Mike Previews the '07-08 Season, Part One:

Boston College - Al Skinner has had the luxury of relying on All-Americans to lead his teams in the first two years of their ACC existence. The departure of Jared Dudley leaves a big void for the Eagles to fill. This will be a very young team and there will be plenty of question marks.

One person Skinner can rely on is junior guard Tyrese Rice. He came into his own last year, averaging 18 points and showed he could direct a team as well. John Oates and Tyrelle Blair return inside. Oates is a “glue guy” who knows the system and Blair showed he can be a productive shot blocker. Both will need to more of a factor on the offensive end for a team that has lost scoring punch. Shamari Spears saw the most minutes. As an under-sized power forward, he wore down as the season grew long. Look for him to be better prepared to handle the rigors of a college season.

The coaching staff is very excited about the newcomers. Rakim Sanders has a great body and should provide some scoring on the perimeter. Biko Paris, displaced by Hurricane Katrina in high school, could help out at the guard position as well. Up front, Josh Southern and Cortney Dunn will see time. Southern is a wide body who should thrive in the flex offense while Dunn is more of an athletic shot blocker.

The keys will be leadership and patience for this team. Last year Dudley was clearly in charge. It remains to be seen whether Rice can step in and fill that role. Rice and Skinner must also be very patient with this group. Young guys will get a lot of minutes and it will take time to understand Skinner’s schemes at both ends of the floor. Skinner usually has a knack for finding quality players that are not heavily recruited. It will be interesting to see if a gem emerges on this young squad.

Clemson - The goal of reaching the NCAA tournament must have seemed inevitable when Clemson started 17-0 last year. That dream would slowly erode as the Tigers finished 4-10 and had to settle for another trip to the NIT. The good news is that Oliver Purnell returns 8 of 9 players that saw plenty of action and this should be his most experienced team at Clemson.

Vernon Hamilton is the lone departure but Cliff Hammonds is well suited to handle the job at point. He actually lead the team in assists and is a good decision maker. K.C. Rivers is a great three point threat and should move into a starting role this year. James Mays is the defensive spark on the front of Clemson’s full-court pressure and is good on the boards. Trevor Booker will be improved over a good freshman season and could be the Tiger’s best low post option. Amping up the energy will be Sam Perry, Julius Powell and Raymond Sykes on a team that thrives on turning you over.

Purnell has a solid group of recruits in to rely on. Jerai Grant, son of former Tiger Harvey Grant, averaged a double-double at Dematha and is the type of long athlete that Purnell loves.Terrance Oglesby will provide yet another option behind the three point line and will try to give them some scoring punch off the bench. Finally, there is the point guard for the future in Demontez Stitt. Rated in the top 20 in his class, don’t be surprised if Stitt plays a lot this year, allowing Hammonds to move off the ball.

For the Tigers to make the NCAA’s they must improve from the free throw line. As a team, they averaged an anemic 58% and were outscored by 60 points from the line by their opponents. This puts too much pressure on the rest of their offense and limits their ability to win road games where free throws are critical. Secondly, they must have confidence in their ability to finish the year as strongly as they start. This means playing well in the conference. This will be Purnell’s most balanced team, offensively, and with senior leadership should get to the NCAA tournament.

Duke - It is amazing that a team that finishes with 22 wins and an 8-8 conference record would be regarded as mediocre at best, yet such are the lofty expectations at Duke. The bar is high in Durham and , year in and year out, they expect themselves to be a factor nationally. An influx of young talent could have them back there this year.

Josh McRoberts is gone to the NBA and, while they will miss his talent, there could be more tranquility on this team as a result. Demarcus Nelson returns as the lone senior and captain. They need him to be healthy and strong to lead this young group. Speaking of health, Greg Paulus is for the first time in his Duke career and looks to be steadier than last year. He had a solid shooting year and will be more effective with the ball. Jon Scheyer had to play point last year and should revert to a more accustom role of scorer. The departure of McRoberts will mean more minutes inside for Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek. The one who could really blossom is Gerald Henderson. He showed flashes last year and should benefit from a more balanced Duke attack.

The Devils have a great freshman class that will see a lot of minutes. Kyle Singler is the stud and gives Duke a versatile power forward that they have lacked. He can play anywhere on the court and will be a huge part of their success. Nolan Smith was a star at Oak Hill and will give them solid ball handling and a great defender on the perimeter. Taylor King has an unorthodox body, but can really stretch defenses with his range.

This will be a smaller Duke squad but Coach K is comfortable coaching this type team. Look for Duke to get out and run more this year and extend the floor on defense. The must do a better job of handling the ball this year and getting more positive possessions. Defending better on the perimeter will also be a key. Rebounding could also be a problem so they must get the ball collectively rather than rely on one person. This will be a young team but look for Krzyzewski to have them back in the national spotlight.