College Basketball Preview |
Did you know that in the last 11 years the winner of the NCAA Tournament has come from the Atlantic Coast Conference 5 times? I’ll bet you also didn’t know that the ACC has the best winning percentage the last two years in the NCAA Tournament (65.4%) or that it was the only conference to have three teams (Duke, Florida State, North Carolina) in the Sweet Sixteen last year.
March Madness and the ACC are synonymous with one another, but before we get to March we must begin in November. Let’s break down the top contenders in the ACC for the 2011-12 season.
North Carolina Tar Heels: Fans of this team are among the most demanding in the nation, but HC Roy Williams has responded very well going into his 9th season. The stalwart coach has produced 2 national championships along with 4 Final Four appearances in his time as a Tar Heel. He has also brought home ACC Regular Season Championship honors 5 times including last year.
Williams returns all five starters along with several key bench players and highly touted recruits. Senior Tyler Zeller (15.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG) is the leader and an imposing force due to his 7-0 height. Harrison Barnes (15.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG) was a phenomenal freshman and will shine even brighter in 2011. John Henson (11.7 PPG, 10.1) provides yet another force in the paint. The G position gets a big boost from incoming freshman P.J. Hairston.
The Heels have to be considered the team to beat and are our pick to win the ACC.
Duke Blue Devils: Most teams experience some sort of decline after winning the NCAA Tournament. Not this one. Coach K’s team did very well last year to finish 32-5 with a 13-3 record in conference play while capturing a mind boggling 19th ACC Tournament in the process.
Returning starters include 6-2 G Seth Curry (Jr.), 6-11 F Ryan Kelly (Jr.) and 6-10 F Mason Plumlee (Jr.). 6-4 G Andre Dawkins (Jr.) and 6-10 F Miles Plumee (So.) are also key returnees. Curry was a prolific scorer as he proved by dropping 22 and 20 at home and away against archrival North Carolina. This year will be his time to shine. He will get help from incoming freshman Austin Rivers who was the most sought after recruit at the G position last year. Kelly and the Plumlee twins will help Duke be a force in the paint regardless of who they play.
Key losses include ACC Player of the Year Nolan Smith, #1 overall NBA draft pick Kyrie Irving and Kyle Singler.
It should come as no surprise that a team like Duke will strongly compete in the ACC. However, they will cede preseason favorite status to their rivals at Chapel Hill, NC.
The two teams at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference are firmly grounded in the form of North Carolina and Duke, but the third spot is wide open. Miami, Clemson and Virginia can all make great arguments for why they deserve to be in line behind UNC and Duke.
The Hurricanes at Miami return 4 starters and 9 of 10 top scorers and will compete strongly despite having a new HC in the form of Jim Larranaga. The Tigers at Clemson are a vastly experienced team with 4 key senior players and 6 of their top 10 scorers returning to play for second year coach Brad Brownell who guided them to a 22-12 finish last year. Virginia has mired in mediocrity since 2007, but with four starters back they will compete with every team they play. F Mike Scott (15.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG) will vie for conference player of the year honors.
Florida State has a good team coming back for coach Leanard Hamilton, but will have to prove they can survive life in the ACC without star player Chris Singleton. The Terps at Maryland looked to be headed to the top this year. That was before HC Gary Williams retired, Jordan Williams left early for the NBA, and several top recruits recommitted. Now fans of the College Park team will have to watch as former Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon tries to rebuild.
The ACC looks like a two horse race this year between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils and the odds will show that. Value can be had with Clemson, Virginia and Miami, but in the end bettors must realize that UNC and Duke have combined to take the 13 of the last 15 ACC Regular Season Championships.
