pfrduke
11-17-2014, 01:54 PM
Opening weekend was a big improvement over last season. Only BC lost (to a pretty good UMass team) and while there were minimal other games against legit opponents, a) at least the conference won those other games and b) nobody had the embarrassing upset loss that has plagued the ACC in the early season in years past.
Now, we're already into pre-season tournament time! By the end of this week, 6 pre-season tournaments that involve ACC teams will have crowned a champion. Last year, Duke lost its first pre-season tournament since the 2006-07 season, but Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland all won their contests (with Clemson and Duke also making their respective finals), which was the ACC's best performance in years.
This year, 12 of the 15 teams play in exempt tournaments - Louisville, NCSU and Wake Forest are out.*
*Each school plays in exempt "events" that I refuse to count as tournaments. They're basically just normal non-conference games.
Let's see what's on tap for a busy week ahead - apologies for the light analysis but I'm a little short on time this week:
Monday starts with a big road game in Florida. Miami is a bit of an unknown quantity given how many new people are on the roster, but a statement win in the O-Dome would be a nice way to announce their presence.
[55]Miami at [7]Florida (ESPNU, 7:00)
[2]Louisville hosts [291]Jacksonville State (7:00)
[70]Clemson hosts [212]Winthrop (ESPN3, 7:00)
[60]NC State hosts [243]Hofstra (7:00)
[105]Wake Forest at [203]Tulane (8:00)
Tuesday is the fourth annual incarnation of the Champions Classic. Duke-Michigan State definitely feels like the undercard this year (and not just because it's the early game) given the hype surrounding Kentucky and (to a lesser degree) Kansas, but it will be exciting to see how the team that romped over Presbyterian and Fairfield will fare against more legitimate competition. Not a road game, but Indy will definitely be weighted to the Big Teneleventwelvethirteenfourteen.
[1]Duke vs. [17]Michigan State in Indianapolis (ESPN, 7:00)
[8]Virginia hosts [341]South Carolina State (ESPN3, 7:00)
[89]Georgia Tech hosts [339]Alabama A&M (7:00)
[41]Florida State hosts [98]Northeastern (7:00)
Wednesday puts Wake on the road against Arkansas, which basically played Top 25-caliber basketball at home last season and has definite tournament aspirations this year. A big early test for Manning and the Deacs.
[57]Notre Dame hosts [316]Coppin State (7:00)
[160]Virginia Tech hosts [283]Liberty (7:00)
[105]Wake Forest at [47]Arkansas (SECN, 9:00)
Thursday is tourney time! Events in Charleston, Puerto Rico, and New York get started, featuring Miami, Boston College, and Syracuse respectively. The Orange get a Cal team that it played in the Maui Invitational last season - I think Cal is hoping that wherever it ends up next year, it doesn't play Syracuse.
[55]Miami vs. [161]Drexel in Charleston (ESPNU, 3:00)
[145]Boston College vs. [54]New Mexico in San Juan (ESPN2, 5:00)
[60]NC State hosts [334]Jacksonville (ESPN3, 7:00)
[11]Syracuse vs. [67]California in New York (ESPN2, 9:00)
Friday gets two more pre-season tournaments started - Duke in Brooklyn and Clemson in St. Thomas - plus crowns the first champion in Manhattan.
[70]Clemson vs. [232]Gardner-Webb in St. Thomas (1:30)
[8]Virginia hosts [42]George Washington (7:00)
[89]Georgia Tech vs. [218]Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne in Orlando (7:00)
[105]Wake Forest hosts [74]Iona (8:30)
[2]Louisville hosts [206]Marshall (ESPNU, 9:00)
[1]Duke vs. [111]Temple in Brooklyn (TruTv, 9:30)
[30]Pittsburgh at [152]Hawaii (midnight)
[11]Syracuse vs. [13]Texas/[27]Iowa in New York (TBD)
[145]Boston College vs. [46]West Virginia/[183]George Mason in San Juan (TBD)
[55]Miami vs. [179]USC/[184]Akron in Charleston (TBD)
Saturday crowns a champion in Brooklyn and tips off action in the Hall of Fame (which has been rendered somewhat of a non-tournament because conference rivals ended up getting scheduled into it).
[57]Notre Dame vs. [72]Massachusetts in Uncasville (12:00)
[160]Virginia Tech hosts [317]Appalachian State (1:00)
[20]North Carolina vs. [139]Davidson in Charlotte (2:00)
[41]Florida State vs. [61]Providence in Uncasville (2:30)
[1]Duke vs. [52]Stanford/[94]UNLV in Brooklyn (TruTv, TBD)
[70]Clemson vs. [75]Seton Hall/[174]Nevada in St. Thomas (TBD)*
*Clemson plays Sunday if it wins Friday, but plays Saturday if it loses Friday
Sunday wraps up the Hall of Fame, crowns champions in Puerto Rico and Charleston, and continues tournament play elsewhere.
[41]Florida State vs. [72]Massachusetts in Uncasville (ESPNU, 12:00)
[57]Notre Dame vs. [61]Providence in Uncasville (ESPN2, 2:30)
[60]NC State hosts [163]South Florida (ESPNU, 4:00)
[145]Boston College vs. TBD in San Juan [will update after Friday]
[55]Miami vs. TBD in Charleston [will update after Friday]
*See note above re Clemson
ACC Non-Conference Record: 21-1
ACC Record vs. BCS:* 2-0
America East: 2-0
Atlantic Sun: 1-0
Atlantic Ten: 0-1
Big South: 2-0
B1G Ten: 1-0
Colonial: 1-0
MAAC: 3-0
MEAC: 6-0
Northeast: 1-0
Patriot: 1-0
SEC: 1-0
Southern: 1-0
SWAC: 1-0
*as last year, both the AAC and the Big East are being counted as among the BCS conferences. And yes, BCS is now a completely outdated reference derived from an entirely separate sport, but it's handy shorthand.
Now, we're already into pre-season tournament time! By the end of this week, 6 pre-season tournaments that involve ACC teams will have crowned a champion. Last year, Duke lost its first pre-season tournament since the 2006-07 season, but Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland all won their contests (with Clemson and Duke also making their respective finals), which was the ACC's best performance in years.
This year, 12 of the 15 teams play in exempt tournaments - Louisville, NCSU and Wake Forest are out.*
*Each school plays in exempt "events" that I refuse to count as tournaments. They're basically just normal non-conference games.
Let's see what's on tap for a busy week ahead - apologies for the light analysis but I'm a little short on time this week:
Monday starts with a big road game in Florida. Miami is a bit of an unknown quantity given how many new people are on the roster, but a statement win in the O-Dome would be a nice way to announce their presence.
[55]Miami at [7]Florida (ESPNU, 7:00)
[2]Louisville hosts [291]Jacksonville State (7:00)
[70]Clemson hosts [212]Winthrop (ESPN3, 7:00)
[60]NC State hosts [243]Hofstra (7:00)
[105]Wake Forest at [203]Tulane (8:00)
Tuesday is the fourth annual incarnation of the Champions Classic. Duke-Michigan State definitely feels like the undercard this year (and not just because it's the early game) given the hype surrounding Kentucky and (to a lesser degree) Kansas, but it will be exciting to see how the team that romped over Presbyterian and Fairfield will fare against more legitimate competition. Not a road game, but Indy will definitely be weighted to the Big Teneleventwelvethirteenfourteen.
[1]Duke vs. [17]Michigan State in Indianapolis (ESPN, 7:00)
[8]Virginia hosts [341]South Carolina State (ESPN3, 7:00)
[89]Georgia Tech hosts [339]Alabama A&M (7:00)
[41]Florida State hosts [98]Northeastern (7:00)
Wednesday puts Wake on the road against Arkansas, which basically played Top 25-caliber basketball at home last season and has definite tournament aspirations this year. A big early test for Manning and the Deacs.
[57]Notre Dame hosts [316]Coppin State (7:00)
[160]Virginia Tech hosts [283]Liberty (7:00)
[105]Wake Forest at [47]Arkansas (SECN, 9:00)
Thursday is tourney time! Events in Charleston, Puerto Rico, and New York get started, featuring Miami, Boston College, and Syracuse respectively. The Orange get a Cal team that it played in the Maui Invitational last season - I think Cal is hoping that wherever it ends up next year, it doesn't play Syracuse.
[55]Miami vs. [161]Drexel in Charleston (ESPNU, 3:00)
[145]Boston College vs. [54]New Mexico in San Juan (ESPN2, 5:00)
[60]NC State hosts [334]Jacksonville (ESPN3, 7:00)
[11]Syracuse vs. [67]California in New York (ESPN2, 9:00)
Friday gets two more pre-season tournaments started - Duke in Brooklyn and Clemson in St. Thomas - plus crowns the first champion in Manhattan.
[70]Clemson vs. [232]Gardner-Webb in St. Thomas (1:30)
[8]Virginia hosts [42]George Washington (7:00)
[89]Georgia Tech vs. [218]Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne in Orlando (7:00)
[105]Wake Forest hosts [74]Iona (8:30)
[2]Louisville hosts [206]Marshall (ESPNU, 9:00)
[1]Duke vs. [111]Temple in Brooklyn (TruTv, 9:30)
[30]Pittsburgh at [152]Hawaii (midnight)
[11]Syracuse vs. [13]Texas/[27]Iowa in New York (TBD)
[145]Boston College vs. [46]West Virginia/[183]George Mason in San Juan (TBD)
[55]Miami vs. [179]USC/[184]Akron in Charleston (TBD)
Saturday crowns a champion in Brooklyn and tips off action in the Hall of Fame (which has been rendered somewhat of a non-tournament because conference rivals ended up getting scheduled into it).
[57]Notre Dame vs. [72]Massachusetts in Uncasville (12:00)
[160]Virginia Tech hosts [317]Appalachian State (1:00)
[20]North Carolina vs. [139]Davidson in Charlotte (2:00)
[41]Florida State vs. [61]Providence in Uncasville (2:30)
[1]Duke vs. [52]Stanford/[94]UNLV in Brooklyn (TruTv, TBD)
[70]Clemson vs. [75]Seton Hall/[174]Nevada in St. Thomas (TBD)*
*Clemson plays Sunday if it wins Friday, but plays Saturday if it loses Friday
Sunday wraps up the Hall of Fame, crowns champions in Puerto Rico and Charleston, and continues tournament play elsewhere.
[41]Florida State vs. [72]Massachusetts in Uncasville (ESPNU, 12:00)
[57]Notre Dame vs. [61]Providence in Uncasville (ESPN2, 2:30)
[60]NC State hosts [163]South Florida (ESPNU, 4:00)
[145]Boston College vs. TBD in San Juan [will update after Friday]
[55]Miami vs. TBD in Charleston [will update after Friday]
*See note above re Clemson
ACC Non-Conference Record: 21-1
ACC Record vs. BCS:* 2-0
America East: 2-0
Atlantic Sun: 1-0
Atlantic Ten: 0-1
Big South: 2-0
B1G Ten: 1-0
Colonial: 1-0
MAAC: 3-0
MEAC: 6-0
Northeast: 1-0
Patriot: 1-0
SEC: 1-0
Southern: 1-0
SWAC: 1-0
*as last year, both the AAC and the Big East are being counted as among the BCS conferences. And yes, BCS is now a completely outdated reference derived from an entirely separate sport, but it's handy shorthand.