sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
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Analysis of Just Announced ACC Schedule: 8 Takeaways (Syracuse Could Get Off to a Good Start; PS; Stevens)
A few quick things to take note of from the ACC's league basketball schedule release on Wednesday ...
ACC Coverage
Mike Brey Likes His Cupcakes
ACC Basketball Nonconference Schedule Assessment: ND Could Pay for Soft Pre-League Slate (PS; Stevens)
...
More helpful than you'd think: Hartford
There's not much to choose from here, but the Hawks are well-positioned to make a run at an America East title this season. Will that make them a top-150 team? Hard to say, but even that would provide only so much of a boost to the Irish.
Not as helpful as you'd expect: Nothing
There isn't much help here, period. Michigan State looks a bit less imposing and both Massachusetts (Chaz Williams) and Providence (Bryce Cotton) lost the engines of their respective offenses. Even Mount St. Mary's, the other NCAA tournament team from a year ago on this schedule, lost three senior guards who each averaged double-figures in points.
Notre Dame might regret: Not challenging itself more
More than half of that nonconference schedule could be chalked up as a regret. The Irish didn't have a say in facing Binghamton and Navy, so they at least mostly tried to avoid facing bottom-50 teams. The same can't be said for the bottom 150. Even if some teams (most notably Hartford and Northern Illinois) make some strides, there's still going to be a lot weighing down this schedule at the bottom.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Notre Dame has two of the top 15 or so players in the ACC in Eric Atkins and Pat Connaughton. Coach Mike Brey has a history of coaxing production out of big men in the second half of their careers, and sure enough the Irish has a pair of junior forwards who will be counted upon to emerge in larger roles this season.
...
Roy Williams is Not Afraid to Cry or Face Tough Teams in OOC Play
ACC Basketball Nonconference Schedule Assessment: UNC Will Have No Shortage of Tests (PS; Stevens)
More helpful than you'd think: The opening weekend
The Tar Heels aren't easing into anything by facing North Carolina Central and Robert Morris in a three-day stretch. Central won the MEAC last season, while Robert Morris is a perennial contender in the Northeast Conference. While many power conference teams will play some of their softest games of the season in mid-November, the Tar Heels will face two more-than-plausible NCAA teams.
Not as helpful as you'd expect: Nothing
There just aren't holes in this schedule For those inclined to nitpick, Davidson is due to take a hit as it makes a gigantic leap from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10; its strength of schedule will improve, but its record will almost surely get worse. And it's easy to explain the tie-in for the two weakest teams: Both are in-state schools, and both are coached by North Carolina alums
North Carolina might regret: Nothing
If anything, this schedule is almost certain to leave the Tar Heels with two or three losses entering conference play, maybe even more. But the Tar Heels are looking at four games against top-25 caliber opponents in road and neutral settings before Christmas. They'll be exceptionally well-tested, and strength of schedule isn't going to be a problem at all.
...
Analysis of Just Announced ACC Schedule: 8 Takeaways (Syracuse Could Get Off to a Good Start; PS; Stevens)
A few quick things to take note of from the ACC's league basketball schedule release on Wednesday ...
- Syracuse could find itself atop the league in the first month. The Orange opens with this sequence: at Virginia Tech, at Georgia Tech, Florida State, Wake Forest, at Clemson, Boston College, Miami. That's pretty manageable, with the trickiest games in that stretch probably the home dates with Florida State and Miami (though it's rarely easy to win at Clemson). Of course, that just means things get tougher eventually.
- The back end of the schedule is loaded for conference heavyweights. Syracuse plays its home-and-homes against Duke and Pittsburgh in the month of February, and gets Louisville (Feb. 18) and Virginia (March 2) late in the season. The two Virginia-Louisville games are Feb. 7 and March 7. The two Duke-North Carolina tussles are Feb. 18 and March 7. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh plays Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia between Feb. 7 and Feb. 16.
- N.C. State, Wake Forest, Florida State and Notre Dame get a head start on the conference schedule. Once again, there are a pair of December conference games to help even out all the byes during league play. N.C. State-Wake Forest is the conference opener on Dec. 6, and Florida State-Notre Dame play in South Bend on Dec. 13. None of those teams will be favored to win the league, but two of them will enjoy a few weeks at the top of the conference standings.
ACC Coverage
Mike Brey Likes His Cupcakes
ACC Basketball Nonconference Schedule Assessment: ND Could Pay for Soft Pre-League Slate (PS; Stevens)
...
More helpful than you'd think: Hartford
There's not much to choose from here, but the Hawks are well-positioned to make a run at an America East title this season. Will that make them a top-150 team? Hard to say, but even that would provide only so much of a boost to the Irish.
Not as helpful as you'd expect: Nothing
There isn't much help here, period. Michigan State looks a bit less imposing and both Massachusetts (Chaz Williams) and Providence (Bryce Cotton) lost the engines of their respective offenses. Even Mount St. Mary's, the other NCAA tournament team from a year ago on this schedule, lost three senior guards who each averaged double-figures in points.
Notre Dame might regret: Not challenging itself more
More than half of that nonconference schedule could be chalked up as a regret. The Irish didn't have a say in facing Binghamton and Navy, so they at least mostly tried to avoid facing bottom-50 teams. The same can't be said for the bottom 150. Even if some teams (most notably Hartford and Northern Illinois) make some strides, there's still going to be a lot weighing down this schedule at the bottom.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Notre Dame has two of the top 15 or so players in the ACC in Eric Atkins and Pat Connaughton. Coach Mike Brey has a history of coaxing production out of big men in the second half of their careers, and sure enough the Irish has a pair of junior forwards who will be counted upon to emerge in larger roles this season.
...
Roy Williams is Not Afraid to Cry or Face Tough Teams in OOC Play
ACC Basketball Nonconference Schedule Assessment: UNC Will Have No Shortage of Tests (PS; Stevens)
More helpful than you'd think: The opening weekend
The Tar Heels aren't easing into anything by facing North Carolina Central and Robert Morris in a three-day stretch. Central won the MEAC last season, while Robert Morris is a perennial contender in the Northeast Conference. While many power conference teams will play some of their softest games of the season in mid-November, the Tar Heels will face two more-than-plausible NCAA teams.
Not as helpful as you'd expect: Nothing
There just aren't holes in this schedule For those inclined to nitpick, Davidson is due to take a hit as it makes a gigantic leap from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10; its strength of schedule will improve, but its record will almost surely get worse. And it's easy to explain the tie-in for the two weakest teams: Both are in-state schools, and both are coached by North Carolina alums
North Carolina might regret: Nothing
If anything, this schedule is almost certain to leave the Tar Heels with two or three losses entering conference play, maybe even more. But the Tar Heels are looking at four games against top-25 caliber opponents in road and neutral settings before Christmas. They'll be exceptionally well-tested, and strength of schedule isn't going to be a problem at all.
...
