The Four Tiers of the ACC

Opportunity has passed the ACC by once again. With league play starting up Saturday, there have been more debilitating losses than eye-opening wins so far. One-third of the conference is ranked outsides the RPI’s top 100, and just four teams are in the top 50 (meanwhile, the Big East has four schools in the top six).

Why is a league that once prided itself on being basketball royalty suddenly on the brink of battling the CAA and Atlantic 10 for NCAA Tournament bids? Coaching turnover for one. Virginia’s Tony Bennett is the fifth-longest tenured coach in the ACC — in just his third year. The mass exodus of head coaches following the past two seasons has placed several former prominent programs such as Maryland, Georgia Tech, NC State and Wake Forest in rebuilding mode.

Times are hard, even at the top. Duke hit the road on Wednesday to face Temple, and the Owls led virtually the entire game in a 78-73 upset. North Carolina is 13-2, but is just 2-2 against the RPI top 50. While nobody doubts the Tar Heels’ talent, there hasn’t been a true marquee win by anyone in the ACC this season.

If you’ve watched any of ESPN’s broadcasts of ACC games this year, you’ve noticed they typically include whichever analyst’s breakdown of the league into three “tiers.” I don’t think I’ve seen one that I’ve agreed with yet. So, as a primer for ACC play, I’ll give my own groupings that hopefully make sense to all. Following my tier rankings, I project every team’s conference record, so make sure to check that out as well.

(League power ranking in parentheses)

Tier 1: NCAA Tournament Locks

(1) North Carolina, (2) Duke

Surprise, surprise. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils are on a crash course to meet in the ACC Championship Game yet again. The biggest point of separation between these two and the rest of the league is frontcourt play.

For North Carolina, no team in America boasts an interior as long and athletic as John Henson and Tyler Zeller. Opponents take the ball into the paint at their own risk against the Heels. North Carolina has defended 376 three-pointers this season, the third highest total in the country. Nobody takes it inside against the Tar Heels. John Henson leads the ACC with 3.2 blocks per game.

Duke’s front line of Mason and Miles Plumlee, along with Ryan Kelly, is a formidable group in its own right. The Plumlees have been inconsistent at times, but have played well of late. They combined for 33 points and 17 rebounds in Duke’s loss to Temple.

Both UNC and Duke should sleep their way through eight or nine games in ACC play. They’ll need to barely rise from their slumber in another three or four. They’ll get everyone’s best shot as always, but the bottom third of the league is so miserable that it won’t be much of a challenge for either team.

NCAA Tournament Hopefuls

(3) Virginia, (4) Virginia Tech, (5) NC State, (6) Miami, (7) Florida State

The Cavaliers are off to their best start in recent memory and are in the driver’s seat for the ACC’s third NCAA bid. Even the ‘Hoos success hasn’t come without turmoil, though. Once-prized recruit KT Harrell transferred in mid-December, as did the seldom used James Johnson. Among their last four games, the Cavaliers squeaked by winless Towson and lowly Seattle to prove their vulnerability. They are the still best defensive team in the league, allowing only 50.4 points per game (second nationally).

Virginia Tech seems destined for a fifth straight season on the bubble. The Hokies have failed to win any of its games against RPI-top 50 opponents, which will undoubtedly hurt them come Selection Sunday. Erick Green has been steady at point guard, but it’s an influx of youth is what has kept Virginia Tech afloat in the aftermath of Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen’s departure. Highly Dorian Finney-Smithh has struggled offensively but leads the team with 8.2 rebounds per game. Robert Brown has been a lightning rod on the wing, mainly because of his outside shooting and highly active defense. Marquis Rankin has been a solid backup for Green, while CJ Barksdale provides quality depth in the post that Tech has not been accustomed to in a long time.

NC State has shown flashes of promise in the early season under first-year coach Mark Gottfried. The Wolfpack have five players averaging double-figure points, but a lack of depth will test this team through the grind of the conference schedule. C.J. Leslie is enjoying a strong sophomore season after a disappointing rookie campaign. He’s scoring 13 points and hauling in more than six rebounds per game. The ‘Pack only played one true road game through their 11-4 start, so they may struggle in some of the tougher ACC road environments in the early going.

Nobody is paying attention to Miami, but the Hurricanes are finally at full strength and are a dynamic club that matches up better with Duke and North Carolina than anyone else in the league. DeQuan Jones regained his eligibility mid-season in the wake of the Nevin Shapiro schedule, and seems caught up to speed in new coach Jim Larranaga’s system. Dominant big man Reggie Johnson returned from an off-season knee injury, and the ‘Canes have averaged 88 points during their four-game win streak since his return. Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant form one of the toughest backcourts in the country, giving Miami a balanced offensive attack.

In a season drenched in disappointment, Florida State is the league’s posterchild of it all. Fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance last March, the Seminoles had high hopes for a similarly strong season. Instead, the Seminoles might want to put out an APB for any semblance of offensive prowess. They are 10th in the ACC in offensive efficiency, 11th in three-point shooting and fifth in scoring. That’s not going to get it done against Carolina and Duke, which is who Florida State compared itself to in the preseason. Leonard Hamilton has been around the block a time or two, though, and my bet is Florida State will finish the season stronger than it started it.

Tier 3: NCAA Longshots

(8) Wake Forest, (9) Maryland, (10) Clemson

After last season’s debacle, the Demon Deacons have already won more games than they did all of last season. Travis McKie is one of the best players America’s never heard of. He’s averaging a shade under 18 points and six rebounds per game. C.J. Harris has also been a focal point of the Deacs’ mild resurgence with 19 points per game on 54 percent shooting. Depth is a major issue here, as Jeff Bzdelik was left with a mangled roster last year following Dino Gaudio’s surprising ouster. Can Wake Forest make the dance? Probably not, but I like the pieces on this team and they are hungry to erase the memory of of 2010-11 from everyone’s minds.

Don’t let Maryland’s seven-game win streak fool you. The average RPI of the Terps’ foes in that stretch is 212. Their average margin of victory during the streak was a mere 7.14, and that includes an 11-point overtime win against Albany at home. Terrell Stoglin has been terrific thus far and he leads the ACC with 21.1 points per game. Sean Mosley is second on the team with 10.2 points per game, as he hits the home stretch of what has been a disappointing career. Part of me wants to call off the dogs on Maryland, but a 10-win ACC season — albeit a miraculous one — is not entirely impossible. There are too many question marks on the teams ahead of them on this list to give the Terps no shot.

I have no rational explanation for why Clemson is so bad. I thought this team would take a step forward in Brad Brownell’s second season, but their inability to score and extended lapses of focus on the defensive end make me wonder if Brownell has completely lost this team. There’s more than enough talent to contend for an NCAA bid, but it’s not showing on the court this season. The best thing Clemson fans can hope for is the Tigers treat the ACC slate as an entirely new season and finally live up to their potential. A win at home on Saturday against Florida State is almost a must at this point.

Tier 4: No chance

(11) Georgia Tech, (12) Boston College

The odds these two clubs combine for more than five ACC wins is roughly equivalent to the chances either one of these teams offers me a scholarship. Boston College is downright pathetic. The Eagles have lost to Holy Cross, UMass, St. Louis, Penn State, Boston, Harvard (for the fourth straight year, but not a bad loss this time around for once), and Rhode Island. They are 262nd in the RPI, which is about three times as high as the typical ACC cellar-dwellers reside. It’s an extremely young collection of players that will take a beating against virtually every other team in the league.

Except for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets enter league play on a three-game losing streak, which consisted of defeats to Mercer, Fordham and a 25-point blowout to Alabama. Their leading scorer, Glen Rice, Jr. averages only 12 points per game. They are 11th in the league in offensive efficiency despite facing an extremely weak out-of-conference schedule. New coach Brian Gregory also has a whale of a job in front of him to clean up the mess that Paul Hewitt left behind. Gregory will be much more meticulous in his job building the program than Hewitt ever was. Thenear future is extremely dim for Tech, but if the fan base can be patient, there is a light at the end of this long tunnel.

PROJECTED RECORDS

1. North Carolina 14-2*

2. Duke 13-3*

3. Virginia 11-5*

T-4. Miami 10-6*

T-4. Virginia Tech 10-6^

T-6. NC State 9-7^

T-6. Florida State 9-7^

8. Wake Forest 6-10

T-8. Clemson 6-10

10. Maryland 5-11

11. Georgia Tech 2-14

12. Boston College 1-15

*NCAA at-large

^Will need strong ACC Tournament showing for at-large bid

UNC, Duke appropriately meet for ACC Title

It’s been ten years since the last time Duke and North Carolina met for the ACC Tournament championship. The drought ends Sunday, when the Tar Heels and Blue Devils will meet for the third time this season after splitting the first two match-ups.

Last Saturday, the Tar Heels assembled their best performance in two years in an 81-67 win over the Devils at home. That win earned the Heels the regular season ACC Championship.

There is much more on the line this time, however.

Not only is this the rubber match for the two goliaths of the ACC, but it could very well be a battle for a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina’s late-season surge put them in the conversation as a national championship contender. Duke, the preseason No. 1 team, looked out of sync for most of the final month of the season.

In the tournament, however, North Carolina has been sloppy in two narrow victories. Duke, on the other hand, has been assertive and much smoother in a pair of double-digit wins.

North Carolina never led until the final .2 seconds of its quarterfinal game with Miami, when Tyler Zeller’s lay-up beat the final horn for the 61-59 win. The Tar Heels trailed by 10 at halftime on Saturday to Clemson before storming back to win 92-87 in overtime.

Harrison Barnes gave a performance for the ages in that contest. His 40 points were an all-time tournament record for a freshman.

Barnes spent the first half of the season enduring massive criticism for a failure to live up to out-of-this-world expectations. The first freshman to ever be named preseason All-American, Barnes was timid for a majority of the year.

After Kendall Marshall took over as the Tar Heels’ point guard, Barnes’ production spiked, and he gradually grew more comfortable as the team’s go-to scorer. Against Clemson, he completely took the game over, including a 6-of-8 effort from three-point line.

For Duke, it has had to endure a majority of the season without a freshman sensation of its own. Point guard Kyrie Irving has been out since early December with torn ligaments in his toe. With Irving, the Blue Devils greatly resembled a juggernaut. In his absence, the Devils had to move senior All-American Nolan Smith to the point.

All Smith did was lead the ACC in scoring and finish second in assists en route to ACC Player of the Year honors. He willed the Devils to victory on more than a couple occasions, despite the consistent struggles of 2010 Final Four MVP Kyle Singler and the Devils’ lack of a scoring threat in the post.

Late in Duke’s 87-71 quarterfinal win over Maryland on Friday, Smith hobbled off the court with – ironically enough – a jammed toe. His status for Saturday’s semifinal game was uncertain up until warm-ups.

Smith never showed the effects of the injury in a dominant performance against Virginia Tech. He scored 10 straight points at one point in the first half and finished with 27 total in a 77-63 Duke win.

He’ll have to be at his best one more time Sunday against a North Carolina team that he’s had a high level of success against this season. He’s averaging 32 points and four assists against the Tar Heels this season.

There are three keys for North Carolina to win its 17^th ACC Championship: slow down Smith, take care of the ball, and stay out of foul trouble.

Smith is the engine of Duke’s team. If he struggles, Duke has a difficult time winning. The Heels have been uncharacteristically careless with the ball during the ACC Tournament, and they can’t afford to do the same against Duke. Through two tournament games, Carolina has 35 turnovers. Miami confused the Heels with a 2-3 zone defense, while Clemson used an ultra-aggressive half-court attack to control much of the game.

The Heels dealt with a touch of foul trouble Saturday. Leslie McDonald, who has been a key player down the stretch with his three-point shooting, picked up his fourth foul just five minutes into the second half.

Furthermore, John Henson and Tyler Zeller provide North Carolina with a decided advantage on the interior. As long as both are on the floor, Duke cannot compete on the glass.

The three keys for Duke on Sunday are: get Kyle Singler going early, slow Carolina down in transition, and at least by competitive in the paint.

Singler has struggled from the three-point line this season, a stark difference from a year ago. Barnes has been sensational defending Singler in both prior match-ups, holding him to a combined 18 points. If Singler knocks a couple of jump shots down early, he could be the difference in the game.

Clemson and Miami used two different approaches, as mentioned above, to stop the Tar Heels’ fast-paced attack. Miami raced back to its zone after every shot. Clemson, meanwhile, sent a man after every shot on offense directly to Marshall. The Tigers did not let Marshall easily take any outlet passes and advance the ball quickly up the court.

Duke must find a way to keep Marshall from getting the ball behind the Devils’ defense in the blink of an eye, as he so often does. With 15 points and 11 assists last Saturday, Marshall destroyed Duke. He can’t do that again if the Devils hope to win.

Between the Plumlee brothers and Ryan Kelly, Duke needs one of them to step up with 10-14 points at least. Whether it means by pulling UNC’s big men away from the basket with mid-range jumpers or getting to the foul line, they can’t allow Carolina to dominate the paint.

I’m hyped up to attend my first-ever Duke-UNC game Sunday, especially one with so much on the line. In an otherwise disappointing season for the ACC as a whole, the league is in for a fantastic final chapter. Tobacco Road is up for grabs again.

Around the Diamond: Friday May 14

Baseball

Virginia Tech 11, Duke 3

Justin Wright lasted seven and two-thirds innings as the Hokies (35-15, 15-10) cruised past Duke (28-23, 7-18). Wright did not allow a run until Jake Lemmerman launched a three-run home run in the eight inning to draw the Blue Devils within 4 runs.

Tech responded with four runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning, and Ben Rowen registered the final four outs to end the game.

Four Hokies batted in two runs apiece, including Sean Ryan, who went 3-4 including a double.

North Carolina State 5, Florida State 2

The Wolfpack (32-18, 12-13), who nearly swept Georgia Tech two weeks ago, continued their strong play with a win against the Seminoles Friday night in Tallahassee.

NC State was ahead 3-2 before Andrew Ciencen hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning to provide the winning margin.

The win draws the ‘Pack within a game of third place in the Atlantic Division, while Florida State (37-13, 16-9) continues its string of disappointing performances.

Wake Forest 9, Clemson 5

In what was easily the most surprising result of the day, Wake Forest (14-35, 5-20) beat up Clemson (32-18, 14-11) at home.

Tiger pitcher Casey Harman allowed six runs in just three and one-third innings to earn the loss.

Wake Forest scored eight runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth. Mac Williamson led the Deacons’ charge with four RBI. Both of his hits cleared the fence for home runs.

Georgia Tech 14, Miami 3

Miami suffered its worst defeat of the season at the hands of the Yellow Jackets, thanks to a dominant performance throughout by the Georgia Tech offense.

Tech scored four runs in the second inning, five in the third, and two in the fourth and fifth inning each to destroy Miami (36-12, 18-7), who entered the day tied for first place in the Coastal Division.

Jay Dantzler had three RBI out of the eighth spot in the batting order for Georgia Tech, a testament to how strong the Jackets’ line-up is from top to bottom.

A win like this could definitely put some of the swagger back in the Georgia Tech (40-9, 18-7) dugout that it has been missing for a month or so now. If the Yellow Jackets get hot, the rest of the conference is in trouble.

North Carolina @ Virginia was postponed and will be played tomorrow at 1 p.m.

Post-spring football wrap-up disguised as power rankings

1. Virginia Tech

The Hokies’ biggest issue coming out of spring is an injury-plagued offensive line. Two projected starters missed a majority of the spring with injury, and several others missed practices.

With an offense loaded with experience and talent at the skill positions, all Tech needs is an adequate offensive line and it should score points in bunches.

Most of the starting positions on a revamped defense have been solidified, with a few lingering question marks at free safety and defensive end. It was a productive spring for a defense replacing seven starters.

2.Miami

Quarterback Jacory Harris sat out spring practice while recovering from a thumb injury, which hurts Miami because of the lackluster fashion in which he finished last season. He will be completely healthy by the fall, but he could have used three weeks of practice to work out the kinks from the end of 2009.

The offensive line struggled in the first couple scrimmages before having its strongest performance of the spring in the spring game. Much of the talk surround the Hurricanes is their speed on the outside. Some people say this is the fastest Miami team in nearly a decade.

Miami fans might worry about their team’s defense after the final score of the spring games was 58-53. That’s a bunch of points for a shortened game. However, most people around the program aren’t putting much stock into that number, and the defense should be one of the best in the conference.

3. Georgia Tech

I refuse to put Georgia Tech any lower than this; no matter how much NFL talent it lost. Paul Johnson proved the past few years that his teams can beat anyone.

Roddy Jones and Anthony Allen will be a force in the backfield despite the loss of Jonathan Dwyer.

Josh Nesbitt will be back for his third year in Johnson’s offense, which just means he will operate it even better than before. There’s much to learn about this offense that there is always room for improvement, and having a third-year starting quarterback running the show will make Tech very tough.

4. North Carolina

The story of the spring in Chapel Hill was the uncertainty at quarterback. Incumbent starter T.J. Yates has seemingly regressed since a promising freshman season, and this might be the year he loses his job.

Bryn Renner made a favorable impression on both the coaching staff and the fan base with an exceptional spring. Renner was the talk of the spring game, completing 15 of 21 passes with a touchdown and two interceptions. His mobility inside and outside of the pocket is a huge advantage over Yates.

If the Tar Heels can settle on one quarterback – preferably the right one – and solidify the running game, the defense will win them most of their games.

The UNC defense is loaded with first-round NFL talent. No less than five players are expected to go very, very early in next year’s draft. It’s hard to imagine any team running the football with any semblance of success. The UNC-Virginia Tech game will be quite the clash.

5. Florida State

The biggest concern in Tallahassee is rebuilding a defense that ranked among the worst in the country in 2009. Mark Stoops has been brought in to fix that, and it sounds like the group made decent strides this spring.

The best news for the Seminoles is Christian Ponder looks great after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury last year. He entered spring practice facing questions about his job security, with E.J. Manuel performing well in replacement duty in 2009. It sounds like Ponder put those questions to rest and the ‘Noles expect a huge year from the senior field general.

There is a lot of unproven talent around Ponder. Two receivers had a big impact in the spring game, Rodney Smith and Bert Reed. Both had long receptions and seem ready to break out as playmakers this fall.

The uncertainty around Ponder and the work needed on defense makes me uncomfortable rating the ‘Noles any higher than this. Although if you notice, the four teams ahead of them are all from the other division. A weak Atlantic Division this year will definitely aid the Seminoles.

6. Clemson

The will-he-or-won’t-he play college football question surround quarterback Kyle Parker intensified this spring, as Parker is in the midst of a spectacular baseball season. Coach Dabo Swinney made it clear he believes Parker’s best opportunity to make millions is in the NFL, but MLB scouts surely think otherwise.

Parker completed 7-of-15 passes for 79 yards in the spring game.

It’s no secret why Swinney has been so public about his optimistic future for Parker. Parker’s backup, Tajh Boyd, disappointed most of the spring, and finished the spring game 8-of-25 passing for 132 yards.

The defense is solid, especially up front with DaQuan Bowers, who might be the best defensive end in the country in the Mario Williams mold. The secondary also had a good spring (of course that might be overstated thanks to the lack of good quarterback play), but Clemson simply has more questions than answers at this point, none more pivotal than the pending decision by Parker.

7. Boston College

Mark Herzlich’s return to the field overshadowed a spring session that was very focused on developing a lackluster offense. Last year’s starting quarterback David Shinskie entered under extreme pressure to keep his job. He battled sophomore Michael Marscovetra and freshman Chase Rettig to retain the starting spot, and by all accounts it sounds like he did just that.

Marscovetra put up more impressive numbers (13-16, 156 yards, TD) than Shinskie (6-12, 50 yards) in the spring game, but the coaching staff insists that Shinskie has a firm grip on his job right now.

The Eagles also have no running back behind starter Montel Harris that they have any confidence in. this is a problem, because the diminutive Harris will never be a 25 carry per-game guy.

The offensive line returns four starters, including Anthony Castonzo, who many people believe is the best left tackle in America.

The defense will be stout as always, despite losing several key starters. Word around Chesnut Hill is virtually 100 percent focused on the offense.

8. NC State

Just like Clemson, the Wolfpack have a huge concern surrounding their star quarterback and the baseball diamond. Russell Wilson is in the midst of a solid baseball season, but coach Tom O’Bren has insisted Wilson will return to the football field this fall. Wilson did not practice at all with the football team in the spring.

Backup quarterback and once highly touted recruit Mike Glennon had a very good spring, however. In the spring game, he completed 21 of 38 passes for 423 yards with three touchdowns and only one interception.

Before Wilson’s emergence two years ago, Glennon was supposed to be to Tom O’Brien what Philip Rivers was to Chuck Amato. Instead, Glennon is still on the bench, but with a performance like this spring’s, O’Brien might not beg Wilson to return to the team a la Dabo Swinney.

Redshirt freshman running back Travis Leggett looked very good this spring. He finished with 129 yards and 21 carries in the spring game.

Middle linebacker Nate Irving returned from a devastating car accident this spring and seems good to go for next year.

Less than half of the team’s scholarship players participated in the spring game, however, which means they are behind the pack (no pun intended…ok pun intended) in terms of grooming their young talent.

9. Maryland

The offensive line will be the strength of a unit that has very little else to boast offensively. Jamarr Robinson is as fleet-footed as they come at the quarterback position, and he’s going to have to accumulate much of the yards himself in 2010.

D.J. Adams might have taken a lead in the race for starting running back, but none of the kids at that position are very dangerous.

Defensive coordinator Don Brown said the Terps ran mostly basic schemes this spring, and with a young defense that is still trying to learn second-year coach Brown’s system, it might take a while for it to get up to speed.

10. Duke

The Blue Devils left a winter early spring practice still in search of answers at quarterback. Sean Schroeder sucked struggled in the spring game, completing only 4 of 20 passes for 23 yards. Brandon Connette was a little better; completing 8 of 19 passes for 67 yards and carrying the ball 13 times for 91 yards.

The loss of Thaddeus Lewis hurts big time, and even with coach David Cutcliffe’s prowess at developing quarterbacks, this year will be a step back for a steadily improving program.

11. Wake Forest

Skylar Jones looks like he will replace Demon Deacons’ legend Riley Skinner at quarterback. Besides Jones, there was little else to talk about from spring practice out of Winston-Salem. This will be a serious rebuilding year for coach Jim Grobe.

12. Virginia

It’s hard to figure out where to begin about how awful the Cavaliers’ spring game was. Marc Verica completed less than half of his passes, and lost all accuracy inside the red zone. He was probably outplayed by both backups, Michael Strauss and Ross Metheny. The running backs popped a run or two of more than ten yards, but there is hardly any firepower on offense.

New coach Mike London and his offensive staff have changed the scheme from last year’s spread under Gregg Brandon, but Verica simply never looked comfortable.

The defense doesn’t look very impressive either, outside of Ras-I Dowling, who may be the nation’s best cornerback. The front seven is undersized but doesn’t’ blow anyone away with its speed either. London should be able to get the defense to play over its head this year, however.

Virginia will have a very hard time scoring points, and the defense isn’t good enough to keep them in a lot of low-scoring affairs.

Mike London has the program on the right track, but he’s going to start at rock bottom.

2010 ACC Lacrosse Tournament Preview – Virginia

The ACC Tournament is set for this weekend in College Park, Md.

The semifinals will take place Friday when Virginia faces Duke in the first game, before North Carolina takes on Maryland in the night cap.

The next four days, I’ll take a look at all four teams in the tourna

ment, and how they stack up against the rest of the field.

#1. Virginia Cavaliers

Record – 11-1 (2-1 ACC)

Semifinals opponent: Duke

Starters:

A- Chris Bocklet          A- Steele Stanwick                A- Matt White

M- Brian Carroll         M- Rhamel Bratton              M- Shamel Bratton

D- Ken Clausen            D- Matt Lovejoy                   D- Ryan Nizolek

G- Adam Ghitleman

Individual statistical leaders:

• Chris Bocklet – 33 goals, 9 assists, 40.2 shot %, 0 penalties
• Steele Stanwick – 21 goals, 21 assists, 37.5 shot %
• Brian Carroll – 16 goals, 10 assists, 34 shots on goal
• Rhamel Bratton –16 goals, 2 assists, 27 shots on goal
• Adam Ghitleman- 7.9 goals against per game, 53.8 save %

Team statistics:

• 13.08 goals per game
• 30.2 shot %
• 448 ground balls
• 55.0 faceoff %

The Cavaliers lost their first game of the season in the final game against Duke 13-9. Funny enough, the Blue Devils are the Cavaliers’ opponents in the first round of the tournament.

Virginia averaged 44 shots entering the game, but Duke held them to only 34.

The difference in the game was the third period, when Duke turned a 6-5 halftime deficit into a 9-7 lead.

Virginia’s best players are sophomore attackman Chris Bocklet, who is second in the ACC with 33 goals. Steele Stanwick, who is also a sophomore, is seventh in the conference with 21 goals.

Virginia was ranked number one for the final month and half of the season.

After the Duke loss, the Cavs fell to second place behind Syracuse according to the Inside Lacrosse coaches’ poll.

Virginia leads the nation in ground balls per game, though Duke beat them in that category 31-23 last week.

The Cavaliers will surely be out for revenge in this week’s game, but that doesn’t mean you can already put the win in the bank.

Duke’s national title not as memorable as it seems now

Gordon Hayward's buzzer-beating half-court shot barely missed. Instead of being the most memorable play in college basketball history, it will soon be largely forgotten.

The NCAA Championship Game could have ended differently Monday night.

It almost did.

The culmination of a tournament full of shocking moments, unbelievable endings, and unforgettable images, nearly saw tiny little Butler stun the nation by beating Duke.

Instead, Gordon Hayward’s faithful heave from half-court did everything but pierce the net as time expired.

And as it clanked away, while the Duke coaches embraced one another in glee, the storybook ending that should have been written dissolved into the night.

In time, nobody will remember that, either.

Every time it seemed like Duke muscled the Bulldogs into a corner, they fought their way right back out.

51-47; 54-49; 56-51; 60-55. Those were scores at four different moments in the final ten minutes, all in favor of Duke.

Hayward and embattled center Matt Howard led the resurgence, scoring 14 of Butler’s final 16 points.

It was the three points left on the court at the end that was the difference.

Instead, Duke wrapped up what probably won’t, but should be remembered as a remarkably easy path to its fourth national championship.

It wasn’t because of Bulldogs that the path to the title was smooth. Butler claimed the tournament lives of Syracuse and Kansas State already before Monday night.

The Bulldogs were not a Cinderella. Put Kansas, UCLA, Memphis…hell, any team from a power conference’s name across their jerseys, and nobody would have looked at this game as a mismatch.

However, Duke did walk through the consensus easiest region in the bracket. To reach the Final Four, the Blue Devils beat Arkansas Pine-Bluff (the play-in game winner), California (champion of the weakest power conference), Purdue (playing without its unquestioned leader), and Baylor (come on, who knew Baylor was that good before they showed up as a three seed on selection Sunday?).

It could have ended differently. Kansas was supposed to be a cut above the rest, but they went all Bill Self on us and lost prematurely in March.

Syracuse was supposed to have a vaunted defense, suffocating opponents all season.

If that was supposed to be the case, the Orange got out-Syracused by Butler in the Sweet Sixteen.

Meanwhile, Duke quietly won games that were nowhere near the end of the meter in terms of competitive value.

It wasn’t anything new to Coach K’s squad. They ran through the ACC Tournament, beating 9^th seeded Virginia, 12^th (and last) seeded Miami, then 7^th seeded Georgia Tech in the finals.

They didn’t exactly face the cream of the crop in March.

Nevertheless, they took control of West Virginia in the second half of their Final Four game, and thanks to the torn right ACL of Da’Sean Butler, cruised into the championship game without breaking a sweat.

Butler scratched and clawed all game long. They never led by more than two points, but never allowed Duke to lead by more than six.

At least somebody made the Devils work for it.

So many things about this year’s tournament won’t be remembered.

Butler’s run to the title game is a good story, but ten years from now nobody will talk about its title game loss. It’s not George Mason.

Nobody will remember how much easier Duke’s road to the championship was than usual. It’s just another title to Coach K’s name, who’s on his way to cementing himself as a top three coach of all time.

Don’t be mistaken; Duke deserves credit for surviving the dance, unlike its powerhouse counterparts.

But it could have ended differently.

Maybe it should have ended differently.

But it didn’t.

And soon we will all naively look back on 2010 as the year of the Blue Devils.

Barnes named co-MVP, Irving impressive at McDonald’s Game

The West defeated the East 107-104 in the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game in Columbus, Ohio

Harrison Barnes scored 18 points to go with five rebounds, and Brandon Knight hit a three-pointer in the final seconds to give the West a 107-104 victory.

Barnes’ performance was good enough to share Most Valuable Player honors with future Ohio State Buckeye Jared Sullinger.

Sullinger finished with 22 points and seven rebounds for the East.

The North Carolina signee Barnes showed off his superb athleticism, throwing down several dunks in transition.

In all-star games like this, you aren’t going to get a chance to see much else.

Both teams neglected to play any sort of defense; the game was just an opportunity for the players to make the flashiest plays possible.

Still, Barnes showed he could run the floor and attack the basket from the wing with an explosive burst.

Duke signee Kyrie Irving looked special. Irving scored 13 points, several of them coming on nifty plays in the lane. On one drive on the first half, Irving cradled the ball behind his back as he went by a West defender before laying it up and in.

Irving showed he will be the best point guard to come to Durham since Chris Duhon.

Kendall Marshall and Reggie Bullock both played for the East squad as future Tar Heels. Neither filled up the stat sheet. Marshall scored two points on free throws early on, and Bullock scored six points.

Bullock did have an impressive put-back dunk late in the second half.

Nobody can look at this game and get a better idea of how these kids’ games will translate to the next level. Still, seeing the plays Barnes and Irving made have to give Heels and Blue Devils fans hope for the future.

Here is the game’s official box score:

VISITORS: Men’s West

TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS

## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN

01 Jones, Terrence….. *  7-11   0-1    0-1    2  1  3   0  14  0  0  0  1  14

11 Knight, Brandon….. *  3-11   1-7    2-3    0  2  2   0   9  2  1  0  1  20

13 Melo, Fab……….. *  1-3    0-0    0-0    1  6  7   5   2  4  4  3  2  19

20 Lamb, Doron……… *  6-11   0-2    0-0    2  0  2   1  12  0  1  0  0  14

40 Barnes, Harrison…. *  7-10   1-3    3-3    2  3  5   1  18  1  2  0  0  22

03 McCallum, Ray…….    2-7    0-2    0-0    1  1  2   0   4  3  0  0  1  15

05 Joseph, Cory……..    1-6    0-1    0-0    0  2  2   0   2  2  2  0  2  14

12 Thompson, Tristan…    4-7    0-0    0-0    3  2  5   1   8  1  3  0  1  17

21 Young, Patric…….    3-4    0-0    1-2    3  6  9   1   7  1  2  0  0  15

22 Richmond, Jereme….    5-7    0-0    1-2    2  1  3   1  11  2  0  0  0  18

32 Appling, Keith……    4-15   2-9    0-0    1  1  2   1  10  2  1  0  0  17

34 Smith, Joshua…….    4-5    0-0    2-2    4  2  6   1  10  0  1  0  1  15

TEAM…………….                         1  1  2

Totals…………..   47-97   4-25   9-13  22 28 50  12 107 18 17  3  9 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 22-49 44.9%   2nd Half: 25-48 52.1%   Game: 48.5%  DEADB

3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-15  6.7%   2nd Half:  3-10 30.0%   Game: 16.0%   REBS

F Throw % 1st Half:  6-8  75.0%   2nd Half:  3-5  60.0%   Game: 69.2%    2

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HOME TEAM: Men’s East

TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS

## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN

01 Thomas, Deshaun….. *  5-14   0-5    1-2    2  5  7   1  11  3  1  0  0  22

11 Irving, Kyrie……. *  5-8    1-1    2-2    1  1  2   1  13  2  3  0  3  18

31 Harris, Tobias…… *  6-7    1-1    0-0    2  2  4   0  13  2  3  0  0  12

34 Sullinger, Jared…. *  7-11   2-3    6-6    1  6  7   3  22  2  0  1  3  24

35 Bullock, Reggie….. *  3-6    0-2    0-0    2  4  6   1   6  1  1  0  1  17

00 Kendrick, Jelan…..    2-3    0-1    1-2    0  1  1   1   5  0  3  1  0  11

03 Jones III, Perry….    3-4    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   6  0  0  0  0  15

04 Jackson, Joe……..    0-1    0-0    2-2    1  0  1   0   2  2  1  0  0  12

05 Leslie, C.J………    3-6    0-1    1-2    2  7  9   0   7  1  2  1  0  17

12 Marshall, Kendall…    0-2    0-1    2-2    0  1  1   0   2  5  2  0  1  14

24 Pinkston, Jayvaughn.    2-8    0-2    0-1    1  1  2   1   4  0  2  0  0  16

32 Selby, Josh………    6-10   0-1    1-2    1  1  2   1  13  3  3  0  0  22

TEAM…………….                         1  1  2

Totals…………..   42-80   4-18  16-21  14 30 44  10 104 21 21  3  8 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 23-41 56.1%   2nd Half: 19-39 48.7%   Game: 52.5%  DEADB

3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-10 30.0%   2nd Half:  1-8  12.5%   Game: 22.2%   REBS

F Throw % 1st Half: 10-13 76.9%   2nd Half:  6-8  75.0%   Game: 76.2%    1

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Officials:

Technical fouls: Men’s West-None. Men’s East-None.

Attendance:

Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total

Men’s West………………..   51   56  -  107

Men’s East………………..   59   45  -  104

Points in the paint-WEST 70,EAST 64. Points off turnovers-WEST 22,EAST 21.

2nd chance points-WEST 22,EAST 15. Fast break points-WEST 28,EAST 22.

Bench points-WEST 52,EAST 39. Score tied-15 times. Lead changed-17 times.

Last FG-WEST 2nd-00:03, EAST 2nd-00:32.

Largest lead-WEST by 11 2nd-03:04, EAST by 8 1st-00:28.