Some interesting links rounded up for the weekend. The AJ Marshall commitment leads the headlines, but it is also good to see some more basketball quotes and previews. Onto the links...
Tar Heel State guards out to prove worth - Sports - The Sun News
[Ish Smith]: "When people talk about point guards in this league, they may want to say, 'He's the forgotten man, he's the forgotten man.' But it's better to be forgotten and remembered than never remembered at all."
The ACC point guard breakdown - News & Observer
Without the likes of Ty Lawson streaking down the court, Jeff Teague lighting up the scoreboard and Toney Douglas, Jack McClinton or Tyrese Rice stuffing the stat sheets, who will be the most breathtaking ballhandlers the ACC this season? Vying for awards: Vasquez, Delaney, Shumpert, and Ish.
Another A.J. to play for Deacons
"Wake Forest is a great educational school, and I can pretty much have a job when I graduate if I don't make it to the NFL," Marshall said. "The business school just blew me and my family away. They really had a nice itinerary set up and everything went by so well. "Meeting with Coach (Jim) Grobe and meeting with all the coaches just made me feel at home."
Sista Moves: WFU's Women's Football Clinic shares all the tricks of the big guys
"They learn a little bit of football," Grobe said. "I think sometimes the men are a little jealous because some of the guys would like to come over here and get coached a little bit."
UK student's poker riches don't end parents' worries - Mark Story - Kentucky.com
As he rose through the ranks of college football as an assistant coach, Dean Hood kept a big folder. In it, he wrote down ideas of what he would do — and wouldn't do — if he ever became a head coach. One of the "will not dos" was trying to be both head coach and defensive coordinator. This in spite of the fact that Hood built a stellar reputation making the defensive calls at Wake Forest for Jim Grobe.
Chris Paul refutes trade quote on Twitter
Responding via twitter to a published interview/report by Pro Basketball News, Paul tweeted the following on Friday night: "Jus for the record too...I'M NOT GOIN ANYWHERE!!! No clue what Chris Thomasson was talkin about, but I didn't say any of what he was say ..."
Fox Sports Community - Fox Sports > jherwitt > jherwitt's Blog :: Top 10 returning players for 2009-10
3. Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest Aminu has as much ability and athleticism as any other player in the country, and though the sophomore forward could have been a first-round pick in this year's draft, he still has plenty of room to improve. After posting 10 double-doubles and finishing his freshman campaign at Wake with 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds, the ACC All-Freshman selection could turn into the conference's top talent with teammates Jeff Teague and James Johnson now playing in the NBA.
Darius Rucker, The Open and a ranking of coaches. at 850 & 620 THE BLOG
Okay, without going too much in depth, here’s my ranking of ACC head football coaches….Love to have your input, feedback and discussion on the topic on Monday. For some perspective on the objective, think about it this way. You’ve got a program and you need to hire a head coach and you can only choose from the dozen ACC head coaches. 1-Jim Grobe…does anyone in the country get more out of less than Grobe?
Day Eight Summer League Roundup - TrueHoop By Henry Abbott - ESPN
James Johnson's game can be disjointed at times. It's not that he looks lost. It's just the opposite -- he's a small forward with too many choices. Johnson couldn't buy a shot Friday (2-for-11 from the field), but he made four or five beautiful plays for teammates -- including a pinpoint interior bounce pass in traffic between two defenders to find James Augustine for a layup. Johnson finished with seven assists.
Skinner Nominated for Johnny Unitas Award
Four quarterbacks from North Carolina universities have been nominated for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The award is presented annually to college football's top senior quarterback. Wake Forest's Riley Skinner, Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards, Duke's Thaddeus Lewis and East Carolina's Patrick Pinkney have been named to the 21-player list. Edwards is the lone FCS (formerly Division I-AA) representative.
JC Shurburtt: Nike 7On7 national passing tournament - ESPN
Wake Forest linebacker commit Zachary Allen had a big day on offense playing tight end. Allen showed the ability to go up and get the football in traffic, prompting one scout to comment that he "must be a heck of a linebacker for him to not get a look at tight end".
Wake star left basketball for bank - Local & State - News & Observer
[Skip] It's been a steep climb from the public housing projects of Kingsport, Tenn., for Brown, who is 6 feet tall and 185 pounds, just 10 pounds heavier than when he was setting scoring records as a Demon Deacons point guard in the mid-1970s. He long ago shed the Afro he sported then, and at age 54 his short-cropped hair sports just a tinge of gray. After nearly 20 years as an executive at Bank of America, Brown chose to strike out on his own and raised more than $16 million from investors to form TriStone in 2004. "I've always enjoyed being in leadership roles," Brown says. "When I played basketball, I was in a leadership role."
NFC West Roundtable: Defensive End - Field Gulls
The player that pushes this ranking to a "B" is Mr. Everything Aaron Curry. Curry is auditioning as a situational end. Seattle played Julian Peterson in the role and he embarrassed many a good offensive tackle. Curry has Peterson+ speed and is a chiseled 254, but he lacks Peteron’s agility. He’s close. And if he can get there, he would be a ransacking nightmare with no clear counter. If he can get there.
Scout.com: Schedule Preview: Florida State
While it would be easy to select the Wake Forest game on Nov. 14 in this slot, considering the Demon Deacons have won three straight in this series by a combined 66-24...