Morning Heel: February 14th
By John Bauman
Good morning Tar Heel fans! While you sit around at home as most of the Carolinas remain crippled by snow, or if you are just getting back to work this morning, here are some news links from around the web to make your Friday morning even better. As always, make sure you tell them who sent you, and shoot our editors an email if you want a news link to appear on the Morning Heel. Thanks for reading and have a great Friday!
Strelow: A hike in vain to Duke/UNC
A great read about one reporter’s eight mile trek to the Smith Center to watch the big game that never happened.
“ALONG HIGHWAY 54 – Duke and North Carolina are separated by only 11 miles.
How many people have hiked eight through snow to see the rivals play?
I certainly tried. Roy Williams would have appreciated my sense of urgency.
When it became clear early Wednesday afternoon that covered roads and wide-ranging gridlock would make driving from Durham to Chapel Hill nearly impossible, I packed a bag, put on some dress clothes, added a few layers of cold-weather gear, double-checked that I had my media credential and headed out the door.”
From Bret Strelow of fayobserver.com
Preseason baseball power ranks
UNC ranks 18th in the preseason baseball power ranks from ESPN.
“First pitch of the 2014 college baseball season is days away. To get you ready, here are ESPN.com’s preseason top 20 power rankings.
The pursuit of the road to Omaha has no prohibitive favorites, so expect a wide-open race. We’ll be here every week to update who is playing the best baseball and who is dropping off the radar.
Until then: Play ball.”
From Eric Sorenson, special to ESPN.com
Duke vs. UNC: How Postponement Affects Each Team’s Schedule
“Mother Nature must not be a college basketball fan.
Inclement weather forced the postponement of North Carolina vs. Duke, originally scheduled for Wednesday night.
Weather forecasters were calling for a major winter storm, but Mark Thompson of the Greensboro News & Record reports that, for a while, it seemed as if fans would have to leave their car on the highway and hike their way to the Dean Dome…”
From Joseph Zucker of bleacherreport.com
Carter: Blame the ACC for delay in UNC-Duke postponement
“North Carolina’s game against Duke was postponed Wednesday and moved to Feb. 20 at the Smith Center. The postponement announcement came a little before 6 p.m. after about six inches of snow had fallen in Orange County and probably after some people were already en route to the game – treacherous driving conditions and all.
In the end, officials made the right decision but for the wrong reason. The game was postponed, not because common sense dictated it should be. It was postponed because, according to UNC athletics director Bubba Cunningham, Duke’s bus wasn’t going to arrive at Duke in time to take the Blue Devils to Chapel Hill.”
From Andrew Carter of newsobserver.com
Analyzing UNC point guard Marcus Paige’s cerebral approach
“North Carolina point guard Marcus Paige is one of the ACC’s top scorers and passers.
And there’s no better left-handed knuckleballer in the league.
Paige, a top priority for Duke heading into Wednesday night’s rivalry game between the Blue Devils and Tar Heels, isn’t an athletic marvel at 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds. The youngest member of an Iowa-based, basketball-minded family, he has used his intelligence to gain an upper hand at every level.”
From Bret Strelow of fayobserver.com