Joel Bulkley
College basketball is under way.
Seeing UNC play against Southern Cal in a Greensboro exhibition, confirmed what former NC State coach and ESPN analyst Kevin Keatts said a couple of weeks ago after watching Carolina practice. “They have depth, speed, playmakers and rim protection.” It should be an exciting season.
But it was frustrating fans didn’t see the start of the game, Coach Malone’s first here, due to a lengthy volleyball overrun. We still don’t have the complete ACC or school TV hoops schedules from ESPN. They put out a list of ACC games and tip times but most don’t have a TV network (ACCN, ESPN, ESPNU etc.). ACCN did follow the first UNC game with a player roundtable and film saluting the 1993 NCAA championship team.
The first Carolina/Duke hoops game will be on ABC Feb. 13 at 5:30, the day before the Super Bowl. ABC, ESPN and Disney+ have the Super Bowl on Valentine’s Day.
Good stuff. The ACC continues to show from behind the scenes how the conference handles replay issues during football games. WRDC continues to carry live regional high school games. Canes star Seth Jarvis donates funds for a new dog therapy program at UNC Children’s Hospital. Specially trained dogs will work alongside medical personnel to support children and families. Check out Durham Dispatch for stories that you’ll not see in print in Durham.
Personnel notes. Former WRAL reporter Sarah Krueger is the managing editor at 9th Street Journal. Raleigh native Bam Alston joined the writing staff at SNL. The N&O lost three journalists in the latest McClasky layoffs and a GFM campaign raised more than $10,000 from 114 donors, many of them current N&O staffers. Bob Sutton is directing the sports coverage at North State Journal’s Chatham paper.
Weird stuff. To protest Duke, students need Duke’s permission and they have to make a reservation two weeks in advance. Are you kidding?
Peter Berg, the “Friday Night Lights” director, has a new feature about college football players who joined the Marines during World War II. It’s adapted from a book by Buzz Bissinger, who wrote the original “Friday Night Lights” source material. “The Mosquito Bowl” will start in theaters Oct. 30, but it’s available on Netflix effective Nov. 25.