Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tobacco Road once again grateful for B-Ball
Despite years of talking about upgrading their football programs, the Tobacco Road ACC schools, Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State have yet to make significant strides. The best thing that can be said about their collective football programs is, thank goodness they still have basketball.
This week ESPN put out an early spring, college football, conference by conference preview that underlined this sentiment. Their ACC football preview picked the Tobacco Road schools 10th, 11th and 12th respectively. Yep, expanding the conference sure has helped the traditional ACC programs. ESPN college football columnist, Heather Dinich, highlighted just how far the Triangle schools have to go in football with comments on the individual programs best chance of getting to the ACC title game.
The N.C. State Wolfpack, Dinich says, "Buy tickets," picked 10th.
The North Carolina Tar Heels, Dinich says, "Hope home state hosts the game," picked 11th.
The Duke Blue Devils, Dinich says, "Hope the 11 other teams end up on probation," picked 12th.
Fortunately for the Tobacco Road schools, well except for State, it is basketball season. The time to truly examine their putrid football programs is months away. As for on the basketball court, last night Duke gutted out a very physical home win against Georgia Tech. Big deal you say, they are supposed to win at home versus an under .500 Yellow Jackets squad, and maybe so. But it was a big win for Duke coming off consecutive conference losses to Wake Forest(who incidentally offers proof small schools with real admission standards can play Division I football) and Miami (proof that just having no admissions standards for athletes isn't enough to guarantee football success.)
Georgia Tech's record might not look like much, but they compete hard every time they are on the hardwood. Their schedule shows a one point home loss to Carolina, as well as, close losses to nationally ranked opponents Kansas, Vanderbilt and Indiana. The Blue Devils whose physical credentials have been challenged all season withstood Georgia Tech's best blow and pulled away down the stretch.
Beware Duke haters, in the Clarion's eyes Gerald Henderson had his best game of the season. Dare we say a breakout game? He was everywhere: diving for loose balls, deflecting passes, making good cuts. His 15 points and 5 boards hardly tell the story, he was a presence. Coach K immediately mentioned the impact of Henderson's defense in the postgame radio interview. He said he thought it was the Blue Devils' best defensive game of the season. Henderson is the key for Duke. Athletically they have no one else like him, if he plays to his full potential, especially defensively, watch out haters.
Labels: college basketball, college football, sports
Comments:
The Tar Heels are building a solid football program. UNC already has one of the best stadiums in the nation to watch a game and the University has plans to renovate the stadium further by filling in the fieldhouse endzone section with additional seating in the next few years. UNC paid top dollar for coach Buth Davis, a proven winner with excellent recruiting abilities. UNC is only a season or two away from being a top 25 team in my opinion. NC State has a great new coach as well. Your "faceatious" assertion that nothing is being done to improve these programs is simply not true. Except maybe at Dook, who probably would not field a team if the ACC didn't mandate it. And Henderson is a dirty cheap shot artist by the way...but I digress. UNC and State are still early on the path to success after failed attempts with their previous coaches. I agree that football may never overtake basketball in popularity, but I do believe that UNC is doing everything they can to build up the type of football program the alumni can be proud to cheer for. Perhaps you can add a blog to discuss what Indiana is doing to improve on a 5-7 record? Hopefully not placing too many cell phone calls to recruits!
# posted by 
: 2/28/2008 3:29 PM
: 2/28/2008 3:29 PM
The Tar Heels are building a solid football program. UNC already has one of the best stadiums in the nation to watch a game and the University has plans to renovate the stadium further by filling in the fieldhouse endzone section with additional seating in the next few years. UNC paid top dollar for coach Buth Davis, a proven winner with excellent recruiting abilities. UNC is only a season or two away from being a top 25 team in my opinion. NC State has a great new coach as well. Your "faceatious" assertion that nothing is being done to improve these programs is simply not true. Except maybe at Dook, who probably would not field a team if the ACC didn't mandate it. And Henderson is a dirty cheap shot artist by the way...but I digress. UNC and State are still early on the path to success after failed attempts with their previous coaches. I agree that football may never overtake basketball in popularity, but I do believe that UNC is doing everything they can to build up the type of football program the alumni can be proud to cheer for. Perhaps you can add a blog to discuss what Indiana is doing to improve on a 5-7 record? Hopefully not placing too many cell phone calls to recruits!
# posted by : 2/28/2008 3:29 PM
: 2/28/2008 3:29 PM
First of all, UNC has wasted more money than I care to think about trying to build a football program that went the way of Mack Brown, which is to say, elsewhere. Butch Davis was the worst hire UNC could have made. He is overpaid, under-proven (see his horrible NFL career), and not willing to stick it out in a "building-it-from-the-ground-up" kind of program. True, he did re-vitalize a Miami program coming off of multiple NCAA violations and turn them into winners, but at what cost? The Clarion is exactly right in mentioning Miami's acceptance standards, because, unless some very high-ups in the UNC system lose their jobs, UNC will never lower their academic standards to a level that will allow them to compete with VaTech, Florida St., Miami, or even Clemson! UNC should have gone after the one coach who could have made them a better football team under the current set-up: Mike Leach of Texas Tech. Is he ever going to win a Big XII title, much less a national title? Of course not. But his team's games are fun to watch, he brings in decent, not great, talent, and lets them play the game they love. He would be PERFECT in the ACC. Carolina, as beautiful as its stadium is, and as attractive as the Franklin St. life can be, will never be able to compete for the recruits required to win a title. I say; accept the fact that you can be a top 10-15 school at best, and have fun with it!
As for Duke, They definitely could take some notes from Wake. Perhaps this latest coaching change will lead to a few more wins (How could there be less?!), but Dookies need to accept the fact that it is more of a philosphical change than a physical change that is required? 6 wins and a bowl every three years is about all they should ever dream about.
As for Duke, They definitely could take some notes from Wake. Perhaps this latest coaching change will lead to a few more wins (How could there be less?!), but Dookies need to accept the fact that it is more of a philosphical change than a physical change that is required? 6 wins and a bowl every three years is about all they should ever dream about.
Anon & Bacon-
A pleasure to read your vigorous debate.
I have to agree with the Bacon, and not just because it is one of my favorite food groups.
UNC and State are perennially hiring the next big coach. It was hardly so long ago that Carl Torbush and Chuck Amato were the answers.
Bacon-I love your take on Mike Leach. It would at least be fun to watch. Texas Tech manages to compete for the top third, annually, in a tougher conference than the ACC.
Anon-Indiana, unlike UNC, has accepted their football fate. They are not destined to regularly beat Ohio State and Michigan. 7 and 5 with a bowl game is a good season for Indiana. The Hoosiers don't pretend any different and vainly raise their fans hopes.
Incidentally, Indiana football was 7 and 6 last year, not 5 and 7.
A pleasure to read your vigorous debate.
I have to agree with the Bacon, and not just because it is one of my favorite food groups.
UNC and State are perennially hiring the next big coach. It was hardly so long ago that Carl Torbush and Chuck Amato were the answers.
Bacon-I love your take on Mike Leach. It would at least be fun to watch. Texas Tech manages to compete for the top third, annually, in a tougher conference than the ACC.
Anon-Indiana, unlike UNC, has accepted their football fate. They are not destined to regularly beat Ohio State and Michigan. 7 and 5 with a bowl game is a good season for Indiana. The Hoosiers don't pretend any different and vainly raise their fans hopes.
Incidentally, Indiana football was 7 and 6 last year, not 5 and 7.
Mark my words...UNC will be a top 25 team within the next 3 years! If not, I will buy you and Mr. Bacon a beer (if his wife will let him out of the house).
# posted by : 3/02/2008 5:09 PM
: 3/02/2008 5:09 PM
Anon-
There was minute when they were in the top 25 this year, but their finish didn't live up to their fast start.
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There was minute when they were in the top 25 this year, but their finish didn't live up to their fast start.
