Today's surfing starts with the N&O's college preview. There are more
stories than we want to link to (good work!), but
the first is about the idea of decline of the ACC, and the second
is a feature about Duke.
One of the themes of the preview is the competition for the ACC's dollars in
the Triangle.  The theory has been passed around before. Things might
be a bit different now, or then again, it's just as likely it's the standard ups
and downs of a major conference.Â
The ACC with great recruiters like K, Gillen, increasingly Sendek, and very
resourceful coaches like Odom, Williams, and Robinson, won't be down for
too long. The NC schools are all pretty healthy and all can improve, Maryland
and UVa are solid now, with UVa threatening great improvement. FSU should
be at least competitive. Shyatt still has to prove himself, and Tech is
weaker than it's been under Cremins, who will be on the hot seat this season. If
he leaves, or is forced out, then it's a chance to radically upgrade Tech's
program - with the right coach. Pitino should be getting sick of Boston about
now, and if he were interested, surely Tech would make a run. It would be hard
to run at Donovan, but they might try.Â
Anyway, as long as the schools are well coached, the conference will do
well. If it were up to us we'd make a couple of changes, but all things
considered, the conference, while it could be better, is in good hands.
The Winston paper has an article about
what Duke is up against this season with youth and learning and all.Â
Still, it's nice to see they recognize the potential of Dunleavy and
Williams. In another bit of ACC news, Debbie
Yow has gotten an extension, which we understand won't make at least one
Terp coach happy. She's a bit different for an AD (because of her
bluntness and willingness to offend), but look at the evidence of a job well
done: accounts balanced, basketball and football competitive again.Â
Maryland was devastated post-Bias, and Yow has done as much as anyone to bring
the Terps back.
In Hotlanta, Tech has taken to signing Swedes for their women's basketball
team, having
just gotten their second.