Around the ACC with the G-Man

Clemson - The loss of James Mays to Academics is a huge blow for the Tigers. Though his numbers were not eye popping, Mays was an energy player and a catalyst on defense. That leaves Akin Akingbala to shoulder things inside which is a lot to ask. They rebounded from a bad home loss to Elon to capture the first ACC encounter of the year against Florida St. It is going to be tough, however, to weather the long regular season grind without Mays. Note- The loss to Elon broke a string of 37 straight wins by ACC schools over Southern Conference teams.

Duke - News out of Durham is that Demarcus Nelson is back at practice in a limited role. The coaching staff will be cautious with his return- look for Nelson to be full strength in 2-3 weeks. This gives them their most athletic player back and takes a ton of defensive responsibilities off of J J Redick’s shoulders, leaving him fresher on the offensive end..Big problems for the rest of the league. Quietly, Shelden Williams is having an All-American-type year. When he and the Devils play defense, which has improved recently, they look like a Final Four Lock.

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Boston College - The Eagles got great news with reinstatement of center Sean Williams. He is the defensive presence this team needs and, more importantly, he frees up Jared Dudley and Craig Smith to play their natural positions. They won a good game on the road last week against Rhode Island, but still do not have a win against a top 25 team, losing against Michigan St. and at Maryland. They will face two tough opening league games playing at Georgia Tech Sunday night and then the Wolf pack at home on January 10th. Craig Smith got the hype coming in, but Jared Dudley is having just as much as of an impact as his front line mate.

Florida St. - I had a chance to see the Seminoles against Nebraska last week and they are much improved. They are looking to play with more tempo and are second in the league in scoring at 82.9 points per game. They are sharing the scoring load well with Al Thornton leading the way at 14.4 point per. He has added weight and looks much more aggressive. I was really impressed with how Alexander Johnson has remade his body, losing 30 pounds and looking much more fit. The Seminoles still have to learn how to win on the road, having lost at Clemson this week and at Florida earlier this year.

Georgia Tech- The Jackets rebounded from a rough preseason to beat a very good Vanderbilt team at home last week. Anthony Morrow, who had a career high 28 in that game, has really elevated his game, averaging 16.5 points per game. That figure puts him seventh in the ACC. Jeremis Smith has also been solid in the early going, averaging 13 points and 9 rebounds a game while providing a very physical presence inside. Tech has a chance to build some momentum when they face Boston College in Atlanta this Sunday before playing three straight road games. Point guard continues to be an issue as Zam Fredrick learns the position. This is reflected in the numbers as Tech has 159 assists as a team against 192 turnovers- not a ratio that will produce a lot of wins in league play.

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Maryland - The Terps have gotten through a relatively easy non-conference schedule with an 11-2 record and a #12 ranking in the polls. They are, however, 1-2 versus other ranked teams, losing to Gonzaga and George Washington on neutral courts while beating Boston College at home. Like many ACC schools this year, point guard is an issue for the Terps. Gary Williams seems committed to D.J. Strawberry at the position, though he is not a natural point. Williams loves his toughness and defensive capabilities and will live with any growing pains Strawberry experiences. Maryland has two tough league road games coming up with trips to Miami and Duke. Chris McCray has lead the way for the Terps, averaging 16 points per game and has scored in double figures in 14 consecutive games.

Miami - The Injury to Anthony Harris has really affected the Canes, as they stand at a disappointing 8-6 as they go into league play. Harris is back now and almost %100, but Miami has to regain the confidence they had going into January last year. They have beaten the teams they should on their schedule, but do not have a quality win yet this year. They will get that chance Saturday as Maryland comes for a visit in South Florida. Anthony King will be a key in this game as he battles against Maryland front Line.

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North Carolina - Has Tyler Hansbrough won the Rookie of the Year already? His numbers are gaudy, but it is intensity on the court that I love. Once he develops a solid go-to move, he will be a major force. David Noel has also been a pleasant surprise. Not only has he elevated his offense four fold, he has taken a real leadership role with this team and made it his. I don’t know if anyone thought the Heels would spend any time in the Top 25, yet here they are. They get their first taste of league action when the Wolfpack comes to the Smith Center. An interesting match up between the young Heels and a very veteran Pack team.

North Carolina State - The Pack sails into January under full sail at 12-1 and a #13 ranking. They do not have a star, but the Pack is playing as a true team. They have 4 players averaging double figures and are as tenacious as ever on defense. Cedric Simmons has been a revelation, showing an ability to play within their offense and give them a nasty presence in the paint. The Pack gets to take their ranking out for a test drive, opening up with two road games at UNC and Boston College.

Virginia - There have been a couple of bright spots for the 6-5 Cavs early. They might have the leagues best point guard in sophomore Sean Singletary. He is 5th in the league in scoring at 17.4 per, 6th in assists and leading the ACC in steals at 2.4 takeaways per game. Jason Cain has also been a pleasant surprise averaging 8 points and 8 rebounds and giving Dave Leitao some muscle inside. Beyond JR Reynolds, the Cavs do not have many weapons. They are fortunate in that they have two home games in the league coming up against Clemson and Florida St.- two teams who have struggled on the road.

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Virginia Tech- Coleman Collins might be the best player in the ACC that nobody knows about. Starting league play in earnest, he is 4th in scoring at 18.2points, 3rd in rebounding at 8.4 , 7th in field goal % at .571 and 8th in blocks at 1.6 per- great numbers by anyone’s standards. The Hokies have rebounded from the devastating loss at Duke by winning 5 of their last 6. They have a road game at Florida St. this weekend before coming home for UNC and Virginia. Cassell Coliseum is quickly becoming one of the best home courts in the ACC.

Wake Forest- The Deacons sputtered at home before pulling out a narrow win against ECU last week. Like other teams around the league, they continue to look for a point guard. It does look as though Shamaine Dukes might be the long term answer. His speed is unparalleled, yet he has to get used to basketball on this level. Justin Gray is 3rd in the league in scoring at 18.5 per and his offense is valuable to have him man the point. A real area of concern is Eric Williams Free throw shooting. At 41%, teams are starting to put him at the line rather than let him finish inside. Wake gets their toughest test to date when Duke comes to Winston on Sunday. Look for the Deacs to be very physical in this game against the #1 Devils.

Games of the Week - NC St. @ UNC on Saturday and Duke @ Wake on Sunday. All four are in the Top 25 and both games will be good barometers for each team.

While I’m at it- Is everyone as glad as I am that league play begins in earnest? I’ll make one more plea for expanding the league schedule to 18 games so we can see more competition and fewer 40 point blowouts……



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