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View Full Version : This Week(end) in the ACC - 11/15-11/17



pfrduke
11-11-2014, 01:15 AM
People.

It's here.

Basketball is back!

Three Hundred Fourteen teams kick off the season on Friday, beginning with Texas Southern at Eastern Washington (at 8:00 a.m. local time - college basketball starts in Cheney (http://goeags.com/sports/m-baskbl/2014-15/releases/14mbOct28TexasSouthernOpener) this year) and wrapping up with Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Hawaii (SWAC representing - on the road, naturally - in both the first and last games of opening day).

The ACC does its part on Friday with everyone except Florida State tipping off on day 1. To put it politely, most of these contests shouldn't tell us much. Over half the conference (Devils included) start with teams that begin ranked below 300 to start the season by Pomeroy and only two teams have anything approaching a real challenge (small kudos to Virginia for playing at JMU, but road games against sub-200 teams are still games against sub-200 teams). The weekend is not much tougher. All in all, the conference plays 22 games, will be favored in 21 of them, and should be disappointed in anything less than a 20-win weekend. Real challenges start in earnest next week, but this opening weekend serves as a tasty amuse before the long feast of the season to come. Let's get to the matchups (as always, all rankings Pomeroy and all times Eastern).

On Friday, depending on how promptly Duke game finishes, there could be 13 ACC teams playing at once (12 will be a bare minimum - 10 games tip at 7, 1 at 7:30, 1 at 8). I haven't studied the schedule but I feel confident in saying that this will be the most ACC teams in simultaneous action at any time this season. So that's cool. But before that flood of ACC action begins, the Devils get the spotlight by their lonesome for a solid hour. The real challenges of the day happen in Georgia with the annual in-state Georgia-Georgia Tech game and in Puerto Rico, where the Pitinos face off at a Coast Guard Air Station.

[1]Duke hosts [321]Presbyterian (ESPNU, 6:00)
[8]Virginia at [221]James Madison (7:00)
[11]Syracuse hosts [322]Kennesaw State (7:00)
[23]Pittsburgh hosts [263]Niagara (7:00)
[168]Virginia Tech hosts [350]Maryland-Eastern Shore (7:00)
[134]Boston College hosts [331]New Hampshire (7:00)
[75]Clemson hosts [335]Florida A&M (7:00)
[96]Georgia Tech hosts [48]Georgia (ESPN3, 7:00)
[104]Wake Forest hosts [243]UNC-Asheville (7:00)
[57]Miami hosts [348]Howard (7:00)
[60]NC State hosts [323]Jackson State (7:00)
[3]Louisville vs. [37]Minnesota in Puerto Rico (ESPN, 7:30)
[20]North Carolina hosts [148]North Carolina Central (ESPNU, 8:00)
[69]Notre Dame hosts [303]Binghamton (ESPN3, 9:00)

Saturday most everyone takes a deep breath. We get lucky, though, as Duke is right back in action against Fairfield. Note that while these are technically Coaches vs. Cancer "tournament" games, they can't keep Duke from reaching Brooklyn even if the unthinkable happens. Saturday also welcomes Florida State to action against a potentially feisty Jaspers squad.

[41]Florida State hosts [116]Manhattan (1:00)
[1]Duke hosts [222]Fairfield (8:00)

Sunday has other "tournament" games with mainland action in both the Maui and Atlantis tournaments and other early round action in the 2k and Hall of Fame events. Each of the ACC schools is guaranteed to advance, win or lose. BC has a tough matchup with UMASS as part of a triple header event in Boston.

[23]Pittsburgh hosts [333]Samford (ESPN3, 1:00)
[69]Notre Dame hosts [302]Navy (ESPN3, 2:00)
[142]Boston College vs. [74]Massachusetts in Boston (ESPN3, 3:00)
[11]Syracuse vs. [205]Hampton (ESPNU, 4:00)
[20]North Carolina vs. [177]Robert Morris (ESPNU, 6:00)
[8]Virginia vs. [278]Norfolk State (ESPN3, 7:00)

Basketball.

BASKETBALL!!

subzero02
11-11-2014, 01:33 AM
Basketball indeed... Thanks for the breakdown.

brevity
11-11-2014, 01:58 AM
[20]North Carolina hosts [148]North Carolina Central (ESPNU, 8:00)

Wait, ESPNU? Well, all right then. I guess it does involve one real university.

pfrduke
11-14-2014, 07:04 PM
10 more ACC games are now tipping off! Basketball is back!

luman50
11-14-2014, 08:37 PM
Anyone know if the Duke - Fairfield game will be televised? Tonight wasn't enough to get my "fix" :)

Duvall
11-14-2014, 08:38 PM
Anyone know if the Duke - Fairfield game will be televised? Tonight wasn't enough to get my "fix" :)

ESPN3 only.

Wahoo2000
11-14-2014, 09:17 PM
Dear lord - just dropping by to give you guys props. You looked amazing tonight. I know who you played, but great game nevertheless.

I guessed preseason that Duke will end up a clear tier above UVa, Louisville, and UNC. Didn't see anything tonight to change my mind. Don't think you'll go undefeated in league play, but it might be close. The depth is just going to make your pressure man-to-man really difficult to deal with.

OldPhiKap
11-14-2014, 09:23 PM
Dear lord - just dropping by to give you guys props. You looked amazing tonight. I know who you played, but great game nevertheless.

I guessed preseason that Duke will end up a clear tier above UVa, Louisville, and UNC. Didn't see anything tonight to change my mind. Don't think you'll go undefeated in league play, but it might be close. The depth is just going to make your pressure man-to-man really difficult to deal with.

Thanks Wahoo, look forward to our games. ACC reminds me of the glory days of the mid-80's with so many great teams and coaches. Should be a fun year.

pfrduke
11-14-2014, 09:32 PM
In one of the only two legit ACC games today, Georgia Tech got its season off to a nice start with a win over Georgia. Former Terp Charles Mitchell (who I guess got a hardship waiver this year) had 20 and 9 and Quinton Stephens had 22, including hitting 6-8 threes. Solid performance from the Jackets.