2015-2016 Schedule Speculation (Challenge game is home vs. Indiana)

[MChambers]

Brennan's piece on the matchups says UNC is adding two four star newcomers? Is that a reference to Maye and Williams?

[jacone21]

On the Georgia Southern campus today, I'm hearing rumors that the Eagles will be on the Duke schedule next season.

Wish it were football!

[SCMatt33]

Brennan's piece on the matchups says UNC is adding two four star newcomers? Is that a reference to Maye and Williams?

Yes, ESPN is the only service that lists Maye as a four star and not a three star recruit.

[Olympic Fan]

Just to update what we know (and think we know) about the 2015-16 schedule:

Nov. 13 -- 2k preliminary game in Cameron (maybe vs. Bryant College)
Nov. 14 -- 2K preliminary game in Cameron
Nov. 17 -- Kentucky in Chicago
Nov. 20 -- 2K semifinals in Madison Square Garden vs. VCU (probably), Wisconsin or Georgetown
Nov. 22 -- 2k semifinals in Madison Square Garden vs. Georgetown (my guess) or Wisconsin or VCU
Dec. 2 -- Indiana in Cameron (ACC/Big Ten)
Dec. 18-22 -- Game in New York (or Meadlowlands or Barclays in Brooklyn) vs. Villanova or somebody else
Late December -- Possible game in Barclays as part of ACC/A-10 doubleheader vs. Dayton? or Davidson? (just guessing ... no guarantee Duke is in this this season)

ACC home games: UNC, NC State, Wake Forest, Louisville, FSU, Notre Dame, Virginia, VPI and Syracuse
ACC road games: UNC, NC State, Wake Forest, Louisville, Miami, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Clemson and BC

Other non-conference: St. John's in Cameron?

That's 24 games we know for sure (the 18 ACC games, the four 2k games, the games with Kentucky and Indiana)

That leaves seven more games ... if we add St. John's, Villanova and the potential ACC/A-10 game, that's three more games to fill. Georgia Southern could be one of those, but it's also likely to be one of the 2k preliminary games. I think we'll have a weak non-conference foe in late November, between the 2k finals and the ACC/Big Ten ... also a week post-exam game in mid-December (before the showcase game in the New York area).

Any corrections or additions are welcome

[jacone21]

Just to update what we know (and think we know) about the 2015-16 schedule:

Nov. 13 -- 2k preliminary game in Cameron (maybe vs. Bryant College)
Nov. 14 -- 2K preliminary game in Cameron
Nov. 17 -- Kentucky in Chicago
Nov. 20 -- 2K semifinals in Madison Square Garden vs. VCU (probably), Wisconsin or Georgetown
Nov. 22 -- 2k semifinals in Madison Square Garden vs. Georgetown (my guess) or Wisconsin or VCU
Dec. 2 -- Indiana in Cameron (ACC/Big Ten)
Dec. 18-22 -- Game in New York (or Meadlowlands or Barclays in Brooklyn) vs. Villanova or somebody else
Late December -- Possible game in Barclays as part of ACC/A-10 doubleheader vs. Dayton? or Davidson? (just guessing ... no guarantee Duke is in this this season)

ACC home games: UNC, NC State, Wake Forest, Louisville, FSU, Notre Dame, Virginia, VPI and Syracuse
ACC road games: UNC, NC State, Wake Forest, Louisville, Miami, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Clemson and BC

Other non-conference: St. John's in Cameron?

That's 24 games we know for sure (the 18 ACC games, the four 2k games, the games with Kentucky and Indiana)

That leaves seven more games ... if we add St. John's, Villanova and the potential ACC/A-10 game, that's three more games to fill. Georgia Southern could be one of those, but it's also likely to be one of the 2k preliminary games. I think we'll have a weak non-conference foe in late November, between the 2k finals and the ACC/Big Ten ... also a week post-exam game in mid-December (before the showcase game in the New York area).

Any corrections or additions are welcome

The rumor I'm hearing for Georgia Southern is a 12/15 date.. I haven't heard official confirmation yet.

[devildeac]

Huh, how 'bout that? I completely don't remember the game we played in 06-07. The score was 54-51 Duke, so maybe it was too ugly to commit to memory. Thanks for the correction!

I was fortunate enough to attend that game. It was indeed ugly. But, on the lighter side, Kelvin called me, too.

[Dev11]

Kentucky, Indiana, Villanova, and two of Georgetown/Wisconsin/VCU is a really solid non-conference schedule, especially with only one of those at home.

[rocketeli]

Yes, ESPN is the only service that lists Maye as a four star and not a three star recruit.

Another page in the long book of love between ESPN and UNC. Maye got an upgrade to try and make their recruiting class look less lame.

Guess the guy Bill Simmons didn't hate Duke enough (coulda fooled me)

[Duvall]

I'm already dreading how much we'll have to hear Jay Bilas talk about a "down year" in college basketball, and how there are a lot of "very good" teams, but no "great" teams.

Good luck hearing that from ESPN in a year when UNC is ranked in the top five, for however long that lasts.

[-bdbd]

Here's the view from College Park:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/

They are getting pumped for what they expect to be their "championship season," what with their "roster just littered with future NBA stars..."

Glad they are traveling to Chapel Hill, rather than other way around. Safer for NC players that way... Also very glad Duke is hosting Indy. I think that we'll be favored. Given all of the youth, I expect us, again, to be a lot better in March than in Nov. as a team.

[-jk]

Here's the view from College Park:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/

They are getting pumped for what they expect to be their "championship season," what with their "roster just littered with future NBA stars..."

Glad they are traveling to Chapel Hill, rather than other way around. Safer for NC players that way... Also very glad Duke is hosting Indy. I think that we'll be favored. Given all of the youth, I expect us, again, to be a lot better in March than in Nov. as a team.

Your link isn't working for me...

Edit: Never mind. I found it. The quotes were "position itself as a national contender" and "a roster littered with NBA prospects" which bollixed my google-fu. Hyperbole; got it...

-jk

[wolfpack]

Am I the only one that's really skeptical on Maryland? It wouldn't surprise me at all if they end up being a fringe top 25 team.

[gumbomoop]

Am I the only one that's really skeptical on Maryland? It wouldn't surprise me at all if they end up being a fringe top 25 team.

I'll be very surprised if they're not consensus preseason top 3-4, possibly 1-2. Based on my (and probably general) criteria -- talent, experience, depth -- they deserve high pre-rank.

Turgeon probably has 9 guys who can play, most of whom have more than sufficient experience, one of whom (Trimble) looks a super talent, and several of whom are likely to be very good. Trimble had a superb frosh season. Layman can play wing 3 or stretch 4. If Turgeon wants to play big, using Layman at wing 3, he has 4 bigs he can rotate. Rasheed's arrival gives them 3 wing 2/3s.

As to where they'll end up, IMO the big question will be chemistry. How will promising soph wings Nickens and Wiley respond to losing significant minutes to Rasheed? How smoothly will Sulaimon and Diamond Stone fit in? I assume Robert Carter will work in nicely, as he's been there a year on a redshirt.

So it would certainly surprise me to see them drop to fringe-25 by season's end. They have good reason to be optimistic.

[Duvall]

So it would certainly surprise me to see them drop to fringe-25 by season's end. They have good reason to be optimistic.

And yet...they also have Turgeon.

[davidson]

Late December -- Possible game in Barclays as part of ACC/A-10 doubleheader vs. Dayton? or Davidson? (just guessing ... no guarantee Duke is in this this season)

Any corrections or additions are welcome

Duke will not be part of the ACC-A10 challenge this year at Barclays. I'm sure that K probably prefers to do that in the same year that the ACC tourney is in Brooklyn, but don't think that preference has anything to do with not being included next year.

Davidson at Duke is still on the table for next season. Should be decided soon.

[UtahStateOutsider]

Hey I'm a Utah State guy and have heard rumblings of a one & done with Duke for next season but can't find anyone (that I trust) willing to say for sure. Basically wondering if any Duke fans have heard anything. Didn't see anything about it in the thread so figured I'd just ask. Thanks

[flyingdutchdevil]

Another page in the long book of love between ESPN and UNC. Maye got an upgrade to try and make their recruiting class look less lame.

Guess the guy Bill Simmons didn't hate Duke enough (coulda fooled me)

Seriously? Duke fans are complaining about ESPN favoritism towards UNC? Is the pot calling the kettle black? Must be.

[szstark]

How does a highly ranked (pre-season) Virginia team get to play an unranked team in the challenge? I thought the pairings were designed to put highly ranked teams against other highly ranked teams.

[Dev11]

Seriously? Duke fans are complaining about ESPN favoritism towards UNC? Is the pot calling the kettle black? Must be.

Yeah, it's insane to think that ESPN has any specific bias for UNC over Duke. ESPN owns ACC broadcast rights, so they'd probably prefer both programs to be good. Additionally, Jay Bilas isn't one to spout a party line. He says what he thinks. If Jay says that college basketball is down, he believes it. ESPN doesn't want college basketball to be down.

The poster quoted by fdd also mentioned Bill Simmons. I don't think Simmons ever had any input on ESPN's college basketball recruiting rankings, and on the slim chance he did, he definitely doesn't have it anymore, given the recent news of his pending departure (I'm surprised we haven't discussed that yet, perhaps on the Off-Topic board).

[Dev11]

Am I the only one that's really skeptical on Maryland? It wouldn't surprise me at all if they end up being a fringe top 25 team.

A solid 4 seed from last season loses Dez Wells and adds Robert Carter, Diamond Stone, and Rasheed Sulaimon. That sounds like a top ten team to me. They have experience and talent, and the only team from their conference that was better than they were last year, Wisconsin, lost a large percentage of their production.

Maryland should be very good next season. Let's see how they deal with the expectations.