SB Nation - Malcolm Delaney

Early Season All-ACC Team

MRickman84 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:30:14 -0000

More photos » by Ricardo Arduengo - AP

I thought it would be fun to take a look at who is really shining in the ACC so far. And what better way than through a list, right? I'm not going to do second teams right now--I'll save that until a few games into ACC play. But I will give you who I think is on the first team as well as who is the front runner for ROY.

The All-ACC team after the jump...

G- Jon Scheyer

15.8 ppg, 5.3 apg, 3.3 rpg

There are a few good PG in the ACC this year, but Scheyer is the most complete. He manages the game well, barely turns it over and is perfect for Duke's system. He has come a long way since his freshman year where he was compared to J.J. Redick and since his switch the point has been very good for the Blue Devils.

G- Malcolm Delaney

20.9 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.8 rpg

I was tempted to go a number of different directions here. Nolan Smith has been playing really well so far, as has Malcolm Grant and Sylvan Landesberg, but Delaney is the reason Virginia Tech wins basketball games. He has the scorer's mentality that so many ACC guards in the past have had and will only get better as the season wears on.

F- Al-Farouq Aminu

16.44 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 1.6 spg, 2 apg

Homer pick, sure, but Aminu is averaging a double-double and has not even played his best basketball yet. His skillset makes him dangerous against any team and when he starts to play more under control, he will be even more effective. Compared to Kyle Singler, Aminu gets the edge.

F- Gani Lawal

14.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 1.3 bpg, .556 FG%

Lawal is one of the most overlooked players in the ACC. He was very impressive last year and again is doing the same kinds of things. Now that GT is receiving a little more attention, people should start to recognize how good Lawal really is.

C- Deon Thompson

16.9 ppg, 1.2 apg, 8.3 rpg, .53 FG%

I really considered putting Ed Davis here (although he technically plays the 4), but when it comes to UNC, when Deon Thompson goes, the Tar Heels go. They play better when they get Thompson involved early and often and he absolutely needs to get his touches. The guy has really improved his face up game out to about 12-15 feet and with his back to the hoop he is always a threat to score.

ROY- Derrick Favors

We knew he was good coming in, but wow. He is still a bit shaky at times and makes the typical rookie mistakes, but 68% from the floor? That's insane for a guy averaging over double digits per game. I also looked at C.J. Harris (13.1 ppg, 1.6 apg, 1.7 rpg, .524 3PT%), who has really come on strong so far, as well as Andre Dawkins, who has really given Duke a lift off the bench with his electriic shooting. Favors' rookie contemporary Mfon Udofia has been very good as well, averaging 13 ppg, 3.3 apg and 3.1 rpg

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: 12.2

MRickman84 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:36:20 -0000

It was a rocky start to the Challenge with the ACC going 0-3 with the UVA, State and Wake losses, but the conference bounced back a bit in the second slate of games. Today will decide whether the ACC will win its 11th straight ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

NC State 53, Northwestern 65

So what was going on in this game? Two starters for State--Scott Wood and C.J. Williams--both had 0 points in a combined Tossed in with Javi Gonzalez's performance, those three starters combined for 3-21 shooting. Tracy Smith had an inspired game with 23, but Michael Thompsons's 22 points and Northwestern's 49% shooting (43% from 3) were enough to give the Wildcats the W.

Wake Forest 58, Purdue 69

We all know how this turned out. Nothing to see here. Turnovers, Purdue making 14 more FTs and the Boilermakers taking 12 more shots than the Deacs really told the story. E'Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson and Robbie Hummel combined for 54 points in the win.

Maryland 80, Indiana 68

This one was close for a long time, but the Terps pulled away in the last 5 minutes. Greivis Vasquez continued his poor shooting, going 4-14. He's gotta figure this out and fast, although he had 23, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. 13 of his 14 pionts came off FTs. Vasquez's shooting has obviously suffered, but he is becoming a better point guard overall and is making better decisions (1.83 A:TO). Milbourne had 19 and 7, while Eric hayes added 14. Indiana did not shoot well at all, but Maurice Cheek led Indiana with 19 points in the loss.

UNC 89, Michigan State 82

In a rematch of last year's National Championship game, the Tarheels absolutely blitzed Michigan State in the first half, shooting lights out and looking unstoppable. The Spartans settled down in the second half, cutting the lead down, but in the track meet, UNC just had too much firepower. Ed Davis had a career game with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Larry Drew looked really strong, adding 18 points and 6 assists. UNC shot 58% while Michigan State shot 2-20 from beyond the arc.

Virginia Tech 70, Iowa 64

Props to Iowa for hanging tough in this game. Iowa is not a very good basketball team at all, but they played inspired basketball yesterday. It didn't help the Hokies' cause that they shot 4-15 from deep, but they committed only four turnovers and looked under control the whole game. Malcolm Delaney had 18 points and 5 assists. I don't know what to make of this VT team, but 5-1 with a loss against Temple doesn't look terrible. Let's see how they look in the rest of their non-conference schedule.

Around the ACC: 11.24.09

MRickman84 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:49:13 -0000

by Brennan Linsley - AP

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How about that Purdue-Tennessee game? Those two teams looked like top ten teams, and it was definitely a physical game to say the least. I'm excited to go more into Purdue's team as we look forward to next week's showdown in West Lafayette. As to the ACC, teams went 4-1 with the only loss being BC at the hands of Northern Iowa.

Boston College 69, Northern Iowa 81
UNI got a spectacular game from Kwadzo Ahelegbe, who was 14-17 from the floor, scoring 32 and adding 4 assists and 2 rebounds. Any time a guy goes 14-17 it's usually a combination of poor defense and the player just straight balling. UNI shot 65% as a team and 5-9 from deep. They also had just 5 turnovers on the day. That's usually a recipe for success. Corey Raji led BC with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Josh Southern and Joe Trapani added a combined 23 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

Virginia Tech 71, Campbell 60
The Fighting Camels sure lived up to their name yesterday. Virginia Tech usually has a couple games like this (3 point win over Gardner-Webb last year, loss to Seton Hall), so it was good to see them get back under control and finish the game. J.T. Thompson set a career high with 17 points, while Malcolm Delaney added 15 on just 3-13 shooting.

UNC 93, Gardner-Webb 72
This game was a lot closer than the final score indicated. Gardner-Webb really hung in there. And once again, it was a combination of poor defense and turnovers that were stinging the Heels. Gardner-Webb hit 15 of 36 threes on the day, but a lot of those misses came near the end of the game when they were in desperation mode.

Deon Thompson is quickly becoming an All-ACC candidate and had another big night--22 and 10 on 9-10 shooting. Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis combined for 31 points and 18 rebounds, while highly-touted freshman John Henson continued to struggle with his production (Just 2 points on 1-3 shooting in 13 minutes).

Clemson 102, Winthrop 66
Now Clemson is doing it right so far. They are winning by an average of 35 points in their 4 wins. They're playing cupcakes like a lot of other teams, but they are just straight dusting people. Clemson had 6 players in double figures--Jerai Grant, David Potter, Tanner Smith, Andre Young, Noel Johnson and Trevor Booker--and 10 players played double-digit minutes. This is the way to see what you have on your bench and keep your starters fresh.

Maryland 79, Chaminade 51
Maryland looked shaky early on and it could be a combination of the trip to Hawaii or the fact that Chaminade really tries to get up for these games, but the Terrapins were able to take the lead with 7 minutes left in the first half and run with it. Sean Mosley led all scorers with 19 points and had 8 rebounds. Greivis Vasquez continues to struggle with his shot (2-7), as he is just 28.6% in the early goings.

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.

BtB 2009-10 ACC Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:00:28 -0000

North Carolina claimed the conference's 11th national title last season, but thanks to major personnel losses, they'll be hard pressed to repeat. The Tar Heels aren't alone, as the overwhelming majority of teams in the ACC lost at least one key player during the offseason. Not only will Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, Tyler Hansbrough, and Ty Lawson not be in the league next year; players like Alade Aminu, Brandon Costner, Toney Douglas, Gerald Henderson, James Johnson, Jack McClinton, Terrence Oglesby, Greg Paulus. K.C. Rivers, Jeff Teague, and A.D. Vassallo will be missing as well. But as is traditional, plenty of high-profile recruits have signed on with the league's 12 teams--with Derrick Favors, John Henson, Ryan Kelly, Mason Plumley, Durand Scott, and Michael Snaer the most prominent newcomers.

These freshmen will join several returning stars who have already shown brightly in the ACC universe, like Al-Faroq Aminu, Trevor Booker, Ed Davis, Malcolm Delaney, Gani Lawal, Sylven Landesberg, Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Greivis Vasquez. Those are the type of impact players who can keep the league at the forefront of the national conversation for yet another season.

The big question is whether one of the teams can get the old and new to mix well enough to claim the conference's 12th crown in Indianapolis in April. More on the 12 contenders after the jump.

Here's a recap of last year's ACC standings.

Atlantic Coast Conference Standings

(updated 4.7.2009 at 12:22 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
North Carolina Tar Heels	13	3	34	4
Duke Blue Devils	11	5	30	7
Wake Forest Demon Deacons	11	5	24	7
Florida St. Seminoles	10	6	25	10
Clemson Tigers	9	7	23	9
Boston College Eagles	9	7	22	12
Maryland Terrapins	7	9	21	14
Miami Hurricanes	7	9	19	13
Virginia Tech Hokies	7	9	19	15
N.C. State Wolfpack	6	10	16	14
Virginia Cavaliers	4	12	10	18
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	2	14	12	19

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a team's name appears in red, click the link to visit that school's SB Nation site, where you'll find complete coverage and analysis throughout the season.

NC State (last NCAA: 2006) The Wolfpack could be in for a very long season, as the top three scorers are gone from a team that won only 6 ACC games last season. 6-8 junior F Tracy Smith (10 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is Sidney Lowe's leading returning scorer, and the coach has to settle on a point guard with Javier Gonzalez (6.6 ppg, 3.3 apg), Farnold Degand (4.7 ppg, 2.4 apg), and Julius Mays (4.7 ppg, 1.9 apg) all options. 6-9 senior Dennis Horner (6.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) joins Smith in the frontcourt, but three freshmen--6-7 Richard Howell, 6-9 DeShawn Painter, and 7-0 Australian Jordan Vandenberg--will see significant minutes. Another newcomer, 6-6 Scott Wood, will get time as a swingman. NC State's schedule includes a home game with Georgia State in the Glenn Wilkes Classic, followed by games with Akron, Austin Peay, and Auburn in Daytona Beach. They face Northwestern in the ACC/BIg Ten Challenge; visit Marquette; and face Arizona and Florida in Raleigh.

Miami (last NCAA: 2008) PG Jack McClinton graduated after a season that ended with a loss to Florida in the second round of the NIT. It was a disappointing end to a year that started with high expectations. Now, McClinton's replacement, Villanova transfer Malcolm Grant, walks into a situation where he'll be the floor general for a team with few hopes. Frank Haith's squad got a major boost when 6-8 senior F Dwayne Collins (10.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg) decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft. That decision really helped the Canes' frontcourt, as 6-9 senior Cyrus McGowan (4.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and 6-7 senior Adrian Thomas (5.1 ppg, 2.3 ppg) would have been the most experienced players on the unit. 6-9 redshirt freshman Reggie Johnson will see action this season, as will several backcourt newcomers. 6-6 Garrius Adams, 6-1 Antoine Allen, and 6-5 Durand Scott--one of the top SG prospects--in the country will be called into immediate action to support Grant and 6-4 senior James Dews (8.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg). The Canes will take on Tulane in their first game at the Charleston Classic, then face either UNC Wilmington or NIT champ Penn State. They also host Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and visit Pepperdine.

Virginia (last NCAA: 2007) Tony Bennett was the surprise choice to replace Dave Leitao as head coach during the offseason. Now, while Bennett's arrival won't improve an offense that rated 11th in the league last season, the defense should improve (and it won't be hard as UVa rated 12th in scoring D in the ACC). That should result in more wins for a team that has talent. 6-6 sophomore Sylven Landesberg was a worthy replacement for Sean Singletary, as he averaged 16.6 points, 6 boards, and 2.8 assists a game during his freshman year. 6-8 Mike Scott is a frontcourt talent, but he needs to be more assertive. If he can do that, he'll improve on his already decent numbers of 10.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg. Virginia fans are hoping Bennett is working closely with his guards, as 6-2 Calvin Baker (8.4 ppg, 2.8 apg) and 6-0 Sammy Zeglinski (7.8 ppg, 3 apg) are just about as adept at passing the ball to the other team as they are to feeding teammates. (Both averaged 2.5 TO per game last season.) 5-11 freshman Jontel Evans is ready to take over the point if they don't improve. 6-8 freshman F Tristan Spurlock provides the Cavaliers with a legit inside/outside threat, so he'll see time right off the bat as well. The Cavaliers will be tested in the Cancun Challenge, and not only in the games in Mexico against Stanford, then Kentucky or Cleveland State. They face two difficult opponents, Rider and Oral Roberts, in Charlottesville before they head to the Caribbean.

Virginia Tech (last NCAA: 2007) Seth Greenberg has a major hole to fill, thanks to the graduation of A.D. Vassallo, but the Hokies' roster still features a lot of talent. 6-3 junior PG Malcolm Delaney becomes the face of the program, and he's already one of the best returning players in the league (18.1 ppg, 4 rpg, 4.5 apg). 6-7 FJeff Allen (13.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg) could fill the same role in the frontcourt, if he stays consistent and on his best behavior. 6-6 junior J.T. Thompson (6.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg) should provide more support after struggling through an injury-plagued season, as should 6-8 Victor Davila, who averaged 3.1 points and 2 boards a game in limited action. The Hokies' newcomers will see some time right off the bat--6-4 Erick Green backing up Delaney, 6-4 Ben Boggs at off guard, and 6-7 Manny Atkins in Vassallo's swingman spot. VPI's schedule features games against Delaware and Temple in the Philly Hoop Group Classic; at Iowa in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge; at Penn State; and against Seton Hall in Cancun to kickoff the New Year.

Wake Forest (last NCAA: 2009) The Demon Deacons will be without James Johnson and Jeff Teague, two major losses for a team that faded after a brief stay atop the polls. Even without Johnson, Dino Gaudio's frontcourt is a talented one, thanks to the presence of 6-9 sophomore Al-Faroq Aminu (12.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg). 7-foot senior C Chris McFarland (8.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg) could be more of a factor if he can play more consistently and stay off the bench. After those two, the Deacons' other bigs have a lot of room to improve. David Weaver, Tony Woods, and Ty Walker only managed to average a combined 6.2 points and 6.2 boards a game last season. 6-7 freshman Ari Stewart could see a lot of the minutes Johnson played in '08-09. In the backcourt, Teague's scoring punch will be missed. 6-0 PG Ishmael Smith (6.2 ppg, 3.4 apg) is a good passer, but lacks an outside shot, while 6-4 L.D. Williams (8 ppg) is more of a factor on the defensive end. 6-4 JC transfer Konner Tucker, who committed to Kentucky out of high school, will play shooting guard. Wake's schedule isn't overwhelming. They take on Purdue in the ACC/BIg Ten Challenge, visit Gonzaga, and host A-10 powers Dayton and Xavier around the New Year.

Boston College (last NCAA: 2009) Al Skinner's squad should be OK this year as they learn to play without Tyrese Rice, but expect next year to be even better as 6-7 reserve F Tyler Roche is the only senior on the roster. 6-1 junior Biko Paris (3.4, 1.7 apg) will get the first crack at replacing Rice, while 6-5 swingman Rakim Sanders (12.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and 6-3 Reggie Jackson--a 44 percent shooter who only averaged 7 points a game last year--will provide offense from the backcourt. The frontcourt will be pretty good, as 6-8 F Joe Trapani (13.4, 6.6) and 6-6 F Corey Raji (9.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) have shown they can be a force in the ACC, and 6-10 Josh Southern (6.5 ppg while shooting 50.3% from the floor) could be if he's more assertive. The Eagles will face St. Joseph's in their opening game at the Paradise Jam, with a contest against either Purdue or South Dakota State to follow on day 2. The Eagles travel to Providence and Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, while they host UMass and South Carolina.

Clemson (last NCAA: 2009) Three key players from last year's squad are gone--swingman K.C. Rivers, big man Raymond Sykes, and sharpshooter Terrence Oglesby, who left to play professionally in Europe, but the top rebounder and field goal shooter in the league, 6-7 Trevor Booker (15.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg) is back for his senior season. The arrival of his brother Devin, a 6-8 F/C, and 6-9 Milton Jennings, a McDonald's All-American, gives the frontcourt an immediate boost. 6-6 Noel Johnson, a swingman who originally committed to Southern Cal, should prove to be a nice replacement for Rivers. The backcourt could be a bit of a concern for Oliver Purnell; however, as 6-2 junior PG Demontez Stitt (8.7 ppg, 3.8 apg) can be a bit inconsistent. That means 5-9 Andre Young (4.4 ppg, 2.1 apg) could see plenty of time at the 1 spot. Overall, the Tigers will really have to do better from the charity stripe this season, as they ranked 10th in the ACC last season. The Tigers will play in the very tough 76 Classic in Anaheim, where they open with Texas A&M. They also take on Illinois in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and host archrival South Carolina.

Florida State (last NCAA: 2009) The Seminoles' heart and soul of the past few seasons, ACC leading scorer and Defensive Player of the Year Toney Douglas, graduated, as did F Uche Echefu. So that means FSU will be headed back to the NIT, right? Well, thanks to the return of a bunch of key players and one top recruit, don't expect the Noles to fall too far. 7-1 sophomore Solomon Alabi (8.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg), an inside force and the team's leading returning scorer, anchors a frontcourt that also features 6-9 Chris Singleton (8.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg), 6-11 Xavier Gibson (2.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg in 6 mpg), and 6-8 senior Ryan Reid (4.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg). The big issue for FSU's backcourt is finding a replacement for Douglas. 6-4 junior Derwin Kitchen (7.9 ppg, 2.5 apg) could be the answer from a passing and defensive perspective, while 6-5 freshman Michael Snaer--who averaged 28 ppg during a senior year in which he was named California HS player of the year--could replace his scoring. If the returnees kick their scoring up a notch, FSU will be right back in the Dance. The Seminoles will be tested by a schedule that includes the Old Spice Classic--where they should have more of a home advantage than UCF had in 2007. They'll open that tournament with Iona, then face Alabama or Baylor on Day 2. Leonard Hamilton's squad also travels to archrival Florida and faces Ohio State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Maryland (last NCAA: 2009) The equation for the Terrapins is pretty simple. If Greivis Vasquez is healthy and playing well, they'll be pretty good. The 6-6 Venezuelan senior decided to not enter the NBA Draft, and that's a good thing for Gary Williams' side. It not only would have been difficult to replace his 17.5 points, 5.4 boards, and 5 assists per game, but it would have been impossible to replace his heart and spirit. 6-4 Eric Hayes (10.3 ppg, 3.2 apg) and 6-2 drive-first junior Adrian Bowie (9 ppg, 2.5 apg) join Vasquez to form one of the top backcourt units in the league. The frontcourt features 6-7 senior Landon Milbourne (11.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and not much else in the way of experience, especially after Dave Neal's graduation. Freshmen James Padgett (6-8) and Jordan Williams (6-9) will be expected to provide instant interior presence for the Terps. Maryland will play in Maui, where they open with Chaminade before facing either Cincinnati or Vanderbilt on Day 2. They visit Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and Villanova in DC at the BB&T Classic.

Georgia Tech (last NCAA: 2007) While the Yellow Jackets won't have the services of either Alade Aminu inside or Lewis Clinch outside, they will be a bigger threat thanks to the arrival of a true game-changer, 6-10 freshman Derrick Favors. He'll join a frontcourt that retains 6-9 junior Gani Lawal (15.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and 6-8 Zachary Peacock (9.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg). The backcourt could be Paul Hewitt's squad's Achilles heel, however. 6-5 guard Iman Shumpert's (10.6 ppg) assist-to-turnover ratio of 5 to 3.7 was way too high. He may handle the ball less this season, especially since 6-2 Maurice Miller (5.8 ppg, 4.3 apg) and 6-2 freshman Mfon Udofia are both capable point guards. The Yellow Jackets' schedule features some nice matchups, as they face Dayton, then either George Mason or Villanova in the first two days of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Tech also hosts Hewitt's former employer, Siena, and USC.

Duke (last NCAA: 2009) In a rarity for a recent Duke team, Mike Krzyzewski's 2009-10 Blue Devil outfit will be frontcourt-oriented, thanks to the departure of Gerald Henderson, Greg Paulus, and Elliot Williams. While 6-5 Jon Scheyer (14.9 ppg, 2.8 apg) and 6-2 junior Nolan Smith (8.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg) are back, and 6-4 freshman Andre Hawkins enrolled early, the Duke backcourt will be extremely thin. It's so thin that Kyle Singler, a 6-8 junior who averaged 16.5 points and 7.7 rebounds a game in '08-09, will spend a lot of time on the wing this season. The frontcourt is talented, but will lack experience. 7-1 senior C Brian Zoubeck (4.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and 6-8 senior PF Lance Thomas (5.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg) are the key holdovers from last season, but they'll be pushed hard by two 6-10 McDonald's All-Americans, Mason Plumlee (brother of Duke soph Miles) and Ryan Kelly. They're two players who will cause major matchup problems for opponents, as they love to get out and play on the perimeter on offense. If the new guys live up to the hype, it could be a big year in Durham. Duke's schedule includes the NIT Season Tip-Off. They'll take on Coastal Carolina in their first game, then face either Charlotte or Elon with a ticket to New York on the line. The Blue Devils will play at Wisconsin in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, face Gonzaga in New York, Iowa State in Chicago, and Tulsa in a rare late February non-conference tilt.

North Carolina (last NCAA: 2009) This pick relies on a lot of "ifs." Considering that Roy Williams lost an average of 66.2 ppg when Wayne Ellington, Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, and Ty Lawson left Chapel Hill, it won't be easy for the Tar Heels to repeat as NCAA Champion. It will even be tough for them to retain the ACC title. That being said, between the returnees--led by 6-8 senior Deon Thompson (10.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and 6-10 Ed Davis (6.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, but bound to do better when playing more minutes)--and a sterling group of newcomers, the Heels should be able to keep making national noise. Davis and Thompson will be joined in the frontcourt by 6-10 frosh John Henson, who does a lot of everything well. The biggest knock on him is his weight (195 lbs.), but that won't stop him from being a force at this level. 6-5 swingman Marcus Ginyard was out for all but three games last year with an injury, while 6-6 G/F Will Graves (4 ppg, 2.6 rpg) is also back after missing time last season for disciplinary reasons. Freshmen Leslie McDonald (6-4) and Dexter Strickland (6-3) will also see plenty of action in their first season. The revamped Tar Heels will get their first test against in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, with a game against Ohio State to start, then one with California or Syracuse to follow the next night. They also host Nevada and Texas; face a rematch with Michigan State (in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge); and visit Kentucky.

The Tar Heels are my pick to repeat in the ACC, though they'll have a more difficult time this season with a younger roster. They'll hold the league's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Check in then to see which other ACC squads I think have the best chance to go dancing in March.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-ACC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-ACC Team

Player of the Year: Greivis Vasquez, 6-6 G, Sr. (Maryland)

Remainder of the Team
Trevor Booker, 6-7 F, Sr. (Clemson)
Ed Davis, 6-10 F, So. (North Carolina)
Malcolm Delaney, 6-3 G, Jr. (Virginia Tech)
Kyle Singler, 6-8 F, Jr. (Duke)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the ACC this season?

Boston College

9 votes

Clemson

1 votes

Duke

35 votes

Florida State

1 votes

Georgia Tech

3 votes

Maryland

37 votes

Miami

0 votes

North Carolina

22 votes

NC State

2 votes

Virginia

1 votes

Virginia Tech

1 votes

Wake Forest

3 votes

115 votes | Poll has closed

Thoughts on the ACC Media Poll

T.H. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:26:33 -0000

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I really expected Duke to run away with the top spot.

Don't get me wrong, I was also expecting the Blue Devils to fail to live up to preseason expectations, but I still expected those expectations to be high. They only lost Henderson, Paulus and last year's potential savior at the point Elliot Williams. Carolina lost four starters and return only two upperclassmen with significant playing time. Folks have been raving about Krzyzewski's incoming class like it was the second coming of, well, every other Duke recruiting class, regardless how many players turn into Brian Zoubek once they hit Cameron Indoor. I expected a full-on adoration of Duke to start the season.

But no, they end up tied for first with UNC, as more and more people return to the Carolina bandwagon, sometimes to a ridiculous degree. (No one should be considering a championship repeat until the five freshmen jockeying for playing time get half an ACC slate under their belt. There are five freshman, and to expect a repeat of 2006's performance is slightly premature at this stage.) What's worrisome to me is that no other ACC team grabbed the fancy of the press. This season has a the makings of being a relatively down year for both UNC and Duke, and the perfect opportunity for a logjam at the top of the standings not unlike 2007. But very few people are wiling to go that far. Hell, Georgia Tech has miracle freshmen coming in, too. Give them some love.

Also, Virginia Tech is vastly underrated at 8th. Seth Greenberg's returning four starters, and has only overachieved with his level of talent for the Hokies. Putting Malcolm Delaney on the first team all-ACC may, paradoxically, be a bit of a stretch.

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.

N&O Summer Hoops Preview: NC State

Akula Wolf — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:45:55 -0000

Today, the N&O's summer hoops preview covered NC State:

Tracy Smith. One of the biggest mistakes media-types make in projections is we forget to factor in improvement. For example (and bear with the UNC reference, State fans), but Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington were miles better as juniors than they were as sophomores.

Players get older, they get more experience, they learn and they get better. We lose sight of that in college basketball because there are so many prospects that leave after one or two years or we downgrade the ones that stick around because of some bizarro NBA-potential stigma.

The point of that preamble is Tracy Smith is going to be a mile better as a junior. The power forward went from averaging 3.3 points as a freshman to 10.0 last year. In his third season, don't be surprised if Smith's numbers jump another seven points.

He's a no-nonsense player around the basket and he understands how to score points, either by attacking the rim or getting to the foul line (his 123 free-throw attempts were second on the team despite only starting 12 times and playing an average of 18.2 minutes per game.)

It's also important not to mistake an increase in playing time for improvement. Which is not to say that Tracy didn't improve from his freshman to sophomore year--he did--but rather that the improvement in raw per-game figures (from 3 PPG to 10 PPG) is more an indicator of increased PT. Smith was effective in the few minutes he got as a freshman, and his per-minute scoring production in conference play was roughly the same that year (18.1) as it was in 2009 (19.6). The big difference was minutes. If he gets 30 minutes a night this season, he'll probably end up averaging around 15 PPG, though 17 PPG is every bit as possible as JP suggests.

If he really is a mile better as a junior--if he's added a respectable mid-range game and refined his low-block repertoire--well, look out.

Here's a list of returning ACC players who took 24% or more of their team's shots and played at least 40% of the time in conference play last season (i.e., returning go-to types):

Greivis Vasquez
Malcolm Delaney
Kyle Singler
Rakim Sanders
Joe Trapani
Tracy Smith
Sylven Landesberg
Jeff Jones

Among those, only Delaney and Sanders had higher offensive ratings than Smith, and only Sanders had a better effective field goal percentage. I doubt the Macrowave will be in the pre-season first team All-ACC discussion. But he should be.

Sidenote: That both Sanders and Trapani are on the above list is evidence that Boston College will get along okay without Tyrese Rice. Those two guys proved last season that they could contribute efficiently despite moderate-to-heavy workloads. They certainly benefitted from having Rice there to draw the defense's attention and create for them, but I expect they'll adjust fine in his absense.

Moving on:

State ranked last in the ACC in steals and blocks. They have to create more turnovers to create more easy points to take the pressure off the point guards and the halfcourt offense.

Yep. I feel like I've been harping on this forever, so rather than going down that well-worn path again, I'll summarize. Forcing turnovers is critical for this team because: 1) the defense needs to compensate for a turnover-prone offense and lessen the negative turnover margin that's become an annual tradition, 2) our FG% defense stinks, and 3) our defensive rebounding stinks.

Worse, for the first time in probably 6-7 years, we can no longer reasonably expect the Pack to be among the league's best shooting teams. It's been an impressive, underappreciated run, one that's spanned two regimes. From 2005-2009, State finished 3rd, 1st, 1st, 4th, and 1st in eFG% in conference play. Since 2002, State's lowest full-season eFG% is 51.7. Not that you'd suspect we've been that good, because why aren't we going faster, and hey what's with all these threes, and WHY AREN'T WE GOING FASTER????

So the offense could be--and probably will be, at least at the beginning of the year--much worse. If it's business as usual defensively... hello disaster.