While the ACC season is already underway we are still in the portion of the season where most teams are still playing out of conference opponents. Only a handful of ACC games have been played and what we have noticed is that the ACC has a very talented assortment of front court players In fact, if you have paid attention at all in these first few months of the college basketball season you would have noticed that the ACC is a (big) man's league this season. Several of the league's teams boast front line size that resemble what NBA teams throw out down low. This information, combined with the fact that the conference lost 5 point guards to first round of the 2009 NBA draft, suggests that more than perhaps any season in recent memory post play will be instrumental to determining the final standings of the 2009-2010 ACC Season. As a result, Why not rank the best front courts in the conference....
ACC Ballers Top Front Courts in the ACC:
(starters in bold)
1. North Carolina
The Tar Heels boast what many believe is the deepest front court in the country. Leading the way are 6'8 senior forward Deon Thompson and 6'10 sophomore Ed Davis. These two absolutely dominate the low post to the tune of 31 points, 17 boards, and 3 blocks a night. Davis is a legitimate top 10 pick in the 2010 NBA draft. He's second in the conference in both rebounding (9.8) and blocks (2.2) per game all while shooting a conference leading 64.7% from the field. Thompson started on that National Title team of last season. As if this were not enough Coach Williams also brings 7'0 sophomore center Tyler Zeller off of his bench. I'm not going out on a limb in saying that Tyler would start on at least nine other teams in the conference, and just about every other team in the country. An immensely talented performer Zeller was actually a starter for Carolina last season before a nasty fall left him with a broken hand. Zeller gives the Tar Heels ten points and four boards in just 16 minutes a night.
This is just a little bit of what Davis can do....
In most conferences, this would be enough to solidify the top spot amongst the front court rankings. Not in the ACC. Carolina has about 3 quality freshman post players as well in the 6'10 baby faced John Henson, 6'9 Travis Wear, and 6'9 David Wear. Henson is the cream of the freshman crop for ole Roy and I've heard from a reliable source that he's as high as #3 on at least one NBA team's draft board. Henson has guard handle with big time athleticism. He projects as an NBA three but needs a year or two of seasoning and some weight. At 6'10 he is only 195lbs. Travis and David Wear are two highly recruited post players that also have decent perimeter skills. These two are just winners and played at a high level for the famed Mater Dei High School out in California. Five of the six players discussed were former McDonald's All Americans and the depth/talent combination is why the home of the best front court in the Conference is in Chapel Hill.
check out this big time rejection by Henson
2. Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets run with two probable first round draft picks in the 2010 NBA Draft in 6'9 junior forward Gani Lawal and 6'10 freshman forward Derrick Favors. Lawal leads the team in both scoring and rebounding at close to 15 points and 10 rebounds per game. Favors gives coach Paul Hewitt's squad 12.8 points and 8.8 boards per game. Derrick does all of this while swatting away an impressive 2.2 blocks each night. In addition to this impressive duo the Jackets bring in experienced and versatile senior forward Zachery Peacock off of their bench. Peacock gives them 9.5 ppg and almost 5 boards a game. All while shooting 44% on three point shots. This is great production from a 6'8 235lbs kid. His ability to defend three positions is also an advantage that most teams just don't have.
3. Duke
While the Blue Devils heavily lean on guards John Scheyer and Nolan Smith for much of their offense they rely on several front court players to do just about everything else, and one of em' scores quite a bit also. Forward Kyle Singler, definitely the most acclaimed of the lot plays the Shane Battier/Mike Dunleavy role for Duke in that he plays both inside and out. Singler puts about 16 points and 7 boards along with a steal a night. Along with Singler Coach K uses a bevy of big forward/center type players to close down the lane and grab rebounds. 6'10 sophomore Miles Plumlee,6'9 senior forward Lance Thomas and 7'1 260lbs senior Brian Zoubek give the Blue Devils about 20 points and 18 boards a night. You could look at these numbers and not be impressed but when you consider that Miles' younger bro and 2010 McDonalds and Jordan game All American Mason, a 6'11 freshman, is just now starting to round into form you're looking at a talented front court. Mason was actually projected to the be the starter down low due to his considerable athleticism before a pre-season injury sidelines him for several weeks.
take a look at Mason Plumlee mixtape to see what I'm talking about.
Not to add but on Duke is so loaded down low that they have a 2010 McDonald's All American in Ryan Kelly way down on their bench. He's a skinny 6'10 with a sweet shot and would play alot more than 11 minutes a night at most schools.
4. Florida State
Leonard Hamilton's squad is loaded down low this season as they bring back two very talented performers in 7 foot center Solomon Alibi and 6'9 combo forward Chris Singleton, both of whom happen to rank 1 and 2 respectively in points per game for the Seminoles. Alibi and his 12 points and 7 boards a night is impressive, esp. when you combine that with an ACC leading 2.9 blocks per game average. He is now starting to get considerable NBA interest and many would not be surprised if he declared himself eligible.
...take a look for yourself
The 6'9 Singleton is a 2009 McDonald's All American who's been consistently good for two seasons now. His 7 boards a night ties Alabi's mark for the team lead. The third member of this starting front court is senior Ryan Reid. Reid has had several big games thus far and was intstrumental in FSU's first road ACC win of the year against Georgia Tech (17 points, 5 rebounds) Off the bench Hamilton has two young high flyers in 6'10 Xavier Gibson and 6'7 Jordan DeMercy. Gibson, a sophomore has NBA potential and Demercy can just fly. This front court has NBA size and could easily rank higher in the next few months.
5. Wake Forest
Al-Farouq Aminu leads the way for Wake's front court as the big time sophomore combo forward averages 17 points, an ACC leading 11.5 rebounds, and a little over 1 block per game. Aminu is very versatile and along with Ishamael Smith keeps the Deacons in the game.
Senior centers 7 foot Chas McFarland and 6'11 David Weaver combine for 10 points, 11 boards, and 2 blocks a night. The two really close down the middle and their experience helps them to do just that. What keeps this group at five is the fact that Wake's two other highly touted sophomores,6'10 Tony Woods and 7'1 Ty Walker, really haven't come on. By the same token it's a good bit of the reason why the group made the list to begin with. Woods averages 3 points and 3 boards a night. On the other hand, Walker has barely played this season as he still needs to add weight to his very slight frame. While I expect Woods to come on a bit more this season Walker is still a year away.
ACC Ballers Duke of the Week:
Al Farouq Aminu with the big time dunk off the feed from Ish Smith. This was a huge play in the game as well.....
Friday, January 1, 2010
Monday, December 14, 2009
ACC Ballers: Freshman Watch
You all have voiced your opinion and apparently the consensus is that Boston College and North Carolina will split the ACC Regular season title. Somehow I doubt this but hey, stranger things have happened.
Like every year the ACC is home to several of the top freshman in the country. Last season we had guys like Sylven Landesberg (UVA) and Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest) that came in and played exceptionally well . This season is no different as several top first year players will have a huge impact on their teams success. As always, some of these guys will be so good that they'll be getting paid to play next season so enjoy them while you can. Without further ado...
ACC Ballers Pre-Season First Team All Conference:
Forward - Derrick Favors - 6'10, 246lbs. - Georgia Tech
ACC Ballers Pre-Season Freshman of the Year 2009-2010
Rarely does a commitment from a high school kid allow a man to keep his multi million dollar job. That's exactly what happened when head coach Paul Hewitt, who was on the hot seat in the middle of an 11-18 season, was given a gift when Derrick (Espn.com's #2 ranked player in the class of 2009) decided he would attend Georgia Tech University in the fall of 2009. To put it bluntly, the University's patience was rewarded as Favors has lead the Yellow Jackets to 6-1 record and a national ranking (#15). He's averaged 13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks for his home town school thus far. These numbers are more impressive when you consider he's shooting a staggering 67% from the field. Favors will probably only be in Atlanta for one year so anytime you get a chance to see him you should tune in.
Forward - Ari Stewart - 6'7, 190lbs. - Wake Forest
Ari has been everything he was build to be coming into his first year in Winston Salem. Stewart, the 52 ranked player nationally by both espn.com and rivals.com, is a high flying athlete with a good bit of basketball skill to boot. All he's done is averaged 9.5 points to go along with 3 rebounds coming off of Coach Gaudio's bench. Stewart is the type of player that in a year or two will be contemplating the NBA draft. Here's a small look at what he did on the high school level.
Guard - C.J. Harris - 6'2 175 lbs. - Wake Forest
Harris is a quick guard from North Carolina that decided to play for his home state school. Boy is a Dino Gaudio glad he did. The unheralded freshman (espn.com's 18th ranked senior point guard in 2009)has come in and averaged 12 points a game while shooting 54% from 3. C.J has played so well that he's worked his way into the Deacs' starting lineup. To say he has out played his rivals 3 star status is an understatement.
Guard - Andre Dawkins - 6'5 196 lbs. - Duke
Dawkins, a 5 star 2010 recruit from Virginia, decided to graduate from high school a year early so he could add some depth to Coach K's back court. This high flying wing guard is explosive with a nice touch from the outside. He looks like he's an overgrown 12 year old but thus far he has proven he can play with the big boys. Dawkins a shade under 10 points (9.9 ppg) while shooting a bit over 50% from the 3.
(The video is not that great)
Guard - Mfon Udofia - 6'2 187 lbs. - Georgia Tech
Udofia came in as rivals.com's 32 ranked player in 2009 (6th rated point guard) and was handed the reigns at point guard for Paul Hewitt's squad from day 1. Udofia has been ballin. The super quick guard from Georgia has averaged 12 points, 3 dimes, and 3 boards a game for the 15th ranked team in the country. All this while playing the most difficult position in the game. While it helps to have future pro's in junior Gani Lawal and the aforementioned Favors, Udofia has more than held his own. While Favors and Lawal will do what they do all year it will be Udofia's ability to run the show that will determine how far the Yellow Jackets can go in March. Thus far it looks like Paul Hewitt has nothing to worry about.
ACC Ballers Dunk of the Week:
It didn't count but wow, really doesn't get much better than this right here from Boston College's Rakim Sanders.
Like every year the ACC is home to several of the top freshman in the country. Last season we had guys like Sylven Landesberg (UVA) and Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest) that came in and played exceptionally well . This season is no different as several top first year players will have a huge impact on their teams success. As always, some of these guys will be so good that they'll be getting paid to play next season so enjoy them while you can. Without further ado...
ACC Ballers Pre-Season First Team All Conference:
Forward - Derrick Favors - 6'10, 246lbs. - Georgia Tech
ACC Ballers Pre-Season Freshman of the Year 2009-2010
Rarely does a commitment from a high school kid allow a man to keep his multi million dollar job. That's exactly what happened when head coach Paul Hewitt, who was on the hot seat in the middle of an 11-18 season, was given a gift when Derrick (Espn.com's #2 ranked player in the class of 2009) decided he would attend Georgia Tech University in the fall of 2009. To put it bluntly, the University's patience was rewarded as Favors has lead the Yellow Jackets to 6-1 record and a national ranking (#15). He's averaged 13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks for his home town school thus far. These numbers are more impressive when you consider he's shooting a staggering 67% from the field. Favors will probably only be in Atlanta for one year so anytime you get a chance to see him you should tune in.
Forward - Ari Stewart - 6'7, 190lbs. - Wake Forest
Ari has been everything he was build to be coming into his first year in Winston Salem. Stewart, the 52 ranked player nationally by both espn.com and rivals.com, is a high flying athlete with a good bit of basketball skill to boot. All he's done is averaged 9.5 points to go along with 3 rebounds coming off of Coach Gaudio's bench. Stewart is the type of player that in a year or two will be contemplating the NBA draft. Here's a small look at what he did on the high school level.
Guard - C.J. Harris - 6'2 175 lbs. - Wake Forest
Harris is a quick guard from North Carolina that decided to play for his home state school. Boy is a Dino Gaudio glad he did. The unheralded freshman (espn.com's 18th ranked senior point guard in 2009)has come in and averaged 12 points a game while shooting 54% from 3. C.J has played so well that he's worked his way into the Deacs' starting lineup. To say he has out played his rivals 3 star status is an understatement.
Guard - Andre Dawkins - 6'5 196 lbs. - Duke
Dawkins, a 5 star 2010 recruit from Virginia, decided to graduate from high school a year early so he could add some depth to Coach K's back court. This high flying wing guard is explosive with a nice touch from the outside. He looks like he's an overgrown 12 year old but thus far he has proven he can play with the big boys. Dawkins a shade under 10 points (9.9 ppg) while shooting a bit over 50% from the 3.
(The video is not that great)
Guard - Mfon Udofia - 6'2 187 lbs. - Georgia Tech
Udofia came in as rivals.com's 32 ranked player in 2009 (6th rated point guard) and was handed the reigns at point guard for Paul Hewitt's squad from day 1. Udofia has been ballin. The super quick guard from Georgia has averaged 12 points, 3 dimes, and 3 boards a game for the 15th ranked team in the country. All this while playing the most difficult position in the game. While it helps to have future pro's in junior Gani Lawal and the aforementioned Favors, Udofia has more than held his own. While Favors and Lawal will do what they do all year it will be Udofia's ability to run the show that will determine how far the Yellow Jackets can go in March. Thus far it looks like Paul Hewitt has nothing to worry about.
ACC Ballers Dunk of the Week:
It didn't count but wow, really doesn't get much better than this right here from Boston College's Rakim Sanders.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
ACC/Big Ten Challenge 2009
It's that time again. The 11th ACC/Big Ten Challenge is upon us and for the first time since its inception the Big Ten might win. That's right, the ACC is a perfect 10-0 at this point (started in 1999) and the conference will look to maintain it's winning ways again although it might be difficult this go around. The reason for optimism in the Big Ten is basically that these schools have a lot of returning experience and the ACC just does not. The top ACC schools like UNC, Duke, and Wake Forest lost a combined 7 players to the NBA in the spring while most of the Big Ten elite return their primary players. On the other hand Michigan State returns elite point guard Kalin Lucas, Ohio State returns ultra athletic combo guard Eric Turner, and Purder returns a trio of talented players in Robbie Hummel, Jajuan Johnson, E'twaun Moore). Last season the ACC won a highly competitive challenge (6-5) and this year they'll have to fight even harder to maintain their success. I'll break down the games below and give my prediction.
Monday - November 30, 2009
Penn State 69 at Virginia 66 (box score)
Preview:
Virginia will rely on pre-season All ACC selection sophomore Sylven Landesberg and his 16 points per game for its offense. More importantly will be the play of 6'8 230lbs. junior Mike Scott. Scott will be the best rebounder on the court for much of the game and it will be imperative for him to dominate the glass if the Cavaliers want to win this one. Penn State relies heavily on junior Talor Battle (18, 6 boards, 3.5 assists per night) to make the offense go. Battle will get most of his help from experienced forwards David Jackson and Jeff Brooks, each of which average 10 points a night in this young season. The Nittany Lions do not rebound very well (the 6'0 Battle leads the team in rebounds) and it will be interesting to see how they will be able to rebound against their first big conference opponent of the year.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Virginia
Recap:
The Cavaliers was the better of the two teams in the first half as it lead 27-21 at halftime. Unfortunately for UVA Penn State's Talor Battle decided to assert himself in a big way. The 6 foot junior went off in the second half to the tune of 28 points. Plain and simple, he could not be guarded. Each and every time UVA went on a run, which honestly was not very often in the second half, Battle answered. Remarkably Sammy Zeglinski and Sylven Landesberg hit several shots down the stretch to pull UVA back in the game within the last 5 minutes but Battle's accurate free throw shooting kept the Nittany Lions in ahead.
Tuesday - December 1, 2009
Wake Forest 58 at #6 Purdue 69 (box score)
Preview:
The aforementioned Purdue trio (Moore, Hummel, and Johnson) combine to average 43 points and 16 rebounds per game. This will be tough for the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest to contend with. Superstar sophomore combo forward Al-Farouq Aminu (18ppg, 11rpg) and senior point guard Ishmael Smith should keep Wake in the game but it will take a monumental effort to beat the #6 team in the country on the road.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Purdue
Recap:
It took some time but #6 Purdue eventually pulled away from Wake Forest in the second half. Jajuan Johnson had a solid outing for the Boilermakers going 7-13 from the field for 21 points, 9 boards, and 3 blocks. The key to the victory for Purdue was holding superstar Al-Farouq Aminu to just 12 points on 3-11 of shooting. The Deacs rely on Aminu to get going each and every game and while he started off the game hot he cooled off significantly in the second half. Much of this had to do with Purdue's solid defense and just better play from star forward Robbie Hummel.
Northwestern 65 at North Carolina State 53 (box score)
Preview:
North Carolina State relies on sweet shooting 6'9 forward Dennis Horner (15ppg, 58% 3pt) and big man Tracy Smith (15ppg) to get it done night in and night out. On the other hand Northwestern relies on guard Michael Thompson (16ppg) and a host of others to initiate their offense. Although NC State is undefeated to date the Wildcats of Northwestern's 5-1 record includes wins against Notre Dame and Iowa State. Their only came to #10 ranked Butler.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Northwestern
Recap:
This game was never really in doubt as Northwestern took a commanding lead in the first half and didn't let up. Junior guard Michael Thompson went for 22 points and really led the Wildcats to this victory. In the loss NC State forward Tracy Smith had 23 points and 7 rebounds.
Maryland 80 at Indiana 68 (box score)
Preview:
Maryland is coming off of a rough stretch at the Maui Invitational (1-2) and will look to rebound against Indiana. While the Terps come into the game with 4 starters averaging double figures they will need pre-season co ACC Player of the Year Greivis Vasquez to improve upon his very pedestrians numbers (11 points, 4 boards, and 5 assists per game) to really put this game away like they should. The Hoosiers rely on 2 freshman and a sophomore for the bulk of their scoring and have been very shaky thus far (3-3). Indiana is still rebuilding and Gary should have his Terps playing well after a disappointing Maui tournament.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Maryland
Recap:
As predicted the Terrapins' experienced showed in this game and Greivis Vasquez over came another off shooting night to score 23 points in the victory. Senior Landon Milbourne added 19 points and 7 rebounds in this one. Indiana fought and clawed throughout the game to keep within striking distance but in the end they couldn't put together enough successful defensive possessions to shut down Maryland.
#9 Michigan State 82 at #11 North Carolina 89 (box score)
Preview:
The rematch of the 2008-2009 National Championship game is the premier matchup in this year's Challenge. It should not disappoint. The Spartans return virtually everyone and are loaded this year. I'm sure each and every player, including Coach Izzo, are looking to avenge the two blowout losses they suffered at the hands of North Carolina. Michigan State is led by all everything lead guard Kalin Lucas (17ppg, 3.7apg) and a host of other contributors from last season. On the other hand the Tar Heels will rely on a host of complimentary players from last year's National Championship team to win this game. UNC has 7 players that average at least 7 points per game and they've looked surprisingly good thus far given all the talent that fled to the NBA last spring. In their only two big conference tests in this young season Roy Williams' team beat a decent Ohio State team by 4 but followed that up with a sloppy loss to Syracuse (this game was played at MSG though. Virtually a home game for Cuse'). The Tar Heels don't lose too often in the Dean Dome but I expect Michigan State will be more than ready to play. The backcourt matchup will be key and the edge in this department has to go to Michigan State.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Michigan State
Recap:
Sophomore star Ed Davis went for a career high 22 points as he led his Tar Heels to the 7 point victory. The Tar Heels blocked 8 shots and basically just ran the Spartans out of the gym. Coach Williams ran several waves of players at Michigan State and the Spartans seemed over matched out of the gate. MSU's experience showed in the second half as they were able to cut into the 16 point lead the Tar Heels had in the first half but were never able to get over the hump. UNC blocked 8 shots and generally dominated the paint.
Virginia Tech 70 at Iowa 64 (box score)
Preview:
In the game nobody will be watching expect Virginia Tech to come out and handle this undermanned Hawkeye team. Iowa lost 4 players that contributed greatly last season (their leading scorer, a point guard, and two others) and it has shown. This team is still playing hard but the Hokies two star players, junior Malcolm Delaney (21.8 ppg) and Jeff Allen will be way too much for Iowa to contend with.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Virginia Tech
Recap:
The Hokies proved to be too much for an inexperienced Hawkeyes' squad. To Iowa's credit this game was much closer than expected in large part due to Iowa's Anthony Tucker. Tucker scored 24 points in the contest but couldn't lift his team past the Hokies. Guard Malcolm Delaney scored 18 points in the win.
Wednesday - December 2, 2009
Illinois 76 at #19 Clemson 74 - (box score)
Preview:
Clemson, fresh off of a huge win tonight against #10 Butler, come into this game with plenty of momentum. However, a number of the Tigers' players are under the weather so it will be interesting to see how healthy they are come game time. Illinois started off the season 4-0 before dropping their last two games to Utah and Bradley. Seems like Bruce Weber's proclamation that freshman guard Brandon Paul (11ppg) is like Dwyane Wade might be a bit premature. While Illinois is very experienced and talented Clemson's press should wear them out. This Illini team also hasn't seen an athlete quite like Trevor Booker yet...and he's one of several on Oliver Purnell's very athletic team. Not to pile on but the Tigers are tough at Little John. Their depth should be the difference.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Clemson
Recap:
Clemson got up early on Illnois and seemingly had the game in hand at halftime. The Tigers were up by 20 until a Illini stormed back in the second half. The Tigers epic collapse was accentuated by shooting 39% from the field for the game. Forward Mike Davis of Illnois finished up with 22 points in the victory.
Minnesota 58 at Miami 63 - (box score)
Tubby Smith has his Gopher's playing well in the early season despite the off the court trouble that several of his players have run into. He's getting great production from his bench in the early season and they already have a big win over Butler. This team is coming off of a tough one point loss to Texas A&M and one can imagine that they will be hungry to return to the win column. Miami has gotten off to a blazing start but they've really not played anyone note worthy outside South Carolina. However the 15 point win over the Gamecocks shows that the Hurricanes can play with big conference teams and I expect them to physically over power Tubby's bunch in this contest. If Miami post player Dwayne Collins can stay out of foul trouble he should dominate this game inside. He bullied his way past South Carolina players earlier this season and he should do the same to Minnesota's front line.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Miami
Recap:
Freshman Durand Scott scored 20 points for the Hurricanes in this contest and was instrumental in the win. The Canes' dominated the Gophers on the glass and that really was the story of the game. It would have probably helped the Gophers if they shot better than 46% from the line as well.
Boston College 62 at Michigan 58 - (box score)
Preview:
Michigan has dropped a few games recently to quality opponents (Marquette, Alabama) but don't sleep on the Wolverines. This is a good team and they'll have the best player in the game in 6'5 junior two guard Manny Harris (21 ppg, 9 rpg, 7 apg). While BC has 5 guys averaging double figures they really haven't played anyone of this caliber thus far. It will show.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Michigan
Recap:
Corey Raji dropped 24 to help BC pull off the tournament resume win in Ann Arbor. Michigan star Manny Harris struggled to find his shot (1-6 from 3 point range) and usually the Wolverines fortunes are tied into how well he plays. BC's Trapani, Raji, and Jackson combined for 29 rebounds and the Eagles out rebounded Michigan by 15.
#5 Duke 69 at Wisconsin 73 (box score)
Preview:
The Blue Devils, fresh off of a NIT Season Tip-Off tournament championship is 6-0 and have proven that their lack of guard depth will not be a huge hindrance to their success. Coach K looks to combo guards Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer (the two combine to average 35 points a night) to run his offense. When you factor in that Duke might has more size this season than they've had in recent memory and you start to realize it might be pretty difficult to beat this team. Wisconsin brings a ton of great experience into the game due to their decent success (2-1) in the Maui Tournament last week. Trevon Hughes (14 ppg) will be the key if the Badgers are to take this game as he's the only Badger that can put any pressure on Duke's guards with the ball in his hands. (side note: Be on the lookout for the season debut of highly touted freshman Mason Plumlee of Duke. Rumor has it that he could be on the court for the first time all season on Wednesday).
ACC Ballers Pick: Duke
Recap:
Trevon Hughes dropped 26 on the Dukies in this contest and it was clear that the Blue Devils had no answer for him. Duke's lack of a true point guard seemed to hurt them in this game as they turned the ball over 7 more times than Wisconsin did. In the losing effort Kyle Singler went off for 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting.
Florida State 64 at #15 Ohio State 77 (box score)
Preview:
Florida State should dominate this team on the glass as Ohio State relies on their 6'7 point guard Evan Turner (19 ppg, 12 rbg) to do all of its rebounding. In fact, Turner averages a full 8 rebounds a game more than the next Buckeye. This doesn't bode well for Thad Matta's bunch. Florida State has an NBA sized front line anchored by seven foot center Solomon Alibi (hit the game winning shot against Marquette in the Old Spice Classic. 11/29/09) and 2008 McDonalds All America Chris Singleton. Ohio State has the more talented guards so if they get hot Florida State will be in some trouble but they'd have to be on fire to win this game, even at home. If FSU takes care of the ball they win simply because they'll grab every rebounds.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Florida State
Recap:
Ohio State got a combined 47 points from Evan Turner and Jon Diebler in the winning effort. The Seminoles main issue seemed to be the three point shot as they went 2-16 from distance. The 20 turnovers the Seminoles had probably did not help matters either.
ACC Ballers' Dunk of the Week:
Sophomore Bryan Narcisse of Clemson takes off from deep against Texas A&M.
Monday - November 30, 2009
Penn State 69 at Virginia 66 (box score)
Preview:
Virginia will rely on pre-season All ACC selection sophomore Sylven Landesberg and his 16 points per game for its offense. More importantly will be the play of 6'8 230lbs. junior Mike Scott. Scott will be the best rebounder on the court for much of the game and it will be imperative for him to dominate the glass if the Cavaliers want to win this one. Penn State relies heavily on junior Talor Battle (18, 6 boards, 3.5 assists per night) to make the offense go. Battle will get most of his help from experienced forwards David Jackson and Jeff Brooks, each of which average 10 points a night in this young season. The Nittany Lions do not rebound very well (the 6'0 Battle leads the team in rebounds) and it will be interesting to see how they will be able to rebound against their first big conference opponent of the year.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Virginia
Recap:
The Cavaliers was the better of the two teams in the first half as it lead 27-21 at halftime. Unfortunately for UVA Penn State's Talor Battle decided to assert himself in a big way. The 6 foot junior went off in the second half to the tune of 28 points. Plain and simple, he could not be guarded. Each and every time UVA went on a run, which honestly was not very often in the second half, Battle answered. Remarkably Sammy Zeglinski and Sylven Landesberg hit several shots down the stretch to pull UVA back in the game within the last 5 minutes but Battle's accurate free throw shooting kept the Nittany Lions in ahead.
Tuesday - December 1, 2009
Wake Forest 58 at #6 Purdue 69 (box score)
Preview:
The aforementioned Purdue trio (Moore, Hummel, and Johnson) combine to average 43 points and 16 rebounds per game. This will be tough for the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest to contend with. Superstar sophomore combo forward Al-Farouq Aminu (18ppg, 11rpg) and senior point guard Ishmael Smith should keep Wake in the game but it will take a monumental effort to beat the #6 team in the country on the road.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Purdue
Recap:
It took some time but #6 Purdue eventually pulled away from Wake Forest in the second half. Jajuan Johnson had a solid outing for the Boilermakers going 7-13 from the field for 21 points, 9 boards, and 3 blocks. The key to the victory for Purdue was holding superstar Al-Farouq Aminu to just 12 points on 3-11 of shooting. The Deacs rely on Aminu to get going each and every game and while he started off the game hot he cooled off significantly in the second half. Much of this had to do with Purdue's solid defense and just better play from star forward Robbie Hummel.
Northwestern 65 at North Carolina State 53 (box score)
Preview:
North Carolina State relies on sweet shooting 6'9 forward Dennis Horner (15ppg, 58% 3pt) and big man Tracy Smith (15ppg) to get it done night in and night out. On the other hand Northwestern relies on guard Michael Thompson (16ppg) and a host of others to initiate their offense. Although NC State is undefeated to date the Wildcats of Northwestern's 5-1 record includes wins against Notre Dame and Iowa State. Their only came to #10 ranked Butler.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Northwestern
Recap:
This game was never really in doubt as Northwestern took a commanding lead in the first half and didn't let up. Junior guard Michael Thompson went for 22 points and really led the Wildcats to this victory. In the loss NC State forward Tracy Smith had 23 points and 7 rebounds.
Maryland 80 at Indiana 68 (box score)
Preview:
Maryland is coming off of a rough stretch at the Maui Invitational (1-2) and will look to rebound against Indiana. While the Terps come into the game with 4 starters averaging double figures they will need pre-season co ACC Player of the Year Greivis Vasquez to improve upon his very pedestrians numbers (11 points, 4 boards, and 5 assists per game) to really put this game away like they should. The Hoosiers rely on 2 freshman and a sophomore for the bulk of their scoring and have been very shaky thus far (3-3). Indiana is still rebuilding and Gary should have his Terps playing well after a disappointing Maui tournament.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Maryland
Recap:
As predicted the Terrapins' experienced showed in this game and Greivis Vasquez over came another off shooting night to score 23 points in the victory. Senior Landon Milbourne added 19 points and 7 rebounds in this one. Indiana fought and clawed throughout the game to keep within striking distance but in the end they couldn't put together enough successful defensive possessions to shut down Maryland.
#9 Michigan State 82 at #11 North Carolina 89 (box score)
Preview:
The rematch of the 2008-2009 National Championship game is the premier matchup in this year's Challenge. It should not disappoint. The Spartans return virtually everyone and are loaded this year. I'm sure each and every player, including Coach Izzo, are looking to avenge the two blowout losses they suffered at the hands of North Carolina. Michigan State is led by all everything lead guard Kalin Lucas (17ppg, 3.7apg) and a host of other contributors from last season. On the other hand the Tar Heels will rely on a host of complimentary players from last year's National Championship team to win this game. UNC has 7 players that average at least 7 points per game and they've looked surprisingly good thus far given all the talent that fled to the NBA last spring. In their only two big conference tests in this young season Roy Williams' team beat a decent Ohio State team by 4 but followed that up with a sloppy loss to Syracuse (this game was played at MSG though. Virtually a home game for Cuse'). The Tar Heels don't lose too often in the Dean Dome but I expect Michigan State will be more than ready to play. The backcourt matchup will be key and the edge in this department has to go to Michigan State.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Michigan State
Recap:
Sophomore star Ed Davis went for a career high 22 points as he led his Tar Heels to the 7 point victory. The Tar Heels blocked 8 shots and basically just ran the Spartans out of the gym. Coach Williams ran several waves of players at Michigan State and the Spartans seemed over matched out of the gate. MSU's experience showed in the second half as they were able to cut into the 16 point lead the Tar Heels had in the first half but were never able to get over the hump. UNC blocked 8 shots and generally dominated the paint.
Virginia Tech 70 at Iowa 64 (box score)
Preview:
In the game nobody will be watching expect Virginia Tech to come out and handle this undermanned Hawkeye team. Iowa lost 4 players that contributed greatly last season (their leading scorer, a point guard, and two others) and it has shown. This team is still playing hard but the Hokies two star players, junior Malcolm Delaney (21.8 ppg) and Jeff Allen will be way too much for Iowa to contend with.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Virginia Tech
Recap:
The Hokies proved to be too much for an inexperienced Hawkeyes' squad. To Iowa's credit this game was much closer than expected in large part due to Iowa's Anthony Tucker. Tucker scored 24 points in the contest but couldn't lift his team past the Hokies. Guard Malcolm Delaney scored 18 points in the win.
Wednesday - December 2, 2009
Illinois 76 at #19 Clemson 74 - (box score)
Preview:
Clemson, fresh off of a huge win tonight against #10 Butler, come into this game with plenty of momentum. However, a number of the Tigers' players are under the weather so it will be interesting to see how healthy they are come game time. Illinois started off the season 4-0 before dropping their last two games to Utah and Bradley. Seems like Bruce Weber's proclamation that freshman guard Brandon Paul (11ppg) is like Dwyane Wade might be a bit premature. While Illinois is very experienced and talented Clemson's press should wear them out. This Illini team also hasn't seen an athlete quite like Trevor Booker yet...and he's one of several on Oliver Purnell's very athletic team. Not to pile on but the Tigers are tough at Little John. Their depth should be the difference.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Clemson
Recap:
Clemson got up early on Illnois and seemingly had the game in hand at halftime. The Tigers were up by 20 until a Illini stormed back in the second half. The Tigers epic collapse was accentuated by shooting 39% from the field for the game. Forward Mike Davis of Illnois finished up with 22 points in the victory.
Minnesota 58 at Miami 63 - (box score)
Tubby Smith has his Gopher's playing well in the early season despite the off the court trouble that several of his players have run into. He's getting great production from his bench in the early season and they already have a big win over Butler. This team is coming off of a tough one point loss to Texas A&M and one can imagine that they will be hungry to return to the win column. Miami has gotten off to a blazing start but they've really not played anyone note worthy outside South Carolina. However the 15 point win over the Gamecocks shows that the Hurricanes can play with big conference teams and I expect them to physically over power Tubby's bunch in this contest. If Miami post player Dwayne Collins can stay out of foul trouble he should dominate this game inside. He bullied his way past South Carolina players earlier this season and he should do the same to Minnesota's front line.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Miami
Recap:
Freshman Durand Scott scored 20 points for the Hurricanes in this contest and was instrumental in the win. The Canes' dominated the Gophers on the glass and that really was the story of the game. It would have probably helped the Gophers if they shot better than 46% from the line as well.
Boston College 62 at Michigan 58 - (box score)
Preview:
Michigan has dropped a few games recently to quality opponents (Marquette, Alabama) but don't sleep on the Wolverines. This is a good team and they'll have the best player in the game in 6'5 junior two guard Manny Harris (21 ppg, 9 rpg, 7 apg). While BC has 5 guys averaging double figures they really haven't played anyone of this caliber thus far. It will show.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Michigan
Recap:
Corey Raji dropped 24 to help BC pull off the tournament resume win in Ann Arbor. Michigan star Manny Harris struggled to find his shot (1-6 from 3 point range) and usually the Wolverines fortunes are tied into how well he plays. BC's Trapani, Raji, and Jackson combined for 29 rebounds and the Eagles out rebounded Michigan by 15.
#5 Duke 69 at Wisconsin 73 (box score)
Preview:
The Blue Devils, fresh off of a NIT Season Tip-Off tournament championship is 6-0 and have proven that their lack of guard depth will not be a huge hindrance to their success. Coach K looks to combo guards Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer (the two combine to average 35 points a night) to run his offense. When you factor in that Duke might has more size this season than they've had in recent memory and you start to realize it might be pretty difficult to beat this team. Wisconsin brings a ton of great experience into the game due to their decent success (2-1) in the Maui Tournament last week. Trevon Hughes (14 ppg) will be the key if the Badgers are to take this game as he's the only Badger that can put any pressure on Duke's guards with the ball in his hands. (side note: Be on the lookout for the season debut of highly touted freshman Mason Plumlee of Duke. Rumor has it that he could be on the court for the first time all season on Wednesday).
ACC Ballers Pick: Duke
Recap:
Trevon Hughes dropped 26 on the Dukies in this contest and it was clear that the Blue Devils had no answer for him. Duke's lack of a true point guard seemed to hurt them in this game as they turned the ball over 7 more times than Wisconsin did. In the losing effort Kyle Singler went off for 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting.
Florida State 64 at #15 Ohio State 77 (box score)
Preview:
Florida State should dominate this team on the glass as Ohio State relies on their 6'7 point guard Evan Turner (19 ppg, 12 rbg) to do all of its rebounding. In fact, Turner averages a full 8 rebounds a game more than the next Buckeye. This doesn't bode well for Thad Matta's bunch. Florida State has an NBA sized front line anchored by seven foot center Solomon Alibi (hit the game winning shot against Marquette in the Old Spice Classic. 11/29/09) and 2008 McDonalds All America Chris Singleton. Ohio State has the more talented guards so if they get hot Florida State will be in some trouble but they'd have to be on fire to win this game, even at home. If FSU takes care of the ball they win simply because they'll grab every rebounds.
ACC Ballers' Pick: Florida State
Recap:
Ohio State got a combined 47 points from Evan Turner and Jon Diebler in the winning effort. The Seminoles main issue seemed to be the three point shot as they went 2-16 from distance. The 20 turnovers the Seminoles had probably did not help matters either.
ACC Ballers' Dunk of the Week:
Sophomore Bryan Narcisse of Clemson takes off from deep against Texas A&M.
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