Tudor's Take: Would BC leave the ACC?

Logically, this can be tossed into the "no way" file.

But just in case smoke is always an indication of fire, there's speculation within the Big East population that Boston College might listen to suggestions about returning.

The issue has been a casual topic almost from the day BC left to join the ACC. Of late, however, it's been given some attention by ESPN and a newspaper or two in the Northeast.

At a glance, it all sounds fairly preposterous, but so did those early reports in 2003 that the ACC would raid the Big East for BC, Miami and Syracuse, which was ready leave until Virginia Tech broke in line.

Money game

BC, a private school, eventually had to fork over a $1 million exit penalty to the Big East, plus $3 million in ACC initiation fees, when its jump was finalized in 2005.

In football and men's basketball, the switch has been productive enough on the field.

The football team has gone 21-11 in the league and played in the past two championship games (losing both). That's compared to 14-13 in its final four seasons of Big East competition.

The basketball team has gone 34-30 (skewed somewhat by 4-12 in '07-'08) in ACC regular-season games and have received three NCAA invitations. In their final four Big East seasons, Al Skinner's teams went 41-23 with three NCAA trips.

But on the travel front, the Eagles have done a ton of heavy lifting during a rapidly decaying economy that's unlikely to fully rebound soon. With a small fan base, BC's football teams have been shipped to Idaho, Charlotte, Orlando and Nashville, where they've won three times and fell 16-14 to Vanderbilt last season in their only loss.

At the same time, ACC schedules have done little to stoke emotion among BC fans, who understandably miss their games against old rivals, particularly Syracuse and Connecticut.

New deal time

As usual, the X-factor could be television contract negotiations. The eight Big East football coaches have been clamoring for expansion in their sport for the past two years. There's no question that adding ninth and 10th teams would significantly upgrade the league's football inventory.

The rub, of course, is what to do about the already overloaded 16-school basketball membership. But have no fear, if the money's right, the minds will get right.

Meanwhile, the ACC is sorting through its presentation packages for football and basketball contracts that will expire after the 2010-11 school year.

The current football deal ($258 million over seven years) could be difficult to exceed unless ACC teams have more national success this season than of late. The roughly $300 million basketball contract should get bump, primarily because North Carolina has won two of the past five NCAA championships and came close to grabbing a third.

But overall, the additions of Miami and Boston College haven't made huge television impacts nationally or regionally. Virginia Tech's football team has been a valuable commodity by giving the ACC at least a reasonable national presence at a time when Florida State, Miami and Clemson have slipped.

There's also the matter of possible low ceilings for BC and Miami in football. In short order, the Eagles have gone from Tom O'Brien to Jeff Jagodzinski to career defensive assistant Frank Spanziani on the sideline.

Miami has gone from Larry Coker to Randy Shannon while failing to post a double-digit win total since 2003. Since joining the ACC, the Hurricanes are 20-20 in the league and have won only two of their past 12 games against ranked opponents.

Odds are, the ACC's status quo will be maintained as it enters Phase II of TV life as a 12-team conference. But don't expect the second-guessing at Boston College and elsewhere in the league to wane as the expansion saga - and surprises - continue to unfold.

-- Caulton Tudor, (Raleigh) News & Observer

Michel leads LBs; more from Pack's media day

N.C. State held its media day Monday.

Here are more notes from the interviews with coach Tom O'Brien and players:

・With Nate Irving out indefinitely because of injuries from a June 28 car crash, senior Ray Michel has emerged as a team leader among the linebackers.

"He is the oldest there, and he's got to be the leader of that group, and right now I think he's doing a pretty good job of that," O'Brien said. "You look around him and there's nobody else even close to him as far as experience goes. He's taken it upon himself to be the leader. He spends a lot of time watching film, but he spends a lot of time with the younger kids, trying to help them understand what they're supposed to be doing."

・Freshman Chris Ward admitted that a fortunate bounce aided him in Sunday's scrimmage, when he punted twice for 97 yards.

He estimated the bounce added 10 yards to his second punt. He said he considers his leg acceleration to be his strength, but wants to work on improving his flexibility and his drop.

Flexibility is a specialty of N.C. State strength and conditioning coach Todd Rice.

He is a former soccer goalie and said that helped him with his punting and also his hands.

"Shots coming at me and all, it's just like a snap coming back there," Ward said. "So I'm able to catch any type of snap that comes back to me."

・Give junior DeAndre Morgan an assist in the recruiting of fellow cornerback Jarvis Byrd, who's one of the most highly regarded freshman N.C. State signed in February.

Both players are from Florida, and Byrd knew Morgan before coming to N.C. State.

"He was telling me about N.C. State and how great it was," Byrd said. "So I decided to come to N.C. State for that reason, too."

・Each year O'Brien asks all of his assistant coaches to rank their top 20 players on offense and on defense.

"Then I compile them," O'Brien said. "It's pretty interesting to see how the defense looks at the offense and how the offense looks at the defense. And then they rate their own players."

Coming out of spring practice, quarterback Russell Wilson was rated No. 1 on offense by the coaches, O'Brien said. Irving, the injured linebacker, was the top-rated defensive player, followed by defensive end Willie Young.

Tate arrives at UNC

As scheduled, freshman Donavan Tate arrived at UNC on Saturday and has been attending meetings but is not participating in practice, a school spokesman said.

Tate was the third overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft in June and has until Aug. 17 to negotiate a contract with the San Diego Padres.

His options include signing a deal with the Padres, enrolling at UNC or neither and re-entering the MLB Draft in 2010. If Tate enrolls at UNC, he would not be eligible for the MLB Draft until after his third season (2012).

Tate can practice with UNC (without enrolling) and still negotiate with the Padres without compromising his baseball status with the NCAA.

Tate's listed at quarterback on UNC's roster and media guide. He played both quarterback and safety in high school in Cartersville, Ga.

-- J. P. Giglio

Baker shows burst for N.C. State

N.C. State senior running back Toney Baker performed better during Sunday night’s scrimmage than at any time during spring practice, coach Tom O’Brien said Monday during his media day news conference.

Baker is returning after missing almost all of the last two seasons because of a knee injury.

“He ran (Sunday) night with a little bit of burst and a little bit of power that we hadn’t seen in the spring,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien did not release individual statistics from Sunday’s scrimmage. In 2006 before the injury, Baker led N.C. State with 688 rushing yards. But he finds himself at least behind senior Jamelle Eugene now on the depth chart.

Baker also faces stiff competition from junior Curtis Underwood, redshirt freshman Brandon Barnes and freshman James Washington, according to O’Brien.

- Redshirt freshman Terrell Manning may have found a home at the boundary linebacker position.

Manning changed positions last week at the start of preseason camp. Previously he had been at field linebacker, a position that requires more pass coverage skills.

“He’s a lot more comfortable inside,” O’Brien said. “That’s where he played in high school.”

At boundary linebacker, Manning is competing with sophomore Dwayne Maddox for the position vacated by Nate Irving, who’s out indefinitely after suffering a broken leg, broken rib and collapsed lung in a June 28 car crash.

- Some intense extra work on catching the football might have paid off for wide receiver Owen Spencer.

Spencer was N.C. State’s best deep ball threat last season, with catches of 67, 61, 54, 48 and 44 yards. But he dropped about as many deep balls as he caught.

O’Brien joked that Spencer went to the hardware store and bought himself a new pair of hands. Spencer did make it through spring practice with hardly a drop, according to O’Brien.

“He spent a lot of extra time catching a lot of extra balls,” O’Brien said.

- Moments after his news conference ended, O’Brien re-entered the media room to get in a joke at the expense of quarterback Russell Wilson.

“The best thing that happened in (Sunday) night’s scrimmage is, Russell slid,” O’Brien said.

Although Wilson’s speed and rushing ability are some of his best attributes, he missed playing time on three occasions last season because of injury. As a result,
O’Brien often tells him to slide to avoid dangerous hits when necessary.

On Sunday night, O’Brien gave Wilson an ovation after the slide. After O’Brien announced it to the world Monday, Wilson walked into a room to meet with the media with a sheepish grin on his face.

- Sophomore J.R. Sweezy’s oft-changing positional assignments finally appear stabilized.

Sweezy is at defensive tackle after trying defensive end and linebacker. He made six tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage with two sacks, during Sunday’s scrimmage.

“It looks like he’s found a home in there,” O’Brien said.

- Sophomore tight end George Bryan, who’s coming off an excellent 2008 season, has been asked to shed a few pounds.

O’Brien said Bryan was over 270 pounds at the start of training camp and needs to weigh about 265.

Ken Tysiac

Pack's Irving to be evaluated Thursday

N.C. State linebacker Nate Irving will meet with a doctor Thursday to learn more about the status of his broken leg, coach Tom O’Brien said Monday during the team’s media day news conference.

Irving also suffered a broken rib and collapsed lung in a June 28 car crash. He has seen doctors to have those injuries evaluated, and the leg injury is what’s left to be examined.

O’Brien expects to have a better idea about Irving’s status for this season after Thursday’s meeting. N.C. State lists Irving as out “indefinitely,” and O’Brien sounds as though he’s prepared for a long asbsence.

“We’ll find out Thursday if he’s going to make it back some time this year, or if he’s going to be (out) for another year,” O’Brien said.

Even if Irving is cleared to return at some point this season, O’Brien said, he will have a long period of rehabilitation in order to get into game shape. O’Brien said Irving was walking at the team’s pre-training camp meeting.

Irving led the team with four interceptions and made 84 tackles in 2008 despite missing three games with injuries. Sophomore Dwayne Maddox and redshirt freshman Terrell Manning are competing for Irving’s spot during training camp.

Ken Tysiac

Punter shines, kicker shaky at Pack scrimmage

RALEIGH - The play of N.C. State’s specialists – for better and for worse – was the most eye-opening development of the Wolfpack’s first scrimmage Sunday.

Entering preseason camp, coach Tom O’Brien listed punter as one of the team’s biggest concerns. The staff hoped freshman Chris Ward of Fayetteville, Ga., would be able to challenge junior Jeff Ruiz for the job vacated by 2008 senior Bradley Pierson.

In his first scrimmage, Ward punted twice for a total of 97 yards, an outstanding effort by any account. Ruiz’s yardage on two punts totaled 62 yards. Although Ward’s showing was a welcome development, O’Brien wasn’t ready to anoint him the answer for the Wolfpack at his position.

“One swallow does not make a spring,” O’Brien said, borrowing a quote from former Virginia coach George Welsh that emphasizes the importance of repetitive strong performances.

Place-kicker, meanwhile, was supposed to be one of N.C. State’s strengths with 2008 starter Josh Czajkowski returning. Last season, Czajkowski made 16 of his 19 field goal attempts in an excellent showing as a sophomore.

Czajkowski missed three of his five field goal attempts Sunday, which O’Brien said is a cause for concern. He said Czajkowski changed his approach to the ball during the offseason.

“He thinks it’s going to be better for him,” O’Brien said. “Hopefully like in golf, he’s got to (just) work through his swing and get it in gear. Now he’s been kicking great in practice, so we put him back in spots that he’s had trouble with. And he still had trouble with them.”

O’Brien provided only limited statistics from the scrimmage to the media, especially for the offense. The team rushed for 103 yards on 27 carries, and quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Mike Glennon combined to go 20-for-31 passing for 168 yards and three interceptions with one touchdown.

Individual rushing, passing and receiving statistics were not provided.

On defense, freshman cornerback Rashard Smith returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown and senior cornerback Koyal George added a 33-yard interception return. Redshirt freshman cornerback C.J. Wilson intercepted a pass in the end zone.

Sophomore linebacker Sterling Lucas made six tackles, and sophomore defensive tackle J.R. Sweezy made three of his six tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including two quarterback sacks.

With temperatures soaring into the mid-90s underneath a scorching sun at Carter-Finley Stadium, O’Brien was pleased with the way the players persevered and competed.

“We’ve got to get tougher,” O’Brien said. “We’ve got to get more physical, and we’ve got to get a little mentally tough. But this was a good day to start on it because this was a day you had to concentrate and really hang in there with the heat.”

Ken Tysiac

Tate misses Friday's practice

•  Donavan Tate was not at practice on Friday but he is expected to be on campus on Saturday.

Tate, the third overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft, has until Aug. 17 to negotiate a deal with the San Diego Padres. He can practice with UNC without affecting his immediate two-sport future.

"We're hopeful it works out," UNC coach Butch Davis said. "[But] I have no idea."

Davis said Tate will play quarterback, joining fellow freshmen Bryn Renner and A.J. Blue and redshirt freshman Braden Hanson in the mix for third-string behind starter T.J. Yates and backup Mike Paulus.

Tate, an outfielder in baseball, also played safety in high school. Blue, who is listed as an "athlete" on the roster, also plays running back. He was taking reps with the quarterbacks in the portion of practice which was open to the media on Friday.

•  This could be the last August camp for a group of juniors — defensive tackle Marvin Austin, linebacker Bruce Carter and linebacker Quan Sturdivant, who if all goes well, could be in the NFL next season. Carter said he's thought about the possibility but it's not high on his radar.

"I'm not trying to make a decision today," Carter said.

•  Don't be alarmed by the wrap on safety Deunta Williams' left wrist. The junior had surgery after spring practice and will wear what looks like a soft cast for the first part of camp as a precaution.

•  UNC's No. 20 ranking in the USA Today Top 25 is the first time the Heels have been ranked in the preseason since 1998, Carl Torbush's first year.

That UNC team, which opened at No. 12 in the AP poll, started 0-1 with a home loss to Miami (Ohio). The program wasn't ranked in the top 25 again until Nov. 2001.

With The Citadel as this year's opener, on Sept. 5, there's little chance of history repeating.

-- J.P. Giglio

Holtz discusses status of ECU players

ECU coach Skip Holtz called them the "elephant in the room" and he was quick to answer questions about the status of several players who were either suspended last season or during the spring.

Running back Jonathan Williams, running back Norman Whitley, cornerback Emanuel Davis and guard Doug Palmer are all back on the team and eligible to play in the opener against Appalachian State on Sept. 5.

Receiver Jamar Bryant, who was suspended after the fifth game last season, is not on the suspension list but will be with the team this season. Defensive end Allen Crowder will not, he was suspended for the season.

Holtz announced four other players have left the program: receiver D.J. McFadden, linebacker Lorenzo Osborne, safety Julian Carter and cornerback DeAndre Jones.

Holtz is also waiting for senior kicker Ben Hartman and junior-college running back Giavanni Ruffin to report to camp. Hartman, who kicked game-winners against Tulsa last year and UNC and Boise State in 2007, is dealing with hip injury and is out indefinitely, Holtz said.

Ruffin is waiting for word from the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Publish Post

Lastly, on the comings-and-goings list, Holtz said two players have switched positions. Rob Kass will go from quarterback to tight end and Cliff Perryman will switch from linebacker to defensive end.

Kass' move means redshirt freshman Josh Jordan will be Patrick Pinkney's backup. Freshman Rio Johnson is also in the backup rotation.

-- J.P. Giglio

Gamecocks season tickets still available

After a query from a reporter, South Carolina sports information director Steve Fink reports that with six weeks to go before the Gamecocks' home opener, the school has sold 48,225 season tickets.

The school has 55,000 season tickets available, so the school has sold 88 percent of its total. The Gamecocks sold out last season.

South Carolina was the final school to provide information about its sales for a story that ran in the Raleigh News & Observer on Wednesday. Here is how the other Carolinas BCS schools were faring selling season tickets in a struggling economy:

- Duke and East Carolina (20,824 sold) reported increases.

- North Carolina (34,700 sold, 1,400 short of last season), Wake Forest (14,500 sold, 500 short of 2008), N.C. State (36,600 sold, 900 short of 2008) and Clemson (Down 11.7 percent from the 2008 total of 58,134) all reported decreases.

Ken Tysiac

Duke loses freshman safety

Duke's already-thin secondary got a little thinner when a freshman who Duke coach David Cutcliffe thought could play this season will redshirt instead, recovering from knee surgery.

Cutcliffe announced Thursday night that Anthony Young-Wiseman, a freshman safety from Bethesda, Md., will undergo surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and will be out the entire season.

Duke has only two seniors, one junior and four sophomores on its roster at cornerback and safety.

Cutcliffe said Duke's two other injured players, defensive lineman Kinney Rucker (foot) and offensive lineman David Harding (ankle surgery), remain out, although Harding would "be back shortly." With only 90 of the permitted 105 players in camp, the Blue Devils aren't in a position to handle many other injuries. -- Luke DeCock