ACC Progress Report

With most of the ACC teams having played close to half of their conference schedule, it's a good time to take stock of where each team is. Here is a look at each team, from top to bottom, through the conference games of January 31st.

1. Duke (17-4, 5-2) - Duke for the most part has performed up to expectation. They were expected to be one of the best teams in the conference, and have been. There is some cause for concern with their defensive performance in their recent games against NC State and Georgetown. But they should be on track to win the league and get a high seed for the NCAAs.

2. Maryland (14-6, 4-2) - For the way Maryland started the year, it is surprising to see them in this position. The Terps have looked as good as any team in the ACC, with some blowout wins. Their last performance, on the road at Clemson, was probably their worst, but could just be an aberration.

3. Virginia (13-6, 4-2) - The Cavaliers were certainly not expected to be in this spot in the standings. They started off the ACC slate with some solid wins, then dipped to two straight losses, but put together their best performance in a beatdown of UNC. Tony Bennett has done a great job with one of the least talented teams in the league.

4. Florida State (16-5, 4-3) - The Seminoles have been pretty steady, winning both at home and on the road. A sweep of Georgia Tech should really help them come March. They aren't quite on the same level they were last year, but are solidly in the top half of the league.

5. Georgia Tech (16-5, 4-3) - The Yellow Jackets have looked like the second best team in the league at times this year. They have improved throughout the season and have proved they can beat anyone. I expect them to finish higher than 5th when the conference season is over.

6. Wake Forest (14-5, 4-3) - Wake has had a solid, if unspectacular year. They have some good wins to their credit, and basically have won the games they have supposed to, and lost the games they have supposed to. They seem on track for a 9-7 or so finish.

7. Clemson (16-6, 4-4) - The Tigers have struggled at times this year, and it seems clear they don't have the offensive firepower they did last year. They still have a chance at a strong finish in the league, but need to win some road games to do so.

8. Virginia Tech (16-4, 3-3) - The Hokies have put together a great record, but don't have a lot of respect nationally because they haven't beaten anyone good. A win in Charlottesville was a good step, but it remains to be seen whether this team can do enough to improve on their current position.

9. Boston College (12-10, 3-5) - It's been a rocky year for BC. They have some head-scratching home losses, but have also beaten Clemson and won at Miami. They really miss Tyrese Rice, and at this point would be fortunate to finish over .500.

10. North Carolina (13-8, 2-4) - It's stunning to see Carolina in this position in the conference. In their four conference losses, the Tar Heels have lost at Clemson by 19, at home to Wake by 13, and at home to Virginia by 15. The other was a 2 point loss to Georgia Tech when they were down big. They have talent but seemingly no chemistry, and are staring at an NIT appearance.

11. Miami (16-5, 2-5) - The Hurricanes have come back down to earth after their perfect non-conference season. They just don't have the talent to compete with the top teams in the league, or the fanbase to make their home gym a tough environment. It will be a struggle the rest of the way.

12. NC State (14-8, 2-5) - The Wolfpack have a great home win over Duke, but not much else to show for their season. They seem to get up for certain games and play well, but come out completely flat in others. Like Miami, they don't have the talent to finish well in this league.

At this point, trying to predict which teams will make the NCAA Tournament is pretty tough. The only real lock is Duke, and there are so many teams in the middle that could each make a case for inclusion. Hopefully, the next couple weeks will create a clearer picture of how things will shake out.

Weekend Recap

Another weekend is in the books, and there continues to be parity throughout the ACC. In the marquee game of the weekend, Georgetown played a complete game and really dominated Duke at home. The Hoyas shot a ridiculous percentage, and were very efficient inside and outside. Duke continues to rely too heavily on the 3 point shot, going 9-29 in a losing cause.

The surprise of the weekend was Virginia's big win in Chapel Hill over North Carolina. The Cavaliers played a solid game here, and the Heels looked as bad as they've looked all year. Roy Williams had some pretty pessimistic things to say after the game. We'll see where Carolina goes from here.

In other action, Florida State got a solid road win over Boston College in a close game. Miami held on after building a big first half lead against Virginia Tech. And Clemson beat Maryland in a very sloppy, low-scoring game that was marred by turnovers.

I'll take a closer look at each team at this point in the ACC season tomorrow. But first, here are a look at the weekday games ahead.

Tuesday:

Miami at Wake Forest (7:00 p.m., ESPN2) - Wake has a chance to build another win against an inconsistent Miami squad that has not performed well on the road. Miami won the first game in this series in Coral Gables.

Wednesday:

NC State at Virginia (7:00 p.m., ESPNU) - In another rematch, Virginia looks to sweep NC State, with this one coming at home. The Cavaliers are back on the winning track after losing two straight.

Thursday:

Georgia Tech at Duke (7:00 p.m., ESPN2) - Another rematch here and the best game of the week. Georgia Tech is coming in with a lot of confidence but playing well and winning in Cameron will be a tall order.
Maryland at Florida State (9:00 p.m., Raycom) - Another good matchup, with two teams that have been playing well. The Terps are in a tough stretch, but could steal a road win here.
North Carolina at Virginia Tech (9:00 p.m., Raycom) - Who knows which Tar Heels team will show up here after their performance against UVA. The Hokies need to win this game to be taken seriously as a NCAA Tournament contender.

Mid-Week Update

Let's start with the most exciting game of the week, in Charlottesville. Virginia Tech looked dead in the water, but managed to erase a 10 point deficit against UVA and win in overtime. This is a big road win for the Hokies, and the kind of game that can propel them to the top half of the league. While for Virginia, it's a bit of a reality check after the strong start.

The other game on Thursday saw Georgia Tech taking it to Wake Forest, blowing open the game in the second half. The Yellow Jackets have really played well in the last few weeks and appear to be one of the three best teams in the conference.

On Wednesday, Duke took care of a pesky Florida State team in Cameron. The game went about as expected. On Tuesday night, North Carolina got a big road win over NC State. The Wolfpack seemed to hit a wall partway through the second half and got steamrolled in the last 10 minutes of the game at home. It's looking more and more like the Duke-NC State game was a fluke. And for UNC, it was an important win to reassert them as still a force to be reckoned with.

Maryland got another blowout win over a lifeless Miami. They are now atop the ACC. And Boston College got a surprising win over Clemson, one in which they were up by a fair amount at halftime and held on. It's becoming more clear that Clemson is not as strong a team as it was in previous years.

It's an interesting weekend. Wake Forest is the only team that is idle. And three teams are playing non-conference games. I won't worry about dissecting Kentucky State at GT or NC Central at NC State -- both will be easy wins for the ACC squads.

Here are the other games:

Saturday:

Duke at Georgetown (1:00 p.m., CBS) - I will be at this great non-conference matchup in DC. Both teams have been very strong this year. I give Georgetown the slight edge at home, but Duke has been hitting their stride after the NC State loss and won't go quietly.
Florida State at BC (3:00 p.m., Raycom) - This is another opportunity for BC to get a home win. Florida State is the better team, but can they prove that? This one should be close.

Sunday:

Virginia Tech at Miami (1:00 p.m., Raycom) - Miami has been on a real slide lately. If they show up, they have a good shot at beating a road-weary Hokie team. But if they play like they have been recently, the Hokies should take it.
Maryland at Clemson (5:30 p.m., FSN) - This is the marquee conference game of the weekend. Maryland has been playing very well, but run into their toughest game in a while with the trip to Littlejohn. Clemson has to win this one, having lost three in a row.
Virginia at UNC (7:45 p.m., FSN) - The Cavaliers are reeling a bit after a tough loss to Virginia Tech. North Carolina got some mojo back in the win over NC State. Expect to see the trends continue here.

Weekend Recap

It was another busy weekend in the ACC. Let's start in Blacksburg, at the game I attended. The Hokies didn't have their best outing, especially in the second half, but managed to make the plays at the end of the game to beat Boston College. BC doesn't have the most talent but plays tough defense and can give people fits. It could have been a bad loss for the Hokies.

Virginia was exposed in a road loss to Wake Forest. The Cavaliers had a horrible shooting percentage, and only managed 15 points in the first half. It will be interesting to see if this game was a fluke or a sign of things to come. Maryland was able to blow out NC State, who returned to being not a very good team.

Duke had a very good road win at Clemson. It was a burst at the beginning of the second half, keyed by Nolan Smith, that proved the difference. Clemson did not get much offense at all outside of Trevor Booker, a bad sign for them. It certainly looks like Duke is the best team in the ACC.

On Sunday, Florida State got a hard-fought win over Georgia Tech, sweeping two games from them this year. The game was back and forth, but FSU was able to make the plays at the end to win. This could be big come March.

There are six conference games coming up this week. Here's a look at what you can expect:

Tuesday:

Clemson at Boston College (7:00 p.m., ESPN2) - This is the second time these teams will meet. BC has played better in its last two games but Clemson is definitely the better team. If Clemson can't win here, they will be on a three game slide.
Miami at Maryland (7:00 p.m., ESPNU) - The Canes have been struggling, while Maryland has been as hot as anyone. Miami needs a good performance here to just stay close with the Terps.
North Carolina at NC State (9:00 p.m., Raycom) - I'm interested to see how these two teams play. UNC is in desperate need of a win, but NC State is not going to lay down at home against their biggest rival.

Wednesday:

Florida State at Duke (9:00 p.m., ESPN) - The Noles have won two in a row but will be hard pressed to win at Duke. Florida State has played well in Cameron in recent years, so they might be able to keep it close.

Thursday:

Virginia Tech at Virginia (7:00 p.m., CSN) - The battle of Virginia features two teams that have been surprises so far this year. The Hokies have the more realistic NCAA Tourney shot, and a road win would be big.
Wake Forest at Georgia Tech (7:00 p.m., FSN) - Wake has been playing well recently, and should give Georgia Tech a good test. The Jackets need to win a game like this if they want to be taken seriously as a contender in the ACC.

Mid-Week Update

It certainly has been an interesting week in the ACC so far. The headline has to be both UNC and Duke losing on the same day. Let's start with Carolina. I give them a pass for losing at Clemson, because that is a tough place to play. Losing to Georgia Tech at home was a little more questionable. But coming off two straight losses and losing badly to Wake Forest at home? Something's not right here. Carolina has too much talent to be off to the start they are. In the Wake game, they shot 6-26 from the 3 point line. That is way too many 3 point attempts for that team. They appear to be in crisis mode right now and need something to turn it around.

For Duke, this was a head scratcher as well. NC State definitely put together its best effort of the year, and really dominated the game. Duke did not look like a top 10 team offensively or defensively. They need to get Kyle Singler going. I still think this is the best team in the ACC, but performances like this give other teams hope.

On Tuesday, there were two close games. Georgia Tech was able to edge Clemson, getting the benefit of a late foul call to go up by 2. Both teams looked very sloppy down the stretch, not looking like top 25 teams. And Miami had an inexcusable home loss to Boston College. The Canes were up by 17 and looked like they just stopped playing. This was a good confidence builder for the Eagles, and for Miami their surprise start has come to a grinding halt.

One other note: Virginia needed a last second shot by Sylven Landesberg to beat UNC Wilmington at home. Wilmington is one of the worst teams in the CAA, a team Virginia should have beat easily. So was this a letdown or a sign of things to come?

Ok, time to look ahead to the weekend.

Saturday:

BC at Virginia Tech (1:30 p.m., Raycom) - BC did have a nice second half performance against Miami, but I don't think the Hokies will lose this one at home. BC's only chance is to keep it a low scoring game.
Virginia at Wake Forest (4:00 p.m., Raycom) - Wake is coming off a great performance in Chapel Hill. This is the first real big ACC road test for the Cavaliers.
NC State at Maryland (6:00 p.m., ESPN2) - I think the Wolfpack are bound for a letdown after their great performance against Duke. Maryland has been rolling lately.
Duke at Clemson (9:00 p.m., ESPN) - This is the Gameday game, and should be a great matchup. Clemson has already lost at Cameron, and Duke will be looking to put the NC State game out of their minds. If Duke loses this one they will already have 3 conference losses.

Sunday:

Georgia Tech at Florida State (12:00 p.m., Raycom) - This is another rematch of a game that FSU won in Atlanta. Georgia Tech is playing better than they were the first time, but really don't matchup well with the Noles.

Weekend Recap

For the second weekend in a row, the big story in the ACC was Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets played a solid first half in Chapel Hill, and then responded when UNC made a run to win. Georgia Tech certainly has the talent -- the question all along has been about using that talent. And right now they are doing a good job of that. For North Carolina, this is a bit of a head scratcher. In their last two games, turnovers have really come back to hurt them. And it seems like they suffer from a lack of leadership as well. They need to get it in gear, or they could be headed for a middle of the pack finish in the conference.

In other weekend action, Virginia continues to be a surprise. They handled Miami to stay undefeated in conference play. The Hurricanes had a horrible week, not competitive in either game against the Virginia schools. Clemson held on to beat NC State, a road win they needed to have. The Pack have shown some fight in the last two games but are still 1-3 with two home losses in conference.

Maryland beat up on a listless Boston College team on the road. BC really looks bad at the moment, seeming disinterested against the Terps. Florida State got a solid home win over Virginia Tech. The defense of the Seminoles returned to really frustrate the Hokies in a low-scoring game. And Duke got a good effort from their big men to beat Wake Forest, proving once again it's tough to win in Cameron.

Some of the ACC schools will be stepping out of conference this week. Virginia, Virginia Tech and Maryland each have home games they should win with ease. Here are the conference games:

Tuesday:
Clemson at Georgia Tech (7:00 p.m., ESPN2) - This is a very good matchup between two teams that are playing well right now. The big question will be how Georgia Tech handles the Clemson press.
BC at Miami (9:00 p.m., FSN) - Boston College needs some sort of spark or their season will turn south in a hurry. Miami is hungry after two straight embarrassing performances.

Wednesday:
Wake Forest at UNC (7:00 p.m., ESPN) - What a tough stretch for Wake, with back to back games on Tobacco Road. UNC will be upset after Saturday's performance, but are they really better than Wake?
Duke at NC State (9:00 p.m., Raycom) - The Wolfpack have had some home success in the past against Duke, but the difference in talent I think is too big here for a home upset.

Mid-Week Update

Parity has ruled the day thus far in the ACC this year. Every team has played either 2 or 3 conference games. The only team without a loss is Virginia. And every team has at least one win. The biggest story from the weekday games was probably Clemson's handling of North Carolina. The Heels' young players looked very flustered, and could not hold on to the ball. Clemson raced out to a big lead that it never came close to relinquishing.

In other ACC action, Virginia got a nice home win over Georgia Tech. Tony Bennett seems to have already made an impact. Virginia Tech exploded in the first half against Miami, up by as many as 35 points before coasting to an easy win. Duke had little trouble with Boston College.

On Tuesday, NC State got a very surprising road win over FSU. Scott Wood was lighting up the scoreboard for the Pack, but FSU really should not have lost this game. And Wake Forest got a good overtime win over Maryland, with the key bucket coming from Ish Smith. He always seems to deliver in the clutch.

Here's what to look for this weekend:

Saturday:

Clemson at NC State (12:00 p.m., Raycom) - Clemson is coming off an emotional high, and has to be on guard for a letdown. They are better than State but this one could be close.
Georgia Tech at UNC (2:00 p.m., ESPN) - Both teams need a good bounceback performance here. I expect this to be an up-and-down game with a lot of turnovers. UNC should win at home.
Maryland at BC (4:00 p.m., Raycom) - The Terps have been playing better, and BC has not. The Eagles need a home win here or their season could start to spiral down fast.
Virginia Tech at Florida State (6:00 p.m., FSN) - The Hokies are really playing with a lot of confidence and will be looking to pull off a road win. The Seminoles are not a good matchup for them though.
Miami at Virginia (8:00 p.m., ESPNU) - The Cavaliers are atop the ACC and could continue that way after this game. Miami is better than Virginia but needs to prove it in a better performance than what they came up with in Blacksburg.

By the way, how great is it that the ACC game times lined up this way? They staggered the games so you could watch ACC action from Noon to 10 p.m.

Sunday:

Wake Forest at Duke (8:00 p.m., FSN) - Duke is tough to beat in Cameron, and I can see Wake really struggling in this one.

Weekend Recap

The biggest story of the weekend in the ACC was Georgia Tech's rather surprising win over Duke. The Blue Devils had come in looking pretty much unbeatable, but did not put together a very good effort in Atlanta. Give Georgia Tech credit -- they needed a big home win and got it. They may finish in the top half of the ACC after all.

In other action, Virginia got a good road win over NC State. The clock is ticking big time for Sidney Lowe - the Wolfpack are reeling right now. Wake Forest came up just a bit short against Miami. The Hurricanes don't have as much talent as the Deacs but managed to scrap together enough offense to win. Clemson took care of Boston College pretty easily, a good bounceback for them.

In Sunday action, North Carolina got back to their winning ways over Virginia Tech. The Hokies looked good at halftime, but the Tar Heels picked up the intensity in the second half. I think they may struggle some on the road but should still finish 2nd in the league. And Maryland got a solid win over Florida State. The Terps finally looked like the team many expected them to be.

Conference play continues during the week, with six more ACC games. Here's what to expect:

Tuesday:
NC State at FSU (7:00 p.m., FSN) - What can you say here. I would be very surprised if NC State got a road win.
Maryland at Wake Forest (8:00 p.m., Raycom) - Should be a great matchup. Wake needs to win this one to keep pace with the other top teams in the conference.

Wednesday:
BC at Duke (7:00 p.m., ESPN) - Coming off a loss, I expect a mad Blue Devils team. Bad news for Boston College.
Georgia Tech at UVA (7:00 p.m.) - This is a big test for the Yellow Jackets. Can they continue the momentum from a big win with a road victory over an inferior team?
Miami at VT (7:00 p.m.) - These two teams always play interesting games. If Malcolm Delaney is healthy and effective the Hokies should win at home.
UNC at Clemson (9:00 p.m., ESPN) - Chapel Hill has been a house of horrors for Clemson. They are much better at Littlejohn, however. This should be the best ACC game of the week.

Previewing the First Weekend of ACC Conference Games

After a long non-conference season it's finally here: ACC conference play. There's nothing better. First a quick look back to the week: not a lot of note. The only mild surprise was Georgia Tech losing on the road at Georgia, a place they have a hard time winning. I tend to forgive the Jackets a bit since it was a rivalry game but their margin for error is declining.

So now to the weekend: 6 big conference games. Here's what you can expect:

Saturday:

Virginia at NC State (12:00 pm, Raycom) - Whoever wins this game will have a leg up in the race for the cellar. Conference wins will be hard to come by for both. NC State needs to win at home.
Duke at Georgia Tech (2:00 pm, ESPN) - Duke has really been rolling, and appears likely to win this one on the road in Atlanta. Georgia Tech is staring at an 0-2 conference hole, with both of those losses at home, unless they can pull the upset.
BC at Clemson (4:00 pm, Raycom) - BC has had a rough stretch, and it will be tough to win a road game against a Clemson team who will be pissed off after being blown out at Duke. If BC can keep it close, they have a chance.
Wake Forest at Miami (6:00 pm, ESPNU) - This is a very interesting matchup. I like the way Wake has been playing, and Miami has been off to a great start. I have a feeling the more experienced Deacs pull out a road win.

Sunday:

Florida State at Maryland (5:30 pm, FSN) - The Terps have been disappointing so far, but have a chance to put together a good win over a Seminole team that has been playing great. Should be a low scoring affair.
Virginia Tech at UNC (7:45 pm, FSN) - The story in this one is injuries. No Marcus Ginyard, maybe no Will Graves for UNC. Maybe no Malcolm Delaney for VT. If Tech's young players can keep their composure they have a shot.

Weekend Recap

A lot to talk about from this past weekend. Let's start down in Mexico, where on Saturday night, the Hokies got a huge win in overtime over Seton Hall. Tech really showed a lot of grit and determination in a win without their best player, Malcolm Delaney. I think this team has the most chemistry since Seth Greenberg came to VT, and could finish as high as 3rd or 4th in the ACC.

The heartbreaker of the weekend goes to NC State, who lost on a 3/4 court shot to Florida at home in overtime. State had the game won in the last minute, but missed some free throws. You could tell the players and coaches looked totally stunned at the end of this game. This is another tough loss for the Wolfpack, and we'll see if they can respond.

Boston College somehow lost a game at home to Maine, scoring fewer than 20 points in the second half. After starting the season strong, the Eagles have faltered recently and look more and more like they'll end up in the bottom half of the league.

Wake had a solid double overtime win over Xavier. I think Wake is actually better off without Jeff Teague, as Ish Smith is a better playmaker and clutch performer at the point. And Duke looked solid defensively in beating up on Clemson. The Tigers have to be embarrassed with their first half offensive performance.

Just a few minutes ago (at the time of this posting), UNC lost an overtime game to Bobby Cremins' Charleston Cougars. Frankly, UNC gave this game away. They were up late in regulation, let Charleston come back and tie, and looked a bit shell-shocked in regulation. This is really a game the Tar Heels should not lose, although they get somewhat of a pass because Graves and Ginyard were out.

This week marks the first real week of conference play. I'll look ahead to the weekend later in the week. During the week, look to a few games, including Georgia Tech at Georgia. The Jackets should win but who knows what will happen in this rivalry game. Duke travels to Chicago to take on a decent Iowa State team. And watch out for Holy Cross at NC State. The Pack might be reeling after the buzzer-beater.

Mid-Week Update

It's been an interesting week so far in the ACC. And with about a week left until conference play really gets going, there are a lot of big games coming up this weekend. First, a quick look back at this past week's games:

The only game an ACC team lost this week was Maryland losing at home to William and Mary. The Tribe has had a very good year, so losing to them isn't a disaster, but the Terps found themselves significantly behind in the second half, at home. They have got to be the biggest disappointment of the year so far in the ACC and need to get it together. In other action, Wake Forest got a solid win in overtime in a back and forth game over Richmond. The Spiders had already beaten Florida on the road. And Virginia got a good home win over UAB. I don't think the Cavs were favored in that game, and this is the biggest win of the year for them so far.

The other game that got my attention was Clemson only winning by 3 points at home against South Carolina State. The Tigers don't seem to be quite as strong in the early going this year.

So what's on tap for this first weekend of 2010? Here are the big games:

Saturday:
Georgia Tech at Charlotte (7:00 p.m.) - The Jackets should win this one but Charlotte has a good record thus far this year and will be at home.
Seton Hall vs. Virginia Tech in Cancun (7:30 p.m.) - The Hokies have been rolling, but Malcolm Delaney's injury has to be a serious concern. He will not play in this game, making the Pirates the favorites.

Sunday:
Florida at NC State (3:00 p.m.) - I love this matchup. Florida overachieved at the start but has cooled recently. The Wolfpack need a statement win like this.
Xavier at Wake Forest (5:30 p.m.) - Coming off a tough win over Richmond, Xavier presents a really tough home test. The Deacs should be slightly favored in this one.
Clemson at Duke (7:45 p.m.) - It's always fun when these two teams get together. Duke has looked unstoppable recently. If Clemson can keep it close in the first half, they have a chance at the upset.

ACC Update

It was a pretty quiet week around the ACC, with teams taking a break for Christmas. In fact, there was only one ACC team who lost this past week: that was NC State losing on the road to Arizona at the last second. NC State struggled at times in this game, but they were on the road without their best player, Tracy Smith, so you can't fault them too much.

ACC teams are easing back into the swing of things this week. During the week, there are a few decent matchups. We'll look ahead to those before later in the week previewing the weekend, which has some great games.

Here's what to look for:

Monday:
Rutgers at UNC - This does appear to be a mismatch, and UNC should win easily, but it's worth watching to see if Carolina's young talent has a hangover from losing to Texas.

Wednesday:
UAB at Virginia - The Blazers have played pretty well so far this year and won't be intimidated going up to Charlottesville. The Cavaliers have struggled and need to win this one.
William and Mary at Maryland - William and Mary has been the surprise team of the CAA, having already beaten Wake Forest on the road. They also barely lost on the road to UConn. Maryland has lost this type of game in the past couple years.
South Carolina at Boston College - BC has had an up and down year and should be in for a good battle from SC. Miami beat the Gamecocks fairly easily in South Carolina, so BC should win as well.

Thursday:
Richmond at Wake Forest - The Deacons have already lost to W&M on their home floor, and Richmond is used to beating top ranked opponents. They've already beaten Florida this year.

Observations

Another week is in the books, and a lot of teams are taking a break for Christmas. The 12 ACC teams are playing a total of 12 games this week, with no conference games.

For me the most interesting game was the conference opener between Georgia Tech and Florida State. The Seminoles led most of the way, controlling the paint on defense. They choked a bit in regulation, with two missed free throws, but won it in overtime. I thought this was a really significant game for both teams.

For Florida State, I think it proved that they are building the program. They had so many years of being stuck at 8-8 in conference with an NIT bid. The Noles took a step forward last year, and despite losing Toney Douglas appear to be in it for the long haul. I expect them to go back to the Tournament this year.

But what I took away from this game the most was how Paul Hewitt will probably not be at Georgia Tech much longer. Hewitt has proved to be a great recruiter, getting top NBA talent to come to Atlanta (even if only to play for one year). But I don't think he's a very good in-game coach. His teams, no matter the personnel, seem to still have the same issues. They are very sloppy ballhandlers, and rack up the turnovers. And they don't seem to have a good gameplan on offense that gets the ball in the hands of their best players. For several years now, their strength has been inside, but they have really under-utilized those players. A guy like Derrick Favors would be putting up a lot better numbers at most other schools.

Don't get me wrong -- I really like Paul Hewitt. But he should have a much better record with the level of talent he has. I don't see Georgia Tech earning that preseason top 25 ranking.

In other ACC news, North Carolina lost another game, but I wouldn't panic if I was a Tar Heel fan. They lost to a very good Texas team and I still think the Heels will compete with Duke for the league crown.

This week, check out two games: UMass at Boston College and NC State at Arizona. Both games are on Wednesday.

Week 5 Recap

As expected, there wasn't much ACC action to speak of this past week. This is the time of year where games are few and far between. There were a couple of notable occurrences, however. Boston College really had a rough week. They lost at home to Harvard for the second year in a row, and then followed that up with a home loss to Rhode Island. ACC teams really should not lose home games to non-BCS conference teams. And BC had two in one week. It's hard to figure Boston College at this point in the year. They had a nice road win over Michigan and seemed to be playing well, but now sit at 6-4.

Virginia Tech had the best ACC win of the week, going up to Happy Valley and knocking off Penn State. After a rough start to the season, the Hokies have some momentum, and with three cupcake games upcoming should start the season 11-1.

So what's in store for this coming week? Unfortunately, much of the same, with not many games on the schedule. The weekend does shape up to be better, with some really good matchups, including conference games. Here's a look at the best games:

Wednesday:
Clemson at East Carolina - Shouldn't be too much trouble for the Tigers but any road game is significant
Wake Forest at UNC Wilmington - Might be a tough road game for Wake against a Colonial opponent

Thursday:
Auburn at Florida State - Auburn knocked off Virginia last week but FSU should handle them

Saturday:
North Carolina vs. Texas (in Arlington, TX) - This game at the new Cowboys Stadium is a great matchup and another tough one for Carolina
Gonzaga vs. Duke (at MSG) - Duke always plays well at Madison Square Garden and although the Zags have looked good so far they won't be favored in this one
Charleston at Clemson - Bobby Cremins' team is predicted to win the Southern conference, and could give Clemson a fight

Sunday:
Florida State at Georgia Tech - Good matchup for an early-season conference game. We'll find out just how good the Jackets are
NC State at Wake Forest - If State plays like they did in a win at Marquette they could pull off the upset

Week 4 Recap

It was a pretty good weekend for the ACC. Wake Forest had a big road win over Gonzaga, and NC State had a great second half to blow past Marquette on the road. The first conference game was a dogfight, with BC beating Miami by 1 point. That loss by Miami means that there are no undefeated teams left in the conference. While this may be disappointing, there also are no teams with a losing record.

The most surprising thing to me has been the performance of some of the teams predicted in the bottom half of the league. Miami is 8-1, NC State is 6-1, Boston College is 6-2, and Virginia Tech is 6-1.

This is the point of the year when a lot of schools go into exam mode and the games become much less frequent. Don't expect to see all that many marquee matchups in the next couple weeks. In fact, there are only 3 games during the week that ACC teams are playing in. Here are the highlights of the next 7 days:

Monday:
Virginia at Auburn - Cavaliers have been a disappointing 4-3 and need a good solid win. This game should be a toss-up.

Saturday:
Virginia Tech at Penn State - Hokies had a good week with wins over BCS teams Iowa and Georgia. A win at Penn State would be a big step in the right direction.

And that's pretty much it. If ACC teams lose any of the other games on the schedule this week, it would be a big upset.

Mid-Week Update

It's a good thing I don't bet on games. While my prediction for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge wasn't that far off, I only correctly predicted 4 of 11 games correctly. There were certainly plenty of surprises in there, with road teams Penn State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Illinois, and Boston College winning. I think if you look for a pleasant surprise for the ACC, it was Boston College, who played short-handed on the road against a tough Michigan team. And for a disappointment, look no farther than Clemson. They blew a 23 point lead at home against an Illinois team that had lost two in a row.

Even though the Challenge is over, there are plenty of great matchups the rest of the week. This weekend is probably the best non-conference weekend of the year. Here's a look at what's on the slate:

Saturday:

UNC at Kentucky - A very tough game for the young Heels, coming off a big win over Michigan State. I expect a letdown against John Wall and final four contender Kentucky.

NC State at Marquette - The Golden Eagles have been pretty good thus far this year. NC State did not play well in a loss to Northwestern and will be hard pressed to pull off a road victory here.

St. John's at Duke - St. John's has been good early on this year but will be facing a Duke team that is upset over the Wisconsin loss.

Wake Forest at Gonzaga - See what I said about good matchups this weekend? Another great one here. The Zags have been really good thus far this year.

Southern Cal at Georgia Tech - USC and the reeling Pac-10 need a big win. They won't get it here.

Sunday:

Florida International at FSU - Nothing to say here.

South Carolina at Clemson - Clemson needs to bounce back against its rival South Carolina.

Miami at Boston College - A conference game this early in the year? Wow. Should be a great game between two surprising teams.

Georgia at Virginia Tech - Hokies look to build momentum from Iowa road win against a Georgia team that is probably the SEC's worst.

Villanova at Maryland - The Terps have struggled a bit but have a great opportunity with a virtual home game against a Top 5 club.

Of the 11 ACC teams playing this weekend, 10 are playing other big conference teams (I count the Zags as a big conference team). Should be a great weekend of games.

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Preview

Another week of exciting action is in the books, capped this Sunday night by Clemson and FSU pulling out 1 point wins. It was an interesting week. Among the headlines was Duke's dominance in New York. Their win over Connecticut opened some eyes, and they still look like the best team in the conference. Clemson lost a non-conference game, which almost never happens. And North Carolina escapes with a win at home over Nevada -- it's clear this team will take a while to gel. Miami, NC State and Duke are the only teams left undefeated.

So with that, let's look ahead to the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The ACC has won the challenge every year since it began, but most media pundits think the Big Ten is the better league this year. Here are this year's games:

Monday:

Penn State at Virginia (7:00 pm) - Penn State has really struggled early this season, and Virginia's coming off a decent win over Cleveland State. Should be a fairly ugly, low scoring game that Virginia can steal for the ACC.

Tuesday:

Northwestern at NC State (7:00 pm) - Northwestern was dealt a serious injury blow at the beginning of the year, but they responded with a big upset win over Notre Dame. NC State is surprisingly undefeated. I think the Pack take care of business at home.

Wake Forest at Purdue (7:00 pm) - Wake inexplicably lost at home to William and Mary this week. Purdue is coming off a big tournament win over Tennessee in the Virgin Islands. The trends continue in this one, Purdue wins one for the Big Ten.

Maryland at Indiana (7:30 pm) - I don't know how Maryland got to play Indiana this year. The Hoosiers are still a ways away with Tom Crean. Terps roll, even on the road.

Michigan State at UNC (9:00 pm) - This is a very interesting matchup. Michigan State lost to a surging Florida team, while UNC is still trying to figure out its identity. Carolina usually rises to the challenge in these big games, but the Spartans are too good.

Virginia Tech at Iowa (9:30 pm) - The Hokies have played very poorly thus far this year, almost losing to Delaware. Iowa hasn't been very good either. This will be a very ugly game that probably won't get out of the 50s. I'll give the edge to the home team Hawkeyes.

Wednesday:

Illinois at Clemson (7:15 pm) - Clemson has to be disappointed with its performance in Anaheim. Illinois has to be even more disappointed with its performance this past week, losing to two unranked teams. Clemson wins this one going away.

Minnesota at Miami (7:15 pm) - Tubby Smith has done a great job with the Gophers. They won't be intimidated at Miami. But the Canes have really surprised so far this year and should win a tight one at home.

Boston College at Michigan (7:30 pm) - The Eagles had a good win on the road against Providence. They're gonna have a tough time with John Beilein's 1-3-1 defense though. I expect Michigan to win at home.

Duke at Wisconsin (9:15 pm) - The Badgers have a ridiculously good home record under Bo Ryan in the last few years. But they don't play a lot of teams like Duke. The Devils should win, even on the road.

Florida State at Ohio State (9:30 pm) - The Seminoles played great in the Old Spice Classic. But Ohio State, with Evan Turner, is going to be very tough to beat at home. I like the Buckeyes.

So with my math, the ACC wins the challenge again by a slim 6-5 margin. Should be a great week of games!

Mid-Week Update

So far, this week hasn't been the best for the ACC. After going 40-4 through the first two weeks, in the past three days ACC teams are 8-5. That includes Virginia losing to Stanford, Florida State getting blown out at Florida, and Boston College losing by double digits to Northern Iowa. And then there's Maryland. The Terps lost two games to Cincinnati and Wisconsin that they were barely ahead in either matchup. If they want to be one of the better teams in the ACC they need to come out and perform better than they did in Maui.

There are plenty of chances for the ACC to redeem itself later this week in advance of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Duke should be in for a great matchup with UConn Friday, the highlight of the slate for the next few days.

Week 2 Recap

All things considered, it was a pretty good week for the ACC. The 12 teams have a combined record of 40-4. UNC lost a neutral site game to Syracuse, Virginia lost a road game to South Florida, Georgia Tech lost a neutral site game to Dayton, and Boston College lost a neutral site game to St. Joseph's. Besides that, each team took care of business.

Right now, it certainly looks like Duke is the best team. They haven't had the toughest schedule but they have creamed each team they've played so far. NC State has been a bit of a surprise, blowing out Akron and beating a solid Auburn team. And Miami had a good win, over South Carolina in Charleston, SC.

So what's in store for Week 3? Some more teams playing in tournaments (highlighted by Maryland's appearance in Maui). By this time next week, more teams should have their first losses of the year. Here's a look at the most compelling games this week:

Monday:
Northern Iowa vs. Boston College (in the Virgin Islands) - UNI is a team that many people are high on this year

Tuesday:
Florida State at Florida - First big test this year for the Noles, who have played well against the Gators in recent years
Virginia vs. Stanford (in Cancun, Mexico) - The Cavaliers have a good chance in this one against a sub-par Pac 10 team
Maryland vs. Cincinnati or Vanderbilt - Should be a good matchup regardless of who wins today in Maui

Wednesday:
Duke vs. Arizona State (in Madison Square Garden) - Duke's second home in the non-conference has been MSG, and they play very well there

Thursday:
Texas A&M vs. Clemson (in Anaheim) - Clemson's recent string of undefeated non-conference seasons will be put to the test

Friday:
Virginia Tech vs. Temple (at the Palestra) - If the Hokies get past Campbell, they will face a tough test here

Saturday:
Boston College at Providence - Good non-conference game between former conference foes

As you can see, there are lots of good games to look forward to this week. Clemson, Virginia, Maryland, Duke and Florida State will also be playing games in tournaments this week whose opponents have yet to be decided. I think we'll learn a lot about the pecking order of the ACC this week.

So Far, So Good

The first week of the College Basketball season is supposed to be filled with games between power conference teams and teams that they should beat easily. So it should come as no surprise that ACC schools haven't dropped a game yet thus far this season. In fact, none of the games have been nailbiters, the smallest margin being a UNC 11 point win over Valpo. The schedule is a bit odd, with UNC playing three games this past week while Florida State has yet to play. And 9 of the 12 ACC teams have played one game.

So what's on tap for this week? There are some juicy matchups out there, although the real play usually doesn't come until Thanksgiving week. Here are the games to watch this week:

Monday:
UVA at South Florida - Cavaliers could easily drop one against the Bulls here on the road

Tuesday:
Clemson at Liberty - Flames will be jacked up but can't compete with Clemson

Thursday:
Dayton vs GT (in Puerto Rico) - Dayton is supposed to be very strong this year
Ohio St. vs. UNC (in NYC) - Should be the game of the week, two very good teams

Friday:
BC vs. St. Joseph's (in Virgin Islands) - BC needs to win games like this

Sunday:
NC State vs. Auburn (in Daytona Beach) - Tough game for the Wolfpack

UNC, Duke, NC State, Georgia Tech, Miami, and BC are all playing in tournaments this week and could have tough games with opponents yet to be determined. So it should be a great week, and I think we'll know a fair bit more about these teams once the games are done.

ACC Countdown Preview

#1. North Carolina

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 13

Best non-conference game: Dec. 5 at Kentucky

Projected Starting Five:

F - Ed Davis (Sophomore)

F - Deon Thompson (Senior)

F - Will Graves (Junior)

G - Marcus Ginyard (Senior)

G - Larry Drew (Sophomore)

Common sense says there is no way UNC can win the ACC again this year. Gone from last year's team: Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green -- all drafted into the NBA. I scoffed when I saw media predict they would finish as high as #3 in the country this year. And while I still think that's a bit too optimistic, when you sit down and look at the ACC teams, Carolina once again has the most talent.

What Carolina does have back this year is a terrific talent in Ed Davis. He was somewhat buried on the depth chart last year, but you could tell when he got into a game he was something special. Davis, along with the very solid Deon Thompson, make up the best frontcourt in the ACC. The backcourt is a little more suspect. I'm not sold on Larry Drew as a starting point guard. I don't think he's that good of a scorer. And paired with Marcus Ginyard, who is a great player but also not a big scorer, points might be hard to come by from the outside. I'm also not sold on heralded recruit Tyler Zeller, who looked out of place when he came back from injury last year.

One thing that will help Carolina is their out-of-conference schedule. They have some very tough games that will help the team establish some cohesiveness. Carolina will probably lose a few games early in the season (they've already played two games against relatively weak opponents and won both). But when it comes to the conference season, they should have a year in the 11-5 range that might be enough to finish on top.

ACC Countdown Preview

#2. Duke

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 13

Best non-conference game: Dec. 19 vs Gonzaga (in New York City)

Projected Starting Five:

C - Brian Zoubek (Senior)

F - Lance Thomas (Senior)

F - Kyle Singler (Junior)

G - Jon Scheyer (Senior)

G - Nolan Smith (Junior)

When the season ended, I thought Duke would definitely be the team to beat this coming season. But the momentum hasn't really been on their side. First, Gerald Henderson decided he was going in the NBA Draft. Then, Elliot Williams decided to transfer closer to his family. That leaves a Duke team for the first time in a long time with actually more big men to play with than guards. The depth behind Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith is not very impressive. And Coach K might have to play a lot more zone than he is comfortable with.

That said, this still is a very talented team as any team that puts on the Duke uniforms is. Kyle Singler is a special talent and has a chance to be an All-America type player. I wish he wouldn't race out to the 3 point line so much and concentrate on a mid-range game. We'll see if that happens this year. And Jon Scheyer, despite being somewhat maligned last year, still can shoot lights out. Plus there is some reason for optimism with a pair of twin big guys coming in, the Plumlees.

So what does that mean for Duke this year? Their usual non-conference schedule of a lot of home games should help the team establish its identity. I have a feeling Coach K will try a fair number of different lineups to find one that sticks. This is a team that I would put somewhere in the 10-15 range in the nation, and one that certainly has a shot of getting back to a second straight Sweet 16.

ACC Countdown Preview

#3. Maryland

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 10

Best non-conference game: Dec. 6 vs. Villanova (in Washington, DC)

Projected Starting Five:

F - Jordan Williams (Freshman)

F - Landon Milbourne (Senior)

G - Greivis Vasquez (Senior)

G - Sean Mosley (Sophomore)

G - Eric Hayes (Senior)

This is probably my most "out on a limb" pick for the ACC. But when it comes down to it, there is a clear top two, and when you look at places 3 through 9, you can just pick names out of a hat. I do think Maryland will have a strong year for two reasons: Gary Williams and Greivis Vasquez. Gary Williams' teams don't always have the most talent or the best mix of players (like Dave Neal playing center) but he gets the most out of them.

Last year, Vasquez was the emotional leader of the team, leading the Terps to some big wins. They surprised with an early win over Michigan State and late with a win over UNC. And the core of that team will be back this year. I expect Vasquez to put up a lot of points, and Landon Milbourne to really contribute. The big question mark will be added post production from heralded freshman Jordan Williams. He has already been in some legal trouble and it remains to be seen whether he will be a positive influence on the team.

I am somewhat concerned about Eric Hayes. He seems to disappear at times and hasn't really progressed from freshman to junior year. We should find out about this Maryland team early: they have a trip to Maui, where even a relatively weak field will have some big tests. And a huge game looms in DC against Villanova. I think by the time the ACC comes the Terps will be battle tested and ready to go.

ACC Countdown Preview

#4. Wake Forest

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 10

Best non-conference game: Dec. 1 at Purdue

Projected Starting Five:

C - Chas McFarland (Senior)

F - Al-Farouq Aminu (Sophomore)

F - Ari Stewart (Freshman)

G - L.D. Williams (Senior)

G - Ishmael Smith (Senior)

Was there a bigger mystery in the ACC last year than Wake Forest? They shocked a lot of people by jumping out to a great start, even getting as high as #1 in the country with a 16-0 record. Then, starting with a home loss to Virginia Tech, they went 8-7 the rest of the way, including a first round ACC Tournament loss and a first round NCAA Tournament loss to #13 seed Cleveland State.

Wake had an explosion of talent last year, led by Jeff Teague. So how did they fall so hard at the end of the season? The two easiest explanations are the fact that they played against tougher competition, and a lack of outside shooting caught up with them. This year, Teague is gone.

While Teague left, Al-Farouq Aminu is still around, and that's huge for the Deacs. Aminu is a game-changer who is one of the most exciting players in the ACC. This year Ish Smith will go back to a larger role, which he excelled at in previous years. And Chas McFarland has developed nicely. So I see Wake having a solid year. The key will be to avoid that late season swoon. While I don't think they will get to #1 as they did last year, I think they will have a good start to the season and win enough ACC games to get back to the NCAAs for a second straight year.

ACC Countdown Preview

#5. Clemson

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 12

Best non-conference game: Nov. 26 vs. Texas A&M (in Anaheim, CA)

Projected Starting Five:

F - Trevor Booker (Senior)

F - David Potter (Senior)

G - Noel Johnson (Freshman)

G - Tanner Smith (Sophomore)

G - Demontez Stitt (Junior)

The most puzzling offseason move in the ACC had to be Clemson sharpshooter Terrence Oglesby's decision to leave the Tigers and play in Europe. This followed a dubious exit, Oglesby getting ejected in a first round loss to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament. Make no mistake, this is a big loss for the Tigers. Oglesby had terrific range and was a threat that defenses had to pay a lot of attention to.

For a few years now, Clemson has been a good team right on the verge of being great. Oliver Purnell's squad has gone through the non-conference slate undefeated several times, only to see the team fade at the end of the year, never making a deep run in the NCAAs. So what's in store for this year? Besides losing Oglesby, dependable guard KC Rivers is gone as well. The good news is that Trevor Booker decided to come back for his senior year. Booker is a great interior player that often demands a double team.

Besides Booker and Demontez Stitt, who I think is a pretty solid player, that leaves Clemson with some guys who have been role players in the past having to step up and play big roles. The Tigers have high hopes for Noel Johnson, an incoming freshman. I think this year Clemson takes a small step back. They should be able to get off to another good start but I'm not sure they have enough inside/outside balance to win double digit games in the ACC. They should have enough to make the NCAAs yet again but it might be another first round exit.

ACC Countdown Preview

#6. Florida State

Games against 2009 ACC Tournament teams: 10

Best non-conference game: Nov. 24 at Florida

Projected Starting Five:

C - Solomon Alabi (Sophomore)

F - Chris Singleton (Sophomore)

G - Derwin Kitchen (Junior)

G - Michael Snear (Freshman)

G - Luke Loucks (Sophomore)

For years the most predictable team in the ACC was Leonard Hamilton's Florida State squad. They would go somewhere within a game of 8-8, winning at home against either UNC or Duke, and make the NIT. Last year was a bright spot, however. Toney Douglas, a tremendous player, led the Seminoles to an overachieving season with an NCAA Tournament bid. A lot of people had them going a long way in the NCAAs, but they came crashing down with a first round overtime loss to Wisconsin.

So the question for this year is, can FSU build on the momentum and make another good run? They certainly have some good pieces. Alabi and Singleton will be as good as any front line in the ACC. They are tall and long and will be matchup problems for just about any team. For me the two big questions will be guard play and leadership. Who will step up and fill the void left by Douglas? And where will the backcourt points come from? Kitchen was a decent player last year, but seemed to disappear in some games. Loucks hasn't made a name for himself, and Snear is a freshman.

I think Florida State will perform well early in the season, overpowering their fairly weak non-conference schedule. When it comes to the ACC slate, though, I think another year around the 8-8 mark is probably the outcome. They are a pretty young team and will struggle on the road. And in the end, they will be one of those teams that is right on the bubble to make the NCAA.

ACC Countdown Preview

#7. Georgia Tech

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 16

Best non-conference game: Dec. 5 vs. Southern Cal

Projected Starting Five:

F - Gani Lawal (Junior)

F - Derrick Favors (Freshman)

F - Zach Peacock (Senior)

G - Maurice Miller (Junior)

G - Iman Shumpert (Sophomore)



I like Paul Hewitt a lot. He took a tough job, trying to follow in the footsteps of Bobby Cremins. And he did a great job, getting Georgia Tech to the title game in 2004. But since then, a lot has gone wrong. He has recruited talented players, but a lot of them have bolted early. And last year the team was quite bad. But it's interesting to see how they are being received coming into this season. They got one of the most highly touted recruits, Derrick Favors, and all of a sudden people are saying they could finish in the top 3 in the ACC and ranked in the top 25.



I think that's all a bit of an overexaggeration. I think the Yellow Jackets will definitely be better with Favors. He's most likely one of those one and done players who will put up great numbers in the post. If you look at the rest of the team, they have a solid inside presence in Gani Lawal. Their guards, Mo Miller and Iman Shumpert, are pretty erratic. They can go off and score in bunches but can also turn the ball over a lot.



So what do I expect from the Yellow Jackets this year? For one thing, the schedule is very tough. They play 16 games against teams that made the tournament last year, which is 3 more than any other ACC team plays. That will make things tough. I see Georgia Tech with a definite improvement over last year, but I think with the difficult schedule it will be hard to make it to the NCAAs. And sadly, that might not be enough to keep Paul Hewitt around for another year.

ACC Countdown Preview

#8. Virginia Tech

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 10

Best non-conference game: Nov. 27 vs. Temple (in Philadelphia)

Projected Starting Five:

F - Jeff Allen (Junior)

F - J.T. Thompson (Junior)

G - Dorenzo Hudson (Junior)

G - Malcolm Delaney (Junior)

G - Erick Green (Freshman)

When I look at this program now versus what it was about six years ago, there has been quite a transformation. Seth Greenberg has done a great job. I never imagined the Hokies would make the NCAA Tournament or have so many high finishes in the ACC. That being said, the last two years have been pretty frustrating for Tech fans. The team has finished just shy of the Big Dance both times.

I think the biggest factor is the performance out of conference. Every year, the Hokies lose at least one or two games to teams they shouldn't, and that comes back to haunt them in March. I think part of the problem is the mentality. Greenberg's teams like to take the underdog, David vs. Goliath approach. And that's good when you're trying to knock off a big dog, but when you are playing games against inferior teams from other conferences, you have to have that ACC swagger. If the Hokies want to make it to the Big Dance they need a non-conference slate with one or two losses max.

So let's look at this year's team. Gone is A.D. Vassallo, who was a huge contributor offensively. Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen are as talented as anyone in the ACC. The key for Tech is the contributions from other players. They have really lacked balance in the past. Guys like Hudson, Thompson and Terrell Bell have to contribute on a consistent basis. A big factor this year will be the play of freshman guards Erick Green and Ben Boggs. The Hokies faded down the stretch last year because Delaney had to play the point too much, which really wore him down.

I think with the way the ACC lays out this year, the Hokies could definitely jump up and finish in the top half. They have the experience. But I just have a feeling that it will be a very similar year to last year: too many offensive lapses, too many losses to teams they should beat to get back to the NCAAs.

ACC Countdown Preview

#9. Boston College

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 10

Best non-conference game: Dec. 2 at Michigan

Projected Starting Five:

C - Josh Southern (Junior)

F - Joe Trapani (Junior)

F - Rakim Sanders (Junior)

G - Corey Raji (Junior)

G - Biko Paris (Junior)

Boston College seems almost like the odd man out of the ACC. They are nowhere near any of the other schools geographically, and have a hard time drawing packed houses for ACC games. That being said, you have to hand it to Al Skinner for his success there. Ever since Troy Bell, the Eagles have had a stream of solid players that have pushed this team to the NCAA Tournament.

Like Miami, Boston College loses the heart and soul of their team from last year, a great scoring guard. Tyrese Rice was a solid player for four years and had seemingly unlimited range. Looking at the team for this year, they have the potential to get back to the Big Dance, but I think without Rice it will be tough. I do really like Joe Trapani, a transfer from Vermont who really played well last year. I think he will be the number one scoring option. Rakim Sanders is also very solid, and can put up a 20 point game.

Besides them, I just don't see a lot. Josh Southern is usually good for about 15 minutes and 4 fouls. Raji and Paris are decent players but nothing special. I don't think they have the ability to beat UNC and Duke like they did last year. What it will come down to is if they can win the games against the mid-level teams. I think they'll win some of them at home but not enough to do better than the NIT.

ACC Countdown Preview

#10. Virginia

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 10

Best non-conference game: Nov. 25 vs. Kentucky or Cleveland State (in Mexico)

Projected Starting Five:

C - Assane Sene (Sophomore)

F - Mike Scott (Junior)

G - Sylven Landesberg (Sophomore)

G - Calvin Baker (Senior)

G - Sammy Zeglinski (Sophomore)

As a Virginia Tech grad, it pained me to see Virginia hire Tony Bennett in the off-season. I saw Bennett's Washington State team play a lot the last couple years, and have a lot of respect for him as a coach. He certainly has a different style, which he inherited from his dad, Dick Bennett. Tony likes to play games in the 50s and slow things down. So how will that work at Virginia and in the ACC?

The Cavaliers had a good season a few years ago with Sean Singletary leading them to the NCAA Tournament. After Singletary left, they were supposed to be down, and they were. There were a lot of bad losses last year. Many games the team was Sylven Landesberg and no one else. If you look at the team this year, there aren't a whole lot of changes. Mamadi Diane is gone, but he was inconsistent and always in Dave Leitao's dog house. They have players that have shown flashes of potential but Landesberg has been the only consistent piece of the puzzle.

That being said, I expect Tony Bennett to make a big impact on this team. Once he gets to recruit the kind of guys that will work well in his system, I expect Virginia to get back to the NCAA Tournament. That takes time, though. I think his impact will bring a modest improvement from last year, and with a soft non-conference schedule they can get to the NIT.

ACC Countdown Preview

#11. Miami

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 11

Best non-conference game: Dec. 2 vs. Minnesota

Projected Starting Five:

F - Dwayne Collins (Senior)

F - Cyrus McGowan (Senior)

F - DeQuan Jones (Sophomore)

G - James Dews (Senior)

G - Malcolm Grant (Sophomore)

When Miami and Virginia Tech moved over to the ACC, critics were definitely lining up to talk about how they would water down the ACC in basketball. So far, that has not happened. Both schools, in fact, have had remarkably similar results in the conference. In the five years since they joined the league, Miami has a total record in ACC games of 33-47. Virginia Tech's is 38-42. Both had one 4-12 year that made the numbers look worse, and both have made one NCAA Tournament in that span.

So where does that bring us for the 2009-2010 Hurricanes? I put up a picture of Jack McClinton because that is the biggest story coming into this year. McClinton was a terrific ACC player who had a knack for hitting clutch shot after clutch shot at the end of games. He was the heart and soul of the Miami team. And now he's gone. While I think Frank Haith is a good coach and has done a great job getting the most out of his team, it's going to be a lot tougher this year.

If you look at the talent, it's just not there. I like Dwayne Collins a lot, and he has the potential to be a great player, but he was underused last year. And Collins is really the only player that I have a lot of confidence in. James Dews is a solid player but not a consistent scorer. Malcolm Grant is a transfer from Villanova and will be playing the point. There are three seniors in the starting five but I still feel like this team doesn't have much experience. And I just don't know where the scoring is going to come from. Haith will keep them in games and win a few but it might be another 4-12 season for Miami.

ACC Countdown Preview

#12. NC State

Games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams: 13

Best non-conference game: Dec. 5 at Marquette

Projected Starting Five:

F - Tracy Smith (Junior)

F - Dennis Horner (Senior)

F - C.J. Williams (Sophomore)

G - Julius Mays (Sophomore)

G - Javier Gonzalez (Junior)

I think the biggest coaching change mistake in the last decade in the ACC was NC State basically forcing out Herb Sendek. The boosters didn't like the fact that NC State, despite getting to sevearl NCAA tournaments, wasn't at the same level as UNC and Duke. Well, where are they now? Since NC State hired Sidney Lowe, here's how they have done in the ACC?

06-07: 5-11

07-08: 4-12

08-09: 6-10

No NCAA tournament bids in that time. And it doesn't look to get better anytime soon. NC State just doesn't have the talent level to compete in this conference. Their two best players, Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley, have left. They did not reach their potential while at State, but were able to play to a certain style, as big men who could step outside and hit the 3. Who is going to do that this year? The Wolfpack have a solid big man in Tracy Smith, but he works in the paint. Dennis Horner was a role player who is now thrust into a starting job. Javier Gonzalez has showed flashes of being a good point guard, but he has also lost his job at times to Farnold Degand.

I'm not going to come out and say Sidney Lowe is a bad coach, but he definitely seems overmatched. NC State in the past few years could come out firing on all cylinders and look great, then come back the next game and look terrible. And this team has the least amount of talent that NC State has had since Lowe got the job. The Wolfpack have a tough non-conference schedule and will be hard pressed to win enough games to get to any kind of postseason play. Don't be surprised if this time next year the Pack have a different head coach.

Coming Soon!

The start of the ACC basketball season is fast approaching, and it's time to look forward to what to expect this year. Starting at the beginning of the month, I'll take an in-depth look at each team. I'll start with my prediction for the worst team this year, and work my way up from there. There is really no clear-cut winner this year, and a lot of teams should be fairly evenly matched. Here's a look at how the ACC media ranked the teams:

Preseason Poll:
1. Duke and UNC (tie)
3. Clemson
4. Georgia Tech
5. Maryland
6. Wake Forest
7. Florida State
8. Virginia Tech
9. Boston College
10. Miami
11. Virginia
12. NC State

The Future of the ACC

When Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College joined the ACC, people cried out about that watering down the basketball league with the football powers. And five years later, a funny thing has happened. The basketball hasn’t been watered down at all (all three have made NCAA tournament appearances). But the football seems to be suffering.

Last year the ACC got slammed for its performance throughout the year, with no real dominant team and a lot of mediocre ones. I always defended the conference, but it became clear to me with two games last week that most pundits are right. In Virginia Tech’s loss to Alabama and NC State’s loss to South Carolina, it was clear in both games that the SEC team was better. Using the SEC as an example might be skewed, because it is in my opinion the best league. But losing home games to teams like William and Mary, Richmond and Baylor is not going to get it done. Part of being able to recruit comes from respect, both as a team and a conference. And the ACC teams need to start bringing it. It’s great that they have really competitive games within the conference like Miami vs. FSU and GT vs. Clemson in the last week. But they need to win these out-of-conference games against other Division I teams. Here are a look at this week’s games against other FBS schools:

Duke at Army
UNC at Uconn
Stanford at Wake Forest
Marshall at VT
Kent State at BC
TCU at Virginia

The ACC needs to go at least 5-1 in these games to salvage some respectability back.

Who Was Best in 2008/2009?
As we get ready to start the college football season, I thought it would be a good time to look back and see how the ACC schools stacked up last year. What I did is take the final standings of the 12 teams in football and basketball, and ranked them 1 through 12. The first criteria was conference record, and if there was a tie I went by overall record. The lowest combined score wins. Here’s how things stacked up:

1. UNC (5.5 in football, 1 in basketball)
2. FSU (3.5 in football, 4 in basketball)
3. BC (2 in football, 6 in basketball)
4. Wake (5.5 in football, 3 in basketball)
5. VT (1 in football, 9 in basketball)
6. Maryland (5.5 in football, 7 in basketball)
7. Clemson (8.5 in football, 5 in basketball)
8. Duke (12 in football, 2 in basketball)
9. GT (3.5 in football, 12 in basketball)
10. Miami (8.5 in football, 8 in basketball)
11. NC State (10 in football, 10 in basketball)
12. Virginia (11 in football, 11 in basketball)

As you can see, UNC, with their first place finish in the ACC basketball standings (and National Championship) had the best year. It pays to not be great in one sport and terrible in the other, as Duke came in 8th, and Georgia Tech came in 9th. NC State and Virginia have a lot of work to do.

The Last of the Calm Months

We’re getting now closer to the middle of August and that means the last of the calm months. What I mean is, from September through April there is a lot of high anxiety. Every week is spent watching my teams (the Hokies and Redskins) play, or looking ahead to the next game, or looking back at the last game. There is a lot of stress involved. From mid-April through August though, there’s a cooling off period. The sports that I watch during this time are baseball and golf, which are a lot less stressful.

Which isn’t to say that there’s nothing good on. Just yesterday, you could have seen Tiger Woods win another tournament in epic fashion, capitalizing on one bad hole from Padraig Harrington. It was quite a duel, and I can only think what would have happened if Harrington hadn’t had that horrible 16th. Then at night, you saw the Yankees come back with a barrage in the 8th inning to pull off a 4 game sweep of the rival Red Sox. This must be so demoralizing for Boston. Hey, even the Nationals have won 8 games in a row!

Late August used to be a time for anxiety, with the end of summer and start of the next school year fast approaching. It’s not that anymore, but there is certainly a lot to be excited (or nervous) about. The Hokies come into the season with as high expectations as there has ever been for the program. The Redskins have some great new players and some stability in coaching for the first time in a while and should be in for another dogfight in the NFC East. And before we know it, college basketball season will be approaching.

As we get into the fall season, there will be a fair amount going on with this blog. I will have an extensive look at each ACC team going into the college basketball season as it gets closer. And there might be a little football news sprinkled in.

Some Thoughts on Tom Watson

Boy what a week it was on the Scottish coast at Turnberry. I’ve seen plenty of majors in my life but this one has to rank as one of the most memorable. It’s almost hard to digest what was going on while it was happening, and probably will take some time before we can really look back on it with some perspective.
Tom Watson is one of those guys that has been a sympathetic figure. What happened with his caddy Bruce Edwards was heartbreaking. And to see him play that well at age 59 is…well…unprecedented. The greatest tournament of all time (the ‘86 Masters) was Jack Nicklaus in his 40s making a run. Watson is more than a decade older!
The thing that made him so successful this past week is how he is able to manage a round. He knows exactly what club to hit and where to hit it. You could often see Watson walking up 50 yards in front of his ball to look at what lied ahead on the next shot. How many other players do you think did this?
He also had the right mindset. When he hit a wayward shot or missed a putt, he just shook it off. He said, well that’s over with, and went right on to the next hole. That’s how he was able to stabilize and finish off his rounds well.
So what happened on Sunday? A bunch of players went to the top of the leaderboard only to fall off. And when Tom Watson stood on the 18th tee, he was ahead by 1. He hit a good second shot, only to have it bounce a little too hard. And while it really was heartbreaking to see him miss that putt, it’s hard to fault him for it. Putting was never his strength.
So that left Stewart Cink. It’s a shame Cink was put in the role of villain, because I’ve always liked him. He is a great player who was due for a major win. And Watson just didn’t have enough to sustain him through the playoff.
What makes it such a difficult pill to swallow is you know this was Tom Watson’s last chance: one big chance at a glorious swan song that no one has had before. But I do think years from now we will look at this week and marvel at what the so-called “old geyser” accomplished. Well done Tom.

"It could be worse."
"Yeah, they could be the Nationals."

A conversation between Dick Stockton and Eric Karros during Saturday's Yankees-Angels game. As we get to the dog days of summer, there isn't a whole lot on TV to watch for me except baseball and golf. And unfortunately that means watching the Washington Nationals. Boy is it hard to be a Nats fan.
I watched their game Friday against the Astros, which just seemed to be a microcosm of the year. The starting pitcher, Scott Olsen, got shelled for hit after hit. He was lucky to only give up four runs. The third base coach made a horrible decision to send Nick Johnson home on a single (he was out by a long ways at the plate). And yet somehow down 4-1, the Nats got to the Houston bullpen, scoring 4 runs in the 7th to go up 5 to 4. Now as a Nat fan I knew that lead would not be safe. Sure enough, the Nats give up a run in the eighth and a run in the ninth to lose 6 to 5.
The main problems all year have been the defense and the bullpen. There was one key play in the later innings when Johnson should have caught a foul ball, which would have been the second out. Instead, for some reason he quit on the ball and it fell in. The batter later got a hit, leading to the tying run. New Nat Nyger Morgan even ran all the way from center field to left on one ball to catch a fly ball right in front of the left fielder.
And the bullpen wasn't any better. Joe Beimel and Mike MacDougal could not find the strike zone or get critical outs in the ninth inning.

I don't really know what to do to help this team. There have been bad decisions made all over the place, from management to the coaching staff. And there are probably Triple A teams that have better talent in the bullpen than the Nats. At least the football season starts before too long...

NBA Draft Recap:

With the NBA draft now over, let's take a look at the ACC players selected and where they are going:

12. Gerald Henderson (Duke) - Bobcats
It's probably not much of a surprise that Henderson was the first ACC player picked. And also not a surprise that the Bobcats took him. They seem to love keeping players from the state of North Carolina and I see Henderson being a good NBA player.

13. Tyler Hansbrough (UNC) - Pacers
It probably makes UNC fans mad to see their beloved Hansbrough taken one spot below a Dukie. There has been a lot of talk about the impact Psycho T will have in the NBA. I don't see this pick helping the Pacers all that much but they know they will get a guy who will work harder than anyone else.

16. James Johnson (Wake) - Bulls
James Johnson is a great athlete and probably was just reaching his potential with Wake. He's a solid pick and should help an improving Bulls team.

18. Ty Lawson (UNC) - Timberwolves
This was the third point guard Minnesota took in the first round, leaving me a bit puzzled. They have since traded Lawson to the Nuggets, where he should be just fine backing up Chauncey Billups. His speed is his biggest asset.

19. Jeff Teague (Wake) - Hawks
I thought Teague came out a year too early, and he is one of the bigger question marks in terms of how he will perform in the NBA. I don't see him playing much for Atlanta in his first year.

28. Wayne Ellington (UNC) - Timberwolves
Another Tar Heel picked by the T'Wolves. You can see a trend here: of the first 6 ACC members picked in the draft, they are all from Tobacco Road. Ellington is a terrific shooter, but so was JJ Redick and he's done little in the NBA.

29. Toney Douglas (FSU) - Lakers
This first ACC player outside Tobacco Road taken was traded to the Knicks. I really liked Douglas in college and think there's a place for his toughness and will to win in the NBA. It's too bad he's stuck on the Knicks.

46. Danny Green (UNC) - Cavaliers
Danny Green was a great player in college but I don't see a whole lot coming from him at the next level. He's playing on a good team and will likely get buried on the bench, if he even makes the squad.

51. Jack McClinton (Miami) - Spurs
Like Ellington, McClinton is just a great pure shooter. I think McClinton might have a future in the NBA, though, because he can play the point. He might make a good backup for Tony Parker.

Decision Time

It's decision time for dozens of NCAA players who are on the fence about going pro. It always disappoints me to see the number of people willing to forego years of college to rush onto the big stage. With about a week until players have to make up their minds, here's where the ACC teams stand:

Boston College:
No one leaving early

Clemson:
Trevor Booker declared he is coming back for his senior year. Clemson will be hurt next year though because Terence Oglesby is leaving the team to play in Europe.

Duke:
Gerald Henderson is leaving. His loss will definitely hurt Duke; he was their best player. On the flip side, Kyle Singler is returning, helping to boost a team that should be the favorite for the ACC title.

Florida State:
Soloman Alabi will be returning. He was on some draft boards but after only one year at FSU is not seasoned enough.

Georgia Tech:
Gani Lawal is leaving early, after just two years with the Yellow Jackets. Paul Hewitt has had a tough time keeping his talented players there for more than a year or two and Lawal will be a big loss.

Maryland:
Greivis Vasquez is the first person on this list who has not made his decision yet. His name is in the draft, but he has not hired an agent. I don't see him making much of an impact in the NBA, and he would be a big loss for the Terps.

Miami:
Dwayne Collins was in the same position as Vasquez, but just decided he is coming back to Miami. He was a good albeit inconsistent player down low for the Hurricanes. And with them losing Jack McClinton, Collins' staying is big.

North Carolina:
The biggest loss of probably any team in college basketball. Wayne Ellington will forego his senior season to enter the NBA draft. So will Ty Lawson. On the plus side, freshman Ed Davis will return to school for his second and probably final year for the Heels.

NC State:
Brandon Costner is in the draft but hasn't hired an agent. He has displayed flashes but has been way too inconsisten to be considered seriously for a first round selection. He definitely should come back to State.

Virginia:
Sylven Landesberg was generally thought to be a one and done player most of last year, but he is returning to the Cavaliers. He is the type of talent that I can see doing well in the NBA, but another year of college can't hurt.

Virginia Tech:
No one leaving early

Wake Forest:
Was Wake a one-year wonder? They are losing a fair amount. James Johnson has decided to go pro after his sophomore season. He was one of Wake's best players. Jeff Teague really burst onto the scene in his sophomore year. He is currently on the fence, having declared for the draft but not hired an agent. Good news though: Al-Farouq Aminu will be coming back for his sophomore season. He has the type of body NBA scouts love, but has decided to come back for another year.

It's been a while since I've posted on this blog but I'll try to keep it fairly up to date with the latest offseason news.