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Back when Fran McCaffery was the coach at UNCG, he was prone to using ... umm, "colorful" language. Often he used it when he was angry - just ask the refs in the SoCon - but sometimes he even used it in compliments.

For example, if a player is really good, Fran will call him a ... umm ... term for a female dog (rhymes with itch). As in, that guy is a real (insert term here) to guard. It was a term Fran often used to describe ETSU's Zakee Wadood and Jerald Fields.

That was the word Fran used to describe Ricky Hickman back when Hickman was senior at East Forsyth. I remember when Hickman signed with the Spartans. I hadn't heard Fran that nearly as excited about any other recruit during the time period between the signing of Jay Joseph and the signing of Kyle Hines (unfortunately this time period also coincided with my term as the UNCG beat writer for the paper).

For the previous two years, it's been easy to see what made McCaffery so excited. With Hines and Hickman both clicking, the Spartans were a danger to any team in the conference. But what UNCG needed was a solid supporting cast around its two stars.

This year, Mike Dement's solid freshman class - Koivisto and Stywall in particular - has filled in the gaps in the Spartans' rotation that plagued them last season. The problem has been that Hickman hasn't played up to his usual (insert Fran's term here) status. Thirty-three percent shooting just doesn't cut it for a go-to guy.

On Saturday though, we got a glimpse of what is possible if Hickman gets back on his game. Hines, clearly the best player in the SoCon, is a given by now. You know what you're going to get every game (although imagine if he could make 70 percent of his free throws? Wow). Hickman is the x-factor. When he's on, UNCG looks like a much better team.

Like it did in winning a huge road game at Furman, 91-86 in double overtime. This isn't your older brother's Furman squad. These guys knocked off Vanderbilt earlier this season and will be a threat to Davidson in the South Division. Winning this one on the road is a huge statement for the Spartans.

That statement? That if Hickman (10 of 16 from the field, 3 of 6 from 3-point range) gets back to (Fran's term here) status, the G could be playing well into March.

If you've heard the "Chris Collins! Too Legit!" cheer that the Crazies have started this season and wondered about its origins, well, wonder no more.

Here it is, Chris Collins' motion picture debut and hopefully, his finale as well.

I'd defend him by saying I was in high school at the same time and that Hammer was cool, but let's be honest here - Hammer was never very cool.

Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, named AP National Coach of the Year on Wednesday, reflects on 2007 for Ben Mauk and Micah Andrews, both of whom missed almost all of 2006 with injuries:

In my last blog entry on UNCG, I noted how much better the Spartans are when Ricky Hickman plays up to his customary levels. Just to reinforce the point, Hickman poured in 28 more as UNCG destroyed St. Peter's on Thursday night.

Now UNCG takes on Delaware, which is 0-8. Holy cow! What happened to this program between the time when Mike Brey left for Notre Dame and now? Is it all the fault of former Blue Hens coach David Henderson?

But I digress, the issue here is the Spartans. After the Delaware game, they'll have another week off to prepare for a huge conference game, against Georgia Southern. Is it just me, or isn't it a little strange that the G will have played four conference games before the new year? What's up with that. Anyone with an explanation please send it my way. Maybe it's been this way since I left the UNCG beat and I'm just now aware of it.

The Georgia Southern game has taken on added importance because it's looking like UNCG can't afford to lose too many games if it wants to keep up with App State in the North Division. The Mountaineers just completed an impressive roll through the San Juan Shootout and are now adjusting to life with UVA transfer Donte Minter in the low post.

Minter's an interesting story by the way (and I'm looking forward to to the day when he and Kyle Hines bang heads in the low post). Minter was originally an App State early signee out of West Rowan. As Minter's senior season rolled on and it became more and more apparent to everyone else just how good Minter was, App fans began to voice this mixture of elation and dread. Clearly Minter was a fantastic steal for App. Less clear was whether Minter would qualify - or whether he even wanted to. UNCG fans who remember Jamaal Brown will know all about this scenario.

Long story short, Minter doesn't qualify, he goes to prep school and winds up at UVA. But the whole Pete Gillen thing didn't work out so well, in case you haven't heard, and Minter started rethinking things. You might think App would have held a grudge against Minter - wondering whether he deliberately tanked qualifying to get out of his App commitment - but if you think the Mountaineers would turn down a second chance at a talent like Minter, then you just don't know college coaches very well. So Minter is back in Boone, his original destination, and all is well for the Mountaineers.

That means that UNCG needs Ricky Hickman to keep things up if it wants to keep pace with Appy.

Like how I brought that full circle?

At first I just thought I was an idiot, now I'm not so sure (insert joke here).

After wondering aloud on this blog earlier about why UNCG will play its fourth SoCon game before 2007 begins, I got an answer back from Spartans uber fan (sorry no umlatt on my keyboard) Steve Huntley.

According to Steve, the SoCon has gone to a full round-robin schedule, which means 20 games for each team. Thus the need to start early.

That, of course, led to this question from me. If everyone in the league now plays each other twice, why even bother with divisions anymore?

Then I actually did a little work and went back and counted the number of conference games on the schedule (yes, it took some time, ha ha). Turns out that the G has 18 conference games. It plays everyone in the league twice except The Citadel and College of Charleston.

That leads to this inevitable response - huh?

The problem, I'm guessing, lies in the fact that the North only has only five teams, while the South has six. That makes the standard 16-game play everyone in your division twice and everyone in the other division once system impossible.

But scheduling 20 games is a daunting task - just ask the ACC coaches who are staunchly opposed to getting rid of easy non-conference wins.

So we're left with 18 and a lack of balance. UNCG doesn't have to face a decent C of C team twice, but it misses out on an extra win against The Citadel.

No need to complain now, but feel free to do so come conference tournament time.

Oh, and if you have suggestions for how to fix this conundrum - which team would you add to make it 12? which team would you drop to make it 10? Would you go to 20? - please feel free to write in.

As for me, I gotta go take an aspirin.

Wake Forest tight end Ben Wooster tries his hand at another game, volleyball, during Friday's team beach party at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Fla.

Wake Forest tight ends coach Tom Elrod, left, jokes with Richard Belton about the fullback's alleged proficiency at kayaking during Friday's team party at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Fla.

Let's just say this isn't your typical football coach. Turned down an NFL training camp invitation to join the Air Force. Navigated flights to Thailand near the end of the Vietnam War. Coaches running backs and kickers, who happen to be the most important players on an 11-2 team with an ACC championship and an Orange Bowl gig pending. Billy Mitchell, perhaps too humble for his own good, is the subject of this week's Sunday Interview feature in print today.

A short sampling of life in South Florida for the ACC champions:

Obie takes a break: View image

Motorcycle gang: View image

Grobe talks to Dolphins: View image

Winning in Statesboro is never easy. Heck, GETTING to Statesboro is never easy. Winning by 21 points is a statement. A very impressive statement.

When you do it by holding the Eagles for nearly 15 minutes without a field goal, as UNCG did on Saturday in its 68-47 win, then you're doing more than just notchign a big SoCon win.

You're confirming that you're a very real threat to win the SoCon tourney.

To get through that three (sometimes four) game gauntlet, you need to have at least two go-to guys, with a rotating list of guys that can also chip in. Kyle Hines has always been option No. 1. Ricky Hickman has returned as the No. 2 guy. He's averaged over 20 ppg in the G's last four games - all wins. Coincidence? I think not. Guys like Koivistu and Stywall have shown the ability to have big games here and there, though not yet every game (hey, they're only freshmen). That's okay. Each of the role players don't need to be on every night. Just one or two.

The other ingredient to win at tourney time? The ability to get big stops when you absolutely must have them. We've known that Hines can block shots, and that - thanks to Hines and Stywall - opponents won't be getting many offensive rebounds and second-chance points. Now we know that the team as a whole can lock down an opponent, for an extended period of time.

The trick now? Keep playing at this level for, oh, the next three months or so.