ACC Tournament

[THE KOD]

Who will win the ACC tournament?
The AJC's Tony Barnhart breaks down the 11 teams

Published on: 03/08/05

1. North Carolina if . . .

Rashad McCants comes back from his illness. McCants, the team's No. 2 scorer, has missed three in a row with an intestinal disorder. The Tar Heels are talented enough to win the tournament without him if they continue to pound the ball inside to Sean May, who has eight consecutive double-doubles and is coming off a 26-point, 24-rebound day against Duke.

2. Wake Forest if . . .

The Demon Deacons can make do in the quarterfinals without suspended star Chris Paul and play defense like they did Sunday against N.C. State. Sunday's effort proved that if Skip Prosser's troops play any perimeter defense at all, they're tough to beat. As good as guards Paul and Justin Gray are, the Deacons play best when the big fella, Eric Williams, is involved on both ends.

3. Duke if . . .

Daniel Ewing stays cool and J.J. Redick stays hot. With the injury to Sean Dockery, Ewing has had to take on even more ball-handling and defensive responsibilities. His emotions of late, however, have been on a short fuse. He can't lose his temper and get into foul trouble. Redick, the ACC's leading scorer, has averaged 4.5 3s in his past 15 games.

4. Virginia Tech if . . .

Zabian Dowdell gets going from outside. Dowdell is second in the ACC in 3-point shooting (62-of-140, 44.3). He has an incredible ability to get off his shot, even with defenders draped on him. The Hokies have beaten Duke, Maryland and Georgia Tech. So they won't be intimidated if they get in a close game.

5. Georgia Tech if . . .

Luke Schenscher becomes more involved on both ends. When the Yellow Jackets were making their Final Four run last season, Big Luke was doing it all: shooting, rebounding, swatting shots. Run the offense through him and there will be more good looks for Jarrett Jack, B.J. Elder and Will Bynum. When Schenscher gets the ball, he must power his way to the basket. Finesse won't cut it in the ACC tournament.

6. Miami if . . .

Guillermo Diaz finds his fire. The ACC's No. 2 scorer mailed it in after the Hurricanes fell behind big at Duke last Thursday. His effort reflects the mind-set of his team coming into the tournament. At 15-7 on Feb. 15, the Hurricanes were in good shape. They've since lost four of their past five and most of their confidence.

7. N.C. State if . . .

Julius Hodge recaptures the magic of 2004, when he was the ACC Player of the Year. N.C. State's lack of a big man means Hodge has to do a lot of different things for the Wolfpack to be successful. He enters the tournament as the league's No. 4 scorer but didn't make first team All-ACC.

8. Maryland if . . .

Gary Williams can convince his players that every team it faces is Duke. The schizophrenic Terps might be the only team in recent ACC history to beat Duke twice and lose to Clemson twice in the same season. Part of the problem is John Gilchrist, who needs to quit auditioning for the NBA.

9. Clemson if . . .

The Tigers learn how to make 3-pointers and free throws. They're last in the league, hitting 32.6 percent from long range and 59.7 from the line.

10. Florida State if . . .

Von Wafer plays out of his mind. Next to Virginia, FSU has been the ACC's biggest disappointment. The Seminoles were supposed to make strides in their second year under coach Leonard Hamilton. Instead, FSU enters the tournament having lost nine of its past 10.

11. Virginia if . . .

Ralph Sampson has any eligibility left. Pete Gillen changed the Cavaliers' style and slowed things down when the team got completely out of control earlier this season. It has made Virginia more competitive, but the wins are few and far between. Say goodbye, Pete. Virginia is building a new arena for 2006 and needs to fire up big-money boosters to fill it.
..................................................................

 

[HoopsGuru]

i vote for wake

 

[THE KOD]

wake has a good chance.

As does Duke and NC obviously.

Its going to be hard to tell what importance these three teams will put on ACC title ?

Why do they care ? The big dance gets the money.

Anyone list reasons why its important to win ACC title ?

thanks

 

[HoopsGuru]

i don't know, but it seems like the past 10 years duke always come out hungry for the title more than any other team. granted they've had the most talent in those years but they seem to want it the most.

 

[Duke45]

Been huge Duke fan for years, and seems that they live and die by the three. If Reddick, Ewing, Melch and others are off they are going to have trouble in the two tourneys. THey seem to not know when to stop shooting threes, which was very obvious in the UNC battle Sunday

But if they are on fire like they have been recently, and seem to figure out you dont need to shoot threes when you are up 6-8 points with 2 minutes left, they will be tough to beat

 

[THE KOD]

Hoops

Got to agree with you as I have seen Duke in the past really play their hearts out to win it.

But I also have to think that NC is a stronger team overall especially if McCants gets over his stomach aches.

And Wake Forest cannot be discounted this year.

What about NCAA seeding ? Does winning ACC give the winner a much better chance by playing weaker teams etc ?

 

[ADot]

i like g tech as somewhat of a sleeper team...think they have the talent to match wake, unc, and duke....

 

[THE KOD]

Adot

Sorry but just got to think G Tech is not going anywhere this year.

They are a team not playing well together.

I will bet against them in the ACC tournament for sure.

 

[Blackman]

Maryland on the bubble to get into the tourny, I think they could be very dangerous here. They pulled it out of nowhere last year so you can't count them out.

 

[THE KOD]

What's at stake for ACC teams at tourney time

By RANA L. CASH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/09/05


1. NORTH CAROLINA

Playing for: Rhythm

With a No. 1 seed all but locked up, the ACC regular-season champs need to work on getting Rashad McCants back into the lineup. The junior star has missed four games due to illness and has lost weight during his time off. Without him in the lineup, the Tar Heels' offense is primarily funneled through center Sean May.


2. WAKE FOREST

Playing for: A No. 1 seed

The Demon Deacons will play their first game without point guard Chris Paul, who is suspended for one game. If that spells doom for the Deacons and an early exit from the conference tournament, it's possible someone else could snag their top seed. That would be unfortunate, considering Wake played such a tough schedule (Arizona, Illinois, Texas).


3. DUKE

Playing for: A No. 1 seed

The Blue Devils haven't played their way out of a top seed just yet. If Wake loses early, Duke's path to the conference title could be a little easier. The Devils have already split with tourney favorite North Carolina and are coming off a tough loss to the Tar Heels. But it may serve Duke better to be a well-rested No. 2 seed if it fails to make it to the final. Shelden Williams played 36 minutes against Carolina, J.J. Redick 39, Daniel Ewing 38 and Lee Melchionni 36.


4. VIRGINIA TECH

Playing for: An NCAA tournament berth

Sure, Seth Greenberg's Hokies had an impressive year, beating Duke, N.C. State, Maryland and Georgia Tech. But it's the bad non-conference losses that could cost the Hokies if they don't win a game here. St. John's, VMI and Western Michigan all took down the Hokies, who are 4-6 in their final 10 games. They could get a closer look from the selection committee since center Coleman Collins missed two games after having surgery on his foot.


5. GEORGIA TECH

Playing for: An NCAA tournament berth

In one breath, coach Paul Hewitt says eight wins should do it. In the next, he talks about the importance of winning one more. There's not a deep level of assurance right now, so Tech is counting on needing to beat the Hokies to get in. The Yellow Jackets haven't won consecutive games since early January. Now's the time.


6. MIAMI

Playing for: Hope

The Hurricanes were one of the ACC's most dangerous teams early on. But the Canes' late-season slide has made their NCAA hopes a long shot. Miami, which lost four of its last five, wants to recapture some of that early-season magic in the ACC tournament. Guillermo Diaz is explosive enough to launch his team into a run, but the Canes could run out of gas.


7. N.C. STATE

Playing for: Redemption

No ACC team was hit with as much misfortune as N.C. State this season. Injuries and illnesses beset the Wolfpack all season, and it only got worse Sunday when Jordan Collins sustained a separated shoulder. One of State's losses was to Florida State, its first-round foe. One of its most painful losses was to Wake, which will be awaiting the winner of N.C. State-Florida State.


8. MARYLAND

Playing for: Momentum

Maryland knows what's it's like to hit another gear. The Terrapins did it last season, coming in as a middle-of-the pack team and emerging as the tournament champ. That's the type of effort it might take for Maryland to capture the attention of the selection committee members. Maryland has the players to do it in John Gilchrist and Nik Caner-Medley.


9. CLEMSON

Playing for: The future

The Tigers are NIT-bound, having already posted a .500 record. It's the last go-round for senior Sharrod Ford, one of the ACC's top centers, but this tournament could be a launching point for many of Clemson's young players, including talented freshman point guard Cliff Hammonds.


10. FLORIDA STATE

Playing for: Pride

The Seminoles probably have nothing ahead of them this season. While winning one more game isn't a reach, doing more than that would be an over-achievement for the tough-luck team, which six ACC games by five points or less. FSU's only road win came against North Carolina State, which it meets in the first round of the ACC tournament.


11. VIRGINIA

Playing for: Pete Gillen's job

This might be it for Gillen at Virginia, where they're getting tired of NIT berths. His team would like to claim at least one win for him in this tournament. The Cavaliers will say so long to seniors Elton Brown and Devin Smith and will look forward to the future with freshman guard Sean Singletary.
........................................................................................

 

[THE KOD]

WAKE FOREST

"From an offensive standpoint," said Bob McKillop, Davidson's veteran coach, "from a firepower standpoint, Wake is as explosive as can be." Witness last week's Winston-Salem shootout with Georgia Tech, when Wake Forest scored 61 points in the second half and rallied from an 11-point deficit to prevail.

"Offensively, they're magnificent," ESPN's Jay Bilas said of the Demon Deacons, who are second in the ACC in scoring (85.4), shoot 49.4 percent from the field and lead the conference in 3-point percentage (40.4). "They can outscore anyone. That's the old push-pull, though: They can score, but can they stop you?"

And come Friday, can Wake ? which started the season ranked No. 1 ? win without Chris Paul? The Deacons, who finished second to Carolina in the regular season, were ninth in the ACC in scoring defense. In Friday's quarterfinals against the N.C. State-Florida State winner, Wake must play without Paul. The All-ACC point guard was suspended for a game after hitting N.C. State's Julius Hodge in the groin Sunday.

Coach Skip Prosser will miss Paul's lightning speed, scoring ability and especially his direction and decision making.

To win here, Wake must play tenacious defense daily. "When you come to a conference tournament," McKillop said, "your jump shots are going to miss. You're going to miss some free throws. Teams will play zone. Your saving grace is your defense. I think that will be the biggest challenge for Wake."

DUKE

Even by his Hall of Fame standards, this is one of Mike Krzyzewski's best coaching jobs. "It's right up there," said ESPN's Jay Bilas, who played for Krzyzewski. "He's got very good talent. He just doesn't have very good depth. He's never used 10 guys. He usually has seven top-flight guys. Now he has five, or six. Losing Sean Dockery hurts 'em."

The 6-2 guard suffered a season-ending knee injury Feb. 23 at Georgia Tech. But don't cry for Coach K. He still has two of the best players in the country: shooting guard J.J. Redick and big man Shelden Williams.

"The best player in the ACC," Miami coach Frank Haith calls Redick, who leads the ACC in scoring (22.6) and 3-pointers per game (3.81), and is the leading foul shooter in NCAA history. "He should be the MVP," said Haith.

If not, then perhaps Williams. "Phenomenal," Majerus calls the 6-9 junior who leads the ACC in rebounding and blocks.

Duke came within seconds of sweeping Carolina. While the Devils average 80.4 points and an ACC-best 9.87 3's, their game is often decided at the other end of the court. "The best defensive team," ESPN's Rick Majerus calls Duke, which leads the ACC in scoring defense (65.8) and 3-point field goal defense (30.4). "They're hard to run on, make it difficult to score.

When Maryland stunned all by upsetting Wake, N.C. State and Duke to win last year's ACC tournament, it broke Duke's five-year reign in the tourney. Not this time, though. Not even in the Terps' backyard.


NORTH CAROLINA

In his second season back in Chapel Hill, Roy Williams has the Tar Heels playing like the finest of Dean Smith's outfits. "Carolina's the best in the ACC, without question. They won the league by two games," said Jay Bilas, the former Duke star and now a TV analyst who calls these Heels "the best and most talented since the Final Four team of 1998."

That team included Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison. This one, according to Bilas, has "the best player [in the ACC] in Sean May, the best freshman in the league in Marvin Williams and one of the three best point guards in Raymond Felton."

The 6-foot-9, 260-pound May had 26 points and 24 rebounds in Sunday's riveting 75-73 comeback win over Duke to give Carolina its first ACC regular-season title since 1993 ? the last time North Carolina won the national championship.

"The best talent in the league is Carolina," said former Utah coach Rick Majerus, doing TV commentary here this weekend. "The best player on the team is a freshman who comes off the bench." Majerus projects 6-9 Marvin Williams as one of the top three NBA draft picks should he leave early.

In quicksilver point guard Raymond Felton, Roy Williams has the perfect point man to run the fastbreak for the ACC's top scoring team.

And now Carolina gets Rashad McCants back. The Heels' most dangerous offensive threat (15.8 ppg) missed the last four games with an intestinal disorder, but was cleared Wednesday to practice.
..........................................................................................

 

[THE KOD]

WASHINGTON ? Georgia Tech could be without its second-best rebounder and starting forward when it tips off ACC tournament play Friday.

Coach Paul Hewitt said Isma'il Muhammad won't play against Virginia Tech after the senior sat out Thursday's practice with a sore knee.

GEORGIA TECH
? Who: Virginia Tech in ACC tournament quarterfinals
? When; where: 2:30 p.m. Friday; MCI Center, Washington, D.C.
? TV; radio: WATL; WQXI-AM (790)

But Muhammad, who'll likely be replaced in the lineup by Will Bynum, isn't ruling out an appearance.

"I'm not going to be in street clothes," he said.

Hewitt's general policy is not to play someone who doesn't practice the day before a game. Muhammad has been battling patella tendonitis and played just nine minutes Saturday against Clemson. He underwent shockwave therapy treatment a day later and has been inactive since.

"I haven't been 100 percent all year, but the these past few games, it's gotten worse," said Muhammad, who averages 9.0 points and 5.4 rebounds. "It's very frustrating, not being able to do the things I normally do. The type of player I am, I rely on hard defense and going off the dribble.

"This is something I'm going to have to deal with the rest of the season."
....................................................................................

 

[Blackman]

Maryland on the bubble to get into the tourny, I think they could be very dangerous here. They pulled it out of nowhere last year so you can't count them out.

:mj07: :mj07: I've been very hot lately :sadwave:

 

[THE KOD]

WASHINGTON ? To the surprise of everyone but themselves, the most ridiculed, doubted and dismissed team in college basketball will play for the ACC championship today.

"It wasn't a shock," Georgia Tech guard Will Bynum said after his 35-point assault led the unranked Yellow Jackets to a 78-75 victory over No. 2 North Carolina in Saturday's ACC tournament semifinals. "We expected to play like this the whole year."

When Tech's biggest win of the season was over, guard Jarrett Jack hurled the ball into a sea of Carolina blue. Coach Paul Hewitt gave his assistant, Cliff Warren, a bear hug, then pointed emphatically to the Tech fans. Said Hewitt: "This was no upset."

The record books will dispute that. This is only the second time in nine games that Tech, the No. 5 seed this week, has beaten a No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament. The Jackets were embarrassed by UNC 91-69 earlier this season.

"Even if they were better than us," Jack said, "they weren't [22] points better."

Duke might not be better, either. Tech plays the No. 3 seeded Blue Devils, 76-69 winners over North Carolina State after a 35-point day from J.J. Redick, at 1 p.m. Sunday for championship.

"We'll play them at their best [today], no question," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "They'll not only be a tough team [this] afternoon, but will be a tough team the rest of March."

But on this day, the Jackets were better by just enough ? even with the relatively inconsequential play of B.J. Elder. Elder missed the first UNC game with a pulled hamstring. He was almost absent in this one, as well. Stuck on the bench in foul trouble, Elder was scoreless from the field and finished with just two points.

Few would have given Tech much of a chance knowing Elder would have that kind of day.

"Not only that, but Isma'il [Muhammad] didn't play [knee injury] and Jarrett didn't make a lot of shots," Tech forward Anthony McHenry said. "But that's the kind of team we are. We're used to picking up the slack in March. We are a March team."

The Jackets drew from their March experience last season. That meant going to Bynum, who broke Mark Price's 1983 Tech record of 33 points in the ACC tournament. And it meant going to reserves like Mario West, who stayed in Raymond Felton's uniform all day.

Hewitt, who seems fascinated with substituting, went to his bench ? switching players for offensive and defensive possessions ? early in the second half. The strategy worked.

Tech led by as many as nine in the first half, but with inspired play from Sean May, Carolina quickly climbed back in it. May scored eight of his 17 points in a two-minute stretch in which UNC took a 51-50 lead.

That's when Muhammad, sitting out with knee pain, had a talk with Luke Schenscher and Ra'Sean Dickey on the bench. "Are you going to take that personal?" Muhammad asked.

Schencher did, and with 15 points and 10 rebounds, was part of a furious late-game stand. May's basket with 13:34 left to tie it at 55 was his last.

Bynum's scoring tear allowed Tech to reclaim the lead and keep it.

Carolina stayed within reach, but each time the Jackets swatted the Heels away. McHenry blocked a shot from May. Schenscher stuffed Jawad Williams. On his next scoring opportunity, Bynum drove the paint and scored with a spectacular underhand scoop, giving the Jackets a 74-70 lead at the 2:31 mark.

With 54.2 seconds left, Felton missed the second of two free throws, but May knocked the rebound into the backcourt. Bynum grabbed it and was fouled by David Noel. Bynum, who scored Tech's final six points, made them both to make it 76-71.

When Jack was fouled by Noel, he "clanked" his foul shots with 28.4 on the clock. "I'll be tossing and turning in my sleep about that," Jack said.

McCants was brushed by Bynum on a missed 3-point attempt and missed two free throws, but UNC retained possession. McCants responded, lifting over Jack to bury a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to make it 76-75.

Then Bynum was fouled by Jackie Manuel bringing the ball up. He sank both with 9.6 ticks remaining. McCants' final 3-point attempt to tie came off the front of the rim.

The Jackets had a steely determination typical of championship caliber clubs.

"It's easy to get W's in November and December," Jack said. "The teams that are playing good in March and April are the teams you look for."
.............................................................................

The Jackets had a steely determination typical of championship caliber clubs

Lets see that steely determination beat Duke.

I don't play much in the tournaments because I don't think it shows who really is the better team. Its more of a get ready for the NCAA tournament.

Wake Forest, NC go down, I don't think that will happen in the Big Dance for awhile.

Can Ga Tech beat Duke today ? Sure but it aint time to lay the big cash down just yet.

If I was playing this I would take the Duke ml and be done with it.

Still a little worried about Ga Techs steely determination as a championship caliber team. Thats a laugh.

Duke rotor rooter the bees.

 

[THE KOD]

Watched the firsts half of Duke game then went out to a family barbecue so missed the others.

Ga Tech so predictable. I should have slammed Duke moneyline but the time will come soon.

I am picking LSU as my sleeper team in the SEC.

Now comes the money games.

Lets kick some asses.

KOD

 

[THE KOD]

PS Duke was playing for the number 1 seed and it showed.