Week Preview
There is one week left in the regular season of the ACC and for some teams these games are pivotal. Over the weekend, Virginia Tech got it done, beating the #1 team in the nation, Duke, for a signature win. Boston College picked up an important win at Virginia. And Maryland suffered what could be the final blow to their NCAA chances, losing at UNC.
Here are the ACC games ahead during the week:
Tuesday:
NC State at Virginia (7:00 p.m.) - This is a pretty meaningless game in terms of the NCAA Tournament. Both teams are playing better, though. Virginia has won two of the last three. And NC State is coming off a win over Georgia Tech.
Boston College at Virginia Tech (9:00 p.m.) - This is a huge game for both teams. Boston College is in most people's first four out list after losing at home to Miami last week. They will hope to catch Virginia Tech in a letdown game after their win over Duke. The Hokies will likely put themselves firmly in the tournament if they get their 10th ACC win here.
Wednesday:
Maryland at Miami (7:00 p.m.) - The Terps aren't in very good shape when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, but if they want any chance they have to win this game. Miami has been playing better basketball, but is coming off a tough loss to Florida State.
North Carolina at Florida State (7:00 p.m.) - North Carolina has a great chance to end up with an ACC regular season title if they win their last two games. This one won't be easy, even without Chris Singleton. The Noles are probably in good shape for the tournament but will sew it up if they win this one.
Clemson at Duke (9:00 p.m.) - Clemson is also on a lot of first four out lists, and are in a tough position here, playing Duke in Cameron on Senior Day coming off a Duke loss. The Tigers have to hope Duke shoots poorly from 3 like they did against Virginia Tech if they have any chance.
Thursday:
Georgia Tech at Wake Forest (8:00 p.m.) - Not much interest in this game. These are right now the two worst teams in the conference. As poorly as Wake has been all year, they actually have a chance at a second conference win here.
I'll be back later in the week with a look ahead to the weekend.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Weekend Preview
The regular season is drawing to a close, and time is running out for some teams to make their case for the NCAA Tournament. There are some crucial games this weekend for ACC teams. Right now the only guarantees are that Duke and UNC will be in the tournament. Florida State, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Maryland all have chances. Georgia Tech, Virginia, Wake Forest, Miami and NC State do not (other than winning the ACC Tournament). Here are the weekend's games:
Saturday:
Boston College at Virginia (12:00 p.m.) - Boston College had a really bad loss at home on Wednesday night, losing to Miami in a game in which they were completely outplayed in the first half. They have to win this game on the road against a Virginia team that has not given up on the season. If BC loses this one, you can count them out.
Georgia Tech at NC State (2:00 p.m.) - Not a lot of interest in this one. Georgia Tech has now lost 7 games in a row and is really tanking in what will most likely be Paul Hewitt's last season. NC State is coming off a tough loss to rival UNC but is playing better and should win this one at home.
Miami at Florida State (2:00 p.m.) - Florida State is starting to slip a bit and really needs to win this game against a Miami team that is finally finishing off games. The Noles won at Miami earlier in the year and need to prove that they can play without Chris Singleton or they will be on the outside looking in.
Wake Forest at Clemson (4:00 p.m.) - There's not much to say about this one, other than the fact that it is an opportunity for Clemson to add to their ACC win total and improve their seeding in the conference. Clemson has an outside shot of getting into the tournament if they can finish the season strong.
Duke at Virginia Tech (9:00 p.m.) - The opportunity is there for the Hokies: the #1 team is coming into their building in what is really a must-win. It certainly isn't easy to beat Duke, but they are beatable. If the Hokies can win this one, they should be in the tournament. If not, the road becomes a lot tougher.
Sunday:
Maryland at UNC (7:45 p.m.) - This shapes up to be a great game. Maryland is playing good basketball right now, but needs to win every game they can to make it to the tournament. They have a tough assignment, though, against a UNC team that is gunning for an ACC regular season title.
The regular season is drawing to a close, and time is running out for some teams to make their case for the NCAA Tournament. There are some crucial games this weekend for ACC teams. Right now the only guarantees are that Duke and UNC will be in the tournament. Florida State, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Maryland all have chances. Georgia Tech, Virginia, Wake Forest, Miami and NC State do not (other than winning the ACC Tournament). Here are the weekend's games:
Saturday:
Boston College at Virginia (12:00 p.m.) - Boston College had a really bad loss at home on Wednesday night, losing to Miami in a game in which they were completely outplayed in the first half. They have to win this game on the road against a Virginia team that has not given up on the season. If BC loses this one, you can count them out.
Georgia Tech at NC State (2:00 p.m.) - Not a lot of interest in this one. Georgia Tech has now lost 7 games in a row and is really tanking in what will most likely be Paul Hewitt's last season. NC State is coming off a tough loss to rival UNC but is playing better and should win this one at home.
Miami at Florida State (2:00 p.m.) - Florida State is starting to slip a bit and really needs to win this game against a Miami team that is finally finishing off games. The Noles won at Miami earlier in the year and need to prove that they can play without Chris Singleton or they will be on the outside looking in.
Wake Forest at Clemson (4:00 p.m.) - There's not much to say about this one, other than the fact that it is an opportunity for Clemson to add to their ACC win total and improve their seeding in the conference. Clemson has an outside shot of getting into the tournament if they can finish the season strong.
Duke at Virginia Tech (9:00 p.m.) - The opportunity is there for the Hokies: the #1 team is coming into their building in what is really a must-win. It certainly isn't easy to beat Duke, but they are beatable. If the Hokies can win this one, they should be in the tournament. If not, the road becomes a lot tougher.
Sunday:
Maryland at UNC (7:45 p.m.) - This shapes up to be a great game. Maryland is playing good basketball right now, but needs to win every game they can to make it to the tournament. They have a tough assignment, though, against a UNC team that is gunning for an ACC regular season title.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Analysis: VT vs. UVA
I made the trip up to Charlottesville Saturday to watch the VT/UVA game, so I thought I'd write about what I saw. First off, UVA won the game because they played it at their tempo. They wanted to keep the game in the 50s, and limit the transition game of Virginia Tech, and they did that.
Let's start with UVA on offense. Having watched Tony Bennett teams for several years, I know his style. And he worked it perfectly Saturday. UVA slowed the tempo down on each possession, working the clock down under 10 seconds just about every time. More often than not, they ended up taking a 3 with less than 5 on the shot clock. And fortunately for them, they made their shots. It's not like they were all wide-open spot on threes either. Many of them were off-balance, with people's hands in their face. UVA had the most success when they sent either Joe Harris or Sammy Zeglinski to the corner. They seemed to make almost every single one of those. It seemed like Virginia Tech didn't know what kind of defense to play either - they switched from man-to-man to a 2-3 zone multiple times. It was only their pressing defense that allowed them to fluster the UVA offense.
UVA makes their living on defense, and they played it pretty well against Virginia Tech. They allowed very few baskets on the interior. It seemed like everytime Jeff Allen touched the ball, it was around the 3-point line. They also limited transition baskets and did a very good job on the defensive glass. At the beginning of the game, Tech tried to force tempo, but they were very sloppy. Terrell Bell in particular had some very bad turnovers. Once they weren't able to play that transition game, they slowed it down to a pace that UVA wanted to play.
It's pretty clear what Tony Bennett is trying to do at UVA with the talent he has: slow the game down, limit the number of possessions, and make a living at the 3-point line. When they hit their threes, they can beat people. When they don't, they end up scoring 40 points like they did last week against Duke. Regardless, this is not a fun team for opponents to play.
For Virginia Tech, it's obviously frustrating. They had been playing with a lot of confidence, and building momentum toward an NCAA berth. It's one thing that UVA hit a bunch of crazy shots. It's another to only score 54 points (with at least 8 of those in catch-up time in the last minute).
After this loss, it's looking more and more clear that the season will hinge on next week's home game against Duke. Duke is not invincible, but they are a very solid team and it will take a team effort to beat them. Tech will have to get contributions from their bench players if they have any chance of winning. Take a look at the stats for the bench players in the last five games:
Manny Atkins - 3-20 from the field, 0-7 from 3
Jarell Eddie - 1-10 from the field, 0-5 from 3
Ty Garland - 1-11 from the field, 1-7 from 3
That's just not going to get it done.
I made the trip up to Charlottesville Saturday to watch the VT/UVA game, so I thought I'd write about what I saw. First off, UVA won the game because they played it at their tempo. They wanted to keep the game in the 50s, and limit the transition game of Virginia Tech, and they did that.
Let's start with UVA on offense. Having watched Tony Bennett teams for several years, I know his style. And he worked it perfectly Saturday. UVA slowed the tempo down on each possession, working the clock down under 10 seconds just about every time. More often than not, they ended up taking a 3 with less than 5 on the shot clock. And fortunately for them, they made their shots. It's not like they were all wide-open spot on threes either. Many of them were off-balance, with people's hands in their face. UVA had the most success when they sent either Joe Harris or Sammy Zeglinski to the corner. They seemed to make almost every single one of those. It seemed like Virginia Tech didn't know what kind of defense to play either - they switched from man-to-man to a 2-3 zone multiple times. It was only their pressing defense that allowed them to fluster the UVA offense.
UVA makes their living on defense, and they played it pretty well against Virginia Tech. They allowed very few baskets on the interior. It seemed like everytime Jeff Allen touched the ball, it was around the 3-point line. They also limited transition baskets and did a very good job on the defensive glass. At the beginning of the game, Tech tried to force tempo, but they were very sloppy. Terrell Bell in particular had some very bad turnovers. Once they weren't able to play that transition game, they slowed it down to a pace that UVA wanted to play.
It's pretty clear what Tony Bennett is trying to do at UVA with the talent he has: slow the game down, limit the number of possessions, and make a living at the 3-point line. When they hit their threes, they can beat people. When they don't, they end up scoring 40 points like they did last week against Duke. Regardless, this is not a fun team for opponents to play.
For Virginia Tech, it's obviously frustrating. They had been playing with a lot of confidence, and building momentum toward an NCAA berth. It's one thing that UVA hit a bunch of crazy shots. It's another to only score 54 points (with at least 8 of those in catch-up time in the last minute).
After this loss, it's looking more and more clear that the season will hinge on next week's home game against Duke. Duke is not invincible, but they are a very solid team and it will take a team effort to beat them. Tech will have to get contributions from their bench players if they have any chance of winning. Take a look at the stats for the bench players in the last five games:
Manny Atkins - 3-20 from the field, 0-7 from 3
Jarell Eddie - 1-10 from the field, 0-5 from 3
Ty Garland - 1-11 from the field, 1-7 from 3
That's just not going to get it done.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Week Ahead
Time is running out for teams that want to make a move toward the NCAA Tournament. There are still a bunch of teams who can either play their way in or play their way out. This week isn't exactly chock full of big matchups, but there are plenty of games that teams can't afford to lose.
Here are the most important games:
Tuesday:
Maryland at Virginia Tech (8:00 p.m.) - Maryland is one or two losses away from being firmly off the bubble. A weekend loss to Boston College was killer. The Hokies are in decent shape for now, but losing this game certainly does not help their cause. Tech played very well up in College Park and will be carrying a lot of confidence into this game.
Wednesday:
Duke at Virginia (7:00 p.m.) - The only real interest in this game has to do with seeding. If Duke slips up on the road, that gives UNC (which is playing Wake) a chance for the conference title.
Thursday:
Clemson at NC State (7:00 p.m.) - The last time these two teams played, NC State burst out to a huge lead in the first half, only to blow it all away and lose by double digits. Clemson suffered a tough loss at home to UNC, and if they lose this game that will severely hurt their NCAA chances.
Saturday:
Virginia Tech at UVA (1:00 p.m.) - Virginia Tech fans remember what happened when these two teams played in Blacksburg. If the Hokies lose the Maryland game, this road win is a must.
Boston College at UNC (4:00 p.m.) - The first time these two played was pretty ugly. UNC won by 32 in Chestnut Hill. Boston College is in decent shape for the tournament now, but a win on the road would really help their cause. Don't think it's going to happen though.
Sunday:
Clemson at Miami (3:30 p.m.) - Clemson has a couple of sneaky tough road games this week. They haven't proved that they could win on the road so far this year. We'll know by this time next week if Clemson is for real.
Time is running out for teams that want to make a move toward the NCAA Tournament. There are still a bunch of teams who can either play their way in or play their way out. This week isn't exactly chock full of big matchups, but there are plenty of games that teams can't afford to lose.
Here are the most important games:
Tuesday:
Maryland at Virginia Tech (8:00 p.m.) - Maryland is one or two losses away from being firmly off the bubble. A weekend loss to Boston College was killer. The Hokies are in decent shape for now, but losing this game certainly does not help their cause. Tech played very well up in College Park and will be carrying a lot of confidence into this game.
Wednesday:
Duke at Virginia (7:00 p.m.) - The only real interest in this game has to do with seeding. If Duke slips up on the road, that gives UNC (which is playing Wake) a chance for the conference title.
Thursday:
Clemson at NC State (7:00 p.m.) - The last time these two teams played, NC State burst out to a huge lead in the first half, only to blow it all away and lose by double digits. Clemson suffered a tough loss at home to UNC, and if they lose this game that will severely hurt their NCAA chances.
Saturday:
Virginia Tech at UVA (1:00 p.m.) - Virginia Tech fans remember what happened when these two teams played in Blacksburg. If the Hokies lose the Maryland game, this road win is a must.
Boston College at UNC (4:00 p.m.) - The first time these two played was pretty ugly. UNC won by 32 in Chestnut Hill. Boston College is in decent shape for the tournament now, but a win on the road would really help their cause. Don't think it's going to happen though.
Sunday:
Clemson at Miami (3:30 p.m.) - Clemson has a couple of sneaky tough road games this week. They haven't proved that they could win on the road so far this year. We'll know by this time next week if Clemson is for real.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
UNC/Duke Preview
It has been a huge game for decades - but this year's version of college basketball's best rivalry should bring us one of the best matchups in years. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have been playing excellent basketball recently. Duke started off the year as the #1 team, lost one of their best players, and still has managed a 21-2 record. North Carolina started off the season with not terribly high expectations. But they have really turned it on, and have now compiled a 7-1 conference record.
So let's take a look at the matchup:
Duke can beat you many different ways. Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler came into the year with a lot of experience and loads of potential. They have been terrific, combining for 39 points per game. But it's much more than them: Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry can light it up from the bench. The Plumlee brothers provide the Devils with some inside presence. And Ryan Kelly has been a pleasant surprise. As has been the case for many years, Duke is reliant heavily on the 3. Dawkins, Curry and Kelly are all shooting at least 41% from 3-point land. Singler and Smith aren't bad either.
North Carolina has had a lot of change over the past 12 months,
culminating in last week's decision by Larry Drew II to leave the program. Truth be told, Drew wasn't the best point guard UNC has ever had, and they might be better without him. It's no coincidence that their improvement has come at the same time that much heralded freshman Harrison Barnes started scoring in bunches. Barnes has a great shooting touch for a forward, and if he can stop forcing it as much as he does he could be a superstar. John Henson is a freakish athlete who can be a shooter but has an even bigger impact on the defensive end. Kendall Marshall only scores 4.5 points per game but is a great distributor and a catalyst for the team.
So what separates these two teams? Honestly, probably the venue the game is being played in. Duke hasn't even come close to losing a game at Cameron over the last two years. It's almost impossible to keep them from going on one of those patented Duke runs, where they score 10 points in a row over a minute. That being said, North Carolina has a chance. If I were the Heels, I would focus on guarding the 3. Let Henson guard the post - he can handle the Plumlees. If you can get out and make Duke put up quick shots, you can win.
If I were Duke, I would focus on ball movement. Make the extra pass and force Carolina to defend you all over the court. Don't take quick shots. And on defense, I would force the Heels to make shots from the outside. Double Barnes if you need to, double Tyler Zeller if you need to, and leave guys like Marshall and Leslie McDonald open. They have had some good outside shooting games, but the majority of the time they do most of their damage on the inside.
My prediction: Duke wins a close one, 77-72.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Week Preview
Another week is in the books, and some teams are starting to creep into contention, somewhat surprisingly. I'm talking specifically about Clemson and Maryland, who might be playing their way into tournament berths. Clemson got a come from behind win at home against NC State, and then blew out Florida State at home on Saturday. They still haven't shown an ability to win on the road, but seem to be putting things together under first year coach Brad Brownell.
Maryland has really improved since a blowout home loss to Virginia Tech, with wins over Clemson, at Virginia and at Georgia Tech. The last two were both by double digits. Maryland's big chance comes on Wednesday with a home game against Duke. Win that and they are most likely on the "in" side of the bubble. Here are the games on the ACC slate:
Tuesday:
Wake Forest at Florida State (7:00 p.m.) - If Florida State doesn't win this game they are in serious trouble. But it shouldn't be a problem.
UNC at Boston College (9:00 p.m.) - This is a good test for a Boston College team that has not looked very good in its last two games. UNC has improved and with a win here could be in very good shape for a top 4 finish in the league.
Wednesday:
Virginia Tech at NC State (7:00 p.m.) - The Hokies got a much-needed win against Miami and need to put the Georgia Tech game in the mirror with a road win against a NC State team that is really struggling right now. The Wolfpack's performance against UNC was terrible.
Clemson at UVA (9:00 p.m.) - This is a chance for Clemson to build its resume for the tournament. For UVA, they need a confidence boost after a bad loss at Wake Forest.
Duke at Maryland (9:00 p.m.) - As I said before, this is a huge opportunity for Maryland. Unfortunately for them, they are catching Duke at the wrong time, after the Devils lost in embarrassing fashion to St. John's.
Thursday:
Georgia Tech at Miami (7:00 p.m.) - Not a lot of interest in this game. Definitely a must-win for Miami after a series of really tough losses.
Saturday:
Clemson at Georgia Tech (1:00 p.m.) - The schedulers weren't kind to Georgia Tech this week. They have a very tough turnaround to an early game on Saturday. A good chance for Clemson to pick up a road win.
Virginia Tech at Boston College (1:00 p.m.) - Depending on how Tech's game with NC State goes, this could end up being a very big game for both teams. BC has been pretty good at home, in what is not a very intimidating home atmosphere.
Wake Forest at Maryland (1:00 p.m.) - I give Wake credit for winning this past weekend, but they aren't going to win games like this.
Virginia at Miami (2:00 p.m.) - The good news for the Hurricanes is you can't get a much easier week than what they have. The bad news is they sit at 1-6 in the conference.
NC State at Duke (6:00 p.m.) - If NC State plays up to its potential, they can stay with Duke, even at Cameron. If they play like they did in Chapel Hill last week, they will be blown out of the gym.
Sunday:
Florida State at UNC (2:00 p.m.) - The annual pre-Super Bowl ACC game is a good matchup. Florida State needs a good performance on the road, and may catch UNC looking ahead to their big game next week against Duke.
Another week is in the books, and some teams are starting to creep into contention, somewhat surprisingly. I'm talking specifically about Clemson and Maryland, who might be playing their way into tournament berths. Clemson got a come from behind win at home against NC State, and then blew out Florida State at home on Saturday. They still haven't shown an ability to win on the road, but seem to be putting things together under first year coach Brad Brownell.
Maryland has really improved since a blowout home loss to Virginia Tech, with wins over Clemson, at Virginia and at Georgia Tech. The last two were both by double digits. Maryland's big chance comes on Wednesday with a home game against Duke. Win that and they are most likely on the "in" side of the bubble. Here are the games on the ACC slate:
Tuesday:
Wake Forest at Florida State (7:00 p.m.) - If Florida State doesn't win this game they are in serious trouble. But it shouldn't be a problem.
UNC at Boston College (9:00 p.m.) - This is a good test for a Boston College team that has not looked very good in its last two games. UNC has improved and with a win here could be in very good shape for a top 4 finish in the league.
Wednesday:
Virginia Tech at NC State (7:00 p.m.) - The Hokies got a much-needed win against Miami and need to put the Georgia Tech game in the mirror with a road win against a NC State team that is really struggling right now. The Wolfpack's performance against UNC was terrible.
Clemson at UVA (9:00 p.m.) - This is a chance for Clemson to build its resume for the tournament. For UVA, they need a confidence boost after a bad loss at Wake Forest.
Duke at Maryland (9:00 p.m.) - As I said before, this is a huge opportunity for Maryland. Unfortunately for them, they are catching Duke at the wrong time, after the Devils lost in embarrassing fashion to St. John's.
Thursday:
Georgia Tech at Miami (7:00 p.m.) - Not a lot of interest in this game. Definitely a must-win for Miami after a series of really tough losses.
Saturday:
Clemson at Georgia Tech (1:00 p.m.) - The schedulers weren't kind to Georgia Tech this week. They have a very tough turnaround to an early game on Saturday. A good chance for Clemson to pick up a road win.
Virginia Tech at Boston College (1:00 p.m.) - Depending on how Tech's game with NC State goes, this could end up being a very big game for both teams. BC has been pretty good at home, in what is not a very intimidating home atmosphere.
Wake Forest at Maryland (1:00 p.m.) - I give Wake credit for winning this past weekend, but they aren't going to win games like this.
Virginia at Miami (2:00 p.m.) - The good news for the Hurricanes is you can't get a much easier week than what they have. The bad news is they sit at 1-6 in the conference.
NC State at Duke (6:00 p.m.) - If NC State plays up to its potential, they can stay with Duke, even at Cameron. If they play like they did in Chapel Hill last week, they will be blown out of the gym.
Sunday:
Florida State at UNC (2:00 p.m.) - The annual pre-Super Bowl ACC game is a good matchup. Florida State needs a good performance on the road, and may catch UNC looking ahead to their big game next week against Duke.
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