November 5, 2005: A Look at Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami and North Carolina
Georgia Tech
North Carolina was the only team to suffer more of a talent drain than Georgia Tech. Coach Paul Hewitt knew, by definition, that he would be losing a solid senior class to graduation. The real blow was the decision of Jarret Jack to enter the draft as a junior. With Jack, Tech would have stayed in the upper half of the league. Without him, challenges are everywhere. Hewitt, though, is one never to let his team feel sorry for themselves. He feels like he has talent, just unproven and inexperienced.
Filling Jack’s shoes will fall to sophomore Zam Fredrick. He played sparingly last year behind Jack, but has looked more comfortable in this pre-season. If he struggles, Senior Mario West might see some time at the point. The leading returning scorer is soph Anthony Morrow. He showed an ability to be explosive in spurts last season. He must turn into a more consistent double figure scorer this year to help the perimeter. Tech does have some wide bodies returning on the front line. Senior Theo Tarver has had injuries throughout his career, but seems ready to be a solid defender and rebounder. Ra’Sean Dickey is probably the most gifted interior scorer of the group, and will get plenty of touches with the departure of Luke Schenscher. Jeremis Smith is the one who will give this team its swagger. Back from a knee injury, he looks to stay healthy and give Tech a solid interior rotation.
Four freshmen will have to mature quickly and should get the playing time to do that. The most gifted may be 6-9 Alade Aminu. A track star in high school, he is raw from a basketball standpoint, but has a huge upside. The player that may deliver the soonest is Lewis Clinch. Possessing great range on his jumper, Clinch could be player that stretches defenses. Rounding out the class are 6-5 D’Andre Bell and 6-6 Paco Diaw. Bell has started to feel more comfortable as the pre-season has gone on and Bell, another possibility at point, has done his best work when he has played more under control.
There are so many variables at Tech that it makes it tough to predict their season. Hewitt is a great teacher and that should make the freshmen’s transition easier. They also have the talent to be a good defensive team. The question remains as to how the come together on the offensive end of the floor with a new point guard and new primary scorers.
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Maryland
The word that Coach Gary Williams has focused on for his team is consistency. They were anything but last year and it reflected in their play. No player more embodied that inconsistency more than point guard John Gilchrist. And even though Gilchrist was a very talented player, his departure could make this a more cohesive team.
Williams has the luxury of returning a solid senior class. Sterling Ledbetter took over for Gilchrist at the end of last year and was a stabilizing force. Nik Caner-Medley has added some size over the summer and could be an all-league performer for the Terps. Chris McCray, always a solid defender, must provide consistent 3 point shooting to help open up the lane. Travis Garrison, more perimeter oriented in the past, needs to be a factor on the boards to shore up the interior. Joining Garrison on the front line will be Ekene Ibekwe and James Gist. Ibekwe, though thin at 220 pounds, showed a real knack for blocking shots. The sophomore Gist has put on more muscle and could become a viable post up option for Maryland. The back court gets a boost with the return of D.J Strawberry from a knee injury. He is a gifted perimeter defender and makes good decisions with the ball. Don’t be surprised to seem him handling the point guard position for this team.
Maryland’s new faces bring a city toughness with them. Out of Chicago, Parrish Brown is a point guard that can also shoot it very well from range. Signed as a JUCO last year, Brown also has the ability to get out and pressure defensively for 94 feet. Shane Clark, from Philly, is a long, athletic wing player who can defend and run very well.
Maryland will come into this season as a ranked team and should make it back to the NCAA tournament after missing it last year for the first time in eleven years. If they can deliver a consistent effort on both ends of the floor night in and night out, the Terps will be tough to contend with.
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Miami
Before entering their first season in the ACC last year, Coach Frank Haith talked about raising the visibility of his program in South Florida. Mission accomplished. The Hurrricanes surprised everyone with a 7-9 conference record. Though they faltered in the second half of league play, Miami established itself as a program on the rise.
Miami's success was built on one of the best perimeter trios in the ACC- Guillermo Diaz, Robert Hite, and Anthony Harris. Diaz is one of the most explosive scorers in the country. The former volleyball player has a respectable 3 point shot, but it is his knack for getting to the basket that is astounding. He has talked this year of expanding his game by creating shots for teammates when the defense attacks him. Hite is much more perimeter oriented that Diaz, and the coaches would like him to use the dribble drive much more in an effort to get him to the free throw line more. Harris, little used the year before, blossomed under Haith. While more of a scoring guard, he did a credible job running the offense. An improved shot selection should be a goal for Harris this year as he grows in the position. Another player that has benefited from an expanded role is center Anthony King. Last season, King was second most intimidating force in the ACC behind Shelden Williams. Coming off a year where he averaged 8 rebounds and 3 blocks a game, King has worked hard on his low post moves and should be more of a force down low.
Coach Haith also feels it is important for Miami to keep good high school talent home. Mission accomplished here, as well. Wing players Brian Asbury and Adrian Thomas will have the luxury of learning behind a solid perimeter core. Point guard Denis Clemente, a relative of baseball great Roberto Clemente, is a burner with the basketball and should push Harris for playing time. Rounding out Haith’s first recruiting class is a late spring signee, 6-8, 250 pound Jimmy Graham.
Here is no doubt that Frank Haith’s recruiting prowess will keep the talent coming to south Florida. The big key for Miami this year will be to sustain their level of play through the whole 16 game ACC schedule. If that is achieved, the Canes might find themselves making a trip to the NCAA’s in March.
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North Carolina
How did Roy Williams feel when practiced started on October 15th? He was about to start defending his national championship and looked before him to see his top seven scorer gone from last years squad, replaced by 5 freshmen and a leading returning scorer from last year who averaged 3.9 points. Life goes on and so does the ACC season, so this should be a very challenging year in Chapel Hill.
Senior David Noel is that leading scorer, but now feels like he can expand his game and become a double-figure scorer. Points must also come from wing Reyshawn Terry. Terry had outbursts last year, but now must do it for 25 minutes a night against defenses geared to stop him. An X factor for Carolina might be the play of point guard Quentin Thomas. His play was uneven as a back up to Raymond Felton last year. His growth this year will be a critical factor.
The freshman class may be untested, but they are talented. Tyler Hansbrough is the stud of the group at 6-9, 235 pounds. As UNC’s only legitimate low post threat, the worry here is that he wears down as the season goes along. Williams is impressed at how far along 6-5 Marcus Ginyard is defensively, maybe becoming the next Jackie Manuel for the Tar Heels. 6-3 Bobby Frasor is a combo guard who could see time at point if Thomas does not come along. The other MacDonald’s All-American is the versatile Danny Green, an inside-outside offensive threat.
Patience and teaching are going to be the keys to UNC's season. Coach Williams will be doing a lot more instructing this year to bring the freshmen up to speed. With that, a healthy dose of patience will be required by Tar Heel nation as this group matures. With so many variables, getting back to the NCAA may be a stretch. If Coach Williams gets them there, it may be one of his greatest accomplishments.
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Next week: NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Week One: Boston College, Clemson, Duke and Florida State
