How about those Davidson Wildcats?
I admit I wasn't bold enough to pick Davidson to beat Georgetown in my NCAA tournament bracket -- although I did have it beating Gonzaga in the first round -- but that's exactly what the Wildcats did Sunday. They knocked off the second-seeded Hoyas 74-70 to advance to the Sweet 16.
As a proud Appalachian State graduate, it has never been my style to root for the Mountaineers' Southern Conference rival.
Well, those days are gone.
What's not to like about a well-coached, fundamentally-sound basketball team?
That's the Wildcats in a nutshell. Oh, and they just happen to have probably the best shooter in the nation in guard Stephen Curry, who followed up his 40-point performance in their first-round win over Gonzaga with 30 against the Hoyas.
People are talking about a possible North Carolina-Kansas showdown in the Final Four.
Don't count out those talented 10th-seeded Wildcats from winning the Midwest Regional this week.
I won't be.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Some headscratching selections
The North Piedmont 3A released its winter sports all-conference award winners to the R&L on Monday. There are some more questionable selections this year. (SHOCK!)
Sometimes you wonder if the people voting on these things actually have a clue as to what's going on.
You can tell some let their jealousy or disdain for another school influence their voting.
Last year, Lake Norman swimmer Austin Johnson won a state championship in the 100-yard butterfly. He also was a regional champion, a county champion and a conference champion.
Somehow, a majority of NPC powers that be managed not to vote for him as NPC swimmer of the year. I know there were some other talented swimmers in the league, but not the caliber of Johnson.
It was absurd.
Mooresville's Ellen Velte got hosed in the girls swimmer of the voting in 2008. I think Statesville's Shannon Hayes is an outstanding swimmer, but Velte is better and the results back that up.
The NPC swim coaches have more of a swimming background than do the writers here at the R&L. Nevertheless, we will get it right when we unveil our county swimmers of the year in the coming days.
Sometimes you wonder if the people voting on these things actually have a clue as to what's going on.
You can tell some let their jealousy or disdain for another school influence their voting.
Last year, Lake Norman swimmer Austin Johnson won a state championship in the 100-yard butterfly. He also was a regional champion, a county champion and a conference champion.
Somehow, a majority of NPC powers that be managed not to vote for him as NPC swimmer of the year. I know there were some other talented swimmers in the league, but not the caliber of Johnson.
It was absurd.
Mooresville's Ellen Velte got hosed in the girls swimmer of the voting in 2008. I think Statesville's Shannon Hayes is an outstanding swimmer, but Velte is better and the results back that up.
The NPC swim coaches have more of a swimming background than do the writers here at the R&L. Nevertheless, we will get it right when we unveil our county swimmers of the year in the coming days.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
NPC shows its stuff
Coaches always love to defend the strength of their conference. Often times it blows up in their faces when the state playoffs arrive, because teams from other conferences eliminate them quickly.
So far it looks as though North Piedmont 3A boys basketball coaches who were bragging about the depth of the NPC this season look justified in doing so.
The top four seeds won their first-round playoff games Tuesday night, and three of them triumphed on the road.
Northwest Cabarrus (NPC champion) defeated visiting Eastern Randolph (Mid-Piedmont Conference No. 4) 64-51
East Rowan (NPC No. 2) upended St. Stephens (Catawba Valley Conference No. 2) 83-65
West Rowan (NPC No. 3) knocked off Asheville Roberson (Mountain Athletic Conference champion) 60-56 in overtime
Mooresville (NPC No. 4) toppled Kings Mountain (Southwestern Conference No. 1) 76-66
And don't forget Lake Norman (NPC No. 5) took defending 3A state champion Concord to the wire before losing 74-70.
Statesville (NPC No. 6) had a rough go, losing at Trinity, ranked second in the state, 78-55, but all in all I'd say that was an impressive statement by the NPC.
If the same four can win Thursday in the second round that would mean 1/4 of 16 remaining teams in the 3A playoffs would hail from the NPC. Now that would be something to brag about.
So far it looks as though North Piedmont 3A boys basketball coaches who were bragging about the depth of the NPC this season look justified in doing so.
The top four seeds won their first-round playoff games Tuesday night, and three of them triumphed on the road.
Northwest Cabarrus (NPC champion) defeated visiting Eastern Randolph (Mid-Piedmont Conference No. 4) 64-51
East Rowan (NPC No. 2) upended St. Stephens (Catawba Valley Conference No. 2) 83-65
West Rowan (NPC No. 3) knocked off Asheville Roberson (Mountain Athletic Conference champion) 60-56 in overtime
Mooresville (NPC No. 4) toppled Kings Mountain (Southwestern Conference No. 1) 76-66
And don't forget Lake Norman (NPC No. 5) took defending 3A state champion Concord to the wire before losing 74-70.
Statesville (NPC No. 6) had a rough go, losing at Trinity, ranked second in the state, 78-55, but all in all I'd say that was an impressive statement by the NPC.
If the same four can win Thursday in the second round that would mean 1/4 of 16 remaining teams in the 3A playoffs would hail from the NPC. Now that would be something to brag about.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Clearly, there's no shame in East Lincoln's game
Before I get started, take a couple of moments to look over this box score from Tuesday night's high school girls basketball game between South Iredell and East Lincoln, which was played in Denver ...
South Iredell 6 12 2 16 -- 36
East Lincoln 23 23 43 12 -- 101
SOUTH IREDELL (36): Tish McCombs 13, Saddler 9, Kay. Kerley 5, Hoover 5, Kas. Kerley 3, Morris 1.
EAST LINCOLN (101): Kiandra Long 22, Lindsy Wright 22, Sonny Marthers 15, Kristen Wakefield 13, Megan Savidge 11, King 9, Denton 4, Davis 2, Mordas 1, Ashley 1.
NOW, I ask, was that necessary against a 1-21 team?
Answer: Absolutely not.
Outscoring your opponent 43-2 in the third quarter when you led 46-18 at the half was classless, East Lincoln.
At 16-7 -- and 12-1 in a really weak conference -- the Mustangs are nothing to write home about. But they found time to run up the score on a struggling team. C'mon.
Some people have no shame.
South Iredell 6 12 2 16 -- 36
East Lincoln 23 23 43 12 -- 101
SOUTH IREDELL (36): Tish McCombs 13, Saddler 9, Kay. Kerley 5, Hoover 5, Kas. Kerley 3, Morris 1.
EAST LINCOLN (101): Kiandra Long 22, Lindsy Wright 22, Sonny Marthers 15, Kristen Wakefield 13, Megan Savidge 11, King 9, Denton 4, Davis 2, Mordas 1, Ashley 1.
NOW, I ask, was that necessary against a 1-21 team?
Answer: Absolutely not.
Outscoring your opponent 43-2 in the third quarter when you led 46-18 at the half was classless, East Lincoln.
At 16-7 -- and 12-1 in a really weak conference -- the Mustangs are nothing to write home about. But they found time to run up the score on a struggling team. C'mon.
Some people have no shame.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Hurricanes have some work to do
The Carolina Hurricanes play at the Washington Capitals tonight. They trail Washington by a point in the Southeast Division standings.
The Hurricanes need to pick up the pace or they're going to find themselves sitting out of the playoffs for the second straight year -- and they won the Stanley Cup in 2006 for crying out loud.
Currently, the Hurricanes have 56 points. Good grief, the fourth-place teams in the Atlantic and Northeast Divisions have more points than that.
If the NHL playoffs began today, the Eastern Conference seeds would look like this:
1. Ottawa (leads Northeast Division) 70 points
2. Philadelphia (leads Atlantic Division) 65
3. Washington (leads Southeast Division) 57
4. Montreal 67
5. Pittsburgh 65
6. New Jersey 64
7. N.Y. Rangers 60
8. Boston 59
On the outside looking in: Buffalo 57, Carolina 56, Atlanta 56, Florida 55, N.Y. Islanders 54, Toronto 53, Tampa Bay 51.
The Hurricanes need to pick up the pace or they're going to find themselves sitting out of the playoffs for the second straight year -- and they won the Stanley Cup in 2006 for crying out loud.
Currently, the Hurricanes have 56 points. Good grief, the fourth-place teams in the Atlantic and Northeast Divisions have more points than that.
If the NHL playoffs began today, the Eastern Conference seeds would look like this:
1. Ottawa (leads Northeast Division) 70 points
2. Philadelphia (leads Atlantic Division) 65
3. Washington (leads Southeast Division) 57
4. Montreal 67
5. Pittsburgh 65
6. New Jersey 64
7. N.Y. Rangers 60
8. Boston 59
On the outside looking in: Buffalo 57, Carolina 56, Atlanta 56, Florida 55, N.Y. Islanders 54, Toronto 53, Tampa Bay 51.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
A match truly worth watching
Fans came in droves to Lake Norman High School on Wednesday to see Lake Norman and Mooresville wrestle for the North Piedmont 3A championship.
It was worth the price of admission. It’s doubtful you could have found better entertainment, and judging by the turnout, those in attendance sensed a special battle.
Mooresville prevailed 38-27 to clinch its third consecutive NPC title and deny Lake Norman from obtaining the program’s first.
The Blue Devils did it in front of a near-capacity crowd. Wrestling may get overlooked at times in the sports world, but not Wednesday, that's for sure. The atmosphere was raucous.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Mooresville coach Ben Watson, who could be seen urging the Blue Devils contingent to get loud during crucial moments in the match.
Wrestlers from both teams worked hard to earn the right to tussle for the NPC crown in the regular-season finale. They deserved that kind of support.
It was worth the price of admission. It’s doubtful you could have found better entertainment, and judging by the turnout, those in attendance sensed a special battle.
Mooresville prevailed 38-27 to clinch its third consecutive NPC title and deny Lake Norman from obtaining the program’s first.
The Blue Devils did it in front of a near-capacity crowd. Wrestling may get overlooked at times in the sports world, but not Wednesday, that's for sure. The atmosphere was raucous.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Mooresville coach Ben Watson, who could be seen urging the Blue Devils contingent to get loud during crucial moments in the match.
Wrestlers from both teams worked hard to earn the right to tussle for the NPC crown in the regular-season finale. They deserved that kind of support.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
If the basketball playoffs started today ...
The N.C. High School Athletic Association state basketball playoffs are still a little more than a month away, but it's not too early to take a look at what potentially lies ahead for some of Iredell's teams.
Six of the North Piedmont Conference's 10 teams (boys and girls) automatically qualify for the playoffs. The crazy thing is that only the conference champions will play home games in the first round.
That's right.
The No. 2 seeds have to travel to the Catawba Valley Conference's No. 2 seeds due to seeding priority. Barring any upsets, seeds 2 through 6 from the NPC won't get to enjoy a homecourt advantage at all in the playoffs. That doesn't seem fair to Nos. 2 and 3, but that's the reality.
Anyway, the following is a look at first-round matchups for Iredell teams IF the playoffs started today. (And I think there's a good chance most of them will shake out this way in the end):
BOYS
Mooresville (9-5, 7-3 NPC) would be the No. 4 seed from the NPC. This is exactly where the Blue Devils want to be in mid-February. They would play the top 3A team from the split 2A/3A Southwestern Conference. Right now that's R-S Central. The Hilltoppers are 6-8.
Lake Norman (10-4, 6-4 NPC) would be the No. 5 seed from the NPC. This is not where the Wildcats want to be come playoff time. In order to advance to the second round of the playoffs, Lake Norman would have to beat the South Piedmont Conference champion. Folks, that's going to be Concord, the top-ranked 3A team in the state. The Spiders are undefeated right now.
Statesville (6-9, 3-7 NPC) would be the No. 6 seed from the NPC. Good luck. You get the Mid-Piedmont Conference champion in the first round. Right now that's ninth-ranked Ragsdale. The Tigers just took over the top spot in the MPC by beating fifth-ranked Trinity.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: North Iredell (2-8 NPC) and West Iredell (2-8 NPC) have a shot to overtake Statesville for the last playoff spot, but fifth place seems highly unlikely at this point.
GIRLS
Statesville (14-1, 10-0 NPC) would be the No. 1 seed from the NPC. The Greyhounds, ranked sixth in the state in 3A, would host the Mid-Piedmont Conference No. 4 seed in the first round. That most likely will be Trinity of Southwestern Randolph. Neither team is tearing it up. But the MPC does have two solid teams at the top in Ragsdale and Southeast Guilford, so Trinity and SWR would be battle tested. If it wins, Statesville would host a second-round game as well.
Lake Norman (11-4, 7-3 NPC) would be the No. 3 seed from the NPC. The Wildcats would travel to Asheville in the first round to take on the Mountain Athletic Conference champion T.C. Roberson. The Rams are 13-1 and ranked No. 5 in 3A.
North Iredell (8-5, 6-4 NPC) would be the No. 4 seed from the NPC. The Raiders would travel to Kings Mountain to take on the Mountaineers. Of all the possibilities for the Raiders -- minus missing the playoffs -- this would be the ideal scenario. As the No. 3 or No. 5 seed, North would be guaranteed a tougher first-round games.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: Mooresville (3-7 NPC) and West Iredell (1-9 NPC). Playoffs are a long shot for these two.
Six of the North Piedmont Conference's 10 teams (boys and girls) automatically qualify for the playoffs. The crazy thing is that only the conference champions will play home games in the first round.
That's right.
The No. 2 seeds have to travel to the Catawba Valley Conference's No. 2 seeds due to seeding priority. Barring any upsets, seeds 2 through 6 from the NPC won't get to enjoy a homecourt advantage at all in the playoffs. That doesn't seem fair to Nos. 2 and 3, but that's the reality.
Anyway, the following is a look at first-round matchups for Iredell teams IF the playoffs started today. (And I think there's a good chance most of them will shake out this way in the end):
BOYS
Mooresville (9-5, 7-3 NPC) would be the No. 4 seed from the NPC. This is exactly where the Blue Devils want to be in mid-February. They would play the top 3A team from the split 2A/3A Southwestern Conference. Right now that's R-S Central. The Hilltoppers are 6-8.
Lake Norman (10-4, 6-4 NPC) would be the No. 5 seed from the NPC. This is not where the Wildcats want to be come playoff time. In order to advance to the second round of the playoffs, Lake Norman would have to beat the South Piedmont Conference champion. Folks, that's going to be Concord, the top-ranked 3A team in the state. The Spiders are undefeated right now.
Statesville (6-9, 3-7 NPC) would be the No. 6 seed from the NPC. Good luck. You get the Mid-Piedmont Conference champion in the first round. Right now that's ninth-ranked Ragsdale. The Tigers just took over the top spot in the MPC by beating fifth-ranked Trinity.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: North Iredell (2-8 NPC) and West Iredell (2-8 NPC) have a shot to overtake Statesville for the last playoff spot, but fifth place seems highly unlikely at this point.
GIRLS
Statesville (14-1, 10-0 NPC) would be the No. 1 seed from the NPC. The Greyhounds, ranked sixth in the state in 3A, would host the Mid-Piedmont Conference No. 4 seed in the first round. That most likely will be Trinity of Southwestern Randolph. Neither team is tearing it up. But the MPC does have two solid teams at the top in Ragsdale and Southeast Guilford, so Trinity and SWR would be battle tested. If it wins, Statesville would host a second-round game as well.
Lake Norman (11-4, 7-3 NPC) would be the No. 3 seed from the NPC. The Wildcats would travel to Asheville in the first round to take on the Mountain Athletic Conference champion T.C. Roberson. The Rams are 13-1 and ranked No. 5 in 3A.
North Iredell (8-5, 6-4 NPC) would be the No. 4 seed from the NPC. The Raiders would travel to Kings Mountain to take on the Mountaineers. Of all the possibilities for the Raiders -- minus missing the playoffs -- this would be the ideal scenario. As the No. 3 or No. 5 seed, North would be guaranteed a tougher first-round games.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: Mooresville (3-7 NPC) and West Iredell (1-9 NPC). Playoffs are a long shot for these two.
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