Blogger So Dear

Is Wake on the bubble?

2010-03-12T21:48:01Z

No.

Despite what a large part of the Wake Forest fanbase would tell you, Wake will still be in the tournament come Selection Sunday. Yes they flamed out down the stretch again. Yes it's full-on panic mode. Yes the way they're playing, they don't exactly look like a tournament team.

But there are a lot of other teams in mode right now (yes I'm talking to you Texas, Villanova, Clemson, et al). So by the numbers, here is why Wake Forest is still safe and in the NCAA Tournament:

19-10 (9-7)
RPI 37
SOS 28
Best Wins: Richmond (25), Xavier (21), Gonzaga (35), Maryland (19), GT (40), Clemson (33).
8-8 vs. Top 100
#50 in KenPom: #26 defensive efficiency, #4 defensive eFG%, #8 defensive 3PT%, #23 block%, #22 OReb%, #8 SOS

Look I know the Deacs have played really poorly. I'm not arguing about that. I am saying, if you look at it rationally, with the weak at-large pool, Wake's resume is good enough and they are safe.

Blogger So Dear author, Bart, sent us a quick preview of the Deacons so we could get a feel for...

2010-03-12T19:32:15Z

Blogger So Dear author, Bart, sent us a quick preview of the Deacons so we could get a feel for this weekend's first ACC series. First pitch is scheduled for today at 4:00PM. The game will most likely be postponed due to inclement weather but here's the scoop on Wake Forest...

From The Rumble Seat - For Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Fans

Deacon Dump 3/12: Pick up the pieces

2010-03-12T15:15:09Z

The Deacs bowed out of the ACC Tournament early again and now it's time to wait. The Deacs should still be safely in on Selection Sunday, but their seeding was definitely impacted and public perception is that it's just Wake Forest crumbling down the stretch all over again. The team has a lot of time to rest and try to get it together, but unless they can regain some confidence they will be in trouble, no matter who or where they play next week.

ACC Weekend Preview (March 12th-14th) " The College Baseball Blog
Wake Forest heads down to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Wake Forest enters the weekend with a 6-8 overall record coming off two midweek losses to Coastal Carolina (9-4) and UNC-Wilmington (10-3). The Wake Forest offense has struggled this season with a .276 batting average which is second worst in the ACC only ahead of Maryland. Ryan Semeniuk has been the top hitter for the Demon Deacons as he is hitting .411 with three homers and 10 RBI.

Wake Forest flops in loss to Miami - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
Gaudio has won 60 of his 90 games as Wake’s head coach -- a perfectly fine winning percentage. But he’s also been blessed with an abundance of talent -- and that talent isn’t coming close to performing in the postseason. This is a sport where coaching reputations rise and fall in March. After this debacle, Dino Gaudio’s has hit rock bottom.

FayObserver.com - The ACC tournament from A to Z
ACC Tourney from A-Z

'Canes crush woeful Deacs: Wake Forest falls to No. 12 seed Miami to make an early exit
"Just all the way around the boards it was a poor performance by us." (Ari Stewart)

ACC: N.C. State edges Clemson to cap day of upsets - College basketball- nbcsports.msnbc.com
They didn’t get closer than 16 in the second half in falling to 0-3 in ACC tournament games under coach Dino Gaudio. They’ve lost five of six, and that can’t help but damage their seeding — if not drop them onto the NCAA tournament bubble — when Selection Sunday rolls around.

All-time all-ACC teams: Wake Forest forward David Weaver's take - D1SCOURSE
So in review: PG Phil Ford SG Michael Jordan 3G David Thompson PF Tim Duncan C Ralph Sampson "I'll put them up against anybody," Weaver said. Pretty sure just about anyone would.

Scout.com: 2011 Intro: Nick Miles
Miles believes Wake Forest is close to offering. He’s also receiving interest from Illinois, North Carolina, and many of the Ivy League schools. Most schools have asked Miles to camp this summer. He plans to attend several camps, including Duke’s, UNC’s, and Wake Forest’s.

Painful Realization

2010-03-12T06:21:06Z

More photos » Chuck Burton - AP

Browse more photos »

My name is Bart Johnston and I have an addiction. I'm addicted to Wake Forest sports. If you're on this site, reading this article you are probably in some capacity addicted to Wake Forest as well. I call it an addiction because it's one of those things that you would almost have to be crazy to do. I love being a part of the Wake Forest community and that is why the following article pains me as I type it out and put it out there for you guys to see and debate.

I love the ACC tournament. It's my Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's bundled up into one fabulous four day extravaganza. It's the best feeling in the world walking through the entrance gates on Thursday when every team is still in the tournament and every team can still make a run at the NCAA's. Walking in for today's first session I got goosebumps like always despite going in for what I considered to be one of the more lackluster first games. Wake obviously played in the second game so I was fired up about that, but wasn't particularly looking forward to the BC-UVA game. Throughout the UVA game I got increasingly nervous about our upcoming contest, but still was not too worried because we were playing Miami, and were the better team. As UVA pulled out a good win over BC, I was excited to start our 2010 ACC Tourney run.

Well of course as you well know by now Wake didn't just lose to Miami, Wake was humiliated by Miami. I was totally crushed. I'll be honest, to me this was worse than the Cleveland State game last year because following the Maryland beat down in the tourney I didn't have great expectations. I really thought that Wake had turned a corner against Clemson, would come out inspired and get a victory, starting a potential run at the title.

Instead Wake pulled another epic flop on one of college basketball's grandest stages, losing by 20+ points to a team that went 4-12 in conference and didn't win a road game in the ACC all year. This was utterly humiliating. Virginia and N.C. State won today, two teams who combined for 10 wins in conference play. Humiliating is all I can think of.

The loss in and of itself was bad enough, but the way we did it hurt more than anything. Wake led 2-0 and was then never in the game. Trailing by 10 for nearly the entire first half, the Deacs never got within sniffing distance after Miami opened up the second half with an 8-0 run. For the first time in a while, I was embarrassed for Wake Forest, and somewhat embarrassed to be a Wake fan. This was a fairly foreign feeling as I'm very proud of Wake, but today I was ashamed of what Wake put out on the court.

I do not typically do this and I'm not one to throw players or coaches under the bus. I am not a huge fan of Coach Lobo but I wasn't the first to throw him on the chopping block and still from time to time think that Lobo can be salvaged as a member of the coaching staff. I say this with a heavy heart because of what he means as part of the Prosser era, but it is time for Dino Gaudio to be fired and replaced as the Wake Forest basketball coach.

There are so many problems that Wake has it is nearly impossible to pinpoint one or two instances where he could improve and remain as coach. His teams cannot run a half court offense against a zone defense. This is such a huge flaw in and of itself that a coach could be fired solely for this, but to make matters worse there is not even an attempt to break it. We're content to pass around the perimeter without finding seams in the zone until the shot clock runs down, forcing Ish to try to drive down the lane. Penetrating the lane with the point guard against a zone is hardly ever going to work and is certainly not a viable option for an entire game.

To make matters even worse, it's not like Wake struggles against atypical zones like FSU threw at us (1-2-2, hybrid matchups, etc.). Wake cannot even break a standard 2-3 that half the country runs. Wake does not set up a guy at the top of the key and pass to him, Wake doesn't flash the middle or get the ball on the baseline, and they don't have players post up inside on the blocks to try to get the zone to collapse before kicking out.

I could go on and on about deficiencies that I see in the offense and defense, but I think most have already been fleshed out by our readers either on the boards or in conversations with friends following the game. I do not feel great about this nor do I wish anything other than the best to coach Gaudio, but a winless post-season record is inexcusable especially when none of the games have even been close.

Wake needs a coach that can win games in the tourney and not just take us there. Dino has one more chance to prove himself to the Wake fan base next weekend and I desperately hope that Gaudio has a trick or two left up his sleeve. Dino is a great man and is a good coach, but I feel like he is in over his head at Wake Forest and it is time for the two to part ways.

Feel free to discuss this topic here or send me an email if you want to have a private talk. I'm not trying to flame Dino, I'm just offering an honest opinion from a life-long Wake fan who is as tired as losing in the post-season as anyone else.

As always, Go Deacs!

"It's like the worst roller-coaster ride I've ever been on, playing in this game," said senior L.D....

2010-03-12T05:58:13Z

"It's like the worst roller-coaster ride I've ever been on, playing in this game," said senior L.D. Williams of the Deacons. "It was horrible. We couldn't get stops. We couldn't score on offense. We couldn't finish on the break. It was just so many things.

"They got 50-50 balls and turned them into buckets. It was just a little bit of everything."

'Canes crush woeful Deacs

'Canes blow through the Deacs, 83-62

2010-03-11T21:27:51Z

Well, what can I say? Guess it's another haiku.

Same old song and dance
Law of Eternal Return
Guess Nietzsche was right.

ACC Tournament Day 1, Session 1 Open Thread

2010-03-11T16:40:11Z

We're talking the afternoon games-- Virginia vs. Boston College and Miami vs. Wake Forest. Stop on by.

And our very own RAJohnston is tweeting from the tourney, so definitely follow him as he keeps us up to date on all the action.

Deacon Dump 3/11: Tourney Time LEGGGOOOOO

2010-03-11T15:14:51Z

Gameday. Let's do it big. Not much to say, just links and links and links.

FayObserver.com - The ACC tournament from A to Z
ACC Tourney from A-Z

'It's a Big Deal': Freshmen prepare to fulfill some childhood dreams in tournament
"My mom used to let me go home early from school to watch the ACC Tournament," said Harris, now a freshman guard at Wake Forest. "That was a big deal, and it still is a big deal. I left early on a few occasions to watch the games in the afternoon on TV."

ACC Notebook: Hurricanes' Collins to miss game because of leg injury
LD will play with bump in his head from practice.

A Needed Boost: Win in regular-season finale has Wake Forest feeling rejuvenated
"It's going to do wonders for us," sophomore Al-Farouq Aminu said. "I think after all that losing, we're just so determined not to do that again. I think this is a good time to have that kind of mind-set. "I'm just hoping we can keep rolling on the momentum."

Opening Round Preview: Wake Forest Looks To Avoid Upset Against Miami - SB Nation
In the second game of the opening round of the ACC Tournament, the 19-9 Wake Forest Demon Deacons take on the 18-12 Miami Hurricanes in the #5 vs. #12 matchup. Can the Deacons avoid the upset and advance for a rematch with the Virginia Tech Hokies?

Monday, Seahawks change fortune with win against Wake Forest | StarNewsOnline.com
For a fleeting moment, UNC-Wilmington considered pinch hitting for Robbie Monday late in Wednesday’s baseball game with Wake Forest.

Second half of Wake career on tap for Walker, and it will be as a Deacon | Sports | StarNewsOnline.com
It's also made him hungrier than ever to eventually start making a contribution beyond practice. "I'm like in the desert with no food, no water, no nothing and 500 miles to walk," Walker said. "I'm so hungry it's not even funny."

Dwayne Collins: Miami Hurricanes forward Dwayne Collins will miss Thursday’s game against Wake Forest in the first round of the ACC Tournament. - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
The Miami Hurricanes expected forward Dwayne Collins to take on a new role this season. They didn't figure it would come in the form of cheerleader. Collins, the team's top player, will miss Thursday's game against Wake Forest in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. A leg stress reaction is the latest in a series of setbacks that have slowed him the last month.

My Take on Wake - Walker Says He’s Back | JournalNow.com
"(It was) just not agreeing with the coaches about some things, and I guess sometimes worrying about myself a little too much,’’ Walker said. "But I’ve grown over the year, and now it’s more about being a team player and putting myself to the side.’‘

Collins, the team's top player, will miss Thursday's game against Wake Forest in the first round of...

2010-03-11T00:22:38Z

Collins, the team's top player, will miss Thursday's game against Wake Forest in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. A leg stress reaction is the latest in a series of setbacks that have slowed him the last month.

Dwayne Collins out Thursday - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

David Glenn recently caught up with Wake Forest point guard Ish Smith on Glenn’s afternoon radio s...

2010-03-10T21:28:10Z

David Glenn recently caught up with Wake Forest point guard Ish Smith on Glenn’s afternoon radio show.

Among the topics they discussed: why Smith always seems to be smiling; why he loves Wake Forest; the toughest player he ever guarded in the ACC; and the toughest defender he faced in the ACC.

David Glenn Chats With Ish Smith (audio)

ACC Tournament Preview Part IV: Clemson/NC State vs. Florida State

2010-03-10T17:00:58Z

This preview is the last of a four part series leading up to the 57th edition of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this part, we will examine the 9 PM matchup on Thursday of the #6 seeded Clemson Tigers and the #11 seeded North Carolina State Wolfpack. We will also take a look at how well the winner will matchup with the #3 seed Florida State Seminoles Friday at 9 PM.

Click through for more details...

The Tigers (21-9, 9-7) beat the Wolfpack (17-14, 5-11) in their lone match-up in Raleigh back in January. Both teams come into the tournament with a little bit of momentum with NC State having won 3 of their last 4 games and Clemson having taken 5 of their last 7. State struggled throughout the year but managed to notch some marquee wins with victories at home over Duke, Wake Forest and a road win over Florida State.

Clemson, on the other hand, has handled the bottom of the conference well but has struggled a bit with the upper echelon, having been swept by Duke, losing to Virginia Tech in their lone match-up and splitting with Maryland. The Tigers also ended up their regular season with a loss in Winston-Salem at the hands of Wake Forest.

Clemson will win if...

They are able to use their pressure defense to force turnovers and make State uncomfortable with the ball. Clemson comes into the game ranked 8th in turnover percentage and 5th in steal percentage according to KenPom. This is the result of a full court press and intense man to man pressure once the ball is put into the front court. This defense has been a staple of Oliver Purnell's defense while at Clemson and the Tigers go as far as their defense is able to create mismatches and, ultimately, turnovers. On the offensive end, Trevor Booker will need some help from his guards to alleviate some of the pressure that the Pack will be sure to stack inside to help slow the Clemson big man down.

N.C. State will win if...

They can take care of the ball on offense and Tracy Smith has a good game. Smith is an integral part of the State offense because if he can get the defense collapsing on him early, shooters like Scott Wood and Javier Gonzalez will get open looks they can knock down. State often struggles to get points for long periods of time and an effective Clemson press would exacerbate their offensive problems. To counter this, the Pack need to be effective at breaking the press and get easy looks inside for State to have a chance in this one.

BSD Predictions:

WakeJake- 67 Clemson, 66 NC State

MRickman- 65 Clemson, 60 NC State

BJohnston- 69 State, 66 Clemson

RJohnston- 72 Clemson, 58 State

BSD Average- 68 Clemson, 63 State

Three of the four contributors felt that Clemson would take the final game of Thursday over the Wolfpack, but I feel that if State can break the press and keep scoring in the 50's or 60's they will have a chance. The Pack always plays well in the ACC tourney, while Clemson typically struggles. State only lost by 3 at home earlier in the year (73-70) and I look for them to spring the upset come Friday night.

The winner of the match-up will take on the 3rd seeded Florida State Seminoles. The Noles head into the tournament having won 5 of their last 6, but did not play a team in the top 4 of the conference in this span. The lone loss in this stertch was at home to Clemson, which was an abomination of basketball. With 6 minutes left in the first half FSU lead the Tigers 19-6, but somehow Clemson came back to win the game 53-50 in one of the ugliest conference games of the year.

If Clemson gets past the Wolfpack, a similar game may be in store. Florida State is one of, if not the best, defensive teams in the country. The Tigers nearly match the Noles' defensive prowess with their press and the game promises to be an offensive struggle.

If the Wolfpack pull the upset over Clemson, they will have nothing to lose going into Friday's game and will be excited for a chance to make it to the weekend. The Pack would have to get good production from Gonzalez at the point, who would need to have a perfect game reading the confusing zone defenses that Florida State switches in and out of.

The Seminoles finished the season 22-8, 10-6, but went 0-3 against Clemson (0-2) and NC State (0-1). Regardless of who advances to play against this 3rd seeded Florida State team, the crowd can expect a defensive battle with any outcome possible.

BSD Odds to win ACC Tournament:

Clemson: 2%

Florida State: 8%

NC State: ~1%

Poll

Who will advance to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament?

Deacon Dump 3/10: Geared up for the ACCT

2010-03-10T15:15:12Z

I just want to take a second to commend the hard work that WakeJake, BJohnston and RAJohnston have been doing lately. And RPhilpott put in an incredible effort with his Carson Desrosiers video, so if you haven't seen it, watch it. If you have seen it already, watch it again if only to get your "All The Way Turned Up" fix. We've got some previews, news and notes prior to the ACC Tournament (a day away!!!), so enjoy.

Poor start costly as Vestal boys lose to Mount Vernon | Press & Sun-Bulletin
Hinds started the fourth quarter with a scintillating spin move for a layup to push the Knights' lead to 18. A Kerns 3-pointer cut Vestal's deficit to 15 with 7 minutes, 31 seconds left in the fourth. That's as close as Vestal got. "He's legit," Hayes said of Hinds. "He's a blue-chip quality, Division I-level athlete surrounded by athletes and is not a selfish basketball player. So he draws the defense and makes you adjust and finds guys. He pulls you off your marks as far as offensive rebounds go, and those guys get easy putbacks."

My Take on Wake - Deacons Braced For Miami Zone | JournalNow.com
"We’re going to see 80 percent, 90 percent zone,‘’ Gaudio said. "We did some good things against us in both games. We will have worked against it three days. We watched a lot of film yesterday, some of the things we did well and some of the things we need to do better. And we’ll work hard against it for two days now and hopefully we’ll play well against it.‘’

WFU's Harris hurtles the 'wall'
Dan Collins on CJ Harris

Cavaliers Journal - Tony Bennett's ACC tournament memories
When Virginia Coach Tony Bennett played for the Charlotte Hornets, he went to Greensboro, N.C., with his pastor and fiancee (now wife) Laurel for the ACC tournament. It was 1995, and he watched Wake Forest's Randolph Childress hit a buzzer-beater...

The Sports Network - Men's College Basketball
2010 ACC Tournament Preview

TechSideline.com: Tech Talk Live Notes for 3/8/10
Greenberg talks about the upcoming week of the ACC Tournament

Cardiac Coastal Carolina tops Wake Forest - CCU Baseball - TheSunNews.com
-- Coastal Carolina has perfected the art of the comeback over the last three days. The Chanticleers erased a three-run deficit in a 9-4 win over Wake Forest on Tuesday, their third straight win after trailing in the early innings. No. 7 Coastal was down to Ball State on Sunday and Monday but found ways to steal wins in both games.

BSD Road Report: Wake Forest Commit Carson Desrosiers - Blogger So Dear
BSD travels to the Boston Garden to check out 2010 Carson Desrosiers in the state semifinals. Video included

It’s tourney time! : Collegiate Sports Blog
Well, the regular season is all finished up, so now it’s time to get ready for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, the most storied college basketball tourney in the land. A look at a Virginia Tech blog about the ACC Tourney.

‘Canes Watch " Blog Archive " Hurricanes’ Dwayne Collins won’t practice, status for ACC tourney uncertain
The 12th-seeded Hurricanes (18-12) face No. 5 seed Wake Forest (19-9) on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., but it remains uncertain if Dwayne Collins will be able to play for UM. Collins missed the regular-season finale on Saturday against Florida State with a stress reaction in his tibia. Coach Frank Haith said Monday that Collins won’t practice before Thursday’s game.

American Chronicle | Baker's departure further depletes U.Va. roster
Virginia's basketball team continued limping to the finish line with yesterday's announcement that senior guard Calvin Baker will not join the team in Greensboro for the ACC tournament. The Cavaliers will play Thursday's noon game against Boston College without three of the players on the roster at the start of the season.

Desrosiers, Central title-game bound - EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
"It was something I'm never going to forget," said Desrosiers. "It was such a relief that we survived. Now we want to come out on top one more time. We'll celebrate for a day, then focus again." Desrosiers had reason to celebrate, delivering another outstanding performance and receiving plenty of contributions from role players as Central Catholic rode a stellar fourth quarter to a berth in the Division 1 title game by downing Madison Park in the Division 1 semifinals last night at the TD Garden.

Desrosiers 'key number is getting Raiders to No. 1 - EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
You want numbers? Central Catholic senior Carson Derosiers had numbers last night. Here's a few eye-openers: 20 points, 20 rebounds and nine blocks. Most nights this winter, Central got away with another win with much less from the Wake Forest University-bound blue chipper.

Only one surprise on All-ACC first team – ACC Insider - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC - Archive
Clearly, a lot of All-ACC voters cast their ballots before Clemson played Wake Forest in the league’s final regular-season game Sunday. That’s about the only explanation I can find for how the Tigers’ Trevor Booker ended up getting a spot on the first team ahead of Wake Forest’s Al-Farouq Aminu.

ACC Tournament Preview Part III: North Carolina/Georgia Tech vs. Maryland

2010-03-10T12:00:29Z

In the third installment of our 2010 ACC Tournament preview, I will take a look at the prime-time tilt between tenth seeded North Carolina and seventh seeded Georgia Tech as well as the potential Friday matchups with the second seeded Maryland Terrapins.

Click through for the details...

In the only nationally televised ACC game on Thursday (ESPN2), the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will face the North Carolina Tar Heels for the third time this season. The Ramblin' Wreck won the first game at Chapel Hill 73-71 after blowing a large lead and handled the Heels easily in Atlanta, 68-51.

Georgia Tech has more at stake than any other team in the ACC Tournament. They are the only true bubble team in the conference and need one or two wins to feel comfortable come Selection Sunday. After entering the season with high expectations, Tech has struggled a bit more than anticipated. Home losses to Virginia Tech and Florida State and buzzer beating losses at Miami and Maryland stand out in this frustrating year for coach Paul Hewitt. Despite this bad luck, March is a time for new beginnings. Tech is among the most talented teams in the conference and could definitely make some noise if they roll into Greensboro with some confidence.

If Paul Hewitt feels bad about his season, looking across the scorers table to North Carolina and Roy Williams should make him feel a bit better about himself. After being ranked 4th to start the season, UNC has plummeted and set several new records for teams coming off a national championship in the previous season. Adding injury to insult, Ed Davis, Tyler Zeller, Marcus Ginyard, both Wear twins and Leslie McDonald have all been inactive at some point this season. It will be interesting to see if the Heels put up a fight on Thursday or just decide to pack it in and start prepping for next season.

Georgia Tech will win if...

They get the ball inside to Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors. Even though he was only 3rd Team All-ACC, we still believe that Lawal is the best post player in the ACC. Sometimes he just does not get enough touches. This post tandem will out-work you on the boards and just beat you to death if you are not willing to put your body on the line. On the downside, this sometimes leads to foul trouble as well, so it will be important for the two big fellas to stay on the court. In the backcourt, Iman Shumpert is a big-time player that can carry his team. If Shumpert, Brian Oliver and Glen Rice, Jr. are clicking from deep, it could be a long night for the Heels.

North Carolina will win if...

They keep Tech off the boards and hit some jump shots. Without Ed Davis in the middle, it will be hard for the Heels to defend Favors and Lawal. Both of them weigh about two-times that of John Henson, although he has been an effective shot blocker since his move to power forward. Tyler Zeller and Deon Thompson will need to toughen up in a big way for the Heels to have a good chance. The jump shots will need to come from Will Graves, Larry Drew and Dexter Strickland. Graves is a very streaky shooter and has been to known to single-handedly keep UNC in games with his range. Drew and Strickland have been turnover prone and inconsistent, but they have the potential to make big plays for the Heels.

BSD Predictions:

WakeJake- GT 85, UNC 64

MRickman- GT 70, UNC 72

BJohnston- GT 81, UNC 77

RAJohnston- GT 79, UNC 66

BSD Average- GT 79, UNC 69

Collectively, we feel that UNC will not be able to compete with Favors, Lawal and Shumpert for 40 minutes. UNC would need Georgia Tech to come out sluggish and jump on them early to have a strong chance. Barring extreme foul trouble, we think it will be very tough for Zeller, Thompson and Henson to rebound the ball effectively on Thursday. It may be time to finally pull the plug on Carolina's season.

The winner of this game will take on ACC Regular Season Co-Champion Maryland. The potential matchup between Maryland and Georgia Tech could be one of the best games of the tournament in our opinion. In their first game in College Park, Cliff Tucker hit a desperation three at the buzzer to steal a win for Maryland. Not many Terrapin opponents were competitive against them on their home floor this season, so it is pretty obvious that Tech matchups up well against Maryland. Other than surprising frosh Jordan Williams, Maryland is pretty thin in the paint. Favors took advantage of this in the first matchup by tallying 21 points and 18 rebounds.

Maryland, of course, is led by ACC Player of the Year Greivis Vasquez, who has just refused to let his club lose on several occasions. Under ACC Coach of the Year Gary Williams, whose teams always seem to be playing their best ball in March, the Terps are sure to come out firing on all cylinders on Friday. If Vasquez is putting up his normal point and assist totals in addition to Eric Hayes, Williams and Landon Milbourne playing at a high level, Maryland is very tough to beat. The potential Vasquez vs. Shumpert matchup is something that ACC fans should be very excited to see in Greensboro.

If UNC advances past GT, they would get a chance at redemption as well. Carolina only played the Terps once this season in College Park and got hammered 92-71. In his career, Vasquez has been very successful against the Heels and we don't see Larry Drew or Marcus Ginyard breaking that streak in the tournament. Again, Carolina would need a big step up in guard play and a little luck to get past a Maryland team that is playing at a very high level lately.

BSD Odds to win ACC Tournament:

Maryland - 17%

Georgia Tech - 1.5%

North Carolina - ~1%

Poll

Who will advance to the semifinals of the 2010 ACC Tournament?

Maryland

98 votes

Georgia Tech

30 votes

North Carolina

15 votes

143 votes | Poll has closed

2009-10 All-American teams - FOX Sports

2010-03-09T20:41:34Z

2009-10 All-American teams - FOX Sports

[Third Team] Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest: F, 6-9, 215, Soph. 2009-10 stats: 15.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg Here’s another guy who quietly averaged a double-double this season. Aminu is ultra-talented and should be a lottery pick in June’s NBA Draft.

ACC Tournament Preview Part II: Miami/Wake Forest vs. Virginia Tech

2010-03-09T17:15:11Z

This preview is the second of a four part series leading up to the 57th edition of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this part, we will examine the 2PM matchup on Thursday of the #5 seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the #12 seeded Miami Hurricanes. We will also take a look at how well the winner will matchup with the #4 seed, Virginia Tech on Friday at 2 PM.

Click through for more details...

The Demon Deacons (19-9, 9-7) and the Miami Hurricanes (18-12, 4-12) split the season series, with each winning their home meeting. The 'Canes had a disappointing conference season to say the least. After starting the season 15-1, Miami won just 3 of their last 14 games. They made those four conference wins count though, beating Wake, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, along with Virginia.

The Deacs righted the ship after a four game skid with a Senior Day win against Clemson, while the 'Canes lost their last three games by a combined 13 points. Needless to say, Miami would love to have something good to end their season on. For the Demon Deacons, a win would set up a rematch against Virginia Tech, a game that stung the Deacs, and would help their seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

Miami will win if...

They are able to zone the Deacs into submission and get hot from three. The 'Canes have had Wake's number when it comes to zone defense the last couple years and Head Coach Frank Haith is going to need to keep Wake's bigs in check and force the Demon Deacons to shoot over the top. Miami is down Dwayne Collins and desperately needs to hit their shots in bunches to stay in this game. They would also be wise to slow the tempo down and make Wake work in their half court set.

Wake will win if...

Al-Farouq Aminu and Chas McFarland can establish themselves down low. Both had great games against Clemson and should be able to exploit their matchups. A good game out of those two will take pressure off of Wake's guards and will give C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart more open looks on the perimeter. Another big key is the ability for the Demon Deacons to get out in transition. Wake is at it's most effective when they can get out and run.

BSD Predictions:

WakeJake- Wake 64, Miami 58

MRickman- Wake 75, Miami 63

BJohnston- Wake 63, Miami 55

RAJohnston- Wake 68, Miami 60

BSD Average- Wake 68, Miami 59

It was a clean consensus that the Demon Deacons would be able to handle Miami on a neutral floor without Collins. Wake should have won the first meeting and was way out in front in the second meeting before struggling offensively down the stretch. The Deacs seemed to find their confidence and have fun again on Sunday against Clemson and they should be able to carry that into Thursday's afternoon matchup.

The winner will take on the fourth-seeded Virginia Tech Hokies. VT won a huge matchup against the Deacs at home, but lost their next three before recovering to beat N.C. State and Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The Hokies are obviously extremely dangerous with Malcolm Delaney, but the status of Dorenzo Hudson is up in the air.

If Wake plays the Hokies, they can expect a better free throw differential than the last meeting, which should be a big advantage. The game on a neutral floor is a huge boost as well. Wake's gameplan will need to be the same--get out and run, shut down VT's other options and contain Delaney. But they need to stay out of foul trouble and keep their bigs on the floor. The freshmen will need to hit shots as well.

If the 'Canes are able to pull the upset, they will need to get great production out of Durand Scott, Malcolm Grant and James Dews. The three will need to carry the team and keep the pace up. Miami would be able to win this game if they were able to score in the upper 70s.

Wake definitely wants another crack at Virginia Tech. The game set the Deacs back and started their losing streak and they would love to take down the Hokies in Greensboro. They have a good shot too, especially if Hudson is unable to go or has to play limited minutes. Ish Smith needs to play under control, get in the lane and finish around the hoop, something he did a great job of in the first half of the meeting in Blacksburg. It is imperative for AFA to put up a solid 16 and 10 game. For VT, they need a huge game from their leader Delaney and have to get a strong performance from Jeff Allen.

BSD Odds to win ACC Tournament:

Virginia Tech- 3%

Wake Forest- 3%

Miami- ~1%

Poll

Who will advance to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament?

ACC Basketball Roundtable

2010-03-09T15:30:12Z

Photo Courtesy of Bob Hebert

The ACC/SEC Blog suggested we do a Basketball Roundtable after the close of the ACC regular season. You can find Clark's answers on his site and here are my answers to his questions. Other ACC bloggers participated and there'll be a roundup on the ACC/SEC Blog soon.

1. The national perception is that the ACC is down this year. Duke has been in the top 10 all year, but no one else has come close. Does the conference deserve this reputation? Why or Why not?

I think the national perception is inherently tied to North Carolina. It's just the truth. When Carolina's down, the conference is down, or something like that. The fact of the matter is that although outside of Duke there are no "dominant" teams, the conference as a whole is one of the top three in the country this year. For me it goes: Big East, Big 12, ACC, Big Ten, SEC.

Sure, Ohio State, Purdue and Michigan State are in the Big Ten, but outside of those three teams, with the exception of Wisconsin, the rest of the conference is weak. Yeah, the SEC has Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, but not much else. The fact of the matter is that the ACC will have a good amount of teams in the tournament like they always do. Whether they will play up to their seeding is another story.

2. Does Duke have what it takes to make a run to a National Championship? Why or Why not?

They actually might this year and would win it all for sure...if they played at Cameron. The problem is that Duke hasn't played very well on neutral and road courts. Can Coach K get them to overcome that for a six game stretch? I'm not sure. It certainly hasn't happened lately. But I think what separates this Duke team from the other teams the past few years has been its post play. The Blue Devils always have good guards, but this year, with the emergence of the Plumlees and the surprising play of Zoubek, Duke has added an element they haven't really had since Shelden Williams or as far back as Carlos Boozer.

3. We know Duke and Maryland are in, but who else gets in from the ACC? Will we see any surprises on Selection Sunday?

We won't have any surprises unless GT gets left out in the cold. It's pretty cut and dry right now: Duke, Maryland, FSU, Wake, Clemson, VT.

4. What is the biggest surprise of the season (good or bad)?

The two biggest surprises have been, obviously, just how much UNC has tanked, but also how well Maryland has played. I knew they were a tournament team, but I honestly thought their pre-season ranking wasn't justified. And after some sloppy play early on in the season, I thought I was right. And then the Terps started destroying teams and they haven't really looked back since. Greivis Vasquez has become a lot more consistent, Eric Hayes has embraced his role, Landon Milbourne comes to play every night and Jordan Williams has really improved as the season has gone on.

5. A couple of teams have had disappointing seasons. Whose seat is the hottest?

Paul Hewitt. This is about as easy as it gets. Hewitt has a ton of talent and he just doesn't know what to do with it. This team should be a Sweet Sixteen team and they might not even make the tournament.

6. Who is your player and coach of the year? Why?

Greivis Vasquez and Gary Williams from Maryland. Williams has done an incredible job this year getting his team to peak at the right time and a lot of it has come from just how well Vasquez has been playing. I know Scheyer has been good, but Vasquez means so much more to his team.

ACC Tournament Preview Part I

2010-03-09T14:00:42Z

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This preview is the first of a four part series leading up to the 57th edition of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this part, we will examine the noon matchup on Thursday of #8 seed Boston College Eagles and the #9 seed Virginia Cavaliers. We will also take a look at how well the winner will matchup with the #1 seed Duke Blue Devils on Friday at noon.

Click through for more details...

The first game of the 2010 ACC Tournament is between #8 Boston College with a record of 15-15 (6-10) and #9 Virginia, who is 14-15 (5-11). This is a game between teams that have both experienced a bad stretch of games. Boston College has won only 3 of their last 9 games while Virginia has lost 9 straight games after starting the conference year with a surprising 5-2 record.

Boston College won the only matchup between these two teams 68-55 on March 3rd. Corey Raji led Boston College with 18 points and 9 rebounds while Sylven Landesberg led UVA with 13 points and 3 assists.

Boston College will win if....they can field a team and not forfeit the game. With Sylven Landesberg and Calvin Baker both out for Virginia, it will seemingly be very difficult for Virginia to win the game. In all seriousness though, the Eagles need Joe Trapani to continue to play at a high level as he has throughout the year (14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds). Reggie Jackson has come on as of late and provided a fantastic spark for Al Skinner. The critical player very well could be Tyler Roche, who has scored 30 points twice this year when filling in for Trapani. If Roche has more than 15 points this game will not be close at all.

Virginia will win if...everything on the floor goes their way and then some. This team is in a complete free fall. After winning their first 5 of 7 games in the ACC they have lost 9 in a row and haven't been competitive in some of them (5 of those 9 losses have been by double digits). To make matters worse, their superstar Sylven Landesberg is academically ineligible for the rest of the season because he thought class at Virginia wasn't as important as sleeping. Mike Scott and Sammy Zeglinski will have to step up big time for the Wahoos to have a chance. Virginia is coming off a well played game at home against Maryland, so maybe Tony Bennett can conjure up some magic and get Virginia into the second round against Duke.

BSD Predictions

WakeJake- BC 72-60

MRickman- BC 70-62

BJohnston- BC 64-49

RaJohnston- BC 72-60

Average: BC 70-58

Our writers thought that Boston College would be too much for the Virginia Cavaliers, especially without Baker and Landesberg. Al Skinner has experienced some good success in the ACC Tournament and they should move on to Friday with relative ease unless something unexpected happens.

Whoever is lucky enough to advance to face the #1 seed Duke Blue Devils on Friday certainly has their hands full. Duke is playing for a #1 seed in the Big Dance and no matter who they face on Friday, should advance to the semi-finals on Saturday. Duke has won 8 of the past 11 ACC Tournaments and it is no secret that if they win this year the ACC Tournament may be renamed the Duke Invitational.

Led by the three headed monster of Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler, Duke is very difficult to defend on the inside, but especially the outside. The 52 ppg for this threesome is the second most in the country only behind Notre Dame's three players. Coach K has dominated the ACC Tournament in recent years and this year will probably be no different with a relatively easy path to the finals on Sunday.

Boston College will more than likely be the team that will face them on Friday and, to have a chance to stay in the game, will need monster games from likely Roche, Trapani and Jackson. Biko Paris will have to take care of the ball better than he has been lately. On defense, they cannot allow any of the three players to get open shots early from the outside because it could be over quickly if they do. Rebounding will be critical as well, because with the Plumlees and Zoubek coming on strong Duke, has been getting more than one look at the basket.

If UVA makes it through Boston College on Thursday, I have no idea what they will do about the size inside for Duke. The Wahoos don't really have anybody that can battle inside with Zoubek and the Plumlee brothers. They would need to lockdown with their packline defense and not allow Duke to get good looks at the basket.

I think it is fair to say that neither Boston College nor Virginia has a very good chance at beating Duke because they will have already played one game the day before and they are also on the wrong side of a large talent discrepancy. I have seen Duke with 91% odds on several publication to advance to Saturday, and I do not disagree.

BSD ODDS to win ACC Tournament:

Duke - 61%

BC/UVA - ~1%

Poll

Who will advance to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament?

BSD Road Report: Wake Forest Commit Carson Desrosiers

2010-03-09T08:08:17Z

I was able to make it out for the second time this year to see Carson Desrosiers as he took on Madison Park in the state semifinals. Central Catholic pulled out the 59-50 win to move on to the state finals as Desrosiers tallied 20 points, 20 rebounds and 9 blocks in the victory.

In the spirit of me getting to work tomorrow on time, I am going to let the video speak for itself. If anyone has any questions about how the game went, just leave them and I'll post more thoughts later. Enjoy.

All-ACC Teams Announced

2010-03-08T19:24:51Z

All-ACC Teams Announced

Al-Farouq Aminu and Ish Smith make Second Team All-ACC. C.J. Harris makes All-Rookie Team and L.D. Williams slips onto All-Defensive team.

Congrats guys!

ACC Power Rankings: 3.8

2010-03-08T19:22:37Z

More photos » Nick Wass - AP

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Wow, this is basically the final Power Rankings for the year (I don't really believe in the "post" ACC Tournament ones, we pretty much know who is who by then). With the ACC Tournament just a few days away, where does each team stack up?

1.) Duke Blue Devils

KenPom's number one team has won 9 of their last 10. Maryland played out of their minds at home and on a neutral floor, I still think Duke has the edge.

2.) Maryland Terrapins

Maryland showed me something against Duke, but I honestly thought Senior Night at the Comcast Center was going to go the Terps way. They have just looked really strong, winning 13 of their last 15 games. Regardless, it's Maryland, Duke and everyone else right now.

3.) Florida State Seminoles

FSU isn't pretty, but they get the job done. That's saying something. They're the best defense in the nation and that alone gives them a chance against anybody. Now if only they could score...

4.) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

The Demon Deacons have wins over at least 5, and as many as 8 tournament teams (if W&M and ORU win their conference tournaments and GT makes it in). They played a ton of road games and have the RPI's 29th strongest schedule. Despite their four game skid, this team is still dangerous.

5.) Virginia Tech Hokies

I understand the case for the Hokies at 4. They beat the Demon Deacons heads up, but that game was on VT's home floor and they got the benefit of some home cooking. I thought then and still think Wake holds the edge on a neutral floor. VT suffers from their lack of quality wins overall. They have a SOS at 129 and a 50 RPI, with wins over what is looking like 2 or 3 tourney teams (again, contingent on GT). It's a body of work issue for me.

6.) Clemson Tigers

Clemson's in the big dance, but they have got to be more consistent. That's been their problem all year, and really has been their problem for a few years now.

7.) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

GT is reeling right now and it is not pretty. They desperately needed that win against Virginia Tech and their first round matchup in the ACC Tournament is against UNC in Greensboro. They've won just 2 of their 7 games and Paul Hewitt's gotta be feeling the heat. We might be seeing some more exciting Twitter outbursts before it's all said and done.

8.) North Carolina State Wolfpack

Why not? The Pack have beaten some good teams this year--arguably 4 tournament teams and they have talent. They get the edge because of their win over BC.

9.) North Carolina Tar Heels

The Heels had a little momentum going and then they got spanked by Duke at Cameron. I still wouldn't want to be Georgia Tech on Thursday, that's for sure.

10.) Boston College Eagles

BC did a lot to get themselves to .500, so they deserve credit for that. But it was just a disappointing season overall for Boston College fans.

11.) Miami Hurricanes

At least the 'Canes have shown a sign of life in the last few games. Without Collins though, it's going to be a tall order to beat the Deacs on Thursday

12.) Virginia Cavaliers

Crash and burn. The Cavs had a fight against the Terps, but they've still lost 9 straight and lost Landesberg for the ACC Tourney. Woof.