DETROIT – The many close relationships between members of the Villanova and North Carolina teams led to at least a bit of friendly trash talk as players prepare for Saturday’s 8:47 p.m. NCAA semifinal.
Villanova wing Dwayne Anderson said North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson texted him with a message: “You know we’re going to beat y’all, right?”
Anderson said he texted back: “You better get your ankles taped twice.”
“Because of his foot injury, and all,” Anderson explained.
Considering the distance between the campuses, the number of friendships between the teams’ players is surprising. Lawson and Scottie Reynolds were roommates two summers ago as counselors at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio.
North Carolina guard Wayne Ellington, who grew up near the Villanova campus in Philadelphia, has a lot of friends on the Wildcats’ team. Ellington said he’s closest to Reggie Redding and Shane Clark of the Wildcats.
Ellington attended the Episcopal Academy near Philadelphia along with Villanova coach Jay Wright’s children and seriously considered the Wildcats before choosing North Carolina because of its tradition.
“I wanted a chance to be able to contend for a national championship,” Ellington said. “Which sounds crazy now that Nova is in the Final Four. But back then it was clear that Carolina was the decision to make if I wanted to contend for a national championship.”
Welcome, Spartans. A giant green sign with a Spartans emblem on the Wayne County office building in downtown Detroit welcomes Michigan State to the Final Four in huge lettering.
In much smaller print, the sign mentions the other three Final Four participants – North Carolina, Connecticut and Villanova. There’s no doubt who’s the favorite in this town with the NCAA semifinals approaching Saturday.
Michigan State’s players are embracing their status as champions of a city that’s down on its luck with the auto industry struggling.
“We definitely can be an inspiration,” said Michigan State sophomore guard Durell Summers. “Guys can look at us and see what hard work can do or what being the underdog and not giving up can do.”
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Final Four notes: Heels, Villanova trade barbs
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
11 comments:
I swear, you give them an education, give it to them for free, and what is the result? The usual ghetto filth. What a shame.
They can have fun. You don't have to make your snide comments about it.
Usual ghetto filth? Get a life.
Ghetto filth is much more entertaining that the Rush Limbaugh conservative right wing effing BS
"I swear, you give them an education, give it to them for free, and what is the result? The usual ghetto filth. What a shame."
What?!... Putting aside the racist undertone of that comment for the moment and also putting aside that you don't know how the players in the article actually grew up--- I was privileged enough not to grow up in a ghetto, and that sounds like some of the text messages my other team friends and I would send before a game. "Ghetto"? Try being 20-something in 2009, moron.
All the UNC haters out in force. Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy....
GO HEELS.....
The blatant racism in the "ghetto" comment does not surprise me. There are many closet racist who use subtle systems such as blogs to get their point across. What I am happy about is that the majority of the comments are against this fool. What a loser.
What part of that story shows 'ghetto filth'?
Seriously, Episcopal is as nice or nicer then ANY private school in Charlotte. Wayne Ellington is anything but ghetto. He grew up in one of the more affluent areas of the country. If anything, you could call him a silver spoonfed snob (not calling him that), but he's far from ghetto. This is coming from a UNC-CH hater who grew up in Philly and knows the area. GO WILDCATS!!!!!
Dante Cunningham and Ty Lawson also grew up together. Cool that teams so far away actually have a lot of connections.
I think it is obvious who did not receive an education. What a shame.
Sounds like you are the one who is in need of a free education
Post a Comment