Charlotte.com: Hoops

Curry nominee for breakthrough award

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:16 EDT

Davidson guard Stephen Curry has been nominated as best breakthrough athlete as part of ESPN's ESPY awards.

Curry led the Wildcats to the Elite Eight last season and set a national record with 162 3-pointers in a season. The sophomore averaged 32 points during the NCAA tournament. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Regional.

Curry, 20, became a household name and made appearances on television shows such as “Pardon The Interruption,” “Late Night With Conan O'Brien” and the Charlie Rose show.

Other nominees: NFL player Adrian Peterson, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and tennis player Ana Ivanovic.

Fans will decide the winner through an online vote at ESPYS.tv and via mobile phone. Voting is now through July 12, and the awards show will be broadcast July 20. Kevin Cary

Olympics trim Duke's time with top recruits

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:42 EDT

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski loves the luxury of coaching NBA stars as he guides the U.S. men's basketball team to the Olympics.

If he were the kind of guy who dwelled on things, he might also be cringing at how many of those players didn't end up under his care as Duke recruits. Back when guard Kobe Bryant was taking pop princess Brandy to the prom, rules allowed the future Laker to go straight to the NBA.

Duke's recruiting philosophy – leave such players alone – reflected that. Then the rules changed, forcing high-schoolers to spend a year in college, and Duke's rules changed, too.

Though Krzyzewski includes former Duke stars Grant Hill and Jason Williams in the same talent category as U.S. team members Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, he said there was a time when Duke avoided guys with the NBA in their eyes. Why?

“Because they didn't want to go to college,” he said. “Now that pool has to be recruited. But you still have to be careful to recruit the right ones.”

Krzyzewski tells recruits before they arrive that the NBA will be there when they're ready but, while they're at Duke, they must be students.

“Some of those kids, to be quite frank, don't need to be students. That's why I'm against the rule (that prevents going straight to the NBA). LeBron (James) and Kobe are the two best players in the NBA. They're articulate and brilliant and they didn't need to go to college. ... I don't know why that opportunity would be denied. ... We should respect the individuals' right to have that chance and the school's right to have students.”

Krzyzewski didn't seem worried during an interview Wednesday that Duke was in danger of missing out.

“In high school right now there is not a LeBron James or a Kobe Bryant. There just isn't,” he said.

Whether the next big player is out there or not, Duke has to win battles for the best recruits if it hopes to stay a top program. July is big month for evaluating college basketball recruits. But this year, Duke coaches won't be out on the road for the full duration of two critical evaluation periods – Sunday-July 15 and July 22-31. They'll be working with the U.S. Olympic team instead.

Krzyzewski doesn't think the absence will hurt Duke.

“Have I been able to go out as much as I wanted? No,” he said. “Has it hurt recruiting? There's no way that hurts our recruiting. What hurts our recruiting is if I can't make decisions on kids or start relationships with them early.”

Tar Heels' Frasor happy to be back

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:07 EDT

North Carolina point guard Bobby Frasor says he will never feel 100 percent normal again.

Not with a new anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Not after six months of sitting on the sidelines. Not with a deep, roughly four-inch vertical scar to remind him of it all.

But what he does feel this week is ecstatic. Healthy. Appreciative. Revved up.

Because Monday, he was cleared to play again.

“What I've really missed is the team aspect of basketball … five-on-five, playing defense, making an assist, playing in games, telling the other team in pick-up games to just get off the court,” the rising senior said Tuesday. “That will be the most fun for me.”

Since Dec.27, when he injured his knee trying to grab a loose ball against Nevada, Frasor's fiercest competition has been the soreness and frustration of rehabilitation. While his top-ranked team was practicing, he was in the weight room, trying to strengthen his muscles. While it was racing up and down the court, he was just trying to run in a pool.

“He worked his butt off,” strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian said.

Which is a good sign for UNC.

Although the Tar Heels advanced to the national semifinal game in April, they at times missed Frasor's shooting ability, on-court leadership and defense. With all five starters returning and four new recruits in the mix, Frasor will likely be called upon to play some at backup point guard and shooting guard for a team that will almost certainly be ranked preseason No.1.

“The expectations, you know they're coming,” he said. “... We're loaded on paper, and, on paper, it looks like this team is going to win a national championship. ... But you don't win games on paper.”

Which is one of the reasons why he was happy when starting point guard Ty Lawson opted to return to school rather than jump to the NBA – even though Lawson's departure might have meant more playing time.

After all, one of the hardest parts of tearing his ACL was sitting on the bench in a suit and tie, unable to help UNC try to win a national title.

Now, he gets a second chance.

Two months ago, he was finally allowed to play Danneyball, a conditioning game similar to volleyball during which players must catch and throw a 10-pound medicine ball on outdoor sand courts – all in one motion.

He and a friend from the lacrosse team beat All-American Tyler Hansbrough and teammate Marc Campbell in the championship game.

“Tyler was mad – he wouldn't talk to me for a while,” Frasor said, laughing.

And if they hadn't figured it out before, fans finally got an inkling that the reserve guard was on the road to recovery when pictures popped up on the Internet in May showing Frasor, then Hansbrough, jumping from the second-floor balcony of a campus fraternity house into an above-ground pool.

McKillop's son to join Davidson staff

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:31 EDT

Former Davidson player Matt McKillop will join his father's coaching staff at the school, the Observer has learned.

McKillop, 25, spent last season as an assistant coach at Emory College in Georgia. He played at Davidson from 2003-06, and helped the Wildcats win the Southern Conference tournament championship in 2006.

"I'm thrilled to have someone who knows our system and wears Davidson on his heart on our staff," said Bob McKillop. "We have a true family environment here and obviously this is a special thing for me. But we are all excited to have Matt with us."

The Wildcats still have one assistant coaching position available, and are expected to fill that position by the end of the week.

Coach K gets blame if Team USA loses

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:13 EDT

Having never been the sort to place more emphasis on the downside than potential reward, Mike Krzyzewski didn't look around for a grassy-knoll conspiracy when he was selected for – and quickly accepted – the head coaching job of the United States' 2008 Olympic men's basketball team.

I did, though. Hey, somebody has to search through the shadows.

The coaches certainly won't. They were born with visions of trophy cases dancing in their eyes. Left to their own devices, they would sign on to lead a team of miniature French poodles against the Boston Celtics.

That's the problem with coaches, and particularly lifelong college coaches. They think anything is possible. Give them a pile of horse manure, and they'll be fully convinced there's an award-winning pony at the bottom of the mess.

That's why you see so many college coaches with tears dripping from their eyes each March during the NCAA tournament. Broken dreams go hand-to-brow with broken hearts.

In that sense, Krzyzewski was not the logical choice to coach a team of hardened pros. He'll get all of the blame if the USA team again fails to win the gold and very little of the credit if the team succeeds.

Don't get me wrong. I'm fully convinced the USA will prevail in China, and with relative ease. For the first time since it became evident that America couldn't just show up and dominate each game by default, there has been an emphasis placed on assembling a team with the proper mentality and court skills to successfully compete under international rules.

But it still seems strange that Krzyzewski, a Duke fixture for almost three decades, was picked to coach this team. That's hardly a knock on his qualifications, preparations and resume. There's not a more highly respected basketball coach in the world.

None of that, however, changes the fact that Krzyzewski has never been in charge of a professional team during such a high-stakes competition. That alone puts an inordinate degree of the pressure to win on him.

If the USA team wins it all, most of the credit will go to Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, LeBron James and the remainder of a team with too much raw talent to lose. But if the team comes up short, Krzyzewski will be blamed as the college coach who was incapable of communicating with the pro superstars.

The selection of Krzyzewski to lead this team was a tribute to him personally and to the collegiate division in general. No one has to be concerned that he will take either honor lightly.

He'll put as much effort into winning the gold as most of his team will.

Olympic basketball was a lot more interesting in the days when the entire world understood that American college players were regularly beating professionals from other countries.

But since 1992, the Olympic team has become the NBA's domain. To put a college coach in charge of an NBA all-star team is putting the pressure in the wrong place.

Boozer ranks Olympic honor No. 1

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:29 EDT

The U.S. men's Olympic team is made up of all the guys you'd expect to see picked in the first round of the NBA draft – Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd.

Then there's former Duke star Carlos Boozer.

Boozer, now with the Utah Jazz, and Milwaukee guard Michael Redd were second-round picks. And proud of it.

“Oh this is the top of the list,” Boozer said, putting this experience in perspective during a USA Basketball news conference at The Plaza Hotel on Monday. “I'm a second-round pick like Redd and to make it all the way to the top and have a chance to be a gold medalist – that's cool.”

A two-time Olympian in Boozer's case. He won a bronze for the U.S. at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

He said he, Anthony, James, and Wade, U.S. teammates in 2004 and for 2008, learned the hard way how international basketball was played. The U.S. no longer could phone it in.

“When we lost in Athens, obviously we knew other teams had been playing together for years, but we still had that confidence that we'd win, and it hurt us a little,” Boozer said. “We lost and, I'm not sure what the score was, but it felt like 40 points. But the four guys on this team have a chance to redeem ourselves.”

Swimming

Christine Magnuson earned her first trip to the Olympics, rallying to win the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. swimming trials in Omaha, Neb.

Magnuson, 22, was third at the turn as Rachel Komisarz pushed the pace, flipping just five-hundredths off the world record pace. But Komisarz, 31, faded on the sprint for home, and Magnuson rallied to win in 58.11 seconds.

Elaine Breeden took second in 58.21. Komisarz was third.

Katie Hoff is 2-for-2 at the trials, locking up another spot with a 400 freestyle victory, one night after she bumped off the world record in the 400 individual medley. Hoff rallied over the final 150 meters to pull away with a time of 4 minutes, 2.32 seconds. Kate Ziegler, America's best distance swimmer, claims the second spot in 4:03.92. associated press

Track and Field

With the Olympic track trials in full swing, the air quality in Oregon has turned murky, thanks to winds pushing up smoke from wildfires burning in Northern California.

Sounds a lot like Beijing, where noxious pollution presents an enormous problem and a health menace.

Hazel Clark-Riley , Alice Schmidt and Nicole Teter made the Olympic team in the women's 800 meters. Teter finished fourth at the trials, but made the team instead of third-place finisher Kameisha Bennett, because Teter had run a qualifying time of 2 minutes and Bennett hadn't.

Going shoulder to shoulder in the 400-meter semifinals, Jeremy Wariner beat LaShawn Merritt by .10 seconds to set up a rematch in the finals Thursday.

In the decathlon, Bryan Clay made his second straight Olympics with a personal-record of 8,832. That marked the best score by an American in 16 years and beat Dan O'Brien's Olympic trials record. ap

Summer Games an extended family affair for Coach K

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:53 EDT

One thing you must know about Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski is that he is so hyped for hoops that he often leaps before he looks. This is the story of how Krzyzewski jumped in to accept the job as U.S. men's national team coach in the summer of 2005 before clearing it with his wife, Mickie, and daughters -- Debbie Savarino, Lindy Frasher and Jamie Spatola.

Krzyzewski plunged in the minute U.S. senior men's national team director Jerry Colangelo called him -- Mike and Mickie were vacationing in Las Vegas that summer -- to ask him out for dinner to talk about the U.S. program.

"I thought that was kind of him, out of respect, to speak to me like I might give him some insight," Krzyzewski said.

Before he left that evening, he assured his wife that he wouldn't take a job as a U.S. assistant if it were offered. Krzyzewski, who had coached in the USA Basketball program eight previous times, had thought his chance to coach an Olympic team had passed in 1992 when USA Basketball began using NBA players and coaches.

But Mickie Krzyzewski kept asking, "Are you sure Jerry isn't going to offer you the job? I think he's going to offer you the job." And Mike kept responding, "No. It's never going to happen."

"I really didn't think that [I would be offered the job]; I'm not kidding you," Mike Krzyzewski said. "When we met, I kept saying, 'You're serious, aren't you?' "

Mickie was right. Mike was wrong. Colangelo offered the job with one caveat: It had to be a three-year commitment.

Mickie Krzyzewski said her husband came back to the hotel that night and told her what had happened. She calmly said they should go home to Durham for a family meeting to discuss it. Right, Mike?

"And he said, 'Well, I already said yes,' " Mickie Krzyzewski said. "And I was like, 'You did what!' "

Ask Krzyzewski about it now and he'll tell you he accepted the three-year job, that would take him to Japan and China, after the family agreed.

Mickie Krzyzewski shook her head indulgently when she heard her husband's retelling of the story and said, "You have to understand, that's Mike."

She has been through these situations before. It is the reason that Mike's job is basketball and Mickie's job is Mike.

"We sort of have to protect him from himself," she said. "He believes that if [it's] something good, you say yes and make it work. He doesn't immediately think about how he's going to make it work."

Mike generates the ideas, and Mickie handles the mental legwork, Spatola said.

"Honestly, I believe my dad is a genius," Spatola said. "But I am serious when I tell you, none of it would work without my mom. His ideas would never be made into workable realities. She makes it work -- for him, for our whole family."

What needed to be figured out was how Krzyzewski's daughters and their young families would share their father with USA Basketball.

Krzyzewski was tempting some strong forces. It's a woman's world at the Krzyzewski home, where the coach often has to work to get a word in, which balances Krzyzewski's life.

His wife and daughters also work within the Duke program. Mike and Mickie have approached the program as an extension of their own family for 28 seasons. Before Krzyzewski took the Duke job in 1980, Mickie told Mike she would not be kept on the outside like other coaches' wives.

She hasn't. She often sits in on film sessions, meetings and interviews. She arranged the team photo/poster and banquet for years. She serves a function for the program's Legacy Fund, occasionally hosting fund members during road games.

Savarino is assistant director of the Legacy Fund, the fundraising arm of the Duke basketball program. Frasher, who has a master's degree in psychology, works as a team counselor. Spatola wrote a book with her father and also helps writes sections for his XM radio show. Spatola's husband Chris is Duke's director of basketball operations.

The Krzyzewski family often travels to road games. Nearly all of them, including sons-in-law Peter Savarino and Steve Frasher, and grandchildren Joey, Michael, Carly and Emmie Savarino, and Quin Frasher, regularly attend home games.

Because Duke, basketball and life are intertwined, Mickie was the one who told the girls that their father had accepted the job.

"They still had things to discuss. It was not 100 percent to start out," she said.

Spatola said they all remembered how their father had pushed himself too far during the 1994-95 season. Just 12 games into the season, following summer back surgery, Krzyzewski was done. He had to take a sabbatical and sit out.

The daughters, wanting to avoid a repeat, stood firm on one point: The family vacation was sacred. Each told their mother, we're all for this if we don't lose the family vacation, taken this year in May instead of June.

"When I talked to Mike, I said to him, 'When you tell me this thing is an honor for you to be selected, I'm telling you a bigger honor is that your daughters are not willing to give up the family vacation for it,' " Mickie Krzyzewski said.

Jamie Spatola said, "The discussions were 'how' discussions, not 'if' discussions."

"Some were intense and emotional -- but they had to happen," she said, "and look at how well it is all working."

Once they agreed, they all dived in.

"Once the family gave their blessing, then it was like, 'Well, you're not going to do this without us,' " Mickie Krzyzewski said.

Last summer, everyone except the Savarinos -- Peter was recovering from a stroke -- traveled to Las Vegas for the FIBA Americas Championship, where the U.S. qualified for Beijing. It was a business trip.

"It was a little odd to be in Vegas and not be partying," Mickie said. "We do like Vegas. The whole family is a Vegas act."

For Christmas, Mike and Mickie gave family members the gift of a trip to China. When the U.S. men open against China on Aug. 10, all seven adults and five grandkids will do what they usually do at games, cheer on their team and give officials the business when necessary.

"It'll be the 'Griswolds in Beijing,' " Mickie Krzyzewski said. "It's going to be unbelievable. We're there for Mike. That's our team."

McKillop signs extension with Davidson

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:26 EDT

Davidson coach Bob McKillop has signed an extension that will all but guarantee he can retire as a Wildcat, but the 57-year old coach is too energized to think about that.

The contract extension will keep him at Davidson until 2016, when McKillop is 65. He's already been at Davidson for 19 seasons, but none of this is getting old.

"When you see the commitment of our players, it just gives you more resolve," McKillop said. "I don't see any end in sight for this."

The new contract he signed will help ensure that for a while. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed, but McKillop and the Davidson basketball program will be getting a better deal.

In addition to a pay raise for McKillop, the school will bump up the assistant coaches' pay and add a fourth paid assistant. Davidson will also renovate Belk Arena to add more than 1,200 stadium seats on one side of the court.

"It is all about the commitment to the program, not just me," McKillop said. "That is what I was looking for."

McKillop had been a top target of other schools after leading Davidson to the Elite Eight last season. Davidson went 29-7 before losing to eventual national champion Kansas. McKillop has led Davidson to the NCAA Tournament three straight seasons, and is 340-225 as the Wildcat coach.

He had been mentioned as a candidate at Stanford and Providence among others, but Davidson College President Tom Ross said he is confident that McKillop's new deal will keep away other suitors.

"There is a clear understanding of the commitment we have on both sides," he said. "I don't foresee (other schools' interest) being an issue for us."

McKillop laughed when asked how many more contract extensions he will sign with the Wildcats after this one. He said he is just enjoying the moment.

"I am really at peace right now," he said. "To me, Davidson is like Camelot. This is a beautiful place, and a beautiful story."

Winthrop adds ACC transfer, thanks to Gaynor

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:38 EDT

With an assist from point Chris Gaynor, Winthrop men's basketball program has added an unexpected, but welcomed, piece to next year's puzzle -- Cameron Stanley, a 6-7 transfer from Wake Forest.

Stanley, who redshirted as a freshman in 2004-05, played the past three seasons as a reserve for the Demon Deacons and graduated in May with a degree in sociology. He wanted to get a master of science degree in physical education with an emphasis on sports management, a program Wake Forest does not offer.

Under NCAA rules, any athlete who wants to attend graduate school can enroll at another university offering his desired program and be eligible to play right away. He'll be a walk-on, paying his own way with one year of eligibility.

In part because of Gaynor, Stanley chose Winthrop.

Gaynor, who graduated in May after starting for four years, is from Winston-Salem, N.C., where Wake Forest is located. He and Stanley played on the same AAU team a few summers ago and became close friends. Gaynor kept in contact with Stanley during the course of the last four seasons, in part telling him how much fun it was playing for championships and going to the NCAA tournament.

"He didn't have to tell me much," Stanley said, "because I kept up with Winthrop by just keeping up with him. I like what they've accomplished the last four years and have a lot of respect for what they've done and how hard they work.

"And they get rings."

Winthrop coach Randy Peele wasn't convinced at first, when Gaynor came to him and said Stanley was interested in transferring.

"I thought Chris might be joking," he said.

And there were other ties.

Mike Muse is an assistant coach at Wake Forest, and Gaynor played for his brother, Andy, at Mount Tabor High School. Peele had seen Stanley play in high school.

"There were a lot of connections," Peele said, "and the folks at Wake Forest wanted what was best for Cameron."

The Wake Forest staff gave Stanley his release to seek another school, and Scott McDonald, Winthrop's director of compliance, said the university went through all the NCAA processes to make sure the transfer was handled properly.

And Stanley wanted to find a place that offered a chance to play more meaningful minutes.

"He wanted to go where he might have an opportunity to play, and he wanted to go to a program that had an opportunity to go to the NCAA tournament," Peele said.

Peele is excited about having a player of Stanley's maturity level, but he's not putting any pressure on a player who'll be in the program for a year. He does see potential.

Stanley, a 205-pound lefty, could help ease the loss of Taj McCullough. Stanley isn't as big or explosive as McCullough, but is a better shooter with more range and could be a better defender. He's already on campus participating in pick-up games and working out.

"He can really shoot it," Peele said. "I'm not going to tell you he's a great athlete, but he is a good one. Right now, he's a little one dimensional (on offense). But we have some concerns about who can score from the perimeter next year, and he could help us there.

"Can he make an impact? Yeah. But we have to see what happens when practice starts."

Stanley could have returned to Wake Forest, but the Deacons brought in 6-9 Al-Farouq Aminu, 6-10 Tony Woods and 7-0 Ty Walker -- one of the top recruiting classes in the nation -- to an already crowded front court.

In three years, Stanley had been a role player off the bench, but he said the players coming back and the new ones coming in had "minimal" impact on his decision. He just saw an opportunity at Winthrop to combine what he wanted academically with one more chance to play.

Stanley will take a full graduate-student load of nine hours per semester, must maintain a B average and do community service work associated with his degree program.

"I'm grateful to Winthrop for giving me the opportunity," he said. "It's going to be hard work."

At Wake Forest, he didn't have a start in 73 career games and averaged a point, 1.3 rebounds and 6.4 minutes per game last season. For his career, Stanley averaged 1.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, 7.6 minutes per game and shot 41 percent. He never scored more than 10 points or grabbed more than eight rebounds in a game.

Those statistics aren't eye-popping, but his experience of playing three seasons in the Atlantic Coast Conference can't be overlooked. At 22, he's mature and has been through some battles on and off the court.

He played high school basketball at Millbrook in Raleigh, N.C., and came out of high school with a healthy reputation. One scouting service rated him the 19th-best small forward in the nation. But he played just seven games as a senior, after suffering a torn ACL.

He was the only scholarship freshman on the Wake Forest roster in 2004, but sat out that season as a redshirt while rehabilitating from the knee injury.

He got caught up in a logjam of frontcourt players, but never complained about his role.

This past season at the team's postseason banquet, he received the Murray Greason Award, which goes to the player who has "accomplished outstanding athletic achievement and impacted his team through hard work, determination and season-long effort."

Those were the qualities Peele wanted to make sure Stanley had before letting him join the program.

"I'm not a quick-fix guy, someone who's going to bring in a hired gun for a year who might be an 'I' guy," said Peele, who has never been involved in a similar situation in 25 years of coaching.

"I wanted to find out his maturity level, how responsible he is and if he's going to fit in with the team. He fits all those things," Peele said.

Stanley said he knows this will be a young team and hopes to offer some leadership and contribute in whatever way he can.

"I'm not coming in to be the man," Stanley said. "I've got a great amount of respect for the players on this team. I've already seen how hard they work. Everyone's competitive."

The addition of Stanley gives Peele at least a 16-player roster. Competition for playing time should be intense and practices lively.

"We should have tremendous depth and some unbelievable competition for playing time," Peele said.

NOTES

Georgia basketball coach Dennis Felton dismissed starting guard Billy Humphrey from the team after his third arrest in less than a year. Humphrey was charged with DUI, failure to maintain his lane and the underage purchase of alcohol and taken to the Gwinnett County jail early Tuesday. A rising senior, he was the team's second-leading scorer last season. -- Associated Press

Incoming Charlotte 49ers women's basketball freshman Rachelle Coward has been invited to try out for a spot on the 2008 Canadian junior women's national team in Barrie, Ontario on July 11-12. The team will compete in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 23-27.

JIM UTTER

Davidson guard signs with NBA's Heat

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:58 EDT

Former Davidson point guard Jason Richards has signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat and is expected to join the club's summer league team, the Observer has learned.

Richards led the nation in assists during his senior season at Davidson, averaging eight per game. He helped the Wildcats finish 29-7 and reach the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight.

Richards worked out with several NBA teams before the draft, including Miami, the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Bobcats, but was not drafted Thursday night. He'll join a Miami roster that includes point guards Jason Williams, Marcus Banks and Chris Quinn. Williams is an unrestricted free agent and Quinn is a restricted free agent. The Heat also acquired Kansas guard Mario Chalmers - a second-round pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves - Thursday night.

Richards' father, Tom Richards, said he expected his son to join Miami's summer league team next week.

Davidson's McKillop close to agreement on new deal

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:21 EDT

After leading Davidson within a missed 3-pointer of the Final Four, coach Bob McKillop is close to an agreement on a new long-term contract.

McKillop said Tuesday there would be a news conference announcing the deal “in the very near future.”

McKillop didn't discuss details of the contract. A school spokesman declined comment.

Behind sophomore star Stephen Curry, Davidson upset Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin in this year's NCAA tournament. Jason Richards then missed a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in a 59-57 loss to eventual champion Kansas in the Midwest Regional final.

McKillop was mentioned as a candidate for several coaching jobs after the season, but stayed at Davidson. He's 340-225 in 19 seasons at the Southern Conference school.

Former ACC stars added to U.S. team

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:50 EDT

New Orleans point guard Chris Paul and Utah big man Carlos Boozer have done well for themselves in the NBA, well enough to earn the former ACC standouts a shot at a gold medal playing for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski at the Beijing Olympics in August.

The former Wake Forest and Duke stars were named to the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team on Monday by Krzyzewski, who's the national team coach, and Jerry Colangelo, the national team managing director.

It's the final year of a three-year commitment by Krzyzewski and the rest of the 33 national team players.

The U.S. team will train this weekend in Las Vegas, then return on July 20 for the final push. The U.S. will play exhibitions in several Far East locales before opening Olympics play against host China on Aug.10.

Krzyzewski said he's “gearing up.”

“I'm excited as I've ever been as a coach and it's the biggest honor I could ever have,” he said.

Dallas guard Jason Kidd, Cleveland forward LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Orlando center Dwight Howard and Denver forward Carmelo Anthony also made the team as expected and likely will make up the starting unit.

Paul should share the backcourt on the second unit with Utah's Deron Williams. Miami guard Dwyane Wade and Milwaukee sharpshooter Michael Redd also will provide scoring off the bench, with Boozer, Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince and Toronto big man Chris Bosh rounding out the rotation.

The selection rounds out a big year for Paul, who finished second in voting for the 2008 NBA MVP

Paul impressed Krzyzewski and Colangelo with his play in the playoffs, outplaying Kidd to lead the Hornets to a first-round victory against Dallas.

“The kind of year he had this year, he demonstrated that very few guys in the NBA can guard him,” Colangelo said. “I don't think that will change in international play.”

Colangelo dismissed any rumblings from NBA teams complaining about the NBA's biggest stars spending their summer playing for the U.S.

“My own opinion is that it's a little selfish to consider that player only as he plays for that team,” he said. “There's something about national pride and representing your country. I think the owners and those people who support it are on the right track.”

Miami team president Pat Riley told Colangelo the Heat was eager to have Wade play this summer to prepare for the 2008-09 NBA season.

Bryant, who suffered a torn ligament in his right pinkie during the playoffs, told Colangelo if he needed surgery, it could wait until after the Games.

“We're lucky to be able to coach and play at this level,” Krzyzewski said. “The game is bigger than all of us. We owe the game.”

The gold-medal game will be played Aug. 24. The U.S. is ranked No.1 in the world followed by defending Olympic champion Argentina, defending world champion Spain, Serbia and Lithuania.

U.S. men's basketball team

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:53 EDT

Following is the U.S. men's basketball team that will try to reclaim gold for the United States in Beijing:

CARMELO ANTHONY

6-8, 230, F, Denver

Role in Beijing: Starter. The U.S. team's leading scorer the past two summers feasted on kickout passes.

USA dues paid: 2007 FIBA Olympic qualifier (gold); 2006 World Championships (bronze); 2004 Athens Olympics (bronze); 2002 FIBA Junior World qualifier (bronze); 2001 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival (silver).

CARLOS BOOZER

6-9, 258, F, Utah

Role in Beijing: One of the best rebounders in the NBA must start the break and avoid foul trouble.

USA dues paid: 2004 Athens Olympics (bronze); 2001 World Championship for Young Men (gold).

CHRIS BOSH

6-10, 230, F, Toronto

Role in Beijing: One of the better rebounders in the NBA, also has the length and athleticism for fullcourt press.

USA dues paid: 2006 World Championships (bronze); 2002 FIBA Junior World qualifier (bronze).

KOBE BRYANT

6-6, 220, G, L.A. Lakers

Role in Beijing: Starter. One of the NBA's best scorers will set defensive tone and guard opponent's best perimeter threat.

USA dues paid: 2007 FIBA Americas qualifier (gold).

DWIGHT HOWARD

6-11, 265, C, Orlando

Role in Beijing: Starter. Reigning NBA dunk champion will rebound, initiate and finish the break. Avoiding foul trouble also would help.

USA dues paid: 2007 FIBA Americas qualifier (gold); 2006 World Championships (bronze).

LEBRON JAMES

6-8, 240, F, Cleveland

Role in Beijing: Starter. Cavs savior is solid ballhandler and has vision and an unselfish streak. The do-everything forward also can post up defenders and guard versatile big men inside or out.

USA dues paid: 2007 FIBA Americas qualifier (gold); 2006 World Championships (bronze); 2004 Olympics (bronze); 2001 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival (gold).

JASON KIDD

6-4, 212, PG, Dallas

Role in Beijing: Starter. Deemed best choice – for his size, experience and USA Basketball success – to start at the point.

USA dues paid: Undefeated as member of U.S. senior men's national team – 2007 FIBA Americas qualifier (gold); 2003 FIBA Americas qualifier (gold); 2000 Sydney Olympics (gold); 1999 FIBA Americas qualifier (gold).

CHRIS PAUL

6-0, 170, PG, New Orleans

Role in Beijing: 2008 NBA MVP candidate is even better than he was two years ago; likely to play on second unit with Dwyane Wade, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd and Boozer or Bosh.

USA dues paid: 2006 World Championships (bronze); 2004 FIBA World Championship for Young Men (gold); 2002 USA Youth Development Festival (silver).

TAYSHAUN PRINCE

6-9, 205, F, Detroit

Role in Beijing: Long, quick and tenacious, was one of the Americans' best defenders during run to gold at FIBA Americas qualifier.

USA dues paid: 2007 FIBA Americas qualifier (gold); 2000 FIBA World Championship for Young Men (silver).

MICHAEL REDD

6-6, 215, G, Milwaukee

Role in Beijing: Has one job in China – knock down open 3s.

USA dues paid: 2007 FIBA Americas qualifier (gold); Trained with national team before 2006 World Championships though family commitments kept him out of competition; 1999 World University Games (gold).

DWYANE WADE

6-4, 212, G, Miami

Role in Beijing: Scorer to feed off drive-and-kick passes.

USA dues paid: 2004 Athens Olympics (bronze); did not play because of injury but attended training camp and sat on bench at 2007 FIBA qualifier; 2006 World Championships (bronze).

DERON WILLIAMS

6-3, 205, G, Utah

Role in Beijing: Backup point also can play the off-guard position if teamed with Paul.

USA dues paid: 2007 FIBA Americas qualifier (gold); FIBA Junior World Championships (gold); 2002 FIBA Junior World qualifier (bronze).

NOTE: USA basketball experience refers to senior national team time unless otherwise noted.

Title no sure thing for Tar Heels basketball

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:22 EDT

With enough talent to defy the dynamic of college basketball, North Carolina's Roy Williams should have the country's easiest coaching job next season.

He could also have the toughest.

When Williams and his school's fans recently learned that Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green had withdrawn from the NBA Draft pool, there was jubilation. The Tar Heels, who won 36 times in 2007-08, instantly were anointed as an overwhelming favorite to win the 2009 NCAA title.

But Carolina has been there before. Remember 1983 and 1984? What about '86, '87, '94, '98 and 2001?

All of those teams started with the highest expectations only to fall short of the ultimate goal. Some encountered injuries. One or two flunked chemistry.

The '94 team, for example, began No. 1. It finished 28-7 after a second-round NCAA loss to Boston College. Along the way, senior Brian Reese griped about a loss of playing time to hotshot freshmen.

The '84 Tar Heels went 28-3 and were ranked No. 1 most of the way. They stumbled in their second-round NCAA outing against Indiana, which in turn was eliminated by a Virginia team that wound up 21-12 overall and was 6-8 in the ACC regular season.

That night in Atlanta, Michael Jordan took off his Carolina jersey for what would be the final time and said, "In this sport, nobody gets a guarantee."

If Dean Smith could lose with Jordan, Sam Perkins and Brad Daugherty, it's not a lock that Lawson, Ellington, Green, Tyler Hansbrough, Marcus Ginyard and Deon Thompson are enough to guarantee Williams a title.

The biggest hurdle could be focus for Lawson, Ellington and Green. All wanted to move up and out after last season, which ended with a staggering Final Four loss to Kansas.

If those three see a national championship as little more than a door prize to spots on NBA rosters, it'll soon be Roy vs. the Volcano. Green's father, Danny Sr., says that possibility is out of the question.

"No way whatsoever," Green Sr. said. "These are good kids. They'll be as coachable as anyone could ask for. Their attitudes will be fine. That part of it will be better than ever. Besides, you're talking about Roy Williams. What are these guys going to do? Not listen to him?"

Good point.

Compared to Smith, who almost never lost his cool and religiously used diplomacy, Williams can erupt when he's unhappy about things. Land in Williams' doghouse, and you'll sit on the bench until dry-rot develops.

"Coach don't put up with much mess," Quentin Thomas, an '08 senior, said midway through last season.

Odds are Williams will get everyone's mind right by the middle of October. There'll be some locker-room squabbling. There always is, even among the most close-knit teams. But for fear of having to run a mile or two after practice -- if nothing else -- these players likely will not let private agendas get in the way.

There will be other challenges, starting as usual with Plan B for the offense. Carolina is such an inside-oriented team that perimeter shooting against quality opponents can be a problem.

Ellington can hit jumpers. But if you think he's another Stephon Curry, you're looking at the wrong portion of the Piedmont. Green can shoot, too, but he's streaky. Recruits Ed Davis and Larry Drew will arrive with imposing resumes, but they're going to spend most of their first seasons lugging around the upperclassmen's travel bags.

For all of this talent, experience and depth, history usually doesn't lie. If opponents can disrupt Hansbrough, the Heels are beatable.

Ultimately, however, there is the burden of being the heavy favorite going in.

Williams won it all in 2005 and may yet surpass Smith's 879-win total, but he's lost with full-house hands before. He's just never been at his best with a big target on his back. It was the one -- the only -- rap against Williams during 15 otherwise glorious seasons at Kansas. And when you have no choice but to keep one eye focused on Mike Krzyzewski, it's easy to get distracted.

Don't get me wrong. I'm picking Carolina, too. But make no mistake, this is no sure thing.

Adversity helped shaped Clemson hoops assistant

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:23 EDT

If a health condition had not prematurely ended his college basketball playing career, Josh Postorino imagines he would hold a stale sales job.

“Come to think of it, I’m still in sales,” Postorino said.

His clients figure to shape the future of Clemson basketball.

Postorino was promoted last week to the coaching staff after previously serving as the team’s director of operations. He replaces Florida-bound Shaka Smart, who had developed a niche as an ace recruiter.

With the Tigers looking to expand on a breakthrough season and earn a consistent spot atop the ACC standings, Postorino faces the challenge of continuing to upgrade the team’s talent.

Perhaps most importantly, he inherits the recruiting trail in North Carolina and Georgia — along with Washington D.C., the most fertile grounds on coach Oliver Purnell’s recruiting map.

Purnell said he only needs to recall witnessing Postorino’s rapid return from brain surgery to affirm his belief that he made the right hire.

“I’ve seen him show uncommon tenacity, perseverance and courage,” Purnell said. “Plus, it seems to me when we have him around, success follows.”

Postorino was the first player Purnell signed as Dayton’s coach in 1995, having been lured out of Clearwater, Fla., by current North Carolina State assistant Pete Strickland and signing with the Flyers over Furman, William & Mary and Navy.

Before Postorino’s junior season, he began experiencing spurts of mild disorientation and blurry vision and underwent a gamut of tests, even for dementia.

An MRI revealed a cyst on one of his brain membranes —something he probably had since birth.

This cyst was lined up against an optic nerve, so when it filled with fluid, it pressed against the nerve and disrupted his sight.

The condition was not life-threatening, but it was troublesome enough that Postorino elected to undergo brain surgery at the Mayo Clinic.

He missed the season’s first eight games and helped guide Dayton to a share of the Atlantic 10 title.

But before the Flyers were to begin play in the postseason NIT, Postorino started experiencing symptoms again. Depth perception on his shot was off, and he had spells during class in which he struggled to concentrate.

Postorino sat out the rest of the season, and doctors told him he would have to undergo another brain surgery if he wanted to continue playing.

He decided to hang it up, but Purnell wanted to make sure Postorino still had an activity to sink his teeth into.

“Coach Purnell is a loyal person, and when you work hard for him, he rewards you for it,” Postorino said.

So Purnell kept Postorino on scholarship and gave him a spot on the bench as a student assistant coach, involving Postorino in daily coaching functions.

“I thought it was going to be a storybook ending,” Purnell said. “Then to see the cyst fill back up again, it wasn’t the way the story was supposed to end. But the story continues.”

Postorino dressed out on senior night and started Dayton’s final home game in what Purnell termed one of the emotional highlights of his career.

After a one-year venture into the business world, Postorino returned to Dayton to serve as Purnell’s director of basketball operations and largely has remained under Purnell’s coaching branch since.

He was to join Clemson’s staff as an assistant upon Purnell’s arrival in 2003, but he jumped at the chance to serve as the right-hand man on the new Marshall staff headed by Ron Jirsa, Purnell’s top assistant at Dayton.

When Jirsa was fired after the 2007 season, Postorino was to be South Florida’s operations director under Stan Heath before Purnell had the same opening.

Strangely enough, the symptoms of the cyst disappeared after college, and Postorino said doctors were never able to pinpoint exactly why.

He has run two marathons since. And he appears attached to Purnell for the long haul.

“(The health condition) was bad timing — you only get a few years to play Division I basketball — but it got me where I’m at now,” Postorino said. “Things happen for a reason that way.”