Saturday, December 8, 2012

Duke Remains Unbeaten

The Duke Blue Devils went to their home away from home on Saturday and beat Temple in New Jersey.  Duke who routinely plays games across the Hudson River from New York has lost only once since the building was opened.Can you remember the game?  Christian Laettner's freshman year in a game against Connecticut and the freshman had a one on one with no time on the clock or just a few tenths to go in the game an Laettner missed the front end and Duke lost I think it was 70-69. 

I remember Coach K ran out to console his freshman and that might be the best coaching move in the history of college basketball.  Laettner never missed many more in his college career.  There is no doubt that Coach K is was on the best coaches ever and this Duke team is off to a 9-0 start.  I frankly think they are playing somewhat over their ability but that's K's influence.  Duke is going to be a hard team to beat in the ACC.

N C State won in their annual  game in Reynolds Coliseum against Cleveland ST.  You know who Cleveland St is?  That is the team that Jerry Tarkanian who use to be in trouble with the NCAA all the time when he coached UNLV.  He was upset at the way the NCAA doled out punishment and made the statement when Kentucky got in trouble.  "  Lookout Cleveland St the NCAA is mad with Kentucky".  The reference was that all the major schools the NCAA looked the other way but nailed the Cleveland  States of the world when ever they violated the rules.

The Pack is 6-2 and I know most fans of the Wolfpack are disappointed that they are not #1 in the nation after all the hype this team got in the preseason.  Let me remind all of you that this team has played a rather tough schedule compared to other Pack teams under Sidney Lowe.  In past years even playing lighter schedules the Pack would have been 4-3 so you had not sleep on this team.

N C State can truly feel honored at the coverage that they have received through ESPN with the V Foundation being the flagship or ESPN's public service.  Mark Godfrey's stint as a color commentator for ESPN those ESPN camera's love N C State and Godfrey's has a whole lot of Valvano in him and he is not shy around a camera.  Godfrey may not be a Coach K on the sidelines and that has yet to prove out one way or the other but he doesn't take a back seat to the players committing to come to the Pack.