This Week in the ACC - 1/24-1/30

[Mak P]

Oh my

[SavDukeGrad]

I did not see that coming. Ga Tech over FSU 75-61.

[burnspbesq]

I realize there are a lot of games left to be played, but I think we can close the balloting for Defensive Mistake of the Year.

VaTech let Charlie Moore have a clean look at the basket with the game on the line.

[UrinalCake]

VT had the ball with a chance to hold for the last possession, called a timeout, but all they could manage was a fadeaway three pointer from well behind the line. They also left too much time on the clock. Then Miami ran a nice inbounds play with Moore receiving the ball with a full head of steam. I was also confused by why they were allowed to inbounds from mid court rather than the baseline, but regardless it was a great play with a lot of luck and a tough break for VT.

I'm starting to think FSU is not as good as their record would show - they have beaten Miami twice by a point and beat us by a point in OT. They could easily be 3-6 in conference right now. Really wish Miami had taken that loss to leave us tied for first with only ND, but we just need to keep winning ourselves.

[CDu]

So does a team like VT that plays well consistently but can't close out games, look better in the models than an inconsistent team that has really bad games and then really good games (I am thinking about unc..)

Consistency doesn’t factor in at all, so no. The team who plays better on average will look better in the models, regardless of whether they do it consistently or wildly inconsistently.

[CDu]

VT had the ball with a chance to hold for the last possession, called a timeout, but all they could manage was a fadeaway three pointer from well behind the line. They also left too much time on the clock. Then Miami ran a nice inbounds play with Moore receiving the ball with a full head of steam. I was also confused by why they were allowed to inbounds from mid court rather than the baseline, but regardless it was a great play with a lot of luck and a tough break for VT.

I'm starting to think FSU is not as good as their record would show - they have beaten Miami twice by a point and beat us by a point in OT. They could easily be 3-6 in conference right now. Really wish Miami had taken that loss to leave us tied for first with only ND, but we just need to keep winning ourselves.

Yeah, I have been saying that FSU hasn’t been playing like the top team in the ACC. They haven’t even been playing like a top-5 ACC team. They just happen to have won the close games at the right times. I didn’t expect them to lose badly to Tech, but I definitely did expect them to lose several more ACC games.

I agree on the Miami one. Unlike FSU, they actually have been playing well this month. I was not at all surprised that Tech had a chance to win, but it would have been nice to have Miami pick up a loss there. That said, they still have several loss left games left, and they could always revert to their Nov/Dec form at some point.

[CameronDuke]

Kevin Keatts is now 89-58, 41-41 as head men’s basketball coach at NCSU.

Is his seat getting warm in Raleigh?

This is his 5th season there. They were picked 9th this year and are currently 13th. They’re 10-11, 3-7.

[CDu]

Kevin Keatts is now 89-58, 41-41 as head men’s basketball coach at NCSU.

Is his seat getting warm in Raleigh?

This is his 5th season there. They were picked 9th this year and are currently 13th. They’re 10-11, 3-7.

To be fair to Keatts, they are missing their starting center (lost for the season in the first minute of the opening game of the season). So unless State has a clear target in mind, I suspect he'll get a pass on this season's results.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Kevin Keatts is now 89-58, 41-41 as head men’s basketball coach at NCSU.

Is his seat getting warm in Raleigh?

This is his 5th season there. They were picked 9th this year and are currently 13th. They’re 10-11, 3-7.

If one had to choose between coaching at Maryland, NCSU, or Louisville - which is the most attractive job?

[jv001]

If one had to choose between coaching at Maryland, NCSU, or Louisville - which is the most attractive job?

That's an easy one. NC State in a New York minute. I hate to see them put between my two of my most hated schools. I don't count uncheat as a school because student athletes must attend class.

GoDuke!

[CameronDuke]

If one had to choose between coaching at Maryland, NCSU, or Louisville - which is the most attractive job?

NCSU personally for me!

[CameronDuke]

To be fair to Keatts, they are missing their starting center (lost for the season in the first minute of the opening game of the season). So unless State has a clear target in mind, I suspect he'll get a pass on this season's results.

Yeah I have empathy for them for that. The only thing is, prior to the injury, in this his 5th year (his own recruits), they still were picked in the bottom half of the league preseason so folks aren’t really expecting them to blow it out the water anyway.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Yeah I have empathy for them for that. The only thing is, prior to the injury, in this his 5th year (his own recruits), they still were picked in the bottom half of the league preseason so folks aren’t really expecting them to blow it out the water anyway.

So was Miami.

With all due respect to sports writers, preseason predictions are mostly informed guesses.

[CDu]

Yeah I have empathy for them for that. The only thing is, prior to the injury, in this his 5th year (his own recruits), they still were picked in the bottom half of the league preseason so folks aren’t really expecting them to blow it out the water anyway.

Yeah, I would certainly not be shocked if they moved on from Keatts. But I doubt it would be based on this season's results. It would be based on his career, which has been just okay up to now. And of course if they have confidence that they can reel in a big-name coach (they've whiffed the past few times they've gone this route).

[CameronDuke]

Yeah, I would certainly not be shocked if they moved on from Keatts. But I doubt it would be based on this season's results. It would be based on his career, which has been just okay up to now. And of course if they have confidence that they can reel in a big-name coach (they've whiffed the past few times they've gone this route).

No doubt. I actually like Kevin Keatts the man. He carries himself with class and seems a nice enough guy. NCSU has a rich history, though, and the coaching position there is probably one of the top 25ish programs in the country (cost of living, city, recruiting pipeline, conference, fan support, facilities, etc. all factored in). I think he gets one more year next year to have a respectable ACC season, and win an NCAAT game or two. If he doesn’t, I think he could be done.

[roywhite]

So was Miami.

With all due respect to sports writers, preseason predictions are mostly informed guesses.

And the transfer portal has added an additional wild card.

Who knew what Alondes Williams would do at Wake, or the overall impact of Charlie Moore at Miami?

[CDu]

No doubt. I actually like Kevin Keatts the man. He carries himself with class and seems a nice enough guy. NCSU has a rich history, though, and the coaching position there is probably one of the top 25ish programs in the country (cost of living, city, recruiting pipeline, conference, fan support, facilities, etc. all factored in). I think he gets one more year next year to have a respectable ACC season, and win an NCAAT game or two. If he doesn’t, I think he could be done.

I agree. There is definitely an opportunity for State here. Duke and UNC are in transition, and State could step up. They have to decide whether Keatts can be the guy to push State past UNC and Duke, or whether they need to look elsewhere.

It's very possible that Keatts is just not a top-of-the-heap type of coach. His preferred style coming up the ranks (a frenetic pressure approach with 3-4 guards on the floor) was that of a dangerous mid/low major, and probably doesn't play well as a regular strategy against major conference teams. But he's seemed to adapt his style at State, so who knows? Ultimately though, his ability to recruit (he had some semi-high profile misses on guys who chose to go straight to the NBA) remains the question. Smith and Seabron have been revelations, and State probably would have exceeded their mediocre preseason expectations if they'd had Bates. But alas they are inexperienced and undermanned inside.

I could definitely see them giving Keatts another year, especially if Seabron and Smith return. But they will probably not want to wait too long to decide for good, as the window to overtake the blue bloods might not stay open for a long time.

[CDu]

And the transfer portal has added an additional wild card.

Who knew what Alondes Williams would do at Wake, or the overall impact of Charlie Moore at Miami?

Exactly. It's somewhat of a crapshoot. Williams is a perfect example. He was a fringe starter at Oklahoma, and now he's a strong candidate for ACC PoY. Dallas Walton and Jake Laravia too have exceeded expectations. Moore was a decent player (big count stats but pretty inefficient in getting them) at DePaul. But at Miami he's since figured out how to shoot from 3 and how to get steals, while also learning how to stop turning the ball over.

You just don't know anymore with teams able to so thoroughly remake their roster year to year.

[Indoor66]

If one had to choose between coaching at Maryland, NCSU, or Louisville - which is the most attractive job?

Albright College.

[English]

That's an easy one. NC State in a New York minute. I hate to see them put between my two of my most hated schools. I don't count uncheat as a school because student athletes must attend class.

GoDuke!

This sounds like something you'd read on Pack Pride (minus the GoDuke! bit). I'd be very surprised if the general CBB punditry would remotely share this view. Aside from the UnderArmour affiliation as a major detractor, Murrlund is in a really fertile recruiting hotbed in the DMV and has the benefit of B1G money flowing in. UofL has gobs and gobs of money to throw at a coach, and the resources/facilities to rival virtually any program to attract talent. Before Mack, it had been decades since a UofL coach had missed the NCAAT in consecutive years (h/t Eye on CBB pod). I really think people (mostly ACC-centric) really overrate the attractiveness of the NCSU job, and we saw that play out in their last coaching search.