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Raycom ACC Power Poll Ballot–01/26/10

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Here we are at the poll again where we place them, but they do not seem to like to stay in one spot unless you are Duke. After the Blue Devils, the ACC is wide-open.

David Tucker over at the Maryland Raycom Blog has been compiling a poll of the ACC blogs for an ACC Basketball Power Poll, and here’s my ballot with semi-insightful commentary.

ACC Power Poll Ballot With Commentary

1. Duke Blue Devils

The evolution of the Blue Devils in a year came full-circle as at the site of their most embarrassing loss last season–they turned the tables on Clemson and held them under 50 points! The Devils defense never let up on the Tigers and they were able to put up 60 on an effective Clemson D. I think they have turned the corner on their struggles as the NC State loss looks more the exception rather than the rule. The Devils face another tough ACC opponent in FSU, but it’s at home so I expect a win there going into a tough out-of-conference game at Georgetown later in the week.

2. Maryland Terrapins

Maryland’s lone blemish this month was an overtime loss at Wake Forest where they played excellent in my opinion and they are on a roll. The Terps have two more games left in this month of goodwill to Maryland with Miami at home and Clemson on the road Sunday–if Maryland sweeps those games, they are a legitimate contender for the ACC.

3. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

The double digit wins over North Carolina on the road and over the previously undefeated Cavaliers of Virginia were impressive this week–no doubt about it. The Deacs are one of a few teams in the ACC that really has any forward momentum and they only have the one tough road game at Georgia Tech this weekend.

4. Florida State Seminoles

FSU made the most of the light week on games as they defeated the visiting Jackets 68-66. The ‘Noles continue to have an array of different scorers that step-up with forward Chris Singleton being the man this week with his 23 points. Seminoles are on the road all week as they make their way up the East Coast with a game at Duke on Wednesday then onto Boston College on Saturday where a split is really needed to stay up at the top(though I’m not sure anyone will pull away regardless).

5. Virginia Cavaliers

The ‘Hoos go back to the drawing board after a 12 point loss at Wake Forest that seemed like even more than that. Virginia scored 15 in the first half–a number that only Clemson could aspire to on the road in the ACC. When the second highest scorer of the starters is at 6 points for the entire game–not a good sign as Landesberg was the only one with an impact of the starters. A win at Wake would have been more of a cherry on top of a mid-portion of the season for the ‘Hoos as the real prize would be a home win over the Hokies–and to step even farther out of the box, a win over UNC on the road? I’m not sure either will happen, but they are certainly possible.

6. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech, so close, they were to being up near the top portion of the conference with oh-so-many shots at getting an important ACC road win, but they could not pull it off. The Jackets are uber-talented, but the road wins might just be out of their capability–though they are close to breaking out. Protecting the home court is key for the Yellow Jackets to stay in the Big Dance and improve seeding with Wake Forest coming to town Thursday.

7. Clemson Tigers

47 points. At home. If that number looks familiar, Clemson held Duke to 47 in last year’s game at Littlejohn, but they were on the ugly side this time on Saturday. A Clemson team with a healthy Stitt is a lot better than the team that played Duke Saturday, but he and Booker need a lot more participation on the offensive end. The Tigers had six players that played at least one minute in the game and scored zero points including starting forward Jerai Grant. Other players that played significant minutes did not add much more as Tanner Smith(starter) knocked in two points and Devin Booker had one. It was a total offensive abomination by the Tigers and that does not bode well going into two tough games this week with the rematch with Boston College at BC without Stitt as he is injured and at home versus the hot Terps.

8. Virginia Tech Hokies

Virginia Tech just keeps squeaking by as they pulled out a tough home win against BC with a late Hudson layup. Hokies used a very short bench with all of their starters averaging over 30 minutes and Hudson/Delaney at 37+ in the 63-62 win. Two road games await the Hokies this week as they travel to Charlottesville to play the ‘Hoo on Thursday and then down to Miami on Sunday–a sweep could really flip the standings in the Hokies’ favors.

9. NC State Wolfpack

Said last week:

NC State has to be the best 11th team in any conference–heck, they could probably win the Pac-10 right now, but they need to start pulling off these ACC home games as they are now 1-3 and once again at the bottom of the standings.

So, Duke counts right? NC State was on fire as they were hitting the lost art of college basketball–the jump shot. Their dominance of Duke was shocking and they could really be on the right track. The trip to Maryland yielded a 24 point loss though as they continue their rise to the top which means an NCAA Tourney bid is still a bit of a long shot without more consistency.

10. North Carolina Tar Heels

Oh, hello there bubble, meet the 2009-10 North Carolina Tar Heels. They can’t really miss the tourney can they? Why not? With a trip to NC State coming up Tuesday, they lose there and they will be only 4 games above .500 and will have to go 7-4 down the stretch to even get to 8-8 for the ACC season(and that’s with the bulk of their remaining games being on the road). Heels are in trouble, but far from being out of it per se–they just have to find the right combination of players on the court and the style of play that fits them(which sounds a lot easier in theory, huh?).

11. Miami Hurricanes

The common short form acronym for Miami is MIA and that has taken a whole new meaning so far in the ACC as they stand at 1-4 in the ACC. First half against the Eagles was solid–they were up by 10, but they forgot to play defense in the second half and their guards let them down in the final minutes. The trip to Maryland could get ugly if they cannot get it together and that home game against Virginia Tech is huge on Sunday.

12. Boston College Eagles

The new and improved Eagles almost knocked off not one, but two ACC opponents on the road as they had an excellent second half at Miami for the win and could not convert on the final possession at Virginia Tech. The record is still ugly-looking, but the Eagles have three straight home games coming up with Clemson, Florida State, and Duke that could change their standing real quick if they are balling every game.

What’s up with Clemson/Georgia Tech? Are Maryland and Wake legit? Can the ‘Hoos stay up on top of the ACC standings with the Terps? Will FSU/VT/BC show out this week? UNC/Miami going to show this week? NC State going to pick up their home momentum? Lot’s of questions and would love to see your answers…

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Duke vs. Clemson Part Two: Revenge of the Tigers?

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

The unique aspect of college basketball as opposed to college football is that, in conference, redemption can usually be achieved in the same season rather than waiting an entire year.

Clemson hosts the Blue Devils who beat them 74-53 earlier this season up at Cameron Indoor Stadium and they get their shot at revenge on Saturday at 9 p.m. at Littlejohn Coliseum.

As we wrote about earlier this season with Duke having to overcome the 27 point margin from last year’s blowout in Littlejohn Coliseum, the Tigers have an uphill battle in this game as they struggled offensively and could not defend the Blue Devils attack. Duke’s pressure shut down any rhythm to the Clemson offense while they pulled away to a comfortable lead in both halves.

Here’s what I see happening in this installment of the budding rivalry:

1) Clemson Pressure Will Be More Effective Than Prior Matchup

Putting on defensive pressure at a home-court environment just works better than on the road. The foul calls are going to come more often on the road with the aggressive press style of defense that Clemson employs while usually at home it becomes more lenient. This was seen evidently last season as not only were the Blue Devils not well equipped to deal with the press, but Clemson was able use a home-court advantage too.

2) Duke Is Better Equipped to Deal With Press Than Last Time in Clemson

As we saw this season already, the Blue Devils have come a long way with their guards like Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer to deal with the pressure. Duke will not be near as flustered as last season, but there will be as many and probably more than the 15 turnovers that were given up at Cameron in their prior matchup.

3) Game Comes Down to Clemson Guard Demontez Stitt vs. Duke Guards Jon Scheyer/Nolan Smith

Stitt played hurt at Georgia Tech, but did so for 36 minutes and he almost led the Tigers to an ACC road win down the stretch against the Jackets. He is the one guard on Clemson that can effectively drive on the Devils and be able to open up holes in Duke’s pressure. The Tigers’ most important player will be Trevor Booker when it comes to the actual scoring, but Stitt has to be on his game to clinch a victory for the Tigers.

4) Result: Close Clemson Win

Duke has lost every true road game they have played so far, but they have received each team’s best shot–especially from NC State on Wednesday. Duke is the better team, but home environments, especially Clemson, are tough to come out of with a win on the road in the ACC. Clemson will put the pressure on Duke from when they get off the bus which will force missed shots and turnovers that the Tigers will convert on just enough to pull out this key home ACC victory.

Duke/Clemson should be an outstanding game–who do you think will win?

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Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus- Wow!

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

We are at the quarter pole and Virginia is undefeated and in 1st place in the ACC. Everyone who predicted that, raise your hand. Nobody in Charlottesville has their hand raised either! Great job by Tony Bennett and his staff- he has them playing hard-nosed defense and not looking at the bench when they make a mistake. They have a big test at Wake on Saturday- more on that later.

At least as surprising is a look at the bottom three- UNC,Miami, and Virginia Tech. We know about the talent drain at Carolina and the injuries and killer non-conference schedule, but 1-3?? Their guard play has been spotty but the most glaring weakness is their defense, last in the ACC, giving up 73 points per game. The defense can be improved but I’m not sure about the guard play and perimeter offense. At this point, Carolina is barely a bubble team with 3 of their next 4 on the road where they are 0-4. Miami has been the most disappointing team in the league to me. They got off to 16-1 start, built on a very easy schedule, but have hit the wall hard in league play. The loss to BC at home on Tuesday was one of the great head scratchers of the season so far. Miami was ahead by 16 in the second half to a team in disarray and still found a way to lose.3 of their next 4 are on the road as well where they are winless to date. Virginia Tech has only one win but have 5 of their next 8 at Cassell. Jeff Allen has to step up to get the Hokies rolling.

Can I show you to your seats? Congrats to Sidney Lowe and the red jacket for the Wolfpack’s win against Duke. I thought that Tracy Smith would struggle against taller front lines but he was terrific. It was also impressive to watch Javi Gonzalez pull out of his funk and play with confidence. I look forward to being at RBC next Tuesday when the Tar heels come to town!

Games this weekend- Virginia @ Wake- 4:00pm – This will be a tough test for the Cav’s. They must battle Wake’s size advantage on the boards. Mike Scott must be a man in the post- his production will be a key. Virginia’s point guards must also keep Ish Smith under control-no easy task. Smith is playing with a lot of confidence. This is clearly his team and he is the engine that drives Wake. Wake is really tough when freshmen C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart are making shots. If they are making 3’s, Virginia will be hard pressed to match Wake’s offense. The best matchup may be L.D. Williams against Sylven Landesberg.This game is all about tempo- Wake wants it in the 80’s, Virginia in the high 60’s.

Sunday- Noon- Georgia Tech @ Florida St. – Yes, Noon! Lots of coffee for the G-man!! This is a rematch of a game in December when FSU went to Tech and got a win. This will be a battle of two BIG teams that are very good defensively. The first game’s score was 66-59…in overtime!! Look for another low scoring game. Chris Singleton may be the best defender in the ACC. He’s in the top five in blocks and steals- a rare feat! FSU does not have a dominant scorer but are much more balanced. The big difference is a healthy Iman Shumpert for Tech. He missed the first game but is back and playing at a very high level- witness his 30 point effort in the win at Carolina. Tech has beaten 3 ranked teams in their last 4 games. They are playing as well as anyone in the conference. They will be looking for revenge on the road!

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Raycom ACC Power Poll Ballot–01/19/10

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Could we be seeing a breakaway at the top with Duke, Clemson, and…Virginia? This week’s ranking offers an odd placement of the Tar Heels and just a crazy early ACC picture here in January.

David Tucker over at the Maryland Raycom Blog has been compiling a poll of the ACC blogs for an ACC Basketball Power Poll, and here’s my ballot with semi-insightful commentary.

ACC Power Poll Ballot With Commentary

1. Duke Blue Devils

Duke put on impressive second half runs to cruise to victories over Boston College and Wake Forest at home this past week. The Blue Devils have two tough road tests coming up this week with a trip to Raleigh to face the Wolfpack and down to Clemson on Saturday where ESPN’s College Gameday is being held.

2. Clemson Tigers

The Tigers went 2-0 like Duke in ACC play by taking out BC at Littlejohn Coliseum and on the road at NC State. Clemson’s senior PG Demontez Stitt sprained his foot in the ‘Pack game and is not going to be 100% for Tuesday’s game with Georgia Tech on the road and we shall see how healthy he is for the big game against Duke Saturday. There are no easy weeks in the ACC, but Clemson has a real test with both games this week.

3. Virginia Cavaliers

Bracketologists have the ‘Hoos around a 12-13 seed right now even with them being undefeated in the ACC at 3-0 so far, but this is an ACC power poll and they are undefeated along with 3 top 25 wins along the way. Virginia deserves to be up in this place and they have another huge opportunity to prove their worth at Wake Forest on Saturday on Raycom at 4. (Monday’s 69-67 win over UNC-Wilmington did not figure into this ballot that was set Sunday, but it had me sweating having them this high for a second).

4. Maryland Terrapins

The Terps have slowly moved up my ballot with putting together a solid couple of weeks with a 2-1 early ACC record. Their wins over Florida State and Boston College were blowouts in both cases and the one loss was in overtime on the road at Wake Forest. Maryland has shown an ability to have a deep bench to go with the amount of experience they have in the starting lineup with Grievis Vasquez being the catalyst.

5. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

The Deacs split their games with a home win over the Terps, but falling to Duke by 20 at Cameron Indoor. The Demon Deacons’ Aminu led the scoring and rebounding in both games and he continues to lead the ACC overall in rebounding by a considerable margin. North Carolina is the next up for Wake on the road in Chapel Hill and then back home to face Virginia.

6. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Jackets could stay about here all year and they may go win one–drop the next all season long. The Yellow Jackets, needless to say, split their two ACC games with traveling to Virginia in a loss and taking down UNC 73-71 at the Dean Dome. Georgia Tech has five guys that average double figures in scoring with forward Gani Lawal being the leader of the pack. The Tigers come to the ATL Tuesday and they get their revenge bout with Florida State on Saturday to attempt to steal a victory from their gym like the Noles did in December.

7. Florida State Seminoles

As we are in the big, largely indistinguishable middle of the ACC, the Noles put up a couple of ugly home performances with one being a win over Virginia Tech 63-58 and the other being a loss to NC State to the tune of 88-81. FSU is loaded with talent and they can beat anybody in this conference, but they are still finding themselves with inconsistent play–they are dangerous though and only have Georgia Tech at home on Saturday for this week.

8. Virginia Tech Hokies

Hokies are a team missing a piece right now as they are getting adequate guard play, but the loss to Florida State put the spotlight on the post-play that was non-existent for Virginia Tech. And when we say post-play, that’s junior forward Jeff Allen who seemed to amass fouls every time he was on the floor. Hokies face BC at home in a game that should get them on the right track, but consistency from post-play could very well be something to watch all season.

9. North Carolina Tar Heels

UNC went down by large margins to Clemson and Georgia Tech this week–recovered to come back late, but ended up losing by a worse margin than half-time at Clemson and did almost come all the way back against Georgia Tech only to suffer the same late-game-situation fate as they did against College of Charleston. UNC at 9 looks ridiculous, I know, but can you really argue that they deserve so much better than the rest of these teams that are ranked ahead of them. Overall, after that top 3, a win here–a loss there can really take on a roller coaster ride and the extreme variations among the different ACC power polls out there are due to the different viewpoints on these teams. As I posted on my site this week, the Heels really should go down against Wake Forest on Wednesday extending their losing streak to 3 and that’s a product of the rest of the ACC be a little ahead of the curve right now on UNC.

10. Miami Hurricanes

Good news Canes, no more trips to Virginia this season are on the schedule. They were out-scored 156-123 on the road combined between Virginia Tech and Virginia. I don’t know if Miami was exposed as much as they just did not show on this road trip, but has put a damper on the momentum they gained from the Wake Forest win and they now have a lot to prove in the ACC. As for Virginia Tech, BC might be the cure to their ills down in Miami on Tuesday.

11. NC State Wolfpack

The Wolfpack had an up and down week as they slugged out a win with a great performance from Scott Wood to beat FSU on the road and nearly came all the way back from being down 21 to defeat Clemson at home–but fell short 73-70. NC State has to be the best 11th team in any conference–heck, they could probably win the Pac-10 right now, but they need to start pulling off these ACC home games as they are now 1-3 and once again at the bottom of the standings.

12. Boston College Eagles

They are 1-4 in January. Have not scored more than 60 points against a team not named “NJIT” in 2010. They hung around for a half against Duke with some lineup changes, but were eventually blown away. Against Maryland, the Eagles left no suspense as they were thoroughly dominated the entire game at home. When you look at the landscape of the ACC, you can point out that one guy that takes over a game for each ACC team–except for BC, and there lies your problem for the Eagles. When they struggle offensively against good teams, BC does not have that answer and this will continue without a player stepping up to take the lead on this team.

What’s up with UNC? Can the ‘Hoos stay up at the top? Would love your thoughts throughout the week here for the next ballot…

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Tale of Two Teams: Clemson and UNC

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Let’s do a little bit of a blind resume…

Team A

They looked slow. Gave up about as much turnovers as made field goals(turnovers: 25; field goals: 27). The other team was just superior from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

Team B

Hit about every 3 pointer they shot in the first half then grinded it out in the second half in the paint with superior forwards as they staved off a late run by the opposing team to even increase their lead.

Team A is the North Carolina Tar Heels? Yes. Team B is Clemson? True.

In this bizarre world that we have entered in the early ACC season, Clemson showed that they were not only better than North Carolina–but they are a lot better. Clemson’s forwards pushed around UNC’s. Clemson’s guards out-classed the Tar Heels’ guards from the perimeter and about every other aspect.

The most stunning part of the game was when Roy Williams had to sub-out his entire starting five to school them on how to deal with full-court press that Clemson employs. Among that group was two seniors and all five them were apart of last season’s national championship team. UNC’s best player in the game was put in at that point in freshman guard Dexter Strickland who lead the Heels in scoring and made 7 of his 8 shots in the game–got to think they can find a place for him in the starting five.

Playing in Littlejohn Coliseum with a team/fanbase hungry for a win over a traditionally elite ACC program is not a walk in the park–even with North Carolina on 100%, there’s a good chance they lose anyway. This game had 2009 Duke at Clemson written all over it just minutes into the game. North Carolina was more than ill-equipped to deal with the full-court press with 25 turnovers in the game and not all of them being due to great defense–some were just careless mistakes.

Clemson used the raucous environment, their strengths with defense and power in the paint, good luck with the perimeter shooting as everybody was hitting them, and UNC’s inability to string any momentum whatsoever together to the blowout. Clemson’s Trevor Booker was outstanding, but watch out for his brother, Devin too. He only played 11 minutes, but his presence was easily seen as he grabbed 3 rebounds and added a basket.

From here forward, the real struggle begins for Clemson as they have had big success like this before and did not capitalize on it. The absolute key to any run from this point on for the Tigers is senior point guard Demontez Stitt’s play and his 20 points against UNC is a positive sign as he controlled the game and kept Clemson going.

For UNC, not to go all Duke student newspaper on you, but lineup changes need to be made for there to be a change in results for the ACC schedule that will be unkind to this team on the road. All I’m saying is that Strickland guy is pretty good and deserves the spot. The Heels will get to 8 wins in conference on name alone, but every road game is going to be a battle–and from what we have seen so far with losses at College of Charleston and Clemson, this team has a ways to go(of course, it could just be a “lose in the state of South Carolina and to top 5 programs” thing and they will be just fine–you never know).

Clemson gets back in action against NC State on Raycom at 12 this Saturday while the Tar Heels face the up-and-down Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at 2 on Saturday also. Thoughts on the Heels and Tigers going into the rest of the ACC season?

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Of Heels & Hoos & That Thing Called “D”

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

A look back- It was interesting to talk to Roy Williams on Sunday about his team. You could hear the frustration in his voice in post game press conferences when he discussed their performance. He told me his frustration comes from his squad making the same mistakes over and over. He has had to do a lot more teaching with this group and they are having a tough time retaining information. He vows to keep working and teaching until the light comes on. They were impressive in the second half of their game against Virginia Tech. Larry Drew was solid at the point and he and Will Graves gave them good 3 point production. Ed Davis is a star and continues to solidify his position as first team All-ACC. Marcus Ginyard proved his worth as a lock down defender when he cooled off Malcolm Delaney in the second half. Delaney was spectacular in the first half, scoring 20 point, but he could manage only 6 after the half. Dorenzo Hudson had 14 but was only 7-22 from the field. Jeff Allen was disappointing, scoring only 4 points on 2-5 shooting. He has to produce more offense, especially against the upper echelon teams, for Tech to compete.

My first Raycom game turned out to be Tony Bennet’s first ACC win when Virginia traveled to Raleigh and beat the Wolfpack. It is going to take Bennet a while to change the culture at UVA and he is first working on getting his team tough-minded on defense. They were terrific in the second half, with Sylven Landesberg leading the way with 23 points. He has an incredible knack for scoring in the lane and getting to the line. Mike Scott is a big key. When he produces, it gives UVA a post presence and takes pressure off their perimeter. Sammy Zeglinski has proven to me he is a legitimate ACC guard, probably a little bit better off the ball as a scorer. This team will win some games this year that it shouldn’t because of Bennet’s abilities. The Boo’s were very evident as the Wolfpack fans were very disappointed in the final result…and then…

There’s no “D” in Seminole! NC St. goes to Tallahassee and beats the ‘Noles on Tuesday- scoring 88 points in the process! I have to wonder about FSU’s defensive numbers. In their last two games against ACC comp, both losses, they have given up 77 to Maryland and 88 to the Pack. They have an RPI of 60 but their strength of schedule is 219. FSU came into those two games allowing 59 points a game. Was that number built on weak competition? We will see how it holds up during the rest of conference play. Kudos to Scott Wood and his career high 31 points. The Pack hit 11 3’s and outscored FSU at the line by 4. What a turnaround from Saturday! It’s going to be a crazy year.

My next Raycom game is Saturday, back in Raleigh, when Clemson visits NC St. for a noon game. The Tiger’s have a HUGE game Wednesday at home against Carolina. It will be interesting to see if their press can get into UNC’s guards. They are always a little more active in their press at Littlejohn. The Pack should have some of their confidence restored after that big win vs. FSU. Javi Gonzalez and Farnold Degand will be a big key against Clemson’s pressure. Shooting the three, especially Wood and Dennis Horner, will also be a bonus.  The Tiger’s must create room for Booker to operate in the paint. Teams are really crowding him and forcing him more on the perimeter.

Then it is over to Durham for the Wake-Duke matchup on Sunday night! Should be a great matchup. Ish Smith is turning into one of the best clutch scorers in the league- Duke is going to have to deal with his speed and quickness. Best matchup- Kyle Singler vs. Al-Farouq Aminu! Can’t wait for the weekend!

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Raycom ACC Power Poll Ballot–01/12/10

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

The ACC went on a wild ride with UNC and Duke winning and losing, but still atop the ACC in my ballot with the rest of the teams not being able to pull into the lead.

David Tucker over at the Maryland Raycom Blog has been compiling a poll of the ACC blogs for an ACC Basketball Power Poll, and here’s my ballot with semi-insightful commentary.

ACC Power Poll Ballot With Commentary

1. Duke Blue Devils

Coming off the Clemson win, Duke traveled to Chicago and beat Iowa State thoroughly, but lost the game that really mattered this week at Georgia Tech as they stand at 1-1 in the ACC now. Blue Devils are still by far number one in the ACC at this point–they just did not show it Saturday against the Jackets.

2. North Carolina Tar Heels

The Tar Heels recovered from the shocking College of Charleston loss emphatically in the second half of their ACC win versus Virginia Tech. They would have been a few rungs down the power poll ladder if a few other teams could have taken care of business and still have a lot to prove starting this Wednesday at Clemson.

3. Miami Hurricanes

Miami bolstered their record to 15-1 and tournament resume with the home ACC win over Wake Forest. The Canes stepped up in the final minutes of the game as they took the lead late and defended it on the last possession of the game for the Demon Deacons. One more step to proving they belong in the top tier of the ACC could come against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Wednesday.

4. Florida State Seminoles

Florida State’s loss at Maryland on Sunday was due to hot shooting more than poor defense as they would fall 77-68. The Noles stepped up the effort on offense in the second half after trailing by 14, but could not cool down Terp guards Vasquez and Hayes.

5. Clemson Tigers

The Tigers got back on track this week after the Duke blowout with a convincing win over Boston College, but no let up on the ACC schedule as they face North Carolina this Wednesday. Clemson was able to feed their star Trevor Booker the ball and he rewarded them with leading in scoring over the Eagles. North Carolina coming into Littlejohn Coliseum is once again a statement game as Clemson should expect to win this game–the gap is not quite as far between these schools as it has been in years past.

6. Virginia Tech Hokies

Hokies were not able to ride the momentum of the good out of conference schedule into a win in Chapel Hill. Hokies jumped out to a lead in the first half, but could not sustain the run into the second half as Virginia Tech’s frontcourt was dominated by all of UNC’s talent in the paint. Hokies face the two Florida schools this week as they take on Miami at home and Florida State on the road.

7. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Jackets climbed out of the back end of the poll that awaited them after the 73-66 loss to Georgia with the 71-67 win over Duke on Saturday that kept them in the top 25 and on my radar for getting into the NCAAs. Georgia Tech’s defense stifled Duke’s stars in Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler while Jackets forward Gani Lawal dominated the paint to notch the big win over Duke. As I cautioned before the season, watch and see a few more Georgia Tech games before jumping on their bandwagon because I want to see their performance at UVA this week before heaping praise.

8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Wake Forest’s trip to Miami was a tough one as they led going into the final minute, but could not shut down the Canes attack even after forcing a miss as Miami would get the put-back to take the lead. Deacs point guard Ish Smith, who really impressed me all game long, put up a circus shot that did not go down and his teammates could not bail him out like the Canes did on the prior possession. No rest for the weary Deacs as they play the hot Terps coming off an important home win over Florida State Tuesday night at 8 on Raycom.

9. Maryland Terrapins

The Terrapins hit 10 three-pointers in the 77-68 win over Florida State with guards Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes combining for 8 of them. The guard duo hit several of their three-pointers when the Seminoles were attempting a come-back on the Terps. They leave home for a quick turnaround facing Wake Forest on Tuesday and then they play another game on Raycom at Boston College on Saturday.

10. Virginia Cavaliers

Virginia was the only ACC team to go on the road and win over the weekend which was an impressive step for a team that was universally regarded as the bottom team in the ACC just a couple weeks ago among the voters of this poll. Sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg continues to shine for the ‘Hoos at this point in the season and a home game against Georgia Tech on Wednesday could keep the momentum going for this young Cavaliers squad.

11. NC State Wolfpack

The hits just keep coming for the Wolfpack as one week you lose on a last second shot while the next ends in another defeat after having a ten point lead in the second half on Virginia. It’s not like they are not talented, but putting it all together for 40 minutes is the issue as the Wolfpack can put a scare into anybody in the ACC game in-game out, but right now, there is a gap between the tournament-ready teams and the ‘Pack in the ACC.

12. Boston College Eagles

BC’s woes continued at Clemson as they struggled offensively while Trevor Booker did work in the paint to aid the Tigers in pulling away. The Eagles lack of production offensively in the Clemson game came from a lack of a go-to-scorer and they often looked disjointed. BC’s guards have to step up for their road trip to Durham and the rest of the ACC schedule for the Eagles to stay competitive for postseason play.

Thanks for reading and would love to see your thoughts on ranking the ACC at this point. The ACC has a number of good teams, but they are struggling to distinguish themselves from each other.

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Tough Times for ACC Perennial Powers

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

It was the road trips I tell you.

First, North Carolina starts the week by traveling to Charleston of all places right before starting the season and unfortunately, down two key players–they lose 82-79 in overtime to College of Charleston.

Second, Duke goes on the road for a neutral site game in Chicago to play Iowa State just 3 days before an ACC road game at Georgia Tech–win in Chicago, but fall days later 71-67 in Atlanta in the game that really mattered of the two.

These teams will be fine as the season goes on–Duke more than UNC I believe–but the scheduling really hurt them in these games. We get on schools for not having hard enough schedules, but beef up the mid-December schedule–not the week of the start of important ACC games.

There is no way that UNC should be going into a road environment like the College of Charleston with a young team just a week before starting ACC play. Not much of a feather in the cap gained from a win–and the loss hurts your tournament resume. If the Cougars keep up the wins, the Tar Heels may survive it, but overall, it is poor timing for this kind of game.

Look, Duke has a nation-wide fanbase, much like UNC, and I get some of the neutral site games like they frequently have at Madison Square Garden, but a game in Chicago, 3 days before a road game against a tough Georgia Tech team–it spells disaster. For a team that is lacking in depth like Duke, they showed signs of fatigue as they only made 6 out of 28 three point shots while Georgia Tech forward Gani Lawal dominated down in the paint on the Blue Devils with 21 points and 9 rebounds.

Contrary to knee-jerks reactions across America, Duke is not overrated and will go on to cruise through much of the ACC schedule. The Tar Heels’ youth and lack of a consistent perimeter threat will plague them at certain places(like at Clemson next week where I have the Tigers taking it), but their overwhelming talent in the paint with Ed Davis and Deon Thompson will guide them to a solid season.

Just watch the scheduling a little closer, guys–could cost these kind of games that determine momentum going into the gauntlet that is the ACC.

Thanks for reading and a new Raycom ACC Power Poll will be coming up soon after the conclusion of the weekend’s games.

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ONE BUSY WEEK…IT MUST BE JANUARY

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

A Look Back- Last week was very hectic but enjoyable. Duke/Long Beach St.on Tuesday- It was great to catch up with Dan Monson, head coach at LBS. I met him a number of years ago when he was at Gonzaga and my Duke teammate,Bob Bender ‘was at Washington. Monson has challenged his team this year with the 3rd strongest schedule in America, playing the likes of Duke, Kentucky,West Virginia, Notre Dame,UCLA,Clemson and Texas.They were competitive in most of those game and should do well in the Big West.Duke hit a ton of threes and have been very impressive on the offensive end most nights this year.Kyle Singler is adjusting to his new role on the perimeter and the backcourt of Scheyer and Smith have proved hard to stop.

New Year’s in Greensboro- It was fun to work the NC St./UNC-G game and visit the Coliseum. The vibe is completely different from the ACC tournament but they have done a great job configuring the inside to meet UNC-G’s needs.By curtaining off the upper deck, it becomes a much more intimate atmosphere. Kudo’s to Dick Stewart and the people around the program for making that move a reality. They,too, have a very demanding schedule, playing 6 ACC schools. Mike Dement is going to have to make sure his team is mentally ok heading into Southern Conference play as they got drilled in most of their non-conference games.

Georgia Tech @ Charlotte on Saturday- this was the first time I have called a game at Halton Arena. What a great atmosphere! SID Tom Whitestone and his staff do a fantastic job with their game presentation. If you have never been to a game there, you should definitely check it out! Took my son Noah to practice the day before and Bobby Lutz could not have been more gracious. I really like him as a person and a coach and hope he stays long term. The 49ers almost pulled off the upset as Derrio Green was spectacular. The A-10 is a very strong,deep league this year and conference play should be challenging.Tech is one of the most physical teams I’ve seen. Favors,Lawal and Peacock are a very formidable trio in the paint. Can’t wait to see the Duke game @ Tech this Saturday-should be a war!!

Back to Cameron- My week ended back at Duke on Sunday when they beat the Clemson Tigers. The game was flat out ugly in the first half but both teams settled down in the second half. The big three of Singler,Scheyer and Smith carried the day- they are the only trio from one team all in the top 10 in scoring! It was neat as Duke honored the 1960 ACC Championship team- Duke’s first title! That was Vic Bubas’ first year at Duke after being an assistant to Everett Case at State. Bubas went on to be one of the great coaches in the ACC over his 10 years at Duke, winning 76% of his games and going to 3 Final Fours.

A Look Ahead- I do my first work for Raycom this year when I call the Virginia/NC St. game in Raleigh at noon this Saturday. Virginia has the league’s only new coach in Tony Bennett.Bennett was a teammate of mine when I was at the end of my career with the Hornets. Tony was one of those guys who was born to coach, following in the footsteps of his dad, Dick.Tony did a terrific job at Washington St. His teams were always known for their deliberate offense and stingy defense. He has brought that same style to Charlottesville. His team is scoring 70 a game but only yielding 59 points per game on 42% shooting. Sylven Landesberg has picked up where he left off last year, averaging 16 a game and showing a great knack for going to the FT line. He will be a tough matchup.Sammy Zeglinski has been a surprise, averaging in double figures and proving to be a reliable threat from 3. The Wolfpack must recover from a devasting loss to Florida on Sunday by a 75 foot bomb at the end of OT. That is the type of loss that can take a team’s soul away. Sidney Lowe will have to do some damage contol on his team’s psyche! The Pack have been shooting the ball well from the perimeter lately, most noteably Scott Wood and Dennis Horner.Javi Gonzalez has also grown into a very good point guard who can also score. The big key for the Pack will be creating tempo and easy scoring opportunities against Virginia.

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ACC Power Poll–01/04/10(Complete with Commentary!)

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Duke announced their presence Sunday night with a blowout win over Clemson and the rest of the ACC put together some strong out of conference wins.

David Tucker over at the Maryland Raycom Blog has been compiling a poll of the ACC blogs for an ACC Basketball Power Poll, and here’s my ballot with semi-insightful commentary.

ACC Power Poll Ballot With Commentary

1. Duke Blue Devils

Statement game. Duke pounded the Tigers 74-53 with stingy defense and offense off the multiple forced turnovers. Duke beat their three opponents this week by an average of over 33 points! The Blue Devils are in full gear going into the ACC season clearly number one above a rest of the conference that is still trying to find itself.

2. Florida State Seminoles

FSU did the very definition of not playing down to their opponent as they defeated Alabama A&M 81-34 with only allowing 10 second half points from the Bulldogs. The Seminoles had yet another different leading scorer with 3 point threat Deividas Dulkys leading the way in the win with 19 points.

3. North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina has one more out of conference game to go then they kick off  their ACC slate this Sunday at home against Virginia Tech. The Heels beat Rutgers and Albany by comfortable margins last week. We will find out a lot about this team on Sunday as Virginia Tech has been strong with an improved Jeff Allen down-low.

4. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

The Deacs had to take a couple games to overtime, but went 3-0 with wins over Xavier, Richmond, and UNC-Greensboro. Their OT tilts were against Xavier with 2 OTs and a 96-92 win and Richmond with just the one and a 74-68 win. Wake’s Al-Farouq Aminu may be playing the best basketball of any player in the ACC right now with averaging over 21 a game and 14 rebounds in the last three games.

5. Virginia Tech Hokies

You may not have noticed, but Virginia Tech got a really good win in Cancun Saturday without their best player in guard Malcolm Delaney. The Hokies beat the Seton Hall Pirates 103-94 in overtime with a Herculean effort from both guard Dorenzo Hudson’s 41 points and forward Jeff Allen’s 23 points and 13 rebounds. Virginia Tech now has the week to prepare for the trip to Chapel Hill at 7:45 Sunday.

6. Miami Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are 14-1 after easily dispatching Bethune-Cookman at home and Pepperdine on the road. Miami guard James Dews led the scoring in both games and also leads the team overall. The Canes have a huge game this Saturday at home versus the Demon Deacons to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with in the ACC this season.

7. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech did not shoot all that well from 2 or 3, but hit 29 of 32 free throws in an up-and-down, good road win at Charlotte 76-67. Jackets forward Gani Lawal scored 29 points to lead the team in scoring. After a date with Georgia in Athens, the Yellow Jackets get to face another tough home test with the Duke Blue Devils Saturday.

8. Clemson Tigers

I said last week that the Duke game could be a defining game for their season–well, if that performance defines them–they are in trouble. The Tigers took the biggest drop in the poll because there just is not much difference between the teams from 2-8 and the margin of victory knocked them down this far in addition to the uninspired performance against SC State only winning by 3. Clemson is a better team than 8th in the ACC and much better than they played in their last two games, but they have to prove it to the ACC to move their way up and that starts this Saturday on Raycom at 4 versus a struggling Boston College squad.

9. Maryland Terrapins

They knew it was coming–the Goliath-slaying William and Mary Tribe had already taken down one ACC foe on the road, but they could not stop it as the Tribe dominated the Terps with a score that does not look like it was, but it really was not close at 83-77. Terps nearly put up 100 against the ACC-punching bag UNC-Greensboro in their game with a win. Bottomline, the Tribe was Maryland’s first bad loss per se going into the ACC season and they get a chance to redeem it against the Seminoles making the trip to College Park this Sunday.

10. Virginia Cavaliers

The ‘Hoos make it out of the cellar with an impressive 72-63 win over 24th ranked UAB at home. The 63 points allowed is probably the most prominent factor of that win as Bennett builds his teams around defense and containing the Blazers like that is big going into ACC play this Saturday versus NC State on the road.

11. NC State Wolfpack

After beating everybody’s favorite win, UNC-Greensboro, the Wolfpack lost an absolute heart-breaker on a 3/4 court shot off a missed free throw to fall 62-61 to Florida. Frankly, NC State should not have been in that position as Florida was not playing well at all and the Wolfpack just could not pull away. In the end, shooting around 50% from the free throw line was the killer as, at worst, a made free throw at the end would have secured a tie from any crazy shot.

12. Boston College Eagles

Maine? Really, BC? Maine? The Eagles lost yet another head-scratcher out of conference play 52-51 to the Maine Black Bears last week. They did beat South Carolina, but it looks like the Eagles are going to be glad to go on the road to Clemson this week as all of their losses have been at home or at a neutral site.

Check out the quadruple-header of key ACC games this Saturday including Raycom’s NC State-Virginia at 12 and Clemson-Boston College at 4.

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