Thursday Items

-- Sounds familiar:

The Hurricanes have simply been out of rhythm -- at least in the early part of both of their ACC games. What's causing it? Good coaching on the other side and the fact this team doesn't have a true point guard. Even though Haith was hoping freshman Eddie Rios, who played one minute Tuesday, might develop and be able to handle more minutes come January, it hasn't happen. Rios has shown he's not ready yet to see significant minutes at the point. Tuesday, for about the first 10 minutes of the game, Miami's offense looked like a chicken with its head cut off. Instead of going toward the basket, McClinton and Dews would keep coming back to retrieve the ball from each other or from their post men.

Also:

For starters, the Hurricanes have struggled with pressure defense all season. It seems when a team turns up the defense _ for example, a full-court press _ UM can't even get in its offense. We saw it happen against North Carolina A & T. Last night against BC, there were times the Hurricanes weren't able to run an offensive play until less than 15 seconds remained on the shot clock. That's why the shot-selection was so poor and we saw so many three-pointers attempted.

Their point guard problem isn't nearly as damaging as ours, though.

-- Maybe I imagined this last night; I'm not sure. While Jimmy Dykes was extolling the virtues of Tyler Hansbrough, he noted that Hansbrough works extra hard both on and off the court. To back up the bit about his off court work, Dykes cited, among other things, the "stretching and icing" Hansbrough does. Icing? So Hansbrough ices his joints more than anyone else? Really drove the point home there, Jimmy, thanks.

-- A huge tip of the cap to Wil Wheaton for pointing me in this direction. The Library of Congress has uploaded thousands of photographs to flickr, all of them from the first half of the 20th century. Shoeless Joe Jackson ... spectators at Shibe Park ... the USS North Carolina and other warships ... Paris liberated, 1944 ... have a PBR ...

-- I hope to post something on the +/- numbers tonight. The Miami preview will be up tomorrow.