Customer Reviews

Four Corners: How UNC, N.C. State, Duke, and Wake Forest Made North Carolina the Center of the Basketball Universe

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is nothing like ACC basketball. For those of us who moved to Tobacco Rd and weren`t raised here, Joe Menzer`s book is a must. I hadn`t known much about the history of this, the premiere league in college hoops, and this well researched book with an abundance of anecdotes really helped me have an appreciation of it. As great as the players have been in the ACC, what struck me in reading Four Corners is how much the coaches have always played perhaps the dominant role in the conference. From the colorful characters like McGuire, Case, and McKinney to the intensity of Smith and Krzyzewski no other conference can match the ACC. If you are a fan of any or all of the Big Four schools you owe it to yourself to read Joe Menzer`s Four Corners.

To many fans of college basketball, the ACC can be defined most seasons by what happens within the confines of the state of North Carolina. With four teams growing up within 50 miles of each other, and each one featuring a host of truly unique and competitive individuals as their coaches, the North Carolina teams have continually dominated the scene in college basketball for the past 50 years.

The book follows the story of Duke, North Carolina, NC State, and Wake Forest from their days in the Southern Conference to the formation of the ACC, right up until today. Each era is defined by the men who coached and played for each of these teams throughout the years. The book provides an excellent history lesson on what has become the center of power in the most competitive conference in college basketball.

I have been a fan of ACC basketball for the last ten years and this book helped me to learn the history of the most storied teams within the league. If you are a fan of NCAA basketball, this is an excellent book and should be highly recommended.

Four Corners is a thorough history of basketball in North Carolina--a very interesting subject for basketball fans everywhere (it is home to more dominant programs than any other state in the country)--but unfortunately Menzer's book is like the four corners defense in that it really slows things down. He is not a particularly good writer and his anecdotes often fall flat because he does a poor job of explaining the story. Another problem is that he relies on very few sources, so his book is terribly biased and its stories are limited. For instance, Menzer relies on Billy Packer to essentially tell Wake Forest's story. While Packer is amusing, he is arrogant and is only one person so Wake's history is not three dimensional at all and really doesn't seem particularly interesting. Despite these flaws, which would prevent me from recommending this book to anyone who doesn't love college basketball and particularly the Carolina schools, this book is a good companion for a fan and will give them some interesting historical context that will allow them to appreciate their team that much more. Also, it will provide some nice trivia for those who like to bring up obscure facts during arguments about who is the best player, team, coach, etc. in the history of these programs.

Borrowed this from the library and brought it back late because I read it twice. I am planning to get it again and read it again. I have grown up with ACC basketball, but I never had the whole historical context laid out for me. This book does that. It is well written (thank you, but I understand "Duke continued their run" just fine) informative, chatty, and obviously written by someone who loves, lives, and breathes his subject matter.

I read Four Corners in two settings and throughly enjoyed it. It's the definitive book on ACC Basketball. I found the behind the scenes stories especially entertaining. A must read for any fan.

Growing up in the Carolinas, Atlantic Coast Conference basketball not only becomes a way of life at an early age, but is something you can't live without. The richness and rarity of the rivalries within the league make it like no other. From stories about the legendary Frank McGuire and the forming of the Underground Railroad to the humorous ramblings of former Wake Forest coach Bones McKinney this book captures the richness of the unique rivalry of the four schools that make up Tobacco Road. Not just a must read for ACC fans, but basketball fans in general.

Well written, informative and a must read if you follow college basketball. If you are an ACC fan, order this book NOW! This book explains the reasons behind some of the most intense rivalries in all of sports.

Having grown up with ACC basketball & reading everything I could get my hands on pertaining to it, I consider Mr.Menzer's "Four Corners" not only very informative but also entertaining.Not just the historical facts, but the inside scoop kept me from putting this book down.This unbiased report on the country's college basketball hotbed is a must read for all sports fans.

This book has some interesting early history of the ACC, but overall John Feinstein has covered much of the material far better in a couple of his books. And does either the Winston-Salem Journal or Simon & Schuster have a copy editor who knows grammar? Dozens of times, the author writes things such as "Duke continued their run ...." Noun and verb agreement, anyone? Then the author has Johnny Green playing for Michigan State University on page 58 (yup) and for University of Michigan on page 139 (nope). That's about the same thing as writing Michael Jordan played for N.C. State. This one is for ACC diehards in North Carolina only.

Does either the Winston-Salem Journal or Simon & Schuster have a copy editor? Does anyone know grammar at either place? Dozens and dozens of times, the author writes things such as "Duke continued their run ...." Noun and verb agreement, anyone? Then Joe Menzer has Johnny Green playing for Michigan State University on page 58 (yup) and for University of Michigan on page 139 (nope). About the same thing as writing Michael Jordon played for N.C. State. The book has some interesting stuff on the early ACC history, but overall John Feinstein has covered much of the material far better in a couple of his books. For ACC diehards in North Carolina only.