ACC Tournament Quarterfinals Preview

Day one was a doozy, here's a look ahead to Friday's quarterfinal round.

#1 Duke vs.

#9 Virginia, 12:00 p.m.

Regular season results – Duke 67-49 at Virginia on Feb. 28

Team records – Duke 26-5 (13-3) Virginia 15-5 (6-11)

Projected starters –

Duke

G- Jon Scheyer (18.9 ppg, 40% 3pt, 89% FT)

G- Nolan Smith (17.6 ppg, 3.0 apg)

F- Kyle Singler (17.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

F- Lance Thomas (5.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg)

C- Brian Zoubek (5.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg)

Virginia (ACC Tournament stats)

G- Mustapha Farrakhan (10 points, 4 assists)

G- Sammy Zeglinski (21 points, 5-10 3pt)

G- Jeff Jones (14 points, 3-5 3pt)

F- Mike Scott (11 points, 13 rebounds)

C- Jerome Meyinsse (12 points, 4 rebounds)

Team statistical comparison –

DUKE	STAT	UVA
79.1	Points per game	66.0
38.9%	Three-point percentage	35.2%
39.2	Rebounds per game	34.0
27.1%	Opponents 3-point %	35.6

Overview –

This one really shouldn’t be very close. The number that jumps off the page with Duke is three-point shooting both offensively and defensively. Not only do the Blue Devils shoot 39 percent from behind the arc, but also they are the number one team in the country in three-point percentage on defense. Duke averages 23.4 points per game from threes, while its opponents average only 10.1.

Virginia already exceeded expectations by snapping a nine-game losing streak sans its leading scorer in round one. Sammy Zeglinski erupted against Boston College, shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc. Virginia is not a very strong outside shooting team typically, but would need a similar performance on Friday to even hang close.

Plain and simple, Duke has too much size for Virginia to handle. The Devils constantly throw large bodies out on the floor, and Virginia is not deep enough to hang around. Expect Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler to have huge games. It would not be surprising to see one or both creep towards the 30-point mark in this game.

Virginia’s best chance in this game is to force those two Devils into foul trouble, and shoot an even higher percentage from three-point range than it did Thursday.

Prediction – Duke 84, Virginia 69

#4 Virginia Tech vs.

#12 Miami, 2:30 p.m.

Regular season results –VT 81-66 at home on Jan. 13, Mia 82-75 at home on Jan. 31

Team records – VT 23-7 (10-6) Miami 19-12 (4-12)

Projected starters –

Virginia Tech

G- Malcolm Delaney (20.9 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.1 t.o per game)

G- Dorenzo Hudson (14.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

F- Terrell Bell (6.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

F- Jeff Allen (12.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.2 spg)

C- Victor Davila (5.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg)

Miami (First round stats)

G-Durand Scott (6 points, 4 assists)

G-Malcolm Grant (9 points, 5 assists)

G- James Dews (15 points, 4 rebounds)

F- DeQuan Jones (14 points, 4 rebounds)

F- Reggie Johnson (22 points, 4 rebounds)

Team statistical comparison –

VA TECH	STAT	MIAMI
73.0	Points per game	72.1
72.5%	Free throw percentage	66.8%
42.6%	Field goal percentage	46.2%
13.8	Points off three-pointers	22.5

Overview –

There may never be as dominating of a victory by the last-place team in a conference tournament ever again like Miami’s 83-62 beatdown of Wake on Thursday. The Hurricanes exploited the Deacons’ weak outside shooting by playing a 2-3 zone much of the game.

Virginia Tech is in the same boat as Wake. The Hokies are one of the weakest three-point shooting teams in the country. In the first matchup between Tech and Miami, the Hokies torched the Hurricanes’ zone, shooting over 60 percent from the field in the first half.

If Seth Greenberg’s club is making outside shots, they are very tough to beat. Malcolm Delaney, Dorenzo Hudson, Terrell Bell and Jeff Allen are all capable of knocking down outside shots, but none do so on a very consistent basis.

Hudson is expected to play despite a foot injury that held him out of the Hokies’ season finale at Georgia Tech.

The X-factor in this game will be Malcolm Delaney, and how effective his jump shot will be. Against a zone, he is less likely to reach the foul line as often as he does (more than seven times per game). This game will be very close, but the Hokies know that a one-and-done in Greensboro just might keep them out of the big dance.

Prediction – Virginia Tech 72, Miami 69

#2 Maryland vs.

#7 Georgia Tech, 7:00 p.m.

Regular season results – Maryland 76-74 at home on Feb. 20

Team records – Maryland 23-7 (13-3) Georgia Tech 20-11 (8-9)

Projected starters –

Maryland

G- Greives Vasquez (19.6 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.6 rpg)

G- Eric Hayes (11.0 ppg, 45.2% 3pt.)

F- Landon Milbourne (12.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

F- Sean Mosley (10.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

C- Jordan Williams (9.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg)

Georgia Tech (ACC Tourney stats)

G- Iman Shumpert (9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists)

G- De’Andre Bell (8 points, 5 rebounds)

G- Glen Rice, Jr. (8 points, 2-4 3pt.)

F- Derrick Favors (18 points, 9 rebounds)

F- Gani Lawal (12 points, 4 rebounds)

Team statistical comparison –

UMD	STAT	GA TECH
79.8	Points per game	74.7
72.1%	Free throw percentage	65.4%
11.8	Turnovers per game	16.2
71.0	Points allowed per game	71.7

Overview –

Maryland has one of the best teams nobody is talking about as we hit mid-March. Vasquez is the unquestionable leader and go-to guy for Gary Williams’ team, but the Terrapins are deceptively balanced. Eric Hayes is a dynamite outside shooter, and Jordan Williams has emerged as a viable threat in the low post.

Williams will have his hands full with Lawal and Favors, who carried the Jackets past North Carolina in round one. Milbourne and Mosley will have to match the physical play of Georgia Tech to allow Vasquez and Hayes to win the game for them.

The backcourt advantage leans heavily towards the Terrapins. Georgia Tech’s guards have been inconsistent all season. Glen Rice, Jr. is a 45-percent shooter from three-point range, and he will have to knock down shots to give Tech hope.

Favors was ultra-impressive against Carolina Thursday night, and there is no reason to think he won’t build on that as he makes his case as one of the country’s best players. If he comes through with a big game, Tech has a chance.

Prediction – Maryland 74, Georgia Tech 69

#3 Florida State vs.

#11 North Carolina State, 9:30 p.m.

Regular season results – NC St. 88-81 at FSU on Jan. 12

Team records – Florida State 22-8 (10-6) NC State 18-14 (6-11)

Projected starters –

Florida State

G- Michael Snaer (8.9 ppg, 1.3 apg, 2.4 t.o per game)

G- Deividas Dulkys (8.6 ppg, 40.1% 3pt)

G- Derwin Kitchen (8.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

F- Chris Singleton (10.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg)

C- Solomon Alabi (11.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.3 bpg)

NC State (ACC Tourney Stats)

G- Javier Gonzalez (2 points, 4 turnovers)

G- Julius Mays (4 points, 3 turnovers)

F- Dennis Horner (2 points, 4 rebounds)

F- C.J. Williams (8 points, 4-4 FT)

F- Tracy Smith (19 points, 8 rebounds)

Team statistical comparison –

FSU	STAT	NC STATE
69.0	Points per game	68.0
64.9%	Free throw percentage	68.7%
8.4	Steals per game	6.4
60.2	Points allowed per game	65.1

Overview –

In reality, the Wolfpack had no means winning their first-round game against Clemson. They defeated the Tigers 59-57 in a game where Clemson shot 10-of-18 from the foul line and 20-of-51 from the field. Many of the Tigers’ misses were open looks, as David Potter and Andre Young went a combined one-for-12 from the field.

Florida State doesn’t boast much better shooters than Clemson, which is a good sign for the ‘Pack. Sidney Lowe’s gang, which has a knack for winning games in the conference tournament year after year, relies heavily on big man Tracy Smith to lead the way. Smith was the only scorer in double figures for NC State Thursday night.

Florida State likes to play aggressive half-court man-to-man defense, and are one of the best in the country at doing so. The Wolfpack turned the ball over 19 times against Clemson, another anomalistic number considering the fact they won the game. As I’ve said before, State has the worst ball-handling club in the ACC, and it has to catch up to them at some point.

As you can see above, though, Florida State also struggles from the foul line. Freshman guard Michael Snaer was named to the conference’s all-rookie team this week despite an appalling 1:1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Just as Miami was for Wake Forest, NC State is a tough matchup for the ‘Noles, who already lost to the Wolfpack at home in 2010. This could be one ugly game.

Prediction – Florida State 64, NC State 62

ACC Tournament has chance for some surprises; some others not so much

I don’t want to grow up.

This used to be the one week that I could be a rebel.

In high school, conference tournament week meant sneaking a radio into class Thursday, and playing hookey Friday to follow the most exciting basketball of the year.

All of that is a distant memory now, with flexible college schedules that have me out of class by 11 a.m. on Fridays.

This year it’s even worse! Spring break means I’ll be able to wake up just in time to watch the first group of games from my bed.

Sounds great, but I really do miss the thrill of listening to Wake Forest and Georgia Tech instead of my Earth science teacher.

Anywho, for those of you who live for conference tournament week, this one’s for you.

The ACC Tournament kicks off its week with a slew of crucial first round games on Thursday.

The biggest game of the day will be Georgia Tech versus North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets had an opportunity to lock up an NCAA Tournament bid with a win over Virginia Tech this past Saturday, but with the loss they are out entirely in all likelihood.

The Jackets beat North Carolina handily in their one regular season match-up, and also enjoyed a 20-point lead in the other before holding on to win by two in Chapel Hill, but this game could serve as one to salvage the Heels’ season, so Paul Hewitt’s team better bring their “A” game.

Also huge is Wake Forest and Miami. If it weren’t for UNC, Miami would be the talk of the league as the biggest underachiever. The Hurricanes have some real talent in the backcourt and up front with guys like Dwayne Collins and James Dews, but they struggled in conference play after going unbeaten in the non-conference.

Miami could be the upset special of the weekend, and that’s who I am going with.

Until Wake Forest stunned Clemson to finish the regular season, the Demon Deacons were in a free fall from NCAA lock to squarely on the bubble. Beating the Tigers in a must-win situation was huge, but it is not enough to convince me they have righted the ship entirely.

Clemson should make the field of 65 next Sunday, but a loss to NC State would not help its case. The Wolfpack have the least talented team in the conference, and Clemson should pass by them with ease.

The other game that fans of Greensboro Coliseum will use as their personal two-hour bathroom break is Boston College against Virginia. Neither team will likely make the postseason in any form, and without Sylvan Landesburg playing for the Cavaliers, there is not a single player in this game worth the price of admission.

On to the second round:

As the fourth seed, Virginia Tech saved its season with consecutive wins in the final week of the season, after three straight losses looked to have sent them to the NIT again.

While most of the players and coaches seem to think they are in the NCAA Tournament for sure, there is the possibility they could be jobbed again if they do not win in the ACC quarterfinals.

The Hokies will face the winner of Wake and Miami, which as I said earlier, believe to be Miami.

But for the sake of normalcy, let’s say Wake holds off the Hurricanes. The Hokies beat Wake in an up-and-down game last month in Blacksburg in which Malcolm Delaney went off for 31 points.

Either the Deacons or the Hurricanes are a good matchup for Tech.

Florida State is the darkhorse in the tournament. They have the best chance at matching up with top seed Duke’s size, and are athletic enough to stop the backcourts at Virginia Tech and Maryland.

The Seminoles get the Clemson/NC State winner. Clemson could give them a run with Trevor Booker manning the post, but the ‘Noles should prevail to the semifinals.

Maryland tied Duke for the conference title, but sits in the second seed for the tournament. They get the winner of Georgia Tech and UNC. This one is scary, because both of those potential opponents have firepower. Maryland is playing far and away its best basketball right now, and Greivis Vasquez appears to have locked up conference player of the year honors.

If there were an upset in the second round, it would be in this game.

Duke will name the score of its game against the BC/Virginia winner.

In the semifinals, Duke and Virginia Tech are the most likely to get there. Florida State has a tough matchup with Clemson to get by, but they should be there as well. I’m going to go ahead and say Georgia Tech stuns Maryland in the quarters, leaving Florida State against Georgia Tech and the Blue Devils against the Hokies.

At that point, all four teams would safely be in the NCAA Tournament, so it would be down to seeding and pride on the line. Despite the road loss to Maryland in a death trap game, Duke is playing very well right now. The Blue Devils have had problems away from home, which could be trouble in Greensboro. However, Virginia Tech has not set the world on fire on the road either.

Georgia Tech could give FSU some problems inside. Solomon Alabi against Gani Lawal would be the matchup of the tournament. The Yellow Jackets have the most to prove this week, after getting the short end of the stick in conference scheduling.

Don’t let its seed fool you, Tech is not the seventh-best team in the conference.

After reaching the finals, Duke and Tech would be a good matchup, but there simply is no team in this league that can effectively control both Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith, while still having enough bodies to keep Kyle Singler and the rest of the Duke frontcourt at bay.

The league is very balanced across the board, but Duke is simply a head above the rest. Stranger things have happened, but the Blue Devils are a tough matchup for anyone else in the ACC, and have a chance to prove that this weekend.

The Race to Greensboro – Breaking down the ACC Tournament chase

Starting today, I will take a look at each conference and handicap what each team needs to do between now and selection Sunday. First off, the Atlantic Coast Conference.

 

Duke (23-4, 11-2)

NCAA Tournament chances: lock

 

The Blue Devils lead the ACC by a game and a half over Maryland, and have all but wrapped up the regular season championship. That being said, Duke is far from flawless, and is not a shoo-in to win the conference tournament.

No team in the country has a trio as talented as Duke’s Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith. All three players bring different but valuable assets to the table and make stopping Duke a living hell for opponents.

The worst news for Mike Krzyzewski’s team is they cannot play their tournament games at home. Each of Duke’s four losses has come on the road, and they have a much tougher time making shots away from Cameron Indoor Stadium.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC Championship/Final Four

Worst-case scenario: ACC Quarterfinals/NCAA first round

Likely scenario: ACC Championship/Sweet Sixteen

 

Maryland (19-7, 9-3)

NCAA Tournament chances: very likely

 

The Terrapins have flown somewhat under the radar this season, but with two weeks left in the regular season, they are in sole possession of second place in the ACC.

Quite frankly, Gary Williams’ team has been one arguable the most dominate team in the conference.  In its nine conference wins, Maryland has outscored its opponents by an average of 14 points per game. When they come to play, the Terps leave no doubt.

The biggest concern for Maryland’s NCAA Tournament hopes is their lack of a quality non-conference victory. The best win in that category was over Indiana, which is hardly anything to brag about.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC Championship/Sweet Sixteen

Worst-case scenario: ACC Quarterfinals/NIT

Likely scenario: ACC Semifinals/NCAA 2^nd round

Virginia Tech (21-5, 8-4)

NCAA Tournament chances: somewhat probable

 

The Hokies could have all but solidified a spot in the NCAA tournament with a win at Duke Sunday night. Instead, Tech sits in third place in the ACC with several difficult games remaining.

Seth Greenberg has done a magnificent job coaching this team. Through 14 games at home, the Hokies have yet to lose once. The Feb. 27 date with Maryland in Blacksburg can be circled as a must-win for the Hokies, if they want to lock up a tournament spot before the ACC tournament begins.

With one of the worst non-conference schedules in America, Tech needs to finish at least 10-6 in the ACC to feel comfortable heading into selection Sunday.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC Championship/Sweet Sixteen

Worst-case scenario: ACC Quarterfinals/NIT

Likely scenario: ACC Finals/NCAA Second Round

 

Wake Forest (18-7, 8-5)

NCAA Tournament chances: somewhat probable

 

Last week, the Deacons were a comfortable lock for the NCAA Tournament, until they lost two games in a row.

Wake has strong non-conference victories, including ones over Gonzaga, Xavier and Richmond. Against the stronger opponents in the ACC, though, the Demon Deacons have struggled.

They have lost at Miami, at Duke, at Georgia Tech, at Virginia Tech, and at North Carolina State. Their only road win in the ACC came against North Carolina on Jan. 20.

Their struggles away from home raise a big red flag as far as their tournament prospects. Then again, not too many teams have found success on the road in this conference.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC Championship/Sweet Sixteen

Worst-case scenario: ACC Quarterfinals/NIT

Likely scenario: ACC Quarterfinals/NCAA First Round

 

Clemson (19-7, 7-5)

NCAA Tournament Chances: Bubble

The Tigers sit on the bubble at this point, and their outlook is rough. Three of their last four games are on the road, and they are all against strong teams in Maryland, Florida State and Wake Forest.

After losing at Virginia Tech on Feb. 6, Clemson has won three straight games. 

Realistically, the Tigers need to win at least two games in their final four, and a game in the ACC tournament to make the big dance.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC Semifinals/NCAA second round

Worst-case scenario: ACC first round/NIT

Likely scenario: ACC quarterfinals/NIT

 

Florida State (19-7, 7-5)

NCAA Tournament chances: Bubble

 

The Seminoles sit in a similar boat as Clemson for the time being, but with a much easier line of games down the stretch.

The ‘Noles’ final two road games are against North Carolina and Miami, two of the weaker teams in the conference.

Leonard Hamilton’s team is lacking a big-time scorer a la Toney Douglass or Al Thornton. If they had a better backcourt, FSU might be the best team in the conference.

With such great size inside, Florida State could give teams trouble in postseason play.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC Semifinals/NCAA first round

Worst-case scenario: ACC First round/NIT

Likely scenario: ACC Semifinals/NCAA first round

 

Georgia Tech (18-9, 6-7)

NCAA Tournament Chances: barely on the bubble

 

The Yellow Jackets are one of the more inconsistent, underachieving teams in the nation.

They are 2-4 in their last six games, but two of their final three games are at home. Derrick Favors and Gani Lawal are both All-ACC candidates, but there have been many disappointing performances from the Jackets this season.

To make the NCAA Tournament, Paul Hewitt’s squad must win two of its final three regular season games and make it to the ACC semifinals.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC Semifinals/NCAA first round

Worst-case scenario: ACC First round/NIT

Likely scenario: ACC Quarterfinals/NIT

 

Virginia (14-11, 5-7)

NCAA Tournament chances: very unlikely

Remember when the Cavaliers were in first place in the ACC? After a surprisingly hot start in conference play, the Wahoos have fallen on hard times down the stretch.

Virginia has lost five straight games, and it’s not crazy to think that the Cavs could go from 5-2 to 5-11 or 6-10 by season’s end.

If the Cavaliers want to make a shocking run to the NCAA tournament, they would need to win out in their final four games and probably make the finals of the conference tournament.

 

Boston College (13-13, 4-8)

NCAA Tournament chances: only with an automatic bid

Early season losses to Maine and Harvard spelled doom for the Eagles’ season. Other than a win against Clemson at home on Jan. 26, there are no wins to speak about for Boston College.

The Eagles need to win three more games to be eligible for the NIT. That is very possible, with games against Virginia and North Carolina State left in the regular season. That means they would only have to win one ACC Tournament game should they beat the Cavs and Wolfpack.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC Quarterfinals/NIT

Worst-case scenario: ACC first round/CBI

Likely scenario: ACC first round/CBI

 

North Carolina (14-13, 3-9)

NCAA Tournament chances: only with an automatic bid

The Tar Heels have fallen so far from the top-10 ranked team from early January that only a tournament championship would earn them an NCAA bid.

The scary thing about the Heels is, even if they enter the conference tournament as the 11^th seed, they are talented enough to make a miraculous run. 

Is that likely? Yeah, and Matt Collette is a humble gentleman. Still, Carolina could salvage a forgettable season with at least a couple good wins late in the year.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC Semifinals/NCAA First Round

Worst-case scenario: ACC first round/CBI

Likely scenario: ACC first round/CBI

North Carolina State (15-13, 3-10)

NCAA Tournament Chances: only with an automatic bid

Over the course of the season, the Wolfpack have been the worst team in the ACC, but they have had a couple bright moments.

The 88-74 win over Duke gave State fans hope, but since that game, the Pack have lost seven of eight games. On Saturday they may have spoiled Wake Forest’s season with a 68-54 win at home.

 

Even with the select impressive victories, the Wolfpack have little hope to make it to the second day of the ACC Tournament still alive.

 

Best-case scenario: ACC quarterfinals/CBI

Worst-case scenario: ACC first round/CBI

Likely scenario: ACC first round/CBI