Whet your appetite below:
http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-baskb...082411aaa.html
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Whet your appetite below:
http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-baskb...082411aaa.html
Thanks! Very good non-conference slate with MSU, Memphis/UMich, UCLA/KU/Gtown, Ohio St, Wash, Temple, St. John's. Even Penn and Belmont should be NCAA tournament type teams (although I guess Harvard is supposed to dominate the Ivy League this year). Is ACCN (ACC Network TV) covered by espn3.com? Raycom was last year...
Here's full sked from goduke.com
With the new TV deal, we all need to make sure we know where ESPNU is on the remote. 10 Games over there.
At first glance it appears UVA has the toughest unbalanced ACC schedule, having to play all the toughest teams twice, except Duke once on the road.
UVA only plays BC, GA Tech and Wake once
UNC -1 F11/@F25 Duke -2 J12 FSU -3 F04/@M01 Va Tech -4 @J22/F21 Clemson -5 @J31/F14 Miami-Fl -8 @J07 Maryland -7 @F18/M04 B.C. -6 @J26 UVA - 8 UVA NC St - 10 J28 GA Tech -11 J19 Wake Forest -12 @F08
VA Tech also has a tough ACC unbalanced schedule, having to play all the top teams twice except UNC one at home, and single games versus NC St, GA Tech and Wake.
UNC -1 @J19
Duke -2 @F02/F25
FSU -3 @J10/F16
Va Tech -4 VA Tech
Clemson -5 @F04/M01
Miami-Fl -8 F09
Maryland -7 J28
B.C. -6 J14/@F12
UVA - 8 J22/@F21
NC St - 10 @M04
GA Tech -11 @F18
Wake Forest -12 J07
Using the weights listed above (which is subject to debate by giving some extra credit to last year's finish with game vs UNC earning 12, Duke 11, FSU 10, VA T 9, Clemson 8, Miami 7, MD 6. BC 5 is too high, UVA 4 is too low, NC St 3, GA Tech 2 and Wake 1), the unbalanced ACC schedule from toughest to weakest is:
119 - UVA (9 but better than that if not for schedule)
115 - Duke (2)
108 - MD (7)
107 - VA Tech (4)
107 - FSU (3)
107 - Miami (6)
106 - Wake (12)
102 - NC St (10)
99 - GA Tech (11)
97 - UNC (1)
96 - Clemson (5)
95 - BC (8 but more likely 12 if not for easy schedule)
Best teams BC faces twice are Miami and VA Tech, not UNC nor Duke
UNC -1 J07
Duke -2 @F19
FSU -3 @F08
Va Tech -4 @J14/F12
Clemson -5 @J12/
Miami-Fl -8 @J29/M03
Maryland -7 F16
B.C. -6 BC
UVA - 8 J26
NC St - 10 J19/@F01
GA Tech -11 F04/@F29
Wake Forest -12 @J21/F25
GA Tech also has a favorable ACC unbalanced schedule since the best team they play twice is Clemson, neither UNC nor Duke, and all the others are weakest they could face without facing themselves: MD, BC, NC St and Wake
UNC -1 J29
Duke -2 @J07
FSU -3 F01
Va Tech -4 F18
Clemson -5 J21/@F21
Miami-Fl -8 @J24
Maryland -7 J15/@F25
B.C. -6 @F04/F29
UVA - 8 @J19
NC St - 10 J11/@F09
GA Tech -11 GA Tech
Wake Forest -12 F15/@M03
Not sure if the ACC did it intentionally, but all the weaker teams have very favorbale ACC unbalanced schedules, for example NC St only faces UNC twice, then next best is Miami, and faces BC, GA Tech and Wake twice.
UNC -1 J26/@F21
Duke -2 F16
FSU -3 @F18
Va Tech -4 M04
Clemson -5 F25
Miami-Fl -8 J22/@F29
Maryland -7 @J08
B.C. -6 @J19/F01
UVA - 8 @J28
NC St - 10 NC St
GA Tech -11 @J11/F09
Wake Forest -12 J14/@F04
Other than not having opportunity to play themselves, Wake mercifully has a relatively favorable ACC unbalanced schedule as does BC. The only top team Wake faces twice is Duke and has home and homes with the other three bottom ACC teams BC, NC St and GA Tech.
UNC -1 @J31
Duke -2 J19/@F28
FSU -3 @J25
Va Tech -4 @J07
Clemson -5 J28/@F11
Miami-Fl -8 F18
Maryland -7 J11
B.C. -6 J21/@F25
UVA - 8 F08
NC St - 10 @J14/F04
GA Tech -11 @F15/M03
Wake Forest -12 Wake
UNC who is already a favorite has a relatively easy schedule thanks in part to not having to play themselves
UNC -1 UNC
Duke -2 @F08/M03
FSU -3 J14
Va Tech -4 J19
Clemson -5 @F18
Miami-Fl -8 @J10/F15
Maryland -7 F04/@F29
B.C. -6 @J07
UVA - 8 @F11/F25
NC St - 10 @J26/F21
GA Tech -11 @J29
Wake Forest -12 J31
Duke has the second toughest ACC unbalanced schedule
UNC -1 F08/@M03
Duke -2 Duke
FSU -3 @J21/F23
Va Tech -4 F02/@F25
Clemson -5 J15
Miami-Fl -8 @F05
Maryland -7 J25/@F11
B.C. -6 F19
UVA - 8 @J12
NC St - 10 @F16
GA Tech -11 J07
Wake Forest -12 @J19/F28
MD's schedule is third toughest since they have to play both UNC and Duke twice, with the rest of their games pretty spread out
UNC -1 @F04/F29
Duke -2 @J25/F11
FSU -3 J17
Va Tech -4 @J28
Clemson -5 F07
Miami-Fl -8 F01/@F21
Maryland -7 MD
B.C. -6 @F16
UVA - 8 F18/@M04
NC St - 10 J08
GA Tech -11 @J15/F25
Wake Forest -12 @J11
Since I already listed 9 of the 12, might as well show FSU, Clemson and Miami too, for any other analystics wanting to gauge the ACC unbalanced schedule with their own weighting system:
UNC -1 @J14
Duke -2 J21/@F23
FSU -3 FSU
Va Tech -4 J10/@F16
Clemson -5 J07/@M04
Miami-Fl -8 @F11/F26
Maryland -7 @J17
B.C. -6 F08
UVA - 8 @F04/M01
NC St - 10 F18
GA Tech -11 @F01
Wake Forest -12 J25
UNC -1 F18
Duke -2 @J15
FSU -3 @J07/M04
Va Tech -4 F04/@M01
Clemson -5 Clemson
Miami-Fl -8 J18
Maryland -7 @F07
B.C. -6 @J12
UVA - 8 J31'@F14
NC St - 10 @F25
GA Tech -11 @J21/F21
Wake Forest -12 @J28/F11
UNC -1 J10/@F15
Duke -2 F05
FSU -3 F11/@F26
Va Tech -4 @F09
Clemson -5 @J18
Miami-Fl -8 Miami FL
Maryland -7 @F01/F21
B.C. -6 J29/@M03
UVA - 8 J07
NC St - 10 @J22/F29
GA Tech -11 J24
Wake Forest -12 @F18
If instead I use the weights UNC-12, Duke -11, FSU - 10, UVA 9, VA T 8, Clemson 7, Miami 6, NC St 5, GA T 4, Wake 3, MD 2 and BC 1, the ACC unbalanced schedule from hardest to easiest is:
128 - MD (108 previously)
114 - Clemson (96) so went fro second easiest to second hardest and washes to average SOS
109 - FSU (107)
108 - UVA (119)
108 - VA Tech (107)
103 - Wake (106)
103 - BC (95)
102 - Duke (115)
102 - Miami (107)
99 - NC St (102)
99 - UNC (97) still heavy favorite to finish first
92 - GA T (99)
The conclusion from averaging the results is that:
UNC is even more of a favorite to finish 1st
Duke chances of finishing 2nd are not hurt by easier schedules for FSU, UVA or VA Tech, nor helped to overtake UNC.
Other than MD who has the toughest schedule, the teams expected to place 3 thru 5 in ACC, have the tougher schedules. So relative to one another, not much of an advantage or disadvantage except UVA hurt a little: FSU, VA Tech and UVA.
Clemson, Miami and Wake have average schedules which could solidify Clemson and Maimi for ACC 6 and 7.
NC St, BC and GA Tech have relatively easy schedules even though they cannot play themselves, and they will all need it to fight Wake and MD for best of the worst ACC 8th thru 12th.
Bottom 2 should be BC whose roster was obliterated Reggie Jackson, Joe Trapani, et al and MD who has the toughest schedule and lost a lot including Jordan Williams.
Overall, ACC unbalanced schedule does not appear to change standings much unless both of these very different sets of weights are way off.
ACC Network games should be streamed on ESPN3 as they are produced by Raycom as a sublicensee of ESPN. Keep in mind that there are two versions of ACC Network now, as is also true in football. ACC Network is a nationally syndicated game, in other words, the game is sold all over the country over the air or on cable on a market by market basis (think of it as old Raycom sold nationwide). The other ACC Network, referred to as the ACC Regional Network or, alternatively RSN, on the schedules is not the old Fox product, but it is another set of Raycom produced games that will appear only in the ACC footprint on the Regional Sports Networks of the past on cable. (Duke has NO regional network games, unless the TBD TV game ends up being RSN).
Also note that there are no more ESPN blackouts, in additional to all ACC Network games having national capability. That means no ESPN blackouts for Duke-Carolina I or the ACC Tournament and you might be able to watch both on the ACC Network in Hawaii or Alaska.
How you rank the various ACC schedules pretty much depends on how you rank the ACC ... we can guess, but until it plays out, there's no way to know for such. Two years ago, everybody that had to play UNC twice thought that was a tough assignment, then they turned out to be one of the worst teams in the league. Things like that can happen.
As for Duke's 16-game ACC schedule, I THINK it lines up very good for the Devils:
-- I see the four teams that are clearcut bottom feeders -- Maryland, Georgia Tech, Wake and Boston College. Duke has six games against these teams ... but it's better than that because four of Duke's eight road games are against the four worst teams in the league. Duke plays Maryland and Wake home and away ... they get Georgia Tech and BC only away.
-- The biggest negative about the schedule is four games against the other two top teams in the league. Duke plays both UNC and FSU home and away. I know UNC is the ACC preseason favorite (and I think they deserve that ranking), but I also think UNC, Duke and FSU are the clearcut top three teams in the league. Miami might have pushed that trio, but with the offseason problems (injuries to Johnson and Gamble, the possible NCAA probe into Jones) they've dropped off.
-- Duke's three "home only" teams are Virginia, Miami and NC State ... and all three are among the stronger mid-level teams. The fact that Duke doesn't have to go to any of these teams' homecourts is a plus.
Overall, I think Duke starts with a base of 7 home wins (Duke has won at least 7 ACC home games in nine of the last 10 years) and four road wins (at Georgia Tech, at BC, at Wake and at Maryland).
That's 11 ACC wins.
I could see adding wins at Clemson and Virginia Tech -- two midlevel teams, but neither as talented as they were last year.
To go beyond that, I could see going 8-0 at home ... that would leave games at FSU and at UNC that look very tough.
Like I say, a favorable ACC schedule ... I'm going to guess 13-3 in the ACC (I'm guessing the 11 base wins I noted, plus two out of the remaining fine -- UNC in Cameron, at Clemson, at Va tech, at FSU and at UNC).
The non-conference schedule is tougher than normal -- at Ohio State will be very tough; there's a good chance to lose a game in Maui; and it wouldn't be a shock if Duke lost to either Michigan State or Washington in Madison Square Garden. I'll be stunned if Duke can't handle a freshman-dominated St. John's team in Cameron.
Excellent work by ACCBBallFan in multiple posts this thread.
That I dissent from ACCBBF's most important point - that Duke has a tougher unbalanced mess than UNC - in no way dims my appreciation for all the work.
My strongest disagreement is with ACCBBallFan's weighting system in post #12. As ACCBBF notes, BC is weighted too high, UVa too low, and I think NCSt too low, as well. Although I think ACCBBF's weighting system in post #14 is much more reasonable than that found in post #12, it still doesn't quite jibe with my own "predictions" re the toughest, weakest, middling teams for 2011-12. I had posted versions of this on the 2011-12 MBB Schedule Speculation thread, and repeat it here, with significant modification. I focus only on Duke and UNC.
Duke in '11-'12
primary partners (H & A) - UNC, Md
rotating H & A partners - Wake, FSU, VT
rotating H only partners - NCS, UVa, Miami
rotating A only partners - GaT, BC, Clemson
UNC in '11-'12
primary partners (H & A) - Duke, NCS
rotating H & A partners - Md, UVa, Miami
rotating H only partners - GaT, BC, Clemson
rotating A only partners - Wake, FSU, VT
(a.) Duke has Miami only H, while UNC has both H/A. I had thought this might be a + for Duke. Reggie's injury, and now Gamble's, perhaps changes that, but Reggie should be back by Feb 15 game v. Heels in Miami.
(b.) I wonder whether NCS will be significantly improved; if so, again, we get them only H, while UNC gets their "permanent partner" both H/A. Maybe a + for Duke.
(c.) I'm guessing UVa will definitely be better next year; thus, probably a + for Duke.
(d.) Once every 3 years, both Duke and UNC play Md H/A. So if one thinks Md gets up for UNC almost as much as for Duke, then at least next season it's "balanced" on this point. Both Duke and UNC should win 2 v. the Terps next year.
(e.) Now Duke does have to play FSU twice, but at least UNC gets them A rather than H. Ditto for VaT: Duke plays them twice, but at least UNC gets them A.
(f.) Duke gets Wake twice, UNC only once, A. That seems a + for Duke.
(g.) Clemson - definite + for UNC, as Duke has to visit Littlejohn.
(h.) UNC gets likely bottom feeders BC and GT at H only, surely 2 easy wins, a + for UNC. Still, though Duke gets neither of these presumably weak teams at home, if the Devils can't beat a frosh-dominated BC and a no-depth-whatsoever GT on the road, then the Devils cannot challenge UNC for reg season #1.
The unbalanced mess counts, almost surely advantaging some teams, disadvantaging others, just given the luck of the draw in any particular year. While UNC should rightly be thought the favorite to win the ACC reg season, Duke should rightly be thought a - and the only - legitimate challenger to the Heels. FSU may well have a shot to challenge Duke for #2, but they are not a solid challenger for #1. In short, it's either (1) UNC, (1a) Duke; or it's (1) UNC, (2) Duke, (2a) FSU.
Give UNC 7 home wins plus near-certain road wins at Wake and Md. They have to beat Duke in DDome, and then 6 maybe-challenging road games: FSU, VT, UVa, Miami [Reggie should be back well before Feb. 15], NCSt [a stretch to call this a challenge?], Duke. Give Duke 7 home wins. Devils have 4 must-win-relatively-easy road games [GaT, Md, BC, Wake], and 5 toughies: home to Heels, plus on road at Clemson, VT, UNC, FSU.
By my intuitive accounting, that gives Heels 9 near-sure wins, and maybe as many as 7 toughies. I give Duke 11 near-sure [or damn-well-better] wins, and 5 definite toughies. I don't know that either of ACCBBF's weighted systems "weights" for the specifics of home-away details, as both seem to weight only the number of games [1 or 2] v. any opponent, strong or weak. IMO, the home-away stuff is a significant determinant of who has tougher unbalanced mess.
I'm guessing UNC visits CIS on March 3 with a 13-2 or 14-1 record. I'm guessing Duke is 13-2 or 12-3. March 3 is unimportant [Ha!] only if Heels are 14-1, Devils 12-3. Otherwise [Ha!] could be tense.
Edit: I see that while I was composing my magnum opus, Olympic Fan posted a fine analysis. A careful reader will see that the arguments in OF's post just above and mine right here are pretty similar. I can assure troubled readers that OF and I are not the same person. Further, I can say that both OF and I are pleased that we are not the same person. I'm pretty sure OF is particularly pleased.
I agree with both of your comments, and you are right that I did not factor in Home versus Away.
I will just reiterate what I posted on THR
Heels are rated #1 and only thing that could unseat UNC is if somebody with a remote chance of challenging got an overwhelming easy unbalanced schedule as was the case for UVA a couple years ago when there was a 4 way tie for first IIRC.
Most likely challenger is Duke and their schedule is no easier than UNC's.
The next three, FSU, UVA and VA Tech all have a tougher unbalanced ACC schedule than Duke or UNC.
So I would expect UNC @1 and Duke @ 2 to carry seed.
Clemson and Miami have an average ACC SOS, so not likely to overtake FSU or VA Tech, possibly UVA who has the second toughest schedule after MD who is doomed to finish 11th since BC is so depleted even a relatively easy schedule cannot help them out of the ACC basement.
When UNC wins the ACC it won't be because of a favorable schedule but rather the returning talent now being a year more experienced.