This Week in the ACC - 12/31-1/6

[pfrduke]

There will be a more full version of this post to follow later today (or tomorrow morning) when I get the time, including a breakdown of the start of conference play this weekend. In the meantime, two teams are ringing out 2012 with what should be cakewalk wins (knock on wood):

[27]NC State hosts [261]UNC-Greensboro
[166]Boston College hosts [291]Dartmouth

As will be discussed in more detail later, about half the conference has gone the cupcake route for their final pre-conference game, while the other half challenges opponents that should make more of a game out of things. NCSU and BC definitely fall in the first half.

[pfrduke]

At long last, the end of non-conference season is upon us. The ACC found itself firmly in a third place position, lodged behind the top-heavy Big East and Big Tweleven but safely ahead of the Big X(II), Pac 12, SEC (and a strong Mountain West, which may be better than any of them). There are still some chances for some moderately impressive wins this week - most notably for Wake Forest taking on an Xavier team that, even in a down year, will be a road favorite.

Monday NC State and BC won. Yay!

Tuesday puts Maryland and Clemson in action against very bad teams.

[54]Maryland hosts [285]IUPUI
[79]Clemson hosts [334]Citadel

Wednesday is the conclusion to non-conference play. Unlike seasons past, the 18-game conference schedule has made it such that once the conference slate starts, it continues uninterrupted until tourney time. 5 games are on Wednesday, and a 5-0 finish would be a nice way to enter conference play. Three strong(ish) squads on the roster in Davidson (in a sort-of neutral site), La Salle (ranked 52 by Pomeroy on the back of some large wins over some low-quality opponents), and Xavier. FSU also hits the road against one of the 5-6 worst major conference teams in the Auburn Tigers.

[4]Duke vs. [74]Davidson in Charlotte
[59]Georgia Tech hosts [294]UT-Chattanooga
[179]Wake Forest hosts [94]Xavier
[68]Florida State at [169]Auburn
[32]Miami hosts [53]La Salle

Thursday and Friday are dark.

Saturday is conference play. The first round of matchups is almost like a tournament bracket - the top playing the bottom, the middle playing the middle. Duke gets probably the cushiest start to the season, hosting likely cellar dweller Wake Forest. NC State's opening is only slightly more difficult, drawing a trip to Chestnut Hill to take on BC. Maryland, which has outperformed expectations by the most of all teams, hosts Virginia Tech, whose strong start has been hijacked by a home loss to Georgia Southern and back to back blowouts by Colorado State and BYU. More interesting matchups come from FSU/Clemson and Miami/Georgia Tech. The Canes have looked less than strong when either Johnson or Scott has been out, and the former will be missing this one. Traveling to Tech could prove to be too tough a test.

[4]Duke hosts [179]Wake Forest
[54]Maryland hosts [126]Virginia Tech
[59]Georgia Tech hosts [32]Miami
[166]Boston College hosts [27]NC State
[79]Clemson hosts [68]Florida State

Sunday is the marquee matchup of the opening weekend with North Carolina traveling to UVA. Somehow, despite losses to Old Dominion and Delaware, Virginia is sitting in the top 25 of the Pomeroy rankings. They take on a UNC squad that is winless away from Chapel Hill against anyone ranked better than Long Beach State.

[25]Virginia hosts [29]North Carolina

ACC Non-Conference Record: 107-36
ACC vs. BCS Opponents: 19-17
America East: 3-0
Atlantic 10: 10-3
Atlantic Sun: 7-2
Big XII: 1-4
Big East: 3-2
Big South: 7-1
Big Ten: 8-6
Big West: 2-0
Colonial: 5-3
CUSA: 7-0
Horizon: 3-0
Ivy: 1-1
MAAC: 2-1
MAC: 3-0
MEAC: 7-0
MVC: 1-1
MWC: 1-1
NEC: 3-1
OVC: 1-0
Pac-12: 1-3
Patriot: 2-0
SEC: 6-2
Southern: 9-2
Southland: 2-0
Sun Belt: 4-1
SWAC: 3-0
West Coast: 3-2
WAC: 1-0
Non D-I: 1-0