It takes a full-time job, or a full-time class schedule, for one to truly appreciate a four-day weekend. And when those two extra days off come courtesy the Thanksgiving holiday, the full-time college basketball fan (or writer) goes into overtime mode.
Just about every D-I team in the country seemed to be playing in a holiday tournament this past weekend – from the balmy paradise of the Bahamas to the cold-ass bustle of New York City on Black Friday. When it was over, some top dogs were going home with their national-championship promise in doubt, while some underdogs returned to campus with brand-new hero status.
Here are the highlights and lowlights from the long weekend: Read More »
Lorenzo Brown and his teammates have a job to do in Raleigh next season: get NC State back to the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack hasn’t gone to the Big Dance since Herb Sendek was the coach back in 2006. With new head coach Mark Gottfried at the helm, there’s no reason why Brown and his partners C.J. Leslie, Alex Johnson, C.J. Williams, and DeShawn Painter can’t compete with the Dukes and North Carolinas of the world.
Taking some time out from his busy summer league schedule, ‘Zo chatted with us about his new coach, the Greater NC Pro-Am and the atmosphere at NC State. In his sophomore season in Raleigh, we’ll all find out what Brown can do for you. Read More »
Once upon a time, high school basketball players were generally not as athletic as the pros. Back then, if you went to a high school game you were significantly less likely to see players go above the rim. Not anymore. We’ve come a long way since Hoosiers, to the point today where kids in the 15-to-18 year old set are unleashing the same — and sometimes better — level of vertical leap and style on their dunks as the grown-ups who get paid to do it. Read More »
No college basketball rivalry can touch Duke vs. North Carolina, but with the defending national champion Blue Devils a notch above the ACC right now, there is a less talked-about Tobacco Road rivalry that should be wildly entertaining, fiercely competitive, and could grow to approach that Duke/UNC bitterness in due time:
That would be North Carolina vs. NC State. Read More »
After the NBA Draft and before Midnight Madness, it seems nobody really talks about college basketball. While free agency and trades in the pros dominate the headlines, now is the time where your favorite NCAA team is gearing up and building the chemistry that could carry them to a national championship. The recruits are on campus, the returners are learning their new roles, and coaches are devising game plans. Here is my pre-preseason national Top-10: Read More »
Remember last summer when Jerry Stackhouse got in John Wall‘s way? Well, check the Top 5 plays from the same NC Pro-Am. There are some gems in here Ryan Harrow, Kyrie Irving, C.J. Leslie, John Henson, Justin Watts and Charles Ward. Oh yeah, and these are just from Tuesday night.
On the final High School Hoop national Top 50 list that includes 2010 seniors, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) forward C.J. Leslie ranks 10th overall. Throughout the year, C.J. agreed to give HSH and Dime exclusive access and chronicle his thoughts in a bi-monthly diary about the recruiting process and his high school season. In an excerpt from his latest entry, C.J. — having recently signed with N.C. State over Kentucky, UConn, UCLA, Oregon and Florida — talks about the NBA Finals, and preparing for the next step at State:Read More »
If you’re a fan of the ACC, you better watch out for NC State. When I was in Atlanta a couple weeks ago, I got up with incoming freshman Ryan Harrow who said that people should be scared of the Wolfpack. While people already know about C.J. Leslie, Harrow said that the other freshman that is going to make Sidney Lowe‘s squad one of the best in the country is Lorenzo Brown. Check out this mix of Brown getting it done for Hargrave Military Academy this past season. As Hoopmixtape says, “Simply put, he makes the game look easy.”
Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) forward C.J. Leslie is one of the 10 best prep players in the country, period. Originally committed to N.C. State, Leslie re-opened his recruiting last year, making his one of the most intriguing stories in the 2010 class. The All-American also happens to be one of its most exciting players. C.J. agreed to give Dime and High School Hoop exclusive access in a regular diary about his season and the recruiting process as he inched closer to a decision. In an excerpt from his latest entry, C.J. talks about finally picking a college:Read More »
Now that we know what’s up with Kentucky’s pro prospects, expect the 2010 high school recruiting class to come into focus. With the announcement that five Wildcats — freshmen John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton and Eric Bledsoe, plus junior Patrick Patterson — have declared for this year’s NBA Draft, high-profile undecided high schoolers like Brandon Knight, C.J. Leslie, Josh Selby and others now know what they’re going into should they sign with Kentucky. The rest of the undecided chips will fall accordingly. Read More »
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