Second half of the first day goes as expected

Erick Green (11) and Virginia Tech beat Clemson by five in the game of the day. -photo via Washington Post

It's the best time of the year. March Madness starts now, with each conference pitting the best against the best. We see bubbles burst, buzzer beaters, and big name programs go down. But...not in the ACC today. After Maryland crushed Wake Forest and NC State blew out Boston College, the other two games were rather uneventful. Virginia Tech beat Clemson by five in what ended up being, as promised by yours truly, the closest and most intriguing game of the afternoon, and Miami pulled away from Georgia Tech in a yawner.

In the seven o'clock game Virginia Tech avenged a loss from just a week prior by beating Clemson 68-63. Clemson led by five at the half but the Hokies used a 9-0 run when the score was tied at 52 and held on to beat the Tigers. A few things were most evident during this game. First of all, Erick Green is a prime time performer. The junior led all scorers with 24 points which included a three during their run and a couple clutch free throws late. Dorenzo Hudson, the only senior playing in the game for the Hokies added 19 with four rebounds. The fifth year senior has obviously been playing with urgency lately, averaging almost 13 points over the Hokies' last four. Clemson and coach Brad Brownell deserve to be noticed for a successful season. The Tigers were picked to finish seventh in the preseason but came out flat, losing to the College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina early in the season. But the Tigers held firm and finished their ACC season winning 5 of 7. This team is going to lose some players but have NBA talent coming back in Devin Booker and Milton Jennings.

In the late game Miami and Georgia Tech successfully put most viewers to sleep. The Yellow Jackets were thinking upset with the score 20-19 at the half. Both teams were shooting below 30% and both had at least eight first half turnovers. But Miami restored order by going on an 18-0 run and outscoring Tech by 19 in the second stanza to win 54-36. During the run we were reminded of what Reggie Johnson is capable of. The big man finished with only seven points on 3-10 shooting but six of those points came during the run. Shane Larkin was also the obvious spark plug behind everything. His defense (3 steals) and up tempo driving ability motivated his teammates, specifically Durand Scott, who finished with 11 points and 7 boards on 4-5 shooting. But watching also gave the viewer the ability to see just how talented Georgia Tech really is. Jason Morris proved he can jump out of the gym when he went up for a put back (that was eventually called interference), Mfon Udofia showed his quickness by keeping up with Larkin for most of the game, and Daniel Miller came off the bench and was really the reason why Johnson was held in check for the majority of the contest (10 rebounds, 5 blocks). The pieces are there for the Yellow Jackets and the future is bright.

Friday's schedule:
8. Maryland vs. 1. North Carolina- 12 noon
5. NC State vs. 4. Virginia- 2 pm
10. Virginia Tech vs. 2. Duke- 7 pm
6. Miami vs. 4. Florida State- 9 pm

Top 40 Players of the ACC: No. 20-16

Seth Curry drives on Lorenzo Brown in last night's victory for Duke. -photo via rivals.com

20. Glen Rice, Jr., Georgia Tech- In all reality the best player and prospect on this Georgia Tech team, Rice needs to improve on consistency and his headiness. His numbers (13 ppg, 6.7 rpg) continue to rise year to year but there have been stretches where he seems lost, not sure whether to depend on his shot or his natural ability. Certainly a prop prospect you can see his dad's genes coming out at times from deep.

19. Lorenzo Brown, NC State- What a difference a new coach can make. The minute Mark Gottfried got to Raleigh he decided Brown was going to be his point guard, skyrocketing his numbers (12.1 ppg, 6.6 apg, 4.3 rpg). Not only that but Brown has turned into a leader for this squad, calling out the plays and pushing through hard times when others look down. Brown has a natural build to be a two guard with the offensive skills of a point guard.

18. Seth Curry, Duke- When you think of Duke's players this year it's hard to pick out one that has been consistently good. Curry is the closest to that fit, coming on more so in recent games. He started off the season as the point guard but, like his brother Stephen, needs to be able to find his own shot. An underrated driver, Curry has unquestioned ability from deep and is getting better on defense.

17. Durand Scott, Miami- When you talk about consistent players for teams, Scott leaps off the page for his Miami squad. The junior leads his team in minutes (34.2) while posting solid numbers (12.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.3 apg). Scott is slowing becoming a leader for the Hurricanes and should show up on next year's preseason all-conference team. A bulky 205 pounds, the shooting guard continues to impress on defense, as well.

16. Andre Young, Clemson- Without Young, Clemson would be by far the worst team in the conference. A 5-9 senior, the leader of the Tigers plays as if he were 6-5. A strong, quick defender, Young also leads his team in scoring (13.6) and assists (3.3). If there was an award for toughness given out, Young would be in the lead right now. This is the kind of guy that Clemson is going to miss going forward.