A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
In episode #19 of The Bottoms Line College Hoops Talk Podcast, host Andy Bottoms is joined by Raphielle Johnson of CollegeHoopsNet to discuss all the latest news and events in college basketball.
This week’s episode features a thorough look at the world of college basketball with hot topics from all BCS conferences discussed as well as some notable mid-majors as well.
Maybe it was the sheer volume of annoying “Road Test Saturday” promos I saw a couple weekends ago, but I started to wonder why the notion existed that playing non-conference road games was worthy of such special billing. After doing some research this weekend, I no longer need to wonder.
What I found is a staggering lack of road games for college basketball teams from major conferences.
The 13th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge tips of on Tuesday, and after 10 years of disappointment the Big Ten is looking to extend its own winning streak to three.
For the first time, both leagues have the same number of teams, so there are 12 games on this year’s slate. (In the event of a 6-6 tie, the Big Ten will retain the Commissioner’s Cup in case you were wondering. Spoiler alert: That shouldn’t be an issue.)
With the season roughly a week old, what better time to make snap judgments and rash reactions to what has happened so far?!
As I mentioned during my early look at the ACC back in June, there are plenty of storylines to follow heading into this season. That doesn’t even count conference expansion, which I have generally chosen not to acknowledge until teams actually move.
I will say that the impending additions of Syracuse and Pitt will provide additional depth to a league which has been pretty top-heavy in recent years. But none of that matters this season.
What does matter is that the ACC boasts a North Carolina team rated first in virtually every preseason poll to go with perennial contender Duke and a number of other intriguing teams competing for tournament berths.
In episode #7 of The Bottoms Line College Hoops Talk Podcast, host Andy Bottoms is joined once again Rob Dauster and Troy Machir of Ballin’ Is a Habit to discuss all the latest news and events in college basketball.
In this week’s episode, the guys provide the latest weekly update on on suspensions, injuries, and obscure NCAA Rules. They also breakdown the ACC and Big Ten for the 2011-12 season. And they review the B.I.A.H. All-Name Team, always a highlight of every preseason for college basketball fans across the country.
If you spent the weekend enjoying a double sunset on one of the moons of Kepler-16b, here’s what you missed:
Each day brings new rumors about schools that are prepared to leave one conference or accept an invitation from another. And while no school has moved yet this year (the SEC invitation to Texas A&M is still pending), there is no lack of speculation about what might happen.
At this time, when everyone is looking ahead to 16-team superconferences and/or conferences that are geographically abhorrent and make no effort to preserve traditional rivalries, let’s look back at where these conferences started and where they have come.
TheSportsMuse is a contributor to Midwest Sports Fans. He graduated from both Duke University and the University of Virginia, and is an avid ACC follower. He can be followed on twitter @TheSportsMuse.
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People across the land have talked all season about how bad the ACC is. Some have even used what can only be hoped is hyperbole and claimed that the league is on par with the (gasp!) Horizon league.
So I thought it was my duty, as an avid follower of the ACC since the mid ‘80s, to weigh in on the debate.
As we continue our crash course on the college basketball season so far (yesterday was the Big Ten), the next stop is in the ACC. You remember the ACC, right? Worse record in BCS Bowls than the Mountain West and the WAC. Official mascot is Dick Vitale.
Now that we’ve cleared that up, I must issue one warning on behalf of the Surgeon General: Do not let children under the age of 13 watch ACC games this season. The conference is virtually unwatchable, and if not for the weakest bubble in recent memory, most of these teams aren’t truly worthy of conversation. And remember, that’s not me talking, it’s the Surgeon General, who in my head looks a lot like Wilfred Brimley (aka the Quaker Oats guy).
If you came to this page looking for picks and predictions for the 2009 NCAA Tournament, we’ve got you covered.
Follow the link to our 2009 NCAA Tournament Game-by-Game Picks all the way through the Final Four.
Or, you can view them by region:
And if you actually came to this page to review our 2009 ACC Tournament predictions, pardon the interruption and continue reading below.
Last week, well before the final seedings were final, I previewed the 2009 ACC Tournament and broke down the storied history of perhaps the greatest conference tournament in all of college basketball. It is certainly the longest and most consistent, having been played every year since 1954.
Either Duke or North Carolina has won every ACC Tournament except for one (2004, Maryland) since 1997. North Carolina has won four times during that span, the first two and the last two, while Duke has won the six other ACC titles during that time frame.
Will the Dookies or Tar Heels come away with the title this year? Let’s…break it down. (After we give you a helpful link to buy tickets, should you be planning on attending any of the games in the 2009 ACC Tournament bracket.)
- StubHub Tickets: 2009 ACC Basketball Tournament Tickets
- StubHub Tickets: 2009 NCAA Tournament Tickets
First, let’s take a look at the bracket, which you can see below:
| Game | Date | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu, March 12 | #8 Virginia Tech def. #9 Miami 47 | 12:00 ET | RAYCOM |
| 2 | Thu, March 12 | #12 Georgia Tech v #5 Clemson 86-81 | 2:00 ET | RAYCOM |
| 3 | Thu, March 12 | #7 Maryland def. #10 NC State 74-69 | 7:00 ET | ESPN2 |
| 4 | Thu, March 12 | #6 Boston College def. #11 Virginia 76-63 | 9:00 ET | RAYCOM |
| 5 | Fri, March 13 | #1 North Carolina def. #8 Virginia Tech 79-76 | 12:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN2 |
| 6 | Fri, March 13 | #4 Florida State def. #12 Georgia Tech 64-62 | 2:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN2 |
| 7 | Fri, March 13 | #7 Maryland def. #2 Wake Forest 75-64 | 7:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN2 |
| 8 | Fri, March 13 | #3 Duke def. #6 Boston College 66-65 | 9:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN2 |
| 9 | Sat, March 14 | #4 Florida State def. #1 North Carolina 73-70 | 1:30 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN |
| 10 | Sat, March 14 | #3 Duke def. #7 Maryland 67-61 | 3:30 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN |
| 11 | Sun, March 15 | #3 Duke def. #4 Florida State 79-69 | 1:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN |
And quickly, here are the ACC Tournament Odds (from OffShoreInsiders.com):
The fun begins on Thursday when Virginia Tech and Miami kick off the bracket for the 2009 ACC Tournament. I’ll start there and then give you my best educated guesses all the way through the championship game.
ACC Tournament Bracket & Predictions: Thursday Games
Virginia Tech beat Miami 88-83 in their only meeting this year, but I still like the ‘Canes and Jack McClinton to win this one. Miami has won 3 out of 4 after losing three tough games to the upper division t
eams in the ACC. Two of those were close losses at Duke (78-75) and at home to North Carolina (69-65). The recent road loss to Georgia Tech doesn’t look great, but Virginia Tech is reeling from 6 losses in their last 7 games. Miami wins.
Like almost everyone else in the ACC, Clemson beat Georgia Tech twice this season. There is really nothing that leads me to believe they won’t beat them a third time. Clemson has lost three out of four heading into this game, but is just a better team overall. Clemson wins.
Maryland is perhaps the hardest team to figure out in the ACC. Earlier this year they got waxed by Clemson 93-64 and then beat North Carolina their next time out. Since that victory over the Tar Heels, Maryland has lost three out of four, with the only win coming on the road at NC State in the teams’ only meeting of the year. The Wolfpack have also lost three out of four coming in, and based on that one earlier meeting I have to give the edge to Maryland. Maryland wins.
Boston College won on the road at Virginia in the teams’ only meeting this season, and two out of their last three victories are over top 25 teams Duke and Florida State. Virginia has lost four out of five coming in and dropped 8 out of their first 9 conference games. Boston College wins.
ACC Tournament Bracket & Predictions: Friday Games
Based on my first round predictions, North Carolina and Miami will be matching up in round two. I like the fact that Miami has a superb individual player like McClinton, but the Tar Heels are the #1 team in the 
country for a reason. Tyler Hansbrough isn’t going out in the first game of his last ACC Tournament. Sorry Miami, but North Carolina wins.
In my hypothetical bracket, Florida State will take on Clemson, which should be a great matchup. Florida State beat Clemson both times they played this season, but the games were close. And the Tigers proved they can play with the top teams in the ACC by beating Duke earlier this year. I like Clemson coming off the momentum of their first round victory to pull the mini-upset, at least according to the seeds (but not according to the top 25 rankings, where Clemson is ranked higher). Clemson wins.
Maryland versus Wake Forest could be an outstanding game…depending on which Maryland team shows up. They played once this year, at Maryland, and Wake Forest won 65-63. The Demon Deacons are on a roll, having won four in a row and six out of seven. Maryland is capable of winning this game, but they have just been too inconsistent this year. Wake Forest wins.
And the final Friday game would be Boston College and Duke. BC beat Duke in their only meeting of the season, but the Dookies have won five out of six coming into the tournament. I really want to pick BC, and I would not be surprised if they won; but I think Duke eeks out the victory. Duke wins.
ACC Tournament Bracket & Predictions: Semi-Final Saturday Games
North Carolina would play Clemson while Wake Forest would play Duke in my hypothetical bracket. We’ll get the UNC-Clemson game out of the way real quick: I think North Carolina wins. UNC already spanked Clemson once this season and they’re on a big time roll, winning 12 out of 13. Clemson might make a game of it, but North Carolina is too good and is playing for a #1 seed.
In the other game, the road team won both Duke-Wake Forest meetings this season. In a game between two teams that are this close, the team with the best player usually wins. I think Jeff Teague will be the best player on floor, so the edge goes to Wake Forest.
ACC Tournament Bracket & Predictions: Championship Sunday
North Carolina versus Wake Forest for the ACC Championship. I realize I didn’t really step out onto a limb picking the #1 and #2 seeds to make it all the way to the finals. However, I am stepping out on a limb right here: Wake Forest wins to put a partial stop to the Duke-UNC domination of the ACC Tournament. Wake beat UNC earlier this year in Winston-Salem, and I think they can do it again.
If North Carolina plays D, they are the best team in the country; however, they have been inconsistent. Sorry Tyler Hansbrough, but your ACC career will end with a loss.
(Now, take note of these predictions and go out and bet the complete opposite. It is a proven money maker!)
Sorry Big Ten fans, but the hot actions this weekend is in the Big East and ACC, where both conference’s regular-season crowns are up for grabs.
March Madness betting players have been looking at teams from the ACC and Big East all season, and the top four sportsbook favorites come from those conferences. The regular season wraps up this weekend, beginning with a pair of battles in the Big East on Saturday followed by college basketball’s hottest rivalry on Sunday.
Connecticut vs Pittsburgh odds – Saturday, March 7, 12:00 PM ET
The top-ranked Huskies will aim to avenge a 76-68 home loss to the No.3 Panthers on Feb. 16. The Huskies have to find a way to slow down DeJuan Blair, who lit them up for 22 points and 23 boards in his meeting with UConn center Hasheem Thabeet. The Huskies are 10-0 on the road this year, while the Panthers should be online betting favorites as they are 18-0 at home. Something has to give in what will be a bruising matchup between these March Madness betting favorites.
Online betting pick: Pittsburgh
Louisville vs West Virginia odds – Saturday, March 7, 9:00 PM ET
The No.6 Cardinals will be anxiously watching the UConn-Pitt game, as a Pitt win would put those teams at 15-3 in the Big East. Louisville is 15-2, and a win could possibly earn them a share of the regular-season title. The Cardinals beat the Mountaineers 69-63 at home on Jan. 31, but West Virginia didn’t go down easily, almost overturning a 21-point halftime deficit on the road. The Mountaineers have lost only to Pitt and UConn at home, but a win over the Cardinals would open a lot of eyes. The NCAA basketball betting lines for this game should be very close in either direction.
Online betting pick: West Virginia
Duke vs North Carolina odds – Sunday, March 8, 4:00 PM ET
The No.7 Blue Devils can send the ACC regular-season title to a tiebreaker if they beat the No.2 Tar Heels, but a win is imperative since UNC went to Duke on Feb. 11 and ran all over the Blue Devils. Ty Lawson scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half and the Blue Devils don’t appear to have anyone to stop him from getting in the lane. The Blue Devils also went cold from long distance, going 8-of-24. While Duke will be sportsbook underdogs on the road this weekend, they shouldn’t be afraid of heading to UNC. The Blue Devils have won three of their last five trips to the “Dean Domeâ€, named after legendary Carolina coach Dean Smith. The Tar Heels will still be March Madness betting favorites with a loss, but beating Duke is always good.
Online betting pick: North Carolina
Your first thought upon seeing a post about the 2009 ACC Tournament on Midwest Sports Fans might be: isn’t the ACC outside of your jurisdiction? And my response to that question would be to invoke the spirit of the famous Michael Jordan quote (“Republicans buy shoes too.”), said in response to why he did not take public stands on political issues.
My version of the response would be, “ACC/East Coast fans visit sports blog too.” Hence, we like to throw them a bone every now and again. Plus, I’m a born Hoosier whose favorite time of year is March. First the big games at the end of the regular season, then Conference Championship Week, and then March Madness.
And there is no conference tournament that has provided more long-term excitement or featured more stars than the ACC Tournament. So I have always been a big fan, even with the beginning of the Big Ten Tournament about a decade ago.
Anyway, here is the quick preview of the 2009 ACC Tournament:
2009 ACC Tournament Preview
- What: 56th ACC Mens Basketball Tournament
- Dates: March 12-15, 2009
- Location: Georgia Dome — Atlanta, GA
- Official Site: 2009 ACC Tournament
- StubHub Tickets: 2009 ACC Basketball Tournament Tickets
- StubHub Tickets: 2009 NCAA Tournament Tickets
According to the current mens basketball AP Top 25, North Carolina is #4, Duke is #7, Clemson is #12, Wake Forest is #13, Florida State is #23. Obviously the smart money would be one of these teams taking home the crown; and the even smarter money would be on North Carolina or Duke. While both have seemed to struggle at times, at least based on expectations, they are still top-10 teams and it always seems to be one of the two that is taking home the ACC Tournament crown.
Here is the schedule, with North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, and Florida State in line for the four byes right now, based on the current ACC mens basketball standings.
| Game | Date | Matchup | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu, March 12 | #8 Virginia Tech def. #9 Miami 47 | 12:00 ET | RAYCOM |
| 2 | Thu, March 12 | #12 Georgia Tech v #5 Clemson 86-81 | 2:00 ET | RAYCOM |
| 3 | Thu, March 12 | #7 Maryland def. #10 NC State 74-69 | 7:00 ET | ESPN2 |
| 4 | Thu, March 12 | #6 Boston College def. #11 Virginia 76-63 | 9:00 ET | RAYCOM |
| 5 | Fri, March 13 | #1 North Carolina def. #8 Virginia Tech 79-76 | 12:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN2 |
| 6 | Fri, March 13 | #4 Florida State def. #12 Georgia Tech 64-62 | 2:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN2 |
| 7 | Fri, March 13 | #7 Maryland def. #2 Wake Forest 75-64 | 7:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN2 |
| 8 | Fri, March 13 | #3 Duke def. #6 Boston College 66-65 | 9:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN2 |
| 9 | Sat, March 14 | #4 Florida State def. #1 North Carolina 73-70 | 1:30 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN |
| 10 | Sat, March 14 | #3 Duke def. #7 Maryland 67-61 | 3:30 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN |
| 11 | Sun, March 15 | #3 Duke def. #4 Florida State 79-69 | 1:00 ET | RAYCOM/ESPN |
Now, what makes the ACC Tournament so special is the history. Whereas the Big Ten Tournament only has about a decade of history, the ACC Tournament has been going on since the 1950s. And as you can see, all-time greats like Tim Duncan, Phil Ford, and James Worthy, among many others, have been named MVP of the ACC Tournament. Here is a look at the storied history of the ACC Tournament, the greatest of the college basketball conference tournaments.
| Year | ACC Tournament Champion | Score | ACC Tournament Runner-Up | ACC Tournament MVP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | NC State Wolfpack | 82-80 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Dickie Hemric |
| 1955 | NC State Wolfpack | 87-77 | Duke Blue Devils | Ron Shavlik |
| 1956 | NC State Wolfpack | 76-54 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Vic Molodet |
| 1957 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 95-75 | South Carolina Gamecocks | Lennie Rosenbluth |
| 1958 | Maryland Terrapins | 86-75 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Nick Davis |
| 1959 | NC State Wolfpack | 80-56 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Lou Pucillo |
| 1960 | Duke Blue Devils | 64-59 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Doug Kistler |
| 1961 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 96-81 | Duke Blue Devils | Len Chappelle |
| 1962 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 77-68 | Clemson Tigers | Len Chappelle |
| 1963 | Duke Blue Devils | 71-66 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Art Heyman |
| 1964 | Duke Blue Devils | 80-59 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Jeff Mullins |
| 1965 | NC State Wolfpack | 91-85 | Duke Blue Devils | Larry Worsley |
| 1966 | Duke Blue Devils | 71-66 | NC State Wolfpack | Steve Vacendak |
| 1967 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 82-73 | Duke Blue Devils | Larry Miller |
| 1968 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 87-50 | NC State Wolfpack | Larry Miller |
| 1969 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 85-74 | Duke Blue Devils | Charlie Scott |
| 1970 | NC State Wolfpack | 42-39 | South Carolina Gamecocks | Vann Williford |
| 1971 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 52-51 | North Carolina Tar Heels | John Roche/Lee Dedmon |
| 1972 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 73-64 | Maryland Terrapins | Bob McAdoo |
| 1973 | NC State Wolfpack | 76-74 | Maryland Terrapins | Tommy Burleson |
| 1974 | NC State Wolfpack | 103-100 | Maryland Terrapins | Tommy Burleson |
| 1975 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 70-68 | NC State Wolfpack | Phil Ford |
| 1976 | Virginia Cavaliers | 67-62 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Wally Walker |
| 1977 | North Carolina Tar heels | 75-69 | Virginia Cavaliers | John Kuester |
| 1978 | Duke Blue Devils | 85-77 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Jim Spanarkel |
| 1979 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 71-63 | Duke Blue Devils | Dudley Bradley |
| 1980 | Duke Blue Devils | 73-72 | Maryland Terrapins | Albert King |
| 1981 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 61-60 | Maryland Terrapins | Sam Perkins |
| 1982 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 47-45 | Virginia Cavaliers | James Worthy |
| 1983 | NC State Wolfpack | 81-78 | Virginia Cavaliers | Sidney Lowe |
| 1984 | Maryland Terrapins | 74-62 | Duke Blue Devils | Len Bias |
| 1985 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 57-54 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Mark Price |
| 1986 | Duke Blue Devils | 68-67 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Johnny Dawkins |
| 1987 | NC State Wolfpack | 68-67 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Vinny Del Negro |
| 1988 | Duke Blue Devils | 65-61 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Danny Ferry |
| 1989 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 77-74 | Duke Blue Devils | J.R. Reid |
| 1990 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 70-61 | Virginia Cavaliers | Brian Oliver |
| 1991 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 96-74 | Duke Blue Devils | Rick Fox |
| 1992 | Duke Blue Devils | 94-74 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Christian Laettner |
| 1993 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 77-75 | North Carolina Tar Heels | James Forest |
| 1994 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 73-66 | Virginia Cavaliers | Jerry Stackhouse |
| 1995 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 82-80 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Randolph Childress |
| 1996 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 75-74 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Tim Duncan |
| 1997 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 64-54 | NC State Wolfpack | Shammond Williams |
| 1998 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 83-68 | Duke Blue Devils | Antawn Jamison |
| 1999 | Duke Blue Devils | 96-73 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Elton Brand |
| 2000 | Duke Blue Devils | 81-68 | Maryland Terrapins | Jason Williams |
| 2001 | Duke Blue Devils | 79-53 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Shane Battier |
| 2002 | Duke Blue Devils | 91-61 | NC State Wolfpack | Carlos Boozer |
| 2003 | Duke Blue Devils | 84-77 | NC State Wolfpack | Daniel Ewing |
| 2004 | Maryland Terrapins | 95-87 | Duke Blue Devils | John Gilchrist |
| 2005 | Duke Blue Devils | 69-64 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | J.J. Redick |
| 2006 | Duke Blue Devils | 78-76 | Boston College Eagles | J.J. Redick |
| 2007 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 89-80 | NC State Wolfpack | Brandan Wright |
| 2008 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 86-81 | Clemson Tigers | Tyler Hansbrough |
| 2009 | Duke Blue Devils | 79-69 | Florida State Seminoles | Jon Scheyer |
| 2010 | Duke Blue Devils | 65-61 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Kyle Singler |
| 2011 | Duke Blue Devils | 75-58 | North Carolina Tar Heels | Nolan Smith |
Wow…and I just realized that it is March 1st as I type this. February is always so damn short that March just sneaks up on you. But that just means that the greatest sports month of the year is beginning, which is awesome. Get ready for March Madness…it’s here!
The ACC-Big Ten challenge is in its tenth year in 2008 and this year promises some key matchups; matchups that will likely separate the pre-season wannabees from the conference contenders. The schedule promises three days of action from the night of Monday the 1st to Wednesday the 3rd.
The ACC has already boasted 4 teams in this week’s AP poll with UNC clearly at the top followed by Duke (7), Wake Forest (19) and Miami (22). After this weekend and Carolina’s impressive performance in the Maui Invitational, beating Notre Dame easily in the championship game, they will certainly remain atop the standings. Wake Forest may slide up the rankings as well after a quality win against Conference USA’s UTEP, keeping them undefeated in the out-of-conference portion of their schedule.
The Big Ten, on the other hand, suffered a few tough losses during the pre-season tournament schedule but grabbed some key wins. While Big-Ten front runner, Purdue, knocked off Boston College in the second round of the NIT invitational, they lost a hard fought battle against Oklahoma in the championship game. Michigan State reversed that trend losing to an ACC contender, Maryland, then knocking off Oklahoma State.
What do we learn from all this? There’s still a lot of basketball to be played until March. Teams looked hungry. Both the Big-Ten and ACC showed a quality field of contenders that will lead to some great conference play down the road.
We will certainly continue to learn about the these teams in the next three days, with the upcoming Big Ten/ACC challenge coming up. Here’s the schedule:
Monday, Dec. 1
Wisconsin at Virginia Tech
Both teams are expected to make a quality run this year. Wisconsin more than the Hokies. Look for Bo Ryan’s squad to play with pace and confidence, as they always do. VaTech has always run the court but they have already suffered two losses to Xavier and Seton Hall. The Hokies need the win, but I like the Badgers.
Tuesday, Dec. 2
Duke at Purdue
This is the marquee matchup, the ESPN commercial maker, the talk of the town. Purdue is clearly the best team in the Big Ten and Coach K always has his team in top form. Both teams are a benchmark for each conference. The winner here will determine the quality of ball being played within the conference this year.
Clemson at Illinois
- Not a headline matchup, but both of these teams will not be overlooked by anyone they see. Clemson is still seeing votes for the top 25 and sits at 7-0, they have been beating up on local neighbors like Charlotte and Savannah State, not too impressive but they haven’t slipped. Illinois has only played 4 games but beat Vanderbilt during that time and will certainly look to jump into the polls this winter.
Ohio State at Miami
- OSU made the NIT interesting last year but haven’t done anything this year. Their schedule will really jump into first gear in quality when they face the Canes (they see ND and Butler in the week after Miami). The Canes are expected to do big things this year with quality leadership from a roster loaded with Juniors and Seniors, they still have yet to prove themselves as a contender in the ACC.
Virginia at Minnesota
- Nothing terribly exciting here, but look for a quality matchup between two teams that could play spoiler in conference play.
Iowa at Boston College
- This game means a lot more for Boston College than it does for the Hawkeyes, the young Eagles is high on prospects but low on confidence. The team has one leading senior in Tyrese Rice, but has to balance their attack to contend this year. Iowa hasn’t seen a quality opponent except West Virginia, who they lost to. Hard fought battle for potential bubble teams.
Wednesday, Dec. 3
North Carolina vs. Michigan State (Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan)
- Another marquis matchup that will show the quality of each conference. Trouble is UNC will roll. Michigan State is a team that relies on momentum and feisty defense. UNC has their way with anyone, they will have their way with Izzo’s squad, unless they go real cold from the field.
Indiana at Wake Forest
- A rebuilding year in Indiana this year will be tough to swallow for Hoosier fans. The Demon Deacons, though, are looking at the potential of a powerful young roster. Look for Wake to start turning heads during this game.
Michigan at Maryland
- Maryland is a team that can always go either way. Gary Williams always seems to have his team in contention but never close to domination. Michigan hasn’t even made a news reel in recent memory but stole a win over UCLA early. As we speak, though, they are down by 20 at the half to Savannah State…?
Florida State at Northwestern
- I have a feeling we won’t see any serious news come from this game. The Noles were an athletic contender last year and are at 6-0 this year, we will see what they are made of in Saturday’s matchup against Cal. I have a hard time believing that the Wildcats will be able to keep up. Noles roll.
Penn State at Georgia Tech
- The Yellow Jackets have been squeaking out wins against some pretty weak opponents lately, Mercer took them into OT and they beat Jacksonville by 3. They are hanging by a thread but at least they have a thread. The Nittany Lions, however, have had some decent wins so far. I like the boys from Happy Valley.
The ACC has dominated the history of this inter-conference challenge. I don’t see much difference this year, at least amongst the Big Dogs. Duke and UNC should win, look for the shakeups and buzzer beaters to come from the middle of the pack games on Tuesday. The momentum is what’s key now, teams need to gather speed, confidence and poise early in the year before they go into conference play. Young ACC teams are looking for serious growth and Big-Ten bubble watchers would love a good win in November to strengthen their case in March.
