Bound For The Sweet 16

Thank goodness that Ty Lawson played today for the Tarheels. It looked in the first half as if he was only going at 80%, but he picked it up in the second scored 21 point in the second stanza for the Heels as they head to Memphis to take on Gonzaga.

Duke survives a team that drove to the basket almost at will at times in the second half in Texas. Duke just can't stop anybody in the middle and yet they head to Boston to play into another weekend.

Everyone knows that I picked Carolina to win it all and after their second half today with Lawson playing like Lawson I like their chances still. Duke I had picked in the brackets to lose next week to Villanova but the more I see this new line up, they are not going down easy to anybody.

The ACC so far is 5-5 in games played. I think almost all ACC fans are disappointed in BC and Wake Forest. They both embarrassed the league in their performances. (not showing up).

Lets see if we can put a spin on the ACC so far. They started out with seven teams out of sixty four. That approximately 11% of the teams in the tournament. Next week at the sweet 16 there will be two ACC teams or 12.5%. It may not be what we wanted from the league but it's not suicide time.

Tonight's games I am now 30 and 10 in my brackets with ESPN and WRAL. In the two local pots I'm in I am 29 and 11 on one and 27-13 on one.

The bracket where I am 29-11 I still have all four of my final four alive and 13-16 in the sweet 16 alive. All of the other three brackets I have 13 of 16 in the sweet 16 and three of four still alive in the final four.

The first two days of the tournament were rather dull if you went to bed before midnight. The best two games Thursday and the best two Friday all ended between midnight and 1.00am. They were worth staying up for.

I don't know how many people pay attention to college baseball but today Virginia loss. In many years in the past you would say so what, but today Miami beat Virginia for their first loss of the season. They are 19-1 as they are the last division 1 baseball team to lose this year. Whatever happen to those last place Wahoos.

The Carolina Hurricanes won again at home. They are now tied for 6th in the playoffs. Their play right now gives me hope that they can make a deep run when Lord Stanley time comes.

Those Charlotte Bobcat have won six of their last ten and remain one game out of the playoffs with ten games to play.

Gryphons Washed Out of Game on Saturday

As you were leaving the Thurday Gryphon baseball game you heard Wes Bradshaw tell you on the PA that Saturday's game with Hunt at Hunt was changed to 2.00pm.

Well, it has been changed again. Hunt had a conference game with C B Aycock washed out this week and they are going to make it up Saturday. Since conference games a take priority over non-conference games this one is off again.

North Carolina and the Toe Gate saga continues. Coach Roy Williams say it will be a game time decision whether Lawson plays or sits. My guess is Lawson had better give the Heels all he can give Saturday because LSU strong point is the back court. I don't think the Heels can hope to hold Ty out until next week because they might not make it other wise.

Even if he does play ten minutes is all you might get.

The ACC is doing ok up through Friday afternoon. Including the teams in the NIT the league is 5-1 so far. Wake, Florida State and Boston College carry the banner tonight.

I am in four tournament brackets. After Friday afternoons games in the ESPN bracket I am 20-4. That is good for 510,000th place out of all most five million. 90 percentile.

WRAL.com's million dollar game I am also 20-4. The leader in that bracket have got all 24 right.

I am in a local pot where I am playing two different sets of brackets. In one I am 19-5 and in the other brackets I switched up the so called tossup games and am 17-7.

To this point all of my Sweet 16 teams are still alive. If you are a player in any bracket buster game during the NCAA tournament you know that a single upset is ok as long as the team upset is not a team you had pegged for the final eight. If you lose a biggy the first weekend then you are almosted cooked.

My Final Four in three of my four brackets is Carolina, Louisville, Memphis and Florida State. I'm taking a big chance with Florida State but if they make it to the final four I would be in really good shape because all most every one else also has Carolina, Louisville and Memphis.

I heard this morning on the way to work as of last nights game of the five million people who were playing the ESPN brackets 25,000 people were perfect 16-16. There were also four people who were a perfect 0-16.

I don't even think if I tried to miss all of them I could.

North Carolina plays somewhere near 5.30pm Saturday afternoon and Duke will follow near 8.00pm.

I will blog after the Duke games Saturday.

Gryphons Put a Mercy On The Yellow Jackets

There is nothing more embarrassing for a ball player, I don't care what sport it is than for the game to end before it is suppose to because you are getting beat too badly.

This afternoon in front of a full house of Pro Baseball scouts twenty I was told the Rocky Mount Gryphons dispose of Roanoke Rapids 11-1 in five innings.

Nick Hahula the Gryphons starting pitcher was greeted with three hits of the first four batters. The one out was a sac bunt moving a runner to second. The fifth batter walked. Hahula found him self in hot water but allowing only one run in the first Hahula becomes the first Gryphon pitcher to go the distance and pitch a complete game. Hahula gave up one run on three hits walked two and struck out two in his five inning complete game.

Gryphon batters pounded out ten hits including three doubles. Brian Goodwin, Ben Fish and Thomas Berry had two hits each. Collins Cuthrell,Dillon Cockrell,Parker Helms and Cameron Ramsey had singles to aid the parade.

Cuthrell, Fish, and Helms each had two rbi's while Berry, Cockrell,and Ramsey each plated a teammate.

All the scouts were in the house to see Brian Goodwin and he did not disappoint anyone. He beat out am infield single in the first. A clean hit to center his second time up stole two bases. His third trip to the plate he hit to third where the fielder booted the ball and Brian quickly stole second. His final trip was a liner to left field.

In the bottom of the 4th Goodwin showed the scouts his speed in the outfield as he caught a sinking line drive which looked to be heading for an run for the Yellow Jackets but Goodwin yanked it in his glove just before it could hit the ground.

Growing up I had a teacher in school who's name was "Dutch" Overton. Gary Overton who used to be ECU's baseball coach was one of his sons. Dutch was a scout for the Cleveland Indians. Back in My day Jim Hunter was the big high school player that the scouts use to drool over. His brother Pete at the Time Jimmy was in high school was a pitcher for ECU.

Someone asked Dutch one day who was the best pitcher Pete or Jimmy. You know some times things are said that you remember for the rest of your life. "Dutch" said" When scouts go to college games they are looking at several players but when a pro scout goes to a high school game they are there for one reason. There is no doubt Jimmy is better".

I don't have Brians numbers yet on this young season but he hasn't done anything to scare the scouts away. I think you can count on scouts following the Gryphons for the rest of this season.

Gryphons play saturday at Hunt at 2.00pm

I have No Idea

Been trying to find out over the last couple of hours the score of the baseball game today. I did the Girls soccer game at Northern Nash tonight so it was near 9.00pm before I started trying to find score.

All of (my sources) are ignoring me tonight so I have no idea if we played or not. Gryphon baseball team will be in action at 4.30 Thursday at Gryphon stadium against Roanoke Rapids.

I hope I am being ignore because the game wasn't played over getting beat and nobody wants to talk about it.

Tonight for the "Stretchlon Sports Show" I was on the scene at Northern Nash to do play by play of the Northern-Rocky Mount girls soccer game.

Lady Gryphons dominated the ball probably 60 of the 80 minutes of action on the attack but it took a Kelsey Benson one on one move with 1.21 to play for the Lady Gryphons to get the final lead and win 2-1,

Tonight was the opening of conference play so the Lady Gryphons are off to an excellent start. The overall record is now 4-1 and they have allowed only two goals all year.

Good crowd at the game. It wouldn't matter whether it was checkers if Northern and Rocky Mount play anything a crowd will show up.

The Wachovia Cup after the winter sports have been added to the fall standing and Rocky Mount falls six points behind Fike. With the excellent winter that Nash Central had they have moved past Rocky Mount into second place in the conference standings.

Carolina gets the NCAA tournament going at 2.25 pm Thursday afternoon in Greensboro. According to Roy Williams today it looks like they will try to get by the first round without Ty Lawson's big toe.

Duke plays the late game in Greensboro tomorrow night.

Good start by the ACC in the NIT. Both Virginia Tech and Miami win. Miami went to Big East country and beat Providence in their gym by ten. A really good win for the Hurricanes.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, those hockey Canes beat New Jersey tonight in Raleigh and now have a hold of eighth place in the standings by three points. The Canes have seven of their remaining games at home. It think they are going to make the playoffs this year. They Have won six in a row at home.

Bobcats are hot they win again tonight. I wish someone around here carried their games on TV. I really don't care that much for the NBA but if Tim Duncan or in Charlotte's case trying to make the playoffs I would like to see them over the next three weeks.

22 Days of Basketball

The NIT is underway and the first game on the schedule Davidson knocks off South Carolina to start 22 straight days of Basketball.

Yes, between now and April seventh there will either be men's or women's basketball on TV every night.

What does it say about the Southeastern conference that a ten conference win team in South Carolina is handled rather easily by Davidson at South Carolina. Curry made his points but at the last count I saw had seven turnovers and yet they handle South Carolina.

In case you haven't already heard Gryphon baseball was postponed until Wednesday at 5.00pm at South Granville, wet grounds.

This means that the Gryphons have two straight days of ball as they have a home game scheduled for Thursday against Roanoke Rapids.

It's the stretch run for the Carolina Hurricanes as they have ten games to play and are in a fight for a playoff spot. Unlike last year where they had a playoff position until the last day, this year they have been just out of the playoff picture but have played rather well lately. They hold down the last playoff spot but by only a single point over two teams.

The round ball Charlotte Bobcats are a scant one game out of the playoffs. If they pull it off it will be the first for the Bobcats. They have 14 games to play and are breathing down the neck of two teams for eighth spot while two teams are nudging at their heels.

Rumors are floating that New England wants Julius Peppers from Carolina for a second round pick. If I understand the Franchise player rule the only way they can get him from Carolina is for two 1st round draft picks.

Tonight I will leave you with a stat that you probably didn't know. Dick Vitale joined ESPN in 1980 and there is no telling how many games he has done for ESPN, but did you know he has never done an NCAA tournament game.

CBS and Billy Packer have had control of the NCAA tournament since 1978. I know a lot of you folks hated Billy Packer but I think he is the best color basketball analyst of all time.

Packer not only did the ACC games back in the 70's but he became the executive producer for CBS coverage of basketball and you can thank him for the rivalry games that are now part of college basketball.

I really miss him on the games. I really like Mike Gminski now that Packer is gone.

Bracket Time

Well let's see, so Far I'm trying to win the million on WRAL.com. After this posting I will be going on line to ESPN and before Wednesday night I will be in about ten college bracket games.

The #1 seeds the Big East gets three. Does anybody remember why the ACC was formed? The Southern Conference was so big that seven schools formed the ACC. The BiG East their top three teams did not all play each other. So then how can you tell whether the best are the best or just the luck of the scheduling?

My Final four: Carolina if Lawson stays healthy they win it all. Louisville, If you go back and look at one of my blogs in late Febuary I said then Louisville was the best in the BIG East. Memphis, I have tried not to let them make it to the final four but who can beat them. Florida State, there is something about this team I like even though I am not crazy about Leonard Hamilton. He is a Lefty Drizell. Great recruiter but somebody else needs to sit on the bench while the game is going on.

I'm taking Carolina over Louisville in the championship game 81-78.

I think the new Ryan Leif in pro football is Jay Cutler. Where in the world does he come off telling Denver what he wants. I think they are 17-20 since he has been their quarterback. Need to ship him to Detroit where we will never hear from him again.

Rumors abound that Julius Peppers is on his way to the Patriots. How do the Patriots keep coming up with all these good players?

If the rain stops the Rocky Mount Gryphons will try to play baseball at South Granville at 5.00pm Tuesday.

Tuesday night I will be at Northern Nash doing the Girls soccer game between Northern and Rocky Mount forthe Stretchlon Sports Show.

Last year after the first afternoon session of the NCAA tournament I was 8-0. There is something about going on line and when I pulled up my score on ESPN tournament bracket I was #1 through eight games. Unfortunately there was a night session. I finished in the 200,000 range out of 3.9 million last year in the ESPN bracket.

Big Four Continues Domination

Duke won it's 17th ACC basketball tournament championship tying North Carolina who also has 17. North Carolina State who hasn't won the tournament in twenty years has ten championships and Wake Forest has won four. Wake has won more than any other ACC school has outside of North Carolina.

That's 48 of 56 winners have come from the big four.

I thought Florida State would give Duke a run for their money today but Duke had too much coaching.

There is one trend in college basketball in which I do not like which will not change as long as the 3 point line remains. Coming out of time outs the passing the ball around the three point line and taking a three point shot. Maryland shot one yesterday without the ball hitting the floor following a time out.

Today FSU did make three passes out side the 3 point line before they fired up. I could understand it if the time clock was running down but right out of a time out I hope the coaches wanted something besides that or they wasted their time outs.

Carolina gets a #1 seed and will play in Greensboro. They will be joined by Duke and both will play Thursday. Games time will be announced Monday afternoon.

I bet Carolina will play the noon game and Duke the 7.00pm game.

Back in 1988 when the Dean Dome hosted the opening round for the first time I went to that weekend of games in Chapel Hill. It was a Thursday Saturday deal.

I don't remember who all eight teams were but at Thursday There was a 12.00 noon game and then the next game was Syracuse and Rhode Island and the Rhodies upset Derrick Coleman and Syracuse.

Between games we walk over to the baseball stadium where Bobby Richardson and South Carolina were playing the Heels. The game was like in the fourth inning and we stayed until the completion, then went back to the Dean Dome and saw a 7.00pm game and Duke played at 9.30

That Friday morning we went and played golf in Raleigh in the morning and then Friday afternoon went to the Doak to see N C State play Georgia Tech in baseball. I remember there was a play in that game (one of those you see something new every time you go to a game deal)

State had a left handed pitcher and Georgia Tech had a left handed batter The pitcher sails one behind the Georgia Tech batter who ducks. However he left his bat sticking up and the ball hit his bat rolled toward the area where coaches hit grounders to infielders while taking batting practice and spun back and stopped right on the 1st base line, this all the time happening while the batter is getting up off the ground in the batters box.

Saturday we were back to the Dean Dome where Duke won the second game that day on their way to the final four with Danny Ferry.

Tomorrow we will look at the brackets.