Alex Kreitman - Stealing signs

What could be the biggest game of the college basketball season takes place Saturday night.

Who will win the Tobacco Road showdown between North Carolina and Duke?

I’m picking the Tar Heels and here’s why. The last time around North Carolina was without point guard Ty Lawson and even though Lawson isn’t 100 percent, the Heels are in much better shape with him on the court.

When Duke beat the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, North Carolina was struggling to find offensive rhythm. It was pretty much the first game the Heels had to play with Quentin Thomas at point guard. Thomas looked sloppy at times and although he had some nice drives to the lane for baskets, he got away from what North Carolina does best and that’s give it to Psycho T, Tyler Hansbrough.

Look for North Carolina to learn from its mistakes and feed the ball into the paint to exploit the mismatch. The Blue Devils have no one to cover Hansbrough and he went off last time around. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hansbrough scored 40 points Saturday night because he’s just that good.

 Also, the tragedy that hit the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this week will only inspire the players. The student body president was killed and the entire campus has been mourning the last few days. It’s an unfortunate event, but I think the Tar Heels will give the students something to cheer about.

For Duke to win, it will need to get hot from 3-point range, something it was able to do in Chapel Hill. Greg Paulus needs to find his shooting touch and make those lucky 3’s that always tick me off if Duke wants to have a chance.

Kyle Singler also needs to shoot well and prove why he’s one of the top freshmen in the country.

No matter who wins, it’s going to be a great game and the energy will be insane. The winner will also take home the regular season ACC crown. We might get lucky to see these two powerhouses square off again next weekend in Charlotte for the ACC Tournament final. Now wouldn’t that be special.

It appears my post a few weeks ago was totally inaccurate. I wrote off the Houston Rockets after center Yao Ming went down for the season.

The Rockets have done nothing but win since the injury. Winners of 17 straight games, the Rockets are getting production from everyone on their roster and I’m shocked.

With help from Bobby Jackson and Carl Landry, Tracy McGrady has his team in fifth place in the Western Conference and just 2 ½ games out of first.

Dikembe Mutombo has filled in nicely for Yao and the team chemistry has really made a difference. The Rockets are playing together and that’s made a huge impact on their success. I just wanted to say that it looks like I was wrong. Good work Rockets.

What is the deal with Greg Paulus’ black eyes?

I watched Duke whip up on Virginia Wednesday night, but all I could take from the game was a lingering question to why in the world Paulus always has at least one black eye. Always.

Every Duke game I watch he has a black eye. Are his teammates beating him up? I don’t like him and I don’t even know him, so I wouldn’t doubt it if after each game Gerald Henderson and Demarcus Nelson were taking shots at the scrawny white kid. I know he got slugged against N.C. State, but it seems to always be there and on both eyes.

I’ll give him credit though for keeping a smile. In a postgame interview with the lovely Stacey Dales, Paulus had that punch me in the eye grin on his face and I was praying that Stacy would pop him for me, but she didn’t. So who is lining Paulus up against the wall and delivering blows?

After listening to my least favorite broadcaster in the world Mike Patrick call the game, I knew it wasn’t him who was clocking Paulus. Patrick feels the need to get excited and go wild for a 3-pointer two minutes into every game. It’s really sad. Doesn’t he have better things in his life to get excited about? Probably not, seeing that he looks like a turtle. I’m surprised he hasn’t quit broadcasting and become the mascot for Maryland. It’d be a good fit for him.

I seem to be very pro-Carolina this week. That should get my Tar Heel readers excited. It kind of surprises me because North Carolina beat Boston College on Saturday. You’d think I’d be bitter. I guess I was having such a good time in Charleston, S.C. that I shrugged off the loss.

But as our editor Madison Taylor pointed out in our daily budget meeting this morning, Alex is a pro sports guy. And he’s exactly right. With the Celtics winners of six straight, including a win against the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, the Detroiut Pistons, I’ve got nothing else on my mind.

UNC Wilmington handed Elon University its first loss of the season in baseball Wednesday, what a shame. I was hoping the Phoenix could keep its undefeated streak alive a bit longer. It didn’t give up though. Trailing 18-8 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Elon put up eight runs to make things interesting.

I almost went to the game after work Wednesday, but declined. I’m glad I did, only because then I would’ve felt responsible for the loss, seeing that the only game I would have attended would have been the only loss. I’m a baseball guy, therefore I’m very superstitious.

Be afraid.

Ty Lawson played his first home game in a month and scored 10 points in 20 minutes on the court against Florida State on Tuesday night.

The Tar Heels won easily, and despite another scary moment when Lawson left briefly with another minor injury, North Carolina finally looks like its No. 1 status.

With only the hated Duke Blue Devils remaining on the regular season schedule, the Tar Heels get their speedy guard back just in time. I wrote about the Heels the other day, noting their need to stay alert after a rude awakening against Boston College, but this time around they seem to have gotten the message.

Lawson still isn’t close to 100 percent, but just his presence on the court helps keep the ball at North Carolina’s end of the court. Talking to some Tar Heels fans, every time Quentin Thomas touches the ball they hold their breath. He has his bright spots and has done a decent job filling in for Lawson, but everyone in Tar Heel country feels more comfortable with the rock in Lawson’s grip.

Plus, I always want Duke and Carolina at full strength or close to it when they play since it makes for a closer battle. Lawson was missing for the last encounter, but will be on the floor at Cameron Indoor on Saturday night. No. 1 vs. No. 6 in the nation should be a treat for college hoops fans everywhere.

The Boston Celtics signed veteran guard Sam Cassel this week to solidify its roster heading towards the postseason. Cassel won’t play tonight against the Detroit Pistons though, which is guaranteed to be a hell of a game.

All the talk is of the Western Conference’s talent and it should be with the top eight teams within five games of each other. It’s really anyone’s game for every seed. But left in the dust have been Detroit and Boston, the top two teams in the entire league.

My dad will be at tonight’s game at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston and I told him Monday night that he’s one lucky guy. He’ll also be going next week against Portland and he attended the home opener earlier in the year which drew a wild crowd for Kevin Garnett’s debut.

Tonight, he’ll be enjoying a luxury box which I’ve never set foot in. Lucky man, I know. But he’s worked so hard his whole life and he’s one of the most dedicated people I’ve ever known so I’m really excited for him to finally be able to enjoy some perks in life.

Attending a game like this isn’t a recurring theme for him by any means, so he’ll take what he can get. I just hope he paints his chest green and wears his KG jersey while slurping down a few Sam Adams on tap. Unlikely, but it’d be quite the site.

With Tennessee falling to Vanderbilt last week, North Carolina jumped past Memphis to grab the top spot in the country.

The Tar Heels began the season at No. 1 and it’s possible they’ll end there. Well, end the regular season that is. The Heels play Florida State and Duke to end the regular season before heading down I-85 to Charlotte for the ACC Tournament.

The Tar Heels are first in the ACC and will be the favorite to win the conference tournament, but it won’t be easy. The Tar Heels got an eye opener, especially on the defensive end, Saturday against Boston College.

The lowly Eagles, and it hurts me to say that, almost and probably should have beat Carolina at home Saturday. Tyrese Rice went off for Boston College, finishing with 46 points, 34 of them and eight 3’s came in the first half. At the beginning of the second half, Boston College led by 18, but somehow the Heels managed to pull it off.

Had it not been for the fact that one man can’t do it all, North Carolina would have lost. But because B.C. doesn’t have any other scorers, the Tar Heels lucked out. They won’t be so lucky against Duke.

Saturday night’s primetime matchup against the Blue Devils should be another thriller in the eyes of Duke and North Carolina fans. I’ll make predictions later in the week.

Elon University’s baseball team improved to 9-0 over the weekend and tied its longest winning streak since it won 14 straight in 2002. The Phoenix swept Delaware State by a combined three-game score of 44-8.

Elon hasn’t played anyone good yet, but it’s exciting to see a record like that this early in the game. I’m hoping the Phoenix can get back to the NCAA Tournament and maybe make a run at the Super Regionals. I think their main concern is pitching, specifically starting pitching. But if they can put a lot of runs on the board, then they should have a lot of success.

Elon’s men’s basketball team plays Furman in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament on Friday. Elon goes in as the No. 7 seed and it’s doubtful it’ll make a run in the Charleston, SC event. With virtually no offense it’ll be hard for the Phoenix to advance even to the semifinals.

But if Elon gets past Furman it has a favorable matchup against No. 2 Chattanooga which Elon had a chance to beat Saturday, but lost at home by one point. Maybe Elon will get a late-season spark and surprise everyone. It did have minimal success against top-seeded Davidson this season, with two close losses. Never say never … I guess.

Spring training is underway which gets me really excited. Baseball, as I’ve said before, is my favorite sport and of course I pull for the Red Sox.

The general manager of the Sox, Theo Epstein, made some recent comments which added some fuel to the always hot rivalry with the New York Yankees. Boston opens its season against the Oakland Athletics in Japan. Last season the Yankees did the same.

Following the Yankees’ trip east, Mike Mussina among other Yankees complained about the time change, claiming it affected their play. When asked about Boston’s trip, Epstein said on WEEI radio that Mussina was a “bad apple” for complaining about the trip. He also said, “Kevin Brown and Mike Mussina spent the whole time bitching about it … and by the time the Yankees team got back from the trip they were all using it as a crutch.”

Epstein added that he and others felt it would be a good team bonding trip for the Red Sox.

When told of the comments, Mussina responded by saying, “Yeah, we used it as an excuse for winning the division.”

Ouch, low blow for someone living in the past. The Yankees have owned the American League East in the last decade if not longer, but as far as winning championships, Boston holds the recent edge with one in 2004 and don’t forget the Red Sox are the reigning champs.

Mussina, who I’ve never liked mostly because of the stupid dip he does out of the stretch, should have just said no comment, but instead opened the door for me to critique his performance all season. And with his age growing, he’s likely to worsen right into my hands.

The Red Sox open up Thursday with their traditional matchup with Boston College.

College baseball is underway and Elon University finds itself 5-0 to start the young campaign. I always love going over to Latham Park. I used to go a lot as a student, soak in the sun and watch a game. Even after I graduated I’d still make it over there, it always seemed to brighten up my week. But now, I’m not sure how many Elon games I’ll make it to this year since the university began charging admission.

The school added a fence and is now charging $4 a game with even small children costing $2 for entrance. This is ridiculous and will kill Elon’s successful attendance campaign from last year. Elon baseball games have always been a come and go event. People stop by for a few innings, then hit the road. Elon is losing those fans since people aren’t going to pay just to watch a few innings.

I’ll miss days like last spring when several of us baseball hooligans crowded the hill with cheap beer to watch Elon play Davidson. My friend Zack even wore the most ridiculous shirt out there, a green Elon track shirt from about 1960. But with the new rules, no one will be grilling in the stands or packing the cooler for fun times.

I’m very disappointed in the new rules at Elon and think it’s ruining the great baseball atmosphere it had. Last year, all the big games drew crowds of over 1,000 with North Carolina and South Carolina drawing around 1,500 fans. I doubt we’ll see crowds like that this year.