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Tuesday 31 January 2017
2017 National Signing Day: NC State football recruiting central
With signing day on the horizon, there shouldn't be much drama involved for NC State, which mostly has its smallish class secured. There are not the major headliners we've seen in the past, but no doubt some of these kids will prove important contributors down the road.
Several members of this class are already enrolled:
WR Antoine Thompson (247 profile)
QB Matthew McKay (247 profile)
DE/ATH Xavier Lyas (247 profile)
OL Kollin Byers (247 profile)
TE Damien Darden (247 profile)
We'll be keeping track here as the faxin' heats up on Wednesday morning.
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Victims of Their Own Success
Now that full precinct data has been released for the 2016 general election in North Carolina, an analysis of the results in the various congressional districts is possible. And the findings indicate that Democrats might sorely regret being successful in last year’s lawsuit overturning the previous congressional plan, enacted in 2011 (Rucho-Lewis Congress 3). Their […]
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NC State may lose LB recruit Darius Hodge to Marshall because of academics
Recruiting! The twists! The turns! The ... well, unfortunate happenstance.
When NC State offered linebacker Darius Hodge, State probably assumed that he would have his academics up to the standard necessary to enroll at an ACC school. Hodge, who is one of State’s top commitments, verbally committed to the Wolfpack in June.
However, as the N&O’s Jonathan Alexander reports, Hodge is now considering signing with Marshall because he is going to be a non-qualifier academically. The ACC does not accept non-qualifiers, which means that Hodge would have to attend a junior college to improve his academic standing before enrolling at NC State.
If he were to sign with Marshall, he could enroll there, though he’d still have to sit out a year. Key difference being, you know, he’s not stuck at some junior college. I mean, if I were him, I’d seriously consider Marshall, too—at least with that scenario he gets continuity in terms of school, teammates, friends, etc. Transitioning from high school to college can be daunting enough as it is.
Hodge was extremely productive during his senior season at Wake Forest HS and although he’s a consensus three-star prospect, he’s one of the top five players currently in State’s class, so his departure would definitely hurt.
He plans to make his decision on Wednesday.
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Tuesday News: The real HB2 bullies
OVERBEARING GOP LEADERS STOP RANK-AND-FILE LEGISLATORS FROM TAKING A STAND (Capitol Broadcasting Co. editorial) -- A majority of N.C. legislators won't say how they stand on HB2 repeal. The citizens they represent deserve to know. Barely a third of the 50-member Senate and 44 percent of the House of Representatives shared their positions on repeal when the Associated Press and eight newspapers asked. Overwhelmingly, those who refused to respond were Republicans. It is a sad and shameful display of timidity and fear. These Republicans are cowed by their leadership, particularly Senate boss Phil Berger, R-Rockingham and House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland. They fear reprisal should they express opinions contrary to those dictated by their party caucus commanders.
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Tuesday Twitter roundup
Because being inclusive should also be a badge of honor:
Boy Scouts of America to officially accept transgender youth - The Progressive Pulse https://t.co/j5qa9ewTRm #ncga #ncpol #HB2 #LGBT
— NC Policy Watch (@NCPolicyWatch) January 31, 2017
Let's see if Trumplethinskin can keep himself from Twitter-attacking the Boy Scouts over this...
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BTP The Podcast Vol. 22: Who needed hope anyway Edition
And yet we do some rationalizing anyway because darn it we have a problem.
Hope schmope! NC State responded to an emotional win at Duke with a gas-baggerous defeat at Louisville, and unfortunately, none of it was surprising. Will and I talk a bit about how State played like trash in that game against Chicken Nugget McCardboard and its empire of hoops led by a hall-of-fame vampire. (Note: That’s Louisville and Rick Pitino.)
BTP The Podcast is available for streaming here or on Soundcloud and also can be downloaded for free on iTunes.
(“Christmas Time Is Here,” (this is a really misleading song title based on its Arrested Development usage), Vince Guaraldi Trio; “Enter Entirely,” Cloud Nothings, Life Without Sound.)
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Monday 30 January 2017
NC State football making significant progress, at least according to the advanced metrics
I always say good trends are better than bad trends.
NC State might feel a bit stuck in neutral these last few years, and certainly if you strictly by results, that’s true. After all, following up an 8-5 season with back-to-back 7-6 campaigns doesn’t exactly scream “upward trajectory.”
But the advanced statistics generally agree that NC State improved from 2015 to 2016, Bill Connelly’s S&P+ in particular. In a post on the Mothership earlier Monday, he looked at five-year trends in S&P+ for each FBS school.
NC State checks in at No. 50 for the five-year span of 2012-16 with an S&P+ average of 3.8. However, that represents a significant increase from the previous five-year window (‘11-’15), when State’s average was 0.9. The net +2.9 change is the 13th largest in FBS.
(Note: the S&P numbers here represent opponent-adjusted scoring margin. In 2016, for instance, State finished +10.6. Basically, it’s ADJ Pts/G - ADJ PtsAllowed/G + ADJ SPECIAL TEAMS Pts/G. You will no doubt be shocked to learn that NCSU’s special teams cost the Pack an average of 1.4 points per game.)
What this is saying, basically, is that NC State’s performance has been getting better lately, and perhaps puts the program closer to a breakthrough than its 7-6 record would suggest. Of course, nothing is ever guaranteed in sports, and even with the improvement, lots can get in the way of positive results/outcomes. (As we have, ahem, seen.) The leap to a 25th-place finish in 2016, however, is encouraging.
Another step up the ladder in 2017 certainly looks feasible—maybe even with more of those positive result things—”wins” I believe they’re called—I keep hearing about.
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Star back commits to NC State amidst family tragedy
Ricky Person, a four-star recruit, commits to the Wolfpack in a promise to his dying grandmother
Once he completes another football season at Wake Forest Heritage High School, the next stage of Ricky Person’s so-far stellar career will take place at NC State. The four-star recruit announced his commitment to the Wolfpack in a mid-January posting on Twitter.
The 6-2, 200-pound Person, who’s considered the top recruit in North Carolina, had also considered playing at either Duke or South Carolina. On a national level, Person is also highly thought of, receiving scholarship offers from schools like Louisville and Tennessee. On some national recruiting websites, Person is considered to be the 11th-best recruit for the Class of 2018.
One of the keys to Person’s ultimate decision was his close relationship with Des Kitchings, an assistant for State. The Wolfpack may have come perilously close to losing the chance to get Person since Kitchings had originally accepted the head coaching position at Furman. However, second thoughts caused him to change his mind and stay with the Wolfpack.
A poignant aspect to Person’s announcement was the fact that earlier in the month, he had first announced his intentions to his terminally ill grandmother. As she lay dying, a tearful Person made a commitment to live up to the principles that she had instilled in him over the course of his life.
Her death is not the first that Person has had to deal with, having seen his grandfather die prior to the start of ninth grade. In addition, Person’s previous time at Franklinton High School saw him have to handle the death of an assistant coach.
Person’s talent first emerged as a sophomore at Franklinton as he reached the end zone 16 times and rushed for 1,074 yards. However, off-the-field circumstances along with a desire to play against a higher-caliber opponent resulted in Person transferring to Heritage prior to the start of this past school year.
The transition to Heritage was fairly seamless for Person, who ended up rushing the ball 145 times for 774 yards and collecting 11 scores on the season. He stayed busy by also seeing time on the defensive side of the ball, bring down 17 ball carriers, collecting 1.5 sacks and also forcing one fumble. He did miss a pair of games due to injury, yet played a key role in 12 of the contests during Heritage’s 11-3 campaign.
That versatility could potentially lead Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren to consider moving Person into another role. Instead of rejecting such an idea, Person is ready to adapt to whatever is needed when he arrives in the summer of 2018.
The idea that Person is only focused on athletics can be dismissed by looking at his academic record. He currently has a 3.5 grade point average and is looking forward to majoring in broadcasting while also playing for the Wolfpack. That NC State program ended up being one of the many factors that played a role in the final decision that he made.
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Democrats Will Look Outside NC for Congressional Gains
After a number of bitter and drawn-out election cycles, the 2018 election season in North Carolina is likely to be very quiet. It will be a “blue moon” election year, which comes around every twelve years in this state, with no gubernatorial or U.S. Senate race heading the ticket. And those congressional races? Well, you […]
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NC State and defense go together like nuts and gum
Which is to say, not at all.
You may have been wondering aloud for a while now, “why is NC State so mega-bad defensively? I knew they wouldn’t be world beaters but how is it possible they are this bad?” Sadly I have no answers, only video that shows how far beyond hope they have become.
#Defense http://pic.twitter.com/5xj2jKpihS
— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) January 29, 2017
Here we have Markell Johnson and Dennis Smith kinda floating around the perimeter, with Omer Yurtseven stuck on an island in the paint. Johnson let’s Gigantor waltz right on by, leaving Yurt in an impossible spot and the result is an easy dunk. It gets worse!
#Defense #TheSequel http://pic.twitter.com/zdSjhsx1zv
— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) January 29, 2017
Um, Malik, buddy? What is it would you say you’re doin’ here exactly? Heading for the concession stand? Thinking about magnets and how they work? Is your mind in the midst of civil war with your body? Anybody home in there? Because there certainly ain’t anybody home in the paint, am I right.
Maybe everyone on the team has been put into a situational hex that only affects them once they cross the time line on defense. Perhaps they begin speaking in tongues, just blathering nonsense, which would explain why no one appears capable of basic communication.
Really it’s anyone’s guess at this point.
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Tyranny of the minority
From a political standpoint, Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from seven Muslim countries was successful. He never called it a ban on Muslims but the press did and his base supporters responded positively. As far as they’re concerned, he’s delivered on another campaign promise. The outrage over the ban came from the usual suspects—progressives, Democrats, […]
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The dangers of having a Liar-In-Chief in the White House
The downside could be fatal for many:
Lying from the Oval Office carries far graver consequences than fibs from the penthouse at Trump Towers. Presidential lies aren’t trivial quibbles over the size of the crowd at an event or how many votes won in an election. Imagined, or hoped-for facts cannot become the basis for policies and laws that have consequences beyond the stage-managed world of reality TV.
They are about life-and-death: which refugees will find safety when they flee their war-torn homes; which of our nation’s allies the U.S. will defend against foreign aggression and our nation’s armed service personnel will legitimately put into situations by a Commander and Chief who may require the ultimate sacrifice.
I did two hitches in the Army, and all except the last month or two were under Ronald Reagan. Many of us were certain that Ronnie would take us into a major conflict, but (luckily for me) that didn't happen until a few years after he left office. But Trump is no Reagan, and I can't imagine what's going through the minds of our active duty troops right now. War with Russia? Friends with Russia? We just sent some boots into Yemen and lost an American soldier, but the Liar-In-Chief was too busy attacking his imaginary enemies on Twitter to even acknowledge the sacrifice. The truth is, he doesn't care. He doesn't care about anybody but himself, and that does not bode well for any of us, even if you're not a Muslim or a military member with your rucksack packed and ready to go. That level of casual disregard puts us all in jeopardy.
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Sunday 29 January 2017
NC State turns in lifeless effort at Louisville, falls 85-60
Welcome back to reality, everybody!
NC State’s back. You know, the real one. The one without any pride or effort? Yeah, that one. A pathetically confused first 10 minutes on Sunday afternoon led a three-averse Louisville team to shoot and make a bunch of them, which buried the Wolfpack early. The Cardinals had 28 points in the first 10 minutes and cruised to an 85-60 win over State.
Louisville is not a team that normally shoots a lot of three-pointers, and for some damned reason NC State’s dunce crew of a coaching staff thought a zone look—rather than applying pressure to Louisville’s thin guard corps—was a good idea. The Cardinals got so many good looks from three, they couldn’t resist, and they made a lot of them. You don’t get looks that wide open when you’re on the driveway shooting by yourself.
Donovan Mitchell got lost by State’s clueless defense time and time again and made the Pack pay by scoring the first 14 points of the game for Louisville. He finished with 28, and hit six of 10 three-point attempts. Louisville, a 35% three-point shooting team on the season, made 12 of 24 as a team. That’s a sorry indictment of the Pack’s defensive intelligence, which was pretty much non-existent.
Good teams expose you, and when you’re bad, you let them do it with no consequences. That’s NC State this season. God I’m sick of watching this shit.
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Dallas rides the dark-money gravy train
He may not be driving, but he's riding shotgun:
NC based #darkmoney group Carolina Rising went dark after its candidate won, but kept paying its President https://t.co/TYD0ad5z5d #NCPol
— OpenSecrets.org (@OpenSecretsDC) January 29, 2017
Good work if you can get it:
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Bad writing, bad reading, lead to confusion over Trump's NSC order
The latest outrage appears to be (at least partially) incorrect:
President Donald Trump is reshuffling the US National Security Council (NSC), downgrading the military chiefs of staff and giving a regular seat to his chief strategist Steve Bannon. Mr Bannon, formerly the head of the populist right-wing, Breitbart News website, will join high-level discussions about national security. The order was signed on Saturday.
The director of national intelligence and the joint chiefs will attend when discussions pertain to their areas. Under previous administrations, the director and joint chiefs attended all meetings of the NSC's inner circle, the principals' committee.
Before I proceed, I want to take a moment to reiterate the need for folks to take the time to find and examine primary sources. In this case, the primary source is the Presidential Memorandum itself. Accuracy is (of course) the main reason for doing this, but another big reason has to do with focus. When you take someone else's analysis as your only source, you may be missing other details that person didn't judge to be relevant or news-worthy. Anyway, back to the confusing memo:
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Saturday 28 January 2017
Meet Louisville, the ACC's biggest defensive menace
How to watch or listen to the game
Tip time: 1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 29
TV: ACC Network (Tom Werme, Dan Bonner)
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: Wolfpack Sports Network (affiliates)
Louisville vitals
Record: 17-4 (5-3)
Pomeroy ranking: 6
Best win***: 73-70 over Kentucky (No. 2 in Pomeroy Ratings)
Worst loss***: 77-70 to Notre Dame (No. 26 in Pomeroy Ratings)
(***Based on opponent's Pomeroy Rating, not margin of victory/defeat.)
Adjusted tempo: 69.4 poss/40 minutes (ranks 160th)
Adjusted offensive efficiency: 114.5 (ranks 34th)
Adjusted defensive efficiency: 85.3 (ranks 2nd)
UL roster
UL schedule
UL stats 2017
The Louisville offense and starters
| UL Offense -- Four Factors | eFG% | TO% | OR% | FT Rate |
| 2016-17 overall (nat'l rank) | 50.3 (177) | 16.4 (39) | 38.1 (10) | 35.9 (158) |
| 2016-17 ACC only (ACC rank) | 51.9 (10) | 16.6 (3) | 36.9 (2) | 37.1 (6) |
This year's Louisville's team is a spittin' image of the 2016 squad; the Cards did have to replace some key contributors, but Rick Pitino's deep roster had other guys ready to comfortably step into those vacated roles.
Quentin Snyder and Donovan Mitchell in for Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, and a host of very tall dudes for Chinanu Onuaku. The Cardinals are not quite shooting as well inside the arc this year, but they continue to take good care of the ball and grab a lot of offensive boards, and those two things have been the big keys for them in 2017.
Teams that leverage turnovers and rebounding at both ends of the floor end up generating a lot more attempts at the hoop than their opponents, which helps to mitigate or totally negate substandard shooting. The Cardinals are +69 in turnovers this season, +69 in offensive boards (double nice!), and have attempted 126 more shots from the field than their opponents. There's a lot less pressure on your first attempt on any given offensive possession when you know you're probably going to end up with more scoring opportunities.
It's definitely working out fine for Louisville, even if this particular approach isn't always the prettiest thing in the world.
NC State will need to be really good on the defensive boards in order to win in Louisville, and also hope that the absences of Quentin Snider and Tony Hicks--both injured--will make offensive production a bit more difficult for the Cards. Snyder is the team's second-leading scorer.
Starters
Donovan Mitchell (6-3, 195) -- Mitchell had a nice freshman campaign but took a backseat to the veteran guards on the team--that is not happening this year. He is the team's leading scorer and its highest-workload guy. His outside shooting has improved significantly, up to 35.2% in 2017, and he leads UL in three-point attempts. Strong defender, good free throw shooter.
Ryan McMahon (6-0, 170) -- The Cards have an assembly line's worth of forwards on this roster but are somewhat light on proven guards, so enter freshman Ryan McMahon, who'll probably have to eat at least some minutes in the absence of Hicks and Snider. In limited time this year, he's 13-31 (41.9%) from three. And 0-4 from two.
Deng Adel (6-7, 200) -- Cut way down on turnovers this season but remains an inconsistent scorer. Adel is at only 31.5% from three in 2017 but it seems like that should eventually turn around, based on his good free throw shooting. Might not turn around this year, mind you, but that is a positive indicator.
Jaylen Johnson (6-9, 230) -- If Johnson got more minutes, he'd probably be receiving more credit for a breakout year. He's hitting 60.5% of his twos, a career best, and he has been a monster on the glass, setting career highs in rebounding percentage at both ends. But he is often a deferential player, and he can be foul-prone, both of which serve to mask improvement because they are per-game stat suppressants.
Anas Mahmoud (7-0, 220) -- Patience is often required for big fellas and Mahmoud is case in point: his first two seasons, he played sparingly and didn't score well. Finally, in year three, he's emerging as an important part of the rotation. He's made nearly 65% of his twos--albeit as a secondary option--does a great job grabbing offensive boards and is one of the nation's top 10 shot blockers. His improvement is noticeable, but he's still plagued by turnovers and fouls, which limits his impact.
The Louisville bench and defense
Reserves: V.J. King (6-6, 190), Ray Spalding (6-10, 215), Mangok Mathiang (6-10, 220), David Levitch (6-3, 180). Tall persons everywhere, I tells ya! That's how Louisville wears folks down on the boards: they have four outstanding offensive rebounding bigs and three of them that also rebound well defensively. It's just a lot of beef to handle, man.
| UL Defense -- Four Factors | eFG% | TO% | OR% | FT Rate |
| 2016-17 overall (nat'l rank) | 42.2 (4) | 21.1 (52) | 28.8 (139) | 40.6 (275) |
| 2016-17 ACC only (ACC rank) | 45.0 (1) | 19.3 (3) | 26.0 (3) | 45.9 (15) |
Louisville hasn't finished lower than fifth nationally in defensive efficiency since 2010. Doesn't look like that streak will be ending in 2017. The Cards do everything you need to in order to shut down the paint, from rebounding to blocking shots to otherwise forcing misses. They present a major challenge for everybody, and most fail.
There's just a lot that the Cardinals can do with their versatility and size, which often leads to a lot of bogged down possessions from opponents. You can often tell based on defensive average possession length which defenses are able to create a lot of confusion/hesitation, and this is definitely one area where Louisville excels.
The Pomeroy Predictor likes Louisville by 18.
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Behind closed doors: No press allowed at Michelle Rhee's education gathering
Get ready for more charter/private school legislation this session:
Some North Carolina public education activists are crying foul over a private legislative meet state lawmakers are scheduled to attend with controversial school reformer Michelle Rhee next month.
This week, Policy Watch requested access to next month’s event, but BEST N.C. President & CEO Brenda Berg said no members of the media will be granted access. Berg said such a rule will allow “candid” conversations between participants, which includes an unspecified number of state lawmakers and school stakeholders.
Stating the obvious: If such conversations can only be "candid" if the public is kept in the dark, then maybe those conversations *are* the problem, not the solution these people are looking for. And if you want to see what can happen when those lines are blurred, let's travel to the West Coast and take a look at Sacramento:
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Saturday News: Berger entrenches bigotry in NC
BERGER ON FULL REPEAL OF HB2: NOT NOW, NOT EVER (WTVD-TV) -- NC Senate leader Phil Berger said in an interview with Time Warner Cable News Thursday that there are not enough votes in the General Assembly for an outright repeal of the controversial HB2 law that has cost the state millions. "I think the window for that compromise (on repeal of HB2) may not be open at this point. And I certainly don't believe the votes exist for an outright repeal without anything else." Equality NC executive director and former state representative, Chris Sgro, told ABC11 that Sen. Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore aren't looking out for the best interest of North Carolinians. "It's childish. It's not about left, right, or center anymore," said Sgro. "It's about their actions being in a childish fashion that's not best for the people of North Carolina."
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Another McCrory appointee fighting his dismissal
Partisanship is just fine, except when it hurts you:
David Prickett, who was communications director for the Office of State Human Resources until Jan. 19, claims he was fired by the Democratic administration of Gov. Roy Cooper because he is a Republican. Prickett’s filings also say the Cooper administration didn’t follow proper procedure when it failed to give him 10 days of notice before taking action against him.
“This type of arbitrary or politically motivated dismissal of employees who have done nothing wrong is exactly what our state personnel laws were passed to prevent,” said Prickett’s attorney, Michael C. Byrne, a Raleigh lawyer who represents state workers.
Right. Where was this outrage when the General Assembly decided to give McCrory four times as many political appointments when he took over the previous Perdue administration? Crickets.
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Friday 27 January 2017
2017 Senior Bowl: How to watch, game time, TV channel, and more
Matt Dayes has a few more downs to play in an NC State helmet.
The 2017 Senior Bowl is set for Saturday afternoon, and just like every other player participating, Matt Dayes will be trying to make a strong impression. He is one of three running backs on the South team so I’d imagine he’ll get a good amount of playing time.
These all-star games always create some odd teammate-pairing situations—for instance, Ryan Switzer is also on the South team, which, gross. They better not high five or anything, I don’t need the nightmares. There are 13 players from the ACC on the South team, and seven more playing for the North squad. Dayes is the Wolfpack’s lone representative in the game.
The rules of the Senior Bowl boil it down to an extremely basic scrimmage, in an effort to reduce injury risk. Offenses and defenses are limited to only a few different looks, there’s no blitzing, no blocks below the waist, etc.
Once this game is in the books, players will begin prepping for pro days at their school or the NFL Combine, which starts the first week of March.
2017 Senior Bowl
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Jan. 28
Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL
TV: NFL Network
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Former NC State forward Charles Shackleford found dead
Sad news for the Wolfpack basketball family today, as Charles Shackleford was found dead at his home in Kinston. He was only 50 years old. The cause of death has not yet been determined, according to the Kinston police.
Shackleford spent three seasons in Raleigh, and averaged 16.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game as a senior. He also spent six years in the NBA, the last of those with Charlotte in 1999.
He was well before my time, but folks who were at NC State in the mid-80s have been sharing stories today. Good stuff from Tim Peeler on Shack (the third story is hilarious):
Covered the entirety of Charles Shackleford's @PackMensBball career for @TechSports & put him on cover of our 1986-87 basketball special. http://pic.twitter.com/776CMHxUnt
— Tim Peeler (@PackTimPeeler) January 27, 2017
RIP.
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Democrats’ turnout problems in North Carolina
The 2016 election data is in and it’s pretty ugly for North Carolina Democrats. According to data released by Democracy North Carolina yesterday, their turnout in November was down 1.4% from 2012 while Republican turnout was up 2.5%. That’s what they call an enthusiasm gap and it offsets Democrats’ advantage in registration numbers. Even more […]
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Pope Center slaps new coat of paint on crumbling structure
Different name, same tired old rhetoric:
Martin will be joined by Jenna Robinson, president of the former Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, a conservative think tank that has been newly renamed for Martin. The change took effect Jan. 1, when the center officially became the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.
On the center’s website, Robinson wrote that confusion between the Pope Center and the Pope Foundation prompted the name change. Both organizations were named for John William Pope but had different missions, she wrote: “The new name will allow us to create our own identity – focused on our mission of academic renewal.”
Yeah, I mean, no. There hasn't been any confusion. They may have (slightly) different missions, but the guiding principles are still the same. And they won't change with a new name, or a new logo, or a new Mission Statement, or whatever other facile tweaks to its appearance you try to make. A thorn by any other name. And just to give you an idea where Jenna Robinson stands on government helping families cope with higher education costs, check this out:
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Thursday 26 January 2017
Loss to NC State creates existential crisis at Duke
schadenfreude engage
As Dennis Smith soared toward the rim at the end of NC State’s 84-82 win over Duke on Monday night, he might as well have been placing a comically large metal lock on the Blue Devils’ locker room.
See, Coach K ain’t pleased about this turn of events with his team. He is so unhappy, in fact, that he has banned his players from their own locker room. Per ESPN’s Dana O’Neil and Jeff Goodman, the players are not only barred from the locker room, they are also not allowed to wear any Duke gear.
I started that paragraph with a straight face but by the end of it I was grinning. I can’t help that I’m enjoying this so much. My schadenfreude meter has been pegged at about a 15 on its standard 12.57 scale for three days straight. Via the ESPN story:
"[Coach K] wasn't happy," said one source close to the situation. "Especially after the loss to NC State."
Asked how long the penalties would last, a source close to the program said: "Until they start living up to the standards of the Duke program."
Dennis Smith stole the Blue Devils’ lunch money, ripped the clothes off their backs, and locked them out of their own damn house. That’s a triple play.
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BTP’s Power of Positivity- Javi Gonzalez
From one hero against Duke to another
“AHHHHHHH Backing The Pack...don’t you dare be sour...say something good about Javi Gonzalez and feeeeeeeel the POWER...”
Primer
- Javier Gonzalez played at NC State from the 2007-2008 season to 2010-2011 season
- He was a 4 year starter at point guard under Sidney Lowe
- For his career, Javi averaged 6.4 points, 2.8 assists, and shot 71.8% from the free throw line (sports-reference.com)
- Once scored 10 points in less than 24 seconds against Arizona
Remember limit the negatives, limit the snark say something positive...and as always h/t Cageside Seats for the idea
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Alternate US agency Twitter accounts being "handed off" to non-government entities
So much for whistleblowing:
We have decided to pass over control of this account to individuals outside of government employment for the sake of our colleagues.
— AltUSNatParkService (@AltNatParkSer) January 26, 2017
As somebody who has been following Twitter for years, I have had a little voice in the back of my head telling me these might be truly faux accounts, not just "renegade" government workers resisting. The jury (mine, anyway) is still out on that issue, but going forward, it's important for folks to remember this change of the guard:
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Thursday News: Zero credibility
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BERGER DEMANDS COMPROMISE BUT WON’T PROMISE REPEAL OF HB2 (Policy Watch) – Senate boss Phil Berger is continuing to demand more “compromise” from Democrats if there’s to be any action on HB2 – but won’t say there could be complete repeal. “I think it’s possible for there to be some arrangement to address that issue,” Berger said. “I think it’s going to take compromise on both sides.” The General Assembly failed to repeal the controversial last month in one of several hastily convened extra sessions just before Christmas.
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Matt Dayes making strong first impression with NFL scouts
The Senior Bowl is being played on Saturday, but the larger game within that useless scrimmage is the week prior, when NFL scouts watch closely every single practice. NC State has had a bunch of players go through this process, with running back Matt Dayes being the latest among them.
It's the meat market before the NFL Combine meat market--this is how it's evolved now:
Two guys I've seen linked to #Saints50 in mock drafts
— Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) January 24, 2017
NC State RB Matt Dayes 5'8 207 lbs
Clemson LB Ben Boulware 6' 236 lbs@wdsu @wyffnews4 http://pic.twitter.com/WhR1PVEhof
For the RB hand size crowd, Matt Dayes leads the way with 1048 mitts.
— Ethan Young (@NFLDrafter) January 24, 2017
(Have I mentioned that the dudes obsessed over the NFL draft are weird as hell? Man, what "hand size crowd"? Is it more than three people? Oh god, it's more than three people, isn't it.)
On the football field, where hand sizes are often ignored by many, Matt Dayes has done a nice job. In practices this week he's impressed analysts like NFL.com's Bucky Brooks:
North Carolina State's Matt Dayes has been a top performer in practices over the past two days. He's shown outstanding footwork, great balance and excellent body control. He's been mentioned as a draft sleeper. I believe he's going to be one of those third-down backs who can come in and make a huge splash right away.
Dayes lacks top-line speed but I'm not sure what else he has missing as he prepares for the draft in April/May. Kid has good vision, he's decisive, he understands pass protection, and, wait for it ... he has good hands. It will be telling to see which teams fixate on his stature rather than his production. So many teams, across basically every sport, have hurt themselves by approaching prospects that way.
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Here’s the complete replay of NC State’s 84-82 win at Duke
Why, no, no I’m not over this game yet.
NC State won at Duke on Monday night, and if by chance you skipped out on watching or did not record that contest—for entirely justifiable, cynical reasons—then do not fret, the internet is here for you. Below is the complete game, commercial-free, thanks as usual to @cylonwolf.
I’ve watched the last 10 minutes or so of this one a few times just because I can’t get over how improbable it all was. A game like this in Cameron always goes the wrong way. Always. That’s the only way these games had ever gone for as long as I’d been seriously paying attention. I’m beyond glad that isn’t true anymore.
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Wednesday 25 January 2017
BTP The Podcast Vol. 21: Talkin’ Duke win with James Curle
yay winning!
When someone in the comments makes a request, doggone it, we answer it! It’s how we justify the site’s hefty subscription fees. Joining Will and myself this week is James Curle, who you may know from the Riddick & Reynolds podcast.
James retired from the podcasting game this past summer, though you can still find all the old R&R episodes on iTunes.
We talked some Duke, we talked some Dennis Smith dunk action, plus some football and non-revenue sports things as well. Play it below or find it on iTunes. (I’ve made a mental note for next time to actually stay close to the microphone. If you can hardly hear me on this episode, don’t worry, it ain’t you or your computer, it’s me.)
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Internal Affairs Doctrine Leads To Dismissal Of An Aiding And Abetting A Breach Of Fiduciary Duty Claim By NC Business Court
So parties keep asserting that questionable claim. I wish they'd quit. It's a dead end.
Business Court Judge McGuire dismissed such a claim earlier this month in an Opinion in Islet Sciences, Inc. v. Brighthaven Ventures, LLC, 2017 NCBC 5. The individual Defendants, Green and Wilkinson, had been officers and directors of the Plaintiff and therefore owed it a fiduciary duty. They were also the owners of the Defendant Brighthaven, whose merger discussions with the Plaintiff had fallen through. The Plaintiff alleged in support of its claim that Brighthaven had provided "substantial assistance to Green and Wilkinson in breaching [their] fiduciary duties" and had therefore aided and abetted those breaches. Op. ¶15.
The Internal Affairs Doctrine
The Plaintiff, a Nevada corporation, argued that the law of Nevada -- which recognizes an aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty claim -- should control and that Defendant Brighthaven's Motion to Dismiss should be denied. The argument for the application of Nevada law was premised on the internal affairs doctrine.
Maybe you don't remember the internal affairs doctrine. The NC Court of Appeals has defined it as:
a conflict of laws principle which recognizes that only one State should have the authority to regulate a corporation's internal affairs — matters peculiar to the relationships among or between the corporation and its current officers, directors, and shareholders — because otherwise a corporation could be faced with conflicting demands.
Op. ¶18 (quoting Bluebird Corp. v. Aubin, 188 N.C. App. 671, 680, 657 S.E.2d 55, 63).
It wasn't difficult for Judge McGuire to shoot down the internal affairs argument, given that the corporate Defendant was an outsider to the Plaintiff, not one of its officers or directors. He held that:
While a standard of fiduciary responsibility expected of officers and directors of a corporation generally should be the subject of uniform regulation by the state of incorporation, the same concerns do not necessarily apply to the conduct of third-party corporate outsiders that may lead to tort liability for aiding and abetting. Such third party conduct does not implicate the standard to which a director or officer should be held; that standard is best left to determination by the state of incorporation.
Op.. ¶22 (emphasis added).
The Pleading Standard For A Non-Existent Claim
After determining that North Carolina law controlled the question of the validity of the aiding and abetting claim, Judge McGuire held the Plaintiff to a heightened pleading standard. He said that pleading such a claim (even if it doesn't exist) requires "facts supporting an allegation of “substantial assistance by the aider and abettor in the achievement of the primary violation.'” Conclusory facts like those alleged by the Plaintiff -- that the abettor “was aware of [the fiduciary's] . . . acts and rendered substantial assistance” -- didn't suffice. Op. ¶27. The claim was therefore dismissed.
The need for factual specificity in an aiding and abetting claim comes from an NC Court of Appeals decision cited by Judge McGuire (Op. ¶27): Bottom v. Bailey, 238 N.C. App. 202, 767 S.E.2d 883 (2014). The Bottom case, which relies on another appellate decision, says that:
the tort of aiding and abetting a breach of fiduciary duty, according to Blow [v. Shaughnessy, 88 N.C. App. 484, 364 S.E.2d 444 (1988)], requires “(1) the existence of a securities law violation by the primary party; (2) knowledge of the violation on the part of the aider and abettor; and (3) substantial assistance by the aider and abettor in the achievement of the primary violation.”
Despite its articulation of that standard, the Bottom decision was unsparing in its assessment that an aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty claim cannot be made in North Carolina. It said:
The court finds that no such cause of action exists in North Carolina. It is undisputed that the Supreme Court of North Carolina has never recognized such a cause of action. The only North Carolina Court of Appeals decision recognizing such a claim, Blow v. Shaughnessy, 88 N.C. App. 484, 489, 364 S.E.2d 444, 447–48 (1988), involved allegations of securities fraud, and its underlying rationale was eliminated by the United States Supreme Court in Central Bank of Denver v. First Interstate Bank of Denver, 511 U.S. 164, 114 S.Ct. 1439, 128 L.Ed.2d 119 (1994).
238 N.C. App. 202, 211.
The Business Court has often dismissed fiduciary duty/aiding and abetting claims. Like in Tong v. Dunn, 2012 NCBC 16, Regions Bank v. Regional Property Development Corp., 2008 NCBC 8, Battleground Veterinary Hospital, P.C. v. McGeough, 2007 NCBC 33; and Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. v. Deloitte & Touche, LLP, 2005 NCBC 2.
But the Business Court has never dismissed that type of claim on the basis that it is not recognized in North Carolina. It is inevitable that that is going to happen, but until then, the Court will find another way to dismiss those claims. Don't waste your time making that claim.
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Voter suppression version of the Reichstag fire
Yesterday, Donald Trump again said that massive voter fraud cost him the popular vote. Immediately, people on social media said not to pay attention to Trump’s lies but to his actions. At the same time, he was claiming massive voter fraud, he was signing executive orders to re-open the debate over the Dakota Access and Keystone […]
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Wednesday News: Calling for the Puppetmaster
GOP LEADERS ENLIST ART POPE IN FIGHT AGAINST MEDICAID EXPANSION (Winston-Salem Journal) -- As Friday’s hearing in New Bern on expanding the state’s Medicaid program looms, state Republican leaders have enlisted former state budget director Art Pope in their efforts to thwart the initiative. Pope, who served in the McCrory administration, said in a declaration submitted Monday that state money is being used already to advance Gov. Roy Cooper’s proposal. Pope said that Medicaid expansion funds would have to be diverted from projects that were authorized for funds. “They are resources and funds that will be unrecoverable once they are expended,” he said.
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Highlights! NC State rallies to take down Duke in Durham
that was fun let’s do it again
First up, the standard take from the ACC Digital Network:
And here is the recap from the NC State side of things, including remarks from the Gott Man:
And here, lastly, is your DSJ-only highlight reel from Monday night:
Not a bad night for Dennis and the Wolfpack, I’d say. I’ll probably end up watching each of these videos a dozen times.
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ACC football schedule 2017: NC State opens conference play against Florida State
This is a much more manageable schedule than in years past.
We knew a few games and dates but did not have the complete picture for 2017 until today. The ACC released the complete football schedule for next season, and here is what it’s gonna look like for the Wolfpack:
Sept. 2 — vs. South Carolina (Bank of America Stadium/Charlotte)
Sept. 9 — vs. Marshall
Sept. 16 — vs. Furman
Sept. 23 — at Florida State
Sept. 30 — vs. Syracuse
Oct. 5 — vs. Louisville (Thursday night ESPN game)
Oct. 14 — at Pittsburgh
[BYE WEEK]
Oct. 28 — at Notre Dame
Nov. 4 — vs. Clemson
Nov. 11 — at Boston College
Nov. 18 — at Wake Forest
Nov. 25 — vs. North Carolina (that’s a Saturday!)
Last season, you may remember, NC State had to run the Clemson-Louisville-FSU gauntlet in the span of four weeks, but we have a much more balanced schedule in 2017. It also helps that two of those three are at home rather than on the road.
NC State will be playing a Thursday-nighter against Louisville, which could be a heck of an atmosphere depending on how the Florida State game goes. I don’t really like opening league play in September but, hey, the other team is still getting themselves together too, I suppose.
The bye week comes at a great time, giving State a mid-season break right before heading into a pretty tough two-week stretch.
The schedule sets up for a potential strong finish, and the UNC game is on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, not Friday.
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Tuesday 24 January 2017
Tuesday Twitter roundup
Talk about brainless:
NC Sen. Joyce Krawiec, a Winston-Salem Republican, weighs in on @womensmarch #ncpol #ncga http://pic.twitter.com/DZGkELM7zW
— Colin Campbell (@RaleighReporter) January 24, 2017
Yeah, those 17,000 who marched in Raleigh know exactly who they are, and they're proud of it. Also, I can't adequately describe the irony of using a cooking reference to attack women standing up for their rights. And an unhealthy cooking reference, for that matter...
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NC State pulls out narrow win at Duke with good shooting, Dennis Smith, and Abdul-Malik Abu
Good shooting always helps in any given game but NC State reverted from character in a couple of key ways on Monday night to help bring home a significant road victory. Turnovers had plagued the Pack up to this point in the conference season, but State--despite some terrifying-looking passes--took good care of the ball. State also did well on the defensive glass, and if there is a testament to Dennis Smith's influence, it's the fact that the Pack earned 30 free throw attempts.
| Four Factors | NC State |
Duke |
| eFG% | 56.1 | 53.1 |
| Turnover Rate | 13.4 |
14.7 |
| Off Reb Rate | 20.0 | 26.3 |
| FT Rate | 52.6 | 32.8 |
| Pts | Poss | OFF_EFF | DEF_EFF | |
| Duke |
82 | 75 | 109.9 | 112.6 |
| NC State |
84 | 75 | 112.6 | 109.9 |
It was not a defensive contest by any means, and NC State deserves immense credit for coming back from an eight-point deficit to take the lead in the first 10 minutes of the second half, then rebounding from another eight-point deficit midway through the half and a seven-point deficit with five and change to go. You been here long enough, you've seen this game in Cameron end a bunch of different ways, all of them bad. This time was not that time.
NC State rallied so confidently that it was actually in control with less than two minutes remaining.
DSJ was great, and so was Malik Abu, whose combination of jumpers and dunks made him a standout performer. Malik can be a really good jump shooter, but he should also bottle that feeling when he catches a DSJ pass on a rope in the paint and then kills the rim.
Mav Rowan was clutch in the second half after a terrible first, while Ted Kapita made the most of his latest opportunity. Mark Gottfried expanded his rotation, partly out of necessity, but I also think it can give the team more confidence when guys like Markell Johnson and Teddy KGB are getting more run than usual and also playing pretty well.
With Dennis, I mean, what is there to say. The lights came on and he was ready. Didn't matter at all that it was Cameron Indoor. If he doesn't miss a few bunnies then his effort approaches the stuff of legend. I'm not going to forget that three-pointer at the end of the first half, or that dunk to end the game that did not count.
I don't know what this means for the rest of the season. It might mean nothing. Tonight, NC State was better than Duke--in Durham--and that is more than enough.
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NC State picks up first win at Duke in more than two decades
Party on!
I’m sure that I will have more reasonable thoughts at a later point in time but for now I just wanted to say that I love every single one of you, but especially you Dennis Smith, but also every single one of you. Holy smokes I did not ever dare dream this possible, not this year, maybe not ever. It’s been so long since NC State last won in Durham, I can’t even remember it.
And this one ended like this, in a dunk that did not count officially, but regardless counted for so much.
THE GOSPEL OF DSJ http://pic.twitter.com/sM1Xv4OFOg
— Will Thompson (@thrillis4) January 24, 2017
Wheeeeeeeeew man this is fun. NC State gave Duke a chance or two it should not have had in the final 25 seconds but for once they were not burned, there was no pain, there was only Dennis Smith flying into the lower atmosphere as time expired.
If you’ll all excuse me, I’m gonna go back and watch that second half again. Party on.
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Cameron Crazies’ cheer sheet for NC State game predictably lame
Were these kids ever actually funny, or have they just been overrated through manufactured legend?
Duke has a home game this evening, which means it is once more time for the Duke student body to flex its comedic talents, of which it apparently has few. Here is the “dirt” on NC State they managed to cobble together prior to the game this evening, via Marilyn Payne:
Cameron Crazies heckling sheet for #NCState vs. #Duke
— Marilyn Payne (@marilyn_payne) January 23, 2017
Abu's quote on swimming is outstanding..&the Maverick thing's true..what a waste#wral http://pic.twitter.com/xdNAwAHIXs
(If you can’t read that, the image is ZOOMED and ENHANCED right here.)
Imagine the sigh of relief exhaled by Ted Kapita and Chris Brickhouse when they found out they escaped such emotionally crippling shade as “Shaun Kirk once went snowboarding and he was not great at it.” Damn, kids. Words hurt, you know.
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Monday 23 January 2017
NC State travels to Duke, where nothing has ever gone wrong
Don’t even bother fact-checking that statement.
It’s a relief, isn’t it, knowing that history is on your side as you head into a potentially difficult road game. Yes, NC State has had tremendous and nearly unfailing success in the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium—the hostile crowds often subdued, diminished, or having a group cry by the early second half.
Oh, the times we’ve had there.
Hang on a second. [holds fingers to earpiece] I am being informed that in fact the precise opposite of what I just described is what routinely happens. Well, let me tell ya, folks, you can’t win ‘em all.
Duke comes into Monday night a mere 3-3 in the ACC, as it has yet to look like the lottery-pick-fueled domination machine many expected. The Pomeroy Predictor nonetheless likes the Blue Devils by 16, which will end up looking comically low if NC State decides to fold in the face of adversity again.
Er, think happy thoughts think happy thoughts think happy thoughts think happy thoughts ...
Duke is impressively well-rounded on both sides of the floor, even if some of its star freshmen have yet to live up to the hype surrounding them. (Injuries have contributed there.) Luke Kennard is having an insanely good season—44% from three, 59% from two, 88% at the line.
The Devils’ biggest problem in league play has been defending the paint. Opponents are making almost 51% of their two-point attempts, a mark that rank’s Duke’s defense 10th in the ACC. NC State needs to make a point of attacking that area, much like it should have done against Wake Forest. For better or worse, Duke does make it more difficult for teams to settle for jump shots.
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The continental divide
The two events held back-to-back on the National Mall spoke to the division in America. President Donald Trump took the oath of office and delivered an inaugural address targeted to the same people who elected him, not the country as a whole. The next day, 500,000 or so of the people who rejected Trump showed […]
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Margaret Spellings is right: HB2 needs to go
It's a bigoted anchor around our necks:
“Our competitors have used this issue against us to some extent,” Spellings said in an interview with the Associated Press. “If I’m in Georgia and I’m in a competitive bidding war for a world-class faculty member, I’m going to say if this is a transgender or gay person, ‘Is this an environment where you’re going to live and work?’ So I think anecdotally there’s some of that going on.” Do you think?
Spellings is signaling the obvious. As long as North Carolina is a place that enshrines discrimination in its laws – and that is precisely what HB2 does – it will not be able to keep pace with other top-notch public and private colleges and universities. When the General Assembly gets down to work Wednesday, Senate boss Berger and House Speaker Moore need to immediately bring complete repeal of HB2, no strings attached, to the floor for a vote. Gov. Roy Cooper says there are enough Republican and Democratic votes in both houses to prevail.
I'm not sure they're capable of passing a bill with no strings attached, with no poison pills dropped in it to dissolve into ambiguous but deadly verbiage. But we'll see.
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Monday News: The big question
AFTER MASS TURNOUT, CAN PROTESTS TURN INTO POLITICAL IMPACT? (AP) -- More than a million people turned out Saturday to nationwide demonstrations opposing President Donald Trump’s agenda, a forceful showing that raised liberals’ hopes after the election denied them control of all branches of federal government. Now, the question is whether that energy can be sustained and turned into political impact. Deb Szeman, a self-described “homebody,” had never participated in a demonstration before hopping on an overnight bus from her home in Charlotte, North Carolina, to attend the women’s march on Washington. She returned on another bus that pulled in at 4 a.m. Sunday, full of people buzzing about what might come next and quipping that they would see each other at the next march. “I wouldn’t have spent 18 hours in Washington, D.C., and taken the bus for seven hours both ways if I didn’t believe there was going to be a part two, and three and four and five,” said Szeman, 25, who works at a nonprofit and joined the National Organization for Women after Trump won the White House. “I feel like there’s been an awakening,” she said.
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Sunday 22 January 2017
NC State football recruiting: DE Ibrahim Kante commits to Wolfpack
RED LIGHT ON
NC State picked up another addition to its 2017 recruiting class this weekend when Trinity-Pawling (NY) School defensive end Ibrahim Kante verbally committed to the Wolfpack on an official visit.
@Coachlanese13 @CoachAlexCoombs @Coach_Brooks75 @TPridefootball http://pic.twitter.com/uyUVsQOvqG
— Ibrahim Kante (@IbrahimKante14) January 22, 2017
Kante was limited by injury during his senior season which probably limited his recruiting stock to some degree. He holds offers from Temple and UConn, among others—it’s not an impressive offer sheet. If Dave Doeren and Ryan Nielsen (DL coach) like him enough to give him an offer, though, that’s good enough for me.
Kante is listed at 6’5 and about 240 pounds, so he has some growing to do in the weight room, but no doubt there is a lot of potential. He is unranked by 247Sports and is a two-star prospect according to Rivals. Dude is a project for sure, but he has been good enough to draw other high-major interest (BC, Rutgers) in his own back yard.
NC State now has added four commitments in the last week.
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Saturday 21 January 2017
NC State falls to 2-5 in ACC play with 93-88 loss to Wake Forest
wait til next year or whatever who cares anymore
If you’ve seen it once this season, you’ve seen it enough times. NC State plays well in stretches, then forgets completely what the heck it is doing. State simply has no consistent approach offensively, and no awareness defensively, and this is another example among many. Wake Forest beat the Pack with brute offense on Saturday afternoon, 93-88
Wake Forest mostly controlled the final 10 minutes, though NC State managed to make it interesting at certain points, and people are going to focus on the last couple of minutes, when a couple of calls probably should have gone State’s way and did not.
Here is what you should actually care about: State plays like it doesn’t care for 30 minutes and then starts to try when it’s almost/definitely too late. Some breaks from the refs could have maybe changed things on Saturday, but leaving it up to them is on State, period. No, Terry Henderson was not out of bounds on that steal in the last 15 seconds. And also, no, there’s no guarantee that play makes any difference at all in the final outcome.
It hurt, sure, but when you are giving up 90+ at home to teams it’s hard to find a lot of bones to pick with officiating when you could be actually doing good at basketball most of the game instead of being terrible. That’s not on the refs. That’s on this team, which gives inconsistent effort, which gave up on attacking the paint against a very mediocre defense, and gave way to hero ball and panic when they fell behind by 10.
For a group that can be so good offensively, they sure do lose their purpose a lot. There was a period in the final 10 minutes or so when State settled for a bunch of terrible jump shots, and guess what, that didn’t work out well. That is not a sustainable or even sane approach for any team ever. Dennis Smith should be the guy working them out of these stretches, but he’s as guilty as anyone else of playing iso-ball.
I’m angry because when the offense works like it should it’s really really good so it’s frustrating to watch these guys pussyfoot around the perimeter, especially against Wake Forest, which has not proven at all that it can guard in the paint. There’s still a lack of identity with this group and that’s unfortunate. It’s too late now, the year is lost.
I saw a self-aware remark the other day from a UConn fan on Twitter, basically saying the rest of the year is an exhibition for their team leading up to the only tournament that matters for them (the conference tournament). We are right there too, friends.
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Filed under "Be careful what you ask for"
I don't think this is what Civitas was anticipating. #NCpol @donaldhtaylorjr https://t.co/F4YRDucz50 http://pic.twitter.com/W3p0zYOOK9
— Emma Sandoe (@emma_sandoe) January 20, 2017
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Friday 20 January 2017
A new chapter begins
As we look forward, I want our first steps to reflect what matters most to you. Share your thoughts with me at https://t.co/fGUxlpLVue.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) January 20, 2017
There's more, come with me down here:
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Meet the offense-heavy Wake Forest Demon Deacons
How to watch or listen to the game
Tip time: 2 p.m. ET, Saturday, Jan. 20
TV: ACC Network (Evan Lepler, Cory Alexander)
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: Wolfpack Sports Network (affiliates)
Wake Forest vitals
Record: 11-7 (2-4)
Pomeroy ranking: 38
Best win***: 96-79 over Miami (No. 34 in Pomeroy Ratings)
Worst loss***: 73-68 to Clemson (No. 33 in Pomeroy Ratings)
(***Based on opponent's Pomeroy Rating, not margin of victory/defeat.)
Adjusted tempo: 70.5 poss/40 minutes (ranks 104th)
Adjusted offensive efficiency: 118.2 (ranks 18th)
Adjusted defensive efficiency: 101.9 (ranks 128th)
Wake roster
Wake schedule
Wake stats 2016 / 2017
The Wake offense and starters
| WF Offense -- Four Factors | eFG% | TO% | OR% | FT Rate |
| 2016-17 overall (nat'l rank) | 54.5 (41) | 18.1 (110) | 31.6 (113) | 37.0 (131) |
| 2016-17 ACC only (ACC rank) | 52.4 (7) | 17.8 (7) | 28.4 (11) | 36.8 (5) |
Understandably, it's taken some time for Danny Manning to clear the enormous pile of crap from Lawrence Joel Coliseum that was left behind by Jeff Bzdelik. Wake Forest won a total of seven ACC games in his first two seasons, but here in year three, it looks like the Deacs are taking a legitimate step forward. They've matched last season's win total in conference play and they have been competitive against top-35 teams like Xavier, Northwestern, and UNC.
The reason for the overall improvement lies entirely at the offensive end, where Wake has gone from No. 132 in offensive efficiency last season to No. 18 this year. The defense, meanwhile, has stagnated, dropping one spot in defensive efficiency.
Wake is shooting the ball better across the board and ranks among the top 25 in free throw shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage. Last season was a year of growing pains for a really young group, and now as sophomores and juniors, they're beginning to put it together. Well, offensively, at least.
Big man John Collins' emergence as the leader of the offense as sophomore has been crucial, and it sure did make quick memory of Devin Thomas. Collins is already one of the top post threats in the ACC, averaging 16 and 9 a night on 59.5% shooting in the paint.
At any given time, Wake Forest can surround Collins with four guys shooting at least 35% from beyond the arc, so you begin to see why the Deacs have become a much more difficult matchup this season. Last year's Deacs did not have near the perimeter shooting depth that this team has.
Starters
Bryant Crawford (6-3, 200) -- Crawford is much more efficient this season, which is a good thing since he's maintaining the same high workload he had in 2016. He's improved from 43.4% on twos as a freshman to 52.1% as a sophomore and has also cut down on turnovers. His assist rate ranks 21st nationally.
Keyshawn Woods (6-3, 205) -- Charlotte fans must be wondering how good they'd be if Torin Dorn and Woods were still around. Woods is a career 45.7% three-point shooter, and he hits more than half of his twos as well. Dude is a heck of a shooter, and not a bad passer, either.
Austin Arians (6-6, 230) -- Arians, a grad transfer from Milwaukee, has been content thus far with a reduced role that has him serving as a three-point specialist and not doing much else. He is hitting 43.2% from deep.
Dinos Mitoglou (6-10, 255) -- The Greek Deac is about the same as he ever was: solid shooter, solid rebounder, decent shot blocker, a little turnover prone--y'know just kinda all-around useful, but unspectacular.
John Collins (6-10, 235) -- Collins will deserve heavy consideration for first-team All-ACC if he continues at this current pace of production. He's not only shooting nearly 60%, he's grabbing tons of boards (20th nationally in OR%, 59th in DR%), blocking a lot of shots (76th in block rate), and drawing a whole heap of fouls (15th in fouls drawn per 40 minutes). In other words, dude is a monster in the paint. The only thing slowing him down is the fact that he's foul prone.
The Wake bench and defense
Reserves: Mitchell Wilbekin (6-2, 175), Brandon Childress (6-0, 190), Doral Moore (7-1, 265), Greg McClinton (6-7, 200). Wilbekin is shooting 42.4% from three and 28.2% inside the arc, which is not exactly out of character. NC State will probably manage to screw up defending him anyway.
Childress is also fighting the short guy struggle inside the arc but has been decent (34.9%) from three. Moore and McClinton are unlikely to contribute much scoring but they have a lot of fouls to give and are quite charitable about handing them out.
| WF Defense -- Four Factors | eFG% | TO% | OR% | FT Rate |
| 2016-17 overall (nat'l rank) | 51.1 (205) | 17.1 (281) | 28.7 (131) | 34.4 (158) |
| 2016-17 ACC only (ACC rank) | 53.0 (10) | 15.3 (15) | 27.3 (4) | 42.5 (15) |
Manning hasn't been able to find a solution at this end of the floor, and this year at least, there probably isn't one. The Deacs just rely too much on guards to effectively defend the paint; defensive rebounding aside, Wake's interior defense has been one of the worst in the ACC. ACC foes are making 53.5% of their twos. They've been more foul prone in ACC games and force turnovers at the league's lowest rate. Hard to succeed on a regular basis with numbers like these.
Fortunately for them, they can score with anybody.
The Pomeroy Predictor likes Wake by 2.
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Thanks, Obama
Ten years ago, if you had asked me if we would see an African-American president in my lifetime, I would have said probably not. But if you had asked me twenty-five years ago, I would have thought that was impossible. Yet, today we’re watching the final few hours of a two-term black president who probably […]
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Getting our money’s worth
President (I cringe to type it) Donald Trump has put together the worst cabinet in history. It’s a disgrace. But back here in Raleigh, where the Democratic comeback has begun, Roy Cooper, has chosen a team of which to be proud. This contrast points the way toward renewed national success. Of all Trump’s nominees, maybe […]
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Friday News: Corrupt to the very end
MCCRORY ORDERED $166,000 PAYOUTS TO DEPARTING CABINET HEADS (Raleigh News & Observer) -- On his way out of office, Gov. Pat McCrory ordered accrued vacation and bonus leave payouts worth about $166,000 to his 10 Cabinet secretaries — money they would not otherwise have been entitled to receive. The top executives were exempt from state personnel regulations, and so were not eligible to receive the payouts under typical circumstances. McCrory on Dec. 29 wrote to the state controller and the interim director of the Office of State Human Resources telling them to send the payouts “as if they were regular state employees,” retroactive to their first day of employment in the exempt position.
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NC State in ACC play: Comparing the 2017 Pack to the 2016 Pack
NC State currently occupies similar territory in the Pomeroy Ratings as it did a season ago, and as far as KenPom is concerned, this Wolfpack group is headed to another 5-13 finish in ACC games. That may end up being the case--no doubt the aggregate numbers through six games support such a conclusion.
However, the UNC game carries heavy weight in State's evaluation since we're only talking about six games, and since that is a massive outlier (y'know, probably), NC State's offense probably isn't getting as much credit as it deserves for its performance in league games.
First, here's NC State's statistics--including the UNC game--compared to how the Pack performed in ACC games last season.
| NCSU Offense -- Four Factors | eFG% (conf rank) | TO% | OR% | FT Rate | OFF_EFF |
| 2016-17 in ACC play | 51.1 (12) | 21.5 (14) | 31.1 (7) | 27.1 (10) |
99.5 (14) |
| 2015-16 in ACC play | 48.6 (11) | 17.0 (8) | 35.8 (3) | 36.3 (4) | 108.0 (7) |
The 2017 Pack are shooting better but doing everything else worse--of particular note, the increased turnover rate. If State can't take better care of the ball, it's going to be difficult for this unit to be consistently above-average going forward. Being consistently above-average over the last 12 games is kind of essential.
Anyway, so with the UNC game stats included, NCSU's offense is averaging a shade under a point per trip, which is ugly and markedly worse than last year.
Exclude the UNC game, though ...
| NCSU Offense -- Four Factors | eFG% (conf rank) | TO% | OR% | FT Rate | OFF_EFF |
| 2016-17 excluding UNC | 52.9 (5) | 19.4 (14) | 33.0 (4) | 29.0 (10) |
107.5 (7) |
NC State's still turning the ball over a bunch and having trouble drawing fouls, but the rest of the picture looks quite a bit healthier. Suddenly the Pack's 2017 offense is basically on par with last season, with top-five league ranks in shooting and rebounding. I'm not saying this is the "true" NCSU offense, but this picture may be a little closer to reality. As always, schedule caveats apply. These are all raw numbers.
Regardless, State's gotta do something about these turnovers. Malik Abu's turnover rate, for whatever reason, has skyrocked this season. And this Wolfpack backcourt is far more turnover-prone than its 2016 counterpart.
To the defense! I am not going to do the same UNC/non-UNC game breakdown, since State's defensive performance (they allowed 1.26 PPP), I would argue, was no outlier.
| NCSU Defense -- Four Factors | eFG% (conf rank) | TO% | OR% | FT Rate | DEF_EFF |
| 2016-17 in ACC play | 55.1 (14) | 17.3 (11) | 30.2 (6) | 33.5 (8) |
112.1 (13) |
| 2015-16 in ACC play | 52.7 (13) | 13.8 (15) | 31.3 (5) | 32.4 (6) | 113.9 (15) |
We're slightly better! NC State's deeper and more athletic backcourt has at least helped to deliver more turnovers, and I'm not going to complain about being sixth in defensive rebounding. I'll take that number the rest of the way. NC State's 2FG% defense is a bit better at this point, but here's the thing: opponents have hit all of the dang threes.
The first six opponents have hit 43.4% from three, which is partly the result of poor defense and partly the result of randomness, not to mention that we've seen plenty of good shooters already. NC State's luck in terms of 3FG% defense--however you want to define that--was mostly good during the non-conference portion of the schedule. Now, not so much.
Shooting at this incredible rate probably will not continue. Out of 358 D-I squads, only two are hitting better than 43% from three. UCLA leads the nation at 43.3%. So it is unlikely that our opponents will in aggregate continue to shoot like UCLA. If they do, well, hey, sometimes it just ain't your year.
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Thursday 19 January 2017
BTP’s Power of Positivity- David Amerson
An unceremonious final year at State; but lets accentuate the positive
AHHHHHHH Backing The Pack...don’t you dare be sour...say something good about David Amerson and feeeeeeeel the POWER...
Primer
- David Amerson played cornerback at NC State from 2010 to 2012
- In 2011, he broke the ACC’s single season record of 13 INTs
- Also in 2011, Amerson was named All-ACC, 1st team All-American by Walter Camp & received the Jack Tatum Award for Best CB in the nation
- After the 2012 season, Amerson was drafted in the 2nd Round by the Washington Football Team.
h/t Cageside Seats
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Environmental Injustice: Living in Hogland
Talk about your bad neighbors:
The EPA says the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has not done enough to reduce asthma, stench, flies, truck traffic and other problems caused by the facilities. The federal agency also says it has “grave concerns” about reports from minority neighbors of threats and intimidation against those who have complained.
“North Carolina hog farmers are good neighbors who care deeply about protecting our water and air,” Andy Curliss, chief executive officer of the Pork Council, said in a statement released Wednesday. “We welcome the opportunity to sit down with state regulators and those who live near our farms to address any concerns they may have.”
Oh, Andy. How far you've fallen. You used to investigate stories like this, and uncover the dark secrets behind the shining public façade. Now you are that façade. And you're not just covering up unethical business practices, some of this behavior is not unlike the mafia in its implied violence and brutality:
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Rutgers assistant Aaron Henry will be NC State’s new safeties coach
NC State has found its replacement for Clayton White.
Since Clayton White left NC State to become the defensive coordinator at Western Kentucky, Dave Doeren has had a vacancy on his coaching staff. He’s filled it with Rutgers assistant Aaron Henry, who as White did, will coach the safeties. Henry announced his departure on Twitter.
‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ http://pic.twitter.com/aTMonPlFb8
— Aaron Henry (@AaronHenry7) January 18, 2017
Henry is a 2011 graduate of Wisconsin—yes, 2011—who spent two years as a graduate assistant at Arkansas before landing his first real assistant coaching job at Rutgers in 2016. Dave Doeren was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin while Henry played there.
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Unfunded mandates
I’m old enough to remember when Republicans pummeled Democrats for unfunded mandates. Unfunded mandates are regulations or requirements passed by legislatures or Congress without the money to pay for them. That’s exactly what Republicans are doing to our public school system. The North Carolina legislature passed a law lowering class sizes for kindergartners through third […]
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NC State football recruiting: 4-star 2018 RB Ricky Person picks Pack
Nice pickup for Doeren and company.
NC State’s staff got some great news Wednesday afternoon when consensus four-star running back prospect Ricky Person committed to the Wolfpack. Person, a member of the 2018 class, plays for Heritage in Wake Forest, NC. Nice when a top-10 player in your state lives minutes away!
Blessed to say that I would be doing a verbal commit to the NCSU #Gopack http://pic.twitter.com/JsQBZ1lJyz
— The kidd (@Mr_Elite04) January 18, 2017
Any time there’s a commitment, you know what that means!
http://pic.twitter.com/SxFnHBPUnN
— Dave Doeren (@StateCoachD) January 18, 2017
It's a party happening in Wake County NC. #PACK2K18 http://pic.twitter.com/x7WFvN2IpA
— Desmond Kitchings (@coachdeskitch) January 18, 2017
Person, who is 6’2, 202 pounds, holds scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Duke, Louisville, and Wake Forest. He is a consensus top-150 player in the country following his junior season; Rivals appears to be highest on him, ranking him No. 69 nationally.
A lot of great high school players play multiple positions for their teams, and Person is no exception—he also spent time at linebacker for Heritage. (Which is partly why some recruiting sites list him as an “athlete” rather than a running back.)
Person seems more likely to slot in at RB in Raleigh, especially since the Pack has several backs (plus JaySam) heading into either their junior or senior seasons.
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Wednesday 18 January 2017
Pittsburgh Win: Things that were Good
Energy, shooting, and rebounding were all improved
State got back in the win column with a gutty performance Tuesday night against Pittsburgh. The Pack could have crumbled into a spineless heap at the eight minute mark of the second half when Pitt opened up a seven point lead. They didn’t though. State played hard in this game and fought through some adversity, which they had done exactly once all year. That’s a positive step of sorts.
I still maintain that effort and intensity was a secondary issue, and correcting this isn’t going to push State close to where it is capable of being, but it’s an improvement, and against a bad team like Pitt it was enough to make a difference.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Markell Johnson playing 33 minutes had something to do with a more energetic performance. I’ve always felt that he and Mav consistently gave big effort, despite their individual limitations, and I think last night proved that, given how many minutes both played. Johnson only scored eight points, but he impacted the game in lots of other places than the scoring sheet.
Maverick Rowan was the MVP of the game. His job is to impact the game specifically on the scoring sheet, and he did just that to the tune of 21 points and 6-9 from three. State does not win this game without his hot shooting. Rowan is now knocking down threes at over a 42% clip this year, which is almost 9% higher than his final numbers last year.
Rowan’s height makes it much easier for him to shoot over defenders than the Pack’s other perimeter players. If he can continue to hit these types of shots at a percentage close to what he is shooting now, that would be a nice boost for an offense that can struggle to create open looks.
So where on earth did Yurtseven’s sudden rebounding dominance come from? He doubled his previous career high with 16 boards. Maybe he read the thing I said about him and it motivated him. If that’s the case, then Omer, you’re really bad and definitely will not average 20 and 15 the rest of the season.
If State is 20 steps away from where it could be, then last night was about ¾ of a step, but at least we’re moving in the right direction now.
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Uncharted territory
North Carolina is in uncharted political territory. Not in well over 100 years has a GOP-controlled legislature welcomed a Democratic governor. When the Republicans took power in 2010, Democrat Bev Perdue still had two years left in her term. In 2012, the legislative leaders welcomed fellow Republican Pat McCrory to Raleigh by muscling him around […]
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NC State checks in at No. 6 in D1baseball.com preseason poll
After coming painfully close to deep NCAA tournament runs the past two seasons, State is once again a threat to have an extended run.
As usual, the ACC is a deep and talented baseball league, with three schools in the D1baseball.com preseason top 10, including NC State at No. 6. The only team ranked higher than the Wolfpack is Florida State at No. 3.
NC State did lose some key pieces off of last year's team--notably first baseman Preston Palmeiro--but still returns a lot of experience. The bulk of the lineup returns intact, which should give the Pack an above-average offense once again. They'll miss Palmeiro's overall talents, Andrew Knizner's consistency behind the plate, and Chance Shepard's raw power, but a breakout year or two can mitigate those losses substantially.
Brian Brown returns to anchor the starting pitching staff for the third consecutive season, and while there are questions behind him, there's enough arm talent on the roster for the coaches to sort out the rotation without things becoming a disaster.
NC State opens its 2017 season with a three-game set at Hawaii beginning on Feb. 17.
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Tuesday 17 January 2017
NC State rallies past Pittsburgh for 79-74 victory
Had to have it.
NC State snapped its losing skid against Pittsburgh Tuesday night, rallying from a seven-point deficit to capture a 79-74 win. Terry Henderson and Maverick Rowan led the charge by scoring 21 points apiece, and the duo was a combined 10-19 from beyond the arc.
The Wolfpack got off to a solid start in this one, opening up an eight-point lead on the Panthers early, but the game was destined to be a back-and-forth affair. Pittsburgh used a 13-4 run in the middle of the second half to turn a two-point deficit in to a seven-point lead, at which point all the wearying thoughts about State’s shortcomings came flying through the door.
On this night at least, another setback fueled by poor defense was not to be. Pittsburgh scored only five points over the final eight minutes to aid the cause. Terry Henderson scored five straight points after State fell behind 69-62, Maverick Rowan hit a key triple down the stretch, and Pack did just enough at the free throw line in the final couple of minutes to salt it away, despite a tenuous moment late.
Both teams shot well from three-point range and with free throws and turnovers basically a wash, the big key in this one was NC State’s superior rebounding. The Pack grabbed grabbed 42.9% of its missed shots while limiting the Panthers to only six offensive rebounds total (an 18.8 OR% for Pitt). That proved a decisive edge.
This is a start for the Pack, though still not exactly a sparkling display of defense, and now they’ve got another must win-situation coming up against Wake Forest this weekend.
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Breaking the political system
With Republicans now trying to undo Obama’s legacy, we should also remember THEIR legacy from the Obama years. In an effort to make Obama a failed president, they broke our political system. Mitch McConnell played a long game that finally gave Republicans both Houses of Congress and the White House. He also gave the country Donald […]
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Five Things You Should Know About Discovery Under The New Business Court Rules
If you are not willing to take the time to read the new Rules (which is not recommended), here are five things which affect discovery in the Business Court under the new Rules:
Be Courteous And Cooperative
New Rules 10.1 through 10.8 govern discovery. The new Rules dictate cooperation in discovery. Rule 10.1 (titled "general principles") says that:
The parties should cooperate to ensure that discovery is conducted efficiently. Courtesy and cooperation among counsel advances, rather than hinders, zealous representation.
If you think that this is a new and unfairly burdensome obligation, you are in the wrong profession. The North Carolina Revised Rules of Professional Conduct say that "[l]awyers are encouraged to treat opposing counsel with courtesy and to cooperate with opposing counsel when it will not prevent or unduly hinder the pursuit of the objective of the representation." Comment 1 to RRPC 1.2
Proportionality
The Rules make a specific reference to the concept of "proportionality," which was incorporated into the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure with the 2015 amendments to those Rules. New Rule 10.3(a) says that in the Case Management Conference:
Counsel should discuss the scope of discovery, taking into account the needs of the case,the amount in controversy, limitations on the parties’ resources, the burden and expense of the expected discovery compared with its likely benefit, the importance of the issues at stake in the litigation, and the importance of the discovery for the adjudication of the merits of the case.
If you find this to be a startling limitation on the scope of discovery, it isn't. NCRCP 26(b)(1a), effective in 2015 and captioned "limitations on frequency and extent," references much the same concepts. If you have an interest in mastering the challenge of proportionality, the drafters of the new Business Court Rules recommend studying A Practical Guide in Achieving Proportionality under New Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26, 9 The Fed. Cts. L. Rev. 20 (2015).
Electronically Stored Information (ESI)
The new Rules speak more specifically to electronically stored information (ESI), more so than did Old Rule 17.1(t), which mentioned only "metadata.". New Rule 10.3(c) says that counsel for the parties should prepare an ESI protocol —an agreement between the parties for the identification, preservation, collection, and production of ESI." The Rule goes on to suggest the items that should be covered, like "the specific sources, location, and estimated volume of ESI" and how the search should be conducted. When should this happen? Per new Rule 9.1(d), at the Case Management Meeting. That meeting is required to happen no more than sixty days after the designation of the case to the Business Court. (new Rule 9.1(b)).
Interrogatories, Requests For Admission, And Depositions
Interrogatories and requests for admission are limited to no more than twenty-five (new Rule 10.4(b)). That's half the number permitted by the past set of Rules, which allowed for fifty of each (old Rule 18.2). The number of depositions allowed remains unchanged-- to no more than twelve by each party. (new Rule 10.4(c); old Rule 18.2), Though under the old Rules, Rule 18.2 excluded "testifying experts" from the limitation of twelve. The new Rules make no such exclusion, so this represents somewhat of a limitation.
All depositions are subject to a time limit of seven hours. New Rule 10.7(a). You might remember that when Rule 30 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended in 2000 to provide for the same time limit, that there initially was debate about whether the time taken for breaks -- like coffee, lunch, or a trip to the bathroom -- was included in the time limit. It wasn't really much of a debate, since the federal advisory committee notes actually resolved that question. The notes say “[t]]his limitation contemplates that there will be reasonable breaks during the day for lunch and other reasons, and that the only time to be counted is the time occupied by the actual deposition.”
The new Business Court Rule 10.7(a) resolves that practical issue on its face, it says that the seven hours is measured by "on--the-record time."
The new Rule contains some clarification for 30(b)(6) depositions. A party providing a 30(b)(6) witness may often present multiple witnesses, each addressing a separate 30(b)(6) topic. Rule 10.4(c) says that "for depositions conducted pursuant to Rule 30(b)(6), each period of seven hours of testimony will count as a single deposition, regardless of the number of designees presented during that seven-hour period."
Streamlined Procedure For Resolving Discovery Disputes
In a new approach for resolving discovery disputes, new Rule 10.9(b)(1) requires the moving party to "initiate a telephone conference among counsel and the presiding Business Court judge about the dispute." in order to initiate this telephone conference, the moving party a party first must e-mail a summary of the dispute [of less than 700 words] "to the judicial assistant and law clerk for the presiding Business Court judge and to opposing counsel." The opposing party has seven calendar days to respond with an equally pithy (700 word) response. After receiving the response, the Judge can either require the filing of a formal motion and a brief, or rule based on the summaries.
It will be interesting to see how this approach works. Maybe the Business Court Judges will be innundated with telephone conferences. Or maybe, after the lawyers exchange the summaries, they will be infected with the spirit of courtesy and cooperation dictated by new Business Court Rule 10.1.
Credit Where Credit Is Due
I was guided in preparing this post by a document prepared by the principal drafters of the new Rules, including my partner Jennifer Van Zant, who seems to get mentioned on this blog more than any other Brooks Pierce lawyer. The document was prepared quite a while ago (in May 2016), so the Rule changes actually implemented may vary from what are described in it. It is titled Key Features of Proposed Changes to the North Carolina Business Court Rules.
I am working on adding the Revised Rules to the Sidebar of this blog. They have been hyperlinked by my assistant Nancy Preslan, who is undoubtedly the best legal assistant in the world. "Hyperlinked," in this case, means that you can clink on any Rule in the table of contents and hop to that Rule, and then click on the Rule itself to return to the Table of Contents. That saves a lot of paging back and forth. For now, they are here.
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