ACC

ACC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:46:54 -0500

With UNC rebuilding and Duke lacking depth, the ACC is more wide-open then its been in quite some time. Adding to the intrigue are top-notch prospects like Derrick Favors, Michael Snaer, and John Henson.

Conference Rank: 3rd

10 year average: 1st

ACC Page

All-ACC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Malcolm Delaney	Virginia Tech	Jr
G	Greivis Vasquez	Maryland	Sr
F	Kyle Singler	Duke	Jr
F	Ed Davis	North Carolina	So
F	Trevor Booker	Clemson	Sr
Second Team
G	Jon Scheyer	Duke	Sr
G	Sylven Landesburg	Virginia	So
F	Gani Lawal	Georgia Tech	Jr
F	Al-Farouq Aminu	Wake Forest	So
D	Derrick Favors	Georgia Tech	Fr

Player of the Year - Greivis Vasquez Freshman of the Year - Derrick Favors
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Kyle Singler (2nd team) Ed Davis (3rd) Derrick Favors (3rd) Greivis Vasquez (3rd) Al-Farouq Aminu Trevor Booker Malcolm Delaney Jon Scheyer All-Freshman Team Derrick Favors (1st Team) John Henson Ryan Kelly Mason Plumlee Durand Scott Michael Snaer Dexter Strickland Mfon Udofia		Points: Malcolm Delaney 18.1 Rebounds: Trevor Booker 9.7 Assists: Greivis Vasquez 5.0 Team: North Carolina 89.9

ACC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

4	North Carolina	ACC	1	NCAA
8	Duke	ACC	2	NCAA
20	Maryland	ACC	4	NCAA
22	Clemson	ACC	3	NCAA
26	Georgia Tech	ACC	5	NCAA
44	Wake Forest	ACC	6	NCAA
52	Florida St	ACC	7	NIT
64	Virginia Tech	ACC	8	NIT
70	Miami	ACC	9	NIT
78	Virginia	ACC	10	NIT
93	Boston College	ACC	11	CBI/CIT
119	NC State	ACC	12	CBI/CIT

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the ACC?

Other ACC Content

ACC: Top 25 Players

ACC Fantasy Stats Preview

ACC Media Poll & All-Conference Team

ACC 5-Year Ranking

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

ACC Basketball: Top 25 Players

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:44:10 -0500

Ranking players is more art then science. How do you compare the potential of freshmen with seniors who have already peaked? How much does physical talent come into play versus intangibles and experience? How big a role do numbers play?

In some situations, the bigger challenge is deciding what position to list a player. College basketball is filled with combo guards, wings who can play from the 2 to 4, centers who are really power forwards, and so on.

All of these questions make lists like this fun and debatable.. if you disagree with CHN's rankings, post what you think below.

ACC

PG
1. Greivis Vasquez - Maryland
2. Malcolm Delaney - Virginia Tech
3. Demontez Stitt - Clemson
4. Derwin Kitchen - FSU
5. Dexter Strickland - UNC

SG
1. Jon Scheyer - Duke
2. Sylven Landesberg - Virginia
3. Iman Shumpert - Georgia Tech
4. Michael Snaer - FSU
5. Reggie Jackson - Boston College

- Considering this is the ACC, the guard class in general is rather uninspiring. Amongst PG's, Kitchen is the potential breakout star. Shumpert can play both guard positions, it will be interesting to see whether he loses shots to the likes of Favors & Lawal.

SF
1. Kyle Singler - Duke
2. John Henson - UNC
3. Rakim Sanders - Boston College
4. Chris Singleton - FSU
5. Marcus Ginyard - UNC

PF
1. Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech
2. Ed Davis - UNC
3. Al-Farouq Aminu - Wake Forest
4. Jeff Allen - Virginia Tech
5. Gani Lawal - Georgia Tech

C
1. Trevor Booker - Clemson
2. Solomon Alabi - FSU
3. Joe Trapani - Boston College
4. Dwayne Collins - Miami
5. Deon Thompson - UNC

- The power forward position is stacked, as solid players like Landon Milbourne (Maryland) and Corey Raji (BC) don't make it. Booker is one of the best senior Draft prospects in the country, while Alabi is one of the top 10 sophomore prospects.

-- SEC Top 25 Players

-- Pac-10 Top 25 Players

-- Big Ten Top 25 Players

-- Big East Top 25 Players

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

UNC Basketball Preview: #4

Joel Welser — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:46:36 -0500

Overall Rank: #4

Conference Rank: #1 Atlantic Coast Conference

2008-09: 34-4, 13-3

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Roy Williams (176-37 at North Carolina, 594-138 overall)

North Carolina has been here before. This is not the first time the Tar Heels lose a whole slew of talent and it will not be the last time. Rebuilding and fitting the pieces together is what Coach Roy Williams does and he does it better than anybody. While players like Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough dominated the headlines during UNC’s National Championship run, younger players were sitting on the bench waiting for their turn. Now it is their turn.

Key Losses: G Wayne Ellington, G Bobby Frasor, F Danny Green, F Tyler Hansbrough, G Ty Lawson

Key Newcomers:

But there are also five incoming freshmen who are more than capable of contributing right away. Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald will have to play an important role on this slim backcourt. Both could end up starting sooner or later. Strickland can handle the ball very well and will battle for the starting point guard position. If he loses that battle, he will still get minutes as the backup or as a starter on the wing. McDonald is expected to be the next great Tar Heel shooter. That alone will make him a valuable player whether he starts or not. Those two are important newcomers, but believe it or not, the best freshmen heading to Chapel Hill are in the frontcourt.

Backcourt:

Larry Drew II will be given the opportunity to win the starting point guard spot. That is what he was expected to do once Lawson left, but he did not have the greatest freshman campaign. But to be fair he averaged less than ten minutes per game and was never really given a real opportunity. He will get it now. Wing Marcus Ginyard, who missed nearly all of last season with an injury could run the point, but Strickland would be the likely successor if Drew II fails. Another wing, Will Graves, would then join Ginyard providing valuable experience and depth on the perimeter.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt already has three great players and that is not even counting the three incoming freshmen. Deon Thompson started all but one game last season and averaged 10.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. Even at 6-9 and 245 pounds, Thompson could end up spending much of his time at the small forward position due to the vast amount of talent in the frontcourt. Ed Davis averaged less than 20 minutes per game, but he still tallied 6.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per contest. With Davis under the basket it will not be long before UNC fans forget about Hansbrough. Tyler Zeller, a seven-foot center, averaged a mere 7.8 minutes per game last year and it is hard to see where he will find any more.

Who to Watch:

There has to be a spot somewhere in the starting lineup for John Henson. The 6-10 freshman is on top of nearly every recruiting list and will be a dominating force under the basket once he gains some strength. For now he could spend some time at the small forward position where his lack of toughness will not be as big of a concern. Yet, Davis’ lack of size was an issue last year too and he did just fine under the basket. David Wear and Travis Wear are almost afterthoughts in this recruiting class, but both were McDonald’s All-Americans.

Final Projection:

This team will all come down to chemistry. North Carolina has more than enough talent to win the National Championship again, but this is a young team. Coach Williams will find the right pieces and put them in the right places and that should be enough to get this team on top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, but the inexperience will get the best of them sooner or later.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Larry Drew II, Sophomore, Guard, 1.4 points per game

Marcus Ginyard, Senior, Guard, 1.3 points per game (injured)

John Henson, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

Deon Thompson, Senior, Forward, 10.6 points per game

Ed Davis, Sophomore, Forward, 6.7 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
5		6		7		8

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

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
9		10		11		12

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
21		22		23		24

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