Week Preview: 12/17-12/21

It was a pretty uneventful weekend in the ACC, with not many teams in action.  We did see one big upset, though, that may shift the balance of power in the league a bit.  Virginia Tech lost at home to Georgia Southern, 78-73.  The game actually wasn't as close as the final score indicated, either.  The Hokies really laid an egg in this one, and with the subsequent injury to Marshall Wood their stock has taken a bit of a hit.  We'll see how they can respond.

A couple other teams struggled in wins.  North Carolina barely got by East Carolina at home, giving up 87 points to the Pirates.  And Boston College was narrowly able to escape another embarrassing loss, defeating New Hampshire at home in overtime.  There are a few intriguing games this week before teams go on a holiday break.  Here are the highlights:

Tuesday:

Miami at UCF (7:00 p.m., FSN)
The Hurricanes have been playing really good basketball lately, but they have a tough road game ahead.  UCF has some athletic players and has been known in recent years to play very well in the non-conference.  I expect Miami to win this one, but don't be surprised if UCF gives them a fight.

Stanford at N.C. State (9:00 p.m., ESPN2)
This is a tough cross-country road game for Stanford, returning the favor after N.C. State went out to Palo Alto last year.  The Cardinal have not done much to write home about so far.  They are 7-3 with losses to Belmont, Missouri and Minnesota.  Their best win is at a neutral site against Northern Iowa.  I expect the Wolfpack to win by about 10.

Wednesday:

Clemson at Coastal Carolina (7:00 p.m.)
The Tigers need to be careful in this one.  They lost to Coastal last year at home.  This is the type of game that Coach Brad Brownell's team really needs to win.  They have to prove that they can play well on the road, something they did not do last year.  Coastal has not been very good so far, with only one win over a Division 1 school.

North Carolina at Texas (9:00 p.m., ESPN2)
This should be a good battle between two teams that have disappointed their fan bases so far.  North Carolina failed in their last road game, against then #1 Indiana.  They can get the Longhorns, though.  Texas has a horrible loss to Chaminade on their record, plus losses to USC, Georgetown and UCLA.