ACC Country

Well, I was 3-1 in my picks yesterday, with Tech knuckling down in the second half to blow out the Cavaliers. Good riddance, Sean Singletary – hope your 11 years in Charlottesville were fun. FSU led practically the entire game against Wake, the ‘Noles going up double digits early, only for the Deacons to rally back, and Florida State to pull away in the second half again. Miami wins an UGLY game against N.C. State, the Canes shooting a pathetic 36% and winning easily. And Maryland blows an early 15 point lead and falls to BC in the nightcap. Gary Williams, you have a phone call from a Mr. Boeheim. EXPAND THE TOURNAMENT! Idiots…

Two hours roughly til tipoff of one of the best days of the year: the ACC Quarterfinals. I had the wisdom teeth bumped back a couple of weeks and had them done yesterday, so I’m home “recovering.” Well, there’s no prescription better than ACC Tournament Friday. Carolina/FSU, VT/Miami, Duke/Tech, Clemson, BC – that’s the docket. I will be posting my thoughts all day long, expect an update after every half. I’m hoping Nessler and Dykes are doing the games today, too, because Dykes will make my job today SO EASY. I’ll probably blog a quick little blurb pregame before the first contest, but I will catch you back here with some substance after halftime of Heels/Noles.

Okay, it’s showtime in Charlotte, and we’re on the Deuce. No Nessler, it’s Mike Patrick. If Dykes is with Patrick, this could be the best blog ever. Why must we have this stupid singing thing like the Big East tourney? Better yet, why do we have some guy singing opera in a barn? Doesn’t the ACC have any street cred? And it IS Patrick and Dykes!! Best commentary team EVER!! Dykes talks about the rebounding edge Carolina’s had, and now Stacey Dales – next best thing to Erin Andrews – talks about Hansbrough. We got Karl Ravech and Tom Brennan in the studio. Brennan, of course, is most notable as the ex-Vermont coach who in December 2004 said after a 93-65 beatdown at the hands of Carolina:

“Some days you are the pigeon and some you are the statue. Today we were the statue.”

And…

“We go to Kansas and we play them tough, and we get to the NCAA twice and we’re in Sports Illustrated. There’s no free lunch, we all know that’s how it works. Today, the check came and we tipped very well.”

Time for the tip, I’ll be back later.

NORTH CAROLINA vs. FLORIDA STATE

19:00: Lawson’s back in the starting lineup. Last time he started was in Tallahassee. We all know what happened there. Thompson concedes the tip off. Mims drives and Ginyard takes a charge 13 seconds into the game. Ginyard rebounds a Hansbrough miss and puts it back for our first points. Weak blocking call on Thompson, and a replay shows Hansbrough got mugged on the other end.

18:00: Jay R-uh misses, but Reid gets the rebound… and walks. Thompson with a turnaround 15 footer and it’s 4-0.

17:00: Douglas hits a 3 from the corner to get on the board. Hansbrough answers on the other end with a strong layup with no call on the obvious contact.

16:00 Ellington gets it knocked away and Douglas gets a breakaway layup. Then Thompson has a shot blocked and FSU throws it off Deon to maintain possession

TV TIMEOUT – FSU 7-6

15:00: Jimmy Dykes says 1 or 2 Big East teams will make the Final Four. One I can see. Two is pushing it. Rich on an alley oop off the inbounds pass and Carolina turns it over on the other end. Rich hits again, and Ellington answers with a three.

14:00: Ellington misses a second one, and FSU slows it down. Mike Patrick brings up the FSU/UNC game from ‘04 where the Heels blew the huge lead. Thanks a lot, Mike. And off that, Ellington steals the ball and goes the length of the floor and gets fouled. Two free throws and we’re tied.

13:00: We’ve got our first Q sighting, and he works the break that ends up with green missing a three, but Thompson getting the putback. Rich hits a three, but Stepheson gets the hoop and the harm and it’s 16-14 Carolina.

12:00: Hansbrough hits the 15 footer to put the Heels back up. Mims misses a jumper and Vaughn picks up his second foul on a push off.

TV TIMEOUT – UNC 18-16

11:00: The crowd is filling in at Bobcats Arena. Hansbrough with another 15 footer.

10:00: Reid walks again, and Roy has some words for Q, Alex, and Green. Ellington throws it away, but Douglas shanks the layup, but Lawson is standing on the line as he tries to save it. The double line along the baselines is confusing.

9:00: Stacey tells us that Ryan Reid told her the trick to guarding Hansbrough is “you gotta block him out cause he never gets tired.” Or ya know, just take cheap shots at him. Then a CHEAP touch foul on Lawson. That’s two on him. Douglas misses a three, but Reid gets the putback after “putting a elbow to the throat of Hansbrough.” Some foul on Carolina there. Lane violation costs them the free throw however.

8:00: Hansbrough gets a steal, but Lawson misses a three. Then FSU turns it over, and Hansbrough misses an 18 footer, and Ellington gets called for over the back by jumping straight up in the air. Douglas misses the front end, and FSU doesn’t give UNC anything on the ensuing possession.

7:00: Douglas drives but turns it over.

TV TIMEOUT – TIED 20-20

7:00: Kid in the crowd wearing a UNC #40 jersey. Mike Copeland has more fans than just me!!

6:00: Ginyard finally breaks the scoreless drought with a three, as the game is slowing down. Timeout FSU.

5:00: Patrick and Dykes talk about the “uh oh” moments when Q used to come into the game. My how he’s grown up. Green with a nice pass to a wide open Stepheson for a dunk, and then a trap forces another turnover. And the Q gives it right back.

4:00: After they miss Green wide open under the hoop, Will Graves hit a three off the glass from the corner. Then Graves hits Green on an outlet and Danny slams it home on a 2 on nobody. And Carolina by 8.

3:00: Mims answers with a big three from the corner. Rich and Hansbrough exchange buckets.

2:00: Dykes on Hansbrough: “He’ll be a better pro than people are projecting.” No kidding, you can’t be a WORSE pro than he’s being projected. Unless he turns out to be Josh McRoberts. Another breakout and Green tries a stupid dunk from too far out and gets blocked. Scrum down low culminates in Green getting called for a foul.

TV TIMEOUT – UNC 32-27

2:00: Replay of Roy nearly slinging his coat into the crowd after that last sequence.

1:00: Another turnover by Ellington.

0:00: Ellington with a nice three off a screen and FSU holds for last shot. Rich shoots too early and UNC gets a chance to go the other way, but they fumble the ball and time runs out.

HALFTIME: UNC 35-28

19:00: Leading scorers at the half: Rich with 11. Hansbrough with 8. Nothing really happening here in the first minute. No free throws for #50 in the first half. That’s three halves of basketball in a row now. Didn’t know Krzyzewski’s payoff extended to this weekend.

18:00: Mims with a good spin move, but misses the runner. Lawson misses one on the other end.

17:00: Thompson with a bogus push foul on an Echefu travel. And FSU turns it over.

16:00: FSU misses a layup, but Carolina can’t break, and the Noles get the layup anyway. Then Hansbrough and Reid collide in the lane, bucket and a foul on what probably should’ve been a no call. Psycho T hits the free throw and Carolina has their biggest lead of the day at 39-30. Douglas cuts it to 7 in a hurry.

15:00: Q hits Ginyard with a good pass for a layup.

TV TIMEOUT – UNC 41-32

14:00: FSU turnover, but Hansbrough misses a point blank shot. Douglas hits a three to chop into the lead again. Alex misses two free throws, but an offensive rebound and Hansbrough gets fouled with a purpose. Good, clean foul though. Dykes says Hansbrough looks like a guy who eats organic food. Whatever that means.

13:00: Vaughn with the hoop and the foul and it’s down to 43-38. Hansbrough takes it to the rim and scores and gets the foul. Dykes: “One thing I’ve never seen [Hansbrough] do: blink.” On cue, Tyler blinks. And Q goes coast to coast with a finger roll and it’s up to ten. TO Leonard Hamilton.

12:00: Shot clock violation off the timeout. Green makes an unnecessary pass to Thompson and Deon tanks the layup.

TV TIMEOUT – UNC 48-38

11:00: Rich with a three, and Ellington with a runner.

10:00: Stepheson with an offensive rebound and hoop and foul on the putback. FSU with another miss, and then a bogus stoppage as Carolina was out on the fastbreak.

9:00: Hansbrough draws more contact and draws another foul underneath. Hansbrough misses the second, and Rich gets a layup, but Ellington gets it right back and gets a layup of his own.

8:00: Two more freet throws for Hansbrough to make it 57-45, and they swap buckets.

TV TIMEOUT – UNC 59-49

7:00: Jay R-uh gets to the line, but Ellington answers with a three with the shot clock winding down. Rich answers with a jam.

6:00: Mims with another three and the Seminoles won’t go away. Hansbrough misses down low, but Ginyard pulls down the board and Lawson gets an easy layup.

5:00: Hansbrough with another miss, but Ellington crashes the boards and gets the tip in. This somehow segues into a “Dr. Dykes” segment does some sort of combustion experiment in the “lab” with the beaker with the “heartbeat” component overflowing from the beaker. Dad, home for lunch, says he oughtta fan it off. Out of the timeout, Ellington hits Q on a drive and dish for an easy eight foot jumper.

4:00: In probably the end of FSU’s chances, the Noles work the entire shot clock and get no points out of it.

TV TIMEOUT – UNC 72-59

3:00: Ellington with a backbreaking three as Carolina works a little clock.

2:00: Hansbrough misses another one of two free throws, and the Noles hit another shot to cut it to 11. Dykes talks about Virginia Tech being on the bubble and how they are at an advantage after everyone lost yesterday. Unlike those other bubble teams, “Virginia Tech is still here.” Jimmy, Virginia Tech didn’t PLAY yesterday!

1:00: Final two minutes and Hansbrough gets a nice sidestep move for a lay in. This starts the Hansbrough love from both guys, reminding any hoops fan who has been living under a rock for the past two years about how much effort he brings game in and game out. Dykes: “You can only tie him in the effort department, you can not out do him.” Mike Patrick: “Except for Wojo.” Okay, Patrick was only THINKING that.

0:00: UNC gets the ball back with 45 seconds left and runs out the shot clock, and Ginyard hits a long three as it exprires. FSU adds a late three for naught and it’s over.

FINAL: UNC 82-70

A little closer than I expected, but Carolina was never in any trouble here. FSU did a good job on the boards, but I think Carolina eventually did outrebound them. Rich led all scorers with 23, but Hansbrough and Ellington had 22 and 19 respectively for the Heels. Carolina gets the winner of our next contest. Back with blogging for that one.

VIRGINIA TECH vs. MIAMI

19:00: Miami in their ugly road blacks. Delany hits a 17 footer right off the bat. When did Deron Washington cut the hair?? It’s all buzzed off!!

18:00: McClinton shakes and scoops a layup. Washington tries his own and misses, but Hurdle with an offensive foul non the other end and the Canes turn it over. Washington with penetration and kicks it to Delaney for a three.

17:00: Allen and King with a nice battle for a VT rebound, and it goes off Allen. And Miami with ANOTHER offensive foul! King called on a moving pick, which looked questionable to me. Washington took a nice dive.

16:00: Allen with a nice drop step move, but steps on the baseline. McClinton shakes Washington and feeds Graham for a lay up.

15:00: Delaney answers with another three.

TV TIMEOUT – VT 10-5

14:00: Of note, in Atlanta, South Carolina hanging tough with Tennessee in the second half, 60-59. of the inbounds pass, McClinton hits a three and DRAWS THE FOUL! Cut that to one in a hurry.

13:00: Washington walks and gets away with it, but does NOT get away with the charge. That’s two and he goes to the bench. And Vassallo hits a three of the inbounds play.

12:00: Miami turns a VT turnover into a 3 on 2, but Asbury charges and blows the fastbreak. That’s three offensive fouls for Miami.

11:00: As Miami works clock, I wonder why they didn’t just put the Tournament logo in the middle of the floor, rather than place it inside a huge blue rectangle and THEN put it in the middle of the floor. It is ugly. Asbury misses a three. Vassallo does NOT, and the Hokies lead by six.

TV TIMEOUT – VT 17-11

10:00: Vassallo hits another jumper, but Miami answers with McClinton to Graham for a big dunk.

9:00: Tech turns it over, but McClinton takes a three from Asheville and shorts it.

8:00: Weird, broken play ends up in VT tipping a pass out of bounds.

TV TIMEOUT – VT 21-16

7:00: Rios drives to beats the shot clock, but airballs the layup. Nice. Vassallo finally misses. Dews then hits a 35 FOOTER (!) to beat the shot clock on another broken play.

6:00: Teams trade possessions and Vassallo misses another jumper. Patrick on Dews’ shot: “J.J. [Redick] woulda been proud of that one.”

5:00: Dews with a bad cutting shot, but Tech turns it over anyway.

4:00: Allen with a block, and VT slows it down, but nothing comes of the possession.

TV TIMEOUT – TIED 21-21

3:00: McClinton drives and has it knocked away, but he manages to shove it to the hoop anyway. Shot misses, but a turnover turns into a 2 on 1 and Miami takes the lead on an Asbury bank shot.

2:00: Vassallo slashes past the three point lie and re-ties the game.

1:00: Vassallo gets a good look off the inbounds pass, but misses, and then they turn it over after the offensive board. Block on Miami’s end though, and the sequence ends in a one handed tomahawk jam from Thomspon to put VT back up. Stacey reminds us of the 39 point beatdown UNC gave VT a few weeks back. Good times.

0:00: Miami turns it over again and VT should get the last shot of the half. Vassallo drives and gets a nice pass to Allen, who waits out Graham flying in for the block, and then calmly goes underneath and lays it in. Sloppy half of basketball, but pretty entertaining.

HALFTIME -  25-23

19:00:  Halftime leaders: Graham and Dews with 6 apiece for Miami, Vassallo with 11 for Tech.  And Dews adds to his total with a jumper.  Allen answers right back.  Washington is finally back on the floor.

18:00:  More rebounds for VT, and Allen puts this one back to push the lead to six.  But McClinton comes right back down and gets the basket and the foul.

17:00:  Washington finally gets on the board with a slash to the goal.  King puts it on the floor and scores, and then Allen gets called for an offensive foul.

16:00 Graham gets to the line and makes 1 of 2.  Of note, James Lofton hit a three with 14 seconds left to win the game for Tennessee in the SEC quarters.  Speaking of threes, McClinton drains one from the top of the key to tie the game.

15:00: More work on the offensive glass for VT, and Washington draws a foul.

TV TIMEOUT – TIED 33-33

14:00:  Washington flops across the floor on a lean in by McClinton as if McClinton shot him with a gun.  This ends up in a 3 pointer for the Canes. 

13:00:  VT with some good looks underneath that get nowhere, but Hurdle’s layup on the other end get rejected.  Stacey’s with LEFTY!  Lefty shows off a ticket from the first ACC Tournament.  Nice to see he’s not still whining about Dean.

12:00:  Allen gets a HUGE SLAM to give VT the lead back.  Miami answers.  Thompson walks.

TV TIMEOUT – TIED 38-38

11:00:  Asbury to King underneath for a dunk to put Miami back up. 

10:00:  Patrick puts over the Duke/Tech game later tonight.  Dykes thinks the Jackets have a shot to beat them.  I do too, but I’m not holding my breath.  Allen misses two free throws.  Thorns hit a high rainbow arc three for the lead. 

9:00:  I left the room and Miami apparently scored.

8:00:  Hudson airballs, and Thompson fights for the ball, kicking it to Delaney for the three.  Good sequence. 

7:00:  Vassallo hits a runner to make the lead 4, and Frank Haith wants time.  With good reason.

6:00:  More good ball movement and Delaney hits another three and the Canes are in trouble down seven.

TV TIMEOUT – VT 49-42

5:00:  Collins clanks two free throws and can’t stop the Hokie run.  But Collins gets a block – could’ve been goaltending – but they get a bad shot from McClinton on the other end.  They trade possessions and McClinton hits his free throws to break the VT 8-0 run.  But Allen gets an EASY dunk on the other end.  Gives him a double double.

4:00:  Tech leads by 9 now, and Miami hasn’t scored a field goal in 10 minutes.  And ANOTHER Canes turnover, as the game is slipping away.Vassallo hits again, and it’s 11.

3:00:  Hokies play some slowdown and Washington hits a three in the corner.  Total dagger there, and McClinton bricks on the other end.  17-2 run for VT, and this baby is all but over.

TV TIMEOUT – VT 58-44

2:00:  On the day, Tech has outrebounded Miami by 21.  And as I type that, they get another offensive board.  And too little too late, as Hicks drains a three.  Miami gets it back, but it’s another turnover, and Washington gets a feed on the break and JAMS it home.

1:00:  If they’re gonna show Washington’s dunks, let’s show him jump over Greg Paulus.  Even Mike Patrick wants to see that one.

0:00:  The crowd has filed out for lunch as this one is over.  We’re looking at VT/UNC tomorrow, and I fully expect the Hokies to put forth a better effort on Saturday than they did in Chapel Hill last month.

FINAL – VT 63-49

This was a good game until Miami went ice cold from the field in the second half.  Not being able to get a rebound killed the Canes as well.  Good guard play by the Hokies, and Vassallo and Delaney hit some big shots.  If they can do that tomorrow, and Allen can be a factor down low, they can compete with Carolina.

I’ll be back for the late set of games tonight.