All posts by Ryan Campbell
Ryan Campbell ·
14 Nov 2009, 9:19 PM ·
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CARTER-FINLEY STADIUM/RALEIGH — The Clemson Tigers (7-3, 5-2 ACC) came into town hot, riding a four-game winning streak, and hungry, looking to win the game that could deliver them the Atlantic Division title. The North Carolina State Wolfpack (4-6, 1-4 ACC) came into the game looking to remain bowl eligible by winning the remaining games on the schedule.
The Tigers also arrived as a potential match up nightmare for the passing habits of the Wolfpack since the Clemson secondary has picked off 19 passes this year. This is all without mentioning the Tigers’ all-star running back/return man C.J. Spiller. Spiller proved indeed to be worth the price of admission, whether he was running, catching, passing or being avoided in the kicking game.
Continue reading »
ACC, Football, N.C. State CJ Spiller, Clemson, N.C. State, Russell Wilson
Ryan Campbell ·
3 Jun 2009, 11:42 AM ·
3 Comments
It’s that time of year in college basketball. All the nets have been cut down, the late signing period has wrapped up and college basketball’s best talent is getting put through the motions by NBA scouts. This is the time of year when the brass of college basketball get together and deliberate rule changes. Some rules you may remember are the experimental jump ball, wider lanes and last season’s extended three-point line.
This year NCAA officials have decided to cut back on flopping by adopting the NBA’s rule that players beneath the basket cannot draw charges. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball
Ryan Campbell ·
1 May 2009, 8:00 AM ·
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Bull star of the game, John Jaso
DBAP/ DURHAM—In the young season, on of the main storylines out of Durham has been the Bulls’ silent bats. In 19 games the Bulls have averaged 3.74 runs, relying on solid but brief starting pitching and a workhorse bullpen to win games.
On Thursday, the Bulls’ offense awoke as they tallied 10 hits, six walks and a total of 18 baserunners. However, the Bulls discovered that while getting runners on base is one thing, scoring runs is another.
The Clippers struck first, in the top of the first, as Bulls pitcher James Houser allowed a leadoff double to center fielder Michael Brantley. Brantley was sacrificed to third on a ground ball and home on a fly ball. Continue reading »
Baseball, Durham Bulls Jack Cassel, James Houser, Jason Isringhausen, John Jaso, Jon Weber, Matt LaPorta, Ray Sadler, Winston Abreu
Ryan Campbell ·
23 Apr 2009, 2:00 PM ·
3 Comments
The Durham Bulls opened the season 6-0 and now sit atop the standings with a 10-3 record, so it’s not shocking that the Bulls offensive woes have gone unnoticed. However, the truth is that some excellent Bulls pitching has been hiding slumbering bats.
Using the four basic hitting metrics (Avg, OBP, SLG, OPS) the Bulls’ hitting woes can be analyzed more thoroughly. Continue reading »
Baseball, Durham Bulls Chris Richard, Durham Bulls, John Jaso, Justin Ruggiano, Reid Brignac
Ryan Campbell ·
15 Apr 2009, 12:11 AM ·
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Jason Cromer
DBAP/ DURHAM—On a cold, wet night, the Bulls pieced together a second consecutive shutout against the Gwinnett Braves. Faced with the tall order of facing the Atlanta Braves’ number one prospect, the Bulls proved equal to the task despite relying on their fifth starter.
The Bulls’ starting pitcher, Jason Cromer, scattered three Braves hits over five scoreless innings of work. Once Cromer left the game after the fifth the bullpen continued its stellar work in the young season, tossing five strikeouts in four innings of work and keeping the Braves off the scoreboard.
The Gwinnett Braves sent Tommy Hanson, their system’s pitching phenom, to the hill in his second start of the year. Continue reading »
Baseball, Durham Bulls Durham Bulls, Gwinnett Braves, Jason Cromer, John Weber, Reid Brignac, Tommy Hanson, Winston Abreu
Ryan Campbell ·
9 Apr 2009, 12:16 AM ·
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The 2008-2009 college basketball season began with the national pundits crowning the North Carolina Tar Heels national champions, awarding them the first-ever unanimous No. 1 ranking in the preseason Associated Press poll. The Tar Heels were the head of the class, better than the middling field of competitors who could only hope to jockey for national runner-up.
On Monday evening, the Tar Heels brought Chapel Hill its fifth NCAA Championship. The manner in which they did left little doubt that they were the best team in the field. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, UNC-Chapel Hill Four Factor, NCAA Tournament, UNC-Chapel Hill
Ryan Campbell ·
6 Apr 2009, 6:42 PM ·
2 Comments
By this point, North Carolina’s four factor profile is pretty well known. The Tar Heels are an offensive machine, yet to score below one point per possession in any game this year. The offense works because of an even balance across all four factors: offensive rebounding, taking care of the basketball, shooting percentage, and free throw attempts.
Unfortunately for Michigan State, the Spartan defense only seems capable of taking away one of the four factors from the Tar Heel offense: rebounding. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, UNC-Chapel Hill Four Factors, NCAA Tournament, UNC-Chapel Hill
Ryan Campbell ·
4 Apr 2009, 1:39 AM ·
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A week of anticipation has been building up to Saturday’s Final Four match-up between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Villanova Wildcats. The contest has be analyzed from all angles, as is often the case when there are only only three college basketball games remaining in the season.
In the last five days there have been stories written about Tyler Hansbrough’s last hurrah, Villanova’s height issues, Danny Green’s father and Scottie Reynolds’ decision making. However, the statistics and the four factors tell their own story.
The known commodity going into the game is UNC’s offense. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, UNC-Chapel Hill Basketball, Danny Green, NCAA Tournament, Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough, UNC-Chapel Hill, Villanova
Ryan Campbell ·
29 Mar 2009, 12:48 AM ·
1 Comment
North Carolina Guard Wayne Ellington shoots over UNC-Asheville.
The North Carolina Tar Heels advanced to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive year Friday by beating the Gonzaga Bulldogs 98-77. In the Elite Eight the Tar Heels draw a very different team than the Bulldogs, the Oklahoma Sooners. While Gonzaga was a balanced team Oklahoma plays much more like North Carolina; efficient offense first and defense as needed. In fact the Oklahoma Sooners have the lowest raw and adjusted defensive efficiencies (points allowed per possession) of any of the remaining eight teams.
The Sooners are as unbalanced across the four factors as they are between offense and defense. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, UNC-Chapel Hill Four Factors, NCAA Tournament, UNC-Chapel Hill
Ryan Campbell ·
27 Mar 2009, 11:14 AM ·
1 Comment
Yesterday I previewed a game that displayed two balanced teams. Duke and Villanova were similar in both personnel and in the Four Factors. The ACC’s second Sweet Sixteen contest has matching skin-deep similarities. Both Gonzaga and North Carolina have skilled big men, silky smooth shooters and lightening quick point guards.
However, looking past the lineup similarities, the Gonzaga Bulldogs go about winning games in different ways than the Tar Heels do. Continue reading »
ACC, UNC-Chapel Hill Basketball, NCAA Tournament, UNC-Chapel Hill
