PDA

View Full Version : This Week in the ACC - 1/28-2/3



pfrduke
01-29-2013, 12:29 AM
The Miami Hurricanes had one heck of a week. In two games in Coral Gables, they outscored their opponents 161-110, holding Duke and Florida State to a combined 31-for-86 from 2 (36%) and 7-for-40 from 3 (17.5%). While forcing all those misses, the Canes picked up 73 of the 94 available defensive rebounds (77.7%), meaning not only did their opponents miss a lot of shots, they were held to one shot per trip. On the other end of the court, Miami scored 1.11 points per possession, a clip far better than any team has managed in conference play so far this season. At the end of the day, Miami now sits 2 games up in the loss column a third of the way through conference play. The Canes hit the road for a couple of games this week and while they've handled away games unbeaten so far, they're now doing it as the top dog in the conference, which can be a very different story.

Monday was dark

Tuesday has front-loaded action with half the conference hitting the court. Tobacco Road hits the road this week with Duke, State, and UNC playing away games. State gets it going first with a trip to the JPJ. This is a rough challenge for the Pack - a disciplined team that will slow the pace down, eliminate transition opportunities, and (worst of all) force State to defend for the full 35 seconds. A win would be an important step on the way toward making a run at the top of the conference (and a loss would put them 3 games behind Miami in the loss column). Next on tap is Georgia Tech at Clemson, which may provide some order among the (many) teams under .500. Closing out the night, UNC travels to Boston College. The Eagles have, in a way, outperformed their record. Not until last weekend's trip to Charlottesville did BC lose a conference game by more than 10 points, and Chestnut Hill the Eagles took both NC State and Miami right down to the wire. For Carolina, this is the first in what could turn into a three-game winning streak before a trip down to Coral Gables (following the trip to BC, UNC hosts Virginia Tech and Wake).

[32]Virginia hosts [38]NC State
[70]Clemson hosts [82]Georgia Tech
[119]Boston College hosts [46]North Carolina

Wednesday gets the rest of the conference in play. Duke leads things off with a short road trip to Winston-Salem. Wake's undefeated at home in conference play, including wins over 2 of the conference's (only) 4 winning teams. Also at 8, Maryland heads down to Florida State - this is a game both teams need. Finally, mid-week action closes out with Miami traveling the Virginia Tech. The Hokies have absolutely nothing other than Erick Green - that probably won't be enough against the Canes.

[145]Wake Forest hosts [5]Duke
[94]Florida State hosts [59]Maryland
[164]Virginia Tech hosts [13]Miami

Thursday and Friday are dark.

Saturday again has front-loaded action, with 5 of the 6 weekend games. It's entirely possible that three of the first four games will feature entirely teams with losing conference records (if Carolina loses mid-week, it guarantees that these games won't feature a team with a winning record), which says a lot about the strength of the conference this season. The fourth puts Duke in hostile Florida territory again, this time a little further north. But it's the fifth game on Saturday that will get all the press. It's the only matchup between State and Miami this season and it takes place in Raleigh. That building has been hopping for big matchups this seasons and this weekend shouldn't be anything different.

[119]Boston College hosts [70]Clemson
[46]North Carolina hosts [164]Virginia Tech
[94]Florida State hosts [5]Duke
[59]Maryland hosts [145]Wake Forest
[38]NC State hosts [13]Miami

Sunday has pre-Super Bowl action in Atlanta. Virginia has struggled on the road against all but what is probably the worst team in the ACC (hi Hokies). Georgia Tech plays fierce defense. Pomeroy predicts a low-pace, low-scoring game - 52-51 for Virginia in a 59 possession game; that's both teams scoring well under 0.90 points per possession. Yikes.

[82]Georgia Tech hosts [32]Virginia

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).

Bob Green
01-29-2013, 08:46 AM
How many folks are expecting State to drop the ball against Virginia tonight? I am. State plays best in an uptempo game while Virginia likes to play at a snail's pace. With the game being in Charlottesville and State coming off a win over Carolina, I'll take the Wahoos in a close low scoring ugly game. I hope I am wrong as I desire to see State win.

pfrduke
01-29-2013, 09:25 AM
How many folks are expecting State to drop the ball against Virginia tonight? I am. State plays best in an uptempo game while Virginia likes to play at a snail's pace. With the game being in Charlottesville and State coming off a win over Carolina, I'll take the Wahoos in a close low scoring ugly game. I hope I am wrong as I desire to see State win.

State's got a rough stretch of games - a trip to Charlottesville, hosting Miami, and then a trip to Durham. Three straight games, two on the road, against the only other teams with winning records in conference. Pomeroy won't favor State in any of them (although he ranks them pretty low due to defensive struggles - State will probably be a slight Vegas favorite over the Canes), and I think that anything better than 0-3 is actually a pretty good performance. Once they get past this stretch, though, the only really tough game left on their schedule is the return trip to UNC. Their last 8 games are against Clemson, FSU twice, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, BC, Wake, and at UNC. They should be able to build up some schedule-based momentum as they head into the conference tournament (not that I'm looking way ahead, or anything).

vick
01-29-2013, 11:01 AM
How many folks are expecting State to drop the ball against Virginia tonight? I am. State plays best in an uptempo game while Virginia likes to play at a snail's pace. With the game being in Charlottesville and State coming off a win over Carolina, I'll take the Wahoos in a close low scoring ugly game. I hope I am wrong as I desire to see State win.

I like UVa in this one too (though I am a secondary UVa fan, having grown up in Virginia, so I also hope they win). They're 14-5, but four of their losses are by 4, 6, 2, and 3 points, plus they have won at Wisconsin, which is never easy. Sure a couple of the losses are to marginal non-conference teams, but you could say the same thing about Miami. Accepting that they haven't exactly faced a particularly hard ACC schedule so far, I believe they're second in efficiency margin for conference-only games. All told, they're a pretty good team--personally I would bet on them over Maryland to be the ACC's fifth tournament team, even though they aren't yet close according to Lunardi. I think they're favored by about 4 by Vegas as well, so I wouldn't even really call it dropping the ball if State loses this one.

Olympic Fan
01-29-2013, 01:51 PM
NC State at Virginia is indeed the game to watch tonight.

It will be interesting to see if State can break its post Duke/UNC jinx -- as noted when they beat Duke and lost to Maryland, State is 3-11 over the last 20 years in the first game after beaing Duke or UNC in the regular season. Will they make it 3-12 tonight?

UNC-BC has its interesting aspects. But I think the ongoing physical problems of BC sophomore Dennis Clifford really hurts the Eagles chances. The 7-footer, who is probably their second-best player, has chronic knee issues. He's not able to practice and he's only been able to play 5-10 ineffective minutes a game.

Without Clifford, the Eagles are painfully small -- 6-9 Ryan Anderson starts along with four other guards. I was actually hoping to see a matchup of the relatively overlooked Anderson vs. the relatively overhyped McAdoo. McAdoo gets all the pub, but Anderson is averaging more points (16.4 to 14.6), more rebounds (9.1 to 8.4), shooting a better percentage from the floor (49.1 to 45.6), a better percentage from the FT line (64.0 to 59.0), has more assists per game (1.4 to 1.2) and a lot less turnovers (30 to 53). Neither player blocks a lot of shots, but Anderson blocks more than twice as many (13 to 6).

Simply put, Anderson is a clearly superior player, even if he's had to play out of position at center (he's a classic power forward). Unfortunarely, with Clifford so limited, I suspect he'll be matched up more with James and Hubert than McAdoo.

I have a trivia question for you guys that relates to tonight's games. Which current ACC coach has the best homecourt winning percentage in ACC play?

Hint: It's not Mike Krzyzewski (79.3) and it's not Roy Williams (78.7).

The answer is: Brad Brownell of Clemson. In two and a third seasons, his Tigers are 16-4 against ACC opponents in Littlejohn -- that's 80.0 percent!

Maybe it's a good thing Duke doesn't have to play down there this year. But it's a concern for UNC on Feb. 28. And it's a BIG concern for Georgia Tech tonight.

Bob Green
01-29-2013, 04:20 PM
Virginia is a 4.5 points favorite with the over/under set at 126, so Vegas is looking for a score in the neighborhood of 65-61. Seeing as Virginia likes to play slow, I believe the winning combination will be either Virginia with the under or State with the over. If more than 126 total points are scored, I have a hard time believing Virginia will be victorious.

Seeing as Virginia is the Vegas favorite, I will grudgingly back off my earlier "drop the ball against Virginia" question (it was really a statement not so cleverly disguised as a question). I remain convinced this is a game an experienced, talented State team should win. They were the preseason favorite to win the ACC.

I'm looking forward to watching the game as it will provide more data for my never ending quest to figure out how this season will unfold. The Miami at State game later this week is another important match-up.

sporthenry
01-29-2013, 05:39 PM
Virginia is a 4.5 points favorite with the over/under set at 126, so Vegas is looking for a score in the neighborhood of 65-61. Seeing as Virginia likes to play slow, I believe the winning combination will be either Virginia with the under or State with the over. If more than 126 total points are scored, I have a hard time believing Virginia will be victorious.

Seeing as Virginia is the Vegas favorite, I will grudgingly back off my earlier "drop the ball against Virginia" question (it was really a statement not so cleverly disguised as a question). I remain convinced this is a game an experienced, talented State team should win. They were the preseason favorite to win the ACC.

I'm looking forward to watching the game as it will provide more data for my never ending quest to figure out how this season will unfold. The Miami at State game later this week is another important match-up.

Another thing to mention with the UVA/NC State game WRT Vegas is that there was some talks about CJ Leslie being sick. Apparently he is sick but will suit up so that is probably good for a few points.

pfrduke
01-29-2013, 06:35 PM
Virginia is a 4.5 points favorite with the over/under set at 126, so Vegas is looking for a score in the neighborhood of 65-61. Seeing as Virginia likes to play slow, I believe the winning combination will be either Virginia with the under or State with the over. If more than 126 total points are scored, I have a hard time believing Virginia will be victorious.

Seeing as Virginia is the Vegas favorite, I will grudgingly back off my earlier "drop the ball against Virginia" question (it was really a statement not so cleverly disguised as a question). I remain convinced this is a game an experienced, talented State team should win. They were the preseason favorite to win the ACC.

I'm looking forward to watching the game as it will provide more data for my never ending quest to figure out how this season will unfold. The Miami at State game later this week is another important match-up.

Interestingly enough, the Pomeroy forecast for the game is 65-61 Virginia.

CDu
01-29-2013, 07:02 PM
CJ Leslie will not start tonight, with flu-like symptoms. Uncertain how much (or how well) he'll play. Without him, State is VERY limited.

Newton_14
01-29-2013, 07:06 PM
CJ Leslie will not start tonight, with flu-like symptoms. Uncertain how much (or how well) he'll play. Without him, State is VERY limited.

That is a big loss. It puts State with basically a 5 man rotation which means to rest anyone, Tyler Lewis has to come in or the big 7 Footer. No flexibility at all. Defending UVA for 33 seconds every trip is going to wear the starters out...

CDu
01-29-2013, 07:09 PM
That is a big loss. It puts State with basically a 5 man rotation which means to rest anyone, Tyler Lewis has to come in or the big 7 Footer. No flexibility at all. Defending UVA for 33 seconds every trip is going to wear the starters out...

To clarify, they didn't say he won't play. Just that they don't know how much he will play.

So far, UVa is conceding all rebounds on their offensive end, focusing on defending the fast break. That's smart. They've held State to only 7 points in 5 minutes. Unfortunately, it puts a LOT of pressure on their half court offense (and they've only scored twice as a result).

It will be interesting, if UVa starts making shots, to see whether State presses offensively.

CDu
01-29-2013, 07:21 PM
Leslie came in after about 6 minutes. He's done nothing noteworthy yet. But Brown just hurt his ankle on a drive, and is now on the bench.

In spite of that, State is up 17-7.

NSDukeFan
01-29-2013, 07:29 PM
Leslie came in after about 6 minutes. He's done nothing noteworthy yet. But Brown just hurt his ankle on a drive, and is now on the bench.

In spite of that, State is up 17-7.

Isn't 10 points in a UVa game basically an insurmountable lead? I guess it's still a bit early.

Newton_14
01-29-2013, 07:30 PM
Isn't 10 points in a UVa game basically an insurmountable lead? I guess it's still a bit early.

To Channel Billy... "It's ovah!" :cool:

I keed I keed

CDu
01-29-2013, 07:31 PM
Isn't 10 points in a UVa game basically an insurmountable lead? I guess it's still a bit early.

The score is now 17-16. Brown has gone back to the locker room. This game is far from over.

Wander
01-29-2013, 07:33 PM
Isn't 10 points in a UVa game basically an insurmountable lead? I guess it's still a bit early.

No lead is insurmountable with NC State.

Newton_14
01-29-2013, 07:34 PM
The score is now 17-16. Brown has gone back to the locker room. This game is far from over.


So over/under on what time this evening some poor unattentive soul throws up a thread titled "UVA upsetting State" with the opening line being, "Anyone else watching this? Uva is .......":D

Sorry, been on the couch for 3 days with that Flu Bug Leslie has and I am going stir crazy.. No shirts left to sweat through either.. sigh..:mad:

CDu
01-29-2013, 07:35 PM
State is fighting admirably on the road without a healthy Leslie and now without Brown for the last 7 minutes (and probably the rest of the half, at least). They're up 4 with a chance to extend the lead. Neither team is looking at all good offensively. That should probably be expected as UVa isn't very good and State isn't very good without Brown and the fast break.

CDu
01-29-2013, 07:36 PM
So over/under on what time this evening some poor unattentive soul throws up a thread titled "UVA upsetting State" with the opening line being, "Anyone else watching this? Uva is .......":D

Sorry, been on the couch for 3 days with that Flu Bug Leslie has and I am going stir crazy.. No shirts left to sweat through either.. sigh..:mad:

Haha, good question. Sorry to hear you're ill. Hope you feel better.

Newton_14
01-29-2013, 07:38 PM
Haha, good question. Sorry to hear you're ill. Hope you feel better.


Thanks. It has not been fun..

Bob Green
01-29-2013, 07:56 PM
So far, UVa is conceding all rebounds on their offensive end, focusing on defending the fast break.

State with zero transition points in the 1st half. They average 23 per game.

CDu
01-29-2013, 08:02 PM
State will not have Brown the rest of the way in this one. This could get interesting. State will have to go with an ill Leslie for extended minutes and/or have to take a big dropoff with Lewis and/or Vandenberg.

Newton_14
01-29-2013, 08:14 PM
State will not have Brown the rest of the way in this one. This could get interesting. State will have to go with an ill Leslie for extended minutes and/or have to take a big dropoff with Lewis and/or Vandenberg.

What's the nature of Brown's injury?

CDu
01-29-2013, 08:16 PM
State has come out VERY shaky to start the second half. It's very clear how important Brown is to their offense. They had limped into the half with a 7-point lead. That lead is now down to 1 after 5 minutes of the 2nd, and UVa has the ball and the momentum.

Moreover, there's literally nothing to turn to on the bench, with Lewis and Vandenburg not having shown the ability to play at the ACC level. Combine that with a likely-to-get-tired Leslie and no PG play, and there is a lot going against State right now. They may need Wood and/or Purvis to really step up from the outside.

Either that or hope that UVa's offensive ineptitude is enough to keep them afloat.

Duvall
01-29-2013, 08:16 PM
What's the nature of Brown's injury?

Ankle. He's walking on it, so it may not be *that* bad, but he's done for the night.

Bob Green
01-29-2013, 08:16 PM
State with zero transition points in the 1st half. They average 23 per game.

Correction - they had five. Freshman Tobey (6'11") is having a good game for UVa.

Newton_14
01-29-2013, 08:20 PM
Ankle. He's walking on it, so it may not be *that* bad, but he's done for the night.

Thanks. And now Howell has 3 fouls...

CDu
01-29-2013, 08:21 PM
Ankle. He's walking on it, so it may not be *that* bad, but he's done for the night.

Yeah, I doubt it's long-term serious.

State in a real pinch now. Howell just picked up his 3rd foul. So they're going to have to go with Vandenburg for a while, and Leslie can't come off the floor.

Though so far, Leslie has not played at all like he's sick. He's been terrific.

Furniture
01-29-2013, 08:29 PM
I have dish. What channel is the state game on?

Furniture
01-29-2013, 08:30 PM
Got it...

CDu
01-29-2013, 08:42 PM
Well, State hasn't gotten too much from their guards, but they've gotten great production from Leslie and Howell. And thanks to UVa's offensive ineptitude, they're right in this thing (down 2 with the ball at the under-4 timeout). Should be interesting down the stretch.

CDu
01-29-2013, 08:53 PM
Wow. State, down 1, just accidentally fouled a 33% FT shooter (0-3 tonight) and put UVa in the 1-and-1. What does said 33% shooter do? Hits both. State down 3 with 22.5 left.

Bob Green
01-29-2013, 08:58 PM
I knew I could count on State to gack up an L on the road. They have a long way to go before they are a championship level team.

ChillinDuke
01-29-2013, 08:58 PM
Virginia is a 4.5 points favorite with the over/under set at 126, so Vegas is looking for a score in the neighborhood of 65-61. Seeing as Virginia likes to play slow, I believe the winning combination will be either Virginia with the under or State with the over. If more than 126 total points are scored, I have a hard time believing Virginia will be victorious.

Seeing as Virginia is the Vegas favorite, I will grudgingly back off my earlier "drop the ball against Virginia" question (it was really a statement not so cleverly disguised as a question). I remain convinced this is a game an experienced, talented State team should win. They were the preseason favorite to win the ACC.

I'm looking forward to watching the game as it will provide more data for my never ending quest to figure out how this season will unfold. The Miami at State game later this week is another important match-up.

Well done, Bob, well done.

Please feel free to offer some more prognostications the next time I'm in Vegas. :rolleyes:

- Chillin

Newton_14
01-29-2013, 09:00 PM
Wood should have pumped faked there and let the guy fly by him. He would have likely been wide open on the reset. Despite all the things going against them in this game, State still had a good chance to win down the stretch, but there seemed to be a lid on the basket in the final 4 minutes. Nothing went in.


With a healthy Brown all the way and a healthy Leslie, I believe they would have gotten out of there with a solid win.

sporthenry
01-29-2013, 09:05 PM
Wood should have pumped faked there and let the guy fly by him. He would have likely been wide open on the reset. Despite all the things going against them in this game, State still had a good chance to win down the stretch, but there seemed to be a lid on the basket in the final 4 minutes. Nothing went in.


With a healthy Brown all the way and a healthy Leslie, I believe they would have gotten out of there with a solid win.

I agree that health hurt them but great teams find a way to win. Nobody seems to care about Kelly much. Virginia just put itself into the race and will be tough at home. Luckily, they'll probably drop a few on the road but hopefully Kelly is back by then because that will be a big game (as they inevitably all are).

Furniture
01-29-2013, 09:06 PM
Who would have thought that. Beat Duke,beat Carolina and end up 3 and 3!

cptnflash
01-29-2013, 09:16 PM
Who would have thought that. Beat Duke,beat Carolina and end up 3 and 3!

Um, they're actually 5 and 3.

Goes without saying that they're a completely different team without Lorenzo Brown, just as we are without Ryan. Hopefully Brown's issue is just a sprain and he's back soon. NC State has hit the toughest stretch of their schedule and can't afford to be without him. KenPom had them losing tonight's game along with the next two, even before Brown was hurt.

Duvall
01-29-2013, 09:17 PM
Pretty good battle of mid-majors on ESPNU right now.





Wait - is that really UNC?

davekay1971
01-29-2013, 09:17 PM
State is 4-3 now, but this loss isn't one they should hang their heads over. Nor is it really indicative of the win-a-big-one/tank-the-next syndrome. State played about as well as they could with their starting point guard (and arguably most valuable player) on the bench for 30 minutes and 2 of their top 6 players with the flu. And, playing a tough opponent on the road. There's no moral victories for State, but this was certainly not a crushing defeat. If they can get back healthy, they should rebound.

davekay1971
01-29-2013, 09:19 PM
So over/under on what time this evening some poor unattentive soul throws up a thread titled "UVA upsetting State" with the opening line being, "Anyone else watching this? Uva is .......":D

Sorry, been on the couch for 3 days with that Flu Bug Leslie has and I am going stir crazy.. No shirts left to sweat through either.. sigh..:mad:

1 hour, 40 minutes, apparently...

cptnflash
01-29-2013, 09:20 PM
State is 4-3 now, but this loss isn't one they should hang their heads over. Nor is it really indicative of the win-a-big-one/tank-the-next syndrome. State played about as well as they could with their starting point guard (and arguably most valuable player) on the bench for 30 minutes and 2 of their top 6 players with the flu. And, playing a tough opponent on the road. There's no moral victories for State, but this was certainly not a crushing defeat. If they can get back healthy, they should rebound.

Guys, State is 5-3 in conference. They have beaten Boston College, Georgia Tech, us, Clemson, and UNC.

davekay1971
01-29-2013, 09:20 PM
Boston College might want to start guarding the only 2 Carolina players who can score. I mean, c'mon, they're stand-up 3 point shooters. Is it THAT hard to get out and guard a guy?

cptnflash
01-29-2013, 09:24 PM
Amazing that PJ Hairston has played less than 50% of Carolina's minutes so far this season. He might be their second best player after Bullock. I would staple Strickland to the bench and play Hairston and Bullock 35 minutes per game each.

Newton_14
01-29-2013, 09:41 PM
So over/under on what time this evening some poor unattentive soul throws up a thread titled "UVA upsetting State" with the opening line being, "Anyone else watching this? Uva is .......":D

Sorry, been on the couch for 3 days with that Flu Bug Leslie has and I am going stir crazy.. No shirts left to sweat through either.. sigh..:mad:


We have a winner! Clocked in at 9:15pm...;)http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?30352-UVA-takes-down-Pack

(all in fun, no offense meant):)

cptnflash
01-29-2013, 09:46 PM
Oh boy, PJ Hairston is seriously hurt. Head injury, concussed for sure, hopefully nothing worse than that.

FerryFor50
01-29-2013, 09:51 PM
Oh boy, PJ Hairston is seriously hurt. Head injury, concussed for sure, hopefully nothing worse than that.

That is his 2nd one this year...

cptnflash
01-29-2013, 09:52 PM
That is his 2nd one this year...

This looks really serious, he was wheeled off the court on a stretcher. He's going straight to the hospital I think.

FerryFor50
01-29-2013, 09:53 PM
This looks really serious, he was wheeled off the court on a stretcher. He's going straight to the hospital I think.

Hopefully he's ok.

Durham Thunder
01-29-2013, 09:54 PM
Time for the Devils to shake off the cobwebs, and win a road game.

DukieInBrasil
01-29-2013, 10:08 PM
Lotsa injuries today, not good. Lorenzo Brown went out after 10 minutes and never returned, some sort of ankle injury. Now PJ Hairston for UNC. PJ's looks like it is much more serious, hope he is ok.

Since LB didn't play, it's not all that surprising that State didn't play well. On the road against a solid defensive team without their starting PG, i'm almost surprised that they ONLY lost by 3.

PJ was shooting lights out (4-4 3FGs) prior to going down.

Let's hope the injuries for the week are done.

FerryFor50
01-29-2013, 10:39 PM
Man, BC is putrid...

Newton_14
01-29-2013, 10:41 PM
Man, BC is putrid...

I disagree kind sir! They are BEYOND putrid. Whatever that next term might be, their it.

FerryFor50
01-29-2013, 10:44 PM
I disagree kind sir! They are BEYOND putrid. Whatever that next term might be, their it.

I couldn't even watch more than a few minutes. It sucks because I want to see ole miss take it to Kentucky but they are down 15.

FerryFor50
01-29-2013, 10:57 PM
I couldn't even watch more than a few minutes. It sucks because I want to see ole miss take it to Kentucky but they are down 15.

Ok that's better. Ole Miss cuts it to 1! Noel and Poythress with 4 fouls! (And enough with the SEC in the ACC thread)

Monmouth77
01-29-2013, 11:18 PM
I disagree kind sir! They are BEYOND putrid. Whatever that next term might be, their it.

Ryan Anderson is a nice player, but man, it's hard to distinguish between the overall talent at BC and what Donahue had at Cornell. That is a problem.

FerryFor50
01-29-2013, 11:20 PM
Ryan Anderson is a nice player, but man, it's hard to distinguish between the overall talent at BC and what Donahue had at Cornell. That is a problem.

Guess Al Skinner wasn't the problem...

Duvall
01-29-2013, 11:20 PM
Ryan Anderson is a nice player, but man, it's hard to distinguish between the overall talent at BC and what Donahue had at Cornell. That is a problem.

It's not that hard. There's no one on this BC team on the level of Ryan Wittman.

Bob Green
01-30-2013, 04:58 PM
There are two non-Duke games tonight with Miami traveling to Virginia Tech and Maryland traveling to Florida State. Miami should win easily, yeah I know, famous last words. Vegas agrees and list the 'Canes as a 9.5 points favorite. The other game is a toss-up with Florida State being favored by 3 points at home over Maryland.

Miami has the opportunity to improve to 4-0 on the road in conference games tonight. While it is early, they are starting to build a cushion by piling up road victories.

dukelifer
01-30-2013, 07:20 PM
There are two non-Duke games tonight with Miami traveling to Virginia Tech and Maryland traveling to Florida State. Miami should win easily, yeah I know, famous last words. Vegas agrees and list the 'Canes as a 9.5 points favorite. The other game is a toss-up with Florida State being favored by 3 points at home over Maryland.

Miami has the opportunity to improve to 4-0 on the road in conference games tonight. While it is early, they are starting to build a cushion by piling up road victories.

State is a possible loss but I expect Miami will win. The only other good chance for a loss is at Duke. They should be favored in most every game. They could run the table.

NSDukeFan
01-30-2013, 07:26 PM
State is a possible loss but I expect Miami will win. The only other good chance for a loss is at Duke. They should be favored in most every game. They could run the table.

I doubt Miami ends up with fewer than four losses in conference play.

vick
01-30-2013, 07:38 PM
State is a possible loss but I expect Miami will win. The only other good chance for a loss is at Duke. They should be favored in most every game. They could run the table.

They might, but it's pretty unlikely. Fans seem to be putting an aura of near-invincibility around a team that has lost to such juggernauts as Florida Gulf Coast and Indiana State, and got crushed by Arizona. '82 UNC, '91 Duke, '92 Duke, '93 UNC, '01 Duke, '02 Maryland, '05 UNC, '09 UNC, '10 Duke were all national championship teams, and none of them managed to run the table, even though none had to win 18 games to do so. I'll grant the ACC has seen better years, but people seem to be placing a tremendous amount of weight on a two-game run--I mean, this team barely beat an awful BC team just two weeks ago.

dukelifer
01-30-2013, 07:39 PM
I doubt Miami ends up with fewer than four losses in conference play.

Who beats them? They just got Johnson back. He will only get better

NSDukeFan
01-30-2013, 07:45 PM
Who beats them?

As Vick mentioned,perhaps they will meet up with some teams as strong as Florida Gulf Coast and Indiana State on the road. They played a great game against Duke. I have trouble seeing how a team that has never won anything doesn't lay an egg somewhere along the line. I don't expect they are used to being the target at the top and could see almost any team in the ACC upsetting them on an off night.

Bob Green
01-30-2013, 07:58 PM
I doubt they run the table, but they are very talented and with the road wins they are racking up they are certainly building a case as the odds on favorite to win the regular season. We all know how quickly things can change, but at this juncture in the season, watching Miami is a good way to keep an eye on the top of the league.

sporthenry
01-30-2013, 10:14 PM
Mama, there goes that man again. Snaer with another 3 just about at the buzzer for the win.

cptnflash
01-30-2013, 10:25 PM
Heads up everyone, Virginia Tech with a lead on Miami in the second half. A good as they are, it's not inconceivable that Miami could lose two games this week, provided that Lorenzo Brown is ready to go by Saturday.

cptnflash
01-30-2013, 10:27 PM
State is a possible loss but I expect Miami will win. The only other good chance for a loss is at Duke. They should be favored in most every game. They could run the table.

Pomeroy has Miami with a 3.1% chance to finish the ACC season undefeated, so don't get too excited.

Duvall
01-30-2013, 10:30 PM
Heads up everyone, Virginia Tech with a lead on Miami in the second half. A good as they are, it's not inconceivable that Miami could lose two games this week, provided that Lorenzo Brown is ready to go by Saturday.

Well *now* it's inconceivable. VPI is done.

cptnflash
01-30-2013, 10:33 PM
Well so much for that, Miami has seized control, up by 9. Still think they will lose one or two before we see them again in early March, hopefully starting this weekend in Raleigh.

Mabdul Doobakus
01-30-2013, 10:53 PM
There's almost no way Miami runs the table. Pomeroy's 3.1% chance seems generous, even. It's just too many games, and the game at Duke, I would still say Duke is a solid favorite in that one. The NC State game is a toss up. And as someone already mentioned, they almost lost to Boston College, so anyone is capable of beating them on a down night.

But I do think they have to be considered solid conference favorites at this point. It's time to get over the Florida Gulf Coast loss. I have no idea how it happened, even without Durand Scott for that game, but it was the second game of the season and this is obviously not the same team.

As for the losses to Arizona and Indiana State...both of those games were played in Honolulu, which is quite a trip, and they lost Reggie Johnson just before the Arizona game, so they were having to make adjustments during what I would imagine was very limited practice time, several time zones away from home. And Indiana State is not bad either...last I checked they were top 50 RPI.

It's a versatile team with excellent guard play and an inside presence that will only grow stronger as Reggie Johnson works his way back into the flow. The wings are good shooters. They play good defense. They have senior leadership. Their depth is a little limited, but otherwise, what's not to like?

dukelifer
01-30-2013, 11:31 PM
Pomeroy has Miami with a 3.1% chance to finish the ACC season undefeated, so don't get too excited.

They may have an off night or two but they are pretty complete. They can beat you in multiple ways. They may get State without Brown so if they get pat that- Duke is the only tough game they have left where they are probably not favored. They may start to fell the pressure- but they will not go out easily.

sporthenry
01-30-2013, 11:35 PM
There's almost no way Miami runs the table. Pomeroy's 3.1% chance seems generous, even. It's just too many games, and the game at Duke, I would still say Duke is a solid favorite in that one. The NC State game is a toss up. And as someone already mentioned, they almost lost to Boston College, so anyone is capable of beating them on a down night.

But I do think they have to be considered solid conference favorites at this point. It's time to get over the Florida Gulf Coast loss. I have no idea how it happened, even without Durand Scott for that game, but it was the second game of the season and this is obviously not the same team.


This. I highly doubt they go undefeated but they need at least 1 loss to a team not named Duke for Duke even to tie and that is assuming Duke wins out which at this point, I'm not confident. So an undefeated Miami or a 2 loss Miami doesn't do much assuming Duke loses at least 3.

Bob Green
01-31-2013, 07:07 AM
They may get State without Brown so if they get pat that- Duke is the only tough game they have left where they are probably not favored.

It is looking like Brown might not play:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/01/31/2644626/brown-might-miss-games.html

Miami will be a tough game for State without their floor leader. Injuries are throwing a monkey wrench into this seaon's results or at least the preseason predictions. Miami played games without Durand Scott and Reggie Johnson; Ryan Kelly is out for us, and now Carolina loses Hairston and State Brown. The key unknown is which team will be healthy come mid-March.

Olympic Fan
01-31-2013, 11:41 AM
I would be willing to bet serious bucks that Miami does not finish 18-0 in the ACC.

I would be willing to make a more modest wager that Miami does win the ACC regular season.

vick
01-31-2013, 11:17 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mayx9OrXWIM

Not bad...needs a bunch more to catch Kyle though.

Bob Green
02-01-2013, 11:03 AM
Here is a link to Jim Young's ACC Hoops Power Rankings:

http://www.accsports.com/blogs/jim-young/2013013114619/acc-hoops-power-rankings-feb-1.php

The weekend's marque match-up is #1 Miami at #3 State. Duke is #2.

sporthenry
02-01-2013, 01:40 PM
I would be willing to bet serious bucks that Miami does not finish 18-0 in the ACC.

I would be willing to make a more modest wager that Miami does win the ACC regular season.

I'd definitely take that second bet. I think at worst, they'll finished tied. I see probably 2 losses left. Kenpom has 1 loss to us and a 57% chance of a win at NC State. Those are the only 2 under 70%. And they are probably getting NC State without Brown. Next 3 toughest games are UVA at home, FSU on the road and Wake on the road. They could conceivably drop this game (or even another game) but that would still require Duke to win out to win it outright.

CDu
02-01-2013, 01:49 PM
I'd definitely take that second bet. I think at worst, they'll finished tied. I see probably 2 losses left. Kenpom has 1 loss to us and a 57% chance of a win at NC State. Those are the only 2 under 70%. And they are probably getting NC State without Brown. Next 3 toughest games are UVA at home, FSU on the road and Wake on the road. They could conceivably drop this game (or even another game) but that would still require Duke to win out to win it outright.

And remember, if they beat State, then they'll likely have the tiebreaker over us for the #1 seed (assuming State doesn't self-destruct entirely).

sporthenry
02-01-2013, 01:58 PM
And remember, if they beat State, then they'll likely have the tiebreaker over us for the #1 seed (assuming State doesn't self-destruct entirely).

True. Although that won't really matter for the regular season crown which would just be record even with the unbalanced schedule. But that will be big for the tourney with the #1 team probably avoiding NC State til the finals although still a lot of ball to play for that.

CDu
02-01-2013, 02:00 PM
True. Although that won't really matter for the regular season crown which would just be record even with the unbalanced schedule. But that will be big for the tourney with the #1 team probably avoiding NC State til the finals although still a lot of ball to play for that.

Yeah, I was strictly referring to the tourney seeding. We could very potentially share the ACC regular season title. But getting that #1 seed may very well mean the difference between facing NC State and Miami or just one of the two.

Of course, there is a lot of time to go, and State is currently not in 3rd (in 4th, 0.5 games behind UVa). So it may not matter. In fact, we're technically in 3rd, as we're tied with UVa but they beat State.

I suggest we just win out regardless. :)

Bob Green
02-02-2013, 05:36 AM
Here are the current consenus lines for today's ACC action:

1, Clemson is a one point favorite at Boston College with no over/under listed.
2, North Carolina is a 14 points favorite at home over VPI with no over/under listed.
3. Duke is a 6.5 points favorite at Florida State with the over/under set at 143.
4. Maryland is an 11 points favorite at home against Wake Forest with no over/under listed.

And in the marquee match-up of the day:

5. Miami is a one point favorite at NC State with the over/under set at 134.5.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/odds/las-vegas/

devildeac
02-02-2013, 07:50 AM
Here are the current consenus lines for today's ACC action:

1, Clemson is a one point favorite at Boston College with no over/under listed.
2, North Carolina is a 14 points favorite at home over VPI with no over/under listed.
3. Duke is a 6.5 points favorite at Florida State with the over/under set at 143.
4. Maryland is an 11 points favorite at home against Wake Forest with no over/under listed.

And in the marquee match-up of the day:

5. Miami is a one point favorite at NC State with the over/under set at 134.5.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/odds/las-vegas/

1. Go Duke.
2. Go Pack.
3. And, as always, go to hell c*r*lin*.

FerryFor50
02-02-2013, 03:30 PM
Figures that Wake would shoot 60% against Duke and 30% against Maryland...

davekay1971
02-02-2013, 04:52 PM
Rodney Purvis just threw down one of the most amazing dunks I've ever seen. He has Gerald Henderson hops.

State came out flat, got down 17-8, and came back strong, now up 40-34 at the half. They're playing remarkably well without Lorenzo Brown.

BlueDevilBrowns
02-02-2013, 05:14 PM
Rodney Purvis just threw down one of the most amazing dunks I've ever seen. He has Gerald Henderson hops.

State came out flat, got down 17-8, and came back strong, now up 40-34 at the half. They're playing remarkably well without Lorenzo Brown.

of course! their playing a "big game" at home. NCSU will either be an elite 8 team this year or they will lose in the 2nd round. they don't have an in-between.

cptnflash
02-02-2013, 06:01 PM
Come on State, close this one out!

FerryFor50
02-02-2013, 06:05 PM
Reggie Johnson with a two hand push in Howell's back and the winning tip. Then Miami shows all class by taunting the crowd.

cptnflash
02-02-2013, 06:06 PM
Well so much for that. Going to be very tough for anyone to catch the Canes now.

cptnflash
02-02-2013, 06:08 PM
NC State's four conference losses have come by a total of 7 points.

roywhite
02-02-2013, 06:08 PM
State shoulda had this one.

Miami played well at the end and finished with an 8-2 run, but State handled the ball poorly, committed at least one terrible foul by Leslie, and missed key shots. They were really bothered by Miami's defensive pressure. Just not the same State team without Lorenzo Brown, but a veteran like Leslie also needs to play smarter down the stretch.

pamtar
02-02-2013, 06:15 PM
Reggie Johnson with a two hand push in Howell's back and the winning tip. Then Miami shows all class by taunting the crowd.

I saw that too. Dunno how the refs missed it. Then with the taunting. Here's to hoping MP3 gets some serious minutes when the canes come to Durham. They Lorenzo Charlesed Reggie for us, we can return the favor.

dukelifer
02-02-2013, 06:20 PM
I would be willing to bet serious bucks that Miami does not finish 18-0 in the ACC.

I would be willing to make a more modest wager that Miami does win the ACC regular season.

Well they took one big step forward. Johnson is getting back into shape. I do not know how Duke will manage him with only Mason down low. Duke will have to shoot lights out to win and hope there is foul trouble on Miami.

Bob Green
02-02-2013, 06:21 PM
Reggie Johnson is a quality player, but his insistence on taunting the home fans demonstrates he still has a lot of growing up to do.

DukieInBrasil
02-02-2013, 07:27 PM
AGGGHHHH!!!! The incredible wiling Wolfpack of NCSU! Had a halftime lead and would have won if they had been able to keep Reggie off the glass, but a last-second tip-in steals the win for the tropical cyclonic storms. Alas, NCSU is not the same team w/o their star PG, in much the same way that Duke is not the same team w/o Ryan. And Miami got both teams right after losing their star player.

Olympic Fan
02-03-2013, 10:57 AM
Impressive win for the 'Canes ... even without Lorenzo Brown in gthe lineup. Then again, everything seems to be breaking their way -- getting State in Raleigh without Brown is a HUGE break.

The DBR fron page was full of praise for State freshman Tyler Lewis, who did have some impressive moments in relief of Brown. But he also had one bonehead play at the end. On State's final possession -- with the Pack up one -- rather than try and create something for Leslie (who was almost unstoppable down the stretch) or Warren or Purvis or Howell, Lewis made a one-on-one move and jacked up a contested, fallaway 20-foot jump shot ... seting up Miami's winning possession.

That was a freshman play.

One intersting aspect to BC's victory over Clemson. After that game, Brad Brownell's ACC record is 21-22 ... that's 17-4 in Littlejohn and 4-16 on the road.

Now, there are some ACC coaches with worst ACC road records -- Brian Gregory and Mark Turgeon are both 1-10 on the road ... Jeff Bzdelik is 1-20! But all three of those guys also have poor home records in the league (well, Turgeon is a decent 9-4 ... Gregory is 4-7 and Bzdelik is 7-13)

There's nothing like the gap between Brownell's home ACC record (which is better in terms of winning percentage that K's home ACC record or Roy Williams' home ACC record) and his dismal road record in the league.

Slackerb
02-03-2013, 11:02 AM
Also can't believe the refs didn't get Johnson for pushing Howell in the back.

It's easy to get a tip in when you push the guy boxing you out.

That's two very close, similar games that have ended with State getting shafted on no-calls IMO.

gumbomoop
02-03-2013, 04:06 PM
AGGGHHHH!!!!


A solid win on the road to keep Miami's lead to 2 games. Too bad State could not hang on to cut it to one. Miami's day is coming though....They will lose before arriving at Cameron, it's just a matter of when.

I don't agree with DIB [whose scream refers to Miami's tip-in win] and N_14 here [whose tag quote above comes from the FSU-postgame thread]. I'll repeat [and apologize for doing so] what I posted over on that FSU postgame. I do so as it's halftime in the UVa @ GT game, which is going badly [UVa is leading by 9], according to my argument below.

Although I support State more than Miami [and UVa because I really admire Tony Bennett], although I doubt Miami would have won had Brown played, and although I definitely don't much like Reggie's postgame antics, in practical terms [mine], I'm ok with Miami's win. For, at this moment, and keeping in mind K's statement that "Without Ryan, I don't know how good we are," I personally am strategizing on how to secure for Duke the #2 seed in the ACCT. That is, although I acknowledge Newton_14's prediction that Miami will not arrive in CIS undefeated in ACC play, I have to say, it will be tougher for Duke to be 13-2 as of March 1 than for Miami to be 15-0.

It seems to me that we may want to think - practically - that it's more likely that Duke is in a fight with UVa, NCSt, and UNC for ACC seed #2 than that Duke is fighting Miami for #1. Miami has won 5 road games. Miami's remaining road schedule is easier than Duke's. Miami is 8-0, Duke is 6-2. Sure, I hope Duke winds up 15-3 or 16-2, and either wins or ties for the ACC regular season topper. But I think I may not mind it if Miami beats both UVa and UNC in Miami. Sure, I'll hope Duke is 13-2 and Miami is 14-1 as of March 1. But I'll be hoping Miami fulfils Newton_14's prediction by losing @ FSU and/or Clemson rather than at home to UVa or UNC. I prefer that Miami beat UVa and UNC. Just as I'm ok with the win yesterday in Raleigh.

While I am always - always, every time, no exceptions - surprised when Duke loses, I know Duke won't win every game. So, while hoping Duke can top the ACC, I'll be watching every little blip in the standings, always with an eye not merely on Duke's main competitor for #1, but also for its 3 competitors for #2.

Miami will deservedly make a pretty big jump in the polls on Monday. Good for them. As one who, preseason, touted Miami - as definitely better than FSU and possibly better than UNC - for ACC #3, I can say I suspected they'd be good; but I can also acknowledge that I did not expect halfway through the conference games to be virtually conceding them the top seed in the ACCT.

Right now, today in the second half, go GT, play better and beat UVa. That would help Duke.


.

gumbomoop
02-03-2013, 05:00 PM
Minor miracle, GT came back from 9 down, actually stopped UVa a few times in final 8 minutes, won a thriller.

I realize that describing a game between GT and UVa as a "thriller," on Super Bowl Sunday, no less, may seem, and actually is, overwrought. But since I won't be watching the Super Bowl [huh?] but will be watching all results of ACC games for their import for Duke, this game had a good result, IMO.

Newton_14
02-03-2013, 06:24 PM
I don't agree with DIB [whose scream refers to Miami's tip-in win] and N_14 here [whose tag quote above comes from the FSU-postgame thread]. I'll repeat [and apologize for doing so] what I posted over on that FSU postgame. I do so as it's halftime in the UVa @ GT game, which is going badly [UVa is leading by 9], according to my argument below.

Although I support State more than Miami [and UVa because I really admire Tony Bennett], although I doubt Miami would have won had Brown played, and although I definitely don't much like Reggie's postgame antics, in practical terms [mine], I'm ok with Miami's win. For, at this moment, and keeping in mind K's statement that "Without Ryan, I don't know how good we are," I personally am strategizing on how to secure for Duke the #2 seed in the ACCT. That is, although I acknowledge Newton_14's prediction that Miami will not arrive in CIS undefeated in ACC play, I have to say, it will be tougher for Duke to be 13-2 as of March 1 than for Miami to be 15-0.

It seems to me that we may want to think - practically - that it's more likely that Duke is in a fight with UVa, NCSt, and UNC for ACC seed #2 than that Duke is fighting Miami for #1. Miami has won 5 road games. Miami's remaining road schedule is easier than Duke's. Miami is 8-0, Duke is 6-2. Sure, I hope Duke winds up 15-3 or 16-2, and either wins or ties for the ACC regular season topper. But I think I may not mind it if Miami beats both UVa and UNC in Miami. Sure, I'll hope Duke is 13-2 and Miami is 14-1 as of March 1. But I'll be hoping Miami fulfils Newton_14's prediction by losing @ FSU and/or Clemson rather than at home to UVa or UNC. I prefer that Miami beat UVa and UNC. Just as I'm ok with the win yesterday in Raleigh.

While I am always - always, every time, no exceptions - surprised when Duke loses, I know Duke won't win every game. So, while hoping Duke can top the ACC, I'll be watching every little blip in the standings, always with an eye not merely on Duke's main competitor for #1, but also for its 3 competitors for #2.

Miami will deservedly make a pretty big jump in the polls on Monday. Good for them. As one who, preseason, touted Miami - as definitely better than FSU and possibly better than UNC - for ACC #3, I can say I suspected they'd be good; but I can also acknowledge that I did not expect halfway through the conference games to be virtually conceding them the top seed in the ACCT.

Right now, today in the second half, go GT, play better and beat UVa. That would help Duke.


.

I don't disagree that as it stands right now, it is more logical to suggest Duke will not catch Miami than to suggest they will. No argument there. It is however, a long trek to 18 games, and Miami is still 2 games shy of halfway. Duke, sans Kelly, faces long odds to track Miami down, if, 1. Miami sustains this current level of play throughout the 18 game journey, and 2. Duke falters once or twice in tough home games against State, UNC, Miami, and road games against UNC, UVA, Maryland.

That said, there are other factors. Miami sprinted out of the gate as the team predicted to finish 5th, with little to no hype, attention, or expectations. That now changes drastically. Starting now, they face a 12 game schedule as the highly ranked favorite. Different level of pressure and attention for a team who has never been in this position before. How they handle the new found fame is an unknown at this point. Given their talent level, and experience, they are certainly built to sustain it, especially against an ACC league with only 2 other ranked teams.

Duke has less experience in terms of players ages, but more experience in big games. Even w/o Kelly, it is possible (I stress possible) Duke drops no more than one game the rest of the way to finish with 3 losses. Should they make that run, the one loss cannot be against Miami. Miami would have to drop 2 games in addition to losing at Duke. Stranger things have happened, but Miami will have a couple of stinkers somewhere along the way. Question is, do they sneak out with a win anyway, or get bitten.


I agree with you Miami is in the catbird seat, and at this point would have to let Duke and others back in the race for there to be a race.

I will stand by an earlier prediction that Miami will hold strong in ACC League and Tourney play, then lay an egg in the Big Dance. I expect they finish first in league play but lose either in the ACC Semi-Finals/Finals to NC State or a Duke team that includes Ryan Kelly playing at a high level.

gumbomoop
02-03-2013, 08:39 PM
I don't disagree that as it stands right now, it is more logical to suggest Duke will not catch Miami than to suggest they will. No argument there. It is however, a long trek to 18 games, and Miami is still [1]2 games shy of halfway. Duke, sans Kelly, faces long odds to track Miami down, if, 1. Miami sustains this current level of play throughout the 18 game journey, and 2. [2]Duke falters once or twice in tough home games against State, UNC, Miami, and road games against UNC, UVA, Maryland.

That said, there are other factors. Miami sprinted out of the gate as the team [3]predicted to finish 5th, with little to no hype, attention, or expectations. That now changes drastically. Starting now, they face a [4]12 game schedule as the highly ranked favorite. Different level of pressure and attention for a team who has never been in this position before. How they handle the new found fame is an unknown at this point. Given their talent level, and experience, they are certainly built to sustain it,[5]especially against an ACC league with only 2 other ranked teams.

Duke has less experience in terms of players ages, but more experience in big games. Even w/o Kelly, it is possible (I stress possible) Duke drops no more than one game the rest of the way to finish with 3 losses. Should they make that run, the one loss cannot be against Miami. Miami would have to drop 2 games in addition to losing at Duke. Stranger things have happened, but Miami will have a couple of stinkers somewhere along the way. Question is, do they sneak out with a win anyway, or get bitten.


I agree with you [6]Miami is in the catbird seat, and at this point would have to let Duke and others back in the race for there to be a race.

I will stand by an earlier prediction that Miami will hold strong in ACC League and Tourney play, then lay an egg in the Big Dance. I expect they finish first in league play but lose either in the ACC Semi-Finals/Finals to NC State or a Duke team that includes Ryan Kelly playing at a high level.

We don't, as you say disagree much; just a somewhat different perspective. I'll address several of your points, so as to address those different emphases.

[1] Only 1 game shy of halfway, and Miami's ACC game #9 is at home to BC. True, they beat BC by only 1 up there, but still, this should be an easy 9-0.

[2] Duke's remaining 10 games are [true, on paper] tougher, I think much tougher, than are Miami's. The 'Canes do not play @ either Md or UVa this season, and have already visited and won at NCSt and UNC. Their toughest remaining away game, by far, is Duke. And as you note, Duke has some tough home games, as well as tough away games.

[3] Preseason, I didn't understand the sort of non-expectations for the Canes, although, to be fair, they were picked, basically, to tie FSU for 4th. I couldn't for the life of me understand how anyone could think - again, on paper - that FSU could possibly fare better than a veteran Miami team. Then, of course, absent Reggie, and maybe absent-mindedly, they lost a couple of games early. And didn't they lose to DII St. Leo in an exhibition? Plus, Md got a lot of attention, what with Wells's eligibility and Len's striking improvement. In retrospect, maybe lucky for the 'Canes, who, unnoticed, could sneak up on people. As they did in their second ACC game, in CH. Alas, they didn't sneak up on Duke last week. Nothing sneaky about that plastering.

[4] 10-game schedule remaining

[5] See #2 above, basically. To re-emphasize: Miami's schedule really makes them a strong favorite to stay comfortably in

[6] the catbird seat.

Which is my main point: not that Duke should just concede the regular season to Miami, but that we should pay more attention to teams such as NCSt, UNC, and UVa. [UVa absolutely blew it v. GT this aft. Had a 9-point lead with maybe 6-7 minutes to go, and then couldn't buy a basket, even close in. Bad, bad loss for UVa, both ACCT and NCAAT-wise; good win for GT ..... and for Duke.] Assuming there will be a "This Week in the ACC" thread each week from here on out, my/our calculations will undergo weekly tweeks. So if Miami should be upset - @Clemson, @ FSU? - I'll start figuring out how Duke can keep winning without Ryan, and nip ahead of the 'Canes for the #1 ACCT seed. But it makes more sense to me to fret about NCSt, UVa, and UNC - against whom Duke has a total of 2 remaining home and 2 away games, and against whom Miami has a total of only 2 remaining home games.

Here's a thought: whom will we Duke fanatics root for next Saturday, when UNC visits Miami? Re that question, will it make any difference who wins the Duke-NCSt game 2 days earlier? I know for certain which teams I'll be rooting for on Thurs night and Sat aft. 9F 9F 9F.

cptnflash
02-03-2013, 10:48 PM
Here's a thought: whom will we Duke fanatics root for next Saturday, when UNC visits Miami?

Is this a serious question? If so, here's how I look at it: If it was the very last day of the season, and we had already played our final game, and we were tied with Miami in the standings, and all we needed to win the league was for UNC to beat the Canes.... I would adopt a "we'll get 'em next year" attitude and root for Miami to beat the Heels with every ounce of my energy. There is no circumstance under which I could bring myself to root for that team in powder blue. None.

So obviously, I'll be rooting for Miami on Saturday, no matter what happens Thursday night.

gumbomoop
02-04-2013, 03:41 AM
Is this a serious question? If so, here's how I look at it: If it was the very last day of the season, and we had already played our final game, and we were tied with Miami in the standings, and all we needed to win the league was for UNC to beat the Canes.... I would adopt a "we'll get 'em next year" attitude and root for Miami to beat the Heels with every ounce of my energy. There is no circumstance under which I could bring myself to root for that team in powder blue. None.

Yours is a fair, heartfelt, and widely adopted view re any - every, actually - Heels game. Still, I suspect that someone might think Duke could use a little help from our enemies, if not on Sat, at least in some other conceivable circumstance, such as the one you set forth [except for the tied and already played our last game, which is presumably impossible, unless the unbalanced schedule crap gets really weird when the ACC moves to 23 teams in a couple of years].

For that matter, should Duke win Thurs eve, I can at least imagine a Duke fanatic [definitely not me, for reasons I've set out in posts above, and not you] thinking, "Jeez, I hate Carolina, hate 'em, but, ok, let the bastards win a game, just this one time. We'll 9F the Powder Boys twice this season anyhow, so they ain't goin' anywhere. We're fighting the 'Canes this season. Maybe a horrible game, 54-53, an embarrassment to both teams, refs just screw Miami totally, plus Reggie B. sucker-punches Reggie J. [who doesn't notice, though he does kind of laugh a little, but Reggie B.'s ungentlemanly act is noticed by several tv cameras, ACC reviews it, in super-slo-mo from 4 different angles, no less, suspends Reggie B. for rest of regular season, and for good measure suspends Reggie J. for a game, for laughing], etc." That sort of thing.

Presto! By Sat eve, Duke is 7-2, Miami is 9-1, and Duke's chances at winning the #1 ACC seed have improved. Somewhat.