Beyond the Arc : ACC

ACC-Big Ten Challenge matters in March

Mike Miller — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:24:00 GMT

Penn State fired the opening salvo in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge Monday night, holding off Virginia and giving the conference an all-important road win.

Seriously. If the Big Ten ever expects to win this event – it’s 0-10 thus far – winning in enemy territory is crucial. Home teams are 30-14 in this thing.

Jason Redmond/AP

Clemson coach Oliver Purnell

Some think this is the year the Big Ten finally wins (Seth Davis disagrees.) This is a good start. And we’ll have a better idea who wins after tonight’s games – Wake Forest at Purdue, Northwestern at N.C. State, Maryland at Indiana, Michigan State at North Carolina and Virginia Tech at Iowa.

And if this is the year the Big Ten wins, expect a big sigh of relief from the middle of the country.

"It does bother me, as it does our players, coaches and fans,'' Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told ESPN’s Andy Katz, who detailed reasons why the ACC-Big Ten Challenge is more than just a typical showcase event. To sum up: bragging rights matter.

"It matters because the two leagues are constantly compared against each other,'' Clemson's Oliver Purnell told Katz. "So you're interested in doing your part, and you do pay attention to the scores. I know last year was real close.''

The challenge has come down to a one-game difference five times, including last season. At some point, the Big Ten will win one. Maybe this year, maybe next season. Who knows. But the teams involved do care. The fans certainly care.

And perhaps most importantly, the NCAA tournament seeding committee cares.

"I'll tell you what helped us come March,'' says Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said, "was going to Virginia Tech [in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge] and winning last year.''

There it is. Even if you don’t care about the bragging rights, perhaps the committee does. That’s reason enough to care who wins this thing.

Check out Mike Miller on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) tonight and tomorrow for random thoughts about the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

5 Things to watch this week

Mike Miller — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:12:00 GMT

West Virginia ended Portland’s marvelous run in the 76 Classic, but not until the Pilots turned themselves into the talk of Feast Week.

Handing Ben Howland the worst loss of his UCLA tenure will do that.

Portland (5-1) had already beaten Oregon this season, but cemented itself as one of the mid-majors the big boys want to avoid after demolishing the Bruins and edging Minnesota on back-to-back nights.

The Pilots may not be done surprising BCS schools, either. A Dec. 19 trip to Washington remains before they turn their attention to the WCC schedule. Looks like Gonzaga, San Diego and St. Mary’s have some competition.

Speaking of the Zags, they’re in 5 Things to Watch this week. But first, the ACC-Big Ten Challenge awaits.

Eric Gay/AP

Deon Thompson and Draymond Green fight for a rebound in the 2009 NCAA championship.

Is this the Big Ten’s year?
The ACC has won this event every year, which is a little ridiculous. Sure, the ACC is lauded as the better conference, but even if that’s true – because that’s debatable – how has the Big Ten never won this thing?

It’s come down to one game five times in 10 seasons, including last year’s event, which the ACC took 6-5. Can the ACC really win ‘em all?

Virginia-Penn State kicks off the event on Monday (ESPN2). Five more follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. The biggies – the title rematch between UNC and Michigan State, Wake Forest vs. Purdue, Clemson vs. Illinois, B.C. vs. Michigan and Duke vs. Wisconsin – land on both days, so watch both nights. (A complete schedule is here.)

So who wins?

This season’s been strange. Michigan’s dropped two straight, UNC has struggled and N.C. State is unbeaten. That’s me saying “Could Minnesota lose at Miami? You bet.” If the home teams all win, the Big Ten takes it. (The Only Colors has more on the home game issues for the Big Ten.)

But that would mean Duke losing to Wisconsin, Maryland losing to Indiana and Virginia Tech falling to Iowa. All three of those are hard to swallow. If the ACC can’t pull off all three of those wins though … this is the year. So keep an eye on the Duke-Wisconsin game. That winner takes the event.

A day to remember
That last batch of ACC-Big Ten games aren’t the only hoops action to watch on Wednesday. There are at least 11 other intriguing games you should pay attention, if not head to the nearest sports bar with the most screens available.

All the games are listed below (all times ET), with a short reason why you should care.

Arkansas at Oklahoma, 8 p.m. (revenge game for Sooners)
Cal at New Mexico, 9 p.m. (6-0 Lobos will be handful for Bears)
Missouri at Vanderbilt, 9:30 p.m. (Important game come bubble time for both)
Siena at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. (~~Gaels~~Saints could use the résumé boost)
Dayton at Miami, Ohio, 7 p.m. (Flyers can’t afford to lose one to my favorite quote)
Pittsburgh at Duquense, 7 p.m. (Not really an “away game” but a good one)
Western Kentucky vs. South Carolina, 7 p.m. (Hilltoppers pull the upset)
Northern Iowa vs. Iowa State, 8 p.m. (Mo Valley’s best against future pro Craig Brackins)
Oklahoma State at Tulsa, 8 p.m. (Cowboys will have hands full against Jerome Jordan)
UNLV at Arizona, 9 p.m. (Rebs just beat Louisville, ~~Cards~~'Cats are next)
Washington State at Gonzaga, 9 p.m. (This one needs more than one line)

A reason to stay up late
East Coasters should do themselves a favor and find this game on the tube. How often do you get to see tournament winners matchup like this? The Zags just won the Maui Invitational, while the Cougs took the Great Alaska shootout.

Gonzaga’s already been through the wringer against the BCS schools, but this one’s a little different. Wazzu may as well be a cross-town rival since they play pretty much every year. The Cougs took games in 2006 and ’07, but that’s about it.

Can Klay Thompson – he of the 43-point performance against San Diego – carry the Cougs, or will Gonzaga’s big men wear down Washington State? I say stay up late and see.

The race for 2,000
Hoopheads and fans of Kentucky and North Carolina can’t wait to see which school reaches 2,000 career victories first. (More on that here.)

But Saturday allows the two to go head-to-head – and maybe even let UNC make up a little ground (the Heels are four behind through Sunday). And rest assured, Big Blue Nation badly wants to win this one.

For starters, it’s at Rupp Arena. The Heels have won the last five (dating back to 2004) and hold the overall edge, 21-10. Also, a loss would likely be Kentucky’s first of the season (it plays UNC Asheville Monday), and would cut into its overall lead.

Those reasons are more than enough to motivate the ‘Cats.

Another blue blood showdown
No. 1 Kansas travels to Westwood to face the reeling Bruins on Sunday, but it could be a slightly different UCLA squad than we’ve seen thus far.

The Bruins (2-4) are coming off a loss to Long Beach State and have a week to prepare to prepare for KU. They’ll be motivated, ready – few coaches prepare for a foe better than Howland – and should finally have freshman Tyler Honeycutt. He missed the first six games with a stress reaction in his right leg and gives them an inside presence they desperately need.

Still, this is Kansas. Even if Cole Aldrich has an off-day, the Jayhawks can throw wave after wave of players at the Bruins. Mostly, it’ll be another good test for Bill Self’s squad, which has beaten up on inferior opponents at home (they’ve beaten Hofstra, Central Arkansas, Oakland and Tennessee Tech by an average of 39 points) and escaped against Memphis on a neutral court.

Which Jayhawk team shows up Sunday?

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Duke's prize recruit also acts!

Mike Miller — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:35:00 GMT

Kyrie Irving’s slated to be Duke’s next great guard. The 6-1, 165-pound point guard, is one of the top recruits for the class of 2010 thanks to his ball-handling, savvy passing and leadership.

More impressive? He brings actual thespian skills to Durham.

Irving acted in his school’s rendition of “High School Musical,” which is a natural for him. It’s all about basketball players and how they deal with off-court pressures. (C’mon, don’t act like you haven’t seen it.) Sounds like he had a blast doing it – even when hoops got in the way. Wow! Art imitates life!

This video from the Newark Star-Ledger features some singing, some dancing and Irving's take on everything.

Anyway, it’ll be a big help for Duke when/if they produce more fodder for next year’s Midnight Madness.

And I can only imagine how many cracks he'll get about "acting" whehn he takes a charge...

(H/T: Ballin’ Is a Habit)

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Carolina will be scary good by March

Mike Miller — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:53:00 GMT

If one game is any indication, North Carolina’s the team you don’t want to play. And if you have to, do it early.

Check out this lineup:

Ed Davis, 6-10
Deon Thompson, 6-9
Tyler Zeller, 7-0
John Henson, 6-10

Those four forwards are fleet and aggressive. They're capable of disrupting opponents (long arms in passing lanes) and figure to make Carolina a team that's just as imposing on defense as it is on offense.

Gerry Broome/AP

Tyler Zeller blocks a shot against FIU.

That’s what Roy Williams rolled out Monday, with the results (watch here) as you’d expect.

The Heels breezed past Florida International during Monday’s opener despite committing 26 turnovers, tied for the most ever during Williams’ tenure. Granted, four came when Williams emptied the bench late, but that means the core group was a little sloppy.

“For the most part, I thought we were active. We were trying hard,” Williams said afterward. “We just weren’t very sharp. But it’s what you should expect this time of year.”

It stands to reason that’ll improve as the season wears on, and as Larry Drew II handles the ball more and more. In fact, the more Drew has the ball right now, the better.

His line – 7 points, 6 assists, 1 steals, 2 turnovers – was a promising sign for a team seeking a replacement for Ty Lawson. If Drew keeps his turnovers down and ensures the Heels continue to play fast (84 possessions vs. FIU), they’ll live up to that No. 6 ranking.

Games against Ohio State (Nov. 19), Michigan State (Dec. 1), Kentucky (Dec. 5) and Texas (Dec. 19) will be the biggest tests, but ultimately they’ll just prepare UNC for March.

By then, every D-I team should hope to avoid that monster roster.

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It can only get better for Isiah

Mike Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:27:00 GMT

Losing to an NAIA school does have one benefit for Isiah Thomas’s Florida International squad.

Monday can hardly be any worse.

That’s Thomas’ actual coaching debut – Wednesday was an exhibition – and it comes against defending champion North Carolina, replete with McDonald’s All-American and future NBA players. Yes, the Heels lost most of their players and are fine-tuning a new offense. But it’s still UNC. It’ll give the Panthers an up-close look at what Thomas aspires for the program.

"We're starting from the bottom. We want to go to the top," Thomas said. "And the journey, the ride along the way, is the most important thing. ... The journey, to me, that's the most enjoyable part. This is the fun part. It starts now."

Give Thomas credit. He’s aware of FIU’s issues – the school didn’t want to play Carolina when the game was announced – and isn’t expecting instant success. But he’s optimistic things can turn around.

He spent the summer hitting the recruting trail, nabbing players FIU normally wouldn’t even sniff. The school’s gotten more media attention than ever before, which also helps. The school’s only produced two NBA players and hasn’t been to the Big Dance in ages. If there’s a place in need of hoops success, it’s FIU.

So they’ll take their lumps and try to push on through.

"By the time January, February gets here, I hope we're a pretty solid unit," Thomas said. "If we're a good unit going into conference play, then we'll take our chances with the four games in March. And if we win the four games in March, then it's a good year."

That’s the spirit! After all, even schools rich in hoops history suffer embarassing losses in November.

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Tar Heels fine-tuning a new offense?

Mike Miller — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:37:00 GMT

The last time North Carolina won an NCAA title and lost most of its players, it needed Tyler Hansbrough to do the yeoman’s work to ensure it remained among the NCAA’s elite.

This time, the Heels are trying something different.

Gerry Broome/AP

Don't expect North Carolina to just dump the ball to Deon Thompson in the low post this season.

Tar Heel Fan has extensive details from an observer who watched them practice at length a few weeks ago – length being the key word. Unlike the 2005-06 season, UNC is loaded with tall, athletic players. Shooting could be an issue, but rebounding and defense won’t be mostly because of fleet forwards like Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, Tyler Zeller and freshman John Henson.

And Roy Williams is going to put those forwards to use in a revamped offense. The days of dumping the ball into Hansbrough are over. These guys are going to run.

Roy and his staff figure the best way to do that is to play to the strength of its post players. Without question, the greatest strength of this group is their ability to handle the basketball. So, when you have good ball-handling post guys what do you do? You let them handle the ball. And that’s exactly what Roy is going to do with the new offense. Instead of trying to slam the ball in to the post to players that aren’t able to finish with defenders draped all over them, he’s going to bring those big guys out away from the basket. In the new offense – which is still driven by Carolina ’s age-old motion offense principles – the post guys will start at the foul line extended. The three perimeter players will be in roughly the same places they have been. The goal is to open up the lane to allow cutters and drivers. This should create fantastic passing opportunities for UNC’s big folks.

There’s much, much more on Tar Heel Fan and here (including early player analysis), but that’s the juicy stuff. Provided those guys can hit mid-range jumpers – Thompson’s specialty – it’s going to be a an offense that spreads out defenses and lets those big guys and point guard Larry Drew penetrate, kick and shoot.

They won’t be shooting 3-pointers, though. UNC doesn’t have any reliable long-range options, which leads me to believe teams will use lots of zone and collapse on any Tar Heel occupying the lane or low post. That can be solved with quick passing, but it’ll be an issue at the start of the season. After all, don’t expect UNC to be proficient in the new offense right away.

But it’s an exciting prospect to see Williams’ teams possibly get even more wide-open and up-tempo. They’ll still run the secondary break – always a headache for opponents because it’s so hard to keep in check – and are supposed to be great on defense. (You know, because of all those tall, speedy forwards? Though I suppose having a healthy Marcus Ginyard helps, too.)

Will it work? Get the Heels back to the Final Four? Who knows? I’m just excited to see in action.

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Terps feeling good, with good reason

Mike Miller — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:37:00 GMT

Every coach starts the season optimistic. Maryland’s Gary Williams is no different.

And part of me – the part who relished the early part of this decade when the Terps were one of the nation’s premier programs – is right there with him.

Rob Carr/AP

Greivis Vasquez will lead the way for the Terps this season.

The Terps nabbed a spot in our preseason Top 25, which wasn’t a huge leap. They return four starters from a 21-14 team that reached the second round of the NCAA tourney. They’re picked to finish 5^th in the ACC this season, and are a good bet to return to the Big Dance.

Now comes the tough part for Williams. Fulfilling those expectations.

"The one thing you learn in coaching is nothing's automatic. Just because you return a lot of guys, that doesn't mean we're just going to walk out on the court and all those things are going to happen," Williams said Monday. "I have to grind it as a coach and we have to make sure the guys understand that the more you win, the more individual things you receive as a basketball player."

It should be easier with a couple of the incoming freshmen at his disposal. Forwards Jordan Williams (6-10) and James Padgett (6-8) are two highly touted players who figure to have a crucial role right away. But it doesn’t sound like Williams is going to start either one. That’ll be junior Dino Gregory, which has been an easy call thus far.

“Because by the end of the year he was one of the better inside players in the ACC,” Williams told the Baltimore Sun.

Williams must be feeling good about his team if he’s not turning to the freshmen right away. Last year, Greivis Vasquez had to do it all until the end of the season. And now, that's not the case?

That speaks volumes about how he feels about his returning players, and when was the last time he had that feeling?

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ACC is Duke vs. UNC -- everyone else stinks?

Mike Miller — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:05:00 GMT

So Duke and North Carolina are picked to finish atop the ACC. This is new?

Seems like the Tar Heels and Blue Devils are always picked to rule the roost, and usually do. Since 1954, one of those two has either won or tied for the ACC title 44 times.

But this is the first time in the 41 years of the conference’s preseason day that they’re officially co-favorites.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty images

It's Coach K vs. Roy Williams, again.

(Duke garnered more first-place votes, but UNC tied them with 545 overall points. And via ACC Now, this is the 19th time North Carolina has been picked to finish first. The Tar Heels won the league in 11 of the first 18 times they were picked. Duke has been picked to finish first 12 times before, winning in seven of those years.)

Huh. So this means the ACC media guys can’t settle on which team’s gonna be better, either.

The offseason debate of Duke vs. North Carolina – the Devils return more players, but only two of ‘em are guards, while the national champion Heels lost four starters – was a minor point among hopheads, mostly because both teams were still going to be really good. (Seriously. Both are in our Top 10.)

But this could be an issue for the rest of the ACC. In the media’s eyes, everyone else is a loooong way back.

From ACC now:

The 144-point gap between Duke and North Carolina and third selection Clemson is the largest gap between any spots in the poll. Clemson-Georgia Tech (third-fourth, 122 points) and Boston College-Miami (eighth-ninth, 116 points) are the other demarcation points.

OK, the Tigers have a chance, but everyone else is way, way back of the top two. Georgia Tech is slightly better than Maryland, Wake Forest, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Boston College. Miami, Virginia and N.C. State are bottom dwellers.

And this is exactly how it’s gonna play out, right? Right.

(Shakes head, noting heavy sarcasm to avoid angry comments below.)

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Did Duke just get its Final Four savior?

Mike Miller — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:49:00 GMT

Been a lot of talk about Duke’s “demise” the last few years.

The Devils haven’t been to the Final Four since 2004. No titles since 2001. Last year’s thrashing by Villanova seemed to signal a turning point that Duke wasn’t … well, Duke anymore.

That talk is about to stop, all because of one player. (Also, that talk is nonsense, but that’s another blog.)

Kyrie Irving, one of the elite prospects from the class of 2010, ~~will reportedly~~ committed to Duke Thursday~~, perhaps as early as Wednesday.~~

~~It could take a bit to shake out – he was just in Kentucky for Big Blue Madness and is slated to visit Georgia Tech and Seton Hall this month – but all signs apparently point toward the Devils~~.

His dad says Duke’s the favorite. Assistants are spreading the word. Irving admitted to “Dime” magazine that Durham was where he wanted to be, he just wasn’t ready to commit yet.

“I guess you could say that I’m leaning toward Duke,” he said. “I’m just not ready to commit. It was my first visit and of course I’m really high on them and like I said I have that feeling, but I think it’s only smart to compare it to something.”

Irving denied the report on his Twitter page, but Adam Zagoria has three different sources saying it’s a “done deal.” It wouldn’t be a surprise. The Devils were considered Irving’s top choice for some time. When he arrived for his official visit last month, fans went overboard in greeting him.

Why? It’s simple. He’d be Duke’s most talented point guard since Jay Williams. Scout.com rates him as the No. 2 point guard, while Rivals.com ranks him as No. 9 overall.

He’s the kind of player who can help raise Final Four banners and NCAA tournament trophies – and end any “demise” talk.

UPDATE: Recruiting guru Dave Telep of Scout.com says an annoucement is coming Thursday. That's good news for Duke fans (closer to the commit report, the better) and everyone else in the hoops world because it'll likely help other highly touted recruits settle on their schools. Guys like Brandon Knight, Doran Lamb and Josh Selby will make a lot of other program happy.

UPDATE 2: Irving did indeed announce his intention to attend Duke. Coach K and fans rejoice.

(H/T: Rush the Court)

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Duke provides video ammo for its haters

Mike Miller — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:48:00 GMT

Sometimes it’s hard to explain the animosity surrounding Duke to people who aren’t die-hard college basketball fans. Anyone who’s filled out an NCAA tournament bracket in March is used to seeing the Devils and knows they’re supposed to be good.

And surely they’ve seen and recognize Coach K -- even if they couldn’t come close to spelling Krzyzewski.

But why the hate? Well, everyone has their reasons. Maybe the players are smug, maybe it’s the fans, maybe it’s because Duke seemingly gets preferential treatment from the refs and the media. But a casual fan may not get it. And maybe you don’t want to explain it to them.

Well, it just got easier.

Start with this promotional poster for 2009-10. Seriously click on the link, I don’t want to use the photo.

To call the “Goodfellas” poster silly would be too easy. But that’s exactly what it is. Just silly. Why would a squeaky-clean program want to be affiliated with gangsters? Are we supposed to think Duke is above the rules? Or that if you show them any disrespect from now on they’ll stuff you in the trunk and bury you in Jersey?

And, to be fair, nearly every school does hokey stuff like this. But this one’s cheesy beyond belief.

Even worse is this video that made the rounds over the weekend. It was made for Duke’s Midnight Madness event Friday, though why it wasn’t immediately burned is beyond me. Watch for yourself.

Sure, the thing is tongue-in-cheek and is moderately amusing in a “that’s so ridiculous it’s funny” kind of way, but did they think this thing through? Didn’t they know it’d blaze through the Internet like a prairie fire and give Duke haters enough ammo for the next few years?

I can already see opposing student sections holding up enlarged photos of Nolan Smith, sprawled out on the couch. It’s gonna do wonders for the guy’s confidence.

Ah, Duke. Sometimes, the hate comes from obvious reasons.

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