This Week in the ACC - 1/20-1/26

[CameronDuke]

Have you watched UVA play this season? We are talking about a team that is among the bottom 10 in the land at hitting 3s and among the bottom 10 in the land at getting to the FT line. They are an abomination on offense.

Yes, I have watched close to all of their league games and most of their out of conference games. UVa hasn’t trailed at the under 4 TV timeout in any of its 8 ACC games. Tied twice, leads in the other 6 games. Yet they’re only 4-4 overall. They are a couple of bounces here or there away from being 5-3 or 6-2 in the ACC. They still have the 2nd best defense in the country according to Kenpom. True, their offense has been atrocious this year and is trending towards statistically being the worst offense in ACC history. I just don’t see that happening. It’s possible but highly unlikely. I’m not saying they’ll get drastically better offensively but I think Tony Bennett will figure something out to start making the ball go thru the net more and get them into the NCAAT. The way they defend, they can hang with most of the teams in the ACC this year. Their defense is still dominant. They just need to hit shots at a slightly higher clip and finish games and they could muck out a 12-8, 13-7 type season in the ACC and dance.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Originally Posted by CameronDuke View Post
I’d be surprised to see FSU win at UVa Tuesday night, too. The game in Tallahassee was a sloppy effort from both teams (FSU won 54-50) but I wasn’t overly impressed with how FSU looked against the UVa pack line defense (FSU shot 20-54 overall and 8-22 from 3 with 16 turnovers). If UVa figures out a way to have just a semblance of an offense, I think they’ll win.

Have you watched UVA play this season? We are talking about a team that is among the bottom 10 in the land at hitting 3s and among the bottom 10 in the land at getting to the FT line. They are an abomination on offense.

Isn't that exactly what CameronDuke is saying? He didn't say they are good on offense, he said IF they find a way to be reasonable. I tend to agree with him. Not optimistic that they will make it happen, but if they do, then they would be a team you don't want to play in the post season.

[jhmoss1812]

Have you watched UVA play this season? We are talking about a team that is among the bottom 10 in the land at hitting 3s and among the bottom 10 in the land at getting to the FT line. They are an abomination on offense.

If we shoot a mere 30% from 3 instead of 26.7% from 3, we are likely sitting at 2-3 losses instead of 6. We have been tied or led at the under 4 timeout in all 8 ACC games. It's crazy how small our margin or error is right now. We just don't have any alphas to close games like we had last year. With that said, I don't think there's a team left on our schedule that we can't beat. I also don't think there's a team left on our schedule that can't beat us. Our defense is strong enough that it should keep us in most games. Our offense is weak enough that it should keep our opponent in most games.

Fortunately, I'm just sitting back enjoying this year and not really worrying about wins and losses. The natty last year is allowing me to watch this season as stress-free as ever. We have a very good recruiting class coming in next year and Hauser will be eligible. I obviously don't expect the level of dominance that we've had in the last 5-6 years but I am not that concerned about a massive downward spiral either.

[sagegrouse]

If we shoot a mere 30% from 3 instead of 26.7% from 3, we are likely sitting at 2-3 losses instead of 6. We have been tied or led at the under 4 timeout in all 8 ACC games. It's crazy how small our margin or error is right now. We just don't have any alphas to close games like we had last year. With that said, I don't think there's a team left on our schedule that we can't beat. I also don't think there's a team left on our schedule that can't beat us. Our defense is strong enough that it should keep us in most games. Our offense is weak enough that it should keep our opponent in most games.

Fortunately, I'm just sitting back enjoying this year and not really worrying about wins and losses. The natty last year is allowing me to watch this season as stress-free as ever. We have a very good recruiting class coming in next year and Hauser will be eligible. I obviously don't expect the level of dominance that we've had in the last 5-6 years but I am not that concerned about a massive downward spiral either.

Always appreciate your comments. Using "we" for UVa is confusing -- not disrespectful -- just confusing.

[jhmoss1812]

Always appreciate your comments. Using "we" for UVa is confusing -- not disrespectful -- just confusing.

I use "we" because I feel like I could also shoot 26.7% from 3 point land. I apologize for the confusion though. I'll try to be more mindful in my future posts.

[CameronDuke]

Wake is up 35-28 at the half on UVa in Winston-Salem. Wake got blistering hot from 3 that half, finishing 6-9 (66.7%) from 3. Wake also finished 11-12 (91.7%) from the free throw line. UVa shot better than their season average from 3, finishing 4-11 (36.4%) from 3.

Wake is playing without their top two scorers, Brandon Childress and Chaundee Brown.

[CameronDuke]

OT in Winston-Salem.

56-56 game between UVa and Wake.

[CameronDuke]

UVa survives in OT at Wake 65-63.

UVa improves to 13-6, 5-4.

Wake falls to 9-10, 2-7.

Another awful season is shaping up for Danny Manning and the Wake Forest basketball program. They played tough and short handed today but look again to be a cellar dweller in the ACC again this year at 2-7 in the league thus far.

Danny Manning is now 74-103 overall and 26-73 in ACC regular season games in this his 6th season as the head Men’s basketball coach at Wake Forest. He has not won an NCAAT game yet.

[kmspeaks]

That punk was getting away with that crap all night. He threw an elbow too and they gave a double tech. Which was bunk. After watching that game it; maybe Coach K is onto something. Besides the poor sportsmanship, UVA was routinely holding, mugging, and literally jumping into players expecting the charge every time. It made more sense regarding Ks comments about movement of the offensive player and how the refs are struggling with interpreting the rule. Wolfpack deserved to win and they did.

I know DBR has basically been a UVA love fest the last few years and we have some great Cavalier fans who are regular posters but the bolded wasn't just that game. That is Virginia basketball. They are extremely physical, especially off the ball, and I for the life of me can not figure out why 1. referees allow it, and 2. the talking heads laud it as great defense. Unfortunately freedom of movement is like a balanced budget in DC...often promised, never delivered.

[Troublemaker]

Yeah, I agree that NCSU won’t make the NCAAT this year. I just don’t see it with them with that schedule you mentioned left.

I hope I’m wrong but something tells me they lay an egg Monday night in Raleigh vs unc. Again, I really hope I’m wrong but I would be surprised to see them beat unc.

I mean, your gut feeling is probably just a combination of (a) UNC winning by like 30 in their previous game and (b) NCSU losing to GaTech without Michael Devoe (probably GT's best player) in *its* previous game.

That said, give me NCSU tonight, especially if they get back either Bates or Andree from injury. I don't think UNC beating up on an injury-ravaged Miami sways me much.

[CameronDuke]

I mean, your gut feeling is probably just a combination of (a) UNC winning by like 30 in their previous game and (b) NCSU losing to GaTech without Michael Devoe (probably GT's best player) in *its* previous game.

That said, give me NCSU tonight, especially if they get back either Bates or Andree from injury. I don't think UNC beating up on an injury-ravaged Miami sways me much.

I would absolutely love to see NCSU beat up on unc tonight. Would make me feel a lot better about things.

[English]

I know DBR has basically been a UVA love fest the last few years and we have some great Cavalier fans who are regular posters but the bolded wasn't just that game. That is Virginia basketball. They are extremely physical, especially off the ball, and I for the life of me can not figure out why 1. referees allow it, and 2. the talking heads laud it as great defense. Unfortunately freedom of movement is like a balanced budget in DC...often promised, never delivered.

DBR has been pretty overt in its view that UVA "defense" is basically tantamount to manhandling the opponent with little-to-no official intervention. It's been mentioned frequently in the Duke-UVA pregame & in-game threads over the past few years. Of course, there has also been plenty of recognition that Tony Bennett has built a formidable program, they've given Duke and the ACC all they can handle and more, and the 'Hoo posters around here are more reasonable visitors than could be typically expected of rival fanbases. The first underlying point is not mutually exclusive from the rest, though. YMMV, of course.