2011-2012 Season in Review: North Carolina

32-6 overall, 14-2 ACC

If you look at that record, it's hard to call the season a disappointment. But expectations were extremely high. You can break down Coach Roy Williams' tenure in Chapel Hill by three classes: the group that included Felton, May and McCants won a National Championship. The group of Lawson, Ellington and Hansbrough won a National Championship. So many expected the group of Marshall, Barnes, Henson and Zeller to win one as well. Things don't always turn out as planned.

North Carolina began the season with five wins, and then surprisingly lost against UNLV.  They added another loss to eventual national champion Kentucky before reeling off nine straight wins.  Conference play for the most part was a breeze.  The two games they lost were each surprising in their own way.  First there was a 33 point loss at Florida State in which Coach Williams pulled his team off the floor before the final buzzer.  Then the amazing comeback by Duke and final shot by Austin Rivers.

Then the injury bug hit.  John Henson missed three games, and was largely ineffective when he came back.  The killer, though, was the injury to Kendall Marshall.  He was hurt in the Creighton game, and a team that was already short Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald was extremely thin at point guard.  It's hard to put all the blame on Stilman White, but he was ineffective trying to replace Marshall, and North Carolina's season ended in the Elite Eight.

The one constant all year for North Carolina was Tyler Zeller.  He finished with 16.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and took home the ACC Player of the Year honor.  His presence down low made up for the relative shortcomings of Harrison Barnes.  He was the team's leading scorer, but didn't quite fill the promise of his freshman year.  Barnes exceeded 20 points in 13 games, but didn't pick up the slack when the other players were out injured.  He only topped the 20 point mark once in the last ten games.

Biggest Win:

88-70 at Duke (March 3)

Duke was ranked #4 in the nation at the time, but North Carolina was coming in with a lot of fire, and it showed.  They were angry about the way the first matchup ended, and took it to Duke from the start.  The Blue Devils really never had a chance in this one.

Worst Loss:

85-84 vs. Duke (February 8)

The 33 point loss to Florida State was embarrassing, but it doesn't compare to blowing a late lead to your biggest rival at home and losing on a three pointer by a freshman.  Austin Rivers' dagger silenced the 20,000 in the Dean Dome and took a lot of air out of the fanbase.

Postseason Play:

North Carolina started the ACC Tournament with a very easy win over Maryland.  The semifinal game was a real dogfight against N.C. State.  It took a late basket by Marshall to beat the Wolfpack by two.  In the final, North Carolina surprisingly lost to Florida State once again.  The Seminoles seemed to be a team on the mission, and won a back and forth affair by three.  The NCAA Tournament was an interesting ride.  After getting a #1 seed and taking care of Vermont, they won fairly easily against Creighton, but suffered that crippling injury to Marshall.  The Tar Heels could feel the effects of his loss right away, needing overtime to beat Ohio.  They actually played quite well in the first half of their Elite Eight game against Kansas, but the Jayhawks made all the plays down the stretch and won by 13.

Next Year:

Next year's Tar Heel team will look very different.  Zeller is the only real senior of consequence to leave.  But Henson, Barnes and Marshall have all declared for the NBA Draft and are leaving school early.  That is four starters gone.  The good news is James Michael McAdoo returns, and he looks to be a star.  McAdoo should be the team's best player next year.  They do get Strickland and McDonald back from injury, which should help.  The major questions, though, will be who will play point guard and who will provide post depth?  The best freshman prospect is probably Marcus Paige, who is not a big scorer but could provide stability at the point.  So how is North Carolina going to do next year?  They aren't going to go 14-2 in conference next year.  But they're also not going to go 8-8.  I would expect them to contend for the top spot alongside Duke and N.C. State.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Duke

27-7 overall, 13-3 ACC

It was an odd year for the Duke Blue Devils.  For the first time that I can remember, they actually played better on the road than at home.  Duke managed to go 8-0 on the road in conference, including wins at North Carolina and Florida State.  On the other side, they struggled at home more than any Duke team in recent memory.  The Blue Devils lost three times at home, and could easily have lost to Virginia, Virginia Tech and N.C. State.

The year started off well.  Duke went to Maui and won the tournament that they have dominated over the years.  They beat eventual national runner-up Kansas in the title game.  After starting the year 7-0, they went to Columbus and got killed by Ohio State.  But they responded and won their next five games.  After a somewhat surprising road loss at Temple, they got it together for the start of conference play.  The highlight was of course the comeback at North Carolina and last second shot by Austin Rivers.  That was the start of seven straight wins.  The turning point in the season, though, came with the injury to Ryan Kelly.  He was unable to play in the postseason, and Duke came out on the wrong end of one of the most shocking upsets in NCAA Tournament history, losing to #15 seed Lehigh.

Rivers was an interesting star for the Blue Devils.  Much like Terrell Stoglin at Maryland, he never saw a shot he didn't like.  When he was on, he would hit ridiculous shots, and came through in the clutch.  But he could also make you shake your head at times, and wasn't the best assist man at point guard.  Mason and Miles Plumlee were solid presences down low, averaging 16 rebounds a game between them.  But at times one or the other would disappear offensively.  Kelly was the team's third leading scorer, and led the team in 3 point percentage and free throw percentage.  You can see what a big difference it made not having him in the lineup for the team's last three games.

Biggest Win:

85-84 at North Carolina (February 8)

This was an incredible game and ending that was a big boost for Duke.  They were coming off a home loss to Miami, and were playing against a team with superior talent.  It looked like North Carolina would put them away, but they never could.  And some clutch shooting by Rivers and mistakes by UNC's Tyler Zeller set up the dramatic ending.  This game will be replayed whenever North Carolina and Duke play each other for years to come.

Worst Loss:
75-70 to Lehigh in the NCAA Tournament (March 16)

It isn't often when a team's worst loss is in the NCAA Tournament.  But it's hard to hide from this one.  Duke simply never loses games to teams like this.  Not in the regular season, and certainly not in the NCAA Tournament.  That's no slight to Lehigh, who played their butts off.  But Duke just did not come to play, and even without Kelly, did not have an excuse for losing this one.  If you single out one thing from this game for Duke, it has to be the performance of their sharpshooters.  Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins combined for 12 points on 3-18 shooting.

Postseason Play:

It was certainly a disappointing postseason for Duke.  They really didn't play well in any of their three postseason games, which were all without Kelly.  In the ACC Tournament, they got a sloppy four point win over Virginia Tech before losing in the semifinals to Florida State by three.  They still got a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but squandered that with the loss to Lehigh.

Next Year:

Duke is good every year and next year should be no exception.  They are losing some offense, though.  Rivers has decided to go pro, so the team's leading scorer is gone.  The only senior Duke loses is Miles Plumlee.  The big question for next year will be who will be able to step up and carry the team like Rivers did at times.  There are good pieces returning, with Curry, Dawkins, Mason Plumlee and Kelly.  Duke brings in a typical strong recruiting class, including late commit Amile Jefferson and five star prospect Rasheed Sulaimon.  They should have the talent to compete for the ACC title once again.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Florida State

25-10 overall, 12-4 ACC

It was certainly an eventful year in Tallahassee.  Florida State started the year with very high expectations, looking to challenge Duke and UNC and perhaps go farther than their Sweet 16 finish the year before.  Instead, the season started out as a bit of a struggle.  Florida State played pretty poorly at a tournament in the Bahamas, scoring 41 points in a loss to Harvard and later losing to UConn.  There would be more bumps in the road in the non-conference, including a home loss to Princeton.  Two games later, Florida State went on the road at previously struggling Clemson and lost by 20.

Things looked fairly bleak then.  Florida State sat at 9-6 and 0-1 in the ACC.  Then Leonard Hamilton flipped a switch.  The Seminoles looked like a completely different team, winning the next seven games in a row and 10 out of the next 11. That included a shocking 33 point home win against North Carolina and a buzzer-beating road win at Duke.  Part of this stretch was marked by fantastic finishes and clutch shots.  Besides the win at Cameron, Florida State made up big late deficits in wins at home against Virginia Tech and on the road at Virginia.  The ACC Tournament was a dream for the Seminoles.  They captured their first ACC Tournament title, and did it by beating two top ten teams in North Carolina and Duke.  I'm not sure if they had a letdown after that or what, but they weren't the same in the NCAA Tournament, struggling to beat St. Bonaventure and then bowing out against Cincinnati.

It was a pretty balanced attack for Florida State that got it done.  They put emphasis on the defensive end, as always, but were able to show offensive firepower at times.  Michael Snaer broke out for a very good season.  He led the team in scoring, three point shooting, free throw shooting and assists.  Bernard James had a very solid year.  The elder statesman of the ACC averaged 10.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.  Luke Loucks and Deividas Dulkys had the ability to put a lot of points up in bunches at times.  It seemed like one or the other was always on.

Biggest Win:

85-82 vs. North Carolina in the ACC Tournament (March 11)

The win against North Carolina in Tallahassee was certainly an eye-opener, but this was the most significant win.  Florida State had gotten to the finals of the ACC Tournament before, but never won it.  They battled back and forth against North Carolina in this one, never quitting, and held off the Tar Heels at the end.  It was 11 three pointers compared to 5 for North Carolina that was the biggest difference in earning the Seminoles their first ACC Tournament title.

Worst Loss:

64-60 at Boston College (February 8)

This was the most bizarre result of the ACC season.  Florida State was coming in having won seven straight games against the worst team in the league.  And they somehow lost.  Boston College actually controlled much of this game.  This is just one you laugh off and move past.  And Florida State did, winning their next three.

Postseason Play:

As I said before, the ACC Tournament was a great success.  Florida State opened with a relatively easy win over Miami.  They followed it up with a strange win over Duke that the Seminoles almost gave away at the very end. And then the title game win over North Carolina.  The NCAA Tournament was a different story.  Florida State came in as a 3 seed, and really struggled in their first game against #14 St. Bonaventure.  They were actually losing most of the game, took the lead late, then had to withstand a couple last second shots to advance.  Their game against Cincinnati was much of the same, except they weren't able to come out on top, falling 62-56.

Next Year:

Florida State loses as much of their team as any in the ACC this year.  Dulkys, Loucks, James, Xavier Gibson, Jon Kreft and Jeff Peterson are all seniors and graduating.  The only remaining starter will be Snaer.  He will definitely be the team leader.  He should form a pretty good backcourt with Ian Miller, who showed some poise and shooting ability toward the end of the year.  Okaro White will have to step up and provide some inside scoring next year.  The Seminoles bring in a couple good recruits.  But you have to expect they are going to take a step down next year.  I don't think they fall far, but they could struggle to finish in the top 4 of the conference.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Virginia

22-10 overall, 9-7 ACC

All things considered, this season has to be considered a success for Virginia.  They got back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, earned a bye in the ACC Tournament, and for the most part met their expectations for the year.  Virginia definitely came in as one of the favorites in the ACC, with Mike Scott back for his final season and Coach Tony Bennett ready to take the program to the next level.  They started out the season as predicted, winning 14 of their first 15 games, including wins over Michigan, Oregon (on the road) and LSU (on the road).  The only loss was surprisingly to TCU at a neutral site.

ACC play went pretty well for Virginia.  For the most part, they beat the teams they were supposed to beat and lost to the teams they were supposed to lose to.  The Cavaliers went 0-5 against the teams that finished above them, and 9-2 against the rest.  A good part of their success was how they were able to play on the road.  They finished 4-4 in conference on the road, including a one-point win over N.C. State.  If there's a negative to the season, it's how they finished. Virginia was unable to knock off the Wolfpack for a second time in the ACC Tournament, and then had a very poor showing in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Florida by 26.

Part of the reason Virginia struggled when they did was because of attrition.  They suffered a number of injuries, suspensions and transfers.  James Johnson and K.T. Harrell decided in the middle of the season that they were going elsewhere.  Assane Sene was injured and then eventually suspended, a huge blow on the inside.  Joe Harris got hurt in the meat of the ACC schedule, and amazingly didn't miss any games, but was not nearly as effective.  Only four players were able to play in all 32 games.

Scott was definitely the leader on the floor.  He was my pick for ACC player of the year, and ended the season averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds per game.  He offered the team consistent production, only three times failing to score in double figures.  Harris was the second leading scorer, and before he got hurt was producing consistently as well.  Sammy Zeglinski was up and down, but seemed to find his shooting touch after a mid-season slump.

Biggest Win:

70-58 vs. Michigan (November 29)

This was the game that proved Virginia would be a force to be reckoned with nationally.  Michigan was a very solid team that tied for the Big Ten regular season title.  But they were outclassed by the Cavaliers in a rare offensive output.  Virginia likes to play in the 50s but broke out for 70 in this one.

Worst Loss:

47-45 vs. Virginia Tech (January 22)

This was the only head-scratching home loss the Cavaliers had.  You could chalk it up to being a rivalry game, but UVA looked very flat in this one.  Only managing 45 points at home against your rival is not going to get it done.  Fortunately for the Cavaliers, they were able to bounce back after this game to win their next three.

Postseason Play:

As I mentioned earlier, the postseason was a disappointment.  They entered the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament with a chance to knock N.C. State out of the NCAAs, but ran up against a hungrier team.  At this point in the season it seemed like Virginia was just out of gas.  They went into the NCAA Tournament as a 10 seed, an underdog against Florida.  But they really got hammered, with a very poor offensive output.  They seemed overmatched against the talented Gators and lost 71-45.

Next Year:

It will be very interesting to see where Virginia goes from here.  They definitely lose a lot of talent, with Scott exhausting his eligibility.  Sene and Zeglinski are also graduating.  The key returnees for next year will be Harris and point guard Jontel Evans, who will have to be leaders on the floor.  Evans in particular needs to work on his shot this summer.  He is a solid player but is not an offensive threat.  Coach Bennett does bring in four four-star recruits, and you can expect to see freshmen get a lot of playing time next year.  If he can get this team back to the NCAA Tournament next year without Scott, he deserves a raise.

2011-2012 Season in Review: N.C. State

24-13 overall, 9-7 ACC

What a difference a head coach makes.  Sidney Lowe was able to recruit some talented players to Raleigh, but he couldn't coach them into a cohesive unit.  Lowe leaves, veteran coach Mark Gottfried enters, and the team is reborn.  Nine wins in the ACC and a trip to the Sweet 16.  Things are definitely looking up at N.C. State.

There was not much in the start of the season to indicate success later on down the line.  The team got a decent win over a worse-than-normal Texas team at a neutral site.  They collapsed late in a home loss to Indiana, then followed that up with a loss at Stanford.  Then the Wolfpack went on a nice roll, helped by a stretch of easier games.  They won nine out of 10, including 3-0 on the road.  N.C. State was on the bubble pretty much the whole year, and many people thought it would come down to a tough four game stretch against Duke, FSU, UNC and Clemson.  After they lost all four of those games, things looked bleak. But they got a win over fellow bubble team Miami, blew out Virginia Tech on the road, and won two games in the ACC Tournament.  That earned them an NCAA berth.

All year long, the team was carried by its starting five.  All of them averaged double figures in points for the year.  The leader was C.J. Leslie, who has always had great talent but hasn't always played hard.  Leslie shot 52.5% from the field on the year, a very solid percentage.  Lorenzo Brown may have been the most valuable player for N.C. State.  He was the second leading scorer and got 6.3 assists per game.  He was a very solid point guard and floor leader.  Scott Wood was always good for a few threes per game, and Richard Howell and C.J. Williams were solid complementary players who could break out for 20 on occasion.

Biggest Win:

66-63 vs. Georgetown in the Round of 32 (March 18)

N.C. State was the 11 seed in their bracket, but looked like the better team against San Diego State.  Then they had to play Georgetown, a 3 seed that on paper looked like a significantly better team.  The Wolfpack didn't back down, though, and led most of a back-and-forth game.  This was a huge win for a program that hasn't had many in recent years.

Worst Loss:

82-71 vs. Georgia Tech (January 11)

This was just a head-scratcher.  The only loss in a stretch of 10 games for N.C. State, they basically laid an egg at home.  Georgia Tech was not a good offensive team that went off for 82 points.  This bad loss could have come back to haunt the Wolfpack if they hadn't made the tournament.

Postseason Play:

It was definitely a successful postseason for N.C. State.  Needing to do some damage in the ACC Tournament, they dispatched Boston College, then won a very close game against Virginia, 67-64.  But it was the semifinal loss to rival North Carolina that may have gotten more votes from the committee.  N.C. State played very tough in this bizarre game that saw Leslie foul out midway through the second half and a very questionable no-call on a late basket by Kendall Marshall.  Then it was off to the NCAA Tournament, where they took care of San Diego State and then got that big win over Georgetown.   They had a great shot in their Sweet 16 game against Kansas, building an early lead.  But they just couldn't make the plays in the final minute to win.

Next Year:

Many people are penciling in N.C. State as the favorite to win the league next year.  And there are certainly some good reasons why.  Leslie is coming back for his junior season.  Williams is the only starter who is a senior.  DeShawn Painter, the sixth man, is transferring to be closer to sick family members.  With Leslie and Brown as the leaders, this team will go far.  They are also bringing in a pretty stout recruiting class, with a five star guard named Rodney Purvis leading the way.  The only concern I have is post depth with Painter transferring.  But State certainly has the horses to finish in the top three of the ACC.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Miami

20-13 overall, 9-7 ACC

It was hard to expect what kind of year Miami would have.  They had plenty of talent returning, but bringing in a new coach always comes with questions.  To his credit, Jim Larranaga did a very solid job with what he was dealt.  He had to go through an injury to his best player, Reggie Johnson, that would keep him out of the first part of the season.  And eligibility issues with DeQuan Jones.  The non-conference was pretty non-descript.  Miami didn't have any marquee wins, with a few losses to teams that were better than they were.

The Hurricanes pulled it together once they got Johnson back and finished pretty well in conference play.  The highlight was definitely a win at Cameron Indoor over Duke in overtime.  That victory put Miami at least on the bubble for the rest of the season.  Part of the reason why they didn't end up making the NCAA Tournament was probably their struggles against another bubble team, N.C. State.  The Wolfpack beat them twice.  Miami also lost a key road game late against Maryland.  They did beat Florida State in addition to Duke, but in the end nine conference wins in the weak ACC was just not enough.

Scoring was a pretty good balance for Miami this year.  Kenny Kadji had a breakout year, ending up as the second-leading scorer.  He played a large role when Johnson was out.  Johnson probably could have ended up with better numbers than his 10.0 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game, but he spent some games in foul trouble.  Larranaga chose to give a lot of guys minutes, more than you see on most college teams.  Ten players averaged at least 11 minutes per game.  That will certainly help the younger players who were able to get some experience.

Biggest Win:
78-74 at Duke (February 5)

Miami surprised a lot of people by winning in Cameron Indoor, which in most years is a very tough place to win.  The Hurricanes did a nice job persevering in this one, losing a late lead in regulation only to come back in overtime and win.  Johnson was the best player for either team in this game, scoring a career-high 27 points and getting 12 rebounds.  This was part of a five game winning streak for Miami.

Worst Loss:
78-73 vs. N.C. State (January 22)

This game didn't really mean a lot at the time, but ended up being a big factor in the NCAA Tournament consideration.  N.C. State ended up in the tournament, and Miami out.  The Wolfpack looked like the better team in this game, really controlling the action.  They had a double digit lead for most of the game before Miami came back to make it a game.  This was one of only two conference home losses for the Canes (besides North Carolina).

Postseason Play:

Miami came into the ACC Tournament needing to do some damage if they wanted to make the NCAA Tournament.  It looked like they might not even make it out of the first round.  They really struggled in the first half against Georgia Tech, but went on a run to put them away, 54-36.  The quarterfinal game was against rival Florida State.  The Seminoles were on a mission that week, and beat Miami fairly easily, 82-71.  After missing out on an NCAA Tournament bid, Miami got into the NIT.  They hosted Valparaiso, and won easily, 66-50.  In the second round, though, Minnesota really it took it to the Hurricanes, winning in Coral Gables 78-60.

Next Year:

Miami loses some key players to graduation.  Malcolm Grant was the team's third leading scorer and led the team in made three pointers.  Jones had a limited role this past season.  They do return as much as any team in the ACC.  Johnson comes back for his senior season.  Leading scorer Durand Scott is back.  Emerging talent Shane Larkin should step into a starting role next year.  With Scott, Kadji, Johnson and Larkin, those are very solid pieces.  On talent alone, Miami should be better than half the teams in the conference.  If Coach Larranaga can get the most out of his players, they should be able to make the NCAA Tournament and could push for a top four finish in the ACC.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Clemson

16-15 overall, 8-8 ACC

I went into this past season with high hopes for Clemson.  They were coming off a year in which they finished strong and made the NCAA Tournament, even winning a game (albeit a play-in round game).  They were bringing most of their pieces back, and I liked Coach Brad Brownell.  Then the season started.  The Tigers faced some adversity out of the gates, with early season home losses to College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina and South Carolina.  The Tigers had a really poor showing out in Hawaii, losing to UTEP and Hawaii.  Expectations were not very high going into the ACC season.

To Clemson's credit, they were able to turn it around a bit.  They finished 8-8 in the league, which didn't seem possible in December.  A lot of that confidence probably came from their first league game, a 20 point home win over Florida State.  One thing Clemson had going for it was the weakness of the league.  They didn't have the most talent, but they had better players than several other teams in the league, who they ended up beating up on.  Five of their eight conference wins were against teams who finished nine through 12.  Clemson also benefited from only having to play Duke once and UNC once.

There really wasn't one dominant player for the Tigers.  Andre Young and Tanner Smith were the veterans, and they were the top two scorers.  Devin Booker turned in a nice year as expected.  Milton Jennings was a bit of a disappointment, and seemed to disappear at times.  Bryan Narcisse started 17 games but only scored 2.6 points per game.

Biggest Win:

79-59 vs. Florida State (January 7)

This was definitely a surprise at the time, and one that seemed to make both teams better.  Clemson played significantly better from this point of the season on.

Worst Loss:

59-57 at Boston College (January 12)

It's interesting that Clemson played its worst game of the year right after its best game.  They went up to Chestnut Hill and played horribly, botching numerous late game situations.  This game was not pretty to watch.  Some people thought BC wouldn't win an ACC game all year, but they were able to knock off Clemson.

Postseason Play:

It was a disappointing time in the ACC Tournament for Clemson.  They came in as the favorite against Virginia Tech but got outplayed and ultimately lost 68-63.  Clemson was the only favorite to go down on day 1.  They had an overall winning record but did not get an invite to the NIT.

Next Year:

I think next year is a big year for Coach Brownell.  He surprised many with a trip to the NCAA Tournament in his first year, but that was with Oliver Purnell's recruits.  In his second year the team took a step backward.  Clemson has big losses in the backcourt, with Smith and Young graduating.  They also lose Narcisse and Catalin Baciu, both seniors who played smaller roles.

The strength of the team next year will be the frontcourt.  Booker and Jennings return and should be solid presences.  I also like K.J. McDaniels, who averaged less than four points per game as a freshman but showed some flashes in a few games of great talent.  Where Clemson will really struggle is in the backcourt.  They are not left with anyone who has shown an ability to score on a consistent basis.  Three point shooting will be tough to come by.  If Rod Hall and T.J. Sapp can develop into offensive threats, Clemson has a chance to challenge for an NCAA bid.  Otherwise, I think it's a similar season to what we just saw.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Maryland

17-15 overall, 6-10 ACC

We're now moving out of the logjam for last place and up the ACC standings.  Maryland was team in transition this past year.  There was plenty of contention, with new coach Mark Turgeon calling out his players early in the season, and some issues with star Terrell Stoglin.  On the court, the Terps were understandably up and down.  They had to learn a whole new system and took a while to get up to speed.  The early season included blowout losses to Alabama and Iona, but wins over Notre Dame and Colorado.

In ACC play, for the most part Maryland beat the teams it should have beaten, and lost to the teams it should have lost to.  Of their six wins, five came at home.  They lost all six games against ranked conference opponents.  The whole team basically revolved around Stoglin.  He was the type of player who would do some pretty incredible things, and once he got hot he kept shooting.  That could be great, or it could get the team in trouble if he kept missing wild shots.  Stoglin led the conference in scoring at 21.6 points per game.

Behind him were mostly nice role players.  Sean Mosley was the only other player to average double figures.  Pe'Shon Howard was injured for much of the season and wasn't really able to build on his strong freshman campaign.  Alex Len had a lot of press, and played well at times, but should have been better than his 6.0 PPG average.  Another interesting player was Nick Faust.  He came in highly touted, but suffered some freshman growing pains in the first half of the season.  He came on in the latter part of the year, though.  His scoring average was 8.9 for the season, but jumped to 13.4 in the last nine games.

Biggest Win:

64-62 at Clemson (February 7)

The win over Notre Dame looked better at the end of the year, but the Irish were struggling early in the season when Maryland played them.  So I'm going to go with Maryland's lone road win, against a Clemson team that finished higher in the standings.  Maryland was actually ahead by a bigger margin and had to withstand a late comeback.  When you look at Maryland's road schedule, it's easy to see why they went 1-7.  The three teams in the league that they did not play on the road were Virginia Tech, Boston College and Wake Forest, three of the four worst teams in the conference.

Worst Loss:

63-61 at Georgia Tech (February 25)

This is really the only game that could qualify as a bad loss on Maryland's schedule.  Georgia Tech came in really struggling, losers of four in a row, and they did not have Glen Rice, Jr.  The final score looked better than it was, as Stoglin made a three pointer at the buzzer to cut it to two.

Postseason Play:

Maryland got a very good draw in their first round 8/9 game, playing a very weak #9 seed in Wake Forest.  They blew open a close game in the second half, and got a nice 82-60 win.  Unfortunately, they had to play #1 seed North Carolina and weren't able to keep up, falling 85-69.  Maryland had a winning record but was not selected to go to the NIT.

Next Year:

Up until a couple weeks ago, Maryland was being touted as one of the rising teams in the ACC with a potential top four conference finish.  That basically went out of the window with Stoglin's decision to go to the NBA.  He was forced to make that decision, as the university announced he would have been suspended for next season.  Whatever he did, it was bad enough to get kicked off the team.  That leaves Maryland without the heart and soul of their team.  The Terps will also be losing Mosley, who was the team's second leading scorer.  Mychal Parker, who only had 4.3 points per game, is transferring.

There is some good news: Maryland brings in a nice recruiting class, including Sam Cassell's son.  If Howard can stay healthy, he and Faust can form a strong backcourt tandem.  Len should be improved next season.  Maryland should be strong defensively, but without Stoglin will probably struggle to put points on the board.  I think that Turgeon is a good coach and he can potentially guide this team to a finish in the 5th or 6th range in the ACC.  But I feel like the Terps are one injury or transfer away from being right back where they were this past year.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Wake Forest

13-18 overall, 4-12 ACC

It was hard to get much worse than what happened to Wake two seasons ago.  Only one ACC win, and 14 losses in conference by double digits.  The good news is this past year was better - a little better.  Wake didn't have a disastrous non-conference season, getting a decent road win at Nebraska and beating Texas Tech at a neutral site.  They did lose their last non-conference game at home to Wofford, perhaps a sign of things to come.

After starting out conference play with a home win over Virginia Tech, the Deacs lost 9 of their next 10, with the lone win at doormat Boston College.  In fact, all four of Wake's conference wins came against the three teams that finished below them in the standings.  They went 1-7 on the road in conference, five of those losses by double digits.

Wake actually had two pretty decent players in C.J. Harris and Travis McKie.  Those two combined for nearly 33 points per game.  The problem was the lack of production behind them.  They had some tall guys who could block shots, but no one else who could provide consistent offense.  They also suffered from a lack of leadership, which was a problem in the previous season.  I have been a critic of Coach Jeff Bzdelik from the start, and he hasn't shown me that he can coach this team.  I'm not even really sure what kind of identity he has as a coach, what kind of system he runs.  And the early returns aren't looking good for next year either.

Biggest Win:

58-55 vs. Virginia Tech (January 7)

It's hard to find a win that Wake can really hang their hat on.  This is the best I could find.  Even though they finished below Wake in the standings, Virginia Tech was a better team, with better talent.  And Wake came out in this first conference game and outplayed them from the opening tip.  They got a clutch three from Harris in the last minute to win.  Interestingly, this is the only conference game Wake won by less than nine points.

Worst Loss:

76-40 vs. N.C. State (January 14)

After that Virginia Tech game, Wake played Maryland close on the road.  They came in probably feeling pretty good, but got absolutely destroyed at home against N.C. State.  This game was a sign that it was the same old Wake.  The Deacs shot 29% for the game, and 2-20 from three.

Postseason Play:

The postseason was short for Wake, and not pretty.  They played Maryland in one of the most mismatched 8/9 games you'll ever see, and lost, 82-60.  They were only down five at halftime, but Maryland blew them out in the second half and put an end to the Wake season.

Next Year:

Turn away now if you are a Wake Forest fan.  The good news is they don't lose much to graduation, with Nikita Mescheriakov and Ty Walker being the only players who played significant minutes.  The bad news is the attrition for the rest of the team.  Carson Desrosiers (4.8 PPG, 1.9 BPG) is transferring.  Tony Chennault (9 PPG) is transferring.  Anthony Fields (barely played) is transferring.  Why are so many players leaving?

Harris and McKie will be back, which is good.  But the only other returning player who had any kind of impact this past season is Chase Fischer, a 35% shooter.  Wake brings in a couple four star recruits, who will need to be good right away.  With so much attrition it's hard to imagine them being any better than they were this past year.  They will probably be fighting BC for the cellar, and it will be the final year for Bzdelik.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Virginia Tech

16-17 overall, 4-12 ACC

There is a benefit to waiting until a few weeks after the season to write up the reviews.  In Virginia Tech's case, a lot has happened over the past 10 days.  More on the coaching change later on.  First, a look back at last year.  Things were plugging on pretty nicely in the first half of the season.  At the start of the conference season, the Hokies were 11-3, with two wins over Oklahoma State and a strong performance in a loss against Syracuse.

Then the wheels fell off.  The Hokies looked like a completely different team in the conference season, losing 7 out of their next 8 games.  They spent many games playing very poorly in the first half, then coming back late to make it a game, only to lose in the last possession.  No ACC team had so many close games (most of them losses).  Virginia Tech lost by 3 at Wake, 2 at BC, 1 at Florida State, 5 at Duke (in overtime), and 2 at Clemson.  They went 1-7 on the road in conference, but you see that five of their seven losses could have easily gone the other way.

On the other side, look at their conference wins.  Road win at Virginia by 2, home wins over Clemson by 2, BC by 1 and Georgia Tech by 1.  So the record could also have been worse than 4-12.  The easiest thing to point to as a problem this past season was the lack of offense.  The Hokies were able to score 60 points in just seven of their 16 conference games.  Yes, there were injuries.  It especially hurt when Victor Davila missed time at the end of the season.  But the players they did have just couldn't produce offensively, and didn't have the confidence late in games to make big shots.

Biggest Win:

47-45 at Virginia (January 22)

Like I've said in previous recaps, the teams that finished in the bottom of the conference pretty much all beat up on each other.  This was the only game that Virginia Tech won against a team in the top half of the league, and the only conference road game they won.  Dorenzo Hudson came up with a big three pointer in the final minute that was the difference in an ugly game.

Worst Loss:

58-55 at Wake Forest (January 7)

The toughest loss as a fan was definitely the road loss at Florida State, where the Hokies blew a late lead.  But I think the most damaging loss to the team was this one.  This was the first conference game, and Virginia Tech was going in confident against a team that had only won one conference game the year before.  But they got off to a horrible start, down by double digits early, and that really set the tone for the rest of the season.  After a similarly uninspired performance at Boston College the next weekend, the rails were starting to come off.

Postseason Play:

Virginia Tech actually played some of its best basketball in the ACC Tournament.  They came in as an underdog against Clemson, but were able to knock them off in the first round, 68-63.  That five point win was their largest margin of victory since December 31.  They had to then go up against Duke in the quarterfinals.  It was a sloppily played game, but the Hokies hung in there, only to lose by four.

Next Year:

When Virginia Tech AD Jim Weaver decided to get rid of Coach Seth Greenberg, I said that I thought no matter who they hired the team would be terrible next year.  That was partly due to anticipated departures from the program.  Bringing in James Johnson does help plug that gap.  It looks like none of the current players will transfer out, and at this point one of the two commits has said he is still coming to Tech.

The Hokies lose Dorenzo Hudson and Victor Davila, who combined to score about 18 points per game.  They should have better talent next year, with big keys being Dorian Finney-Smith and Cadarian Raines.  Finney-Smith has a ton of potential, but never seemed to get into the groove offensively.  Raines only averaged 5.9 points per game, but that average jumped to 11 points per game in the last seven.  He could be an emerging force down low.

If they can convince Montrezl Harrell to keep his commitment to Tech, the team would have the talent to push for an NCAA bid.  However, none of us really knows what James Johnson will bring to the table as a coach, what his system will be, and how the players will respond.  The Hokies will be one of the biggest wild cards in the conference next year.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Georgia Tech

11-20 overall, 4-12 ACC

The jury's still out on Brian Gregory as head coach at Georgia Tech.  He came into his first year with a pretty bare cupboard.  This team had as little talent as any in the ACC (besides Boston College), and played like it.  They really struggled to form any kind of consistency or momentum.  At times their offense was absolutely horrible.  Four times they failed to score 50 points.  Their best player was Glen Rice, Jr., who averaged 13 points per game.  The only problem was, he was injured, suspended and then kicked off the team.  That left no players who averaged double figures for the year.

One of the problems Georgia Tech had was not really having a home.  Alexander Memorial Coliseum was closed for renovations, so they had to play most of their games in Philips Arena.  It's hard enough playing in an NBA arena, but when they draw as small crowds as Georgia Tech draws, there is no home court advantage.  Hence the Yellow Jackets only went 3-5 at home.

Biggest Win:

82-71 at N.C. State (January 11)

This was a bit of a head-scratcher, and the only win Georgia Tech had against a team in the top half of the league.  N.C. State certainly wasn't at their peak, but there was nothing in the season so far to suggest they would lose by double digits at home to Georgia Tech.  This was a rare offensive explosion for the Yellow Jackets.  In fact, there were only three other ACC games in which they scored in the 70s or 80s, and all of those were losses.

Worst Loss:

56-37 vs. Clemson (February 21)

Losing to Clemson at home isn't terrible.  But losing by 19 points, and only scoring 37 is pretty bad.  Take a look at the shooting percentages for Georgia Tech in this game: 31% from the field, 18% from 3, and 36% from the line.  Two of their starters didn't score a single point.  Yikes.

Postseason Play:

There wasn't much of a postseason for Georgia Tech.  They took on Miami in the first round of the ACC Tournament, and managed an even worse offensive performance than that Clemson game.  The Yellow Jackets were leading at halftime but were outscored 35-16 in the second half in a 54-36 loss.  As a team the Yellow Jackets shot 32% in this one.

Next Year:

The departure of Rice certainly leaves a big hole for the Yellow Jackets offensively.  The good news is they don't lose a whole lot else.  Mfon Udofia is the returning player with the best numbers.  But I think Kammeon Holsey is due for a big year.  He had some games in which he looked really good down low.  Gregory is bringing in a pretty decent recruiting class, headlined by a forward named Robert Carter.  If he can find someone who can pick up the slack offensively Georgia Tech has the potential to be an NIT caliber team.  I'm not willing to go any higher than that with the team pretty much being the same as it was this past season.

2011-2012 Season in Review: Boston College

9-22 Overall, 4-12 ACC

It's time to take a look back at the season for all of the ACC teams, now that we've had some time to digest what happened and track any departures from programs.  I'm going to start at the bottom of the standings and work up.

It's hard to imagine a fan base being optimistic about a last place finish in the ACC.  But about a month into the season, things looked very bleak for Boston College.  Like they might not win an ACC game bleak.  We were coming off a year in which Wake Forest won only one ACC game, and on paper BC looked worse than that.  But they managed to work through a very young lineup to win four games in conference.  Now a lot of that has to do with the fact that the bottom of the conference was very weak, and those teams beat up on each other.

BC was a decent home team, going 4-4 in conference.  Where they really struggled was on the road, not winning a game.  They weren't blown out in all their games, though: they lost by 1 at Virginia Tech and by 4 at Georgia Tech.  I was at the game they lost in Blacksburg and actually thought the Eagles played pretty well.

The main problem BC had was just the lack of experience.  They didn't have anyone they could really count on to produce on a regular basis.  Their team was made up almost exclusively of freshmen.  As a result, there was a lot of sharing the wealth.  Five players averaged between 8 and 11 points per game.

Biggest Win:

64-60 vs. Florida State (February 8)

This is an easy one.  This game was probably the most surprising result of the year in the ACC.  Florida State came into this game winners of seven in a row, including three against ranked teams.  Boston College came in losers of six in a row.  It was a 23-3 run in the second half that proved the difference.  This is the only game Boston College won against a team from the top half of the league.

Worst Loss:

78-72 vs. Rhode Island (January 2)

It's hard to pick the worst loss for BC, but I decided to go with a home loss in double overtime to a team that went 7-24 and won four games in the Atlantic 10.  The Eagles really struggled in the early part of the season, with a number of bad losses to teams they had no business losing to.

Postseason Play:

The postseason was very brief for BC.  They went into the ACC Tournament with the worst seed, had to play a motivated N.C. State team, and lost easily, 78-57.  The players were probably just relieved to have the season over.

Next Year:

So after a 9-22 finish, is there room for optimism in Chestnut Hill?  I can offer a definitive maybe.  At times, sure, the Eagles looked absolutely awful.  But they also managed to put together some solid games, and at times looked better than their record.  They don't have a lot of talent, but at least the players they have will have another year under their belts.  They do suffer a pretty big loss, with Matt Humprey deciding to transfer.  He was the team's second leading scorer. Gabe Moton is also leaving the team, although he only averaged about two points per game.  The recruiting class they are bringing in is not overwhelming.  I do like Steve Donahue as a coach, and I hope the athletic department at BC is patient.  Because next year it will be a real accomplishment if they don't finish with a losing record.

Offseason News

Another season is over.  Congrats to Kentucky, which grew to be one of the most dominant teams we've seen in recent years.  The Wildcats never really looked close to losing a game in the Tournament.  Of course Kentucky will look completely different next year.  At this point of the year, there are two main topics: coaches changing jobs and players leaving early.

After two years where we saw a total of seven new ACC coaches, this year has brought stability (so far).  No ACC coaches have been fired.  That should bode well for the conference next year.

What does hurt the quality of play in the conference, however, is players leaving school early.  The deadline to enter the NBA Draft is moved up starting this year.  So players have until April 29th to make up their minds.  So far there hasn't been much attrition besides on Tobacco Road.  At North Carolina Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall are all leaving school early.  Barnes and Henson I can completely understand.  I'm not sure there's great NBA potential with Marshall.  I can understand him wanting to go pro with his buddies, but I think Marshall could definitely benefit from another year in college working on his shot.

The other big name to announce he's jumping ship is Austin Rivers at Duke.  That's not a big surprise at all.  He will make an impact in the NBA.

More updates on that as they come in.  I will also have season recaps for each of the teams when I get back from vacation.

It's All Over

The season is now over for all of the ACC teams, with North Carolina going down to Kansas on Sunday.  It's hard to fault the Tar Heels much for their performance against the Jayhawks.  The first half was a riveting offensive display, with both teams making play after play.  James Michael McAdoo in particular was a standout.  But you felt like Carolina was just hanging on at times, and that showed up in the last few minutes of the game, when Kansas seized control.  The Tar Heels could not make plays down the stretch, and saw their season come to a close.

Injuries were certainly a big factor.  Besides Kendall Marshall, it was pretty obvious that John Henson was not at 100%.  This team just did not have any depth at guard.  As much as people give credit to Stilman White for stepping in and playing well, he is not an offensive threat, so it's basically 4 on 5 when he's in there.

North Carolina was certainly a favorite to win the national title coming into the year.  With the emergence of Kentucky, before the injuries they were not as much of a favorite.  But you'd have to think anything less than a title is being treated as a disappointment.  It will be interesting to see now who decides to leave and go pro, and who decides to stay in school.

NCAA Tournament Update

We're down to one team left from the ACC in the final 8 of the NCAA Tournament.  Let's start with N.C. State, which had a valiant effort against Kansas but just couldn't get it done in the last minute.  A common theme throughout the Sweet 16 games was the inability of the underdog to score inside.  That plagued Wisconsin, Ohio and N.C. State, and left those teams trying to make a lot of threes to stay in it.  The Wolfpack looked down and out, but managed to scrape back in it in the last few minutes.  It was the inability to execute down the stretch, though, that doomed them.

Down by one, Scott Wood took a quick three that missed, and then C.J. Leslie rushed a drive to the basket.  N.C. State had plenty of time, but seemed a little scattered on that possession.  Believe it or not, they had a good chance still even down by 3 with 2.9 seconds left.  If Richard Howell had been able to see Wood and recognize that he was wide open for the tying three, he should have passed it to Wood instead of throwing up a heave that was not even close.  Still, you have to applaud Mark Gottfried for what he did this year.  Going from a borderline NIT quality team for 5 years to winning two games in the NCAA Tournament is a big jump.

Alright, now let's turn to North Carolina.  Anyone who has the Tar Heels winning it all in their bracket has to feel a little nervous.  The Heels didn't look like nearly the same team they did against Creighton without Kendall Marshall.  They looked lost at times on offense, and even though Stillman White didn't have any turnovers, he was invisible.  Carolina was very close to losing this game.

Paging Harrison Barnes!  Where are you?  Barnes is supposed to be a potential top draft pick in the NBA, and carry the offensive load with Marshall out.  Instead, he went 3-16 and scored 12 points (4 of those at the line).  Barnes has got to step it up if the Tar Heels want to beat Kansas.  The Jayhawks didn't exactly play the best against N.C. State, but they have much more talent than Ohio.  Ohio shot 32% and got out-rebounded by 30 and still got to overtime against the Heels.  That being said, North Carolina still has enough talent to beat Kansas, even without Marshall.  But the other players must play better than they did on Friday to make it to the Final Four.

Finally, a note about Wake Forest.  In the early part of 2009, Wake was the #1 ranked team in the country.  Just three years later, they are a complete mess. Wake has gone through an 8 win and a 13 win season the last two years.  And now, in the last couple days, three players announced they were leaving the program.  That includes two starters: Tony Chennault and Carson Desrosiers.  Chennault was the team's third leading scorer.  Desrosiers was a much needed big man who blocked 1.9 shots per game.  Maybe Jeff Bzdelik knows what he's doing.  But a bad team can't afford to have players leaving left and right.  It could get very ugly very soon in Winston-Salem.

NCAA Tournament Thoughts

The second week of March Madness is almost here, and two ACC teams are left standing.  A month ago no one would have guessed that one of those two would be N.C. State.  The Wolfpack have put together a nice run in the last couple weeks.  The issue in previous years has not been talent: they have had a lot of solid players.  But now paired with a solid coach they are achieving.  State did get a pretty favorable draw.  As an 11 seed, they played probably the weakest 6 seed in the field in San Diego State.  And then they played a solid team in Georgetown, but one that has been prone to early exits from the tournament.

Friday N.C. State will take on Kansas, which will certainly be a tough matchup.  State fans have to be upset that Purdue couldn't finish off the Jayhawks.  Purdue would have been a much better matchup.  The key for the Wolfpack is finding a way to defend Thomas Robinson without picking up a lot of fouls.  They cannot have C.J. Leslie or Richard Howell on the bench for extended periods of time and hope to win.

On the other side of the Midwest bracket is North Carolina.  No team has had more discussion around it in the last few days than the Tar Heels.  Kendall Marshall hurt his right wrist in the game against Creighton, although nobody saw it during the game.  What happens with Marshall will certainly have a big impact on how far Carolina can go.  At times they looked like the best team in the country against the Tar Heels.  But they just don't have any depth at the point guard position.  Stillman White playing 35 minutes will not lead to success, even with the frontcourt tandem that they have.  Now, I do think even if Marshall cannot play against Ohio they should be able to beat the Bobcats without much problem.  But if the Elite 8 matchup is North Carolina against Kansas, Tar Heel fans better hope Kendall is as healthy as possible.

One last word about Florida State: the Seminoles have to be disappointed about what took place last weekend.  It's only natural to compare this season to last season.  So after a great run in the ACC and ACC Tournament, fans were expecting at least a Sweet 16 run.  But the Seminoles never really got into their groove in the NCAAs.  They looked underwhelming against St. Bonaventure, a team they should have beaten by double digits.  And they had more talent than Cincinnati.  (Full disclosure: I didn't get to see much of the FSU/Cincy game, it started way too late for a Sunday night.  And the Sweet 16 games are getting later and later.  The late games might not tip off until 10:30 or so.)

You wonder if FSU has hit its peak.  Many of their key players are seniors, and there is talk that Leonard Hamilton may bolt for Illinois.  Expect them to at least take one step down next year.

NCAA Tournament Preview: Second Round


It was a tough day for the ACC in a very wacky Friday in the NCAA Tournament.  Of course, the headliner was Duke's loss to Lehigh, one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament.  Something just hasn't looked right with the Blue Devils in the last three weeks or so (even before they lost Ryan Kelly), and they ran up against a team with a lot of confidence.  Austin Rivers and Seth Curry did not play well in this game, and that's a recipe for disaster.


The ACC's other victim was Virginia, which picked a bad time to turn in its worst performance of the year.  They were in the game early because Florida kept taking and missing 3s.  But the second half was a complete beatdown.  Florida State almost suffered the same fate as Duke, but survived a serious scare from St. Bonaventure.  The Bonnies were leading almost the entire game, but as they've done all season, Florida State came through with big plays at the end of a game.


N.C. State looked like a team that deserved to be in the tournament with their performance against San Diego State.  Richard Howell played his best game of the year, and the Wolfpack methodically grew their lead in the second half.  They looked like the better team.  Their rival North Carolina didn't look all that sharp but still won fairly easily against Vermont.  John Henson sat this one out.


Here's the schedule of Sunday games for the ACC teams:


#3 Georgetown vs. #11 N.C. State (12:15 p.m.)


Many people (including myself) picked Georgetown as an upset victim to Belmont in the first round.  The Hoyas dismissed that notion, scoring a pretty easy win.  Georgetown will be a tough matchup for N.C. State.  They are a disciplined team and very tough defensively.  If the Wolfpack can get more out of Scott Wood than they did in their last game, they have a good shot.


#1 North Carolina vs. #8 Creighton (5:15 p.m.)


The buzz in this game is the matchup between former high school teammates Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott.  Both of these teams love to get out and run, and will put 80 on you in a hurry.  Creighton has the shooters to stay with North Carolina, but I have to believe that the length of the Heels will wear them down.  If the refs are calling the game tight, you could see a lot of foul trouble for the Blue Jays and an easy Tar Heel win.


#3 Florida State vs. #6 Cincinnati (9:40 p.m.)


This might be the best matchup on Sunday.  Cincinnati had a very bizarre game against Texas, in which they held the Longhorns to 17 points in the first half but had to hold off a huge comeback.  The Bearcats have shown the ability to knock off good teams, most recently in the Big East Tournament against Syracuse.  If Florida State wants to win this one, they have to play better defensively than they did against St. Bonaventure.

NCAA Tournament Preview: First Round

First off, yes I know that technically it's called the second round.  But I will continue to call the games on Tuesday and Wednesday the play-in round, and Thursday and Friday's games the first round.  I think most people are with me.  Interestingly enough, all five ACC teams in the field are playing on Friday.  So keep your clickers handy.  Here are the matchups:

#6 San Diego State vs. #11 N.C. State (12:40 p.m.)

A lot of people are favoring the Wolfpack in this matchup.  San Diego State wasn't expected to do much this year, coming off a year in which they had a #2 seed and got to the Sweet 16.  They lost their main players from last year's team to graduation.  But Steve Fisher is a terrific coach, and was able to get this team to overachieve.  They did slide a little bit towards the end of the season, but still ended up with a very nice 26-7 record.  N.C. State may be peaking at the end of the season, and comes in with a lot of confidence.  Interestingly, in the 9 categories that CBS Sports features in this matchup, San Diego State only ranks better in one category (rebounding).

#7 Florida vs. #10 Virginia (2:10 p.m.)

The Cavaliers stumbled a bit at the end of the season, but have a chance at a fresh start here.  They have a tough matchup against a Florida team that at one point was ranked in the Top 10.  Florida is a high scoring offense and heavily reliant on the 3.  They average 76 points per game, compared to Virginia's 63 points per game.  That being said, if the Cavaliers can shut down the outside shooting, they can turn this into the type of game that they want.  If I were Florida I would double Mike Scott in the low post and force either Sammy Zeglinski or Joe Harris to beat them.

#3 Florida State vs. #14 St. Bonaventure (2:45 p.m.)

Florida State is a trendy pick to make the Final Four, especially since Syracuse has one of its best players (Fab Melo) out for the rest of the season.  First they will have to deal with St. Bonaventure, which is coming off a surprising Atlantic 10 Tournament title.  The Bonnies have really come from the depths of a program coming off sanctions to respectability.  That is thanks in large part to Andrew Nicholson, who is projected to end up in the NBA.  Shut him down, and Florida State has the length to do it, and you can beat them.

#1 North Carolina vs. #16 Lamar/Vermont (4:10 p.m.)

The Tar Heels await the result of Wednesday night's play-in game to find out who they will face.  One possibility is Lamar, a team coached by Bob Knight's son Pat.  They are most noticeable for a rant that Knight had earlier this year, ripping his seniors.  Vermont is a more recognizable program, but are not nearly what they were under Tom Brennan.  North Carolina should be able to sit John Henson if they want to and still win this game by 30 points.

#2 Duke vs. #15 Lehigh (7:15 p.m.)

Duke will look to get off to a good start with an easy win in their first game.  They will take on Lehigh, a team out of the Patriot League with a solid 26-7 record.  Lehigh went 11-3 in conference, and played Michigan State to a 9 point game early in the season.  I don't expect Duke to struggle with them, but they certainly want Ryan Kelly to be healthy for them to be able to make a run in the tournament.

News and Notes

First off, I've got to hand it to Florida State.  I think they took a big step forward as a program this week, knocking off both Duke and North Carolina on their way to an ACC Tournament title.  The Seminoles have major momentum going into the NCAA Tournament.  And they have the formula to beating Carolina.  Beating the Tar Heels twice is pretty impressive.

The other big news from Selection Sunday, of course, is who got in and who didn't.  Between the NCAA and the NIT, only six of the twelve teams in the ACC will be continuing their season.  N.C. State fans were on pins and needles as they were the last team revealed in the bracket.  You have to wonder if Miami didn't have eligibility issues with Durand Scott, if they would have made it into the NCAA field.  My inclination is no.  But regardless, they will be in the NIT.  Here are the postseason matchups:

NCAA:

#1 North Carolina vs. #16 Lamar/Vermont (Friday)
#2 Duke vs. #15 Lehigh (Friday)
#3 Florida State vs. #14 St. Bonaventure (Friday)
#10 Virginia vs. #7 Florida (Friday)
#11 N.C. State vs. #6 San Diego State (Friday)

NIT:

#7 Valparaiso at #2 Miami (Wednesday)

I'll be back with a preview of these games later this week.

ACC Tournament Preview: Final


You can't ask for much more from a semifinal Saturday than what we got in the ACC.  Two games that came down to the final buzzer.  N.C. State fans will probably still be grumpy today after a controversial ending to yesterday's game against Carolina.  Kendall Marshall's basket that put the Heels ahead could have come with a charge call, but the refs let it go.  In my opinion, the refs had to call something.  With that much contact, you have to blow the whistle and make a call one way or the other.  Anyway, the Heels move on and the Wolfpack sit and wait to see if they are in the NCAA Tournament.  This reminds me of what happened to Virginia Tech a few years ago, when they lost to Tyler Hansbrough and the Heels at the buzzer and then were left out of the Big Dance.


The other semifinal was an interesting game between Duke and Florida State.  There aren't many games in the ACC Tournament that I can remember where it felt like Duke was the underdog, like this one.  Florida State seemed to be in control for much of the game, but Duke still had a chance.  Austin Rivers took a very ill-advised shot at the end and Florida State survived what is one of the worst inbounds passes I've ever seen.


#1 North Carolina vs. #3 Florida State (1:00 p.m.)


That sets up a great matchup for the ACC Tournament finals.  Everyone knows what happened the first time these two teams played.  And whatever happens today, I can say with certainty that Florida State will not win by 33 points again.  This stat baffles my mind: since 1997, there has only been one season where North Carolina or Duke didn't win the ACC Tournament.  That was Maryland in 2004.  That means out of the 12 teams in the league, the same two schools have won 14 out of 15 titles (Duke has 10, North Carolina 4).  No other conference has even close to the same dominance by two schools.


It's been mentioned a few times on the broadcast this week, but Florida State has to feel like, if there's any year that they have a chance of winning an ACC Tournament title, this is it.  They have a balanced offense to go with their suffocating defense.  And they've already beaten Carolina.  Plus John Henson may not play.  However, even without John Henson, Carolina clearly has more talent.  Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and Kendall Marshall are all better than the best player on Florida State.  And you have to think Roy Williams has hammered home how embarrassing that loss was in Tallahassee.  I think the better talent shines through and the Tar Heels cut down the nets.
Pick: North Carolina