Part I: Duke, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Maryland
Part II: UNC, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami
Part III: N.C. State, Virginia, Boston College, Wake Forest
In the immediate aftermath of his fourth, and most unlikely national title, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told Jim Nantz of CBS:
"It's hard for me to imagine that we're the national champions."
Funny, that's exactly what the people who watched Duke lose by double-digits to N.C. State and Georgetown were thinking.
If (when?) Duke wins the national title in 2011, there will be no such surprise for Coach K or anyone else in college basketball. The Blue Devils will begin the 2010-11 season as the prohibitive favorites in both the national and ACC races.
Just a summer ago, Duke was looking up at North Carolina, winner of two national titles in a five-year span, and was caught in a personnel tailspin. The Blue Devils lost the John Wall Sweepstakes, Gerald Henderson to the NBA and Elliot Williams to Memphis in the same depressing offseason.
An ACC title was still a good bet (and first made here last June), but the Final Four? Behind the scoring and leadership of Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer, Duke was indeed the last team standing. With Singler and Smith back, Duke stands in front of everyone else, including the Heels.
With the return of seniors Singler and Smith, who combined to score 32 points in Duke's 61-59 championship game win over Butler, and the addition of guards Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry, Duke rules the ACC in both talent and experience. Add the sport's top coach to the equation and that's an enviable combination.
The 2010-11 question for the re-jiggered ACC, plus three new coaches and minus five first-round draft picks, is who falls in line after Duke?
Not so fast, UNC. The addition of the top freshman prospect in the country (Harrison Barnes), is a start, as is freshman shooter Reggie Bullock. UNC's 5-11 disaster in league play was a product of poor outside shooting and a consistently indifferent effort on defense. The Heels still have issues, namely on defense, and with leadership, but they should be a better scoring team.
N.C. State, with its best recruiting haul in decades, is not quite there yet, either. The Wolfpack, 5-11 in the ACC, is capable of doubling its ACC win total and securing coach Sidney Lowe's future, but it will have to do so against a tough ACC schedule and with big expectations. The last time Lowe started a season with big expectations, it ended with nine straight losses.
No, Duke's top challenger, like in 2010, will come from outside this state. Virginia Tech returns all five starters, including the league's leading scorer in Malcolm Delaney, from a motivated team that won 10 ACC games but was left out of the NCAA tournament (again).
Florida State, with junior forward Chris Singleton, is poised for another solid season and has the overall talent to push Virginia Tech for second.
Maryland, Duke's top rival in last season, loses Greivis Vasquez, the ACC player of the year, and the guts from a 13-3 team. It still has coach Gary Williams, though, and promising building blocks in junior guard Sean Mosley and sophomore forward Jordan Williams.
Miami will take a step forward and Georgia Tech will take a step back. Clemson, Boston College and Wake Forest each have new coaches and little hope of matching last year's success (in Clemson and Wake's case).
Oliver Purnell left Clemson for DePaul (ouch) and left Brad Brownell with only one Booker brother.
Poor, Steve Donahue. His predecessor at BC, Al Skinner, left him not one but two empty recruiting classes.
Jeff Bzdelik steps into a rebuilding project at Wake, where Dino Gaudio was fired despite winning 67 percent of his games in three seasons. Bzdelik, who won 10 conference games in three seasons in his previous stop at Colorado, has to replace four starters from a 20-win, NCAA team.
The good news for both Donahue and Bzdelik is they can establish a generous curve by which future teams will be graded. The bad news is they'll actually have to live through this season first.
Predicted order of finish:
1. Duke
2. Virginia Tech
3. Florida State
4. UNC
5. Maryland
6. N.C. State
7. Miami
8. Clemson
9. Georgia Tech
10. Virginia
11. Boston College
12. Wake Forest
Comments
I agree with
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 20:04 — phil48I agree with the first three picks (duke, vt, and fsu). Maryland lost there three best players, and there incoming class, while good, doesn't seem to have the kind of players who make big impacts their freshman year. I'd be surprised if Maryland finishes in the top half of the conference, though Gary Williams will keep them out of the cellar (maybe 8th or 9th). Wake lost alot this off season, but Georgia tech lost just as much, and with wake's better recruiting class, I would think wake should be better than Georgia Tech. UVa is only losing Meyinsse, and they've got a pretty good recruiting class, so I think they should be better this year.
here's my list: VaT, Duke, FSU, NCSU, UNC, UVa, Clemson, Maryland, WF, BC, Miami, GT
I agree with
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 19:54 — phil48double post
My thoughts...
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 14:41 — redstorm89As an avid college basketball fan, particularly in the ACC, I have a few comments on what I think will happen this year...
- Picking Duke as preseason favorites is the clear choice. Although I doubted them at times last year, they did find a way to win the National Championship and on paper they should be better this year. I think the freshman Irving will be big for the Blue Devils, as they've lacked a quality true point guard for a number of years now. Anything less than an ACC title, and final four berth would be disappointing for Duke.
- Outside of the Blue Devils, there is some quality, but no big gap in separation between a lot of teams.
- Virginia Tech should be a very solid team this year, as they return just about everybody.
- Florida St has plenty of talent down in Tallahassee, but Alabi will be missed, as he was a terrific presence on the floor for them.
- UNC is clearly not going to repeat last year's debacle, but with the lack of depth now, you can't expect them to jump all the way back quite yet. Barnes should be terrific and I expect UNC to return to the big dance this year. Are they top ten or even top 25, I doubt it, but they should be solid and improved.
- NC State has to be the most interesting team now. Anyone think of Georgia Tech from last year? Lots of talent, but enough coaching? Perhaps the Wolfpack aren't as talented as last year's Yellow Jackets, but also Sidney Lowe isn't as horrible of a coach. I think the Pack can make the jump into the NCAA tournament, but I doubt they pan out to be top 25 quality, simply with the addition of one great freshman.
- Maryland is the poor man's Duke of the ACC in my opinion. They have less talent, but Gary Williams is only second best to Coach K in his abilities. Losing Grevis will hurt, but a solid freshman class could be enough to keep them afloat under Gary. I'm thinking bubble team right now.
- Georgia Tech I can not envision recovering from the loss of talent this year. If they could barely squeak into the tourney with that, why would they with so much less. Coaching will always be an issue, and until then I foresee GT playing in the NIT at best this year.
- The team on here that I think people are underestimating is Clemson. Yes, they lost their best player and coach, but keep in mind a few things...Oliver Purnell's ability to coach offense was absurdly bad. Clemson has had athletes under him who scored most points in transition, when they slowed down this year (when the press didn't work anymore) the offense was horrid. The hire of Brad Brownell, is overlooked by just about everybody, cause we've never heard of him, but the guy has been absolutely praised by everyone in the coaching ranks. He might be a gem in the rough that the Tigers found. The only doubts I have about him, is his ability to recruit on the level of the ACC. For now, he still has lots of talent that Purnell brought in, and it could be surprising what he does with it, unlike Purnell. Additionally, Trevor Booker was a great player, but the kid disappeared in so many games for them. He will be missed, but not as much as people expect. I think Clemson can return to the tourney for a 4th straight year, and maybe win a game for once.
- Wake Forest is another team that has gotten bashed for its coaching hire. While its easy to see why some people feel that way, I think it might just work out well. Given tough circumstances John Bzdelik, did quite well. I think with all the talent he still has at Wake, they could actually end up being pretty good under him. This year, losing a bunch of talent, they might struggle a bit, but there is still enough there to keep them solidly out of the cellar in the ACC. If I were to guess today, they'll miss the tourney, but not by that much.
- Miami is also pretty interesting, they return some decent talent, and bring in some good freshman as well. Are they good enough to compete on a high level? I don't know. I think they are better than the cellar dwellers, but probably not good enough to dance.
- The two teams, in my opinion, that will have problems this year, are Boston College and Virginia. Virginia struggled last year, especially down the stretch, and now without their star player its hard to imagine them doing that well. I like Coach Bennett, but he needs more talent this year to be able to step out of the cellar. And BC made an O.K. hire in my opinion. I'm not sure about Steve Donahue, but all I know is, he doesn't have that much to work with this year. They add no one, and lose a couple of key guys who decided to transfer.
Overall here is my rough prediction for the ACC in 2010-2011:
1. Duke (NCAA)
2. Virginia Tech (NCAA)
3. Florida State (NCAA)
4. UNC (NCAA)
5. Clemson (NCAA)
6. NC State (NCAA)
7. Maryland (Bubble)
8. Miami (NIT)
9. Wake Forest (NIT)
10. Georgia Tech
11. Virginia
12. Boston College
VT is overrated
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 08:10 — brianteerVirginia Tech returns a lot of experience, but they are overrated.
They had the easiest possible ACC schedule last season. Their overall SOS was just 75th in the country, despite playing in the toughest conference. That was the weakest SOS in the ACC by a pretty sizable margin (Miami's was the next weakest, at 68th, then BC at 48th, then State at 37th). Virginia Tech basically only had 3 quality wins last season (Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami).
I think it's going to be a lot tougher for them this year, and people who aren't taking schedule into account are going to see them as a disappointment.
BC lost Rakim Sanders, who
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 19:10 — chrisl68BC lost Rakim Sanders, who was one of their 2 or 3 best players.
Good call
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 21:34 — Heels20Didn't realize he was gone. I could've sworn he was a junior last year. But yes, 4th in team scoring and rebounding.
bluedevils no.1 -again..
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 16:25 — bluecat69bluecat69duke will win it all again, holes and cowcollege will finish in the bottom half of the acc, so whats new, it really gets boreing, dosent it-- i predict that ol roy will completly go crazy this year, it will not be just his shoulder this yr. go duke-champs!!!!!!
Hope everyone's summer is
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 14:02 — mad_maxHope everyone's summer is going as well as mine. It's never too early to talk hoops, but there are so many question marks for all the teams that it's almost impossible to make a strong prediction right now. State in the top 6? That would be nice. I could see all the triangle teams battling at the top, but I could also see State and Carolina looking more like last year's teams. Only time will tell. Good thing we've got football season coming up soon to keep us occupied.
Pretty much a crapshoot.
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 12:43 — JPDOhioQuestion marks abound.
Duke- without question the preseason #1. But how much will Scheyer be missed? (A lot, especially by Nolan Smith). Will the Plumlees adequately replace the toughness that Thomas and Zoubek provided? (Maybe, maybe not.)
Va Tech- on paper, this team should be #1, especially with Delaney returning. But can the Hokies finally get past their propensity to crash and burn at tournament time? (I'll believe it when I see it).
Fla State- nobody does less with more than Leonard Hamilton.
UNC- #4 ranking seems to be based on program tradition and the uncertainty surrounding just about every other team in the conference this year. Can the lack of leadership and consistency that plagued last year's team be resolved? (Time will tell). Will the substantial but untested incoming talent deliver quickly at the major college level? (It had better or Roy could have a nervous breakdown by the end of February).
Maryland- Who will replace Vasquez as the emotional leader of this team? Will Gary Williams finish celebrating Debbie Yow's departure in time to arrive sober for the start of preseason practice?
NC State- Will Javi show enough consistency to keep his starting position? (I doubt it). Or will Harrow or Brown develop quickly enough to lead the team to an NCAA tourney bid? (Hopefully the answer is yes). Will Scott Wood consistently show the much talked about shooting touch that we saw only occasionally last year? (I hope so). Will Leslie live up to his advance billing? (Most likely). Will Tracy Smith benefit from the improved talent surrounding him? (Absolutely). The BIG question- Can State finally learn how to win consistently? (Stay tuned).
Miami- Football anyone?
Clemson- Oliver left for DePaul. 'Nuf said.
Ga Tech- Less talent, same coach, long year.
Va-see NC State under Herb, the early years.
BC- Good new coach, growing pains for now.
Wake-Plans to follow Duke's lead (and hopefully mirror its success) by hiring the second coach in the ACC whose name has consonants where vowels should be.
Wow
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 14:22 — Heels20That sums it up perfectly. Not sure if there's anything I can add.
Gary & His Terps
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 11:54 — belairbakersBetter watch out for Gary and the Terps. I remember last year that the Terps were given no respect and ended up as Co-ACC Regular Season Champs was not a bad result. They have 7 players returning that played alot of minutes. Terps should finish 2nd to 4th in the League.
Doubt it
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 12:20 — Heels20Vasquez was your team. No one on this squad can even come close to replacing him.
Grevis was the leader last
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 18:39 — belairbakersGrevis was the leader last year, but Mosley and Williams will lead this year's team. It is not about replacing Grevis, it is about building around your strengths this year and the Terps will be a good inside team and if the guards can step it up a notch, they could be really good. Believe what you will, but Gary does a great job with this type of team.
Valid point
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 21:44 — Heels20But keep in mind that VT returns experienced talent in Delaney and Allen, as well as a rising star in Hudson. NC State has proven talent in Tracy Smith, good point guard play when Javi Gonzalez shows up and a top 2 (possibly the best) recruiting class in the ACC. FSU has experience in Kitchen, huge potential in Snaer and defense/post play in Singleton. UNC would have been 8-8 last season had Zeller not gone down (see the 3 close losses during his absence) and may have even broken double digit wins had they had any kind of a 3-point shooter. The Heels bring in Harrison Barnes and Reggie Bullock who are both known for their 3 point shot. Gary Williams is a great coach and coaches teams that should never be taken for granted, but I think it's crazy to say they should be ranked anywhere from 2nd to 4th. I think there are too many "ifs" and too much to replace to automatically make that assumption.
A lot of "IFs"
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 06:11 — belairbakersI see what you are saying, but I would disagree with some of your points. I think there are alot of "ifs" with most of the ACC Teams this year. The only one I see on solid footing is Duke and it pains me to say that. I think it will be another crazy year!! Here is my breakdown of the teams you identified.
Terps - Jordan Williams will be a force this year, just like he was last year during the ACC Season. Sean Mosley is one of the best defenders in the ACC and will score 16 points a game. Adrian Bowie played great in the second half of the year and Cliff Tucker's offense steadily improved while he played great "D". Dino Gregory and James Padgett will be solid in the middle next year. The Terps have some really good freshman coming in and in today's college world that is a necessity.
Virginia Tech - When it came time for Delaney and Allen to step forward last year they did not do it - I was at the ACC Tournament. One win would have put them in the NCAA Tourney and they came out flat against Miami. They also have a great opportunity against the Terps in Blacksburg and Delaney played a terrible second half and missed two free throws to take the lead.
NC State - Until State shows a way to win under Sidney Lowe I would not bank on how they will do. There were several nights that Tracy Smith did not show up. State may or may not be good. A big question mark! Seems like they always fall apart in the ACC. Sidney better have a good year since Debbie Yow will be watching!!
UNC - Another team that may or may not be good. Will have to see how all of the pieces come together. There has been alot of turmoil in Chapel Hill over the last year. I do think they get back in the NCAA Tournament this year. One thing the need - A Point Guard!!
FSU - Someone else said this and I agree. Leonard Hamilton gets less out of more talent. They are just too undisciplined. They should have been alot better last year.
Good points
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 10:23 — Heels20But I think you give Maryland too much credit. Mosley only averaged 10 last year, and that's when the majority of the attention was focused on Vasquez. You have to keep in mind that Vasquez averaged 6.3 assists last season, which was by far the most for any Terps player. With all 11 opposing ACC coaches asking the same question (how to stop Vasquez), it was easier for Mosley to find open shots. I think it's also too soon to label him as one of the best defenders in the league. He's good, but he doesn't stand out like a Demarcus Nelson or a Jackie Manuel.
VT's schedule held them back from making the NCAA tournament, but it was the only thing. They were an excellent team on their home floor and veterans know how to win on the road. Delaney and Allen are two of the top veterans in the ACC this season. I expect them to be even more dangerous.
I have to disagree about Tracy Smith. I can't remember any nights when he didn't show up. You also have to consider that he was facing double-teams and triple-teams all year because State had no one else to go to (with the exception of Scott Wood in both games against FSU). That's going to change this year with the arrival of CJ Leslie. I also expect Lorenzo Brown to be an instant impact. Smith will have even more of an opportunity to open up his game and I expect the freshmen to make things happen also. You're spot on though about Sidney Lowe. None of these assumptions mean anything until Sidney Lowe proves he can win with talent.
UNC is a coin flip. I don't think the issue is at point guard. I think it's a combination of lack of leadership and lack of a go-to scorer. Call me crazy, but I think Harrison Barnes has the potential to embrace both of those roles. With a 3 point shooter last season, we could've won a lot more ball games. I see us as a second round, maybe sweet sixteen team. At the same time, if Barnes and Bullock are busts, we could see ourselves in the same position as last season.
FSU may not have the best coach, but they proved last year that they could post double-digit conference wins without a Tim Pickett, Al Thornton, Von Wafer or Toney Douglas-type player. These types of one-man teams have been what saved FSU in previous years. Last year, however, they won by playing physical defense and spreading the scoring around. Despite the losses of Alabi and Reid, I expect more of the same this season.
I disagree with you on
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 13:40 — belairbakersI disagree with you on Mosley. I really think he will be one of the best all-around players next year.
As for VT, the schedule did not help them at all, but they knew what they needed to do heading in the ACC Tourney and did not get the job done. The seniors need to step up for VT to be good.
Will see what happens with Tracy Smith, but right now they have alot to prove (as does Sidney).
UNC - Toss up on which way they go, depending on the freshman step in. I think a Sweet Sixteen appearance might be too much to ask.
FSU - Leonard Hamilton that is enough said.
"None of these assumptions
Tue, 06/29/2010 - 12:40 — JPDOhio"None of these assumptions mean anything until Sidney Lowe proves he can win with talent." That, in a nutshell, is why many Pack fans (myself included) are trying to temper our enthusiasm about the upcoming season.
This has to be the most talented team that State has had since the late '90s at least. There is valid reason for optimism and I believe that the Pack will be a terrific success this year. But the fact is that Sid's teams up to now have been inconsistent at best. And when they have experienced success in the past, they have not handled it well or built on it. (See losing streak after upsetting Duke this year and the entire season after their surprising run in the ACC Tournament Sid's first year).
So I am looking forward to the upcoming hoops season with cautious optimism. I believe in Sid as an excellent X's and O's coach who can succeed with the right talent. But he still has to prove it over the course of an entire season.
Wake last?
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 11:43 — chrisl68You are more incorrect about this then you were when you picked Wake 10th last year.
Hmm..I think you probably
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 09:27 — tbrwfuHmm..I think you probably should have looked at all of your rankings last year before you posted a link. They are rather absurd and basically kill your credibility on this one. I'll give you UNC, but you don't get a pass on Wake, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and BC.
Huh?
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 19:57 — jpg (author)Double-check that link. I picked the first and last place teams correctly. Do you know how hard it is to correctly predict the last-place team?
And I am the only person on the planet who correctly predicted Miami would finish last.
— JPG
Yeah, took a lot of courage
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 21:39 — tbrwfuYeah, took a lot of courage to pick Duke to finish first. And you know what a basketball powerhouse Miami typically is. Who else would someone pick for first? Maybe UNC. What about for last? Maybe NC State or Virginia. Meanwhile, you did stupid stuff like pick Virginia 8th, Virginia Tech 9th, and BC 3rd.
Order of finish
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 07:16 — blitzballYou are sooo wrong in your order of finish. Move GT up a couple of notches, Clemson down, and Wake up to about 7th. You're basing NCSU's place on the talent they have coming in. Wake's recruits are ranked, as well, and there is returning talent on the team, but you place them last? Clemson's cupboard is bare and no outstanding recruits coming in, which is also the story at BC.
Why?
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 12:22 — Heels20Wake up to 7th? They lost Smith, Aminu and their coach. Why in the world would they not drop? Clemson should be moved down. GT lost Favors and Lawal, so they should not be moved up. It's not like he has State ranked in the top 3. Their success also will not be based solely on incoming recruits; remember Tracy Smith and Javi Gonzalez.
I don't know about 7th, but
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 12:46 — tbrwfuI don't know about 7th, but putting Wake behind BC and Clemson is just stupid. We have more talent, and our new coach came from a big-time conference.
That's crazy talk
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 14:17 — Heels20The only thing "big-time" about the Big 12 was the top half. Colorado wasn't even in the discussion. And what makes you think you have more talent than BC? Many would say that Wake overachieved last year and BC underachieved. BC returns much more than Wake this season. As far as Clemson goes, I agree that they will be rebuilding from the bottom, but Wake Forest will not be any kind of force to be reckoned with this season.
Notice I said he was from a
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 16:29 — tbrwfuNotice I said he was from a big-time conference, not a big-time school? That means he played against the top half of what is a pretty damn good basketball conference. He's played against teams like Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri, etc on a regular basis. The other guys have not.
BC only has 7 players on scholarship next season. Yes, I am pretty sure we have more talent.
I never said we would be any kind of force to be reckoned with, but we will not finish 12th.
Notice
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 16:42 — Heels20I addressed how calling the Big 12 a "big-time conference" is a joke. We all remember the game where Colorado almost upset Kansas, but how did they compete with the rest of the conference? A home win against Baylor is the only thing that stands out in the least bit. It was a poor higher at a less-than-ideal time. The only thing that Wake has going for them right now is that Dook and Carolina are both recruiting such elite talent, that the Deacons now have an opportunity to inherit top 50 players that otherwise would have gone to one of the triangle schools. I haven't done any research to prove whether or not your statistic of 7 scholarship players at BC is accurate, but I do know that they return their starters. Wake not only loses 3 starters, but they also lose their point guard...a very good point guard. Aminu will not be as big of a loss as some may expect, but his absence will not be something that can be made up for over night. With all the talk about Harrison Barnes and Kyrie Irving, it's easy to overlook J.T. Terrell, but he could very well be one of the top freshmen in the country this season. I think Wake has talent, but between a coaching transition, growing pains and just as much talent on opposing ACC squads, I think they are the only team other than Clemson that you can really choose for the final slot.
It doesn't matter how they
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 17:06 — tbrwfuIt doesn't matter how they stacked-up, what matters is that Bzdelik has coached against better coaches than Donahue or the Clemson guy. The Big 12 is certainly much more of a big-time conference than the Ivy League or Horizon League. I understand caution with Wake, but it seems plain as day that we are in a better place than either Clemson or BC. Yes, BC retains their starters, but they will have almost no bench. Meanwhile, Clemson lost their star, and their incoming class isn't ranked. Hell, what about Virginia? They also lost their star, they are almost as young as we will be, and their incoming class isn't as good as ours. I am not saying we should be in the top 4 (though I think we could make a run for it if all the pieces fall into place, but that's a big if); however, we will finished better than 12th.
I don't understand
Mon, 06/28/2010 - 21:33 — Heels20It doesn't matter where Bzdelik coached if he couldn't succeed. The ACC is a much better conference than the Big 12. If he couldn't win at Colorado, how in the world will he win in the ACC? It's not like he's inheriting a good team. New (formerly unsuccessful) coach + new point guard + inexperience = recipe for disaster in the ACC. Look at UNC last year. We have one of the best coaches in the country, brought in 5 highly touted recruits and didn't even sniff 4th place. With an improved ACC this season, what makes you think Wake has a shot at making a run?
BC may not have a bench, but that is only a minor issue compared to what Wake faces. BC returns their point guard and is bringing in a coach who has won 3 straight conference titles and been to 3 straight NCAA tournaments. He may not have faced the same competition as Bzdelik, but he earned his fair share of quality wins. From an unbiased fan on the outside looking in, BC will most likely be the better basketball team.
Also, I stated before that Clemson could be a last place team. UVA can sustain the loss of Landesberg because of their style of basketball. They run a similar offense to what Herb Sendek ran at NC State. If you look back to 2006, State had just lost Julius Hodge and didn't return any big time stars. However, they still had a pretty good year because of Sendek's preaching of scoring distribution. What makes the situation even better for UVA is that Tony Bennett's teams play some of the best defense in the country.
Not sure what else I can say to convince you. The fact that Bzdelik has coached in a bigger conference than Donahue or Brownell is not enough to convince me.
The average playing time for
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 21:57 — tbrwfuThe average playing time for BC's scholarship player will be 28 minutes per game. For comparison purposes, the same number for Wake (with 11 scholarship players on the roster) will be 18 minutes. You really think that's a minor issue?
Before you bash Bzdelik's record, consider where he coached. Colorado is a basketball wasteland. Yet most Big 12 analysts and fans feel like he was on the verge of turning Colorado into a serious contender. I bet a lot of Big 12 fans would have put him top 3 in the conference for actual coaching. Recruiting is an unknown, but Dino has us covered in that regard, for now anyway. It will be interesting to see what Colorado does next year.
It isn't just about Bzdelik versus the other hires. Quite simply, we have more talent. It is inexperienced talent, but then we also have a coach that can quickly develop talent. At Colorado, he took a 3-star recruit and made him into the Big 12 Rookie of the Year.
I don't think we're going to win the conference regular season, and it's isn't likely that we will get a bye in the tournament, but we will not finish last. Worst case scenario, 10th. Best case, 5th.
Where do you come up with this?
Wed, 06/30/2010 - 22:30 — Heels20First of all, 28 minutes per game is not an issue. Dook just won a national title with 3 guys averaging around 35 per game.
Second of all, you're flat out assuming that Big 12 fans would put him top 3 in the conference for "actual coaching." I'm not even a Big 12 fan, and I could already say that Bill Self, Rick Barnes and Frank Martin are all held in higher regard than John Bzdelik. Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri, Baylor and Texas are all locks to be better than Colorado next year. So as far as Colorado goes, they'll only be a "serious contender" for a spot as a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team.
Where are you coming up with this idea that Wake has more talent? Walker and Woods were both huge busts. You continue to tip-toe around the fact that you lost your point guard who was one of the best in the ACC. Aminu is gone, which may be a blessing in disguise because it was highly evident at the end of the year that he didn't care any more. Your best defender in LD Williams is gone. You can put me on record for saying that Melvin Tabb is insanely overrated. JT Terrell is the real deal, but by no means can he carry this team alone. Notice that Miami had a lot of young, inexperienced talent this season, and they finished last even with veteran and now-NBA-draft-selection Dwayne Collins. Wake has hardly any talent compared to the rest of the conference.
The ceiling is 8th for Wake. I'm sorry, but no one outside of Wake Forest's fan-base agrees with you that they could potentially finish in 5th. And take a lesson from a Carolina fan who saw it all crumble this past season with a much better coach and much more talent. It CAN happen.