2009-10 College Basketball Preview: ACC

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2009-10 College Basketball Preview

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

1) North Carolina

2008-09 Record: (34-4, 13-3); National Champs
Coach: Roy Williams (7th year, 176-37 at North Carolina)
Assistants: Joe Halladay, Steve Robinson
Ret. Starters/Lost: ¼
Power Rating

Overview: North Carolina won the National Championship last season because their stars decided to return. Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington are all gone to the NBA. That means that Roy Williams will use four new starters, though all are extremely talented. The only returning starter is PF Deon Thompson (6-8,2 45), a senior who averaged 10.6ppg and 5.7rpg. The other post player is sophomore Ed Davis (6-10, 215), who averaged 6.7ppg, 6.64pg and 1.7bpg and has star potential. They also have some experience returning at shooting guard with Marcus Ginyard (6-5, 220), who averaged 6.9ppg and is a solid defender. Freshman John Henson (6-10, 185) is a lanky and talented player, who has a tremendous wingspan. At the point, Larry Drew II is a sophomore who saw limited time behind Lawson last year and is the key to the team. They’ll go as far as Drew takes them. Sophomore Tyler Zeller (7-0, 220) provides more size off the bench and is a very talented player.

Outlook: The defending champ is well-coached, but how do you replace the motor of Hansbrough, who brought it every night? Fortunately for them, the ACC is not loaded and they’ll be a strong favorite to win the league.

2) Georgia Tech

2008 Record: (12-19, 2-14)
Coach: Paul Hewitt (10th year, 156-131 at Georgia Tech)
Assistants: John O’Connor, Peter Zaharis
Ret. Starters/Lost: 4/1
Power Rating:

Overview: The Yellow Jackets were extremely disappointing last year, winning just two ACC games. But that should all change this season or Paul Hewitt should really be on the hotseat. Hewitt is one of the top recruiters in the nation, but can’t seem to keep his stars. However, that appeared to change as junior Gani Lawal (6-9, 235), who tested the waters this past April, but came back for his junior season, He averaged 15pp1 and 9.5rpg, and should be one of the best big men in the ACC. At center, freshman Derrick Favors (6-10, 246), the nation’s top big man recruit enters the big time with tremendous expectations. He won MVP honors at both the McDonald’s All-America game and the Jordan Brand Classic this summer. The backcourt is the key. PG Iman Shumpert (6-5, 209) has great size but shot just 39% from the field last year. He’s another big-time recruit who has to cut down on his turnovers but is just a sophomore. Senior SG D‘Andre Bell (6-6, 220) is a defensive specialist and solid lefty shooter who needs to step up his offensive game (6.6ppg). At small forward, senior Zach Peacock (6-8, 235) is a big wing who is very athletic and a strong shooter (9.2ppg, 40% 3pt). The bench will be very young headed by guard Moe Miller (5.8ppg) and heralded freshman two-guard Glenn Rice Jr. (6-5, 195).

Outlook: The Yellow Jackets will compete with North Carolina up front because they have Lawal and Favors. The backcourt is strong athletically, but are they good enough to surpass UNC, Maryland and Duke, who have more experienced in the backcourt?

3) Duke

2008 Record: (30-7, 11-5)
Coach: Mike Krzyewski (30th year, 760-215 at Duke)
Assistants: Steve Wojchiechowski, Chris Collins, Nate James
Ret. Starters/Lost: 3/2
Power Rating:

Overview: Duke is usually overrated before the season no matter how good they are. Losing Gerald Henderson (16.5ppg) was devastating to the team because not only was he the top scorer, but the best defender. They also lost jet-quick Elliott Williams, who ended up transferring to Memphis due to a family illness. That puts pressure on junior guard Nolan Smith (8.4ppg) to step up and become more of a true point guard. Senior Jon Scheyer (14.9ppg) can also play the point, but he’s best suited to play shooting guard. Up front, Kyle Singler (16.5ppg, 7.7rpg) can play all three frontcourt spots and will be a favorite to win ACC Player of the Year. Freshman Mason Plumlee (6-11, 230) is a McDonald’s All-American who will have to play right away. Senior Lance Thomas (5.3ppg, 3.6rpg) does the dirty work. Freshman Andre Dawson (6-4, 190) was supposed to come next season, but he graduated early and gives the backcourt immediate help.

Outlook: Duke still has issues in the backcourt, especially on the wing replacing Dawson. This is a good, but not great team that could struggle early on, but with Singler and Scheyer, they’ll win another 24-25 games.

4) Maryland

2008 Record: (21-14, 7-9)
Coach: Gary Williams (21st year, 418-229 at Maryland)
Assistants: Keith Booth, Chuck Driesell, Robert Ehsan
Ret. Starters/Lost: 4/1
Power Rating:

Overview: Maryland needed a late run to make the NCAA Tournament and found a way to make to the second round. This year, Gary Williams returns four of five starters, but the most crucial player returned after testing the waters in the NBA Draft. Senior point guard Greivis Vasquez (17.5ppg, 5.4prg, 5apg) did it all for the Terps last season, and at times, took too much on his shoulders. This year, he’ll have senior Eric Hayes (10.3ppg) and junior Adrian Bowie (9ppg) help with the ballhandling duties. They’ll need 6-4 sophomore wing Sean Mosley (5.3ppg, 37% FG) to improve his shooting, though he does a lot of the dirty work. The biggest issue last year was in the post, where Maryland was severely undersized, They brought in freshmen James Padgett (6-8, 225) and Jordan Williams (6-9, 245), who will play right away. Senior Landon Milbourne (11.4ppg, 5.2rpg) was an undersized power forward last year (6-7, 207) and should play more wing this year.

Outlook: Maryland lost just one senior and that was overachieving David Neal. This could be Gary Willams’ best team in years if his young big men mature quickly. Vasquez will be the key as usual and if he focuses on the team and not the NBA and individual statistics, Maryland could go far.

5) Boston College

2008 Record: (22-12, 9-7)
Coach: Al Skinner (13th year, 232-150 at BC)
Assistants: Pat Duquette, Bonzie Colson, Mo Cassara
Ret. Starters/Lost: 4/1
Power Rating:

Overview: Boston College returns five starters from another Al Skinner squad that gave fits to most ACC teams. Their only loss was a big one as they have to replace lead guard Tyrese Rice (16.9ppg, 5.3apg). Skinner has a juinor-oriented team led by Rakim Sanders (12.9pp, 4.4rpg), an outstanding wing, who should take over the scoring lead. Junior Corey Raji (9.9ppg, 6.1rpg) is a 6-6 wing, who can score in a variety of ways. Junior Joe Trapani (13.4ppg, 6.6pg) had an excellent season after coming over from Vermont. He can play either forward spot. At center, Josh Southern (6ppg, 5.1rpg) returns to provide defense and rebounding. The key will be replacing Rice with junior Biko Paris (3.4ppg), who is more of a true point guard, who will shoot less and pass more.

Outlook: Boston College has a chance to be a pretty good team and with Skinner, they are going to play hard every night. They’ll need a big year from Sanders and Trapani to replace Rice’s scoring, who was that one player who could take over. That’s the one thing they seem to lack going into the season.

6) Wake Forest

2008 Record: (24-7, 11-5)
Coach: Dino Gaudio (3rd year, 41-20 at Wake Forest)
Assistants: Jeff Battle, Dave Wojcik, Rusty LaRue
Ret. Starters/Lost: 3/2

Overview: Wake Forest had the most talented team in the conference last year, but were the most disappointing after losing to Cleveland State by 15 points in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They also lost Jeff Teague, a point guard who left for the NBA. Teague wasn’t a real point guard and played shooting guard alongside Ish Smith (6.2ppg, 3.4apg), who returns. He broke his foot in preseason and Teague took over. The key is the return of 6-9 sophomore Al-Farou q Aminu (12.9ppg, 8.2rpg), who will need to provide more leadership and scoring. Senior center Chaz McFarland (8.7ppg) also returns up front and 7-feet, he needs to be more of a defensive presence and stay out of foul trouble. Senior guard L.D Williams (8ppg) is an excellent defender, who is a glue guy for this team. Freshman guard C.J. Harris (6-2) will have to produce off the bench. Junior college transfer Konner Tucker (6-4), who originally committed to Kentucky, can provide scoring.

Outlook: Wake Forest will be more of a team this season without Teague, but they may not win as many games in conference or overall. That could help them down the road assuming Aminu takes the next step to becoming a college star.

7) Virginia Tech

2008 Record: (19-15, 7-9)
Coach: Seth Greenberg (7th year, 107-85 at Va Tech)
Assistants: James Johnson, Ryan Odom, Bill Courtney
Ret. Starters/Lost: 3/2

Overview: The Hokies were the heartbreak kids last season, losing seven games on the game’s final possession. This season, the Hokies return two very good players in juinor point guard Malcolm Delaney (18.1ppg, 4.4apg) and junior big man Jeff Allen (13.7ppg, 8.4rpg). Allen lost a lot of weight last year, but was less effective, so he regained most of the weight and is back up to 255 and 6-7. Delaney is the quicksilver point guard who can score at will, but Allen is the big man with talent who tends to disappear at times. The other returning starter is junior shooting guard Dorenzo Hudson (4.6ppg), who has the size (6-5, 220) and the ability to be a double-digit scorer and strong defender. The big question is at the other guard spot. Three freshman could see time including point guard Erick Green, who has to replace Hank Thorns, who left for TCU. Guard Manny Atkins is a 6-7 pure shooter, while Ben Boggs at 6-4 brings some physicality. Sophomore Victor Davila (3.1ppg, 2rpg) is the likely starter at the post next to Allen at 6-8. Freshman Cadarian Raines (6-9, 230) is a high-riser who should contribute right away.

Outlook: Virginia Tech has a lot of talent, but will need to finish games, unlike last season. They are certainly capable of winning 20+ games, but could get off to a slow start as all the new parts try and get cohesive.

8 ) Florida State

2008 Record: (25-10, 10-6)
Coach: Leonard Hamilton (8th year, 131-96 at Florida State)
Assistants: Stan Jones, Andy Enfield, Corey Williams
Ret. Starters/Lost: 3/2

Overview: The Noles are the forgotten team of the ACC, but they surprised a lot of people last season, by winning 25 games. They did lose leading scorer Toney Douglas, who led the league in scoring and was chosen for the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year. That’s a big loss and it’s tough and near-impossible to replace 21.5 points per game in your lineup. FSU will have to now depend more on their frontcourt led by 7-1 sophomore center Soloman Alabi (8.4ppg, 5.6rpg, 2.1bpg) and 6-9 Chris Singleton (8.1ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.4bpg). Senior Ryan Reid (6-8, 240) adds beft to the font line and will battle 6-11, 260-pound freshman Jonathan Keft for playing time. The backcourt will be led by 6-4 junior Derwin Kitchen (7.9ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.5apg), who played well after transferring from Iowa Western C.C. At the point, 6-5 sophomore Luke Loucks (3.1ppg) will get a look as well as 6-0 Pierre Jordan, who missed most of last season with a knee injury. At the wing spot, 6-5 sophomore Deividas Dulkys struggled from the three-point line (29%) and will have to hold off McDonald’s All-American Michael Snaer, another 6-5 wing.

Outlook: Not many teams in the league or in the country, have Florida’s State’s length up front. The problem is the backcourt and replacing Douglas. Snaer and Kitchen will have to pick up the scoring slack, or the Noles will have to win games in the low sixties.

9) Clemson

2008 Record: (23-9, 9-7)
Coach: Oliver Purnell (7th year, 117-77 at Clemson)
Assistants: Ron Bradley, Frank Smith, Josh Pastorino
Ret. Starters/Lost: 2-3

Overview: The Tigers fell off the charts last year after a great start, losing 8 of their last 12 games. Fortunately, they return one of the best players in the ACC in 6-7, 240-pound senior forward Trevor Booker (15.3ppg, 9.7rpg, 2bpg). He’s a beast on the boards and can step out and shoot the three. However, the backcourt will be key. They lose K.C. Rivers to graduation and junior gunner Terrence Oglesby (92 three-pointers) decided to leave early to play professionally in Europe. That leaves Tanner Smith (6-5, 220), who will have to step up in Oglesby’s place. He’s a better defender, but doesn’t have the same range. At the wing spot, 6-7 freshman Noel Johnson arrives after originally signing with USC. Another shooting guard, Donte Hill, is a lefty freshman in the picture. Another newcomer, Milton Jennings (6-9, 225), will provide some help up front and is a McDonald’s All-American from South Carolina. Trevor’s little brother Devin (6-8, 235) also arrives and is a potential star up front. At the point, 6-2 junior Demontez Stitt (8.7ppg, 3.8apg) and 5-9 sophomore Andre Young (4.4ppg) have to step up their games.

Outlook: Clemson will go as far as their backcourt takes them. The loss of Rivers and Oglesby will be devastating early on, but Clemson has come on late in the season, unlike last year, when they started out on fire.

10) Virginia

2008 Record: (10-18, 4-12)
Coach: Tony Bennett (first year at Uva)
Assistants: Ritchie McKay, Ron Sanchez, Jason Williford
Ret. Starters/Lost: 3/2

Overview: Tony Bennett takes over a program that has stumbled since Terry Holland left over a decade ago. Virginia’s 10-18 record last year was the worst over the last 42 years for a proud program. The good news is that Bennett has the team’s lone star back in 6-6 guard Sylvan Landesburg (16.6ppg, 6rpg), who won ACC Rookie of the Year last season. The other returning players are just average so the newcomers will have to step up. Freshman Tristan Spurlock (6-7, 230) was a strong prospect from Woodbridge, Virginia, who can play up front, while point guard Jontel Evans (5-11), and athletic defender who should be able to fit Bennett’s system. One thing Bennett and his father Dick always preached and that was tough defense. At power forward, Mike Scott (10.3ppg, 7.4rpg) had a solid season and senior Jamil Tucker (7.4ppg) is a versatile player, who hit 31 three’s. At the wings, sophomore Sammy Zeglinski (7.8ppg,3apg) led the team in assists and at 6-feet, is similar to Bennett when he played.

Outlook: Virginia shoud make some huge strides this year, though they are far from being contender. At least has Bennett has three years of Landesburg to build a team around.

11) Miami (Fla.)

2008 Record: (19-13, 7-9)
Coach: Frank Haith (6th year, 88-73 at Miami)
Assistants: Jorge Fernandez, Jake Morton, Michael Schwartz
Ret. Starters/Lost: 2/3

Overview: Miami loses Jack McClinton, arguably one of the best transfers in ACC history, who earned first-team All-ACC honors, has graduated. They do return their second- and third-leading scorer in Dwayne Collins and James Dews. Freshman Garrius Adams (6-6, 179) was a big-time recruit who can put the ball in the basket, but may not be physically ready to play. They also add 6-1 point guard Malcom Grant (5.6ppg, 12.7mpg), who played at Villanova as a freshman. Freshman Antoine Allen (6-1, 172) adds some quickness in the backcourt. Dews averaged 8.2ppg on the wing, while Collins (6-8, 243) led the team in rebounding (7.3), shooting percentage (56.5%) and steals (31). He also averaged 10.6ppg and will need to provide more inside scoring this year with McClinton gone. Senior Cyrus McGowan (4.6ppg, 4.4rpg), a 6-9 transfer from Arkansas can help inside as can sophomore Julian Gamble (6-9) and red-shirt freshman Reggie Johnson (6-9, 296).

Outlook: Here’s a team with some talent that has to jell and find a scorer to replace McClinton. Adams is talented but young and Dews has never really been the “man”. Too many questions to put them in the upper echelon in the ACC.

12) NC State

2008 Record: (16-14, 6-10)
Coach: Sidney Lowe (4th year, 51-46 at NC State)
Assistants: Monty Towe, Larry Harris, Pete Strickland
Ret. Starters/Lost: 2/3

Overview: Sidney Lowe has to turn this thing around sooner or later. It just may not be this season with only two returning starters. Another problem is that the Wolfpack was depending on blue-chip recruit Lorenzo Brow, a 6-5 shooting guard from Georgia , to come in and make an impact. However, Brown didn’t make the grade and will have to go the prep route. The will have to depend more on a solid freshman class, which includes local favorite Josh Davis. In the backcourt, Javier Gonzalez (6.6ppg, 3.3apg), is a 5-11 junior, will get another shot after a spotty sophomore season. Sophomore Julius Mays (4.7ppg) was also erratic and did not play in the final six games. Farnold Degand (4.7ppg) is a 6-3 senior who can also play the point. The leading returner up front is 6-8, 240-pound junior Tracy Smith (10ppg, 4.5rpg), who averaged 14ppg and 7.2rpg in the final nine games. Senior forward Dennis Horner (6.4ppg), at 6-9, 215, is a solid player who can play on the wing. Freshman Jordan Vandenburg (7-0, 230) is a late signee from Australia, who can score some from the outside, but may not be strong enough to bang inside. Another freshman counted on to score is Scott Wood (6-6), who has a chance to give the Wolfpack the outside threat that they need.

Outlook: A lot of new pieces to the puzzle for Lowe, who might need another year with arrival of Brown. The Pack has to get tougher defensively and it’s usually tougher to get freshmen to play defense in their first year.

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