Too often we are eager to criticize performance, but today I have a good news tale. Since televised sports have become an even bigger part of the American experience, our program providers have become our partners.

They deliver the experience in affordable fashion. In more robust economic times a family might attend seven or even 10 Braves games in a season or load up on a fall Saturday to visit Auburn, Athens or Tallahassee. Now that dollars are tighter and stretched a bit more, our programming provider has taken on new importance.

When it became clear Mediacom (888-847-6228) was not going to carry a significant number of the Braves home games, I went on the path to scalp the company. After trying for weeks to get their attention, it became obvious that they are just running out the clock on a tired business model. If the world is going to wireless and satellite, so, too, am I.

Since making the switch to Dish Network (888-830-7144) two weeks ago, there are no complaints. There has been a small glitch in getting our Internet connected, but the sports viewing experience has been greatly enhanced, and from the reaction of the Mediacom reps, they appear happy to have me out of their hair.

After all, this column reaches nearly a dozen people a week. We are a force!

Braves on track for NL East title.

If there is one nervous team in baseball right now, it would be the Phillies. It’s early June and they lead the National League East by 2.5 games. Two and a half measly games is all they can muster?

Think about that. In the last series with the Astros, the Braves’ entire opening day outfield was on the disabled list. Jason Heyward has a tender shoulder, Martin Prado has a staph infection and centerfielder Nate McClouth forgot how to play baseball. So Atlanta has a left fielder, Eric Hinske, that is built like a keg of beer; a center fielder, Jordan Schafer, that looks like a stick figure; and Matt Young and Joe Mather rotating in right. Nothing wrong with Young and Mather; they will both be fine sales associates at Sears, but MLB slugging outfielders they ain’t.

So how does Atlanta play with this depleted roster? They swept Florida and took three of four from the Astros.

That doesn’t bode well for the Phillies. Heyward is starting to hit off a tee and should begin a minor league rehab stint soon, and may be in Atlanta by the weekend. Prado will be back and mad at the baseball since he missed 15 days of action. McClouth is most likely gonna be a bench player, very high paid minor leaguer, or dumped in a trade for whatever Atlanta can get. Schafer has been too good to take out of the lineup in center. He is stealing bases and creating opportunities, and even Dan Uggla is showing signs of recovering his swing since Freddi Gonzales moved him to the two hole in the order.

So we will be getting our bats back, and pitcher Brandon Beachy will be coming off the DL as will Chris Medlen. The Braves already have the best pitching staff in baseball and lead the league with a 2.96 ERA.

The Phillies are second with a 3.18, but their bullpen is not as deep as the one on Hank Aaron Drive. Johnny Venters is sliding into a dual closer role with Craig Kimbrel, and why shouldn’t he? Venters has the best stuff in baseball right now and a 0.44 ERA, lowest in the Bigs. Kimbrel is a great closer with 18 saves already, but I like to call him Mr. Excitement. He never mows down the side, issues too many walks, and should rely more on his 97 mph fastball.

Of course, these aren’t bad problems to have.

Look out Philly. The second half of the season will belong to Atlanta.

Written by Mike Flynn.

A friend attended the UGA event at Doublegate last week. This friend knows little about football or the dynamics of the SEC coaching world. When I ask for an opinion of what Coach Richt had to say, this person said, “Coach Richt is very devout, but I got the feeling he is focused on ministering to his team more than coaching them.”

In the big picture, how do you complain about that? How do you knock a man for putting God first, and football second? You simply cannot, but let’s examine where all this may be headed.

No one on earth questions the man’s principles, but there are growing signs that the desire to coach a high profile Division I program no longer exist in him.

Just look at some statements made by Richt. In a recent interview with Chip Towers, Georgia beat writer for the AJC, Richt said his family was living at their Lake Hartwell home for the summer. He went on the say how he enjoyed the commute of about one hour because it gave time to think about things other than football.

Sounds logical for your average Joe, but in a league where Sabans roam the sidelines and devour time by watching tape and working 70 hours a week, this mentality will not get you to the top. Nor will your AD making more time in your schedule so you can “study football”.

While the man’s principle must be admired, the time is coming for the coach to make the ultimate display to back up what he says. The University of Georgia has paid Richt over $25-million in his tenure. If Richt is truly what he says, principled, he will honestly evaluate his level of desire to be a football coach.

After the Bulldog nation has enriched the man and made it possible for him to evolve into his current altruistic form, he owes it to UGA to step down if he does not have the drive to give what is needed to do the job.

Team chaplains don’t get paid $3-million a year in the SEC, and many good men have been terminated for falling just a bit short. Just ask Bill Curry.

Same old story, nice guys finish last. Richt is not another Jim Tressell, or wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s the real deal, but in a league where coaches over-sign, offer pay for play, and burn out after two championships, can this type of man deliver. Can he hold to his core while Central Florida embarrasses the Dog Nation?

I did an informal poll and asked a few fans about the current coaching situation. My question was would you prefer a man of principle and devotion with a 2-8 record versus Florida, or an abrasive sinner that mops the Jacksonville turf with Gator guts?

The response was overwhelming and you know what they picked.

I have a theory that Richt knows it is time to for him to move on, but being the man he is, doesn’t want to leave UGA down and out after a 6-7 season and disappointing bowl loss to Central Florida. I predict he will attempt to right the ship this year, then step down with the program on the upswing.

He is far too principled to stick around for a buyout or ride out a contract for money. That behavior would not be Christian-like. Sticking around just for the dollars when you know you aren’t delivering on your side of the agreement is not something this man will do.

Right?

Go ahead and your calendar for a few dates. The first is May 24. Georgia Coach Mark Richt will be speaking at Doublegate Country Club. In an effort to bring the university to the fan base, Athletic Director Greg McGarity and Vic Sullivan, president of the UGA Alumni Association, have launched UGA Day.

Richt, basketball coach Mark Fox, McGarity, University President Michael Adams, and head of UGA’s Honors Program Dr. David Williams will spend the summer crisscrossing the South and alternating speaking assignments. If you want more information you can visit www.alumni.uga.edu/alumni/home.

A 1995 encore?

The other date to remember is October. Write this down. I am predicting the Braves will be knee-deep in the World Series when Halloween is closing in on us. Consider that Atlanta just won a series against the team with the best record in baseball, while Jason Heyward was on the bench.

Not only was the team without J-Hey, but Chipper pulled himself out of the lineup on Sunday because of a torn something in his right knee. Torn and knee are not good combinations for Chipper or the Braves, but this problem is apparently fixable and may only cost us a few weeks without the switch hitter. This is not good news, but it ain’t all bad, either. At 39, Jones was only going to give us between 90 and 110 games anyway. This is manageable, and better now than September.

So Prado will move to third and Hinske to left when J-Hay comes back. No problem. We keep on ticking.

Then there is the deepest pitching staff in baseball. Tim Hudson. Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, and Brandon Beachy as starters on the main club, and Mike Minor and Julio Teheran seasoning in Gwinett. Plus Kris Medlen will be coming off the DL in August. We are stacked with starters, but only have one baseball. It is a nice problem to have. The Braves currently lead the National League with a 2.99 ERA. The Phillies are second at 3.13.

The bullpen is solid, too. Closer Craig Kimbrel has a 95 mph fastball, but can be shaky at times. Setup man Jonny Venters is unhittable. His slider may be the best in baseball.

So where is the weakness? So far it has been at the plate. Nate McClouth got off to a slow start, but has managed to bring his average up to .259, mostly from the eighth spot in the order. Dan Uggla has been flirting with the Mendoza line all season, but you know he will eventually get hot. He is currently hitting .205, but has busted seven home runs, including the game winner on Sunday.

The bench has been a little weak, too. Now that Hinske is likely to be starting for a while, our only pop from a pinch hitter is Joe Mather, who has 0 long balls and a .250 average and reserve catcher David Ross (.333 with 3 HR). Last season’s clutch hitter Brooks Conrad has been a disaster with a .105 average and only two hits all season.

The Braves may be forced to do something about Conrad. One noticeable difference between Freddi Gonzalez and Bobby Cox is Gonzalez will make a move to address this problem. Cox had so many years in and such a comfort level in his job, he would hold on to players through terrible slumps just because he liked them. Remember the summer of Norton? Cox was bulletproof. Who was gonna do or say anything to him that would force a move.

Gonzalez is more pliable on these issues, because bulletproof he ain’t. Now if he directs us through the season to a win over the best team in the American League in October, that will change.

By the way, have you noticed which team has the best record in the AL? The Cleveland Indians. Who did we play in 1995? Just sayin’.

A few years have strolled by since these kids were running the base paths behind Lake Park and Sherwood schools. They were 3 feet tall. Then they graduated to the Dixie field behind the Sherwood Library, where they honed their skills.

Now Lindsey Short, all 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds of him, is hitting 400-foot bombs and Gil Gillespie is gunning down runners and handling catching duties with quiet skill. Harris Webb is turning plays at second, short and leading off for the DWS Knights as they enter the second round of the GISA playoffs, and Sammy Shellhaas is starting in right field as a sophomore.

The DWS roster also has role players Pete Langstaff, Cooper Shoemaker (two football titles), Chris Michas, Austin Murphy, Cole Butler (one football title) and Tyler Cook (two football titles) who are Albany Dixie League products. We’ve watched all of them grow up before our eyes and now they are chasing a GISA AAA baseball title.

We have also seen Rhett Cooper (two football titles) play football like a maniac. We saw him cover kickoffs as a sophomore running down the field with his hair on fire looking for someone to crush. He’s a baseball player with a middle linebacker mentality. We saw Davis Moore (two football titles) save a state championship, also as a sophomore, when he came off the bench late in the game to play corner back. Then he ran all over the world for two more seasons. Now a few months from graduation can they put together another championship?

It won’t be easy. Moore has been hampered by a hamstring injury and Cooper with a broken bone in his throwing hand. Last Saturday, Cooper used that inner linebacker to pitch through the pain in relief work

Then there is Banks Kinslow. I have debated his skill for a few years. Parents rage about how he is a great athlete. Let me set the record straight. He isn’t big, fast or strong like “great athletes” are, but by my count he has two championship rings in football, and one in basketball and track. He played safety, quarter back, shooting guard, handled punting duties, returned kicks, pitches, plays shortstop and drives the bus. He is by definition, a winner.

Senior Matt Moree (one football title) has been an anchor at the hot corner and with the bat. Both he and center fielder Michael Laslie (one football title and another Albany Dixie product) will be chasing their second title ring each having been a big part of last season’s undefeated football squad.

Senior Chris Moates transferred over from Lee County two seasons ago and has been the DWS ace on the mound. He hits third and has a batting average around .800. He and Weston King (one football ring), Matt Moree and younger brother James Moree (one football title) are Lee County Dixie League products.

For the past two seasons the Knights have been eliminated in the semis by Tattnall Square, but their nemesis De’Andre Smelter has moved on to play for Georgia Tech. Coach Rod Murray has his team hitting on all cylinders as they crushed Bulloch Academy in the opening round. This may be his year to bring it home.

DWS will host Arlington Christian at 3:30 Friday for a doubleheader in a three-game playoff. If the Knights win two, they will travel for the semifinal round.

Written by Mike Flynn.

April 23rd, 2011
10:47 pm

Tony Zenon is an a-back who’s gone a little under the radar. He does have some potential.

Expect to see Zenon returning kicks and punts on Sept. 1 when the Jackets open up against Western Carolina.

Next season, Albany will send another player to the North Avenue trade school in the form of  Monroe’s Bryan Chamberlain. At 6’4″ and 280, he is expected to get some playing time immediately since the Jacket offensive line is in dire need of help.

The next BIG name?

The next big-time college player from Albany may be rising DWS junior Patrick Forrestal. At 6’5″ and 275 pounds, he is an imposing figure with quick feet. Last week, the University of South Carolina sent a representative to the DWS campus for a meeting with the 16-year-old giant. You’ll hear more about him over the next few years.

Speaking of DWS and linemen, the offseason chatter about the defending state champs has been mostly about their huge and experienced line. While Forrestal is certainly the largest, the line will average around 230 pounds this year and they are also deep with enough returning players to continue their thunder and lightning unit rotations. Knight Head Coach Allen Lowe and offensive line coach Ty Kinslow can mix and match Harrison Houston (230), Parks Pace (195), Trey Flynn (230), Weston King (240) and Tanner Lowe (180) in with Forrestal to push around any team they face this season.

Mediacom (888-847-6228) update

FoxSports reports that every other cable and satellite TV provider in the Southeast region has agreed to terms to broadcast the Braves on PeachtreeTV. There are still 41 games Mediacom (888-847-6228) customers will miss including Friday’s matchup with the Cardinals and games with the Brewers on May 2-5.

If this aggravates you, DishTV (888-830-7144) is running a $39.99 special for 220 channels.

Written by Mike Flynn.

Carver Columbus is absolutely loaded with athletes. Of course, Georgia’s top recruit Isaiah Crowell is finishing his senior year there now, and redshirt sophomore Jarvis Jones is an alumni. However, the pipeline to that talent pool may end there, at least for one season.

Not because the school doesn’t produce talented players — on the contrary, Carver would have had one of the top 10 high school players in the state on their roster next season except for a bad decision.

As reported by Seth Emerson on his Bulldog Blog, three Carver players were arrested on Monday in Athens. Defensive back Deion Boner, running back Marquise Hawkins and an another minor player were booked on charges of theft by taking by UGA police.

The recruits are accused of stealing iPods and iPhones from the lockers of current Georgia players while on a recruiting visit to Athens.

Boner was on the path to be one of the top recruits in the state next fall, but all three players have been indefinitely suspended from the Carver squad. As we have stated before, Boner’s 40 time will make this issue go away (like Cam Newton and the laptop issue.) and he will likely wind up playing in the SEC (Auburn).

Still at war with Mediacom (888-847-6228)

Braves fans are still at war with Mediacon (888-847-6228). So far the cable provider has not provided coverage of four games with 41 more to go. There is no sign of a developing deal, so you can expect to see the count down here every week until the season ends or Mediacon (888-847-6228) responds.

Don’t be lulled to sleep by the fact that our next missed game vs. the St. Louis Cardinals in Atlanta on April 29 is two weeks away. Your frustration will return.

Also don’t fret about the Braves’ current record of 7 and 9. The season is young with plenty of time to find the right mix. The good news is Atlanta leads the league with a 3.09 ERA. The bad news is we are 14th in hitting with a team .230 average. Meanwhile the Phillies are hitting .294 and rank third in pitching with a 3.34 ERA.

Dan Uggla was supposed to be answer to this offensive problem, but his bat normally takes April off and this season is no different. He is currently carrying a .177 average versus his career number of .268. When he gets cranked up it will boost the rest of the lineup.

A bigger problem may be developing in the two slot. Nate McClouth is hitting .212, which is an improvement over his .190 performance of last season, but still a disappointment. In the second slot, he is hitting behind Martin Prado and in front of Chipper Jones. A pitcher facing those three batters will pick one to pitch to, and avoid the others.

Who do you think is getting the strikes? So even in the protected spot McClouth is not able to put up numbers, and last Sunday manager Fred Gonzalez played with the lineup and slid Jason Heyward back to the two hole. He responded with two hits, one a homer. If we are stuck with McClouth, we ought to at least bury him at the eight hole and get more at bats for the J-Hey kid.

This week, the Braves are on the West Coast and will play Friday, Saturday and Sunday against Buster Posey’s Giants.

Written by Mike Flynn.

Not sure when the last time I missed watching the Braves home opener was, but I won’t forget this season’s opener anytime soon. It was historic. Bobby Cox threw out the first pitch. Chipper got his 2,500th hit, and the Braves beat the Phillies. What a night!

Only … I did not see any of it because I am a Mediacom (888-847-6228) subscriber. Instead, my cable provider was kind enough to provide coverage of “BallUp”, a street basketball league. Excuse me … I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

FOXSportsSouth and SportsSouth are carrying 105 games this season and have offered to sell the feed to 45 games which are on PeachtreeTV to distributors like Mediacom (888-847-6228). Last season the provider did buy the feed, but not this year.

Sally Bloom, vice president of governmental affairs and community relations for Mediacom (888-847-6228), told me by telephone Saturday afternoon, “Our company has not completed negotiations with PeachtreeTV to provide any of those games.”

That’s right, I said Saturday afternoon. While I am certain Ms. Bloom would have preferred not to be speaking with an annoying small-town columnist on her day off, I am equally as certain there are thousands of Mediacom (888-847-6228) subscribers that would have preferred to watch the Braves on Friday night.

Ms. Bloom did not know when or if a deal would be struck, so as it stands now, Mediacom (888-847-6228) customers will miss another 44 games, three this week alone, including the Mets on Friday night. Forty-five may not seem like a lot in a 162-game schedule, but consider that of those remaining unavailable games, 35 are at home.

That’s right, you will miss nearly half of the action from The Ted.

Want to watch Buster Posey when the Giants come to town in August? Then you better make alternative plans to Mediacom (888-847-6228) .

Like to relax at the end of a long week by lighting the grill and watching the Braves on Friday night? Good luck with that. There are nine Friday games which will be unavailable.

Hey, business and times are tough and surely the negotiations to provide coverage of the winningest sports franchise in the South are all about the dollars. So Mediacom (888-847-6228) customers may have to get equally tough.

No one likes to switch providers, but Mediacom (888-847-6228) may need to understand they are not a monopoly. DishNetwork (888-232-8689) and Direct TV (877-442-8540) offer packages that include the missing PeachtreeTV games, and both providers are only a phone call away.

A mass Mediacom (888-847-6228) exodus would not be good for WALB or WFXL as the locals would not be available via satellite providers. Local radio has not exactly done a great job with the Braves, either. Cumulus is supposed to carry the games on 1450 AM. So far, the station has not broadcast the season-opening game or the home opener, and during last Thursday’s day game in Milwaukee, the station had the Braves game and the Jim Rome Show playing over each other.

Satellite radio is also an alternative for this problem, but since Cumulus doesn’t send me a monthly bill, this issue is a little less annoying.

Surely it is not too much to ask to have the Braves available via radio or cable. Maybe the team will bring back Chief Noc-a-Homa. He could send out smoke signals from the Ted and that would be an improvement over our current access.

Written by Mike Flynn.

Tournament time

Here we go on the great three-week ride that is the NCAA basketball tournament.

For the third straight year, Albany’s Andre Young will get to play in the event, but the odds of his Clemson team advancing very far are slim.

This season, the field was expanded to 68 teams with four “play-in” games on Tuesday. Clemson drew one of these tough slots, having to fly to Dayton, Ohio, to square off with Alabama-Birmingham. Talk about a double punishment; first they have to spend a night in Dayton, and then play their way into the field of 64.

Should the Tigers win, they will play again two days later against a rested West Virginia team, and if they happen to pull that out they will most likely get to face Kentucky. Yuck! Stranger things have happened, especially in this tournament, but common sense say Andre and the Tigers won’t make it past the second round.

The expanded field did allow bubble teams like Clemson the chance, but two play-in teams are stacked in the East region. Not only will West Virginia draw a tired opponent, but Ohio State, the top seed in the region will face either UT-San Antonio or Alabama State in their opening game. Do we really want to see that?

That configuration weakens that arm of the bracket and makes the path easier as the Buckeyes could play deep down their bench in that first game, and most likely will.

Still, I am picking North Carolina to get past Long Island, Georgia, Xavier, and then Ohio State to set up the fourth meeting of the season with Duke.

As far as college basketball goes, there is no bigger rivalry. Their campuses are 40 hate miles apart. The teams split on their home courts in the regular season, and then Duke lit it up in the finals of the ACC tournament and holds a 2-1 advantage in 2011.

Should this matchup develop, it would be a nationally televised game on Saturday, April 2. The winner would advance to the title game. You can be sure this would look more like an ultimate fighting cage match than a basketball game. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

A lot has to happen to get us to that point. Duke has to, most likely, get past Michigan (a bigger problem than most think), Texas, and then UConn.

Every year there is a sleeper that arises to reach the round of 16. This year I am predicting Florida State, Old Dominion and Wofford to make some noise. Most of the talking heads are ready to crown Belmont as Cinderella, but Wisconsin will take care of business in Round 1.

Of all the No. 1 seeds, Kansas has the easiest path to the Final Four. Many have said Pittsburgh should glide through the Southeast region, but Florida will most likely pop that Big East ego that has grown with the placement of 11 teams in the field. That’s too much from one conference.

There are several teams that could win this thing. Louisville, Florida, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, UConn, Xavier and Syracuse, but I am sticking with the ACC. My prediction is the winner of the fourth Duke-UNC game of the season, will win it all.

That and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee … unless it’s Starbucks.

On the local scene a really fast Ethiopian out paced the field of approximately 2,000 in the Albany Snickers Marathon.

The annual event has become a huge boost to our local economy with runners from as far away as Russia and even Fitzgerald coming to participate. I don’t really know where Ethiopia is, but it sounds far away. It must be somewhere in north Georgia.

Anyway, the runners completed a 26.2-mile marathon. Since I am firmly opposed to jogging, the only thing I really know about this event is to avoid going to downtown Albany the morning of the race. So I have a question. Is there a kid on a bicycle dragging a Snickers bar in front of the field? They do that at the dog track down in Florida. “Here comes Rusty!”

On Friday night the local restaurants were packed! Hotels too. Translation? Events like this good. Do more, please.

Poseys everywhere

Down in Valdosta, junior infielder Samantha Posey is leading the 7-1 Lady Blazers with a .600 batting average, but will miss several games due to a foot injury. VSU is ranked No. 2 in D-II softball.

Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, Jack Posey is recovering from Tommy John surgery after sitting out the 2010 season, and is hoping to return to his earlier form, where he played four positions and pitched for the ‘Noles. FSU is 10-1and ranked No. 5 in the country after losing for the first time Saturday 2-1 to Georgia. Jack is also on the ACC honor roll.

The youngest of the clan, Jess, is playing for the Lee County Trojans, who are 3-3.

Of course, the oldest Posey brother is a pretty good ball player, too. Makes you wonder how Demp and Traci Posey keep up with it all.

Knights to Bears

Up in Macon, the Mercer Bears are off to a 11-3 start on their season. Former Deerfield-Windsor Knights Thomas Carroll and Evan Boyd are a both having a solid season.

Carroll is playing in the outfield and carrying a .418 average with 23 hits, three homers and 19 RBI. Boyd is at shortstop and hitting .250 with 12 hits, one homer and 11 RBI. Both have started all 14 games this season.

Hurricane Warning

The Georgia Southwestern men’s basketball squad is going to their first NCAA D-II tournament. The ‘Canes finished the regular season with a 20-8 record and won the Peach Belt Conference regular season title. They will begin tournament play on Saturday as a third seed against eighth-seeded Montevallo.

The Hurricane baseball team is also off to a strong start with a 9-6 record. Former Lee County Trojans Gray Carden and Mathew Suggs are both getting action out of the bullpen. Carden has a 2-0 record and a 1.42 ERA in seven appearances, while Suggs has two saves in three appearances and 10.1 innings.

Former Westover Patriot Andrew Anderson is hitting .328 with 11 RBI and has started all 15 games.

Written by Mike Flynn.

With the NCAA basketball tournament right around the corner, Georgia is sitting on the bubble with two regular season games remaining. Coach Mark Fox has brought the program a long way in a short time and a tourney invite would help with recruiting, which he needs since the Dawgs’ best player, Trey Thompkins, is surely going to the NBA next season.

Travis Leslie may also test the professional waters, but would be well-advised to play one more season in the college ranks to improve his skill set. He is possibly the best athlete in Athens, but still raw.

CBS Sports currently has UGA as an eighth seed. If the Dawgs sweep LSU and Alabama, then win a few games in the SEC tournament, that could improve to a six seed.

Meanwhile, over at the “10th Avenue Trade School”, the Jackets will be lucky to get an invitation to play in the NIT. Tech has lost eight of their last nine games, and appears to be stuck with Coach Paul Hewitt. They have won 12 games this season by knocking off power house programs like Clark University (in overtime), Charleston Southern, Albany NY, Niagara, UTEP, Savannah State, Richmond, Mercer, and Chattanooga.

So, of the 12 wins, nine have come against non-ACC schools. Of course, UTEP did win a national title … in 1966. So the Jackets have that to put on the resume.

Not only are the wins unimpressive, but Tech also lost by 17 points when they played Kennesaw State on Nov. 15 at Kennesaw. First, why would you ever agree to go play on their court? Second, didn’t KSU just move up to NCAA D-I play a few years ago?

There are apparently 7 million reasons to not fire Hewitt. After he led the Jackets to the title game in 2004, rumors started circulating that the New Jersey Nets where sniffing around the coach. Tech had just made their only appearance in the finals. Bobby Cremins had gotten them close a few times, but Hewitt made it all the way to the final game before falling to UConn.

In a rash moment, Tech offered the coach a ridiculous rollover deal. For an institution so good at math to make such a bad calculation is disturbing. To terminate him now will cost $7 million. To keep him on will doom a once proud program to the cellar of the ACC for years to come.

Prediction? Tech will take their medicine and terminate Hewitt before the ACC tournament. If for some reason he managed to win the thing and make an appearance in the NCAA bracket, their hands would be tied for another season. Even though the odds are against that outcome, Tech should not chance it.

If Clemson and junior guard Andre Young are going to make their third straight appearance in the NCAA tournament, the Tigers need one more regular season win and a few in the ACC tournament. The former Deerfield-Windsor star is averaging 10.9 points per game with a 38.7 percent average from behind the three-point arc. He is also leading Clemson with 83 assists.

Making the cut will be tough as the Tigers host Duke on Wednesday, and then finish the season at Virginia Tech. Two wins could improve their RPI, which is currently at 69. Talk about being on the bubble — 68 teams will make the tournament.

Written by Mike Flynn.