Of the list of things that Linda and I believe in and support, Duke University lands pretty high on that list. We are proud to be Iron Duke members and love the fact that the foundation of this institution is Higher Education.

Growing up with family 👪 in the Buggs Island 🏝 Lake region, you learn at an early age that the Hospital 🏥 at Duke is the place where people travel to when their local Doctors can’t find the answers. Very fitting that two very prominent people from Carroll County are currently been seen here.

What you are looking at is a Jeremy Roach cupcake 🧁, his is made of Cookies and Cream.

Ryan Young (#15) is Chocolate Caramel Twix and the third Senior is Spencer Hubbard (#55) and his cupcake is Mint Chocolate Chip.

The Menu ….. Great note here, all food options were brought to each table, family 👪 dinner style.

59 tables with 10 chairs per = 590 seats plus folks have the option of purchasing a seat 💺 in the upper level if you want to just be a spectator.

Having experienced this night before I would like to give Coach Anthony Barnes as he follows a similar process in that each of his Assistant Coaches will participate in the presentation of the Awards

The floor is starting to fill up now and I feel fortunate to be sitting next to my Bride 👰 of right at 40 years.

Unlike the first four Banquets tonight I have zero adult responsibility. I will just be a guy 👦 taking notes 📝 about anything I see or hear that would play well in any future gatherings I try to map out.

In just over two weeks the first of its kind Banquet tour will conclude up in Charlottesville when our long time friend Alan Knight gets inducted into the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame.

The countdown to the Jeremy Roach cupcake 🧁 has begun !

The only thing that would have made the evening better is if our fellow Duke supporter, Kris Richardson could be here with us !

The evening is about to get underway so its a good time to stick a pin 📌 in it.

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Throughout the NCAA Women’s Basketball 🏀 season I have bragged on Coach Kenny everytime I could, even when he was beating down Duke (Hokies 2, Blue Devils 1).

Brooks was the type of Coach that sooooooo many people wanted to claim as their own and for good reason. Brooks is what’s right about the College game today. The folks in his hometown of Waynesboro, Virginia were proudly on the We Love Kenny train 🚆 this week as were the people in Lexington that remember the early days at VMI.

I fit into the endless group of people that went through successful season after successful season at the helm of James Madison University with Coach Brooks. Naturally you have to add the members of Hokie Nation that discovered the talents of the Coach of the Valley inside of the past decade.

Virginia Tech led Louisiana State 59-50 late in the third quarter before the Tigers 🐅 went on a 24-6 run that took the Hokies from nine up to nine down. The fight in VT won the remainder of the contest 7-5 but sadly the damage had been done.

Brooks took over a program that wasn’t accustomed to getting invited to the Big Dance all that often and in his third full recruiting class took the program to a Top Seed and eventually to its first ever Final Four appearance.

Yes, getting to Monday night would have been nothing short of Amazing but the fact that this year’s ride pulled into the Station just short of winning a Natty doesn’t make it any less enjoyable for those of us that have been on the Kenny Brooks train for a long, long time.

Keep up the Excellent work, Sir !

#12 Wake Forrest scored 2 points in the second quarter this morning against #5 Florida State. Not 2 more than FSU, 2 total points and trailed the Seminole by 18 points at the half. No problem for Wake as the Deacs went on a 26-0 run in the third quarter to advance 65-54.

The second largest (18) margin overcome at the half in the ACC Tournament History, trailing a Duke-UVA tilt from 1995. Wake matched that 20 point deficit early in the third quarter before going on their amazing run 🏃‍♂️ of 26 straight.

Next up for Wake is a game with #4 Louisville on Friday.

Game one on Day 2 is now complete but there’s still three more today!

49-20 in the second half.

DAY 2 – GAME 2

As the #8 – #9 contest should be, its back and fourth between NC State and Syracuse. Wolfpack led 17-12 after one and took the second frame 15-14 to carry a 32-26 lead into the break. Pack by 6 as the Cuse try to push a ticket 🎟 into the Big Dance.

NCSU continues to run every time they have a chance and the Pack lead is now reached double figures at 55-44. Ten minutes remain….

NCSU 64-46 after a 9-2 run to start the final quarter.

🐺🦊🐺🦊🐺Pack keep the dream of a Four Peat alive with some room to spear. Event is on break until 6pm.

UNC sets up another Tar Heels – Blue Devils 😈 showdown tomorrow.

Day 2 is now in the books with 3 games going by seeding and one historic comeback by Wake Forrest. 7 Games played and 6 went as expected.

The Top Four teams make their initial appearance tomorrow with the action getting underway at 11am with Wake Forrest – Louisville (#12 vs #4).