This Week in the ACC - 1/21-1/27

[pfrduke]

Three weeks into conference play and only three teams sit above .500. Seeing Duke and NC State at the top of the standings is no surprise. Miami's place (all alone at the very top, for the time being) may be slightly more surprising, particularly without Reggie Johnson for any conference action, but it's an experienced and talented squad that has been lurking in the wings for a couple seasons and is presently seizing on a down ACC. And the ACC is certainly down, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. There are 32 conferences (plus independents), and the ACC ranks 28th in offensive efficiency in conference play. The conference scores just 0.97 points per possession, good for 28th out of 32. The conference, in general, can't shoot, doesn't rebound on the offensive end, and doesn't get to the line. Only four schools score more than a point per possession (amazingly, BC leads the way on offense so far). But there's a new week ahead, so let's see what it has in store.

Monday was dark

Tuesday is a bit of an undercard. NC State looks for a road win against Tobacco Road rival Wake Forest at 7. At 9, Maryland looks to get back to .500 in conference play when Boston College comes to town. Maryland's defense has slowed down every opponent so far, so BC's spot as the best offense in conference play may not last through the next day.

[138]Wake Forest hosts [29]NC State
[58]Maryland hosts [128]Boston College

Wednesday has the game of the week with Duke traveling to Miami. It's not necessarily a first place game (if Duke and NC State both win, the Pack will be all alone in first place by a half a game), but it's a game Miami would certainly love to have - a win would give them two games of clearance (plus a tiebreaker) over the Devils. One thing to watch for is whether Duke gets to the line - it's something the team did extremely well in the pre-conference season, but has not done well at all in conference play, and Miami tends not to put teams on the line. Duke's ability to pick up points from the stripe could well be a key to the game. The nightcap has the Jackets looking for their first conference win at UNC. Georgia Tech has the conference's worst offense based primarily on the fact that the team can't make shots - in conference play, under 40% from 2, 27.6% from 3, both worst in the ACC. They look headed for 0-5.

[21]Miami hosts [3]Duke
[52]North Carolina hosts [86]Georgia Tech

Thursday has one in-state rivalry with Virginia heading to Blacksburg to take on the Hokies. The Cavaliers have a positive efficiency margin despite having just the 10th-best offense in conference play. They may have a chance to score points against Virginia Tech which has been decidedly unable to stop people from scoring. Also at 8, Clemson travels to FSU. I'll be honest - Thursday's a bit of a yawn.

[150]Virginia Tech hosts [39]Virginia
[85]Florida State hosts [64]Clemson

Friday is dark.

Saturday has a couple of second-tier rivalry games as bookends (cue Terp and Pack fans huffing in consternation). At the front end, Duke hosts Maryland. I think it's likely that the Terps struggle to score in Cameron. At the back end, UNC travels down I-40 to Raleigh to take on the Pack. I think it's safe to say that State has been salivating for this one since last year's ACC semis loss. In other Saturday action, BC travels to Charlottesville and Georgia Tech chases its first (probably) conference win with a home game against Wake.

[3]Duke hosts [58]Maryland
[39]Virginia hosts [128]Boston College
[86]Georgia Tech hosts [138]Wake Forest
[29]NC State hosts [52]North Carolina

Sunday kicks off with the Hokies traveling down to South Carolina. The nightcap gets an in-state rivalry with the Noles traveling to Miami. The Canes could put an exclamation point on a big week with a win over the state-school rival.

[64]Clemson hosts [150]Virginia Tech
[21]Miami hosts [85]Florida State

ACC Non-Conference Record: 115-37
ACC vs. BCS Opponents: 19-18
(note - now that non-conference play is done the detailed record by conference won't be re-posted until we hit tournament play).

[davekay1971]

State is solidly beating Wake despite first half foul trouble, behind Warren and Purvis. This is a big deal for State. Not because Wake is any good...State should beat Wake solidly. But that's exactly why this is a big deal for State - their solidly beating a team that they should beat, on the road, immediately before a Carolina game. This is exactly the State-is-still-State game that you would expect them to lose. To go on the road and dominate a team that they should dominate, in a classic trap game, is a big deal.

Hopefully this breaking away from classic State behavior will extend to the Carolina game, and State won't follow their M.O. of playing their worst game of the year against the Heels.

Hopefully.

[davekay1971]

Wow...talk about speaking too soon...

[cptnflash]

Is anyone going to guard somebody in this game? Both teams might wind up in the 80's.

[mr. synellinden]

Is anyone going to guard somebody in this game? Both teams might wind up in the 80's.

State now down by 8. 5 to go.

Reminiscent of the Duke game last year. State being outscored by 20 in the second half as of now.

[cptnflash]

Oh come on Wake, don't give this game away.

[Duvall]

Oh come on Wake, don't give this game away.

If they were good enough to do that, they wouldn't be Wake.

[cptnflash]

Turning into a free throw missing contest.

[cptnflash]

OK, I'm glad State is going to lose, but I don't blame CJ Leslie for being livid. That was a ridiculous no call.

[Bluedog]

OK, I'm glad State is going to lose, but I don't blame CJ Leslie for being livid. That was a ridiculous no call.

Can't be as Ted Valentine is one of the top officials in the game. ;) (yes, sarcasm)

[Jderf]

OK, I'm glad State is going to lose, but I don't blame CJ Leslie for being livid. That was a ridiculous no call.

Agree, that was a horrendous mistake by the ref. I'd be beyond angry in the situation. But all the same, the ball was still in play. Come on, CJ. You can't just throw your arms up like that with extremely valuable seconds ticking off the clock at the very end of the game.

[fisheyes]

Wow! Wake breaks out! Thank you Deacs!

This is a very young team and that was a defining win for them.

[Furniture]

Scott Wood was 1 from 5 from downtown!

Why couldn't he play like that against Duke?

[roywhite]

Gotta bring it every night if you want to be on top, Wuffies.

[Furniture]

What channel was the State game on? I have to be content to watch Kyrie take down the Celtics!
BRILLIANT!

[Duvall]

Gotta bring it every night if you want to be on top, Wuffies.

Or any night. State hasn't played a good game since their win over Duke.

[Newton_14]

And down goes State again, and they are court rushed, again. They are not ready for the big time. You just cannot lose that game and be who they aspire to be. Helps Duke out tremendously for State to keep dropping games to the lower level ACC teams. Bad for the ACC on the whole though. So our elite teams are now down to Duke and Miami. That;s it. And both of those are missing a key player.

So two really good teams and then a bunch of pretenders, and then a putrid Va Tech team bringing up the rear. Terrible.

Wide open race for positions 3 thru 6. UVA? Maryland? State? UNC?

[FerryFor50]

So two really good teams and then a bunch of pretenders, and then a putrid Va Tech team bringing up the rear. Terrible.



Or as Charles Barkley would say.... "Turrble."

[roywhite]

Rumors of Jeff Bzdelik's demise (or dismissal) appear premature at best.

Gotta give the young Deacs credit; they have some talent and play hard, if not always solidly.

[Newton_14]

Or as Charles Barkley would say.... "Turrble."

Turrble indeed. And freakin embarrasing...

Wake, Clemson, Maryland, and to a lesser degree BC, are all rebuilding and moving in the right direction for the most part. I guess you could throw UVA into that group as well. UNC and FSU are both perennial good/great teams who are in the midst of a rebuilding year after losing loads of talent from elite teams last year, and both have turrble post play.

Va Tech is rebuilding with a new coach and a bare cupboard that needs restocking. But to me there is just no excuse for what State is doing. They have talent even though they have no depth. The two transfers hurt them badly, especially losing Painter, but given their top 6 guys are all top level guys and healthy, there is no excuse to beat Duke the way they did then turn around and lose to Maryland and Wake. They are playing their way towards a 3rd or 4th place finish in the league right now.

[FerryFor50]

Turrble indeed. And freakin embarrasing...

Wake, Clemson, Maryland, and to a lesser degree BC, are all rebuilding and moving in the right direction for the most part. I guess you could throw UVA into that group as well. UNC and FSU are both perennial good/great teams who are in the midst of a rebuilding year after losing loads of talent from elite teams last year, and both have turrble post play.

Va Tech is rebuilding with a new coach and a bare cupboard that needs restocking. But to me there is just no excuse for what State is doing. They have talent even though they have no depth. The two transfers hurt them badly, especially losing Painter, but given their top 6 guys are all top level guys and healthy, there is no excuse to beat Duke the way they did then turn around and lose to Maryland and Wake. They are playing their way towards a 3rd or 4th place finish in the league right now.

Maybe State was overrated all along... :)

Maybe Gottfried isn't the answer?

Who knows. Still a lot of season left.

[TruBlu]

Maybe it's the coaching.

According to the Main Page story, Purvis and Warren stated post-game that they had never heard of Devin Thomas before the game against Wake.

What??? Either the coaches didn't prepare a scouting report and prepare the State players for their opponent; or the State players were not listening, in which case we go back to the coaches not being able to get their players' attention.

[ChillinDuke]

Turrble indeed. And freakin embarrasing...

Wake, Clemson, Maryland, and to a lesser degree BC, are all rebuilding and moving in the right direction for the most part. I guess you could throw UVA into that group as well. UNC and FSU are both perennial good/great teams who are in the midst of a rebuilding year after losing loads of talent from elite teams last year, and both have turrble post play.

Va Tech is rebuilding with a new coach and a bare cupboard that needs restocking. But to me there is just no excuse for what State is doing. They have talent even though they have no depth. The two transfers hurt them badly, especially losing Painter, but given their top 6 guys are all top level guys and healthy, there is no excuse to beat Duke the way they did then turn around and lose to Maryland and Wake. They are playing their way towards a 3rd or 4th place finish in the league right now.

Not trying to throw the board into upheaval, but is this really true? I'm not going to dig into statistics, but it sure feels like we've been saying this for years with no obvious improvement to speak of.

The soon-to-be additions of 'Cuse, Pitt, L'Ville, and ND aside, I'm not sure the conference as a whole is moving in any direction basketball-wise. And if we are, it may be down. This year seems worse than any I can remember, at the very least in the last decade or so.

- Chillin

[moonpie23]

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=330240052


guy has a knack

[rsvman]

Indeed he does. Likes that part of the court, too.

That shot was a little bit of a slop, but good is good. Gave me a bit of an unpleasant flashback, though.

[moonpie23]

yeah, i'm not saying i LIKED it.......ugh.....

[Bob Green]

ACCSports.com predicts State will beat Carolina 83-70:

http://www.accsports.com/teams/nc-state/2013012514569/acc-weekend-preview-jan-25.php


N.C. State is good, people. Seriously. The young Tar Heels are playing better, and they’ll put up a fight, but ultimately it won’t be enough against the Wolfpack’s efficient offense.

[grossbus]

when was the last time this game was played and state was ranked and the holes not?

pack has shown a tendency to be absent when playing carolina (0 for last 13). i would like to think that would change tonight, but am not confident that it will.

[ScreechTDX1847]

when was the last time this game was played and state was ranked and the holes not?

1990

[moonpie23]

well, come on .....let's help !!


GO STATE !!!

[superdave]

Leslie vs. McAdoo is an intriguing matchup. Somebody could help their draft status a good bit tonight.

I think Paige would have to play out of his mind for Unc to win, and they'd have to nail some threes. Should be an interesting game. Neither team is consistent, and neither seems to have tons of confidence either. State's just a little better.

[CDu]

Leslie vs. McAdoo is an intriguing matchup. Somebody could help their draft status a good bit tonight.

I think Paige would have to play out of his mind for Unc to win, and they'd have to nail some threes. Should be an interesting game. Neither team is consistent, and neither seems to have tons of confidence either. State's just a little better.

In terms of talent and experience, State has a huge edge. In terms of confidence, they may be lacking. But I suspect they'll be ready to play tonight and will get the win.

[devildeac]

ACCSports.com predicts State will beat Carolina 83-70:

http://www.accsports.com/teams/nc-state/2013012514569/acc-weekend-preview-jan-25.php


when was the last time this game was played and state was ranked and the holes not?

pack has shown a tendency to be absent when playing carolina (0 for last 13). i would like to think that would change tonight, but am not confident that it will.

I'm with grossbus here. Sadly. Wolfpups need to show something big here tonight. Maybe if we put some tape with DUKE written on it on the front of the unc unis tonight the Pack would play a bit differently:rolleyes:.

[Bob Green]

Miami is a 10 points favorite at home over Florida State with the over/under set at 129.5 so Vegas is looking for a score in the neighborhood of 70-60.

This is a test for the 'Canes as they could come out flat after their huge win last week. Florida State has been struggling this year so it is important for Miami to be focused in this game at home before setting off on the road to Blacksburg and Raleigh next week.

My desire is for Miami to continue to win and arrive at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 2nd riding a 16 game winning streak. It all starts today against the Seminoles.

Of course, part of me wants to see Miami completely fall on their faces and lose every game they play, but revenge will be sweeter if we knock them down off a long winning streak.

[CDu]

My desire is for Miami to continue to win and arrive at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 2nd riding a 16 game winning streak. It all starts today against the Seminoles.

Of course, part of me wants to see Miami completely fall on their faces and lose every game they play, but revenge will be sweeter if we knock them down off a long winning streak.

I'd rather we be playing Miami with the ACC regular season title (and tournament #1 seed) on the line. If Miami is 15-0 in conference when we next play them, we aren't likely to win the ACC regular season title. Miami closes with Georgia Tech and Clemson (both at home), so they aren't likely to lose again in the regular season after we play them.

So I'd take a Miami loss to NC State (and another loss by State) or two other losses by Miami between now and then. That way, we could beat them and hang another ACC regular season banner and get the ACC #1 seed.

[Bob Green]

I just finished watching Miami beat Florida State by 24 points and will keep my analysis succinct: Miami is good! They've had the pieces in the past and with the upgrade in coaching Jim Larranaga represents vis-a-vis Frank Haith, the 'Canes have a high ceiling.

[Newton_14]

I just finished watching Miami beat Florida State by 24 points and will keep my analysis succinct: Miami is good! They've had the pieces in the past and with the upgrade in coaching Jim Larranaga represents vis-a-vis Frank Haith, the 'Canes have a high ceiling.


I tuned in late in the 2nd half to see if they validated the Duke win. They did. Next test will be going on the road as a highly ranked team. They should rise quite a bit in the poll tomorrow.

[dukelifer]

I just finished watching Miami beat Florida State by 24 points and will keep my analysis succinct: Miami is good! They've had the pieces in the past and with the upgrade in coaching Jim Larranaga represents vis-a-vis Frank Haith, the 'Canes have a high ceiling.

They have a very good chance to win the conference and make a deep run. They do not have any real weaknesses. With Johnson back- they will be even better. If they beat State on the road and I expect they will- the Duke game will be their next toughest and they will be sky high for that. Will be interesting to watch. They play like the experienced team they are.

[Newton_14]

They have a very good chance to win the conference and make a deep run. They do not have any real weaknesses. With Johnson back- they will be even better. If they beat State on the road and I expect they will- the Duke game will be their next toughest and they will be sky high for that. Will be interesting to watch. They play like the experienced team they are.

I agree on everything except for the part I bolded. After I put faith in FSU last year (against my own inner advice :) ) and they busted my bracket, I swore to never again trust one of the non-traditional powers (or one of the 8 long time ACC teams. I count Ga Tech in the group with the original 7) in the NCAA tourney. Just can't trust them.
Miami is good, but so was FSU last year. Miami is loaded with talent and 4th/5th/6th year Seniors, but so was FSU last year.

Miami lost early season games to lesser teams that will not be in the Big Dance, just like FSU last year.

To sum it up, Miami will play like world beaters in ACC season and tourney play, then get into the Big Dance on the Big Stage, and wet themselves, just like FSU last year.

[dukelifer]

I agree on everything except for the part I bolded. After I put faith in FSU last year (against my own inner advice :) ) and they busted my bracket, I swore to never again trust one of the non-traditional powers (or one of the 8 long time ACC teams. I count Ga Tech in the group with the original 7) in the NCAA tourney. Just can't trust them.
Miami is good, but so was FSU last year. Miami is loaded with talent and 4th/5th/6th year Seniors, but so was FSU last year.

Miami lost early season games to lesser teams that will not be in the Big Dance, just like FSU last year.

To sum it up, Miami will play like world beaters in ACC season and tourney play, then get into the Big Dance on the Big Stage, and wet themselves, just like FSU last year.

You are probably right. They do not have a lot of experience in the tourney. I actually think another team in Florida has a good chance to make a run.

[Bob Green]

To sum it up, Miami will play like world beaters in ACC season and tourney play, then get into the Big Dance on the Big Stage, and wet themselves, just like FSU last year.

Don't forget, Miami has a coach with Final Four experience.

[Newton_14]

Don't forget, Miami has a coach with Final Four experience.

I hear you Bob, and it helps for sure, but I just can't trust them. Long way to go though, so let's revisit in early March to see how they are playing at that time.

[freshmanjs]

You are probably right. They do not have a lot of experience in the tourney. I actually think another team in Florida has a good chance to make a run.

yeah, the gators are dangerous. deep tournament experience and they play very good defense. i would not want to see them in our region.

[CDu]

I agree on everything except for the part I bolded. After I put faith in FSU last year (against my own inner advice :) ) and they busted my bracket, I swore to never again trust one of the non-traditional powers (or one of the 8 long time ACC teams. I count Ga Tech in the group with the original 7) in the NCAA tourney. Just can't trust them.
Miami is good, but so was FSU last year. Miami is loaded with talent and 4th/5th/6th year Seniors, but so was FSU last year.

Miami lost early season games to lesser teams that will not be in the Big Dance, just like FSU last year.

To sum it up, Miami will play like world beaters in ACC season and tourney play, then get into the Big Dance on the Big Stage, and wet themselves, just like FSU last year.

Miami has one big difference from FSU last year: they have experienced, NBA-level talent. Kadji will likely be a lottery pick. Scott and Johnson will both play in the NBA as well. FSU had a 2nd round pick (James) and a potential 2nd round pick (Snaer).

The other big difference is that Miami can score. FSU quite frequently struggled to top 60 points in a game. And in terms of offensive and defensive efficiency, FSU finished #75 in offense and #15 in defense. Miami is currently #37 in offense and #4 in defense.

One never knows what will happen in the NCAA tournament. But this year's Miami is much better than last year's FSU team - perhaps on both ends of the floor.