9:58 AM ET, Fri March 12, 2010

Tudor's Take: Pack succeeds where other teams failed

ACC Now | News & Observer — GREENSBORO -- At the end of a long basketball day for North Carolina-based teams, it was left to N.C. State to salvage something from the first round of the ACC Tournament. The 11th-seeded Wolfpack was up a challenge that earlier had tripped No. 5 Wake Forest against No. 12 Miami and No. 10 North Carolina against No. 7 Georgia Tech. State’s 59-57 upset over No. 6 Clemson wasn’t a work of fine art, but so what? The way this season has gone for most of the state’s teams, a late-season win was beauty in the eyes of many beholders. Only four times in 56 previous years - 1976, ‘86, ‘90 and ‘96 - ha...

6 hours ago

Miami 83, Wake 62

ACC Now | News & Observer — GREENSBORO -- Much like in its disturbing 83-62 ACC tournament loss to Miami Thursday afternoon, Wake Forest had no answers after the game either. Having just lost to the ACC’s last-place team in a flameout performance that was absent emotion and energy, the Deacons could hardly look forward to their seemingly shaky NCAA tournament chances without looking back at their third straight one-and-out in the ACC tournament. Any thought that a Sunday night win over Clemson had washed away the residue of a four-game losing streak was buried beneath the Deacons’ (19-10) lost in space feeling. “Words c...

14 hours ago

Instant analysis: Last chance for Gaudio

ACC Now | News & Observer — ETHAN HYMAN - ehyman@newsobserver.com GREENSBORO -- After Wake Forest’s third straight ACC tournament collapse, and perhaps the worst of the three in a dismal 83-62 loss to last-place Miami on Thursday, the NCAA tournament is now officially a referendum on Dino Gaudio. Put simply, there’s no excuse for losing to a Miami team that went winless on the road in the ACC, while playing at a so-called neutral site close enough that the Deacons stayed on campus this week. Perhaps, in a vacuum, the loss could be written off as an isolated incident. Unfortunately for Gaudio, now 0-4 in the posts...

14 hours ago

5 things to watch in ACC first round

ACC Now | News & Observer — GREENSBORO -- While the four top seeds – Duke, Maryland, Florida State and Virginia Tech – watch and relax, seeds 5-12 in the ACC will try to survive their dreaded first-round conference tournament games Wednesday in Greensboro. Roy Williams will try one more time to rouse his underachieving North Carolina team against an opponent (Georgia Tech) that’s defeated the Tar Heels twice. A surging N.C. State team will attempt to recapture the magic from its run to the finals from its first season (2007) under coach Sidney Lowe. Wake Forest has a chance to continue the momentum from a win over C...

20 hours ago

Deacons hoping for comforts of home

ACC Now | News & Observer — GREENSBORO -- There’s no such thing as a host team for the ACC tournament, but if there’s a team with home-court advantage, it’s Wake Forest. Not only are the Demon Deacons staying on campus this week, a mere 40 minutes away, but they scheduled two games at the Greensboro Coliseum earlier this season, against East Carolina and UNC-Greensboro. “When we came over and played those games earlier in the season, we really got a feel for how the atmosphere is going to be,” Wake Forest guard L.D. Williams said. “Coach (Dino) Gaudio did a great job scheduling those games. We know how the rims are,...

March 10, 2010

Miami's Gamble passes geography quiz

ACC Now | News & Observer — GREENSBORO -- Before Miami left the Greensboro Coliseum floor Wednesday, coach Frank Haith gathered his team at center court, around the ACC logo for a pre-tournament, post-practice brain teaser: “I said, ‘Can anybody can tell me where all the teams are?’ ” Haith said. The logo, an oval map of the East Coast, has small white squares where each team is located. For Haith, who grew up in Alamance County, went to Elon and served as an assistant coach at Wake Forest, the map is second nature. Then he asked his assistants to correctly locate all 12 teams. “They didn’t know,” Haith said. “I knew....

March 10, 2010

Tudor: Five 1st-round upsets to remember

ACC Now | News & Observer — When the ACC Tournament begins Thursday in Greensboro Coliseum, don't be shocked if 12th-seeded Miami eliminates No. 5 Wake Forest. The 12-seed has won three of four first-round games since the league expanded to its current size in the 2006-07 season. Georgia Tech did it just a year ago in Atlanta, knocking out No. 5 Clemson, 86-81. The first resounding upset in ACC Tournament history was No. 6 Clemson’s first-round win over No. 3 N.C. State on the Wolfpack’s Reynolds Coliseum home court in 1962. That Clemson team, which finished 12-15 overall, did in Duke in the semifinals but eventual...

March 9, 2010

Tudor: Five ACC tournament 1st-round upsets to remember

Above the Rims | Charlotte Observer — When the ACC Tournament begins Thursday in Greensboro Coliseum, don't be shocked if 12th-seeded Miami eliminates No. 5 Wake Forest. The 12-seed has won three of four first-round games since the league expanded to its current size in the 2006-07 season. Georgia Tech did it just a year ago in Atlanta, knocking out No. 5 Clemson, 86-81. The first resounding upset in ACC Tournament history was No. 6 Clemson’s first-round win over No. 3 N.C. State on the Wolfpack’s Reynolds Coliseum home court in 1962. That Clemson team, which finished 12-15 overall, did in Duke in the semifinals but eventually l...

March 9, 2010

ACC Tournament seeds set

ACC Now | News & Observer — Updated: With Wake's win. Duke will defend its ACC title as the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament. The Blue Devils will be the only Big Four team missing on Thursday at Greensboro UNC (5-11) is the No. 10 seed and will face No. 7 Georgia Tech (7-9) at 7 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum. N.C. State (5-11) is the No. 11 seed and will face the No. 6 Clemson at 9 p.m. Wake Forest (9-7) took the No. 5 seed with Sunday's win over Clemson and will face No. 12 Miami at 2 p.m. Duke's win Saturday means the seeds of Maryland (2) and Virginia (9) are also set. Duke and Maryland both finished 13-3 ...

March 6, 2010

Thursday at the ACC Tournament will have Big Four feel

ACC Now | News & Observer — If the final weekend ends without any surprises, North Carolina will be the No. 10 seed and N.C. State will be the No. 11 seed in the ACC Tournament. Three of the Big Four are guaranteed to play on Thursday in Greensboro and either State or UNC could end up facing Wake Forest. If as expected Duke beat UNC and Florida State beats Miami on Saturday, the Tar Heels would be the No. 10 seed and the Wolfpack would be No. 11, regardless of what happens on Sunday between State and Boston College. Both UNC (5-10) and N.C. State (4-11) would play in the night session on Thursday at the Greensboro Colis...

March 4, 2010
  • Staying at Tech works in Bell's favor - roanoke.com Roanoke Times BLACKSBURG -- Terrell Bell and his roommate often talked with each other last year about the possibility of transferring from Virginia Tech. That roommate, Hank Thorns, decided to transfer. Bell stayed put.
  • 5 things to watch in ACC quarterfinals Above the Rims | Charlotte Observer GREENSBORO - After North Carolina and Wake Forest choked Thursday, N.C. State held on to salvage some of the in-state interest (along with Duke) for the quarterfinal round of the ACC tournament.Here are five things to watch on Day 2:1. Pack’s persistence. N.C. State will be exhausted Friday night after spending 40 minutes battling Clemson’s press in the first round.How well the team can push through its fatigue will be a huge factor against Florida State. Tracy Smith played 37 minutes for N.C. State in the first round and faces a huge front line with Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton that’s a ...
  • N.C. State 59, Clemson 57 ACC Now | News & Observer GREENSBORO -- N.C. State sported new warmup shirts for the ACC tournament on Thursday. "Impossible is nothing" it read on the front and "Wolfpack in the House" on the back. Both slogans proved to be true after State's 59-57 upset of Clemson to move into Friday's quarterfinals. The 11th-seeded Wolfpack did what previously had been impossible, beat a big, athletic Clemson team for the first time under coach Sidney Lowe, ending a five-game losing streak in the series. In the process, extending its season to tonight's matchup with No. 3 Florida State. Tracy Smith scored 19 poin...
  • Pack gets big game from big Rich ACC Now | News & Observer GREENSBORO -- Winners of four of the past five after Thursday’s first-round upset of Clemson, N.C. State may be playing its best basketball of the season. Not coincidentally, so is forward Richard Howell. Howell had 11 rebounds, one short of his career high, and nine points in the 59-57 win while helping Tracy Smith defend Clemson star Trevor Booker as the 11th-seeded Pack pulled off the third upset of the ACC tournament’s opening day. It’s shaping up to be a pleasant ending to an unpleasant season for the highly touted freshman, whose injury problems are hard to comprehend. He injured hi...
  • Harper, Wolfpack prepare for post season ACC Now | News & Observer RALEIGH - Though her team fell one game short in the ACC Tournament of earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, N.C. State women's basketball coach Kellie Harper remains optimistic about the Wolpack's chances of making the field. She doesn't find it necessary to lobby the NCAA Tournament Committee for a bid. That committee releases its selections on Monday at 7 p.m. during an ESPN broadcast.  "I feel like we've done what we've needed to do to get in," Harper said on Wednesday. "Our strength of schedule is very strong. We finished tied for fifth. We made it to the cha...
  • Clemson hones press for Pack ACC Now | News & Observer GREENSBORO -- While some teams used Wednesday’s open practices for half-speed shooting drills, Clemson worked hard on its full-court pressure defense in preparation for Thursday’s ACC tournament game against N.C. State. "We just believe in going hard and sharp the day before the game,” said Clemson coach Oliver Purnell. “The more you go harder and sharper, you have an opportunity for it to spill over into the game.” That strategy has worked for Clemson all season. The Tigers have forced an ACC-high 17.4 turnovers per game, so protecting the ball will be a key for N.C. State in the 9 ...
  • 5 things to watch in ACC quarterfinals Above the Rims | Charlotte Observer GREENSBORO - After North Carolina and Wake Forest choked Thursday, N.C. State held on to salvage some of the in-state interest (along with Duke) for the quarterfinal round of the ACC tournament.Here are five things to watch on Day 2:1. Pack’s persistence. N.C. State will be exhausted Friday night after spending 40 minutes battling Clemson’s press in the first round.How well the team can push through its fatigue will be a huge factor against Florida State. Tracy Smith played 37 minutes for N.C. State in the first round and faces a huge front line with Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton that’s a ...
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  • N.C. State 59, Clemson 57 ACC Now | News & Observer GREENSBORO -- N.C. State sported new warmup shirts for the ACC tournament on Thursday. "Impossible is nothing" it read on the front and "Wolfpack in the House" on the back. Both slogans proved to be true after State's 59-57 upset of Clemson to move into Friday's quarterfinals. The 11th-seeded Wolfpack did what previously had been impossible, beat a big, athletic Clemson team for the first time under coach Sidney Lowe, ending a five-game losing streak in the series. In the process, extending its season to tonight's matchup with No. 3 Florida State. Tracy Smith scored 19 poin...
  • Pack gets big game from big Rich ACC Now | News & Observer GREENSBORO -- Winners of four of the past five after Thursday’s first-round upset of Clemson, N.C. State may be playing its best basketball of the season. Not coincidentally, so is forward Richard Howell. Howell had 11 rebounds, one short of his career high, and nine points in the 59-57 win while helping Tracy Smith defend Clemson star Trevor Booker as the 11th-seeded Pack pulled off the third upset of the ACC tournament’s opening day. It’s shaping up to be a pleasant ending to an unpleasant season for the highly touted freshman, whose injury problems are hard to comprehend. He injured hi...
  • Harper, Wolfpack prepare for post season ACC Now | News & Observer RALEIGH - Though her team fell one game short in the ACC Tournament of earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, N.C. State women's basketball coach Kellie Harper remains optimistic about the Wolpack's chances of making the field. She doesn't find it necessary to lobby the NCAA Tournament Committee for a bid. That committee releases its selections on Monday at 7 p.m. during an ESPN broadcast.  "I feel like we've done what we've needed to do to get in," Harper said on Wednesday. "Our strength of schedule is very strong. We finished tied for fifth. We made it to the cha...