The ACC Nation's Afternoon Delight

The N&O's Caulton Tudor doesn't think the departure of Cedric Simmons will hurt NC State too much in the long run.

Clemson is getting ready for the NCAA regionals. The Tigers, despite what the polls say, are the top national seed in the tournament this year.

Are you ready from some football? The ACC has released part of it's TV schedule for the fall. Things get started with Boston College and Central Michigan. Nothing says ACC football like teams from Massachusetts and Michigan doing battle.

Here's part two of the Chris Rix interview from the Garnet and Great.

And finally, North Carolina is one of the ACC teams getting ready for the NCAA men's golf tournament.

Feeling drafty in here
Last year was a year to remember for the Atlantic Coast Conference in terms of its contributions to the NBA draft - with three of the top five picks being ACC ballers (UNC's Marvin Williams and Raymond Felton, Wake Forest's Chris Paul).
This year, though, it's looking like slim pickins as far as the ACC and the draft is concerned.
OK, sure, there's the Duke dynamic duo of Shelden Williams and J.J. Redick - both of whom are projected as lottery picks by most analysts. But even there, I think both are reaches as far as what they're going to be able to offer whoever it is that ends up with them on their rosters.
Williams, a 6-9 center, does not have power-forward skills - not NBA power-forward skills, anyway. And Redick, at 6-4, is going to have a hard time getting his jump shot off against most two guards in the NBA - as was evidenced in two memorable games against Georgetown and LSU, both of whom forced Redick off his game at key points by throwing taller defenders at him.
Other than Redick and Williams, we have ...
- N.C. State's Cedric Simmons, a 6-10 four who is limited offensively (11.8 points per game as a sophomore in 2005-2006).
- Miami's Guillermo Diaz, an undersized (6-3) two guard who can't shoot (41.5 percent field-goal percentage in 2005-2006).
- Boston College's Craig Smith, an undersized (6-7) center who knows how to play the game but will not be able to find a position in the NBA.
And that's it, folks.
As I said, it's going to be slim pickins for us this year on draft day.
At least now we have a better idea as to why we only had four teams with invites to the Big Dance in March.
- Chris Graham

Win the Shirt Off Chris' Back

OK, we're looking for the next challenger for Chris. Do you think you know the ACC? If so, be the first to beat Chris in a five-question trivia challenge. So far Chris is undefeated, but we know someone out there can beat him. Is it you?

E-mail patrick@accnation.com if you want to Win the Shirt Off Chris' Back and we'll give you a shot. If you beat him (or even tie him) you'll win an ACC Nation T-shirt plus be qualified for our grand prize drawing later this year.

For more information visit ACC Nation. At the site, you can also listen to a recent show and hear Chris in action.

Come on. Win the Shirt Off Chris' Back.

The ACC Nation's Morning Edition

Add another national title to the ACC's resume. Virginia won the men's lacrosse title yesterday by beating UMass 15-7. It is the fourth national championship for the Virginia men's lacrosse team.

Seven ACC teams made the NCAA baseball tournament field. Four will get to host regionals this weekend, and one, Clemson, is the top-seeded team in the entire field.

North Carolina needs to forget about the ACC tournament as it prepares to host a regional. Virginia will host its second regional in three years. Georgia Tech is just happy it won't have to play Georgia until the CWS. Meanwhile, Miami and Florida State will hit the road for their regionals, as will NC State.

NC State's Cedric Simmons won't be returning to the Wolfpack next season. And that might not be the only problem for new head coach Sidney Lowe, as some recruites are reconsidering coming to Raleigh.

The good, the bad and the ugly for the ACC, according to Bob Lipper of the Times Dispatch.

The ACC Nation's Morning Edition

We're back after the Morning Edition took a weekend off. Even ACC Nation needs a vacation now and again.

Speaking of vacations, Clemson's baseball team had taken a break from winning the ACC baseball tournament for 12 years. But the drought is over after the Tigers captured the crown this weekend.

The college baseball regional sites were announced yesterday, and four ACC teams, including Clemson, will host games this coming weekend. The other three: Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Virginia. Florida State will be on the road for a regional for the first time in a decade. It will be the first time in four years that Miami hasn't hosted a regional. The rest of the field and pairings will be announced at 12:30 this afternoon.

Virginia plays for a national title in men's lacrosse today at 1 p.m. It could have been an all-ACC final, but Maryland came up short over Saturday. If Virginia wins today, they should be mentioned among the best college lacrosse teams ever.

Give them some credit

The Duke women's lacrosse team may have lost on the field Friday night, but they were winners in many other ways.

It's interesting how so many people have jumped to the conclusion that the three Duke men's lacrosse players accused of rape are guilty. There's been no trial yet, but in the court of public opinion the three - Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty, and David Evans - have already been convicted.

But Friday night, in their semifinal loss to Northwestern, the Duke women showed support for their counterparts on the men's team. They wore the numbers of the three on wristbands and used the men's motto - "No excuses, No Regrets" - in their pursuit of a lacrosse title.

There's something to be said for standing up for your friends and classmates in the face of almost overwhelming opposition.

I don't know if the players are innocent or guilty. A court of law will, most likely, determine that at a point in the future. What I do know is that I have respect for the women's players for what they did.

Isn't that what we want to teach our sons and daughters? Stand up for what you believe in and don't worry about what everyone else is saying. Have faith in your convictions.

This wasn't about school support. It was about supporting fellow human beings - friends - in a time of trouble. There's something to be said for that.

No excuses. No regrets.

- Patrick Hite

ACC Nation's Morning Edition

There's a new ACC Nation available for the weekend. On the show, Patrick and Chris talk with Jeff White of the Richmond Times Dispatch about Virginia's Final Four lacrosse game with Syracuse this weekend. Also, JoAnne Graf, FSU softball coach, drops in for a visit as the Seminoles get ready for the Super Regionals this weekend.

Chris tries to make it four wins in a row in Win the Shirt off Chris' Back. He also defends his position that the ACC baseball tournament should be a thing of the past.

And the guys go around the ACC as they talk about which ACC players may go early in the NBA Draft this year.

Also, the ACC baseball tournament continued yesterday. In a shocker, North Carolina is gone. In another surprise, the third-seeded Virginia Cavaliers lost for the first time in this double-elimination tournament. Clemson beat Georgia Tech and Miami eliminated Wake Forest with a 4-1 victory.

In other news, Carolina basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell received a contract extension. She got a $40,000 raise after getting her team to the Final Four this past year.

Here's a sport we don't hear much about: hammer throwing.

Virginia's women's basketball program signed a recruit out of Nigeria via junior college yesterday.

Finally, NC State has lost a basketball recruit because of the coaching change.

Seminole becoming a Lion

The NFL is tough sledding. Players coming out of college are quick to acknowledge the struggles they are sure to face as a rookie. You hear comments like, “the speed of the game is the tough thing,” or “learning a new system and getting comfortable is the first order of business.” However, none of them are ever truly prepared for the reality that awaits them at mini camps and summer two-a-days. It’s just something they have to experience.

Former Florida State standout and first round draft choice of the Detroit Lions, Ernie Sims, faced his first test as a rookie and it was all it was advertised it would be. He compared his first experience in practice to full game conditions in college.

“Well, the practice that I just experienced was like game speed,” said Sims. “In college, we’ll have practice but it’s not as rapid or as up-tempo as this right here. That’s the thing that I’m going to get accustomed to.”

It’s important to point out that this isn’t your father’s Detroit Lions off season. When the Lions hired Rod Marinelli it is hard to imagine they new what they were getting. Sure, they new he was an excellent defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They new, from watching the Bucs in action, that his defense was hard nosed, disciplined, and fundamentally sound. What they could not have been prepared for is just hard nosed he would be.

The bottom line is, he demands his players show up prepared, work hard, and push themselves beyond their limits. Sims is responding with enthusiasm.

“I wanted to show that I’m competitive,” said Sims. “I feel like I want to go out there and show what you all got in your first-round draft pick. I want to go out there and show my best. I might not be in the best shape but the main thing I’m going to show you is that I’m a ball player.”

It’s been a long time since anyone could discuss fundamentals and Detroit football at the same time. Marinelli isn’t just pushing these men, he’s teaching them.

“I knew it was going to be up-tempo, very rapid and I knew that I was going to have to learn on the run,” said Sims. “There’s a lot of drills that I’m not accustomed to because when I was at Florida State we didn’t do those kinds of drills.”

It seems as though the enthusiasm is spreading throughout the team. For the first time in many years things in Detroit are truly changing. However, there is much to learn and time is short. If this team is to turn things around they must learn a new system from an extremely inexperienced coaching staff.

“That’s why I’m here in the off-season,” shared Sims, “I’ll be back May 15th and I’ll be ready to work.”

Two things are certain-the Lions know they have a new coaching staff implementing the fundamentals necessary to succeed in the NFL, and one of the ACC’s finest defensive stars is bringing a competitive, hard-nosed attitude to the table. The Detroit faithful hope these elements translate into a winning season.

- Stephen Winslow

A black eye on Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech should be ashamed - and so should other schools who punish student-athletes for moves by the coaches who recruited them.
Tech is in the crosshairs with regard to this because of the school's decision to hold up the transfers of five wrestlers recruited by former coach Tom Brands - who left Blacksburg after two seasons to take over at national power Iowa.
The quintet made up a nationally ranked recruiting class brought to the school by Brands, an Iowa native and four-time All-American at the University of Iowa who won an Olympic gold medal in 1996 in Atlanta.
The grapplers obviously wanted to matriculate at Virginia Tech because of Brands - the same as a gifted writer might want to go to a school to work with a particular English professor, or a budding scientist might want to enroll somewhere to study under a Nobel laureate.
When writers or scientists on scholarship want to leave to follow a professor, they are more than free to do so. So what gives with this embarrassing situation at Virginia Tech?
"The National Collegiate Athletics Association sets forth guidelines pertaining to transfer situations amongst its member institutions. The NCAA has had a transfer rule in place throughout its years. The NCAA transfer rules require the permission of the institution in order for the student-athlete to avoid eligibility consequences. The rule was enacted, in large part, and remains in place to this day, in order to control the unfettered transfer of athletes from one team to another due to a coaching change. Virginia Tech will apply this rule for the purpose that it was intended," the athletics department said in a statement.
If it weren't for the fact that this is negatively affecting the lives of five living, breathing young men, well ...
There's no dancing around this one - this is a black eye on Virginia Tech.
- Chris Graham

The ACC Nation's Morning Edition

The ACC baseball tournament got under way yesterday, with at least one surprise. North Carolina State knocked off North Carolina in the day's second game. The Tar Heels are the tournament's second seed, but face elimination in a 10 a.m. game today against Florida State, a loser to Virginia yesterday. In the other two games, Clemson had little trouble with Wake Forest, while Georgia Tech beat Miami behind starter Blake Wood.

Virginia is getting ready to play Syracuse Saturday in the NCAA lacrosse Final Four. Goalie Kip Turner may have the most to prove when the Cavaliers take the field in Philadelphia.

When Tom Brands left Virginia Tech to take the head coaching job of Iowa's wrestling team, he didn't do so on good terms with Virginia Tech Athletics Director Jim Weaver. So, is Weaver now taking that bad blood out on a handful of athletes?

Duke hasn't made a decision yet on whether men's lacrosse will return next season. And because of that lack of a decision, several recruits have backed out on coming to Durham. Meanwhile, as the Duke women's lacrosse team prepares for its game Friday, the players are showing support for the men's team. Duke's administration says it doesn't have a problem with the women's decision.

There's only one ACC team remaining in the NCAA softball tournament. And that is not the team one would have expected just a few weeks ago. Florida State struggled at times this season, but they are playing well heading into a weekend series against Arizona State.

And finally, the Duke women's golf team moved up a couple of spots in the NCAA championships. Also, buried in this story, some NCAA tennis action.

No to Coach K?
Dean Smith is looking good as far as a spot on Mount ACCMore is concerned.
(Neither is he looking bad for having engineered Ol' Roy's return to Chapel Hill. Another story for another day, that one.)
We've discussed Bobby Bowden - and more discussion on that one will no doubt be forthcoming.
Now we get to another coach who will be assumed by many to be a lock for our mountain of Atlantic Coast Conference sports heroes - Mike Krzyzewski.
As with Bowden, I'm not sold on Coach K as of right now.
OK, so the guy has won a bazillion ACC tournament and regular-season championships (to be accurate, it's nine and 10, respectively) - plus he's been to 10 Final Fours, won three national titles, been named national coach of the year 12 times.
To me, though, it's all about timing.
If Krzyzewski had been around before Dean Smith, and Smith had used what Krzyzewski had done at Duke as a benchmark for where he wanted to take his North Carolina program, then it would be Coach K, hands down.
But the fact that Smith was the advance man here - not just for Krzyzewski, but for Lefty Driesell, Bobby Cremins, Terry Holland and everybody else who followed - means he's got to be a step ahead of everybody else in basketball in the pecking order.
That said, we've only got room for four heads on our Mount ACCMore - and that could mean that we get one basketball coach, and that's it.
Nothing has been carved in stone yet, but if that ends up being the case, we'd have to go with Dean-o.
I know that could be tough to swallow - but then, they didn't have room on Mount Rushmore for Thomas Jefferson and James Madison both, so they went with the one who wrote the Declaration of Independence over the one who was the Father of the Constitution.
Nobody said anything was supposed to be easy.
- Chris Graham

The ACC Nation's Morning Edition

The ACC baseball tournament gets under way today. Miami's biggest concern is their pitching. Florida State's concern? Pretty much everything, as the Seminoles struggled toward the end of the season. After FSU and Virginia get things started at 10 this morning, North Carolina and North Carolina State play at 1 p.m. The others games today: Miami at Georgia Tech at 4 p.m. and Wake Forest at Clemson to finish things off at 7 p.m. The tournament continues through the weekend.

While the teams are preparing for this year's tournament, some are looking forward to Boston's Fenway Park in a few years.

Virginia's baseball team is playing well, and now the football team got some good news yesterday.

You know it's not good when your volleyball coach leaves for an assistant coaching job.

And finally, Rich Halten of Garnet and Great had this interview with former FSU quarterback Chris Rix.

The ACC Nation's Afternoon Delight

OK, so I'm a little late again today. Sorry. On to the stories ...

Florida State has taken back its scholarship offer to Jon Kreft after the big man was charged with several counts of drug possession. As the story point out, if Alexander Johnson remains in the NBA draft, the Seminoles could be hurting next season, especially up front.

Good story on Duke golfer and friend of the Nation, Amanda Blumenherst, by friend of the Nation, Rachel Carter.

Virginia pitcher Sean Doolittle was named ACC baseball player of the year Monday.

Greensboro is trying to attract the women's Final Four. It might be an uphill battle, as this story points out.

Finally, NC State's football program has another recruit. And in basketball, Calvin Baker, a freshman standout at William & Mary, is transferring to Virginia.

Tourney bye-bye
How about we do away with the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament - and let the teams focus on the prize that is the College World Series?
I know, I know - the ACC is not exactly the only conference that holds its own postseason in advance of The Drive to Omaha.
Here's why we don't need to do it here anymore - try we have pennant races now.
The tournament mucks up what could be exciting races in the Atlantic and Coastal divisions. You need to look no further than this year's Coastal Division chase between North Carolina and Virginia that came down to the final day of the regular season for evidence of that.
It also adds that much more strain to the arms of the starters and relievers who will need every inning they have left when it comes time for the regionals, super regionals and (we hope) the College World Series.
Powers-That-Be in the ACC, take note. Conference baseball tournaments are a thing of the past - and if we get rid of ours, we can be the Conference of the Future.
(That imagery is speaking out directly to John Swofford. Anything that he can do to make himself feel like a pioneer is something that he'll drop everything else to try to do.)
- Chris Graham

Cheat to win
Here's how you punish somebody without punishing them ...
Georgia Tech can still call itself the 1998 Atlantic Coast Conference co-champs and mark their run of six bowl appearances in seven years between 1998 and 2004 - even though the NCAA has found the Tech football program guilty of infractions during that period.
OK, OK, so coach Chan Gailey has six less scholarships to give out this year and next year - and yes, that will have an impact, or so one would expect, on the bottom line in Atlanta.
But what about the fact that the school used 11 academically ineligible football players to rack up bowl appearances and a conference title?
So that's kosher now - especially as long as you don't get caught, and even if you do, hey, the games have already been played, right, no harm, no foul.
The NCAA is sending a dangerous message with this ruling - that cheaters can win and get to take credit for their illbegotten gains even when they get caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
And we get mad when the referee in a professional-wrestling match misses the bad guy hitting the good guy in the head with a foreign object to knock him out and secure the win.
Hey, at least that goes on behind his back. Here the refs know what's going on and still count the 1-2-3 as having been valid.
- Chris Graham

The ACC Nation's Morning Edition

The two ACC men's lacrosse teams in the NCAA tournament are still alive. Maryland rolled past Princeton 11-6 to advance to the semifinals this coming weekend, while Virginia had little trouble with Georgetown to also advance to the semifinals.

In softball, Florida State advanced to the super regional. The Seminoles are the only ACC team to make it out of the regionals this year.

The ACC baseball tournament begins Wednesday. Looking at the schedule, it seems to be one of the best tournaments in years. We'll give the edge to Virginia, which seems to be playing as well as anyone right now.

Finally, on a light news day, there's still some football news. Let's face it - there's always football news. Clemson is searching for a second quarterback. Yes, we know. That's earth-shattering news.

The ACC Nation's Morning Edition

Larry Coker told a Miami alumni group last week that he was pleased with his staff, which he had to put together after letting several members of last year's staff go following the season. But read further into the story and you'll also see a comment by Coker that Miami is hurt by not being allowed to admit borderline academic students that other ACC schools can admit.

Say what? First of all, in a conference with schools like Duke, Virginia and North Carolina, I'm not sure Coker should be playing the "Miami is a bastion of intellect" card.

Secondly, I don't remember Jimmy Johnson or Dennis Erickson crying about missing out on good players because of tough academic standards.

From here, it sounds like an excuse being made by a coach on a very hot seat.

Meanwhile, in baseball, North Carolina wrapped up the Coastal Division crown with a weekend sweep of Boston College. North Carolina State avoided a sweep at the hands of FSU. Also, Clemson beat Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech beat Miami, giving the Yellow Jackets hope at hosting a regional.

In lacrosse today, Virginia plays Georgetown in the men's quarterfinals, and Maryland battles Princeton. And in women's lacrosse, Duke won while Carolina didn't.

Sixty-five is plenty (actually, one too many)

So Florida State is leading the way in a fight to increase the NCCA men's basketball tournament field. Some people want as many as 80 teams. Others think 68 would be a good number, with four play-in games. I once heard the great John Wooden say every Division I team should get in the tournament.

Isn't that pretty much the case now? With conference tournaments, everyone except Ivy League teams, have a shot to make it to the Big Dance by winning their postseason.

Florida State had no real argument for being left out this past season. If the Seminoles would have beaten Wake Forest - the last-place team in the conference, mind you - they may have had a case. But by losing the opener, Leonard Hamilton and Dave Hart need to just keep their mouths shut.

Every team with a realistic chance of winning the tournament gets in the tournament. The bubble teams that end up getting left out don't have a real shot beyond maybe winning a game or two.

I have never embraced having 65 teams. I can live with 64 teams, although 48 made the conference regular-season and tournaments a lot more exciting.

It's interesting. I've been researching the 1976 ACC tournament champion, Virginia. Although the Cavaliers were 18-12 heading into the tournament, an at-large bid was out of the question. The NCAA tournament was just two years removed from inviting only the tourney champ. In 1976 two teams at most from a conference made it. Virginia had to win it all or it was the NIT or, more likely, a trip home.

Wally Walker, Virginia's star senior on that year's team, likes the current system, but realizes that the excitement level of that 1976 tournament can't be equaled now. I recently talked to him for a book, "Mad About U," I am co-authoring with Chris Graham on UVa.'s University Hall and Cavalier basketball.

“The whole system has changed. It’s changed for the better,” Walker said. “George Mason getting to the Final Four (in 2006) creates great interest and great opportunity for all programs throughout the country. So I’m not lamenting the fact that it’s a different system, but the pressure on those tournament games was much greater then than it is now for that very reason. “

So see, FSU. Losing in the first round of the ACC tourney should be all the discussion needed to keep you out of the NCAA tourney. The solution in future years - win more games.

- Patrick Hite

The ACC Nation's Morning Edition

When Maryland's Steven Whittenberg isn't playing lacrosse, he's focused on his other passion - fishing. Maryland plays Princeton in the quarterfinals of the men's lacrosse tournament Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile Virginia battles Georgetown in another quarterfinal game tomorrow.

In women's lacrosse, Duke is playing James Madison today for a berth in final four. And North Carolina plays defending national champion Northwestern today, also in the quarterfinals.

Virginia's men's tennis team is also playing in the NCAA tournament this weekend, as the Cavaliers take on Miami tonight in California.

I'm sure there are other ACC teams involved in NCAA tournament games, although it's sort of tough to keep up with it all. Go here to check out the latest.

Florida State star basketball recruit Jon Kreft is in lots of trouble. The 7-footer is charged with possession of cocaine, marijuana possession and drug-paraphernalia. The cocaine charge is a felony.

Tyler Colvin went 4-for-4 and belted a homer as Clemson beat Wake Forest Friday night. With the win Clemson clinches the ACC regular-season title. Florida State is bouncing back a little after a rough stretch. The Seminoles have taken the first two from NC State this weekend. And North Carolina topped Boston College for the second-straight night.

The ACC Nation's Morning Edition

The third Duke lacrosse player charged in a sexual assault case appeared in court yesterday as attorneys went over evidence for the case. Also, results released yesterday from a DNA test may help the defense.

A big win for the Florida State Seminoles last night on the baseball diamond. Virginia also opened its weekend series with a win over Virginia Tech, while Clemson hit seven homers in a 26-1 rout of Wake Forest. Meanwhile, North Carolina and Miami also won last night.

Georgia Tech can keep its football national title, but future scholarships will be hurt. That's the ruling of an NCAA infractions panel.

And, finally, some basketball and softball notes for all you Virginia Tech fans.

ACC Nation (weekend of May 19)

On ACC Nation this weekend, Patrick and Chris talk Arena Football League with former Virginia star Darryl Hammond, who just retired after a 16-year career in the AFL.

Also, Patrick wonders if it's possible for Sidney Lowe to win a negative amount of games next season at NC State. The guys talk ACC baseball and lacrosse. And another listener tries to win the shirt off Chris' back.

Plus Around the ACC and the Sound and the Fury.

Is Bowden Mount ACCMore material?
A reader suggested that Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden be guaranteed a slot on our Mount ACCMore - the mythical mountain dedicated to the four most influential people in Atlantic Coast Conference sports history.
For my part, I'm not so sure that Bowden is at all a lock.
I know that Bowden's teams have had a remarkable ACC run - 12 conference titles in 14 years.
The issue for me here is the 14-years thing - the ACC has been playing football for half a century now, and FSU has been a part of the league for about a quarter of that.
And though it can be argued that Bowden and Florida State raised the level of football played in the conference, it's not exactly as if the ACC was an also-ran before the Seminoles signed up. Clemson and Georgia Tech both won national titles in the 1980s and 1990s, and even former league doormat Virginia spent three weeks at the top of the national polls in 1990.
I think it could be argued that the arrival of FSU set the ACC back a few years, even, given how much the 'Noles dominated play in the '90s.
Indeed, it's only been since concerns about Bowden's age and the additions of Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech that ACC football has become competitive again.
So while Bowden is certainly a top candidate for a spot on Mount ACCMore, I think there is room for healthy debate.
I mean, we have to remember, we can only carve four heads on the rock up there.
- Chris Graham

The ACC Nation's Morning Edition

The ACC baseball tournament is heading to Fenway Park. It will be a few years, but at the conference's spring meetings the schools voted to play the tourney at Boston's Fenway in 2009. While you would think everyone is thrilled at the news - getting a chance to play at an historic venue like Fenway and all - that's not the case, as this story points out.

The schools also voted on where to host the ACC men's basketball tournament in years to come.

Paul Woody, the Times-Dispatch's NFL writer, chimes in on Marcus Vick and his chances in Miami.

While most of the talk around baseball circles this year is how well the ACC is doing, here's a shocker: Florida State needs to win two of three from NC State this weekend or they will be the eighth seed in the tournament this year. Maybe that just means the conference is better than anyone thought and the traditional powers, like FSU, need to learn that.

Carolina also thinks they need a sweep this weekend after dropping two of three to Virginia last weekend.

Sidney Lowe finished filling out his staff with Pete Strickland, the former Coastal Carolina coach.

Finally, Carolina and Duke play tonight. In women's tennis. In California. The two schools are in the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.

Finish strong
University of Virginia baseball coach Brian O'Connor looks prophetic now.
Talking on last week's "ACC Nation" about his team's chances to host an NCAA regional, O'Connor - whose team took two of three from then-top-ranked North Carolina over the weekend - talked about the importance of finishing strong.
"How you finish up in the league is vital in terms of being able to potentially host a regional," O'Connor said.
"I think it's going to come down to a couple of things. If we want a chance to potentially host the NCAA tournament, I think we need to finish in the top four or five in our league. We also have to perform well in the ACC tournament," O'Connor said.
The top four or five finish seems to be in the cards - the Cavs are currently a game behind the first-place Tar Heels in the Coastal Division with a weekend series at home with league doormat Virginia Tech on deck.
Still, that means that there's work to do between now and the end of the regular season this coming weekend.
"I don't think anything is for sure with any of the ACC teams - I think it's going to come down to how these teams finish up the last couple of weekends and play in that tournament. Since they made the switch three or four years ago to not announce the NCAA regional sites until after the conference tournaments, that tells everybody out there the importance of the conference tournament in the committee's eyes on where they're going to put these regional sites," O'Connor said.
- Chris Graham

The Morning Edition

Among those elected to the College Football Hall of Fame this week were two Florida State Seminoles - Bobby Bowden and Charlie Ward. Bowden benefited from a rule change allowing active coaches 75 years of age or older to be elected. Bruce Smith, a former Virginia Tech Hokie, was also elected to the Hall of Fame.

The latest in the Duke lacrosse rape case is that a polygraph test taken by the third player charged shows team captain David Evans was telling the truth when he said neither his teammates nor he was involved in a crime.

Philip Rivers has been waiting for this day since entering the NFL Draft out of North Carolina State. After backing up Drew Brees, Rivers is now the official starting quarterback for the San Diego Chargers and got his first practice in that capacity this week.

The ACC wants to know why only four conference teams got an invitation to the NCAA basketball tournament this past spring. Could expansion be the problem or is the league just not getting the respect it deserves?

Finally, on a sad note, former Virginia coach George Blackburn passed away Monday at the ripe old age of 93. Blackburn coached the Cavaliers for six seasons starting in 1965.

No respect ... yet
The good news for Atlantic Coast Conference baseball fans - your teams are getting respect in the national polls.
Six teams are ranked in this week's College Baseball Insiders rankings - which are a composite of the four major national polls.
Three of the teams - Clemson at #3, North Carolina at #5 and Virginia at #7 - are ranked in the top 10.
This is all well and good, of course - but the make-it-or-break-it time for the ACC will come next month as teams earn spots in the College World Series.
It's been awhile since the conference has fielded a legitimate national-championship contender - in spite of the league's depth that is reflected in its hold of spots in the top 20.
Landing a team or two or three in Omaha would go a long way toward dispelling the notion that the ACC is a January-May league.
- Chris Graham

The Morning Edition

The district attorney has said it would happen soon. Now it has. A third Duke lacrosse player, co-captain David Evans, has been indicted in the sexual assault case involving a stripper that performed at a team party. The story has received much national attention, but it's still very unclear what happened.

Marcus Vick has a job. Well, at least for now. The former Virginia Tech quarterback was signed by the Miami Dolphins Monday, but will have to work hard to make the team. And it probably won't be at the quarterback position.

Depending on which poll you choose to believe, the Florida State baseball team is anywhere from No. 18 in the country to not even ranked. After losing 11 of 16, including a weekend sweep at the hands of Clemson, one thing is for sure: FSU has problems.

Speaking of baseball, there was talk that one day soon Fenway Park might host the ACC Tournament. Greensboro also wants the tourney. Now Tampa is in the mix with the help of George Steinbrenner.

Virginia is getting ready for a quarterfinal men's lacrosse game against Georgetown Sunday. You would think the two teams play often, considering their geographical location, but the 'Hoos and Hoyas have met just once in an actual game.

The women's basketball game has come a long way over the years, but it still has more work to do. This story points out that one of the WNBA's best has to play overseas in the offseason to supplement her income.

As for the NBA, the draft is not too far in the future, and former University of Miami star Guillermo Diaz is working hard to be one of the high picks in that draft.

And finally, the ACC's spring meetings are under way. Is expansion proving to be a good thing for the conference? This story points out the conference officials think so. And more expansion is planned. Well, sort of. The conference has grown so much that its headquarters now needs to grow to keep up.

MV II getting a shot

Marcus Vick has signed a free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins.

The oft troubled quarterback, who was suspended from the Virginia Tech football program, participated in a three day mini camp with the Dolphins and impressed them enough to sign him to a deal.

“As an organization, we did an enormous amount of research, including consulting with professionals in detailed, in-depth analysis to feel comfortable that giving Marcus an opportunity as a free agent is a risk worth taking,” Dolphins coach Nick Saban said in a statement released by the team.

He clearly has not been given any long term guarantees by the club, but Vick is going to get a chance to legitimately make the team. What is not clear is the position he will be playing. The Dolphins are listing Vick as a “wide receiver-quarterback-specialist,” clearly indicating that he could be tried in a number of roles.

During the recent minicamp, Vick spent at least one practice session at wide receiver, and probably isn’t being looked at as a serious quarterback candidate considering the signings of Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington.

The Dolphins are trying to assemble talent. This is a club that looked as though it was headed to the cellar just two seasons ago. A new coach and an aggressive run at free agency and the draft have this team looking as though it could contend for a division title this season. Whether or not Vick can contribute to their success is largely up to him.

No one can deny his talent and potential. The question that surrounds this young man is whether or not he has the integrity and character to succeed in life as well as the NFL.

Vick completed 177 of 289 passes for 2,393 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, leading Virginia Tech to an 11-2 record and berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game in 2005. However, his career with the Hokies included many miscues. He made an obscene gesture to fans during a game at West Virginia, and stomped on Louisville player Elvis Dumervil's leg during the Gator Bowl.

Vick was suspended by Virginia Tech for the 2004 season because of legal problems, then was eventually dismissed from the team after being stopped for speeding and driving with a revoked or suspended license.
The Dolphins released a statement making it clear that they are prepared to address any future transgressions by Vick.

“I want to make it very clear that we will not condone any behavior issues in the future relative to Marcus Vick. Marcus acknowledges that he has made some mistakes, all of which has resulted in severe consequences for him. They have helped him learn that he will need to make much better choices and decisions in the future or risk similar consequences that could jeopardize his career as a professional player.”

Marcus Vick is getting a chance of a lifetime. It is one that many others never realize. Only time will tell whether he turns this chance into a success story or a nightmare like those that Lawrence Phillips and Maurice Clarrett have lived.

- Stephen Winslow

An accident of history that could bring new fans to lacrosse
The official attendance was 3,876 - but the turnout at the NCAA lacrosse tournament matchup between Notre Dame and top-ranked Virginia on Saturday at Klockner Stadium was noteworthy in one respect.
I would estimate that around 1,000 or so fans who attended the baseball game between Virginia and North Carolina held earlier in the day on Saturday at Davenport Field ventured over to Klockner to take in the lax contest - and my guess is that more than a few of them left Charlottesville hooked on the sport.
There's something about lacrosse that says that about the game - that if you can get a sports fan to sit down and watch an entire contest from beginning to end, then you have a fan for life.
That the University of Virginia was able to expose the game to more fans came about as an accident. The lacrosse game was originally scheduled as a night game - but was moved at the request of ESPN to accommodate its broadcast schedule.
This accident of history might be something that the school might want to consider as an intentional move in the future.
In the meantime, fans who attended both were given a rare treat - the chance to watch the top-ranked baseball team in the country (North Carolina) and the best lacrosse team in the country (the #1 Cavs are competing for their third national championship under coach Dom Starsia).
- Chris Graham

The Morning Edition

NC State's Sidney Lowe has hired another assistant coach. In an expected move, former Coastal Carolina coach Pete Strickland has joined the Wolfpack staff.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, things are going well so far for former State coach Herb Sendek.

The numbers are in and the ACC's finances look just fine, according to this story in the News Record.

Both Maryland and Virginia took care of business in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

NC State and Florida State will meet in the ACC softball final today.

Lots of other tournament action also. Check out the ACC's official site for all of the results.

ACC Nation (weekend of May 12)

This weekend's ACC Nation is available. Patrick and Chris talk baseball with Virginia's Brian O'Connor, plus Ken Tysiac of the Charlotte Observer joins them to analyze NC State's hiring of Sidney Lowe. Plus Around the ACC and Win the Shirt Off Chris Back.

The Morning Edition

Another ACC school is looking for a coach. OK, it's only an assistant, but Maryland is in need of one after Rob Moxley left for an associate head coaching position at Charlotte.

There are some big series in ACC baseball this weekend. Miami hosts Wake Forest; North Carolina travels to Virginia, where the Friday night opener features a great pitching battle between UVa.'s Sean Doolittle and Carolina's Andrew Miller; and Clemson is at home against Florida State.

It's not a baseball series, but Virginia Tech has scheduled a home-and-home football series with Nebraska starting in 2008. It will be Sept. 2009 before the Huskers come to Blacksburg.

A good piece by the BC soccer coach in the Double A Zone.

And in basketball, Duke and Gonzaga will play next year. A year too late, but they will play.

Finally, North Carolina State recruits are looking at their options after Herb Sendek left and Sidney Lowe moved in.

The Meineke Who Cares? Bowl
What passes for big news in the world of Atlantic Coast Conference football this week has to do with the scheduling of the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
(Yes, the pickings are that slim.)
Mark your calendars - it's set for Saturday, Dec. 30, at 1 p.m.
And this is good news for the sixth- or seventh-place team or whoever ends up getting in from the ACC - I can't find my list of bowl tie-ins, so I can't get any more specific than that.
See, last year, the game had to start at 11 a.m. because ESPN2 said so. But now with the 1 p.m. kickoff, the game can move over to The Worldwide Leader - ostensibly so more homes can tune into something other than the less-than-scintillating matchup featuring an ACC also-ran and an also-ran from the Big East.
The sound that you hear is me sighing that it's 2006, and we still don't have any movement toward a college-football playoff.
- Chris Graham

All ACC-ess
We need to get folks pumped on this our Mount ACCMore idea, so here goes ...
I think it's obvious that North Carolina coach Dean Smith is one of the faces on our mountain devoted to Atlantic Coast Conference sports greats.
And that's it as far as stone-cold, lead-pipe locks.
I know, I know - Mike Krzyzewski should be there. I can hear the Dukies clamoring now.
Me, I'm not so sure at this point. One, I want to hold off judgment until we consider the whole spectrum of ACC sports heroes, and two, if I have to go with one basketball guy for now, it's got to be Dean Smith.
Dean Smith was and is the standard by which we measure everything that happened and happens and will happen in ACC basketball. Mike Krzyzewski is seen in the context of Dean, Jim Valvano is seen in the context of Dean, Gary Williams is seen in the context of Dean, Bobby Bowden is seen in the context of Dean, et cetera.
Without Dean-o, we might not be having this discussion right now - it could have been the ACC that got gobbled up by, say, the SEC or the Big East or some other conference looking to build its base along the way from the 1950s and 1960s to now.
So for now we have Dean Smith - and three open spaces.
Let the fun and games begin ...
- Chris Graham

The Morning Edition

The Duke lacrosse scandal just keeps making news. A report said that Duke University police officers didn't take the case serious enough after overhearing a conversation by Durham police officers now has Durham city officials upset.

Good story on the top two tennis players at the University of Miami. The Hurricanes, both the men and women, are getting ready for the NCAA regionals.

Another good story on Virginia Tech's Coleman Collins, who is graduating early this weekend, although his biggest fan won't be there to see him.

So, is former FSU receiver Peter Warrick in the mix in Seattle or not? He thought he might be, but after a recent Mike Holmgren press conference he has to wonder if that is the case.

Here's all the sports news you need about the University of Virginia, including the latest on three football players suspended for academic reasons.

And finally, Lee Fowler, NC State's athletics director, lost weight and sleep in his month-long search for a new basketball coach.

Sweet and Lowe-down
The biggest challenge facing new North Carolina State men's basketball coach Sidney Lowe isn't overcoming the stigma of being the 195th person offered the job.
Lowe, a former NBA head coach and current assistant with the Detroit Pistons, has to learn a whole new ballgame when he heads back to Raleigh - where he was a star on the early 1980s teams of Jim Valvano that brought the school its second national championship in 1983.
The Xs and Os in college hoops are the same, sure - even down to the zone defenses that NBA teams are now allowed to play. A backdoor is still a backdoor, a pick-and-roll is still a pick-and-roll.
But unlike in the NBA, where thousands of top players are pining for a chance to suit up in your colors, you have to go out and find players to fill out your college-basketball roster.
And that takes time, patience, luck ...
One would suspect that Lowe would be able to flash his '83 championship ring and his NBA credentials and be OK - eventually. But eventually won't cut it at State - where, no doubt, some enterprising soul has registered the domain firesidneylowe.com in the event that the Pack loses its opener next fall.
Here's to hoping - for Lowe's sake - that the cupboard isn't as bare as former coach Herb Sendek must have thought it was when he bolted for Arizona State earlier this spring.
- Chris Graham

The Morning Edition

Four ACC teams made the field of 16 in this year's NCAA women's lacrosse tournament. Duke is the top seed overall.

The N&O's Barry Saunders writes that NC State's hiring of Sidney Lowe was a big deal, and not just on the basketball court.

Big weekend series coming up for Virginia, which is hoping to host another NCAA regional. The Cavaliers hosted a regional two years ago in Brian O'Connor's first season as UVa. coach. A couple of wins over North Carolina this weekend would help their cause.

Matt Winkeljohn of the AJC writes that Georgia Tech won't win the ACC baseball title again this season, and there may be other concerns for the highly ranked Yellow Jackets.

And finally, it looks like former Wake Forest star Chris Paul will be named the NBA's rookie of the year tomorrow.

How the mighty have fallen
Here's your best read on Marcus Vick's NFL future - the former Virginia Tech signal-caller was moved to wide receiver for his last practice at the Miami Dolphins minicamp over the weekend.
"With athletes like that, you're going to have an easier time adjusting to wherever the coaches put him," said Justin Holland, a former Colorado State quarterback who was also in camp for a look-see from the Fish.
"He looked very good at quarterback, and he looked very good at receiver," Holland said of Vick.
Some on hand for the minicamp weren't as sure about how Vick looked at quarterback, actually. Listed at an even six feet, Vick earned the moniker "Mini-Me" from one observer who focused on his lack of presence behind center.
It's getting harder and harder to figure how MV2 was regarded by people like me as a top-round pick. The CFL appears right now to be his best option - with a start to his career in the Arena League a distinct possibility.
How the mighty have fallen ...
- Chris Graham

The Morning Edition

Marcus Vick got a chance to audition at wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, according to the Roanoke Times. It appears Vick wasn't the only player with a troubled past taking part in the Dolphins' tryouts this past weekend. Among the others battling their own demons, former North Carolina linebacker Tommy Richardson.

Monte Towe gets a new test as associate head coach at North Carolina State. The University of New Orleans head coach met with his players over the weekend to break the news that he was leaving.

Virginia is the top seed in the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament. The Cavaliers begin the tourney Saturday at home against Notre Dame. Maryland also made it in the field of 16.

There's actually a lot of postseason play about ready to begin. Visit the ACC's official Web site for all of the information.

Ray Lewis is being inducted into the University of Miami hall of fame tonight. The Baltimore linebacker calls it one of the greatest accomplishments of his life.

And finally, questions are starting to be asked about the Seminoles baseball team, which split a pair of games over the weekend with Wake Forest.

Cavs, Starsia get ready for tourney

One has to wonder if there will be any rust on the University of Virginia men’s lacrosse team as it heads into NCAA Tournament play this coming weekend. After all, since April 1 the Cavaliers have played just four games, and they’ve taken the field only twice since an April 8 win over North Carolina.

“I was actually more concerned about the ACC Tournament than I will be moving forward to the NCAA Tournament,” Dom Starsia, the coach of the top-ranked and undefeated Cavaliers told “ACC Nation” recently.

The ACC Tournament field consisted of just three teams because of Duke’s absence as a result of the well-publicized decision by the school to cancel the season after allegations of sexual assault were brought against the team. Maryland and North Carolina played in the semifinals, and the Terps got Virginia in the championship game.

Starsia felt the layoff prior to that game against Maryland was cause for concern, but after the victory over the Terrapins the coach is no longer worried about the lack of recent games.

“It was really important for us to have a game of that caliber at this point in the season as we head toward the NCAA playoffs,” said Starsia. “The fact that we played a really good team like the University of Maryland … I thought we showed a little bit of rustiness, but we played hard and got the win, and as a little bonus we also walked home with the ACC Tournament championship trophy. It certainly made it a good day for us.”

Virginia begins its quest for the school’s fourth national title Saturday in Charlottesville at 3:30 p.m. against Notre Dame. The Cavaliers have certainly had some quality programs in the past, reaching the tournament 29 times, second only to Johns Hopkins’ 35 appearances. Virginia last won it all in 2003, but some are saying this year’s squad is the best ever at UVa.

“I’ve been telling people that the ultimate comparison will be reserved for the very end,” said Starsia, the ACC’s coach of the year. “At this point, I don’t know if this is the most talented team we’ve had in my 14 years here at Virginia, but it certainly is as much of a team as any team that we’ve had."

Starsia said the seniors have provided great leadership and have combined with the younger guys to give Virginia a nice mix.

“This has been a group that has just been really fun to work with every single day,” Starsia said. “It’s just a joy to go out to the practice field when you don’t have to beat your kids over the head in order to get them going. These guys have been very focused from the beginning and I think it’s been reflected in the fact that we’ve consistently gotten better throughout the year. “

- Patrick Hite

Afternoon Delight

OK, I was a little slow in getting to my blogging duties this morning. So, the Morning Edition has become the Afternoon Delight today. Sorry for the delay.

Sidney Lowe is officially the North Carolina State basketball coach. Well, almost. He was officially named the coach yesterday, although he won't officially be the coach until July 1. Follow that?

One of his first jobs will be to get Cedric Simmons to come back for another year. As for the players who we know will be back, they seem relieved that State now has a coach.

State fans are excited because Lowe is one of their own, having played for Jim Valvano and the Wolfpack team that won a national title in 1983. And Frank Dascenzo says State fans should brace for changes. Whether he means good changes or not is anyone's guess.

May I editorialize just a little here? In his press conference yesterday Lowe said he was back "to restore this thing." Am I missing something? Didn't this team win 22 games this past season? Hasn't State gone to five-straight NCAA Tournaments? What exactly needs restoring? It's not like the mess Herb Sendek inherited. Sendek is the one that restored "this thing" and he gets no credit for doing so.

Oh well, I'm now off my soapbox.

Because of the coaching change at State, Chris Wright, one of the nation's top point guards, backed out of his verbal commitment to attend NC State. According to the Daily Progress, Virginia is now on the list of schools that might land Wright. Wake Forest and Maryland are other ACC schools with a chance to get him also. There's no word if the arrival of Lowe to Raleigh might convince Wright to still play for the Wolfpack.

You gotta love lacrosse. The ACC Tournament was last week, but some teams are still playing regular-season games. Maryland beat Penn State in Joe Walters' final regular-season home game.

Florida State beat Wake Forest in a 20-inning game. The game came up three innings short of tying an NCAA record.

Frank Beamer was the honorary starter at last night's NASCAR race in Richmond.

Winning isn't fun?

Hey Gavin Grant, shut your yap.

Did you see what North Carolina State’s sophomore basketball player told the Associated Press for a story that ran yesterday?

Commenting on new coach Sidney Lowe’s promise to run an uptempo offense, Grant said, “He told us he wanted us to be free and have fun. (Herb Sendek, former North Carolina State head coach) wasn't focused on having fun. He was more focused on we've got to win and it was this way or no way at all.”

So that’s the damning evidence against Herb Sendek? He was too focused on winning. Silly me, I thought that was the goal in college athletics. Really, isn’t that the goal in any level of athletics competition, perhaps with the exception of youth sports?

Sendek ran a style of the Princeton offense, designed to place the focus on passing and cutting as a team works for the easy basket. It’s the ultimate style devoted to teamwork.

More from Grant: “In the Princeton offense, I don’t think that offense fit me and a couple of other guys on the team as best we could. Now that we have a coach that understands where we’re coming from and played a little bit like some of us here, things should be a lot better around here.”

Better than what? Better than making it to the NCAA Tournament five years in a row? Better than a top-four finish in the ACC. Better than 22 wins?

Oh, I forgot – Grant wants to have fun. Apparently winning doesn’t qualify as fun for him.

I know there are those that think Sendek should have beaten Duke and North Carolina more often. But look around. How many ACC coaches are beating those two on a regular basis? As much as the other 10 schools don’t want to admit it, ACC basketball is Duke, North Carolina and everyone else.

Duke has owned the ACC Tournament and regular season for years now. And Carolina is the only team that has been able to compete with them. And there’s nothing to indicate that won’t be the case next season or seasons after that.

But teams can still make it to the NCAA Tournament and have a successful year without beating those two teams. Heck, Maryland has won a national title in the not to distant past. NC State won one also, although that was in the distant past. Georgia Tech went all the way to the championship game a few years ago.

As for Grant, enjoy running the uptempo offense. Enjoy playing individual basketball instead of team basketball. And enjoy the NIT, if you’re lucky, next year.

But, hey, at least you’ll have fun.

- Patrick Hite

The Morning Edition

Sidney Lowe will be announced as the North Carolina State head coach this evening. With the Detroit Pistons still in the playoffs and expected to be there a while, Lowe will have a jam-packed schedule over the next month or so. Among his tasks are naming a coaching staff, talking with recruits and trying to keep Cedric Simmons in Raleigh. Among those that may be on Lowe's staff is Monte Towe, a former Wolfpack player and the head coach at New Orleans.

There are those, like Gregg Doyle and Patrick Hite, who think the move to hire Lowe was not the correct one. Others, like Ken Tysiac and Frank Dascenzo, say we should give Lowe a chance.

What's up with Florida State baseball? The traditional power in the conference lost to Wake Forest Friday night, the fifth loss in a row for the Seminoles. FSU now trails Clemson and Wake in the Atlantic Division of the ACC.

Tommy Bowden finds fans have a lot of questions about everything Clemson football. Of course, if the Tigers fail this fall, fans my asking Clemson officials when they will fire Bowden.

We missed this story the other day, but Virginia Tech basketball player Wynton Witherspoon will transfer, possibly to Georgia State. He wants to be closer to his mother, who is battling cancer.

Maybe Herb will reconsider

Wow. You thought Steve Lavin would have been a poor choice. After Lee Fowler’s decision to name Sidney Lowe as the next North Carolina State basketball coach, Lavin is looking like the next coming of John Wooden (whose shoes, interestingly enough, Lavin tried, and failed, to fill at UCLA).

It took Fowler more than a month to come up with Lowe? Give my 15-month old a list of names and a dart and she’d have a better choice in seconds, assuming she didn’t nail her dad instead of the list with the dart. The motor skills still need a little work.

I hope Lowe won’t take this personally, but a worse decision the world has not seen since Eve convinced Adam to take some fruit from the tree. And, much as mankind has been paying for that choice ever since, I fear the Wolfpack will be paying for Fowler’s move for years and years to come.

In Lowe’s two stints as an NBA head coach, he not only failed, but did so abysmally. He led Minnesota to a 33-102 record in a pair of seasons, then, after getting fired in 1994, returned in 2000 to embarrass himself even further by going 46-126 before being canned after starting his third season 0-8.

Now, certainly success at the NBA level isn’t required to coach at college. Just ask John Calipari or Rick Pitino.

But those two guys proved themselves in college before flaming out in the NBA. And, trust me, Lowe is neither Calipari nor Pitino. Lowe’s best coaching accomplishment was being called the “coach on the floor” by Jim Valvano during Lowe’s NC State playing days. And Valvano was being kind.

Lowe hasn’t had to recruit. He hasn’t had to deal with boosters. He didn’t even graduate from NC State and is now hurriedly trying to get a degree, presumably online, through some college in Virginia of which I’ve never heard. And I’ve lived in Virginia my entire life.

State fans, do you think Les Robinson was a lousy coach? After the Lowe experiment you might be fondly remembering the days of Robinson. At least the worst that Robinson could finish in the ACC was ninth. Lowe may own 12th-place in the new and improved ACC.

Heck, after this experiment, State fans might be building a statue to Herb Sendek. And begging him to come back.

I’ll admit that I don’t have a great track record on this hiring-of-coaches front. I criticized Virginia for naming Dave Leitao as head coach. And, a few years ago, before Virginia Tech was even in the ACC, I thought Seth Greenberg was a poor choice.

(An aside: Greenberg actually heard me on the radio criticizing him as the new Tech coach, then, in person, came on the air with me to defend himself.)

The jury is still out on both Leitao and Greenberg long-term, but in the early going both have done nice jobs. So, there’s hope for Lowe. Very little hope, but hope.

Here’s the part that gets me. How can Fowler hire Lowe and all but ignore Dereck Whittenburg, Lowe’s former teammate and currently the head coach at Fordham?

Whittenburg has college head coaching experience. Successful experience at that. Plus he was an assistant at both North Carolina State and Georgia Tech, so he knows the ACC. Mark my words: Whittenburg will be a major college head coach one day soon, and a winning one at that.

Of course, by that time, Lowe will be long gone in Raleigh. I give him three years. I give Fowler even less.

After taking this long to make a choice, getting turned down by everyone - including those not even asked to take the job – and ending up with such a poor choice, perhaps Fowler should be packing some boxes and contacting a real-estate agent.

The sooner the better.

- Patrick Hite

The Morning Edition (or, in today's case, the Wolfpack Edition)

North Carolina State finally has a coach. In case you missed the reports yesterday, the Wolfpack will hire Sidney Lowe, a former State player who has been both a head and assistant coach in the NBA.

Caulton Tudor of the N&O wonders what happened to Dereck Whittenburg. Lowe's former teammate and current Fordham head coach was never seriously considered for the job.

Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer is even tougher on the Wolfpack for hiring Lowe.

As for the Wolfpack supporters, they seem, for the most part, happy with the choice.

The official annoucement will come Saturday.

ACC Nation (weekend of May 5)

A new ACC Nation is available. On this week's show, Patrick and Chris talk with Dom Starsia, the men's lacrosse coach of the top-ranked Virginia Cavaliers.

Also, Angela Tincher, Virginia Tech softball pitcher, stops by to chat with the guys. Chris gets his first challenge on Win the Shirt off Chris' Back, and the guys talk about Mount ACCmore on the Sound and the Fury.

Mount ACCmore

OK, we stole the idea from Mike and Mike. We admit it. But we loved the concept and thought we needed to bring it to the ACC.

So here's the deal. If we were creating the Mount Rushmore for the ACC - Mount ACCmore - who would the four figures be on the mountain? Who are the four people in ACC history that would be important enough to place on the mountain?

E-mail us your choices to patrick@accnation.com or chris@accnation.com. We'll narrow it down to a final 24, and then have our own little elimination-style contest to figure out the final four.

Love them Devils

Yes, I am a Duke fan. If you hadn’t already realized this from my previous blogs I figure I should remove any and all doubt from the minds of the readers.

So that’s the utterly intriguing topic of this week’s blog. ME! And in all honesty (since I was told it had to be ACC related), nothing gets more ACC (and by ACC I mean Duke) related than a blurb on myself.

I was born in the wonderful state of Virginia, where I still currently reside. Located right smack between Virginia Tech and UVA, one would think I would side with one or the other. But honestly, I have never really been a fan to either one, I mean turkeys don’t excite me and well I’m not too hot on the Cavilers either. I chose rather to set my sights a little further south and pull for the Blue Devils. That’s the way it’s always been and always shall be.

When I was little I watched them with my grandfather. If anyone person could be blamed for my love, it would have to be him. He was the one that had me sitting there glued to the television. The first season I remember, would have to be the 1987 season. I was five at the time and my little kindergarten heart believed my Devils would go all the way. Sadly they lost to Indiana in the Sweet 16. Indiana did go on to win that year, but at five that didn’t mean a thing to me. All that mattered was that Duke had lost. It was then that I learned that there is always next season.

I have learned in my years as a Duke fan that one thing has been consistent season after season and that is Coach K. That man is Duke basketball to me. But that could be due to the fact that I’ve only been watching for 23 years and he’s coming up on his 26th season as the head coach. Whatever the case, that man has made a fanatic out of me. He is the one that maneuvers and recruits these phenomenal athletes year after year. One can’t help but be impressed by the names that have worn that Duke blue. Guys like Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Shane Battier, Johnny Dawkins, Trajan Langdon, Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Carlos Boozer, Chris Collins…

This list could go on and on, but not everyone’s a Duke fan so I don’t want to bore you. You either love them or you hate them, there’s no way to be mediocre about your feelings. And the love I have for this team is strong, no doubt. It is this love that defines me as a person, I’m there through the ups and the downs and every season I’ll be back, just like my team.

- Jessica Mays

Afternoon Delight

Could the search be over? According to the News & Observer, NC State is ready to hire former Wolfpack player Sidney Lowe. The press conference to make all of this official is scheduled for Saturday night. ESPN.com's Andy Katz also has the story.

Minicamp Marcus
Seriously, Marcus - it has come to this? Being excited over a minicamp that most likely is going to end with you still an unemployed professional-football player?
"He's excited. We're all excited," said Tommy Reamon, the high-school football coach of former Virginia Tech standout Marcus Vick, regarding the news that Vick has been invited to a rookie minicamp slated for this weekend.
"This is the steal of the draft class. He's the most versatile player the Dolphins have had in years," Reamon said.
Not hardly, there, Coach. Vick not only went undrafted last weekend, but he has apparently generated scant interest from the 32 NFL teams since.
How things have changed since the fall - when it looked like Vick might be on his way to the top of the draft after leading the Hokies to an 11-2 record while completing 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,393 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushing for another 380 yards and six touchdowns in his only season a starter
Questions arose when Vick looked confused in losses to Miami and Florida State - then completed a second-quarter scramble with a stomp on the leg of the fallen Elvis Dumervil in the second quarter of a Gator Bowl win that led to his dismissal from the Tech football program.
It's hard to believe that we've come from that moment - big brother Michael, the top pick in the 2001 draft, was being interviewed on the NBC national telecast of the Gator Bowl as Marcus stomped on Dumervil of Louisville's ankle - to MV2's infamous line a few days later regarding how his dismissal from Virginia Tech was "not a big deal, I'll just move on to the next level, baby," to this.
Enjoy the minicamp, Marcus. It might be all that you get.
- Chris Graham

The Morning Edition

For now, Sidney Lowe is still the top guy. At least that's the way it appears, although things could change quickly.

Virginia Tech will be searching for a new baseball coach when Chuck Hartman retires at the end of the season. You think this will draw as much attention as NC State's search for a basketball coach? Heck, Tech might hire a new baseball guy before State gets its basketball coach.

Tommy Bowden didn't see much this spring that caused him to change Clemson's direction from where it was headed before spring practice.

Firechrisgraham.com
OK, so nobody has asked.
But yes, I am interested in the North Carolina State job.
And I figure the offer will come eventually. I mean, really, it won't be long before every other coach in the United States with a pulse turns them down.
First it was Rick Barnes, then John Calipari, then a free-for-all that has gone all the way through Notre Dame coach Mike Brey.
(Mike Brey turned the job down. He shouldn've been happy to have gotten called. Honestly, I had to check to make sure that he was still alive and well.)
Given that I had a successful three-year run as an assistant and then a head coach at my local YMCA, I'm guessing that I'll get the chance soon to sign my name on the dotted line.
My resume is ... not all that much to write about, other than the fact that I did take Advanced Basketball as a fourth-year at the University of Virginia (I passed) and led my two YMCA senior squads to a .500 record overall.
I can see it now - firechrisgraham.com.
Better register it before somebody else beats you to it.
- Chris Graham

The Morning Edition

You want to know why the ACC is, and will always be, a basketball conference? The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is more than six months away and yet everyone is getting all giddy about the matchups. In fact, the N&O has the seven facts you need to know about the Challenge.

No news on the NC State coaching search, although it does appear Sidney Lowe is the latest leading candidate for the job. Dereck Whittenburg. I'm telling you, Dereck Whittenburg.

No contract has been offered yet, but the Miami Dolphis will give Marcus Vick a shot - shot and Vick in the same sentence, there's a joke there someplace. The former Virginia Tech quarterback didn't get drafted over the weekend, but the Dolphins decided to give him a shot as a free agent.

Did you catch this over the weekend. Virginia had a kicker drafted, but it wasn't the Cavs starting kicker. Kurt Smith was taken in the sixth round by the San Diego Chargers, even though his job for UVa. was to kick off. Meanwhile, Connor Hughes, the guy who handled extra points and field goals for Virginia, didn't get drafted, although he did sign as a free agent with New Orleans.

Finally, the district attorney in the Duke lacrosse case won his election yesterday. Meanwhile, the details of the faculty report on the Duke men's lacrosse team point out that school officials had a chance to control the problems with lacrosse players, but failed to do so.

Parham gets invite

The Virginia Cavaliers had six players eligible for the draft this year. Of the six, five were selected. Included with first round pick D’Brickashaw Ferguson (NY Jets) were fifth-rounders Brad Butler (Buffalo) and Marques Hagans (St. Louis), and sixth-rounders Wali Lundy (Houston) and kicker Kurt Smith (San Diego).

However, inside linebacker Kai Parham was not drafted. At 6-3 255 pounds Parham was considered a huge disappointment to many scouts that graded him. He is considered tough, smart, and highly competitive, but lacks speed and quickness. His 40 speed was all of 5.02 and though he runs and reacts well between the tackles, his lack of speed makes it difficult for him to cover tight ends and running backs in the open field. His best shot to make a club is going to be as an inside linebacker in a 3-4.

Perhaps that is why he has been invited to participate in a three day mini camp with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys switched to the 3-4 last year and made significant strides in building a solid defensive unit last season, however, they have noted that the linebacker position is one where they would like to add depth. Inside the Cowboys currently have recently acquired free agents Akin Ayodele and Rocky Boiman, as well as last years contributors Bradie James, Ryan Fowler, and Scott Shanle.

Bradie James is a lock. You would figure the same will be said about the free agent pick ups. Scott Shanle will be very hard to unseat. He is a Parcells’ guy who had a solid season last year on the inside and as a standout on special teams. That leaves former Duke standout (that’s right, I said Duke) Fowler.

It is doubtful that the Cowboys will keep more then 5 inside linebackers on the active roster. Parham will need to excel on special teams and will need to go toe to toe with Fowler during camp. The practice squad is also a possibility, but Parham will have to impress the Cowboys from the start.

That start is a three day mini camp this weekend. Parham, though undrafted, has a chance to make an impression with one of the NFL’s finest coaches in a system that gives him the best chance to succeed. That is more then he could say after watching five teammates get drafted this past weekend.

- Stephen Winslow

Chicken?

Come on. You know you want to. Just drop us an e-mail and we'll give you a chance to Win the Shirt off Chris' Back.

E-mail patrick@accnation.com and you can take on Chris in a battle of ACC wits. We'll choose one person every week to challenge Chris in answering five ACC-related trivia questions.

If you answer more questions (or even the same number of questions) as Chris, you will win an ACC Nation T-shirt. You'll also be qualified for our grand prize drawing later this year.

Get your e-mail in by Wednesday morning and you may get a shot at Chris this week.

Unless, of course, you're chicken. You aren't, are you?

Afternoon Delight

ESPN.com has its spring football recaps available. I haven't had a chance to read over it yet, but in case you want to here's the ACC recap.

Injury heaped upon insult
The question Should Duke allow its men's lacrosse program to continue? is an easy one to answer.
Most definitely.
The program has come under fire in light of the reported rape of an exotic dancer at a team party in March - to the point where the school suspended and then canceled its 2006 season and coach Mike Pressler resigned after 16 seasons at the school.
That all said, at most only two or three members of the team were involved in the incident that led to the unravelling of the '06 season. Others, to be sure, were likely engaged in illegal activities such as underage drinking and other misdemeanor-type offenses.
Still others may have been less than forthcoming in assisting in the police investigation of the rape allegations.
That last bit is troubling, to say the least.
But when you look at the big picture, it wasn't lacrosse in general or the lacrosse program at Duke in particular that led to what happened.
So to indict an entire sport or an entire team for the actions of a few - as unfortunate as those actions were - would be to heap insult to the injuries already done.
- Chris Graham