This Week in the ACC: 1/31-2/6
In an ACC that has been pretty tightly packed so far this season (4 teams at 4-3, 7 teams with 3-5 wins), this week could give some teams a chance to rise above the pack. UNC and Maryland, in particular, have a chance for quality wins that would go a long way toward setting them apart from the other contenders.
Monday is dark.
Tuesday sends two Tobacco Road teams to opposite corners of the conference, as UNC heads north to visit Boston College and Wake goes south to tussle with Florida State. UNC has road wins at Miami and Virginia (and a blowout road loss to Georgia Tech); this trip to BC will be a good test for their defense. As for Wake, if they can merely keep it respectable, that will be an accomplishment. FSU can't get caught looking ahead to their own matchup against UNC this weekend.
[67]Boston College hosts [21]North Carolina
[44]Wake Forest hosts [256]Wake Forest
Wednesday gives us the second installment of Duke-Maryland just 8 games into the conference season. The Terps are looking to carry some momentum from three consecutive conference wins into an upset (although Pomeroy calls this as a 51/49 game, with Duke the ever-so-slight favorite) of the top team in the ACC. For Duke, it will be good just to see a basketball court again, even if one in a decidedly hostile environment. For what it's worth (and probably not much), last year's Devils followed an embarrassing loss to NC State by going into Clemson and avenging a loss from the season before; let's hope we can do the same to Maryland this year. Two other ACC contests on Wednesday, as the Hokies travel to Raleigh and the Tigers travel to Charlottesville. I'll repeat what I said about the VT at GT game last week, as it applies to both road teams: these are the games that bubble teams need to win to keep their tournament stock high.
[13]Maryland hosts [4]Duke
[100]NC State hosts [31]Virginia Tech
[135]Virginia hosts [29]Clemson
Thursday sends Georgia Tech, a bit of a surprise at 3-4 in the conference, on the road at Miami, a big disappointment at 1-6, although many of their losses have been of the close, heart-breaker variety.
[68]Miami hosts [76]Georgia Tech
Friday is dark.
Saturday has almost a full slate, with 10 of the 12 teams matching up. The Devils get their second look at NC State (9 games into the season, and already two rematches before the Devils have seen 4 other teams even once - I miss the round robin), this time in Cameron (and if the young Pack were that rattled by the Dean Dome crowd this weekend...). Virginia Tech travels to Boston College in a game that will likely be critical for both teams (particularly if either are coming off of a loss). Clemson hopes to follow Maryland's lead in being able to pick up a win in Atlanta - at the very least, they must be licking their chops at getting to face a Tech team against whom they had an .833 efg% earlier this season. Maryland gets a home game against Wake, and Virginia and Miami square off in a game that has essentially no meaningful ramifications - both are out of the conference race, neither is making it into the dance.
[4]Duke hosts [100]NC State
[76]Georgia Tech hosts [29]Clemson
[67]Boston College hosts [31]Virginia Tech
[13]Maryland hosts [256]Wake Forest
[68]Miami hosts [135]Virginia
Sunday has a pre-Super Bowl matchup that is the marquee game of the weekend. There are a lot of ifs in the following scenario, but if Maryland beats Duke and if UNC beats BC (and if FSU beats Wake, but that almost seems like a foregone conclusion), then the winner of the UNC-FSU matchup would stand in first place, either alone (UNC) or tied, but with the tie-breaking win (FSU). At the very least, this is likely going to be a battle for second place, as the winner would be joining Duke as the only teams with fewer than 3 conference losses. This game pits two of the conference's top defenses against each other, so we should see a tight, low-scoring affair.
[21]North Carolina hosts [44]Florida State
Just be you. You is enough. - K, 4/5/10, 0:13.8 to play, 60-59 Duke.
You're all jealous hypocrites. - Titus on Laettner
You see those guys? Animals. They're animals. - SIU Coach Chris Lowery, on Duke