Wrapping up the ACC Basketball Season

James Gober, a Duke fan and Atlanta resident, sends out ACC Basketball Reports throughout the college basketball season. These reports are extremely well researched, extremely informative, and at times includes some good laughs with the analysis. In order to wrap up the 2009-2010 ACC Basketball season James's latest report included final power rankings for the season, a look at departing and returning players for each ACC team, and a look at the recruiting efforts and rankings of those recruits for each team as well.

This report is pretty exhaustive but is loaded with good information, I'd advise reading it throughout the day and not taking it to the porcelain god for fear of health complications. If there's one thing that is pretty apparent throughout this report it's that Duke better enjoy the spoils of 2010 while it lasts because North Carolina is going to be really good, really soon. Enjoy!

"The ACC 2009-2010 Season Final Basketball Report contains an early look at how the rosters of the 12 ACC teams will change for next season and this reporter gives a very early prediction for ACC teams in the text below.  For each team, you can see which players are departing seniors or transfers who have left and which players are likely to leave early for the NBA Draft.  Also, you can see the new players who will be added for next season, with the ESPN rating for incoming players next to their names in addition to the usual RSCI and Prep Stars rankings.  Players who rate 96 or higher are great prospects in the ESPN ratings, 93-95 is very good, and 90 or above is solid.  (Note* ESPN ratings are not as accurate as RSCI and Prep Stars generally).

Before previewing next season, however, this neutral reporter must applaud the 2010 National Champion Duke Blue Devils.  Not only did Duke win the championship game by easily outscoring the Butler Bulldogs in both halves of the championship game, but the Devils managed to keep the TV audience riveted to their sets so that Duke haters everywhere were given the false illusion that the Devils actually might lose the game.  According to a national study, Duke is the most hated and most loved college basketball team in America.  That fact may surprise ACC fans, since they all love Duke.  In any event, the ACC now has 2 of the top 5 teams in terms of total NCAA Basketball Championships, as shown at the end of the attached Report, and 2 consecutive National Champions.  Also, the ACC rebounded from a relatively poor showing last season to finish with as many NCAA Tournament wins as any conference, including the overloaded and overrated Big Least.

With the 2010 championship, the ACC has claimed 5 of the past 10 national championships and 8 of the past 20.  By comparison, the SEC has 2 in 10 and 5 in 20, the Big East has 2 in 10 and 3 in 20, the Pac 10 has 0 in 10 and 2 in 20 (having last won in 1997), the Big 12 has 1 in 10 and 1 in 20, and the Big 10 has 0 in 10 and 1 in 20 (having won in 2000).  It was 21 years ago that a team not from one of these 6 power conferences won the championship, that team being UNLV.  UNLV defeated Duke in 1990 only to be gutted by the Devils in the Final Four the following year.  Duke has 4 national championships in the past 20 years, UNC has 3, and Maryland has 1.  Duke and UNC set the standard for the ACC, but Maryland in 2002 and other teams during the past 20 season who figured how to compete with Duke and UNC built teams that could compete with anyone.  Duke and UNC will be the measuring stick next season, and several other ACC teams may do what Maryland did this season and rise to the top of the ACC.  The supposedly weak but very competitive ACC will be stronger next season, and this reporter has rejected offers from other conferences such as the Big South, Atlantic Sun, and Big Least to switch his allegiance and write about their conferences instead of the ACC.  Now way!   

The prospects for the ACC and many of its teams will depend greatly on which players enter the 2010 NBA Draft through the Early Entry process, which has been changed dramatically for the better this year.  Players must declare by April 25, but they must remove their names from the Early Entry list by May 8 or they will lose their collegiate eligibility and not be able to return even if they withdraw from the NBA Draft later for some reason.  Several players who have not declared officially for Early Entry status yet are listed as departed players on the attached Report because they are more likely than not to go pro.  Besides the issue of who will leave, it is not settled as to which spring recruiting season players will be added to ACC rosters during April and May.  Also, there always are transfers over the summer for some ACC teams.  Thus, the label "early look" perhaps should be changed to "very early look."

The final Sagarin ratings and rankings give a good idea of where each ACC team ranked nationally as of the end of this season.  The final ACC standings reflect the ability of teams to win on the road and to protect their home courts and are the starting point along with Sagarin for predicting how next season will go.  Overall, you can expect the ACC to have a better shot at having Top 25 ranked teams nationally.

Duke will remain among the Top 10 teams nationally and will be among the Final Four contenders if Kyle Singler returns.  The player losses are great, but so is the incoming talent.  Kyrie Irving is a terrific point guard and Seth Curry will score the ball.  Maryland lost the players that were its heart and soul, including ACC POY Greivis Vasquez.  Even so, the Terps have a solid nucleus of experienced players returning and some good player additions who will not let the team fall in the ACC rankings as far as some may expect from its finish in a tie for the top spot in the ACC standings.  If Solomon Alabi returns, FSU will have as much talent overall as any ACC team and will be a solid Top 20 team.  The player additions by the Noles are as good as any in the conference, and the team size only gets bigger unless Alabi departs.  The Hokies could be a national Top 25 team if Malcolm Delaney withdraws from the NBA Draft, but they will be very good even if he does not return.  The Noles can be expected to pass the Terps in the standings, and the Hokies will have an experienced team that will be able to challenge the Terps.

Wake and Clemson may be headed down a few places in the standings.  The Deacs lost a lot of their core players, but they have a very solid recruiting class that will arrive to provide some help.  The Tigers lost Trevor Booker and several other key players and have only one recruit to join the returning players.  If they lose their Coach, they may drop more than otherwise expected.  Both the Deacs and Tigers will be good, but they may a step behind the teams that finished in the top third of the ACC this season.  Georgia Tech may lose most of its talent, but the Jackets almost always play their best when they are underrated and worst when they are supposed to be at their best.  The Jackets will be good, but they will not be good enough to compete for a finish among the top 4 ACC teams.  If Al Skinner had not departed, BC might be a pick to move into the top level of the ACC standings.  All of the starters return for a team that underachieved this season.  The Eagles may have enough talent and experience to rise into the top third of the ACC next season, but it depends on who their new coach will be.

The Hoos have a large number of promising recruits, but Virginia is the pick to drop to the bottom of the ACC before it begins to establish its new identity under Coach Bennett.  The departure of its best player, Sylven Landesberg, for the NBA Draft really brings the Hoos down.  UNC has 3 more great recruits to add to its current roster of great recruits, but the news for the Tar Heels is much, much better than any pessimistic fans may expect for next season.  Harrison Barnes is a Grant Hill type player (which is a huge compliment), Reggie Bullock is a great shooter and scorer (not to be confused with the current quality of UNC shooter and scorer), and Kendall Marshall will provide solid point guard play regardless of whether he replaces Larry Drew as the Heels' starter.  Unless the inexplicable happens again, the Heels will be a national Top 10 team (as your reporter predicted for this season) and compete for a place in the Final Four (as your reporter also predicted).  State adds 2 great guards of a much higher caliber than its other recent recruits and will improve to the point that the Pack can be expected to challenge for a place in the middle of the conference instead of the bottom.  Finally, the Canes emerged as the team of Durand Scott at the end of the season, and they also will compete for a place in the middle of the conference.

Predicted Finish: (1) Duke, (2) UNC, (3) FSU, (4) VA Tech, (5) Maryland, (6) BC, (7) Miami, (8) GA Tech, (9) State, (10) Wake, (11) Clemson, and (12) Virginia.  Picking the top 2 is easy, but 3 through 6 and 7 through 11 are tough.  Until next season.

Hoopfully yours, Verbal Kent (from "The Usual Suspects"): "The greatest trick the Devils ever pulled was convincing the world they might not win. And like that... Duke wins it all and becomes the 2010 NCAA Basketball National Champion." 

ACC BASKETBALL FINAL STANDINGS – 2009-2010 SEASON

Conference and Overall Records, National Rankings in ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll or Associated Press, and ACC Road Wins, Home Losses

                             Conference  Overall

                             W       L        W       L        Road Wins  Home Losses       

Duke #3                13      3        35      5        CU BC MI

                                                                               VA NC

Maryland #20                 13      3        24      9        FS VT BC

                                                                               NS VA

FSU                        10      6        22      10      GT VA BC     NS CU MD

                                                                                    NC MI

VA Tech                10      6        25      9        GT VA NS     MD

Wake                    9        7        20      11      VA NC                   NC

Clemson                9        7        21      11      FS NS          DU

GA Tech                 7        9        23      13      NC               FS VT

BC                         6        10      15      16      MI               FS MD DU

Virginia                5        11      14      13      NC NS                   WF VT FS MD DU

UNC                      5        11      20      17      WF NS                   VA GT WF FS DU

NC State               5        11      20      16      FS MI           NC VA CU VT MD

Miami                             4        12      20      13                         NS BC FS DU

SAGARIN’S PREDICTOR POWER RATINGS AND NATIONAL RANKINGS

Through End of Season

                        Power Rating                  National Power Ranking

Duke           96.02                             1

Maryland     88.31                             11

Clemson      87.02                             18

FSU             85.63                             28

Georgia Tech         85.57                             29

Virginia Tech         83.26                             43

Miami                   82.78                             50

Wake          82.27                              55

UNC             81.98                             59

BC               80.54                             65

NC State      79.77                             74

Virginia       79.71                             76

2010-2011 ROSTERS AND STATS

PLAYERS RANKED ON ROSTERS BASED UPON COMBINATION OF AVERAGE MINUTES PLAYED AND POTENTIAL FOR NEXT SEASON

1.

#7 DUKE (13-3) (35-5)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Nolan Smith               Sr         6-2                   17.4    8.4       5.9                   19        McD

Kyrie Irving                 Fr         6-1                                                                   4          McD

Seth Curry                   So/TR 6-1                               20.2                            *200+

Miles Plumlee            Jr         6-10                5.2       1.8                               81

Mason Plumlee         So        6-10                3.7                                           18        McD

Andre Dawkins          So        6-4                   4.4                                           *14

Ryan Kelly                  So        6-10                1.2                                           14        McD

Josh Hairston             Fr         6-8                                                                   27

Tyler Thornton           Fr         6-1                                                                   *86

Carrick Felix               So/JC  6-6                                                                   NR

Steve Johnson           Sr/RS  6-5                   0.4       0.5                   0.0       NR

Casey Peters              Sr         6-4                   0.0                                           NR

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Kyrie Irving 97            Fr         6-1                                                                   4          McD

Seth Curry 87             So/TR 6-1                   20.2    (Liberty transfer)        *200+

Josh Hairston 96       Fr         6-8                                                                   27

Tyler Thornton 92      Fr         6-1                                                                   *86

Carrick Felix 92          So/JC  6-6                                                                   NR

Players Lost                    Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Jon Scheyer                Sr         6-5       18.2    14.9    11.7    12.2                28        McD

Kyle Singler                Jr         6-8       17.7    16.5    13.3                            5          McD

Lance Thomas           Sr         6-8       4.8       5.3       4.3       4.0                   20        McD

Brian Zoubek             Sr         7-1       5.6       4.1       3.8       3.1                   25

Olek Czyz                    So        6-7       2.5       0.6                                           66

Jordan Davidson       Gr/RS  6-1       0.4                   0.3       0.0       0.3       NR

2.

MARYLAND (13-3) (24-9)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Sean Mosley              Jr         6-4                   10.1    5.3                               50

Jordan Williams        So        6-10                9.6                                           *109

Adrian Bowie             Sr         6-2                   4.8       9.0       3.7                   *107

Cliff Tucker                 Sr         6-6                   5.7       4.5       4.1                   *120

Dino Gregory              Sr         6-7                   4.2       2.6       0.9                   *146

Mychal Parker           Fr         6-6                                                                   48

James Padgett           So        6-8                   3.0                                           *148

Terrell Stoglin             Fr         6-0                                                                   *105

Pe’Shon Howard       Fr         6-2                                                                   *115

Ashton Pankey          Fr         6-8                                                                   *161

Haukur Palsson         Fr         6-6                                                                   NR      

David Pearman         Sr         6-6                   0.6       0.0       0.0                   NR

Ersin Levent               Jr         6-7                   0.5                                           NR

Steve Goins                Jr         6-10                1.0       0.5                               *300+

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Mychal Parker 95      Fr         6-6                                                                   48

Terrell Stoglin 93       Fr         6-0                                                                   *105

Pe’Shon Howard 92  Fr         6-2                                                                   *115

Ashton Pankey 91    Fr         6-8                                                                   *161

Haukur Palsson 89   Fr         6-6                                                                   NR      

Players Lost                   Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Greivis Vasquez         Sr         6-6       19.6    17.5    17.0    9.8                   93

Eric Hayes                   Sr         6-4       11.3    10.3    9.9       4.8                   *111

Landon Milbourne    Sr         6-7       12.7    11.4    8.2       1.0                   *113

Jin Soo Choi               So        6-8       0.8       1.6                                           81

3.

FLORIDA STATE (10-6) (22-10)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Chris Singleton          Jr         6-9       10.2    8.1                                           23        McD

Michael Snaer            So        6-5       8.8                                                       17        McD

Derwin Kitchen          Sr/JC   6-4       8.1       7.9                   0.0                   63

Deividas Dulkys         Jr         6-5       8.7       3.6                                           *114

Luke Loucks              Jr         6-5       4.4       3.1                                           *94

Xavier Gibson             Jr         6-11    5.5       2.3                                           56

Okaro White               Fr         6-8                                                                   38

Jon Kreft                     Jr/JC    7-0                                                                   51

Ian Miller                    Fr         6-2                                                                   66

Bernard James          Jr/JC    6-9                                                                   NR

Terrance Shannon     So        6-8       1.7                                                      *96

Pierre Jordan             So/RS 6-0       1.3       1.0                                           *300+

Joey Moreau              So        6-2       1.3                                                       NR

Andrew Rutledge       Sr         6-6       0.4                                                       NR

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Okaro White 95         Fr         6-8                                                                   38

Jon Kreft 95               Jr/JC    7-0                                                                   51

Ian Miller 95               Fr         6-2                                                                   66

Bernard James 94     Jr/JC    6-9                                                                   NR

Players Lost                    Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Solomon Alabi          Jr/RS   7-1       11.7    8.4       3.9                               27

Ryan Reid                   Sr         6-8       6.8       4.9       5.6       2.9                   *156

Jordan Demercy        Jr         6-7       3.7       3.1       1.4                               *199

AJ Yawn                      Sr         6-0       0.0                                                       NR

3.

VIRGINIA TECH (10-6) (25-9)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Dorenzo Hudson       Sr         6-5                   15.2    4.6       3.5                   67

Jeff Allen                    Sr         6-7                   12.0    13.7    11.8                82

Terrell Bell                  Sr         6-6                   6.1       2.3       1.8                   *111

Victor Davila              Jr         6-8                   5.3       3.1                               *96

J.T. Thompson           Sr         6-6                   7.3       6.5       5.6                   80

Allan Chaney             So/TR 6-9                               3.0                               76

Erick Green                 So        6-4                   2.6                                           *125

Jarell Eddie                Fr         6-6                                                                   82

Ben Boggs                  So        6-4                   2.2                                           *118

Manny Atkins                        So        6-7                   2.2                                           *105

Cadarian Raines        So        6-9                   1.5                                           95

Tyrone Garland          Fr         6-1                                                                   *100

Gene Swindle             So/RS 6-11                0.0       0.0                               *300+

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Allan Chaney 95        So/TR 6-9                   3.0       (Florida transfer)       76

Jarell Eddie    92        Fr         6-6                                                                   82

Tyrone Garland 91    Fr         6-1                                                                   *100

Gene Swindle 40        So/RS 6-11    0.0       0.0       (knee injury)               *300+

Players Lost                   Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Malcolm Delaney      Jr         6-3       20.2    18.1    9.6                               77

Lewis Witcher             Sr         6-9       0.8       2.0       2.7       2.9                   *162

Paul Debnam                        Sr         6-3       1.4       0.8       1.1                               NR

5.

WAKE FOREST (9-7) (20-11)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

CJ Harris                     So        6-2                   9.9                                           *200+

Ari Stewart                 So        6-7                   7.3                                           39

Tony Woods               Jr         6-11                4.6       3.2                               41

Travis McKie               Fr         6-6                                                                   40

JT Terrell                     Fr         6-6                                                                   63

Gary Clark                  Sr         6-4                   3.2       2.5       2.6                   *90

Ty Walker                   Jr         7-0                   2.1       0.9                               37

Carson Desrosiers     Fr         6-10                                                                72

Melvin Tabb               Fr         6-8                                                                   81

Tony Chennault         Fr         6-2                                                                   *107

Brooks Godwin          Jr         6-5                   0.0       0.0                               NR

Aaron Ingle                Jr         6-0                   0.0                                           NR

Ryan Keenan             Jr         6-4                   0.0                                           NR

Denmore McDermott Sr       6-5                   0.0                                           NR

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Travis McKie 94         Fr         6-6                                                                   40

JT Terrell 95                Fr         6-6                                                                   63

Carson Desrosiers 94Fr         6-10                                                                72

Melvin Tabb   94        Fr         6-8                                                                   81

Tony Chennault 90    Fr         6-2                                                                   *107

Players Lost                   Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Ishmael Smith           Sr         6-0       13.2    6.2       8.6       8.7                   *89

Al-Farouq Aminu       So        6-9       15.8    12.9                                        7          McD

L.D. Williams             Sr         6-4       8.7       8.0       8.9       8.2                   *90

Chas McFarland        Sr         7-0       7.2       8.7       8.4       0.7                   *224

David Weaver                        Sr/RS  6-11    2.6       2.1       2.7       2.5                   73

Konner Tucker           So/JC  6-4       2.2                                                       *200+

Kyle Fowler                 Sr         6-2       0.0                                                       NR

Phaethon Bolton       Sr         5-8       0.0                                                       NR

5.

CLEMSON (9-7) (21-11)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Demontez Stitt          Sr         6-2                   11.4    8.7       8.8                   *81

Andre Young              Jr         5-9                   9.2       4.4                               *83

Tanner Smith             Jr         6-5                   8.7       3.6                               *152

Jerai Grant                  Sr         6-8                   7.2       4.7       2.1                   *158

Noel Johnson             So        6-6                   4.8                                           42

Devin Booker             So        6-8                   4.5                                           86

Milton Jennings         So        6-9                   3.3                                           21        McD

Marcus Thornton       Fr         6-7                                                                   *110

Bryan Narcisse           Jr         6-6                   1.9       1.5                               *200+

Donte Hill                   So        6-4                   1.4                                           *190

Catalin Baciu             Jr         7-2                   1.3       2.0                               65

Zavier Anderson        Sr         5-9                   0.4       0.3       0.3                   NR

Jonah Baize               Sr         6-6                   3.0       0.0       0.0                   NR

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Marcus Thornton 92 Fr         6-7                   (Westlake HS – Atlanta)       *110

Players Lost                   Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Trevor Booker                        Sr         6-7       15.2    15.3    11.0    10.4                *161

David Potter               Sr         6-6       7.0       4.9       4.8       2.5                   *138

Karolis Petrukonis    Sr         6-11    1.0       0.3       0.5       0.8                   *190

7.

GEORGIA TECH (7-9) (23-13)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Iman Shumpert         Jr         6-5                   10.0    10.6                            22        McD

Glen Rice                    So        6-5                   5.4                                           91

Brian Oliver                So        6-6                   7.1                                           *137

Moe Miller                  Sr         6-2                   3.9       5.8       8.1                   88

Mfon Udofia               So        6-2                   5.9                                           34

Jason Morris              Fr         6-4                                                                   62

Kammeon Holsey      Fr/RS  6-8                                                                  78

Lance Storrs               Sr         6-5                   2.8       4.1       1.0                   *98

Daniel Miller              Fr/RS  6-11                                                                *200+

Nick Foreman                        Jr         6-3                   1.5       1.7                               NR

Sam Shew                  Sr         6-5                   0.7       0.0                               NR

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Jason Morris  94        Fr         6-4                                                                   62

Kammeon Holsey 92            Fr/RS  6-8                   (Hancock Central HS – GA) 78

Daniel Miller 91         Fr/RS  6-11                                                                *200+

Players Lost                   Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Derrick Favors            Fr         6-10                12.4                                        1          McD

Gani Lawal                 Jr         6-9       13.1    15.1    7.2                               18        McD

Zachery Peacock       Sr         6-8       8.6       9.2       9.9       5.5                   *156

D’Andre Bell               Sr/RS  6-6       6.1                   6.6       1.4       3.9       *104

Brad Sheehan            Jr/RS   7-0       1.3       2.1       0.9                               *171

8.

BOSTON COLLEGE (6-10) (15-16)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Joe Trapani                Sr/TR  6-8                   14.1    13.4                11.4    NR

Reggie Jackson          Jr         6-3                   12.9    7.0                               *116

Rakim Sanders          Sr         6-5                   11.3    12.9    11.3                69

Corey Raji                   Sr         6-6                   11.4    9.9       8.3                   *93

Biko Paris                  Sr         6-1                   4.8       3.4       5.7                   *179

Josh Southern            Sr         6-10                4.4       6.0       5.7                   *155

Dallas Elmore                        Jr         6-5                   3.9       2.7                               *125

Cortney Dunn             Sr         6-8                   0.9       0.9       1.7                   *251  

Evan Ravenel             Jr         6-8                   3.3       2.0                               *200+

Kevin Noreen                         Fr         6-9                                                                   *119

Brady Heslip               Fr         6-2                                                                   *149

Papa Samba Ndao   Fr         6-8                                                                   *200+

Peter Rehnquist         Jr         6-4                   1.0                                           NR

Nick Mosakowski      Sr         6-1                   0.5       0.0                               NR

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Kevin Noreen             92        Fr         6-9                                                       *119

Brady Heslip 91         Fr         6-2                                                       *149

Papa Samba Ndao 89 Fr     6-8                                                       *200+

Players Lost                   Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Tyler Roche                Sr         6-7       7.2       3.5       3.8       1.7                   *182

9.

VIRGINIA (5-11) (15-16)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Mike Scott                  Sr         6-8       12.0    10.3    5.7                               *82

Sammy Zeglinski      Jr/RS   6-0       8.9       7.8       0.9                               *216

Mustapha Farrakhan Sr       6-4       6.5       4.3       0.9                               *134

Jeff Jones                   Sr         6-4       7.3       6.5       4.8                               68

James Johnson          Fr         6-9                                                                   52

Jontel Evans               So        5-11    2.4                                                       *136

KT Harrell                   Fr         6-4                                                                   71

Will Sherrill                 Sr         6-9       3.0       0.1       1.0                               NR

Assane Sene              Jr         7-0       1.6       2.5                                           *185

Will Regan                  Fr         6-8                                                                   *92

Joe Harris                   Fr         6-5                                                                   *137

Akil Mitchell               Fr         6-6                                                                   *177

Billy Baron                 Fr         6-1                                                                   *200+

Thomas Kody                        So        6-3       0.0                                                       NR

Doug Browman         So        5-11    0.0                                                       NR

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

James Johnson 94    Fr         6-9                                                                   52

KT Harrell 94              Fr         6-4                                                                   71

Will Regan      86        Fr         6-8                                                                   *92

Joe Harris 90              Fr         6-5                                                                   *137

Akil Mitchell 90         Fr         6-6                                                                   *177

Billy Baron 88            Fr         6-1                                                                   *200+

Players Lost                    Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Sylven Landesberg    So        6-6       17.3    16.6                                        33        McD

Jerome Meyinsse       Sr         6-9       6.5       1.7       1.9       1.1                   *300+

Calvin Baker              Sr/TR  6-2       3.0       8.4       8.6                   11.6    *184

Tristan Spurlock        Fr         6-8       2.4                                                       67

Solomon Tat              Sr         6-5       1.4       0.6       2.3       2.0                   92

Tom Jonke                 Sr         6-0       0.0                                                       NR

Jamil Tucker              Sr         6-9       0.0       7.4       5.2       3.4                   66

9.

NORTH CAROLINA (5-11) (20-17)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Harrison Barnes         Fr         6-6                                                                   1          McD

Larry Drew                  Jr         6-2                   8.5       1.4                               44        McD

Tyler Zeller                  Jr         7-0                   9.3       3.1                               18        McD

Will Graves                 Sr/RS  6-6                   9.8       4.0       2.2                   79

Dexter Strickland       So        6-3                   5.4                                           24        McD

John Henson              So        6-10                5.7                                           5          McD

Reggie Bullock           Fr         6-6                                                                   10        McD

Kendall Marshall       Fr         6-3                                                                   19        McD

David Wear                So        6-10                2.9                                           37        McD

Leslie McDonald        So        6-4                   3.4                                           44

Travis Wear                So        6-10                3.5                                           38        McD

Justin Watts               Jr         6-4                   1.7       0.7                               *300+

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Harrison Barnes 98   Fr         6-6                                                                   1          McD

Reggie Bullock 96     Fr         6-6                                                                   10        McD

Kendall Marshall  95            Fr         6-3                                                                   19        McD

Players Lost                   Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Ed Davis                     So        6-10                13.4    6.7                               9          McD

Marcus Ginyard         Sr/RS  6-5       7.7       1.3       6.9       4.1       6.3       29

Deon Thompson       Sr         6-9       13.7    10.6    8.4       4.7                   43

Marc Campbell          Sr/TR  6-0       0.3       0.2       0.4                   1.9       NR

Thomas Thornton     Sr         6-3       0.5                                                       NR

James Gallagher        Sr         6-4       0.0                                                       NR

Terrence Petree          Sr         6-1       0.5                                                       NR

9.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE (5-11) (20-16)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Tracy Smith                Sr         6-8                   16.5    10.0    3.3                   63

Scott Wood                So        6-7                   7.8                                           *76

Javier Gonzalez          Sr         6-0                   9.5       6.6       3.8                   *143

Ryan Harrow 95        Fr         5-11                                                                23

Lorenzo Brown 95     Fr         6-5                                                                   26

Richard Howell          So        6-8                   4.9                                           60

CJ Williams                Jr         6-6                   4.3       3.7                               *169

Julius Mays                Jr         6-3                   4.6       4.7                               *110

Josh Davis                  So        6-7                   2.6                                           *300+

Jordan Vandenberg   So        7-1                   1.0                                           *200+

DeShawn Painter      So        6-9                   1.6                                           80

Johnny Thomas         Jr/RS   6-6                   0.8       2.1                               *154

Kendall Smith            Jr         6-8                   0.5                                           NR

Enrico Kufuor             Sr         6-1                   0.4       0.5                               NR

Kaycee Obi-Gwacham Sr      6-6                   0.0       0.0                               NR

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Ryan Harrow 95        Fr         5-11               (Walton HS – Marietta)         23

Lorenzo Brown 95     Fr         6-5                   (Centennial HS – Roswell)    26

                                                                        2009 Parade A-A – 4^th Team)

Players Lost                   Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Dennis Horner            Sr         6-9       11.9    6.4       3.2       4.6                   *176

Farnold Degand        Sr/TR  6-4       5.5       4.7       6.9                               *300+

12.

MIAMI (4-12) (20-13)

Player Roster                  Yr      Ht      10-11 09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 Recruit Rank

Durand Scott             So        6-3                   10.3                                        33

Malcolm Grant           Jr/TR   6-1                   9.6                   5.6                   *96

Reggie Johnson         So/RS 6-10                6.4                                           *107

Garrius Adams           So        6-6                   3.8                                           *131

DeQuan Jones           Jr         6-6                   5.7       2.7                               21

Rion Brown                Fr         6-5                                                                   54

Julian Gamble           Jr/RS   6-9                   3.5       2.4                               *175

Donnavan Kirk          Fr/RS  6-9                   2.5                                           89

Antoine Allen             So        6-1                   2.9                                           *200+

Eric Swoope               Fr         6-5                                                                   *200+

Raphael Akpejiori     Fr         6-9                                                                   *200+

Ryan Quigtar              Jr         5-11    1.0       0.0                                           NR

Players Added      Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

Rion Brown 91           Fr         6-5                   (Liberty County HS – GA)      54

Donnavan Kirk 91     Fr/ RS 6-9       2.5                                                       89

Raphael Akpejiori 89Fr        6-9                                                                   *200+

Eric Swoope 91          Fr         6-5                                                                   *200+

Players Lost                   Yr      Ht      09-10 08-09 07-08 06-07 05-06 Recruit Rank

James Dews               Sr         6-4       11.5    8.2       9.0       3.1                   *98

Dwayne Collins          Sr         6-8       12.0    10.6    8.6       8.6                   *87

Adrian Thomas          Sr/RS  6-7       7.3       5.1       4.5       0.5       1.1       93

Cyrus McGowan         Sr/TR  6-9       3.2       4.9                   0.6       0.9       84

2010 NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

(Records through Games of April 5, 2010)

Number of Conference Teams Selected This Year in ( ) After Conference Initials

2010 NCAA Tournament Won-Lost Records for Each Conference in ( )

Conferences with at least 1 NCAA Tournament Win

Conference            Won   Lost            

ACC (6)                 9        5

B10 (5)                 9        5

B12 (7)                 9        7

BEC (8)                 8        8

SEC (4)                 6        4

HOR (1)                 5        1

WCC (2)                3        2

P10 (2)                 3        2

A10 (3)                 2        3

MVC (1)                 2        1

IVY (1)                  2        1

MWC (4)                2        4

CAA (1)                 1        1

OVC (1)                 1        1

MAC (1)                1        1

ALL-TIME NCAA TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Teams with 3 or more NCAA Championships)

Team                    NCAA Championships             

UCLA                     11

Kentucky              7

North Carolina      5

Indiana                 5
Duke                     4
Kansas                 3

Ten Things JJ Thinks He Thinks

1. Football Thoughts

a. No Georgia thoughts as it was a mostly quiet week in Athens. I am interested in the taxi cab story which we will get more details later today.
b. Their was one news item in that Montez Robinson a defensive end, was arrested again Saturday night for simple battery. It's his third arrest, and he's now longer with the team. I'm all for second chances, but not third chances.
c. There was a big trade last night and it will totally change the NFL schedule which was scheduled to be released in the next few weeks. With McNabb going down I-95 to become a Redskin makes the NFC East that much more interesting and Redskins-Eagles games this Fall just became primetime match-ups.
d. When Mike Shanahan became John Elway's head coach, Elway was 34 with rep for not winning big one. McNabb is 33 with same reputation.
e. Furthermore, Eagles stay true to philosophy... they don't like to commit big money to over-30 players.
f. I have also heard the Eagles wanted to do right by McNabb enough so that they agreed to trade him in the division rather than to the Oakland Raiders.
g. With Larry Johnson, Willie Parker & McNabb, Redskins are clear favorites to win 2006 NFC East. The only problem is that it is 2010 but who knows?

2. Final Four Thoughts

a. After Eagles and Tigers, Bulldogs is 3rd most popular college nickname. But no Bulldogs have ever won NCAA basketball title.
b. By going to the title game, Butler has made $6.6M for Horizon league -- paid over next 6 years.
c. Last year, Duke spent $394,068 per PLAYER. Butler spent $347,108 on player expenses for the ENTIRE TEAM.
d. With the above stat how many preachers in Indiana changed their Easter message to a David versus Goliath sermon?
e. Butler was the fourth team in NCAA tournament history to hold its first five opponents under 60 points.
f. The other three include Nova in 1985 who won the National Championship. Georgetown in 1985 who lost to Nova in the championship game and Virginia who lost in the final four in 1984.
g. One thing that surprised me in the Butler-Michigan State game was the ability of the Butler Bulldogs to force turnovers and convert them into points. Butler won the turnover battle 16-8 and outscored Michigan State 20-2 off of turnovers. One way Butler capitalized on Michigan State's turnovers was by getting out in transition -- 12 of Butler's 15 transition points came off of turnovers.
h. It was a bad night for West Virginia's defense to let them down against the Dukies.
i. Going into the game Saturday night West Virginia had allowed on average 57.8 points and 33.8% field goal percentage. In the first four games opponents had made only 17 three pointers while holding opponents to 20.5 shooting % from long range.
j. This was not the case Saturday night as the Dukies had no problems shooting in the bigger stadium. They scored 78 points while shooting 52.7%. They also made 13 threes while shooting 52% from long range. Even more impressive the Blue Devils only turned the ball over 6 times.
k. One has to give a lot of credit to Duke who probably played their best game of the year on Saturday night.
l. I still do not like them and have pretty much became resigned to the fact that they will win the National Championship this year. By the way they have probably had the easiest run to the tittle than any other team in history.
m. I got a lot of comments on me not liking Duke and how I should respect how they win with all these white boys, etc. I do not care what color the Duke players are, all I know is that they all have been apart of top ranked recruiting classes for the last 5-10 years. Shouldn't they have success?
3. Title Game Preview

A game that will be billed as a David vs Goliath match-up that is actually a David vs. Goliath match-up. Saturday night Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith combined for 63 points, 17 assists, 12 rebounds and 12-of-23 from behind the arc. They scored 63 of the Duke’s 78 points, which wassix more than West Virginia’s entire team. So, yeah, you could say that stopping Duke's trio is pretty important. Good news here, actually: Butler has the players to do just that. Ronald Nored, Shelvin Mack and Shawn Vanzant have shut down elite guard combos in this tournament before. Butler's Gordon Hayward is as close to a perfect matchup with Singler as any player in the country. And if you can harass Scheyer and Smith into passing up shots and keep Singler from blowing up too much, you force Duke's periphery guys to beat you. That proposition looks far less daunting.

Also intriguing is when Butler has the ball and Duke has to stop Gordon Hayward. Kyle Singler is the best bet to draw the assignment and that should be a brilliant little one-on-one battle. Whoever guards Hayward, you can expect Coach K's strategy to involve a lot of help defense, plenty of double-teams, and an ethos of harassment unlike anything Hayward has seen this season. It will be fascinating to watch this play out.

The third area to watch in this game is rebounding and Duke has morphed into a vicious offensive rebounding squad, currently the sixth-best offensive rebounding percentage team in the country. Butler, meanwhile, held Michigan State -- a top-10 offensive rebounding percentage team itself, remember -- to six offensive rebounds in its win Saturday night. The Blue Devils won't face much pressure on their own glass; Butler is more than happy retreating from the offensive glass and setting up its half-court defense as soon as possible. But at Butler's end, the outcome could be decided by how well the Bulldogs can keep a much bigger, stronger Duke team off the offensive glass. No one's managed to do it yet. Hopefully the Bulldogs can and this will start a trend of Bulldogs winning national championships.



4. Baseball Thoughts

a. I have no idea how this will relate to the regular season but Orioles spring training attendance increased by 39 percent this year. That's more than any other team in MLB.
b. Tommy Hanson is one of only 3 pitchers this decade to make 20+ starts with ERA of less than 3.00 in his first year. Roy Oswalt and Brandon Webb are the other two.
c. Jon Lester (42-16), John Danks (31-33), and Brian Bannister (30-38) each has made 91 career starts.
d. In Jeff Francoeur’s 706 games, he’s drawn only 138 walks. Then again, in 707 games, Terry Francona drew only 65 walks.
e. Everyone thinks of Nick Johnson and JD Drew as the two most injury prone position players in MLB. Since 2002, Nick Johnson has stayed healthy enough to play just 747 games; even J.D. Drew has played in 984.
f. By the way there were 1296 regular season games over that time period.
g. How big of an influence was Manny Ramirez on David Ortiz? During the three year period from 2005-2007 Ortiz hit .306 and had an OPS of 1.038. In 2008 and 2009 he hit .250 with an OPS of .830.
h. The Red Sox also have been recognized for improving their team defensively this winter. However, their  decision to choose Victor Martinez as their everyday catcher. V-Mart threw out 11% of the runners attempting to steal (overall the Sox allowed 151 stolen bases more than any other team and caught only 13% fewer than any other team) and Sox pitchers had an ERA of 5.22 when he was behind the plate, over three-quarters of a run higher than the league average.
i. I would be amiss not to thank Bill Chuck and his Billy Ball website for the stats from letters C-H.
j. 27 games  were lost by Braves relievers last year, the most of any National League team with a winning record and the main reason for the offseason overhaul of the bullpen. How good can this pen be with Wagner, Saito, Moylan, O'Flaherty and the Proctologist (Scott Proctor) when he returns near the end of April.
k. The Marlins have two players on their roster born before 1980. They are Wes Helms and Brian Sanches.
l. I think it is awesome that Yankee manager Joe Girardi has changed his jersey number from 27 to 28 as the Yankees are going for World Series number 28 this season.
m. Rivera, Jeter and Posada first set of 'mates in MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL history to play together 16 straight seasons. Wow!
n. I found this stat out this week about Babe Ruth and I was very disappointed in myself that I did know now it previously; Babe Ruth has led the league in both ERA and Home Runs.
o. How about these ERA numbers for Braves pitchers this spring. Tum Hudson (1.50) Tommy Hanson (2.45), Kenshin Kawakami (2.92), Jair Jurrjens (3.21) and Derek Lowe (4.50).
p. Another stat that is hard to believe is the Braves will be starting their 11 different Opening Day first basemen in their last 12 seasons. Here are the 11:
1999: Ryan Klesko
2000: Andres Galarraga
2001: Rico Brogna
2002: B.J. Surhoff
2003: Robert Fick
2004: Julio Franco
2005: Adam LaRoche
2006: Adam LaRoche
2007: Scott Thorman
2008: Mark Teixeira
2009: Casey Kotchman
2010: Troy Glaus
q. Opening Day HRs by a Yankee: Babe Ruth 5, Yogi Berra 4, Jorge Posada 4. It is amazing how Posada keeps ending up on these list with other great Yankees.

r. Is it me or do these Yankees/Red Sox game last way to long?
s. It is nice a guy from Brooklyn shows up in Boston wearing a Red Sox hat between the top and bottom half of the 8th inning to sing a song to the Boston faithful. It kind of reminds me of the Good Doctor who is from Columbus, Ga (born and bred) showing up at Turner Field wearing a Red Sox hat....nice real nice.
t. With that being said I actually enjoy the playing of Sweet Caroline when I have been in attendance and absolutely love the Dropkick Murphy's Shipping Up To Boston when Papelbon enters the game.


5. I predict the Divisions

National League

East                                             Central                                      West
1. Atlanta Braves 94-68              1. STL Cardinals 88-74            1. Colorado Rockies 87-75
2. Philadelphia Phillies 92-70       2. Milwaukee Brewers 87-75    2. LA Dodgers 85-77
3. Florida Marlins 86-76             3. Chicago Cubs 84-78             3. San Francisco Giants 82-80
4. New York Mets 76-86           4. Cincinnati Reds 81-81           4. Arizona Diamondbacks 81-81
5. Washington Nationals 69-93   5. Houston Astros 70-92          5. San Diego Padres 71-91
                                                   6.Pittsburgh Pirates68-94

American League


East                                         Central                                   West

1. N.Y. Yankees 99-63           1.Minnesota Twins 88-74      1.Seattle Mariners 86-76

2. Tampa Bay Rays  95-67      2.Chicago White Sox 85-77  2. LA Angels 84-78

3. Boston Red Sox 92-70        3.Detroit Tigers 84-78           3. Texas Rangers 81-81

4. Baltimore Orioles 75-87      4.Cleveland Indians 76-84      4. Oakland A's 74-88

5. Toronto Blue Jays 70-92     5. KC Royals 72-90                                         

NL Division Series Atlanta over Colorado, Philadelphia over St. Louis
AL Division Series: Tampa over Minnesota, New York over Seattle
NL Champs: Atlanta Braves over Phillies
AL Champs: Tampa over New York Yankees
World Series: Braves over Rays in the I-75 World Series

(How about that East Coast bias...not good)


Halftime:
This weeks clip that Smoak and myself used to jam to as we cruised the streets of Sylvania is Peaches by Presidents of the United States of America. Awesome. Last week winner was my law school buddy Dan who knew immediately that Wisconsin made the final four in 2000. The other team reader who knew Wisconsin is world traveler and pharmacist Ben  (whose wife happens to know a thing or two about hoops). Ben knew the answer because he had Wisconsin losing in the first round and they went to the final four. This weeks trivia question is: When Henry Aaron hit #715 who was on deck for the Braves?

6. My Thoughts

a. All winter I have loved what the Mariners have done, they can get by without Cliff Lee for a couple weeks, not much longer.
b. The toughest division to predict is going to be the AL Central. Any of these three teams could win and I would not be shocked: Tigers, White Sox, and Twins.
c. The new ballpark in Minnesota is going to be newsworthy all season. For one why would baseball agree for an outdoor stadium to be built in Minnesota. It looks this will be a nice April weather wise but one year it is going to be disaster. Also, how miserable is a World Series going to be outdoors in the Twin Cities in late October/early November. By the way July is Minneapolis will be perfect weather wise.
d. The second question concerning the Twins new stadium is how the loss of the biggest home field advantage in baseball going to affect the Twins and their opponents. Do not forget the Twins have won two world series (87 and 91) and in those World Series they did not win a road game.
e. The Arizona Diamondbacks might be the most difficult team to predict in all of baseball. I could easily see them winning and losing 90 games. I decided to play it safe with 81-81.
f. Why did the Giants not make a bigger run at Jason Bay or Matt Holiday?
g. Why did the Dodgers not make a bigger run at a front line starting pitcher?
h. Everyone says the Braves must stay healthy to have a chance...I say every team must stay healthy to have a chance in 2010.
i. Last year the Braves won 86 games, if we can win more game a month that would give us 92. I can easily think of a game a month that we kicked away last season. Change a few more of those and things will really be fun this season.
j. The second toughest division to predict is the AL East. These three teams might be the three best teams in all of baseball and they all play in the same division. The poor Orioles who might be really improved with lots of young talent are fighting an uphill battle.
k. The team I might have undervalued is the Washington Nationals. Depending on when Strasberg arrives this team might be able to make a run at .500.



7. More Predictions

NL MVP - Troy Tulowitzki
NL Cy Young - Josh Johnson (The Marlins pitcher, not my brother)
NL Rookie of The Year - Jason Heyward
NL Comeback Player of the Year - Troy Glaus
NL Manager of the Year - Bobby Cox

AL MVP - Evan Longoria
AL Cy Young - Felix Hernandez
AL Rookie of The Tear - Wade Davis
AL Comeback Player of the Year- Fausto Carmona
AL Manager of the Year - Don Wakamatsu


8. Some Cool Opening Day Fun Facts

a. The first story comes from my buddy Ben from Brookhaven (not the pharmacist in Statesboro) Red-Handed: Boston Braves fans sat down to an unpleasant surprise on Opening Day in 1946. The outfield stands had recently received a fresh coat of red paint, but cold, damp weather had prevented it from drying. Hundreds of angry, paint-stained spectators marched to the Braves’ offices. The team agreed to pay their cleaning bills and made a public apology in a newspaper ad.

b. On April 14, 1910, President, and baseball enthusiast, William Howard Taft attended the home opener in Washington D.C. Since then, eleven sitting U.S. presidents have tossed out the season's ceremonial first pitch. One standout, Harry S. Truman, showcased his ambidextrous talent when he threw out balls with both his right and left arm in 1950.

c. The longest Opening Day game in major league history was a 15-inning game played at Cleveland Stadium on April 19, 1960. The Detroit Tigers defeated the Cleveland Indians 4-2.

d. In 1940 a no-hitter was thrown by Cleveland pitcher Bob Feller. It remains the only no-hitter in Opening Day history.

e. Babe Ruth knew how to get off to a good start. In 18 opening-day games, he hit .422 with five doubles, a triple and seven home runs

f. The Atlanta Braves lost nine consecutive opening-day games from 1972-1980 to tie the mark set at the turn of the century by the New York Giants (1893-1901).

g. Hank Aaron hit only two home runs on opening day. His first was on April 17, 1956 against the Chicago Cubs in Milwaukee. His other opening-day home run was on April 4, 1974 at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium and it was a historic one -- No. 714 to tie Babe Ruth for the record for career homers.

h. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. share the record for most career home runs on the first day of the season, with eight Opening Day homers each.

i. Hall of Famer Tom Seaver has started the most Opening Day games in history—11 for the Mets, three for the Reds and two for the White Sox.

j. On Opening Day in 1907, the New York Giants faced off against the Phillies at New York City’s Polo Grounds after a heavy snowstorm. When the Giants fell behind, disgruntled fans began flinging snowballs onto the field, forcing the umpire to call a forfeit in the Phillies’ favor.

9. What I Read Last Week

Two quick reads this week, the first one comes from Joe Pasnanski and it is a very intriguing read on Bob Huggins and includes some great Huggins quotes. While myself has not been the biggest Huggins fans it was good to get to know more about Huggins who is one of the more controversial figures in the NCAA the last 15-20 years.

The second read takes a look at the Curious Case of Sidd Finch. Probably one of the more famous stories ever written for the magazine and by George Plimpton.


10. Non Football, Baseball or Basketball Thoughts

a. What a weekend I had this weekend. In fact I pretty much dominated this week except for the speeding ticket I got Friday night as I was driving between the metropolis of Warrenton and Wrens.
b. I would like to make an excuse but I was clearly speeding...I thought my cruise was set a little before 70 but office said he got me at 72. I was on a two lane road and I had not seen another car except the guy riding on my bumper for like 15 miles.
c. I totally had the car on Autopilot as even forgot to turn off my brights when I met the officer. I was totally in JJ's World with my mind going from Beautiful Women to Tailbacks to the Braves lineup this year to Seinfeld episodes and not particularly in that order.
d. By the way Georgia needs to do something about their deer population as I had to see 12-16 deers on my journey.
e. Back to my trip I left Turner Field in the 5th inning and drove to Sylvania where I arrived around midnight and hung out with an A-list crew that included Smoak, T-Mac and the best lawyer in southeast Georgia Donald Sheppard.
f. Saturday morning I woke up early and visited Pop's Kitchen for breakfast something I had not done in about 10 years. For those that do not know Pop's Kitchen it is a solid Breakfast/Lunch spot in Sylvania and if you ever find yourself in the SYL it is a must visit.
g. After breakfast was the Livestock Parade which is good fun. I am disappointed the Bed Race is not run anymore before the parade. As a past champion of the infamous race I am dissapointed the race is no longer a part of the livestock parade.
h. Just as an FYI I created a Google Map of the route of the Bed Race. Google says the route is 3.4 miles but in all actuality it is about a mile. You and I both know that I could have never done the 3.4 miles.
i. After the parade I headed to Augusta for Hayden Scott's first birthday party. Brice's bodyguard will turn one on Wednesday and I showed up for some awesome gifts which we will see in the photo of the week.
j. I drove home Saturday night getting back around 1030. I do not think I say 1115 that is how tired I was.
k. I used a lot of Eric Church to help me make the drive as well as listening to the Westwood One broadcast of the West Virginia - Duke game.
l. Can anyone explain to me why all my favorite shows besides "24" were reruns last week. No wonder Fox keeps winning primetime as they always give us new programming.
m. Pretty jealous of Jim Nantz so far in 2010. So far he has broadcasted the AFC Championship Game, Super Bowl, NCAA Tournament and made a cameo on How I Met Your Mother. Tonight he will broadcast the NCAA Championship Game and this weekend he will be in Augusta to call the final round of The Masters.
n. The week of craziness continues this week as the Braves open up today versus the Cubs and I will drive to Augusta after the game to keep from waking up way to early and driving over from the ATL even though many an Augusta National patron will do the same drive. 
o. On Wednesday I have work and a softball game. Currently we are 0-2 but that has to change soon. We play at 8:40 Wednesday night against a team called Oops, That's A Bomb. I love the creativity with that team name. Our team name is Braves, not the most creative.
p.This weekend I will be in Athens for Kinchafoonee and the G-Day game. Should be an amazing time.

Quote of The Week

From Bob Huggins to official John Higgins after Da'Sean Butler goes down late in the second half on Saturday.




"They don't foul, right John? They don't foul. All-American laying here and they don't foul." 





Text of The Week


The text of the week comes from the good doctor who was spending a Thursday night gallivanting around Savannah.

Tubby's in the Sav might rival downtown Ath. Just might have more STD's when you factor in the Georgia Southern crowd.


Tweet of The Week


This week's tweet comes from @iHateJJRedick


Dear Duke you know its sad when the opposing teams mascot, a female mountaineer, is hotter than your cheerleaders!


Tweet of The Week II


Comes from @BillyBall


The question of Opening Night: Who was worse, Josh Beckett or Neil Diamond?

Photo of The Week

Brice's Bodyguard is rocking the Braves hat I got him along with the awesome t-shirt and miniature Braves baseball bat. Hayden told me he wanted to rock the sweatervest for the party because his birthday is on Wednesday and since we are celebrating his birthday on Saturday I say why not. Also great work with the lookaway. Never to early to learn and he has it mastered.