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Cranky in Cameron
Updated: Wednesday January 24, 2001 2:55 PM
By Tim Peeler, Special to CNNSI.com Why is Duke being so testy lately? First there was Jason Williams' little act last week against Boston College, which resulted in B.C. guard Kenny Walls getting so angry he charged into Williams like an angry bull and got himself kicked out of the game with 0.8 seconds remaining. Then Saturday, Carlos Boozer elbowed Georgia Tech's Michael Isenhour in the head, a retaliatory gesture following Isenhour's elbow to Blue Devils teammate Mike Dunleavy. Boozer was called for a foul on the play, but it was no less violent than the elbow N.C. State's Kenny Inge threw at Virginia trying to get a late-game rebound. Inge was called for an intentional foul; Boozer was not. Both Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt said they were concerned about the general rough play of the game, particularly the elbows thrown by Isenhour and Boozer. Both coaches have talked to the ACC office about rough play in the game. "That shouldn't be allowed from either team," Krzyzewski said. "We've taken action and told the ACC office we have taken action. Certainly, you don't want anybody throwing elbows." Hewitt received the first technical foul of his Georgia Tech career for challenging the officials about the rough play and the fact that Yellow Jacket center Alvin Jones was on the bench with four first-half fouls. Hewitt said afterwards that Isenhour "crossed the line" of intensity, while Krzyzewski said Boozer has been punished for his part in the incident. "When you have an [incident like this], you have to hop on that right away and say, 'Hey, that's not allowed.'" Krzyzewski said. Krzyzewski has played the whole season with a short trigger, bristling every time certain questions are asked about his program. The thing that sets him off the quickest: questions about his team's short bench. "To talk about something like that ... to me it's not real important," Krzyzewski said. "But I think [the media] has to talk about something so you talk about that. Maybe the No. 2 Blue Devils -- which, at 17-1, are on pace with the 1998-99 squad for best start in school history -- are just gearing up for the meatiest part of their ACC schedule. Starting tonight, the Blue Devils play No. 9 Wake Forest at home, at No. 8 Maryland and then No. 5 North Carolina on Feb. 1. A stretch like that would make almost any coach a little cranky.
Deacon bluesEver since a lucky bounce fell into the hands of North Carolina center Brendan Haywood, which he turned into a game-winning basket against Wake Forest, nothing has bounced right for the Demon Deacons.The team that whipped Kansas and Virginia at home earlier in the season has lost three of its last five games, with the only victories coming against Florida State and Clemson. Next up is Duke. "We played an extremely high level of basketball in November and December, and the first 10 days of January, then our level of play dropped off," Deacons coach Dave Odom said. "Why, I don't know." Well, the Deacs aren't shooting as well as they once were, they aren't grabbing rebounds as well as they once were and they are turning the ball over much more. Craig Dawson and Robert O'Kelley have been slumping in their perimeter shooting. Odom, who can explain most anything, says there could be several reasons for the falloff since the ACC season began. "I wouldn't say we weren't hungry during the most recent stretch," Odom said. "It would be more of, I'd say, distraction. The increased media attention, the attention they were getting from their friends and family. They were distracted somewhat. And if that's true, I didn't do a good job with them."
Perfect CavaliersVirginia may have gotten off to a rough start in the ACC -- losing three of its first four conference games -- but the Cavaliers were perfect outside the nation's toughest basketball league.A 85-72 victory over Missouri last weekend gave Pete Gillen's team an 11-0 record outside the league, the first time since 1980-81 that the Cavs have won all their non-conference games. And they were hardly squeakers. The Cavs won those 11 games by an average of 27.4 points. "The ACC is a tough, tough league," Virginia guard Roger Mason said, "and when you step out of conference, you've got to try to win every game."
Empty seatsFlorida State is winless in the ACC, and it seems nobody really cares. The Seminoles are last in the league with an average announced attendance of 5,523 in their 11 home games. But that figure includes approximately 4,000 season-ticket sales, walk-up sales, advance tickets sales and ticket distribution.The turnstile count -- the number of people who actually show up for games -- is much more gruesome. According to figures printed in the Tallahassee Democrat before last weekend's game against North Carolina, an average 2,460 fans have showed up to watch the Seminoles. That includes 2,386 for the Maryland game and 3,422 for the Duke game. That's about 330 fewer fans than showed up to see FSU's nationally ranked baseball team play its home games last year. The baseball Seminoles averaged 2,796 per home contest.
Valvano wouldn't have liked itOne explanation for why N.C. State let a small four-point deficit at halftime of Sunday's game against Maryland turn into a lost cause came from Wolfpack sophomore Damien Wilkins."The last 15 minutes we were a little lackadaisical," Wilkins said. "To be quite honest, I think we just gave up." Reminded of former State coach Jim Valvano's famous speech at the ESPY's -- "Never give up, don't ever give up" -- Wilkins said: "We like to think that. But I guess 'Never say never' fits.'" Maybe the Wolfpack didn't quit, but they did quit making shots. They missed three of their first 14 shots after halftime and were a cold-shooting 30 percent in the second half. Since making 60 percent in a loss at Virginia, the Pack have made only 36 percent of their shots in the four games that followed.
Thanks for the tipFormer Georgia Tech basketball coach Bobby Cremins had never seen Shaun Fein play before he accepted Fein's transfer from Division II Stonehill College. He did it based solely on the recommendation of Tech players Stephon Marbury, Drew Barry and Jon Babul.First-year coach Hewitt is glad Cremins trusted the players' recommendation. Fein leads the Jackets with a 15-point scoring average.
Worth notingGeorgia Tech had gone a long time without seeing a technical foul called on its coach. Cremins had not been whistled for a technical in seven years, and Hewitt waited until his 16th game at Tech before he was teed-off enough to get teed-up. .... Seems N.C. State freshman Scooter Sherrill had his gold tooth knocked loose late in Sunday's game against Maryland when he was elbowed by Terrapins freshman Chris Wilcox. Keeping his mouth tightly closed and holding his tooth in place with his tongue, Sherrill hit both free throws, then headed off to the trainer's room and, ultimately, the dentist. ... Vivian Harper, mother of Duke freshman Chris Duhon, knew she wanted to relocate from Louisiana once Chris left for college. She didn't want to be too far from her oldest son, but not too close either. "At first, I didn't want to be too close," she said. "Maybe Atlanta or Charlotte. But when Chris said, 'I am not ready to do without you,' I decided to go all the way." So she moved to Durham, N.C., just a few minutes away from the Duke campus.Tim Peeler covers the ACC for the Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record. Check back every Wednesday for his latest CNNSI.com insider.
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