Bulls open with win
Corchiani, Gugliotta ejected
Marshall’s broken wrist
Creighton’s rough play against Carolina
Slapping at Henson’s wrist
The wink after fouling Henson
Rich Brenner dead at age 65
Frustrated State player turns question on reporter
UNC coach explains end of game
Butch Davis defends himself
Joe Gibbs hosts Redskins reunion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AHpm355m1c
“Sunday’s win against third-seeded Georgetown proved that this program doesn’t have to wait until the arrival of its heralded Class of 2012 to return to national relevance. N.C. State earned its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2005.”
– Jeff Goodman, CBSSports.com
“Eleven months ago, N.C. State was a program without a coach, ridiculed by the national media as the little brother to national powers North Carolina and Duke and as a job no one wanted, except Mark Gottfried. Gottfried, the first N.C. State coach since Jim Valvano to win 24 games in a season, beamed as he walked off the court at Nationwide Arena arm-and-arm with Brown. He took a team that went 15-16 a year ago into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005 and only the second time since 1989.”
– J.P. Giglio, Raleigh News & Observer
“John Wooden once told me, ‘Coach, don’t give them too much too fast, they might start expecting that every year.’ Well, we failed in that category already.”
– Mark Gottfried, NC State head coach
“One of the first things I said to Coach Gottfried when I met him was, ‘I don’t want this to be a rebuilding year. I don’t want to just play to get better. I think we’ve got talent and the pieces that we could be a dominant team.'”
– Scott Wood, NC State player
“After five miserable seasons away from the tournament, the Wolfpack is making the most of this trip. First, it dispatched of an overmatched San Diego State team. Then it excelled inside and out against a tough Georgetown group that entered the tournament as the nation’s No. 15 team.”
– Clark Leonard, The Shelby Star
North Carolina, playing with John Henson for the first time since the first game of the ACC Tournament, got fired up against a physical Creighton team and rolled to an 87-73 to reach the NCAA Sweet 16.
The win may be costly as Kendall Marshall has a broken bone in his right wrist following a hard foul. Creighton is a good team but not good enough to hang with a team of Carolina’s caliber and, judging by the physical nature of the Bluejays’ play, they knew it as well.
The only legitimate way the Bluejays could beat Carolina would be if they were raining in threes and the Tar Heels were shooting poorly. With that not happening, the only recourse they had was to play rough and get Carolina out of its rhythm and/or in foul trouble.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say Creighton was a dirty team but did you notice the wink from Grant Gibbs after he slapped at Henson’s wrist, igniting Henson’s fuse? Gibbs got the foul but Henson got a technical as a result of his response.
Gibbs, who played tough all day, didn’t get his second foul until midway through the second half when he roughed up P.J. Hairston, who also took exception.
This is why, in part, I blame the officials for Marshall’s injury. Creighton was called for 18 fouls compared to eight for UNC but it was the hardness of the fouls and the obvious slapping motion of the fouls that officials should have warned the Bluejays about.
Ethan Wragge, who committed the hard foul on Marshall, was turned all around and the slow-footed big man had no chance of stopping Marshall from scoring – unless he bashed him, which he did. Marshall hit one of the two free throws so instead of Carolina having an 18-point lead at that time, the Heels took a 17-point lead. Not sure the hard foul that may have ended Marshall’s season was worth one point.
In addition to Marshall’s injury, Henson says his wrist did not feel good during or after the game as it felt weak and he still has trouble gripping the ball.
Again, Creighton is a good team and should be proud of its season but it will be a shame if the Tar Heels’ road to the Final Four is shortened by an inferior team committing hard fouls.
Quarterback Sean Renfree completed 15-of-19 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns while wideout Blair Holliday caught eight passes for 84 yards to highlight Duke’s 60-play scrimmage Saturday morning at Wallace Wade Stadium.
“We really got what we wanted out of it,” said Duke head coach David Cutcliffe. “We wanted to extend play. We’ve done a lot of fundamental work. This is practice nine. Probably more fundamental work and less team work than we’ve had in any time since we’ve been here. But we’ve worked on some of the ‘how’ before we were doing the ‘what’. I think it’s paid off. It’s paid off with players like Blair Holliday, who you can just see has jumped leaps and bounds from where he was. It’s paid off in a lot of our offensive and defensive linemen – first team and second team.”
Renfree’s two scoring throws covered eight and 15 yards, respectively, to Jamison Crowder and Holliday. Crowder finished the day with six grabs for 67 yards. Running back Josh Snead spearheaded the ground attack with 61 yards on eight attempts, including a one-yard touchdown plunge, while quarterback Brandon Connette rushed five times for 29 yards with a nine-yard touchdown.
“The coaches have shown great trust in all our receivers,” Holliday said. “We changed our offense around a bit where every receiver needs to know the positions; every receiver needs to come up and make big plays. It really just shows how much trust they have in us to put us out there and make plays.”
The final scoring play of the morning came on a 40-yard strike from Connette to tight end Issac Blakeney.
“Issac Blakeney and David Reeves are two very young tight ends that I can see now all of the work they’ve put in,” Cutcliffe noted. “If I had to probably pick one thing that the naked eye caught was Sean Renfree. He was a senior quarterback today. He was really sharp, and not just in the scrimmaging parts. From the first part of practice on — I watched him through seven-on-seven — everything was at a very high level. A lot of encouragement today.”
Safety Walt Canty registered the lone turnover of the day with an interception. Kicker Will Monday booted a 26-yard field goal along with a pair of PATs.
Duke will host the annual Spring Game presented by PNC Bank on Saturday, March 31 in Wallace Wade Stadium. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. and admission is free of charge.
– News release
North Carolina, behind a career-high 17 points from James Michael McAdoo, overcame a sluggish start to defeat Vermont 77-58 in the Tar Heels’ first game of the NCAA Tournament.
UNC, which hit just six of its first 27 shots and finished 41 percent from the field, got plenty of good shot opportunities in the first half but the Tar Heels just weren’t hitting them. McAdoo, subbing for injured John Henson, missed four straight good looks in the first half before a one-handed power dunk follow awakened the Greensboro crowd to make it 15-9 midway through the first half.
Carolina shot only 41 percent for the game with birthday boy Reggie Bullock having the worst shooting day as he managed only two of 10 field goals.
The Tar Heels, in dire need of Henson, were actually outrebounded by the shorter, less-talented Vermont Catamounts, 42-37.
But during a couple of game-determining runs, Carolina controlled the boards and got numerous follow baskets. In that regard, the stat is misleading, but if the Tar Heels lose another rebounding battle, they’ll probably lose the NCAA Tournament war.
For more on the game, please click here.
“When Duke entered the NCAA Tournament without a sign of a true lockdown defense, it became perhaps one of the most vulnerable Blue Devil teams in recent memory — certainly as a 2 seed at least. For 40 minutes of its surprising 75-70 victory today, Lehigh proved the more physical, more polished and far more mature team. More than anything though, Duke’s defensive deficiencies — prevalent all season — were evident both on the perimeter and in the paint.”
– Jordan Schultz, Huffington Post sports columnist
“We saw on the selection show we had Duke and we thought we could match up very well against them. We all believed it and we showed it on the floor. Everybody bought into that idea that we could beat them. The rest is history.’’
– Lehigh forward John Adams
“I’ve never seen anything like it. We came to the practice the other day and as soon as you walked in they were going crazy for us and we’re like, ‘What’s going on?’ They were like, ‘Go Lehigh, beat Duke!’ They were screaming. It was nice to have fans here that weren’t Duke. I’ve never seen two schools that hate each other so much.’’
– Lehigh forward Justin Maneri, discussing UNC fans rooting for his team
“First off, the 15th-seeded Mountain Hawks are good, really good, especially their backcourt. C.J. McCollum is a great college player, not just a good one. The throng of ACC media watching courtside pegged him early on as the best player on the floor, and he didn’t disappoint. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski agreed in the postgame news conference.”
– Andrew Jones, Fox Sports Carolinas
“If both Rivers and Plumlee return for another season, Duke would likely be regarded as the favorite in the ACC, returning four starters to a team that won 27 games and went undefeated on the road in conference play. Until both players announce their intentions, however, the future for the downtrodden Blue Devils is hazy.”
– Nicholas Schwartz, managing editor of The Duke Chronicle
The National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes today announced the festivities surrounding the team’s first-ever Alumni Fantasy Game, to be held on Sunday, April 1 at 3 p.m. Ten locally-based Hurricanes alumni, including Ron Francis, Rod Brind’Amour and Glen Wesley, will participate in the game at PNC Arena. The event is open to the public and free of charge, with an optional contribution to the Kids ‘N Community Foundation at the door.
The 10 alumni will be joined by 30 players who paid to participate in the Fantasy Game, and are broken into teams as follows:
WHITE TEAM RED TEAM
Rod Brind’Amour (C) Ron Francis (C)
Glen Wesley (A) Shane Willis
Jesse Boulerice Aaron Ward
Robert Kron Steven Halko
Tripp Tracy Steve Rice
One final spot has opened up for a paid participant to join the game, playing under Captain Rod Brind’Amour on the White Team. That slot is being auctioned online here: http://carhur.com/cxj. Players must be 18 years old and have hockey-playing experience. All proceeds from the purchase of spots in the Alumni Fantasy Game benefit the Kids ‘N Community Foundation.
For the fans attending the event, the Hurricanes will create a game atmosphere in the arena, including Hurricanes Play-by-Play Announcer John Forslund’s call on the video board, Stormy, the Eye Care Associates Storm Squad and more. Hurricanes Head Coach Kirk Muller and his staff will serve as coaches for the game, which will be no-hitting, with three running-clock periods and full intermissions. Food and beverage will be for sale in the arena, and the Kids ‘N Community Foundation will offer a silent auction during the game, featuring select game-worn jerseys from the Canes Alumni Game, as well as other rare Hurricanes memorabilia.
Doors open to all fans at 2 p.m. and seating will be general admission. Fans are asked to park and enter through the East side of PNC Arena, and parking is free of charge.
The Carolina Hurricanes Kids ‘N Community Foundation provides much needed funding to children’s charities and education programs throughout North Carolina. The Foundation has funded scholarship programs, youth hockey, educational and literacy efforts, children’s health programs, the arts and other children’s related initiatives. Annually, the Foundation provides cash and in-kind contributions of more than $1 million to charitable and educational programs in North Carolina. Every member of the Hurricanes organization is actively involved in community activities and the Hurricanes take great pride in the ability to have a positive impact in our state.
The Carolina Hurricanes host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday at PNC Arena (7 p.m., FOX Sports Carolinas HD, Hurricanes Radio Network). For information on 2011-12 Carolina Hurricanes ticket packages, please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com, or call 1-866-NHL-CANES.
“The NCAA cited UNC-Chapel Hill for violations that included academic fraud, impermissible agent benefits, ineligible participation and failure to monitor its football program. The school did avoid the more serious charge for lack of institutional control, an infraction that cost the University of Southern California a two-year postseason ban and the loss of 30 scholarships over a three-year period in 2010.
“The postseason ban, which also includes the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, and scholarship reductions were just two of the eight penalties the NCAA levied against UNC. The school had already imposed several of those penalties on itself.”
– Sammy Batten, Fayetteville Observer
“(Marvin) Austin won a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants despite not playing a down, not the first time he’s accepted jewelry he didn’t exactly earn. (Robert) Quinn, a first-round pick of the St. Louis Rams, had five sacks as a rookie. And Greg Little, another prominent violator of NCAA rules, was second among rookies with 62 catches for the Cleveland Browns.
“Only (Assistant Coach John) Blake, who received a show-cause order from the NCAA, will bear any lasting sting – the NCAA will keep him out of coaching for three years.”
– Luke DeCock, Raleigh News & Observer
“It is the first penalty the NCAA has ever imposed on the North Carolina football program. Given that Dean Smith built North Carolina into a basketball power with an almost self-righteous adherence to the rules, given that former chancellor William C. Friday has been a leader in NCAA reform for the past 25 years, the report released Monday is a black eye on a perennially virtuous face.”
– Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com
“As a coach, he’s (Butch Davis has) still got it. He just won’t have “it” in major college football for a while. In his zeal to make Carolina into one of the “haves” he used terrible judgment. This case can be boiled down to Davis hiring John Blake. Davis, the man who diligently led Miami out of the NCAA muck, drove North Carolina football into quicksand the moment he asked Blake to join the staff. He knew Blake’s recruiting rep. We all did. Blake was always a hell of a recruiter. Just don’t tell that to an NCAA investigator without he or she snickering.
“Blake not only was moonlighting with an agent at North Carolina – the since deceased Gary Wichard – he also either failed to cooperate with the NCAA or took his time doing it. Blake refused to provide information and when he did, it was bogus according to the NCAA.”
– Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports
“The penalties handed down Monday proved once again that the reward is still far greater than the risk as long as coaches and athletic directors understand a few things from the outset. A program can spit all over the NCAA rule book in an effort to reach or remain at the highest echelon of college football, and as long as that program cooperates with the NCAA during the investigation of its alleged “crimes,” the Committee on Infractions will respond with a suite of penalties that contain far more bark than bite.”
– Andy Staples, Sports Illustrated
Chancellor Holden Thorp:
“It’s been almost two years since this investigation began, so getting the NCAA ruling is a big step in moving forward. We approached this investigation the way that you would expect of Carolina – thoughtfully, thoroughly and with full cooperation – and that was the right thing to do.
We self-imposed a number of penalties in the fall that we thought were appropriate based on the facts in our case. The NCAA has given us additional penalties, and the sanctions are more severe than we expected. The ruling is disappointing for our new coaching staff and our student-athletes.
We considered an appeal. But given the timing and the record that other schools have had with appeals, as well as the fact that penalties are suspended during an appeal, we’ve decided it’s best to accept our sanctions and move forward.”
Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham:
“North Carolina has always represented so much that is good about college athletics. The last year and a half has been difficult for everyone who loves UNC from both an academic and athletic perspective. It’s time for us to move Carolina Athletics forward to help restore that reputation of integrity and respect for which the University has been known.
We can’t guarantee people won’t make mistakes in the future, but we can give our collective best effort to prevent a repeat of what brought us to this day. College athletics evolves daily and the high profile nature of intercollegiate athletics demands that we remain vigilant and accountable for the coaches, student-athletes and staff who represent our great university.
It is our aspiration that Carolina will be better in the future as aresult of what we have gone through and everyone associated with our program will strive each day to make our students, faculty, alumni, fans and staff proud to be Tar Heels.”
Former Director of Athletics Dick Baddour:
“From the first day that we began to learn the facts of this case, we set out to do a thorough review, and that is what we did. Every step we took throughout the investigation was to get to the facts, be fair to the people involved in the process and preserve the integrity of the University.
Carolina is well positioned to move forward and be an even better athletics program in all areas. I have great faith that Bubba Cunningham and Larry Fedora and their staffs are committed to maintaining a football program and athletics program that we all can be proud of.
I do want to thank our fans for their continued support. This has been a long and difficult time and our fans have stood with us and been extremely patient. I know the University is appreciative of that enduring support.”
Head Football Coach Larry Fedora:
“Now, more than ever, we need the entire Carolina fan base to come together and support our current student-athletes as we embark on a new era of Tar Heel football. We will face this adversity head on and work to be a better football program.
I was aware of the NCAA case at the time I was named head coach. Bubba Cunningham and Holden Thorp were forthright and honest with me throughout the hiring process as I made the decision to take the job.
I chose Carolina because this is one of the best schools in the country with high standards of academic and athletic excellence. In so many ways, Carolina has exceeded my expectations.
My only regret is for the current players, especially the seniors, who will not have the opportunity to compete for an ACC championship and go through the experience of a bowl game in 2012.
We will do all we can to make every game this year a special experience for our seniors and fans.”
UNC President Tom Ross:
“The NCAA’s investigation of the football program at UNC-Chapel Hill began nearly two years ago. This has been a long and arduous process. The Chapel Hill campus cooperated fully with the NCAA from the beginning of this matter and has accepted responsibility for mistakes made. While I believe that the self-imposed penalties announced by the campus in September 2011 are fair and reasonable and am personally disappointed by today’s decision, the NCAA had complete discretion to impose additional sanctions and saw fit to do so. Nonetheless, we can now close this chapter and move forward.”
