Williams: Hansbrough should be POY

It looked like the politicking was over in Virginia.

Barack Obama and John McCain had scored big presidential primary wins Tuesday night before North Carolina’s 75-74 victory over Virginia ended.

Then North Carolina coach Roy Williams sat in front of the microphone at John Paul Jones Arena and started his own campaign.

His candidate?

Tyler Hansbrough for national player of the year.

“I get tickled listening to these people talk about national player of the year,” Williams told reporters. “Guys, there can’t be anybody that gives more to college basketball than that guy.”

There is a debate brewing over whether North Carolina junior center Hansbrough or Kansas State freshman forward Michael Beasley should receive national player of the year honors.

Hansbrough is averaging 22.8 points and 10.7 rebounds, and his team is 23-2. Beasley is at 25.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, and his much-improved team is 17-5.

Beasley is more athletic and flashier than Hansbrough, and Williams doesn’t want that factor to decide the race.

“(Hansbrough) is not in some ways maybe a popular choice because he’s a blue-collar guy and he thrashes around in there,” Williams said. “But bottom line is, that sucker can really play. He’s been a load for a lot of people, and you can’t be a better kid.”

As with the presidential primaries, don’t be surprised if there’s a lot more campaigning before this race is decided.

– Ken Tysiac

Davidson set to clinch postseason berth

Talk is starting to bubble up about whether Davidson should make the NCAA tournament, but the Wildcats can become the first team in the nation to clinch some kind of postseason berth this week.

If Davidson wins Wednesday at UNC Greensboro and Saturday at home against Furman, the Wildcats will clinch the Southern Conference regular season title. So, even if Davidson doesn't qualify for the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats will be guaranteed a spot in the NIT as the regular season champion.

Getting that distinction this early means two things: 1. Davidson is really strong against conference opponents. 2. The rest of the top teams in the Southern Conference are underachieving.

Every other conference team has at least four conference losses, and some of the top teams have slid down to the pack in recent weeks. Appalachian State (10-4) lost to College of Charleston Thursday, and barely beat The Citadel - which is winless in conference play - in overtime Saturday.

Chattanooga (10-5) has lost three of its last four games, and its only win in that stretch came against Furman (4-11). UNC Greensboro (7-6) has lost three straight games, and now faces Davidson twice and Appalachian once in its next three games.

Georgia Southern (10-5) is the only other conference team with a winning record who is playing well. The Eagles have won three straight, but lost their only game against Davidson by 25 points.

All of that means Davidson will be one of the biggest favorites in the nation once conference tournaments start (the Southern Conference tournament begins March 7). That will put more pressure on the Wildcats to avoid an upset loss that could knock Davidson out of the NCAA tournament.

-- Kevin Cary

UNC stirred, Clemson shaken

Imagine you’re Clemson guard Cliff Hammonds on Monday morning, trying to get out of bed to face the day and the rest of the season after what happened Sunday night in Chapel Hill.

"We can’t change what happened tonight," Hammonds said bravely after the Tigers squandered a 15-point, second-half lead and lost 103-93 in double overtime despite his 31 points. "We’ve got to look forward."

Monday morning will be a lot easier for Tyler Hansbrough even though he endured 47 minutes of pounding at the hands of the Tigers. Two home losses in a row, even without injured point guard Ty Lawson, might have had North Carolina’s players questioning their legitimacy as a favorite to get to the Final Four.

Instead, thanks in part to 39 points by Hansbrough, the Tar Heels emerged a confident team.

"We never gave up, and that’s what’s special about this win for us," Hansbrough said.

It was the type of game that could reverse the fortunes of both teams.

Clemson (17-6, 5-4 ACC) experienced one just like it last season at Duke, when officials’ failure to administer the clock properly gave Dave McClure time to make a winning basket at the end of regulation.

The Tigers failed to make the NCAA tournament after starting 17-0 and might always wonder what would have happened if they had a chance to play overtime at Cameron Indoor Stadium that night.

Now, they will be wondering what would have happened if they could have prevented North Carolina from extending Sunday’s game to overtime as they fell to 0-for-53 all-time in Chapel Hill.

Coach Oliver Purnell needs to help his players put Sunday’s loss behind them.

"I told the team that we certainly can’t afford to take time to think about this too long," Purnell said.

Purnell is giving Clemson’s players Monday off, and they don’t play again until Thursday’s home game against Georgia Tech. That short break should be good for them.

The Tar Heels (22-2, 7-2) need to find the energy to travel Monday to Virginia for Tuesday night’s game. That will be a lot easier after Sunday’s unforgettable rally.

"I hate Sunday night games," said North Carolina coach Roy Williams, "but this feels pretty good right now."

-- Ken Tysiac

Criticism of Green's sideshow will grow if Tar Heels' play doesn't improve

Since Duke’s 89-78 win against North Carolina on Wednesday night, one of the most often debated topics in basketball circles in the Triangle has been ... dancing.

A talk radio caller proclaiming himself a North Carolina fan boiled down the issue to its essence when he said Tar Heels junior forward Danny Green ought to devote more energy to defense and less energy to dancing.

As many ACC fans are aware, Green engages in a wild dance in front of the North Carolina bench to the song “Jump Around” in the moments before tipoff when the Tar Heels play at the Smith Center.

His teammates on the bench groove to the beat along with him, and coach Roy Williams at times looks Green’s way and smiles approvingly.

This is why Williams’ players love him. He permits them to express their individuality and have fun playing a game that’s supposed to be fun. During the “Late Night With Roy” opening practice, Williams and his assistants even dance with the players on the court.

Critics of Green’s dancing say it’s unsportsmanlike and calls attention to Green and the Tar Heels’ bench rather than the game that’s about to unfold.

Both sides of the debate have merit. Green isn’t hurting anybody with his show, and he’s a fantastic dancer. But if his team is interested more in the sideshow than the opening tap, or if Green’s show motivates opponents, he ought to save his fancy footwork for another time.

The only certain thing is that criticism will increase if Green and North Carolina don’t play well. And that fans will be watching Green closely Sunday before the tip against Clemson after the Tar Heels have lost two of their last three home games.

- Ken Tysiac

Curry likely to get the point next season

Davidson guard Stephen Curry has been on a scoring tear recently, averaging 29 points in his past seven games.

Coach Bob McKillop has preferred to talk about Curry’s all-around game, from his improved rebounding to his defense to his passing.

That last skill might be pivotal next season, because Curry probably will have to slide over to a new position: point guard.

Starter Jason Richards graduates, and the Wildcats don’t have anyone to fill the void. Freshman Brendan McKillop is more comfortable on a wing so far, and Curry is the only Wildcat who has filled in at the point this season.

Davidson hasn’t signed a point guard recruit this year, and isn’t expected to this spring. That means the Wildcats will have to turn to Curry to both run and create the team’s offense next season.

The sophomore guard is a good passer – he’s averaged four assists over his past three games – but he tends to force passes. Curry has 64 assists this season, but also has 63 turnovers. He’s come a long way – Curry had 13 turnovers in his first college game last season – but he’ll have to take another step forward to keep the Wildcats on top in the Southern Conference next season.

-- Kevin Cary

Winthrop not what Davidson needed

Davidson’s BracketBuster game with Winthrop will create some local interest, but Wildcats officials can’t be thrilled with the matchup.

That’s not because Davidson doesn’t want to play Winthrop at some point, but the Feb. 22 game might kill any chance Davidson had for an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament.

Davidson, which was No. 69 in RPI according to collegerpi.com, needed a matchup against a top-30 RPI team, such as Butler or St. Mary’s, in the BracketBuster game to help its NCAA resume. The Wildcats are 1-6 in Division I nonconference games and don’t have a signature road win.

Davidson won’t get that against Winthrop this season. The Eagles have a strong history – reaching the NCAA tournament seven of the past nine years – but Winthrop’s RPI is around 110. That won’t improve before the game with Davidson, because Winthrop’s next six opponents other than the Wildcats all have RPIs of 200 or higher.

Winthrop’s RPI is comparable to Southern Conference teams Chattanooga, Georgia Southern and UNC Greensboro, and wins against those schools won’t help Davidson’s cause either.

So, while the matchup with Winthrop might create a buzz locally, it will be a buzz kill for Davidson’s NCAA chances unless the Wildcats win the Southern Conference tournament in March.

-- Kevin Cary

Davidson-Butler a Bracketbuster game?

Davidson has won 11 straight games and the Wildcats will find out this afternoon whether that hot streak helped them get another nationally televised game.

Davidson will likely find out its opponent for the ESPN BracketBuster event, when the televised games for the Feb.22-23 event are announced. Davidson (15-6) is expected to get a televised game, to showcase guard Stephen Curry and the streaking Wildcats.

Davidson will be a road team no matter who it plays, but the Wildcats could end up with St. Mary's (Calif.) Butler, or a team from the Mid-America Conference. Davidson needs a high-profile opponent, because a win against a team with a strong RPI would boost Davidson's chances of getting an at-large NCAA tournament bid.

ESPNU will officially announce the pairings tonight at 7 p.m., but the guess here is that the Wildcats head to Butler for an ESPN2 game. That game would feature Curry and Butler guard A.J. Graves, and would be the most appealing for ESPN.

Comparing scores of ACC games no way to choose favorite in Duke vs. UNC

If you compare the scores of ACC games, Duke would seem to have an edge going into Wednesday’s rivalry game at North Carolina.

Duke (19-1, 7-0 ACC) doesn’t have a conference loss. It hasn’t even been close to losing in the ACC. The Blue Devils have won each of their ACC games by at least nine points and have an average winning margin of almost 16 points against conference opponents.

“We’re definitely playing good basketball now,” said Duke freshman forward Kyle Singler.

North Carolina (20-1, 5-1 heading into Sunday’s game at Florida State) has an average scoring margin of 11.7 points in ACC games. The Tar Heels lost at home to Maryland, needed an overtime buzzer beater to edge Clemson and won by a point at Georgia Tech.

But comparing scores isn’t a good way to analyze basketball games. Looking at the matchups is more important, and they seem to favor North Carolina.

Duke doesn’t have a big-bodied player who can muscle up to Tyler Hansbrough, the ACC’s leading scorer and rebounder, in the post. The Blue Devils are a better defensive team than North Carolina and score a lot of points off turnovers, but playing a fast-breaking style against speedy Tar Heels point guard Ty Lawson is dangerous.

North Carolina wing Marcus Ginyard is capable of shutting down Duke’s DeMarcus Nelson, and sweet-shooting guards Wayne Ellington of North Carolina and Greg Paulus of Duke could neutralize each other.

That leaves one position where Duke needs to capitalize on its advantage. North Carolina forward Deon Thompson won’t easily guard versatile freshman Kyle Singler around the 3-point arc. A big game by Singler might be the Blue Devils’ best chance of winning.

But counting on a freshman forward to hit 3-pointers in front of a crowd that’s sure to be wild will be a dangerous way for Duke to live Wednesday night.

- Ken Tysiac

Davidson has path to an at-large bid

January went well for Davidson, which won all 10 of its games and stormed to the Southern Conference lead. But February might not just give the Wildcats a shot at the top seed in the Southern Conference tournament, it might give Davidson a chance for something else:

An at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

People would have snickered at that scenario a month ago, when Davidson stood 4-6. Yet, even though Davidson only has one nonconference win against a Division I opponent (2-23 N.C. Central), the Wildcats still have a chance.

The lack of nonconference wins likely means Davidson would have to win its next 11 games, losing in the Southern Conference tournament final, to have a strong shot. That's not out of the realm of possibility - Davidson has only lost one conference game over the last two seasons, but the next three days will be pivotal.

Davidson plays at Chattanooga Saturday, and a win wouldn't just earn Davidson a victory against a Top 100 opponent, it would likely give the Wildcats one of the top matchups when the nonconference ESPN BracketBuster games are announced Monday. Thanks to its winning streak and All-American candidate Stephen Curry, the Wildcats could get paired up with ranked teams Butler or St. Mary's (Calif.). Davidson is guaranteed to be the road team no matter who it plays in the Feb. 23 game, so that would earn Davidson a nonconference road win.

If Davidson can win that game, and win everything else until the conference tournament final, I bet the Wildcats get in. Here's why:

---Davidson would be 21-1 in its last 22 games, and could have an RPI around 50 (it is around 80 now, depending on which site is used).

---Three of Davidson's seven losses would be to Top 10 RPI teams (assuming Duke, UNC and UCLA continue to win). Its other nonconference losses would be to at-large contender Charlotte, a one-point loss to N.C. State, and a loss at Western Michigan (which leads its division in the Mid-America Conference) in Davidson's second game of the season.

---Davidson could have five wins against Top 100 teams. (two against Chattanooga and App State, one against a BracketBuster team).

---The Wildcats can point to injuries as a factor in their slow start. Starters Max Paulhus Gosselin (back) and Curry (wrist) are much healthier now than they were at the start of season. Davidson has won every game by at least 10 points since Curry shedded his wrist wrap in January, and Gosselin is much more active now.

---Davidson might be ranked by March. (the Wildcats are already getting votes in the USA Today poll) .

It might sound crazy, but wait three weeks. If Davidson wins every game from now through the BracketBuster, you'll start finding the Wildcats in the bubble conversation. And, if they can win out from here until the conference final, they'll be in the NCAA tournament.

-- Kevin Cary

Did Duke play the perfect half?

There’s no such thing as a perfect half of basketball, but third-ranked Duke came close with an incredible 20 minutes after halftime in a 92-72 defeat of N.C. State on Thursday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

After trailing 46-37 at halftime, Duke scored 55 points in the second half. The Blue Devils shot 7-for-11 from 3-point range, outrebounded N.C. State 19-7 and committed just four turnovers.

“We knew the first half wasn’t us,” said Duke wing Gerald Henderson. “That’s not how we’ve been playing all year. (The second half) was probably our best half of the whole season, and the first half was probably our worst half of the whole season.”

For the second straight game, Duke won comfortably by scoring more than 50 second-half points after facing a nine-point halftime deficit. On Thursday, N.C. State was overwhelmed by the Blue Devils’ energy after halftime.

“We just turned it around,” said Duke freshman forward Kyle Singler. “This team is special. We just have something that we can’t really explain, and it’s just something special that makes this team good. We don’t really panic.”

Improvement at the point

Freshman point guard Javier Gonzalez, who’s often struggled for N.C. State this season, made progress in the loss.

Gonzalez played 28 minutes, made both of his field goal attempts and created some shot opportunities for opponents on the drive. After a shaky start by teammate Marques Johnson, Gonzalez calmed his team as N.C. State took a 46-37 lead.

A boxing aficionado, Gonzalez also showed his toughness by standing up to gritty Duke guard Greg Paulus after committing a first-half foul. Though Gonzalez committed three turnovers, two came on questionable five-second calls.

If he plays as well as he did Thursday night, N.C. State will have a chance to improve on its 2-4 ACC record.

- Ken Tysiac