This article cannot begin with anything other than discussing how amazing THE game was. The best game of this year's college basketball season, you have to give props to Austin Rivers and the determination of a Duke team that never gave up. The other two games, in case you were too tuned in to Carolina-Duke, were a surprising loss by a hot Florida State team to bottom-dweller Boston College, and Virginia putting their stingy defense to work one more time to dominate Wake Forest.
Winners:
Austin Rivers: The star that Duke fans have seen glimpses of has finally fully arrived. The freshman, who came in as the number one recruit a year ago, poured in 29 points while etching his name into Duke-UNC lore with a shot for the ages. Not only do we know that Rivers can drive but on a court that featured the like of Seth Curry, Andre Dawkins, Reggie Bullock, and Harrison Barnes, Rivers was the best shooter. It will be fun to see how teams try to defend the dual threat, especially knowing that he has become Duke's top weapon.
Tyler Zeller: In a losing effort, Zeller continued to put up numbers that put him in the talks for conference player of the year. Zeller scored 19 of his 23 and secured 8 of his 11 boards in the first half, becoming the sole reason Carolina was able to stay in the game and take a three point lead into the half. Look for Zeller and Virginia's Mike Scott to battle it out for POY the rest of the season.
Jordan Daniels: The Boston College freshman made sure that his team could finish the year with at least one big time win under their belt. The guard scored a career high 19 points, including four threes, that helped push the Eagles past soaring Florida State. Daniels' first three was the beginning of a 23-3 run by the Eagles that put the game out of reach of a comeback.
Mike Scott: No surprise to see the Virginia redshirt senior here, as he has been all year. Not only did Scott put up his average 19 points but he set a school record by going 9-9 from the field. On a night when Zeller led his team for one half in a losing effort, Scott led his team to a blowout win. More good news for him? He got help, four other Cavaliers scored in double figures.
Losers:
Reggie Bullock: Bullock was in the middle of controversy during a chippy end to the first half. The sophomore was trying to keep Rivers from getting the ball with under a minute to go. The matchup got physical and Rivers ended up on the grounded. Bullock "stumbled" over Rivers and the refs had to interfere after UNC's John Henson and Duke's Tyler Thornton started talking too. What's worse? Bullock scored only four points to Rivers' 29. Carolina missing Dexter Strickland?
Wake Forest Offense: The Deacons managed just 44 points on 34% shooting against a defense that is used to seeing those kind of numbers from their opponents. Travis McKie was matched up with Scott all night and managed a rough 14 points. CJ Harris, the leading scorer for the Deacons, was held to ten. These two got no help, as the rest of the team managed a mere 20 points.
Luke Loucks, Florida State Offense: The Seminoles point guard has been on a quiet tear lately but came out flat against a determined Boston College defense. Loucks ended with just two points on 1-8 shooting, a representation of Florida State's offense as a whole, which shot below 40% and turned the ball over 14 times to just 8 assists.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Duke-North Carolina Preview
Duke: For a Duke team, this is a funk. Losers of two of three at home after a second best in school history mark of 45 straight home wins, the Devils need a momentum changer. Austin Rivers is continuing to transform into the best player on this team, and we have known for a while now that he is the most talented. He may be the key for them in this game as his ability to get past Harrison Barnes (especially with Barnes' bad ankle) and then finish at the rim against the trees in the paint for UNC could be the difference. Look for Coach K to be working both on having River pull up from the elbow and dish out to guards who may be getting free after help defense if Rivers can get by Barnes.
North Carolina: If you're Carolina you gotta like your chances right now. You are playing better basketball than your rivals and the Dean Dome will be sold out for the home game your fans look forward to most. In recent weeks it starts with Kendall Marshall for UNC. The sophomore point guard is leading the conference in assists and will be working against a struggling Duke perimeter defense. If Marshall gets in the lane you can basically chalk up two points for either Tyler Zeller or John Henson. Zeller has been playing especially well recently, averaging around 19 points and 12 boards his last four games. Watch out for how he does against the Plumlee brothers, and further how Henson's length and post-up ability matches up against Ryan Kelly.
Key Player: Tyler Thornton, Duke- Thornton is Duke's best defender and his ability to stop penetration by Marshall will be key. UNC loves to run but in the halfcourt they can be just as dangerous if Marshall has room to work. Look for Thornton to try and stop the driving lanes, and Coach K to send Quinn Cook and Seth Curry after the Carolina point guard if Thornton cannot get it done.
Prediction: North Carolina 89, Duke 77- Too much talent on this Carolina team to lose at home. If Duke wants a win in this rivalry this year I don't see it happening away from Cameron.
North Carolina: If you're Carolina you gotta like your chances right now. You are playing better basketball than your rivals and the Dean Dome will be sold out for the home game your fans look forward to most. In recent weeks it starts with Kendall Marshall for UNC. The sophomore point guard is leading the conference in assists and will be working against a struggling Duke perimeter defense. If Marshall gets in the lane you can basically chalk up two points for either Tyler Zeller or John Henson. Zeller has been playing especially well recently, averaging around 19 points and 12 boards his last four games. Watch out for how he does against the Plumlee brothers, and further how Henson's length and post-up ability matches up against Ryan Kelly.
Key Player: Tyler Thornton, Duke- Thornton is Duke's best defender and his ability to stop penetration by Marshall will be key. UNC loves to run but in the halfcourt they can be just as dangerous if Marshall has room to work. Look for Thornton to try and stop the driving lanes, and Coach K to send Quinn Cook and Seth Curry after the Carolina point guard if Thornton cannot get it done.
Prediction: North Carolina 89, Duke 77- Too much talent on this Carolina team to lose at home. If Duke wants a win in this rivalry this year I don't see it happening away from Cameron.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Rapid Reaction: Clemson-Maryland
Wow, another amazing comeback for a Clemson team that has now lost by 7 points or less in six ACC games. Maryland's Terrell Stoglin and Clemson's Andre Young looked opposite of what they actually are at the end, however. Stoglin, a sophomore on the road, hit two clutch free throws with under ten seconds left after Young, a senior, only hit one of three just three only one second earlier. Milton Jennings, who had a terrific game coming back from a two-game ban for academic reasons, made it interesting for a second with a big three at the buzzer. And then one of the truly weird plays in college basketball happened. The Terps' senior defensive leader Shane Mosley, who had made one of two free throws following Jennings' three, caught a full court Clemson pass as it was going out of bounds. The rules, however, state the ball never went out of bounds and the Tigers got it back under their basket. This only resulted in a missed heave by Young at the buzzer.
What it means for...
Clemson- You're that close...to being in the middle tier of the ACC. The Tigers have now barely lost to six ACC teams, including Duke and Virginia, but are without a significant victory (besides middle tier NC State) and cannot beat a young Maryland team on their own floor.
Andre Young- It's time to step up. Senior leaders have no excuse when missing free throws with the game on the line. Especially after a big time decision to pump fake and draw the foul on the three point shot.
Milton Jennings- Let's see the consistency. The long junior has shown his inside-outside game, now let's see you assert yourself as one of the top players on this mediocre team.
Terrell Stoglin- Put your name down for first team all-conference. A 27 point, 4 rebound, 4 steal game including clutch free throws at the end mean a lot coming from a growing-every-game sophomore.
Maryland- Put it all together. You see Maryland lose a lot of their cool in the second half for the second straight game. They blew the lead against North Carolina on Saturday and were lucky that Clemson does not possess quite that kind of skill or they would be 0-2 in their last two games right now.
What it means for...
Clemson- You're that close...to being in the middle tier of the ACC. The Tigers have now barely lost to six ACC teams, including Duke and Virginia, but are without a significant victory (besides middle tier NC State) and cannot beat a young Maryland team on their own floor.
Andre Young- It's time to step up. Senior leaders have no excuse when missing free throws with the game on the line. Especially after a big time decision to pump fake and draw the foul on the three point shot.
Milton Jennings- Let's see the consistency. The long junior has shown his inside-outside game, now let's see you assert yourself as one of the top players on this mediocre team.
Terrell Stoglin- Put your name down for first team all-conference. A 27 point, 4 rebound, 4 steal game including clutch free throws at the end mean a lot coming from a growing-every-game sophomore.
Maryland- Put it all together. You see Maryland lose a lot of their cool in the second half for the second straight game. They blew the lead against North Carolina on Saturday and were lucky that Clemson does not possess quite that kind of skill or they would be 0-2 in their last two games right now.
Maryland-Clemson Preview
Clemson: You have to like the emergence of KJ McDaniels. Despite that, nothing looked great in the Virginia Tech loss. Andre Young once again put in 14 points, but the senior needs more help. McDaniels, who missed two key free throws at the end (perhaps the first time the freshman had been in a pressure situation), is not the only answer. Devin Booker is very inconsistent and will need to have a big day defensively to shut down the emerging Alex Len.
Maryland: Terrell Stoglin is quickly etching his name into first team All-Conference. Yet, while Stoglin can score, he did not do much defensively against the Tar Heels backcourt, specifically at the end. Stoglin, and Pe'Shon Howard will have to step up defensively to stop Young. Watch how James Padgett and Alex Len do inside during this game. A second solid performance would mark the arrival of Len and Padgett is still waiting to have his breakout game. The interior defense of Clemson is nothing to write home about, but McDaniels had 5 blocks in the Virginia Tech game.
Key Player: Tanner Smith, Clemson. The Senior guard is having a stellar final season but has been inconsistent at times. If he can get going against Stoglin, and stop the Maryland sophomore on the other end, he could be the difference for the Tigers.
Prediction: Clemson 72, Maryland 66. Clemson is too hungry after two losses to let this one slip away at home.
Maryland: Terrell Stoglin is quickly etching his name into first team All-Conference. Yet, while Stoglin can score, he did not do much defensively against the Tar Heels backcourt, specifically at the end. Stoglin, and Pe'Shon Howard will have to step up defensively to stop Young. Watch how James Padgett and Alex Len do inside during this game. A second solid performance would mark the arrival of Len and Padgett is still waiting to have his breakout game. The interior defense of Clemson is nothing to write home about, but McDaniels had 5 blocks in the Virginia Tech game.
Key Player: Tanner Smith, Clemson. The Senior guard is having a stellar final season but has been inconsistent at times. If he can get going against Stoglin, and stop the Maryland sophomore on the other end, he could be the difference for the Tigers.
Prediction: Clemson 72, Maryland 66. Clemson is too hungry after two losses to let this one slip away at home.
Power Rankings: Week 13
1. Florida State- That's right, Florida State is at the top of the ACC. They convinced me that they belong here with a hard fought win over Virginia in Tallahassee. These two teams may be the among the best in the nation in defense, and in one of the best games of the year (especially if you are a defensive nut), the Seminoles outdid the Cavaliers. There are still doubters out there, especially since Florida State has not shown they have a go-to-guy (Snaer? Dulkys? James?), but convincing wins over the other three top teams in the ACC is enough to put them in first place.
2. North Carolina- Besides the (large) hiccup in Tallahassee, UNC has looked like it is one of the top teams in the country throughout ACC play. Roy Williams must have given the Tar Heels a good halftime speech during the Virginia Tech game, as the momentum of the second half of that game has not stopped yet. Zeller is proving himself one of the top big men in the country, and his draft stock only continues to rise. It's good to see a senior who has continued to get better despite injuries throughout his college career. Barnes' ankle will be the story for the short term, and we'll see what happens in the Duke matchup Wednesday night.
3. Duke- Duke has problems. This is not going to be one of those top five teams like Blue Devil fans saw the past two years or during Shane Battier's time. Two losses at home is inexcusable but if anyone can turn things around it is Coach K. Austin Rivers may need to start asserting himself more and we started to see what Seth Curry is capable of during the second half of the Miami game. As is the case with every team (sans Virginia and Maryland) in the ACC there is no go-to-guy for Duke this year. Can Rivers turn into that guy? Look for an interesting matchup between him and Barnes on Wednesday.
4. Virginia- Mike Scott continues to prove himself as ACC Player of the Year. Without Scott, Virginia would be trying to dig itself out of the bottom of the ACC. But if the Florida State game proved anything, it is that the Cavaliers need another playmaker on offense. Their defense is going to be there the rest of the year but they need Harris, Zeglenski, or someone else to start putting in at least 14 points a game. We'll see how good this team really is when they go to Chapel Hill on Saturday.
5. Miami- Yes, Miami jumps over NC State. Reggie Johnson proved how valuable he can be in his breathtaking performance over Duke. The guy needs someone with more strength to stop him. Miles Plumlee did the best job on him, and he is the strongest guy Duke has. I don't see anyone in the conference who comes anywhere close to having Johnson's strength. It will be fun to see how he does against the defense of Florida State, and what the mature Bernard James does against him, on Saturday.
6. NC State- The Wolfpack again did not look great against a bottom tier team in Wake Forest. After squeaking out a win over Boston College you were expecting more out of the team. Mark Gottfried has done a good job with this group but there is nothing that proves they are ready to claim themselves as a top team in the conference. A trap game at Georgia Tech is this week before some time off and a showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium next Wednesday. Look for CJ Leslie to start asserting himself as the best player on the floor every game (if he stays healthy).
7. Maryland- The Terps are not quite there. But if sophomore Terrell Stoglin stays around, look for this team to continue getting better. Stoglin is the best scorer in the conference and proved it when he was better than anyone on a loaded Carolina team in their upset bid on Saturday. The Terps came up just short in that bid, but it was a coming out party for Alex Len. The Ukranian started showing the confidence to do what everyone was waiting for. If Stoglin and Len can become a one-two punch look for continued improvement in Maryland (next year).
8. Clemson- Clemson showed promise in a tight loss at Virginia and a solid win over Wake Forest. Clemson is young and while they loose leading scorer Andre Young next year, Brad Brownell has a lot or talent coming back. Rod Hall is continuing to make a case for first team All-Freshman and Devin Booker should return next year as a leader. The Tigers would benefit heavily if they can finish the regular season 5-3 (very possible) and possibly grab a win in the conference tournament.
9. Virginia Tech- The Hokies barely beat Clemson at home after getting trounced by Duke. Seth Greenberg's seat is on fire right now and if his team cannot finish with five or six victories in their final eight games it might be time to say farewell. Green, Finney-Smith, and Eddie will lead a team on the rise in the future, the question only becomes will Greenberg be leading them?
10. Wake Forest- Wake saved some dignity by showing up in a road game versus NC State. The Deacons lost by 36 in their first meeting in Winston-Salem but fought till the end in a closer-than-the-score-showed game in Raleigh. Harris and McKie are a good one-two punch, but this team needs help (especially on the defensive side) looking ahead. I like what I see from the Deacons though, and the future is bright in Winston-Salem.
11. Georgia Tech- With the amount of talent that the Yellow Jackets possess it honestly surprises me that they are still the second to worst team in the conference. The starting five of Rice, Udofia, Hosley, Morris, and Miller is solid at all positions. The team is young, I understand, but I would have expected one of two good wins by this point. They won at Raleigh already this year, a sweep of the Pack would go a long ways for this team's confidence.
12. Boston College- Poor Boston College, the Eagles are riding another losing streak. The Eagles showed promise with a season high 12 assists in a losing effort to Georgia Tech but Brian Gregory has walked into a tough situation. The improvements need to start with offense, where Matt Humphrey is leading the team at just over 10 points a game. Yuck.
2. North Carolina- Besides the (large) hiccup in Tallahassee, UNC has looked like it is one of the top teams in the country throughout ACC play. Roy Williams must have given the Tar Heels a good halftime speech during the Virginia Tech game, as the momentum of the second half of that game has not stopped yet. Zeller is proving himself one of the top big men in the country, and his draft stock only continues to rise. It's good to see a senior who has continued to get better despite injuries throughout his college career. Barnes' ankle will be the story for the short term, and we'll see what happens in the Duke matchup Wednesday night.
3. Duke- Duke has problems. This is not going to be one of those top five teams like Blue Devil fans saw the past two years or during Shane Battier's time. Two losses at home is inexcusable but if anyone can turn things around it is Coach K. Austin Rivers may need to start asserting himself more and we started to see what Seth Curry is capable of during the second half of the Miami game. As is the case with every team (sans Virginia and Maryland) in the ACC there is no go-to-guy for Duke this year. Can Rivers turn into that guy? Look for an interesting matchup between him and Barnes on Wednesday.
4. Virginia- Mike Scott continues to prove himself as ACC Player of the Year. Without Scott, Virginia would be trying to dig itself out of the bottom of the ACC. But if the Florida State game proved anything, it is that the Cavaliers need another playmaker on offense. Their defense is going to be there the rest of the year but they need Harris, Zeglenski, or someone else to start putting in at least 14 points a game. We'll see how good this team really is when they go to Chapel Hill on Saturday.
5. Miami- Yes, Miami jumps over NC State. Reggie Johnson proved how valuable he can be in his breathtaking performance over Duke. The guy needs someone with more strength to stop him. Miles Plumlee did the best job on him, and he is the strongest guy Duke has. I don't see anyone in the conference who comes anywhere close to having Johnson's strength. It will be fun to see how he does against the defense of Florida State, and what the mature Bernard James does against him, on Saturday.
6. NC State- The Wolfpack again did not look great against a bottom tier team in Wake Forest. After squeaking out a win over Boston College you were expecting more out of the team. Mark Gottfried has done a good job with this group but there is nothing that proves they are ready to claim themselves as a top team in the conference. A trap game at Georgia Tech is this week before some time off and a showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium next Wednesday. Look for CJ Leslie to start asserting himself as the best player on the floor every game (if he stays healthy).
7. Maryland- The Terps are not quite there. But if sophomore Terrell Stoglin stays around, look for this team to continue getting better. Stoglin is the best scorer in the conference and proved it when he was better than anyone on a loaded Carolina team in their upset bid on Saturday. The Terps came up just short in that bid, but it was a coming out party for Alex Len. The Ukranian started showing the confidence to do what everyone was waiting for. If Stoglin and Len can become a one-two punch look for continued improvement in Maryland (next year).
8. Clemson- Clemson showed promise in a tight loss at Virginia and a solid win over Wake Forest. Clemson is young and while they loose leading scorer Andre Young next year, Brad Brownell has a lot or talent coming back. Rod Hall is continuing to make a case for first team All-Freshman and Devin Booker should return next year as a leader. The Tigers would benefit heavily if they can finish the regular season 5-3 (very possible) and possibly grab a win in the conference tournament.
9. Virginia Tech- The Hokies barely beat Clemson at home after getting trounced by Duke. Seth Greenberg's seat is on fire right now and if his team cannot finish with five or six victories in their final eight games it might be time to say farewell. Green, Finney-Smith, and Eddie will lead a team on the rise in the future, the question only becomes will Greenberg be leading them?
10. Wake Forest- Wake saved some dignity by showing up in a road game versus NC State. The Deacons lost by 36 in their first meeting in Winston-Salem but fought till the end in a closer-than-the-score-showed game in Raleigh. Harris and McKie are a good one-two punch, but this team needs help (especially on the defensive side) looking ahead. I like what I see from the Deacons though, and the future is bright in Winston-Salem.
11. Georgia Tech- With the amount of talent that the Yellow Jackets possess it honestly surprises me that they are still the second to worst team in the conference. The starting five of Rice, Udofia, Hosley, Morris, and Miller is solid at all positions. The team is young, I understand, but I would have expected one of two good wins by this point. They won at Raleigh already this year, a sweep of the Pack would go a long ways for this team's confidence.
12. Boston College- Poor Boston College, the Eagles are riding another losing streak. The Eagles showed promise with a season high 12 assists in a losing effort to Georgia Tech but Brian Gregory has walked into a tough situation. The improvements need to start with offense, where Matt Humphrey is leading the team at just over 10 points a game. Yuck.
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