Welcome to the ACC, Virginia Tech (Part II)

General NCS Basketball27

155391.gif One of our most viewed entries of the weekend was this vibrant entry welcoming our land grant bretheren of Virginia Tech into the Atlantic Coast Conference’s landscape.

We therefore send you on a quick journey to VPI’s Gobbler Country Blog to witness the evolutionary experience of a fan into the real world.

I thought that 24 hours after the Hokies lost the Tar Heels 79-76 I’d be more rational. I am not. I still put this one squarely on shoddy ACC officiating.

While I’m not convinced the Hokies would have won had a foul been called on North Carolina in the final seconds of yesterday’s game, I am convinced it was a foul and the call made on the floor was wrong.

That hasn’t changed. Neither has my new-found hatred of North Carolina and Tyler Hansbrough. I used to like North Carolina and used to root for it more often than not when it wasn’t playing Virginia Tech. No longer. I already don’t watch Duke-Carolina games because it’s the most overrated rivalry in sports, but now I don’t even have a rooting interest.

I despise Hansbrough as well. With the way he’s treated by officials and the calls he gets, he is an honorary Duke Blue Devil in my eyes. His game is about initiating contact and getting calls. I can no longer tolerate the sight of him.

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General NCS Basketball

27 Responses to Welcome to the ACC, Virginia Tech (Part II)

  1. choppack1 03/16/2009 at 12:58 PM #

    I honestly believe that this is what the ACC wants.

    It would be real easy to cure if it wasn’t.

  2. RickJ 03/16/2009 at 1:05 PM #

    I don’t see the problem. NC State got hosed at VPI. NC State bitches to the conference, the conference listens and hoses VPI against UNC.

  3. TheCOWDOG 03/16/2009 at 1:06 PM #

    So, who’s the likely golden child next year Chop? Does the arrow point to Duke next year?

    Who would carry the mantle at UNC with Blood gone?

  4. Wolf Dog 03/16/2009 at 1:07 PM #

    The ABC faternity just got another member. Welcome Aboard!

    The bias officiating only hurts UNX in the NCAA tournament. They don’t get the calls in the tournament and stand around looking at the officails. Why they have underachieved given their talent in the tournament for years in my opinion.

    Given the talent Dean had, really hard to imagine the reality that NCSU has as many national championships during Dean’s tenure as Dean/UNX has.

    The ACC hurts their teams by not calling games like they are called in the rest of the country. I expect UNC to run into officials like they did against Gatown. Hans will be exposed as an average post player and they will go home without a championship again despite having more HS All Americans than anyone else. Our officiating has hurt our league for years in running off big men and post player recruits. Why we known as a guard league.

    And what is really funny is UNX nation is upset with Roy. The new strike against him is Roy is not a “game” coach. You gotta love ignorance.

  5. 85Designo 03/16/2009 at 1:27 PM #

    Back after the 83 championship our beloved Chancellor Bruce Paulton sat top center row at Reynolds. He waved and cheered on with the students, yelled at the zebras and made the world know that the andministration was on board. the student section would chant “Bruce Bruce Bruce…… The BOT put an end to that as they did with Valvano and the whole program went to hell after that. Where is “Coache” Fowlup at our games. Anyone ever see him?

  6. choppack1 03/16/2009 at 1:28 PM #

    “So, who’s the likely golden child next year Chop? Does the arrow point to Duke next year?

    Who would carry the mantle at UNC with Blood gone?”

    That’s a good question. When Hansborough first arrived in the league, I didn’t foresee him getting all of these calls.

    As long as Coach K is at Duke, they’ll be allowed to grab and hold their opponent. The refs will give them the benefit of the doubt on the charges.

    Since Roy has arrived, UNC has been able to handcheck w/out much being called. Actually, if you watch him when his man has the ball at the top of the key – you’ll see that Hansborough has hands all over him.

    These things would be real easy to stop. Heck, look at how they handled Hodge when he slapped the backboard at Duke – whistle blown, Tech called, problem solved.

  7. RSP123 03/16/2009 at 1:38 PM #

    WolfDog, while I do not disagree with your assessment, I have long thought that Roy is more of a recruiter (easier to recruit to Kansas or UNC then most places esp in a proUNC media lovefest)and a system coach (uses superior talent and depth to outscore and outlast his opponents)than a good tactician at game time. For example, prior to losing to Maryland, Roy had won three straight OT games. However, prior to that he had lost ten straight OT games. I have said with this years UNC team, that if UNC loses by 10 or less, blame Roy. If they lose by 11 or more, invesigate for point shaving. This makes my Carolina friends furious. As a Wolfpacker, the talent part of my argument really stings whem you look that we are most likely losing CJL – a top 10 recruit. Finally, welcome to the ACC Va Tech. And, may I add, just as NCSU needs to replace Fowler – the Conference needs to replace Swofford with someone who has no previous loyalties to any of the ACC schools.

  8. MrPlywood 03/16/2009 at 1:43 PM #

    Honestly, as much as I can’t stand TH and CH, I’m undecided on this one.

    Here’s the NCAA rule (from the 2004 rulebook – I don’t have a more current edition) :

    “Section 35. Held Ball
    Art. 1. A held ball occurs when an opponent places his or her hand(s):
    a. So firmly on the ball that control cannot be obtained without undue roughness.
    b.On the ball to prevent an airborne player from throwing the ball or attempting a try.”

    Nothing about time “held”. One hand on the ball is OK.

    After looking at the YouTube vid again, it looks like 32 (Ed Davis?) might have fouled first. Actually, it looks to me like he could have been called for hacking the arm of the original ball-handler (23)… twice.

    In the stills,

    hxxp://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f198/insidecarolina/JumpBall.jpg

    it looks like there’s a lot of contact from TH, but in realtime, maybe not so much. Certainly less than he’s allowed to get away with on a regular basis. Hand in the back? Is that ever called on UNX or Dook?

    ALL THAT SAID, from TH’s reaction it sure appears that even he was expecting a foul call.

  9. 85Designo 03/16/2009 at 1:44 PM #

    RSP123,
    I agree no ACC ties at all, not even a degree from one, then and only then things can change. With swofford It would be like us at State hiring a UNC grad as AD (Todd Turner)even if their degrees are mail order.

  10. Astral Rain 03/16/2009 at 1:58 PM #

    Honestly- what it would take is some ACC school getting frustrated and telling players if you foul, to take UNC guys out to get your money’s worth, or some coach walking his team off the court.

  11. 85Designo 03/16/2009 at 2:02 PM #

    Lowe should get a football player to join the team whose only job is to take out the floppers and guys setting picks. Then there would be one charge and one pick for the whole came, unless some goof (like Hansboy) is on a suicide mission and is one who likes jumping out in front of speeding trucks, it should only happen one time.

  12. 1999ncsu 03/16/2009 at 2:06 PM #

    http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/03/14/unc-gets-all-the-calls/

    Before reading this, I was reading a UNC fans saying UNC doesn’t get all the calls.

  13. wufpup76 03/16/2009 at 2:08 PM #

    I have less of problem with the “jump ball” call, though I agree with the premise that if you reverse the roles, then God’s player is going to the line.

    I have more of a problem with “selective” enforcement of rules/calls, and I maintain that the “charge” called on Vasallo was one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen.

    By the time the “jump ball” occurred in the game, the call shouldn’t have mattered. The Hokies were clearly the better team that day and would’ve most certainly had firm control of the game at that point.

    Well done, ACC. You can say that the Hokies should’ve done more throughout the season to not have something like that happen to them and prevent them from getting a NCAAT berth – and you’d be right. But that doesn’t change the fact that it *never* should have happened in the first place. It’s beyond disgusting, and beyond ridiculous.

    This favortism has laid waste to more than just the record books.

    Nevertheless, welcome Hokies.

  14. TOBtime 03/16/2009 at 2:10 PM #

    The Duke/FSU game was pretty physical -especially in the first half. Lots of hand checking and bodies REALLY banging under the basket but no calls. It appeared they were letting them play and the level of tolerance for a called foul was high. That said, where was the level at in the unx/VT game? Troubling though, is the matter of the holes seeding should they have lost to VT. I still think the pansies would have been seeded a #1 if they did not show up for the ACC tournament. After all, they were already 2009 ACC Champions.

    You have to be stupid enough to be 3 people to believe swoff will make ANY kind of deal that would put unx on a level playing field with the rest of the ACC. What exactly has he done to benefit the ACC? Increased attendance at the Fball championship game?

    I’m all for the approach Stanford used against Tim DUncan -bang big bodies on him until he’s useless or you are out of bodies. Duncan said he was beat up during that game like he never had been in his life. If you follow that strategy the refs can call fouls all they want. Just make sure you get your monies worth when you get called. Hand-job would fight before too much of that went on.

  15. boonami 03/16/2009 at 2:14 PM #

    Yeah if the holes play with refs from the big east, Hans won’t be getting the calls like he does in the ACC. Then he’ll give the ref that bug-eyed retard stare and look for his contact. oh, and since when did Hans think he is the next Shane Battier flop master and take all these “charges” at the top of the key?

  16. GAWolf 03/16/2009 at 2:36 PM #

    Some of you amazing statisticians should look at the top few scorers in ACC history. You should then look at what percentage of their points were from foul shots. You should then look at attempts OR free throw percentage. If you want to get really “crazy” you could look at minutes played. It would be very interesting to see the results for TH.

    SFN: We look forward to your analysis! We’d love to run it as an entry on the blog. Thanks!

  17. Alpha Wolf 03/16/2009 at 2:38 PM #

    Another name being mentioned at UVA is Sean Miller.

    Since we may well be in the coaching search game next year, I would like either Capel or Miller here in Raleigh. Not that we’ll be in a coaching search or anything, but just in case we are.

  18. TOBtime 03/16/2009 at 2:39 PM #

    Hope springs eternal Alpha. AFTER we get a new AD of course…

  19. whitefang 03/16/2009 at 2:42 PM #

    I think the Leitao deal was in the works prior to the ACCT as I said on the other thread.

  20. Wulfpack 03/16/2009 at 2:43 PM #

    UVA will beat NCSU to a proven coach. In two years, UVA will surpass us. Watch it unfold.

  21. LRM 03/16/2009 at 2:51 PM #

    I despise Carolina (naturally), but again, all this posturing by VPI is ridiculous — where was all this outrage by Greenburg and VPI when they were handed the game against us in Blacksburg? I understand that Friday’s game was important for their Tournament hopes, but had they lost that game to us in Blacksburg (or, conversely, beaten any number of teams down the stretch), they never would have been on the Bubble.

    And while we’re on officiating, after watching the final minute of that SEC Championship game yesterday, the ACC officials look like perfection personified. Phantom fouls and missed travel calls were overshadowed by the incompetence of either team to even get the ball inbounded.

  22. wufpup76 03/16/2009 at 3:07 PM #

    ^You’re totally right about the end of that SEC title game.

  23. Clarksa 03/16/2009 at 3:08 PM #

    “And what is really funny is UNX nation is upset with Roy. The new strike against him is Roy is not a “game” coach. You gotta love ignorance.”

    I think that is a strike against him…he is a system coach much like Deano and that guy who was our last coach…run the system if your up by 10 or down by 10…”game” coaches keep changing things up…if your down by 10, try something different…switch defenses to confuse the opponents…tell the whole world you’re going to hold the ball against Houston, and then fire the team up by telling them we are going to take it to them…

  24. GAWolf 03/16/2009 at 3:18 PM #

    From Wikipedia:

    In his second year, Leitao led by Sean Singletary and JR Reynolds, had an 11-5 conference record and a share of the ACC regular season title with North Carolina. On March 6, 2007, Leitao was voted as the 2007 ACC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press in conjunction with the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Two days later, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) named Dave Leitao the 2007 District 5 Coach of the Year. In the NCAA Tournament, the Cavaliers defeated the University at Albany in the first round in an 84-57 rout. In the second round, Sean Singletary’s last-second shot bounced off the rim and the Cavaliers were defeated by the University of Tennessee in a 77-74 loss. The team completed the 2006-2007 season with a record of 21-11 (11-5 ACC).

    Leitao’s third season (2007-2008) was marked with close losses and early injuries to the team’s top two frontcourt players, Tunji Soroye and Laurynas Mikalauskas; the two injured players only appeared in two games and 16 games, respectively. The team attained a 4-3 record with Mikalauskas in the line-up versus a 1-8 record with him injured. Without these two players, the Cavaliers proceeded to lose seven games by two points or less or in overtime; the team ended the season with a record of 17-16 (5-11 ACC). However, as injured players began to return to the team, the Cavaliers won six of their final ten games, and advanced to the semifinals of the inaugural CBI postseason tournament.[1]

    In Leitao’s fourth year (2008-09), Virginia was the unanimous pick for last place in the ACC. In December, UVA looked as if they were going to be the suprise of the ACC with their first ACC win coming at Georgia Tech. However, Georgia Tech was the suprise finishing last with UVA coming in 11th place at 4-12 in the league. Leitao’s frustrated team was led by Sylven Landesberg who averaged 16.8 points per game and captured the ACC Rookie of the Year award. Other notables: Assane Sene missed early and late parts of the season with ankle injuries while showing some promise as a young defensive stopper. Sammy Zeglinski, Leitao’s first recruit, gained valuable experience at point guard after being redshirted in 2007-08 with an ankle injury. Overall, fans were quite discouraged with the lack of improvements and player rotation. 4th year Mamadi Diane’s career hit the lowest point during a 4 game stretch where he did not log a single minute. However, he did return for 23 points in his Senior Day finale and 24 points in the first round loss to BC in the ACC tournament. The pressure is on Leitao after his fourth year. With Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans signed for 2009. Leitao hopes to turn his fortunes around in his fifth year at the helm. He was fired as head coach on March 16, 2009 at the conclusion of a 10-18 season and 11th place finish in the ACC. The 10-18 season was Virginia’s worst season since the 1967-68 season, when the team posted a 9-17 record.

  25. choppack1 03/16/2009 at 3:27 PM #

    Yea, GA – he did win a regular season title didn’t he.

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