But not every program in the Tar Heel state has a top 20 program.  And to be honest not every city lives and breathes basketball.  That may sound blasphemous to some but there are other interests in NC besides tobacco and basketball.  Greenville North Carolina is a nice town not quite on the Coast line that is Americana as Ice Cream and Baseball (both are huge in this town).  It makes you feel like you are in a different time or place. These easy going folks love their barbecue and picnics and their Pirates.  The hometown University, the East Carolina Pirates, are a huge part of this community and the fans support them in all sports.  The Minges Maniacs fill the student section at every home game played at Williams Arena.  Of course, this was not enough to win more than 7 games last season but all of those were in the friendly confines of Williams (in front of 8000 fans) and included some games they probably would not have on the road or a neutral sight.   Ironically the Pirates are one of only two CAA program that actually played in the Southern League which was the forerunner to the ACC.  William & Mary was the other and the Indians actually compete against the likes of the Tar Heels and Demon Deacons whereas these Pirates were a replacement for them when they left to from that now basketball heaven.  The EC Pirates struggled through another tough season in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference but the fans kept coming and did not seem to mind.  The Pirates might have in the basement last in the Colonial but they are playing Division One and in Greenville the best thing about the end of March has always and will always be it is the start of baseball season.  Priorities! 

Let me clear, the Pirates are not a good program and the hope of them actually competing even in the CAA is slim to none this year.  But there are some signs of life.   Coach Howard Porter has got a whole slew of front court players to choose from and some of them can actually play.  The problem is that basketball might not be the best sport for these Pirates as some (more than you think) were actually recruited to play baseball with the stipulation they could also play on the basketball team.  You see, East Carolina has a great baseball program that has been national power for years.  They are in fact the program that has made the most D-1 tournaments without actually qualifying for the College World Series.  I will tell you Porter’s basketball boys would like to have that same kind of resume.  These Pirates have not sniffed a national tournament even though they have been playing D-1 basketball for decades.  The Pirates finished dead last in the conference once again and unless things change fast Porter will not continue to be coaching this team.  The disappointed faithful of Greenville know better days are ahead.   Or at least they hope so.  Of course in basketball you got to have some guards and not a bunch of pitchers trying to make do on the court.   

Porter also has to find a way to keep his best players on the court.  Junior to be Charles Alford missed his entire junior year (which he is not getting back) due to some off the court issues which led to missing some classes and making him academic ineligible.  The 6’9 kid from Durham of all places is needed on a roster that does not have much size and he will get another shot this year.  Alford was not the only one Porter had discipline issues to deal with.  Senior Bill Otte who started the first 15 games at the four was suspended from the team 20 games in for breaking team rules.  What these rules that were broken were never disclosed but it hurt some as Otte was the best board guy on the team.  He, too, will get another chance this year and those these two started next to each other often two years ago they are at the back of the bus this year.  It is hard to build a program when players you have players coming in and out but on the bright side it did give Porter the opportunity to get some younger guys on the court.  Coach Porter rotated several others throughout the year trying to find some help up front.  Most promising are juniors Jim Fairley, James Gregory, Al Faber, Dave Franklin and Larry Hunt.  Faber has the body and size of a pro.  He needs to learn how to use it.  This 6’10 kid did give glimpses of tremendous potential and had some big games.  He will be a key to the future of this program for the next two years.  Gregory is the most consistent carryover but is limited athletically.  He came on strong starting after Otte left and led the team in scoring the last ten games. He should start again though as the Pirates do not have many big men who can score.  Hunt goes 6’9 but does not have much experience other than JV.  He and Faber are the only ones with the size you need at the post but needs to get much better offensively.  Fairley goes only 6’7 190 but is a good post player who played well down the stretch against bigger guys at the four and five.  Fairley is physical though and man he does not mind using all five of his fouls.  Seniors Jim Modlin and Jerry Woodside got some time early but both got hurt.  Modlin might be the most physical player on the team.  He is tough on the boards and guarding people and can score some but only goes a solid 6’7 220.  Woodside is a wing scorer that like many of his teammates was overmatched in this league at only 6’4.  Senior Tom Miller got some minutes at the point but was not quick enough to guard some of the waterbugs in this league.  Miller, 6’0 from West Virginia, is better at the two and is one of a few returning back court players so will every opportunity to play somewhere.  Porter has emphasized the back court this offseason in recruiting and is bringing in no less then six junior college transfer to fill that need.  This team is so far behind the rest of the league in their guard play something had to be done and Porter, on the hot seat, could not wait for some young guys to develop.  The Pirates need help now and supposedly some pretty good wings are coming to Greenville.  Point will be a problem but two big time recruit freshmen will be competing to see who runs the show here.  There are a couple of BB’s that they will have to beat out and both of these cats are fighters.  Senior Billy Brogden and junior Buzzy Braman split the point guard roles last year with not great results.  Still, this duo can defend and will not just roll over to the freshmen I guarantee you that. 

Seniors Sonny Russell and Bobby Hodges were once again solid in their roles.  Hodges is a scorer who did take a bit of a backseat to the dynamic duo but still gave the team a nice third option from the post.  Hodges is a banger underneath who really knows how to get position down low and has a variety of shots to finish.  Russell is another scorer but is not very big and both are studs in other sports as well.  Hodges is a terrific receiver who led the Pirate football team in touchdown cashes and Russell is the starting shortstop on the elite baseball team.  Neither is incredibly athletic  but their legacy for the Pirates is secure even if they don’t play another game on the court, diamond or field.  Speaking of legacy fellow senior Vince Colbert is also on the preseason roster.  He was the first African-American athlete to play for the Pirates but is a better pitcher then hoopster.  Still, this 6’4 stud is more athletic than most of his baseball teammates and has had some success on the wing for Porter.  6’5 junior Herb Krusen is a pure shooter who can help and led the JV in scoring last year.  Another JV kid, sophomore Curt Vanderhorst, could start at the two.  He is only 6’1 but this Fayetteville product from just up the road can get to the hoop.  He might not be Thompson in the air but the kid can finish.   

The boys who like to say ggrrrrrrrr matey and here’s to Captain Jack.  The Pirates will keep looking for buried treasure and hopefully will find it on the Carolina Coast but thare are not David Thompsons or Michael Jordans hiding in the sandy beaches.  Or RRRRR there?   Either way unless Coach Porter has found a pair of  clones from the Carolina trees that emulate his Airness and Skywalker then this team is in trouble this year.  Even with those two the Pirates might still have to walk the plank in the Colonial battles.