Around the ACC

The Maryland Twerp hoops team gets to tour Italy to play 5 games at the beginning on this season. Story here. When in Rome.....

Meanwhile, the funny folks at www.thetruthaboutduke.com now bring us www.carlosloozer.com ..... watch hilarity ensure. Crazy kids.

Staying on the hoops theme, the Deamon Deacons and the Tarheels are trying to actually play as a team, at least some are as they try out for TeamUSA. It looks like Rashad "Group Hug" McCants has been cut, surprising many. Why. Sounds like the coach is trying to field a TEAM, not a group of highly talented individuals not interested in playing on a team. The funniest quote in the article is when McCants was asked about Chris Paul. Check it out:

Gray was guarding Paul at times, something he's used to in practice. McCants has been running the wing next to Paul plenty, too.

"He's the best point guard I've played with by far, by far," McCants said.

Better than North Carolina's Raymond Felton?

"He's a better point guard," McCants said. "Raymond is more talented. But taking nothing away from Ray, Chris Paul is really talented, too."

"BY FAR" the best PG he has played with. Welcome back to the Tarheels Benedict Arnold. This guy has some serious talent, but if ever a guy had a stranger (or at least more mis-understood) personality, I don't know who it is. The discussion boards are filled with talk about McCants getting cut and stories about him pouting and being extremely upset about the whole thing. Many people are citing an incident against GT as an example of why he is a different type of guy. The incident in question was when he and BJ Elder were lighting up the scoreboard last season, trading 3-pt blows, and they ended up giving a high-fives in mutual admiration. Not many people could name another incident where two opposing players slapped hands during the battle.

Outside the ACC, ESPN looks at the pro's and who are the 5 toughest players in each sport - link here.