ACC Roundup

In ACC play Friday, UNC whipped up on a shorter Tennessee team, 101-87, and
one with the bad luck of getting UNC after a bad loss. Still, Roy Williams
was not pleased and had some harsh comments for his players, suggesting they
ask for brains for Christmas.

We've thought about this for a while, and it's time to comment on it a
bit: Roy Williams is a fine coach, and we like him better than Dean Smith,
but he's no Dean Smith, for better or worse. Smith would never publicly
deride his players in this way, nor would he suggest that his team had driven
him to contemplate suicide, as Williams did his first year. He also would
have likely disdained the glitz and individualism on display in the annual Late
Night With Roy Williams, and certainly never would have put the focus on
himself.

On the other hand, we're sure Smith said one thing publicly and was quite
different in person. We're not suggesting that he was a big phony, but he was so
focused on his public persona, and on being humble and deferential, and you
could see it slip sometimes, like when he called a kid from Florida State
"Mr. Choke" on the radio. Things like that. We're guessing
he wasn't quite that deferential in practice.

But on the other hand, Williams is frankly egotistical, talks about
"my" wins, and so forth, and doesn't really try to hide it. It's
very different for UNC, but arguably refreshing.

Incidentally, UNC's problem with giving guys minutes has potentially taken
another turn, as Quentin Thomas sat out the UT game with a sore foot, the same
foot he injured last season. But what's the difference between playing two
minutes and none?

Maryland had a big pre-game speech which apparently didn't take as High Point
hung around for longer than they should have before the Terps won 81-63. State
beat Gardner-Webb by 12, and Florida State was schooled by Pitt, 88-66.

In Saturday action, Miami takes on Lafayette, Wake gets Appalachian State,
and B.C. continues their desperate tour of Northeastern rivals. After losing to
Vermont and Providence, the Eagles take on Rhode Island. Will they be
skunked in the neighborhood?

Turning for a minute to football, Miami
has fired Larry Coker, who admitted he was not as excited about the job as
he used to be, and they are promising to upgrade salaries and facilities
considerably. Rumors have floated about N.C. State's Chuck Amato for some
time, and Dave Glenn believes
there may be some substance to them. Hey, Coker's available.

And finally, in the oddest development in the ACC in some time, Wake plays
Maryland Saturday for a spot in the ACC title game. That wasn't supposed
to happen, now was it?

• Deacs
  to take on Mountaineers
• Tigers
  blow open trap door game
• Williams
  not pleased with UNC’s effort in win over Vols
• Tar
  Heels dominate Vols
• N.C.
  State beats Gardner-Webb
• Clemson
  74, Charleston Southern 50