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By Chris Morris
Jun 23, 2009
One would be understanding if Dino Gaudio were a little upset this summer. His Wake Forest Demon Deacons finished the 08-09 season 8-7 over their last 15 games after starting 16-0, and briefly claiming the #1 national ranking in the polls. Included in those seven loses was a disastrous 84-69 loss to 13th seeded Cleveland State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Then, to top it all off, Wake's two top scorers decided to forego their final two years in Winston-Salem to enter the NBA Draft. But despite all of this hardship, you won't hear a negative word come from the head Deacon.
"I wish Jeff and James the very best, " Gaudio said, referring to Jeff Teague and James Johnson, in an interview on 99.9-FM The Fan, ESPN Radio. "They are gettting an opportunity to fulfill a life's dream." Teague, a sophomore point guard, led Wake in scoring this year with an 18.8 points per game average. Johnson, a sophomore forward,
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By Tim Hall
Jun 19, 2009
N.C. State junior Courtney Fells fights for possession with Danny Green of North Carolina on February 20, 2008
Check any NBA mock draft and you are going to see several ACC players on there. You'll see Wake Forest, Duke, and North Carolina represented in the first round. You aren't going to find anyone from N.C. State.
But one former Wolfpack player is turning a few heads among NBA scouts.
N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe said at his press conference on Thursday that he talked to Courtney Fells a few days ago and he is making the rounds with NBA teams, already having two workouts with the San Antonio Spurs.
"We knew they liked him during the year," Lowe said. "I talked to (Greg) Papavich, we knew they were looking at him strong, he's been to Charlotte and Golden State, Courtney has been everywhere, a lot of people are looking at him now."
A New York Post blog said Fells worked out for the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday. Ty Lawson, Gerald Henderson
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By Tim Hall
Jun 18, 2009
On Wednesday, a blurb appeared in the Racine Journal Times in Gery Woelfel's column. His source says Phil Jackson will step down as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach and Mike Krzyzewski will be the sought after replacement.
The note also hinted that Lakers star Kobe Bryant would want to see Krzyzewski get the job.
Woelful said Wednesday that his source is a very accurate one who usually hits home runs on all his calls.
"I had talked to a gentleman who I respected for many years and he's provided me with good stuff," Woelful told 99.9FM The Fan ESPN Radio. "This guy has some legitimacy. .... Bottom line is he firmly believes that Mike Krzyzewski would be the heir apparent to Phil Jackson."
Bryant further developed his relationship with Krzyzewski while playing for Team USA this summer, where the Americans won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.
"Absolutely, they have a very good rapport, a mutual respect,
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By Tim Hall
Jun 18, 2009
Demon Deacon Jeff Teague speaks with head coach Dino Gaudio during Wake Forest's game against Duke in Winston Salem.
Jeff Teague raced off to an incredible start in his sophomore season with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He had heads turning in an upset win over North Carolina. He scored 34 points and outplayed Ty Lawson. He followed that up by out-dueling Tyrese Rice with 29 points in a blowout of Boston College.
But the latter half of the season wasn't as sweet for Teague or for Wake Forest. In his last 14 games, he only topped the 20 point mark twice. In his first 17 games he scored 20 or more 10 times.
Instead of going back to Wake Forest for a junior season he chose to stay in the NBA draft, ending his college career. The Fan's "Insiders" got to talk with an expert to find out if that was the right choice.
"He's not gonna go as high as he could of," ESPN draft analyst Chad Ford told 99.9FM The Fan. "He had the potential if he went back to playing like he did the first half of last season to be a top five pick
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By Scott Jackson
Jun 18, 2009
Remember the summer of 2004? You know when the Los Angeles Lakers pursued Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and he thought long and hard about it, but passed on the opportunity?
Since that time, Coach K and Kobe Bryant have helped Team USA get back atop the basketball world winning gold last summer. So it should come as no surprise that if Phil Jackson retires, Krzyzewski' s name will surface as the first choice to replace the Zen Master.
This was in today's Racine Journal Times from Gery Woelfel's column Wednesday, The Woelfel World of Sports, just a short blurb in a lot of quick hits around the NBA.
* At least one well-informed NBA informant insists that Lakers coach Phil Jackson will hang up the clipboard this summer and his successor could be Duke's Mike Krzyzewski -- especially if his highly-influential agent (Kobe Bryant) puts the heat on Lakers
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By Adam Harris
Jun 17, 2009
"Ever since I've been here, it seems like it's been expected."
The words of shortstop Ryan Graepel speak volumes regarding the confidence of the North Carolina baseball program.
In their fourth consecutive College World Series, the Tar Heels fought off elimination on Tuesday with a statement 11-4 win over Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles were outmatched, as UNC equaled a CWS record 23 hits in the game.
A trip to Omaha in June will always be a privilege. But, there's nothing wrong with expecting to be there. After all, you've got to aim high to land high.
"I think that's really what's made us so good," added Graepel in a conversation with The Insiders on 99.9 FM The Fan ESPN Radio .
"When the post-season comes, we expect to be there. We expect to win all of our games up to that point. I think that's the reason we're going back, you know, four years in a row as it turns out, because the expectations
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By Tim Hall
Jun 16, 2009
Greivis Vasquez of Maryland during the second round of the ACC Tournament on March 13, 2009.
"He makes us pretty good."
That's what Maryland coach Gary Williams said about Greivis Vasquez a couple of hours before Monday's 5 p.m. deadline for underclassmen to withdrawl from the NBA draft.
Vasquez is coming back for his senior season with the Terrapins after not seeing what he wanted this year in the draft. He led the Terps with 17.5 points per game and over five assists and rebounds per game. He recorded a triple-double late in the year in an upset win over North Carolina.
Williams even said that he thinks Vasquez can be a top 20 pick in the 2010 draft.
By Dane Huffman
Jun 15, 2009
Ish Smith started 60 of 61 games his first two seasons, but found himself on the bench a year ago as Jeff Teague grabbed the point guard job at Wake Forest.
With Teague headed to the NBA, Wake's fortunes in 2009-2010 may depend on Smith, who inherits his starting job again. Smith is ultra-quick but can be a bit loose with the ball. He's also not the scorer Teague is by any means.
But the two never seemed to mesh that well together on the court. Now Smith gets the job to himself - and Wake will want more than the 6.2 points per game he contributed in 2009.
By Dane Huffman
Jun 15, 2009
Wake Forest guard Jeff Teague will remain in the NBA Draft, according to the Indianapolis Star.
Teaguie told the paper, "I'm in 100 percent," according to the newspaper's website.
Teague averaged 18.8 points and 3.5 assists as a sophomore. The Deacons were ranked No. 1 at one point in the season but had a disappointing finish.
By Tim Hall
Jun 15, 2009
Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal dunks over N.C. State's Ben McCauley during a game January 17, 2009, at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. N.C. State won 76-71 in overtime. (Photo by Grant Halverson)
Georgia Tech's front court just took a smaller hit than expected. Alade Aminu is already leaving due to graduation. And now sophomore Gani Lawal is withdrawing from the NBA draft.
Lawal told ESPN.com on Sunday that he is preparing his paperwork to send to the NBA by Monday's 5 p.m. deadline. That's when all underclassmen have to decide to pull out of the draft.
Georgia Tech is already bringing in one of the top high school seniors in the country in power forward Derrick Favors. Lawal should make that a decent front court as he averaged over 15 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game last season.
The Yellow Jackets were 12-19 and just 2-14 in the ACC.
