Atlantic Coast Conference Notebook
Since 1999, the ACC and Big Ten have each sent eight teams to the Final Four. Five ACC teams have reached the championship game, and Maryland, Duke and North Carolina have won the title. Three Big Ten teams reached the title bout, but only Michigan State won the championship.
The ACC seems to have a slight advantage over the Big Ten in performance in the pinnacle event of college basketball – the Final Four. But it’s certainly not an overwhelming advantage. So how do you explain the conference’s 8-0 record in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge?
Last week, the ACC beat the Big Ten in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, which is a glorified made-for-TV event by the good folks at ESPN. Eight ACC teams won, while only three Big Ten teams found a way to beat their ACC counterparts. The premier match ups – Ohio State at North Carolina and Indiana at Duke – both went the ACC’s way. The asterisk in the Tar Heels’ victory, however, is the absence of Greg Oden. The Buckeyes still challenged the Tar Heels despite playing without the most hyped freshman to reach campus in a decade.
But the ACC’s dominance is even deeper than its 8-0 record in the lifetime of the series. Discounting recent newcomers Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech, eight of the other nine ACC teams have at least four wins in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Only Michigan State can say that in the Big Ten. And which ACC team of those nine hasn’t won at least four games in the challenge? North Carolina, which won the ultimate ACC/Big Ten challenge by beating Illinois in the 2005 championship game.
If the ACC has dominated the Big Ten so much during the history of this event, why doesn’t that show in the NCAA Tournament more prominently? Based on eight years of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the results don’t indicate that the Big Ten would be able to go toe-to-toe with the ACC in placing teams in the Final Four. But the conference is right there. Maybe the flaw is the setup of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Most likely, the organizers honestly attempt to create even match-ups. But they apparently aren’t very good at it. In the event’s eight-year history, ACC teams have won by at least 10 points 21 times; Big Ten teams have only done that 13 times. Based on the margin of victory and the sheer volume of ACC wins, the organizers are not balancing the event’s lineup, and the ACC is benefiting at a rate that is greater than post-season success would dictate.
Player of the Week: Jack McClinton, Miami
McClinton helped the Hurricanes pull off the first upset of conference play by scoring 22 points against Georgia Tech. That performance followed a 30-point game at Northwestern in which he scored more than half his team’s points.
Rookie of the Week: Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
The Terrapins have found their point guard of the future in Vasquez, who scored 17 points in the hostile environs of Illinois’ Assembly Hall. Vasquez finished the week with a solid game against Notre Dame, scoring 13 points, grabbing five rebounds and handing out two assists.
ACC Coach Watch: Skip Prosser, Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons dropped their first games of the season last week, but one of those losses was a 36-point massacre against Air Force. Prosser needs to get this team to play defense or else the season will go south quickly.
Boston College Eagles (4-2, 0-0)
Last week:
Won vs. Michigan State 65-58
Won at Massachusetts 84-73
Last week, the Eagles looked more like the highly-rated team that pundits picked to be an elite ACC team this season. Boston College beat Michigan State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, thanks largely to senior forward Jared Dudley, who scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Dudley was less productive in the scoring column in the Eagles’ win at Massachusetts, but he dished out seven assists to help his teammates score more than 80 points for only the third time this season.
Boston College has some concerns in the frontcourt after last week’s games. Junior center Sean Williams is an obvious difference-maker, blocking eight shots in two games. But he also fouled out of both games, and he needed only 26 minutes to pick up five fouls against the Minutemen. In addition, fellow forward John Oates sat for much of that game because of foul trouble. With two of the Eagles’ starting forwards limited, Massachusetts dominated the boards, collecting 39 rebounds to Boston College’s 28. Twenty of those rebounds were offensive, giving the Minutemen plenty of second-chance opportunities. Coach Al Skinner needs to teach Williams to avoid silly fouls and tone his passion for blocking shots with smart defense. Defensively, Boston College cannot afford to have Williams on the bench for long stretches of the game.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 vs. Fairfield
Dec. 10 vs. Maryland
Clemson Tigers (9-0, 0-0)
Last week:
Won at Minnesota 90-68
Won at South Carolina 74-53
Surprise, surprise. After one month of action, Clemson leads the ACC with nine wins. Granted, most of the wins are against pretty weak teams. But road wins at Minnesota and South Carolina last week may vault the Tigers into Top 25 consideration. Clemson plays Wofford at home this week, then has two weeks off while the players take exams. The Tigers then play four home games before New Year’s, and Clemson could easily finish its non-conference slate undefeated.
The key to Clemson’s success has been the defense. At Minnesota, the Tigers forced 23 turnovers and thoroughly dominated the Gophers on the glass. Clemson finished with an amazing 39-16 rebounding advantage. The Tigers allowed Minnesota to shoot better than 50 percent – the only weakness in the defensive effort. Coach Oliver Purnell had his team ready to defend South Carolina’s shooters, however. The Tigers held the Gamecocks to less than 40 percent shooting from the field. Clemson puts intense pressure on opposing ball handlers to force turnovers. If the press doesn’t produce a turnover, the Tigers then contest every shot and crash the boards to collect every loose ball. This team is playing sound defensive basketball and efficient offense.
Upcoming game:
Dec. 5 vs. Wofford
Duke Blue Devils (7-1, 0-0)
Last week:
Won vs. Indiana 54-51
Won vs. Georgetown 61-52
Coach Mike Krzyzewski knows this Blue Devil team does not have a steady offensive rhythm yet, so he’s preaching the power of defense. To many fans accustomed to high-scoring, fast-paced Duke squads, this year’s version must seem completely foreign. Duke has scored more than only 75 points once this season, in the opener vs. Columbia. But only one opponent, Marquette, has scored more than 56 points in a game. Last week, the Blue Devils survived tough efforts by Indiana and Georgetown, holding the Hoosiers and Hoyas to 51 and 52 points, respectively.
Sophomore guard Greg Paulus returned to the starting lineup against Georgetown, but he continues to struggle with turnovers. Paulus has finished with more assists than turnovers only twice this season, and last week did not contain one of those occasions. Despite those concerns, Paulus scored 13 points against the Hoyas to give the Blue Devils another scoring threat. As this young team coalesces, the offensive production will increase. The Blue Devils already play taut defenses, so Duke needs only a little improvement on offense to become dominant.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 vs. Holy Cross
Dec. 9 vs. George Mason
Florida State Seminoles (5-2, 0-0)
Last week:
Lost at Wisconsin 81-66
Won vs. Florida 70-66
When Florida State released its 2006-07 schedule, many Seminole fans recognized the importance of the most recent two weeks, which included games against Wisconsin, Pittsburgh and Florida. The rest of the non-conference schedule is unimpressive, so Florida State desperately needed a solid showing against the three heavyweights. The Seminoles responded to two ugly losses at Pittsburgh and Wisconsin by returning to Tallahassee to take down the defending national champions 70-66.
Florida State picked up its most important win of this young season with solid defense and an outstanding performance by Al Thornton. The senior forward dominated the Gators by scoring 28 points and grabbing nine rebounds, sealing the win with two free throws in the final 10 seconds. One of the team’s most reliable scorers, Thornton was one of only two Seminoles to reach double figures in scoring. Junior guard Isaiah Swann added 11 points.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 5 at Stetson
Dec. 7 at Georgia State
Dec. 10 vs. Southeastern Louisiana
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-2, 0-1)
Last week:
Won vs. Penn State 77-73
Lost at Miami 90-82
Coach Paul Hewitt won’t sound the alarm yet, but he cannot be happy about his team’s effort on defense last week. The Yellow Jackets let an offensively challenged Miami squad put up 90 points in an early ACC upset. With guards Anthony Harris and Jack McClinton scoring at will, Georgia Tech could not keep pace in south Florida, losing the team’s first ACC game of the season to fall behind in the standings early.
Georgia Tech’s perimeter defense in particular has been suspect. Penn State shot nearly 50 percent from beyond the arc, keeping the game in Atlanta closer than Hewitt would have preferred. The defensive shortcomings deflect from a budding offensive juggernaut at Georgia Tech. Sophomore guard Lewis Clinch continues to be a scoring machine, dropping 20 points on the Nittany Lions and 22 on the Hurricanes.
Besides the team’s defense, Georgia Tech may have reason to worry about superstar freshman Thaddeus Young. The freshman wingman returned to the lineup against Miami after missing the game with patellar tendonitis. Against Miami, he scored only two points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field. The injury is also known as jumper’s knee, which has limited the likes of Vince Carter. The best remedy for the ailment is rest, which is not preferable for a young team that is looking to integrate all its key pieces before conference plays begins.
Upcoming game:
Dec. 9 at Vanderbilt
Maryland Terrapins (8-1, 0-0)
Last week:
Won at Illinois 72-66
Lost vs. Notre Dame in Washington, D.C., 81-74
The Terrapins returned to Earth last week when Notre Dame upset Maryland in the BB&T Classic in Washington, D.C. The Fighting Irish ended Maryland’s eight-game winning streak to open the season, which included a win at Illinois earlier in the week. The Terrapins ended the Illini’s 51-game winning streak in Champaign against non-conference opponents. And Maryland won without senior forward Ekene Ibekwe, who missed the game because of an ankle injury. Ibekwe returned to the lineup against Notre Dame but picked up five fouls in 25 minutes on the court.
The story of the week, however, is the emergence of freshman point guard Greivis Vasquez. The Terrapins have a budding star in the backcourt, who served notice in Illinois that he has the fire to be a leader, even as a freshman. When Illinois appeared to be gathering momentum to overcome an early deficit, Vasquez shouldered the responsibility for taking and making big shots. He finished with 17 points as Maryland beat the Illini 72-66. Vasquez earned a spot in the starting lineup against Notre Dame and delivered 13 points and five rebounds. But he needed to take 15 shots to score 13 points. Despite a fast start, Maryland faltered in the second half, allowing the hot shooting Irish to rally and steal what was essentially a home game.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 vs. Fordham
Dec. 10 at Boston College
Miami Hurricanes (5-3, 1-0)
Last week:
Lost at Northwestern 61-59
Won vs. Georgia Tech 90-82
Sadly, the story of the week in Miami wasn’t about on-court success, which the team had against Georgia Tech in an impressive 90-82 upset. Instead, coach Frank Haith and his family became the centerpiece of national news after New York cops killed his nephew in a controversial incident. Haith’s nephew was celebrating his bachelor party with friends when their vehicle struck undercover cops’ car. Panicked, the cops opened fire, shooting more than 50 bullets at the friends. Haith’s nephew died, a day before his wedding.
Despite the personal tragedy, Haith can be happy for about a month or so because the Hurricanes will remain atop the ACC standings after an upset victory against Georgia Tech. Siena transfer Jack McClinton continues to be unstoppable, scoring 22 points in the victory, including 10-of-10 free throws to help keep the Yellow Jackets at bay in the closing minutes. McClinton scored 30 points earlier in the week in Miami’s loss at Northwestern.
Upcoming game:
Dec. 9 vs. Lehigh
North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1, 0-0)
Last week:
Won vs. Ohio State 98-89
Won vs. Kentucky 75-63
Tar Heel fans must feel good after last week. North Carolina knocked off Ohio State, ranked No. 1 by the coaches, in the highlight of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Then the Tar Heels beat Kentucky in an annual game pitting two of the most storied programs in college basketball history. After the two victories, North Carolina has the right to beat its chest a little.
Against Ohio State, sophomore forward Tyler Hansbrough dominated the Greg Oden-less Buckeyes, scoring 21 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. His performance fueled the Tar Heels to a second-half rally against Ohio State, which hit deep three-pointers all night. North Carolina’s perimeter defense wasn’t terrible, but the Buckeyes still hit 13 three-pointers. Coach Roy Williams made some adjustments in practice, and North Carolina responded by allowing Kentucky to hit only three three-pointers. Senior forward Reyshawn Terry had a big game against the Wildcats, which helped overcome a tough outing by Hansbrough, who scored only seven points on 2-of-10 shooting. Terry finished with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Upcoming game:
Dec. 9 vs. High Point
North Carolina State Wolfpack (5-1, 0-1)
Last week:
Won vs. Michigan 74-67
Lost at Virginia 67-62
Coach Sidney Lowe must be doing something right in Raleigh. His overmatched Wolfpack team is playing hard every game and looks like it will upset opponents that assume they can overpower a shallow Wolfpack squad. North Carolina State played two teams that decided to heave three-pointers all night in Michigan and Virginia. And Lowe’s defense was ready to contest most of those shots. Michigan sunk eight three-pointers, but the Wolverines needed 27 attempts. The Wolfpack held Michigan well below 40 percent from the field.
The Michigan victory wasn’t all good, however. The Wolfpack lost senior guard Engin Atsur to a hamstring injury early in the first half, and he missed the team’s game at Virginia. With Atsur out, Brandon Costner, Gavin Grant, Ben McCauley and Courtney Fells each played at least 38 minutes. As mentioned last week, the Wolfpack starters cannot maintain this pace throughout the season. The young team will hit a wall and start to perform poorly or start to face fatigue-induced injuries.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 at West Virginia
Dec. 9 vs. Savannah State
Virginia Cavaliers (5-1, 1-0)
Last week:
Lost at Purdue 61-59
Won vs. North Carolina State 67-62
At face value, Virginia’s loss at Purdue seems indicative of another inconsistent Cavalier team. The squad upset Arizona to open the season, but fans are not happy about the loss in West Lafayette. But a two-point loss at the hands of a floating layup by Tarrance Crump is not shameful, especially to a much-improved Boilermakers team that promises to make more noise in the Big Ten than first predicted. The same could be true for the Cavaliers in the ACC.
Even in the loss to the Boilermakers, the Cavaliers played stellar defense, holding Purdue to 38.6 percent shooting from the field. Junior point guard Sean Singletary played well, delivering 21 points and six rebounds. But he did not receive enough support from his teammates, especially in the frontcourt. Virginia’s forwards managed only 14 points. The Cavaliers’ strength is obviously in the backcourt with Singletary and senior J.R. Reynolds, and sophomore Mamadi Diane has improved significantly. But coach Dave Leitao needs Jason Cain and Adrian Joseph to be productive in the post to force opponents to respect the interior offense and deflect attention from the perimeter players.
Upcoming games:
None this week
Virginia Tech Hokies (4-3, 0-0)
Last week:
Won vs. Iowa 69-65
Lost vs. George Washington in Washington, D.C., 63-62
The Hokies are nine points away from being undefeated. But Virginia Tech just struggles to win the close games, dropping another one on Sunday to George Washington in the BB&T Classic in Washington, D.C., and falling to 1-3 in games decided by five points or less. The Hokies lost 63-62 largely because of missed opportunities. The Hokies forced 16 turnovers but couldn’t consistently make the Colonials pay for their errors. Senior forward Coleman Collins, who started the second consecutive game on the bench, missed a dunk in the final minute that would have extended the Hokies’ lead and possibly killed George Washington’s hopes for a victory.
Virginia Tech’s problems lie mostly on offense. In both games last week, the Hokies had only two players reach double figures in scoring, including only one starter per game. The lack of consistency on offense means that Virginia Tech does not have much margin for error. The team cannot afford to miss dunks or commit turnovers. In the team’s four-point win against Iowa in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Virginia Tech committed only eight turnovers. But Iowa remained close despite 18 turnovers because the Hokies missed 16 free throws. The team is downright bad at the free throw line, shooting just better than 60 percent. That flaw will lead to a few more losses in close games unless the Hokies can keep the ball in the hands of reliable shooters.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 6 vs. Old Dominion
Dec. 10 vs. Appalachian State
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-2, 0-0)
Last week:
Lost at Air Force 94-58
Lost vs. Georgia 87-86
After starting the season 5-0, Wake Forest might have started to believe that the Demon Deacons could seriously compete in the ACC. But last week brought Wake Forest fans back to reality. Air Force clobbered Wake Forest 94-58, then the Demon Deacons allowed Georgia to rally in the second half to win in Winston-Salem 87-86. Wake Forest played poor defense in both games, letting Air Force shoot 60 percent from the field and Georgia shoot 54.5 percent. Considering that the Falcons play a version of the Princeton offense, giving up 90 points to Air Force is inexcusable.
Defense has been a concern under coach Skip Prosser for several seasons now. Although Wake Forest has three freshmen in the starting lineup, Prosser needs his players to concentrate on defense first and let the offense come later, like Duke. The Blue Devils also have a young lineup that occasionally struggles on offense. But coach Mike Krzyzewski has the team playing 40 minutes of tough defense. Prosser would be lucky to get 20 minutes of shutdown defense from the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest has held only one opponent to less than 78 points. The team has an 11-day layoff to focus on exams – and defense.
Upcoming games:
None this week
