This Week(end) in the ACC: 11/10-12

[pfrduke]

Basketball is back! And with the traditional slate of cupcakes to open tip off weekend. ACC teams are favored by an average of 16.1 points in the opening weekend games. Only Georgia Tech takes on a team that is likely to make the NCAA tournament and the only other team that plays an opponent it's not favored to beat is Pitt (which says much more about Pitt than it does about the opponent, Navy, which is ranked 163). Believe it or not, Elon (Duke's opening opponent) is ranked as the third toughest opponent for any ACC school this weekend. But still, it's basketball. Here's the slate for the opening weekend - anything worse than a 2-loss weekend would be a bad performance from the conference, and hopefully Georgia Tech can steal an early season win over a major conference opponent as a reward for traveling halfway around the world.

As a reminder, all times are eastern and all rankings are Pomeroy. For this season, I'm going to put the spread (again, per Pomeroy) in each game, as of the date of posting.

Friday
[53]Virginia Tech (-21) hosts [274]Detroit (6:00, ACCNE)
[6]Duke (-17) hosts [106] Elon (7:00, ACCNE)
[13]North Carolina (-17) hosts [129]Northern Iowa (7:00, ESPNU)
[9]Virginia (-19) hosts [161]UNC Greensboro (7:00, ACCNE)
[47]Clemson (-18) hosts [260]Western Carolina (7:00, ACCNE)
[68]Syracuse (-14) hosts [213]Cornell (7:00, ACCNE)
[109]NC State (-21) hosts [340]VMI (7:00, ACCNE)
[57]Wake Forest (-10) hosts [105]Georgia Southern (7:30, ACCNE)
[95]Boston College (-20) hosts [332]Maine (7:30, ACCNE)
[27]Miami (-20) hosts [226]Gardner-Webb (8:00, ACCNE)
[121]Pittsburgh (+1) at [163]Navy (9:00, CBSSN)
[44]Georgia Tech (+3) vs. [29]UCLA in Shanghai (11:30, ESPN) (as a bonus item for this game, here's a video of Bill Walton doing tai chi in Hangzhou - http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0719539390136721123-4)

Saturday
[22]Notre Dame (-7) at [119]Depaul (4:00, FS1)
[6]Duke (-22) hosts [166]Utah Valley (7:00, ACCNE)

Sunday
[95]Boston College (-23) hosts [348]South Carolina State (1:00, ACCNE)
[47]Clemson (-28) hosts [346]North Carolina A&T (2:00, ACCNE)
[16]Louisville (-19) hosts [169]George Mason (2:00)
[27]Miami (-16) hosts [163]Navy (4:00, ACCNE)
[109]NC State (-14) hosts [283]Charleston Southern (4:00, ACCNE)
[53]Virginia Tech (-20) hosts [247]The Citadel (7:00, ACCNE)

[DukieInBrasil]

Basketball is back! And with the traditional slate of cupcakes to open tip off weekend. ACC teams are favored by an average of 16.1 points in the opening weekend games. Only Georgia Tech takes on a team that is likely to make the NCAA tournament and the only other team that plays an opponent it's not favored to beat is Pitt (which says much more about Pitt than it does about the opponent, Navy, which is ranked 163). Believe it or not, Elon (Duke's opening opponent) is ranked as the third toughest opponent for any ACC school this weekend. But still, it's basketball. Here's the slate for the opening weekend - anything worse than a 2-loss weekend would be a bad performance from the conference, and hopefully Georgia Tech can steal an early season win over a major conference opponent as a reward for traveling halfway around the world.

As a reminder, all times are eastern and all rankings are Pomeroy. For this season, I'm going to put the spread (again, per Pomeroy) in each game, as of the date of posting.

Friday
[53]Virginia Tech (-21) hosts [274]Detroit (6:00, ACCNE)
[6]Duke (-17) hosts [106] Elon (7:00, ACCNE)
[13]North Carolina (-17) hosts [129]Northern Iowa (7:00, ESPNU)
[9]Virginia (-19) hosts [161]UNC Greensboro (7:00, ACCNE)
[47]Clemson (-18) hosts [260]Western Carolina (7:00, ACCNE)
[68]Syracuse (-14) hosts [213]Cornell (7:00, ACCNE)
[109]NC State (-21) hosts [340]VMI (7:00, ACCNE)
[57]Wake Forest (-10) hosts [105]Georgia Southern (7:30, ACCNE)
[95]Boston College (-20) hosts [332]Maine (7:30, ACCNE)
[27]Miami (-20) hosts [226]Gardner-Webb (8:00, ACCNE)
[121]Pittsburgh (+1) at [163]Navy (9:00, CBSSN)
[44]Georgia Tech (+3) vs. [29]UCLA in Shanghai (11:30, ESPN) (as a bonus item for this game, here's a video of Bill Walton doing tai chi in Hangzhou - http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0719539390136721123-4)

Saturday
[22]Notre Dame (-7) at [119]Depaul (4:00, FS1)
[6]Duke (-22) hosts [166]Utah Valley (7:00, ACCNE)

Sunday
[95]Boston College (-23) hosts [348]South Carolina State (1:00, ACCNE)
[47]Clemson (-28) hosts [346]North Carolina A&T (2:00, ACCNE)
[16]Louisville (-19) hosts [169]George Mason (2:00)
[27]Miami (-16) hosts [163]Navy (4:00, ACCNE)
[109]NC State (-14) hosts [283]Charleston Southern (4:00, ACCNE)
[53]Virginia Tech (-20) hosts [247]The Citadel (7:00, ACCNE)

What? No Duke game on Sunday? No back to back to back games? K's getting soft.

[PackMan97]

I'm very excited to see the start of the Coach K era at NC State :) I do wish it were a slightly tougher opponent as it appears we have the third weakest opponent of the weekend...and our second opponent isn't much better.

Keatts is going to have this team in shape and on the same page. He's won everywhere he's gone and hasnt' needed a year or two of losing to do it. We have enough talent to finish in the middle of the ACC and surprise some of the better teams. I don't think we are going to know whether State has a chance at a decent season or not until end of Novmember.

Allow me to look ahead to the Battle 4 Atlantis over Thanksgiving, we'll have to put on our big boy pants as our first game is against Arizona (3), followed by SMU (24) or Northern Iowa (129) with Villanova (1), Western Kentucky (230), Purdue (17) and Tennessee (43) waiting on the other side of the bracket. Winning two games there will be a huge accomplishment and then we have Penn State (40) up in teh Big Ten challenge. If State wants to make something of the season, they have the chance to pick up quality wins.

[Olympic Fan]

We go through this every year. It's much too early for Pomeroy to mean anything.

The first 10 games on your list should all be gimmies for the ACC. Then it gets interesting.

Game 11: Pitt at Navy is interesting -- both because Pitt appears to be so weak and it's on the road.

Game 12 -- vs. UCLA in China-- is a huge hurdle for Georgia Tech, which will be playing without Josh Okogie and Tadric Jackson.

The only other game of the weekend that might be competitive is Saturday's Notre Dame at DePaul. I think the Irish will be much better, but it is on the road (in the Horizon dump? If it's in the United Center, I think that's a neutral court).

[Olympic Fan]

Sorry to follow my own post, but big news breaking on the Georgia Tech front.

Remember that Georgia Tech reported that Josh Okogie and Tadric Jackson received $725 and $525 in illegal benefits? Both were suspended, but the school immediate applied for re-instatement. Based on past cases, benefits in the range Okogie and Jackson received would result in short suspensions -- maybe 3-5 games for Jackson and 5-8 games for Okogie.

But Gary Parrish of CBS has a story out today that identifies the source of the benefits as a longtime Josh Pastner friend, who alleges that he provided much more than that was reported to the two players ... and that Pastner knew everything that was happening.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/josh-pastner-georgia-tech-accused-of-underplaying-violations-by-jilted-friend/

If this is true, the Georgia Tech story goes from a minor blip to a huge deal.

PS Okogie is suspended for the moment, but it really doesn't matter -- he has a broken hand and wouldn't be able to play anyway.

[PackMan97]

If this is true, the Georgia Tech story goes from a minor blip to a huge deal.

That depends on whether or not GT admits to doing wrong or lawyers up and delays, denies and deflects. Another ACC school pioneered an approach to get out of even the worst scandal without damange. Personally, I think GT throws themselves on their sword and does the right thing.

[devildeac]

That depends on whether or not GT admits to doing wrong or lawyers up and delays, denies and deflects. Another ACC school pioneered an approach to get out of even the worst scandal without damange. Personally, I think GT throws themselves on their sword and does the right thing.


Not mentioning any names, of course. :rolleyes:

[PackMan97]

Not mentioning any names, of course. :rolleyes:

I'm turning over a new leaf from hate to indifference.

[MChambers]

But Gary Parrish of CBS has a story out today that identifies the source of the benefits as a longtime Josh Pastner friend, who alleges that he provided much more than that was reported to the two players ... and that Pastner knew everything that was happening.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/josh-pastner-georgia-tech-accused-of-underplaying-violations-by-jilted-friend/

If this is true, the Georgia Tech story goes from a minor blip to a huge deal.

PS Okogie is suspended for the moment, but it really doesn't matter -- he has a broken hand and wouldn't be able to play anyway.

Pastner’s friend is turning on Pastner because Pastner didn’t call him on his birthday? What a weird story.

[devildeac]

I'm turning over a new leaf from hate to indifference.

ol roy said something like that one time, too, when he was asked after a final four (?) game as head coach/gift-giver/rule-breaker at KU. Having trouble recalling that quote:o. Maybe something like, "I don't give a ..."

:rolleyes:

[PackMan97]

ol roy said something like that one time, too,

I wouldn't put too much stock in anything Ol' Roy says. He's been known to fib a little.

[devildeac]

I wouldn't put too much stock in anything Ol' Roy says. He's been known to fib a little.

A little? Kinda like saying the Titanic had a small leak. :rolleyes:

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

A little? Kinda like saying the Titanic had a small leak. :rolleyes:

The Titanic? Doesn't that chatter belong in the Carolina Panthers thread?

[devildeac]

The Titanic? Doesn't that chatter belong in the Carolina Panthers thread?

Or the movie thread. :rolleyes:

[TruBlu]

Go Purple Panthers!

GTHC

[OldPhiKap]

Or the movie thread. :rolleyes:

Ymm, beer thread.

https://www.titanicbrewery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Iceberg-e1503414507622.png

[devildeac]

Ymm, beer thread.

https://www.titanicbrewery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Iceberg-e1503414507622.png

Dang. Nice find. Never hear of it/them.

More DBR edjumacation. While Googling Titanic Brewery, I also discovered this:

http://www.titanicbrewery.com/titanic/

So, one in the UK and one in FL.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

That depends on whether or not GT admits to doing wrong or lawyers up and delays, denies and deflects. Another ACC school pioneered an approach to get out of even the worst scandal without damange. Personally, I think GT throws themselves on their sword and does the right thing.
You missed a step...
Step 1 = create an even bigger distraction so no one pays attention to the improper benefits that can be proven
Step 2 = lawyer up, delay, deny, deflect

[westwall]

Has it been noted anywhere that Utah Valley, Duke's Saturday night opponent, plays Kentucky in Lexington on Friday night?? Must be a "warm up" game for Utah Valley.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Has it been noted anywhere that Utah Valley, Duke's Saturday night opponent, plays Kentucky in Lexington on Friday night?? Must be a "warm up" game for Utah Valley.
Wow. Will they even have time to shower and change before they play us?

[NSDukeFan]

I realize it's early, the numbers don't mean anything and there might not be that many fans that care, but at least 2 or 3 people should be excited that BC is in the top 100 for the first time in quite awhile.

[JasonEvans]

I realize it's early, the numbers don't mean anything and there might not be that many fans that care, but at least 2 or 3 people should be excited that BC is in the top 100 for the first time in quite awhile.

Let them play a game or two before we get too excited. BC has a recent history of really embarrassing the conference with early season results.

2016 lost to Nichols St, Hartford, and Fairfield
2015 losses to UC-Irvine and UMass-Lowell
2014 losses to UMass and Dayton
2013 losses to Toledo, Harvard, and UMass
2012 losses to Bryant, Harvard, and College of Charleston
2011 losses to Holy Cross, Harvard, and BU
2010 losses to Harvard and Yale (and BC was pretty good in 2010)
2009 losses to N Iowa, Harvard, and Maine

-Jason "I could go on and on... sigh" Evans

[NSDukeFan]

Let them play a game or two before we get too excited. BC has a recent history of really embarrassing the conference with early season results.

2016 lost to Nichols St, Hartford, and Fairfield
2015 losses to UC-Irvine and UMass-Lowell
2014 losses to UMass and Dayton
2013 losses to Toledo, Harvard, and UMass
2012 losses to Bryant, Harvard, and College of Charleston
2011 losses to Holy Cross, Harvard, and BU
2010 losses to Harvard and Yale (and BC was pretty good in 2010)
2009 losses to N Iowa, Harvard, and Maine

-Jason "I could go on and on... sigh" Evans
Isn't that even more reason to be excited, since it might not last?

[PackMan97]

State up 56-34 at the half. I think they might beat the spread.

[Doria]

State up 56-34 at the half. I think they might beat the spread.

Nice start for Keatts.

[Olympic Fan]

The ACC has done pretty well in opening night against a not-so-challenging lineup. Hey, BC won by 20 ... NC State, Syracuse, Clemson, Miami, VPI also looked good against weak opponents.

One big hiccup -- Wake Forest lost at home to Georgia Southern.

And Pitt is down double digits at Navy with 13 minutes left. But we expected Pitt to be bad.

Still got Georgia Tech vs. UCLA in China ... if either team has enough players to field a team.

Not ACC, but Wojo's Marquette team headed for an easy win, while Chris Collins' Northwestern team has had to struggle past Loyola (Md.), 77-75.

And Archie Miller's debut at Indiana did not go well -- a 31-point loss in Bloomington to Indiana State. I don't know, maybe Larry Bird came back for that one.

[Olympic Fan]

I stayed up to watch Georgia Tech-YCLA from China.

Got to give Tech credit ... playing without two of their three best players (Okogie and Jackson) the Jackets hung in the game until the end and only lost by three. I know UCLA was without three freshmen, but only one of those three was going to be in the rotation ... Tech was MUCH more shorthanded without its No. 1 and No. 3 scorers from last year.

Great commentary by Bill Walton last night, who apologized to China on behalf of the whole human race for the crime of the three UCLA freshman.

Notre Dame has struggled at DePaul today, but they are up 10 midway through the second half.