SB Nation - Iman Shumpert

Individual Stats Now Available

Akula Wolf — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:42:34 -0000

Here. W-L projections are out as well: 19-12, 6-10. Sounds about right at this point.

-- With Tracy Smith taking such a huge chunk of the shots, the leftovers are being distributed pretty evenly throughout the rest of the lineup. Everybody else getting significant minutes is taking between 15%-22% of the shots. In that regard, they're a little like this team.

-- Javi's assist rate ranks fourth nationally and is tops among power conference players.

Elsewhere:

-- Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, Ty Zeller...not a bad frontcourt. Will Graves should probably shoot less often.

-- Four ACC schools rank in the top ten in effective height. Ugh.

-- At least Ish Smith isn't turning the ball over quite as often.

-- Clemson needs a hero and the person for that job, clearly, is Ray Dungeon.

-- Tough start for Greivis Vasquez.

-- Iman Shumpert is still killing possessions with great frequency, but Georgia Tech's heralded freshman class is panning out well and their offense is vastly improved. If they can find a way to cut down on the turnovers...

-- Andre Dawkins holy crap.

-- Look at all those ugly turnover rates. Scoring points in the paint against FSU has been virtually impossible, and it looks like they're following the same win-ugly-with-defense model they did last season.

-- Note the number of possessions in the VMI/Seton Hall game, which ended in regulation. Who do I have to bribe to get VMI on the schedule? Or at least on TV? That system of theirs is epically self-defeating (just look at their FG% D) but so much fun.

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.

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

Preseason Q&A with CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish

SFBE.NF — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:01:03 -0000

While relevant college basketball games don't tip off for another month, the sport will open for business this Friday! To celebrate, err... observe this exciting day, we thought it would be shrewd of us to bring in some real college basketball writers on here to shower us with words that carry much more weight than a couple of twentysomething bloggers.

On this humpday, we have Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. Gary doesn't hold back on Dunkgate, which he lit the fuse for during the Lebron Skills Academy, and offers some thoughts on how Duke can return to being a perennial national title contender.

1. Just what happened at the Lebron Skills Academy? And do you think the media attention it got (which was essentially spurred by yourself) was too excessive? The attention was surprising, sure. I remember filing the blog, then hitting the hotel lobby in Cleveland for drinks with a few writers and coaches, and I just thought it was a nice little story that would get some attention on Deadspin and The Big Lead, and that's about it. Nothing huge. But the story was already all over the place by the time I woke-up the next morning, and then it just kept getting bigger, and Nike didn't do itself any favors by lying about some bullshit policy against filming pick-up games that didn't actually exist.

The whole thing was wild.

It was the perfect storm of a controversy involving LeBron (who, remember, was coming off the handshake snub in the Eastern Conference finals) and Nike, and it happened in a week where there wasn't much else going on. Before I knew it, Conan O'Brien was making jokes about it, and it really was a neat experience. Not for LeBron or Nike, of course. But for me, it was fun. And if it prevents Nike from bullying another young reporter down the road, well, that's good, too. How a company so smart could make such a stupid mistake -- i.e., damage LeBron's image while actually trying to protect it -- is beyond me. But in truth, it wasn't LeBron or Nike as much as it was a Nike official named Lynn Merritt. That guy has a reputation for being a clown, and he lived up to that reputation that week by producing a lot of negative PR for LeBron and Nike. I'm surprised he still has a job. Nike has removed people for less.

2. Does the NCAA need to address the fact that Europe is becoming more and more of a threat in luring our prep stars? It's not an NCAA issue as much as it's an NBA issue. In other words, the reason some prospects are looking at Europe is because they can't look at the NBA due to the NBA's age limit. It's got nothing to do with college, really. But either way, I don't think it'll hurt college basketball too much. We had great college basketball when the LeBrons and Kobes were skipping college, and college basketball can be great without Brandon Jennings, too. In fact, given a choice, I'd rather have no age limit than an age limit that forces players to college who have no real interest in being there. Eventually, I think we'll head back that direction. And I think it'll be sooner rather than later.

3. There seems to still be a gray area as to what defines a "mid-major." In the hierarchy of college basketball, at what program do you draw the line? Seems silly to me that Gonzaga or Xavier can be called a mid-major because they play in the WCC and Atlantic 10 while Colorado and Northwestern are called high-majors because they play in the Big 12 and Big Ten. Nobody would dispute that Gonzaga and Xavier are the better programs, and discounting them with the mid-major label is stupid.

That's why I never use the term "mid-major." It's a term that can't be defined. Thus, it's useless.

Instead, I use BCS and non-BCS because nobody can argue what that means. It mostly serves the same purpose while avoiding the debate about what's a mid-major, and I find the terms to be cleaner and less of a slap in the face. Creighton can be pissed if you call it a mid-major because it doesn't operate like a so-called mid-major. But if you describe Creighton as a school without a BCS-affiliation, well, there is no disputing that. And, again, that's typically what people mean by mid-major, anyway. So I just find it simpler to change the term and highlight the exceptions when need be.

4. Is Duke fading as one of those perennially feared teams? Does Coach K need to modify his recruiting tactics? If by "modify his recruiting tactics" you mean "start recruiting more talented players," then, yes, I think you're absolutely correct. At Duke, they've probably focused too much on character and tried to get the best kids who are also good or great at basketball, which is fine. But that approach has clearly caught up to them, because the best kids in terms of character and academics aren't always better than the not-so-perfect kids enrolling elsewhere. The recruiting approach has to change, and I think it is already, honestly. Duke conducted an 'Elite Camp' for the first time this summer. That's a sign that Coach K is starting to realize that the world is changing, and that he'd better start operating a little more like Bill Self and John Calipari if he wants to compete with Bill Self and John Calipari. He's adjusting, and I think you'll see him win another national title because of it, in time.

5. Your premature surprise team of the season is ... Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have a great roster. It could be a big year for them with a core of Iman Shumpert, Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal. Those are three pros. If we look up in February and Georgia Tech is leading the ACC, I won't be shocked at all.

6. Your premature Final Four picks are ... Kansas, Kentucky, Texas and Michigan State. If you want a wildcard, how about West Virginia?

7. Because of the name of our blog, we ask all journalists who come on here and give us the time of day to name their favorite forgotten college basketball player. Name a few of your favorites who never established themselves at the next level. Well, I grew up in Memphis, so I was a Keith Lee guy. So I'll start with Keith Lee. Also, Keith 'Mister' Jennings. I loved Mister Jennings from East Tennessee State. And I remember really enjoying watching an Arkansas guard named Alex Dillard who could shoot from the Hog's nose on the court. Loved that guy. Nothing like watching a guy pull from 30 for no reason.

8. Finish this sentence: I like using twitter because ... it's another way for me to push my columns, blogs and thoughts in general on people who seem to care about them, for whatever reason. It's just a vessel to deliver my work, and I'm happy to do it for those who care enough to follow me.

ACC Tournament: GT vs FSU Recap

MRickman84 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:01:08 -0000

After a fantasic, albeit controversial, finish to the first game of the day, it was no surprise that the second quarterfinal between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Florida State Seminoles went down to the wire.

In a game that was a slugfest from the get-go, the officials opted to let both teams play. Florida State shot just six free throws on the day and both teams combined for only two more free throws than UNC shot in their game earlier today.

The game was close the whole game, with Florida State leading by as much as 10, but every time they went on a run, Georgia Tech answered right back, meaning that both the Tech fans and the remaining Carolina fans in the building were cheering loud. With just under 30 seconds remaining, Zach Peacock put GT up one on a gutsy shot over his defender, just his second basket of the game.

Florida State seemed to panic a bit and got it to Toney Douglas in the corner who was trapped, but he wisely called timeout allowing Head Coach Leonard Hamilton to draw up a play.

That play went away from Douglas, who GT keyed on, and to Derwin Kitchin, who curled around a screen and took it right to the rack for a score and one, putting FSU back up two.

Iman Shumpert took the ball with seven seconds left and got a great look at the hoop but it rattled off the back iron and out and as he collapsed to the floor, Florida State celebrated.

Lewis Clinch was red hot the last month of the season and, after scoring 32 in the win against Clemson, followed that up by putting up 25 points today. The real ACC Player of the Year, Douglas, went 11-16 from the floor and matched Clinch with 25 of his own.

Freshman Solomon Alabi had 14 points on 7-10 shooting and pulled down six big rebounds. On the other side, Gani Lawal had 11 and seven and Iman Shumpert had 11, five rebounds, two assists and four steals.

The 'Noles certainly earned the right to play UNC tomorrow, who might be without Ty Lawson again as Roy Williams mentioned that he is feeling better but still is uncertain. A Lawsonless Heels team might be challenged by FSU, who slows the tempo down to begin with and provides a lot of size and matchup problems for UNC. It should be a heck of a semi-final.

ACC Tournament: Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Recap

MRickman84 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:57:56 -0000

Georgia Tech and Head Coach Paul Hewitt, who had won only three games in all of 2009, knew that the ACC Tournament is a welcome fresh start. Using that logic and the magic that Georgia teams have seemed to have in the Georgia Dome the last two years, the Yellow Jackets were able to blitz the Clemson Tigers by a final score of 86-81.

Behind a career-high 32 points from Lewis Clinch, and a maskless Maurice Miller, who provided eight assists, the Yellow Jackets used solid defense and effectively broke the Clemson press to give the 12 seed in the ACC tournament their third win against the five seed in the last four seasons. TO, fresh off his contract signing with the Buffalo Bills, was in attendance and was just munching on some popcorn during the game.

Georgia Tech did an incredible job down low, with 42 points in the paint and 22 second chance points, but set the tone with 33 fast break points--showing just how much of a double-edged sword Clemson's press has been all year. When it works, it works well, but when teams break it consistently, the defense has no time to get set and guys can get free for uncontested look, something that Gani Lawa used time and again on his way to 20 points for the game.

I've said it all year, but it bears repeating: Georgia Tech is not a bad basketball team. Lawal, Clinch, Zach Peacock, Iman Shumpert, Miller and Alade Aminu are all good ACC players. I joked with Dan Collins after the game and he said that this year's Tech team just might be the best two win ACC team ever.

The game came down to the wire, as Clemson caught fire from deep near the end, paced by Terrence Oglesby who was just launching it near the end of the game. He finished with 11 points, as did K.C. Rivers, Demontez Stitt and Raymond Sykes. Trevor Booker finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. Clemson, who backed into the tournament after losing four of their last five conference games, continued their woes, and has seen their NCAA seeding plummet in the last two weeks. It will be interesting to see what their seed ends up being and whether or not they can bounce back come next week.

For Georgia Tech, their next foe is Florida State, who they match up well against, and hey, in the ACC Tournament, anything can happen, especially in the Georgia Dome.

I'll be back to talk about tonight's games, but leave your impressions about the first half of Thursday's action below.

Wake Forest avenges loss to Georgia Tech

WakeJake — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:36:21 -0000

Wake Forest got off to a hot start and survived an early second half rally to top the Yellow Jackets 87 to 69 Wednesday night in Winston-Salem...

James Johnson was able to get the Deacs off to a great start, taking the tip and slamming it home to make an early statement. He finished with a very efficient and team high 24 points (10-12 shooting) and 11 rebounds. Wake doubled up Georgia Tech at one point in the first half 40-20, but the hot outside shooting of Lewis Clinch and Iman Shumpert brought the Rambling Wreck back to within 11 by halftime.

Tech continued to cut into the lead after the half, getting to within five before Ishmael Smith came off the bench to give Wake a huge lift. Smith's penetration and dishes to Johnson on consecutive plays got the Deacons rolling again and allowed them to create a comfortable margin by the seven minute mark. After the game, we were able to catch up with starting guard LD Williams regarding the play of Ish Smith.

"For Ish to be able to come off the bench and give the spark like that, he was obviously the difference maker in the game," Williams said. "He hit a big three in the second half and had a lot of assists today. He really opened up the floor for us tonight and allowed us to execute the offense. He can really push the ball with the best of them, that's what he does." Smith finished the game with 11 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals for the Demon Deacons.

An additional factor that allowed Wake to get out to an early lead was the play of another bench player, Gary Clark. Clark nailed three three-pointers in the first half to trigger Wake's offensive onslaught. He finished with nine points on three of five shooting in 15 minutes of action.

Georgia Tech got a solid performance from Lewis Clinch, who finished with 24 points on 9 of 22 shooting, including 6 of 13 from behind the arc. However, their early difficulties on the offensive end were just too much to overcome despite showing plenty of heart during their big comeback. It would have been easy for a 1-10 team in conference to fold after being down big on the road, but they were able to battle back and make it interesting in the second half.

Other notable performances include Jeff Teague and Al-Farouq Aminu, who finished with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Gani Lawal and Iman Shumpert added 13 and 14 for the Jackets.

Next, the Deacons look forward to yet another Sunday night showdown, as they travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on the Duke Blue Devils. Georgia Tech also returns to action Sunday and will be hosting the nationally-ranked Clemson Tigers.

Player of the Game- Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech

MRickman84 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:43:41 -0000

The Deacs got their payback against the Yellow Jackets at home. Lewis Clinch led Georgia Tech with 24 points, five assists and six rebounds but was hindered by six turnovers. Iman Shumpert added 14 points, four assists and three steals. The Deacs got out to a quick lead, but almost gave it away in the second half as GT cut the lead to five at one point. In the end though, the Deacs stretched out the lead again behind some great plays by Ish Smith and James Johnson and some key rebounds from Tony Woods and move to 20-4 (7-4 ACC).

Poll

With the Deacs winning 87-69, who is the player of the game?

James Johnson (24 points on 10-12 shooting, 11 rebounds)

37 votes

Jeff Teague (15 points, 3 assists, 4 steals)

0 votes

Ishmael Smith (11 points, 8 assists, 2 steals)

17 votes

Al-Farouq Aminu (14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists)

0 votes

Gary Clark (9 points on 3-5 three-pointers)

5 votes

59 votes | Poll has closed

Wake Forest vs Georgia Tech Matchups

RPhilpott — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:34:21 -0000

Breakdowns to follow:

Backcourt: Jeff Teague/LD Williams vs Maurice Miller/Iman Shumpert/Lewis Clinch: Wake wins a tough category to judge considering Georgia Tech has been using a three guard lineup. Combined GT's 3 guards average 29 points combined, while LD and Teague also combine for exactly 29 ppg. Typically the Yellow Jacket guards struggle with turnovers. Miller with 2.9, Shumpert at 3.8, and Clinch at 2.4. Wake is a team that likes to get steals and run off of them. Both Teague and Williams shoot 50% or higher from the floor. On the other hand Georgia Tech's guards rundown is: Shumpert-40.1%; Clinch-31.6%; Miller-26.4%. Overall, Wake Forest sends out a better combination of guards while Georgia Tech sends out more.

Frontcourt: James Johnson/Al-Farouq Aminu/Chas McFarland vs Gani Lawal/Zachery Peacock: Georgia Tech definitely has a very solid starting front line. Lawal torched Wake Forest for 25/10 last meeting, and averages 15 points and 10 rebounds on the year. Peacock comes in at 10 points and five rebounds per game. Lawal is coming off a tough game against NC State with seven points, three rebounds, and four fouls.

Johnson is also coming off a game where he was stuck in foul trouble. After starting hot, James picked up a few fouls and ended up being stuck on the bench for the majority of the game. Aminu put up 17/5 last game and is averaging 13/8 on the year. Chas had a solid second half and could be putting his season back together after his averages have slipped to 8.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. On the whole, Wake has a better frontline, but Lawal is a player that Wake will have to do a better job of defending this game.

3 PT Shooting: The first push we have given out in our pre-game matchups. Both teams are not good at three-point shooting and don't particularly use it very much. GT is 12^th in the conference in 3 pt percentage and 7^th for 3 pt percentage defense. Wake is 9^th in the conference for 3 pt % but 1^st in 3 pt percent defense. In their three most recent ACC road games Georgia Tech has shot 4/18, 2/15, and 3/14 from deep. Basically, both teams are inept three-point shooters so we couldn't give either team the category.

Free Throws: Last game, Georgia Tech dominated Wake Forest at the free throw line, getting there 30 times and hitting on 23 of their chances. This is an anomaly for Georgia Tech as they average shooting 62.9 percent as a team from the free-throw line. Lawal who was 11-14 is usually a 55 percent free-throw shooter. Wake gets to the free-throw line more often than Georgia Tech in general and shoots more than eight percent better when they get there. For this reason, Wake takes down the category.

Rebounding: Another easy category to decide for the two teams. Wake comes in at 132^nd in offensive rebounding percentage and 86^th in defensive rebounding percentage in the country according to KenPom. The Yellow Jackets are better in both categories at 64^th in offensive rebounding percentage and 62^nd in defensive rebounding percentage. The Demon Deacons did better against Florida State in their last game but on the whole Georgia Tech has been a better rebounding team.

Defense: Wake Forest is coming off a great defensive game against Florida State, holding the Seminoles to 63 points on 38 percent shooting from the floor and a mere 18.2 percent from three. On the year, Wake is still 8^th in the KenPom rankings for defensive efficiency. Georgia Tech is a very solid 34^th in the same category. But unlike Wake, Georgia Tech is coming off an 86 point barrage from NC State on Georgia Tech's home court. Right now, Wake is a better defensive team, but don't count Georgia Tech out because they gave Wake trouble last game.

Depth: Ish Smith is coming off a good game for Wake Forest and seems to be improving. In addition, Tony Woods and David Weaver provide some good size off the bench. The problem for Woods is, if he doesn't get the ball and dunk it immediately, he usually gets called for a travel or a charge. Georgia Tech takes this category primarily because of their ability to bring Alade Aminu who is averaging nearly 12/8.5 on the year after starting much of the year. Storrs is a legit shooting threat off the bench as well shooting 38% from three on the year.

Coach: When it comes down to it, Paul Hewitt can recruit his butt off but isn't all that great of an in-game coach. Wake is playing at home where, just like the players, Dino looks a lot more comfortable. Dino made good adjustments at the half against Florida State which gave Wake a good victory over a ranked opponent.

Intangibles: There are a few main reasons Wake Forest gets this category. 1) Wake is coming off a big win while Georgia Tech is coming off a slew of losses. 2) Wake is at home where they have played much better this season. 3) This is a redemption game for Wake who lost on a last second shot by Georgia Tech last game. Georgia Tech will have a little bit of confidence knowing that they have already beaten them, but the majority of the intangibles swing to the Deacons.

Overall: Georgia Tech has already taken down Wake Forest this year which should be cause for concern for Deacon fans. But Georgia Tech is still 10-14 (1-10). This is a team that Wake Forest should handle at home with the motivation to atone for a loss that had to leave a sour taste in their mouth. Wake is the better team from top to bottom and as long as Dino can motivate them (which shouldn't be a problem), Wake Forest should be able to win this game without any real problem. But all Georgia Tech fans have to say is "That's why they play the games."

Morning--Well, Evening Link Dump 2/2

MRickman84 — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:23:38 -0000

A late start and a busy rest of the day left me a little delayed in getting the links up for today. Aside from the big news of the Xavier-WFU series, today has been a bit quiet, but there are still some news and notes that aren't Super Bowl related.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution article after the loss about the Aminu brothers. A must-read. Also, Aminu was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season.

Winston-Salem Journal article on the Wyndham tournament, nice Haas and Webb mention (Webb finished 65th this weekend after having some trouble on Saturday and Sunday)

Dino inspired a high school team in Crawfordsville, Indiana to a victory with their last second play from the Duke game.

If you've got $40 lying around you could pick up Dino's rebounding video. I'm sure there's some good stuff in there, but I'm thinking the team should study any parts about boxing out on defense. Too many offensive rebounds the last few games.

Dan Collins with a good breakdown of the loss.

The Charlotte Observer has a nice piece on the ACC's NBA draft talent.

Wake now a #2 seed in Lunardi's latest Bracketology.

The tennis team lost a hard battle against Ole Miss on Sunday.

News and Observer with a little write-up on Signing Day.

Would Bob Knight actually come back to coach Georgia?