2011-12 ACC Basketball: UNC, Duke fans ready to move on from the gridiron

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It’s almost that time of year again, when the noise from the gridiron fades away into the consonance of dribbling and sneakers squealing across the hardwood.

It’s basketball season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But here it’s more than just another fall sport: it’s a welcome relief to the woes of football season — especially for perennial conference powers Duke and North Carolina, whose football teams are a combined 44-79 over the last five seasons. If fans could stand to watch a few months of mediocre football, it would all pay off in the spring. Because during that same stretch, the Blue Devils and Tar Heels would combine to reel off some impressive statistics: six seasons of at least 30 wins, five ACC Tournament titles, and a national championship apiece. Just a year apart, no less.

The pair were the paragons of ACC basketball. Since 2007, they were the only two schools to represent the conference  in all five national tournaments, all while the number of ACC schools fluctuated from 7, to 4, back up to 7, down to 6, and down to 4 again. Despite the dominance at the top, the ACC is rife with parity. There are 12 schools in the conference, and only North Carolina State failed to make a tournament appearance in that span.

For the upcoming season, only Duke and UNC cracked the Top 25. But come January, when the season is in full swing, expect to see a handful of ACC teams climbing into the rankings. Some of last year’s cellar-dwellers are loaded with talented sophomores who were more than a little overwhelmed last year. And freshmen like Julian Royal of Georgia Tech and Maryland’s Nick Faust are expected to make an immediate impact.

The ACC is no stranger to freshman success. Just recently we’ve seen players like UNC’s Harrison Barnes and Duke’s Kyrie Irving have impressive first-year campaigns. But the same can’t be said for freshmen head coaches. This season might change that tradition, though, because Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami and North Carolina State will all have a rookie head coaches running the show.

Although the top dogs will still be Duke and UNC, look for a more competitive regular season … because something changes come ACC Tournament time. The Blue Devils are three-time defending champions, and other than Maryland’s 2004 overtime win over Duke, you’d have to go all the way back to 1997 to find a year where either Duke or UNC weren’t tournament champions.

Logic says the trends will continue. But North Carolina is on the cusp of another championship, especially with a lineup loaded with talent like Barnes, forward Tyler Zeller, and potential ACC freshman of the year James McAdoo. There is no doubt about it, the 2012 season will be a resurgence for the ACC.

 

Team-by-Team Breakdown

 

Boston College Eagles

Head coach:             Steve Donahue (2^nd year)

Last season:             20-12 (9-7 ACC)

Postseason:               None

Player to watch:       Danny Rubin, SO-G, ’11 Stats: 4.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.6 apg

Preseason Rank:      None

Boston College was one of two teams that ushered in a new head coach last season. Despite his inexperience, Coach Donahue pulled off a 20-win season, narrowly missing a tournament bid. But last year’s lineup featured four seniors and one junior, point-guard Reggie Jackson, who left for the NBA. The lack of experience will hurt the Eagles this season, and they’ll likely be stuck in the middle of the pack.

 

Clemson Tigers

 

 

Head coach:              Brad Brownell (2^rd year)

Last season:              21-11 (9-7)

Postseason:               NCAA Second Round

Player to watch:       Andre Young, SR-G, ’11 Stats: 11.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.0 apg

Preseason Rank:      None

Clemson has gotten off to some fast starts, including two 15 game winning streaks to open the ’07 and ’09 season. But the success never carried over to the postseason until last year, when they won their first tournament game since 1997. The Tigers have a talented line-up of upperclassmen returning, brining a wealth of postseason and big-game experience. Maybe this will be the year they beat UNC in Chapel Hill.

 

Duke Blue Devils

Head coach:  Mike Krzyzewski (32^nd year)

Last season:              30-4 (13-3)

Postseason:               NCAA Sweet 16

Player to watch:       Seth Curry, Junior-G, ’11 Stats: 9.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.0 apg

Preseason Rank:      No. 6

There aren’t enough adjectives in the English language to sufficiently praise the job Mike Krzyzewski has done in Durham. Since taking over the program in the early 1980s, Duke has become synonymous with championship college basketball. It’s the 21^st century version of what UCLA was in the 1970s. After losing star freshman Kyrie Irving to the NBA draft, the Blue Devils replenished their roster with two potential star guards: Austin Rivers, son of NBA head coach Doc Rivers, and Quinn Cook. Both are highly touted, athletic players that are expected to start right away. I would say that since they’re freshmen, their lack of experience could hurt Duke down the stretch, when they’ll be playing tough ACC opponents in hostile environments. But the current trends in college basketball haven’t played out as such, with freshmen stars like Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, and Derrick Rose all performing well on big stages. Blue Devils fans have only one worry this season: will Duke be the No. 1 overall seed or just a No. 1 regional seed?

 

Florida State Seminoles

Head coach:              Leonard Hamilton (10^th year)

Last season:              21-10 (11-5)

Postseason:               NCAA Sweet 16

Player to watch:       Bernard James, SR-F, ’11 Stats: 8.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.4 bpg

Preseason Rank:      None

Slowly but surely, Leonard Hamilton has built up a competitive basketball team in Florida that isn’t in Gainesville. It’s taken a decade, but Florida State has three tournament appearances to their name after such a long wait. There was a 10-year drought before they made it back in 2009. Forward Bernard James was an offensive and defensive force down in the post last season, but he’ll be without his star teammates Chris Singleton and Derwin Kitchen. And with other conference powers on the rise, the Seminoles might be sitting at home this March.

 

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Head coach:              Brian Gregory (1^st year)

Last season:              13-18 (5-11)

Postseason:               None

Player to watch:       Glen Rice, Jr., JR-G, ’11 Stats: 12.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.5 apg

Preseason Rank:      None

Not too long ago, Georgia Tech was home to stars like Will Bynum and Jarrett Jack. In 2004, they school played in its first championship game, and all the signs pointed to a program on the rise in Atlanta. But ever since that magical, 28-win season, the Yellow Jackets have been back to the tournament only three times. After another dismal season where they missed the tournament, head coach Paul Hewitt was let go after 11 years. But with Glen Rice, Jr. coming back for his junior season, the Yellow Jackets have a glimmer of hope. Rice has the potential to make an All ACC team this year and more enough talent to singlehandedly grind out a few wins for his team. New head coach Brian Gregory is no slouch, either. He hails from the University of Dayton, where his Flyers were NIT Champions just two years ago. Now that he’s coaching higher-caliber players, expect to see Georgia Tech heading back down the tournament path.

 

Maryland Terrapins

Head coach:              Mark Turgeon (1^st year)

Last season:              19-14 (7-9)

Postseason:               None

Player to watch:       Terrell Stoglin, SO-G, ’11 Stats: 11.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 3.3 apg

Preseason Rank:      None

It’s never easy replacing a legend. After more than 2o years at Maryland, 14 tournament appearances, and a national championship in 2002, head coach Gary Williams stepped down at the end of last season. Lucky for incoming coach Mark Turgeon, he’s inheriting a team that was just a few baskets away from 20+ wins a year ago. If he can manage the stress that comes with the first year of coaching at a program like Maryland, the Terrapins should be tournament bound this March.

 

Miami (FL) Hurricanes

Head coach:              Jim Larranaga (1^st year)

Last season:              19-14 (6-10)

Postseason:               None

Player to watch:       Reggie Johnson, JR-C, ’11 Stats: 11.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.3 bpg

Preseason Rank:      None

Ironically, Miami might be the lone ACC member whose fans want to see football instead of basketball. Compared to the rest of the conference, the Hurricanes’ basketball program is relatively young, having opened up play in 1949. Over those 60+ years, they’ve made the postseason only six times, getting past the first round only twice. Even stranger, the Seminoles’ current head coach had more success here than he has at Florida State. This season the Hurricanes will introduce Jim Larranaga as their new head coach. His claim to fame is taking No. 11 seeded George Mason to the Final Four in 2006. Similar to the situation at Georgia Tech with Coach Gregory, Larranaga will finally have his pick of higher quality athletes and some name recognition to attach to it. The Hurricanes are going to a talented team in a few years, with the possibility of equaling all of their tournament appearances under just one coach.

 

North Carolina Tar Heels

Head coach:              Roy Williams (9^th year)

Last season:              26-7 (14-2)

Postseason:               NCAA Elite 8

Player to watch:       Harrison Barnes, SO-F, ’11 Stats: 15.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.4 apg

Preseason Rank:      No. 1

Anytime you watch the Tar Heels this season, you’ll get a glimpse at a possible national champion. Their lineup is stacked. They’ve got an excellent coach with more tournament experience than most ACC coaches combined (Coach K the lone exception, of course). They’ve also got a rabid fan base that wears down road opponents like no one else. What more could you want? The Tar Heels themselves are the only obstacle standing in the way of another banner in the rafters at UNC. They can be their own worst enemy, but with Harrison Barnes returning for his sophomore season, and no doubt still remembering the loss against Kentucky, North Carolina is ready for their sixth title.

 

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Head coach:              Mark Gottfried (1^st year)

Last season:              15-16 (5-11)

Postseason:               None

Player to watch:       C.J. Leslie, SO-F, ’11 Stats: 11.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg 1.3 bpg

Preseason Rank:      None

What’s wrong in Raleigh? Until recently, the Wolfpack was a staple of March Madness. They’ve got the iconic 1983 championship game celebration. David Thompson, an NBA hall of famer, played for them and won a national title back in 1974. Just a few years ago, they were in the Sweet 16. But after they hired Sidney Lowe in 2007, NC State ushered in the dark ages, missing the tournament all five years he was there. Now they’ve hired Mark Gottfried, who coached the Alabama Crimson Tide from 1998-2009. Down in Tuscaloosa, Gottfried put the Tide on the winning track. They made the tournament five straight times from 2002-06, reaching the Elite Eight in 2004 for the first time in school history. Gottfried will be sharing the state with three other major ACC powers, so he’ll have to compete harder for recruits than he did in the Southeastern Conference. But Wolfpack fans should have faith, as he’s got a proven record. If he can keep C.J. Leslie for another year, they might be back in the tournament as soon as 2013.

 

Virginia Cavaliers

Head coach:              Tony Bennett (3^rd year)

Last season:              16-15 (7-9)

Postseason:               None

Player to watch:       Joe Harris, SO-G, ’11 Stats: 10.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.3 apg

Preseason Rank:      None

There is little doubt that the Cavaliers have seen better days. Remember Ralph Sampson? Starting in the early 1980s, when they reached the Final Four in 1981 and 1984, Virginia’s apex ran until the mid-1990s until it suddenly dropped off. Since 1998, the Cavaliers have had more head coaches (4) than tournament appearances (2). They have a potential star in junior guard Joe Harris, but despite his talent, he can’t carry this squad much farther than the 16 wins they got last season.

 

Virginia Tech Hokies

Head coach:              Seth Greenberg (9^th year)

Last season:              21-11 (9-7)

Postseason:               None

Player to watch:       Erick Green, JR-G, ’11 Stats: 11.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.7 apg

Preseason Rank:      None

The Hokies had a big win last year at home against No. 1 Duke. Most experts thought it would be enough to get into the tournament, as long as they didn’t bow out in the first round of the ACC Tournament. But they were invited only to the NIT, despite reaching the semifinals of the conference tournament. Some say they were snubbed. All you had to do to see their worth was look at the standings. They had 21 wins, knocked off the No. 1 team in the country late in the season, and the only teams ahead of them in the standings all made the tournament. But the Hokies had some big losses too, including two apiece from Virginia and Boston College. Throw in a blowout loss on the road at Georgia Tech, and it was enough for the selection committee to keep them home. After nearly a decade in Blacksburg, and just one NCAA tournament appearance, Greenberg could be on the hot seat. Fans don’t want another NIT appearance. They want to have a stake in March Madness, not just watch it from the sidelines. There is enough talent mixed with some luck of the scheduling for the Hokies to reach the tournament, but it’s up to Greenberg to finally deliver.

 

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Head coach:              Jeff Bzdelik (2^nd year)

Last season:              8-24 (1-15)

Postseason:               None

Player to watch:       Travis McKie, SO-F, ’11 Stats: 13.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.0 apg

Preseason Rank:      None

Maybe worse than Georgia Tech’s relapse is the stunning collapse of Wake Forest basketball. This is where Tim Duncan patrolled the paint. Chris Paul was their local hero, a magician on the court. It’s hard to be this bad, especially after back-to-back 20-win seasons and two tournament appearances. You would think the recruits would be clamoring to go to a school with this much basketball history. But the firing of head coach Dino Gaudio has proved costly. The Demon Deacons dropped from 20 wins two seasons ago to a measly 8 last year. Those are the kind of drop-offs you see from mid-majors, whose rosters are depleted because they’re constructed of all upperclassmen. That type of swing is expected for them, but not Wake Forest. But this season’s squad will be interesting to watch. There is a high ceiling for success here, because Wake Forest was the only ACC-school to have four players in the starting lineup average double-digits in scoring. Two of them, Travis McKie and C.J. Harris, returned for another season. McKie is double-threat in rebounding and scoring, with potential to win ACC Player of the Year if he leads the Deacons to a respectable turnaround. There is no way they finish with as few wins as they did last year, so look for Wake Forest to get into the double-digits in the win column.

 

SOURCES:

Statistics, Schedules, Coaching Records, Past Standings and Rosters:

www.sports-reference.com/cbb, www.espn.com, www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1

Team Rosters and Current Player Stats/Notes (2011-12):

www.bceagles,com, www.clemsontigers.com, www.goduke.com, www.seminoles.com, www.ramblinwreck.com, www.umterps.com, www.hurricanesports.com, www.tarheelblue.com, www.gopack.com, www.virginiasports.com, www.hokiesports.com, www.wakeforestsports.com

Preseason Rankings:

www.espn.com, www.cbssports.com

 

PHOTO SOURCES:

Team Logos:

OCS Media

Players:

Harrison Barnes (UNC Athletics-Jeffrey Camarati)

Bernard James (FSU Athletics-Chuck Walsh)

C.J. Leslie (NC State Athletics-Mark McIntyre)

Travis McKie (Wake Forest Athletics-Scott Wortman)

Joe Harris (UVA Athletics-Darlene Craig)

Glen Rice, Jr. (Georgia Tech Athletics-Mark Stamus)

Danny Rubin (BC Athletics-Richard Kelley)

Reggie Johnson (Hurricane Athletics-CaneShooter)

Terrell Stoglin (Maryland Athletics-Doug Dull)

Erick Green (Hokie Athletics-Dave Knachel)

Andre Young (Clemson Athletics-Philip Sikes)

Seth Curry (Duke Athletics-Chris Cook)

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