Summer Hoops Preview '14
The Picks: The Picks
Part I: Duke, UNC, N.C. State
Part II: Wake, BC, FSU, Notre Dame
Part III: Clemson, Maryland, Miami, Pitt
Part IV: Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech

Wake Forest

Coach: Jeff Bzdelik (fourth season, 34-60 at Wake Forest, 145-165 overall)

2012-13 record: 13-18 (6-12 ACC, ninth)

Postseason: none

Projected starting lineup: G Codi Miller-McIntyre, G Coron Williams, F Travis McKie, F Devin Thomas, F Tyler Cavanaugh

Plus

• Wake did not finish last in the ACC last season. That counts as progress under Jeff Bzdelik, who finished last in 2011 (1-15) and tied for last in 2012 (4-12). Keep in mind, Bzdelik inherited a program that made back-to-back NCAA tournament trips in 2009 and '10 and was ranked No. 1 in the country at one point in Jan. '09, so progress is relative.

GREENSBORO -- Florida State was tearing a hole through the soft middle of North Carolina’s defense when P.J. Hairston got hot, making the final score a poor indication of how much danger the Tar Heels were in during the first half.

That’s the yin and the yang of North Carolina at this point, the price paid to get the Tar Heels’ best players on the floor. It cost them in last Saturday’s loss to Duke when they couldn’t handle Mason Plumlee. It nearly cost them in Friday’s ACC quarterfinal against the Seminoles, but they escaped and put Florida State away, 83-62.

Florida State handed N.C. State a ticket for a bye in the ACC tournament and then the Seminoles took it away.

Freshman guard Devon Bookert scored eight of his 18 points in the final 3 minutes to carry Florida State to a 71-67 home win over the Wolfpack on Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, Fla.

N.C. State (22-9, 11-7 ACC) only needed a win to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament and avoid having to play on Thursday. The Wolfpack beat FSU by 18 points in Raleigh two and half weeks ago and led by as many as eight points in the second half on Saturday.

With a win over Virginia on Thursday night, Florida State opened the door for N.C. State to earn a bye in the ACC tournament.

N.C. State, 11-6 in the ACC, would clinch an opening-round bye with a win over FSU on Saturday. The Wolfpack would be the No. 3 seed if Duke (13-4) beats UNC (12-5) on Saturday in Chapel Hill. State would be the No. 4 seed with a win and a UNC home win on Saturday.

Three Points from N.C. State's 84-66 win over Florida State:

1) Hi, my name is ...

… Tony Warren Jr. The 6-8 forward had the best game of his freshman season on Tuesday with 31 points and 13 rebounds. Warren scored with his usual array of "old man" moves, quirky shots from within 8 feet of the basket that don't always look pretty but usually go in, plus he made both of his 3-pointers and all five of his free throws.

Warren's real value on Tuesday was on the offensive glass, where he had eight of his season-best 13 rebounds. Warren had more offensive rebounds against FSU, which relies on three 7-footers, than he had total rebounds in any other ACC game.

It was a tough day for the Duke offense, as neither quarterback Anthony Boone (7) nor injured starter Sean Renfree could generate any momentum. Credit: STEVE CANNON, AP

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Duke was held to a season-low in both total yards and passing yards. But one Blue Devil had the most productive day of his young career.

Entering the game, freshman wide receiver Max McCaffrey had zero catches. By the time the first half was over, he had two.

McCaffrey, the son of 13-year NFL veteran Ed McCaffrey, caught the two longest passes Sean Renfree threw. The first was a 13-yard completion on Duke’s opening drive, and the second was a drive-extending, 18-yard catch on third down on the Blue Devils’ lone scoring drive.

McCaffrey said he didn’t know ahead of time that he would play a bigger role in the offense.

FSU quarterback EJ Manuel will have one less option in his backfield after Chris Thompson's ACL injury. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

Florida State will go into its game against Duke without its leading rusher, Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said. Chris Thompson tore his left ACL in last week's game against Miami, ending his season.

"He was upset, very disappointed," Fisher said. Having a great year, doing everything right. He's what's right about college football. I say it all the time. But this game takes no prisoners. It's a very unforgiving game."

Thompson was leading the Seminoles with 687 rushing yards on 91 attempts, an average of 7.5 yards per carry. He was also on track to become the first Florida State running back to eclipse 1,000 yards since Warrick Dunn topped that mark in 1996. 

Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples posted the video of the day with his apology to N.C. State fans for insulting the crowd noise at Carter-Finley Stadium before the Wolfpack's 17-16 win over Florida State last Saturday.

Staples had a little fun with the Wolfpack faithful, which is known to be difficult on both rival fan bases and the media.

Updated 1:54 a.m.

RALEIGH — Down 16 points to the No. 3 team in the country and the best team in the ACC, N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon wasn't ready to give up on the Wolfpack on Saturday night.

There's a lot to like about Florida State.

I get that. The Seminoles return 17 starters from a team that won nine games, despite some serious injury issues at key positions.

Jimbo Fisher's third team is talented, deep and they have one of the easiest schedules possible (the latter being a big reason noted prognosticator Phil Steele made the Noles his choice to win the BCS title).