with BC. Perhaps I'm skewed because I'm putting too much emphasis on one game, but a big part of tournament play is how a team is playing right before play begins. That win over Maryland could give Virginia a big boost in confidence that could play a role. All that being said, I like Boston College. Tyrese Rice will be too much, as usual. Eagles 80, Cavaliers 71

Keep checking back for more. I'm going to be posting video and other things once I get to ATL. 

ACC voters get POY right!!

Ty Lawson received the award for ACC Player of the Year Tuesday and I must say I am relieved. I was worried the Tyler Hansbrough bias would come into play, but thankfully, the Atlantic Sports Media Association voters got this one right. Lawson was far and away the best player in the league and Carolina would not have been the same without him. Not to say they would have been great without Hansbrough, but I'll take Lawson first. That may be because State has no point guard that can make things happen like he can and I'm jealous, but regardless, he's the best player in the league, period.

In other award news, Virginia's Sylven Landesberg received the award for Freshman of the Year. If he ends up sticking around, he's going to be a special player for the Cavaliers. His playmaking ability and athleticism are great to watch. Florida State guard Toney Douglas picked up the honor for Defensive Player of the Year. Douglas earned 53 of 76 votes from the voters and helped the Seminoles be one of the better defenses in the league.

And finally, Florida State head coach Leornard Hamilton was tabbed the ACC Coach of the Year. What Hamilton was able to do with this year's FSU team is amazing. The No. 4 seeded Seminoles finished the year 10-6 in the toughest league in the land and only lost one conference game by more than eight points. The Noles are going to be a tough out in Atlanta.

Speaking of Atlanta, check back tonight for some initial thoughts on the opening round games.

Award Season

The ACC began announcing its award winners on Monday, starting with the All-ACC team. There weren't many surprises with who was on the first team and who was left off. It seems as though most of the awards made sense. Unfortunately for the Pack, not one player made it on the first, second or third team for All-ACC. Senior Courtney Fells made it on the All-Defensive second team, but that was it for State.

I can't say I'm shocked by this, but it is disappointing. It kind of highlights why the Wolfpack isn't an elite team in the conference right now. The star power is simply not there. Oh well, awards don't mean everything. State still has the opportunity to win the biggest award, the ACC Tournament.

Here's the All-ACC teams in no particular order.

All-ACC First Team
Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
Toney Douglas, FSU
Ty Lawson, UNC
Gerald Henderson, Duke
Jack McClinton, Miami

Second Team
Jeff Teague, Wake
Trevor Booker, Clemson
Tyrese Rice, BC
Kyle Singler, Duke
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland

Third Team
James Johnson, Wake
Malcolm Delaney, Va Tech
A.D. Vasallo, Va Tech
Danny Green, UNC
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech

Honorable Mention
Wayne Ellington, UNC
K.C. Rivers, Clemson
Sylven Landesberg

Click here for the rest of the awards, including All-Freshman team and All-Defensive team.

ACC Tournament Brackets

Well, the seeds are set. The action gets going in about three days. 

Here's a look at who is playing who. I will post much more in the next few days. 

Opening Round: Thursday, March 12

#8 Virginia Tech vs. #9 Miami, 12 p.m. on Raycom

#5 Clemson vs. #12 Georgia Tech, 2 p.m. on Raycom

#7 Maryland vs. #10 N.C. State, 7 p.m. on ESPN

#6 Boston College vs. # 11 Virginia, 9 p.m. on Raycom

Quarterfinals: Friday, March 13

#1 North Carolina vs. Miami/VT winner, 12 p.m. on Raycom/ESPN

#4 Florida State vs. Clemson/GT winner, 2:30 p.m. on Raycom/ESPN

#2 Wake Forest vs. Maryland/NCSU winner, 7 p.m. on Raycom/ESPN

#3Duke vs. Boston College/UVa winner, 9: 30 p.m. on Raycom/ESPN

Semifinals: Saturday, March 14

Semifinal 1 at 1:30 p.m. on Raycom/ESPN

Semifinal 2 at 4 p.m. on Raycom/ESPN

Finals: Sunday, March 15

Championship Game at 1 p.m. on Raycom/ESPN

Keep checking back all week for more...

State 64, Miami 72

I don't have too much to say about this loss, I'm too disappointed. 

State let this game slip away for sure, mainly due to a scoring drought of more than 11 minutes during the second half. 

If the Pack play like this next week, the trip to Atlanta will be a short one. 

On a couple of side notes, the officiating in the second half was questionable, at best. The two "hustle" fouls called on Tracy Smith were borderline calls and on several occasions Jimmy Graham was extremely aggressive with four fouls and did not get called for going over Smith's back to tip entry passes away. Also, the call with State down by five where the Miami player knocked the ball out of bounds and the Hurricanes got possession was crucial. 

Anyway, no point griping too much. State lost this one all on its own. Hopefully the rest heading into the tournament will do the Pack some good and be an opportunity to get completely healthy. State will need its full arsenal, including Courtney Fells, to make any sort of run for the ACC. 

Halftime: 30-21 Pack

Well, I guess I was wrong about that whole high scoring thing.

State held Miami to a mere 21 points through the first 20 minutes of action while holding Jack McClinton to only two points. McClinton has yet to hit a shot from the field.

It's good to see Ferguson getting some minutes, especially in such a big game. If Courtney is still out next week he's going to have to play, and his performance so far is encouraging. He's not lighting the scoredboard up, but he's providing solid minutes and doing a good job on McClinton from what I can tell.

The Wolfpack finished the first half on a 16-5 run and holds a nine point advantage heading into the second half. If State can keep it up they are going to get to 6-10 in conference and sweep the Hurricanes, who supposedly were a lock for the NCAA tournament a month ago.

Tracy Smith and Javi Gonzalez are continuing their strong play, scoring 10 and nine points, respectively. Gonzalez has hit on all three of his attempts from behind the arc. Ben McCauley has six first half rebounds and done a decent job against Dwayne Collins.

Things look good right now. But State has to be wary, Miami, and especially McClinton, can go off at any moment.

Come on Pack. Wrap this one up and head back to NC.

Miami here we come...

I've been thinking a lot about Saturday's game with Miami since I watched the Boston College performance the other night, and I must say, I feel pretty good about where State is at this point in the season.

Obviously the Pack are not where I would like them to be as far as conference record goes, but to be where they are after the atrocious start to the year, I'll take 6-9.


As for Miami, the Hurricanes most certainly are the most disappointing team in the entire ACC, without question. How they got to 6-9 and potentially 6-10 I'll never know. I was listening to 850 the Buzz the other morning and one of the anchors called Haith the anti-ACC Coach of the Year. I must say I agree with that wholeheartedly. How he let a team which started the year 14-4 fall so far is beyond me. Maybe I'm just missing something really obvious, but I don't think so.


Anyway, back to the game that will not only secure ninth place in the ACC, but a potential second round matchup with the Tar Heels in Atlanta. Yes, I know they haven't won the regular season crown yet, but they will. Mark it down. Carolina by 12 Sunday over the Dukies.


Since Sidney went to the bigger lineup in late January, State has been more consistent and at times even potent offensively. I feel like Saturday's game, even without Courtney Fells in the lineup, will be another opportunity for State to get some points on the board. The Hurricanes have been a solid defensive team but the game earlier this season was the beginning of State's increased scoring efforts.


The 84 points the Pack put up on the Canes that night, even with the overtime, was no fluke. Since that victory, State is averaging just over 78 points per game.


I will probably be completely wrong on this, Saturday's game will finish 52-50 just because I opened my mouth. But I really believe the game has the potential to become a higher scoring affair.


The biggest challenge for State will be what player(s) can guard, or at least attempt to guard, Jack McClinton. The scoring guard is averaging just under 20 points on the season and has the ability to go for 30 plus every time he steps on a court. Whoever ends up guarding him, they better be ready to play. If McClinton gets off and has a big day, that is not good news for the Wolfpack.


I'd like to think State will continue to get the ball inside as they have done in the last few games. With Fells out, this seems like it will be the case even more.


If the Pack continue the solid, turnover reduced offensive style it's layed lately and can hold McClinton to about 15, things will turn out OK.

NCSU 74, BC 69

So instead of posting a bunch of random stuff from tonight's game, I'll give you a couple of things to look at. 

First, here's the story I wrote for WRAL.com. Not a bad story, not great though. 

And also, here's a great photo from Ethan Hyman of the N&O following a Ben McCauley rebound. 

Video from RBC

Ok...so this isn't the video I wanted to upload from tonight, but it's something. When I looked at the video I took from Coach Lowe's press conference I realized it wasn't quite up to snuff because of a mistake I made. 

This video is me and my friend, Samuel T.O. Branch (Technician staff) leaving the RBC Center. Tonight was a senior night for myself as well, it was my last chance to cover something in the RBC Center as a student. 

State 74, BC 69

Well, the Pack did it.

It was ugly at times, but I'll say it again, a win is a win.

And with Miami's loss to Georgia Tech, State has a chance to improve its ACC position heading into the tournament. Couldn't ask for anything else heading into the season finale.

I'm going to try and post some video on here soon from Coach Lowe's press conference. I covered the game tonight for WRAL.com so I'll post that story too.

Stay tuned...

Live Game Updates

Wolfpack vs. Eagles Live Blog

During tonight's game against Boston College, I'm going to be trying out a live blogging feature I discovered over on Section Six. 

Hopefully it works out okay, we shall see. 

The more I think about the game today against Boston College, the more I'm confused about how it will go. 

Just looking at the situation objectively, I feel like State has a good chance to beat the Eagles. But for some reason I have a bad feeling about the game. The main thing is the rebounding advantage the Eagles held over the Pack in Chestnut Hill in January. The 46-25 margin that day did come against a much different State lineup, as Sidney had not yet started Tracy Smith on a consistent basis, but I still have a bad feeling about tonight. I can't really pinpoint one particular thing, but I'm for sure not feeling good. 

Hopefully the Pack, in its entirety, will show up this evening and play to its full potential. That would be nice to see. 

Check back tonight for the live blog. Leave me some posts and or comments and let me know what y'all think. 

Coast Guard calls off search for Smith, other men

The U.S. Coast Guard officially called off the search for former N.C. State football player Corey Smith, Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper and William Bleakly, a former football player at South Florida. 

Nick Schuyler, also a South Florida alumnus, was found Monday clinging to a boat which had capsized sometime between Saturday and Sunday off the Gulf Coast of Florida. 

According to the Associated Press, Coast Guard officials said the search would officially be suspended Tuesday at sundown. 

Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Tank Johnson is organizing a group of experienced boaters and aviators who are planning to begin a search of their own at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning. 

Any persons interested in joining the effort should e-mail nflsearchandrescue@gmail.com. 

NCAA chances are slim for Pack

Ok, so I've been thinking since Sunday night and the Maryland game. I've been thinking about N.C. State's season and how it stacks up with the rest of the ACC. 

In my last post, I made reference to State still having a chance at making the big dance if they win out and make a run in the tournament. After looking at the schedule and what the Wolfpack has done, I must retract that assertion. 

State has one very solid win the entire year, against Wake Forest in Raleigh. Every other win has come against a team State should probably beat. The Miami victory in Raleigh is a good win, but it's not great. But aside from those two victories, what has State done to make it self deserving of an NCAA birth. Not much from what I can tell, unless I'm looking at a different schedule. 

Now the Pack has played good teams close, repetedly. Close losses to Davidson, Marquette and Florida prove that State can play. Unfortunately, the NCAA selection committee needs a little more than a bunch of close losses to give a team an at large birth. 

At this point, at least in my opinion, State has to win the ACC tournament to get in. It's that simple. Now if they had beaten Maryland, won out and finished 8-8, maybe they have an argument. But not after Sunday's loss. I just don't see it. 

There are too many teams ahead of the Pack at this point to make a strong argument for N.C. State. Every single club ahead of State in the standings has a better resume, period. It's going to take some serious work in Atlanta for the Wolfpack to change that. I can't wait to see if the Pack can do it. 

Restrained optimism, that's the feeling I have for the final two games and the tournament. There is no doubt this team can play with the big boys, but will it?

Pack drops second straight in ACC

I wasn't all that surprised by N.C. State losing Sunday night, to be completely honest. 

I was, however, surprised at how they lost. Giving up 33 points to Greivis Vasquez and not seeming to care enough to put forth the effort needed to win the game. Come on guys, it's MARCH!

Now Maryland is not a bad team, but with the way State has played of late, I thought the Pack had a great opportunity to win the game. On top of that, State still had an opportunity to make a little noise in conference and potentially sneak into the tournament with some help from other teams. 

Now that prospect seems all but gone. State will likely need to win out and then win three games in the tournament to even have a chance at dancing. 

Who knows, it will probably happen. 

On another note, Sunday's 11 point loss probably should have only been an eight point defeat. Vasquez decided it would be cute to jack up an unnecessary three as time expired to pad his stats. Vasquez is a great player, but not the most gracious player. Listen to what Javi Gonzalez thought of Greivis' last second antics.

Moving forward, the Pack have got to play well Wednesday when Boston College comes to town. The scary part about the Eagles is that they too have a do-it-all player in Tyrese Rice who I think State may have no answer for. We shall see, should be interesting at the very least.