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Pat Hill jumped the gun by announcing Saturday that Fresno State offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. was taking the same position at North Carolina. It wasn't a done deal at the time, and apparently isn't yet.

But Cignetti is expected to be introduced some time this week as successor to Gary Tranquill at UNC. Cignetti, who coached the fifth most productive offense in I-A this year at Fresno, was scheduled to meet with Heels coach John Bunting and AD Dick Baddour on Sunday in Chapel Hill to discuss the OC vacancy, according to the Fresno Bee. It appears to be just a matter of finalizing his contract agreement at this point.

Meanwhile, coaches are falling all around the NFL -- and even at the University of Miami -- today. Losing six games in the last two years, and being woefully unprepared for LSU in the Peach Bowl, cost four Hurricanes assistants their jobs.

Then there are the ACC's early defections to the NFL. Miami's Devin Hester and Maryland TE Vernon Davis are reportedly declaring for the draft. And, as Jim Young reports, N.C. State DE Mario Williams is expected to announce he's NFL-bound at a Tuesday press conference.

Just a few minutes before the tipoff between UNCG and N.C. State. Just took an informal poll in the press room and no one thinks the G has much of a shot. The G's not so stellar track record against power conference foes has most people thinking this will be a blowout.

I personally think the Spartans will keep it a little closer, but that's actually not the ACC-SoCon story I wanted to blog about.

I predicted about a month ago that Davidson would knock off UNC, and I'm sticking with it, even though the Tar Heels have already laid an egg against Southern Cal. The Wildcats will be throwing an experienced squad against the inexperienced Tar Heels and Davidson's won in the Dean Dome recently. Again, I'd prefer that UNC be coming into this game without having already had their down game, but I still think the Cats can pull this off. I wanted to get this prediction in before the game starts in five minutes.

If UNC blows out Davidson? Well then I just go into the blog and erase the entry. Never happened. That's the beauty of the internet.

UNC's trouncing Davidson right now, 34-14. Apparently the Wildcats' shooting touch is somewhere at the bottom of Lake Norman.

UNCG didn't play much D in the first half but I did get a chance to try out some new nicknames for the G's big man, Bart Toombs, a native of Amsterdam.

Dutch Boy in the Paint, Amsterjam (my personal favorite), and Clockwork Orange (the color of the Dutch national team.)

What do you think?

Apparently Toombs has his own orange-clad fan club that comes to games. I'd like to give them a nickname as well.

Toombs' Raiders.

Now if only Lara Croft (aka Angelina Jolie) could somehow be involved in the club.

I got so caught up in idiotic Davidson predictions yesterday that I forgot to give kudos to the Mountaineers for their upset of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl (I'm also happy to report that sports editor Joe Sirera - a WVU alum - was back in the office today and functioning at somewhere close to 100 percent. He had comment on the rumors that he was seen in Morgantown late Monday night with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a burning ottoman in the other).

I didn't like to an article for this post, because I can pretty much sum them up with this sentence, "I guess the Big East isn't so bad after all, nah, nah, nah."

To me the biggest told-you-so that came out of this game should have been delivered to all the people (i.e. Nebraska's AD) that were convinced that a run-oriented offense couldn't thrive in today's game of speed over power. With 382 rushing yards against a defense loaded with NFL talent, the Mountaineers proved that a run-oriented offense can still be a) explosive and fun to watch and b) successful at the highest level.

Yes, WVU QB Pat White did throw the ball, but really just enough (14 attempts) to keep the Dawgs honest. The real show for the Mountainers was running the ball out of a spread formation behind its zone blocking schemes.

It sort of makes you wonder why more schools don't copy the methods of WVU coach Rich Rodriguez instead of lusting after the next pass-happy West Coast offensive genius. This may not be a newsflash to you, but West Virginia doesn't produce a ton of prep football talent. So if you're going to win big in Morgantown, you'd better have something different. You're not going to beat teams relying solely on talent. That's why this quote from Georgia coach March Richt was so telling.

"One thing about this matchup was that there was no team we played this season that ran the offense they ran like they do or as well as they do."

No wonder Georgia looked so lost while falling behind 28-0.

Meanwhile, little old Navy thrashed Colorado in its bowl game relying on the good old triple option. The guru there? Former Georgia Southern coach Paul Johnson.

So for all you at also-ran institutions pining away for football respectability, I offer this advice - Don't try to do the same thing everyone else is already doing better than you. Try something different. It might just work.

And we thought there were hard feelings when Mack Brown bolted Chapel Hill for Texas eight years ago. This congratulatory note was posted at UNC's athletics Web site today following Texas' 41-38 national-championship victory over Southern Cal last night.

Kudos also went out to Mack's many former Tar Heel assistants who are now with him in Austin, where, thanks to the wondrous Rose Bowl play of QB Vince Young, Brown will no longer show up on the BCTNWTBO lists.

Maybe you were under a rock and missed it, but the cameras certainly didn't.

In the second quarter of the Gator Bowl, Va Tech QB Marcus Vick took his right foot and stomped down on the back of the left knee of star Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil. Dumervil was lucky to walk off the field with his career intact.

If you're scoring at home, Vick has now 1) been convicted for giving alcohol to a minor, but acquitted of having sex with a minor 2) been arrested for marijuana possession and 3) been caught on tape giving the finger to West Virginia fans this season.

Now this. And now this column from Dave Teel that you really should read.

It's nice that Va Tech QB coach Kevin Rogers spoke out after the game about how inexcusable Vick's actions were, but it also raises the question of what the Hokies' coaches knew about what happened and when they knew it. If they were aware during the game that Vick had purposely tried to injure Dumervil, should they have been honor bound to essentially eject Vick themselves - i.e. removing him from the game and sending him to the locker room? Or did they just shake their heads while secretly breathing a sigh of relief that the refs didn't see what happened? Just something to ponder.

For now, the wheels are apparently in motion for some sort of punishment for Vick. I'm curious to see how stiff it will be.

Julius Hodge plays for the Denver Nuggets these days (or at least works for them). But his name nevertheless came up a few times in Chapel Hill on Friday, where Roy Williams and his players discussed UNC's game Saturday against N.C. State.

The thinking in the Dean Dome is this year's Wolfpack team has a more dangerous offense without the high-scoring Hodge. With balance comes more weapons to worry about and so on.

Senior David Noel had this to say: "Now that Julius is gone, I think I like them a little bit more. I like him off the court, but on the court, he was something else."

Chris Paul could not be reached for comment.

In a related note, Williams says not to expect him to adjust the Heels' game plan much for the Wolfpack, which runs stuff a lot different than most of UNC's opponents. Since Williams' arrival in Chapel Hill, the Heels have had success with extended pressure against State's guards, so why change now?

"What if we go out there tomorrow and try to play like Vegas when Tark was there?" the Heels coach said. "Then all this dadgum practicing we’ve been doing was for nothing. Or what if we go out there tomorrow and I walk the ball up and spread it out in the Four Corners? You better have me examined. There’s some damn alien that’s crawled up in my body. It ain’t me."

I'll have to make this quick because I spent a little too much time on the pre-game meatloaf - yes, meatloaf- before the game.

I'm going with State in this game, chiefly because of what I saw in the Pack's win over GW. The Colonials - like the Heels - are a team that loves to run and does it well. But State took them out of that and GW flounders. I think UNC does better than GW, but I'm still not sold on the Heels' half-court offense.

Final score - State 77, UNC 72.

Of course, if Cedric Simmons gets in early foul trouble, all bets are off.

With those words, standout linebacker Jarrell Miller of Highland Springs, Va., announced on national TV Saturday that he'd committed to North Carolina. Coach Thig is UNC linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen, who recruited a 6-4, 235-pound player ranked the No. 9 linebacker in the nation by Scout.com and No. 4 overall player in Virginia.

Miller is yet to qualify academically, but is expected to. He gives UNC a second commitment from a four-star recruit, according to Scout.com, joining Jacksonville White Oak safety Deunta Williams.

Apparently that list includes our own Jeff Carlton.

Here's the infamous calf stomp by Marcus Vick on Louisville's Elvis Dumervil. Vick called it an "accident." Hmmmm...

To the suprise of the VT doubters on this blog - which would include one Mr. Carlton - Vick has since been booted off the team. But apparently that had more to do with the revelation that he'd been busted for speeding and driving with a suspended license back on Dec. 17, violating the zero-tolerance policy the school had previously set up for him. Conspiracy theorist and UVA fans will now no doubt wonder if the school already knew about it and then brought it out as a nice excuse to dumb Vick after his public behavior began to embarrass the schoool. Of course that's just a theory.

On Monday came news that Vick had been arrested AGAIN. This time for allegedly brandishin a gun at three people in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

If - and this is a big if - Vick makes it to the NFL draft without spending any more time behind bars, would you consider him if you were an NFL GM? Given his talent, I'd have to imagine someone might take a sixth or seventh round flyer on him. But only after doing some serious background checks.

Okay SoCon hoops fans.

We've discussed UNCG's young talent and I got egg on my face by predicting a Davidson upset of UNC. But someone else is going to have to explain this one to me:

What's going on with Elon?

The Phoenix destroyed Chattanooga - the defending champs, by the way - on the road on Monday for its fourth straight win and third straight in the SoCon.

This - allegedly - is the same team that lost by 46 POINTS to Butler. The same team that started the season 2-9. The same team that didn't beat a Division I opponent until its 12th game of the season.

But that first D-I win was at Clemson. Ever since then, Elon has played like a bunch of world beaters.

So I ask you, dear SoCon fans. Is this Elon team for real? Can it contend at the least for the SoCon North title? Maybe even grab the league's NCAA berth?

If so, what the heck happened to this team?

I'm not sure whether this story about Pretzleboy taking the ice to try a one-on-one with Montreal goalie Jose Theodore is hilarious or frightening.

The hilarious part? That Theodore actually stayed in goal and stopped two attempts.

The frightening part? That the guy got in so easily and then, after pulling this stunt, they just let him go! Am I missing something here? Is anyone with two skates, a stick and hockey sweater welcome at Canadiens' practices? I know they're not the franchise they once were, but they can't be that desperate, can they?

Strange things going on here at the RBC.

First, State's vaunted defense has allowed Tech to shoot 68 percent - that's not a typo - from the field. Yet the Jackets are up just one at the half.

Meanwhile, an electrical fire underneath the seat of N&O reporter Lorenzo Perez - the guy who sits next to me on press row - had us scrambling for cover early in the first half. It looked like a wolverine had gnawed through the wires.

Finally, the photogs here are trying to make sense of a photo of Herb in which he appears be either a) trying to get a photographer to call him for a date b) calling in a hit on Paul Hewitt or c) flashing a Bloods gang sign. We'll see how this develops in the second half.

Back to the court ...

You guys have given up 1,628 points with plenty of time left on the game clock! You call that defense???

Actually, when you've been playing basketball for 40 hours already, it's a miracle anyone has the strength to get the ball to the rim. Check out this wire story on a game between Duke and North Carolina students over the weekend that was set to last 2 1/2 days, which would shatter the Guinness world record. With 33 hours left, the AP's Aaron Beard reports Duke held a comfortable 1,628-1,465 lead.

It was for a good cause, too. Read more at these links for the Duke-Carolina Student Basketball Marathon, Hoop Dreams and Guinness World Records.

The PGA Tour is going through some ground-shifting changes, and as was reported here by our Robert Bell late last week, Greensboro took the necessary steps to keep it from being left out in the cold. The Forest Oaks tournament's move to August in 2007 puts it in a coveted spot in the FedEx Cup schedule.

That's left other cities to be bitter about having tournament dates in the fall, when golf just won't matter as much. Take Tony Kornheiser's comical take in the Washington Post on the plight of Avenel, near D.C.:

Now we'll come after everything. We're so late in the season, they'll have already played all four majors, the tour championship -- and the Outback Bowl! Akron has a better date than us. Hartford has a better date than us.

Apparently, Greensboro doesn't bother him.

... why who the heck Kennesaw was, and why they kept showing up as winners on the ESPN Bottom Line crawl at the bottom of my screen, along comes ESPN.com's Kyle Whelliston to answer my question.

The Owls are an interesting case study in transitioning from D-II to D-I. Yes, it's pretty impressive that they're leading the Atlantic Sun right now, but bear in mind these guys won the D-II national title. Sometimes - and I'm not saying that's the case with Kennesaw - the restrictions on who you can or can't get into school are a bit looser at the D-II level. Let's give them a few years of recruiting at the D-I level to see if this success holds. For the time being though, it's neat to wonder how Kennesaw - which beat Gardner-Webb, the same team that nearly shocked UNC this season - would far against the Tar Heels.

Oh, and one more juicy tidbit. The No. 2 team in the Atlantic Sun? The Florida Atlantic Owls, coached by none other than Matt Doherty. FAU is in state tonight, playing at fellow Atlantic Sun member Campbell.

BUIES CREEK _ It couldn’t have taken Florida Atlantic coach Matt Doherty long to realize that Campbell’s Carter Gym is a long, long way from Chapel Hill. Actually, it’s only about an hour down the road – the closest Doherty has come to UNC as a coach since he was forced out three years ago – but this old barn is a throwback to basketball 50 years ago.

It’s definitely more Cameron Indoor than Dean Dome. And the Camel Crazies – not to be confused with Duke’s students fan section – did their best to make Doherty feel unwelcome. Division I’s smallest arena was filled to capacity (947 strong) and derided Doh at every turn, at least until FAU blew the game open midway through the first half.

For example: “Sit down, Matt!” … to which Doherty, already sitting, replied with a smile: “Make me sit down!” There were also a lot of “Where’s your ring?” barbs. A 1982 national championship ring was on his right hand, but we’re pretty sure that’s not the ring to which they were alluding.

There were surprisingly few obvious Tar Heel fans in the stands to see Doherty’s Atlantic Sun-leading team, though he greeted some old UNC pals – including Woody Durham – before tipoff. For those Tar Heel partisans who ridiculed Doherty on his way out of Chapel Hill but couldn’t make it down to Buies Creek, the Campbell undergrads fired off some zingers on their behalf. Pretty lame ones, mostly. But I did enjoy the pep band’s P-Funk rendition.

Read more about Doherty’s first season at Florida Atlantic in the News & Record in the coming weeks. Or watch it on ESPN’s “The Season.” A camera and boom mic followed Doherty’s every move here.

BUIES CREEK _ The stage lights aren't nearly so bright in the Atlantic Sun as in the ACC. But Matt Doherty, now at Florida Atlantic after two years out of coaching, says the thrill is not gone.

More later on how he's gained perspective on life and coaching. But here are a couple of interesting Doherty comments following FAU's 97-88 victory over Campbell Tuesday night:

"We have that same feeling you have preparing to beat Duke. When we came over on that bus, it reminded me of the bus ride from Chapel Hill to Duke. My same gut feelings walking into Carter Gymnasium as it was walking into Cameron Indoor Stadium. It's just that less people are watching."

On what he misses about coaching in the ACC:

"I miss: It's always the big game. It's going over to Duke, and that's the game everyone's talking about. Being in the main arena is a pretty cool feeling. Then, staying at the Ritz-Carlton isn't bad. Eating at Morton's once in a while isn't bad. But I don't mind Applebee's or Outback. And the Comfort Inn in Fuquay's not a bad spot."

I know I should have sent this in on, say ... Monday, but it's taken me this long to digest what Steve Smith did to the Chicago Bears defense (which was allegedly the best D since Chicago's 46 D in '85 by the way).

I was watching this game with a few friends, all Panthers fans, and by the end we were joking about the conversations in the Bears' huddle.

"Umm .. who's got 89?"

Seriously, how can a defense key in on one guy and yet time after time that guy gets open (not just open WIIIIIIIIDE open)?

Here's my answer. Because that guy is the best player in the NFL. Hands down. The very definition of an MVP. If Carolina doesn't have Steve Smith in its lineup, it's an 8-8 team.

How, you ask, did the actual NFL MVP, Shaun Alexander, fare? He ran for about nine yards, left the game with a concussion and his team still won.

I demand a revote. NOW.

... where fighting for a press room seat is a classic case of the Darwinian struggle for survival. Can't wait to head out to press row in a few minutes. Wish I hadn't put on those extra pounds over the holidays.

What's that? The game? Oh yeah. Let me just say up front that I'm not making a prediction (throwing a bone to all those State fans who are bitter that I picked the Wolfies to win at UNC). So I'll leave it at this - I think the game will be close.

I think State matches up fairly well with Duke. The Blue Devils are famous for shutting down an opponents top one or two scoring threats. But the Wolfies - as we all know by now - are all about egalitarianism. So if State stays patient and runs its offense, I expect it score.

Can the Wolfies shut down Duke on the other end? I'm expecting JJ to get his points, but I think State has a shot - not a guarantee, but a shot - at containing Shelden Williams if Cedric Simmons can stay out of foul trouble.

What happens if Cedric picks up a few early fouls? See the UNC game.

Allrighty, time to squeeze into a seat on press row ...

Please alllow me to pat myself on the back just a bit ...

In case you missed, my article previewing today's game talked about how much better State is when Ced Simmons is on the floor. So what's he done so far? 13 points, five rebounds and six blocks. State's + 5 when he's in the game, - 4 when he's out.

That's how State is leading at the half, 34-33, despite making just one of five 3-pointers.

To University Hall, or as former Virginia center Ted Jeffries put it so well, The Pregnant Clam.

I'm here for North Carolina's 41st and final visit to U-Hall, where in the early '80s, the teams had some classic showdowns. I've never had a romantic view of this place and I'm not about to adopt one now. John Paul Jones Arena will open across the street this fall and not a moment too soon.

As for tonight's game, the Heels aren't exactly facing a powerhouse. No, the Cavaliers have eight scholarship players and if not for Sean Singletary, they'd be lost on the floor. Actually, Dave Leitao seems to be doing a good job turning the Cavs into a defensive-minded team that can cause teams problems. He's already milked two ACC wins out of them.

It should be a decent test of the UNC freshmen's resiliency and poise on the road. That USC trip still lingers in the mind. But their visit to Florida State on Sunday likely will prove tougher than their last trip to U-Hall.

Interesting typo on the rosters at the N.C. State-Wake Forest game. Wake big man Chris Ellis is incorrectly listed as Cliff Ellis. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the former Clemson and Auburn coach was not the guy who soared up for three big dunks in the first half against the Wolfpack. Of course, I could be wrong.

It's 45-40 at the half, in favor of Wake, but I wonder if Wake coach Skip Prosser might be second-guessing his decision to sit down Justin Gray for the final two minutes of the half. I know Gray had two foulds, but it was pretty amazing how quickly Wake's lead evaporated from 13 down to five when the Shamaine Dukes show was in full effect.

I'd refrained from posting on the Tom Penders technical foul from over the weekend until I saw actual footage, but I haven't gotten in much SportsCenter time this week, so I'll comment without going to the videotape. I think the evidence speaks for itself, anyway.

In case you missed it, Houston coach Tom Penders collapsed to the floor Saturday when a UAB player scored and was fouled in the first half. The officials apparently thought Penders was taking a theatrical dive to protest the call. And they T'd him up.

You would think there might have been a change of heart when the stretcher and EMT staff rushed to the court. But, no. Even after Penders was helped off the sideline, the technical stood and UAB's Squeaky Johnson made both free throws in a game the Blazers would win 82-79.

The refs apparently weren't aware of Penders' cardiomyopathy and didn't particularly care. Or were too proud to change their ruling. The Conference USA commish offered up a weak mea culpa: they "exercised poor judgment," he said.

Well, Penders did come back to coach the second half. For which I almost expect C-USA officials to say, "See, it's not like he died or something. Maybe he was faking."

This eclipses my all-time favorite ref-out-of-control technical. That coming in the late '80s when NBA official Steve Javie T'd up the Washington Bullets mascot. I still crack up when I think of TV announcer Mel Proctor's play-by-play, which went something like this: "Darrell Walker has gotten a technical. So has coach Wes Unseld. Oh, no! Now he's given Hoops a T. Javie's completely lost control!"

Amazingly, the guy's still an NBA ref. Guess he's tenured.

I may have to pay royalties to Rob Daniels, our resident Spinal Tap fanatic, for using that one. But I think it applies very well to the Swiss Miss, Martina Hingis.

There were plenty of times when Hingis crossed that line off-the court (see her "like a man" comments about French tennis player Amelie Mauresmo). But on the court? Never. In her prime, she was always a refreshing reminder that clever could still be used to beat power even in this age of crushing serves and laser-like forehands.

So I'm very happy that Hingis' comeback at the Australian Open went so well. She finally lost today in the quarterfinals in three tight sets to No. 2 seed Kim Clijsters. I wondered how competitive Hingis could be after taking the last few years off due to injury and ennui. But she looked pretty darned close to her old self and even seemed to be generating a decent amount of power to go with her usual clever court tactics.

Here's hoping that the Swiss Miss stays with this comeback effort. I'd like to see how she does on the power-neutralizing clay at the French Open.

Who's happiest about the return of Hingis? That would have to be former News & Record sports copy editor Eli Pacheco, who always had an obsession with ... err... crush on Hingis.

Here's what Roy Williams had to say about junior Reyshawn Terry's 17-point performance at Florida State on his Monday radio call-in show (this after he nearly pulled Terry from the starting lineup):

"After the game last night, I really thought that Reyshawn Terry was going to collapse in the locker room. He was physically and emotionally spent. And I've been on him the last week, I changed Marcus and put in Wes and told Reyshawn I was thinking about doing that at his position. And I tell you what -- he responded so, so well. If anyone ever says anything negative about our players, if they could have seen that youngster in the locker room last night, they'd look themselves in the mirror and slap themselves 37 times. Our kids are giving it everything they possibly have."

Glowing commentary, for sure. Then, Wednesday night, Terry's play prompted Williams to slam his jacket on the bench, yank him from the floor and get in his face. The coach said later he didn't condone Terry criticizing Bobby Frasor on the court for something he'd done wrong, especially after Terry had taken an ill-advised shot just moments earlier.

That's just part of the game. Inside-the-team type stuff, Williams said after the Heels' 81-74 loss to Boston College. OK, so why did he feel compelled to say this?:

"I don't like my players to be correcting other players out on the court. Reyshawn was jumping on Bobby. And two possessions before that, we had a 2-on-1 fast break ... and you should never take a jump shot. Reyshawn pulled up and took a jump shot [and missed]. Bobby didn't scream at him. So Reyshawn shouldn't scream at Bobby."

BC, by the way, looked a lot to me like the team we all were expecting in the preseason. With N.C. State's inexplicable blowout home loss to Seton Hall and Miami's enigmatic play, I'd have to say the Eagles are the second-best team in the ACC once again.

A few years ago, a friend of mine had this idea for a promo poster for Clemson Basketball.

"Big Trouble in Littlejohn."

Sort of a takeoff on the movie Big Trouble in Little China - a highly underrated flick by the way.

At the time it was sort of a joke, because back in those days, nobody was having much trouble in Littlejohn, where there were so many NIT banners with the Red Apples on them (for NYC, I'm guessing) that local wags had taken to calling the place, "The Orchard."

Now though, this is a dangerous place to play because, chiefly, it is occupied by a dangerous team. Oliver Purnell's last two recruiting classes haven't been big on star-power but have been deep and filled with athletes who played hard. That's allowed them to lose Cheyenne Moore to transfer and James Mays to academics and still keep making steady progress. A win today over State would give Clemson a huge boost toward a possible NCAA berth.

The consensus here in the press room? The Tigers' guards need to shoot well from 3-point range. They do that, and the upset looks very possible. If not, State should win - assuming they relocate the team that played the first 17 games of the season, not the one that showed up against Seton Hall.

Lots of little things that stuck out in the first half of the State-Clemson game that could lead to questions later.

1) Ced Simmons, after playing just 19 minutes against Seton Hall, doesn't start today. Is Sendek sending him a message, or is he not 100 percent?
2) Courtney Fells gets playing time in the first half and gets on the court before Gavin Grant. Is Fells earning that playing time? Or is that an indication that Grant has fallen into disfavor.
3) Brandon Costner in uniform. He appeared headed for a redshirt. Maybe that's not the case.

Oh yeah, the score's 38-34, Wolfpack. State's scoring on just 3s, layups and free throws. I wonder how long this can last.

Thought I'd throw out a few related nuggets.

First, off, after covering the UNC women's visit to Cameron Indoor for the 1-vs.-2 battle Sunday night, I took a stroll through Krzyzewskiville just to get a feel for how the "future doctors and lawyers of America" -- as Dick Vitale likes to call Duke students -- spend their time in tent city. I was somewhat intrigued by Rob Daniels' ongoing series on the tent dwellers and thought I'd see for myself.

Craig Bohn, a former Greensboro Day student and now a Duke senior, called my name, and he updated me on the happenings at Tent 4. It was a warm night, so he was pretty upbeat. He also turned me on to his blog about life in K-ville. Check it out here.

In related news, Roy Williams gave this illness update on his radio show Monday night:

"Marcus Ginyard (sore throat) felt much better today and Michael Copeland practiced -- those were the two that were under the weather the most. It does worry me because we spend so much time together that it usually affects more than one or two guys. We're trying to keep our eyes on it, but right now everything is OK."

And I received this e-mail from an online ticket broker in New York. How much are you willing to pay to get a seat to next Tuesday's Duke-UNC game in the Smith Center?

For the University of North Carolina Tar Heels vs. the Duke University NCAA basketball game on Tuesday, February 7 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC, the following volume and prices are available on Ticketsnow.com: This information was logged as of 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, January 31, 2006.

Number of Tickets Available: 94
High Price (single ticket): $1,625
Low Price (single ticket): $275

The faxes will start heating up tomorrow morning as letters of intent are sent in to football offices around the country.

Then many programs will begin the next watch and wait, to determine which players will qualify for admission.

Want to know who has the best shot of getting all their players in? The Orlando Sentinel has taken a stab at determining which schools have the toughest and easiest standards.

A couple of things that stood out.

1) Wake is listed as having the toughest admissions in the ACC. Not Duke.

2) Georgia (7) has the second-toughest standards in the SEC. Who knew?

3) National champ Texas (7) also has reportedly tough admissions standards.