Pulling Out The Brooms

The Diamond Heels have not had a great season like they have in the past several years and might just be on the bubble for making the NCAA tournament. A weekend sweep of the Virginia Tech Hokies and a strong finish I believe will carry them through. All three were very close games, 3-2, 6-4, 5-4, as were the previous weeks games against #1 Virginia where they lost 2 of 3. The Diamond 'Heels have a much different team this year. They have to manufacture more runs and keep the pressure on the other teams defense. The pitching has been solid with a team ERA of 2.83 with Trent Thornton being the ace of the staff with a 7-2 record and a 1.85 ERA in 11 starts. On offense, there has been a power shortage on the 'Heels as Michael Russell and Tom Zengel lead the team with 4 Homeruns a piece. Russell also leads the team with a .352 Batting Average and is tied for the team lead in RBI's with 28 with Zengel so he is shooting for the Tarheel Triple Crown.

HBO Real Sports

HBO Real Sports just did an "expose" on the academic scandal that has been on going for about 4 years now at UNC. They interviewed two disgruntled ex-football players, Byron Bishop and Michael McAdoo, as well as academic advisor Mary Willingham (who is also trying to make money off a book she is writing about the scandal. I would have to say she got some free press out of the HBO interview). The Raleigh News & Observer has also jumped on the anti-UNC bandwagon and I would have to ask if they remember a program ran by Jim Valvano and and a book Personal Fouls written by Peter Golenbock? Michael McAdoo got expelled for cheating and ended up on the roster of the Baltimore Ravens for a short while while Bishop is reportedly in a "low-skill job". The business landscape is littered with college graduates with great GPA's that are in low-skill jobs. That is today's economic climate. Sometimes you have to take what you can get. I know a lady who double majored in Chemistry and Biology at NC State who ended being an exotic dancer just to make ends meet. You are given a scholarship as an athlete and an opportunity to get a college degree. There is such a small percentage of the college student population that is afforded that opportunity. What you do with that opportunity is up to the individual. The individual has to assume some responsibility in the outcome.

The College Basketball System Is Broke

The College Basketball System is broke and needs to be fixed. The era of "the one-and-done" college player needs to come to an abrupt halt. The number of college basketball players running to the bank via the NBA after their Freshman year is growing by leaps and bounds. Julius Randle from Kentucky, Jabarai Parker from SDuke, and James Michael McAdoo from North Carolina are just a few of the big name underclassmen that are bolting to the pro's this year. At least McAdoo made it to his Junior year.The most common argument is that college players need to be paid. They are being paid with a college education. At Universities like Duke that is probably worth $300-400,000 over the course of four years. A few years ago, high school phenom Brandon Jennings decided to even circumvent the one year rule by playing in Europe for a year before he turned pro. Kentucky brings in 5 to 6 Freshmen a year that all go pro after one year. These players are supposed to be "student-athletes", representative of the universities student population. If they know they are only going to be there for one year, I can only imagine what their class schedule looks like. I wonder if they even bother going to class after Spring Break is over with.

James Michael McAdoo

The decision finally came down right after the season was over that has been three years in the making. North Carolina Tarheel big man James Michael McAdoo decided to turn pro after his Junior year and he may have picked the worst possible time for him to come out. He had an inconsistent Junior year in which he was second on the team in scoring with 14.2 points per game and led the team with 6.8 rebounds per game. My belief is that he will be a Second Round Draft pick if he is drafted at all. After his Freshman Year he was projected to be a Top Ten Pick and I admire him for rolling the dice. It was all based on potential and as college basketball has evolved, McAdoo's game took a step backwards. He is rangy and athletic but he does not have a solid inside game or a mid-range game. McAdoo works best in the open court in a fast paced offense and I am hoping he is one of those players that will be more successful in the pros than he was in college.