Wednesday: Louisville to ACC; Hokies pop Iowa
MORE MOVEMENT: Before we get to the hoops, ESPN’s Brett McMurphy is reporting that Louisville is joining the ACC. The Cardinals become the sixth team to bolt the Big East for John Swofford’s league. Here is a short story. I’ll update with more as it comes.
UPDATE: Here’s the release from the ACC.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Atlantic Coast Conference Council of Presidents has unanimously voted to accept the University of Louisville as its newest member. The vote followed the submission of Louisville’s letter of application.
“With the addition of the University of Louisville, the ACC continues to be well positioned for the future competing at the highest level in all facets of the collegiate experience,” said the ACC Council of Presidents in a joint statement. “The ACC continues to be a vibrant conference that remains steadfast in its commitment to balancing academics and athletics.”
“The University of Louisville will be a terrific member of the Atlantic Coast Conference,” said University of North Carolina Chancellor Holden Thorp, chair of the ACC Council of Presidents. “We welcome them as full partners into the ACC.”
“With its aggressive approach to excellence in every respect, the University of Louisville will enhance our league’s culture and commitment to the cornerstones we were founded on 60 years ago,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “The University of Louisville is an outstanding addition to the Atlantic Coast Conference and I commend the Council of Presidents for continuing to position our league for the long-term future. If you look at what has been done over the last 15 months, the ACC has only gotten stronger with the additions of Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt and Syracuse.”
“The University of Louisville is honored to join the ACC, a conference with a long history of excellence in athletics and academics,” said Dr. James Ramsey, President, University of Louisville. “The ACC will be a great home for UofL and our commitment to great academics, groundbreaking research and top-notch athletic teams.”
“When it became apparent to us that we needed to make a move, the ACC is the perfect fit for us and we are so elated to be joining this prestigious conference,” said Tom Jurich, Vice President and Director of Athletics. “Under John Swofford’s leadership, the ACC continues to prosper. We sincerely appreciate this opportunity. This will open so many more doors for us both athletically for all of our sports programs, and academically for our university. What I really like about this move is it’s terrific for our fans, with the proximity of the institutions and we never have to leave the Eastern time zone. This is a credit to everyone at the University of Louisville and our community, as we have all pulled together to position ourselves for this opportunity. It’s amazing what has happened here over the last 15 years. We appreciate so much what the BIG EAST Conference has meant to us.”
TECH-IOWA: Pretty fun to watch, eh? The Hokies ace their first test of the season, sprinting past Iowa 95-79 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge to move to 6-0 for the first time in 30 years. Here’s Berman’s game story. And here is my column on Erick Green, who became the first Tech player since Bimbo to score 20-plus points in each of the season’s first six games.
WHAT WE LEARNED: There were a lot of ways I could have gone with that column today. James Johnson getting his first significant win. The bench players contributing, providing hope that this team can have some balance despite having only eight scholarship players. The post players hanging in there against Iowa’s big men. The new offense in general (points! points! points!) being so much fun. But Green, to me, is the biggest story of them all. He’s playing lights out, and it is no mirage. He said he wanted to be one of the best guards in the country. He’s looking like it.
WEAK SHOWING: UNC gets blown out by top-ranked Indiana. N.C. State falls at Michigan. Florida State, a favorite at home, falls to Minnesota. Wake Forest, a favorite at home, gets stomped by Nebraska. Not a great day for the ACC. The only wins were by Tech and Big Ten-bound Maryland, which won handily at Northwestern.
MORE CHANCES: The marquee game tonight is Ohio State at Duke (9:30 p.m., ESPN). Also on tap: Virginia at Wisconsin, Purdue at Clemson, Michigan State at Miami, Georgia Tech at Illinois and BC at Penn State.
WILSON’S SHOT: David Wilson’s carries with the Giants figure to increase this week after Andre Brown broke his left leg against the Packers. The Giants head to D.C. for a key NFC East matchup Monday night. This is one I really want to see.
BUSTED: Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz is suspended 25 games for the start of next season for testing positive for an amphetamine. He hit a career-high .325 with a .935 OPS this year.
NAME THAT TUNE
Baby, baby why can’t you sit still?
Who killed that bird out on you window sill?
Are you the reason that he broke his back?
Tell me, did I see you laugh about that?
November 28, 2012 - 8:32 AM
David Wilson, just hold onto the ball.
Wish I had seen the VT-Iowa game. Sounds like the Hokies have it together so far.
Louisville, as good as we could hope for I guess. I’m afraid the ACC is in trouble though. More defections may come.
Black Crows….Remedy
Hokies were impressive last night and can’t wait to see how they fare against OSU. I heard last night that OSU is down to seven players in their rotation due to injuries and that just might give the Hokies a slight edge. Just hope the Hokies can keep up the full-tilt pace they are running right now.
Remedy it is. Nicely done.
I am still stoked that the Hokies are 6-0. As for UNC, NC State, and Florida State losing, well that’s what happens when they play the B1G teams. Those B1G teams really get after you!
Louisville addition is great for basketball and respectable for footbal. Rick Pitino versus Coach K and Roy Williams should provide some entertaining basketball games. If Charlie Strong stays at Louisville, I think that Louisville will make some noise down the road.
Of course, it doesn’t guarantee that the ACC will remain intact, especially if Maryland is successful in winning the lawsuit against the extortion fee of $50 million. The burden on Maryland is to prove that the $50 million is excessive and not reasonable given their, ahem, finance are not in good shape.
Last night was the first Hokie game that I had watched this year and I was pleasantly surprised and entertained. Everyone played a good game. I was surprised at how few errors we committed and quite frankly as much as we shoot the ball most of the shots were good ones.
I was hoping it would be Louisville and possibly Cinci but not UCONN. I wonder how much appeasing the football schools and Notre Dame played into the decision. I had heard months ago that Louisville would be an attractive target because of they would be ideal travel partners for Notre Dame. Louisville puts a lot of money into athletics. According to US Dept of Educ. 2010-2011 numbers Louisville is the 14th largest spender on athletics which is good for 2nd in the current ACC, 2 spots behind FSU. For what it’s worth, VT is 45th, UVA is 24th, UCONN 36th.
I’m actually excited about the league as it is constituted right now. The ACC will miss Maryland for it’s market and for it’s non-revenue sports but I honestly get more excited to play PItt, Syracuse, Notre Dame and now Louisville in both football and basketball. Here’s hoping that the everyone stays on board.
Another thought – Hokies shot 90% from the free throw. 90%! Iowa shot only 72.2% from charity stripe. That was huge, and not only that, the Hokies were pretty active on the glass, winning the battle by a slim margin 32-30, and both teams collected 8 offensive boards. That is outstanding, really.
I loved JJ’s strategy of doubling the big men, having somebody drop down to cut off passing lane to a loafing post player for an easy dunk, and it worked. It also showed JJ’s conditioning drills in the offseason are paying dividends.
I got to give JW props for hiring JJ. That was a move that most folks probably did not think would pan out. I am really excited for the Hokies’ basketball from this point forward.
Go Hokies!
Trevor, it’s early but it’s looking good thus far, and I was a big Greenberg fan too. I think the recruits will also take a good look at us because of the system JJ is running. And the way the ACC is soon to be constituted with the additions of Syracuse, Pitt, Notre Dame, and Louisville certainly won’t hurt either.
I respected Greenberg. He was a good tactician, but when it came to strategy, he was out of his element. Sure, he knocked off Duke and North Carolina several times since the move to the acc, however, he couldn’t seem to put his team in position to close out a game. Sometime it seem he was drawing up plays to not to lose. Last night, I almost had that feeling of “Here we go again” when Iowa was making that run to come back, but the hurrying Hokies made a run of their own to put away the Hawkeyes. The glaring difference between SG and JJ was that the Hokies kept attacking instead of trying to milk the clock. That, to me, is a vast difference.
Also, did anybody see JJ going around the court on a victory lap high-fiving the fans? And the players following suits?
Different team this year.
Louisville seems like a good addition. Near ACC territory, at least. I was suprised to hear UConn was good academically, not sure why, but I have very bad image of UConn, so I’m glad they weren’t invited. Same with Cincy. I hope Louisville can maintain some excellence in football. Adding Pitino is a plus in the near term.
GPSays,
U.S. News and World Report ranks the top 200 universities (public and private combined) annually – and a separate ranking list for liberal arts schools, which appears to include the service academies. In this year’s rankings UConn tied for 63rd with the University of Georgia. For comparison’s sakes, Virginia Tech is tied for 72nd with the University of Iowa and Michigan State while Louisville is tied with four other schools for 160th. WVU is 165th. Not counting liberal arts schools or the service academies, there are about 290 schools in their list.
I also heard that Louisville’s athletic budget (spends more on athletics than any current public ACC school, except UNC) was the biggest attraction to the ACC.
Happy to hear the ACC is getting Louisville instead of UConn.
Nice to see you guys who loved SG give JJ some props. I have no idea how long the party will last but I have to say that I believe JJ is about the players and not all about himself. SG is a great guy and great coach but when I compare what I have watched so far this year compared to the last couple seasons I see kids having fun, showing their stuff off, great ball movement creative play. SG was all about strict “system” play and it seems to me that the kids always looked stressed. I like this better. Let’s remeber this when we hit a slump.
Speaking of slumps, I heard from Winston-Salem that Wake was selling tickets to last night’s game for $1 and couldn’t get rid of them. THAT is a dissatisfied fan base.
I think Louisville is a great acquisition. As sorry as I am to see Maryland leave I will always have memories of those great showdowns on the court.
With Louisville you get a great hoops program and respectability in everything else. With Syracuse coming in the ACC will be tops in hoops in a season or two.
I have only one thing to say about the ACC-Big Ten Challenge: we won our game. What’s wrong with the rest of you guys? Like UNC? Like State? Both “States” ……
Trevor, I liked it too that the Hokies kept attacking instead of working the clock and playing not to lose like they did under Seth. Last night they had a twelve to fourteen point lead with about 5 minutes left in the game and were still running the floor, taking quick shots, including three pointers looking to put the dagger in the Hawkeyes….I like that team mentality. I was also a big Greenberg fan and thought he got a raw deal at Tech, but I like what JJ is doing. I think most of us Hokie BB fans had low expectations going in to his first year so the 6-0 is looking pretty good, even if they falter down the road and up finishing below 500 I think the future is in good hands.
The ACC has obviously abandoned its stance as an athletic league with strong academic credentials. The door has swung wide open.
SG’s mistake was he recruited wide open freestyle players and tried to make them fit his system. He was a good defensive coach but I always thought his offensive scheme sucked. BB is a simple game, some coaches tend to think too much and make it more than it is. If you don’t recruit players that play to your system, bad karma. The thing I like about this team is they are spreading the ball around. I’m sure Green will be the first choice for the game winning shot but I wouldn’t have any problem with any player on this team taking the last shot.
Trevor – “…Rick Pitino versus Coach K and Roy Williams should provide some entertaining basketball games…”
Throw in Pitt, Syracuse and Notre Dame, and yes…some great entertainment.
Very happy for the Hokies last night in basketball, but what was the headline writer (top of the front page – “Va. Tech remains undefeated as it beats Big Ten’s top team 95-79″) thinking when they wrote the the Hokies beat the “best of the big 10.” Anybody who saw the IU-NC game knows better. Go Hoosiers!
The future of the ACC may rest with the Maryland exit fee lawsuit. If the legality of the fee is upheld it may be enough to keep everyone interested in making The ACC work, including ND. If the fee is deemed excessive and reduced it could open the flood gates.
I agree with all the comments about the game last night. I would add one thing that I like: After the game JJ went around Cassell giving five to all the students hanging over the railings. Pretty cool move from the coach to give some love to the fans.
Joe,
How can a court decide what is excessive? On what basis?
The exit fee was legally voted on and adopted by the majority of the ACC presidents and constitutionally so.
Maryland has one way to avoid the fee, don’t leave.
If I was the ACC I wouldn’t settle for one penny less than what was specified and I would stick Maryland with my legal expenses for having to enforce it.
Decisions have consequences. Ante up Terps!
@89Hoo, absolutely.
Re: Louisville – “The ACC continues to be a vibrant conference that remains steadfast in its commitment to balancing academics and athletics.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! It was never about academics. That’s smokescreen blowing up our collective butt. If it was all about academics, we would have been recruiting Harvard, Yale, Brown, and Cornell to join the ACC. Please.
That is so damned funny.
Trevor,
FSU wasn’t invited for acadmemics either back in 91 or whenever they went in.
I would argue almost anyone in the top-100 would keep the academics and athletics balancing accurate. But 160 is a bit of a stretch to make that comment.
Just because I’m bored, here are the I-A schools in the top 50 of U.S. News and World Report’s rankings for 2013 that are also east of the Mississippi River.
008 Duke, ACC
012 Northwestern, Big Ten
017 Notre Dame, Independent/ACC
017 Vanderbilt, SEC
024 Virginia, ACC
027 Wake Forest, ACC
029 Michigan, Big Ten
030 North Carolina, ACC
031 Boston College, ACC
036 Georgia Tech, ACC
041 Wisconsin, Big Ten
044 Miami (FL), ACC
046 Penn State, Big Ten
046 Illinois, Big Ten
That’s pretty slim pickings. 8 of the listed teams are already in the ACC. It’s unlikely Vandy would leave the SEC… and, honestly, Vandy isn’t much of an upgrade in any sports last I knew. Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Northwestern are unlikely to leave the Big Ten. That leaves Penn State as the only potential grab, and I’d put those chances at miniscule at best. Expanding to the top 100 you get…
051 Tulane, C-USA/Big East
054 Florida, SEC
056 Ohio State, Big Ten
058 Syracuse, Big East/ACC
058 Maryland, ACC/Big Ten
058 Pittsburgh, Big East/ACC
063 Connecticut, Big East
063 Georgia, SEC
063 Purdue, Big Ten
068 Clemson, ACC
068 Rutgers, Big East/Big Ten
072 Michigan State, Big Ten
072 Virginia Tech, ACC
077 Alabama, SEC
083 Indiana, Big Ten
089 Auburn, SEC
089 Miami (OH), MAC
097 Florida State, SEC
097 Massachusetts, MAC
Of that entire group, the ones who would come to the ACC that aren’t already are:
Miami of Ohio
Massachusetts
Connecticut, whose basketball team is on probation with the NCAA for an unsatisfactory APR score – meaning they’re ineligible for the 2013 Big East and NCAA tournaments and will face a one-year death penalty if their APR score didn’t improve for last year.
Not much to choose from, and while Connecticut’s academics are high as a university, the basketball situation coupled with UNC’s own academic fraud issues are probably something the ACC doesn’t want to deal with at this time.
I hear Miami has a really good marine biology program. Certainly that’s why they were invited several years ago.
You clowns have this Louiville to the ACC all the wrong way.
This brings to the footprint of the conference a very important commodity – The Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Pack up some good old eastern Carolina BBQ, and the Lexington style, puppies, slaws and some good frieds,and some taskty develied eggs and people just mihght nevre make in.
Just what would UCONN had to offer? Anything?
Bob H,
Courts have made many rulings over history that do not make logical sense, but are supported by interpretations of governing documents of an organization. I have not read the organizational documents of the ACC but I am sure there are a number of avenues to make a reasonable argument that the imposition of a fee of this nature against member institutions falls outside the authority of the ACC. I don’t know what the ultimate outcome will be, but I do know that Maryland officials feel they have a reasonalbe chance of getting out of paying it or at a minimum negotiating a substantial reduction.
Rick — Good point. It also brings it closer to riverboat gambling. I’m in. All in.
If leaving an entity was so easy to do we in Virginia would be living in the Confederate States of America. Doesn’t Maryland know that the ACC is a perpetual union and that they can’t leave? I say we raise an army and invade to force them to stay in the ACC.
But we are losing the crab cakes!
Go to Sam’s Club and get your crab cakes. They are great.
Why does Seth Greenberg have a seat on the espn set?? He should be pacing , standing , squatting, and looking at the floor like he did for 9 years at VT.
Seth Greenberg is a basketball genius, if you don’t believe it, just ask him. VT lost a great one when they let Seth go. They fired the wrong head coach, should have fired Beamer.
Why not both of them, Barry????