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TarHeelBlue.com Blog Entries - March
March 31, 2007 ECU Game Time Set Get ready for a rowdy time in Greenville. ECU has set the game time for the Sept. 8 Carolina-ECU football game as 6 p.m. Carolina's last trip to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium came in 2003. The game started at 3:30, wasn't particularly well-played by either side, was played in very soggy conditions...and it was still pretty wild inside the stadium. Expect an even more electric atmosphere on Sept. 8. By the way, this will no doubt prompt all sorts of "If ECU can set their game times in advance, why can't Carolina?" questions. The answer is simple: television. The link shows that the Pirates have already agreed with CSTV to carry some of their games. Unfortunately, Carolina's television partners--mandated by the ACC--have it written into their contract that they don't have to make their game selections until two weeks beforehand. And when they make game selections, they also set the kickoff time. Inconvenient? Yes, but the nearly $40 million per year TV contract makes it hurt a little less.
Warm Reception In Cleveland There were 50-100 Tar Heel fans out to send off the team this morning as early as 7:30. The bus left around 8:00 and headed off to RDU, where everyone piled on a charter jet for the flight. Once arriving in Cleveland, a bus took the team to the Ritz Carlton and got a sweet police escort. Carolina's team host narrated the very short trip and expressed how excited Cleveland was to get the Final Four. She also respected Carolina's southern roots. "We heard you guys like sunny weather, so we decided to accommodate you," she said of the sunny day in Cleveland. Everything is close together in Cleveland and very easy to get to. The bus turned right out of the airport and practically ran right into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Browns Stadium. The hotel is literally right around the corner from the Quicken Loans Arena. After getting to the hotel, which is incredibly nice both inside and out, there was an interesting juxtaposition: a guy drumming on a bucket and another guy in a Cleveland Cavaliers' jersey breakdancing in the doorway of the Ritz Carlton. The staff was really into it, dancing and clapping in the doorway and welcoming everyone. There was a reception with cookies and punch in the lobby (which is, strangely, on the sixth floor) and then lunch an hour later, with lots of Gatorade, which has been everywhere on this trip so far - on the airplane, on the bus, at meals, everywhere. The girls like their Gatorade. All day long, the team has seemed pretty quiet and subdued. Wouldn't call it focused necessarily, because everyone is tired from the early departure this morning. But nearly everyone (except for Jessica Breland and Trinity Bursey) has been here before, so the media frenzy is nothing new to them. The starters and Coach Hatchell headed over to the Quicken Loans Arena to do some ESPN interviews after lunch. The team went to a Salute Dinner tonight and get sized for championship rings as well. Saturday morning at 9:45, the Kodak/WBCA All-American Team will be announced and the State Farm Wade Trophy will be presented to the National Player of the Year. The Tar Heels will head over to Quicken Loans Arena around 1:00 and will do tons of press before their open practice at 3:15. The AP Coach of the Year and Player of the Year will also be announced tomorrow afternoon. Ivory Latta has already been named to the AP All-America First Team and Erlana Larkins made the Third Team. Check back tomorrow night for more.
March 30, 2007 Butch Feels The Love
Three things you immediately notice two weeks into Davis's first spring practice in Carolina blue. It's fast-paced, it's fun and it's not as loud as you think it would be. Players run from spot to spot and the change from drill to drill is efficient. There is very little time spent between reps or readying equipment for the next workout. It's well-planned and practice starts and stops on time. Just to give you an example, the Tar Heels had a 48-play scrimmage yesterday in just over 35 minutes. The other thing you notice after watching the first seven days is how positive each coach is in teaching the game. As a coach, it's sometimes difficult to strike the right balance between praise and criticism, but Davis and his staff seem to know just how much to give in both directions. For example, yesterday a tailback fumbled the ball and Davis and running back coach Ken Browning immediately began preaching ball security and explaining the fundamentals of how to carry the ball. There was no yelling, just simple instruction. Seconds later, Davis and defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano heaped praise on the linebacker for causing a turnover. Davis concluded his chat with the media by describing how this team feels and what they want to accomplish. "It's very hungry," he said. "if you had to use one word to describe it. Clearly, they are disappointed with the record from last year. They're working so hard to try an atone for that, because they cannot believe they were a 3-9 football team. Every day we continue to get better."
March 29, 2007 Chacos Volunteers In Africa
Chacos lent a helping hand on construction and teaching projects in the Ghanaian community of New Akrade, located in the Lake Volta region of this west African nation. This program was coordinated by St. Paul, Minn.-based Global Volunteers (www.globalvolunteers.org), a nonprofit organization that has offered short-term service programs around the world since 1984. Chacos and his fellow volunteers immersed themselves in the Akrade community, working shoulder-to-shoulder with local people. They molded, by hand, 2,000 bricks which will be used to construct an outdoor marketplace in Akrade. Volunteers also painted classrooms and taught English. In the process, they gained unique, non-tourist perspectives on this fascinating nation. "The Ghanaian people work extremely hard and have great pride in their culture. I especially developed a good relationship with Sammy the construction foreman. He treated us with respect and worked hard beside us," said Chacos, who majored in African-American studies at UNC- Chapel Hill. "As soon as we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms. The local people worked with us all week on learning their language and culture. After experiencing Ghana and its beautiful culture, I feel like I have helped build a bridge of understanding, tolerance and acceptance between different cultures." During free time, the volunteers participated in 50th anniversary events. "The parade for the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence - with all the children marching - was special. I was impressed by the pride the locals showed not only in Ghana but in the success of their children," said Chacos. They also traveled to Lake Volta, a nearby rain forest and the infamous coastal areas. Once part of the powerful Ashanti empire, Ghana figured prominently in one of the most tragic chapters of Western history - the African slave trade. In colonial forts - slave "castles" - perched along the Ghanaian coastline, countless Africans were imprisoned until their departure on slave ships bound for the "New World." The volunteers had the opportunity to view these sites. Founded in 1984, Global Volunteers' goal is to build bridges of understanding between cultures, while assisting on vital development projects around the world. At the invitation of local host organizations, Global Volunteers sends teams of volunteers to communities worldwide, including the United States, to work on projects ranging from teaching English to assisting with healthcare to constructing community buildings. Chacos visited North Carolina's spring practice last week and said he simply, "wanted to help people and since I had never been able to travel during college, I thought this was a great opportunity and would be a great experience."
March 28, 2007 Butch On ESPN.com North Carolina head coach Butch Davis and the Tar Heel football program are featured prominently this morning on ESPN.com's college football page. Davis recently spoke with Jorge Millian of ESPN.com for the feature.
March 27, 2007 Tar Heels Final Four Bound! With an 84-72 win over second-seeded Purdue, the North Carolina women's basketball team is headed to its second straight Final Four! Stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com for more. Carolina Magic
First, Vince Carter (as mentioned in the blog post below) made an unplanned, game-tying dunk at the buzzer and then blew up in overtime to lead the New Jersey Nets to a win Saturday night. Then, Rasheed Wallace decided to one-up Carter's play on Monday against the Denver Nuggets with a ridiculous mid-court heave off a steal (click on Video Highlights) to send the game to overtime, where he hit another big three to help the Detroit Pistons to a win. Pretty amazing stuff. According to this video, though, making crazy shots like that is nothing new for Wallace (draining two, one-handed threes -- simultaneously. Are you kidding me?).
March 26, 2007 Star Power At The Meadowlands Although Carolina fell victim to a furious Georgetown comeback Sunday night, the game served as another example of the often-discussed Carolina family. The Tar Heels could have fielded a pretty good team simply by looking into the stands--1957 national champions Tom Kearns and Pete Brennan were on hand, plus Phil Ford, Dave Hanners, Pat Sullivan, and current New Jersey Net Vince Carter, who was fresh off a game-saving effort in Charlotte against the Bobcats the night before. Carter's contract expires at the end of this season, and his return to the Tar Heel state prompted some speculation that he could be a Bobcat next year, which would add another Carolina link to the team, which already features Sean May, Raymond Felton, Jeff McInnis and Michael Jordan. March 25, 2007 Wilson Misses Masters "I came out wanting to play well today and I did," Wilson said. "And this isn't the last Masters that's ever going to be played. I'm off to a good start for next year." March 22, 2007 Bunting Has Knee Replacement Surgery Former North Carolina lettermen and football coach John Bunting (UNC '72) had successful knee replacement surgery on both knees on Tuesday, March 22. Bunting played 13 seasons of professional football, including 11 in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and his knees took a quite beating during those seasons. After coaching six seasons in Chapel Hill from 2001-06, Bunting decided now was a great time to do the surgery. Mike Bolognesi, a 1992 football lettermen, was Bunting's surgeon at Duke Hospital. Those who want to send their best wishes to Bunting, can do so by sending an email here. Iannetta Poised To Grab Starting Job THB.com won't hold it against Denver Post writer Patrick Saunders for calling Carolina baseball coach Mike Fox "Tim," since he penned such fine story on former UNC catcher Chris Iannetta, who is in position to be the starting catcher for the Colorado Rockies at just 23. The Providence, R.I., product earned All-America honors as a junior at Carolina and was instrumental in the development of Daniel Bard and Andrew Miller since he called pitches for the pair of rookies in 2004. Rockies pitchers have noted Iannetta's "arm strength, intelligence and toughness," all traits that were on display at The Bosh from 2002-04. Bailey To Appear In George Clooney Movie Former North Carolina football standout Kory Bailey dropped by the football office a few weeks ago to say hello and meet some of the new coaches. Bailey graduated in 2001 and saw some time in the Canadian Football League. Now, he is a budding actor hoping to make it big. With a reality TV show (''Entrepreneur$ - The Reality Show") already to his credit, Bailey has lined up a role as an extra in George Clooney's upcoming film about football entitled "Leatherheads." The movie stars Clooney and Renee Zellwiger is a "romantic comedy set against the backdrop of America's pro-football league in 1925." Bailey, who lettered from 1998-2001, set the single-season school record for most catches by a freshman with 38 in 1998 until that mark was eclipsed this year by Hakeem Nicks with 39. Bailey still holds a spot in the UNC record books, ranking sixth with 139 career receptions and seventh with 1,939 receiving yards. Blog Update: 1:52 p.m.: A reader of the THB.com blog gave us a little more information on Leatherheads. Apparently, the movie was co-written by Duncan Brantley, a Wilmington, N.C. native, who graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina and worked in the sports information office. After graduation, Brantly worked at Sports Illustrated and together with SI columnist Rick Reilly penned the movie screenplay. In 1991, Duncan and Reilly sold the screenplay to Universal Studios.
March 21, 2007 Terry Expected To Play University of North Carolina men's basketball senior forward Reyshawn Terry has been diagnosed with strep throat, but his condition is improving and he is expected to play Friday in the East Region semifinal against the University of Southern California. Terry did not have a fever today. He had been unable to practice the past two days after running a high temperature and having migraine headaches beginning last Saturday prior to UNC's 81-67 win over Michigan State. Terry scored 14 points in the game, 12 in the second half. The senior is averaging 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and is third alltime at UNC in three-point field goal percentage (.418). 1957 Photo Display The 1957 men's basketball team continues to receive much-deserved recognition for winning the NCAA championship 50 years ago. The UNC library has recently launched a web photo display entitled "McGuire's Miracle: UNC's 1956-1957 Championship Basketball Season." More than 50 images from the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives are found on the site. The web address is http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/mcguire/index.html. March 19, 2007 Practice Field Changes There were position changes and landmark changes at the first spring practice of the Davis Era. Some notable players changed positions--some were mentioned earlier in the blog (scroll down) and others include Joey Bozich from fullback to linebacker, Anthony Parker-Boyd to tailback, and Michael Briggs to linebacker. Butch Davis has already instituted a noticeable change to Carolina football practices. Two digital clocks now sit at the corner of the practice fields counting down the minutes in each segment. One day into practice, the Tar Heel staff also learned a little something about those clocks--they're heavy, and it's a good idea to strap them down on a windy Chapel Hill day. A half-hour into the first spring practice session of the year, one of the clocks toppled over while UNC director of facilities Kevin Robinson stood suspiciously nearby. The clock was quickly repositioned before Davis noticed anything was askew. That's the second electronics issue for Carolina athletics in the past three days. Late Saturday night as the Tar Heel Sports Network crew wrapped up their basketball broadcast of the win over Michigan State, LJVM Coliseum staffers were frantically unplugging every cord they could find in an effort to make it home three minutes earlier than they otherwise might. Unfortunately, one of the cords they unplugged knocked the THSN off the air, which prompted producer Ben Alexander to yelp, "Dude, you just took us off the air!" at the offending party. Some quick work by Ben--who was immediately dubbed "The Bruiser" by Jones Angell--put the network back on the air. A few minutes later, the same staffer came by and tried to mend fences with The Bruiser. "I think some of your equipment is sparking," he said helpfully. The Bruiser was having none of it, as he responded, "I guess so, after you messed with it!" Spring Football Starts Today North Carolina opens its 2007 spring football practice today at the Navy practice fields. It is the first of 15 NCAA allowed practices for head coach Butch Davis and the Tar Heels. Practices are closed to the public, but practice reports will be available on TarHeelBlue.com. Carolina will hold its annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 14 at 12 noon. The festivities begin at 11 a.m. with a Kids Zone and following the game, Davis and the players will be available for autographs. Carolina baseball takes on Duke that same day at 2 p.m., so plan to make a day of it in Chapel Hill. March 18, 2007 Coaching Stars Out In Pittsburgh With North Carolina opening its NCAA Tournament run today in Pittsburgh, fans got an up-close look at some giants in the world of college basketball coaching. The Pittsburgh site features three coaches who have won national championships - Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell, Tennessee's Pat Summitt and Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw. Additionally, the host Pitt Panthers are led by long-time Georgia Tech head coach Agnus Berenato, whose sister is former UNC great Bernadette McGlade, and Prairie View A&M is led by former WNBA superstar Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. There is also a famous coaching name among the media this weekend. Former Manhattan, St. John's and New Mexico head man Fran Fraschilla, who worked Carolina's summer basketball camps in the late 70's, is calling the games for ESPN. Tennis Continues Streak
Carolina's last non-conference loss in regular-season play came against Alabama 6-1 on March 18, 2005 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The winning streak in home matches against non-conference teams in regular-season matches has now reached 32. The last non-conference regular-season home loss came against VCU on February 22, 2004, a 5-2 setback in Chapel Hill. Point of disclosure here, the Heels did have non-conference losses during both of these streaks in NCAA Tournament post-season play, a pair to Ohio State in 2004 and 2006 and one time to Boise State in 2005, but these reguiar-season streaks are still amazing. The Tar Heels are now done with their non-conference schedule for 2007 and they throw themselves into conference play at Georgia Tech next Friday and at Clemson next Sunday. Coach Paul and his young team, which features only one senior on the roster, seek a second straight trip to the NCAA Final 16. A year ago the Heels won their first regional championship since the new setup was introduced in 1994 by beating South Carolina State and Clemson to advance to the Sweet 16 at Stanford.
March 17, 2007 Matsuzaka Likes The Tar Heels Daisuke Matsuzaka, aka Dice-K, has been making news since the Red Sox bid an astronomical price to bring the Japanese pitcher to the States. Today, the Associated Press reports the rookie pitcher has picked the Tar Heels to win the NCAA Tournament. Matsuzaka picked his winner first and then worked backward. That got TarHeelBlue.com wondering what other "celebrities" picked the Tar Heels to win it all. A quick google search revealed that Dice-K and Dickie V are perhaps the only two. Vitale picked the Tar Heels in the preseason and has stayed true to his prediction, choosing Carolina over UCLA in the title game. CBS, the NCAA Tournament network, polled several of its stars here and no one, not even Hannah Storm, picked Carolina. Neil Patrick Harris (Barney in How I Met Your Mother), Russ Mitchell (CBS News) and Dave Price (CBS weather guy) were the most optimistic, picking UNC to fall in the finals. Politicians are even getting in to the act. Last week, we told you Bill Clinton liked the Tar Heels and we're pretty sure John Edwards would say the same. So what about the republicans? Well, John McCain, the favorite to land the republican nomination for President, has posted his bracket on his website. One has to sign up, a cheap way to get your email, but if you do, you'll see McCain has UNC winning it all over Kansas.
March 16, 2007 Women Arrive Safely In Pittsburgh Despite a winter storm that dumped several inches of snow on the city in a short time period, the Carolina women's basketball travel party arrived safely in Pittsburgh Friday night around 6:30 p.m. The Tar Heels will meet with the media tomorrow at 12:20 p.m. followed by an open practice at the Petersen Events Center at 1. Stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com throughout UNC's run through the NCAA Tournament. The women's basketball team wasn't the only team battling the elements on Friday evening. The Tar Heel gymnastics team, competing this evening in Durham, N.H., arrived at the arena an hour late for its scheduled competition due to heavy snow. Another 8-12 inches is expected this evening and the Tar Heels aren't likely to return to Chapel Hill until Sunday. No Quit In Greenberg Former Carolina All-America Adam Greenberg received a ton of publicity for being hit in the head by a Valerio de los Santos pitch in his only major league at-bat with the Chicago Cubs on July 9, 2005. After battling positional vertigo, he's now in the Kansas City organization and is determined to make it back to the big leagues with the Royals. Greenberg's story will be detailed on ESPN's Outside The Lines at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Spring Break In Winston Carolina students are wrapping up spring break trips in a variety of far-flung locations this week. Carolina's basketball team has a somewhat less exotic vacation spot--Winston-Salem. Although Winston is only about a 90 minute drive from Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels are staying in Winston-Salem throughout the weekend rather than commuting back and forth to Chapel Hill. With the late finish Thursday night, the players were given a relaxing Friday morning (not so for the coaches, who have to grade film and prepare a Michigan State scouting report). The team will have a closed practice session Friday afternoon, and players and head coach Roy Williams are required by the NCAA to be available to the media from 3:50-4:30. The squad will have another long day at the team hotel on Saturday--broken by an early afternoon shootaround--waiting for the 8:20 p.m. second-round tip. If you want to see the team off as they leave for the game, stay up-to-date on sendoff/reception plans. Baseball Watches Weather The schedule calls for Carolina and Virginia to open a critical early-season Coastal Division baseball series Friday at 3 p.m. There's only one problem: the weather isn't cooperating. It's been raining in Chapel Hill most of the day and forecasts suggest it may not stop until 9 p.m. With Saturday's game a 4 p.m. television game and the forecast suggesting a windy, cold Saturday, it's possible that in the event of a rainout on Friday, the teams could play one game on Saturday and two on a more pleasant Sunday. Stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com for up-to-date information for plans on the weekend series. Whenever they take the field, the Diamond Heels need your support against a Virginia team that took two of three in Charlottesville last year. Spring Practice Starts Monday While the men's and women's basketball teams continue to drive on toward the Final Four, the North Carolina football team will start spring practice on Monday, March 19. It is the first of 15 practices for head coach Butch Davis and the 2007 Tar Heels. This year's schedule is a little unusual with practice starting after spring break, which ends Sunday. Typically, Davis would like to have a few days of workouts prior to spring break so players can recover from any injuries during the first week. This year, the Tar Heels had eight uninterrupted weeks to work out in the weight room under Jeff Connors and his staff. Coach Davis has said repeatedly that every player will get a fresh start this spring. No depth chart will be issued until after the spring workouts and many players may get opportunities at other positions. Some of the changes include Joe Dailey shifting to wide receiver, Deunta Williams to defensive back and Nick Starcevic to defensive end. Practices are closed to the public, but practice reports will be available on TarHeelBlue.com. Carolina will hold its annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 14 at 12 noon. The festivities begin at 11 a.m. with a Kids Zone and following the game, Davis and the players will be available for autographs. Carolina baseball takes on Duke that same day at 2 p.m., so plan to make a day of it in Chapel Hill.
March 15, 2007 Second Meeting with Colonels Today's basketball game tips off at approximately 9:50 p.m. this evening from Winston-Salem. Strangely enough, Carolina will be looking for revenge against Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels and Tar Heels have met just once before Thursday, with Eastern Kentucky picking up an 85-62 win over Carolina on Dec. 20, 1950, in Pikeville, Kentucky. EKU is one of just nine teams with an undefeated record against the Tar Heels. Details of the 1950 game are sketchy. Anyone who was there or remembers the game well, please email TarHeelBlue.com. For more on today's game, be sure to check out TarHeelBlue.com's Game Guide. March 14, 2007 Scott Hired As Running Backs Coach at Troy
Butch Davis announced the news in a team meeting two weeks ago to a giant round of applause. Scott was always one of the most popular Tar Heels on the team and he became quite popular with UNC fans after rushing for 175 yards and two touchdown in a 31-28 win over No. 4 Miami in 2004. Before leaving for Troy, Scott went around the entire football office thanking everyone for helping him reach his goal. Good luck Chad. Roberts Signs Extension, Gets A Haircut Roberts has a jump on the current Diamond Heels who want to go bald on April 15 to fight pediatric cancer. As part of the Reece Holbrook Golf Classic, every $100 donation to the UNC Children's Hospital between now and April 10 will require one Carolina baseball player to shave his head on the Boshamer Stadium field after the April 15 game against Duke. To get more information or to make your $100 donation, go to ncchildrenspromise.org or call 866-962-5437. March 13, 2007 Tar Heel Major Leaguers In The News
Miller Sent Down Miller has pitched well this spring and there was some question if the Tigers would really follow through on their plan to move him down. Don't be surprised to see Miller back in Detroit before the year's out.
Shuey Holds Out Hope In this Washington Post story, Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo calls Shuey a "sentimental favorite" to earn a spot on the team.
Roberts Nears Agreement
Others MLB Heels Henderson No Longer A Packer
"It was an honor to be associated with the Packers," Henderson said in a statement. "It is humbling to leave such a great organization, but I will always be grateful for my time in Green Bay." Last year, Henderson did some work as an analyst on the NFL Draft in which he criticized one particular high-profile draft expert for never giving him a chance 12 years ago. Perhaps a career in broadcasting is his next step.
March 12, 2007 Carolina Women Headed To Pittsburgh The 2007 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship bracket is out, and the Tar Heels are headed to Pittsburgh. Carolina will face Prairie View on Sunday, March 18 at 2 p.m. on ESPN. Stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com for more details. '57 Team On HBO Tuesday The undefeated national champion 1957 Tar Heel team has been all over the media during this 50th anniversary of their title. They've been the subject of a book, they were honored at the Smith Center on Feb. 10 and later that night with a banquet, and they were honored at this past weekend's ACC Tournament in Tampa. Now they're coming to a TV screen near you. The '57 Tar Heels will be the subject of a lengthy segment Tuesday night on HBO's Costas Now, which will air at 10 p.m. Eastern and then repeat throughout the month of March. Tommy Spoon Golf Tournament Former North Carolina linebacker Brandon Spoon is hosting a golf tournament in Burlington to honor his late father, Tommy Spoon, a former coach and teacher at Walter Williams High School. Tommy passed away suddenly on January 16, 1998 of a heart attack at age 45. As a former football player at Elon and as a coach at both Southern Alamance and Williams High School, he was a role model to many young people and a pillar of the community. Brandon played for the Tar Heels from 1996-2000 and was an outstanding leader and role model. He collected 372 tackles during his career and was a four-time Butkus Award candidate. Brandon was drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft and played four seasons before retiring. He now works as a sales manager for Cintas. Click on the link for more information on the Tommy Spoon Memorial Golf Tournament (pdf). Teague, VCU Heading To Big Dance TarHeelBlue.com would like to recognize former UNC marketing guru and current VCU athletic director Norwood Teague for the Rams inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. VCU earned the Colonial Athletic Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by defeating George Mason 65-59 in the championship game of the CAA Tournament last week. The Rams will face Duke in the NCAA Tournament as the No. 11 seed in Buffalo. Teague, a 1988 North Carolina graduate, is in his first season at VCU after serving six seasons as associate athletic director for marketing at UNC. Can VCU be this year's George Mason? One can only hope. March 11, 2007 Dean Smith Helps Pick NIT Thankfully, Carolina is not part of the NIT this season, but one very recognizable Tar Heel is....former North Carolina head coach Dean Smith. Smith served on the NIT selection committee and, along with C.M. Newton, was responsible for the South regiion selections. The NCAA purchased the NIT in the summer of 2005, and the event is run much like an NCAA championship. The NIT committee met in Indianapolis, just like the NCAA Tournament selection committee, and picked three ACC teams. Clemson is a No. 1 seed, NC State a No. 6 seed and Florida State a No. 2 seed. That gives the ACC a total of 10 teams in postseason tournament actiion. Tar Heels No. 1 in the East North Carolina received the No. 1 seed in the East bracket and will face Eastern Kentucky in Winston-Salem. Heels Return Home at 10:15 p.m. The men's basketball team is expected to arrive back in Chapel Hill at the Smith Center at approximately 10:15 p.m. Tar Heels Cut Down the Nets Well, it wasn't easy, but the Tar Heels defeated NC State, 89-80, in the finals of the ACC Tournament to capture its first conference title since 1998. The Tar Heels built a 16-point lead, but NC State came all the way back, cutting the lead to 1. Reyshawn Terry hit several big shots to lead the Tar Heels down the stretch. Stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com for more on Carolina's championship. Meaghan Francella Leads LPGA's MasterCard Classic Former Tar Heel golfer Meaghan Francella is leading in the second round of the LPGA's MasterCard Classic at Bosque Real Country Club in Mexico City, Mexico. Francella stands at eight-under 136 after firing a pair of four-under 68s in the first two rounds. In the second round, Francella posted a birdie on the par-3 11th (her second hole) and another two on the 15th and 18th holes to make the turn at seven-under. She carried her momentum onto the front nine with a birdie on the first hole. Her first bogey of the tournament came on the fourth hole - her first hole after the three-hour weather delay. Francella gained the stroke back with a 20-foot putt from the fringe to birdie the eighth hole. "I'm definitely confident," says Francella. "I've been in this position before on the Duramed Futures Tour, but never on the LPGA, so it will be a different deal, but there's still people who could take the lead. I'm playing well enough to win. My putting's so as long as it goes in tomorrow (today), I'll be fine." Second-round play was halted Saturday due to darkness. Francella currently holds a one-stroke lead over Stacy Prammanasudh and a two-stroke advantage over Seon-Hwa Lee and Annika Sorenstam. Of those, only Sorenstam has not completed her second round as she has one hole to left. March 11, 2007 Halftime Update: UNC 42, NC State 34 North Carolina closed out the half with a 10-2 run to lead by eight at halftime of today's ACC Tournament final. The score was tied at 32 before Danny Green hit a runner in the lane and Wes Miller hit back-to-back three-pointers to provide some cushion. Carolina shot 61 percent from the field in the first period and Brandan Wright led the team with 14 points. History Repeats Itself They say history repeats itself, so today in Tampa, will the history of 1987 or 1997 repeat? In 1987, North Carolina went undefeated in the regular season and had one of its best teams led by lightning quick point guard Kenny "The Jet" Smith, freshman sensation J.R. Reid and senior standout Joe Wolf. The Tar Heels ran into a buzzsaw when Jim Valvano's squad squeaked out a 68-67 victory in Landover, Md., hitting all 14 free throws and outrebounding the more talented Heels. Ten years later in 1997, North Carolina faced a Herb Sendek-led Wolfpack squad making a similar run to the one Sidney Lowe's team is doing this year. Sendek and company beat Georgia Tech in the play-in game, knocked off No. 1 seed Duke in the first round and advanced to the finals to face the Tar Heels, playing four games in four days. Carolina, led by Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Shammond Williams, Ed Cota and Ademola Okulaja prevailed in a 64-54 victory to win the ACC title. So, which one will it be, 1987 or 1997? Stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com for the results. NASCAR Connection For those gearheads in the audience (we have several on staff), you may have noticed several NASCAR drivers complaining of the recent changes to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, most notably Tony Stewart. The track was completely renovated to install higher degree banking in the corners and encourage side-by-side racing. According to most drivers, the paving job is not very good and Goodyear compounded the problem with a new, harder tire that most drivers are complaining about. What does this have to do with Carolina, you ask? Well, the media's having a field day with this and asking a lot of questions of Chris Powell, executive vice president and general manager of the Las Vegas track. A native of Ahoskie, N.C., Powell is a North Carolina graduate with a journalism degree. He began his career as a sportswriter and has spent more than 15 years in the motorsports industry. A big Carolina fan, Powell hopes to have a clean race and a Tar Heel ACC title to cheer about today.
Sprague's Remarkable Swim Whitney Sprague's performance at the NCAA Women's Swimming Championships over the weekend was nothing short of spectacular. And the Tar Heels' swim team, which last month won the ACC championship, needed her efforts. Sprague was the only one of the nine Tar Heels at the meet to score points and she single handedly put the Tar Heels in 30th place. It's not where UNC wanted to finish by any means but a year ago UNC ranked in the 40s of the team standings so this is improvement. Sprague did the yeoman work for UNC on her own. She was 15th Thursday in the 500-yard freestyle but it was her performance Saturday night in the 1650-yard freestyle that was nothing short of flashy. Sprague finished third in 15:58 and change, over 11 seconds faster than her previous career best time, which also stood as the school record. She set that time when winning the ACC title in the event last month. Sprague's third place finish was the best by a Tar Heel at the national meet since the great Jessi Perruquet was third in the 200-meter freestyle at the 2004 NCAA meet. Since Sprague is only a sophomore expect bigger and better things from her in the next two years. She is an amazingly tough competitor as her swims at NCAAs showed. March 10, 2007
Win Over Irish May Be Sign Of Good Things To Come North Carolina's 11-8 win over No. 14 Notre Dame in men's lacrosse Saturday may well be a harbinger of a solid season ahead for Coach John Haus' team. Notre Dame has been a thorn in the side of the Tar Heels over the past four years, going 3-1 against Carolina from 2003-06. As the Notre Dame game has gone so has UNC's season. When Carolina won in 2004 at Notre Dame behind a great individual effort by Jed Prossner, UNC went on to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years and eventually won its first NCAA Tournament game in 11 years. The other three seasons when the Heels lost to ND -- 2003, 2005 and 2006 -- Carolina finished 7-6, 5-8, and 4-10, respectively. UNC is very young in 2007. There are only four seniors on the 41-man roster. But at 5-1 Carolina already has more wins than it did all of last year when Carolina was 4-10. The Heels host Vermont Tuesday and then they face a brutal stretch when on successive Saturdays they play Duke, Maryland, Johns Hopkins and Virginia. Those four games will determine whether the Tar Heels are NCAA bound in 2007. But so far so good and Saturday's win over the Irish was a necessary step in the process.
Great Crowd At The Bosh Diamond Heels' head coach Mike Fox was impressed with the nearly 2,000 fans that turned out to see his club secure a series win over No. 11 Miami with a 3-1 victory Saturday since first pitch was just 30 minutes before the start of the ACC semifinal win over Boston College. The crowd cheered loudly with each score update provided over the PA system, but sophomore lefty Matt Cox got the biggest applause of the day when he came out of the bullpen to strike out the Canes' Dennis Raben with two out and the bases loaded in the top of the eighth to preserve a one-run UNC lead. Uhh-Huhh! (Fans in attendance Saturday will understand that reference) Once Andrew Carignan nailed down the win with his second straight save, the Carolina players and coaches, which include several die-hard hoops fans, raced to the locker room to see the final moments of the basketball win over BC. The Tar Heels will go for the series sweep of Miami at noon Sunday. The game will be carried by CSS, so get your picture-in-picture button ready in time for the 1 p.m. tip of the ACC title game. Final: UNC 71, BC 56 North Carolina advances to the finals of the ACC Tournament with a 71-56 victory over Boston College. The Tar Heels will face the winner of the second semifinal game between NC State and Virginia Tech. Stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com for more on Carolina's victory. Halftime: UNC 38, BC 23 Things are going about as well as Carolina could have hoped, leading 38-23 over Boston College in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Brandon Wright leads a balanced scored attack with 10 points, Tyler Hansbrough has seven rebounds and seven Tar Heels have already scored. Carolina held Boston College to just 24 percent from the field and limited ACC Player of the Year Jared Dudley to just four points on 1 of 8 shooting. Saturday Morning Update Plenty of Tar Heel sporting events to keep an eye on today. The headliner is Carolina's semifinal matchup today against Boston College. The Tar Heels will try to avenge last season's loss in the semifinals. Interesting statistic heard yesterday on the TV broadcast...Carolina has not won the ACC Tournament as the No. 1 seed since 1982. Hard to imagine. TarHeelBlue.com's Lauren Brownlow has more on today's game from Tampa. In Chapel Hill, the top-ranked Tar Heel baseball team faces No. 11 Miami in the second of a three-game series at Boshamer Stadium and the men's lacrosse team plays host to Notre Dame. Several promotions are on tap today at The Bosh in what should be a beautiful day with temperatures reaching the mid-60's. If you want to experience both the basketball and baseball games, bring your radio to Boshamer and listen to Woody, Jones and Eric call the basketball game. Other UNC teams in action today on the road are softball, gymnastics, fencing, track, women's lacrosse, swimming and diving and women's golf. Former Tar Heel Mark Wilson, who is tied for 14th entering today's PGA PODS Championship in Tampa, tees off at 12:03 p.m. March 9, 2007 Softball No Sideshow Not all the action down in the Tampa Bay area can be found at the St. Pete Times Forum - some big names have been spotted as well just 20 minutes to the west at the USF/Adidas Invitational softball tournament in Clearwater, where UNC is currently competing (and sits at 3-0 with two games in pool play remaining). Former big-league manager Don Zimmer and current Boston Red Sox skipper Terry Francona were seen chatting with each other (we'll let you speculate about what) as both stole away from spring training to watch some softball. Zimmer's granddaughter plays third base for UMass, while Francona's daughter, Alyssa, is a sophomore at Carolina. A healthy contingent of the Tar Heel team hopes to make the trip to Fort Myers during an off day Monday to catch the Red Sox in action. Tampa Tidbits Carolina's 1957 national championship team was honored at halftime of the Carolina-FSU game and received a nice ovation from fans of all 12 schools. All four starters, plus Tony Radovich, Danny Lotz, Bob Young, and team manager Joel Fleishman were in attendance... Quentin Thomas's underhanded alley-oop to Brandan Wright drew raves from the crowd...but Thomas's coach was less impressed. "If Brandan doesn't jump as high as he does and have those long arms, we'd have turned it over on a 4-on-2," Roy Williams said. "I told Quentin that Brandan saved his life."... Tyler Hansbrough looked consistently frustrated by the mask necessitated from the end-of-game collision against Duke last week. With a tough semifinal against Boston College slated for Saturday, the mask may have made its only appearance. "I'm not sure I'll be able to convince him to wear it tomorrow," Williams said... Former Diamond Heel Jonathan Hovis, who is in spring training with the New York Yankees just a few blocks from the basketball team's Tampa headquarters, stopped by for Friday afternoon's game. Hovis described his typical spring training day this way: "At the park around 8, work out, throw a bullpen, have a meeting, and we're done by 2. The rest of the day we're hanging out or going fishing." Yes, folks, that's the rigorous life of a pro baseball player. Hovis had to rush home after the basketball game because he planned to catch the Carolina-Miami baseball game on ACC Select. Long Day For THSN You know it's a big day at the ACC Tournament when Woody Durham says he can't remember one like it. The Voice of the Tar Heels and his Tar Heel Sports Network compatriots Eric Montross and Jones Angell--plus technical maestro Ben Alexander--were tested by Thursday's epic first-round games. The crew went on the air at 11 a.m., took a 45-minute break between sessions, and finally signed off at 1:15 a.m. After Friday's quarterfinals, they will have been on the air for approximately 25 of the past 36 hours. In the old days--you know, five years ago--all the Tobacco Road radio crews did each game of the ACC Tournament. But Carolina is the only crew left that provides baseline-to-baseline action (the Virginia network also broadcasts every game, but they rotate their personnel). "The main thing you want is for that last game on Thursday to be a good game," Durham said. "When that game is a dog, it makes for a long night." It turned into a long night anyway. After preparing for Friday's action, Durham finally caught some sleep at 3:30 a.m.; Angell went to bed about 4:45 a.m. And what of Montross, whose primary complaint in his first full Tournament as a member of the crew last year was the uncomfortable seats? He arrived in Tampa with a homemade cushion constructed from a wheelchair seat that kept him smiling through all the quarterfinal action...
FINAL: UNC 73, FSU 58 A higher seeded team finally won in the ACC Tournament and thankfully, it's the Tar Heels. Carolina advances to the semifinals with a 73-58 win over Florida State and will face the winner of the Boston College-Miami game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com for more on today's first-round victory over FSU. HALFTIME UPDATE It was a wild finish to the first half of Carolina's ACC Tournament opener vs. Florida State. The Seminoles had cut the lead to just four at 30-26, but the Tar Heels scored six points in the final minute to take a 36-26 lead. After a field goal by Wayne Ellington with six seconds remaining, Ty Lawson stole the inbounds pass and Deon Thompson made a layup at the buzzer for a 10-point cushion. To top things off, FSU coach Leonard Hamilton was assessed a technical foul as he was walking off the court and Carolina will shoot two free throws at the start of the next half. TEPID TAMPA
As Winston-Salem Journal columnist Lenox Rawlings writes today, the ACC Tournament scene in Tampa is not exactly frenzied. The area is trying--there are signs at the airport welcoming fans and the downtown area around the St. Pete Times Forum is beautiful. But it's hard to overcome a local fan base that isn't well-versed at all in the history of the ACC--or in college basketball at all, for that matter. Consider this scene from a restaurant Thursday night at one of Tampa's most famous restaurants. The waiter was 22 years old, an admitted sports fan and right in the age bracket you would expect to be at least somewhat excited about the ACC being in town. Waiter: "In town on vacation?" ACC fan: "Yes, we're here for the ACC Tournament." Waiter: "Yeah, I've talked to a couple people who are here for those high school games." ACC fan: "Actually, it's college. It's a really big event." Waiter: "OK, well, hope your high school wins!" Ouch. Hard to imagine that same conversation taking place at Stamey's. March 8, 2007 SIMMONS HAPPY IN NEW ORLEANS TarHeelBlue.com would like to congratulate linebacker Brian Simmons for signing with the New Orleans Saints this week. Here is a Q & A from the Saints official site. After playing nine seasons in Cincinnati, mostly on poor teams, the New Bern, N.C., native joined the 2006 NFC South Division champs after being released by the Bengals. The former UNC All-America is one of the fiercest hitting players ever to grace Kenan Stadium. He was part of a special class of players that were a combined 21-3 in 1996 and 1997 and won two Gator Bowls. This year is the 10th anniversary of the 1997 team that finished No. 4 in the country and plans are underway to honor it this fall at a home football game. PGA TOUR MARK WILSON SHOWS CAROLINA CLASS
Completing the fifth hole at the Honda Classic last Friday in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., the former Tar Heel All-ACC golfer knew he had to speak to a rules official about an exchange that had just occurred back on the tee between his caddie, playing partner Camilo Villegas and Villegas' caddie. Wilson had hit his hybrid club on the par-three hole when Villegas asked his caddie if knew what kind of club it was that Wilson had just hit. The caddie responded, "It's like a 2- or 3-iron." Wilson's caddie, Chris Jones, turned around and said, "Oh, it's an 18-degree." It immediately nagged Wilson that his caddie's answer might have violated the rule of golf against giving advice to a fellow-competitor. He called a PGA Tour official, explained the situation and was informed that he had, in fact, violated the rule and would be assessed a two-shot penalty. Wilson settled for a 66 that day, tied for the 72-hole lead at 275 with three other players and eventually won a Monday playoff for the title. "You know, I don't think I would be here if I had not called it on myself," Wilson said after the victory. "I would be thinking about it and if I would be sitting here and had not called on myself, every time I look at that trophy, it would be tarnished. For starters I just don't even think I would have -- in my mind, I would have made sure I didn't win. I'd probably have made sure I missed the cut." Wilson, currently ranked No. 7 on the PGA Tour money list, needs to be in the top 10 through the Doral tournament, March 22-25, to earn a spot in the Masters. A week after his first career PGA Tour win, Wilson continues to play well and finished 2-under in the first round of Thursday's PODS Championship. For more on Wilson, check out this story in the Boston Globe. Jason Brown UPDATE As we mentioned in one of our earlier blog entries, Jason Brown started the final 12 games for the Baltimore Ravens last year at guard after an injury to Edwin Mulitalo. Today, Mulitalo was released by the Ravens. It's a bittersweet moment for Brown who said in his TarHeelBlue.com podcast that Edwin was "one of my best friends on the team." CLINTON LIKES THE HEELS, SORT OF (11:04 a.m.)
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton was in Long Beach, Calif., on Monday to stump for his wife, Hillary. He covered the normal subjects like the Iraq War, the environment and the state of the econonmy. After the political pleasantries were concluded, Clinton was asked by a reporter with the Long Beach Press Register who he liked in the Final Four. "I kind of like North Carolina, although the Tar Heels haven't done well in recent weeks," said Clinton. Ever the politician, Clinton went on to say he liked everyone from Florida to Niagara to win it all. Clinton has ties to North Carolina, including his 1993 address to a capacity crowd at Kenan Stadium to celebrate the University's Bicentennial Day. He also was in office when the Tar Heels won the 1993 national title and George Lynch presented the prez with a Carolina jersey.
VOTE FOR IVORY! (10:24 a.m.)
THE MASKED MAN (8:51 a.m.)
March 7, 2007 MAD DOG AT THE BOSH (5:40 p.m.) Seems all the NFL Tar Heels are cruising through Chapel Hill this offseason. St. Louis fullback Madison Hedgecock took in Carolina's afternoon baseball game on Wednesday evening. It was a good game for the guys in light blue. Hedgecock says he was disappointed with the 2006 season because he was limited due to injuries. He broke his thumb and had a high ankle sprain. He still played in all 16 games and started nine.
FREE T-SHIRTS! (4:34 p.m.)
If you're going to be in Tampa, fans are encouraged to come out to the team hotel approximately two hours before each game to cheer the team off, and then come back one hour after the game to cheer them back in. For those fans who do not have tickets, you are invited to come to the Wyndham West Shore sports bar where there will be a bunch of flat screen TVs showing the game. Door prizes will be given away, including an autographed Roy Williams Basketball. There will also be several pom poms, posters, turn it blue bands, and other giveaways at the send offs. The UNC band will be playing and cheerleaders will be cheering in the lobby for them. Come show your support for the Tar Heels!
J. BROWN BACK IN CHAPEL HILL (10:34 a.m.) Former North Carolina center Jason Brown recently sat down with TarHeelBlue.com for an exclusive one-on-one interview. Brown, an All-America center for the Tar Heels in 2004, is now a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He spoke to TarHeelBlue.com about his love of the University, life in the NFL, his family life and many other topics in this wide-ranging interview. A fourth-round draft pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Brown is a versatile athlete who can play either center or guard. When starting guard Edwin Mulitalo went down with an injury, Brown was inserted into the lineup and went on to start the final 12 games of the season and the first-round playoff game vs. Indianapolis. Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman called him a "drive-blocking powerhouse." Brown earned All-ACC honors at North Carolina in 2004, helping lead the Tar Heels to the Continental Tire Bowl vs. Boston College.
Sophomore forward Tyler Hansbrough will be the subject of an upcoming Sports Illustrated feature in the "Life On And Off The Field" section of the national magazine. Hansbrough spent approximately 30-45 mintues with SI on Tuesday taking photos and conducting an interview. Expect the photo and interview to focus on Tyler's love of sushi, a dish first introduced to him by UNC strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian as noted in this St. Louis Post-Dispatch story a year ago. Read what Tyler had to say about his broken nose here.
March 6, 2007
CURRY STAYS IN OAKLAND (8:15 p.m.) Lots of former Tar Heel football players are making news this offseason by moving to other teams. One guy who won't be leaving his team is Oakland receiver Ronald Curry. The Contra Costa Times is reporting that Curry has agreed to a restructured deal that runs through 2008. Curry, who was one of several NFL players at Sunday's basketball game vs. Duke, was the Raiders leading receiver in 2006, catching 62 passes for 727 yards and a touchdown. Curry began the year slowly while recovering from his third Achilles injury. He excelled, however, at the end of the season under the leadership of offensive coordinator John Shoop, who is now the Tar Heels' coordinator. Asked recently on his impressions of Shoop, Curry said, "He will do a great job. He has a lot of positive energy. I loved him. There are a lot of egos in the NFL and he is a great teacher." Curry and his wife, Stacy, still reside in Salisbury, N.C., in the offseason.
DURANT IN CANADA (6:48 p.m.)
At the time he was cut, the Canadian league was already underway, so he had to sit tight until the 2006 season rolled around. Durant told UNC officials in 2004 he just wanted to play again, it didn't matter where. He got his chance when the Saskatchewan Roughriders signed him. He will compete with QBs Kerry Joseph and Marcus Crandell again this season for playing time. After completing every pass in Tuesday's pro timing day workout with Jesse Holley, some observers jokingly asked if Durant was showing off for the NFL scouts as well. "I'm under contract for two seasons, so I'm not even thinking about that," said Durant. "I was just here to help out Jesse."
UNC'S PRO TIMING DAY (4:53 p.m.)
The list of players participating in today's workouts included Tar Heels Jesse Holley, Kareen Taylor, Melik Brown, Jon Hamlett, Victor Worsley, David Wooldridge, Shelton Bynum and Lenoir-Rhyne graduate Aaron Cottrell. Holley, who did not drop a pass during his individual workout, was particularly pleased. "I think I impressed the scouts with the football stuff we did today," said Holley. "All those drills (40-yard dash, shuttle runs) are just drills. I concentrated on my route running and catching the ball, things you actually do in the game of football. There is still a lot of time before the draft, so I'm going to continue to work on those things and hope my name gets called." Holley may have had an easier time receiving due to his familiarity with the quarterback. Darian Durant, North Carolina's record-setting quarterback from 2001-04 and current signal caller for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, has been working with Holley over the last two weeks in preparation for today's event. "Darian was great. I owe him lunch," said Holley. Kareen Taylor had one of the fastest times of the day in the 40-yard dash, clocking a 4.4. Taylor was also impressive in the safety drills, switching directions with ease and catching the ball. One of the biggest suprises was linebacker Victor Worsley who turned in a 4.49 in the 40. Several former Tar Heels were on hand to show support, including Baltimore Ravens center Jason Brown, New York Jets wide receiver Wallace Wright and New York Giants defensive end Tommy Davis. Other Tar Heels on hand included Derelle Mitchell, Cedrick Holt, Joe Kedra, Roger Heinz and women's basketball players Ivory Latta and Rashanda McCants. |
Everyone is encouraged to come to the Smith Center tonight to cheer on the men's basketball team as they head to Florida for the ACC Tournament. The No. 1-seed Tar Heels are looking for their first conference title since 1998. The first 100 spectators at the Smith Center will receiver t-shirts compliments of the 
North Carolina held its annual NFL pro timing day
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