It seems the only news out these days about ACC basketball deals with who is or is not going to take the Virginia job and who is or is not going to jump to the NBA. As a public service to my loyal readers, I’ll run down a few of the most recent ones and award them with title – Fact, Fiction or Rumor.
Tubby Smith has declined the Virginia job – Rumor. This one is probably true, but you won’t get any verification until Virginia hires someone else. Tubby’s certainly not going to come out and publicly state that he was ever a candidate.

Dave Odom has said he will not take the Virginia job – Fiction. Dave Odom held a long news conference the other day to ramble endlessly about the South Carolina program and his love of it. In that presser, he did admit to an attraction to Virginia and while he said that he was not currently planning on leaving, he never said he wouldn’t take the job if offered.
I’ve heard through the grapevine that Odom is still considered the fall-back plan if UVA can’t land one of their first choices.
Dave Leitao is going to be the next Virginia coach – Rumor. This one is getting closer to being a fact. Evidently, he is in Charlottesville today. Supposedly he is “formally interviewing,” although we all know he already met with Craig Littlepage over the weekend. It sounds to me more like final negotiations and house hunting.
The other day, Leitao had a curious comment about being concerned that Virginia had struggled off-and-on over the past decade or so. Uh, Dave … the programs that are winning aren’t hiring. You’re gonna have to build somewhere if you want to step up.
Rashad McCants is going pro – Fact. Well, duh.
Raymond Felton is going pro – Rumor. There was a line in the article on Rashad McCants that said that Felton had made his decision, but was waiting to announce it. Somehow, I don’t think that if he’d made the decision that would make everyone happy he’d be keeping it a secret. He’s gone.
Sean May is going pro, but won’t select an agent – Rumor. This one is pure speculation, at least the no-agent part is. May had a comment after the Carolina banquet the other night that he wasn’t sure he’d want to stay if all his teammates leave. Well, the teammates are leaving.
Marvin Williams will return to Carolina for another year – Rumor. People seem to think he’s going to stay, but I don’t know why. nbadraft.net doesn’t even list him anymore. If the pundits are right and he’s a top-three pick, I don’t see why he’d stay to play on what may be a mediocre team.
BTW, nbadraft.net predicts Felton at #10, McCants at #19, Chris Paul at #3, Jarrett Jack at #25 and John Gilchrist at #34. They don’t have predictions for Marvin Williams, Sean May, Eric Williams or Shelden Williams.
College Hoops Net predicts Paul at #2, Felton #9, Jack #22, May #23, Gilchrist #33. They too don’t predict Marvin, Eric or Shelden Williams
Shelden Williams has gone to Tibet to become a monk – Fiction. I don’t know why I’m not hearing anything about Shelden. You’d think there would be some rumors flying around.
Eric Williams is leaving for the NBA – Fact. He says he won’t take on an agent and thinks he’ll likely return to Wake Forest.
Chris Paul is leaving for the NBA – Fact. You just can’t pass up a projected top-three selection.
J.J. Redick is returning to Duke – Fact. He has said several times that he is staying. I believe him.
Jason Cain is not leaving for the NBA – Fact. The NBA’s loss. They’ll just have to wait.
Jarrett Jack will declare for the draft, but not select an agent – Rumor. That may just be semi-wishful thinking. He may want to consider returning, because with Paul, Felton and Gilchrist all gone, he should rule the point guard position in the ACC.
John Gilchrist will leave for the NBA – Fact. Gilchrist claims he won’t select an agent so he can return, but I don’t think that would work out. He’d come back to find all of his stuff out on the curb and the locks changed. Gary Williams is ready to move on.
NC State elected a pirate as student body president – Fact.