127-117 in 6 Overtimes. Before the Orange and the Huskies squared off last night in the Big East quarterfinals, my good friend The Concierge and I had a phone conversation. We said we just wanted a good game. Our conversations have toned down since high school when we were at each other's throats everytime these two teams took the court. Concierge has been a Syracuse fan since forever and eventually attended the school, while I had a devotion to UCONN since it was the place of my birth. Even though I ended up going to the U, I never stopped pulling for the Huskies and thankfully the Canes moved to the ACC. I am not a supporter of having more than one team in a sport, but I very well could not drop my childhood team as I began rooting for Miami.
Both of us have had some memorable victories in the rivalry and have celebrated when the teams won national championships, but last night was something completely new to college basketball alltogether. I know the teams did not set a record for most overtimes which is 7, but I can honestly say I have never seen a game go on that long in my life. Concierge and I texted during the game, but it was after the first overtime that he called me to talk about how crazy this was. At the end of the brief call he said, "I'll call you at the end." That soon turned into "I'll call you at the third overtime....call you at the fourth" and so on. By the end it was past 1:00 am and Connecticut lost and I was not looking forward to work today.
The game was an epic, but not an all-time in terms of greatness. Both teams made mistakes that prevented them from ending the game early. Not to say it was not great, but the length and marathon style is what made it unbelievable. In regulation, UCONN had 22 turnovers, shot 44% from the free-throw line, and shot 3-13 from the 3 point line. I thought that had bought them a ticket home after regulation, but Syracuse left the door open. In overtime it was UCONN's turn to keep the Orange in the game, as the Orange did not lead the game until the 6th OT. The UCONN led the game by as much as 6 in the extra sessions but could not close the deal. 24-42 free-throws overall is not the way to get it done if you are Connecticut. The Orange almost won the game in regulation but Eric Devendorf's shot was just after the buzzer. On the replay, the game clock started late after Gavin Edwards tipped the ball and it fell to Devendorf. If the shot had counted with the clock starting late I would have been upset, but then again they could have counted it and spared us all the overtime sessions. By the 6th overtime, both teams had lost critical players to fouls, but it was one of the Cuse staples that sustained them to the victory. As the players grew more exhausted and Thabeet left the game, Johnny Flynn overcame his heavy legs and worked his way to the basket as Andy Rautins hit the deep balls. The famous 2-3 zone became the difference. Connecticut perhaps should have switched to a zone themselves as they started playing seldom used players off their bench. Paul Harris and company took over against the bench players since they had the man-to-man advantaged. Once Syracuse went up by 7 A.J. Price took his last foul and headed for the bench.
The lasting image I will take from the game was after Devendorf fouled out and was replaced by Justin Thomas who had not even played 30 minutes all season. As UCONN brought the ball up the Orange players sat dead tired in the zone, but Thomas who had just come in was jumping around and waving his arms, the lone source of energy on a court of drained players. After the game Jim Calhoun was his usual salty self saying that he will look back on the game this summer, but for now it is a loss. Jim Boeheim could not have been prouder of his team.
This was a game no one will ever forget, but now UCONN has to drag itself into the tournament. They will likely get a number one seed since Oklahoma, Kansas and Pittsburgh also lost yesterday but the Huskies have never advance to the final four without winning the Big East tournament so it does not bode well they will not get to Detroit if they shoot under 60 percent from the foul line and turn the ball over more than 20 times. The Orange will face West Virginia tonight and without a deep bench, I cannot see how they can play at a high level. No doubt Bobby Huggins will be turning up the pressure on the leg-weary Orange. West Virginia will be playing their third game in as many days so that goes in Syracuse's favor. If the Cuse find someway to win tonight they will have to play tomorrow night against Louisville or Villanova and if they go on to win this tourney it will be one of the greatest team accomplishments in the history of college basketball.
As I went to bed or rather tried to, I was still worked up from the game, I simply texted the Concierge, "Grats sir." There was nothing else to say after a game for the ages and everyone, not just the players and coaches, was wiped out.
Friday, March 13
A Word on Cuse/Conn Sextuple Overtime
Thursday, March 12
Shackleford Files 011: Bubbling Over (Updated)
It's bubble discussion time and if any schmo that can run his motorcycle into a tree can offer his opinions on bubble teams, we figure why can't us (it worked for Phillies fans, after all). Cleet and I take a look at all of the potential bubble teams, what work they have left to do and who's definitely in or out. Due to the length we've broken the podcast up by conferences. First up, the ACC...
For those of you that would rather listen to the podcast in it's entirety, you can listen or download it HERE.
ACC
In: UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, and Boston College.
Bubble: Miami, Maryland, and Virginia Tech.
Big Ten
In: Michigan State, Illinois, and Purdue.
Bubble: Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan, and Northwestern.
Big XII
In: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Texas (with yesterday's win).
Bubble: Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
Big East
In: UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Villanova, Marquette, and Syracuse.
Bubble: West Virginia (split decision) and Providence.
Pac-10
In: Washington, UCLA, Arizona State and Cal.
Bubble: Arizona.
SEC
In: LSU (begrudgingly) and Tennessee.
Bubble: South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky.
WCC
In: Gonzaga.
Bubble: St. Mary's.
Atlantic 10
In: Xavier and Dayton.
Bubble: Rhode Island.
Mountain West
In: BYU and Utah.
Bubble: San Diego State and UNLV.
The Rest of the Story
In: Memphis.
Bubble: UAB and Creighton.
Out: Davidson.
LOL LaRorschach
I have not seen Watchmen yet, and I have heard mixed reviews, but this parody by KSK is gold. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]
Top Ten: WTF NCAA Tournament Moments
This time of year always invokes great memories of sporting events gone by. Part of the appeal of March Madness other than the office pool side of things is that you get incredible dramatic sports moments from young athletes and in an chaotic atmosphere. This leads me to the topic of today's top ten list. From the past twenty years which is really when I started to watch and comprehend completely what I was seeing. Some are buzzer-beaters which are the natural choice for amazing moments, but there are also some upsets and individual performances that register on my list. It was hard to narrow it down to ten, but Catfish treats these lists like he is running a police state and anymore than a deca of moments and I would spend time in the ASD Gulag. I threw the runner-ups in honorable mention however. The top ten Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moments are after the break.
10. 1991: Duke Upsets UNLV
It may seem a distant memory to think of Jerry Tarkanian biting his towel on the sidelines, but at the beginning of the 90s, the Runnin' Rebels were the dominant force in college basketball. Having beaten Duke in the finals the previous year 103-73 in an extremely embarrasing loss for the Blue Devils, UNLV was looking to repeat and cement their legacy as one of the greatest teams if not the greatest of all time. UNLV went 27-0 in the regular season and blew threw the West Region by an average of over 17 points. Duke came in as a 2 seed out of the Midwest and was not expected to lose by 30 again, but to be overtaken by the Rebels. The starting roster for the rebels consisted of Larry Johnson (22.7 PPG), Stacey Augmon (16.5PPG), George Ackles, Greg Anthony (8.9 APG), and Anderson Hunt. Duke had its usual cast of characters in Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, and Christian Laettner, Antonio Lang and Thomas Hill. The Blue Devils did the unthinkable and pulled off the upset 79-77 and then went on to beat Kansas in the final and earn their first national title. This was pretty much the moment that Duke became Duke as we know it today, thanks a lot Rebs.
9. 1999: Harold "The Show" Arceneaux
I do not think a single outstanding performance leaves you shaking your head as much as Harold Arceneaux's NCAA Tournament performance in '99. The Show and his Weber State Wildcats stunned #3 seed North Carolina 76-74 in the first round of the West Region. Arceneaux scored 36 points, including 20 in the second half to lead Weber to the huge upset. In their second round game against the 6 seed Florida, The Show again had a great performance, scoring 32 in an overtime loss 82-74.
After the season, Harold considered entering the NBA draft to strike while the iron was hot. He eventually decided to return to Weber for his senior year, but the Wildcats finished 18-10 and did not make the tournament. Arceneaux was not drafted after the season and came close to a deal with the Jazz but was never offered a contract. After this begins long and winding road of obscure American basketball teams and foreign countries. First The Show played with the Richmond Rhythm of the IBL and the Columbus Riverdragons of the NBDL. His foreign tour included Austrailia, France, Portugal, the Philippines, Venezuela, and Mexico. In 2004 he returned to the US and played for the Utah Snowbears(that should be the Jazz's nickname) of the ABA before the league went under. In 2006 he played for the CBA's Utah Eagles before that league went under as well. The 1999 Tournament was The Show's one shining moment and it was truly a moment because as quickly as he appeared on the national stage, he was gone from the national conscious just as fast. He is the quintessential NCAA tournament one hit wonder.
8. 1997: Arizona Beats Kansas, Then UNC and UK
Much like the 1991 UNLV squad, the 1997 Jayhawks of Kansas were one of the greatest college teams ever assembled in my opinion. Led by Jacque Vaughn, Scott Pollard, Raef LaFrentz, and Paul Pierce, the Jayhawks were 32-1 going into the tournament with their only loss coming in overtime to rival Missouri. The non-NBA players for Kansas were solid as well led by senior Billy Thomas, B.J. Williams and Jerod Haas. Roy Williams had what appeared to be his best shot ever at the title that eluded him many times before.
But in stepped Arizona, the 4 seed in the southeast region. By this point in time, Lute Olson coached teams had developed a bad reputation for bad first round losses over the years. It almost happened to them in this tournament as they trailed South Alabama by ten in the first round but rallied to win and then overcame a similar deficit against College of Charleston in the second round. The Wildcats were a mixture of senior leadership and young exuberance. The former came in the form of Mike Bibby, who led the way at the point. Miles Simon was the crafty veteran with an unorthodox shot that rivaled Shawn Marion's. Simon was also Darryl Strawberry's nephew. Michael Dickerson, A.J. Bramlett, Eugene Edgerson (now with the Globetrotters), the high flying Bennett Davison, and current Dallas Maverick Jason Terry.
Kansas played a horrible game and trailed big but stormed back to put themselves in a position to tie with a 3 but could not get it to go and lost 85-82. Roy Williams would receive the kind of heat that became the norm for him until his title in 2005 with Carolina. Arizona went on to beat Providence in overtime to reach the final four. Once there, they defeated another #1 seed North Carolina in Dean Smith's final game and then beat the defending champion #1 Kentucky Wildcats in overtime to win the national championship completing a truly "Where the f@$% did these guys come from?" tournament. Arizona beat 3 #1 seeds in one tournament for the first time ever and did it against the three of the premiere college programs in history.
7. 1996: John Wallace Tops Georgia
This was one of the craziest games I have ever seen in any sport. The 8 seeded Georgia Bulldogs were coming off an upset of 1 seeded Purdue. Syracuse was the 5 seed and not expected to do much in the tournament. In a sloppy back and forth game where both teams held large leads, Syracuse sent the game into overtime as John Wallace threw a pass in the corner to Jason Cipolla, the Frank Sinatra look-alike and this was the result:
In overtime the teams battled back and forth until Wallace threw in the prayer.
The win propelled the Cuse all the way to the championhsip game where they ultimately fell to Kentucky. Wallace had a Danny Manning type effort throughout and this shot will always live on in Syracuse lore. After the team's win over Kansas in the Elite 8, Al Mcguire my all-time favorite color analyst celebrated with the team in this now famous clip that spawned the battle cry, "The Cuse is in the House, Oh my God oh my God!" Final tidit on this game: Donovan McNabb was a bench player for Syracuse during their run. We miss you Al.
6. 2006: Adam Morrison Let's It Out
If you watched this game live there is no way you could be left dumbfounded after what transpired in the final moments. UCLA's 11 point run in the final minutes shocked Gonzaga, the nation, and All-American Adam Morrison. When J.P. Batista was stripped and UCLA made the go-ahead lay-up, Morrison already began to get emotional. I remember thinking, "There is still time left, no time to cry now, take the last shot." But the final pass went to Batista who got off a decent shot but fell short and led to another year of heartache without a Final Four for Gonzaga. Morrison collapsed on the court after the final buzzer in tears, a move that earned him both respect and mockery from the pundits. UCLA eventually made it to the championship game but fell to Florida. Morrison was drafted 3rd overall a few months later by MJ and the Bobcats....but that did not work out so well. The best part about revisiting this game was the call by the legendary Gus Johnson: "Batista with the caAAATCH!"
5. 2005: Illinois Overcomes 15 Point Deficit In Final Minutes
Illinois had only lost one game all season and was playing in the cozy comforts of Chicago when 3 seed Arizona jumped ahead by 15 with about 4 minutes left to play. Through sheer desperation Deron Williams and Luther Head mounted a comeback for the ages. As I watched this game I kept thinking there was simply no way the Illini would have enough to catch them but thanks to great shooting and a mental breakdown on Arizona's part, they did. In overtime, Wildcats had a few shot sto win it, but it looked all of a sudden as if Arizona forgot how to play basketball. Stoudamire had hit a game-winner against Oklahoma State in the Sweet 16 but he could not do it again here. Also the Wildcats were only down one but did not drive to the basket at all after the first attempts failed and they got the offensive board. A WTF comeback and WTF final shot earns this one the 5 spot on my list.
4. 1996: Princeton Goes Backdoor
UCLA was the defending champs thanks in large part to Tyus Edney's 4.8 second fullcourt dash. The following year in 1996, they were on the wrong end of the improbable. UCLA lost a lot from their championship team but still were an upper tier team heading into their st round game against the Tigers from the Ivy League. In the second to last game legendary head coach Pete Carril would ever coach in his final year at Princeton, the Tigers played the slow it down, work the ball offense and eventually hung in there with the Bruins. With less than a minute left Gabe Lewullis cut backdoor once and then again to beat Charles O'Bannon for the go ahead score. How O'Bannon got taken by the signature play of the Tigers is beyond me, but it led to one of the great upsets and a perfect swan song for Carril.
3. 1992: 2.1 Seconds
This game is cliché I know, but in my opinion it is still the best college basketball game I have ever seen. The things I remember from this game are Pitino's amazing coaching job, the juxtaposition of Jamal Mashburn with the Unforgettables, Laettner having a perfect shooting night, the shoe stomp on Timberlake, Sean Woods ridiculous almost game winner, and of course Thomas Hill's disbelief. This is game is hyped up every March but everytime you relive it, it lives up to that hype. As a kid watching this game from my kitchen, the game and the Laettner shot is one of the ultimate WTF just happened moments.
2. 1993: Chris Webber Needs A TO
Chris Webber will always take the brunt of the blame for this playand he does hold some accountability. But the coaching staff at Michigan should have let the players know they had none left and furthermore, should have had a play ready for Michigan when Webber made that rebound. Webber was the man about it afterwards and accepted full blame. It was a lame ending to what was a thrilling championship game unless you are a Carolina fan. Webber carried the Wolverines and the Fab Five in the second half, and perhaps mental fatigue set in. The result was a championship WTF moment for Michigan although due to certain violations were are supposed to pretend like this game never happened.
1. 2006: George Mason.....seriously
I am a Connecticut fan and have been since I was young since I was born there but I think regardless of that this still has to be one of the biggest WTF moments in sports. George Mason was a solid mid-major, so solid they gained an 11 seed in the tournament. They then proceeded to beat Michigan State in the first round, who is a notoriously good tournament team, then defeat North Carolina. After disposing of Wichita State in the Sweet 16, they faced UCONN. The Huskies would have all five of their starters drafted off this team, they were the most talented team in the country, but their refusal to play as one ultimately bit them. It was not just that though, the Patriots played out of their minds in this game. Even After Denham Brown forced overtime on a crazy reverse layup, George Mason fought back. I cannot explain what is was like to sit there and watch your team getting taken by this group of players from a smaller program that were playing like they were on the Celtics and Lakers of the 80s. Ridiculous shot after shot went down for George Mason and in the end, they earned the first ever mid-major spot in the Final Four. They tied with LSU as the highest seed ever to reach the national semifinals. I could complain about the luck factor or the fact that this game was played in George Mason's home city of Washington D.C but the plain and simple truth is that Connecticut lost this game and I will never understand why. Whiskey.....Tango.....Foxtrot.
Honorable Mention:
1996 Tyus Edney 4.8: Nice defense Mizzou
2001 Hampton over Iowa State: Steve Merfeld gets picked up off the ground; Eustachy not pimpin' (sorry Walt)
1998 Bryce Drew: This is why you practice end of game situations
1998 Arthur Lee and Stanford break Rhode Island's heart: Jim Harrick coaching URI here, please watch Mark Madsen doing his celebration on the 3 point play.
2008 Stephen Curry: Even though he will not make an appearance this year, last year's run was jaw-dropping at times.
2005 We get Pittsnogled: The sweet 16 game against Wake and then West Virginia's Elite 8 against Louisville some of the most entertaining games by any team.
1992 James Forrest .8 seconds: Holy mackerel!
Best Choice for this Season's Stephen Curry?
There has been a lot of murmuring on these here interwebs that St. Mary's Patty Mills may be this year's Stephen Curry. His team was 18-1 with him in the lineup prior to Mills breaking his hand, but when he missed nine (and a half) games, the Gaels went just 6-4. The bigger issue for St. Mary's is that with or without Mills, their best wins were on the road at Providence and at San Diego State, two teams that themselves will likely be on the outside looking in come tournament time.
For people looking for a stud performer on an under-manned team, they need not look to the smaller conferences, but rather just to the ACC. With Kentucky and Jodie Meeks likely out of the tournament, one of Cleet's favorites, Jack McClinton may be the best candidate to single-handedly lead a team to a win in the tournament. With the exception of Dwayne Collins, every other Hurricane has posted a goose egg in the scoring column at least once this season, and yet the team stands at 18-11 with an RPI of 51 and a strength of schedule of 22. McClinton has shined in all of Miami's big games with the lone exception of their second matchup with Florida State when he was held to 13. Battling a sprained knee for the last month McClinton's scoring had been hampered, but heading into the ACC he's saying that while not 100%, it is feeling much better. For people that enjoy a one-man show, there's not many better in the country than Jack.
Aside: For the Hurricanes, one man that can help McClinton clinch a spot for the team, Dwayne Collins needs to find his early season form. Hampered by an ankle injury, Collins's production has dropped off dramatically, as he's failed to score more than 10 since late January. When Collins scores more than ten the Hurricanes have only lost four games this season, two of which were to projected number one seeds UConn and UNC.
Tuesday, March 10
Bobcats Planet Radio
The newest episode of BCPR is up on the forums and you can also get it on iTunes. If you're an iTunes user, please take the time to do a review, hopefully to increase the visibility and popularity of our lil show. Cleet and I discuss the franchise's longest winning streak, the week ahead, guest color analysts, and why the team will be drafting in the first round.
Charlotte Bobcats a beaucoup de joueurs français.
We first began identifying the French Connection with the Charlotte Bobcats months ago, but now other people are noticing the team has the biggest French influence in the league. Diaw dropping a lil Borat is always worth a listen.
In other Bobogatos news, the team is sending Alexis Ajinca and Sean Singletary to the NBDL's Sioux Falls SkyForce. They will begin playing on Friday against Reno. They will be accompanied by assistant coach LaSalle Thompson, immediately prompting the question, who will Steddy talk to after games? This move also may open up a spot for Sean May to see active duty once again.
The team also signed guard Dontell Jefferson to a 10-day contract. With Coach Brown tightening up the rotation, it seems doubtful that Jefferson will see any significant minutes (barring injury or foul trouble) during his stay with the team.
Monday, March 9
T.O. Signing Makes Sense For the Bills
We've discussed Terrell Owens before, and Cleet asserts he's a punk, but here I come riding on white alabaster steed to once again defend the monster that HYPE created. When TO was released, people were beboppin and scattin all over the place. The nation declared they didn't want him on their team, but rest assured everyone was also hoping he wouldn't go their rival. He's being made out as a QB Killer, but let's take a look back.
Jeff Garcia was a backup in the CFL just a few years before signing a 6-year $36 million dollar contract following a breakout year in which Owens was his primary receiver. Garcia completed more than 62% of his passes and threw for over 3300 yards during his three full seasons as quarterback in San Fran. Garcia has never surpassed the 3000 yard mark, and didn't complete 62% of his passes again until 2007, the same year he went back to the Pro Bowl after three trips with the 49ers (and Owens as his primary target). When Garcia was cut by the Niners due to salary cap issues, he turned around and signed a 4-year $25 million contract with the Browns. after disagreements with management, Garcia was released and signed a 1-year $2 million contract with the Lions. From there he would go to the Eagles on another 1-year deal, before signing with the Buccaneers for 2-years and $7 million.
When TO arrived in Philadelphia, Donovan McNabb had already signed a monstrous contract, but was still hounded by critics, who pointed out he had yet to complete 60% of his passes for a season. In 2004, the year both TO and McNabb were healthy, he completed 64% of his passes and threw 31 touchdowns, both career highs. Had the Eagles not made the Super Bowl that season and given McNabb's injuries the following years it's not unreasonable to think that he and his elite contract would have been jettisoned.
In October of 2007, Tony Romo signed a 6-year, $67.4 million dollar contract after having moderate success (6-4), but with Terrell Owens as his primary target. Now, just two full seasons later, there are considerable questions about Romo's ability to perform in clutch situations.
What does all of this mean? Terrell Owens, "the quarterback killer" has helped two quarterbacks get monster contracts, and helped another preserve one. Jeff Garcia signed $61 million worth of contracts while and immediately after having TO as a primary target, but hasn't been paid 1/3 of that in subsequent contracts. Perhaps TO could come kill my quarterbacking career.
This is not to excuse all of the things that have gone on with TO. Terrell and bizarre press conferences go together like NASCAR and cheap domestic beer, but people need to recognize that the media has launched a one-man equivalent of the Red Scare. What's worse: TO being too candid about rumors of Jeff Garcia's sexuality or Jeff Garcia driving while having a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit? For the record, Steve Young faced a lot of the same rumors as Garcia, but he still managed to get the monkey off his back, without driving drunk. What's worse TO feuding with management in Philadelphia or Jeff Garcia feuding with management in Cleveland or Donovan McNabb saying he won't re-sign unless the team's improved? What's worse: TO calling out Donovan McNabb or Donovan McNabb calling out his receivers and management on his blog? Everything TO has done has been done (or worse) by someone else in the league, but HYPE focuses on TO because he's such a galvanizing force.
Owens's release by the Cowboys was a salary cap move and nothing more. It would be irresponsible to keep two high priced wide receivers while neglecting to fill other team needs. Jerry Jones had committed several draft picks to the younger Roy Williams, so releasing Owens made sense. Twisting this to be anything more is just the newest contortion of the truth by people in the media and fans alike.
Now, why does bringing Terrell to Buffalo make sense for the Bills? This is a struggling team in a struggling market. For the first time in a long time they have national relevance, and with very little risk attached. If TO is the malcontent that many will have you believe, he can be cut with no longterm cap implications. With the recent economic downturn having a star attraction (and a new one at that) cannot be overstated for a team and a city like Buffalo. He'll make selling advertising, merchandise, and tickets all easier. TO needs to do well in Buffalo, but Buffalo needs him to do well even more.
From certain individuals, we love candor. From others we despise it. TO falls into the second category for most fans, but his "transgressions" that have earned him this reputation pale in comparison to many of his fellow professional athletes. For some reason, a thoughtless phrase is more damning than a thoughtless act in today's society. Nothing Terrell has ever done approaches the level of despicableness of Jason Richardson's recent arrest, but every move TO makes is scrutinized at a level that virtually no other professional athlete can comprehend (and that's saying something in this day and age).
The ACC Tournament: You Don't Know [Blank]
The regular season is done. Duke and "Refuse to Lose" Henderson fell to Carolina, albeit not in the customary final ACC game of the year slot. This year, that was reserved for Wake reminding everyone that Clemson is a first half team. When Gary Williams complained about the Duke/UNC game always being the final contest, most fans of the schools were irked at his gall, but watching yesterday the game has lost none of its luster. The brackets are out, so it's time to see just how much everyone knows about the ACC Tournament. No twittering Jay Williams for answers, there are no South Carolina trick questions, and feel free to post your scores for tremendous prizes. The test begins after the break...
The 1990 championship game between Georgia Tech and Virginia was significant because it featured [NO CHEATING YOU FILTHY ANIMALS].
[BOOOOOO] is the only school that doesn't have a losing record to any other school in tourney history.
The tournament has been held in six cities: Greensboro, Charlotte, [Tobacco], [A Capital], [Hawk City], and [W T B?].
Four first-year coaches have led their team to the Championship game: [Not him], [or Him either], [what the devil], and [Really, he did?].
The 1974 Championship game between Maryland and NC State featured six All-Americans, ten players that would be drafted, including [the best ever] and [resisting joke] who were both number one overall selections.
Wake Forest has won four ACC tournaments both times doing it in back-to-back seasons, first in '61 and '62 and also [XX] and [XX].
Only eight tournament MVPs (and one co-MVP from South Carolina) have come from outside the state of North Carolina. Four from Maryland: Nick Davis ('58), [Stop Looking] ('84), Albert King ('90), and [No Cheating] ('04). Three from Georgia Tech: [XXX XXXX] ('85), Brian Oliver ('90), and James Forrest ('93). And Virginia's [Who What?] ('76).
And finally, [XXXXX] is the only team to win in the opening round the last three years.
Before scrolling down the answers, check out this video, realize that this was the game with 10 draft picks in it, the teams were ranked number 1 and 2 in the polls and how crazy the atmosphere must've been knowing only one team would go on to play in the NCAA tournament. Answers Below:
Answers
1. Two teams from outside North Carolina. (Still the only time in conference history)
2. Duke
3,4,5,6. Raleigh, Tampa, Washington DC, and Atlanta.
7,8,9,10. Vic Bubas, Bill Guthridge, Herb Sendek, and Sidney Lowe.
11, 12. David Thompson and John Lucas.
13. 1995 and 1996.
14. Len Bias
15. John Gilchrist
16. Mark Price
17. Wally Walker
18. Miami
Scoring Scale:
0-3: Clemson fan
4-6: Think MJ is the greatest player in ACC history
7-9: Came over to the conference with the Big East
10-12: Know Randolph Childress won an MVP
13-15: Know Bobby Cremins was a player and a coach in the tourney
16-17: Know Bucky Waters was a player and a coach in the tourney
18: Know Wally Walker
Weekend Recap
This image should tell you all you need to know about my Saturday night with Catfish and yes, his couch is incredibly soft. Conference Championship Week is now in ful swing, some tickets are punched and many teams are nervous. Let's get the week started by looking back before we go forward, it's really the only way to know where you've been.
Mike Florio projects ten places L.T. may end up. [Sporting News]
Nothing beats Beaver on the Highway. [Yesbutnobutyes]
Rampage Jackson wants the belt back, he just better not drive his way to the arena. [Awful Announcing]
The Bobcats are hot, even ESPN can no longer deny this. [Bobcats Planet]
The worst of the weekend NBA action, LeBron misses dunk, earth shifts on its axis. [Basketbawful]
Tar Heel seniors are 6-2 vs. Duke in their careers. [SI.com]
Some dissapointments in college basketball, at the top of the list you guessed it, Miami. [Rivals.com]
Davidson's run is over and most likely, we will not see Stephen Curry in the NCAA tournament again. [CBSSports]
