Miami FL

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

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: 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

Week 8 Football Recap

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:07:42 -0400

Following last weekend's results the thought of many was that the top three teams in the polls (Florida, Alabama and Texas) were far and away the best teams in the country. But if there was any need for clarification, we learned on Saturday that the college football season is a fluid situation and anything can happen on any given week. Texas was impressive in their dominance of Missouri on the road but it wouldn't be a surprise if they were to have a dogfight on their hands next week in Stillwater.

Alabama, if not for the massive left paw of Terrence Cody, would have learned the value of playing games on the field the hard way at the hands of bitter rival Tennessee. "Mount Cody" blocked two Daniel Lincoln field goal attempts, the last of which preserved a 12-10 victory in which Mark Ingram found the running lanes smaller and QB Greg McElroy continued to struggle. Nick Saban's defense is among the nation's best but without improved production in the passing game the road to another SEC West crown becomes a bit more treacherous.

As for Florida they dealt with the sight of a former assistant (Dan Mullen) instead of one of the greatest defensive minds in the history of the game (Monte Kiffin), and they struggled as well. Both Mississippi State and Florida tossed two interceptions of the "pick six" variety apiece, but the Gators were able to survive by the final of 29-19 due to the overall strength of their defense. Florida's offense hasn't had the consistent big-play ability of last year's group but they can methodically get the job done. A defense the caliber of Charlie Strong's can afford you such a luxury.

The lesson to be learned from this Saturday: nothing is a given. In light of the guarantees and prognostications of the previous week, quite a few needed the reminder.

ACC: So much for Miami's run to the BCS.
After getting through a four-game stretch that some theorizes would get Randy Shannon fired with a 3-1 mark, many assumed that the Hurricanes and a smooth path towards a BCS berth (either automatic as ACC champion or an at-large). All they had to do on Saturday was beat a Clemson team that few have been able to figure out and they'd be one step closer to that accomplishment. But not knowing which Clemson football team would show up was exactly why such a prediction shouldn't have been made.

C.J. Spiller went off on the Hurricanes, setting a school record for all-purpose yards in a game in the process, and Kyle Parker hit Jacoby Ford for a touchdown in overtime that gave the Tigers the 40-37 victory. It was a wild game that featured scores in all three phases of the game, and it showed that despite their promise the Hurricanes are still a young football team. But even with this loss, which places Georgia Tech in the driver's seat in the ACC Coastal, Miami will still be a factor in that race. It's just that now they don't control their own destiny.

Big 12: Nebraska may be in serious trouble due to their offensive...offense.
While there were questions regarding QB Zac Lee and his ability to lead the offense heading into the season, few people thought that the Nebraska offense would reach the point it did in the 9-7 home loss to Iowa State. The Huskers turned the ball over eight times, losing five fumbles to go along with three Lee interceptions.

And for those who argue that DT Ndamukong Suh shouldn't at least be considered for the Heisman, keep in mind that his performance (8 tackles, 1 sack, 3 hurries and 2 pass deflections) fit in with a defensive effort that if not present they get blown right out of Memorial Stadium.

It helps Nebraska's chances in the Big 12 North that both Kansas and Missouri lost as well, but it's tough to see them winning the division if their offense doesn't improve substantially. Lastly, it took Gene Chizik two years in Ames to win five games (5-19 record) before he left to take over at Auburn. First-year head coach Paul Rhoads is now 5-3.

Big East: Annual USF nosedive isn't a myth.
I tried to believe in the Bulls, I really did (even picked them to win the Big East). But their performance at Pittsburgh on Saturday was downright poor. One team showed up for the noon kick and it was the Panthers, who beat USF 41-14 to remain in first place in the conference standings while dealing the visitor's a crippling blow. Pittsburgh went into the locker room up 31-7, and when you hear mentions of head coach Jim Leavitt having to "pick up" his assistants in the days following their loss to Cincinnati (not sure if this is true but it was mentioned during the telecast) something's wrong.

Point blank: until this program learns how to deal with disappointment immediately and realize that "every week is a season" they won't win the Big East.

Big Ten: Penn State makes their statement for being the second-best team in the Big Ten.
Head coach Joe Paterno told his players in the days leading up to their trip to Michigan that they had to show him how good they were capable of being. If their 35-10 whipping of the Wolverines is any indication of what's to come, the Nittany Lions are going to be a tough out and could very well work themselves back into the BCS at-large discussion.

Daryll Clark (16-27, 230 yards and 4 TDs) was more than efficient in the win and the defense limited Michigan to just 3.3 yards per play. Just imagine if they'd taken care of business in the second half of that loss to Iowa.

Conference USA: Could UTEP be a contender for the West Division title?
Believe it or not yes, thanks to their come-from-behind 28-24 win over Tulsa on Wednesday night. Donald Buckram's 3-yard run in the game's final minute tied the Miners in the loss column with both Tulsa and Houston, and they've already beaten both should this boil down to a tiebreaker. Mike Price's team does have two of the more dangerous offensive threats in Buckram and QB Trevor Vittatoe, but whether or not they've got enough to win the division will boil down to two factors: defense and discipline.

The defense played well against the Golden Hurricane, limiting one of the nation's most prolific offenses to 428 yards and 5-14 on third downs. In regards to their discipline the Miners did finish the game with just three penalties and few missed assignments. But there's also this aspect of discipline: the week after they beat Houston they fell at Memphis. Stay focused and they've got a serious shot in the West.

Independents: Navy finds a way to win without their starting quarterback.
What did the knee injury to starting QB Ricky Dobbs mean for the Navy offense? Instead of rarely throwing the football Ken Niumatalolo's squad didn't throw the ball once in their 13-10 victory over Wake Forest in Annapolis. FB Vince Murray and QB Kriss Proctor combined to rush for 264 yards and a touchdown on fifty carries for the afternoon while the defense kept the Demon Deacons out of the end zone for just over fifty-two minutes of action. Now 6-2 on the year the Middies have a shot at winning ten games this season.

MAC: Temple (4-0 MAC) makes a statement and takes control of the MAC East race.
Heading into this weekend it looked as if the muscle in the Mid-American Conference resided in the West. But even though Central Michigan, on the cusp of entering the Top 25, is likely to be considered the favorites to win the league it wouldn't be wise to count out Temple. The Owls went on the road and took care of Toledo 40-24, racing out to a 23-7 lead before the Rockets pulled to within 23-17 at the half.

No problem for Al Golden's team, who scored the first seventeen points of the second half to put the game out of reach. Who's been the difference-maker? RB Bernard Pierce, who ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon. In the early stages of the season Vaughn Charlton's arm was relied upon and that didn't go so well for Temple. With the emergence of Pierce, Charlton has been far more efficient through the air (11-20 for 122 yards and 2 TDs, 0 INT). Looks like a win-win situation and it's one that could land the Owls in their first-ever MAC Championship Game.

Mountain West: TCU may be well on their way to a BCS bowl appearance.
For the second consecutive season the meeting between BYU and TCU garnered national attention. And for the second consecutive season the Horned Frogs proved to be a bad matchup for the Cougars, winning 38-7 in Provo. Offensively the TCU attack has proven to be too much, especially when they can put a player like the dynamic Jeremy Kerley in the slot. BYU doesn't have the personnel to deal with such an alignment given the fact that Kerley is a threat to run, catch a pass or throw one (he completed a big one to position the Horned Frogs for their second score).

Andy Dalton outplayed Max Hall, throwing three touchdown passes on the afternoon, but he also didn't have a player the caliber of Jerry Hughes chasing him down on every play. Next up for TCU: UNLV, followed by a tricky trip to San Diego State before their rematch with Utah in Fort Worth on November 14th. If they get to that one undefeated, Gary Patterson's team could be playing for a lot more than just a conference title.

Pac-10: Oregon and USC take care of business, setting up next week's showdown in Eugene.
While there's still more than a month left in the regular season the Trojans' trip to Eugene the outcome could very well determine who wins the Pac-10. The Ducks didn't get off to the fastest start in Seattle, trailing Washington 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. But in the middle two quarters Chip Kelly's team outscored the Huskies 36-3 on their way to the 43-19 victory. Jeremiah Masoli returned to the lineup after missing the UCLA game due to injury, rushing for two touchdowns while LaMichael James added 154 yards and two scores.

As for the Trojans, they found the trek to victory a bit tougher yet in the end they had enough to take care of Oregon State at the Coliseum 42-36. USC accounted for 227 yards and three touchdowns on the ground; making up for the solid job the Beavers did against the pass. So who's likely to be favored next weekend? Oregon will most likely be favored due to the home field advantage. But for those who wonder whether or not Matt Barkley can handle a hostile environment remember that he's already won at Ohio State and Notre Dame this season.

SEC: A month ago people were building statues for Gene Chizik. Wonder what the prevailing thought is now.
When the Tigers had it rolling earlier this season the buzz was all about how well Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn were doing in their first season on The Plains. Well once they got into the meat of the SEC slate things began the head downhill, with LSU shutting down that spread attack in a 31-10 beating in Baton Rouge.

QB Chris Todd threw for just 47 yards and as a team Auburn accounted for 193 yards and three turnovers, failing to slow down John Chavis' defense. What made things worse it that an LSU offense that's looked rather pedestrian at times suddenly had room to make plays all night long. Is Auburn physical enough to compete with the "big boys" of the SEC? Good question.

Sun Belt: Don't give up on Florida Atlantic just yet.
Howard Schnellenberger's Owls didn't get off to the best of starts, looking thoroughly overmatched against BCS-conference opponents (first two games) on their way to a 0-4 start to the season. But they've won two in a row, most recently beating previously undefeated (in conference play) UL Lafayette on the road 51-29.

Rusty Smith threw for 359 yards and four touchdowns for the day and Alfred Morris added 181 yards and two scores on the ground. Troy and UL Monroe remain on top of the standings without a conference loss but don't forget about FAU. They've got championship experience, having won the Sun Belt two years ago, and one of the best coaches around to guide them towards a title.

WAC: Boise State is the clear favorite but no one in the WAC wants to run into Nevada right now.
Idaho was (and still is) one of the best stories of the college football season thus far heading into their game at Nevada on Saturday. Unfortunately for Robb Akey and company they were walking into a buzz saw, with the end result being a 70-45 Wolf Pack victory. Since starting the season 0-3 Chris Ault's team has won four straight, scoring an average of 51 points per game in the process.

QB Colin Kaepernick accounted for 408 yards of offense and six touchdowns on Saturday and Nevada finished the afternoon with 662 yards of offense. And outside of their game against Fresno State on November 14th (at home) the Wolf Pack has a manageable schedule leading up to the season-ending showdown with Boise State. Imagine if that game had the WAC title and a possible BCS berth for the Broncos riding on it? That would be a far cry from the Nevada squad we saw the first month of the season.

BCS Standings

1 Florida 7-0
2 Alabama 8-0
3 Texas 7-0
4 Iowa 8-0
5 USC 6-1
6 TCU 7-0
7 Boise State 7-0
8 Cincinnati 7-0
9 LSU 6-1
10 Oregon 6-1
11 Georgia Tech 7-1
12 Penn State 7-1
13 Virginia Tech 5-2
14 Oklahoma State 6-1
15 Pittsburgh 7-1
16 Utah 6-1
17 Ohio State 6-2
18 Houston 6-1
19 Miami (FL) 5-2
20 Arizona 5-2
21 West Virginia 6-1
22 South Carolina 6-2
23 Notre Dame 5-2
24 California 5-2
25 Mississippi 5-2

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

ACC Basketball: High-Low Preview

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:23:26 -0400

Everybody loves a prediction. People that claim to hate sports predictions are just jealous that no one cares what they have to say or that their predictions are never right. But sometimes when making predictions, certain teams or groups of teams are truly to close to call. On CHN or in preview mags, we do our best to slot teams into specific spots, but sometimes you just want to say honestly, teams A, B, and C are virtually the same and luck will determine how they finish. You can't say that in a Top 144 ranking, but I'm saying it here in a series of High-Low predictions. Instead of plugging teams into specific spots, I'll give a range for each team's finish and a few reasons why.

(How about the high production values with that picture?..)

ACC HIGH-LOW

* my projected finish in yellow

BOSTON COLLEGE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
BC is tailor-made for this type of article. A team with a legit shot at making the Big Dance, but also one that could slip deep into the ACC race if Biko Paris fails or one of Sanders & Trapani gets injured.

CLEMSON
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Opinion is mixed about Clemson depending on who you ask, but expect the Tigers to be a tournament team that either goes home early or wins no more then a game.

DUKE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
With Singler (due for a monster season) & Scheyer back, Duke will still be right there in the ACC race. 2nd seems like the likely finish.

FLORIDA STATE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Despite losing Toney Douglas, it's not all doom and gloom for FSU. Michael Snaer joins a roster full of young and talented players. Whether this talent meshes or not will determine which side of the Tourney bubble they fall.

GEORGIA TECH
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Overrated by many in my opinion, but still extremely dangerous, Tech can push UNC & Duke for the title, but also find themselves on the Bubble if the young talent doesn't mesh into a cohesive whole.

MARYLAND
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
If Vasquez plays at his best every time out, it's not crazy to think Maryland could push for 2nd in the league. 3rd-5th is more likely however, with the Terps making the tournament for the 2nd season in a row.

MIAMI
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Miami loses McClinton and 2 other key contributors and could certainly end up in a battle with State for the ACC cellar. But the cupboard isn't bare, and Frank Haith welcomes one of the U's best ever classes. How it all adds up, I'm not sure.

NORTH CAROLINA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
We could talk all day about the players leaving the program, but with NBA prospects like Davis & Zeller returning along with a monster recruiting class, it's hard to fathom a finish below 3rd in the conference.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
It's hard to imagine NC State finishing higher then 11th.. the talent just isn't there to justify a higher prediction.

VIRGINIA
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
With the likes of Landesberg and Scott, UVA has some quality emerging talent. The real key though is how well the team takes to Tony Bennett's system and whether it can stand up to a full ACC schedule.

VIRGINIA TECH
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Most consider VT a bubble or NIT team, but with Malcolm Delaney and an improving Jeff Allen, the Hokies have enough talent to win games in a league that is perhaps as wide-open as ever. VT could be a major surprise..

WAKE FOREST
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
You can't lose the likes of Jeff Teague and James Johnson and not regress somewhat, but Wake's 09-10 demise is being overdone by some. .

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

Miami Basketball Preview: #70

Joel Welser — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:04:26 -0400

Overall Rank: #70

Conference Rank: #9 Atlantic Coast Conference

2008-09: 19-13, 7-9

2008-09 postseason: NIT

Coach: Frank Haith (88-73 at Miami, 88-73 overall)

Miami has done an admirable job hanging around with the big boys in the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, much of that success has been due to the now departed Jack McClinton. During his senior campaign the guard averaged 19.3 points per game and took all the big shots. Just who is going to step up and take those shots now is the big question.

Key Losses: F Brian Asbury, F Jimmy Graham, G Lance Hurdle, G Jack McClinton

Key Newcomers:

A top 20 recruiting class will help replace the loss of McClinton and the other quality players who have run out of eligibility. Durand Scott is one of the best recruits to head to Miami in recent years and he is expected to make an immediate impact and possibly step into a starting role. Antoine Allen and Garrius Adams will provide even more depth on the perimeter. However, it is the addition of Malcolm Grant, a transfer from Villanova, that will give this team a ball handler that it is desperately needed. In the frontcourt Donnavan Kirk and redshirt freshman Reggie Johnson have the size and skills to find some minutes off the bench.

Backcourt:

The perimeter will have to rely on the newcomers for the most part and even one of the returning players is a relatively unproven talent. DeQuan Jones, a 6-7 wing, averaged just 11.0 minutes per game as a freshman, but he is a superb athlete who can do damage inside and out. If he can live up to his potential, Hurricane fans will forget about McClinton pretty quickly. Jones will likely need more time before he starts consistently scoring in double figures and in the meantime James Dews will be the steadying force in the backcourt. The 6-4 senior can be a decent shooter, although he was quite inconsistent last year and he will have to turn into a leader on the perimeter this time around.

Frontcourt:

The two returning starters from last year are in the frontcourt. Dwayne Collins ended the campaign averaging 10.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. He has a tendency to disappear at times, especially offensively, but the 6-8 senior is one of the more experienced players on this team and he needs to put those inconsistency issues behind him. Cyrus McGowan is the other returning starter. He is not much of a scorer, but he is a tough rebounder and a decent shot blocker. Last year it was Jimmy Graham who provided the toughness and shot blocking under the basket and that job needs to be taken over by McGowan this year. Adrian Thomas can help out on the glass as well, but he is more of a shooter than a post player, but his ability to stretch out of the opposing defense will be very valuable in certain situations.

Who to Watch:

Grant is probably going to be the most important player on this team if he turns out to be the starting point guard. As a freshman at Villanova in 2007-2008 he made four starts and averaged 5.6 points and 1.4 assists. He is a great three-point shooter, but he may not have as many opportunities to shoot if he spends most of the time with the ball in his hands. Ideally, Grant would be an off guard, but Miami has had success in the past without a true point guard and Grant should be an upgrade over Lance Hurdle in the long run.

Final Projection:

This team lost three starters as well as the guy who did all the dirty work under the basket. The recruiting class is great and there are some sophomores like Jones who should be ready to make a bigger impact, but it is hard to see this team being any better than they were last year. That means it should be another trip to the NIT for the Miami.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Malcolm Grant, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

James Dews, Senior, Guard, 8.2 points per game

DeQuan Jones, Sophomore, Forward, 2.7 points per game

Dwayne Collins, Senior, Forward, 10.6 points per game

Cyrus McGowan, Senior, Forward, 4.6 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
71		72		73		74

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

Thursday/Friday Football Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:57:40 -0400

The ACC gets the Thursday night stage all to itself again, this time for #14 AP/13 Coaches Georgia Tech (2-0, 1-0 ACC) visiting #20/22 Miami (1-0, 1-0 ACC) in a rematch (7:30 PM on ESPN) of a game that got ugly for the Hurricanes. Paul Johnson's Yellow Jackets rushed for 472 yards in the 41-23 win, and the effort was the best rushing effort against Miami since 1944 (Auburn, 536 yards). Led by Jonathan Dwyer's 128 yards four Jackets rushed for at least seventy-eight yards on a night in which the Hurricanes failed to play assignment football, routinely getting caught out of position. Lucas Cox was the runner who finished with seventy-eight yards, but the Yellow Jackets have a bigger threat taking the carries that don't go to Dwyer, QB Josh Nesbitt or RB Roddy Jones.

Louisville transfer Anthony Allen racked up 127 yards on just five carries in Georgia Tech's win over Clemson last Thursday, breaking one for an eight-two yard touchdown. Randy Shannon and company know what they'll be in for; the key is to execute your assignment and not get caught out of position. Team speed on defense can be suicidal if the players aren't getting to where they need to be. Miami's main defensive issue in the opener was their secondary but Florida State's run game is nothing like the Jackets', whether you look at the scheme or how effective it is.

Did Jacory Harris come of age in the Labor Day thriller? That's the question that will be answered in front of a national television audience. The true difference makers get the job done week in and week out; Harris has had more than a week to go over both the tape from the Florida State game and what he'll see from a fast Georgia Tech defense that can take advantage of mistakes in the passing game (two interceptions against Clemson). If backs Graig Cooper and Javarris James can loosen up the Yellow Jacket defense on the ground look for things to open up for Harris.

This can go one of two ways: Georgia Tech gashes the Hurricanes on the ground all night, or Miami takes care of their assignments. If that happens, expect another wild night in the ACC. The pick here is Georgia Tech, but this will be a close game with a thrilling finish.

Friday: #10/10 Boise State @ Fresno State (9 PM on ESPN)

This has been cited as the biggest in-conference roadblock to the Broncos getting back to the BCS (they do visit Tulsa in October), and that could be accurate given how Louisiana Tech and Nevada have played so far. Pat Hill's Bulldogs gave Wisconsin all they wanted in Madison last week, falling in overtime to the Badgers. Last season's meeting got out of hand in Boise, with the Broncos racking up 494 yards and sixty-one points in the 61-10 beating. A big part of the loss for Fresno State: their inability to run the football. Ryan Matthews was out and the Bulldogs ran for just eighty-three yards on 35 carries.

It also didn't help that Boise State averaged more than eight yards per play; if Fresno State is to entertain any thoughts of pulling the upset they've got to win first down defensively. Kellen Moore and company have many options to turn to offensively but they've haven't hit that extra gear in either of their two wins. Eight of the eleven meetings have taken place since the Broncos joined the WAC in 2001, and they've won seven of those eight meetings. The lone defeat: at Fresno State in 2005. Fresno State is also going up against Boise State's history in WAC openers; they're 8-0 all-time.

Boise State will have to work, you wouldn't expect anything less than a streetfight from a Pat Hill-coached team especially when considering what happened last season. But Chris Petersen's team will do enough to pick up the win and continue on their quest towards another WAC title, with fans dreaming of another BCS berth at season's end.