ACC Roundup - An April Edition

We don’t typically do an ACC Roundup often during the off season. There has to be some stuff going on to justify it.

Well this is one of those days.

First, NC State outlined what it is doing to cooperate with the investigation into Adidas and college basketball and Chancellor Randy Woodson fired a warning shot at the previous coaching staff: “If the allegations from the superseding indictment are proven true, any former employees involved knew they were breaking the rules and chose to keep it hidden. We have no tolerance for those who would choose to damage the reputation of this great university.”

Another small and understandable detail: the feds asked State to keep quiet about the upcoming revelations and State did. They stressed not to tell any student-athletes so many of them presumably got the news about the same time the rest of us did.

This kind of sparks a question for us: what the heck happened to NC State during Smith’s one year? What caused the chemistry problems? We’d love to know more about that after hearing all of this.

Also revealed: agent Gary Shipman out of Wilmington and his attempts to earn Dennis Smith Jr’s business.

For the first time that we can remember, although we might be forgetting something, an allegation was made against Nike with Shipman saying that it was his understanding that Nike and Adidas were in a bidding war to pay off Dennis Smith Sr.

Shipman ultimately decided that he wasn’t willing to do the things he’d be required to do to win Dennis Jr. as a client and bowed out. He has nothing to hide and in fact contacted State rather than the other way around. He may not be in a position to really stick it to anyone but he can at least point the prosecutors in the right direction.

Commissioner John Swofford spoke about the FBI/Adidas mess

Up in Winston-Salem, the Demon Deacons took a big blow as center Doral Moore announced he’s applying for the NBA draft and will get an agent so there’s no going back.

He was the one bright spot for Wake Forest this past season. Even so, his NBA future isn’t cast in stone. He might or might not make it.

One good piece of news for Wake Forest coach Danny Manning: it’s the second year in a row he’s put a big man in the draft which should help.

Is Rick Pitino angling for the Siena job? A couple of years ago, if he had gone anywhere, it would have been to one of the elite jobs but he can’t be picky now.

He called Chris Churchill of the Albany Times-Union annoyed about a column he wrote and as Churchill said, why bother if there’s no interest?

Pitino said a fair amount and the column ends with this and it’s hard not to feel a little bad for him: “I don’t rule anything out. Right now, I’m a coach that misses his best friend in life, and that’s basketball.”

Mild point: Tony Bennett promoted a couple of people after Ron Sanchez took the Charlotte job.

There was a time when ACC coaches had a gentleman’s agreement not to take intraconference transfers. That time is clearly past as Virginia is courting Wake Forest grad transfer Keyshawn Woods, just the latest guy to move from one conference school to another.

Josh Pastner’s antagonist, Ron Bell, the former friend who turned on him and has made allegations about Pastner’s program (both are now suing each other) has been extradited to Georgia, apparently for an assault charge while on probation for a drug offense.

Speaking of Pastner, to our recollection he is the third Jewish head coach in ACC history behind Clemson’s Larry Shyatt and Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg.

Speaking of Pastner, here’s his response to the Atlanta Jewish Times when asked what Israel means to him.

Sasha Killeya-Jones left Kentucky a few days ago and his transfer list includes UNC, Notre Dame, Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest and Pitt (and also Bobby Hurley’s Arizona State).