N&O columnist Ned Barnett got
a very harsh rebuke from Paul Hardin, UNC Chancellor Emeritus, who basically
ripped him a new one in distinctly unscholarly language, saying that it was his
worst column ever and that that was "a hard earned superlative." Ouch!
In on-the-court-news, State finally reared up and stomped
an opponent. Unfortunately it was New
Hampshire, not Charlotte or Georgia. Broughton High would probably
give them a better game. Damien Wilkins finally shot
his way out of his slump.
In Winston, Wake Forest played a real opponent, Georgia,
and beat them, which is one reason why the Deacs look like a tourney team
and State already doesn't. Josh Howard got kicked out on technicals,
getting his first one by complaining to one ref and then testing the
other. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhsseeeeeeeeeeeeeya!
But perhaps most interestingly, Clemson, playing without a suspended
Will Solomon, survived Wofford. It's fair to say there that while Clemson is
improved, they are by no means strong yet, and without Solomon's 18.6 ppg, this
game was probably closer than it would have been had he played. In a
tremendously (if unintentionally) droll statement, Adam Allenspach says "we
need to win these games to reach the tournament." Gee, ya think so?
Today the other weak sister, FSU, is taking on Jacksonville, coached last
time we looked by Hugh Durham, who once took Georgia to the Final Four, where
they beat UNC. Led by Durham and UVa transfer Kris Hunter, their mirror is
almost the exact opposite of FSU's at 7-0 (FSU is 7-1). Adrian Crawford's
shot has been erratic but the feeling is he's
coming around.
UNC is getting ready to take on mighty
mighty Buffalo today as well, and is suggesting that Curry is moving on the
point guard spot.