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View Full Version : ACC - Contenders and Pretenders



gw67
01-23-2011, 12:21 PM
I believe that I have seen all 12 teams play at least two games each. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a down year in the ACC. This happens occasionally and normally is not a big deal because there generally are 4-5 good teams to carry the banner for the ACC in the NCAAT. This is a very different year, IMO. The following is my forecast of the league contenders and those that appear to be good now but, IMO, will fall back.

Contenders

Duke – The Devils were the best team in the country, much less the ACC, with Irving. They are merely the best team in the ACC at present and on a par with Pitt, Nova and Syracuse nationally. I see them finishing at 13-3 or 14-2 in conference.

Florida State – The Noles are not a good shooting team but they play good team defense, are a strong rebounding team and have good depth. Singleton and Kitchen are playing at a high level but Snaer and Dulkys will need to pick up their scoring for them to keep their present pace. Six of their remaining ten ACC games are on the road including games against Clemson, UNC and Md. I see the Noles winning 6-7 games and finishing at 11-5 or 12-6.

UNC – This is tough because the Heels have looked bad in the games I’ve seen. Further, they have more remaining games that any other ACC team and 11 of the 12 are against teams that could beat them – Away: Duke, Miami, BC, Clemson, FSU and NC State; Home: NC State, FSU, Duke, Md and BC. The only easy game is home against Wake. I expect them to lose 4-5 more games but to finish in third at 11-5 or 10-6

Pretenders

BC – The Eagles only have 10 remaining games but except for a game against Wake the games are against teams that could potentially beat them – UNC (2), VT(2), Duke, Md, Clemson, Miami and UVA. Donahue has gotten a lot out of this team but they rely on the three, are so-so at the defensive end, are a poor rebounding team and don’t have much quality depth. They won on the road against Md but have subsequently lost road games to Miami and FSU. I see them finishing at 8-8 or 9-7.

Virginia Tech – The Hokies have 11 games remaining and the most advantageous schedule of any of the teams at the top. They play Duke, BC, Miami and Md at home and NC State, BC, UVA and Clemson on the road. They also play GT twice and Wake once. I may be way off base, I see them losing to a bunch of teams they should beat and finishing at 8-8.

The Rest

I expect to see Clemson and Maryland each wining 7-8 games with the remaining five teams winning less. Duke, FSU and UNC should make the NCAAT.

gw67

Bob Green
01-23-2011, 12:34 PM
Pretenders

Virginia Tech – The Hokies have 11 games remaining and the most advantageous schedule of any of the teams at the top. They play Duke, BC, Miami and Md at home and NC State, BC, UVA and Clemson on the road. They also play GT twice and Wake once. I may be way off base, I see them losing to a bunch of teams they should beat and finishing at 8-8.

gw67

I'm not convinced Virginia Tech is a pretender. The key to the Hokies season could be the continued emergence of Erick Green at point guard. Green and ACC Player-of-the-Year candidate Malcolm Delaney provide Coach Seth Greenberg with a formidable back court. Greenberg will need to keep Jeff Allen focused on the interior for VT to legitimize their Contender status.

Over the next two weeks, VT plays three of four games on the road so the opportunity to establish themselves as a team to be reckoned with is beckoning. They play @GT, Miami, @NCSU and @BC. These are games they need to win.

gw67
01-26-2011, 08:03 AM
I'm not convinced Virginia Tech is a pretender. The key to the Hokies season could be the continued emergence of Erick Green at point guard. Green and ACC Player-of-the-Year candidate Malcolm Delaney provide Coach Seth Greenberg with a formidable back court. Greenberg will need to keep Jeff Allen focused on the interior for VT to legitimize their Contender status.

Over the next two weeks, VT plays three of four games on the road so the opportunity to establish themselves as a team to be reckoned with is beckoning. They play @GT, Miami, @NCSU and @BC. These are games they need to win.

Bob,

I remain unimpressed by the Hokies. They have an easy schedule but I can easily see them losing on the road to Miami and BC, if not NCSU. Allen has not progressed as a player from his freshman year and the loss of Hudson and Thompson has sapped them.

I see the ACC as Duke and FSU at the top and Wake at the bottom with the remaining nine teams somewhere in between. I recognize that it is unlikely that they all have losing records but none of the nine impress. I still expect UNC to come out of the regular season with a good record and an NCAAT bid but don't see any of the other middle nine stepping up. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Miami defeat the Heels tonight.

gw67

Bob Green
01-26-2011, 10:50 AM
Bob,

I remain unimpressed by the Hokies. They have an easy schedule but I can easily see them losing on the road to Miami and BC, if not NCSU. Allen has not progressed as a player from his freshman year and the loss of Hudson and Thompson has sapped them.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Miami defeat the Heels tonight.

gw67

Road wins are going to be the key and seeing as the Hokies blew an opportunity last night in Atlanta today is not the day to try and defend them as a contender.

The Tar Heels have an opportunity to pick up a second road victory tonight in Miami and it will be interesting to see if they are up to the task.

Olympic Fan
01-26-2011, 10:58 AM
I'm not convinced Virginia Tech is a pretender. The key to the Hokies season could be the continued emergence of Erick Green at point guard. Green and ACC Player-of-the-Year candidate Malcolm Delaney provide Coach Seth Greenberg with a formidable back court. Greenberg will need to keep Jeff Allen focused on the interior for VT to legitimize their Contender status.

Over the next two weeks, VT plays three of four games on the road so the opportunity to establish themselves as a team to be reckoned with is beckoning. They play @GT, Miami, @NCSU and @BC. These are games they need to win.

Well, that road stretch didn't start well -- they lost to Georgia Tech in Atlanta to drop to 3-3 in the ACC. Erick Green, who was so good against Maryland, was awful against the Jackets.

I have to agree with gw67 -- I think in the end, the Hokies are close to a .500 team (in the ACC). There will be nights when their three big pieces (Delaney, Allen and now Green) click, but Delaney is the only one of those three who is a consistent force. There will be too many nights when Allen (who is going to be hampered all year by a groin injury) and/or Green is off.

I just hope that when Duke visits Blacksburg in February, the Devils get to see the Erick Green who played against Clemson and not the Erick Green who lit up Maryland.

Bob Green
01-26-2011, 11:14 PM
I just hope that when Duke visits Blacksburg in February, the Devils get to see the Erick Green who played against Clemson and not the Erick Green who lit up Maryland.

I definitely agree with you. I did not see the Clemson game, but Green was impressive against Maryland. He also played well in VT's loss to UNC.