Atlantic Coast Conference 2008-09 Preview
Entering the 2008-09 season, the biggest story is the North Carolina Tar Heels’ potential to dominate the entire country, from the opening game Nov. 15 against Penn to someone at Ford Field and the Final Four in April. The Tar Heels return all five starters and four potential NBA players – including one who comes off the bench. In addition to the returning talent, coach Roy Williams added a solid recruiting class that gives him more firepower in the post and the team’s point guard of the future.
Despite the pre-season hype, Williams will convince his players that they have not earned anything yet – not even the No. 1 ranking the Tar Heels will sport when they open the season. And every team the Tar Heels play will be looking to knock off the pre-season favorite. Within the conference, North Carolina will face several difficult tests. Although the Tar Heels are easily the favorite to win the ACC, they must beware of Wake Forest, Miami, Duke, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. All those teams return at least three starters and promise to compete for NCAA Tournament bids.
Team stability has been one of the major trends of the off-season. No ACC coaches lost their jobs or left for another school. That makes the ACC the only major conference in which no team endured a coaching change. With many healthy programs in place, the ACC once again saw an influx of talented recruits, including one of the best recruiting classes in the country at Wake Forest, headlined by Al-Farouq Aminu.
However, the trend of coaching stability might not last much longer. This season is shaping up to be difficult for fans in College Park, Md. A difficult recruiting season could be a prelude to an unsuccessful basketball season for Maryland. Although Maryland alum Gary Williams has a national championship under his belt, his teams have missed the NCAA Tournament three times in the past four seasons. If disaster strikes and Maryland finishes near the bottom of the ACC, the Terrapins might not forgive recent recruiting and on-court failures.
As always, the 2008-09 season will provide plenty of drama. Fans from Boston to Miami will have plenty to cheer and jeer about from November through April. Read more to find out whether your team will be on the positive or negative side most often this season.
Pre-season All-ACC Awards
Most Valuable Player: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Coach of the Year: Dino Gaudio, Wake Forest
Rookie of the Year: Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest
Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Ginyard, North Carolina
1st Team All-Conference:
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
James Johnson, Wake Forest
Jack McClinton, Miami
Tyrese Rice, Boston College
2nd Team All-Conference:
Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech
Ty Lawson, North Carolina
Greg Paulus, Duke
K.C. Rivers, Clemson
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest
3rd Team All-Conference:
Lewis Clinch, Georgia Tech
James Dews, Miami
Gerald Henderson, Duke
Ishmael Smith, Wake Forest
A.D. Vassallo, Virginia Tech
Most Improved:
Lewis Clinch, Georgia Tech
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
Jeff Jones, Virginia
Ben McCauley, North Carolina State
Demontez Stitt, Clemson
All-Rookie Team:
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest
DeQuan Jones, Miami
Sean Mosley, Maryland
Chris Singleton, Florida State
Elliot Williams, Duke
Team Capsules
North Carolina Tar Heels
2007-08: 36-3, 14-2 (1st)
Projected starting five:
Junior guard Wayne Ellington
Senior swingman Marcus Ginyard
Senior forward Tyler Hansbrough
Junior point guard Ty Lawson
Junior forward Deon Thompson
Schedule:
North Carolina will play most of its non-conference games at the comforts of home, with a few notable exceptions. The Tar Heels will face Michigan State in Detroit – the site of the 2009 Final Four – and Nevada in Reno. North Carolina also will travel to Maui for the EA Sports Maui Invitational where the Tar Heels could face two games against the likes of Alabama, Indiana, Notre Dame, Oregon, Saint Joseph’s or Texas. In conference play, North Carolina will get two games against Duke, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina State and Virginia.
Team summary:
With nearly everyone returning from last season’s Final Four team and the No. 11 recruiting class in the country, North Carolina is the overwhelming preseason favorite to win not only the ACC but also the national championship. The Tar Heels return Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson, all of whom tested the NBA waters and decided to return to Chapel Hill. Coach Roy Williams has enough talent on this roster that the team could be more dominant than the 2005 championship squad.
Defense was the biggest problem that North Carolina encountered last season, even though the Tar Heels outscored their opponents by an average of more than 16 points. With senior defensive stopper Marcus Ginyard sidelined until mid-December while he recovers from surgery to fix a stress fracture in his foot, North Carolina will need to show it has improved its defensive effort, or else the Tar Heels could drop a game or two to the tough field in Maui. Besides concerns about the team’s defensive toughness, North Carolina has few holes to fill.
Williams has the luxury of managing a talent so loaded with roster it could probably fill two separate starting lineups at nearly any other school. Hansbrough will lead the way and surge into school and conference record books. He averaged 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds last season and figures to be equally effective this season despite being opponents’ focal point. Ellington and Lawson will form the other two pieces of North Carolina’s trio of superstars. But the supporting cast is equally critical. North Carolina returns senior point guard Bobby Frasor, sophomore swingman Will Graves, junior guard Danny Green and junior forward Deon Thompson, among others. The return of Frasor, who missed most of last season because of an injured knee, will be especially important because he is a steady point guard option who can effectively spell Lawson when the lightning-quick point guard needs a rest.
Despite returning so much talent, Williams found room to add more. The Tar Heels add three McDonald’s All-Americans in power forward Ed Davis, center Tyler Zeller and point guard Larry Drew. Shooting guard Justin Watts rounds out the ACC’s No. 3 recruiting class. Davis and Zeller will likely join Hansbrough and Thompson in the primary frontcourt rotation. The freshmen will help replace the production of Alex Stepheson, who transferred to USC after last season to be closer to his family in California. The only other loss from last season’s team was point guard Quentin Thomas, who graduated.
Prediction: First
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2007-08: 17-13, 7-9 (8th)
Projected starting five:
Junior point guard Ishmael Smith
Sophomore guard Jeff Teague
Junior guard L.D. Williams
Sophomore forward James Johnson
Junior center Chas McFarland
Schedule:
Wake Forest will play some tough mid-major programs in its non-conference schedule, with games against UNC-Wilmington, Cal State Fullerton, Bucknell and Richmond. On top of those solid opponents, the Demon Deacons will face Indiana, BYU and possibly Arizona State, Baylor or Providence in the 76 Classic in Anaheim. Wake Forest gets two games against Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State in conference play.
Team summary:
The Demon Deacons had a young lineup last season that relied nearly entirely on sophomores and freshmen. The team’s only loss is forward Cameron Stanley, who graduated after averaging 1.0 points in 6.4 minutes per game last season. With the team’s top nine scorers returning, Wake Forest figures to move up in the standings after finishing 7-9 last season.
Despite entering last season with the emotional baggage of losing coach Skip Prosser, who died suddenly in July 2007 because of a heart attack, Wake Forest exceeded expectations with plenty of inexperienced players making major contributions. A pair of freshmen, James Johnson and Jeff Teague, led the team last year with 14.6 points and 13.9 points per game, respectively. With Teague and Johnson back, coach Dino Gaudio will have the nucleus of his offensive attack in place. Junior point guard Ishmael Smith will lead the attack after averaging nearly five assists per game last season. Smith is possibly the fastest guard in the ACC, and if he plays under greater control, he could turn the Demon Deacons into an offensive juggernaut that reminds fans of the Chris Paul years.
Wake Forest has a combination of veteran experience and future greatness on the bench. Senior point guard Harvey Hale is a capable backup who contributed 8.1 points per game last season. Guard Mike Lepore provides another senior option for Gaudio. Junior forward Jamie Skeen and sophomore guard Gary Clark also can be effective, combining to average 8.2 points per game last season.
But the most talented bench players might be three freshmen – small forward Al-Farouq Aminu and centers Ty Walker and Tony Woods. All three prized recruits are five-star recruits, and Aminu was a McDonald’s All-American. All three of them could crack the starting lineup at some point this season, especially Aminu, who could help make Wake Forest one of the most difficult teams in the conference to stop. Gaudio’s mission for this season will be to get Wake Forest to play enough solid defense to prevent every game turning into a track meet.
Prediction: Second
Miami Hurricanes
2007-08: 23-11, 8-8 (5th)
Projected starting five:
Junior guard James Dews
Senior guard Lance Hurdle
Senior guard Jack McClinton
Senior forward Brian Asbury
Junior forward Dwayne Collins
Schedule:
Miami has an unbalanced non-conference schedule that features several critical games among many games that should be easy, RPI-killing match ups. The Hurricanes’ most appealing games include clashes with Ohio State, Kentucky and possibly Connecticut in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. Miami also might get Wisconsin, San Diego, La Salle or Valparaiso in the Virgin Islands. Once Miami reaches conference play, the Hurricanes will play two games against Boston College, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina and North Carolina State.
Team summary:
Miami surprised the ACC and the country last season with a 23-11 season and trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before the Hurricanes lost a thriller to Texas. The Hurricanes won’t sneak up on anyone this season because they return nearly every major contributor from last season. Senior guard Jack McClinton is an All-American candidate who can light up a scoreboard. He averaged 17.7 points per game last season, shooting better than 42 percent from three-point range. With high expectations for the team and plenty of attention toward McClinton by opponents, Miami will need to adjust to playing when the team is expected to win.
Coach Frank Haith has a veteran squad to handle those expectations and thrive. He loses only forward Anthony King, who graduated, among the team’s major contributors. King averaged 7.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Although King was never a potent weapon on offense, he was a defensive star who could shut down opponents. With King gone, Haith will need Brian Asbury, Dwayne Collins, Jimmy Graham and Adrian Thomas to boost their game. All four players averaged between 4.5 points and 8.8 points per game last season.
Although Miami doesn’t get big statistics from its big men, the Hurricanes’ backcourt is difficult to stop. In addition to McClinton, Miami has James Dews and Lance Hurdle to prevent opponents from double teaming McClinton all the time. Dews emerged as a potent scoring threat last season, averaging 10.3 points per game while shooting 37.2 percent from three-point range. Hurdle added 8.0 points per game and was tied with McClinton in leading the team in assists.
With such a talented returning roster, Haith did not need to add many pieces to the puzzle. However, he landed a five-star recruit in small forward DeQuan Jones. A 6-6 swingman, Jones has the athleticism and talent to provide instant production. He adds another weapon to the Hurricanes’ arsenal. Center Reginald Johnson joins Jones as the other freshman recruit to join Haith’s squad. The coach also added redshirt freshman Julian Gamble and junior forward Cyrus McGowan, a transfer from Arkansas who played sparingly for the Razorbacks.
Prediction: Third
Duke Blue Devils
2007-08: 28-6, 13-3 (2nd)
Projected starting five:
Senior point guard Greg Paulus
Junior guard Jon Scheyer
Junior swingman Gerald Henderson
Sophomore forward Kyle Singler
Junior forward Lance Thomas
Schedule:
Duke will play in the 2K Sports Classic in November and could meet UCLA in the championship game if both teams get through the early rounds. The Blue Devils also could face Michigan twice in about two weeks if the Blue Devils and Wolverines reach the 2K Sports Classic final. Duke already is scheduled to play in Ann Arbor Dec. 6. Other non-conference schedule highlights include Georgetown, Xavier and Davidson. In conference play, Duke gets two games against Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Team summary:
Duke bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the first weekend of play for the second consecutive tournament last season, and the Blue Devils have not moved past the Sweet 16 in the last four seasons. For one of the members of the ACC elite, Duke has recently had mildly disappointing seasons. However, this season has a good opportunity of breaking the trend with nearly every major contributor returning to the team. And with Olympic gold medal-winning coach Mike Krzyzewski at the helm, Duke will remain near the top of the standings.
Entering the 2008-09 season, Krzyzewski will turn to senior point guard Greg Paulus to be the team leader. Paulus averaged 11.3 points and 3.2 assists per game last season, and he worked to improve his three-point shooting to become a 42.3 percent shooter from behind the arc. Paulus will need to be even more efficient in running the offense this season as Duke will not have DeMarcus Nelson, who graduated after leading the team 14.5 points per game and contributing only nine fewer assists than Paulus. Without Nelson, Paulus must be even better in getting Duke into offensive sets and distributing the ball. For Duke to get back to the Elite Eight or Final Four, Paulus must realize his potential as one of the country’s best playmakers.
Assisting Paulus in the starting lineup will be juniors Jon Scheyer, Gerald Henderson and Lance Thomas and sophomore Kyle Singler. All five starters received significant playing time last season and look to build on last year’s body of work. Singler was second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. However, Singler was frequently inconsistent last season, disappearing from the offensive attack for long stretches of time. Singler remains the primary post presence for the Blue Devils, who need him to become more forceful at both ends of the court.
Krzyzewski continued to deliver top-notch recruiting classes this season, with shooting guard Elliott Williams and power forwards Olek Czyz and Miles Plumlee joining the roster. The recruits step in to fill the positions vacated by Nelson and Taylor King, who decided to leave Durham to transfer to Villanova. Czyz and Plumlee will join Thomas, Singler and junior center Brian Zoubek in the frontcourt rotation. Duke has talented, experienced guards in the backcourt, and they will drive the team’s offense and pressure defense. However, the frontcourt players will be the difference in Duke’s success this season. The Blue Devils must get more production from those five big men to compete with North Carolina for conference title and advance past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Prediction: Fourth
Clemson Tigers
2007-08: 24-10, 10-6 (3rd)
Projected starting five:
Sophomore point guard Demontez Stitt
Senior swingman K.C. Rivers
Junior forward David Potter
Senior forward Raymond Sykes
Junior forward Trevor Booker
Schedule:
Clemson plays in the inaugural Charleston Classic in mid-November to open the season. The Tigers are the clear favorite to win, but they would likely play at least one talented mid-major team, including host College of Charleston, to win the tournament title. The rest of the non-conference lineup is decent but not spectacular, with the highlights including games at Charlotte and Illinois and a home match up with Alabama. In the ACC, the Tigers get two games against Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Team summary:
Last season, Clemson’s balanced lineup and pressure defense led the Tigers to a third-place finish in the ACC. The Tigers made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed but lost to Villanova in the first round. Although the lineup is different, Coach Oliver Purnell will maintain the same philosophy with this year’s team. Through his recruiting, Purnell is quickly building a solid program in Clemson that looks likely to contend in the top half of the conference for years to come.
Purnell’s main duty to start the season is replace the production of Cliff Hammonds. He started preparing for the departure of his steady guard by recruiting Demontez Stitt last season. The point guard duties are Stitt’s now, and he fared well last season, often starting alongside Hammonds. Stitt averaged 8.8 points and 3.0 assists per game, and he figures to boost those numbers. However, Stitt needs to decrease the number of turnovers because he averaged nearly three per game.
In addition to Stitt, Clemson returns starters K.C. Rivers and Trevor Booker. Rivers has the ability to dominate games, and he led the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game while adding 6.3 rebounds per game and shooting 40.2 percent from three-point range. His athleticism presents a match up problem for most opponents. Meanwhile, Booker led the team in rebounding at 7.3 per game and added 11.0 points per game. A pair of juniors, swingman David Potter and forward Raymond Sykes, likely will join Booker, Rivers and Stitt in the starting lineup.
In addition to Cliff Hammonds, Clemson lost James Mays and Sam Perry to graduation. The two big men combined to contribute 13.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Sophomores Jerai Grant and Terrence Oglesby will play a bigger role off the bench. Purnell brought in 7-footer Catalin Baciu, who could help shore up the post for the Tigers. Purnell also added small forward Bryan Narcisse, shooting guard Tanner Smith and point guard Andre Young. The recruits aren’t highly heralded, but Purnell has enough talent already on the roster that he can integrate the freshmen into the lineup whenever they’re ready.
Prediction: Fifth
Virginia Tech Hokies
2007-08: 21-14, 9-7 (4th)
Projected starting five:
Sophomore point guard Malcolm Delaney
Sophomore point guard Hank Thorns
Senior swingman A.D. Vassallo
Sophomore forward Jeff Allen
Senior forward Cheick Diakite
Schedule:
The Hokies have a moderately challenging non-conference schedule, highlighted by games against Wisconsin, Georgia and possibly Xavier, USC or Memphis in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-off. In conference play, the Hokies will get two games against Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State and Virginia.
Team summary:
After a slow start last season, a young Hokies team rallied to play competitively in ACC play, upsetting several teams en route to a 9-7 record. Virginia Tech was particularly tough at home in conference play, losing only two games. The veteran leadership of Deron Washington and A.D. Vassallo helped keep six freshmen focused on playing smart, mistake-free offense and intense, pressuring defense. That combination has become a hallmark of coach Seth Greenberg’s Virginia Tech squads.
Entering this season, Washington is gone after graduating, but Vassallo returns to lead a team filled with sophomores who played significant minutes last season. Vassallo averaged 16.9 points per game to lead the Hokies. In his first season, sophomore forward Jeff Allen proved he is already one of the top 10 big men in the ACC. He averaged 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and figures to be a main component of this season’s offensive attack. With Allen’s post presence and Vassallo’s ability to slash to the hoop or shoot 39.5 percent from three-point range, sophomore point guards Malcolm Delaney and Hank Thorns will have reliable options for running the offense. Both point guards averaged more than three assists per game. Greenberg frequently played the two at the same time, making it difficult for opponents to set up a trap on defense because both Delaney and Thorns have the ball-handling skills needed to beat the pressure.
In addition to Delaney and Thorns, Greenberg will have sophomore guard Dorenzo Hudson and sophomore swingman Terrell Bell. Hudson and Bell played smaller roles last season, averaging 5.3 points per game combined. However, Greenberg needs more production from these two to help make up for the loss of Washington. In the frontcourt, Greenberg has more quality depth, with senior Cheick Diakite, junior Lewis Witcher and sophomore J.T. Thompson. None of the three averaged more than 5.6 points per game, but Greenberg needs all three to play energetic defense and fight for rebounds more than he needs them to average in double figures.
Greenberg did not bring in a lot of talented recruits, mostly because he already had most of last season’s roster returning. Power forward Victor Davila and center Gene Swindle will provide some additional depth, but they likely won’t receive significant playing time.
Prediction: Sixth
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2007-08: 15-17, 7-9 (7th)
Projected starting five:
Sophomore point guard Maurice Miller
Senior guard Lewis Clinch
Sophomore forward Gani Lawal
Junior forward Zack Peacock
Senior forward Alade Aminu
Schedule:
The Yellow Jackets have a relatively easy non-conference schedule with few big matchups. Most of the challenging games are on the road, though, as Georgia Tech will visit USC and Alabama. The Yellow Jackets also get Vanderbilt and Georgia in Atlanta. When the ACC schedule comes along, Georgia Tech will play two games against Boston College, Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina State and Wake Forest.
Team summary:
Georgia Tech played a brutal schedule last season, including games against Kansas, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Notre Dame and Connecticut. But Georgia Tech whiffed on most of its big games, especially in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets were constantly close, losing eight of nine ACC games by 10 points or less. Contributing to the close calls, Georgia Tech’s defense frequently lapsed when the Yellow Jackets needed a big stop at the end of games. For the Yellow Jackets to meet the potential of their talented lineup, coach Paul Hewitt needs to get his team to improve its defense – the team allowed opponents to score 76.0 points per game last season.
With an experienced lineup and good bench depth, Georgia Tech has a good chance of getting over the hump and winning the close games this season. The Yellow Jackets lost seniors Anthony Morrow, Jeremis Smith and Matt Causey to graduation, and D’Andre Bell will have to redshirt due to spinal stenosis. However, sophomore Maurice Miller, senior Lewis Clinch and junior Zack Peacock are ready to step forward to replace their production. In particular, Clinch has the potential to be an all-conference player who could become Georgia Tech’s go-to player in clutch situations.
Georgia Tech’s biggest concern entering this season is the quality of play at point guard. Causey and Miller platooned at the position last season, but the job will be all Miller’s to start the season with Causey gone. Miller averaged 8.1 points and 3.3 assists per game last season, and he had fewer turnovers than Causey. However, neither Miller nor Causey could keep Georgia Tech’s offense on pace for 40 minutes, which helped allow several opponents to rally for close wins.
With 11 returning players, Hewitt does not have a large recruiting class. The only freshman player on scholarship is point guard Iman Shumpert, a McDonald’s All-American who will back up Miller to start the season. If Shumpert proves capable of handling the point guard duties, Hewitt will likely turn to him if Miller struggles with running the offense. Another noteworthy addition is graduated senior forward Bassirou Dieng, who arrives in Atlanta after averaging 10.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for St. Francis, Pa.
Prediction: Seventh
Boston College Eagles
2007-08: 14-17, 4-12 (11th)
Projected starting five:
Senior point guard Tyrese Rice
Sophomore guard Biko Paris
Sophomore swingman Rakim Sanders
Junior forward Tyler Roche
Sophomore forward Joe Trapani
Schedule:
The Eagles play a fairly easy non-conference schedule, with all but two games at home. The road games are at Saint Louis and Massachusetts, which are probably the toughest games outside the ACC. In conference, Boston College plays Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Twice.
Team summary:
Coach Al Skinner returns the nucleus of a young team that struggled last season, finishing 11th in the ACC. The Eagles return their top two scorers from last season’s team, senior guard Tyrese Rice and sophomore swingman Rakim Sanders. Rice is an All-American candidate who can score at will. He was one of the top scorers in the conference last season, averaging 21.0 points per game.
Boston College’s primary problem last season was offensive balance. Although Rice continued to showcase his talents, the rest of the team rarely provided consistent support. The Eagles return sophomore guard Biko Paris and junior forward Tyler Roche, who will likely join Rice and Sanders in the starting lineup. But Skinner’s best secondary scoring option might be Vermont transfer Joe Trapani. The former Catamount averaged 11.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game two seasons ago.
The primary losses from last season are Tyrelle Blair, John Oates and Shamari Spears. Blair and Oates graduated, leaving a hole in the frontcourt. Although neither player was a scoring machine – they combined to average 9.3 points per game – they provided tough interior defense. Blair averaged more than three blocks per game for the Eagles. Spears decided to leave the program and transferred to Charlotte. He was the Eagles’ third-leading scorer, averaging 9.6 points per game, and added 6.1 rebounds per game.
Two sophomores will bolster the bench. Forward Corey Raji and Josh Southern can provide offense and toughness off the bench. Both players shot at least 55 percent from the field and averaged more than four rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Cortney Dunn plays sparingly. In addition to the trio of sophomores, Skinner brought in three recruits to add depth: small forward Dallas Elmore, shooting guard Reggie Jackson and power forward Evan Ravenel. None of those three is considered an elite recruit, but Skinner consistently gets lightly recruited players to become significant contributors at Chestnut Hill.
Skinner has enjoyed consistent success since the Eagles joined the ACC in 2005. The Eagles won at least 10 games in the ACC in their first two seasons in the conference before last season’s struggles. Boston College figures to be more competitive this season, and an easy schedule in November and December will allow the Eagles to establish a consistent offense before entering ACC play. However, don’t look for Boston College to post 10 conference wins for the third season in the last four, and don’t look for Boston College to return to the NCAA Tournament.
Prediction: Eighth
North Carolina State Wolfpack
2007-08: 15-16, 4-12 (12th)
Projected starting five:
Junior point guard Farnold Degand
Senior swingman Courtney Fells
Junior forward Dennis Horner
Junior forward Brandon Costner
Senior forward Ben McCauley
Schedule:
For the most part, North Carolina State’s non-conference schedule does not include a lot of challenging opponents. The marquis matchups are against Davidson, Marquette and Florida, with the games against the Wildcats and Gators coming on the road. The ACC schedule is filled with tough opponents, including two games against Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and Wake Forest.
Team summary:
Last season was a resounding disappointment for North Carolina State, which was predicted to at least compete for a finish among the top teams. After an 11-3 start, the Wolfpack lost 13 of their final 17 games, including a nine-game losing streak entering this season. Inexperience at point guard was a major reason for the team’s struggles, as was the decline of forward Ben McCauley.
For the Wolfpack to turn around this season, coach Sidney Lowe needs junior point guard Farnold Degand to return healthy after a knee injury limited him to 10 games. In his place, Javier Gonzalez was charged with leading the offense, and he frequently struggled as a freshman. Marques Johnson also spent time at point guard, but he decided to transfer in August, moving on to a third school after leaving Tennessee in 2007. In addition to Johnson, Lowe must replace the production of J.J. Hickson and Gavin Grant, the top two scorers on a team that wasn’t prolific on offense. Grant graduated, and Hickson left for the NBA after on season in Raleigh.
Although North Carolina State must replace two key players from a team that often struggled, the Wolfpack have several talented players to rely on. Senior swingman Courtney Fells will become the team leader this season. He averaged 10.6 points per game last season and was the team’s most reliable three-point shooter. McCauley and junior forward Brandon Costner form a potent combination in the post. Costner also is a threat from three-point range. However, both players struggled at times on offense, which was partially caused by the lack of consistent point guard play last season. Both players must average in double figures this season if North Carolina State plans to move up in the standings.
Lowe’s second recruiting class at North Carolina State is not exceptional. He added point guard Julius Mays and small forward C.J. Williams, who figure to work their way into the rotation, especially if the starters fail to establish a consistent offensive rhythm. Lowe also will have redshirt freshman swingman Johnny Thomas on the bench. Thomas was a solid player in high school and missed most of last season with a knee injury.
Prediction: Ninth
Florida State Seminoles
2007-08: 19-15, 7-9 (9th)
Projected starting five:
Senior point guard Toney Douglas
Sophomore guard Derwin Kitchen
Freshman swingman Chris Singleton
Senior forward Uche Echefu
Junior forward Ryan Reid
Schedule:
Florida State plays a fairly tough schedule for a team with a lot of turnover from last season. The Seminoles have Pittsburgh, Western Kentucky, Florida, Cincinnati and potentially UNLV or California on the non-conference slate. The team plays in the Las Vegas Tournament in November, where the Seminoles will likely face the Bearcats and then either the Bruins or Runnin’ Rebels. In ACC play, Florida State has two games apiece against Clemson, Duke, Miami, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Team summary:
Once again, Florida State narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament last season. The Seminoles flirted with a 20-win season, falling short by a game when the team lost to Akron in Tallahassee in the first round of the NIT. Last season’s team featured one of the most experienced backcourts in the conference, led by returning senior point guard Toney Douglas and Isaiah Swann, Jason Rich and Ralph Mims, who all graduated. Coach Leonard Hamilton brought in the No. 2 recruiting class in the conference, behind only Wake Forest. He will need the newbies to become instantly productive to replace the 37.9 points per game that Florida State’s three graduating senior guards contributed.
Douglas will be the key to keeping this team focused and efficient. Douglas led the team in scoring with 15.4 points per game. He did not have to focus heavily on point guard duties because Florida State played with at least three guards in the lineup for much of the season. However, this season will be different. Douglas needs to be the sparkplug for the offense and increase his 2.9 assists per game and decrease his 2.8 turnovers per game.
After using a guard-heavy rotation, Hamilton will likely switch his emphasis to the frontcourt, where returning senior Uche Echefu and junior Ryan Reid are the next highest returning scorers – and they combined for 15.6 points per game. However, they will be joined by small forward Chris Singleton, a McDonald’s All-American swingman who has the talent to deliver immediate results.
Hamilton will rely heavily on his six-player recruiting class because of the substantial turnover from last season’s roster. In addition to Mims, Rich and Swann, Matt Zitani graduated, Casaan Breeden transferred to the College of Charleston, and Julian Vaughn transferred to Georgetown. Hamilton returns freshman center Solomon Alabi, who sat out last season as a medical redshirt after injuring his leg early in the year. Sophomore forward Jordan DeMercy also returns. He played in nearly every game, averaging 1.4 points in 9.6 minutes per game.
The recruits will form the majority of the team’s depth, meaning that new guards Deividas Dulkys, Pierre Jordan, Derwin Kitchen and Luke Loucks will see plenty of time in the backcourt. A sophomore transfer from Iowa Western Community College, Kitchen will likely start early in the season. Singleton and power forward Xavier Gibson will likely be regular members of the frontcourt rotation.
Prediction: 10th
Virginia Cavaliers
2007-08: 17-16, 5-11 (10th)
Projected starting five:
Sophomore guard Sam Zeglinski
Sophomore guard Jeff Jones
Senior swingman Mamadi Diane
Sophomore forward Mike Scott
Junior forward Jamil Tucker
Schedule:
Virginia plays a mostly soft non-conference schedule that includes three teams from the Big South Conference. The Cavaliers’ best non-conference game are against Syracuse, Minnesota and Xavier, with the Orange and Golden Gophers on the road. In the ACC, the Cavaliers will play two games against Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
Team summary:
This season will be about life after Sean Singletary. Virginia’s most dominant player of the past four years is in the NBA after graduating in May. Coach Dave Leitao must find a way to replace Singletary’s 19.2 points and 6.1 assists per game. In addition, Adrian Joseph graduated, Laurynas Mikalauskas left the team in August to pursue a professional career in Lithuania, and Ryan Pettinella graduated. In sum, Virginia is losing more than half of its scoring from last season’s team.
With Singletary and Joseph leaving, Leitao will likely have a more balanced offense. At times last season, the Cavaliers appeared to be joining fans in the stands in watching Singletary dominate opponents. The Cavaliers never had a consistent second or third scoring option, and opponents expended all their effort in stopping Singletary. This season, senior swingman Mamadi Diane will likely be the primary scoring option after he finished second on the team last season with 11.8 points per game. He also improved his long-range shooting to hit 41.4 percent of his three-point attempts.
Besides Diane, Leitao can also turn to sophomores Jeff Jones and Mike Scott and juniors Calvin Baker and Jamil Tucker. All four starters will be asked to contribute more than they did last year. Baker was second on the team in assists and was to battle Sam Zeglinski for the starting point guard spot, but he could miss significant time with a stress fracture. Expect some early struggles as Virginia seeks to find its offensive identity.
In addition to the starters, Leitao has decent depth on the bench, led by freshman shooting guard Sylven Landesberg, who was a McDonald’s All-American. Landesberg might be the next prolific scorer in Charlottesville. He will likely have the opportunity to earn significant playing time early in the season. Junior forward Solomon Tat and senior forward Tunji Soroye have significant playing experience in past seasons and will need to become more productive to help the Cavaliers move up from the ACC’s cellar. Soroye missed nearly all of last season because of injuries. Leitao also has centers John Brandenburg and Assane Sene joining Landesberg in the recruiting class, which is the No. 5 class in the ACC.
Prediction: 11th
Maryland Terrapins
2007-08: 19-15, 8-8 (6th)
Projected starting five:
Junior point guard Greivis Vasquez
Junior guard Eric Hayes
Sophomore forward Cliff Tucker
Junior forward Landon Milbourne
Sophomore forward Braxton Dupree
Schedule:
Not surprisingly, Maryland plays a non-conference schedule filled with lightweight opponents and home games. The Terrapins do not play a true road game until Jan. 14 at Miami. The toughest games will be in Orlando during the Old Spice Classic, which will include Georgetown, Gonzaga, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Siena, Tennessee and Wichita State. The Terrapins will learn early in the season if they will be in competition for an NCAA Tournament bid. Given the weakness of the rest of the non-conference schedule, Maryland has to win two games in Orlando to put any meaningful wins on its résumé before ACC play. The conference schedule does not give Maryland any favors with two games against Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia.
Team summary:
For the third time in four seasons, Maryland missed the NCAA Tournament last season. Although some Terrapin fans would consider the suggestion to be heresy, coach Gary Williams’ job is probably on the line this season. In recent years, Williams has slipped on the recruiting trail, losing top recruits to other ACC teams. In the fertile Washington, D.C., high school basketball season, too many top recruits are signing with other programs without even seriously considering going to College Park.
This season’s recruiting class is no reason to think Williams is ending a trend of inconsistent recruiting. Williams signed shooting guard Sean Mosley, a four-star recruit, in the spring signing period after losing his two star recruits. Signee Gus Gilchrist left the program before he ever really arrived, transferring to South Florida. The recruitment of Tyree Evans was a fiasco. Williams sought to bring in the junior guard, who averaged 21.1 points per game at Motlow State Community College last season, even though Evans had a history of academic and legal problems. Since 2004, Evans has been arrested and charged with statutory rape, marijuana possession and trespassing. The media hounded Evans and Maryland about his criminal record, and he opted to leave the school for Kent State.
In addition to the off-season recruiting turmoil, the Terrapins must find a way to replace the production of James Gist and Bambale Osby in the frontcourt. Maryland returns junior guards Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes, who combined to average 26.9 points and 5.7 assists per game last season. They will form the core of this team, which also returns sophomores Adrian Bowie, Jerome Burney, Braxton Dupree, David Pearman and Cliff Tucker. However, none of the sophomores played consistently as freshmen, and Williams often seemed reluctant to turn to his bench even though his starters were often visibly fatigued.
For Maryland to succeed this season, the Terrapins must rally around the passionate play of Vasquez. He is the catalyst for the entire offense and plays with high energy. Although he was among the ACC leaders in assists at 6.8 per game, Vasquez often played out of control, averaging 4.4 turnovers per game. If Williams cannot rein in Vasquez, the Terrapins will continue to lack steady offensive flow, and the team does not have enough consistent offensive firepower to overcome a lot of mistakes.
Prediction: 12th
ACC Summary
As the season begins, the most pressing question that many ACC fans want answered is how many teams will make the NCAA Tournament. Unlike recent years, the conference looks to be in a good position to put seven teams in the NCAA Tournament. And all of them could make some noise.
North Carolina is the clear favorite to win the national championship. Only injuries or a defensive meltdown will prevent the Tar Heels from securing a No. 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In addition to North Carolina, Wake Forest, Miami and Duke form the second tier of elite ACC teams that will vie for high NCAA Tournament seeds. Two of those teams will probably earn a No. 4 seed or better, and the odd team out won’t be far behind.
In the third tier, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Georgia Tech will battle for enough conference wins to reach the NCAA Tournament. All three could make it in, and if they perform well during the non-conference slate, there’s no reason why an 8-8 ACC record wouldn’t mean an NCAA Tournament bid.
Although the top seven teams all appear strong, the bottom five might suffer the brunt of their abuse. Boston College, Florida State, Virginia, North Carolina State and Maryland figure to be near the bottom of the standings. Invariably, there’s a surprise team that moves up in the standings despite pre-season tales of gloom and doom. And on the flip side, a highly touted usually falls flat because of injuries or inconsistency. At the end of the day, the ACC will be competitive and could continue last season’s trend of delivering nail-bitingly close games on a nightly basis.
