arnold@umcp-cs.UUCP (11/21/83)
Last years defending champs North Carolina State University is not to be found in any preseason polls. Yes I know that they did lose 4 out of 5 starting players. But they beat Houston by 12 point in the Hall of Fame game last Saturday. And where still not ranked in the Washington Post on Monday. Is there something that I do not know about The Hall of Fame game or when the college hoops season offical starts. --- arnold -- --- Arnold Miller, U of Maryland, College Park MD Usenet: ...!seismo!umcp-cs!arnold Arpanet: arnold%umcp-cs@CSNet-Relay
bch@unc.UUCP (11/22/83)
N.C. State is picked to finish 4th or 5th in the ACC, depending on which polls you read. Personally I suspect they will finish 3rd, but don't hold me to it until the regular conference schedule begins. Without demeaning State or belittling their effort, I really thought Houston looked W R E T C H E D on Saturday. State was disciplined and patient, while Houston looked like they were waiting for Drechsler and Micheaux to return from the NBA. The Hall of Fame game is a weird game, however. It is played before teams have the chance to put their full offense and defense in, and often before they have really settled into any kind of pattern. Largely what the game seems to depend on is raw pick-up talent against raw pick-up talent. In that context a player like Olajawon who needs to be protected tends to become somewhat of a liability chasing up and down the court. Too, Jim Valvano is a very savvy coach -- certainly more so that Guy Lewis -- and is at his best in relatively ambiguous situations. -- Byron Howes UNC - Chapel Hill decvax!duke!mcnc!unc!bch