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ATLANTA ACC Commissioner John Swofford said ACC officials won't begin talking seriously about the 2013-15 conference tournament site situation until after Atlanta plays host to the 2009 tournament at the Georgia Dome in March.
The 2013-15 tournaments are scheduled for Greensboro, with the stipulation that one of those tournaments could be moved elsewhere if the ACC gives Greensboro the 2016 tournament as compensation.
Charlotte civic leaders hope to get the ACC to return for one of those years after the tournament was well received at the Charlotte Bobcats' home arena in March. The tournament goes to Greensboro in 2010-11 and Atlanta in 2012.
Last year for Lawson and Ellington?
North Carolina juniors Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington returned to school after “testing the waters” of the NBA last spring. And although nothing has been set in stone, it sounds like this will probably be their last season in Chapel Hill.
Coach Roy Williams said Sunday that after this season, “I think there's probably 10 guys we won't have.” UNC currently has five scholarship seniors, plus three walk-ons.
Asked whether that meant Lawson and Ellington won't return to UNC in 2009-10, Williams said, “No, no, no, listen – I said ‘probably.' … If you are a guy that's betting, what would you bet? I said probably. I really mean that. … There is a rule that if you apply (a second time), you can't pull out. … They thought enough of their game to apply this year, so I would imagine they would apply again next year.”
Vassallo going home
Virginia Tech senior guard/forward A.D. Vassallo will finally play in front of his extended family and friends when the Hokies play in the Puerto Rico Tip-off tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico Nov. 20-23.
San Juan is a 20-minute drive from Vassallo's home in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.
“It's going to be great,” Vassallo said. “It's something I've been looking forward to for a while. I've never had most of my family and friends see me play.”
Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg promised to take Vassallo home when he recruited him. It's also a trip home for freshman forward Victor Davila, who is from Canovanas.
“I told everyone to get ready. So everyone is planning to take that week off,” Vassallo said.
Vassallo chased his basketball dreams when he moved to the mainland seven years ago. His hoop skill comes from his father Danny, who played 17 seasons in the Puerto Rico Professional League, and became one of its all-time leading scorers.
Now A.D. Vassallo is carrying on the family legacy after playing with the Puerto Rican senior national team this summer.
“I'm excited because he left as Danny Vassallo's son, and he's going back with Danny being A.D. Vassallo's father,” Greenberg said. “He's going back on his own merit.”
Wolfpack's sprains are minor
N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe doesn't expect forwards Brandon Costner or Dennis Horner to be out long with their ankle sprains.
Lowe hopes both players will return to practice by Tuesday.
(Not quite) The Obama stunt double
Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt does not really look like Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. But both men are tall, lanky and black, so Hewitt is feeling the residue of a hotly contested presidential election. Someone approached Hewitt to ask about him about it on Sunday. Before it went too far, Hewitt said, “I've already heard it all.” It has gotten to the point, Hewitt said, that “I had a recruit call me Coach Obama.”
