Sweet 16 Viewing Guide

The tournament has been a wild ride so far, and there are definitely some interesting matchups shaping up for the Sweet 16. The theme for a lot of them are favored, big conference heavyweights against upstart teams from mid-major conferences. Here's the schedule for the next two days:

Thursday:

#1 Syracuse vs. #5 Butler (7:07 p.m.)
Syracuse looked very strong in the opening weekend, especially in its easy win over Gonzaga. It will still be without center Arinze Onuaku for this game. Butler did a good job in beating two mid-major opponents. I think Butler has the 3 point shooting to stay with Syracuse, but if the Orange gets a good game from Andy Rautins it could be another easy win.
#2 West Virginia vs. #11 Washington (7:27 p.m., WDBJ)
Washington's easy win over New Mexico didn't get much publicity, but it should have considering the seeds. The Huskies certainly aren't playing like an 11 seed, and have a lot of confidence. They have all the tools to give West Virginia a good game. The Mountaineers will be without guard Truck Bryant for the rest of the season.

#2 Kansas State vs. #6 Xavier (9:37 p.m.)
Kansas State played very well in the opening weekend, and seems to have a great combination of solid offense and defense. They will be tested by a Xavier squad that is consistently underrated, and is seemingly always in the Sweet 16. Should be a great matchup.
#1 Kentucky vs. #12 Cornell (9:57 p.m., WDBJ)
Ooh what a juicy game this is! Kentucky looked unstoppable in dismantling a good Wake Forest team. And no one even came close to 12 seed Cornell in its two games. So is Cornell the team that has the discipline and the offensive weapons to frustrate the young Wildcats? This upset is certainly possible.

Friday:

#2 Ohio State vs. #6 Tennessee (7:07 p.m., WDBJ)
These two teams must feel like they have a real chance to reach the Final Four. Tennessee got a bit of a break in getting Ohio instead of Georgetown, but they still took care of business. Ohio State did a nice job holding off a solid Georgia Tech team and has one of the best players in the country in Evan Turner. Expect a tight one.
#3 Baylor vs. #10 St. Mary's (7:27 p.m.)
With all the buzz around some of the upstart teams, the attention has been off the great job Scott Drew has done coaching this Baylor team. The Bears have strength, speed, size, athleticism, and can play with anyone. St. Mary's has Omar Samhan. If Baylor can't stop him, they could be in trouble.

#5 Michigan State vs. #9 Northern Iowa (9:37 p.m.)
Northern Iowa was the story of the first weekend, with a remarkable upset of Kansas. If they continue to play like they have been, there's no reason to think they can't make the Elite 8. All that stands in their way is Tom Izzo, who has done another masterful coaching job. Michigan State will be wounded without Kalin Lucas, but don't count them out.
#1 Duke vs. #4 Purdue (9:57 p.m., WDBJ)
Purdue has risen from the dead just at the right time. And earlier in the year they were a National Title contender. So there's no reason to believe they can't beat Duke. The Blue Devils haven't gotten past this round in a long time, but this is their best chance.

Second Round Thoughts

It was certainly a very memorable first weekend of March Madness. The biggest story of the second round has to be Kansas losing to Northern Iowa. For a team that was such a favorite to win the whole thing to go down to Northern Iowa in the second round is truly stunning. Kansas really did not play well in either one of its games, and I really don't know why. You have to hand it to the Panthers, though: they made some clutch shots and flat outplayed Kansas.

Maryland fans are definitely hurting today. The Terps made a great comeback in the final minute, only to see Michigan State nail a 3 pointer as time expired to win. Maryland came so close to a Sweet 16 bid, only to fall short. That leaves Duke as the only ACC team to make it through the first weekend. The Blue Devils used strong defense to coast to an easy win over Cal.

This field is definitely a testament to parity. 11 conferences are represented in the Sweet 16. And we still have a 9, 10, 11 and 12 seed alive. It should make for a very interesting second week.

NCAA Second Round: Sunday Viewing Guide

The madness continues Sunday, with 8 more games. Here's what you can expect:

#1 Syracuse vs. #8 Gonzaga (12:10 p.m., WDBJ)
You have to be impressed with the way Gonzaga played in the first round. And with the success of St. Mary's, the WCC is looking strong. That being said, I'm not sure the Zags have the discipline to go up against Syracuse's zone. It should be an entertaining game though.

#2 Ohio State vs. #10 Georgia Tech (2:20 p.m.)
This time slot is loaded with great games, starting with this one. Georgia Tech, if they don't turn the ball over, can play with anyone. Their talent on the inside will test Ohio State. It will be tough going against Evan Turner though, who can take over any game. The Buckeyes stand to be the biggest winners from last night's Kansas loss.
#4 Maryland vs. #5 Michigan State (2:30 p.m.)
This is probably the marquee game of the day. Last year, Maryland beat Michigan State, and they will look to do it again. Michigan State is capable of making a run like last year, but so far this season hasn't quite figured it out. On the Maryland side, anytime you are playing with Greivis Vasquez, you have a chance.
#2 West Virginia vs. #10 Missouri (2:40 p.m., WDBJ)
Everyone remembers what Mizzou did last year, and for that reason you can't count them out in this game. But West Virginia seems to have it really going well, and has all the tools to make a deep March run.
#4 Wisconsin vs. #12 Cornell (2:50 p.m.)
The Big Red from Cornell made a lot of believers in their first round performance against Temple. They will now face a Wisconsin team that doesn't always win ugly but finds ways to win. First to 60 should win this one.

#3 Pittsburgh vs. #6 Xavier (4:50 p.m.)
Xavier remembers all too well what happened last year: a loss to Pittsburgh in the tournament. They will be out for payback here. I think these two teams are pretty evenly matched. Expect a tight game.
#4 Purdue vs. #5 Texas A&M (5:00 p.m.)
Most people expected Purdue to bow out in the first round, but they showed some toughness in pulling one out. They will be against a much more difficult foe today, though, in Texas A&M. The Aggies looked very strong in their first round game.
#1 Duke vs. #8 California (5:15 p.m.)
Cal was one of the most impressive teams in the first round, using an impressive display of speed to blow past Louisville. They have the potential to really give Duke problems. I think in the end it will come down to who can make their 3s to decide the winner.

First Round Thoughts and Saturday Viewing Guide

Well we were in for quite a first round of the NCAA Tournament. Thursday was the best first day I've ever seen, with seemingly almost every game coming down to the last possession. Among the notable games: Villanova needing overtime to survive being upset by 15 seed Robert Morris, Murray State getting a buzzer-beater to take down Vanderbilt, and Ohio pulling off a big upset in manhandling Georgetown. Wake Forest also pulled off a nice win for the ACC, beating Texas. Wake almost blew it in regulation, only to see Texas blow an 8 point lead in overtime.

On Friday, there weren't nearly as many close games. There were still highlights, among them: Cornell looking very strong in upsetting Temple, Wisconsin holding off Wofford on the last possession, and Michigan State hanging on against New Mexico State. The ACC had a solid day as well, with Georgia Tech pulling off a modest upset against Oklahoma State. Maryland and Duke won their first games with relative ease. Clemson and Florida State had disappointing showings and will be going home early.

So what can we expect for Saturday's second round games? Here's a preview:

#2 Villanova vs. #10 St. Mary's (1:05 p.m., WDBJ)
If you go based off of how the teams looked on Thursday, you'd have to give the edge to St. Mary's. They looked very good against a strong Richmond team. The big question mark is whether Villanova's game against Robert Morris was just a wakeup call or a sign of a team in decline.

#5 Butler vs. #13 Murray State (3:20 p.m.)
This is not the most attractive game on paper, but it is a good matchup between two great teams. Butler is 29-4 and has won 21 games in a row. Murray State is 31-4. I like Butler in this one.
#6 Tennessee vs. #14 Ohio (3:35 p.m., WDBJ)
This could be a very interesting game, if Ohio comes out with the same firepower it did on Thursday. Ohio proved it could play with the big boys, and wants to keep this streak going. Tennessee will not overlook this opponent, though, and I'm sure is happy Ohio knocked off Georgetown, making their road to the Sweet 16 easier.

#1 Kansas vs. #9 Northern Iowa (5:40 p.m.)
Northern Iowa had one of the more exciting wins on Thursday and is a strong 29-4 on the year. Meanwhile, Kansas struggled a bit in its first round game against Lehigh. But I wouldn't bet on the upset.
#3 Baylor vs. #11 Old Dominion (5:45 p.m., WDBJ)
Like in the Tennessee game, Baylor is another team that was glad to see an upset, not having to play Notre Dame. Old Dominion is a good team, but I think Baylor has too much size and athleticism for them.
#3 New Mexico vs. #11 Washington (5:50 p.m.)
This is a very compelling matchup between two of the west's best teams. Washington looked very strong in its comeback win over Marquette, while New Mexico struggled to put away Montana. New Mexico can quiet a lot of its skeptics with a win here.

#2 Kansas State vs. #7 BYU (8:10 p.m.)
Kansas State had a very ho-hum win in its first game, while BYU had to go to double overtime to beat Florida. Don't expect BYU to roll over, though. Jimmer Fredette and company have a real chance to pull the upset.
#1 Kentucky vs. #9 Wake Forest (8:15 p.m., WDBJ)
This is the only game with an ACC team playing today and the game I'm looking forward to seeing most. I want to see if Wake Forest's speed can keep up with Kentucky. Al-Farouq Aminu must have a good game if Wake has a chance.

NCAA First Round Viewing Guide: Friday

The first day of March Madness has already been one to remember. So what's in store for Day 2? Here's your viewing guide, with games on WDBJ in Roanoke so noted.

#2 West Virginia vs. #15 Morgan State (12:15 p.m., WDBJ)
Many people think the Mountaineers have a great shot of getting to the Final Four. I'm not on the West Virginia bandwagon, but they certainly should have enough to get by the Bears.
#6 Xavier vs. #11 Minnesota (12:25 p.m.)
Xavier is another team that many are high on, and I think they have a good shot of getting to the Sweet 16. They have an interesting challenge in a Minnesota team that played well in the Big Ten tournament and has nothing to lose.
#5 Temple vs. #12 Cornell (12:30 p.m.)
This is the game I want to see the most out of the first round. Cornell has had a great year, breezing through the Ivy League and almost knocking off Kansas in Lawrence. They have a real shot against a Temple team that is also very strong.

#4 Purdue vs. #13 Siena (2:30 p.m.)
A lot of people are souding the upset alert here. It's sad what has happened to Purdue in the last couple weeks: Purdue went from a Final Four contender to losing its best player and pretty much losing its offense completely. Siena is a tournament tested team and will give them their best effort.
#7 Clemson vs. #10 Missouri (2:35 p.m., WDBJ)
Clemson has been an enigma this year, very hot and cold. And memories of last year's flameout in the tournament have me uneasy about their chances. Missouri made a great run last year and I think they are a slight favorite here.
#3 Pittsburgh vs. #14 Oakland (2:45 p.m.)
Jamie Dixon has done a great job at Pitt this year, taking a team that lost all of its best players and still getting a 3 seed. They might not have the weapons to make it far in the tournament, but should beat Oakland.
#4 Wisconsin vs. #13 Wofford (2:50 p.m.)
You can never count Wisconsin out when it comes to tournament time. Bo Ryan does a great job year in and year out. They do have a good challenge here from a Wofford team that did well in the Southern Conference this year.

#5 Texas A&M vs. #12 Utah State (4:45 p.m.)
The battle of the Aggies is Friday's standalone game. I think Texas A&M is a very good team that can really make a run in this tournament. They need to first get by a Utah State squad that cannot be counted out.

#8 Gonzaga vs. #9 Florida State (7:10 p.m.)
This is an interesting 8/9 matchup between a mid-major team with a good NCAA Tournament pedigree and an ACC team without one. Gonzaga likes to get up and down, and Florida State likes to play defense, so whichever can force their style will win.
#7 Oklahoma State vs. #10 Georgia Tech (7:15 p.m.)
For some reason the committee lumped a bunch of ACC teams at the same time. I think this will be the best of the three games. Georgia Tech has the talent to compete with anyone if they cut down on the turnovers. And Oklahoma State has a great guard in James Anderson.
#5 Michigan State vs. #12 New Mexico State (7:20 p.m.)
Michigan State doesn't quite have the talent they did last year when they made the run to the final game. But they can be very dangerous. They should be able to beat New Mexico State.
#1 Duke vs. #16 Arkansas Pine-Bluff (7:25 p.m., WDBJ)
This is the type of game that Duke really excels in. Expect this one to be a blowout by halftime.

#1 Syracuse vs. #16 Vermont (9:30 p.m.)
I think this is the least mis-matched 1/16 game I've seen in the tournament. That doesn't mean Vermont will win. But they might stick around long enough to give Syracuse a scare.
#2 Ohio State vs. #15 UC Santa Barbara (9:35 p.m.)
Ohio State is one of the best teams in this tournament, and shouldn't have problems with UCSB in this game.
#4 Maryland vs. #13 Houston (9:40 p.m., WDBJ)
Maryland is one of the ACC's hopes to make a run in the tournament. They take on a Houston squad that is only in the big dance because they made a run and won the CUSA Tournament. It will be interesting to see if they can keep that run going.
#8 California vs. #9 Louisville (9:45 p.m.)
It seems like the vast majority of the population is picking the 9 seed Louisville. And for good reason. The Pac-1o has been very suspect, and I think most people don't think California deserved an 8 seed.

NCAA First Round Viewing Guide: Thursday

We're inching closer to the best sporting event of the year. 64 teams are getting ready to take the court over the next two days. This tournament proves to be wide open, once you get beyond a few really strong teams. It seems that almost everyone is picking Kansas this year (including me), so the first few rounds will be very important in your pool. So here's your handy viewing guide for Thursday. Games being shown on WDBJ in Roanoke are so noted.

#7 BYU vs. #10 Florida (12:20 p.m.)
Some say Florida didn't really belong in the tournament, certainly not as a 10 seed. They are the underdog as the SEC team going against the mid-major. BYU has to be the favorite, with one of the better players in the country (Jimmer Fredette)
#6 Notre Dame vs. #11 Old Dominion (12:25 p.m., WDBJ)
Notre Dame is one of my sleepers in this tournament, with a great end to the season. They have just gotten back Luke Harangody from injury. They have a tough matchup here with ODU, which won both the CAA regular season and tournament.
#2 Villanova vs. #15 Robert Morris (12:30 p.m.)
Villanova has had some problems in early round games (see: American last year) but shouldn't have much trouble with Robert Morris.

#4 Vanderbilt vs. #13 Murray State (2:30 p.m.)
Vanderbilt is a team that I never am really comfortable with. I think they are vulnerable in this game against a Murray State team that went 30-4 on the season. Don't be surprised if there is an upset here.
#2 Kansas State vs. #15 North Texas (2:40 p.m.)
Kansas State has had an impressive season, doing really well except when they had to play Kansas. They shouldn't have any problems with the Mean Green.
#3 Baylor vs. #14 Sam Houston State (2:45 p.m.)
Baylor has been a great story, on the verge the last couple years of having a breakout season. And this was it. Many people have them as a real sleeper in this tournament. They should definitely win this one.
#7 Richmond vs. #10 St. Mary's (2:50 p.m., WDBJ)
I am real high on Richmond. I think the Spiders have the talent and the coaching to do very well in this tournament. They have a tough first round game against a St. Mary's team that did admirably well the year after losing Patty Mills.

#5 Butler vs. #12 UTEP (4:45 p.m.)
This is the no-man's land game on the west coast, and it should be a good one. I like what Brad Stevens has done at Butler, but a lot of people are smelling upset. This one reminds me of the Drake vs. Western KY matchup from a couple years ago.

#8 UNLV vs. #9 Northern Iowa (7:10 p.m.)
There probably isn't a lot of juice for this game between two mid-major teams. But it is an 8/9 game, so it should be very competitive. I like Northern Iowa in this spot.
#1 Kentucky vs. #16 East Tennessee St. (7:15 p.m.)
If you haven't seen Kentucky play this year, this is your chance to see one of the most talented teams in the country. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how they handle the pressure of the NCAA Tournament. This won't be a contest though.
#6 Marquette vs. #11 Washington (7:20 p.m.)
This might be the most attractive matchup of day 1. Marquette plays very hard with somewhat limited talent. And Washington is a very athletic team that can play very well at times. I expect a close battle.
#3 Georgetown vs. #14 Ohio (7:25 p.m., WDBJ)
Georgetown has had an up and down season, but closed on a high note with a trip to the Big East Tournament final. They have the pieces to beat anyone. But they can also play poorly, which means Ohio could sneak in an upset.

#1 Kansas vs. #16 Lehigh (9:30 p.m.)
The Jayhawks have all the tools to cut down the nets in a few weeks, and Lehigh will be but a small bump in the road. I'm sure they'll use this as a tuneup for their next game.
#8 Texas vs. #9 Wake Forest (9:35 p.m., WDBJ)
This is a game between two teams that had higher aspirations earlier in the season but have really struggled down the stretch. Texas has the talent to be a #2 seed but really dropped off. But I still like them over Wake, which is in freefall mode.
#3 New Mexico vs. #14 Montana (9:40 p.m.)
For many people, New Mexico is one of the biggest wildcards in this tournament. Most (including me) have never seen them play. I will be interested to see how they do against a Montana team that was one of the best stories of championship week.
#6 Tennessee vs. #11 San Diego State (9:45 p.m.)
I thought Bruce Pearl did one of the best coaching jobs this year, getting Tennessee to play as well as they did after an incident marred the program in the middle of the year. They could make a run in the tournament, or could lose this game.

Postseason Preview

Duke added another ACC Tournament title to its resume Sunday, beating a very tough Georgia Tech team on a clutch 3 by Jon Scheyer. That likely gave them a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In all, six teams made it. Virginia Tech was the most notable exception. Despite winning 23 games and 10 ACC games, they didn't make it in the field. Most people point to their poor non-conference schedule as to why. Here's a look at the postseason schedule for the 9 teams that are still playing. The most notable exception to me is Miami, who won 20 games this year and yet is in no postseason play.

NCAA Tournament:

#1 Duke vs. #16 Winthrop/Ark Pine-Bluff, Friday, 7:25 p.m.
#4 Maryland vs. #13 Houston, Friday, 9:40 p.m.
#7 Clemson vs. #10 Missouri, Friday, 2:35 p.m.
#8 Texas vs. #9 Wake Forest, Thursday, 9:35 p.m.
#8 Gonzaga vs. #9 Florida State, Friday, 7:10 p.m.
#7 Oklahoma State vs. #10 Georgia Tech, Friday, 7:15 p.m.

NIT:

#1 Virginia Tech vs. #8 Quinnipiac, Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.
#4 UNC vs. #5 William and Mary, Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.
#3 South Florida vs. #6 NC State, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m.
(all the higher seeds are at home)

I will bring the full NCAA first round preview later this week.

ACC Tournament Final Preview

The higher seeds finally held serve on Saturday, in what has been a pretty good tournament. Both games yesterday came down to the final minute. Let's start with Duke, which held off Miami to win. The Blue Devils got a great effort from Kyle Singler, and were able to pull out to pretty significant leads twice only to see Miami climb back. I can't say enough about how well the Hurricanes played in this tournament. They should be a force in the NIT.

In the second game, Georgia Tech was able to hold off a late charge from NC State. The Wolfpack looked very tired in the first half, only mustering 19 points. But just like their game against Maryland, Georgia Tech let NC State back in with a disturbing number of turnovers. It's amazing how bad the Yellow Jackets look when a team presses them: they act as if they haven't practiced before. The key play in yesterday's game was Javier Gonzalez dribbling the ball off his foot, then grabbing Derrick Favors by the jersey and slinging him down for an intentional foul.

So that sets up today's final. I'm sure 95% of the people out there expect Duke to win. And you can count me among those. Georgia Tech certainly has the talent to beat Duke, but they are so sloppy with the ball that I have to think Duke will make them pay for those turnovers. For Georgia Tech the key is a healthy dose of Favors and Gani Lawal. They were very successful going in to them early in the NC State game, and can't abandon that.

For Duke, I think the key is a strong game from the role players. Scheyer has been a bit off this week, and Singler can't do it all himself. Brian Zoubek, Lance Thomas, and the Plumlee brothers need to play well to pick up the slack. I expect Georgia Tech to give Duke a good fight, but playing four days in a row will wear them down and Duke should take home another ACC Tournament title.

ACC Tournament Semifinals Preview

Before I get into today's semifinal games, let me go back to Friday. It's pretty remarkable that the 11 seed and the 12 seed are among the last 4 teams left. Some may say it speaks to the strength from top to bottom of the league, others may say it's a sign that the conference is down when the "best" teams can't beat the bottom ones. What it does is make me uneasy about how the ACC teams will perform in the NCAA Tournament. Let's take a look at how the teams below Duke fared:
#2 seed Maryland had a horrific first half performance against #7 seed Georgia Tech, and despite an almost complete unraveling by the Jackets in the second half still lost.
#3 seed Florida State couldn't do anything offensively against #11 seed NC State, was behind most of the game, and lost.
#4 seed Virginia Tech had a terrible game from its best player, Malcolm Delaney, and couldn't beat #12 seed Miami.
#5 seed Wake Forest didn't show up in their game against #12 seed Miami and lost by 21 points!
#6 seed Clemson looked really bad offensively against #11 seed NC State and lost after trailing most of the game.

These teams really need to step it up next week! Now, let's look ahead to Saturday:

#1 Duke vs. #12 Miami (1:30 p.m.)
This tournament could not have opened up better for Duke. They first had to face a Virginia squad that they match up better with than BC. And now instead of having to play Virginia Tech, they get Miami. The Hurricanes have certainly played their best basketball of the season in their last two games. But I don't think they have the legs or the talent to stay with Duke. They might make it interesting for a half or less, but Duke should roll.

#7 Georgia Tech vs. #11 NC State (4:00 p.m.)
This is looking like deja vu all over again for the Wolfpack. Three years ago, they made a run to the finals, and could do that again. The Wolfpack haven't been setting the world on fire, but have been playing solid defense. Georgia Tech is the definition of streaky. You only had to watch their game against Maryland to see that. NC State will have the crowd edge but I do like Georgia Tech's superior talent to win out. Expect a big game from Derrick Favors.

ACC Tournament Second Round Preview

It was a wild day one at the ACC Tournament. So will order be restored on Friday?

#1 Duke vs. #9 Virginia (12:00 p.m.)
The Cavaliers put together a nice win over Boston College, using the 3 point shot to build a lead towards the end of the first half. They did it all without their best player, Sylven Landesberg. Facing a rested Duke will be a different challenge though. The Blue Devils creamed UVA from the opening tip up in Charlottesville not too long ago and should coast here.

#4 Virginia Tech vs. #12 Miami (2:30 p.m.)
I'm sure anyone that saw the box score from Thursday's Miami-Wake game probably did a double take. The Hurricanes just took it to Wake Forest. The Deacons frankly had a pathetic performance, on both sides of the ball. So now Miami is riding some momentum into their game against the Hokies. This is the third year in a row these two teams have played in the ACC Tournament, and Tech has won comfortably both times. They should make it three in a row today.

#2 Maryland vs. #7 Georgia Tech (7:00 p.m.)
Georgia Tech did what it needed to do Thursday, beating North Carolina to put itself in much stronger NCAA Tournament consideration. Despite a very poor first half, Tech and specifically Derrick Favors turned it up in the second half to win. This sets up a rematch of a very memorable finish between GT and Maryland. The Terps are playing very well at the moment, and should win a close one.

#3 Florida State vs. #11 NC State (9:30 p.m.)
The Wolfpack always seem to play well in the NCAA Tournament, and put forth one of their better efforts on Thursday against Clemson. They slowed the game down and didn't let Clemson's press get to them. Now they get to play Florida State, a team they beat down in Tallahassee. The Seminoles are a better team, but I kind of like State in this matchup.

ACC Tournament First Round Preview

The regular season is over and it's time for teams to step it up this week. We won't see the best teams play on Thursday, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't see some compelling games. For one team in particular, First Round Thursday is very important.

#8 Boston College vs. #9 Virginia (12:00 p.m.)
Boston College comes into this game playing better basketball as of late. The Eagles had an up and down year, losing some close games early in the conference season. They will face a Virginia squad that earned some accolades early in the year, but has really fallen on some hard times. The Cavaliers have lost 9 games in a row, and have lost their best player for the rest of the year. They did play well in their last game, a narrow loss to Maryland. I think Virginia plays hard, but in the end BC should win this one.

#5 Wake Forest vs. #12 Miami (2:30 p.m.)
Wake Forest has not played its best basketball lately, losers of 4 of their last 5. But they did end the year with a nice home win over Clemson. The Miami Hurricanes have played about even with their talent level. They went undefeated in non-conference play but started to unravel once they got into the ACC. Miami did play well at home, knocking off Wake by one point. But they have not played well historically in the ACC Tournament. Wake should win.

#7 Georgia Tech vs. #10 North Carolina (7:00 p.m.)
This is a very important game for Georgia Tech, after their home loss to Virginia Tech. If they lose this game, they won't make it into the Tournament. Fortunately for them, they are playing the Tar Heels, who are coming off a 32 point loss to rival Duke. Georgia Tech has owned Carolina in the two meetings they had this year. And they should do enough to win this game.

#6 Clemson vs. #11 NC State (9:30 p.m.)
Despite their tough road loss to Wake Forest, Clemson has played pretty well lately, with a road win over Florida State and home win over Georgia Tech. The Tigers have been a bit inconsistent on offense, but their pressing style gives opponents fit. NC State played decently in the last couple weeks of the season, but does not have the talent to compete with Clemson. I don't see an upset here.

Preseason Picks Revisited

Now that the regular season is done, it's time to revisit my preseason predictions for the ACC. There were some ties in the standings, so I'm going based off of the seedings for the ACC Tournament. Overall, I think I had a pretty good crystal ball for this year. I was completely wrong (as most people were) about North Carolina, who came up far short of expectations. But my preseason pick of Maryland as one of the best teams turned out okay. Here's the comparison (teams listed in order they finished):

Team: Pick:

1. Duke 2
2. Maryland 3
3. Florida State 6
4. Virginia Tech 8
5. Wake Forest 4
6. Clemson 5
7. Georgia Tech 7
8. Boston College 9
9. Virginia 10
10. UNC 1
11. NC State 12
12. Miami 11

So the only one I got exactly right was Georgia Tech. But the only schools that I was off by more than one slot were Virginia Tech, Florida State and UNC.

Weekend Recap

The regular season is now over, and it's time for teams to look ahead to the ACC Tournament. But before that starts, let's look back at this weekend's games.

Duke earned the number one seed in the tournament with a beatdown of UNC. The Blue Devils took out any frustrations from the Maryland loss, embarrassing the Tar Heels. Duke ended up earning of a share of the regular season title with Maryland, who narrowly beat Virginia in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers were playing without best player Sylven Landesberg, who was suspended for the rest of the season. They were still able to make it a game, until an untimely technical foul called on Tony Bennett.

Virginia Tech got the biggest win of the weekend, beating Georgia Tech on the road. Playing without Dorenzo Hudson, the rest of the Hokies stepped it up and played one of their best games of the year. The home loss could prove very costly for the Yellow Jackets.

In other ACC action, Wake Forest got a much needed home win over Clemson. The Deacons had lost four games in a row but were able to hold off the Tigers for the win. Florida State escaped Coral Gables with a road win over Miami. The Canes missed a shot to win at the buzzer.

And NC State ended the regular season on a positive note, beating Boston College at home. The Wolfpack basically used one big run at the end of the game to win.

Coming up later this week, I'll look back at my preseason predictions, and look ahead to this weekend's ACC Tournament in Greensboro.

Mid-Week Update

There are still a lot of ACC teams that have to be nervous about their position in the NCAA Tournament with just one regular season game to go. The game of the week was Maryland taking out Duke, in a great battle. The Terps came out blazing and raced to a 13 point lead, only to see Duke come back. But in the end, some clutch baskets by Greivis Vasquez put the Terps over the top. They are now tied with Duke atop the ACC.

In other action, Clemson got a home win over Georgia Tech in a very high-scoring affair at Littlejohn. The Tigers are looking good for NCAA Tournament consideration, while Georgia Tech has to be getting a little nervous. Florida State got a win in typical Florida State fashion, winning a low-scoring battle against Wake Forest. The Deacons have now lost four games in a row.

Virginia Tech got a much needed home win over NC State, putting them back in decent position to make the Tournament. In fairly meaningless games, North Carolina picked up a home win over Miami, giving them two straight wins. And Boston College continued their solid play, beating a listless Virginia squad at home.

Here's what you can expect for the last weekend of the year:

Saturday:

Florida State at Miami (12:00 p.m., ESPN2) - Florida State could use a road win against their rivals from Miami. They have been playing better as of late, but Miami is tough at home.
Maryland at Virginia (1:30 p.m., Raycom) - This is about as much of a sure thing for a road win as you can get. Maryland is streaking, and Virginia is not. Terps should win big.
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech (4:00 p.m., Raycom) - This is a critical game for both teams, and could be an elimination game for the Tournament. You'd have to give the Jackets the edge at home.
North Carolina at Duke (9:00 p.m., ESPN) - This has to be the most meaningless Duke vs Carolina matchup on the last week in years. Duke is much better than Carolina, and is at home.

Sunday:

Boston College at NC State (2:00 p.m., Raycom) - All that's on the line here is bragging rights. For what it's worth, these two teams have been more competitive recently.
Clemson at Wake Forest (6:00 p.m., FSN) - Several ACC teams will probably be looking to this game to figure out if they will be playing on Thursday next week. Wake really needs to win this one to stop their slide.

Weekend Recap

This weekend was very good if you were a road team. Five of the six ACC games were won by road teams. And some were definitely surprises. Let's start in Blacksburg, where it was a strange day. The game was delayed by three hours, and ended up being a classic. Maryland won in double overtime, when Erick Green missed a three pointer that would have given the Hokies the lead. The Terps continue to impress, while the Hokies have now lost three in a row. They are back on the bubble.

Clemson also got a big road win over Florida State. The Tigers looked dead in the first half, and were down in the last minute, but got the benefit of some costly turnovers by the Noles and a clutch three pointer by Andre Young to win. This really boosts their NCAA profile. Another surprise road winner: North Carolina. The Tar Heels somehow got it together to beat Wake Forest on the road. The Deacons have now lost to NC State and UNC in back-to-back games.

Speaking of the Wolfpack, they got a somewhat surprising road victory over Miami. The Canes had been playing better at home. Duke coasted to a road win over Virginia. The game was over almost before it begun. And the lone team to win at home was Georgia Tech. BC gave them a little trouble, but Georgia Tech was able to hold them off.

Here's what's ahead for the start of the last week of the regular season:

Tuesday:

Georgia Tech at Clemson (8:00 p.m., Raycom) - Two teams that should be in the tournament will want to win this one to feel more comfortable. I think if Clemson hadn't won at Florida State this would have been a must-win for them.
Miami at North Carolina (8:00 p.m., Raycom) - Not much to play for here except pride. And for Carolina, maybe the last win of the year with a road game at Duke to end the season.

Wednesday:

NC State at Virginia Tech (7:00 p.m.) - The Hokies desperately need this win after losing three in a row. The Wolfpack have been playing better lately, but lost at home to the Hokies by 20 a couple weeks ago.
Wake Forest at Florida State (7:00 p.m., ESPN2) - Wake Forest has been taking on water, and needs a road win to get back on track. It's going to be tough - I'm sure FSU is not in a good mood after blowing the Clemson game.
Duke at Maryland (9:00 p.m., ESPN) - This should be a great one. Maryland has not lost since they went to Cameron and got blown out. Duke hasn't lost in that time frame either. I expect this one to come down to the wire.
Virginia at Boston College (9:00 p.m., ESPNU) - The Cavaliers have really struggled recently, and have to get Landesberg back if they have any chance in this one. BC has played better in its last three games.

Mid-Week Update

Probably the most significant game of the week so far, in terms of the top of the standings, was Maryland coming from behind to beat Clemson. The Terps found themselves in a hole at home early, but were able to come back and win.

Florida State went on the road and took it right to UNC, making 3 pointer after 3 pointer in the first half. The Tar Heels were in a huge hole, and were able to dig themselves somewhat out, but in the end it was another bad loss in a season of bad losses. Speaking of bad losses, the Hokies had one in Chestnut Hill. Boston College took it to Tech from the start, and ended up winning by 20. Not a good effort from the Hokies.

Miami was able to break open a close game at the half to top Virginia. The Cavaliers' free fall in the standings continues. And Duke won a non-conference game somewhat comfortably, over Tulsa.

There are some big games this weekend. Let's take a look:

Saturday:

Boston College at Georgia Tech (12:00 p.m., FSN) - The Yellow Jackets need to win this one at home to make sure they are on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. BC has been playing better in their last couple games.
North Carolina at Wake Forest (2:00 p.m., CBS) - Another bad CBS matchup. UNC has not been very competitive lately, and with Wake Forest coming off a bad loss to NC State, they will be fired up to beat the Tar Heels.
Maryland at Virginia Tech (4:00 p.m., Raycom) - The game of the weekend is in Blacksburg, where the Hokies desperately need to get the bad taste out of their mouths from the BC game. I think they will come fired up against a hot Maryland team.
NC State at Miami (4:00 p.m., Raycom) - Two teams at the bottom of the standings will be fighting it out in Coral Gables. I'll go with the home team here.

Sunday:

Clemson at Florida State (5:30 p.m., FSN) - Another good game, between two teams that will want to win this one to put them firmly in the NCAA field. FSU should be favored at home.
Duke at Virginia (7:45 p.m., FSN) - The Cavaliers will hope a home game against the hated Blue Devils will get them fired up and playing better. Not sure if that will happen.

Weekend Recap

Duke now has a firm hold on first place in the ACC, thanks to their win last night over Virginia Tech. The Hokies held it together pretty well, better than most teams at Cameron, but Duke was able to hit some clutch shots down the stretch to get the win. Both teams shot a poor percentage, but rebounding was the difference, as Brian Zoubek was able to pull down 16 boards.

The most exciting finish of the weekend (and probably the season) was Maryland's buzzer-beater over Georgia Tech. Cliff Tucker made a contested 3 as time expired to give the Terps the win. The lead changed hands several times in the final minute. This has to be a devastating loss for Georgia Tech, which finally played well on the road, but still couldn't win. Derrick Favors had his breakout game for the Yellow Jackets.

Boston College beat North Carolina in a pretty meaningless game. NC State got a pretty surprising home win against Wake Forest. The Deacons did not bounce back well from their disappointing loss in Blacksburg, only scoring 54 points against a bad Wolfpack defense. You have to wonder if Wake is starting to have a slide like they did last year. And Clemson picked up an easy win at home against Virginia. This is now three blowout losses in a row for the Cavaliers.

Here's what's ahead this week in the ACC:

Tuesday:

Virginia at Miami (7:00 p.m., FSN) - This game doesn't have a whole lot of meaning, except from a pride standpoint. Virginia wants to stop this bad momentum they have, while Miami will look to get another nice home win.

Wednesday:

Florida State at North Carolina (7:00 p.m., ESPN) - This is an interesting game for the Seminoles. They can really help their NCAA Tournament position with a road win here. With the talent they have, you can't count out the Tar Heels though.
Virginia Tech at Boston College (7:00 p.m., ESPNU) - This is another one where the road team could use a win over an inferior home opponent. Tech is better than BC, but you have to worry about a letdown after the emotional Duke game.
Clemson at Maryland (9:00 p.m., Raycom) - The best game of the week from a matchup standpoint. Maryland has been tough to beat at home, but lost a pretty ugly game at Clemson earlier this year.

Thursday:

Tulsa at Duke (7:00 p.m., ESPN2) - This is an odd matchup for this time of year. Tulsa traditionally has had good teams but I don't expect them to hang close in Cameron.

Mid-Week Update

The most notable game of the week was in Blacksburg, where the Hokies took another step towards a great season with a nice come from behind win over Wake Forest. The Deacons played very well for the first 30 minutes or so, and seemed to be in control, but like Tech has done all year, they were able to claw back and win a close game at the end.

It was a good week for Maryland and a bad one for Virginia. The Terps blew out the Cavaliers in their makeup game, and then came from behind in Raleigh to escape a bad loss against NC State. They really bounced back well from that loss in Durham. After their blowout loss to Maryland, the Cavaliers got blown out at home by Florida State. It seems like Virginia has run out of gas a bit, and it's going to be hard to find some wins in the rest of the schedule.

North Carolina continued their struggling play, at one point down by almost 30 points to Georgia Tech on the road. This was the kind of win the Yellow Jackets needed after a tough stretch. And Duke got a nice road win at Miami, after being down by 12 at halftime. The Devils hit their shot down the stretch.

Here's what's in store for the weekend:

Saturday:

North Carolina at Boston College (12:00 p.m., CBS) - This game is being televised by CBS. Yikes. Means virtually nothing to both teams.
Georgia Tech at Maryland (2:00 p.m., Raycom) - It will be interesting to see how Georgia Tech comes out in this game. At some point, they have to have some success on the road. A win at Maryland would be a good start.
Wake Forest at NC State (2:00 p.m., Raycom) - Despite the loss in Blacksburg, Wake has played good basketball lately. NC State has not.
Virginia at Clemson (4:00 p.m., FSN) - The Cavaliers have hit a rough patch and it will be tough for them to bounce back in Littlejohn. Clemson still has a little to prove to get off the bubble.

Sunday:

Virginia Tech at Duke (7:45 p.m., FSN) - This is a matchup between #1 and #2 in the conference. It will be interesting to see if the Hokies can stay with Duke. I don't expect them to win, but a close loss would be a moral victory.

Weekend Recap

Another weekend is in the books, with some compelling games. Let's start with the marquee game of the week, Duke beating up on Maryland. The Terps didn't seem ready to play in this one. They did not play sound defense and couldn't hit shots, a bad combination that let Duke get out to a fairly substantial lead. This has to be a disheartening performance for Maryland.

I was on press row for the best game of the weekend, Virginia Tech winning in the final minute at home over rival Virginia. The first half was not pretty, with very little offense. Things opened up a bit in the second half, and Jeff Allen made some huge plays down the stretch to give the Hokies the victory.

Wake Forest got a nice win at home over Georgia Tech. The game was close most of the way, but the Deacons had a big run at the end of the game to win by double digits. Georgia Tech's road woes continue. Clemson got a badly-needed win over Miami in another game that was close most of the way.

Florida State broke open a tight game in the second half and cruised over Boston College. The Eagles only managed 47 points against the Seminoles' tough defense. And Carolina beat NC State in a game that looked like it was between two struggling teams.

This week has an interesting quirk, with extra games for Virginia and Maryland since their game was postponed last week. Here's what's on tap:

Monday:

Virginia at Maryland (8:00 p.m.) - This rescheduled game comes at a time where both teams are coming off disappointing losses. I would think Maryland would bounce back and win at home, but Virginia always seems to play them tough.

Tuesday:

Wake Forest at Virginia Tech (7:00 p.m., ESPN2) - This has shaped up to be a huge game between two teams near the top of the standings. If Tech can hold serve at home, they will really boost their NCAA Tournament chances.
North Carolina at Georgia Tech (9:00 p.m., Raycom) - Carolina has to have gotten some good feelings back with their win over NC State, but heading to Atlanta will be a much more difficult chore. Georgia Tech should win comfortably.

Wednesday:

Duke at Miami (7:00 p.m., ESPN) - Miami has had some good wins at home, but can they pull one off against the top team in the conference? I have to believe Duke will be too much for the Canes.
Florida State at Virginia (7:00 p.m., ESPNU) - A tough task for UVA to come off short rest back to Charlottesville and play a Florida State team that needs wins. I have a feeling this will be a big game for the Seminoles' NCAA Tournament hopes.
Maryland at NC State (9:00 p.m., FSN) - This could be a trap game for Maryland, coming off the game against Virginia. They are certainly better than NC State though, and should win on the road.

Mid-Week Update

It was another week of exciting games in the ACC. First, we start with a game that wasn't played. Because of a snowstorm, the game between Virginia and Maryland was postponed. It will be made up on Monday.

Obviously the marquee game of the week was Duke and Carolina. In a low scoring game, the Tar Heels were able to keep it close thanks to some cold shooting from Duke. But in the end, Duke made key baskets and UNC couldn't do anything to stop the run. It's pretty obvious that Roy Williams is very frustrated with his team. I wonder if they've even packed it in this season.

The only other game that was real close was Miami getting a last second win over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets continue to struggle on the road, and are hurting their NCAA seeding chances. Wake Forest got a win in a surprisingly high scoring game against Boston College. The Eagles did a decent job staying with Wake on the road. The Deacons are one of the hottest teams in the conference.

Another one of the hottest teams: Virginia Tech. They took the crowd and NC State right out of the game early and never let up in a big 20 point road win. That now puts them at 6-3 in conference with two home games coming up. Clemson took care of Florida State, by 10 at home. It was a very sloppy, low-scoring game in the first half. The offenses opened it up a bit more in the second.

Here's what you can expect this weekend:

Saturday:

Miami at Clemson (12:00 p.m., FSN) - Miami has played a little better in their last few games, and may give Clemson a tough battle here. But I would expect Clemson to win at home.
Maryland at Duke (1:00 p.m., CBS) - This is the game to watch this weekend between the top 2 teams in the conference. Duke will be coming off an emotional win over UNC, and Maryland has had a week to prepare. But winning in Cameron will be tough for the Terps.
NC State at North Carolina (4:00 p.m., ESPN) - I bet ESPN wishes it can swap this game for something else. These two teams have been dreadful recently, and this game could be for who avoids finishing in last.
Georgia Tech at Wake Forest (8:00 p.m., Raycom) - A good matchup here. Georgia Tech blew out Wake at home a couple weeks ago. But they have not played well on the road this year. An important game for both teams.
Virginia at Virginia Tech (8:00 p.m., Raycom) - I'll be in Blacksburg for this rivalry game. Last time, UVA blew a late lead and lost to Tech in overtime. I would favor the Hokies in this one, although the Cavaliers are unpredictable.

Sunday:

Boston College at Florida State (7:30 p.m., FSN) - This isn't the typical strong Sunday Night Hoops game. Both teams need a win. I think Florida State's NCAA hopes are on the downward trend.

Weekend Recap

After another week of ACC play, we're starting to see a top and bottom emerge, but there is still a logjam in the middle of the standings. Duke continues to lead the way, with a good road victory at Boston College. They were able to withstand a BC run at the end of the game to make it close. Wake Forest pulled off the other road win this weekend, beating Virginia in overtime. The Cavaliers have now lost two home games in overtime. They had a chance to tie, but an ill-advised shot by Will Sherrill cost them.

Virginia Tech survived a horrible shooting performance to beat Clemson at home, running their record to 5-3. Both teams shot 31 percent for the game, but the free throw line was the difference. Georgia Tech also got a home win, despite blowing a big lead late against NC State. Both coaches were very unhappy at the end of the game.

Florida State got a home win over Miami - no big surprise there. And Maryland was able to pull away from North Carolina, asserting themselves as the second best team in the conference. The Tar Heels have now lost 10 games this year.

The highlight of this coming week is the big rivalry game between Duke and Carolina. Here's the whole slate:

Tuesday:

Boston College at Wake Forest (7:00 p.m., FSN) - Wake is coming off a nice road win at Virginia, and will definitely be favored in this one. They can't lose this game if they want to stay on the NCAA track.

Wednesday:

Florida State at Clemson (7:00 p.m., ESPN2) - A good matchup here between two teams who need a win. These are two teams that have had trouble scoring, so expect a game in the 50s.
Georgia Tech at Miami (7:00 p.m.) - The Yellow Jackets had probably their toughest week of the year, and Paul Hewitt is not happy. They could dip even lower if they don't win in Miami.
Virginia at Maryland (7:00 p.m., ESPNU) - Virginia has been unpredictable this year, so I'm not going to count them out against Maryland. But it will be tough to win in College Park.
Duke at North Carolina (9:00 p.m., Raycom) - This is probably the least-hyped matchup of these teams in several years. Will the Tar Heels be able to rise up and beat their hated rival? I'm betting no.
Virginia Tech at NC State (9:00 p.m., ESPNU) - Raleigh has been a house of horrors for Tech since they joined the ACC. A road win here would really be big for the Hokies.

Weekend Preview

There's starting to be some separation in the standings in the ACC, with the top 3 teams all winning this week. Let's start in Durham, where Duke bounced back from the Georgetown loss with a resounding win over Georgia Tech. I was a bit surprised by the margin, but Georgia Tech did have some foul trouble.

The other big win was Maryland pulling one out on the road at Florida State. As expected, there wasn't a whole lot of offense in this game, but Maryland got a key charge at the end to win. The woes continue for North Carolina, who now see themselves on the wrong side of the bubble. They lost at Virginia Tech, with a tough slate of games coming up. This was a big win for the Hokies.

Virginia got a win at home over NC State. The Cavaliers looked listless in the first half, but the Wolfpack were even worse in the second half, only scoring 19 points. And Wake Forest got a home win over Miami. The Canes hung in there and kept it within single digits but lost in the end.

Here's a look ahead to this weekend's games:

Saturday:

Wake Forest at UVA (12:00 p.m., Raycom) - This is a good test for the Cavaliers. Two weeks ago they were blown out in Winston-Salem, and will be looking for revenge. I still think Wake is a better team than UVA but they need a road win like this to prove it.
Duke at Boston College (2:00 p.m., ESPN) - Duke has had some trouble up in Chestnut Hill in the past, but this isn't the same BC squad. BC has had a week to prepare, but I still think Duke is a far better team.
Clemson at Virginia Tech (4:00 p.m., Raycom) - This is an interesting game - Clemson has had a week off, where VT is coming off a short turnaround and an emotional win over Carolina. Under normal circumstances I would give Tech the edge at home.
NC State at Georgia Tech (4:00 p.m., Raycom) - A good cure for Georgia Tech's performance at Duke is a home game with NC State. It remains to be seen how much Sidney Lowe's squad has left.
Miami at Florida State (8:00 p.m., ESPNU) - The battle of Florida should go to the Seminoles. They are coming off a tough home loss to Maryland but are a better team than Miami.

Sunday:

North Carolina at Maryland (2:00 p.m., FSN) - This matchup looked a lot juicier in the offseason. But with UNC really struggling, it's going to be tough to scratch out a win up in College Park.

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.