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News Nuggets, 04.05.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Williams soaks in the moment as Tar Heels deliver

ST. LOUIS — Roy Williams started walking slowly up the sideline as the longest three seconds of his life ticked off the clock. Instead of jumping, shouting or even pumping a fist, he calmly reached up to make sure his glasses sat squarely on the bridge of his nose.

After 17 seasons, 16 NCAA tournament appearances, five Final Fours and two losses in the title game, this was one thing that Williams had to see for himself.

Wave after wave of confetti floated down from the domed roof, over the scoreboard that read North Carolina 75, Illinois 70, and twirled in lazy spirals toward the floor. But Williams had no trouble picking his way through the maze to find the people he owed.

What began as a receiving line quickly turned into a mosh pit as first Sean May, then Rashad McCants, and the rest of the Tar Heels wrapped their long-suffering coach in bear hugs.

``I'm just so happy for myself, my family and these seniors who went 8-20 and what they went through for four years,'' Williams said. ``They took me for a heck of a ride.''

All through the weekend, Williams was on the defensive, trying to explain why the ball always bounced someone else's way in the big one.

Of course, there was no way it was going to be easy. The Tar Heels did it, though, and now it's time to stop asking Roy Williams that doggone question.

Sean May had 26 points and the Tar Heels didn't allow a basket over the final, excruciating 2 1/2 minutes Monday night to defeat the Illini, a win that finally gave Williams the national championship that was missing from his otherwise stellar career.

Freshman Marvin Williams had a tip-in with 1:26 left, Raymond Felton made three free throws down the stretch and the Tar Heels (33-4) won their first title since 1993, back when Dean Smith was coaching and Williams was at Kansas, in the middle of his Final Four futility.

Led by May's 10-for-11 shooting, Carolina took a 65-55 lead with 8:51 left and it looked like Williams would win his 41st tournament game and first championship going away.

But Illinois (37-2) never quit. The Illini trailed by 15 early in the second half and 10 a bit later. They tied the game twice in the last 5 1/2 minutes, but when they had a chance to force overtime, Luther Head missed a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, ending their chance to set the NCAA record for wins in a season.

Drew top QB on ECU's first spring depth chart

Davon Drew is listed as the No.1 quarterback on East Carolina's initial spring depth chart announced Monday by Coach Skip Holtz.

A redshirt freshman from New Bern, Drew has emerged — at least for the time being — at the top of the pecking order in the QB competition in light of of the academic ineligibility of last year's starter, James Pinkney, and the rehabilitation from surgery of redshirt freshman Patrick Pinkney.

Junior Kort Shankweiler, who has earned two letters at other positions, is listed as the Pirates' No. 2 quarterback. Shankweiler, whose father Steve Shankweiler is ECU's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, played quarterback in high school at Greenville Rose.

The depth chart, dotted throughout with notations on injuries, may ultimately undergo significant transformations as competition heats up at each position and sidelined players return to duty.

The Pirates practiced for more than two hours Monday, their first workout since conducting their first scrimmage last Friday. It was the team's 10th of 15 allowable spring practice sessions.

A second scrimmage is scheduled for Friday night and spring drills will conclude with the playing of the Purple-Gold Game on April 16.

East Carolina's 2005 spring depth chart as of April 4:

Denotations: RS - redshirt; TR - transfer; L - letters won; SQ - squadman (non-letterman).

------------ OFFENSIVE UNIT ------------
No./Player/Height/Weight/Class-Experience

Wide Receiver
   -- Aundrae Allison 6-0 186 Jr-TR
   84 Bryson Bowling 6-2 172 Sr-3L
   -- Phillip Henry 5-10 167 So-HS
   19 Booby Good (injured)

Tackle
   70 Chris Sellers 6-2 196 Sr-1L
   61 Thomas Wingenbach 6-5 279 Jr-SQ
   71 James Myrick (injured)

Guard
   64 Gary Freeman 6-1 331 Sr-3L
   -- Mike Williams 6-1 275 Fr-HS
   57 Paul Walsh (injured)

Center
   77 Drew Sutton 6-3 272 Jr-SQ
   66 Zach Davis 6-4 256 Fr-RS
   67 Hunter Wood (injured)

Guard
   60 Trey Magee 6-4 297 Sr-1L
   68 Matt Butler 6-4 299 So-1L
   58 Lance Neisz (injured)

Tackle
   78 Eric Graham 6-6 312 Jr-1L
   81 Josh Coffman 6-6 248 Jr-2L
   58 Lance Neisz (injured)

Quarterback
   3 Davon Drew 6-4 215 Fr-RS
   12 Kort Shankweiler 6-2 233 Jr-2L
   14 Patrick Pinkney (injured)

Running Back
   44 Jermarcus Veal 6-1 241 Sr-3L
   30 Jason Pender 5-10 224 Sr-2L

Running Back
   24 Chris Johnson 5-11 170 So-1L
   23 Robert Tillman 5-11 175 Jr-2L

Wide Receiver
   80 Kevin Roach 6-4 207 Jr-2L
   82 Juwon Crowell 6-2 177 So-SQ
   -- Samuel Roy 6-2 211 So-HS
   88 Iverick Harris (injured)

Wide Receiver
   87 Brian Howard 6-2 170 Jr-2L
   86 Will Bland 5-9 181 Jr-1L
   83 Steven Rogers 6-0 169 So-SQ

Miscellaneous Injury List
   89 Sean Harmon (tight end)
   85 Shawn Levesque (tight end)

------------ DEFENSIVE UNIT ------------
No./Player/Height/Weight/Class-Experience

End
   55 Shauntae Hunt 6-5 268 Sr-2L
   94 Michael MacDonagh 6-3 249 Jr-1L

Tackle
   99 Dontrι Brown 6-1 287 Jr-2L
   -- Brandon Setzer 6-5 311 So-HS

Guard
   96 Mark Robinson 6-2 255 So-1L
   95 Fred Hicks 6-0 290 So-1L

End
   47 Lorenza Pickett 6-1 233 Sr-2L
   37 Wendell Chavis 6-2 235 So-SQ

Linebacker
   11 Richard Koonce 6-0 237 Sr-3L
   97 Zach Slate 6-5 212 So-1L
   34 Pierre Bell (injured)

Linebacker
   48 Durwin Lamb 6-1 223 So-1L
   49 Wes Hofacker 6-2 234 So-1L
   40 Chris Moore (injured)

Linebacker
   98 Jarrett Wiggins 6-3 206 Fr-RS
   13 Pat Dosh 6-2 226 Jr-1L
   42 Dashaun Stephens (injured)

Cornerback
   6 Demetrius Hodges 5-9 191 Sr-1L
   32 Travis Williams 5-11 175 So-1L

Strong Safety
   8 Pierre Parker 6-0 202 So-1L
   9 Zach Baker 6-2 208 Sr-1L
   -- Herman Best 6-0 180 Fr-HS

Free Safety
   5 Jamar Flournoy 6-0 205 Sr-1L
   4 Kyle Chase 5-8 195 Jr-2L
   28 Mickey McCoy 6-0 186 Sr-3L

Cornerback
   35 Kasey Ross 5-11 160 Jr-2L
   25 Erode Jean 5-9 177 Jr-2L
   26 Stacy Walls 5-9 174 Fr-RS

Compiled from an ECU Athletics report.

Baseball America & Collegiate Baseball Polls

Released 04.04.05.
(View previous week's rankings)

(For both polls below, Conference USA teams — including future members — and Carolinas teams in bold; East Carolina opponents in red.)

BASEBALL AMERICA TOP 25

DURHAM — The top 25 teams in the Baseball America poll with records through March 20 and previous ranking (voting by the staff of Baseball America:

 1. Texas 26-5 1
 2. Cal State Fullerton 20-7 2
 3. Tulane 25-5 4
 4. Georgia Tech 23-6 3
 5. Florida 23-7 14
 6. Arizona 21-10 10
 7. North Carolina 24-5 11
 8. Louisiana State 21-8 5
 9. Mississippi 21-7 6
10. Stanford 17-9 12
11. Rice 21-10 13
12. South Carolina 24-5 14
13. Miami (FL) 24-9 8
14. Arkansas 22-6 9
15. Baylor 19-11 15
16. Oregon State 24-4 18
17. Nebraska 25-3 20
18. Texas A&M 22-10 16
19. College of Charleston 23-4 19
20. Florida State 29-7 17
21. Long Beach State 21-10 22
22. Auburn 21-10 23
23. Missouri 23-5 NR
24. Arizona State 21-13 24
25. Tennessee 20-8 NR

COLLEGIATE BASEBALL TOP 25

TUCSON — The top 25 teams in the 2005 Collegiate Baseball poll with records through March 20, points and previous ranking voting by coaches, sports writers and sports information directors:

 1. Cal State Fullerton 20-7 488 2
 2. Tulane 25-5 487 3
 3. Georgia Tech 23-6 484 1
 4. Nebraska 25-3 483 7
 5. Texas 26-5 482 5
 6. Florida 23-7 480 9
 7. North Carolina 24-5 478 11
 8. Florida State 29-7 476 6
 9. Louisiana State 21-8 475 4
10. South Carolina 24-5 474 10
11. Arizona 21-10 471 13
12. Stanford 17-9 469 16
13. Long Beach State 21-10 464 20
14. Miami (FL) 24-9 462 12
15. Oregon State 24-4 461 27
16. Auburn 21-10 460 28
17. Arkansas 22-6 455 8
18. Coll. of Charleston 23-4 453 26
19. Missouri 23-5 450 —
20. UL-Lafayette 25-6 449 17
21. Baylor 19-11 447 22
22. Alabama 22-9 444 —
23. Mississippi 21-7 442 15
24. Mississippi State 17-7 441 14
25. Central Florida 27-7 439 18
26. Texas A&M (22-10) 438 24
27. Rice (21-10) 436 23
28. Arizona State (21-13) 435 30
29. Southern Cal (17-8) 429 —
30. Southern Miss (22-5) 427 —

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:22 PM