University of North Carolina Athletics
2006 ACC Tournament Blog
March 9, 2006 | Men's Basketball
March 9, 2006
For the weekend of the 2006 ACC Tournament members of the UNC Athletic Communications staff (Sean Alford, Adam Lucas, Kevin Best and Matt Bowers) will give Tar Heel Fans up to the minute coverage of the latest events from Greensboro.
9:51 a.m.: Less than 200 cars are in the parking lot at the Greensboro Coliseum. While fans are beginning to trickle in, traffic is a non-issue. At this hour, a $10 parking pass buys front-row parking.
10:01 a.m.: ACC Fan Fest, an area filled with games, food booths, and merchandise, is beginning to stir. Vendors are opening their doors as the non-basketball entertainment-side of the ACC Tournament gets under way.
10:38 a.m.: The University of Miami takes the floor for a pre-game shootaround
10:47 a.m.: Woody Durham, Jones Angell, and Eric Montross, of the Tar Heel Sports Network, prepare for a long weekend that will include coverage of all 11 games.
When asked about this year's ACC Tournament, Woody Durham comments, "It doesn't have the tension or the drama that it had it the late 60s and early 70s. I was around when one team and only one could leave the ACC Tournament and go on to the NCAA Tournament. Now, this tournament will be important for a couple teams like Florida State and Maryland because those two teams could use this tournament to get to the NCAA Tournament."
The majority of the games that the Tar Heel Sports Network covers won't even include the Tar Heels. The preparation for these games can present a challenge for the team of broadcasters.
"The level of information that we're given for this event and at this time of year in general can be overwhelming," says Angell. "We really have to be careful to make sure we find the relevant points when we're getting ready to do a game that doesn't include Carolina."
For former Tar Heel standout Eric Montross, broadcasting the ACC Tournament will be quite a different experience from his playing days.
"It's totally different to be on the other side of this," says Montross "The preparation is completely different. There's nothing physical about the preparation other than the drain at the end of all of this. I think it's been a fun aspect for me to look into this year. It's fun to look at things as a spectator. I also find myself getting nervous for the first time about the outcome of games. As a player, you don't have time to get nervous. You can't wonder what's going to happen, you've got to make it happen out there on the floor. For me, as a sideline eye, it's been an interesting experience and it's been a lot of fun."
When the three-man team was asked how they have prepared for the endurance tests that the ACC Tournament presents, Eric Montross quickly revealved the key element of their training program.
"We just got back from hiking with our Sherpas on Mount Everest."
11:25 a.m.: The PA announcer welcomes ACC Fans to the 2006 ACC Tournament, with a long list of advertisements and details of the weekends events.
12:26 p.m.: Clemson and Miami are underway and even the TV broadcast can't hide the empty seats. Meanwhile, Clemson, one of the hottest teams in the league entering the tournament is looking to win its fourth straight game. If the Tigers win a couple of games, they could make an impression with the NCAA Tournament committee.
12:57 p.m.: Is it the shoes? Clemson guard Vernon Hamilton literally came out of his shoes in the first half, tearing a hole in his Nike's near the front of his left shoe. He quickly slipped on a new pair, hit a three-pointer and gave the Tigers their biggest lead of the half, 32-25.
1:01 p.m.: Clemson leads Miami, 34-26 after one half of play. The fans here have been about as exciting as income taxes. Even those with a courtside view found little stimulation in the first half.
Officer R.S. Stewart of the Greensboro Police Department, who stands about as close to the Clemson bench as head coach Oliver Purnell, said, "I can't get into this game. It's just not interesting. But, I think Clemson will pull it off."
1:42 p.m.: The legendary Mick Mixon, former broadcaster for the Tar Heel Sports Network and current play-by-play announcer for the Carolina Panthers, makes an appearance to relive the excite of the ACC Tournament.
2:13 p.m.:One down, 10 to go. For what it lacked in fan enthusiasm, the Miami-Clemson game had a fairly exciting finish as Miami eeked out a 66-63 win. Down 13 in the second half, Miami clawed back behind 22 points from Guillermo Diaz. Miami, an 81-70 winner in Chapel Hill this year (how long ago does that game seem?), is now 16-14 overall. Could the Hurricanes be the ACC Tournament surprise? They'll have their chance tomorrow at 12 noon vs. No. 1 seed Duke.
2:19 p.m.: FYI, a fairly good finish developing in The Big East Tournament with Connecticut and Syracuse battling in overtime. Underrated Gerry McNamara hit a three pointer to send it into OT.
2:31 p.m.: Splotches of black and yellow tie-dye emerge in the Coliseum seats as the starting lineups are announced for the Wake Forest-Florida State game.
2:33 p.m.: UConn loses to Syracuse, further clouding the NCAA Tournament bubble.
2:45 p.m."Reminder: The Tar Heels are departing for Greensboro today at 4:45 p.m. from the Smith Center at Entrance D. Parking is available in the Koury Lot adjacent to the Koury Natatorium. Triad-area Carolina fans can greet the squad at the Sheraton Greensboro at the Four Seasons at 7:30 p.m.
3:24 p.m.: Florida State leads Wake Forest 40-32 heading into halftime.
3:29 p.m.: The ACC awards NC State's Tony Bethel the inaugural Bob Bradley Spirit & Courage Award. Bob Bradley, longtime Clemson SID, passed away in October 2000 after a three-year battle with bone cancer, during which he served as SID Emeritus at Clemson.
4:28 p.m.: Duke's J.J. Redick comes out to the floor to take a glance at the Florida State-Wake Forest game. Lucky for him, he sneaks out before the crowd notices.
4:43 p.m.: Wake Forest upsets Florida State, 78-66, perhaps shattering Florida State's hopes of an NCAA Tournament bid.
5:12 p.m.: At the day's half way point all the fans have left the seats of the Coliseum. It's amazing what a mess these basketball fanatics can create in a matter of a couple hours. There are peanut shells, spilled cokes and plastic wrappers everywhere. Within minutes of the fans' departure an army of about 50 men and women toting trash bags, mops, brooms, and dustpans swarms the seating area from every possibile entrance. The group has the difficult task of cleaning the entire arena before the gates open again.
"This place should be cleaned up by now," said one of the cleaners, dripping with sweat, while mopping furiosly.
Already cleaned? But, you just started two minutes ago.
"That's right, we're behind," he said. "Sorry man, I can't talk to you."
Fans are set to create another mess in the freshly cleaned areana at 7:00 p.m. when Virginia Tech faces Virginia.
7:48 p.m.: At halftime of the Virginia-Virginia Tech game, Virginia leads, 32-27.
9:08 p.m.: In the third close game of the day, Virginia defeats Virginia Tech 60-56. On the way off of the court an assistant coach for the Cavaliers is overheard telling one of his colleagues, "We have some revenge to take care of tomorrow." Does 99-54 ring a bell?
9:19 p.m.: Maryland and Georgia Tech take the floor for the night's final game, set to begin at 9:30.
11:17 p.m.: We are in the midst of the ACC Tournament's first lopsided game. The Terapins are putting a beat down on the Yellow Jackets at the the beginning of the second half. The crowd is beginning to thin out. We have deja vu all over again. It feels like the first half of the Clemson-Miami game with a weak and tired crowd. The only difference is that the majority of the fans that remain are dawning red.
11:43 p.m.: Suprise, surprise. Maryland defeats Georgia Tech, 82-64, to put a cap on the first day of the ACC Tournament.
Everyone here is exhausted after the first of two marathon-days of ACC basketball. Fans rush out to their cars, the media hurries to meet deadlines, and the cleaning crew begins again. Meanwhile, some teams have packed their bags and are on their way home, others get to the hotel for a good night's rest to prepare for a second game, and a third group gets ready for their first taste of the 2006 ACC Tournament on Saturday.
Tune in tomorrow for more up to the minute coverage of events at the 2006 ACC Tournament
