SB Nation - Jeff Allen

ACC Power Rankings: 12.8

MRickman84 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:30:14 -0000

So this probably should have been done yesterday, but I really want to get in the habit of doing power rankings throughout the season. UNC occupies the top spot this week, with Duke coming in second, as both are coming off tough losses last week to strong opponents.

Let's take a look at who is where after the jump...

1.) UNC-- [W vs. Michigan State, L vs. Kentucky] UNC is getting better as was expected. The young guys are playing well and Larry Drew II looks a lot more comfortable. I'm still concerned about the Heels' bench, as Strickland looks a little lost out there and Henson just does not know what to do with his body. The Wear twins are eating up a ton of minutes without a lot of productivity. Tyler Zeller is a great player for them though and really makes the perfect sixth man. UNC gets another tough test when they head to Dallas to play Texas at the Cowboys stadium next week.

2.) Duke -- [L vs. Wisconsin, W vs. St. John's] I thought this Duke team was supposed to be able to shoot? Kyle Singler is looking average at best so far this year and is taking a LOT of shots. You know what you're getting out of Jon Scheyer week in and week out and that is a great stabilizer. Andre Dawkins has been spectacular so far and we are going to be seeing a lot more of him as Duke enters ACC play. Duke's big weakness is still down low--Zoubek and Thomas are just bad, but the Plumlees work hard and are good players.

3.) GT [W vs. Siena, W vs. USC] The Jackets were left out of the Challenge this year because of their finish last season, and that really is a shame as I believe they would have won their matchup and turned the tide for the ACC. Instead, Tech put a whooping on Siena and USC last week. GT is stellar in the frontcourt with Lawal, Peacock and Favors, but losing Iman Shumpert is going to be sidelined for 3-6 weeks with a knee injury.

4.) Clemson [L vs. Illinois, W vs. South Carolina] Clemson is looking like bi-polar Clemson again, surprise! This is a good, solid basketball team. They have 5 players averaging at least 9 points per game and Trevor Booker is almost averaging a double-double (13 and 9). Their problem is that they just lose focus (as seen by the terrible collapse against Illinois). I think they are a better team than Georgia Tech, but they just can't pass them until they show some consistency.

5.) Miami [W vs. Minnesota, L vs. BC] Yes, I know they lost their first conference game. But it was very close and came down to the buzzer. They picked up a great non-con win over Minnesota, but still have not really been challenged other than their last two contests. Dwayne Collins is very good, but there's a lot of pressure on him coming into conference play since two of Miami's three strong guards are newcomers (Malcolm Grant from Villinova and freshman Durand Scott.) James Dews can get it done too, but we will see just how much the 'Canes miss Jack McClinton after the 1st of the year.

6.) Wake Forest [L vs. Purdue, W vs. Gonzaga] After a disappointing loss at home to William & Mary, the Deacs took to the road for two very tough tests. After a hard-fought loss to Purdue, the Deacs looked like they finally clicked in a win over Gonzaga at the Kennel. If the Demon Deacons can use this as a momentum builder, they could enter the new year at 10-2. They will be tested by UNC-W, who has played some good teams tough, as well as Richmond, which received votes in the polls this week. Freshmen C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart are looking like the real deal, but the Deacs absolutely need to get consistency from their bigs and from Al-Farouq Aminu.

7.) Virginia Tech [W vs. Iowa, W vs. Georgia] I like VT. They're better than they look on paper, and their loss to Temple is not a bad one--the Owls almost pulled off the upset against Georgetown a few games ago. They easily could finish anywhere between 6th and 10th, but the combo of Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen should be good for at least 6 conference wins.

8.) Maryland [W vs. Indiana, L vs. Villanova] I've seen Maryland play 4 times now this year and I'm sorry, I just don't think they are very good. Greivis Vasquez takes way too many ill-advised shots and he is shooting 32%. Sean Mosley and Landon Milbourne are the strong points to this team and Eric Hayes keeps them calm sometimes, but they aren't deep and I'm not sold on their front court. The Terps were a hot pick to start the season, but they have to prove something to me before they can move up the board.

9.) Boston College [W vs. Michigan, W vs. Miami] Here we go again. It's the same old story every year. BC looks sparse on paper and then Al Skinner does a great job coaching his team to overachieve. It'll probably happen again this year and their last two wins are a big indicator of this. Reggie Jackson could be a great player, and BC gets bumped up a spot just from his nasty dunk against the 'Canes (on a terrible offensive foul call in the last 30 seconds) and his clutch FTs to seal the win. Raji, Jackson, Trapani is a great combo and they get a good effort out of Josh Southern too.

10.) Florida State [L vs. Ohio State, W vs. FIU] Florida State looked downright ugly against Ohio State. And downright ugly against Florida. But that win against Marquette was big, so they have that in them. Alabi, Singleton and Kitchen are a nice 1-2-3, but the 'Noles need to be getting more out of Xavier Gibson and Ryan Reid.

11.) NC State [L vs. Northwestern, W. vs Marquette] After their loss to Northwestern, I didn't think at all that the Wolfpack would beat Marquette. It was the furthest thing from my mind. State is 6-1, but they are a mess and there is just not much there.

12.) Virginia [L vs. Penn State, L vs. Auburn] Hey, at least Virginia has beaten Cleveland State, something Wake wasn't able to do last year. Sylven Landesberg is a heck of a player, but when your next two leading scorers are Mike Scott and Sammy Zeglinski, there's a problem there. Virginia is not very good.

Around the ACC: 11/18

MRickman84 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:52:37 -0000

What a slate of games last night, huh? We got a good taste of what Gonzaga looks like and it appears they are way better than anyone thought coming into the year. They've got some big ballhandlers. The Kansas-Memphis game was another classic, and Georgetown and UCONN got a scare. Plus, Tennessee absolutely went off on UNC-Asheville. But let's focus on our specialty, ACC hoops.

We got a good glimpse of teams in the conference yesterday. These early season games are important for scouting teams' strengths and weaknesses. Mid-majors may not have the talent level of the ACC, but they sometimes do a pretty good job of scheming and looking for ways to attack and defend.

The first few games also let us know exactly what freshmen are the real deal and which returning players are ready to make the jump to the next level.

Clemson 79, Liberty 39
This game was never close. What stood out was the fact that Clemson can shoot a little better than the last couple years. Sure, they're missing Oglseby, but they still have some real weapons. David Potter lit it up from deep, hitting 5 and finishing with 17.The Tigers will rebound the ball with Trevor Booker (who has been there for about 20 years) and they will continue to be a good defensive team. Plus they've got a good little player in Demontez Stitt.

Duke 101, Charlotte 59
Duke looked really good in their win over Charlotte. I kick Kyle Singler around a lot of the time, but he has a ton of skill and when players can't matchup well against him, he takes advantage. The senior had 17 points and was aided by Jon Scheyer with 20, as well as Nolan Smith, who had 24 in his return to the lineup after suspension. It's the same story for Duke: if they hit their shots, they are tough to beat.

Virginia Tech 59, UNC-Greensboro 46
Not really sure what to make of this win, and this Hokie team. I might have to ask Gobbler Country on this one. We know what to expect from Jeff Allen (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Malcolm Delaney (17 points, 5 assists), but I just don't know where else a lot of the scoring is going to come from.

Boston College 72, St. Francis 44
I promised myself this year I would stop taking Boston College lightly. Al Skinner continuously finds ways to do as much as he possibly can with his team. But, how will the Eagles react to losing Tyrese Rice? I'm high on Joe Trapani (13 points, 9 rebounds) and even higher on Reggie Jackson, who looks to make great strides from last year (17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists). I feel like despite the loss of Tyrese Rice, this is a deeper BC team overall and definitely an NCAA team.

Maryland 71, Fairfield 42
Again, another team I'm not exactly sure what my impressions are. My old friend Eric Hayes is still there. Greivis Vasquez (7 points, 6 assists on 3-11 shooting) is obviously the "star," but Hayes will be a calming influence on this team due to Vasquez's penchant for turning the ball over and his tendancy to be inconsistent. I'm still a big fan of Landon Milbourne, and it'll be interesting to see what exactly his role will be this year.

2009-10 Virginia Tech Basketball: Q&A with Tech Hoops

furrer4heisman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:36 -0000

To help prepare for the 2009-10 Virginia Tech basketball season, I turned to Niemo from TechHoops.com for some insight. Niemo graduated from Tech in 1998 and after missing the first home basketball game of his freshman year, didn't miss another one the rest of his time in Blacksburg. Who knows where he was for that first game.

GC: Assess Malcolm Delaney's chances of being an All-American or winning the ACC POY this season. Being the Hokies' main (only?) scoring option, he should be able to put up some impressive stats.

Niemo: I'd be thrilled if he made 1st-team All-ACC, and I think he will. Tech has only had one guy, Zabian Dowdell, make 1st-team All-ACC to date. Malcolm has a shot because Tech now has a true point guard, Erick Green, who is taller than a JV basketball player. This will help free up Malcolm to play shooting guard more, and also get more rest. He was worn down late last season.

I'm not sure how likely it is he will end up ACC POY though. But he is the ACC's leading returning scorer. If you look at this decade, the ACC POY's team has finished first or second in the ACC every year but one, and that was in 2007 when bc's Jared Dudley won it and bc finished tied for third. So if he is in the running for POY, that is a very good sign as it obviously would mean the Hokies are competing for the ACC regular season title, which isn't out of the realm of possibilities.

As for All-American, if you are 1st-team All-ACC, you likely will garner some All-American honors, whether it be 3rd-team or higher. That would be cool for this program.

What is the best and worst case scenario for this team?

Worst case scenario is yet again VT stumbles out of the blocks in out of conference play and loses what few big games they have (I'm not sure they will play a single ranked team out of conference) and is basically eliminated from the Big Dance before January hits and ACC play starts. Tech must avoid bad loses and simply TCB - take care of business. With 14 out of conference tilts, anything less that 12-2 is sub-par in my book. 11-3 I could swallow, but the Hokies need better.

Best case scenario is the Hokies finish in the top four of the ACC and earn an ACC Tournament First Round bye for the fourth time in six years in the league. And believe me, this is possible. The ACC is a complete crapshoot this year. 12 of the top 18 players from the ACC are gone from just last year, and the entire first team is gone. The Hokies have experience back, it is just a matter of how much the role players improved (Thompson, Hudson, Bell) and how well the new guys can fill in. This team is again on the borderline in terms of being a NCAA Tournament team. Making it would be best case, regardless of the seed.

What freshmen are going to have the biggest impact for the Hokies this season?

Erick Green for reasons I mentioned above. He's a steady point guard. Probably won't score double digits many nights, but he'll run the offense and improve others, plus free up Delaney to work off screens off the ball. Erick is also solid on defense and is good at anticipating where passes are going and intercepting them. He'll make Tech a better defensive team on the perimeter.

I like Cadarian Raines, too. He's a Cheick Diakite-clone, which VT needs. He'll be out until probably December, but if he can get some time in out of conference games, he'll be sorely needed in ACC play. He gives the Hokies a big body in the paint that can rebound and block shots, though don't expect much on offense from him.

Ben Boggs seems like a gritty player like Jamon Gordon. I have no idea how much he'll help or play this year. Manny Atkins was a great shooter in high school but early reports have not been favorable about him in preseason camp. Gene Swindle (redshirted last year) is very tall and gets up and down the court well, but is he strong enough to battle in the post? Not sure yet.

Is this team going to mirror the recent Hokie football teams and have a lock-down defense and inconsistent offense?

Tech will be better defensively this year if for no other reason than A.D. Vassallo is gone. As much as he scored, his opponent often had a career night, too. Green is good defensively as I mentioned, and Dorenzo Hudson should see more time. He did give up a lot of points in the duquesne game last year, but Greenberg likes him and thinks he is the best on-ball defender. And Jeff Allen will continue to get a lot of steals.

On offense, the Hokies are yet again saying they will run more. I'll believe it when I see it. They say this every year and do it for a half, then get back to being a half court, grind it out offense. So I think your assessment is fair. But if Tech can open it up, maybe things will be less Stiney-like and be more interesting. Tech needs to run more with the loss of Vassallo's three-point shooting.

What non-conference games are must-wins if the Hokies want to return to the NCAA Tournament?

As I said above, pretty much all of them. They can afford one or two slip ups, but any more and VT is going to have to do a lot of work in ACC play like the last several years, and came up short the last two.

Will Tech make the field of 65 this year?

Hard to say. This program needs to be making the Big Dance every three years on average, and it has been three years. Plus, both Delaney and Allen could be gone after this season. So Tech NEEDS to make it this year. Therefore, I'll say yes, they make it. Plus, they do well when not much is expected of them and the media has been fairly down on them.

Your obligatory ACC primer

SFBE.NF — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:19:13 -0000

So UNC cut down the nets last spring, lost 68 percent of their scoring, lost the nation's top point guard and the nation's blandest spokesman for AT&T, yet their still top dogs in the ACC. Sometimes, college basketball stinks. The Tar Heels return Ed Davis and one of the top recruiting classes in the country. It used to be that Duke would capitalize on such an opportunity, and once again be king of the ACC Castle. Not so fast. The biggest threat to the Heels this season is probably a balanced Georgia Tech team who may have the best center in the country in Derrick Favors. Maryland wants to mix it up too, with Greivis Vazquez and two frontcourt freshman in James Padgett and Jordan Williams.

From there the conference gets mediocre fairly quick. Clemson seems to get high praise, but when you look at their last six games from the previous two seasons, the Tigers were 4-8.

Our breakdown is after the jump

Tourney teams (in order of conference finish)

North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Duke
Maryland
Clemson
Wake Forest

All Conference Team

Greivis Vazquez, Maryland
Kyle Singler, Duke
Ed Davis, North Carolina
Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech

Most overrated - Duke's mystique. Paul Hewitt on the hot seat.

Most underrated - Gary Williams, Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen

Notable non-conference match-ups:

11/19 - 11/22 - Georgia Tech vs. Dayton and likely Villanova (in Puerto Rico)
12/2 - Illinois @ Clemson
12/5 - UNC @ Kentucky (as good as it gets)
12/6 - Maryland vs. Villanova (in D.C.)
12/19 - Duke vs. Gonzaga (@MSG)

Five story lines to keep tabs on:

Clemson. Can they have a complete season?
UNC. Do they become less irritating to all the cool people now that Tyler Hansbrough has moved on?
Michael Snaer. Is he the next Toney Douglas?
Blue Devil backcourt. Will Duke fans be subjected to Olek Czyz if a member of their backcourt suffers an injury?
Maryland fans. They are some of the most brutal in the nation (and we like that). Will they have reason to gloat while they hurl profanities at opponents visiting the Comcast Arena.

Coming and Going - A Look at ACC Basketball in 2009-10, Pt. I

Ben Broman — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:25:02 -0000

This is a project that we as a blog have been working on for quite awhile. Yes, it's out of order (shouldn't a football preview be here?), but Maryland's a basketball school first and foremost, dagnabbit! Plus, we got the idea during March Madness and just ran with it. All three of us put in work on it, with homertuck bearing the brunt of it, and there's a boatload of raw data behind it, which you'll see in a few days.

Below, you'll find a team-by-team analysis of what exactly is being lost - through graduation, the NBA, or Europe -and who exactly is coming in - ie, the recruiting class, and their rankings - for each ACC basketball team. A couple of predictions accompany this. We realize that a lot could change between now and November, which is why we include three different possible predictions - a Best Case, a Worst Case, and our own prediction, a fusion of the two.

While we realize that basketball doesn't use the divisions, reading 12 of these reports at once is darn near impossible. For that reason, and the lack of a clear division of basketball teams, we borrowed the divisions concept from football. Today, we break down the six Atlantic teams: Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. Tomorrow, check back to see the Coastal Division. On Thursday, we'll publish a companion piece of sorts - a visual aid, loaded with graphs to help you make sense of all this.

So, without any further ado, make the jump and get to reading.

Duke

2009 Recruiting Class:
Mason Plumlee 6' 11" Center: 98 grade
Ryan Kelly 6' 10" Forward: 97 grade

With Jon Scheyer going into his senior season and Greg Paulus already gone, many Terp fans may be wondering what awkward-looking white player they'll have to root against in the future. Have no fear: Coach K is bringing in two of them for next season in Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee. The bad news: Kelly and Plumlee are ranked #20 and #55 overall by Rivals, respectively.

Overall Class Ranking: #9 (ESPN), #9 (Scout)

Players lost to graduation/NBA/Europe:
Greg Paulus (G) - Graduation (4.9 ppg)
David McClure (F) - Graduation (1.9 ppg)
Gerald Henderson (G-F) - NBA (16.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

Overall, Duke doesn't lose too much next season, especially when compared with other ACC schools. They only lose 28% of their three-point baskets, 35% of their assists, 24% of their blocks, 30% of their points, 26% of their rebounds, and 24% of their steals. Maryland and Virginia are the only other schools that lose less than Duke, and that is in Maryland's best case scenario of Vasquez returning. Add in the fact that Duke brings in a good true center in Mason Plumlee and a nice forward to replace part of the void lost by Gerald Henderson, and the Blue Devils again look like a possibly scary team in 2009-2010. Duke's only other loses aside from Henderson are back up point guard Greg Paulus and seldom used forward David McClure. Also, watch out for the development of Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer (pictured with a traditional Scheyerface). The man with the funny faces really improved towards the second half of last season and he'll be counted on to pick up the 16.5 ppg lost by the departure of Henderson.

Best Case - Duke is Duke, Plumlee is actually a good white guy center that isn't a bust for Duke, and the Blue Devils actually show up in the NCAA tournament and make it to the elite eight under the leadership of Scheyer and Singler. The Blue Devils dominate the ACC, and rack up a 13-3 ACC record.

Worst Case - Plumlee and Kelly are two more awkward looking white guy busts, Scheyer quits the team after seeing thousands of pictures of his face again at the Comcast Center, and Duke again fails to make it past the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament after having a 10-6 ACC season.

Testudo Times Prediction - Duke is Duke but doesn't live up to the media hype yet again. The Blue Devils finish with a 12-4 ACC record, continue their dominance and win the ACC tournament, and then bow out of the NCAA tournament in the sweet 16.

Georgia Tech

2009 Recruiting Class:

Derrick Favors 6' 9" Power Forward: 98 grade
Mfon Udofia 6' 2" Point Guard: 93 grade
Kammeon Holsey 6' 8" Power Forward: 92 grade
Daniel Miller 6' 10" Center: 91 grade
Glen Rice Jr. 6' 4" Shooting Guard: 89 grade
Brian Oliver 6' 6" Small Forward: 87 grade

Georgia Tech's recruiting class is highlighted by one name: Derrick Favors (pictured below). Rivals' third best player in the country is most likely a "one and done" but he's joined by five others, including three who are ranked in Rivals' top 80.

Overall Class Ranking: #7 (ESPN), #5 (Scout)

Players lost to graduation/NBA/Europe:
Lewis Clinch (G) - Graduation (15.5 ppg)
Bassirou Dieng (C-F) - Graduation (1.2 ppg)
Gary Cage (G) - Graduation (0.7 ppg)
Alade Aminu (F) - Graduation (11.8 ppg, 8 rpg)
Gani Lawal (F) - Undecided (15.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg)

Georgia Tech had a tough year in 2009-2010, limping to an 11-18 (2-14 ACC) record. But Tech's head coach Paul Hewitt is hoping to erase memories of last season by bringing in a top 10 recruiting class to replace four departing seniors and possibly sophomore Gani Lawal. Hewitt survived the 2-14 ACC performance of last year but if he doesn't start to produce, the natives might become restless and attack - where do you think they'll go first? For Hewitt's head. Whether or not Lawal returns will have a huge impact on the success of the Yellow Jackets in 2009-2010. If Lawal does come back, Tech will lose 33% of their point production from last season but if he doesn't return to school, that number jumps up to 54%. A similar story holds true for rebounding where the return of Lawal means Tech only loses 28% of their rebounding if Lawal is back. But if Lawal leaves, that number will pump up to 56%.

Best Case - Tech's young guys perform at a very high level and bully around some of the other ACC teams to a 10-6 record.

Worst Case - Lawal leaves and Favors doesn't live up to their hype. Tech improves on last year, but finishes 5-11 in ACC play.

Testudo Times Prediction: Paul Hewitt might have saved his job by bringing in a top ten recruiting class following last season's horrible 2-14 ACC finish. Even though injuries might have played a role in that final record, the head coach is normally the one who gets the axe, no matter how valid the excuse might be. With their new recruiting class coming in, this will be a very different Tech team. Expect the Yellow Jackets to improve by 7 wins in 2009-2010, finishing with a solid 9-7 ACC record and returning to the NCAA tournament.

Miami

2009 Recruiting Class:

Durand Scott 6' 5" Shooting Guard: 93 grade
Garrius Adams 6' 5" Shooting Guard: 91 grade
Donnavan Kirk 6' 8" Power Forward: 91 grade
Antoine Allen 6' 2" Shooting Guard: 85 grade

Miami will need help next season filling the void left by first team All-ACC guard, Jack McClinton. They've brought in three shooting guards to do the job including Rivals' 33rd rated prospect, Durand Scott

Overall Class Ranking: #24 (ESPN), #19 (Scout)

Players lost to Graduation/NBA/Europe:

Jimmy Graham (F) - Graduation (4 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Lance Hurdle (G) - Graduation (7.3 ppg)
Brian Asbury (F) - Graduation (8 ppg, 5 rpg)
Jack McClinton (G) - Graduation (19.3 ppg)
Dwayne Collins (F) - Undecided to NBA (10.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg)

Miami loses a lot of production from their graduating seniors and could be one of the top production-losing teams if junior Dwayne Collins (depicted dunking on Greg Paulus, but really, who hasn't done that yet?) decides to stay in the NBA, but word on the street says he'll be returning next season. Jack McClinton is Miami's biggest loss going into 2009-2010. The Maryland native was Miami's best player and also one of the best players in the ACC. Even if Collins returns, Miami will still be losing 57% of their three-point production for this upcoming season and 52% of their overall scoring from last season. Miami will be looking to build on their 7-9 ACC (19-13 overall) record from last season, but may find that task difficult.

Best Case: Collins returns and shooting guard Durand Scott helps to fill the void left by McClinton. Miami cruises to a 9-7 ACC record (+/- 1 game)

Worst Case: Collins does in fact leave and some of Miami's top 25 recruiting class struggles. Miami finishes with a 6-10 ACC record (+/- 1 game)

Testudo Times Prediction: Miami brings in a strong, top 25 class, but their supporting cast isn't too great, they don't have the home court advantage most ACC schools do, and they lost their best player from last year. Anytime you lose five players, there is an adjustment period. Look for this Hurricane team to be a category 1 storm, enough to cause some trouble, but not strong enough to make you run for higher ground. 7-9 (+/- 1 game) in the ACC and an NIT appearance sounds about right.

North Carolina

2009 Recruiting Class:
John Henson 6' 10" Power Forward: 98 grade
Dexter Strickland 6' 3" Shooting Guard: 95 grade
Leslie McDonald 6' 5" Shooting Guard: 95 grade
David Wear 6' 9" Power Forward: 94 grade
Travis Wear 6' 9" Power Forward: 94 grade

You know when you were younger and your mom made you do some annoying chore? Then, as soon as you got through it, she made you do another one? That's how every ACC coach not named Roy Williams (and maybe Mike Krzyzewski) feels year after year. After losing Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green, the Tarheels bring in a consensus top three class which is highlighted by Rivals' fifth ranked player, athletic power forward, John Henson.

Overall Class Ranking: #2 (ESPN), #3 (Scout)

Players lost to Graduation/NBA/Europe:
Marcus Ginyard (G-F) - Graduation (1.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
Bobby Frasor (G) - Graduation (2.6 ppg, 2 rpg)
Danny Green (G-F) - Graduation (13.1 ppg, 4.7 apg, 1.3 bpg)
J.B. Tanner (G) - Graduation (1.1 ppg)
Jack Wooten (G) - Graduation (0.5 ppg)
Patrick Moody (F) - Graduation (1 ppg)
Mike Copeland (F) - Graduation (0.8 ppg)
Tyler Hansbrough (F) - Graduation (20.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg)
Ty Lawson (G) - NBA (16.6 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3 rpg)
Wayne Ellington (G) - NBA (15.8 ppg, 2.7 apg, 4.9 rpg)

Someone is going to have to explain to me how UNC has so many people on their roster. That's the size of GT's whole team now that they have scholarship reductions. I guess a lot of people want to walk on to UNC to average a point a game. Or does their roster include that JV team they also have? Anyway, UNC has 10 players leaving the team this year, either because of graduation or leaving early for the NBA. UNC is losing 74% of their points scored from last season, 93% of their made three-pointers, 78% of their assists and 56% of their rebounds. That is a whole lot of loss. Fortunately for the Tar Heels, their recruiting class is ranked in the top 3, as forward John Henson will look to fill the big shoes of Tyler Hansbrough. They also return senior forward Deon Thompson, and sophomore bigs Ed Davis (seen right, trying to annoy me by wearing a t-shirt) and Tyler Zeller. The development of Davis and Zeller could go a long way in determining how this Carolina team fares this season. With the departure of so many players, most of UNC's team will be unproven next season, so the Tar Heels could struggle early and could also fade down the stretch.

Best Case: Davis and Zeller ease of the pain of losing Hansbrough and UNC's top three recruiting class excels early. The Tar Heels don't miss a beat after winning it all last season and finish at 12-4 and 2^nd in the ACC.

Worst Case: UNC's new team takes a while to gel and some of the top-billed prospects don't live up to the hype. 9-7 ACC, 2^nd round of NCAA's.

Testudo Times Prediction: One thing you have to give UNC head coach Roy Williams credit for: he's a hell of a recruiter and the guys he recruits are normally slam dunks. But its Roy's in-game coaching that has been his limiting factor in his career. Expect UNC to start struggling a little but come together by midseason. Then expect the team relying so heavily on freshman players not used to the tough competition of the ACC to fade a little in the last few games. 10-6 ACC, 2^nd round of the NCAA tournament.

Virginia

2009 Recruiting Class:
Tristan Spurlock 6' 7" Small Forward: 91 grade
Jontel Evans 5' 11" Point Guard: 87 grade

After Dave Leitao stepped down, new coach Tony Bennett had some significant ground to make up on the recruiting trail. He managed to keep former Leitao commits, Tristan Spurlock (SF) and Jontel Evans (PG), who make up his first Cavaliers recruiting class.

Overall Class Ranking: N/A (ESPN), N/A (Scout)

Players lost to Graduation/NBA/Europe:

Tunji Soroye (C) - Graduation (1.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Mamadi Diane (G-F) - Graduation (6 ppg, 2 rpg)

UVA doesn't lose much this off season and compared to the rest of the ACC; actually, they're losing the least in almost every category we've broken down. The biggest loss they'll suffer this offseason is in blocked shots, where they lose 26% of the shot blocking production from last year. Unfortunately for UVA, what remains on the team is nothing really new from last season and the two recruits coming in aren't exactly superstars. Tony Bennett will have his work cut out with this group and maybe he can catch lightening in a bottle. A lot will also depend on the development of guard Sylven Landesberg (pictured with all his gum-filled smiley goodness). Last year, the freshman led the Wahoos in points, was second in assists, and second in rebounds. Incoming players Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans will provide some nice new blood into the program but the undersized Evans might struggle when he gets to ACC play. This could definitely be a rebuilding year in Charlottesville.

Best Case: Sylven Landesberg establishes himself as an elite ACC guard and new head coach Tony Bennett changes the culture at UVA. The team surprises a lot of people and finishes with an 8-8 ACC record and a NIT appearance or a low seed in the NCAAs.

Worst Case: Same old story from last year, with just a little improvement. 5-11 ACC

Testudo Times Prediction: The Tony Bennett hire will help this team a lot - new system, blood into the program. But can the players Leitao recruited fit into and succeed in Bennett's system? Only time can tell. Expect Landesberg to improve and Spurlock to do well, but not well enough to pull UVA out of another unsuccessful season. 5-11 ACC.

Virginia Tech

2009 Recruiting Class:
Erick Green 6' 3" Point Guard: 88 grade
Cadarian Raines 6' 9" Center: 88 grade
Manny Atkins 6' 6" Small Forward: 87 grade
Ben Boggs 6' 3" Shooting Guard: 87 grade

Seth Greenberg's 2009 class isn't filled with any instant superstars but he does bring in four players all rated above an 87. They'll collectively try to offset the loss of last season's leading scorer, A.D. Vassallo.

Overall Class Rankings: N/A (ESPN), N/A (Scout)

Players lost to Graduation/NBA/Europe:

A.D. Vassallo (G-F) - Graduation (19.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
Cheick Diakite ( C ) - Graduation (3.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg)

Seth Greenberg will try to offset the loss of A.D. Vassallo by bringing in four solid freshmen and hoping that they can fill the void. This recruiting class seems to be typical Greenberg - nothing too flashy, but a group of solid players who are willing to work to get better. Greenberg might be one of the more under-rated coaches in the ACC when it comes to getting the best from his players. Tech does lose 40% of their made three-point attempts from last season, as well as 41% of their blocks, but other than that and losing Vassallo, they won't lose too much. If Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen (seen giving Maryland fans the bird) can step up and be leaders this could be a very good Tech team.

Best Case: Va. Tech builds off last year and rides Delaney and Allen to a surprising 11-5 ACC record (+/- 1 game), with this year's recruiting class tag-teaming to pick up for the production lost by the graduation of leading scorer A.D. Vassallo.

Worst Case: Jeff Allen is more focused on flipping off Terp fans than improving his game and the four incoming players don't adjust fast enough to the learning curve of ACC basketball. The team struggles, especially down the stretch, and limps to a 7-9 ACC record.

Testudo Times Prediction: Greenberg, while he can be obnoxious at times, is a fairly solid coach who gets the best out of what he has. Expect him to do the same this year and will his team to an 8-8 record (+/- 1 game) and sneak in as an NCAA tournament team.

Remember to check back in tomorrow and Thursday for parts II and III.

So, Jeff Allen Flipped Off the Student Section

Ben Broman — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 23:07:46 -0000

Kinda shocked there was no technical foul called. Allen had just fouled out, student section was doing the normal "na na na na, goodbye" thing. Screenshot is after the jump. I figured this wasn't the thing to put on the front page. Click the link below to see.

Quick Look at VT

Ben Broman — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 13:38:41 -0000

In all the hubbub about Lance Stephenson (another post coming today!) there's also a game coming up. Y'know, one that actually features the Maryland basketball team.

This is one of the "must-win" games of the rest of the year. Just like GT, if Maryland loses this, it's over. Though the tourney is still a long shot at best, right now it's still a possibility. That possibility disappears with a loss here.

Virginia Tech tends to rely on 3 guys. Really, their team is made up of three people. That's it. AD Vassallo, a pretty good outside shooter, averages 18 a game. Malcolm Delaney also averages 18 points. Jeff Allen, their big man, averages 14 points. The next highest scorer? Well, that would be Dorenzo Hudson with 3. If Maryland can effectively shut down one of the three, and maybe get one in foul trouble, it should be a win. Maryland's talent may not be great, and Tech is playing very well, but the fact remains it'll by 5 on 3. Vasquez is usually as good as anyone on the floor for VT. Millbourne is if he has a good day. I'd have to imagine that Mosely, Hayes, Bowie, Gregory, Neal, Tucker, and Kim could probably add up to the third guy.

VT is also one of the few teams who doesn't rebound lightyears ahead of Maryland. Maryland's differential is slightly higher, but it's close enough to mean the game will be competitive on the boards.

VT's a great team. Their Big 3 are three great players. Teams that don't defend them well will lose to them. But I still can't fathom that the next highest scorer averages about 3.5 a game. If they can shut down one or two guys, it's an easy win. If not, it could get ugly.