Atlantic Coast Conference Notebook
ACC Teams at Work
Entering this season, the ACC appeared stacked with six, maybe seven, teams worthy of an NCAA Tournament bid. But after the completion of the regular season an astonishingly small number – three – can feel comfortable about receiving an invitation to the Big Dance.
North Carolina, Wake Forest and Duke will be in the NCAA Tournament and are playing for better seeds during this week’s ACC Tournament. Two of these three could earn No. 1 seeds, depending on the results in other conference tournaments. Non-ACC teams to follow include, Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Boston College and Connecticut. These teams could steal a No. 1 seed if the top ACC teams falter in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, several other teams have earned an uncomfortable seat on the NCAA Tournament bubble and desperately need a couple of wins during the ACC Tournament. The list includes heavyweights such as Georgia Tech, Maryland and North Carolina State and surprises such as Virginia Tech and Miami.
At 8-8, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech earned a first-round bye and will play each other as the ACC Tournament’s No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. That game could easily become an elimination game, although Georgia Tech may be in the tournament regardless of the game’s results. On the other hand, Virginia Tech cannot afford a loss because the Hokies have a terrible non-conference schedule for selection committee members to dissect.
Thanks to losses to Miami and North Carolina State – twice – during the regular season, Maryland slipped to eighth in the conference. The Terrapins must play Clemson in the opening round of the ACC Tournament, then play North Carolina in the quarterfinals. On one hand, two games in two days is not what the Terrapins had in mind, especially when the second game is against one of the two best teams in the country. On the other hand, nothing would improve the Terrapins’ resume better than a win against North Carolina on a neutral court. And that neutral court is at the MCI Center in the Terrapin-friendly confines of Washington, D.C.
Miami and North Carolina State also need to pick up a few wins in the ACC Tournament. The Hurricanes get Virginia in the opening round and would then play Duke in the quarterfinals, while the Wolfpack draw Florida State in the first round and would get Wake Forest. The Hurricanes and Wolfpack probably need to win three games to advance to the ACC championship before they are worthy of an NCAA bid. But that run would likely include wins against Wake Forest and Duke, which is a feat that no team in the conference has accomplished this season. An interesting scenario could pit Miami against North Carolina State in the semifinals if both teams upset their quarterfinal opponents. That match up would almost definitely be an elimination game for the NCAA Tournament.
And last but not least, Clemson, Florida State and Virginia are the three lone ACC teams with no hopes of an NCAA Tournament appearance unless they pull off a nearly impossible run of four wins in four days, which would match how many ACC victories the Cavaliers and Seminoles posted in conference play during the entire season. Look for more ACC Tournament coverage later this week at Thirteen Days: Championship Week 2005.
Player of the Week
Sean May, North Carolina
Nobody in the ACC has played as well as May during the past week. May started the week with 32 points and 12 rebounds against Florida State, then picked up his eighth consecutive double-double with 26 points and 24 rebounds against Duke, a performance that will go down in the storied history of this great rivalry.
Freshman of the Week
Sean Singletary, Virginia
The Cavaliers fell to last place last week, but freshman point guard Singletary continued to play well, averaging 14 points, three rebounds and 2.5 assists in two losses. If coach Pete Gillen is not back next season, the next Cavalier coach will have a great point guard on which he can build a winning program.
ACC Coach Watch
The coach watch identifies several individuals who need to make a mark in the ACC Tournament, starting with Virginia coach Pete Gillen. Gillen could easily be coaching his last game at Virginia if the Cavaliers don’t muster a grand performance against Miami. North Carolina State coach Herb Sendek’s seat isn’t bursting in flames, but a win against Florida State would be well-advised.
Meanwhile, Maryland coach Gary Williams is in the most unenviable position as the Terrapins have slid to the brink of disaster. Williams must find a way to right the ship, much like last season when Maryland stormed through the tournament and won the ACC title.
Team Recaps
North Carolina Tar Heels (26-3, 14-2)
The Tar Heels saved the best for last. North Carolina is one of the favorites to win the national championship, but until this past weekend, the team had whiffed on each opportunity to take out the ACC’s elite – Duke and Wake Forest. But in the friendly confines of the Dean Dome, North Carolina rallied to beat Duke in the regular season finale 75-73. Losing by nine with about three minutes remaining, the Tar Heels surged to an 11-0 run capped by four points in a matter of three seconds near the end of the game. After making the first free throw, junior guard Raymond Felton missed the second attempt. But freshman sensation Marvin Williams collected the loose ball and hit a bank shot while getting fouled. His free throw gave the Tar Heels a two-point lead, and J.J. Redick and Daniel Ewing missed shots during the final seconds.
The two-point victory against Duke and the one-point loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium may make this year’s edition of the Tobacco Road rivalry the greatest of all time. This reporter hopes for a third match up in the ACC title game.
One reason these games have been magnificent is the play of junior forward Sean May. May had a mind-boggling 26 points and 24 rebounds against Duke Sunday. That’s one less rebound than the entire Blue Devil team. And 12 of those rebounds were on the offensive end, which helped the Tar Heels make up for the absence of junior swingman Rashad McCants, who continues to recover from an intestinal disorder. Despite McCants’ absence, the Tar Heels are on a seven-game winning streak entering the ACC Tournament.
The No. 1 Tar Heels sit out Day One of the ACC Tournament and play the winner of No. 8 Maryland and No. 9 Clemson Friday at noon.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (26-4, 13-3)
In the wake of North Carolina’s triumph as conference champion, Wake Forest easily could have allowed a desperate North Carolina State team to upset the Demon Deacons in Raleigh Sunday night. But sophomore point guard Chris Paul would not allow his team to slip, driving from baseline to baseline to float home the game-winning layup as time expired. Wake Forest escaped with a 55-53 win, led by junior guard Justin Gray’s 15 points. Paul created some controversy by punching the Wolfpack’s Julius Hodge below the belt, drawing a one-game suspension to open the ACC Tournament.
The win in Raleigh was important for two significant reasons. The Demon Deacons moved closer to locking up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, probably only needing to reach the ACC championship game. They may get the spot even with a loss to Duke in the semifinals. The second reason is that Wake Forest proved it can win an ugly game. The Wolfpack slowed the pace to a crawl in the second half, forcing the Demon Deacons to play a deliberate, half-court offense. The result was Wake Forest scored only 10 points in the first 15 minutes of the second half. But Wake Forest’s defense answered the challenge and held North Carolina State’s motion offense at bay.
As the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament, Wake Forest will draw the winner of No. 7 North Carolina State and No. 10 Florida State. A rematch with the Wolfpack would be tantalizing, and the Seminoles already beat Wake Forest once this season.
Duke Blue Devils (22-5, 11-5)
Duke continues to play well without junior guard Sean Dockery, who is out with a knee injury. The Blue Devils erased Miami’s NCAA Tournament dreams with an 83-59 embarrassment at Cameron Indoor Stadium on senior night. Junior guard J.J. Redick continued to torch the nets with 29 points, including six three-pointers. Redick has a potent offensive ability that is nearly impossible to defend. He can shoot the ball accurately from 26 feet away from the basket in all directions. He can drive past bigger, slower defenders, who are better suited to alter Redick’s outside shots. And if he slips past a defender, he forces the ugly option of giving up an easy layup or fouling one of the two best free-throw shooters in NCAA history. He’s a coach’s nightmare – unless you’re Mike Krzyzewski.
Meanwhile, junior forward Shelden Williams continues to be the linchpin to the team’s defense, swatting four balls against Miami and collecting 12 rebounds. He batted away six more shots against North Carolina but lost the rebound battle with Sean May terribly, 24-4. Williams’ inability to get to the boards cost Duke the game. Any team that allows the opponent to grab 19 offensive rebounds is going to lose. And Duke did, 75-73, in dramatic fashion.
Despite the near upset at Chapel Hill, Duke has some work to do to solidify its attempt for another title run. The Blue Devils desperately need someone else to step up in the paint against the best big men like May. Williams cannot do it all, and junior forward Shavlik Randolph is clearly not the answer. He fouled out in only 15 minutes, and a couple of those fouls were bad away-from-the-basket touch fouls. Nor is Randolph a significant scoring threat on offense. He’s basically a warm body on the frontline, of which coach K simply doesn’t have enough.
If Randolph finds an ability to play at the level of his high school hype, Duke will close a hole in the post at both ends and become a legitimate national title contender. His first opportunity for improvement will be in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals against either No. 6 Miami or No. 11 Virginia. Duke figures to overpower either opponent to set up a potential semifinal clash with Wake Forest.
Virginia Tech Hokies (15-12, 8-8)
I feel like I owe the Hokies and coach Seth Greenberg an apology. I predicted the Hokies to finish in 10th place at the beginning of the season, grossly underestimating the power of a well-coached group of players who lay it all out for 40 minutes. This team does not quit and earned a fourth-place finish ahead of perennial ACC powers Maryland, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State.
The final week was a microcosm of the entire season for Virginia Tech. The Hokies’ NCAA chances were left for dead after Virginia Tech dropped a tight game at Clemson 66-64 as the Tigers’ Sharrod Ford beat the buzzer with a breakaway slam dunk to win the game. It ruined a spectacular defensive effort by the Hokies, who held Clemson to 33 percent shooting from the field, and senior guard Carlos Dixon, who led the team with 25 points.
But when all appeared lost, the Hokies rallied a few days later with an 86-76 win in Blacksburg against Maryland. Sophomore guard Jamon Gordon led all scores with 23 points, and Dixon added 20 to lead the Hokies. Virginia Tech attacked the glass, out-rebounding Maryland, one of the conference’s best in that category, by nine.
With the combination of wins and losses by all of the 7-8 teams, Virginia Tech emerged atop the logjam. The No. 4 Hokies earned a first-round bye and will play No. 5 Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals. Virginia Tech must win that game to seriously contend for an NCAA berth. A win against No. 1 North Carolina in the semifinals would seal the deal.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (15-12, 8-8)
Georgia Tech has been infuriatingly inconsistent for the past 11 games. The Yellow Jackets have alternated wins and losses since late January. They lost a tough game at Wake Forest 98-91 but bounced back with a tough win against Clemson 64-56. If the pattern holds, Georgia Tech will lose to No. 4 Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament later this week. The Yellow Jackets cannot afford another loss while other ACC teams, including Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, Miami and Maryland, attempt to steal Georgia Tech’s bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The return of senior guard B.J. Elder is finally beginning to payoff as the Yellow Jackets’ offense has finally started to flow more smoothly. Georgia Tech can allow junior guard Jarrett Jack to run the offense and let Elder and fellow sharpshooter senior guard Will Bynum set up on the perimeter. Elder led Georgia Tech with 17 against Clemson and 22 against Wake Forest. Senior center Luke Schenscher may benefit the most from the return of Elder as opposing defenses must respect Georgia Tech’s ability to shoot from outside, which frees space in the post for Schenscher to maneuver.
As previously mentioned, Georgia Tech plays Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament and would draw No. 1 North Carolina, No. 8 Maryland or No. 9 Clemson in the semifinals.
Miami Hurricanes (16-11, 7-9)
The Hurricanes have played their way out of the NCAA Tournament by losing four of their last five games, including an ugly 83-59 loss at Duke. Miami shot 38 percent from the field as Duke successfully limited the Hurricanes’ dual threat of Guillermo Diaz and Robert Hite. Miami ends the season with no quality wins in conference play. The best victories are against North Carolina State and Maryland, which are both below the Hurricanes in the ACC standings.
Despite the lack of a marquis win, coach Frank Haith deserves accolades for his success in the Hurricanes’ first season in the ACC. With a young roster, Miami has an excellent chance to improve next season and reach the NCAA Tournament. The Hurricanes need more beef in the middle to contend with some of the other dominating big men in the conference. Diaz and Hite are one of the best backcourt combinations in the ACC and figure to return intact, while the other combos will likely break up because of graduation or early entry to the NBA Draft.
For Miami to reach the NCAA Tournament, the Hurricanes must start with an opening round win against No. 11 Virginia and then beat No. 3 Duke in the quarterfinals.
North Carolina State Wolfpack (17-12, 7-9)
North Carolina State finished the season with a push toward .500, falling just short when Wake Forest’s Chris Paul dribbled almost the length of the court to lay in the game winner as time expired. The game featured some drama as Paul punched senior guard Julius Hodge when the two fought for a rebound. Wake Forest suspended Paul for one game as a result. Hodge got revenge later in the game with a hard foul that earned him a technical foul. In the end, the Wolfpack came up short 55-53.
North Carolina State has an interesting case for the NCAA Tournament because the Wolfpack played without several players because of injury or illness. And four of the team’s nine conference losses were by three points or less. At this point, it’s hard to put the Wolfpack ahead of Maryland, Georgia Tech or Virginia Tech. Therefore, North Carolina State needs to make a move in the ACC Tournament, including a quarterfinal win against No. 3 Wake Forest.
Hodge has been one of the Wolfpack’s best players for four years, but he has cost North Carolina State several games with terrible free-throw shooting. Hodge is excellent at penetrating the lane and drawing a foul. But that strategy only works if he hits the free ones. Against Wake Forest, Hodge hit only 2-of-9 free-throw attempts. The rest of the team wasn’t much better, making only 7-of-13.
The Wolfpack play No. 10 Florida State to open the ACC Tournament then would draw the No. 3 Demon Deacons in the quarterfinals.
Maryland Terrapins (16-11, 7-9)
The Terrapins have become an endangered species for the NCAA Tournament after Maryland dropped its season finale at Virginia Tech and slipped to eighth in the conference. Maryland’s inconsistency could cost the Terrapins a bid to the tournament. The Terrapins are 4-4 against the top five teams in the ACC and 3-5 against the bottom six. They swept Duke and were swept by Clemson. It makes no sense.
The loss to Virginia Tech last week could be especially detrimental if the Hokies win a game or two in the ACC Tournament. It’s hard to imagine that the selection committee would take Maryland but not Virginia Tech if the Hokies finish with at least two more conference wins than the Terps. And the Hokies out-played Maryland in the last game. Coach Gary Williams started freshman forward James Gist, hoping to get positive results from a different lineup. Gist and junior guard Chris McCray led the team with 18 points, but they didn’t get enough help from their teammates to evade an 86-76 loss. One of the conference’s better rebounding teams, Maryland uncharacteristically let the Hokies collect nine more rebounds than the Terps did and 16 offensive rebounds.
No. 8 Maryland plays No. 9 Clemson in the ACC Tournament’s opening round Thursday. The Terrapins need to win and may need a strong performance against No. 1 North Carolina to guarantee an invitation to the Big Dance.
Clemson Tigers (15-14, 5-11)
The Tigers ended the regular season without much fanfare, but Clemson is becoming one of the most dangerous teams in the ACC. The Tigers won three out of their final four games, including a devastating road win at Maryland for a season sweep of the Terrapins that may keep Maryland out of the NCAA Tournament. Clemson’s postseason hopes rely on the NIT unless the Tigers pull off a highly unlikely run of four wins in four days in the ACC Tournament.
Clemson’s late-season resurgence has been fueled by the fantastic play of senior forward Sharrod Ford. He will finish his career as one of the most consistent and underrated post players in the ACC. Against Georgia Tech in the finale, Ford led all scorers with 22 points and added six rebounds. Ford’s problem all season has been a lack of a reliable second option. The 64-56 loss at the Yellow Jackets was no different as no other Tiger reached double figures in scoring. Coach Oliver Purnell has a young team that will likely grow during the next couple of seasons. But the question is who will step up to take Ford’s place next season.
The answer to that question may emerge Thursday when No. 9 Clemson plays No. 8 Maryland in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. Clemson will be going for a complete three-game sweep of the Terrapins, which almost certainly would end Maryland’s tournament dreams. If the Tigers beat Maryland, No. 1 North Carolina will be waiting in the quarterfinals.
Florida State Seminoles (13-14, 4-12)
Florida State ended a nine-game losing streak in the last regular-season game by beating Virginia 68-63. The win moved the Seminoles ahead of Virginia for 10th place rather than dead last, which Florida State had held for most of the final two weeks. The Seminoles have struggled all season on offense as coach Leonard Hamilton could not find reliable replacements for graduated seniors Tim Pickett and Nate Johnson.
The Seminoles’ must explosive weapon has been sophomore guard Von Wafer. But Wafer scored no points off the bench in Florida State’s win against Virginia. Inconsistency has plagued this offense to no end, despite a wealth of young talent on the team. With a nucleus of Wafer, sophomore Al Thornton, sophomore Alexander Johnson, freshman Isaiah Swann, freshman Jason Rich and freshman Ralph Mims, Hamilton has plenty to work with next season.
This season still includes an opening round game against No. 7 North Carolina State. For Florida State to become eligible for the NIT, the Seminoles need to beat the Wolfpack and No. 2 Wake Forest to reach the ACC Tournament semifinals and guarantee a record of at least .500.
Virginia Cavaliers (13-14, 4-12)
After losing to Florida State to end the regular season, Virginia finished in last place and sealed the fate of coach Pete Gillen, who almost certainly will be fired or asked to resign shortly after the Cavaliers lose in the ACC Tournament. Nothing short of a miraculous run to the ACC title and a win or two in the NCAA Tournament will save Gillen’s job. And there’s a better chance of all four No. 16 seeds beating the No. 1 seeds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament than Gillen’s team rallying for that run.
Virginia’s problems are hard to pinpoint because the team has a pair of seasoned veterans in Devin Smith and Elton Brown and some potential stars in Sean Singletary, Gary Forbes, T.J. Bannister and J.R. Reynolds. Unfortunately for Gillen and Virginia fans, no more than two of these Cavaliers played well in the same game for most of the season. Smith and Forbes had the best games to end the season for Virginia in a 68-63 loss to the Seminoles. Smith registered a double-double to close out his ACC career with a 22-point, 10-rebound performance. Forbes had 17 points with four three pointers. If he remains hot, the Cavaliers may have a prayer to win a game or two in the ACC Tournament.
If No. 11 Virginia can end this losing streak, the Cavaliers will beat No. 6 Miami and move on to play No. 3 Duke in the quarterfinals.
