SWC75
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THE CONFERENCE
Saturday January 3, 2015 at VIRGINIA TECH on RSN at Noon
The Hokies were last in the League last year with a 9-22, 2-16 record. That doesn’t mean they were a bad team. That sort of record is what happens to a mediocre team in a conference like this. Buzz Williams took the challenge of coming over from Marquette to try to inflate Va Techs’s tires and get them going again. 6-1 Adam Smith “is a big-time shooter (11ppg), 6-4 Devin Wilson “a big-time playmaker “ (4.8apg), 6-5 Ben Emelogu “a big-time leader” and 6-4 Ahmed Hill “a big-time scorer” (over 3,000 points in high school). Their big men are young and “a work in progress”.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at GEORGIA TECH on ESPNU at 7PM
The Yellow Jackets, once an ACC power, were 16-17 last year, 6-12 in the league. They expected to be better but were wiped out by injuries to three players. Marcus Georges-Hunt (6-5) and Tadric Jackson (6-2) are “outstanding scorers” but they need to decide which is a point guard. Transfer Josh heath could fit the bill but who sits? There’s chaos up front as several players graduated and “budding star” Robert Carter transferred to Maryland.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. FLORIDA STATE on ESPNU at 8PM
The Noles were pretty good last year at 22-14, 9-9 in a tough conference. They reached the NIT semi-finals. They usually are pretty good. In the last six years only Duke and North Carolina have more ACC wins. 6-3 Devon Bookert had a stretch where he made 15 of 20 three pointers. 6-5 Aaron Thomas averaged 14.5ppg, 18.2 after Leonard Hamilton made him a starter. They also have the biggest front line in the conference with three seven footers and 6-9 and 6-8 forwards. The biggest guy is 7-3 Boris Bojanovsky
Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. WAKE FOREST on ACCN at 8PM
Like Georgia Tech, Wake Forest used to be a power in this league. They have an uphill climb to return to that status. Last year they were 17-16 but 6-12 in the league. Danny Manning, the former Kansas star, is their new coach. He’s lost four players to graduation or transfer. Their strength is up front with 6-9 Devin Thomas (11.1ppg, 7.5rpg), and 7-0 Andre Washington is a “rim protector”. Darius Leonard is a 6-10 transfer with a good outside shot. 6-3 guard Codl Miller-McIntyre topped 20 points nine times last year, even getting 20 in a half vs. Kansas.
Saturday, January 17, 2015 at CLEMSON on ACCN at 4PM
The Tigers had their best team in years, going 23-13, (10-8). They made it to an NIT semi-final. Leading scorer KJ McDaniels jumped to the NBA. He scored more than a quarter of Clemson’s points last year and was the conference defensive player of the year. 6-1 Rod Hall came on strong at the end of the season, becoming the team’s scoring leader 4 times in the last 12 games. 5-11 Jordan Roper ”went off in the NIT”. Top recruits 6-7 Donte Graham and 6-3 Gabe DeVoe were big-time scorers in high school.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. BOSTON COLLEGE on ESPNU at 7PM
The Eagles, and old Big East foe, spoiled SU’s party last season by beating us in the Dome to end our 25 game season-opening winning streak. It was about the only highlight of an 8-24, (4-14) season. They have a new coach, Jim Christian from Ohio U. Two of his top three scorers transferred out. One of them was last year’s point guard, Joe Rahon. He does have back 6-4 Olivier Hanlon, who averaged 18.5ppg. They do have size inside with 7-1 Dennis Clifford and three 6-11 guys.
Saturday, January 24, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. MIAMI on ESPN or ESPN2 at 4PM
The Canes won the conference two years ago with 29 wins but had 9 new players last year and dropped to 17-16, (7-11). This year they have 7 more newbies so the uncertainty continues. Jimmy Larranega has a roster full of transfers, a couple from the big 12, some from junior college. It doesn’t make for much continuity. One of the Big 12 guys is 5-11 Angel Rodriguez from Kansas State who was among the Big 12 leaders in assists, steals and free throw shooting. 6-5 Sheldon McClellan from Texas is a scorer, averaging 13.5ppg. So is 6-2 DeAndre Burnett a “bucket getter” who averaged 37ppg in high school. Manu Lecomte shot 39% from three point range. The frontcourt is “long physical and mature”. 7-0 Tonye Jekiri is a “next level” player.
Monday, January 26, 2015 at NORTH CAROLINA on ESPN at 7PM
So far we’ve been playing middle of the pack teams and conference bottom-feeders, (which, again, in this conference doesn’t mean they are bad teams). Now things start to get tough. We’d better be a very good team by this stage or we will be in trouble. North Carolina has been ‘down’ by their standards for a few years. Last year that meant they were 24-10 (13-5) and lost in the round of 32. Lindys says “look at this roster. The talent pool doesn’t seem to end.” Last year they had 6-9 James Michael McAdoo, a back to the basket scorer who slowed the team down. This year they will get back to the running game Roy Williams loves. 6-1 Marcus Paige scored 17.5, including 31 in a half vs. NC State and was “one of the gutsiest late-game scorers in the country”. McDonald’s AA 6-0 Joel Berry is a “scoring point guard in the Ty Lawson mold”. Another Mickey Dee, 6-6 Theo Pinson, won a dunk contest by jumping over his mother. 6-5 JP Tokoto was on the ACC all-defensive team. Against Davidson his line was 22 points 11 rebounds, 5 blocks and 5 steals. 6-8 Justin Jackson scored 23 points in 14 minutes in the McDonald’s game. 6-9 Brice Johnson and 6-9 290 Kennedy Meeks are “one of the best rebounding duos in the ACC”. Johnson averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds in the post-season.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. VIRGINIA TECH on ESPNU at 9PM
See January 3.
Saturday, February 7, 2015 at PITTSBURGH on ACCN at 4PM
One of the amazing things about our 25 game winning streak is that we beat Pittsburgh twice- in our place 59-54 and then in their place, 58-56 on Tyler Ennis’s 35 footer that preserved what was then a 24
game winning streak. Pitt had been our nemesis in the Big East for years, beating us 14 of the last 19 times we played them in the old conference. We are now 2-0 against them in the ACC but will that last? The Panthers used to dominate us with muscular, physical defense and rebounding. Will that work as well in the new conference? That might be up to the refs. Last year they were still pretty good, going 26-11 (11-7), losing- you guessed it- in the round of 32. They went 1-6 against SU, Duke, Virginia and North Carolina. They lost their top two scorers. “After paying a little more attention to offensive production last year, the Panthers could well revert to a grinding defensive personality, the better to control the game.” Point guard James Robinson (6-3) had a 3.4-1 assist to turnover ratio. 6-5 Cameron Wright scored 10.5, “is excellent off the dribble, defends like a demon and can set up teammates as well”. 6-9 235 Michael Young “handles the rough stuff…could score inside and out as well as rebound and defend.”
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at BOSTON COLLEGE on ESPN2 at 7PM
See January 20th.
Saturday, February 14, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. DUKE on ESPN or ESPN2 at 6PM
The beginning of the Week that Was in the Carrier Dome: Duke, Louisville and Pittsburgh. Last year’s Duke game in the Dome was one of the greatest in college basketball history and the return match in Cameron was just as memorable, although for different reasons. This year’s Duke team is a monster, led by 7-0 265 Jahlil Okafor, a cousin of Connecticut’s Emeka Okafor, who led the Huskies to the 2004 national championship. He will be not only the best freshman in the country but probably the best player and the best true center to come into college basketball in years. He’s got it all- size, athleticism and skills. Duke lost their star forwards, Jabari parker and Rodney Hood but Justise Winslow “is a great wing player…a physical, explosive wing who is quick enough t guard in the perimeter but strong enough to guard in the post. ”Mike Krzyzewski calls 6-1 Tyrus Jones “the best point guard in the country”. He’s another freshman with “ultra-quickness and shooting ability” He “could have a season like Tyler Ennis had at Syracuse”. A third Mickey Dee, (they have four of them) is Grayson Allen ”an explosive wing-terrific offensive and defensive player.”
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. LOUISIVLLE on ESPN or ESPN2 at 7PM
It’s not enough that Jim Boeheim has to compete against his old pal Coach K in the ACC but here comes Rick Pitino and Louisville. The Cardinals followed up their 2013 national championship with a 31-6 season in which they lost in the Sweet 16. They lost leading scorer Russ Smith and best shooter Luke Hancock. But they have 6-8 Montrez Harrell, one of the nation’s top big men. Chris Jones and Terry Rozier should make a quality backcourt. But “Louisville’s class isn’t loaded with five-star, one year wonders”. You wonder if they might find the going in the ACC difficult to begin with.
Saturday, February 21, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. PITTSBRUGH on ACCN at Noon
See February 7th.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at NOTRE DAME on ACCN at Noon
The Irish are another Big East refugee Last year they were 15-17 (6-12). It was their first losing season of this century. They were 8-4 when guard Jerian Grant, (Jerami’s brother) was suspended over an academic issue. The 6-5 guard, who averaged 19.0 points and 6.2 assists, is back. 6-5 shooter, (the Irish always seems to have one who goes off against our zone), Pat Connaughton averaged 13.8 and 7.1 rebounds. They lack depth up front but have high hopes for 6-5 225 Bonzie Colson, who “has tremendous drive and will to win”. They are always tough at home, where they were the only team to beat our 2011-12 team in the regular season.
Saturday, February 28, 2015 at Duke on ESPN at a time to be announced.
JB returns to the scene of the crime. See February 14th.
Monday, March 2, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. VIRGINIA at 7PM on ESPN
Virginia was the surprise team of the conference and maybe the country last year. It had been years since the Cavs had been relevant. They came on quietly, with not much expected but they got better and better and kept winning. They not only caught us for the ACC regular season title at the end but were the one team that beat us badly, 56-75 in their place. They won both the ACC regular season and tournament titles for the first time and lost to Michigan State by two points in the Sweet 16. Their coach Tony Bennett, (who did not leave his heart in San Francisco), says he doesn’t have a “star” system, just a “system system”, so the loss of his leading scorer and his leading rebounder doesn’t phase him. London Perrantes and Malcolm Brogdon should make a good backcourt and Justin Anderson was the ACC 6th man of the year. 6-8 Anthony gill averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds. Top recruit BJ Stith is the son of former Cav star Bryant Stith. The team became the second ACC team to improve their record five years in a row, (the other was Georgia Tech under Bobby Cremins 30 years ago) and led the country in giving up the fewest points per game, 55.7.
Saturday, March 7, 2015 at NORTH CAROLINA STATE at Noon on CBS
It took a miracle finish to beat the Wolfpack in the Dome and they knocked us out of the ACC tournament in the first round. They went 22-14 (9-9) and lost to St. Louis in overtime in the round of 64. They lost the conference’s leading scorer, T. J. Warren (24.9) but will have a more balanced team this year. They have a new back-court with Alabama transfer Trevor Lacey and LSU transfer Ralston Turner, who had both been double figure scorers, (but can a Bama guy and an LSU guy get along?). 6-9 Kyle Washington showed flashes, including a 14 point, 10 rebound game against us.
Comment: we may be off to a rolling start because we don’t play the top teams in the conference until February but then those top teams will form a gauntlet. That may be a break because we might be a very good team by then and be able to win our share of those games. But 12-6 would be a very good record against this schedule and if we have 2-3 losses going in, we might have to sweat out selection Sunday, (but would probably get in anyway due to the strength of the schedule).
I heard some speculation as to how we might match-up to Kentucky on the radio today. (Poorly.) But I
don’t think that will matter. I don’t see this team as a contender for the #1 ranking and if we met them in the big dance it would be by chance. This season is about developing the team and seeing how we match up against our next opponent.
Saturday January 3, 2015 at VIRGINIA TECH on RSN at Noon
The Hokies were last in the League last year with a 9-22, 2-16 record. That doesn’t mean they were a bad team. That sort of record is what happens to a mediocre team in a conference like this. Buzz Williams took the challenge of coming over from Marquette to try to inflate Va Techs’s tires and get them going again. 6-1 Adam Smith “is a big-time shooter (11ppg), 6-4 Devin Wilson “a big-time playmaker “ (4.8apg), 6-5 Ben Emelogu “a big-time leader” and 6-4 Ahmed Hill “a big-time scorer” (over 3,000 points in high school). Their big men are young and “a work in progress”.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at GEORGIA TECH on ESPNU at 7PM
The Yellow Jackets, once an ACC power, were 16-17 last year, 6-12 in the league. They expected to be better but were wiped out by injuries to three players. Marcus Georges-Hunt (6-5) and Tadric Jackson (6-2) are “outstanding scorers” but they need to decide which is a point guard. Transfer Josh heath could fit the bill but who sits? There’s chaos up front as several players graduated and “budding star” Robert Carter transferred to Maryland.
Sunday, January 11, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. FLORIDA STATE on ESPNU at 8PM
The Noles were pretty good last year at 22-14, 9-9 in a tough conference. They reached the NIT semi-finals. They usually are pretty good. In the last six years only Duke and North Carolina have more ACC wins. 6-3 Devon Bookert had a stretch where he made 15 of 20 three pointers. 6-5 Aaron Thomas averaged 14.5ppg, 18.2 after Leonard Hamilton made him a starter. They also have the biggest front line in the conference with three seven footers and 6-9 and 6-8 forwards. The biggest guy is 7-3 Boris Bojanovsky
Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. WAKE FOREST on ACCN at 8PM
Like Georgia Tech, Wake Forest used to be a power in this league. They have an uphill climb to return to that status. Last year they were 17-16 but 6-12 in the league. Danny Manning, the former Kansas star, is their new coach. He’s lost four players to graduation or transfer. Their strength is up front with 6-9 Devin Thomas (11.1ppg, 7.5rpg), and 7-0 Andre Washington is a “rim protector”. Darius Leonard is a 6-10 transfer with a good outside shot. 6-3 guard Codl Miller-McIntyre topped 20 points nine times last year, even getting 20 in a half vs. Kansas.
Saturday, January 17, 2015 at CLEMSON on ACCN at 4PM
The Tigers had their best team in years, going 23-13, (10-8). They made it to an NIT semi-final. Leading scorer KJ McDaniels jumped to the NBA. He scored more than a quarter of Clemson’s points last year and was the conference defensive player of the year. 6-1 Rod Hall came on strong at the end of the season, becoming the team’s scoring leader 4 times in the last 12 games. 5-11 Jordan Roper ”went off in the NIT”. Top recruits 6-7 Donte Graham and 6-3 Gabe DeVoe were big-time scorers in high school.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. BOSTON COLLEGE on ESPNU at 7PM
The Eagles, and old Big East foe, spoiled SU’s party last season by beating us in the Dome to end our 25 game season-opening winning streak. It was about the only highlight of an 8-24, (4-14) season. They have a new coach, Jim Christian from Ohio U. Two of his top three scorers transferred out. One of them was last year’s point guard, Joe Rahon. He does have back 6-4 Olivier Hanlon, who averaged 18.5ppg. They do have size inside with 7-1 Dennis Clifford and three 6-11 guys.
Saturday, January 24, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. MIAMI on ESPN or ESPN2 at 4PM
The Canes won the conference two years ago with 29 wins but had 9 new players last year and dropped to 17-16, (7-11). This year they have 7 more newbies so the uncertainty continues. Jimmy Larranega has a roster full of transfers, a couple from the big 12, some from junior college. It doesn’t make for much continuity. One of the Big 12 guys is 5-11 Angel Rodriguez from Kansas State who was among the Big 12 leaders in assists, steals and free throw shooting. 6-5 Sheldon McClellan from Texas is a scorer, averaging 13.5ppg. So is 6-2 DeAndre Burnett a “bucket getter” who averaged 37ppg in high school. Manu Lecomte shot 39% from three point range. The frontcourt is “long physical and mature”. 7-0 Tonye Jekiri is a “next level” player.
Monday, January 26, 2015 at NORTH CAROLINA on ESPN at 7PM
So far we’ve been playing middle of the pack teams and conference bottom-feeders, (which, again, in this conference doesn’t mean they are bad teams). Now things start to get tough. We’d better be a very good team by this stage or we will be in trouble. North Carolina has been ‘down’ by their standards for a few years. Last year that meant they were 24-10 (13-5) and lost in the round of 32. Lindys says “look at this roster. The talent pool doesn’t seem to end.” Last year they had 6-9 James Michael McAdoo, a back to the basket scorer who slowed the team down. This year they will get back to the running game Roy Williams loves. 6-1 Marcus Paige scored 17.5, including 31 in a half vs. NC State and was “one of the gutsiest late-game scorers in the country”. McDonald’s AA 6-0 Joel Berry is a “scoring point guard in the Ty Lawson mold”. Another Mickey Dee, 6-6 Theo Pinson, won a dunk contest by jumping over his mother. 6-5 JP Tokoto was on the ACC all-defensive team. Against Davidson his line was 22 points 11 rebounds, 5 blocks and 5 steals. 6-8 Justin Jackson scored 23 points in 14 minutes in the McDonald’s game. 6-9 Brice Johnson and 6-9 290 Kennedy Meeks are “one of the best rebounding duos in the ACC”. Johnson averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds in the post-season.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. VIRGINIA TECH on ESPNU at 9PM
See January 3.
Saturday, February 7, 2015 at PITTSBURGH on ACCN at 4PM
One of the amazing things about our 25 game winning streak is that we beat Pittsburgh twice- in our place 59-54 and then in their place, 58-56 on Tyler Ennis’s 35 footer that preserved what was then a 24
game winning streak. Pitt had been our nemesis in the Big East for years, beating us 14 of the last 19 times we played them in the old conference. We are now 2-0 against them in the ACC but will that last? The Panthers used to dominate us with muscular, physical defense and rebounding. Will that work as well in the new conference? That might be up to the refs. Last year they were still pretty good, going 26-11 (11-7), losing- you guessed it- in the round of 32. They went 1-6 against SU, Duke, Virginia and North Carolina. They lost their top two scorers. “After paying a little more attention to offensive production last year, the Panthers could well revert to a grinding defensive personality, the better to control the game.” Point guard James Robinson (6-3) had a 3.4-1 assist to turnover ratio. 6-5 Cameron Wright scored 10.5, “is excellent off the dribble, defends like a demon and can set up teammates as well”. 6-9 235 Michael Young “handles the rough stuff…could score inside and out as well as rebound and defend.”
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at BOSTON COLLEGE on ESPN2 at 7PM
See January 20th.
Saturday, February 14, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. DUKE on ESPN or ESPN2 at 6PM
The beginning of the Week that Was in the Carrier Dome: Duke, Louisville and Pittsburgh. Last year’s Duke game in the Dome was one of the greatest in college basketball history and the return match in Cameron was just as memorable, although for different reasons. This year’s Duke team is a monster, led by 7-0 265 Jahlil Okafor, a cousin of Connecticut’s Emeka Okafor, who led the Huskies to the 2004 national championship. He will be not only the best freshman in the country but probably the best player and the best true center to come into college basketball in years. He’s got it all- size, athleticism and skills. Duke lost their star forwards, Jabari parker and Rodney Hood but Justise Winslow “is a great wing player…a physical, explosive wing who is quick enough t guard in the perimeter but strong enough to guard in the post. ”Mike Krzyzewski calls 6-1 Tyrus Jones “the best point guard in the country”. He’s another freshman with “ultra-quickness and shooting ability” He “could have a season like Tyler Ennis had at Syracuse”. A third Mickey Dee, (they have four of them) is Grayson Allen ”an explosive wing-terrific offensive and defensive player.”
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. LOUISIVLLE on ESPN or ESPN2 at 7PM
It’s not enough that Jim Boeheim has to compete against his old pal Coach K in the ACC but here comes Rick Pitino and Louisville. The Cardinals followed up their 2013 national championship with a 31-6 season in which they lost in the Sweet 16. They lost leading scorer Russ Smith and best shooter Luke Hancock. But they have 6-8 Montrez Harrell, one of the nation’s top big men. Chris Jones and Terry Rozier should make a quality backcourt. But “Louisville’s class isn’t loaded with five-star, one year wonders”. You wonder if they might find the going in the ACC difficult to begin with.
Saturday, February 21, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. PITTSBRUGH on ACCN at Noon
See February 7th.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at NOTRE DAME on ACCN at Noon
The Irish are another Big East refugee Last year they were 15-17 (6-12). It was their first losing season of this century. They were 8-4 when guard Jerian Grant, (Jerami’s brother) was suspended over an academic issue. The 6-5 guard, who averaged 19.0 points and 6.2 assists, is back. 6-5 shooter, (the Irish always seems to have one who goes off against our zone), Pat Connaughton averaged 13.8 and 7.1 rebounds. They lack depth up front but have high hopes for 6-5 225 Bonzie Colson, who “has tremendous drive and will to win”. They are always tough at home, where they were the only team to beat our 2011-12 team in the regular season.
Saturday, February 28, 2015 at Duke on ESPN at a time to be announced.
JB returns to the scene of the crime. See February 14th.
Monday, March 2, 2015 at Carrier Dome vs. VIRGINIA at 7PM on ESPN
Virginia was the surprise team of the conference and maybe the country last year. It had been years since the Cavs had been relevant. They came on quietly, with not much expected but they got better and better and kept winning. They not only caught us for the ACC regular season title at the end but were the one team that beat us badly, 56-75 in their place. They won both the ACC regular season and tournament titles for the first time and lost to Michigan State by two points in the Sweet 16. Their coach Tony Bennett, (who did not leave his heart in San Francisco), says he doesn’t have a “star” system, just a “system system”, so the loss of his leading scorer and his leading rebounder doesn’t phase him. London Perrantes and Malcolm Brogdon should make a good backcourt and Justin Anderson was the ACC 6th man of the year. 6-8 Anthony gill averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds. Top recruit BJ Stith is the son of former Cav star Bryant Stith. The team became the second ACC team to improve their record five years in a row, (the other was Georgia Tech under Bobby Cremins 30 years ago) and led the country in giving up the fewest points per game, 55.7.
Saturday, March 7, 2015 at NORTH CAROLINA STATE at Noon on CBS
It took a miracle finish to beat the Wolfpack in the Dome and they knocked us out of the ACC tournament in the first round. They went 22-14 (9-9) and lost to St. Louis in overtime in the round of 64. They lost the conference’s leading scorer, T. J. Warren (24.9) but will have a more balanced team this year. They have a new back-court with Alabama transfer Trevor Lacey and LSU transfer Ralston Turner, who had both been double figure scorers, (but can a Bama guy and an LSU guy get along?). 6-9 Kyle Washington showed flashes, including a 14 point, 10 rebound game against us.
Comment: we may be off to a rolling start because we don’t play the top teams in the conference until February but then those top teams will form a gauntlet. That may be a break because we might be a very good team by then and be able to win our share of those games. But 12-6 would be a very good record against this schedule and if we have 2-3 losses going in, we might have to sweat out selection Sunday, (but would probably get in anyway due to the strength of the schedule).
I heard some speculation as to how we might match-up to Kentucky on the radio today. (Poorly.) But I
don’t think that will matter. I don’t see this team as a contender for the #1 ranking and if we met them in the big dance it would be by chance. This season is about developing the team and seeing how we match up against our next opponent.
