ACC

Duke Basketball Preview: #8

Joel Welser — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:28:20 -0500

Overall Rank: #8

Conference Rank: #2 Atlantic Coast Conference

2008-09: 30-7, 11-5

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Mike Krzyzewski (760-215 at Duke, 833-274 overall)

Duke continues to do what Duke has been doing lately. They finish in the top two in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beat the teams they should beat and lose a couple times to North Carolina. Then they make a run in the conference tournament before bowing out earlier than Blue Devil fans hope in the NCAA Tournament. Expect more of the same this time around.

Key Losses: G Gerald Henderson, F David McClure, G Greg Paulus, G Elliot Williams

Key Newcomers:

The lack of guards in this recruiting class is painful. Andre Dawkins is not the highly touted recruit one would expect to step foot in Cameron Indoor Stadium and make a huge impact. He will have to play some minutes due to lack of options, but he will not be a game changer as a freshman. Power forwards Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee are the highly touted recruits. Kelly is a big man at 6-10 and 220 pounds, but he also is a superb outside shooter who can stretch out the defense. Plumlee is a skilled player, but he might need some time to add some strength before he can effectively battle under the basket in the ACC.

Backcourt:

Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer are the only two returning guards who will make an impact. Unfortunately, neither are point guards. Smith can try, but he almost committed as many turnovers last year as he did assists. While Smith could turn into a decent scorer and is not a bad defender, he is not a point guard. Neither is Scheyer, but at least he can take care of the ball. Last season Scheyer tallied 14.9 points, 2.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest. He may not be as effective of a scorer with the ball in his hands, but if Smith does not get his act together, Coach Krzyzewski will not have much choice.

Frontcourt:

The strength and depth of this team has moved into the frontcourt. Kyle Singler can finally play at the small forward spot and that leaves Brian Zoubek, Miles Plumlee and Lance Thomas to battle it out with the newcomers for playing time under the basket. Zoubek will be the man in the paint after starting 17 games there last season. The 7-1 senior is a massive presence under the basket and, while his numbers may not reflect it, he is an important player on this team. Miles Plumlee, brother of incoming freshman Mason, will at least add some depth, but it is Thomas who could be in for a surprisingly decent senior season if given the opportunity.

Who to Watch:

Singler is the star of this team after averaging 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists during his sophomore campaign. Singler was forced to spend most of his time at the power forward position last year due to lack of frontcourt options. The exact opposite is true this year and the 6-8 junior could play some shooting guard in a pinch. But no matter where he plays, Singler has proven that he can score and do everything his team needs him to do to win.

Final Projection:

The lack of depth on the perimeter could be a huge problem for the Blue Devils. After Smith and Scheyer, the pickings are slim. Singler is athletic enough to play the two guard spot and this would suddenly turn into a team that is very large, athletic and has a surprising amount of outside shooting. There are not many shooting guards out there that Singler cannot shoot over. But Scheyer and Singler cannot play 40 minutes per game without tired legs in March. This might be a great team on any given day, but they will rely on the outside shot too much and get tired by the end of the year. That means another early NCAA exit for Duke.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Jon Scheyer, Senior, Guard, 14.9 points per game

Nolan Smith, Junior, Guard, 8.4 points per game

Lance Thomas, Senior, Forward, 5.3 points per game

Kyle Singler, Junior, Forward, 16.5 points per game

Brian Zoubek, Senior, Center, 4.1 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

ACC Basketball: 5-Year Ranking

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:23:02 -0500

ACC 5-YEAR STANDINGS

CHN's annual 5-year ranking answers a simple question is in a simple manner: How do ACC teams stack up over the last five years?

Teams get points for league wins, making the postseason (NIT or NCAA) and winning games in the Big Dance. NIT wins are meaningless here, as are non-conference wins. Also, league tournaments wins are not taken into account. (An original trial-scoring system included points for conference tourney wins. But the flukish nature of these tourney's did more harm than hurt: ie, 2008 Georgia, 2006 Syracuse, and 2004 Maryland ended up getting too much credit despite the reality that they were mediocre to sub-par teams.)

100 total points is set up to be the equivalent of batting .300 in baseball.. anything above and beyond is all-world stuff. 50 points is mediocre and you only start to get bad below 40 points.

Pos.	Was	Team	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	Wins	Gms.	Points

1	1	UNC	14	12	11	14	13	64	80	80	Win %
			Champs	NCAA 32	Elite 8	Final 4	Champs			46	Post Pts.
										126

2	2	Duke	11	14	8	13	11	57	80	71	Win %
			Sweet 16	2nd Round	1st Round	2nd Round	Sweet 16			22	Post Pts.
										93

3	3	BC	13	11	10	4	9	47	80	59	Win %
			2nd Round	Sweet 16	2nd Round	X	1st Round			16	Post Pts.
			*Big East							75

4	5	MD	7	8	10	8	7	40	80	50	Win %
			NIT	NIT	2nd Round	NIT	2nd Round			11	Post Pts.
										61

5	7	Wake For.	13	3	5	7	11	39	80	49	Win %
			2nd Round	NIT	X	X	1st Round			7	Post Pts.
										56

6	11	Clemson	5	7	7	10	9	38	80	48	Win %
			NIT	NIT	NIT	1st Round	1st Round			7	Post Pts.
										55

6	8	VA Tech	8	4	10	9	7	38	80	48	Win %
			NIT	X	2nd Round	NIT	NIT			7	Post Pts.
										55

8	10	FSU	4	9	7	7	10	37	80	46	Win %
			X	NIT	NIT	NIT	1st Round			5	Post Pts.
										51

9	6	NC State	7	10	5	4	6	32	80	40	Win %
			Sweet 16	2nd Round	NIT	X	X			11	Post Pts.
										51

10	12	Miami	7	7	4	8	7	33	80	41	Win %
			NIT	NIT	X	2nd Round	NIT			7	Post Pts.
										48

11	9	Virginia	4	7	11	5	4	31	80	39	Win %
			X	NIT	2nd Round	X	X			5	Post Pts.
										44

12	4	GA Tech	8	4	8	7	2	29	80	36	Win %
			2nd Round	X	1st Round	X	X			6	Post Pts.
										42

Was = Last year's rankig

-Ties are broken by favoring conference winning %

ACC Thoughts

- UNC has officially blown past Duke in terms of ACC dominance.

- BC is solidly in 3rd. They're the only other team besides UNC & Duke to have won 9 league games in 3 of the last 4 years.

- Georgia Tech plummets like a stone now that a dismal 2 win season comes onto the books, and their surprising 2004 Finals run comes off.

- Georgia Tech has won the least amount of ACC games over the last 5 years.

- NC State's slow demise continues, and with their 2005 Sweet 16 trip coming off the books this year, they could fall even farther.

Postseason Points

NIT = 1

NCAA 1st Round = 2

NCAA 2nd Round = 4

Sweet = 6

Elite 8 = 8

Final Four = 10

Final = 11

Champs = 12

Other 5-Year Rankings

Poll: Best Conference in 2009-10?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:07:04 -0500

Thursday/Friday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:21:51 -0400

Both football games on the schedule before Saturday seem to have the following theme: conference title contender taking on an opponent that's disappointed to this point in the season. North Carolina (4-3, 0-3 ACC) has been hurt by injuries on the offensive line and in the backfield, resulting in the ACC's second-worst offense. But can T.J. Yates and company challenge #13 Virginia Tech (5-2, 3-1) in Blacksburg? That's been among the toughest things to do in the recent history of college football with the Hokies being a dominant team at home on Thursday nights (9-2 at home on ESPN Thursday nights).

Both teams will rely on the run and backs Shaun Draughn (North Carolina) and Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech) are two of the conference's better rushers, but the freshman Williams is one of the favorites right now to win the ACC Offensive Player of the Year award. The Tar Heels rank second in the conference in rush defense, allowing just over 102 yards per game on the ground. This will be a good matchup of "strength vs. strength", with players such as DE Robert Quinn, LB Bruce Carter and the rest of that UNC front seven attempting to shut down the ACC's leading rusher.

Ultimately the key in this meeting will be the ability of Yates and his young corps of receivers to make plays through the air. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster will look to take advantage of a shuffled UNC offensive line, likely throwing everything but the kitchen sink in his blitz packages at the Tar Heels. Look for big games from DE Jason Worilds and LB Cody Grimm, who seems to always be around the football, in a low-scoring Hokie victory.

As for Friday night, USF (5-2, 1-2 Big East) said all the right things in the preseason (as well as September) about being able to avoid the seemingly annual October swoon. But saying that you're going to avoid something and actually doing it aren't always bedfellows, something that became painfully apparent in their 41-14 whipping at the hands of Pittsburgh last weekend. While it may not be fair to say that the Bulls' season is on the line when #20 West Virginia (6-1, 2-0) visits Tampa that kind of statement wouldn't be far off.

QB B.J. Daniels has completed just 47.5% of his passes in losses to Cincinnati and Pitt and if the pass isn't working then it becomes tougher to find lanes in the run game. The Mountaineers may provide that opportunity, as they gave up some big plays in the passing game to Connecticut in their last contest. But they do have a streak of eleven consecutive games with an interception, and that experienced secondary can punish Daniels for any wayward throws. Despite ranking seventh in the conference in pass defense West Virginia is third in pass efficiency defense.

When West Virginia has the football it will be even more important for the Bulls to keep contain. Noel Devine is one of the nation's best running backs, and he accounted for 178 yards and a touchdown in the 28-24 win over Connecticut. But QB Jarrett Brown is also a threat on the ground, especially if defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul, George Selvie and Craig Marshall get too hellbent on rushing upfield. WR Jock Sanders is also a dangerous option in the passing game and Alric Arnett has been solid as well. It will be interesting to see how safety Nate Allen (12 tackles last week) and the rest of the USF secondary matches up in this area; USF leads the Big East in pass defense.

In regards to who wins this game, all four prior meetings have been decided by no more than eight points with each team winning twice. Is USF of the proper state of mind, or will the Mountaineers add to the misery of losing to all three Big East title contenders in a row? Maybe the Bulls will circle the wagons and come out prepared to play (and win) but the safe pick is West Virginia.

Poll: Who Will Win the ACC?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:59:38 -0400

ACC Preseason Basketball Poll

Press Release — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:54:58 -0400

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Everybody knows that coaches and fans can’t agree on anything. When it comes to predicting the order of finish in ACC men’s basketball, the media can’t seem to get on the same page, either.

For the first time in the 41-year history of preseason voting, there is a tie for No. 1. Duke, chosen first on 25 of 48 ballots cast, and North Carolina, recipient of 20 picks for the top spot, each finished with 545 points. Media members attending the ACC’s Operation Basketball on Sunday event cast the ballots.

While the tie is unprecedented, the selection of the Tar Heels and Blue Devils is far from rare. Either UNC (18 times) or Duke (12) had been chosen first in 30 of the previous 40 years of the informal (and non-binding) survey.

A similar oddity occurred in the voting for Player of the Year. Duke’s Kyle Singler, named on 19 ballots, is the predicted winner of the honor even though two other players outpolled him in the All-ACC selection process. Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez was an all-conference choice on 45 of the 48 ballots and Clemson forward Trevor Booker garnered 44 votes. Singler secured 43 votes for All-ACC but won the Player of the Year voting over Vasquez 19-15.

Booker’s Tigers (409 points) are the choice to finish third in the league standings. They edged Georgia Tech (387) and Maryland (378). Wake Forest (315) took sixth by a single point over Florida State and Virginia Tech (273), Boston College (251), Miami (135), Virginia (116) and N.C. State (76) rounded out the totals.

Georgia Tech forward Derrick Favors, considered by some as the top freshman in the nation, was the runaway winner in the Rookie of the Year contest. He earned 40 votes; UNC forward John Henson was named on the other eight ballots.

Voting was conducted by media members attending the league’s Operation Basketball event at the Grandover Resort, a conference, hotel, spa and golf facility located less than two miles from the site of the ACC’s founding in 1953.

Singler, a junior forward Medford, Ore., won the Rookie of the Year award in 2008 and earned second-team all-conference honors last year as the Devils won the ACC Tournament title for the eighth time in the past 11 years and the 17th overall.

Vasquez placed in the ACC’s top seven in five major statistical categories in 2008-09 while joining Singler on the second-team all-conference group.

Booker is the ACC’s top returnee in rebounds and blocked shots and another second-teamer from last year.

Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney, the league’s top returning scorer from last year, also made the All-ACC team in Sunday’s preseason selections. North Carolina forward Ed Davis, who averaged 14 rebounds per 40 minutes played as a rookie, completed the squad.

The Blue Devils won or shared the regular-season title in seven of the 12 previous seasons in which they were predicted to do so. UNC’s success rate is 11-for-18 in that department.

All in all, media representatives have accurately predicted the winner in 20 of the 40 previous years and in five of the past six.

Favors would join a long line of Yellow Jackets to earn the Rookie distinction. Georgia Tech has produced 10 of the award’s first 24 winners.

Singler would be the 12th Blue Devil to win Player of the Year. The previous 11 have combined for 13 citations. Both totals are tops in the league.

2009-10 ACC Preseason Poll:
1. Duke, 545 (25)
1. North Carolina 545 (20)
3. Clemson, 409
4. Georgia Tech, 387 (2)
5. Maryland, 378
6. Wake Forest, 315 (1)
7. Florida State, 314
8. Virginia Tech, 273
9. Boston College, 251
10. Miami, 135
11. Virginia, 116
12. NC State, 76

Maryland Basketball Preview: #20

Joel Welser — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:04:46 -0400

Overall Rank: #20

Conference Rank: #3 Atlantic Coast Conference

2008-09: 21-14, 7-9

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Gary Williams (404-224 at Maryland, 625-357 overall)

Maryland limped into the NCAA Tournament with a losing record in Atlantic Coast Conference play but managed to beat a good California team to make it to the second round. With four starters returning and building off their minor tournament success, Coach Gary Williams’ squad should be poised to make a run at an ACC title.

Key Losses: C Braxton Dupree, F Dave Neal

Key Newcomers:

The Terrapins lacked a consistent big man last year. Dave Neal was the starter at the five spot and he was more of a shooter than a banger under the basket. And he is gone anyway, so Coach Williams certainly needs some big bodies. Jordan Williams should fill that void. At 6-10 and 260 pounds, Williams can certainly fill the big body under the basket role. Williams is a superb athlete who can immediately contribute on both ends of the floor. James Padgett is the only other newcomer, and the 6-8 forward can at least help on the glass as a freshman.

Backcourt:

The Terps boast one of the most talented and dynamic backcourts in the ACC. Greivis Vasquez gets most of the headlines, and rightfully so, but there is much more to this group than just Vasquez. Adrian Bowie started 28 games last year and the speedster does a superb job getting to the basket. Sean Mosley stepped into a starting role about half way through the season. He is not a great scorer, but Mosley is a fine defender and Maryland needs all the defense it can get. Cliff Tucker and Eric Hayes will provide plenty of offense while Mosley provides the defense. Hayes lost his starting gig, but he still averaged 10.3 points and 3.2 assists. Tucker only started five games last year, but he has the potential to score a lot more, especially if Coach Williams opts to play the 6-6 Tucker at the four spot on occasion.

Frontcourt:

Tucker could spend some time at the four spot due to the lack of returning talent up front. Landon Milbourne should be a wing, but the 6-7 senior moved to the post last season and did an admirable job, ranking second on the team in both scoring and rebounding. However, Milbourne is certainly not a true post player. Junior Dino Gregory could be the answer and he certainly improved as last season progressed. Jerome Burney is another option if he can stay healthy, but that is a big if. In the end Milbourne will be starting at the four spot again and Gregory and Burney will have to battle it out with the newcomers.

Who to Watch:

Vasquez thought about heading to the NBA after averaging 17.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.4 steals during his junior campaign. Instead he will stick around and lead the Terps back to the NCAA Tournament. Vasquez was mostly known for his mental mistakes until he proved everybody wrong last year and turned into a decent ball handler who would, for the most part, take smart shots.

Final Projection:

With Vasquez turning into a great leader who can be dependable and a whole slew of quality perimeter players to compliment him, the only thing standing between Maryland a decent NCAA Tournament run is the frontcourt. Milbourne will do his part playing out of position yet again, but the newcomers, most likely Williams, need to step up and give this team a reliable scorer and rebounder under the basket.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Greivis Vasquez, Senior, Guard, 17.5 points per game

Adrian Bowie, Junior, Guard, 9.0 points per game

Sean Mosley, Sophomore, Guard, 5.3 points per game

Landon Milbourne, Senior, Forward, 11.4 points per game

Jordan Williams, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

Next Top 144 Teams
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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

ACC Basketball: Fantasy Preview

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:22:57 -0400

This is the first of six fantasy stats projections of BCS conference starters. One of my favorite series of the year, and a helpful guide when drafting for fantasy college basketball leagues. For an idea of whether I know what I'm talking about, check out last year's ACC Stats Projection. As always, some teams were nailed better then others.. Clemson was particularly solid, Virginia was a bit off.

Keep in mind stats are highly dependent on minutes, and freshmen are obviously the hardest to predict. I try to note places below where other starters not listed may emerge. Stats are listed by ppg, rpg, and then apg.

ACC

Boston College

G Biko Paris - 7, 2, 4
G Reggie Jackson - 11, 6, 3
F Rakim Sanders - 16, 6, 2
F Corey Raji - 12, 7, 2
6 Joe Trapani - 13, 8, 2

Notes: The departure of Tyrese Rice should open up more scoring opportunities for the likes of Jackson & Sanders. Trapani shouldn't see much of a boost from last year however.

Clemson

G Demontez Stitt - 12, 3, 5
G Tanner Smith - 9, 3, 2
F David Potter - 9, 5, 2
F MIlton Jennings - 10, 5, 1
C Trevor Booker - 15, 11, 2

Notes: The freshman Jennings could be hit or miss. Andre Young and Jeria Grant should also see substantial time and could find themselves in the starting lineup depending on how things go.

Duke

G Nolan Smith - 11, 4, 3
G Jon Scheyer - 16, 4, 4
F Lance Thomas - 8, 5, 1
F Kyle Singler - 19, 9, 3
C Brian Zoubek - 7, 5, 1

Notes: Outside of Singler, minutes in the froncourt are up in the air as newcomers Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly should see substantial time and either could win a starting spot. I'm

Florida State
G Michael Snaer - 11, 4, 2
G Derwin Kitchen - 14, 5, 4
F Chris Singleton - 13, 6, 2
F Ryan Reid - 8, 6, 1
F Solomon Alabi - 10, 7, 1

Notes: Without Toney Douglas, Derwin Kitchen should become a much more dangerous offensive weapon. The freshman Snaer is a solid talent but FSU doesn't have the best track-record developing big-time freshmen.

Georgia Tech

G Maurice Miller - 8, 3, 5
G Iman Shumpert - 13, 5, 5
F Gani Lawal - 15, 10, 2

F Derrick Favors - 17, 8, 2
C Zack Peacock - 10, 6, 1

Notes: Favors is a monster talent, but Georgia Tech has other weapons and doesn't necessarily need to force him shots. Don't expect Lawal's numbers to jump very much now that Favors is around.

Maryland

G Greivis Vasquez - 19, 6, 6

G Adrian Bowie - 12, 4, 3

G Sean Mosley - 8, 5, 2
F Landon Milbourne - 11, 6, 1
F James Padgett - 8, 5, 1

Notes: Maryland has some options in its starting 5. Jordan Williams could usurp fellow freshman Padgett from the post. Eric Hayes and Cliff Tucker will also push for minutes, and Mosley may very well be the 6th man.

Miami

G Malcolm Grant - 10, 3, 4
G Durand Scott - 9, 3, 2
F James Dews - 11, 3, 2
F Dwayne Collins - 14, 8, 1
F Cyrus McGowan - 8, 6, 1

Notes: Collins has the potential to put up 15 & 10 if he sees 30+ mpg. The transfer Grant will start at the 1, although the 2 spot is not guaranteed to go to Scott.

NC State

G Javier Gonzalez - 10, 3, 3
G Julius Mays - 8, 3, 3

G CJ Williams - 10, 2, 2
F Tracy Smith - 15, 8, 2
F Dennis Horner - 11, 4, 2

Notes: Smith is the only player to get excited about in terms of fantasy. It's conceivable he even exceeds these projections. The only other guard to see major minutes will be Farnold Degand.

North Carolina

G Larry Drew - 7, 2, 3
G Marcus Ginyard - 9, 5, 2
F John Henson - 14, 6, 2
F Deon Thompson - 13, 7, 1
F Ed Davis - 15, 10, 1

Notes: Dexter Strickland will also see major minutes at guard and could approach double-digit scoring as well so long as he gets 20+ mpg. You also have the talented Tyler Zeller at forward, who would score 12+ ppg on most teams easy.

Virginia

G Calvin Baker - 8, 2, 4

G Sammy Zeglinski - 9, 3, 4
G Sylven Landesberg - 17, 8, 4
F Mike Scott - 10, 8, 1
F Jamil Tucker - 11, 6, 1

Notes: As good as Landesberg is, his stats might not improve from last year because Virginia is expected to play at a slower pace. Assane Sene is an improving option at center, and will haul in boards and block shots if given minutes.

Virginia Tech

G Malcolm Delaney - 18, 5, 6
G Dorenzo Hudson - 8, 3, 1
F JT Thompson - 10, 5, 1
F Jeff Allen - 16, 10, 1
F Victor Davila - 9, 5, 1

Notes: Delaney averaged 5 ppg more than I predicted last year, and could conceivably approach 20 ppg this season. I overestimated Davila last year, and perhaps am doing the same again.

Wake Forest

G Ishmael Smith - 9, 3, 5
G LD Williams - 10, 4, 1
F Al-Farouq Aminu - 16, 9, 2
F Ari Stewart - 10, 4, 2
C Chas McFarland - 10, 7, 1

Notes: Smith hasn't come close to matching his freshman year assist totals, but he could bounce back in that category this year. The freshman Stewart is the big wild card here, as his minutes could be lost to the likes of Tony Woods or Ty Walker.

Projected ACC Leaders

Top PPG
1) Kyle Singler (19)
2) Greivis Vasquez (19)
3) Malcolm Delaney (18)

Top RPG
1) Trevor Booker (11)
2) Ed Davis (10)

3) Jeff Allen (10)

Top APG
1) Greivis Vasquez (6)
2) Malcolm Delaney (6)

3) Maurice Miller/Iman Shumpert/Ishmael Smith/Demontez Stitt (5))

Fantasy Stats Preview Archive

Clemson Basketball Preview: #22

Joel Welser — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:22:16 -0400

Overall Rank: #22

Conference Rank: #4 Atlantic Coast Conference

2008-09: 23-9, 9-7

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Oliver Purnell (117-77 at Clemson, 373-268 overall)

Coach Oliver Purnell has done a great job at Clemson, especially over the last two seasons. And despite the loss of three starters, this is still a team that can compete with just about anybody in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Coach Purnell’s up-tempo style of play means he would prefer to have at least ten bodies to rotate in and out of the game. With six players back who averaged at least 13 minutes per game and a very talented group of four newcomers, the Tigers have the ten guys they need.

Key Losses: G Terrence Oglesby, G K.C. Rivers, C Raymond Sykes

Key Newcomers:

The one thing Clemson does not need is a point guard and that is the only position this recruiting class lacks. At 6-6, Noel Johnson has great size for a player who can shoot as well as he can. And because of his size he can play either spot on the wing. Donte Hill does not quite have the size of Johnson, but he has plenty of toughness and rebounding ability to play small forward. Devin Booker is a talented power forward, but it is Milton Jennings, a McDonald’s All-American, who is the likely candidate to replace Raymond Sykes in the starting lineup.

Backcourt:

Demontez Stitt spent much of his sophomore campaign getting the ball to the now departed sharpshooters K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby. However, Stitt still managed to score 8.7 points per game and has the potential to score even more if he needs to. Unfortunately, Stitt is not much of a shooter and had some turnover problems late in the year. That paved the way for Andre Young to play a bigger role. Young may not be as dynamic of a playmaker as Stitt, but he did a much better job taking care of the ball and is a better outside shooter. And somebody needs to hit the outside shot or this team will have to completely retool its offense.

Frontcourt:

There is little doubt who the star of this team is. Trevor Booker tallied an impressive 15.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. At 6-7, Booker is not your typical big man, but he is obviously a very tough rebounder and can even step outside and hit the occasional three-pointer. David Potter is a quality option off the bench who can play either forward spot and stretch out the defense with his outside shooting. Yet, it may be Jerai Grant who is poised for a breakout season. Grant is a good athlete who fits perfectly into Clemson’s scheme on both ends of the floor. He will use his length to block shots and get the occasional steal. On the other side of the floor he is very good on the offensive glass and has the potential to emerge as a decent scorer.

Who to Watch:

Rivers and Oglesby were the only two players to connect on at least one three-pointer per game. Just who is going to fill in on the wings and can they shoot efficiently enough for this offense to continue to be dynamic? Tanner Smith could be that outside shooter. Smith is a good all-around player and he could be starting if he can build off his solid freshman campaign. He only connected on 35.7 percent of his attempts from long range last year and it might be up to Johnson to step up early and hit the three-pointer.

Final Projection:

This team has talent and enough bodies to be very good. Stitt and Young can handle the point and the elder Booker should be a household name by the end of the season. With a bevy of talented options to fill in the holes, the Tigers should be headed to their third straight NCAA Tournament.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Demontez Stitt, Junior, Guard, 8.7 points per game

Tanner Smith, Sophomore, Guard, 3.6 points per game

Noel Johnson, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

Milton Jennings, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

Trevor Booker, Senior, Forward, 15.3 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Georgia Tech Basketball Preview: #26

Joel Welser — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:05:39 -0400

Overall Rank: #26

Conference Rank: #5 Atlantic Coast Conference

2008-09: 12-19, 2-14

2008-09 postseason: none

Coach: Paul Hewitt (154-131 at Georgia Tech, 220-158 overall)

Not often does a team go 2-14 in conference play, lose two of their top three scorers and then expect to make it to the NCAA Tournament. But that is what is happening at Georgia Tech. Coach Paul Hewitt is bringing in a superb recruiting class and his young team is growing up and finally has some experienced upperclassmen to go along with the talented youth. Now the team just needs to learn to win again.

Key Losses: F Alade Aminu, G Lewis Clinch

Key Newcomers:

All six incoming freshmen are highly touted, but none as much as Derrick Favors. The 6-10, 246 pound forward will make an immediate impact in the frontcourt and should be starting, and possibly even dominating, from day one. With Daniel Miller and Kammeon Holsey, who both would be the top player in most recruiting classes, joining him in the frontcourt, depth will not be an issue. The future star of the perimeter is point guard Mfon Udofia. He may have to spend some time learning the ropes, but he is too talented to leave on the bench for too long. Wings Glen Rice Jr. and Brian Oliver will push some returning players for minutes.

Backcourt:

This team has its leader in Iman Shumpert. As a freshman the 6-5 guard averaged 10.6 points per game and a team high 5.0 assists and 2.1 steals. Like the rest of the team, his turnover numbers were high, but that will come with experience. In the meantime, Shumpert will put his mark on the game by finishing around the basket. Moe Miller can handle the ball too and ended the 2008-2009 campaign averaging 4.3 assists. He is not much of a scorer, but he is capable of shooting much better than 20.3 percent from long range. And what this team really needs is a shooter and Lance Storrs is the best returning shooter after knocking down one per contest. If Shumpert, Miller or Storrs can start being more consistent from long range, the Georgia Tech offense will be much more consistent than it was a season ago.

Frontcourt:

Zachery Peacock spent some time at the small forward position last year and that is one reason why the Yellow Jackets were so strong on the glass. Peacock will spend some time on the perimeter and is certainly capable of hitting the three-pointer, but at 6-8 he has the size to help out on the glass as well. Gani Lawal may have been the most pleasant surprise of the 2008-2009 season. He blossomed into a consistent scorer and rebounder during his sophomore campaign, tallying 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest. He does not give up on the defensive end of the floor either. Seven-foot center Brad Sheehan averaged less than ten minutes per game last year, and may again this year with the talent coming in, but he will give the team yet another big body.

Who to Watch:

Two years ago D’Andre Bell started 22 games for the Yellow Jackets. He averaged 6.6 points per game, but it was his perimeter defense that Georgia Tech really missed last season. Bell is now healthy and cleared to play for his senior season. He might not be able to work his way back into the starting lineup, but Bell should give this team some experience and be a shutdown defender when Coach Paul Hewitt needs him.

Final Projection:

With this much talent Georgia Tech could be a top ten team and make a big run in the NCAA Tournament. However, this is still a pretty young team that has not proven that they can win big games. The Atlantic Coast Conference is not going to be easy and this team has to grow up fast if they want to live up to those lofty expectations.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Iman Shumpert, Sophomore, Guard, 10.6 points per game

Maurice Miller, Junior, Guard, 5.8 points per game

Zach Peacock, Senior, Forward, 9.2 points per game

Gani Lawal, Junior, Forward, 15.1 points per game

Derrick Favors, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

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