Well, the N.C. State basketball search continues. We heard earlier in the week that Texas is going to give Rick Barnes a huge new deal. The Wolfpack has reportedly offered him plenty of money as well.
It is all quiet on the Texas front. Barnes may indeed get his big contract from Texas to keep him there, but it hasn't happened yet. Could that be good news for State?
Barnes once told someone of importance years ago that N.C. State was his dream job. Hmmm. Barnes will be in his hometown of Hickory next week for a function, along with Texas football coach Mack Brown. I would think we'll know what he'll do before then.
But it will be a story until Texas says, "We have signed him to a new deal" or State says, "We've landed the big fish" Silence, sometimes, is not always golden, and it can mean many things.
Also, out of Memphis today -- the athletic director at Memphis says that Tigers Coach John Calipari will get a new contract, plus a raise for his assistants. As you know, Calipari has been linked to the State job. Job speculation is always good for a big fat raise.
Duke has lost another big man. 6 ft. 10 in. Eric Boateng, a heralded prep player who contributed next to nothing as a freshman, says he is transferring from Duke. Boateng was supposed to be a project, but with great potential, and now he'll be one somewhere else.
Also, there's been much talk that freshman starter Josh McRoberts might decide to leave for the NBA. In my mind, he's not nearly ready, but I'm not a pro scout. A lot of so-called NBA draft sites having him going high. And since when has it mattered if someone is ready? The Pros like his size and agility. Who do you think was more ready after his freshman year: Luol Deng or McRoberts? If he does project high though, it is hard to turn down the money.
The Duke-Maryland women's championship game, which was a dramatic a game as I've seen in a while, did well in the TV ratings in this market. On ESPN, it had a 9.5 rating and a 14 share. The Hurricanes would die for a cable rating like that. Duke had it all set up for them, but give it to Maryland, battling back from 13 points down to win. The Terps have everybody back next season.
This was a bitter loss for Duke, with a lot of tears in the locker room afterward. This will be one that will be hard to get over.
By the way, the Hurricanes won again. They beat Washington in the shootout. They
now trail Ottawa, who lost in overtime by two points, for the best record in the Eastern Conference. And they play Washington again on Friday. Canes always seem to find away don't they?
