Commentary

Final golden goose egg has cracked

Originally Published: January 22, 2009

By Jay Bilas | ESPN.com

Every year, the goose egg in the right-hand column holds us hostage into January. There is always a team, or two, that enters the new year unbeaten, and that goose egg makes everybody a little crazy. Until a team has lost, it probably isn't properly or dispassionately evaluated because of the mesmerizing effect of the goose egg.

Well, now every goose egg is broken, and we can concentrate on the strengths and weaknesses of teams now that all of them have at least one blemish. The last to fall was Wake Forest, when it lost at home to Virginia Tech 78-71, and now the Demon Deacons have a challenge on their hands. Wake Forest was on a journey that Pat Riley once called the "innocent climb." The young and talented Deacons were expected to be much improved but perhaps not contenders … yet. But Wake Forest developed quickly and sprinted out of the gate in what will prove to be a marathon run through the ACC, a league that punishes youth.

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