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Sports Monday Expansion Excitement Hits ACC With the North Carolina men’s basketball team mired in a tie for last place in the confer ence, perhaps Director of Athletics Dick Baddour should press the ACC to follow the NFL’s example - expand. After all, no one is happier about the conception of the Houston Texans than the Jacksonville Jaguars, which will doubtless be spared a last-place finish in a difficult division. So maybe if Baddour could convince the ACC to expand, the Tar Heels could avoid their first-ever last place finish. But who should be the new doormat? Who would will ingly put them- AARON FITT LIKE A GLOVE selves in position to get stomped on by Duke and Maryland week after week? It will have to be a school that current ly doesn’t have a basketball program. A school that is ready to make the leap to the big-time. A school like Fayetteville Technical Community College. Where better than Fayetteville -a city filled with strip clubs and crime, the laughingstock of North Carolina - to be the host of the laughingstock of the ACC? With the NFL’s expansion draft today, ACC teams might start thinking about who they’d want to leave unpro tected should expansion fever strike. Clemson would surely leave coach Larry Shyatt unprotected. Shyatt’s angry outburst at Duke’s Dahntay Jones last month was further evidence of his instability. Maybe UNC coach Matt Doherty can call a timeout in the middle of Shyatt’s farewell press con ference - to “savor the moment.” N.C. State would choose not to pro tect guard Anthony Grundy. Sure, he’s the team’s leading scorer and rebound er. But if State wants anyone to start taking it seriously, it needs to shed its social-miscreant image. With the cloud of charges that he assaulted a woman last winter still hanging over Grundy’s head, he simply does not fit that new, clean-cut Wolfpack mold. He’s out. Florida State would make center Nigel “Big Jelly” Dixon available. Why? Quite simply, there aren’t enough donuts in Tallahassee for Dixon and FSU football coach Bobby Bowden to co-exist. Duke would leave Dick Vitale unpro tected. The ABC/ESPN sportscaster must be annoying Blue Devil point guardjason Williams by spraying him with spitde in his many excited ram blings about how Williams is as good as any point guard in America, college or pro. But even more than that, Duke wants to prove that it can, in fact, recruit quality players without the huge publici ty machine that is Vitale. Sorry, Dickie V. You’re heading to Fayetteville. Georgia Tech would leave Australian center Luke Schenscher unprotected. The Yellow Jackets just want to nip con troversy in die bud - they know very well that it’s only a matter of time before it is discovered that Schenscher didn’t actually serve as the mayor of Sydney, like he stated in his biography. Virginia would make head coach Pete Gillen available because, let’s face it - there is no coach in college basketball that gets fewer results out of a talented team than Gillen. They’re quick, athletic and strong, but the Cavaliers will undoubtedly cave in the first or second round of the NCAAs like they do every year. Gillen is the one constant in UVa.’s annual collapses, so he’s got to go. Finally, North Carolina would ask one question - is it still possible to leave Neil Fingleton unprotected? No? Then the Tar Heels could expose just about anyone on their roster to the draft. With so many underachievers to choose from, there remains just one obvious candidate: Bill Guthridge. The man who wreaked havoc on the UNC basketball program with two hor rendous recruiting crops is still on the payroll, raking in $87,748 a year. That’s a pretty expensive advisor for an athlet ic program that already employs the legendary Dean Smith as a consultant. So we offer one piece of advice to Guthridge to prepare him for Fayetteville: don’t pick fights with drunken Gls, and you’ll do just fine. Aaron Fitt can be reached at fitt@email.unc.edu. Suspect Defense Hurts UNC The UNC baseball team was plagued by untimely errors in its opening weekend and dropped 2 of 3 to the Pirates. By Jamie Agin Assistant Sports Editor Perhaps members of the North Carolina baseball team should trade their 2001 Diamondbacks-Yankees World Series videos for a set of Tom Emanski Defensive Drills tapes. Heroic endings are sweet, but defense produces wins consistendy. Offering proof, No. 19 UNC beat Seton Hall in dramatic fashion Friday to Inspired Tar Heels Break Streak After a visit from 12 former UNC players, the men's basketball team beat a struggling FSU team Sunday at the Smith Center. By Mike Ogle Senior Writer North Carolina’s burden had grown heavier with each loss. As the Tar Heels waved goodbye to their traditional streaks while falling down a seemingly bottomless pit of record lows, they started to worry. Having been repeatedly beaten over the head with the UNC record book that so many past players had eloquently written, the young Tar Heels had begun to feel a bit orphaned this season. They wondered if the old Tar Heels were embarrassed or even ashamed. Perhaps they would disown their juniors, leaving them on a lonely doorstep. Instead, 1981 graduate A1 Wood and 11 other alums flocked upon the Smith Center to give the youngsters a reas suring pat on the back. The inspirational pregame visit moved the Tar Heels. The ghosts of basketball past said they sup ported them through the tough times. But die Tar Heels decid ed enough was enough and won their first game sincejan. 27 and their first home game since Dec. 30, a 95-85 victory against Florida State on Sunday. “Ah, that was great. I could just see it in those guys’ eyes, the pride,” said freshman Melvin Scott. “They’re there for us, and that meant a lot to us. They really touched us, and we went out and not only tried to win it for them, but win it for ourselves with some pride." Mike Cooke, who played on Dean Smith’s first three teams at UNC, related his experiences as a player to the current struggles. But Wood’s speech, which borrowed from Isaiah 40:30-31, carried the most weight. “He came at us spiritually,” Scott said. “He gave us a little quote. The quote really meant for us to spread our wings. An eagle goes into a storm. The baby eagle is about to get put out there to fly. And he doesn’t turn around because a storm’s coming. He just spreads his wings and goes straight to the heart of the storm.” Adam Boone flew the highest, reaching a career-high 28 points. Boone, who scored 20 in the second half, knocked down three 3-pointers in a 2:43 span shortly after the break that jumpstarted a UNC offensive surge. His afternoon topped his previous career high of 23 set at Clemson - the last time North Carolina (7-16, 3-10 in the ACC) won. “I just felt if I had a step or a step and a half, I was going See MEN'S BASKETBALL, Page 7 Tech Dethrones Tar Heels in Championships Upset 11 11 ' •/ ; -v DTH/LAURA BERNARD UNC's Shaiane Flanagan won two events at this weekend's ACC meet. Baiebrtll win its fifth straight season opener. Then, the team forgot its fundamen tals and lost its next two games, includ ing a 4-3 defeat Sunday, failing to record back- Seton Hall 4 UNC 3 Seton Hall 4 UNC 2 Seton Hall 5 UNC 7 to-back-to-back wins against the Pirates for the first time since 1998. On Sunday, Pirate Garrett Weir led off the top of the seventh with a double and advanced to third on a Scott Manshack wild pitch. Manshack walked the next two batters before giving up a single to Todd Crawford, scoring two I JB - HL laß W BHHRp .;!- 'dflV ■Rsiv;. I -#- if jhKSII; ii!k .Sill if, wjW i ■ fl mm ' ' Y m ■ Men’s Basketball Florida State 85 UNC 95 DTH/KIM CRAVEN North Carolina forward Will Johnson puts up a contested shot Sunday in the Tar Heels' 95-85 win against Florida State. Johnson finished with four points in 14 minutes. The UNC women's track team took second place and the men finished fifth at the ACC Championships on Saturday. By Gavin Off Staff Writer When the 1,600-meter relay finished, the entire team exploded, pumping their fists, jumping off the ground and hug ging each other. Then the chant began, “Whose house?” But the familiar reply of “Heels’ house!” didn’t answer. Instead, a thundering “GT’s house!” followed. And minutes later the official results sounded over the loud speaker. “For the first time in 10 years, we have anew ACC championship team,” the voice said. Georgia Tech’s women upset the Tar Heels 122-113 at this weekend’s ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at UNC’s Eddie Smith Fieldhouse. UNC’s men placed fifth with 77 points, trailing first-place Clemson by 55 points. runs and tying the game at three. With one out in the ninth and the game still tied, the Pirates had runners on first and second. Ed McDonell hit a hard grounder to UNC second baseman Chris Maples, who bobbled the ball and was unable to turn the double play. UNC reliever Scott Senatore threw a wild pitch the next at-bat, allowing the winning run to score. Saturday, behind four UNC errors, the Pirates (2-1) downed the Tar Heels (1-2) for the first time in 12 tries. Mike Bascom walked to lead off the eighth for Seton Hall. He was sacrificed to second base, stole third and came home on a throwing error by catcher Ron Braun See BASEBALL, Page 7 MR, " y®i|| But the down to-the-wire ending of the women’s competition didn’t come without con troversy or disap pointment for the Tar Heels. Leading by five points heading into the 1,600- meter relay, Georgia Tech false started, which means immediate disqualification in collegiate track and field. UNC thrower Sal Gigante won the weight throw and placed fourth in the shot put at the ACCs Saturday. “We had to hope to win and that other teams came in between us and Georgia Tech,” said UNC coach Dennis Craddock. “At the beginning there was a false start by Georgia Tech and I thought, ‘How much luckier can we get?’” But North Carolina’s luck never panned out. Meet officials said a door near the starting area had slammed shut, causing the runner’s confusion and the false start. The officials allowed the Yellow Jackets to compete. Georgia Tech took first in the relay and claimed the cham- Tennis Tops Yet Another Ranked Team Marlene Mejia (left) and the rest of the No. 10 women’s tennis team beat 12th-ranked Northwestern 4-3 on Sunday at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. See Page 7. g JBMS SyUL H OTH/BRIAN CASSEIXA UNC's Sean Farrell dives back to beat the tag of Seton Hall first baseman Tim Pahuta in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Pirates at Boshamer Stadium. pionship. “I was very upset,” Craddock said of the officials’ decision. “Those are the rules. If everybody else has to abide by the rales, so does the relay.” Despite the turmoil, UNC did have its share of outstanding performances. North Carolina placed first in four events, all of them distance or middle distance events. The Tar Heels also placed third and fourth in the mile and third in the 800- meter ran. “Gosh, what a great effort by middle distance and distance,” Craddock said. “Event after event they just did a super job. “We have to hope that other people step up to that level, too.” Sophomore Shaiane Flanagan, who captured her second straight ACC championship in the mile, also won the 3,000, pulling UNC within 5 points of the Yellowjackets. With roughly 400 meters left, Flanagan began her kick, passing N.C. State’s Kristin Price just meter’s before the finish line. Flanagan’s time of 9:19 qualified her for nationals. “If we were ahead by a lot I wouldn’t run, and if we were down by a lot I would,” said Flanagan, who also ran for INSIDE: ■ Men's lacrosse wins season opener. Page 7 ■ Gymastics earns second home victory. Page 7 ■ Women's basketball tops Tech. Page 9 UNC Keeps Composure Against FSU By Ben DeSantis Assistant Sports Editor As the final seconds of Sunday’s 95- 85 win against Florida State ticked off the clock, North Carolina coach Matt Doherty gave each of his bench players and team managers a fist bump. When the horn sounded, he turned toward the student risers section and gave the fans an I’m-not-worthy bow as he walked off the court. At times this season, Doherty has been doing other things with his hands, once breaking a clipboard in a team huddle and often violendy clapping to get the attention of his youthful squad. But on Sunday, Doherty had much with which to be pleased, as UNC won for the first time this season after trailing at halftime. His team also won its first home game since Dec. 30 against Texas A&M. “They were on their own,” Doherty said of his players. “It was fun to watch, fun to sit back and watch our guys play with confidence.” After being somewhat stumped by Florida State’s zone defense in the first half, North Carolina tore apart the zone in the second half. The Tar Heels made nearly 70 percent of their shots and hit 7 of 10 from 3-point range. “The zone put us on our heels in the first half,” said Adam Boone, who scored a career-high 28 points. “We were able to attack a little better in the second half, after we made some adjust ments at halftime.” Boone, whose previous career-high of 23 came at Clemson on Jan. 27, See SECOND HALF, Page 7 UNC’s first-place distance medley relay team. “And if it was close, like it was, I’d run too." But by the middle of Saturday, it was never close for the men. Despite a strong showing in the jumps and throws, Clemson’s dominance in the sprints and hurdles was too much for the Tar Heels to overcome. North Carolina’s Adam Shunk and Blair Woodward grabbed first in the high jump and long jump, respectively, while Brent Callaway placed second in the pole vault. Senior Sal Gigante, who placed fourth in the shot put, also won the weight throw, despite fouling on his last toss. His throw of 67 feet, 2 and 1/4 inch es set anew ACC record. But, like the rest of UNC’s weekend, disappointment filled Gigante’s compe tition. “It feels good to set the record, but it was a sour victory because a foul was called on my last throw,” Gigante said. “I am going to nationals, but if I would have gotten that mark that they called a foul on, I’d definitely be going.” The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu. 10
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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