Notes ‘n’ quotes... The fax came in from the UNC Greensboro sports information office,
mentioning three names that brought instant excitement – especially to new coach Fran
McCaffery.
There was Carlos Dixon, a 6-7
point guard. Nathan Popp, a 7-1 center. David Schuck, a 6-8 forward. Together, they were
going to rule the Southern Conference for the next three or four years.
Dixon, of course, is the
high-scoring recruit from South Rowan, who committed to the Spartans in February. Popp
originally signed with Georgia but when coach Ron Jirsa was fired, he decided on
Greensboro. And Schuck actually played for the Air Force Academy in his freshman year,
averaging six points and seven rebounds in the tough Western Athletic Conference. He will
sit out a year.
But in a league like the Southern,
those were three building blocks that could get McCaffery off on the right foot. The
league has few 7-footers, few power forwards as talented as Schuck and few 6-7 point
guards like Dixon.
‘‘I had the opportunity
to see Carlos play in the North-South game and was very impressed,’’ McCaffery
said on May 18. ‘‘He shows the ability to handle the ball, play good defense and
is an excellent passer. The thing I like best about him is that he is a multiple-position
player. He’s a great addition to the team.’’
Now, fast-forward to June 21.
UNC-G athletics director Nelson Bobb is now saying Dixon will be released from his letter
of intent.
‘‘There is an
appropriate process that we must follow when a student-athlete requests a
release,’’ Bobb said. ‘‘We will comply with Carlos’ request once
the process has been completed. This decision has been made in consultation with the
coaching staff, myself and Carlos’ family.’’
Dixon has mentioned Fork Union as
a possibility for next year. Which means he could still come back and join Popp and Schuck
or play at a higher level.
Stay tuned.
But first things first. Dixon will
participate in the East-West All-Star Game next month in Greensboro.
The Scooter Travelogue: West
Rowan’s Scooter Sherrill is currently in Colorado Springs, Colo. participating in the
USA Basketball Youth Development Festival, which kicked off today.
Scooter, a rising senior under
coach Mike Gurley, is one of the nation’s top 44 players in Colorado. He is playing
for the South squad.
Scooter will be reunited with two
teammates that traveled with him to Russia last year – Andre Brown, a 6-9 center from
Chicago and Glenn Worley, a 6-7 forward from Iowa City, Ia. Both will be on the North
squad.
There is only one other Tar Heel
at the festival: Brent Halsch, a 6-5 swingman from Greensboro Day School.
More Scooter: The Falcon star has
also made another Top 10 recruiting list.
His name is mentioned in the
Pickett Report, which looks at North Carolina players. The Report states that
Scooter’s Class of 2000 is the best in the state since 1990, when Rodney Rogers,
Jarvis Lang, Kevin Whitted, Robert Doggett and Migjen Bakali were wowing college scouts.
Trivia question: What
horse has won the most money in a career?
Byron Mouton almost signed with
N.C. State before ducking out at the last minute for Tulane. But the 6-foot-6 forward will
get to play in Raleigh after all. Mouton has transferred to Maryland.
Betcha didn’t know: Pete
Gaudet, formerly of Duke, is now an assistant women’s basketball coach at Vanderbilt.
The Charlotte Hornets made a point
of letting their fans know early that they were not going to stockpile their roster with
players from the ACC and North Carolina.
The WNBA’s Charlotte Sting is
the complete opposite. Three team members from North Carolina State (Andrea Stinson,
Rhonda Mapp and Sharon Manning), two from North Carolina (Charlotte Smith and Tracey
Reid), one from Virginia (Dawn Staley), one from Maryland (Vicky Bullitt) and one from
Florida State (coach Marynell Meadors) dot the roster.
No surprise here: The St. Louis
Cardinals are the first team to draw one million fans on the road.
Just thought you ought to know:
The 1999 Baltimore Orioles have a $78.5 million payroll.
And speaking of outrageous
salaries, infielder Jose Offerman, a lifetime .278 hitter, joined the Boston Red Sox this
season with a four-year, $26 million contract.
Trivia Answer: Cigar, a
two-time Horse of the Year, became the world’s richest thoroughbred, winning nearly
$10 million before retiring in 1997.
So, you think the NBA goes through
coaches at a rapid pace?
In 1999, Luis Alberto of Brazil
became the 10th coach of Saudi Arabia’s Olympic soccer team in just four years.
North Carolina State’s
basketball team will open its new Entertainment and Sports Arena Nov. 19 against
Mississippi State.
What was more amazing? 49-year-old
Larry Holmes fighting 46-year-old Bonecrusher Smith or the fact Cozell McQueen was the
promotor?
If it’s true that imitation
is the greatest form of flattery, then Elizabeth Dole should be flattered. Saturday
Night Live’s Darryl Hammond was on Late Night with Conan O’Brien
recently doing a pretty darn good impersonation of our Liddy.
Rumor has it that a New York City
toy store backed out at having Don King play Santa at Christmas because he wanted to keep
half of everything he gave the kids.
And finally...
Well, my wife’s mad at me.
She ashed me what I wanted for Father’s Day and I told her an intern.
Hey, it’s a joke, OK?
And so is this column. See ya.
Ronnie Gallagher is
the sports editor of the Post. |
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