The Week Ahead

It's close to the end of 2010 and most teams are still on their Christmas break. There aren't many more games to close out the year, but there are a bunch of good matchups for the first weekend of 2011. Here's a preview of the week's best games:

North Carolina at Rutgers (Tuesday, 9:00 p.m.)
Rutgers isn't exactly a powerhouse, but they have already had a double digit win over Miami. They haven't matched up very well with UNC in recent years, though, and I don't expect the Heels to lose in New Jersey.

Boston College at Rhode Island (Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.)
The Eagles have played well so far this year, but have a tough matchup with Rhode Island. Hokie fans remember the Rams as the team that beat the Hokies in Blacksburg in the NIT last year.

Wake Forest at Richmond (Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.)
For a young team that has really struggled, this week could put them in full crisis mode. First comes a road game against a Richmond team that has already beaten Purdue. They did lose to Georgia Tech, though, so Wake could pull the surprise.

Boston College at South Carolina (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.)
Boston College has certainly scheduled a tough week. If they survive their road game against Rhode Island, they might be in for a letdown against a South Carolina team that isn't very strong but is still an SEC team.

Gonzaga at Wake Forest (Sunday, 1:00 p.m.)
Wake Forest had a big win last year when they went up to Spokane and shut down the Zags. This year Gonzaga is the team that is likely to come on the road and get the win. If Wake loses both games this week, you can bet the Deacon nation will be in an uproar over Dino Gaudio's firing.

LSU at Virginia (Sunday, 5:30 p.m.)
Virginia is trying to battle some confidence issues, coming off two poor performances in a row. They should be able to beat two BCS conference foes this week, playing Iowa State and LSU, both at home. LSU has struggled mightily since losing to UNC in the tournament a couple years ago.

Miami at Duke (Sunday, 7:45 p.m.)
The first ACC conference game of 2011 will likely be a blowout. This will be Duke's most competitive game playing without Kyrie Irving. But even without him, they are much better than Miami, especially at home.

Pre-Christmas Games Preview

Most ACC teams are trying to get in one last game before Christmas, and some will need to guard against being tripped up by a mediocre team. It already happened once this week, with Wake losing at home against Presbyterian, and almost happened to Virginia, which escaped with a one point win over Norfolk State.

Here are a few games that should be on your radar:

Clemson at College of Charleston (Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.)
The College of Charleston already played Maryland tough in College Park and will be looking for a victory over an ACC team for the second straight year. Clemson is a better team than Charleston but don't be surprised if the home team wins this one.

Georgia Tech at Siena (Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.)
Siena isn't what it once was, with Coach Fran McCaffrey gone. But they are still a decent mid-major team and could present Georgia Tech with some problems up in New York.

Virginia Tech at St. Bonaventure (Thursday, 7:00 p.m.)
St. Bonaventure hasn't been relevant for several years, but is starting to play better and has a victory over St. Johns this year. They could catch Virginia Tech napping.

Florida State vs. TBA in Hawaii (Thursday)
The Seminoles are playing in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii, in a tournament that has a decent field. This second round game will likely be played against Butler, with a final round matchup coming Saturday against potentially Baylor.

Weekend Recap

There were some good games this weekend, and I think we learned more about some of the teams in the ACC. Here are my impressions:

-UNC played well despite losing a virtual home game against Texas. It seems to me that the Heels are still trying to figure out their offensive identity with a lot of guys who do not have much game experience. If I were them, I'd keep getting the ball down low to Tyler Zeller. I am impressed by how much he has improved, and he has gotten to the point where he is almost unstoppable down low. They still need to figure out how best to use freshman Harrison Barnes.

-Miami had a golden opportunity to knock off a surprisingly good team in UCF but really struggled in the second half. They were up at halftime, but really unraveled down the stretch. Once they got behind, it seemed like they got in panic mode, not running any set offenses, but choosing to have one of their guards drive into the lane and throw up an off-balance shot. If they didn't get fouled, it was one and done and UCF took advantage.

-Virginia Tech may have turned the corner. They played their best game of the year against a Mississippi State team that is talented, albeit gassed after playing five games in a week. Still, even against a tired team, for the Hokies to win by 30 is quite a feat. If they can continue to get consistent production out of people like Erick Green and Victor Davila, they can make their goal of the NCAAs.

-NC State didn't take advantage of a game that really would have looked good on their resume had they'd won. Arizona is a solid team with some NBA caliber players. But playing at home, the Wolfpack should have been able to take care of business. Instead, they fell behind and only got into more of a hole. They were playing a very aggressive form of defense, which led to a lot of easy Arizona baskets.

-It was a good win for Georgia Tech down in the Bahamas. They were able to knock off a Richmond team that many people think is a lock for the NCAA Tournament. The Yellow Jackets were able to win by 13 despite playing much of the game without Iman Shumpert.

I'll be back later in the week with a look ahead at some decent non-conference matchups.

The State of the ACC

As it's about a month into the season, it's a good time to look at how the ACC teams have been progressing thus far this year. So here is the status report:

Boston College (8-2)
The Eagles have surpassed expectations so far. They performed admirably in Orlando, beating a good Texas A&M squad and winning big over California. BC also has a very solid road win over Maryland and an underrated win at UMass. Steve Donahue has to be happy with how his first year has gone so far.

Clemson (5-4)
Clemson lost quite a bit from last year's team, and the transition to both new players and a new coach has been understandably tough. The Tigers have lost all of their games against good teams, with the best victory being against Seton Hall at a neutral site. The home loss to Michigan was disappointing, and they missed an opportunity down the stretch at Florida State.

Duke (10-0)
The Duke Blue Devils have done what everyone expected them to do: win, win, win. They have played a pretty impressive schedule, and have racked up wins against Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler and Marquette. Most of their games have been blowouts. There is some cause for concern with Kyrie Irving's injury, but even if he is out for the year they should be in good shape.

Florida State (8-2)
Florida State has a decent record thus far, but it still feels as if they haven't played up to their potential. The Seminoles have lost two games, both against ranked teams, but they were both at home. In those games, they only scored a combined 95 points. Florida State's best non-conference win is hard to pick out - perhaps a 23 point win at Florida International.

Georgia Tech (5-4)
The Yellow Jackets are another team that has underperformed so far. They started out the year by losing their second game, a 17 point loss at Kennesaw State. Georgia Tech had a good win in Atlantic City over UTEP, but followed that up with three straight losses, including a home loss to rival Georgia. They appear to be one of the weaker teams in the ACC.

Maryland (7-4)
Maryland has shown promise at times this year, despite being very young. I think they are on pace for a solid year, given Gary Williams' track record. The Terps played well in New York, despite losing two games to Pitt and Illinois. They did blow out Penn State on the road, but lost to Temple and at home to Boston College. The jury is still out on Maryland.

Miami (7-2)
Miami has flown under the radar at the start of the year, much as they did last year. They have played decently well this year, with the exception of a 16 point loss to Rutgers. The Canes have two decent home wins, against Ole Miss and West Virginia, but other than that have not been tested. They don't play another road game until January 2nd at Duke.

North Carolina (7-3)
The Tar Heels have taken some time to come into their own. Along the way, they struggled to losses against Minnesota and Vanderbilt. UNC also had a loss at Illinois which wasn't very close. But UNC has put together a good win against Kentucky and appears to be picking up steam with a matchup at Texas up next.

N.C. State (5-3)
The high expectations for NC State this year haven't seemed to filter down to the team yet. The Wolfpack played horribly against Wisconsin and got blown out at a neutral site by Georgetown. Their best win is against George Mason. With a game against Arizona upcoming, NC State needs to get things together. Getting Tracy Smith back would help.

Virginia (6-3)
Virginia has been one of the few teams in the ACC that could be counted as a surprise. The Cavaliers started the season off as most people expected: blowout losses to Stanford and Washington. But they rebounded to beat Oklahoma by 18 and have since piled up road wins against Minnesota and Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers look to be a force to be reckoned with this year.

Virginia Tech (5-4)
It would definitely be fair to say the Hokies have been a disappointment. Their early season struggles have been well documented (including in this blog). The only loss that could be counted as a bad loss was their home defeat to Virginia, but they really should have beaten Purdue. The best win so far is a neutral site victory over Oklahoma State, with a chance at a better one this weekend against Mississippi State.

Wake Forest (6-4)
Wake Forest's record isn't much different from many other teams, but they are clearly the worst team in the ACC. They have already lost to Stetson, VCU, Winthrop and UNC Wilmington, with the first three being at home. In their last game, they won at home by only two points to a UNC Greensboro team that hasn't won a game this season. In fact, UNC Greensboro's previous best loss was by 12 points to NC A&T. Not good in Winston Salem.

To recap, a lot of the ACC teams have some work to do to earn respectability for the conference. Most years, there would be a lot of teams with no more than two losses. Right now, 8 of the 12 teams have at least 3 losses. And time is running out to pile up the non-conference wins.

The Week Ahead

We aren't even halfway into December, and three conference games are already in the books. I've got to hand it to Boston College - they had the most impressive performance of the weekend. BC was able to go to Maryland and win a shootout, playing much better than the home team down the stretch. Of the three new coaches, Steve Donahue inherited the team with the most returning talent. But he has still done a fine job so far. For Maryland, this is not a good loss. I am fairly confident they will be able to turn it around, though.

In the other conference game, Florida State was able to outlast Clemson. For years this was the game between the two worst teams in the conference, and I think there is still not much national interest for this matchup. This game was marked by a bunch of missed layups and dunks. But in the end, Florida State got the win they were expected to get.

This is another week where teams are on their exam break, so not much action. But here are the marquee games worth looking out for:

Oregon at UVA (Friday, 8:00 p.m.)
After spending a long time on the road, UVA is home for the rest of the year. This is notable because they are hosting a BCS foe, but Oregon doesn't have a lot of firepower and has to travel across the country. UVA should win this one.

Texas vs. UNC (Saturday, 4:00 p.m. in Greensboro)
This made for TV matchup should be a virtual home crowd for the Heels. They got one solid win over Kentucky and will be looking to build a little momentum. Texas is a bit of an enigma, playing well in New York but losing badly on the road at Southern Cal.

Georgia Tech vs. Richmond (Saturday, 5:00 p.m. in the Bahamas)
This is game one of the Battle at Atlantis, and is a tough matchup for the Yellow Jackets. Richmond is considered a team on the rise and already has a neutral site win over Purdue to its credit. The Jackets are coming off a tough loss at home to rival Georgia and could use a boost.

Virginia Tech vs. Mississippi State (Saturday, 8:00 p.m. in the Bahamas)
The second game of the Battle at Atlantis features two teams who really want to get back to the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies got a nice win over Penn State but have still underachieved. Mississippi State will be looking to get back to full strength with Renardo Sidney returning to the team.

Wake Forest at Xavier (Saturday, 8:00 p.m.)
Wake Forest has really struggled in the early going this year, and their schedule is not getting any easier. A trip to Xavier will be a tough test for Jeff Bzdelik's crew. Thus far Wake's best win is a home win over Iowa. Keeping the Xavier game close will probably be a victory for the Deacs.

Arizona at N.C. State (Sunday, 4:30 p.m.)
This is a rematch of a very competitive game from last year. The Wolfpack have a lot of promise but have yet to deliver with a big win, losing all three of their games against BCS conference opponents. Arizona is expected to contend for an NCAA berth this year, and would be a good win for the Pack.

What's Wrong with the Hokies?

Since there aren't many games going on this week, that gives me a little time to devote to a topic near and dear to my heart: the Hokie basketball team. I have seen the team come a long way since I started following it in 2002. I really thought that the Hokies would never make the tournament again after their last appearance in 1996. But they managed to grow the program to where it has at least earned respectability.

All that being said, this season came in with as high expectations as I'd ever seen for the Hokies. And with a 4-4 record to date, there has been much groveling and complaining and jumping off the bandwagon. So it begs the question: what's wrong?

The main reason I can point to is chemistry. The guys on the floor don't seem to have the same level of trust that they had last year. And that is puzzling, considering it is the same five guys out there. They aren't moving the ball on offense and working together to generate turnovers on defense. On a 3 and 1 break, the ball handler will shoot a contested shot rather than pass to the open man. When guys are getting screened on defense, another defender is not helping out to pick up the open man. And I could go on and on. The team just doesn't look like it's playing together. It has in moments this season: like the last 5 minutes against Oklahoma State and the second half against UVA.

Another problem: the inability to come through down the stretch. The times that the Hokies have performed well in the past have been when they have been able to take over the last few minutes of a game to close out the other team. They did this nicely against Oklahoma State. But against Purdue, they had a four point lead and the Boilermakers on the ropes. But they didn't seem to know what to do with the ball in the last couple minutes and lost. Against UVA, they had chances to tie or take the lead and really deal a knockout blow, but didn't.

You can point to one player in one game and say "Well Malcolm played poorly" or "Dorenzo had a bad game." But good players are going to have bad games. It happens all the time. Good teams are able to win despite this. Their other players (who aren't slouches - they are scholarship athletes at an ACC school) pick up the slack. This has also been lacking.

The last reason I will point to is the sheer lack of manpower. Allan Chaney went out, then J.T. Thompson - both before the season. Cadarian Raines missed a significant amount of time. And just this week, Ben Boggs announced he will transfer. That leaves 10 scholarship players. If Raines has to miss a lot more time, that number is down to 9. Nine scholarship players is practically unheard of - a lot of teams have 13! It is very difficult to win with that lack of depth, and getting no spark off the bench.

One last point: there has been a lot of criticism of Seth Greenberg on Virginia Tech message boards. I don't know whether Seth is the problem or not. All I know is that his coaching move at the end of the Oklahoma State game single handedly won the game. He has talked about players needing to be more about the team than themselves - is that coaching? Maybe. Maybe Seth Greenberg has hit his ceiling as a coach and the Hokies need another coach to take that next step. But you better believe he is working his heart out to try to come up with a fix.

The good news is, there is plenty of time. The Hokies have 15 more conference games to play, many against teams with inferior talent. They can get out of their funk. But the road back starts with the next game.

Weekend Recap

It was a pretty good weekend for the ACC, with some key wins against non-conference foes.

Let's start in Chapel Hill, where UNC got a much needed win against Kentucky. The Tar Heels have had the Wildcats' number in recent years, and needed this confidence builder. Neither team really got it done on the offensive end, especially late in the game. But Tyler Zeller knocked down some big free throws down the stretch.

Butler played their butts off to a first half draw in a rematch of the NCAA Championship game against Duke. I don't know if it was a hangover from their game against Michigan State or more about what Butler did, but Duke struggled more in that first half than they have all year. That being said, they were still able to win by 12.

Miami got a huge win over West Virginia. The Hurricanes also needed a confidence boost after struggling some in November, and beating the Mountaineers is a good step forward.

NC State held tough against Syracuse, leading late in the game, only to see things slip away. I'm not sure if Wolfpack fans will be heartened by their improved effort or disappointed because of the loss. Either way, NC State has some work to do before conference play starts.

Clemson lost a tough battle against its biggest rival, South Carolina. The Tigers have been struggling some in the early season as well, and look like they will endure some growing pains in the first year under Brad Brownell.

Virginia continued its strong play of late with a road upset of Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers came out hot in the first half, and held onto their 12 point halftime lead. This speaks a lot to the resiliency of Tony Bennett and the Cavs after their tough stretch a couple weeks ago. For Virginia Tech, there are a lot more questions than answers. They seem to lack chemistry, and need to get things together quickly or it will be a very disappointing season.

Maryland strugged offensively against a tough Temple team, trailing by double digits at one point at the BB&T Classic. They were able to make a game of it, losing by 3, but they have to think this loss was a missed opportunity.

The schedule dries up a little bit this week as some teams go on a break for exams. There are only two games of note during the week:

Tuesday: Georgia at Georgia Tech (7:00 p.m.)
Wednesday: Providence at Boston College (7:00 p.m.)

Challenge Winners & Losers

Another ACC/Big Ten Challenge is in the books and for the second straight year, the Big Ten won. The ACC did manage to make it competitive on Wednesday, losing by a narrow 6-5 margin. So let's take a look back at the winners and losers.

Winners

Virginia - Virginia pulled off the biggest surprise of the challenge, with a huge road win at Minnesota. The way the Cavaliers had played thus far this year, no one thought they could win going away against a Gophers team predicted to finish in the top 25. This could be a big momentum builder for them.

Northwestern - The Wildcats have never made it to the NCAA Tournament, and are hoping this will be the year. They blasted Georgia Tech at home, scoring at will. This is a good sign for a team hoping to take that next step.

Michigan - The Wolverines came up with a big road win against Clemson. Michigan has been a much improved team since John Beilein took over, and looks to make the NCAA Tournament again this year.

Maryland - The Terps started out slowly against Penn State, but ended up winning by 23. Penn State isn't the strongest team, but beating any Big Ten team by 23 points on the road gets you in the winners column.

Losers

NC State - What happened, Sidney Lowe? There is no shame in losing at Wisconsin. But losing by 39 points, with a second half that was completely meaningless, is pretty sad. State only scored 48 points and gave up 87 to a team that usually plays in the 50s.

Virginia Tech - The Hokies played much better in their Big Ten game against Purdue, and really should have won. But mistakes down the stretch meant another loss and another missed opportunity in the non-conference. Fans will have to tone down their expectations for this season.

Florida State - Ohio State is an impressive team, but Florida State has made a living in recent years out of beating higher ranked teams at home. They have been pretty disappointing so far this year.

Iowa - The Hawkeyes had Wake Forest on the ropes in Winston-Salem but let them off the hook, giving up a late 3. Iowa isn't going anywhere this year but this would have been a good win for them.

This weekend is full of very strong matchups. Among the highlights: UNC vs. Kentucky, Duke vs. Butler, West Virginia at Miami, Maryland vs. Temple, and the first conference game of the year: UVA at Virginia Tech. A full recap of those games is coming up on Monday.

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Preview

The first week in December means it's time for the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Last year, the Big Ten won the challenge for the first time, and many people think that the Big Ten is the best conference. So does that mean they will win it again this year? Let's take a look at the games.

Virginia at Minnesota (Monday, 7:00 p.m.)
Minnesota has been a solid team thus far this year, already knocking off UNC in Puerto Rico. Virginia has been tested in this early season, and is playing a little better. But they are still a wildly inconsistent team. It's hard to see them going up to Minnesota and winning.
Pick: Minnesota

Georgia Tech at Northwestern (Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.)
Georgia Tech had a good showing in Atlantic City, beating UTEP and losing by just 4 to Syracuse. But they also have a loss to Kennesaw State already this year. Northwestern hasn't really done much of anything thus far this year. I'll take the Jackets to pull off the upset.
Pick: Georgia Tech

Iowa at Wake Forest (Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.)
This has to be the least compelling matchup of the challenge. Both teams have struggled so far this season, and aren't expected to go far from the cellar in their leagues. I will go with the more experienced team.
Pick: Iowa

Ohio State at Florida State (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.)
Ohio State has one of the best wins of the year, winning going away at Florida. By contrast, Florida State just lost a home game to the same Florida team. The Seminoles will be good this year but not at the same level as the Buckeyes.
Pick: Ohio State

Michigan at Clemson (Tuesday, 9:00 p.m.)
Michigan hasn't had much to show for their season so far, losing the only two challenging games they've had. Clemson has struggled some early as well, and it's hard to forget how they performed in last year's challenge, blowing a huge lead against Illinois. But I'll still go with the home team in this one.
Pick: Clemson

North Carolina at Illinois (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.)
Tuesday's marquee game features a North Carolina team that has had some trouble establishing its identity in the early season. With a game coming up soon against Kentucky, they could use a win like this. Illinois has played well in the early going, and is expected to be a Sweet 16 level team.
Pick: Illinois

Indiana at Boston College (Wednesday, 7:15 p.m.)
I sympathize with what Tom Crean is going through at Indiana - a long rebuilding process after Kelvin Sampson left a gaping hole in the program. Boston College had a very solid Old Spice Tournament. I like the Eagles at home.
Pick: Boston College

NC State at Wisconsin (Wednesday, 7:15 p.m.)
Big things are expected of the Wolfpack this year. If they are to live up to them, going up to Wisconsin and winning would be a big step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the Badgers are almost impossible to beat in Madison, and have another solid team this year.
Pick: Wisconsin

Purdue at Virginia Tech (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)
In somewhat of a surprise, Purdue suffered a setback against Richmond, losing by 11. They are still trying to adjust to life without Robbie Hummel. Virginia Tech has been playing good defense but hasn't really established an offensive identity. They are turning it over too much, and something just seems to be missing right now. Purdue is just the type of team that can give the Hokies fits.
Pick: Purdue

Maryland at Penn State (Wednesday, 9:15 p.m.)
Maryland is another team trying to integrate a bunch of young players, and they have played well at times. Penn State took a big step backward last year, and hasn't shown yet this year that they can win games against good teams, losing their only game against quality competition. I expect the Terps to win a tough one on the road.
Pick: Maryland

Michigan State at Duke (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m.)
Michigan State is a fine team and I fully expect Tom Izzo to get the most out of his guys in March. But they struggled against UConn in Maui, and last year got creamed in their Big Ten Challenge game in Chapel Hill. I don't expect them to do any better this year against Duke. They could lose by 25.
Pick: Duke

By my count, that's a 6-5 Big Ten win. But we'll see how things shake out.

Mid-Week Update

It's time to look ahead to the weekend in the ACC. But first, a few notes on what's already happened this week:

-It was certainly a roller coaster week for Virginia in Maui. They got absolutely embarrassed in their first game, losing by 43 points to Washington. I don't care how good Washington is - an ACC school shouldn't be losing any game by 43 points. Then UVA came back in their next game against Oklahoma and lit up the scoreboard from the start, jumping out to a huge lead and holding on for a nice win. In the 5th place game, they jumped out to another big lead against Wichita State only to see the Shockers come back and win comfortably.

-Duke had its coming out party on the national stage in the CBE Classic. They played a pretty close game against Marquette, before taking on Kansas State. The Blue Devils looked very strong in that game, winning by double digits against a Wildcat team that should be in the top 10 all year.

-The best ACC win of the week so far may go to Boston College. The Eagles used some hot shooting early to ride to a win over Texas A&M in the first round of the Old Spice Classic. This is a big win for Steve Donahue's team and shows the Eagles will be a force to be reckoned with this year.

To update the teams playing tournaments, Boston College will now take on Wisconsin in the second game of the Old Spice Classic. Depending on what happens today, their final game on Sunday will be against either Notre Dame or Cal.
Virginia Tech takes on Oklahoma State in the second round of the 76 Classic after beating Cal State Northridge easily. They will then play either Murray State or UNLV on Sunday.

Here are the other good games on tap for the weekend:

Duke at Oregon (Saturday, 4:00 p.m.)
The Ducks have to be hoping for a let-down from Duke in this game being played in a technically neutral site in Portland. Truthfully, Oregon is one of the weakest teams in the Pac 10 and will be lucky to stay with Duke for a half.

College of Charleston at UNC (Sunday, 5:30 p.m.)
Heels fans remember what happened when UNC when down to Charleston last year: a demoralizing loss. That was the beginning of a pretty big slide for UNC, and they will look to earn a bit of revenge against a team that has already almost knocked off Maryland.

Florida at Florida State (Sunday, 7:45 p.m.)
This is always a good barometer game for these two rivals. Florida is expected to be one of the best teams in the SEC this year, but has already suffered a home loss to Ohio State. Florida State hasn't really been tested so far this year.

Remember, the ACC-Big Ten Challenge is right around the corner. I'll have a preview of all the games on Monday.

The Week Ahead

It certainly isn't time yet to panic about how the ACC teams have been faring in the early-going this year, but it hasn't been good, by any stretch. The ACC is accustomed to dominating in November and December, with most teams having lofty records like 15-1. But this season hasn't been the same. For comparison, last year at this point in the season, ACC teams were 40-4. This year, teams are 30-14. A number of teams have bad losses, with four ACC teams losing on Sunday alone.

Notably, North Carolina didn't have the best time in Puerto Rico. After losing a close game to a good Minnesota team, the Heels went out and lost to Vanderbilt. Vandy may be an NCAA Tournament team at the end of the year but Carolina certainly doesn't look like the #8 team in the country right now.

Also on Sunday:

-Miami lost by 16 points on the road at Rutgers. The RAC can be a tough place to play, but only putting up 45 against a team that has really struggled in recent years is not a good sign for the Hurricanes.

-NC State was even for a half with Georgetown but then got blown out in the second half. They are now without Tracy Smith for a few weeks as well. This has to be a setback for the Wolfpack.

-Clemson lost by one point to Old Dominion. The Monarchs are a decent team but at the end of the day the ACC school should win.

With that being said, there are some teams this week that have a chance to earn a little more respect from the conference. Here's a look at what's on tap:

Monday:

Clemson vs. Seton Hall (6:00 p.m.) - Clemson needs a solid win, and has the chance to get one here against Seton Hall in the Virgin Islands. The Pirates are expected to contend for an NCAA berth, so this is big for both teams.
Virginia vs. Washington (12:00 a.m.) - The Cavaliers are coming off a 21 point loss at Stanford and need some confidence at the start of the Maui Invitational. If they can somehow come out of this tournament with 2 wins that would be a big boost for Tony Bennett's squad.

Tuesday:

Duke vs. Kansas State or Gonzaga - Duke should be able to get by Marquette with ease, and this sets up a CBE Final in Kansas City against either K-State or Gonzaga. Duke has handled Gonzaga pretty easily in the past, and could struggle some with the size of Kansas State.

Thursday:

Boston College vs. Texas A&M (12:00 p.m.) - Boston College has a tough draw in the first round of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando. The Eagles have already lost at home to Yale and are going to be facing a Texas A&M team that is always strong under Mark Turgeon.

Friday:

Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State/DePaul - The Hokies need to play well in the 76 Classic in Anaheim to feel good about their NCAA chances. That means they have to win their first round game against Cal State Northridge and win this matchup, which will likely be against an Oklahoma State team that is rebuilding.

Georgia Tech vs. UTEP (5:30 p.m.) - Georgia Tech needs to play well in their first game in Atlantic City to have a chance against a talented team like UTEP. The Jackets have already underachieved in the first two weeks of the season.

I'll have an update on the progress of the teams playing in preseason tournaments, plus a look ahead to the weekend's big games, later in the week.

Tournaments Update

A quick update on how the teams are doing who are playing in preseason tournaments:

-Maryland lost close games to both Pitt and Illinois in Madison Square Garden. The Terps weren't favored in either game, so this isn't too much of a disappointment.

-North Carolina played well in the first round game in Puerto Rico, blowing out Hofstra by 44. They came back down to earth in their second game, though, losing to a solid Minnesota team by 5. UNC will play Vanderbilt in the third place game on Sunday.

-NC State has played well in the first two rounds of the Charleston Classic. They took care of East Carolina by 20 and George Mason by 13. They will have a very interesting final game against Georgetown on Sunday night.

-In the Paradise Jam, Clemson was able to beat Long Beach State by 14. They will next play Old Dominion on Sunday. ODU is a favorite to win the Colonial.

Mid-Week Update

There have been a few notable games in the ACC so far this week, with several more to come. Here are the biggest storylines:

-Another bad loss for the conference. Georgia Tech went to Kennesaw State (not a long road trip by any means, it's a school in Georgia) and ended up losing by 17. 17! That is not a good sign that the Yellow Jackets will be prosperous this year and Paul Hewitt should already be sweating. To their credit, Georgia Tech did come back and beat Albany by 27 to right the ship a bit.

-The struggles for Wake Forest continue. Wake barely hung on to beat a bad Hampton team by 7 before losing by 21 points on their home floor to VCU. VCU is a solid CAA team, but should not be beating an ACC team on the road by 21 points. The Deacons are now 1-2 to start the season and didn't get to advance in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

-Virginia Tech has some work to do after fading down the stretch at Kansas State. The Hokies were in this game for most of the way, but struggled with foul trouble and cold shooting and ended up losing by 16. It's important for them to not have a let-down because they have some more tough games coming up later this month.

-Miami battled but ultimately lost in a midnight game at Memphis. I am not sure whether this is a positive or negative sign. On one hand, they only lost by 4 points in a tough road game. Other the other, Memphis is nowhere near what it once was.

There are plenty of interesting games on the schedule for today through Sunday, with many of the matchups still undetermined based on how teams do in their tournaments. I'll have more once I know who is playing whom.

The Week Ahead

It was a pretty tame first week for the ACC teams, with most just playing one game. There were a few notables, though:

-What a bad start to the Jeff Bzdelik era in Wake Forest. I thought Wake would have a bad year, but losing at home by 10 to Stetson is a different story. Wake needs to figure things out quickly or it could have a real struggle in November.

-Along those lines, many of the teams in the ACC struggled in their first game. This isn't unusual. A lot of times you just want to win the first game and move on from there. Teams like Wake Forest weren't so lucky.

-Some early props for Maryland freshman Pe'Shon Howard. He came up big in a game against the College of Charleston that the Terps probably should have lost. Howard took and made the shot on the last possession to give Maryland the win.

We should have a step up in competition for the teams this week. Here are a few games to watch:

ESPN's 24 Hour Tip-off
Miami at Memphis (Tuesday, midnight)
Virginia Tech at Kansas State (Tuesday, 4:00 p.m.)

A pair of tough road tests for ACC teams. Miami has a decent shot to knock off the Memphis Tigers, who are still trying to find their way under second year coach Josh Pastner. And the Hokies will face a difficult challenge in Kansas State, which is ranked #3.

Coaches vs. Cancer
Maryland vs. Pitt (Thursday, 7:00 p.m.)

Maryland will face a big step up in competition here against a Pitt team that many people think will win the Big East this year. This game is being played at Madison Square Garden.

Virginia at Stanford (Thursday, 10:30 p.m.)

This is a good road game for Virginia, which is looking to survive the first several weeks of the season without Sammy Zeglinski. Stanford is not expected to be very good, but it's still a cross-country game against a Pac-1o team.

Puerto Rico Tip-Off
North Carolina vs. TBA (Friday)

The Tar Heels will have a tough second round matchup in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, against either Minnesota or Western Kentucky. They would then likely play either West Virginia or Vanderbilt on Sunday.

Charleston Classic
NC State vs. TBA (Sunday)

NC State is playing in the Charleston Classic this week. If they win their first two games, they should be in line to play Georgetown in the final. The Hoyas already have a solid road victory over Old Dominion this year.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#1: Duke

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 11
Best non-conference game: Dec. 4 vs. Butler (in East Rutherford, NJ)

Projected Starting Five:
F - Miles Plumlee (Junior)
F - Kyle Singler (Senior)
G - Andre Dawkins (Sophomore)
G - Nolan Smith (Senior)
G - Kyrie Irving (Freshman)

The easiest decision I had to make when putting this together was deciding who would be number 1. It's been a while since there has been a bigger favorite to win the conference than Duke this year. Not only are the Blue Devils coming off a National Championship season, but are bringing in a ton of talent as well. First, let's take a look at what Duke lost. They are without Jon Scheyer, who was a great scorer. Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek are gone as well, good defenders and role players.

What Duke returns, though, is two terrific players in Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. Either one of these guys can go for 20 at any time. The Plumlee twins return, a year older and presumably better. And they have potentially their best point guard since Jason Williams in freshman Kyrie Irving. Irving is expected to be the kind of player that makes an impact right away. Duke really didn't have a traditional point guard last year, and still won the title. In addition to all this, Duke brings Seth Curry off the bench after sitting out his transfer year. Curry made a big impact at Liberty as a freshman.

Add all of these pieces and this should be a pretty special Duke team. I wouldn't be surprised if they finished the conference with something on the lines of a 14-2 record. That being said, they don't hand out the hardware in November. The Blue Devils still have to earn it on the court.

Duke continues to be the model for great scheduling. Year after year, they play a number of good teams in neutral site games. And they have a lot of home games against strong mid-major teams. This year the highlight is a title game rematch against Butler. Listen to this five game stretch: neutral site games against Marquette and either Gonzaga or Kansas State. Then in Portland against Oregon, home to Michigan State, then Butler. Duke is setting itself up for a really great season.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#2: North Carolina

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 11
Best non-conference game: Dec. 18 vs. Texas (in Greensboro)

Projected Starting Five:
F - Tyler Zeller (Junior)
F - Harrison Barnes (Freshman)
F - John Henson (Sophomore)
G - Dexter Strickland (Sophomore)
G - Larry Drew III (Junior)

In this preseason, the subject of the most debate in the ACC is the placement of North Carolina. There are many people who insist that Carolina is ranked too high, and point to last year's results as an example. My response to those people is this: at the end of the day, it is still North Carolina. They have all the championship banners hanging in the rafters for a reason. They are still able to recruit elite talent and perform at a high level.

So let's take a look at this year's team. There were some unexpected departures, like the Wear twins and Will Graves. That certainly will hurt the depth. But they do have a lot of talent, especially on the interior. Harrison Barnes is expected to be a freshman who comes in and contributes right away. John Henson is lean but a very athletic forward who had a great second half of last season. Tyler Zeller has never really come into his own at UNC, battling injuries, but has a chance to put up a good season. UNC is not quite as talented in the backcourt. Larry Drew is an okay point guard who is really more of a team manager than a big scorer. And beyond him there isn't much in the way of scoring.

As always, UNC has put together a pretty tough schedule. It will be interesting to see how they fare in the Puerto Rico Tipoff. They will play either Western Kentucky or Minnesota in the second round, and could play West Virginia in the final. UNC also has a road game at Illinois and home game against Kentucky, and a neutral site game against Texas. If Barnes is as good as many say he is, and Zeller takes a step forward, then UNC is in position to be a national power once again.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#3: Virginia Tech

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 11
Best non-conference game: Nov. 16 at Kansas State

Projected Starting Five:
F - Jeff Allen (Senior)
F - Victor Davila (Junior)
F - Terrell Bell (Senior)
G - Dorenzo Hudson (Senior)
G - Malcolm Delaney (Senior)

It is pretty well documented that Virginia Tech has played pretty well the last three years, only to come up just short of the NCAAs each time. There are three factors going for them this year that should lead to a different outcome this year. First, the experience. No ACC roster has the level of experience that the Hokies have, bringing all five of their starters back from last year. Second, the relative lack of strength of the ACC. Just looking at the lineups and the talent, the Hokies stack up very well with the rest of the league. And third, the schedule. Seth Greenberg heard the criticism last year and is making sure his team does not come up short in the scheduling department this year.

So let's take a look at this team. The Hokies return an All-ACC player in Malcolm Delaney, who really does it all and is a strong leader for this team. Dorenzo Hudson took a big step forward last year, and showed that he could be a dynamic scorer. Jeff Allen has a ton of talent and can be a force inside. The only negative coming into the year is the fact that the Hokies will be without two talented big men in Allan Chaney and J.T. Thompson, who are both out for the year. They will be counting on Allen to stay out of foul trouble so they can maintain some sort of depth in the interior.

The Hokies will be tested right out of the gates with a road game at Kansas State. They also have trips to the 76 Classic, plus games against Purdue and Mississippi State. They don't need to win all of those games, but will at least need to win a few to make a statement that they are that national force to be reckoned with that many people think they are. If they can do that, they shouldn't have to sweat Selection Sunday.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#4: Florida State

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 9
Best non-conference game: Nov. 30 vs. Ohio State

Projected Starting Five:
C - Xavier Gibson (Junior)
F - Chris Singleton (Junior)
G - Derwin Kitchen (Senior)
G - Deividas Dulkys (Junior)
G - Michael Snaer (Sophomore)

Leonard Hamilton seems to have turned the corner in his time with Florida State. The Seminoles could always be counted on to go around 8-8 in the conference and just miss out on the NCAA Tournament. But they have put together two strong years in a row, making the NCAAs both years. And they are in good position to make that three in a row.

Florida State did lose their best player from last year, big man Soloman Alabi. That will definitely be a significant loss. But they do return an emerging talent at center in Xavier Gibson. I think a big key for them will be the play of Chris Singleton. In previous years, Singleton has been content to play outside of the lane, often chucking up 3s that had no chance of going in. I would hope that with Alabi gone, that will force him to play more of a true power forward position and use his athleticism to his advantage.

The Seminoles have some nice pieces in the backcourt, led by sophomore Michael Snaer. He was a pretty highly touted freshman who ended up scoring 8.8 points per game. Look for that total to go up this year. Derwin Kitchen is a solid player but needs to pick up the slack on offense. Last year he shot just 30% from 3 point range, a drop of 7% from the year before. Overall, Florida State has the talent to compete day in and day out in the ACC. They like to play defense and grind you down into a halfcourt game. That will likely drive some of the inexperienced teams in the ACC nuts.

Taking a look at the schedule, Florida State should be 5-0 going into a crucial two game stretch with Florida and Ohio State coming to Tallahassee. They will spend their Christmas break playing in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii, where they could play good teams like Butler or Baylor. This should be another good year in Tallahassee.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#5: Maryland

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 10
Best non-conference game: Nov. 18 vs. Pittsburgh (in New York City)

Projected Starting Five:
F - Jordan Williams (Sophomore)
F - Dino Gregory (Senior)
F - Cliff Tucker (Senior)
G - Sean Mosley (Junior)
G - Adrian Bowie (Senior)

There's no question Maryland lost a lot off last year's team. Their heart and soul, Grievis Vasquez, is gone. As is his backcourt mate, Sean Hayes. But I have to say, I have faith in Gary Williams. Even though this is supposed to be somewhat of a rebuilding year for the Terps, I think they have enough in a somewhat down ACC to make it to the Big Dance.

What Maryland does have coming back is an emerging big man in Jordan Williams, who showed flashes last year. He ended up with 9.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, very strong numbers for a freshman. I think Williams will end up being the anchor of this team. His frontcourt mates, Dino Gregory and Cliff Tucker, have been role players in the past but should be able to step up and produce. And the Terps have a pretty solid backcourt, with Sean Mosley and Adrian Bowie, who combined to score 15 points per game last year.

Obviously, Maryland will really miss Vasquez. What they will need to get is someone who can fill the void both as a leader out on the floor and someone the team can turn to and produce when the game is on the line. The Terps have some interesting early season games. They will be tested right away, in their second game against College of Charleston. Later on, they have games against Pittsburgh, Temple and Villanova. So Maryland might have some growing pains in the first two months of the year, but I think they are primed for another decent season.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#6: Miami

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 11
Best non-conference game: Dec. 4 vs. West Virginia

Projected Starting Five:
C - Reggie Johnson (Sophomore)
F - Julian Gamble (Junior)
F - DeQuan Jones (Junior)
G - Durand Scott (Sophomore)
G - Malcolm Grant (Junior)

Miami has been an interesting team since its entry into the ACC. It has had a number of years with fairly good success, including one NCAA Tournament bid. But Miami has also finished under .500 in conference every year except one. Last year, the Hurricanes really struggled, finishing 4-12 in conference. But they did win two games in the ACC Tournament and threatened Duke in a third. So a lot of people are high on their chances this year.

So let's take a look at what they have. Miami loses Dwayne Collins, who was a good big man. But they actually played better without him at the end of last year. They have a solid guard in Durand Scott, who started to really play well at the end of the year. And they have an emerging talent at center in Reggie Johnson. Miami does have a solid coach in Frank Haith who has won his share of big games.

The best Miami has done in the ACC is finish 8-8, and that was with superstar Jack McClinton. So I can't project them to do better than that without him. They do have more talent than several ACC teams, so I think they have a good chance of finishing in the middle of the pack. In the non-conference, Miami plays West Virginia at home and Memphis on the road. Other than that, there is not much to speak about. I see the Hurricanes getting off to another good start before hitting some road bumps in conference play. They have a decent shot of making the tournament this year.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#7: NC State

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 12
Best non-conference game: Dec. 4 at Syracuse

Projected Starting Five:
F - Tracy Smith (Senior)
F - C.J. Leslie (Freshman)
F - Scott Wood (Sophomore)
G - C.J. Williams (Junior)
G - Javier Gonzalez (Senior)

For years (basically all of the Sidney Lowe era), NC State has been mired in mediocrity. Lowe has not gotten to the NCAA Tournament, in four years not finishing better than 6-10 in conference. So I am taking an I'll believe it when I see it approach to this team this year, which many people predict will take a big step forward. The ACC media picked NC State 4th in their preseason poll.

I will agree that NC State has some very good pieces. Tracy Smith is capable of being an all-conference player, and entering his senior year should put up some great numbers. I have always liked Javier Gonzalez, despite his maddening inconsistency at point guard. And young players like Scott Wood and Richard Howell showed some flashes toward the end of last year. There is also optimism because of a strong recruiting class, led by power forward C.J. Leslie. The reason why I have the Wolfpack ranked 7th is squarely because of Sidney Lowe. I don't believe he is the right coach for this high pressure job, and NC State has had talent before but underachieved.

NC State does have a pretty tough schedule. They have back-to-back road games against Wisconsin and Syracuse. And in conference play, they must play Duke, North Carolina and Florida State twice. I think this will keep them right around the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. And if they don't make the Big Dance with their talent this year, you can bet they will be looking for a new coach come April.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#8: Clemson

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 8
Best non-conference game: Dec. 5 at South Carolina

Projected Starting Five:
F - Devin Booker (Sophomore)
F - Jerai Grant (Senior)
G - Noel Johnson (Sophomore)
G - Tanner Smith (Junior)
G - Demontez Stitt (Senior)

Like Boston College, the Clemson Tigers are dealing with an entirely new regime. Surprisingly, Oliver Purnell chose to go to DePaul. That left Clemson to fill the void with Brad Brownell, a coach with some pretty good success at Wright State. And I think like Boston College, the transition will take some time.

In terms of personnel, Clemson has a decent amount of talent. They lost Trevor Booker, but return a good deal of talent in the frontcourt. One of those frontcourt players is Trevor's brother Devin, who looked pretty good at times in his freshman year. I think Jerai Grant will have a good year down low as well, in his senior year. The backcourt is a little bit more of a question mark. Demontez Stitt is a solid player, and Andre Young should give them a lift off the bench. But I don't really see a lot of big scorers out of their guards. The only freshman on Clemson's roster is Cory Stanton, a guard who originally committed to Wright State.

Clemson is another team that I think has a pretty weak non-conference schedule. They are playing in a tournament that is in the Virgin Islands, but the only other NCAA participant in that field is Xavier. And besides their ACC/Big Ten game and their rivalry game against South Carolina, there isn't much out there.

Oliver Purnell did a great job of elevating Clemson's program to the point where they were consistently in the NCAA Tournament. I don't think they'll get there this year with a new coach and some question marks in the backcourt. But they have enough talent in the frontcourt to scare some people.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#9: Boston College

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 8
Best non-conference game: Nov. 25 vs. Texas A&M (in Orlando)

Projected Starting Five:
C - Josh Southern (Senior)
F - Joe Trapani (Junior)
F - Corey Raji (Senior)
G - Biko Paris (Senior)
G - Reggie Jackson (Junior)

Last year, Boston College struggled, which was pretty much expected. They had lost their best player (Tyrese Rice). But now they are left to start over again with a new coach. The Eagles hired Cornell's Steve Donahue after dumping Al Skinner. So while the Eagles return a lot of experience and some pretty talented players, the conventional wisdom is that with a new coach there will be some growing pains.

I like a couple players on the BC team. Joe Trapani has been solid for them after transferring from Vermont. He can play lights out at times, but needs to work on his consistency. Reggie Jackson was a young player who last year showed some flashes of being a very dynamic player. I expect him to take a step forward this year. The Eagles did lose Rakim Sanders, who was a solid player at times but really struggled last year. The rest of their pieces are players who have experience but probably would not start on many teams in the ACC.

There are eight seniors on the roster this year, so the Eagles should be used to the ups and downs of the ACC. The test will be whether they can adapt to the new system and have the confidence that they can win the big game. Besides a trip to the tournament in Orlando, BC has a pretty easy non-conference schedule, so they should start out with a decent record. They have to eliminate the bad losses that plagued them last year. If Donahue can get this team playing with confidence, they have a chance to contend for an NCAA bid.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#10: Georgia Tech

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 10
Best non-conference game: Nov. 26 vs. UTEP (in Atlantic City)

Projected Starting Five:
F - Kammeon Holsey (Freshman)
F - Brian Oliver (Sophomore)
G - Glen Rice, Jr. (Sophomore)
G - Ufon Mdofia (Sophomore)
G - Iman Shumpert (Junior)

I like Paul Hewitt. He seems like a good guy, and he has proven to be a very strong recruiter. But the fact of the matter is he's not a very good coach. Hewitt's Georgia Tech teams have consistenly underachieved. He has had so many one-and-done players over the years who really don't help the program. If there was any year that the Yellow Jackets would succeed, it would have been last year, with Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal. But they couldn't even break .500 in the conference, and barely made it in the NCAA Tournament.

So what does that leave Georgia Tech with this year? Lawal and Favors are gone, as is Zach Peacock. They have some talented young guards, notably Ufon Mdofia and Iman Shumpert. But they literally have no frontcourt whatsoever. When I was putting together their starting five, I had no idea who to put in the post position. On their roster of 15 players, they have listed 11 guards, 2 forwards and 2 centers. Of the forwards and centers, three are freshman. And the fourth, Brian Oliver, is not a post man.

So I see the Yellow Jackets going with a very small lineup. It doesn't matter how good your guards are, if you can't defend other teams' interior players you are going to struggle. I see Georgia Tech's young team turning the ball over a lot, even more so than in previous years. And it will be an extremely difficult task for them to get back to the NCAA Tournament.

Taking a look at their schedule, we should find out a lot about Georgia Tech in the Legends Classic in Atlantic City, where they will play UTEP and either Michigan or Syracuse. From there on out, they have few non-conference tests. Fortunately for Georgia Tech, they only have one game against Duke and one against UNC. But I could easily see this being Paul Hewitt's last year in Atlanta.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#11: Virginia

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 11
Best non-conference game: Nov. 22 vs. Washington (in Maui)

Projected Starting Five:
C - Assane Sene (Junior)
F - Mike Scott (Senior)
F - James Johnson (Freshman)
G - Mustapha Farrakhan (Senior)
G - Sammy Zeglinski (Junior)

I fully expected to pick Virginia to finish last in the conference, until I saw Wake Forest's returning roster. The Cavaliers got off to a decent start last year in the first year under Tony Bennett, then fell apart at the end of the year. The Cavs lost 9 in a row to end the regular season and ended up benching their best player, Sylvan Landesberg. As expected, Landesberg went to the NBA. The Cavaliers then lost another good player, Jeff Jones, who decided to transfer. And a number of players graduated.

What that leaves Virginia with is one very solid player in Mike Scott. He is good for 20 points and 10 rebounds most nights. Their second best player, Sammy Zeglinski, is injured and will miss the first part of the year. Their other returning players, including Farrakhan and Sene, are really just role players. Virginia does bring in a bunch of freshman, who will be counted on to be impact players immediately.

What I will be looking for this year is to see whether Tony Bennett is able to establish his imprint on this program. His teams at Washington State were known for playing very tough defenses - usually the first to 60 won. That didn't really happen much at Virginia last year, probably because of the personnel that they had.

I will give the Cavaliers credit - they have put together a very challenging non-conference schedule, one of the few teams in the ACC to do so. Virginia will be representing the ACC in Maui this year, where they will have some stiff competition. They also travel to California to play Stanford, and host BCS foes Oregon, Iowa State and LSU. They will certainly take their lumps in November and December but could emerge ready to compete by the time conference play comes around.

2010-2011 ACC Preview

The calendar has turned to November and that means it's just about time for the basketball season to start. And for me that means putting together another ACC preview. The media came up with its predictions for the year, and now it's my turn. I will be counting down from #12 to my prediction as the #1 team in the conference. Before I list the #12 team, a few words about the preview.

I think coming into the year most people will say this will be a down year for the ACC. And it's hard for me to argue with that, looking at the talent that was lost and the rosters for the teams. Once you get past the first few teams, the league is as wide open as any year I've seen it. One of the things I look at going into the year is how many games each team plays against NCAA Tournament teams from the year before. Last year, each team played at least 10 such games, with some much more than that. This year, some teams only have 8 games against NCAA Tourney teams. That's mostly a function of the fact that only 6 ACC teams made the tournament last year. And I'm a bit disappointed with some of the non-conference schedules. Many teams are not playing very challenging slates at all.

With that being said, let's start the list with who I predict will be the last place finisher.

#12: Wake Forest

Games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams: 11
Best non-conference game: Dec. 18 at Xavier

Projected Starting Five:
C - Ty Walker (Junior)
F - Travis McKie (Freshman)
F - Ari Stewart (Sophomore)
G - C.J. Harris (Sophomore)
G - Gary Clark (Senior)

There really is no sugar-coating: Wake Forest is in for a rough year. The Deacons made the NCAA Tournament last year with a squad of talented players, getting to the second round. Then it was goodbye to Coach Dino Gaudio. And goodbye to Al-Farouq Aminu, among others. That leaves new Coach Jeff Bzdelik to try to impart a new system with a virtually bare cupboard.

The Demon Deacons do not have many players with real significant game experience. Here are the pieces that return from last year: Senior Gary Clark scored 3.2 points per game last year. Guard C.J. Harris scored 9.9 points per game last year as a freshman. Ari Stewart scored 7.3 points per game last year. And that's it. No one else had significant playing time in 2009-2010. The Deacons have very few weapons in the frontcourt, and will miss the point guard leadership of Ish Smith.

The bottom line is I just don't know where the scoring is going to come from with Wake. Harris is going to be a solid player but he's not a scoring machine. They have to hope their incoming freshman will be able to play immediately for them to do anything this year. They do have a fairly easy early season schedule. But we should learn a lot at the NIT Season Tip-Off event in MSG on Thanksgiving week.

Season Recap: Wake Forest

2009-2010
Wake Forest: 20-11 (9-7 ACC)

Most ACC teams you could pretty easily categorize in the year being either a success or a failure. With Wake Forest, I don't think that's as clearcut. They came in with pretty high expectations, coming off their best year in quite a while. The Deacs did a decent job to start the season. They did suffer back-to-back losses to William and Mary, and at Purdue. But they came back with a very solid road win at Gonzaga, the start of a 7 game winning streak.

Just like they did last year, Wake started out the conference slate pretty strong. At one point they were up to 8-3 in ACC play. The big key for them in this part of the season was Ish Smith. He was relegated to a backup role the previous year, playing behind Jeff Teague. But once Teague left, that gave the spotlight back to Smith, and he really shined. He and Al-Farouq Aminu turned into a very solid combination.

Unfortunately for Wake, just like the previous year, the wheels came off a bit in the latter part of the season. They went 1-4 in their last five conference games, including a home loss to North Carolina. Then they got blown out in the first round of the ACC Tournament by 12 seed Miami. They were able to put things back together for one game, though. Wake knocked off Texas in the first round of the NCAAs in a very entertaining game that went into overtime. Their season ended with a blowout loss to Kentucky.

Best Win: 81-80 (OT) over Texas (3/18)

There really weren't a lot of expectations for Wake coming into the NCAA Tournament, having lost 5 of 6. And they were facing a Texas team that was one of the most talented teams in the country, once having been ranked #1. Wake played very well, though, and despite blowing a lead late in regulation was able to win this one in overtime. It was a big boost for a team that got embarrassed in the first round of the NCAAs the year before.

Worst Loss: 83-62 to Miami (3/11)

Wake looked absolutely terrible in this ACC Tournament game, getting blown out from the start by a team that was a lot less talented. They couldn't get anything going, and were one of many high seeds to make an early exit from this bizarre ACC Tournament week.

Postseason Play:

As explained above, Wake did not have a long or impressive stay in the ACC Tournament. They got a berth in an 8/9 game in the NCAAs against Texas, and were able to win in overtime. Then, the Deacons had to face a very tough Kentucky squad, and were never really in the game. They lost by 30 points.

What's Ahead:

You have to say that any good feelings Wake fans had at the end of the year have since been erased. In a somewhat surprising move, Wake dumped Coach Dino Gaudio after three seasons in which he made 2 NCAA Tournament appearances. In place of him, they brought in Jeff Bzdelik, an interesting hire. He has spent most of his recent time out west, coaching the Denver Nuggets in the NBA, and then Colorado. At Colorado, his record was 36-58 (ouch!).

What Bzdelik inherits is a team that is losing a lot. Aminu is leaving for the NBA Draft, along with his 15.8 points per game. Second leading scorer Ish Smith is graduating. As are big man Chas McFarland, L.D. Williams and David Weaver. That represents four of their top six scorers from this past year. Wake will have some decent players, like Ari Stewart and C.J. Harris back, but it will probably be a down year in Winston-Salem next year.

Season Recap: Virginia Tech

2009-2010
Virginia Tech: 25-9 (10-6 ACC)

How successful Virginia Tech was this past season probably depends on your point of view. If you look at the results, it has to be a success. The Hokies were not picked very highly coming into the season. But they were able to get off to a good start. They won road games at Iowa and Penn State, and beat Seton Hall on a neutral court to run out to a 12-1 record. They really didn't slow down much once conference play begun. At one point, Tech won 5 straight conference games, finishing with 10 conference wins and in fourth place.

Tech's success was largely due to their Big Three: Malcolm Delaney, Jeff Allen and Dorenzo Hudson. Hudson especially really stepped up his game this year, finishing with 15.2 points per game. Those three players combined to score 47 points per game, second in the league to Duke's Big Three. Where Tech fans will be disappointed is that they seemingly did everything except make it to the NCAA Tournament. Most people point to their weak out-of-conference schedule as the biggest factor. So for a third year in a row, they had to settle for a high seed in the NIT.

Best Win: 88-82 at Georgia Tech (3/6)

The Hokies were coming into this game squarely on the bubble, having in their last road game been embarrassed against BC. But they came into this game on a mission, and with both teams lighting up the scoreboard were able to lead most of the way. At the time, this looked like a huge road win that would vault them into the NCAA field.

Worst Loss: 70-65 to Miami (3/12)

The good feelings obviously didn't carry into their next game, which was a very disappointing loss to Miami in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. The Hokies seemed to be out of rhythm most of the game, and caught a Miami team that was peaking at that time. This set into motion a three day stretch where Tech went from a virtual lock to on the bubble to out of the NCAA Tournament.

Postseason Play:

As detailed above, Virginia Tech was another of the high seeds to not have a long stay in the ACC Tournament. That ended up sending them to the NIT. They had a decent run in the NIT, but were disappointed to once again not make it to Madison Square Garden. Tech started out with a pretty easy 20 point win over overmatched Quinnipiac. They then got one of their best wins of the year with a come from behind 2 point victory over UConn. They fell in the quarterfinals, though, to Rhode Island, losing at home by 7.

What's Ahead:

The Hokies definitely come into the year as one of the favorites in the conference. The biggest thing for them was Malcolm Delaney's decision to return for his senior season. He will lead a squad that is really not losing much: 2 seniors who had a combined 2.2 points per game last season. They will probably count more on last year's freshman class, which showed some promise. There will be two keys to next season: can the Hokies win some games against top level talent in the non-conference? They have a much more difficult schedule on tap, which should help them get NCAA consideration. And can they perform when they are the hunted? The last time they came in with high expectations, they had a disastrous year.

Season Recap: Virginia

2009-2010
Virginia: 15-16 (5-11 ACC)

The season was a bit of a roller coaster for the Virginia Cavaliers. The general consensus coming into the season was that they would struggle, with one star player and not much else. And there were some growing pains. Virginia struggled a bit in the non-conference, losing four games. But they really turned the corner when they started ACC play. The Cavs went on an 8 game winning streak, starting the conference season 3-0. Much of the credit was given (rightly so) to new coach Tony Bennett, who instilled a different attitude. On the court, the catalyst was Mike Scott, who proved a more than adequate counterpart to Sylven Landesberg.

In February, things started to turn south. After their great start in conference, they lost 9 conference games in a row. They started 5-2 and ended up finishing 5-11 in the ACC. And of those 9 losses, only 2 were within single digits. One of the big reasons they struggled was the play of Sammy Zeglinski. The guard with seemingly unlimited range just couldn't hit a shot, and ended up finishing the season with a disappointing 8.9 PPG.

Best Win: 75-60 at UNC (1/31)

Some people thought coming into this game that UVA had come back down to earth, after two straight losses. But they came into Chapel Hill and really dominated from the get-go. They outhustled and outshot the Heels, and really embarrassed them in their own gym. This was probably the seminal moment in UNC's collapse. Unfortunately for UVA, it was a precursor to their own collapse.

Worst Loss: 76-71 to Virginia Tech (1/28)

In the game before their win over UNC, Virginia was in the driver's seat against their rival Hokies. They were up by 10 points at the under four timeout, only to see Tech come back and force overtime. In the overtime, the Hokies were in control. This was a devastating home loss for UVA and was really the first time in the conference season where they showed vulnerability.

Postseason Play:

UVA came into the ACC Tournament with no momentum and nothing to play for. But they were able to put together one of their better performances of the year, beating Boston College in the first round by six points. They then took on Duke, and were able to keep it somewhat close. But in the end, they only scored 46 points in an 11 point defeat. UVA finished the season with a losing record and did not get another postseason bid.

What's Ahead:

There is a lot of uncertainty facing this program now. At the end of the year, star player Landesberg got into some trouble, and ended up on the bench. And now he's headed to the NBA. That leaves a big offensive hole, as he was good for more than 17 points per game. Along with that, Jeff Jones decided to transfer. He was bringing in 7 points per game, and was coming on at the second half of the season. Tristan Spurlock also decided to transfer. He was a role player. UVA also loses Calvin Baker, Solomon Tat and Jerome Meyinsse to graduation.

That leaves them with about 29 points per game returning, with almost half of those coming from Mike Scott. UVA better hope that Zeglinski have a much better year and an incoming freshman class really perform, or they are in for a long 2010-2011 season.

Season Recap: NC State

2009-2010
NC State: 20-16 (5-11 ACC)

Out of all the teams in the ACC, I would say NC State had the least surprising year. They were predicted to be near the bottom of the conference, and that's where they finished. Sidney Lowe's team had another year where they had some decent wins but some head-shaking losses and a pretty good run in the ACC Tournament. The season started out fine: an 8-1 record with the only loss being to Northwestern, and a road win at Marquette thrown in.

Things started to unravel with an unlikely heave from Chandler Parsons of Florida to beat State in Raleigh in overtime. And once they got into the conference, the lack of talent did them in. State had a stretch where they lost 7 of 8, with the only win being over NC Central. They were a team that had some real trouble scoring at times. Tracy Smith turned into a very nice inside player, but they didn't have any consistent threat on the outside. At times, Javier Gonzalez would be great, and other times he would disappear. The Wolfpack ended up with only two players averaging double figures.

You have to wonder how much rope Lowe has left. He had another year in which he finished pretty strong, which made the fan base feel a bit more optimistic. The Wolfpack did win 3 of their last 4 conference games, then won 2 in the ACC Tournament and 1 in the NIT.

Best Win: 88-74 over Duke (1/20)

This was an easy choice. NC State came into the game with a 1-3 conference record, and the eventual National Champion coming in. But they played their most inspired game of the year, really controlling the game, and played really well on both sides of the floor. This was a head-scratcher, but State did rise up to their competition a few times. Three of their five conference wins were against teams who made the tournament.

Worst Loss: 77-63 to UNC (1/26)

A week after the Duke game, the Wolfpack had a great chance to knock off their biggest rival at home, a team that was really struggling. But State had a dud performance, losing by 14. For all Carolina's struggles this year, they played well against NC State, sweeping the two games they played.

Postseason Play:

The postseason certainly could have gone much worse for NC State. They came into the ACC Tournament as an 11 seed. In the first round, they were able to win a close one against Clemson, by 2 points. Then they knocked out another NCAA Tournament bound team in Florida State by 6. They gave Georgia Tech a battle in the semis before losing by 3. Carrying that momentum, they were able to get a bid to the NIT. In the first round, State put together a nice performance to knock off South Florida on the road by 1. They had a tough time in the second round, though, losing by 20 to UAB in a game in which they only scored 52 points.

What's Ahead:

Like I said before, there is reason for optimism in Raleigh, but I'm not sure if that is justified as long as Lowe is still there. The Wolfpack have a decent nucleus coming back, led by Smith, who tested the draft waters but decided not to go pro. Gonzalez returns, along with young players with potential like Richard Howell and CJ Williams. State will lose Dennis Horner, the second leading scorer this past year, and Farnold Degand, who I always thought was more of a negative than a positive. Josh Davis and Julius Mays have decided to transfer.

State will also bring in a very strong recruiting class, led by C.J. Leslie. They will probably have the pieces to finish in the top half of the ACC next year. But will they be able to win with Lowe as coach? That remains to be seen.

Season Recap: North Carolina

2009-2010
North Carolina: 20-17 (5-11 ACC)

By their fans' standards, it was nothing short of a disastrous year in Chapel Hill. UNC was coming off another national championship, and was losing most of its best players. But the returning talent was equal to any other team in the league. They were even in some people's Top 5 in the preseason. And the season started out ok. They started out 7-1, with wins over Ohio State and Michigan State. But then things started to unravel. The tipping point was a loss at College of Charleston.

North Carolina's youth never really seemed to gel. They would get into stretches where they would just continue to turn the ball over and miss shots, and games would spiral out of control. They were especially vulnerable at home, going 3-5 in the conference. And at one point they lost 7 of 8 games. That is just not Tar Heel basketball. If you take a look at their five conference wins, two of those were against NC State and one was against Miami. They just did not get it done against top shelf competition in the conference.

The one bright spot of the season had to be how the Tar Heels played in the NIT. They honestly should not have even gotten a bid to this tournament, and could have gone out quietly. But they won four games in getting to the final in Madison Square Garden. Perhaps that's something to build on for next year.

Best Win: 89-82 over Michigan State (12/1)

This was back in the part of the season where the Heels were playing well. But still, beating a Final Four team like Michigan State was a big achievement. UNC built a big halftime lead and was able to hold on for the seven point win. It had to be a big confidence boost for the Heels, which did have a very tough non-conference schedule. Their next game, in fact, was a road game at Kentucky.

Worst Loss: 75-60 to UVA (1/31)

There were a lot of candidates for this slot, but I'm going to go with their home loss to UVA. They had lost three of four coming in to this game, but no one expected them to just get blown out at home by the Cavaliers. This was one of those games where the Heels just had no fire and things seemed to spiral out of control. This was also the start of that losing streak of 7 out of 8.

Postseason Play:

At first, it looked like the postseason would be short for UNC. They built a lead in their first round ACC Tournament game against Georgia Tech, only to see that disappear. They were lucky to get a bid to the NIT, but made the best of it. It started with a strange home win against William and Mary, in a game not played in the Dean Dome. Then they traveled on the road and beat Mississippi State by 2 and UAB by 5. UNC carried that momentum to New York, winning in overtime over Rhode Island before finally falling to Dayton by 11.

What's Ahead:

UNC probably has the most uncertainty of any team in the conference coming into next year. A lot of the pundits will have them ranked pretty high purely based on talent. Although they are losing a lot: Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard are graduating. Ed Davis is going pro. And David and Travis Wear have transferred out. So what's left? They still have solid guards in Larry Drew and Dexter Strickland. 3-point shooter Will Graves returns. As do solid big men Tyler Zeller and John Henson. That right there is a pretty good starting five. But it remains to be seen whether they can put it all together for a solid season.

Season Recap: Miami

2009-2010
Miami: 20-13 (4-12 ACC)

It was certainly an up and down year for the Miami Hurricanes. No one knew quite what to make of them early in the year. They came out looking very strong in the non-conference. The Canes started the season 15-1, with the only loss being a one point road defeat at BC. In that stretch, they managed wins against South Carolina and Minnesota. But from that point forward through the end of the regular season, they went 3-11. It started with blowout losses at Virginia Tech and UVA, and snowballed from there.

I knew Miami would be down after losing Jack McClinton. And I think one of the biggest factors in their disappointing season was the ineffectiveness of Dwayne Collins. He was primed to have a big year on the inside, but never really got it going, and ended up the season injured. The Canes were also very young and inexperienced, and I think that weighed on them as the losses piled up. Their performance on the road was certainly a factor. The Canes went 0-8 in conference on the road.

They did finish the season strong, though. Miami had a very good showing in the ACC Tournament as a 12 seed, beating Wake by 21 points and Virginia Tech by 5 before losing a close game to Duke.

Best Win: 83-62 over Wake Forest (3/11)

Miami came into this first round ACC Tournament game having lost 5 of 6. They were facing a team headed to the NCAA Tournament. But they didn't show any signs of intimidation, taking it to Wake from the opening tip. Miami held a pretty substantial lead at halftime and never looked back, sparking a nice ACC Tournament run.

Worst Loss: 79-75 to Boston College (1/19)

The Canes were coming off those two blowout losses to the Virginia schools, and were finally getting something going. They were up by 17 points at home in the second half, and somehow blew that lead to a not very good Boston College team. This had to be extremely demoralizing, and was a definite sign that this Miami team was not as good as its 15-1 start indicated.

Postseason Play:

As noted before, Miami had a nice run in the ACC Tournament. They played their best basketball of the year against three good teams, and certainly surprised a lot of people. The main theme of this year's ACC Tournament was parity, and Miami was the foremost example of the strength from top to bottom in the conference. The Canes must have been disappointed after posting a 20-13 record to not get any sort of invitation for a postseason tournament. I thought the NIT would have taken Miami.

What's Ahead:

The performance at the end of the year certainly leaves a lot of optimism in Coral Gables about next year. Miami definitely has talented players, but they were very young this past year. So it's not unreasonable to expect a fairly big improvement. They do lose some key players, including Collins, James Dews, Adrian Thomas and Cyrus McGowan. That represents the top two scorers from this year, as well as the number five scorer. But the rest of the team is freshmen and sophomores. I expect Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant to really have an impact next year. The question will be getting inside production. Miami needs guys like Reggie Johnson and Julian Gamble to step up and fill the void Collins is leaving. If they can, Miami has a chance to make it back to the NCAA Tournament.

Season Recap: Maryland

2009-2010
Maryland: 24-9 (13-3 ACC)

You'd have to say it was a pretty good year for the Maryland Terrapins. They came in with one of the best players in the country, Greivis Vasquez, as well as a good incoming freshman class. And they really did not disappoint. The Terps started out a little slowly, with a less than stellar showing in Maui. But they turned it up once they got into conference play, and really dominated the competition.

I don't think many people thought Maryland would lose only 3 ACC games. They were a very skilled offensive team, and really played just as well on the home and the road. In some games, the Terps completely dominated their competition. Obviously the main reason why was Vasquez. He has always had the ability to elevate his play when he needed to and win in the clutch. He wasn't alone, though. Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne could be counted on for big scoring nights, and freshman Jordan Williams was a breakout star. All that under consideration, the stars were aligned for a special year.

Best Win: 79-72 over Duke (3/3)

A lot of people thought Duke was going to win this game, even up in College Park. But the Terps played a strong game, getting out to a big early lead and pulling it out down the stretch. This win enabled them to seize a first place tie they would not relinquish.

Worst Loss: 69-64 to Georgia Tech (3/12)

Maryland had a chance to really make a run in the ACC Tournament, but they were stopped even before they started. The Terps played really poorly in the first half of this quarterfinal game, and despite trying to make a furious comeback were unable to win. This may have hurt their seeding in the NCAAs.

Postseason Play:

The ACC Tournament was definitely a disappointment for Maryland. They went into the NCAAs as a 4 seed with a tough draw. They were able to put together a nice win over an up-tempo Houston team, 89-77. The real heartbreak came in the next game, though. Maryland took on 5 seed Michigan State. The Spartans outplayed Maryland for most of the game, but the Terps were able to stage a valiant comeback, even taking a late lead. But Michigan State was able to win with a 3 pointer at the buzzer, knocking Maryland out in the second round.

What's Ahead:

I talked earlier about how everything came together for a great season for Maryland. This really was the year to get something done, because I think they are due for a step backward. Maryland loses the heart and soul of their team, Vasquez. Also gone are Hayes and Milbourne. So Maryland will be losing its 3 top scorers. They still have a chance to have a good year with emerging talents in Williams and Sean Mosley. But some of these other guys will really have to pick up the slack if they want to make it back to the Big Dance.

Season Recap: Georgia Tech

2009-2010
Georgia Tech: 23-13 (7-9 ACC)

It was certainly an interesting year for Georgia Tech. Coming into the year, a lot of people had the Yellow Jackets ranked very highly, some even had them as a Final Four sleeper. That was due mostly to the presence of super freshman Derrick Favors. I was a little less enthusiastic about the Jackets, because as much as I like Paul Hewitt, he has proven to be a better recruiter than coach. And for the most part, I was right.

Georgia Tech had a decent out-of-conference season, although their schedule was not all that tough. Once they got into conference play, though, they struggled. They couldn't find ways to take advantage of Favors and Gani Lawal, and their big problem was turnovers. It would be very frustrating to be a Georgia Tech fan the way they are so loose with the ball. Many times, they would have unforced errors and look as if they had never practiced before. But they certainly had a lot of talent. And that came to play in March, as they made a nice run to the ACC Tournament final and won a game in the NCAAs.

Best Win: 69-64 over Maryland (3/12)

Georgia Tech was on the bubble coming into the NCAA Tournament. They were able to beat UNC, and then got a huge boost with this win over Maryland. In this game, they got out to a huge lead in the first half, only to see Maryland come all the way back. But in the end the Yellow Jackets were able to make enough plays to win.

Worst Loss: 73-66 to Georgia (1/5)

I know Georgia is Georgia Tech's biggest rival, but they were not a good team this year. And a team with the talent of Georgia Tech should not lose to them, even in Athens. This was one achilles heel for the Jackets this year: playing on the road. Georgia Tech went 3-8 on the road this year.

Postseason Play:

Without a doubt, the postseason was a success. Georgia Tech was able to beat UNC, Maryland and NC State in the ACC Tournament as a 7 seed, advancing to the final. They held their own against Duke before losing by 4. That put them squarely in the NCAA Tournament, where as a 10 seed they pulled off a mild upset in beating Oklahoma State, 64-59. They then had to face a very good Ohio State team, and lost that one 75-66.

What's Ahead:

Paul Hewitt has earned himself another year. But this next season could be a tough one. Derrick Favors has declared for the NBA Draft. Gani Lawal has done the same. They also lose Zach Peacock and D'Andre Bell. That represents 4 of the top 6 scorers. The Jackets have some talented guards coming back, including Imam Shumpert and Mfon Udofia. But who's going to play under the basket? The highest scoring big man left scored 1.3 points per game. Georgia Tech will likely take a step down and be hard pressed to make it back to the NCAAs.