Collins, Brown Leaving Gottfried Staying

Wednesday Northwestern University announce that Duke assistant basketball coach Chris Collins will be their new basketball coach at the end of the Duke basketball season.  Collins has not only been a player at Duke but on coach K's staff his entire working life.  You would almost expect that Duke will probably need a new basketball coach within five years as Coach K approaches 70 years old.  Collins has been the point man as many half time interviews have fallen to Collins  instead of K.

If the next coach of Duke will fall to one of K's assistants the only way to prove you are a legit candidate is to become a head coach and create a track record .  Northwestern which is one of the worse basketball schools in the Big Ten is a safe place to be.  All Collins would have to do is make the NCAA tournament one time before K leaves and his stock as the next Duke  coach would go through the roof.  If they don't nobody would consider it a coaching failure.

Several former assistants of Coach K lay in waiting.  Johnny Dawkins at Stanford, Mike Brey at Notre Dame, or Tommy Amaker who just this year won a NCAA game with Harvard.  Chris Collins comes from a basketball family as his father Doug has been in the NBA as a coach or TV annalist his entire life.  He is now the head coach of the Philadelphia 76's and was the coach of the Chicago Bulls while Chris was growing up.   I don't know if you remember this or not but but Chris's father was a member of the 1972 Olympic team that the Russians stole the gold metal game from back in 1972.

Expect  N C State to announce soon that Lorenzo Brown will enter the NBA draft and not return to the Pack next year.  He is the only player from the Triangle that is NBA ready.

Wednesday night Mark Gottfried put at end to the rumors that he was leaving N C State to be the Next coach at UCLA.  He tweeted that he is as committed to N C State today as he was two years ago when he took the head basketball job.  I know a lot of WolfPack fans are disappointed that they did not win the national championship this season but Gottfried is only the third ACC coach to win 20 games in his first two years on the job.   Bill Guthridge and Roy Williams are the only other two.  Let me ask this question.  When was the last time any other school showed any interest in an  N C State coach in any sport?  He must be doing something right.

Miami's quest to break the all time winning streak of 33 games in the NBA is over.  The Chicago Bulls beat them Wednesday night ending their 27 game winning streak. I don't care who you pull for but  winning 27 in a row  is a steak all to itself.   Here's something for you to look up.  When was the last time that Miami lost a game and the Charlotte Bobcats won all on the same night.  I doubt that it has happened to often.

Bulldogs Squeeze Gryphons

Starting pitcher Tyler King squeeze bunt in the top of the fourth inning produced the only run that Nash Central would need but three unearned runs in the fourth lead Nash Central to a 4-0 shutout of Rocky Mount.  King went the distance striking out 12 Gryphons and allowed four hits for the Bulldogs.  Jeremy Johnson  started  for the Gryphons but was pulled in the fifth and the Gryphons were on the verge of getting out of a major jam when  a throwing error  on what would have been the third out helped produce the Bulldogs three runs.  Cody Smith pitched the last 2 an one third innings for the Gryphons.

Two errors in the fifth aided the Bulldogs in their three run rally.  The Bulldogs collected only five hits themselves.  Colton Vaughn and Davis Johnson had two hits a piece and Kyle Taylor had the Bulldogs final hit.  Jeremy Johnson singled twice and Andy Morris and Ben Yates had the Gryphons other hits.  The middle of the Gryphon lineup the 4-5 and 6 hitters were a combined 0-8 with 8 strikeouts.

The Gryphons fall to 4-5 and 1-1 in Big East play while the Bulldogs have yet to lose this season as they stand 6-0.  Rocky Mount plays their next game Friday night at 7pm at Gryphon Stadium  against conference foe Hunt High.  Surprisingly there was a nice crowd on hand considering the cold weather.

If you thought the baseball score might be bad, over on the softball field Nash Central won that game in five innings 21-0.

J'Kyra Brown keeps making All State teams as Monday NC Preps.com named Brown all State.  All state teams most of the time include all classifications and this is at least the second all state team that J'Kyra has made.

The Rocky Mount booster club is having a fund raiser in the form of a golf ball drop.  If you buy one golf ball for $25 or 5 for $100.  The booster club will be selling 1,000 balls.  May 18th on the driving range of Northgreen Country Club those 1000 balls will be dropped by helicopter and if only one ball goes in the hole that person who owns that ball will win $5,000.  If more than one ball goes in they will divide the money equally.  If no ball goes in the the closes ball to the hole wins.  You can't win the big money if you don't buy a ticket.

I have never seen this event before but I think it would be neat to go watch the helicopter drop those balls on May 18th.  Might not be to good an idea to stand under them as they are dropped.

Who Stays ? Who Goes?

We have reached the point in the college basketball season where those that just go to college to get a college education decide whether they have had enough education and turn pro.  Lets review where we are and who can we expect to turn pro.

I would like to remind everyone when all the hullabaloo about N C State winning the ACC this year my goal was that when ever the season finished that we would only have single digits losses for the season it didn't happen.  The Pack finishes 24-11 which is not much better than last year when they finished 24-13.  So I am disappointed that it couldn't have been 24-9.  Who is leaving from the Pack?

C J Leslie?  I am shocked he stayed three years.  Remember when he had the news conference to announce he was coming to State and he was going to make the Pack into a national power in one year.  It's three years now and where is the national power?  Leslie goes but he shouldn't.  He can't defend any power player down low.  He can't dribble the ball at all in a crowd.  He is good on help defense when he can come over and block shots.  Who really wants him in the NBA?  I would suggest to you it would be a good idea if Leslie came back to State next year and grew up, showed up every night and be a team player.  I bet Gottfried will do every thing he can to convince him to leave. I say Leslie is the reason that State never reached any where close to their potential.  I doubt there is anyone in Raleigh that wants him back.  So long C J Leslie and welcome to basketball in Turkey.

Of all the players who can go early on either Carolina or State the only one ready is Lorenzo Brown.  Remember he came to Raleigh as a shooting guard and has developed into a solid point guard.  He is what the NBA wants in a guard.  I see him as a Rondo in the NBA.  NBA and first round here we come.

Last year at this time Carolina fans were worried that James Michael McAdoo just might leave early. If he is smart he will come back.  Why didn't Carolina win more was they couldn't match up in the middle.  Mac needs to come back.  I don't buy all this potential stuff.  If he leaves now it will be five years before you hear his name again.

If there is any other player on the Tar Heels that might go it would be Reggie Bullock.  Reggie Bullock is like every shooting guard in the NBA.  When I say that what do I mean?  There are a dime  a dozen players just like him in the NBA.  He needs to get better in every aspect to get beyond the dime a dozen .  Come back and lead the Heels to the final four and a first round pick next year. 

He is a senior and is still playing but Mason Plumlee will play ten years in the NBA and you will never hear his name.  Because of his size every team wants someone like him but he got pushed around Sunday night against  a no name who has NBA size.

You know the Big Four in the NCAA has been just like this whole year has gone.  Duke joins everyone else at home by the end of the weekend.

2,000

Duke became the fourth team in college basketball history to win 2,000 games last night as they also advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament with a victory over Creighton 66-50.  Duke trails Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina as the only teams with more NCAA wins.  The Devils survive foul trouble but take second half control and advance to the Sweet 16.  This is the 21st time in Coach K's career at Duke that they have made the Sweet 16.

Miami who doesn't play too often in the NCAA tournament survived a close call against Illinois 63-59.  As well as the Hurricanes have played this year since they haven't been in the NCAA tournament in years you had to worry that the top team in the ACC might not react very well in a tight game but the Canes came through.

North Carolina's season ended  playing one of the teams they are chasing in the all time wins list in Kansas as the Heels lead most of the way but faded late to lose 70-58.

How about the State of Florida.  Three teams in the sweet 16 as Florida Gold Coast, Florida  and Miami are all in.  Florida GC becomes the first 15th seed to make it to the Sweet 16.  Maybe this is the year for a no name to win it all.

Can anybody tell me why  now that they have gone to the four games on four different stations and all the games start at a different time when one goes to commercial why they are all in commercial.  Several times this weekend I have flipped to watch another game and that game has the same commercial playing  that the game I was watching had on.

Found out last night there has been a schedule change for Rocky Mount baseball this week as they play Nash Central on Tuesday at home at 7pm.  They were suppose to play Hunt Thursday but I understand that Hunt has a conflict and the game has been moved to Friday.  When I know the time I will pass it along.

I can tell you one rule I wish they would change right now.  This season the jv's are playing just before the varsity.  Last week when Rocky Mount played Fike the jv game finished right at the time limit.  To me this does not give the varsity the proper time to get ready for the game.  Please move the jv games either to another day or let the jv's play away while the varsity is home.  If they are going to play both at the same site start the jv game a half hour earlier than they do now please.

J'Kyra Wins MVP

J'Kyra Brown has been Rocky Mount's girls basketball go to player for her three varsity years.  She is the all time leading scorer in Rocky Mount history.  We all can see that if she can stay healthy she still has a lot of basketball left in her life as long as those knees hold up.  Last night Brown showed that even in a group of all stars that she will stand out.  J'Kyra score 16 of her 19 points in the second half last night to lead the North Carolina All Stars to a 76-67 victory over South Carolina in the Carolina Classic basketball game played in Myrtle Beach South Carolina.  The game was tied and went overtime before North Carolina out scored South Carolina 9-0 in the extra session.

The North Carolina baseball team is living up to the high expectations of a team that was rated #1 in the preseason.  Yesterday the Heels won a double header from Boston College and ran their overall record to 21-1.  Former Gryphon Benton Moss continues to lead the ACC in wins as he pitched seven inning allowing just one earned run as Carolina won the second game 5-2.  Moss is now 6-0 on the season.  Not bad at all for the all times wins leader in Rocky Mount history.

Both of the Triangle teams left in the NCAA Tournament play today.  Carolina and Roy Williams tangle with Kansas at 5pm. That game will be on ch 5 at 5pm.  Duke does not play until 9.30pm on TNT and they will take on Creighton.  Miami is also in action today as the ACC has all three of their teams left in action trying to make the Sweet 16.

I realize that when I say this that I am a Wolf Pack fan but if you have missed the ESPN 30-30 program  Survive and Advance this week about the 1983 teams winning of the NCAA Tournament you have missed one of the really good 30-30 that ESPN has done.  It entails Jim Valvano's rise to fame being such a dynamic motivational speaker and how all of his motivation helped carry the team to victory.

How his speaking helped bring him down as coach and how his speaking helped start the V Foundation.  One of the players said it best.  In order for the V Foundation to start Valvano had to become  a world wide celebrity. Winning the NCAA in 83 brought him that.  Then he had to get cancer because he had started being an annalist for ESPN.  "Wouldn't it be something that one day that the discovery of how to cure cancer is made at Duke hospital where Valvano died.  The Lord works in mysterious ways"

Roy Collects # 700

Roy Williams won his 700th basketball game as a college coach as the Tar Heels of North Carolina survived and advance to the second round of the NCAA basketball Tournament. Hot as a fire cracker on the fourth of July Carolina held a 20 point lead  that melted away in the second half but the Heels were able to make enough shots to win 77-71 over Villanova.  Next in line for the Tar Heels is Kansas and that game is Sunday in Kansas City.

Duke beat Albany 73-61 and have advanced to round three of the NCAA Tournament. They will meet Creighton who took down Cincinnati.  Despite having only five losses on the season Duke never had Albany at any point where it looked as if a blowout was near.  They had a comfortable lead but never threw a knockout punch.

There is no doubt that Friday's loss N C State had  in the NCAA Tournament was a microcosm of their season.  Down early because of no defense  they look as bad as any team in the country.  Then inspired in the second they looked as if they were as good as any body.  Here is a fact to chew on.  Once State beat Duke and all the TV shows by C J Leslie after saving the student in the wheel chair State went 10-9  during rest of the season.  Leslie who now thought he was a star had games he failed to make an appearance in but I must say he played well Friday.

Miami is the only ACC team that acted like what we want the ACC to do.  Win big against a no name.  The ACC is 3-1 in this tournament.  Duke Carolina and Miami will all play Sunday afternoon.  I hope they work it out where all three play at different times.

Gryphons Sweep District Honors

Gatorade announce Wednesday the all District teams and the Player of the year across the state.  J F Webb's Isaiah Hicks who the Gryphons saw up close and personal is the Gatorade player of the year state wide.  The District 3 level Rocky Mount High school took all the top honors as both the boys and girls District 3 players of the year and the Gryphon's coaches also sweep the district as coaches of the year.

Donte Battle leads the all District team which is compromised by all classifications not only 3-A.  Battle averaged a double double for the season 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. Joining Battle is Rocky Mount Prep player DeShawn Freeman who lead his team to the 1-A championship game.  Also on the first team is  Nash Central's Jaquan Wilkins.

The second team is chocked full of Big East as MJ Gainey comes from the Gryphons, Chi Ali Bunn hails from Southern Nash.  Nate Pittman from Nash Central and Daniel Westbrook from Hunt.

Over on the girls side J'Kyra Brown is the District 3 Player of the year. J'Kyra who became the all time leading scorer in Rocky Mount girls history averaged 27 points per contest in leading the Gryphons. She is joined on the first team by Quinesha Lynch of Northern Nash and Alexus Hill.  Khadijah Manning of Southern Nash also makes first team.  The second team is lead by Carmen Richardson from the Gryphons and two Tarboro players N'Yasha Savage and Lisa Jones.

Mike Gainey is the District 3 Coach of the Year as he took his Gryphons back to the Regional finals after having lost several starters from last year's state championship team.  Somewhat of a surprise is Pam Gainey won coach of the year over Grover Battle who's team lost just 3 times all year. All three  of those losses were to Rocky Mount.   Despite depth Gainey still lead the Gryphons to the 3rd round of the playoffs and in the last game was in it until the end on West craven's home court.

Gryphon Baseball was cold out or snowed out which ever you prefer.  Right now there is no decision on any makeup date because starting next week all weeks will have two conference games except the Easter break week.  The Gryphon pitching staff riddled with injuries has enough on their plate to pitch two conference per week and throwing a  non-conference game in the fire which you know the back end of the staff will pitch that one that game just might never get made up.