Way too early ACC rankings for next year

[gofurman]

Many of you know much more than me but based on who is known to be gone and on each roster Ill take a shot. Let me hear your thoughts

*NOte: I DONT know schedules yet and as they are unbalanced that is a huge part

These first teams could win double digit ACC wins

- NC State - If Leslie comes back I think you have to put them here. Though one of there inside guys left.. cant recall who? But they have a great PG, Wood shooting, Leslie inside and nice freshman to play some as help
- Duke - Even if no one else comes, Ill put us here with Mason's decision. Mason, Kelly, Curry, Dawkins, Thornton, Cook is basically the same as last year minus Rivers. I hope RIvers absence can be overcome esp with some improvement and maturity of Cook. I think that is very very key - to have a true PG.. Hope others can improve like Curry and Dawkins etc. Mason should be a double double and assert himself. Heck, let him assert himself so we are seen as a school with guys at center who get shots. AMurphy and Plumlee and Gbinije and Hairston should be ready to help some now. Esp Hairston and Gbinije.
- UNC -level of guard talent + McAdoo is enough to put them in the hunt. Les McDonald, Dex etc. + Bullock and Hairston got time this year. So they are pretty experienced at teh 2,3,4 The 1 and 5 positions will determine their fate. Glad Oriakhi went elsewhere.
- Miami - Scott, Reggie Johnson, Kadji. Nuff' Said.

tier 2 --------- 6 ACC wins at minimum

Maryland = Stoglin, Lin an Faust returning is vry solid. Good recruiting. Solid pick to be .500 or better in league

FSU? I dont know this year. So many senrs gone and Okaro White transferrd too.. But Snaer is great at guard and playing D. But they have won 9 or 10 ACC games for a few years running so hard to say no.

UVA- no Mike Scott but never count out a team coached by Bennet. They will get at least 6 wins with TB at the helm

Clemson - no guards with any experience. But Milton Jennings and Booker as Senior Front line men will get 6 wins. I think Brownell is a good coach. Early on Clemson will lose some to some bad teams bc they will be starting 'new' guards but they will get better by ACC time. Same pattern as this year (lost to Coastal Carolina, South Carolina, etc then went 8-8 ACC)

--------- less than 6 ACC wins
tier3
BC - better though they lost a transfer. Interesting to see them mature as they were basically ALL Fr last year so now they are all Sophs. They will win a few - I say 5-11 or so. One more year and they get up to middle tier as all juniors.
V Tech - only won about 4 this year ; lose Dorenzo Hudson but all the rest return. They will be right on the line of 6 acc wins.
G Tech - still not enough talent ; loss of Ricejr is huge
Wak Forest - how long will the pain last? Transfers and no talent

[Johnny Chill]

Am I the only one that thinks Duke's upperclass lead team is going to win the ACC regular season?

Starting 3-4 Seniors has its advantages. They have the experience of big games, they pretty much played on all of the ACC teams home courts, they showed flashes of brilliance, and showed to be very underwhelming at times, they experience thrills of wining the NCAA championship and the embarrassment of getting bounced by a 15 seed.

I think this group has a lot left to prove.

[Olympic Fan]

Just a couple of comments/questions:

-- Where did you see Okaro White is transferring? I tried googling him and could find no mention of it. He's still listed on the FSU website roster. Could you please provide a link?

That would be huge. I like FSU in the top 4-5 in the ACC next year -- certainly ahead of Virginia and Clemson. I think they'll have the best backcourt in the ACC with senior Michael Snaer and junior Ian Miller. Up front, they get Terrance Shannon back from injury -- he was starting (ahead of Xavier Gibson) -- when he got hurt. White is important as a versatile combo forward -- if he's gone, I'd have to re-evaluate. They'll have plenty of size with Turpin, who redshirted, and a 6-10 juco All-American center. The one question will be backcourt depth -- Whisnaunt had a disappointing freshman year -- but he was playing behind five upperclass guards. They lost a lot, but you know they'll play great defense -- Snaer and White will be the best defensive combo in the league.

Unless, of course, you are right about White leaving (which I'm not disputing -- I just can't find any evidence of it).

-- I also like Virginia Tech more than you did. I know they only won four ACC games, but that was with three freshman and Cadarian Raines who had never played college ball before in key roles. And they were only a few points away from winning 8-10 ACC games. I think Raines and Finney-Smith make a great post combo (with Barksdale showing promise as the third guy). They have a nice SF in Eddie ... and a veteran PG in Erick Green. I'm not sure Robert Brown provided much as a WG (except that he was a MUCH better defender than Hudson). I think they need another consistent offensive threat to be a first-division team (and I don't swee that in their freshman class). but a year of experience and a little better luck ought to get them to the middle of the back.

-- I have a lot of respect for Bennett and Brownell, but I don't have much respect for the talent on their rosters. I think this is true -- that Clemson has lost its top two scorers for three years in a row ... and I don't think Brownell has recruited a single player who has extablished himself as an ACC player. Maybe somebody like Coleman or Sapp will blossom, but they have a long way to go. As for Virginia, their roster is just sad ... it's not just Scott, but Zeglinski and Sene (and they weren't a very good team after losing him in February).

[Greg_Newton]

As for Virginia, their roster is just sad ... it's not just Scott, but Zeglinski and Sene (and they weren't a very good team after losing him in February).

I don't think UVA will be bad, they'll just have a glaring weakness at center. A senior Jontel Evans will be one of the best PGs in the league on both sides of the ball, and 6'6 JR Joe Harris is one of my favorite non-Duke players in the ACC. Brogden was solid on the wing last year as a FR, and they'll be adding Justin Anderson and Evan Nolte as forwards, both of whom Duke looked at and should be immediate impact players. At the 1-3, I think they're actually pretty loaded.

The issue, of course will be their frontcourt. Mitchell and Atkins showed lots of promise as underclassmen this year, but they're only 6'8... and there are only two of them. I'm assuming their 7-foot freshman (Tobey) will have to see the floor at times, and that both Nolte and Anderson will spend some time at PF. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Anderson eventually starts at PF... kid's a beast.

They'll be flawed, but will have both talent and experience, IMO.

[sagegrouse]

Just a couple of comments/questions:

-- Where did you see Okaro White is transferring? I tried googling him and could find no mention of it. He's still listed on the FSU website roster. Could you please provide a link?



You are right -- the player transferring (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-04-12/sports/os-antwan-space-florida-state-texas-am-0412-20120412_1_terrance-shannon-jon-kreft-xavier-gibson) is Antwan Space. The native Texan is taking his 0.7 PPG to Texas A&M.

Okaro White averaged 7.7/4.4 in 22 mins. last year.

sage

[Olympic Fan]

You are right -- the player transferring (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-04-12/sports/os-antwan-space-florida-state-texas-am-0412-20120412_1_terrance-shannon-jon-kreft-xavier-gibson) is Antwan Space. The native Texan is taking his 0.7 PPG to Texas A&M.

Okaro White averaged 7.7/4.4 in 22 mins. last year.

sage

Thanks ... I had seen that Space was leaving ... no big loss. He had some potential, but not sure he figured in their plans.

Okaro White, on the other hand, is a key player -- one of the best defenders in the ACC and a guy who can play four and five.

[gofurman]

Thanks ... I had seen that Space was leaving ... no big loss. He had some potential, but not sure he figured in their plans.

Okaro White, on the other hand, is a key player -- one of the best defenders in the ACC and a guy who can play four and five.

my mistake

[gofurman]

Am I the only one that thinks Duke's upperclass lead team is going to win the ACC regular season?

Starting 3-4 Seniors has its advantages. They have the experience of big games, they pretty much played on all of the ACC teams home courts, they showed flashes of brilliance, and showed to be very underwhelming at times, they experience thrills of wining the NCAA championship and the embarrassment of getting bounced by a 15 seed.

I think this group has a lot left to prove.

Oh I agree that Duke or State should be favored to win it. My two caveat: unbalanced schedule... dont' know who plays where yet and is Leslie staying - that's a HUGE one. Without him the edge is definitely for Duke since one of their other forwards already left State (personal reasons I think). Of course if silent G leaves that hurts us. But regardless I think State and Duke are clearly the two early leaders. On another point I think the ACC is improving with Bennett at UVA and new coaches at Maryland and esp State but is still weak by ACC standards. But that's partly bc UNC should be a lil' down next year and I like that

[CDu]

If Leslie returns, I think it is State and Duke competing for #1 and #2. I think FSU, Miami, and UNC will compete for #3, #4, and #5, and it isn't a big dropoff from State/Duke to those 3. I think Va Tech and Maryland are the middle of the road ACC teams. Clemson and UVa are next. Then Wake, BC, and Ga Tech remain at the bottom.

[Jderf]

Is it just me, or has anyone else been thinking that the ACC is going to be a lot of fun next year?

[CDu]

Is it just me, or has anyone else been thinking that the ACC is going to be a lot of fun next year?

If Leslie returns, none of the Miami guys go, and FSU and UNC rebound from their mass exodus of key players, there could be 5-6 teams in the top 25 again (State, Duke, UNC, Miami, FSU, Va Tech). And Maryland, Clemson, and UVa won't be complete pushovers, either. It should be a much stronger year for the conference than this past year.