ACC Season Beginning to Heat Up

The Atlantic Coast Conference has long been one of the best conferences in college basketball. From the days of Phil Ford in the 1960s to the 1980s with Michael Jordan, Ralph Sampson, and Len Bias, the ACC has seen and produced some of the best talent the game has ever seen. And this year is no exception.

With the additions of Boston College, Miami, and Virginia Tech, the ACC looks even more powerful this year. Granted, the additions of the former Big East schools were made with college football in mind — namely a high-priced and profitable ACC Championship Game — but the benefits of these additions are being seen in basketball, as well.

Of course, the usual suspects are in the hunt in Duke, No.1 team in the country, North Carolina, Maryland, and Wake Forest. But there are a few teams making headlines that fans haven't heard from in a while. Clemson, which has been a perennial doormat in the league for the past couple of years, is 11-0, which should surprise some. It's not really that surprising given the soft schedule the Tigers have played so far this season, which opened up with three blowout wins against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools. The Tigers get their first taste of conference action on January 4th when they host Florida State.

The Seminoles have been a little bit of a surprise this season, as well. But just like Clemson, Florida State has had the luxury of an easy schedule with its lone loss coming against 15th-ranked Florida earlier in the season. The Clemson/Florida State matchup should prove who's a contender or pretender, as far as these two teams go. Virginia Tech has also made headlines this season.

The Hokies, unlike Clemson and Florida State, have some big wins against some credible teams. And if weren't for a last-second shot against Duke three weeks ago, the Hokies might have found themselves in the Top 25. But solid wins over St. John's and Stanford and that narrow loss to Duke should make Virginia Tech stronger once conference play begins.

The biggest surprise in the ACC this year has to be North Carolina. After winning their first national championship in 12 years last season, the Tar Heels watched four players leave school early for the NBA Draft. All were first-round picks and many observers wrote off the Tar Heels, as soon as this happened. But coach Roy Williams has his young squad believing in his system. Led by the surprising play of senior David Noel and freshman Tyler Hansbrough, the Tar Heels are looking aren't looking like a team that picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the conference.

The young squad will be tested when conference play begins and that should only make them stronger come NCAA tournament time. And with one of the nation's top recruiting class coming in next season, don't be surprised if the Tar Heels are raising another banner in the Smith Center.

Wake Forest and North Carolina State are also strong again this season and will be a factor in the conference. Both teams have veteran coaches that have been to the Big Dance plenty of times and will have their teams ready when conference play begins. The Demon Deacons have played a tough schedule so far with wins against Richmond, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, and Princeton. And that should only help them in the long run. Wake Forest opens its conference schedule at home against top-ranked Duke on January 8th.

The Maryland Terrapins are strong again, as well, this season. Coach Gary Williams has him team clicking and working together and the Terrapins will be a tough team to beat every night. After a tumultuous relationship the last couple of years with former point guard John Gilcrest, Williams has D.J. Strawberry playing point guard this season and the Terps are looking exciting. With veterans Chris McCray and Nick Caner-Medley providing veteran leadership, the Terps will continue to be a factor in the conference after starting the season 7-2.

The Duke Blue Devils are hot. After their narrow win against Virginia Tech, the Blue Devils have won five straight games, all in convincing fashion, which included a 31-point embarrassment of Texas on national television two weeks ago. J.J. Redick has finally turned into a complete player and refuses to — and quite frankly cannot — be stopped. He's averaging almost 25 points per game and is shooting a ridiculous 47 percent from downtown. And with Sheldon Williams dominating the inside, the 11-0 Blue Devils look unbeatable at the moment. But they will face tough challenges once conference play starts.

So what does this all mean? If the season continues to unfold like its doing at the moment, the ACC has the potential to get six or maybe seven teams into the NCAA tournament. This is how I feel the conference will play out.

1. Duke
2. Maryland
3. North Carolina
4. Wake Forest
5. North Carolina State
6. Georgia Tech
7. Florida State
8. Clemson
9. Virginia Tech
10. Boston College
11. Miami
12. Virginia

Comments and Conversation

December 27, 2005

Josh Garman:

Boston College 10th in the ACC. That is funny. I am a Duke fan and I know that is wrong.

January 4, 2006

Aaron:

BC 10th? UNC 3rd? Either the author has somehuge cojones to make these picks or he has no idea what he’s talking about. BC should be anywhere from 2-4 and UNC 4-6. Maryland/NCSU/Wake all have a good chance to find themselves in the 2-5 spots. UNC beat UK and played UI tough, but i think the constant grind of the ACC regular season will show them to be a mid-conference player. NCSU, Wake and MD have too much experience to drift below UNC. GT is not going to finish 6th, especially withe injury just announced, though the author could not have known this when the story was written.

January 5, 2006

Alex:

The author is on crack. BC coming 10th is like Duke coming 2nd in the ACC - no way in hell that is going to happen. And yes, I am a huge Duke fan and will watch them annilate the ACC.

January 23, 2006

Fred Chauncey:

Phil Ford played in the 70’s.

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