Obama jokes, congratulates Blue Devils

Hard to say who was the most popular guy in the White House Rose Garden this morning: President Obama? Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski? Or Reggie Love?

Love, a former Duke basketball captain and member of the 2001 NCCA men’s championship team, also is Obama’s body man and frequent pickup teammate. He was notorious back in Durham for a shaky shooting percentage. He’s known around the White House as a big-time Blue Devils fan.

And he got the first big applause of the day when he walked onto stage, alone, to adjust something on Obama’s podium before the event started.

“Reggie!” the crowd shouted, and broke into applause.

Later, Obama took a crack at Love’s expense:

“Now some of you may know that my assistant, Reggie Love, used to play for Coach K at Duke... In fact, Reggie was so excited to see his old coach today that I had to make him come out and run some sprint drills just to calm him down,” Obama said.

He went on: “And then Coach and I were both discussing – I play with Reggie now, and when Reggie was playing, Coach said, ‘Don’t shoot!’

“And when he’s on my team, I say to Reggie, ‘Don’t shoot!’ So things haven’t changed.”

Obama made like he was waving down the court at Love. “’Go down in the post, rebound.’”

Still, as the president worked a few minutes later to get into a group picture on stage with the team, a pair of women way back in the audience stood to wave at Love, standing discreetly to the side and under a shade tree. He grinned and waved back.

After the ceremony, local reporters asked the press office about interviews: Will Reggie come out? Can we talk to Reggie?

Alas, Love was back inside the White House with the president, shooting photos with the men’s 2010 World Cup soccer team.

- Barbara Barrett, Washington correspondent, McClatchy Newspapers

Hill can't see Coach K leaving for Cavs

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski made it clear in early April that he "wouldn't have any interest" if the New Jersey Nets had contacted him about their vacant job. Now that Krzyzewski's name has popped up in the rumor mill as a potential candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers, at least one former player said he thinks he won't have any interest in that job, either.

“He gets his fix with the Dream Team,” Suns forward Grant Hill told Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports earlier this week. “He gets the best players without all the headaches. What I mean by that is if you go through a season, there are things that come up. Not every situation is ideal in terms of having the chemistry or camaraderie that we have or the Lakers have, the teams that are playing right now. He can get those [Team USA] guys to buy in. They’re all-stars who suppress their egos and buy into what they’re doing.

“But if he turned down the Lakers, turned down New Jersey, I can’t see him going to Cleveland. I think he’s happy, he’s content and they got some good players there. We’re about to make another [championship] run [at Duke]. He’s in a good place: Lifetime contract; involved with the business school.

“I’m trying not to be biased, trying to be objective, he really was what Dean Smith was 10 to 20 years. He is college basketball. He’s the face. He knows he has a good thing going and I can’t see him leaving.”

In 2004, Krzyzewski turned down an offer reported to be worth $40 million over five years to coach the Los Angeles Lakers.

He said last summer that Duke would be his last coaching job, and made a similar statement last month, the day before the Blue Devils met Butler in the NCAA championship game.

"I'll be at Duke even after I stop coaching," he said. "You know, that's where I'm going to be."

-- Robbi Pickeral

Wear twins now Bruins

Former North Carolina forwards David and Travis Wear have signed written offers of financial aid at UCLA and will attend the school this coming year, Bruins coach Ben Howland announced today.

As per NCAA transfer rules, the sophomores will have to sit out a season.

"I am absolutely ecstatic about Dave and Travis joining our program," Howland said in a prepared statement released by the school. "Both are outstanding players. They are highly-skilled good athletes who are hard workers and extremely motivated to be at their best. They are constantly working hard on their overall game."

The 6-feet-10, 230 pound twins surprised everyone -- including UNC coach Roy Williams -- earlier this month when their father called Williams to request their release.

Last season, David Wear averaged 4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 27 games before having hip surgery that ended his season prematurely; he is not expected to be able to return to the court until June. Travis Wear averaged 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds. Both were McDonalds All-Americans, and were expected to earn ample playing time next season behind probable starters Tyler Zeller and John Henson.

Their sudden departure left the Tar Heels thin in the post, although Alabama transfer Justin Knox committed to UNC on Monday, helping the depth issue.

The twins' father, Dave, told the Long Beach Press-Telegram that there was plenty of interest in his sons after they gained their release from Carolina.

"Some very high-profile schools reached out to us,'' he told the paper. "Some were willing to recruit one, the other or both of them. But the boys were adamant that they wanted to stay together."

He told the paper that whatever school they chose, it was going to be on the west coast (where their family lives): "The boys and their mother had no intention of going outside of this time zone."

-- Robbi Pickeral

Tar Heels' nonconference slate coming together

North Carolina still is "working out the details" with a couple more potential nonconference opponents for next basketball season, associate athletics director Larry Gallo said. But the majority of the Tar Heels' nonconference ACC foes are set:

• UNC last season extended its series with Kentucky for two more years, meaning the early-season showdown will continue through 2011-12, at least. This year's game will return to the Smith Center.

• Junior forward Tyler Zeller's "home" game will be at Evansville, while sophomore Dexter Strickland will travel close to home again, when the Tar Heels play Rutgers at Madison Square Garden.

• UNC will play Texas at Greensboro Coliseum, plus home games against Charleston and Long Beach State. (The latter is a three-game deal, which would have allowed the Wear twins to eventually play a game near their home, had they not transferred.) Carolina also will travel to Illinois for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

• The Tar Heels also face a solid field at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, Nov. 18-21. Joining them: Davidson, Hofstra, Minnesota, Nebraska, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky and West Virginia.

The ACC usually announces its full schedule in late summer.

-- Robbi Pickeral

N.C. State set for Charleston tournament

N.C. State will participate in the Charleston Classic in November potentially adding more Big East flavor to its nonconference basketball schedule.

The Wolfpack is one of six teams confirmed for the eight-team, made-for-ESPN tournament. Big East power Georgetown is one of the other committed teams. The Wolfpack has also tentatively agreed to play a road game at Syracuse in 2010-11.

The nonconference schedule already includes a home date with Arizona and a road trip to Wisconsin, which is part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

The Charleston Classic is set for Nov. 18 through 21 at Carolina First Arena in Charleston, S.C. In addition to State and Georgetown — who last met in a memorable 1989 NCAA tournament game — the field includes Charlotte, East Carolina, Wofford and George Mason.

The final two spots have yet to be filled. The opponents have not been set but the Wolfpack will play three games in Charleston. N.C. State is expected to sign a home-and-home deal with Syracuse which would bring the Orange to Raleigh the following season. The Wolfpack played, and lost, at Arizona this past season.

J.P. Giglio

White House to turn Duke blue

The White House is a house divided about next week's scheduled visit from the Duke University NCAA champion men's basketball team.

President Barack Obama, of course, is a basketball fanatic. Dome readers might recall that during the campaign, he practiced with the UNC-Chapel Hill men's team. Last year, Obama welcomed the UNC's national champion squad to the White House.

But there are some basketball partisans among his staff. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs is an N.C. State University grad and Reggie Love, the president's personal assistant or "body man" is a former Duke basketball and football player.

Gibbs gave a sense in a news conference today that he's not exactly thrilled about next week's events, Barb Barrett reports.

“On Thursday, President Obama will -- and this is hard for an N.C. State graduate to say -- welcome the NCAA men's basketball champion, Duke Blue Devils, to the White House -- Reggie will be in rare form -- to honor their 2009 and 2010 season."

-- Ben Niolet, (Raleigh) News and Observer

Tudor's Take: Alabama transfer would boost UNC

The likely addition of Alabama’s Justin Knox to North Carolina’s basketball team would help the Tar Heels’ depth but probably would add no more than a marginal offensive boost.

The 6-foot-9 Knox, currently a junior and the SEC scholar athlete of the year in 2008-09, is scheduled to graduate in June and would be immediately eligible to play for the Heels as a graduate student.

Knox has expressed casual interest in Southern Miss and Georgia State. Memphis has attempted to enter the picture but seems more interested in 6-8 Minnesota junior Trevor Mbakwe, who also has mentioned N.C. State as a possibility.

Knox, a native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., has been given permission by the school to transfer but only to a school outside the SEC and/or Alabama system.

At Carolina, he would absorb some of the playing time left by transferring forwards David and Travis Wear (possibly to UCLA).

Knox averaged just over six points and three rebounds on Anthony Grant’s first team at Alabama. The Tide finished 17-15 overall and 6-10 in the SEC.

But much like UNC (20-17, 5-11 ACC), the Tide had shooting and scoring problems most of the season.

Knox shot 44 percent, but did have one of his best showings against a very good Purdue defense. The Boilermakers won the game, 66-55, but Knox came off the bench to score 14 points.

In two games against SEC foe Kentucky, he totaled eight points but did have 14 rebounds, 11 in a 73-67 loss during the SEC Tournament.

Combined, the Wear brothers averaged 6.4 points and 2.9 rebounds. Neither shot better than 43.7 percent on field-goal attempt.

-- Caulton Tudor

Heels will open UNC-Asheville's new arena

North Carolina's Roy Williams will coach a game in his hometown at the start of the 2011-12 season as the Tar Heels will open UNC-Asheville's new building.

UNC-Asheville associate athletic director for external affairs Mike Gore confirmed that the Tar Heels will play at Kimmel Arena in November of 2011. The facility will seat about 3,200 in a building that also will hold a health and wellness center.

The Tar Heels don't often play road games against opponents from non-Bowl Championship Series conferences in the region, but did visit the College of Charleston last season.

"It's very exciting, especially with Roy Williams being an Asheville native," Gore said.

Ken Tysiac

Singler, Smith named Duke captains

Coach Mike Krzyzewski announced Tuesday that he has named seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith to captain the team.

Singler considered leaving school early for the NBA draft but ultimately decided to return after being named the most outstanding player of the Final Four.

Smith, the team's third-leading scorer last season at 17.4 points per game, is expected to be a first-team All-ACC candidate along with Singler. Both players are first-time captains.

They will fill a leadership void created by the loss of three senior starters - leading scorer Jon Scheyer, forward Lance Thomas and center Brian Zoubek.

"We're really excited about naming our co-captains so early this year, and the reason is obvious - Nolan and Kyle are our leaders," Krzyzewski said in a statement. "They have big shoes to fill. Losing the three seniors, who were all outstanding leaders, is the biggest gap we have to fill. But we're confident that these two young men can do it."

Singler averaged 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season while leading the Blue Devils to a 35-5 record. He ranks 18th on the school's career scoring list with 1,767 points, and was named the most valuable player of the 2010 ACC tournament.

Although Singler is naturally soft spoken, Krzyzewski said when Singler announced his return that becoming more of a leader is the next step for him.

"Nolan and I have grown so much over the last three years, and now it is time for both of us to step foward and become vocal leaders," Singler said.

Smith averaged 17.4 points per game as a junior, a 9.0 point per game increase over his sophomore season. He was named the most outstanding player of the South Regional in the NCAA tournament after scoring 29 points in a regional final win over Baylor in Houston.

"We have high goals set for this team, and the only way we can accomplish them is through hard work and great leadership," Smith said.

Ken Tysiac

Report: ACC TV deal with ESPN a monster

ESPN won the TV rights to ACC football and basketball in a bidding competition with Fox Sports, and the new deal will net the league $155 million a year, dwarfing the $67 million average the league was getting with the old deal, industry sources told the Triangle Business Journal.

Here's an excerpt from the Business Journal story:

The back-and-forth bidding, which reached its final stages last week at the league’s spring meetings in Amelia Island, Fla., drove up ESPN’s rights fee from initial projections of about $120 million a year to $155 million, sources said, providing the ACC with more than double the revenue it was receiving from its previous football and basketball contracts.

ESPN’s increase was in response to an unexpectedly strong pursuit by Fox Sports and sources familiar with the negotiations say the bidding was neck-and-neck last week.

The ACC broke from its spring meetings without announcing a new deal, and the conference said a formal contract had not been finalized. But industry sources pegged a pending deal with ESPN at $1.86 billion over 12 years.

That annual figure of $155 million dwarfs the average of $67 million the league was getting from its previous media deals, which expire at the end of the 2010-11 season, but falls well short of the $205 million a year that the SEC gets from its new 15-year deals with CBS and ESPN.

N.C. State's Lowe: "I like our direction"

Sidney Lowe is in an unusual situation at N.C. State.

He has yet to coach the Wolfpack basketball team to the NCAA tournament in four seasons, but he's experiencing a huge surge in popularity because he just signed an excellent recruiting class.

Forward C.J. Leslie and guards Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown give N.C. State a class that's rated at or near the top of the ACC. All-Star Sports analyst Bob Gibbons said earlier this week that presuming that Brown is academically eligible (Lowe said he expects Brown to be able to enroll in summer school), N.C. State's class probably noses out North Carolina's as the best in the ACC.

Nonetheless, N.C. State athletic director Lee Fowler was ousted last week, in part because the basketball team's lack of success under Lowe has dissatisfied some fans.

Here are some excerpts from Lowe's comments Thursday night at the Wolfpack Club's Raleigh Caravan stop:

On Fowler's departure: "I have a program that I’m trying to develop. I think it’s going in the right direction. I think we’re starting to get the right kind of people, the right kind of players, in here to compete at the highest level. And that’s the only thing I can concentrate on. One great thing about Lee is that he always talked to me about the business. And coming from the NBA, I knew about the business. And it’s unpredictable. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to you, but it happens. And he was always good to me, and I wish him well."

On wanting to win for Fowler's sake: "You always want to do your best for the people that hire you. But I have a little more at stake than the average guy because I went to school here. So it doesn’t make me work any harder. It doesn’t make me try any harder. I want to win for N.C. State. I want to win for the people that support us. I want to win for the people that are always behind us, good and bad. Those are the ones I want to win for. You want to win for the die-hard fans, which I know we have a lot of them. And I know we’re moving in the right direction."

On N.C. State's recruiting class: "Having played this game before, there’s one thing I know. No matter how good a coach you are, you can’t do it if you don’t have the same type players that the good teams have. And we’re starting to get that. You’ve seen it all over. You have great coaches. They might get a tough team, they might get a young team, and they struggle a little bit. But they’re still the same coach. But I like our direction right now."

On whether the fans are expecting too much from the freshmen: "I like the excitement. It’s hard to tell college fans not to get excited and expect a lot. That’s just the way it is. They’re freshmen. They’re going to make mistakes, but they’re good basketball players. They’re going to do more good things than bad things. It’s going to take some time with them, but I think you’ll see they’re quality players."

On what was the key to signing such a strong class: "Time. Just time. Being able to recruit them as freshmen and sophomores. Not going in as a junior and really trying to get in there. It’s a tough deal. When you’re recruiting against top programs in the country and those are the players we’re going after, you have to wait. You have to be patient with it. Getting [to see] Ryan as a freshman, seeing Lorenzo as a freshman, seeing C.J. with his early commitment, that meant a lot. So time has been the really big deal here. It just took longer than all of us, not just our fans but me as well, but hopefully we’re going to reap the benefits now of being able to be on these guys. And now going forward we have other guys we’ve been on since they were freshmen and we’ll be in the hunt on those guys as well."

On whether the recruits' proclamations (Leslie predicted a top-5 finish for N.C. State) have been a bit too bold: "I’m not one to talk. You let your play do the talking for you. You don’t need to give your opponents any incentive to beat you. But you like the confidence. He’s excited and sometimes guys will say things they probably shouldn’t have said. That just means he’s got to come out and back it up now."

Ken Tysiac

Capel adds to Appalachian State staff

Former North Carolina player Jason Capel has added three assistant coaches with extensive basketball experience in the state to his staff at Appalachian State.

Rick Scruggs, who directed Gardner-Webb to a stunning win at Kentucky in 2007, brings 25 years of collegiate head coaching experience to the staff.

Justin Gainey, a former N.C. State point guard who served on the staffs at N.C. State and Elon and has served as head coach at Cary Academy, also is joining Capel.

So is Bobby Kummer, the Charlotte 49ers alumnus who has spent the past six seasons on Charlotte's staff under Bobby Lutz.

"It's a staff with a nice mix of experience as well as guys that are hungry to get out and recruit," Capel said in a statement.

Ken Tysiac

Former Duke basketball captain Parsons dies

Bill Parsons, who was captain of Duke's 1939-40 basketball team and a two-time captain of the tennis team for the Blue Devils, died recently at his home in his hometown of Altoona, Pa., according to a Duke news release.

He was 92.

Parsons scored 226 points at Duke from 1937 to 1940 as the Blue Devils wend 44-28 during that span. He was a member of the team that won the Southern Conference championship in 1938.

In tennis, Duke was 37-17 during Parsons' career. He retired as a commander in the U.S. Navy after serving in the Pacific in World War II. Parsons and his brother, Tom, were accomplished badminton players, having been ranked as high as No. 4 in the United States in 1960.

In 1989 and 1990, Parsons was ranked No. 1 in the world in men's tennis in the 70-and-over age group.

Ken Tysiac

UNC, N.C. State in top 25 in attendance

Although North Carolina and N.C. State saw their home men's basketball crowds shrink in 2009-10, both remained among the top 25 in Division I attendance according to figures released this week by the NCAA.

North Carolina ranked fifth in Division I with an average of 17,786 fans per home date. N.C. State's average of 13,184 fans ranked 24th.

Kentucky (24,111), Syracuse (22,152), Louisville (19,397) and Tennessee (19,168) were the four schools ahead of North Carolina in the rankings.

The Tar Heels' attendance dropped by more than 3,000 fans per game as they missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in coach Roy Williams' seven seasons. North Carolina averaged 21,035 fans in a 2008-09 season that saw the Tar Heels win the NCAA title.

N.C. State's attendance dropped by 272 fans per game from its 2008-09 average of 13,456.

Ken Tysiac

UNC, Pack hoops, 15 Duke sports honored

The men's basketball teams at North Carolina and N.C. State were among the more than 800 Division I sports programs honored today for their academic achievement with Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA.

Each year the NCAA salutes the top 10 percent of teams in each sport as determined by the Academic Progress Rate formula that provides a real-time snapshot of the performance of each team in the classroom.

North Carolina and N.C. State were the only men's basketball teams honored from the ACC. Duke, with 15 teams honored including the football team, led the ACC in Public Recognition Awards. Boston College was next with 13. Among schools in the Carolinas, North Carolina received eight, Wake Forest five, N.C. State three and Clemson none.

Duke and Miami were the only ACC teams to receive Public Recognition Awards in football.

Ken Tysiac

Duke-Michigan State highlights ACC/Big Ten

Defending NCAA champion Duke will play host to 2010 NCAA semifinalist Michigan State on Dec. 1 in the marquee matchup of the 2010 ACC/Big Ten Challenge, ESPN has announced.

North Carolina will visit Illinois on Nov. 30, and N.C. State will travel to Wisconsin on Dec. 1 in two of the challenge's other key games. Game times and TV assignments on ESPN's family of networks will be announced at a later date.

Miami, which finished last in the ACC standings last season, is the lone team from the 12-school ACC that won't compete against the (for now) 11-school Big Ten in the Challenge.

Last year the Big Ten won the challenge for the first time in the 11 years the event has been played.

Here's the full schedule of this year's ACC/Big Ten Challenge:

Monday, Nov. 29: Virginia at Minnesota.

Tuesday, Nov. 30: North Carolina at Illinois, Ohio State at Florida State, Michigan at Clemson, Georgia Tech at Northwestern, Iowa at Wake Forest.

Wednesday, Dec. 1: Michigan State at Duke, Purdue at Virginia Tech, N.C. State at Wisconsin, Indiana at Boston College, Maryland at Penn State.

Ken Tysiac

Alabama transfer considering Tar Heels

North Carolina coach Roy Williams may have found immediate help in the low post after last week's announcement that forwards David and Travis Wear had surprised the coaching staff and were transferring.

Justin Knox, a rising senior who's transferring from Alabama but has a chance to be eligible immediately, may visit North Carolina as soon as this weekend. His uncle, Darien Knox, said Wednesday that Williams and assistant coach Steve Robinson talked to him Monday and said Justin might be the best recruit available because of his experience and skill set.

"By him being 6-9, 245 (pounds), post players are hard to find, especially this late in the game," said Darien Knox, who coaches the Team Alabama summer club team.

Knox averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game as a junior, but Darien Knox said he didn't fit well into coach Anthony Grant's system. The terms of Knox's release from his scholarship were limited. He can't transfer to:

- An SEC school.

- Another school in the Alabama system.

- A school on Alabama's schedule.

On Thursday morning, Darien Knox said, Justin will appeal those restrictions with Alabama. But he's already been cleared to talk to North Carolina, which isn't handcuffed by any of those restrictions.

By this weekend, Darien Knox hopes Justin will be able to visit North Carolina and Georgia Tech. He expects to be eligible immediately under an NCAA graduate student transfer waiver, which is available to players who get their bachelor's degree within three years and want to study in a graduate program not offered at their current school.

Knox, who was the SEC men's basketball scholar-athlete of the year as a sophomore, plans to graduate this summer with a degree in business management. Should he choose the Tar Heels, he would add badly needed depth in the post.

With the Wear twins departing and Ed Davis entering the NBA draft after his sophomore season, North Carolina has only two post players on scholarship - Tyler Zeller and John Henson - for 2010-11.

Ken Tysiac

Smith, Delaney preserve eligibility

As expected, N.C. State and Virginia Tech were among the most fortunate teams Tuesday afternoon when the NBA released the list of early entry candidates who have withdrawn from the draft in time to preserve their college eligibility.

N.C. State center Tracy Smith and Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney, who will be seniors next season and who had earlier declared their intentions to return to school, were the only ACC players on the NBA's list of players who have withdrawn from the draft.

The biggest winner of all, though, was Purdue. Boilermakers guard E'twaun Moore and center JaJuan Johnson both have decided to return to school, and their experience will make Purdue one of the preseason favorites to reach the Final Four.

Butler, the 2010 NCAA runner-up, remains a likely top-10 team in the preseason but will face tempered expectations because its leading scorer, Gordon Hayward, stayed in the draft.

And former Concord High standout Dee Bost is staying in the draft after two seasons at Mississippi State.

The deadline to withdraw from the draft and remain eligible to play in college was Saturday. The draft will be held June 24.

Other notables who've withdrawn from the draft include Jimmer Fredette of Brigham Young, Alex Tyus of Florida, Demetri McCamey of Illinois and three Seton Hall players - Herb Pope, Jeremy Hazell and Jeff Robinson.

Ken Tysiac

Marketing meets hardwood at Duke

Proving that there's a market for just about everything that touches a championship team, a company called Victory Courts LLC began Monday selling portions of the Final Four court from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where Duke edged Butler 61-59 in the NCAA title game last month.

Twelve different sizes and design options will be available throughout the year, including limited edition segments autographed by coach Mike Krzyzewski and seniors Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek.

Victory Courts donated the center jump circle from the Lucas Oil Stadium floor to Duke, and will be making a financial contribution to the Emily K downtown Durham community center named built in honor of Krzyzewski's late mother.

The gym at the Emily K Center features the court from Minneapolis upon which Duke won the 2001 NCAA title.

Ken Tysiac

ACC: Projected hoops lineups for 2010-11

The ACC starting lineups/rotations to mull over now that we know which players will be around for the 2010-11 season.

By the way, you read somewhere in March which players would be leaving and which would be staying. You might want to listen to that guy when the Summer Hoops Preview comes out in June.

Here's the list, in no particular order (wink):

Duke
2009-10: 13-3, first
G Kyrie Irving, fr.
G Seth Curry soph. (20.2 ppg @ Liberty)
G Nolan Smith sr. (17.4 ppg)
F Kyle Singler sr. (17.7 ppg)
F Mason Plumlee soph. (3.7 ppg)
Bench: G Andre Dawkins, F Miles Plumlee, F Ryan Kelly, F Josh Hairston

Virginia Tech
2009-10: 10-6, fourth
G Malcolm Delaney sr. (20.2 ppg)
G Dorenzo Hudson sr. (12.0 ppg)
F Terrell Bell sr. (6.1 ppg)
F Victor Davila jr. (5.3 ppg)
F Jeff Allen sr. (15.2 ppg)
Bench: F J.T. Thompson, G Erick Green, F Jarell Eddie, F Allan Chaney, F Cadarian Raines, F Manny Atkins, G Ben Boggs

Florida State
2009-10: 10-6, third
G Derwin Kitchen sr. (8.1 ppg)
G Deividas Dulkys jr. (8.7 ppg)
G Michael Snaer soph. (8.8 ppg)
F Chris Singleton jr. (10.2 ppg)
F Xavier Gibson jr. (5.5 ppg)
Bench: G Luke Loucks, F Terrance Shannon, PG Ian Miller, F Okaro White

UNC
2009-10: 5-11, 10th
G Larry Drew II jr. (8.5 ppg)
G Reggie Bullock fr.
F Harrison Barnes fr.
F John Henson soph. (5.7 ppg)
F Tyler Zeller jr. (9.3 ppg)
Bench: F Will Graves, G Dexter Strickland, PG Kendall Marshall, G Leslie McDonald

N.C. State
2009-10: 5-11, 11th
G Javier Gonzalez sr. (9.5 ppg)
G Lorenzo Brown fr.
F C.J. Leslie fr.
F Richard Howell soph. (4.9 ppg)
F Tracy Smith sr. (16.5 ppg)
Bench: PG Ryan Harrow, G Scott Wood, G C.J. Williams, F DeShawn Painter, F Jordan Vandenberg

Maryland
2009-10: 13-3, second
G Adrian Bowie sr. (4.8 ppg)
G Sean Mosley jr. (10.1 ppg)
G Cliff Tucker sr. (5.7 ppg)
F Dino Gregory sr. (4.2 ppg)
F Jordan Williams soph. (9.6 ppg)
Bench: F James Padgett, G Terrell Stoglin, F Mychal Parker, PG Pe'Shon Howard

Miami
2009-10: 4-12, 12th
G Durand Scott soph. (10.3 ppg)
G Malcolm Grant jr. (9.6 ppg)
G DeQuan Jones jr. (5.7 ppg)
F Julian Gamble jr. (3.5 ppg)
F Reggie Johnson soph. (6.4 ppg)
Bench: G Rion Brown, G Garrius Adams, G Antoine Allen, F Donnavan Kirk

Clemson
2009-10: 9-7, sixth
G Demontez Stitt sr. (11.4 ppg)
G Tanner Smith jr. (8.7 ppg)
F Milton Jennings soph. (3.2 ppg)
F Devin Booker soph. (4.5 ppg)
F Jerai Grant sr. (7.2 ppg)
Bench: G Noel Johnson, G Andre Young, G Donte Hill, F Bryan Narcisse

Boston College
2009-10: 6-10, eighth
G Reggie Jackson jr. (12.9 ppg)
G Dallas Elmore jr. (3.9 ppg)
F Corey Raji sr. (11.4 ppg)
F Joe Trapani sr. (14.1 ppg)
F Evan Ravenel jr. (3.3 ppg)
Bench: PG Biko Paris, F Josh Southern, F Courtney Dunn

Georgia Tech
2009-10: 7-9, seventh
G Moe Miller sr. (3.9 ppg)
G Iman Shumpert jr. (10.0 ppg)
G Glen Rice Jr. soph. (5.4 ppg)
F Kammeon Holsey r-fr.
F Brad Sheehan sr. (1.2 ppg)
Bench: G Brian Oliver, PG Mfon Udofia, F Daniel Miller

Virginia
2009-10: 5-11, ninth
G Jontel Evans soph. (2.4 ppg)
G Sammy Zeglinski jr. (8.9 ppg)
G K.T. Harrell fr.
F Mike Scott sr. (12.0 ppg)
F James Johnson fr.
Bench: PG Billy Baron, F Will Regan, F Assane Sene, G Joe Harris, G Mustapha Farrakhan, F Will Sherrill

Wake Forest
2009-10: 9-7, fifth
G Tony Chennault fr.
G C.J. Harris soph. (9.9 ppg)
F Ari Stewart soph. (7.3 ppg)
F Tony Woods jr. (4.6 ppg)
F Carson Derosiers fr.
Bench: F Travis McKie, F Melvin Tabb, G J.T. Terrell, F Ty Walker, G Gary Clark

Preseason All-ACC teams

First team
G Malcolm Delaney, VT
G Durand Scott, Miami
G Nolan Smith, Duke
F Chris Singleton, FSU
F Kyle Singler, Duke

Second team
G Seth Curry, Duke
G Reggie Jackson, BC
F Harrison Barnes, UNC
F Jordan Williams, Maryland
F Tracy Smith, N.C. State

-- J.P. Giglio

Duke single game tickets go on sale for season ticket holders

Duke announced on Wednesday that football season ticket holders can now purchase single game tickets for the Blue Devils' seven home games scheduled for the 2010 season.

Ticket prices are: Elon on Sept 4 ($25), Alabama on Sept. 18 ($50), Army on Sept. 25 ($25), Miami on Oct. 16 ($35), Virginia on Nov. 6 ($35), Boston College on Nov. 13 ($35) and North Carolina on Nov. 27 ($50).

Single game tickets for the Devils' five road games are also available.

Single game tickets are only available for season ticket holders. They can be purchased online at GoDuke.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at 1-877-375-3853.

(Tickets for the Alabama game on Sept. 18 are limited to four additional tickets per season ticket account).

-- Edward G. Robinson

Wake Forest lands junior guard

New Wake Forest University basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik received his first commitment when junior Chase Fischer, described by his high school coach as the best kept secret in the country, chose the Deacons.


Fisher, a 6-foot-4 guard at Ripley, W. Va., led West Virginia in scoring with more than 33 points per game.

-- Tim Stevens

Stokan: Move Pack basketball to Reynolds

It's too early to tell whether Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO Gary Stokan, who's a former N.C. State basketball player, will be a target of the school's search to replace departing athletic director Lee Fowler.

But Stokan did lay out one intriguing and perhaps controversial idea Tuesday when asked whether he is interested in the job. Stokan said N.C. State needs to consider moving its home basketball games back on campus to Reynolds Coliseum.

Since the 1999-2000 season, N.C. State has played near the State Fairgrounds at the RBC Center, which it shares with the Carolina Hurricanes. Fans only fill the stands for home games against the most attractive opponents, and the atmosphere is hardly intimidating for opposing teams.

Reynolds was much louder, and Stokan would like N.C. State to raise the roof there to add suites and extra seating and restore the competitive advantage that the atmosphere there gave the Wolfpack. He acknowledged that more seats at the RBC Center lead to more revenue for athletics, but still would like N.C. State to play in its old home arena.

"I’d move the games back to Reynolds Coliseum" Stokan said. "I think that’s the history and tradition. That court, that facility, was worth five wins a year. To me, Reynolds, Carmichael [Auditorium at UNC] and Cameron [at Duke], there are the three best facilities in the country. I think we’ve lost something. Obviously we’ve gained something with RBC because financially it’s probably a really good situation. I don’t know all the information on it. But I think we’ve lost something with the history and tradition at N.C. State. And I think Duke has capitalized on that and maybe we’ve lost some of that by going to RBC."

Stokan wouldn't say whether he's interested in replacing Fowler. He praised Fowler's building of facilities and hiring of coaches Sidney Lowe in basketball and Tom O'Brien in football, and said he is willing to assist new chancellor Randy Woodson in any way necessary.

"It’s appropriate now for the new chancellor to really talk to a lot of people," Stokan said. "If he thinks I can help in that process, I would be more than willing to talk to him and help with some thoughts, because my passion and my belief is I want N.C. State to be successful, and I think it can be with the fans, the Wolfpackers, the facilities and the coaches they have there. And the academics. There are great academics to recruit to."

And there's an arena arrangement for basketball that Stokan would like to see changed.

Ken Tysiac

Curry helps with Davidson fund raiser

Davidson basketball players past and present helped raise more than $38,000 on Sunday for Nothing But Nets, an organization that provides anti-mosquito bed nets for African families to sleep under.

The Davidson event -- called BUZZKILL and organized by Wildcats guard Bryant Barr -- featured a 3-on-3 tournament for kids, with teams coached by former Davidson star Stephen Curry, as well as Brendan McKillop and senior Will Archambault.

The event also featured online and live auctions, with a trip to the Bay Area and tickets to see Curry's Golden State Warriors bringing $3,200.

Nothing But Nets will send more than 3,800 insecticide-covered bed nets to African villages. BUZZKILL raised more than $16,000 in 2009. -- David Scott

Leslie thinks N.C. State can crack Top 5

C.J. Leslie is thinking big.

The Raleigh Word of God basketball forward said Monday afternoon at a press conference at the school that he believes N.C. State can be among the top five college basketball teams in the nation next year.

The 6-foot-8 Leslie committed to State last Wednesday, but answered questions about his decision on the same court where he earned national attention.

First Leslie laid out his reasons for picking the hometown Pack over Kentucky and Connecticut, his two other finalists.

First, he said, State is a great school,. Second, Sidney Lowe is a great coach. And third, it is great to be able to play close to home where his mother and father can see him play.

Leslie is part of a three-man recruiting class. He and point guards Ryan Harrow of Marietta (Ga.) Walton and Lorenzo Brown of Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military all are five-state recruits, the highest ranking given by most national recruiting services.

Leslie said he believed the recruiting class was among the top five recruiting classes in the country. Adding that group with the recruiting veterans should result in an outstanding season.

Asked how good the team could be, Leslie said he thought the Wolfpack should be ranked among the top five in the country in the preseason.

"We should really turn it around," Leslie said.

Asked if he was going to be a one-year player at State and then try to enter the NBA, Leslie said he was looking forward to his college career.

"No one can foretell the future except for God," he said. "I'm looking forward to my college career."

-- Tim Stevens, (Raleigh) News & Observer

Duke, Butler schedule rematch

Duke and Butler will play Dec. 4 in East Rutherford, N.J., in a rematch of the 2010 NCAA championship game.

ESPN announced Monday that it will televise the game. Duke edged Butler 61-59 in the NCAA title game on April 5, and both teams are expected to be among the five best teams in college basketball next season.

Duke returns two of its top three scorers, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, from the championship team and adds a top point guard recruit in Kyrie Irving. Butler has three starters returning; leading scorer Gordon Hayward has declared for the NBA draft, but there's still a chance he will return to school because he hasn't yet hired an agent.

Duke has a long history of success in East Rutherford with a record of 18-1, including five NCAA East Regional final victories. Butler has never played at the arena, which is now called the IZOD Center.

Ken Tysiac