One can make the argument that Duke's game at N.C. State tonight was won (or lost, depending on how you look at it) during a three-minute period of the first half.
With Duke leading just 16-14, the Devils went on a 16-4 run in just under three minutes, starting with an Andre Dawkins bucket at the 11:09 mark and ending with a three-point shot by Tyler Thornton with 8:15 left in the half.
State went from just two down to 14 down at 32-18, the same margin of defeat - 92-78.
The Wolfpack really played the Devils evenly in the second half, in fact each team scored 50 points. What a game it would have been had State played the first half the same way - or at least those three minutes.
Boxscore
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
ECU football coach makes statement about his health
East Carolina University football coach Ruffin McNeill had weight reduction surgery last week in advance of a hip surgery later this year. He released a statement today:"I am appreciative and deeply touched by the caring support so many have extended to me as I work through another one of life's journeys. My first priority is to regain an active lifestyle that will not only benefit myself physically, but put me in a position to provide uninterrupted leadership to our football program and service to East Carolina University.
"It is a blessing to be under the best of care by two of the finest doctors in the country, who have implemented a team approach to allow me to reach these goals. The first step was to address the strain I was putting on my body and I am pleased to announce I am successfully in the recovery phase of bariatric surgery last Thursday (Jan. 13). It is our plan that this procedure will precede hip replacement surgery later in the spring that will allow the pain-free mobility I have longed for over the last few years.
"While I understand the process has only started, my commitment to get back in the weight room and resume a daily workout routine runs deep. My wife Erlene, my daughters, our football team and the Pirate Nation has and continues to serve as an inspiration for me."
Roy Williams not happy with effort, being questioned by fans
Roy Williams used the postgame news conference Tuesday to rip Carolina fans who asked questions about the team. And he used his radio show Monday to rip his players, who he feels doesn’t hustle as much as he would like.
Williams, no question, is a demanding coach with a strong sense of what he wants from his program. But there is little question the team didn’t perform well at Georgia Tech Sunday, and when you read the quotes from the radio program on InsideCarolina.com, it’s jarring how sharp Williams is in his criticism.
When a caller asked about defending shooters and said, “It’s painful watching those guys hit wide open 3-pointers,” Williams shot back, “You think it’s painful for you? What the [heck] do you think about our staff? We don’t enjoy that stuff, either.”
And in discussing the nature of today’s athletes, Williams made a long, and interesting, point.
"And you know the old stories about people shoveling snow so that they could play on an asphalt court? I did that. You’ve heard the story – I used to break into the gym so much and the policeman got so concerned that I was going to break my neck, he got the principal to give me the dadgum key. I get frustrated when I feel like my team doesn’t invest enough or cares about it enough or loses itself in the team,” he said, according to the InsideCarolina.com transcript. "And in today’s culture, it’s hard. I’ve got half of the guys on my team that their mom and dad and their friends and everything think that they’re going to make $88 million. They could give a flip whether we win a game or not. They want their guy to get 37 shots and play 50 minutes in a 40-minute game. The culture is hard on kids nowadays, and I understand that, but it makes coaching harder…
"It’s something that I’ve told many teams – if you cared one-tenth about it as much as I do, [gosh] it would be a lot of fun.”
After the Clemson win, he was still miffed about those radio questions.
"My radio call in show last night stunk," Williams told reporters. "Everybody's talking about there being Carolina fans for nine million years and how bad we were. I don’t give a damn how long they've been Carolina fans. …"So don’t call me next week saying how good we are. Keep your damn phone calls to yourself.”
Needless to say, we can’t wait for next week’s radio show. But all those comments continue a trend in which Williams is rarely wrong. Fans are wrong to question the program … players don’t show the hustle of the past.
This prompted Mark Armstrong of WTVD to make a smart comment on his Twitter account: “The meta-question re Roy's annoyance is whether it drives him into early retirement. Wonder if he's getting much joy out of his job.”
Interesting point. But regardless of what fans say on call-in shows - and the view here is fans have a right to their opinion - is the coaches are ultimately responsible for how their teams perform.
Williams, no question, is a demanding coach with a strong sense of what he wants from his program. But there is little question the team didn’t perform well at Georgia Tech Sunday, and when you read the quotes from the radio program on InsideCarolina.com, it’s jarring how sharp Williams is in his criticism.
When a caller asked about defending shooters and said, “It’s painful watching those guys hit wide open 3-pointers,” Williams shot back, “You think it’s painful for you? What the [heck] do you think about our staff? We don’t enjoy that stuff, either.”
And in discussing the nature of today’s athletes, Williams made a long, and interesting, point.
"And you know the old stories about people shoveling snow so that they could play on an asphalt court? I did that. You’ve heard the story – I used to break into the gym so much and the policeman got so concerned that I was going to break my neck, he got the principal to give me the dadgum key. I get frustrated when I feel like my team doesn’t invest enough or cares about it enough or loses itself in the team,” he said, according to the InsideCarolina.com transcript. "And in today’s culture, it’s hard. I’ve got half of the guys on my team that their mom and dad and their friends and everything think that they’re going to make $88 million. They could give a flip whether we win a game or not. They want their guy to get 37 shots and play 50 minutes in a 40-minute game. The culture is hard on kids nowadays, and I understand that, but it makes coaching harder…
"It’s something that I’ve told many teams – if you cared one-tenth about it as much as I do, [gosh] it would be a lot of fun.”
After the Clemson win, he was still miffed about those radio questions.
"My radio call in show last night stunk," Williams told reporters. "Everybody's talking about there being Carolina fans for nine million years and how bad we were. I don’t give a damn how long they've been Carolina fans. …"So don’t call me next week saying how good we are. Keep your damn phone calls to yourself.”
Needless to say, we can’t wait for next week’s radio show. But all those comments continue a trend in which Williams is rarely wrong. Fans are wrong to question the program … players don’t show the hustle of the past.
This prompted Mark Armstrong of WTVD to make a smart comment on his Twitter account: “The meta-question re Roy's annoyance is whether it drives him into early retirement. Wonder if he's getting much joy out of his job.”
Interesting point. But regardless of what fans say on call-in shows - and the view here is fans have a right to their opinion - is the coaches are ultimately responsible for how their teams perform.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
After Tigers go to 0-55 in Chapel Hill, UNC coach defends his team against critics
UNC coach Roy Williams was a little salty after his team's 75-65 victory at home over Clemson.
He was happy with his team - and why not, they clamped down on defense and held a good Clemson team to 35 percent and the Heels outscored the Tigers 12-2 over the last five minutes to make Clemson zero for 55 in Chapel Hill.
But Williams was salty because he got an earful from Carolina fans on his Monday night radio show about Sunday's lackluster performance at Georgia Tech. "Don't call me next week and tell me how good we are," he said speaking in general to Carolina fans. "Keep your damn phone calls to yourself."
Williams said he had great restraint during the radio show but after his team played well over Clemson, he evidently couldn't hold it in any longer.
It's good to see Williams defensive in support of his team. However, that was a sorry effort in Atlanta - so sorry that longtime Carolina fans had never seen anything like it. And they said so but Williams said he didn't care how long people have been Carolina fans, that these are 18, 19 and 20 year old kids.
Williams did say that his team was more enthusiastic and aggressive than it had been in any ACC game so far over 40 minutes. "Our defensive intensity in the first half set the tone," Williams said.
Reggie Bullock's three triples and 16 points in the first half helped the Heels to a 46-38 halftime edge. The game was tied, however, with five minutes to go before the 12-2 final run.
For more on the Clemson game, please click here.
He was happy with his team - and why not, they clamped down on defense and held a good Clemson team to 35 percent and the Heels outscored the Tigers 12-2 over the last five minutes to make Clemson zero for 55 in Chapel Hill.
But Williams was salty because he got an earful from Carolina fans on his Monday night radio show about Sunday's lackluster performance at Georgia Tech. "Don't call me next week and tell me how good we are," he said speaking in general to Carolina fans. "Keep your damn phone calls to yourself."
Williams said he had great restraint during the radio show but after his team played well over Clemson, he evidently couldn't hold it in any longer.
It's good to see Williams defensive in support of his team. However, that was a sorry effort in Atlanta - so sorry that longtime Carolina fans had never seen anything like it. And they said so but Williams said he didn't care how long people have been Carolina fans, that these are 18, 19 and 20 year old kids.
Williams did say that his team was more enthusiastic and aggressive than it had been in any ACC game so far over 40 minutes. "Our defensive intensity in the first half set the tone," Williams said.
Reggie Bullock's three triples and 16 points in the first half helped the Heels to a 46-38 halftime edge. The game was tied, however, with five minutes to go before the 12-2 final run.
For more on the Clemson game, please click here.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Heels suffer embarrassing loss at Georgia Tech
North Carolina's 78-58 loss at Georgia Tech is truly embarrassing. The Yellow Jackets have struggled all year, losing by 25 to Carolina's next opponent Clemson just a few days ago and starting the season with a 17-point loss to Kennesaw State, a Division II team.
In addition, the Tar Heels had about 40-45 percent of the fans in the stands at Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta yet played uninspired, careless basketball.
UNC had been living on the edge with close victories after falling behind. But the team showed no heart and just kinda faded away in this one.
The starters were particularly inept as UNC coach Roy Williams removed them on several occasions. At one point of the first half, the Carolina starters had been outscored 22-4.
Larry Drew II, playing before his father and other friends and relatives, had no points and two assists in 21 minutes of play.
"We stunk," UNC coach Roy Williams said bluntly. "The coaching stunk and we stunk."
The loss was historic in some ways. Carolina shot its poorest field goal percentage since 1955 at less than 28 percent and scored its fewest points during the Roy Williams era.
For more on the Georgia Tech game, please click here.
In addition, the Tar Heels had about 40-45 percent of the fans in the stands at Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta yet played uninspired, careless basketball.
UNC had been living on the edge with close victories after falling behind. But the team showed no heart and just kinda faded away in this one.
The starters were particularly inept as UNC coach Roy Williams removed them on several occasions. At one point of the first half, the Carolina starters had been outscored 22-4.
Larry Drew II, playing before his father and other friends and relatives, had no points and two assists in 21 minutes of play.
"We stunk," UNC coach Roy Williams said bluntly. "The coaching stunk and we stunk."
The loss was historic in some ways. Carolina shot its poorest field goal percentage since 1955 at less than 28 percent and scored its fewest points during the Roy Williams era.
For more on the Georgia Tech game, please click here.
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