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. 35-31

35. Mfon Udofia, Georgia Tech- From his sophomore to junior year, the Yellow Jacket guard has seen his points (10.0 from 6.7), rebounds (3.6 from 2.1) and assists (2.5 from 1.2) improve drastically this year. Udofia has taken on more of a leadership roll this year and continues to adjust to life as a point guard. More naturally a scorer, Udofia is working on the transformation.

34. Jontel Evans, Virginia- The pesty point guard has been taking over games for Virginia whenever Mike Scott takes a rest or gets in foul trouble. The 5-11 junior looks small on the court but his defense (1.7 spg) and leadership on the court go a long way.

33. Milton Jennings, Clemson- One of the most talented players in the conference, coach Brad Brownell has continued to say Jennings just needs to work on his mental game. The junior has improved his points (9.5) and rebounds (5.4) just slightly this year, but has also made his presence felt on the defensive end (1.0 bpg). If the lanky forward can keep his off-court problems away from the team he could put himself on an all-conference team next year.

32. Malcolm Grant, Miami- Grant and fellow guard Durand Scott have put themselves out there as the mental leaders for the Hurricanes. Grant has played steadily over his three years since transferring from Villanova, averaging 12 point, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds during his Hurrican career. A trip to the NCAAs would be the icing on the cake.

31. Matt Humphrey, Boston College- The transfer from Oregon is arguably the most important transfer in the ACC this year. The junior guard likes to jack up the three (5.6 3PA/g) but also leads the Eagles in scoring (10.4 ppg). Humphrey will continue to be a key piece for Boston College, especially on the offensive side, next year.