ACC Basketball Roundup

Clemson is down a player as junior Austin Ajukwa is transferring to seek more playing time.

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Know how coaches usually do happy talk with transfers?

Not this time. Brad Brownell said this:

"I understand his desire to play a bigger role, but I'm obviously disappointed with the timing of his decision. We appreciate Austin's contributions to our program the past two years and wish him well in the future. We are ready to turn our focus toward the season, beginning with Thursday's exhibition in Greenville."

Translation: you got a lot of nerve, kid. We'll just do without your sorry butt.

That's about as much anger as you'll see a coach express in this sort of situation.

In Winston-Salem, Danny Manning increasingly appears to be a firm disciplinarian. After booting Madison Jones, Manning has suspended sophomores Cornelius Hudson and Rondale Watson indefinitely. No causes were given.

The two were suspended last year before the Florida game too.

In Tallahassee, freshmen Dwayne Bacon, Malik Beasley and Terance Mann combined for 41 points in an exhibition win over Lynn.

David Teel and Mike Brey argue that the ACC should expand conference play. Commissioner John Swofford seems in favor as well.

Emotionally we're for it, but we're not positive it'll work. Still, as far as we're concerned, you could bring back the round robin.

Brey is arguing for a 20 game ACC schedule.

As Teel points out, the Big East put the best TV properties on TV, period.

Whatever they end up doing, can we please get State and Wake Forest twice a year? Could the Big Four get a mini round robin back please?

One thing we'd love to see, and which would be totally unique, would be a pre-season or Holiday ACC Tournament. It could be held in New York to satisfy that desire. It would put the focus on this conference like no other, and it would build resentments, which is valuable.

Earlier this year North Carolina product Kwe Parker committed to Rutgers. Well scratch that: he 's back on the market.

Parker is a spectacular athlete. If we're Mark Gottlieb, we're on the next helicopter out.

There was a time when Art Chansky was one of the biggest homers around. He was a relentless UNC backer, whether he was at the Durham paper or on his own.

That has changed somewhat in recent years, for whatever reason, and the latest example is here, where Chansky says this about the preseason #1 Heels:

"Is Carolina the most overrated preseason No. 1 in college basketball history? We’re all excited about the basketball season, which begins officially next weekend. But that excitement has to be tempered by this question: how exactly are the Tar Heels No. 1 in the AP and other preseason polls, darn near a consensus No. 1?"