A Look Around the ACC with the G-Man:

After digesting most of my thanksgiving turkey and watching the ACC-Big 10 challenge, I thought it would be a good time to take a look around the league and see how everyone has started…

Boston College. - Having picked them as a lock for an NCAA tournament bid, the Eagles have stumbled out of the starting gate. Two disappointing loses to Vermont at home and Providence on the road is not a good early sign for this team. The fact that Sean Williams served a team-imposed suspension could have thrown off the chemistry. The Eagles did rebound and win a home game against a rebuilding Michigan St. team. They extended their pressure against the Spartans and it seemed to fuel their offense.

Jared Dudley is performing like an all-America candidate, averaging 20.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals a game. Despite the suspension, Williams has blocked 24 shots in three games and collected 8 rebounds a game. They do need more than 6 points a game from him, but it is evident how important he is.

The early concerns for B.C. are their perimeter offense (26% from three) and team free throw percentage (69%). They also must improve their ball handling and passing for the flex offense to run smoothly. I suspect this team will get much better over the next month.


Clemson- It always seems like the Tigers are undefeated at this point but they do have some good wins on the board against Old Dominion, Mississippi St. and on the road against Minnesota. With James Mays back manning the front of the press, Clemson is turning over opponents 18 times a game and holding them to 37% shooting. Offensively, they are putting more points on the board, but are still shooting only 57% from the free throw line.

K.C. Rivers leads a balanced attack that features four double figure scorers with 13 points a game and 42% from three land. Cliff Hammonds is also shooting over 40% from behind the arc, giving Clemson another perimeter option. Both Mays and Trevor Booker have benefited from their success by getting good looks inside.

Obviously the free throw shooting must be addressed, but as a team the Tigers have a turnover for every assist they give out. Better ball handling will be critical as the season moves on. Clemson has a huge road game on Saturday against in-state rival South Carolina.


Duke - The Blue Devils improved to 6-1 with an ugly 54-51 win over Indiana this week. The lone blemish is loss to Marquette that might have exposed some weaknesses. Their ability to penetrate off the dribble caused Duke problems and this could be an issue with teams that have quick, athletic perimeter players. With no Shelden Williams inside, teams are looking to be more aggressive against Duke.

Josh McRoberts has been a bit of a disappointment early. He's averaging 10 points and only 6.7 rebounds, but seems to be content to roam away from the basket. Right now, Brian Zoubek is their best low post threat. I know he can play on the perimeter, but McRoberts must re-establish his low box game. Greg Paulus is still working his way into shape, but he needs to be more solid with the ball as he has 26 turnovers against 30 assists.

It is evident how new all these players are to the roles their being asked to fill. DeMarcus Nelson is the leading scorer, but this is the first time he has been healthy in two years. McRoberts has never played without Williams and now he has to be the guy inside. Finally, four freshmen are playing significant minutes. I do think this team will be much better in February and March than it is now.


Florida St. - The Seminoles started with four wins but have lost their last two in the most critical part of their schedule. Both losses were on the road, at Pitt and at Wisconsin, but a lack of good non-conference wins is what kept FSU out of the NCAA's last year. They upgraded their schedule but, as yet, have not produced. That is why this Sunday's game at home against Florida is almost a must win for this team.

This is basically a two man team with Al Thornton and Toney Douglass the only players averaging in double figures. Thornton's numbers are down a little from last year and while Douglass can score, as a point guard he is averaging only three assists per game.

The Seminoles need others to step up offensively. Rebounding has been an issue and this team is starting to feel the loss of center Alexander Johnson resulting in a much smaller team. The offense has yet to find its stride as they have only 63 assists as a team in six games.


Georgia Tech-At the end of the year I would be surprised if Tech isn't the most improved team from last year. The only loss so far came at the hands of #1 ranked UCLA. This team can score in bunches and a lot of it is due to veteran returning players and two of the best freshmen in the league, Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young. Crittenton is the point guard this team lacked last year and he is Paul Hewitt's ideal at that position with size and toughness. Young is second on the team in scoring and can fill it from inside or on the perimeter. Lewis Clinch is healthy and it reflects in his numbers ( 17 points, 58% fg and 48% from three).

The good news for Hewitt is this team seems to have gotten its defensive swagger back. They are playing at a very high tempo but only yielding 71 points per game. They are holding opponents to only 29% from behind the arc and are a plus ten in the rebounding department. I'll see them first-hand this Sunday down in Miami and will give you a scouting report on that game later.


Maryland- Gary Williams was very disappointed at being left out of the NCAA tournament last year but this year's squad is posting a very impressive early season resume. The Terps are 8-0 with good non-conference wins against Michigan St., Winthrop and on the road against Illinois. Maryland had talent returning but the x-factor was the ability of the freshmen guards to produce and they have answered the call in a big way. Eric Hayes is averaging 5.3 assists with only 19 turnovers in 8 games and Greivis Vasquez has been spectacular off the bench. These two have allowed D.J Strawberry to play off the ball and he is leading the team in scoring and steals.

Gary Williams has to be most pleased with and improved effort on the defensive end of the floor. The Terps are holding opponents to 63 points a game on 35% shooting. If the freshmen and the defensive effort continue to improve, this will be an NCAA tournament team.


I'll take a look at the rest of the league next week. On Sunday, I'll be in Miami calling my first Fox Sunday night game featuring Georgia Tech against the Hurricanes. This will be a very difficult game in many respects for Miami. First, my thoughts and prayers are with Frank Haith and his family as they mourn the death of their nephew, Sean, who was killed by police gunfire in New York last week. It has been a tragic year around the Miami campus and one hopes it will soon come to an end.

With regard to the game, Tech may have too much firepower for Miami to overcome. Javaris Crittenton is special and he has made a huge difference in this team. Miami must find a way to get a hold of the pace of this game and also get a special effort from their senior point guard, Anthony Harris, to have a chance.