by Wayne23 » Sun Feb 11, 2018 4:50 pm
2/28: We play #12 seed MD Eastern Shore, 10-17, 6-10. Beat them twice in the regular season.
Jeff Caine on Sports: The NC Central Eagles have had a great regular season. A team that drew 100-200 fans to their home games during the last 5 awful seasons, saw attendance increase as this season progressed. By mid-January they were selling out every game at 3056 seat Mac Gym. They’re hosting MD Eastern Shore in the play in round of the MEA tourney, and tickets are impossible to get. I’ll be courtside. Let’s see if the Eagles can make a little post season noise!
3/1: Jeff Caine on Sports: The NC Eagles were red hot last night in a 91-66 win over MD Eastern Shore. 22, 10 for PF/C Cole Laye, the Captain, and the only senior who gets significant minutes. Soph Center Dave Lang had 22 and 8. All 5 starters had 10 or more in an easy win. Sixth man Tom Alex had 9 and 10. +12 on the boards.
Coach NC Home said, “I was generally pretty happy with our hustle tonight, and we were making shots all night long. We could have been a little better with ball handling.”
It’s #4 seed Coppin ST, 19-8, 10-6, at their place in the quarter finals. They won by 16 there during the regular season, and they look to have an edge in the backcourt, while the two teams match up fairly even inside. The Eagles will need to fly.
3/2: Jeff Caine on Sports: It was a shootout at the Coppin ST corral and the NC Central Eagles had more ammunition, coming out of it with a 95-90 win. Both teams left the D in the locker room; the Eagles shot 57.9%, 61.5% on threes, and 21-21 from the line. Coppin ST was just a little less effective, 50.8%, 50% on threes, and 19-21 from the line.
Senior Cole Laye led the way with 22 and 12, 4 points and 3 RBs in the last minute. SG Coe Fero had 19, and 5 guys had 11 or more.
I talked to Coach Home and he was not happy with the ballhandling or the D, but loved the shot selection and the movement without the ball on offense.
The Eagles are off to the nation’s capitol to play #1 seed Howard, 19-9, 12-4, in the semifinals. Howard beat us by 15 there in January. The match ups look pretty even in this one.
3/3: Jeff Caine on Sports: The Eagle landed hard last night, losing to Howard 83-94.
Coach NC Home said, "I guess our lack of D and poor ball handling were bound to catch up with us. When you score 83 you should win, but you gotta play D, and you gotta take care of the ball!”
24 and 6 for Lang, 16, 12 for Laye.
The Eagles are 22-8, 10-6, RPI #48. Is that good enough to be invited to a post season tournament? It won’t be the big one, but I think they’ll get an invitation somewhere.
3/12: NIT, #2 Midwest, vs. #7 Butler, 15-13, but they’ve played a much tougher schedule, being in the Big East. We need to play D and take care of the ball.
3/13: 63-75. Their D stopped us, but 21 TOs did us in. 27, 9 for Lang, 18, 7 for Laye.
Great first season. I would have liked a win or two in the NIT, but I can’t complain.
4/3: #13 Cincinnati is the champ.
4/4: Awards: Senior Dave Lang is MEAC POY and 1st team, along with soph Dave Lang. SF Jeff Moye is Frosh OY. I get the COY award, probably because of the big turnaround from 9-18 to 22-9.
Will I be back here next year? Depends. As I’ve said, I’m staying in North Carolina. If a better NC team offers, I’ll go. BUT… I’d be happy to stay!
4/9: Some really, and I mean REALLY good teams came calling, some with a TP as high as the mid-40s. But none of them are located in North Carolina. I’m staying.
4/10: Jeff Caine on Sports: NC Central Eagles head coach NC Home told me that he is staying here for another season. He wouldn’t name names but he said he received offers, or at least feelers, from some very good schools, but that since none were here in North Carolina, he’s staying with the Eagles.
“I’m a Tar Hell for life! The only way I’ll move is to another in state school. Until that happens we’ll try to make the Eagles a little bit better every season!”
I, for one, am happy to have Coach Home back. He did a hell of a job this year, and he has six new players coming in.
4/16: We get a bunch of late recruits, winding up with 4 PFs, 2 PGs.
4/23: I ask for money. We get $4,000. At a small school like this, I’ll take it!
22-9, 10-6. Great first season.