UNC/Duke Preview

It has been a huge game for decades - but this year's version of college basketball's best rivalry should bring us one of the best matchups in years. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have been playing excellent basketball recently. Duke started off the year as the #1 team, lost one of their best players, and still has managed a 21-2 record. North Carolina started off the season with not terribly high expectations. But they have really turned it on, and have now compiled a 7-1 conference record.

So let's take a look at the matchup:

Duke can beat you many different ways. Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler came into the year with a lot of experience and loads of potential. They have been terrific, combining for 39 points per game. But it's much more than them: Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry can light it up from the bench. The Plumlee brothers provide the Devils with some inside presence. And Ryan Kelly has been a pleasant surprise. As has been the case for many years, Duke is reliant heavily on the 3. Dawkins, Curry and Kelly are all shooting at least 41% from 3-point land. Singler and Smith aren't bad either.

North Carolina has had a lot of change over the past 12 months,

culminating in last week's decision by Larry Drew II to leave the program. Truth be told, Drew wasn't the best point guard UNC has ever had, and they might be better without him. It's no coincidence that their improvement has come at the same time that much heralded freshman Harrison Barnes started scoring in bunches. Barnes has a great shooting touch for a forward, and if he can stop forcing it as much as he does he could be a superstar. John Henson is a freakish athlete who can be a shooter but has an even bigger impact on the defensive end. Kendall Marshall only scores 4.5 points per game but is a great distributor and a catalyst for the team.

So what separates these two teams? Honestly, probably the venue the game is being played in. Duke hasn't even come close to losing a game at Cameron over the last two years. It's almost impossible to keep them from going on one of those patented Duke runs, where they score 10 points in a row over a minute. That being said, North Carolina has a chance. If I were the Heels, I would focus on guarding the 3. Let Henson guard the post - he can handle the Plumlees. If you can get out and make Duke put up quick shots, you can win.

If I were Duke, I would focus on ball movement. Make the extra pass and force Carolina to defend you all over the court. Don't take quick shots. And on defense, I would force the Heels to make shots from the outside. Double Barnes if you need to, double Tyler Zeller if you need to, and leave guys like Marshall and Leslie McDonald open. They have had some good outside shooting games, but the majority of the time they do most of their damage on the inside.

My prediction: Duke wins a close one, 77-72.

Week Preview

Another week is in the books, and some teams are starting to creep into contention, somewhat surprisingly. I'm talking specifically about Clemson and Maryland, who might be playing their way into tournament berths. Clemson got a come from behind win at home against NC State, and then blew out Florida State at home on Saturday. They still haven't shown an ability to win on the road, but seem to be putting things together under first year coach Brad Brownell.

Maryland has really improved since a blowout home loss to Virginia Tech, with wins over Clemson, at Virginia and at Georgia Tech. The last two were both by double digits. Maryland's big chance comes on Wednesday with a home game against Duke. Win that and they are most likely on the "in" side of the bubble. Here are the games on the ACC slate:

Tuesday:
Wake Forest at Florida State (7:00 p.m.) - If Florida State doesn't win this game they are in serious trouble. But it shouldn't be a problem.
UNC at Boston College (9:00 p.m.) - This is a good test for a Boston College team that has not looked very good in its last two games. UNC has improved and with a win here could be in very good shape for a top 4 finish in the league.

Wednesday:
Virginia Tech at NC State (7:00 p.m.) - The Hokies got a much-needed win against Miami and need to put the Georgia Tech game in the mirror with a road win against a NC State team that is really struggling right now. The Wolfpack's performance against UNC was terrible.
Clemson at UVA (9:00 p.m.) - This is a chance for Clemson to build its resume for the tournament. For UVA, they need a confidence boost after a bad loss at Wake Forest.
Duke at Maryland (9:00 p.m.) - As I said before, this is a huge opportunity for Maryland. Unfortunately for them, they are catching Duke at the wrong time, after the Devils lost in embarrassing fashion to St. John's.

Thursday:
Georgia Tech at Miami (7:00 p.m.) - Not a lot of interest in this game. Definitely a must-win for Miami after a series of really tough losses.

Saturday:
Clemson at Georgia Tech (1:00 p.m.) - The schedulers weren't kind to Georgia Tech this week. They have a very tough turnaround to an early game on Saturday. A good chance for Clemson to pick up a road win.
Virginia Tech at Boston College (1:00 p.m.) - Depending on how Tech's game with NC State goes, this could end up being a very big game for both teams. BC has been pretty good at home, in what is not a very intimidating home atmosphere.
Wake Forest at Maryland (1:00 p.m.) - I give Wake credit for winning this past weekend, but they aren't going to win games like this.
Virginia at Miami (2:00 p.m.) - The good news for the Hurricanes is you can't get a much easier week than what they have. The bad news is they sit at 1-6 in the conference.
NC State at Duke (6:00 p.m.) - If NC State plays up to its potential, they can stay with Duke, even at Cameron. If they play like they did in Chapel Hill last week, they will be blown out of the gym.

Sunday:
Florida State at UNC (2:00 p.m.) - The annual pre-Super Bowl ACC game is a good matchup. Florida State needs a good performance on the road, and may catch UNC looking ahead to their big game next week against Duke.

ACC Standings: A Closer Look

Now that we are in the middle of the conference swing, I figured it's a good time to look at how the standings have shaken out so far. Of course at this point, schedules aren't created equal - for example every team that has played Wake Forest has an extra win in their column. But we are starting to see who may be a contender and who may be a pretender.

1. Duke - 4-1 ACC, 17-1 Overall
No big surprise that Duke is at the top of the standings. They have struggled a bit recently, however, losing to Florida State and winning fairly close games against Maryland and Virginia at home. The Devils did come back with a nice win at NC State earlier this week.

2. Boston College - 4-1 ACC, 14-5 Overall
People are continuing to underestimate what Boston College has done this year. This is a team that did not come with high expectations, but has been performing very well. Their conference slate hasn't been all that difficult so far, with home games against Virginia, Georgia Tech and NC State. We'll find much more about the Eagles in their next four games, with road dates against Florida State and Duke, then home games against North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

3. Florida State - 4-1 ACC, 14-5 Overall
The Seminoles hit a bit of a rough patch, with losses to Auburn and Virginia Tech, but have rebounded nicely. They picked up a big road win over Miami this week, and obviously have that huge win over Duke. The Noles are poised to finish in the top 4.

4. North Carolina - 3-1 ACC, 13-5 Overall
You have to feel a little uneasy if you are a Tar Heel fan right now. Yes, they are 3-1 in conference. But that 1 was a bad road loss by 20 points to Georgia Tech. They also barely beat Virginia Tech in a game they easily could have lost. And they won in the last minute against Virginia. UNC has a little time off before heading down to Miami but appear vulnerable right now.

5. Virginia Tech - 3-2 ACC, 12-5 Overall
The Hokies are really playing good basketball right now, with a huge road win over Maryland. They have won 8 of their last 9, with the only loss coming by 3 points in Chapel Hill. The early season home loss to Virginia hurts their position right now, but they look poised to move up the standings with a schedule that is pretty favorable.

6. Clemson - 2-2 ACC, 13-5 Overall
Clemson has been understandably an inconsistent team so far. They have had to work in a lot of new players and a brand new system. Most recently, their streak continued of never having won in Chapel Hill. So far Clemson has won their two home games and lost their two road games.

7. Georgia Tech - 2-2 ACC, 9-8 Overall
Georgia Tech is a bit of a surprise in this 7 spot, with a surge over the last week. The 20 point win over UNC is probably the head scratcher of the year. And then they followed it up with a 35 point win at home over Wake. The road has been a different story, with double digit losses to BC and Clemson. It's hard to think that they will be able to maintain this position in the standings.

8. Miami - 1-3 ACC, 12-6 Overall
It appears to be a repeat of last year for the Hurricanes, with a strong start to the season and then a series of losses in ACC play. The Canes would look a lot better if they had been able to hold serve at home against Florida State. But so far they have lost three of their first four conference games, with the only win a 1 point victory at home against BC.

9. NC State - 1-3 ACC, 11-7 Overall
No matter where you are, you can probably hear the rumblings coming from the Wolfpack fans. State appears to be underachieving yet again under Sidney Lowe. State lost its game of the year at home against Duke. The team has also lost on the road against Boston College and Florida State, with the lone win a home victory over Wake.

10. Maryland - 1-3 ACC, 11-7 Overall
Maryland had been competing pretty hard thus far this season, before running into a lot of trouble at home against the Hokies. In a game they had to win, the Terps lost by 17. Now they are sitting at 1-3 in conference, with two home losses. Like NC State, their only conference win is against Wake. Maryland has a stretch of winnable games ahead, and needs to turn it around.

11. Virginia - 1-3 ACC, 10-8 Overall
Virginia has been wildly inconsistent this year, and has not won a conference game in more than a month. They have played pretty well at times in games against Duke and UNC, but haven't been able to seal the deal. Most recently, they lost a 3 point game up at Boston College. The Cavs will have two home games in a row to try to gain back some confidence.

12. Wake Forest - 0-4 ACC, 7-12 Overall
What can you say about Wake Forest? They may be the worst ACC team I have ever seen. The Deacons have lost their ACC games by 21, 19, 29 and 35. Their next game is against Duke. There is a very real possibility that Wake could lose every game they play for the rest of the season.

Weekend Thoughts

There weren't a lot of surprises in the ACC this past weekend. Still, there was plenty of compelling action.

Let's start in Durham, where Maryland gave Duke all it could handle. If there is a such thing as a moral victory, the Terps had it, staying right with the #1 Devils the whole game. Maryland used a very strong performance from Jordan Williams to spark them. Duke really struggled in their offense for most of the game before coming through with some free throws and clutch baskets down the stretch. It will be interesting to see if this is just an isolated incident for one game or will be a sign of things to come.

In Charlottesville, the Cavaliers played a very inconsistent game against UNC. Virginia played very well in the first half, hitting a lot of big shots and sparking what became a very good crowd. But in the second half, the shooting got very cold for UVA and they really struggled to score, only getting 19 points. You could just feel the air slowly suck out of the building as UNC creeped back in the game. The Heels definitely have some issues, and need to find an outside shooter, but at the end of the day they should be happy with a win.

Virginia Tech got a badly needed win at home over Florida State. The Hokies have been playing much better since they established their current lineup, and won by playing zone. Jeff Allen had a monster game, matching the game that Chris Singleton had. The difference was Virginia Tech had other players step up, and Florida State did not.

In other action, NC State got an expected win over Wake Forest. The Deacons continue to struggle. Boston College got a tougher than expected victory over Georgia Tech, not pulling away until late. And Clemson was able to win a home game that many thought Miami would pull out.

Here is the slate for the mid-week games. One note: the game between Georgia Tech and Clemson was moved from Tuesday to Wednesday because of weather.

Tuesday:
NC State at BC (9:00 p.m) - Good test for the Wolfpack.

Wednesday:
Georgia Tech at Clemson (7:00 p.m.) - Another opportunity for a home win for the Tigers.
Maryland at Wake Forest (8:00 p.m.) - Any letdown for the Terps?
Duke at Florida State (9:00 p.m.) - Game of the mid-week and one where Duke is vulnerable.

Thursday:
Virginia Tech at UNC (9:00 p.m.) - Can the Hokies' thin lineup hold up in Chapel Hill?

Weekend Preview

Here we are, finally at the real start of the conference season. I'm sure a bunch of ACC teams are happy to get to conference play after having less than stellar non-conference seasons. There are plenty of big games this weekend, so let's get right to it:

UNC at UVA (Saturday, 12:00 p.m.)
UNC has impressed with its recent play, and UVA has not. The Tar Heels bring a lot of confidence in, and I think will benefit from a fairly sparse crowd at JPJ. UVA has struggled lately, but this young team has the ability to play well, so Carolina can't think of this one as a pushover.

Wake Forest at NC State (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.)
What a nightmare of a season it has been so far for Wake Forest. They open ACC play on the road against one of their Tobacco Road rivals. NC State hasn't been setting the world on fire, but should do enough at home to beat the Deacs.

Florida State at Virginia Tech (Saturday, 3:00 p.m.)
This is the game of the day in the conference. It is a game that Virginia Tech simply has to win, already losing a home game to UVA. Florida State is a tough matchup for them, with a lot of size. Although FSU is coming off a head-scratching loss to Auburn. If the Hokies can play well out of the gates, they can win this game.

Georgia Tech at Boston College (Saturday, 4:00 p.m.)
Boston College is coming off another disappointing loss to Harvard, but has played pretty well so far this year. Georgia Tech has been a horrible road team over the last couple years and will likely struggle to win this one.

Miami at Clemson (Saturday, 6:00 p.m.)
This is an intriguing matchup. Clemson is still trying to figure out Brad Brownell's system, and has had a few bumps on the road. If Miami can find a way to win at Littlejohn, they will be taken more seriously as a contender for an NCAA berth.

Maryland at Duke (Sunday, 8:00 p.m.)
This is being showcased as one of the games of the weekend nationally. I think most of the people who are doing that are doing so based on history. Because Duke is simply too good to get beat at home by a Maryland team that has struggled to score this year.

NCAA Chances

Conference play is about to kick into high gear. And unfortunately for the ACC, that means time is running out to come up with showcase wins against teams from other conferences. This is a big part of where NCAA Tournament resumes are built. And so far this year, things haven't been going so well for the conference. There is no question the ACC is down. And that could be a problem when it comes to deciding who's in and who's out in March. So lets look at the chances each team has to make it to the Big Dance:

Boston College (11-3):
Boston College has played pretty well thus far. They have 3 losses on the season, to Yale, Wisconsin and Rhode Island. Only the Yale loss qualifies as a bad one. BC also has wins over Texas A&M, Cal, Providence, South Carolina (on the road), and a road victory in conference against Maryland. If they can keep this up they can be one of the teams in.
Chances: Good

Clemson (11-4):
Clemson has been up and down this year. Their only two quality wins are against Seton Hall and at College of Charleston. They have lost to the four best teams on their schedule, including on the road at Florida State. At this point, they would probably have to go 10-6 to get in.
Chances: Not good

Duke (13-0):
Duke is the number 1 team in the country, and has wins over Kansas State, Michigan State, Marquette and Butler. This is the only sure thing on this list.
Chances: Absolute lock

Florida State (11-4):
Florida State has been looking good for a while, but a loss to Auburn has taken a little of the shine off. They do have a solid win against Baylor. Their other losses are against Florida, Ohio State and Butler, all good teams. I think they will do enough in conference play to get in.
Chances: Good

Georgia Tech (7-6):
Here we get to the first of the sad cases in the ACC. Georgia Tech has wins over UTEP and Richmond. They have also lost to Kennesaw State, Siena and Charlotte. Not looking good for Paul Hewitt.
Chances: Slim

Maryland (10-4):
Maryland is going to be a tough call. Their best win is at Penn State. They have no bad losses, though, with the exception of maybe the home game against BC. Their conference schedule isn't easy, so I'm leaning out on this one.
Chances: 50/50

Miami (11-4):
Miami has had some good wins, against West Virginia and Mississippi. They have a bad 16 point loss at Rutgers. I don't see them performing well on the road this year. They will probably be on the outside looking in.
Chances: Not good

North Carolina (10-4):
UNC started the year off sluggishly, but has come on of late. They have a win over Kentucky that is looking better by the day. Their four losses are all against teams that should make the tournament. I think UNC will be there too.
Chances: Very good

N.C. State (9-4):
NC State hasn't shown much so far this year. Their best win is probably a neutral site win over George Mason. They have also lost to Arizona, Wisconsin, Syracuse and Georgetown. The Wolfpack has two games each against Duke and UNC. That does not equal success.
Chances: Not good

Virginia (10-5):
Virginia has been wildly inconsistent this year. They have road wins at Minnesota and Virginia Tech. But UVA has also lost home games to Seattle and Iowa State, and almost lost to Norfolk State. I don't think this is the year they make the tournament.
Chances: Slim

Virginia Tech (9-4):
The Hokies started out the season poorly, losing in every big game. They have won five in a row, beating Penn State, Mississippi State and St. Bonaventure (on the road) in the process. They've still got a shot to make it.
Chances: 50/50

Wake Forest (6-8):
Wake Forest has been nothing short of an embarrassment. They have lost four games in a row, and will be lucky to even see the .500 mark at any point the rest of the way.
Chances: None

The Week Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pre-Christmas Games Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weekend Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The State of the ACC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Week Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What's Wrong with the Hokies?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weekend Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Challenge Winners & Losers

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

Winners

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

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

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

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

Losers

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

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

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

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

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

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mid-Week Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Week Ahead

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

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

Also on Sunday:

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

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

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

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

Monday:

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

Tuesday:

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

Thursday:

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

Friday:

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

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

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

Tournaments Update

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

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

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

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

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

Mid-Week Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Week Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Charleston Classic
NC State vs. TBA (Sunday)

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#1: Duke

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#2: North Carolina

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#3: Virginia Tech

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#4: Florida State

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#5: Maryland

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#6: Miami

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#7: NC State

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#8: Clemson

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#9: Boston College

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#10: Georgia Tech

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

#11: Virginia

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010-2011 ACC Preview

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

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

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

#12: Wake Forest

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

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

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

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

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

Season Recap: Wake Forest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Postseason Play:

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

What's Ahead:

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

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

Season Recap: Virginia Tech

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Postseason Play:

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

What's Ahead:

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