The Grahammy's

He's amused Cam Newton. He's been insulted by Charles Barkley. When some idiot in the press asked him, if you know what you know now, what you have scheduled this game.

He's interviewed Matthew McConaughey. I do say go Tario. And he's taken on Big Blue Nation. He's just completely taking the wind out of my sails. It's time for The Drive with Josh Grant. Welcome to a Tuesday Drive WSJS News Talk Sports for the Triad. And here's the important question being asked after North Carolina's win at Florida State last night. Was that kind of performance an outlier?

Or are we watching this team with many of the same parts as last year's Final Four squad? Turning a switch. Are they turning a switch as the calendar flips to March at midnight tonight? To me, it was an aberration.

It wasn't real and shouldn't be treated as such. It's like having a buddy of yours that's overweight their entire lives. Then they lose 60 to 80 pounds in a year. Now, there's a chance that's who they are now.

But more than likely, they're going to revert back to who they've been for most of their lives and probably gain some of that weight back. North Carolina is your overweight buddy. Value the larger sample size.

Think about it this way. North Carolina hit 14 of its 19 three-point attempts last night. That's 48% from 3 on a heck of a lot of attempts. Entering last night, Carolina ranked 328th nationally in terms of three-point percentage. There are only 350, 360 teams in D1. North Carolina ranked 328th at 30%.

What are you going to value as real? The first 28 games of the season? 29 games of the season that said that they shoot 30% or last night? Josh, that's just one stat though.

How about this one? They assisted on 15 of their 23 buckets last night. 15 of their 23. North Carolina averaged 11 assists going into this week. 11 assists per game. That ranks 273rd nationally.

Again, value the larger sample sizes. These guys, they're not freshmen. It's not like evaluating Duke as five key players who are playing college basketball for the first time this year. Armando Bicot is in year four.

Leaky Black year five. Caleb and RJ have been here for three years. We know who they are.

They've been telling us who they are for years, plural. Believe them and don't get distracted too much by some of the outliers. The outlier data points. Like last night. And speaking of Armando Bicot, he scored one point in the game. And Carolina still won by double digits. If you want to know how extreme that is, the only three games this year that Bicot didn't give North Carolina double digit scoring were the games he was hurt. Out a minute into the game against Virginia. Didn't play against Virginia Tech. Banged up against Indiana. He didn't give them double digit scoring in those games.

Guess what? North Carolina lost all three of them. Last year in Hubert's first year. Three situations in which they didn't score into double digits with Bicot. One and two in those games. North Carolina won by double digits on the road without having him score a field goal.

They'll just take it from me that this is an outlier. Here's Hubert Davis saying, oh yeah, if you would have told me Bicot scored one point, I wouldn't like our chances. If I would have told you before the game, Armando would have one point. No.

No. I would not think that we would come out winning. But that's what a team does is when a teammate may be struggling in a particular area, other guys step up. And that's what we had. That was Hubert Davis last night. Even he knows it was a freak occurrence last night. That Bicot scores a point and North Carolina wins by double digits. That North Carolina hits 14 of 29 shots from three when they're ranked 328 nationally in that category.

That they assist on 15 of their 23 baskets and their 273rd in assists per game. Will Dalton is the executive producer of this show. And believe it or not, even though he's a Tar Heel fan, he wasn't dialed in at all into what was happening down the stretch because real drama was playing out in Zach's season of The Bachelor last night.

He was over at my house and just locked in to everything that was happening. Yeah. Brooklyn, she was raising hail just like the rodeo person she is. She just couldn't get over herself because she couldn't get a 101 date. She works as a rodeo... Yeah.

What's the word that you put there? I keep calling her a rodeo clown but I don't think that's the right... I don't either. That's like calling the person telling you about the weather. A weather person when they're actually a meteorologist.

They don't prefer weather people. Let's shift the conversation to something else. The NFL combine has started and for the Carolina Panthers this week is all about quarterback evaluation.

And wherever the search takes them, this week will be essential in that process. Let's start with the prospects. Bryce Young. Listed as six feet tall at Alabama. Gonna be closer to 5'10 according to reports last night when he officially weighs in. Yes, Bryce is officially the guy on tinder that lists his profile page as him being six foot when actually he's five foot ten.

I may or may not have done that before cuz I'm 5'10 and a half. Don't do that. It's not a great move. The ladies don't appreciate that very much.

Be a little bit more truthful. Bryce isn't gonna be throwing. He's saving that for his pro day. Will Leviss, Anthony Richardson, and also CJ Stroud. They all will be throwing at the combine this week. Those are the guys Carolina will be looking at. Carolina is going to meet with Derek Carr for the first time this week. Smart move on Carr's part. Probably his agent more than anything else.

How about this? All the teams are together. All the decision makers are together. That's why I think something might happen on the Lamar Aaron Rodgers front this week. Figuring out these teams are together with the general managers. Hey, let's start talking about compensation for Lamar for Aaron Rodgers. There are gonna be some things that happen this week.

It's a really big week. Derek Carr, he's a free agent set to meet with the Panthers for the first time and meet with the Jets and Saints again this week. And had a lot of people asking me about the veteran quarterback path for the Panthers. Should they go with Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, get involved in the Rodgers sweepstakes, Lamar Jackson. It feels a bit too rich to get involved with Rodgers.

It seems too risky to get involved with Lamar. Jimmy G seems like a more underwhelming option to Derek Carr. So in the end, if you're gonna go vet quarterback path, it seems Carr's the best option there because he's a lot better than any of the veterans you've brought in the last few years.

Better than Baker, better than Darnell, better than Teddy Bridgewater. I wouldn't have a great issue if Derek Carr ended up being the choice. However, it's clear the football world's convinced Carolina needs to take a swing and likely needs to take that swing in the draft.

This was Dan Orlovsky on ESPN saying, take a swing and take a swing in the top 10 on one of these young guys. Carolina, it's time to make the move. If you make the move, and I understand drafting quarterbacks are 50, I get all that.

So is not drafting one. You know what I'm saying? Like, you can own the division for the next 10 years given the salary cap issues that Tampa, New Orleans has. It's between you and Atlanta.

That's how I feel about it. It's Carolina, Atlanta. Carolina, it's time to go. You have a quarterback as a head coach. Josh McCown is there. Those guys are gonna develop young quarterback. I love Stroud. I've said Stroud since day one there. If it's Anthony Richardson, I think with good coaching, he can be an absolute rock star in the NFL.

Yeah, you had me until that last part. Carolina is gonna trade up. Let's hope it's because one of the top two picks ended up being Will Leviss. Let's hope that that's the case and CJ Stroud is the one that falls a little bit.

Mel Kiper, he put out a mock draft today, has Carolina trading up to the number five pick to take Will Leviss. My mind is telling me that I should start to mold my opinion or change my opinion on Will Leviss and start getting excited about that prospect because of his, you know, his build and some of the intangible stuff that's there. That's what my mind is starting to tell me. But my body, my body is telling me no.

It's completely rejecting that notion. It's telling me you are in Knoxville watching Will Leviss vomit on himself for three hours. Don't get excited about Will Leviss. It's just another version of Sam Darnold that you're drafting five years younger. You've just experienced the Sam Darnold experience over the last couple of years. Why would you draft another Sam Darnold than Will Leviss?

That's, that's what my body is telling me. So for me, it's, if you can get to the number one pick, fantastic. Don't think they're going to be able to do that. Bryce Young's probably not going to be available after the top two picks. Your hope is that CJ Stroud falls to number three somehow and that you can trade up to the Arizona Cardinals spot and take Stroud. That would be the most exciting scenario for me, for the Panthers. The best case scenario.

The next best case would be Derek Carr as a veteran. But my body! Jeffrey Griffin, that guy's got a rock-hard body.

My body! He's gonna join us in studio in about 15 minutes. PA announcer for Wake Forest Basketball. Tonight's gonna be the last time. He's behind the mic at the Joel as he's retiring after the hoop season ends.

A lot for us to do. So glad you're along with us however and wherever you were listening or watching on our video stream, YouTube, Twitch, and on Twitter. It's senior night for Wake Forest Basketball. Boston College facing Wake. WD is gonna be out at Boston College. Joel Coliseum tonight. Our show slightly shortened because of Duke basketball pregame for NC State, albeit Cameron indoor stadium.

A little bummed out. I won't get to hear our next guest voice at the Joel Coliseum for the last time tonight. Jeffrey Griffin with us. Hey you hear this voice enough.

Yeah you can listen to him on Triad Today every morning as well. And the reason I wanted to bring you on is because you are a lifelong Demon Deacon. You have seen highs, you have seen lows, and I feel like what we need today is perspective because the Deacs didn't, they're not gonna make the NCAA tournament unless they win the ACC tournament. Deacon fans, they've been through this stretch where they haven't been to the NCAA since 2010.

So some have already chosen to lump the last few years into what we saw in the previous decade. As if Wake still doesn't have a shot at winning 20 games this year for the second straight year. Something that didn't happen in that 10 year stretch. And their one win away in the ACC from having their second consecutive winning season in the ACC. Something that neither Jeff Bizdelic nor Danny Manning accomplished in that 10 year stretch either. How much different being in the seat that you sat in for these last few decades, how much different had these last two years felt from the previous 10 and 11? Well it's an interesting concept because you could of course resign yourself to the fact of we're not gonna play in the big dance.

Alright, it is what it is right? But here's the thing, I think too often in that previous decade Wake fans understandably went into the games expecting to lose. There's now been a shift in that mindset. There's an energy, there's a relevancy about the program when you talk in the preseason. When you get into late February and the games mean something, there is something to come for, there's something to fight for.

The outcome hurts if you're on the losing side and there's that expectation of we're in the conversation again. Now you had a decade where that really was not the that was not the status quo for Wake Forest basketball. So I do think and one of the biggest things for Steve Forbes, again casual observation, is that there is an excitement that surrounds the program. There is an energy, the students have started to return in mass, there have been moments this year where it's been loud, ridiculously loud again. It's no longer I don't think Wake is seen as an afterthought on Tobacco Road which again like it or don't like it was a part of that conversation in the previous decades.

You know a lot of people reference it as the lost decade of Wake Forest basketball. But you know you get the energy, you've got games that count now that mean something. If you lose and it doesn't hurt, you don't cry on the way home a little bit, then I really have to ask the question did it matter at all? And now when you leave Joel Coliseum, if you didn't win, people are upset, they're disappointed. Well that tells me it matters.

So you've got guys coming in, you want it to matter. So yeah are they trending? I know that's a kind of a catchphrase. Are you trending in the right direction?

Absolutely positively. Jeffery Griffin in with us. I'm not gonna spend the next few minutes getting all sentimental about what you've meant to the Joel and all that. I'm not gonna do that Jeffery. However there are a few people that wanted to tell you something.

Roll tape. Jeffery this is Coach Claussen at Wake Forest. Just wanted to thank you for all of your support and all your work of announcing first downs and touchdowns at Wake Forest over my last nine years here. And congratulations on your retirement. Wishing nothing but the best.

Go Deacs. Hey Jeffery this is Steve Forbes, Red basketball coach here at Wake Forest. I just want to congratulate you on being the voice.

I grew up in a time when voices were all we had. To me you rise to that level when it comes to demon deacon basketball. It will be really different next year not hearing your voice in in the in the Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum. But I just want to congratulate you on a tremendous career and wish you all the best.

Hey Jeffery it's Grobe. Thanks so much for your friendship and a great run with the Deacs. Over two decades of excellence and commitment is truly amazing. You're a wonderful part of so many great memories for all of us.

Wishing you and your family lots of happiness going forward. You're the best. This is Wake Forest Athletics Director John Curry. Jeffery Griffin is a true demon deacon and we have all been blessed by his service and enthusiasm for Wake Forest Athletics throughout his announcing career. One of the things I appreciate the most about Jeffery is that when you see him at a volleyball game or a field hockey game or a soccer game he's putting just as much care and professionalism into those events as he does to Wake Forest football or men's and women's basketball because he knows how much it means to each one of those student athletes and the fans that are in attendance to those games. We will miss Jeffery at the scores table in his incredible voice but we look forward to seeing him and his family at demon deacon events for years to come. Thanks Jeffery and go Deacs.

Hey Jeffery this is Tom Hamilton market manager with WSJS. One and done. I've heard about one and done's but 23 years and done that's amazing. My life all the way through college at Penn State and the Armed Forces in Alaska don't add up to the number of years that you've been doing Wake Forest announcing and I just think that's fabulous.

Well now maybe you'll be able to hone your skills in the WSJS is try it today morning show but probably not and it'll probably be more family time which is really really good. So congratulations from both a fan and your friend you're gonna do great. Oh me you guys are a mess so that was unexpected thank you. We said we weren't getting mushy and then I got mushy so that's some big dogs on that tape. There were. I don't know who let the boss in at the end. I'll take the blame on that. He just walks in and you can't keep him out so it's alright. Are you familiar with Godfather part 3?

Not as much as I should be. There is a famous line that's now just become a meme that people use where it's like I thought I was out and they just wrote me back in. Wake Forest might be in the NIT. Oh yeah so yeah and so we have to preface that we need to revise our statement right. Tonight is the last regular season home game for Jeffrey and the Demon Deacons. So we had this conversation the other night after the Notre Dame game they go Jeffrey should we I went I'll be here so yes tentatively the last game but I'll be there Gary Strickland will be there all the old game get together again as long as Wake plays this season we'll be there. Are you excited for tonight? Yes yes and I and here's the thing it's not a it really genuinely is not a rah rah Jeffrey moment but people want to say thank you and to have your children there yeah and to be able to let them be a part of that and to share that with them that that's the thing that's the thing I'm most excited about so when we walk off that floor tonight regulation over time whatever happens happens win-lose Miles and Sophia and Vicki and I are gonna walk off together and that's exactly the way I wanted it exactly the way it should be so that that's the thing. Go out the Joel Coliseum tonight say thank you to Jeffrey if you'd like to it's Boston College at Wake Forest Boston College Joel Coliseum thank you buddy good luck it's the fifth annual Josh Grammy Awards everybody come in and pull up a chair young and old ah yes it's about that time ACC basketball the regular seasons about to end so who's going to a win the best of the best the prestigious of most prestigious postseason awards that's what we're here to find out do you want to get into the first category WD I'd love to let's start like they do in the Academy Awards with an important award right out of the gate coach of the year Jeff Capel Pittsburgh it was really down to two Capel or Kevin Keats at NC State and the differentiator for me is NC State was picked top ten in the preseason poll Pittsburgh was finished picked to finish 14th out of 15 teams and right now when you look at the standings Pittsburgh is tops in the ACC they're number one right now in the preseason ball it might be a it's about as close as we've seen to a team being picked last and finishing first what a story the Pitt Panthers have been with off-the-floor issues and transfers who have exited and rebuilding a roster a team and a coach frankly that was left for dead Jeff Capel well deserving of coach of the year that's a slam dunk for me it'd be surprising if he doesn't win the biggest lock is our next award the Rookie of the Year which really is the freshman of the year anyway it's Kyle Filipowski at Duke a diaper dandy Kyle Filipowski I don't see any other freshmen that's really in contention for being all ACC he's the best player on a team that might be the most dangerous team in the ACC right now there really isn't much argument that he's the best player on Duke and if you're a freshman and the best player on Duke odds are you deserve to win freshman of the year or rookie of the year as they're calling it in the ACC maybe we need a rebrand on that by the way Jim Phillips could we do freshman of the year rather than rookie of the year just a thought two awards are in the books we don't have any commercial breaks in between these awards that we're handing out there's no in memoriam segment that we're doing here so how about we just get to the next award this is what you would want from the actual Grammys minus music performances the sixth man of the year award not a loaded category it is Ryan Young at Duke winning that award another dookie it seems wrong to include Darique Whitehead in this category because he's been mostly dealing with injuries that's why he's been coming off of the bench so we're gonna go with Ryan Young because usually you just pick a guy from Florida State out of the 12 guys that they play in a normal year and that's your sixth man of the year they don't have that guy this season you would look at some of the better teams hey doesn't Miami have someone that scores off the bench no they don't NC State at Jack Clark but he's been banged up for most of the year so really it came down to Ryan Young or Nike Sibandi from Pittsburgh and Ryan Young's the pick just because he brings something to Duke that's important for a team that is dangerous transfer Ryan Young your winner for sixth man of the year defense often isn't something that is talked about much it's not really the most sexy thing to get into defensive player of the year though a hotly contested award the winner of the deploy Reese Beekman from Virginia Carolina fans if you're out there saying it's leaky black he's deserving maybe so but this is as simple as looking at which team is the best defensively in the ACC and picking the best player on that team and I'm not a big fan of just choosing the guy with the most blocked shots either I didn't think that Mark Williams should have won it last year that's lazy Mark Williams isn't doing a lot of switching Reese Beekman does that and has been doing that for years North Carolina is bottom third of the ACC defensively in scoring D Virginia's number one and that's by a significant margin so we're going with Reese Beekman over leaky black over Jesse Edwards over O'Mear at Miami over Jarkelle Joyner who might be the most underappreciated player in the ACC this season somebody that could be a second team all ACC kind of guy so that's six man of the year a defensive player of the year we got Rookie of the Year and coach of the year out of the way my pick for player of the year the big award of the night goes to Ty Appleby wake forest oh it's a surprise many people expected Armando Baycott to be up on that stage but no it's Ty Appleby who by a considerable margin right now leads the ACC and points leads the ACC and assists second and steals we've never seen it in ACC history a point guard leading or anybody leading in points and assists he's gonna do that a lotus Williams buddy behind beat him out in postseason so for two consecutive years a demon deacon wins player of the year congratulations to Ty and on the way out the clothes are Josh Grammy Awards the fifth annual that we have here WD let me know if you have any objections to my all-acc team that I have Ty Appleby from wake in the backcourt with turquavion Smith Armando Baycott in the middle Isaiah Wong on the wing from Miami and Hunter Tyson from Clemson those are my five all-acc picks Kyle Filipowski was in the running but it came down to do you prefer Tyson or do you prefer Filipowski and I prefer Tyson and the way that he's improved throughout the year they beat Duke head-to-head he's been more consistent during the year and plus we celebrate Filipowski with the rookie of the year so he doesn't leave empty-handed we're gonna go with the Clemson Tiger there that's my all ACC list that's the Josh Grammy Awards oh it's fantastic you know what else is cool WD baseball starting to become a topic again my Baltimore Orioles are at spring training my dad said he's gonna try and fly down there and watch some O spring training stuff and apparently the O's won or let me think no the Pirates they want a spring training game against the Orioles and they were the designated home team for the game so they didn't need the bat and the bottom of the knife but they decided they wanted to bat it out anyway so the Orioles and the Pirates played a bottom of the knife that didn't have to be played and the umpires didn't stick around for it so you had broadcasters guessing what the balls and strikes were watching this play out I feel like that almost would be more entertaining than if you had them and then you got college baseball yeah where Wake Forest is 9 and 0 right now according to d1 baseball the fifth ranked team in the country they're at the couch about to face I think of the next 10-15 minutes they're facing UNCW tonight my pirates they face North Carolina twice over the weekend beat them in the Bosch and Chapel Hill beat them in Greenville America with 6,000 fans to watch so it's an exciting time if you're a baseball fan with everything getting fired up