Can NC State end ACC Final Four Drought?

Since 1979, the ACC has never failed to put a team in the Final Four in three consecutive seasons. In 2012-13, the league will be in danger of doing just that. Following Duke’s national title run in 2010, the last two Final Fours have been void of any team from the league that typically dominates the event.

North Carolina was supposed to end the league’s one-year hiatus this season until Kendall Marshall crashed to the ground in Greensboro and broke his wrist. The Tar Heels bowed out in the Elite Eight for the second straight year. Duke had a puncher’s chance at making it to New Orleans when the dance began, but a collapse for the ages against 15th-seeded Lehigh ended those dreams.

Both teams have already suffered major defections, either through graduation or early entry into the NBA Draft. The Tar Heels will lose 71 percent of their scoring from 2011-12 thanks to the losses of Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall. To no one’s surprise, Blue Devils’ freshman Austin Rivers’ stay in Durham lasted just one year. Mason Plumlee is still mulling his options with one year of eligibility remaining, while older brother Miles has exhausted all four years of his.

The two traditional powerhouses of the league will still be forces to contend with next season, but if there was ever a year for another challenger to rise up and seize the title from the Heels’ and Devils’ clutches, it is now.

There just so happens to be one legitimate contender whose last known whereabouts were in St. Louis, losing by three to the eventual national runners-up. NC State came on strong at season’s end to barely sneak into the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack were not the prototype for an 11-seed, however. With future bona fide pros in C.J. Leslie and Lorenzo Brown, supported by a group of versatile athletes who maximized their value as role players, the Wolfpack could have made a run to the national championship game that would have shocked no one who’d watched them play since late February.

The best part for Wolfpack fans is they will be even better next year.

The first order of business for Mark Gottfried will be convincing Leslie to return to school for his junior season. The 6-8 sophomore finally tapped into his vast potential in the second half of the season, averaging better than 17 points and nine rebounds per game over his final 12 contests. He was the best player on the court in all three ACC Tournament games, including the Wolfpack’s crushing 69-67 loss to North Carolina in the semifinals.

However, for all of the promise Leslie showed at the end of this season, he’s still projected as a late first-round pick at best. He’s undersized to play power forward in the NBA, but lacks the perimeter game offensively to play the 3. Commitment issues still linger as well. The most noticeable difference in his game during the season-ending hot streak was a higher level of intensity more than anything. Now, some would argue that this flipping of the switch was a direct result of Leslie finally smelling the fruits of the NBA and going bat-shit crazy to prove to pro scouts he is worth their trouble. If that’s the case, Leslie may already be out the door and this is a moot point. The people I’ve talk to who follow the Wolfpack say Leslie is leaning towards coming back. We’ll have to wait and see.

If Leslie does return, the Wolfpack are immediately the favorites to win the ACC and a legitimate national title contender. Brown emerged as the best point guard in the ACC this season who didn’t wear number five and play for North Carolina. He averaged 12.7 points, 6.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game this season. He and Leslie would be on the short list for ACC Player of the Year if both return to school.

The only significant loss from this year’s team will be small forward C.J. Williams, who averaged 10.6 points and 3.8 rebounds this season. Williams was a gritty player and added to a very deep front line at Gottfried’s disposal.

Oh, by the way, NC State has a consensus top-five recruiting class on the way in 2012. Tyler Lewis is a heady point guard that will spell Brown with quality minutes off the bench. Or better yet, Gottfried could keep Brown on the floor when Lewis enters the game by sliding Brown to his old position at shooting guard. T.J. Warren is a poor man’s Harrison Barnes if you will; he’s an intelligent player with strong bloodlines (his father played at NC State), won’t blow you away with athleticism, but uses his NBA-ready body well. Warren won’t be a star right out of the gate, but the top-50 recruit will add quality depth to this Wolfpack squad next year.

The gem of the incoming class is 6-4 scoring machine Rodney Purvis. The hometown hero stayed in Raleigh to play for Gottfried and will be an instant impact player for the ‘Pack. He has first-class quickness and explosiveness for a shooting guard, not to mention a deadly mid-range jumper. There’s a strong chance he will start from day one next winter.

Here’s a look at the Wolfpack’s potential depth chart next season:

PG – Lorenzo Brown

SG – Rodney Purvis

SF – Scott Wood

PF – C.J. Leslie

C – Richard Howell

BENCH

F – DeShawn Painter

F – TJ Warren

G – Tyler Lewis

F – Tyler Harris

–

Wolfpack faithful are holding their breath in anticipation of Leslie’s announcement regarding the draft, and for good reason. Without Leslie, State could still challenge for the conference crown, but the season will follow a more familiar script with Carolina and Duke working to stave off lesser foes.

As badly as NC State needs Leslie back, the league as a whole needs him just as much. Neither the Tar Heels nor the Blue Devils seem poised for a Final Four run in 2013. Unless NC State carries the banner for the conference next year as a top-10 club, it’s going to be another down year in the ACC.

UNC 69, NC State 67: Instant Analysis

How it happened: I’m not sure. It was one of the stranger games I can remember, even for mid-March. North Carolina found a way to win in the face of serious adversity. NC State had the Tar Heels on the ropes with 15 minutes to play leading 46-39, but Carolina responded with an 11-0 run over the next four minutes. State regained the lead at 52-50 on a C.J. Leslie three-point play with 10 minutes left, but Carolina scored the next seven points and never trailed again.

Both teams dealt with crippling foul trouble. Kendall Marshall missed the final five minutes of the first half with two fouls, leaving backup forward Justin Watts to run the point for the Tar Heels. C.J. Leslie, who was the best player on the court for the third straight day, fouled out with 8:03 left when no one on Mark Gottfried’s staff informed him that Leslie was playing with four. Tyler Zeller fouled out with 1:09 to play with the score tied at 66.

There were 42 fouls called which made for an extremely choppy game, especially down the stretch. After Leslie’s fifth foul, Lorenzo Brown and Richard Howell gave the Wolfpack a fighting chance. Brown and Howell scored 13 of State’s final 15 points, including five straight from Brown that tied the game at 66 with 1:30 to play.

Kendall Marshall sealed the game with his game-winning 10-foot leaner with 10 seconds left. Fans and experts alike will argue whether or not Marshall got away with a charge before lifting up for the jumper. It was extremely close. My take: by the book, it should have been called an offensive foul. State’s Alex Johnson didn’t help his case by embellishing the contact, though. Johnson made it look like a flop, which almost never gets called in last-second situations. However, the officials were very quick on the whistle all game long. There were many fouls called for less contact earlier in the game. For that, I understand NC State’s beef with the no-call. Was it the right or wrong call? Maybe, maybe not. But that’s what happened and we all have to live with it now.

Player of the Game: Leslie and Zeller were both fantastic, but neither made it to the final buzzer because of foul trouble. Marshall’s double-double (12 points, 10 assists) coupled with his game-winner give him the nod in this department. He made two huge three’s off of kick-outs when State doubled down on Zeller. If he continues to do that, Carolina is almost unstoppable offensively.

What it means: North Carolina was playing with a short stack, but NC State proved once and for all it belongs in the NCAA Tournament by giving the Heels all they could handle. It seems like everything is finally clicking for Leslie, who finished with 22 points and seven rebounds. The Wolfpack will be a dangerous team if they make the field of 68.

The Tar Heels move on to the championship where they likely will be without John Henson again as he nurses his sprained left wrist. James Michael McAdoo played well as Henson’s replacement Saturday with the glaring exception of committing silly fouls. McAdoo finished with nine points and two rebounds, but picked up three fouls in the first half and then earned his fourth less than three minutes after halftime. Without Henson, Carolina has virtually no depth. None. The Tar Heels’ bench scored four points against NC State.

It’s also worth mentioning that Harrison Barnes played absolutely awful for about 29 of his 33 minutes on the court. He finished with 16 points on 3-of-12 shooting (8-of-12 from the foul line). He can’t be so invisible if the Heels are to cut down any nets this season.

Carolina got away with one Saturday, but if Roy Williams has to resort to extended minutes for Desmond Hubert and any time at all for Justin Watts as a point guard, they won’t be so lucky again.

Barnes returns to leave a legacy in Chapel Hill

Hanging dauntingly above the court inside the Dean E. Smith Center are 43 North Carolina basketball jerseys.

There is a prestigious criteria that must be met in order to have your jersey added to the collection, which includes the likes of Michael Jordan, Phil Ford and Tyler Hansbrough to name a few.

The requirements include winning any of the six major national player of the year awards, being the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, ACC Player of the Year, First- or second-team All-America, winning an Olympic Gold Medal, or being MVP of a National Championship-winning team.

It’s no secret Harrison Barnes wants his number 40 outfit included in the group, and that is the biggest reason why he announced Monday he was returning to Chapel Hill for his sophomore season.

Barnes turned down the opportunity to be selected as high as No. 1 overall in June’s NBA Draft for a chance to establish himself as an all-time Tar Heel legend.

Earning that title means seeing your jersey beside Jordan and company.

The news of his return instantly transformed the Tar Heels into the overwhelming favorite to win the 2012 National Championship. The only team that could even argue its own case is Kentucky, and that’s only if freshmen standouts Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones surprise everyone and return to school.

The pressure this North Carolina team is about to face will be unlike anything the sport may have ever seen. There will be at least seven, likely eight legitimate NBA players in the rotation, including four likely NBA Lottery picks.

In addition to Barnes, John Henson, Tyler Zeller and incoming freshman James McAdoo are all projected to be top 14 picks in the 2012 draft, according to DraftExpress.com.

Only twice in the history of basketball has that happened.

What’s scarier, for all of UNC’s future opponents at least, is that all four are 6’8’’ or taller. The Tar Heels will have a legitimate NBA frontcourt that no team in America will be able to come close to matching in size, talent, or experience.

Toss in pass-first point guard extraordinaire Kendall Marshall, lockdown defender Dexter Strickland, plus long-range snipers Leslie McDonald, Reggie Bullock and incoming freshman P.J. Hairston, and it’s hard to find a sizable chink in the Heels’ armor.

But nevertheless, there are plenty of areas for this team to improve upon between now and November.

First and foremost is their foul shooting. Collectively, the Heels shot a mediocre 67.2 percent from the foul line last season. The worst of which was John Henson’s 48.2 percent mark. Henson showed tremendous improvement in the final month of the season, and if he could become a 60-65 percent shooter by next year, it would be a tremendous help.

Marshall must add some bulk to his 185-pound frame, which in turn will help him be more of a threat to score in the paint. He’s a world-class distributor and a reliable three-point shooter, but he struggled to finish at the rim in traffic. In addition, if he can also improve his foul shooting from 69 percent, it would make him nearly unstoppable on the offensive end of the floor. If opposing defenses can’t crowd him on the perimeter for fear of him exploding to the rim and/or drawing fouls, he could set some long-lasting assist records.

Ironically, the Heels were a very solid defensive team last season. Committing on that end of the floor was the biggest problem for the 2005 and 2009 UNC teams that won national titles. If this team can continue its efforts defensively from 2011, that won’t be an issue during this run.

Carolina struggled mightily this season against 2-3 zone defenses, mainly because it had no outside scorers to stretch the defense out. McDonald gained more confidence as the season unfolded, and although he took some ill-advised shots at times, another year of experience and maturity should lead to him filling that void next season.

Not to mention Bullock and Hairston, who were both recruited as three-point assassins. Bullock never really found his groove as a freshman and shot just 29 percent from behind the arc. He will be pushed hard by Hairston, who most recruiting experts say has legitimate NBA range already.

Bullock’s season was already cut short by a knee injury in 2010-11, and his severe mental lapses (see: first Duke game) makes you question his basketball IQ. If Hairston steps in this summer with the right attitude and an understanding of his role – a tall task for a highly-touted freshman – he could steal a lot of Bullock’s minutes from day one.

Back to the pressure thing. Roy Williams dealt with the exact same issues in 2005 and in 2009. In ’05, Raymond Felton, Sean May and Rashad McCants spurned the NBA to make a title run. In ’09, it was Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson doing the exact same thing.

If there is any coach in America who can handle a team that knows of its dominant potential, it’s Williams.

This upcoming Tar Heel squad will be compared every day of the week and twice on Sunday from now until next April to the aforementioned championship teams, and that’s fair.

What should separate this team from either of those is the man who gave birth to this blog – Barnes.

Barnes is the most NBA-ready player to wear the baby blue since Vince Carter (or Antawn Jamison, take your pick), and he’s ready to show it.

After losing to Kentucky in the Elite Eight last month, Barnes couldn’t stop the tears from flowing in the postgame interview session. Neither could Marshall or Henson. You didn’t see that same emotion from the underclassmen at Kentucky when they were eliminated the following weekend.

This team is committed, and like it or not, Barnes will carry the burden of leading it to the Promised Land.

What makes Barnes so special, is that through thick and thin, he embraces the challenge and won’t shy away from it one bit.

He proved as much in his statement Monday.

“As a team, we’re preparing for a special season. My off-season plans are to diligently work on honing my basketball skills in all areas with one team-goal in mind — to bring the 2012 national championship home to UNC.”

The rafters await him.

Special Announcement + Sweet 16 Preview

What’s up everyone? This has been a down semester for ACC Mania for a couple of reasons. For those of you who don’t know, I began blogging for Raycom Sports’ website in January, and a majority of my content has been posted over there.

I’m also happy to announce that as of Wednesday morning, I have accepted an internship with ESPN for the summer. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get here, but it has finally paid off. I appreciate everyone who has helped me along the way and thank all of you who have supported ACC Mania, as it was a critical element in my application.

Now, with the craziness of internship applications finally out of the way, it’s time to start blogging again. I’ll be down at Duke this Saturday for its spring football game; I’m looking forward to seeing how David Cutcliffe’s experienced offense looks, in addition to the improvements the Blue Devils have made defensively.

But for now, I want to talk about the NCAA Tournament, and the outlook of the three ACC teams still alive heading into the Sweet Sixteen.

First off is the Duke Blue Devils, who face Arizona at 9:45 p.m. Thursday in San Diego.

The Blue Devils nearly coughed up a ten-point lead with six minutes left in the second round against Michigan before hanging on to win 73-71.

The biggest subplot to the Arizona game, and any potential subsequent Duke game for that matter, is how the Blue Devils will use Kyrie Irving.

The freshman point guard missed the final three months of the season with a toe injury before returning for the NCAA Tournament. In two games, Irving has played 20.5 minutes per game and is averaging 12.5 points per game. He is 5-for-12 from the field and 13-of-14 from the foul line as well.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski expects Irving to play but he will not start. Krzyzewski is trying to gradually slide Irving back into the normal rotation, but he has to be careful. Irving was in the game down the stretch against Michigan when the Wolverines staged their comeback.

If the Devils’ offense begins to lack continuity with Irving in the game, Arizona is talented enough to send them packing.

Duke is a more talented team across the board. They are a better rebounding and shooting team with a more efficient offense. The Wildcats are a slightly better three-point shooting team, but Duke’s perimeter defense is so tight that it shouldn’t be an advantage. When Duke has struggled this season, it has been when its key shooters like Kyle Singler and Seth Curry did not shoot well. Arizona has to hope for off nights from both of them, as well as Andre Dawkins, if it hopes to have a chance.

PREDICTION – Duke 74, Arizona 67

Next up, North Carolina matches up with Marquette at 7:15 p.m. Friday night in Newark, NJ.

The Tar Heels breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Golden Eagles upset Syracuse last Sunday night to eliminate the Orange. Marquette is a more than worthy opponent, but the Orange were a terrible matchup for Carolina. Instead of facing a team with great length and a suffocating 2-3 zone defense, the Heels face a Marquette team that makes up with heart what it lacks in size and talent.

UNC’s post players Tyler Zeller and John Henson had monster weekends in rounds two and three last weekend in carrying Carolina past Long Island and Washington.

Zeller followed up a 32-point performance against Long Island with 23 against the Huskies. Henson, meanwhile averaged 19 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over the weekend while also blocking 10 shots.

North Carolina’s front line lists at 7-foot, 6-foot-11, and 6-foot-8. Marquette’s checks in at 6-foot-11, 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-6. The Tar Heels’ size forces teams to settle for jump shots and keeps opponents off the boards. UNC is the No. 1 rebounding team in the country.

Marquette shoots a respectable 35 percent from three-point range, but they’ll have to shoot better than that to beat Carolina. Teams that give the Heels fits make plenty of outside shots and slow the game down on both ends of the floor.

UNC is a decidedly better defensive team statistically. Its opponents’ offensive efficiency is 94.2, while Marquette’s is 100.5.

Golden Eagles’ coach Buzz Williams is an excellent motivator, and North Carolina always gets every team’s best shot. This young Heels team is starting to understand that and live up to that challenge in a tournament atmosphere.

PREDICTION –

North Carolina 83, Marquette 72

The final game of the Sweet Sixteen for the ACC is the most unlikely of the bunch. Florida State meets VCU in a battle of Cinderellas.

VCU has pummeled its first three opponents in the big dance by an average of 17 points. The three opponents? USC, Georgetown and Purdue.

None of those teams were know for playing great defense. Florida State knocked off Texas A&M and Notre Dame by completely disrupting their offensive rhythm.

For the second straight season, the Seminoles are the nation’s best defensive team. When they shoot well from the outside, as they did last weekend, they can beat anyone – just ask Duke. When they struggle from the outside, anyone can beat them – just ask Auburn.

Like Irving for Duke, Florida State is trying to bring back a star player from an injury. Chris Singleton is the unquestioned leader of that team, but his absence has allowed the Seminoles to develop a more balanced offense. Derwin Kitchen has played the best basketball of his career over the past month.

Singleton should play 15-20 minutes on Friday, but FSU is fine without him. They boast a huge size advantage across the board against VCU, but the key will be handling the Rams’ pressure. Shaka Smart’s energy on the sidelines translates into a high-intensity defensive attack on the floor from VCU, and that could rattle the Seminoles.

The Rams will have to create turnovers and score in transition in this one. If the game turns into a low-possession affair, Florida State will control the defensive glass and won’t give VCU many open looks.

VCU probably snuck up on the teams it dismantled last week, and used the momentum of being the underdog to never take its foot off the accelerator. Florida State has a way of sucking the life out of teams and turning it into a boring game, more or less. VCU doesn’t want that to happen.

PREDICTION – Florida State 65, VCU 62

 

 

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.

Post-exam week games give mixed results for ACC

Six ACC teams took the floor on Saturday; five engaged in marquee non-conference matchups.

It was a tough week for college basketball teams across the country, most of which just finished final exams and were anything but fresh on Saturday. It made for some interesting results to say the least.

Georgia Tech stuns Richmond

Let’s start with the good. Georgia Tech pulled off a much-needed 67-54 win over Richmond from the Bahamas.

Iman Shumpert paved the way for the Yellow Jackets with 21 points and six rebounds, but it was Tech’s defense that was the key to the victory.

The Spiders shot just 39 percent from the field, and star point guard Kevin Anderson scored just 12 points.

The win showed there just might be a little life in Jackets (6-4), who had lost three of four coming into Saturday’s game. The Spiders are one of the best teams in the Atlantic 10. They’ve already beaten Purdue, Arizona State and Virginia Commonwealth this season.

“I thought today was the first time we played like a Georgia Tech team,” Paul Hewitt (pictured) said.

North Carolina falls in heartbreaking fashion

Cory Joseph pushed the ball to the top of the key, planted hard, spun around and struck North Carolina with the dagger that sent 20,000+ Tar Heel fans home unhappy.

Joseph’s (pictured) unlikely bucket with 1.4 seconds left Saturday broke a 76-76 tie and handed UNC its toughest defeat of the season.

The Tar Heels lead for all but 40 seconds in the second half, including a six-point advantage with six minutes to go but they couldn’t hold on to win.

The Heels (7-4) got career games from backup point guard Kendall Marshall and starting shooting guard Dexter Strickland.

Marshall played well in key minutes during the second half as starter Larry Drew II was strapped to the bench in foul trouble. Marshall scored seven points with three rebounds and assists apiece.

“He does that stuff all the time in practice,” fellow freshman Harrison Barnes said.

“That’s the most aggressive I’ve seen him maybe since I’ve ever known him.”

Drew II had played well of late, but Saturday showed a relapse into the turnover-prone, offensive liability that had many Carolina faithful calling for Marshall to start earlier in the year.

Drew finished with two points, three assists and four turnovers.

Strickland was instrumental in the Tar Heels’ strong offensive performance with a career-high 18 points. His three-pointer with 6:26 left gave the Heels the six-point lead that was squandered.

The game was played in Greensboro, but it was clearly a home game for the Heels, so this is a tough loss to swallow for Roy Williams’ club.

Texas, like UNC, is inconsistent and very young. The Longhorns’ two leading scorers were the freshman Joseph (21 points) and sophomore Jordan Hamilton (24).

A win would have been another step in the right direction for UNC, who has seen a turnaround in energy starting with a 75-73 win over Kentucky two weeks ago. Instead, they’ll need to regroup with three should-win games before traveling to Virginia on Jan. 8 to open up ACC play.

Miami can’t finish the deal against UCF

The Hurricanes let UCF score 51 second-half points, squelching a 12-point lead to let the Knights retain their unbeaten season.

The ‘Canes had won five in a row until Saturday, but Marcus Jordan was too much to handle. Michael Jordan’s son scored 23 points before leaving the game with 1:24 left with an ankle injury.

This would have been a quality win for Miami (7-3). The Knights already beat Florida earlier in the year at home.

The ‘Canes got a subpar performance from 6-foot-10, 300-pound center Reggie Johnson. The normally dominant big man scored just six points but more importantly grabbed just seven rebounds. Miami was outrebounded 36-28.

There were 55 fouls in this game, including 29 on the Hurricanes. Central Florida could have won by even more. The Knights made just 21-of-43 free throws.

Miami will be a streaky team all season. The ‘Canes have one of the more talented rosters in the league, but a lack of depth in the backcourt puts a heavy burden on Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant to bring their best effort every night. When they do that but get little help from the frontcourt, there will be more results like this one.

Virginia Tech picks up fraudulent win over Mississippi State, 88-57

A Hokie basketball team that can’t catch a break this season finally did on Saturday, beating up on a worn-down Bulldogs’ squad by 31 points.

Mississippi State was playing for the sixth time in eight days as part of a unique scheduling ploy that allowed heralded center Renardo Sidney to become eligible as soon as possible.

It was the first regular season game away from home for the Bulldogs, as the game took place in the Bahamas following the Georgia Tech-Richmond tussle.

The Hokies (6-4, 0-1 ACC) scorched the Bulldogs’ zone defense, especially in the first half when they made six of their nine total three-pointers for the game.

When the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee reads over the Hokies’ resume in March, this win will likely look more impressive than it actually was.

Not only were the Bulldogs miserably fatigued from the opening tip-off, but also were without suspended point guard Dee Bost. Once he returns, this figures to be a much different team as SEC play soon begins.

Hokies’ coach Seth Greenberg can and will ultimately use this as a confidence booster to his team that was sorely in need of it.

Greenberg caught lightning in a bottle when Erick Green moved into the starting lineup last week to replace the injured and struggling veteran Dorenzo Hudson.

Green’s presence at point guard has freed up All-ACC performer Malcolm Delaney to shoot 50 percent from the field in his past two games while playing his natural shooting guard position.

Hudson came off the bench Saturday to play his best game of the season with 17 points in 23 minutes.

Delaney and Hudson, both seniors, were the highest scoring tandem in the ACC last year. It seems like the week and half stretch of rest for Hudson was just what he needed to rejuvenate his season.

It remains to be seen what Greenberg decides to do with his lineup now that Hudson appears fit to play again. He’d be wise to ride out this experiment with Green in the starting five and Hudson providing a spark on a paper-thin bench.

You don’t often hear of a three-year starter being replaced mid-season for a scarcely tested sophomore, but it might be the best decision for all parties involved.

In fact, it just might be the gutsy move Greenberg has to make to save his team from another disappointing NCAA Tournament snub.

Wake Forest hangs tough with Xavier on the road, falling 83-75

The “Baby Deacs” fell by eight points on the road to a good Musketeer team, and it might have been the most impressive game on paper that Wake Forest has played all season.

It’s been a rough start to Jeff Bzdelik’s tenure in Winston-Salem, but this season is all about growing pains for his extremely young ball club.

Freshmen J.T. Terrell (pictured) scored 27 points and Travis McKie had 11 rebounds to keep Wake alive, but it was inconsistency on the defensive end the spelled the Deacons’ doom.

Xavier point guard Terrell Holloway had a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists. Five Musketeers were in double figures.

Wake Forest couldn’t do the little things to help their case, a shear sign of youth.

The tandem of McKie, Terrell and Ari Stewart, along with injured point guard Tony Chennault, will mature rapidly once ACC play begins. However, with games like this where all the young guys on the roster show promise against a quality opponent in a tough environment, it must be taken as a positive sign for the program.

Deacons’ McKie quietly becoming a star

Just a few weeks ago, the ACC was hyping perhaps the best crop of freshman to enter the league at the same time in over a decade.

Headlining the group was Duke’s Kyrie Irving and North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes. NC State’s C.J. Leslie and Lorenzo Brown, and also Virginia’s K.T. Harrell were the popular names when discussing the league’s top rookies.

You may not have noticed, but one freshman not yet mentioned is having a monster start to the season. The only problem is, he’s hiding at lowly Wake Forest.

Richmond product Travis McKie is the Demon Deacons’ leading scorer and just two-tenths of a rebound from owning a similar distinction in that regard as well.

The 6’7’’ forward was expected to be a supporting player off the bench in his freshman campaign.

Instead, he’s scored in double figures every game while playing at least 25 minutes in each contest as well. He’s started every game.

His breakout performance came against Elon, when he scored 22 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Three days later, he posted his second double-double against Marist with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

While players like Barnes and Leslie are struggling to make an impact on their respective teams, McKie is the clear-cut leader of a very young Wake Forest team.

He currently ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in four categories: field goal percentage (2nd; 53.6%), defensive rebounds (t-6th; 6.0), rebounding (t-9th; 7.8) and scoring (14.8; 10th).

The Deacons won’t be any threat in conference play this season. They suffered embarrassing home losses to Stetson, Winthrop, and a 21-point beatdown at the hands of Virginia Commonwealth.

The Deacons’ prospects were further dampened when starting point guard Tony Chennault suffered an ankle injury that’s expected to sideline him until January.

As Wake struggles to make it through a rebuilding year under first-year coach Jeff Bzdelik, there might not be much to speak of surrounding the program.

If there is, expect it to center around the rising star McKie.

Up Close and Personal – UNC 80, Lipscomb 66

North Carolina began its hopefully resurgent year on Friday night with an 80-66 win over Lipscomb in Chapel Hill.

I made the trip down to UNC to catch a glimpse of highly anticipated freshman forward Harrison Barnes.

After being named preseason first team All-America by the Associated Press last week, the spotlight on Barnes became a little brighter, and he delivered an overall good performance on Friday.

Some of the plays that stuck out in my mind were an assist he made to Justin Knox in the first half, when he was double-teamed at midcourt yet still found Knox standing wide open underneath the basket.

As the first half was winding down, Barnes caught a pass on the left wing behind the three-point line. Instead of rushing himself and shooting immediately, he used a shot fake on a charging defender, took one dribble forward and calmly sank a 16-footer as the buzzer rang.

Those two plays in particular exhibited Barnes’ extraordinary poise for a young player with so much attention focused on him already. I expected to see a little more selfish play from Barnes, thinking he had to dominate from the beginning. Instead, he had the mindset of a very smart player who knew what his role was on that night.

As he gain experience and becomes more comfortable, he will absolutely be looked to score more often, but he didn’t have to come out and score 30 points to prove his billing in the season opener, and clearly he understood that.

As for the rest of the game, Carolina is one more talented post player from being as good as its top 10 ranking indicates.

John Henson had a phenomenal game defensively with seven blocks and 17 rebounds. By the end of the game, Lipscomb was throwing up the ugliest shots imaginable, simply because of Henson’s presence as a shot-blocker.

With his quickness and length, Henson is going to be able to guard opposing small forwards, power forwards and centers, and they will have a very hard time getting shots off against him.

Despite adding 20 pounds of muscle in the off-season, he is still noticeably weak, and his post-up game is incredibly raw. His future with UNC and, more importantly, in the NBA is as a power forward. Right now, he has a lot of room to improve on the offensive end before he’s ready to jump to the pros.

I know it’s one game, but the way he struggled on that end of the floor made me think this might not be Henson’s last season in a Carolina uniform.

Larry Drew didn’t necessarily improve much from last season. He’s more aggressive this time around, playing much like he did in the 2010 NIT. The problem is, although he penetrates the lane much better now, his decision making is still mediocre. He only turned it over twice on Friday, but there were several times where he simply didn’t make the right pass because he didn’t see it.

Freshman Kendall Marshall had an up-and-down game in his 11 minutes of playing time. He scored 10 points and had three assists (compared to Drew’s four points and two assists in 29 minutes), but he made a few very freshman-esque mistakes.

It was clear he was not used to the speed of this level of competition yet, something he’ll adjust to quickly. Once he figures out what his limitations are, he’s going to be a very good point guard for coach Roy Williams.

His mistakes came from being aggressive with the ball and looking to move the ball ahead quickly. That’s exactly what Drew has hardly ever showed, yet is quintessential to Williams’ system. It would not shock me to see Marshall gradually start sucking away minutes from Drew until Marshall is in the starting lineup before New Year’s.

The other freshman Reggie Bullock made a very good impression in his Carolina debut. Bullock started the game three-for-three from the field, including two three-pointers en route to a 12-point performance in 15 minutes.

Bullock’s 6-7 frame is going to be very useful on the offensive glass, which he attacks very aggressively. But the biggest addition he makes to this team is the perimeter shooting threat that this team lacked a year ago. After the game, he admitted that he realizes he will be relied on heavily to knock down outside shots. Not only does he embrace that role mentally, but also he’s more than capable of doing it.

There was much more to discuss on the earliest of early thoughts on this Carolina team, but the Heels ought to be a constant topic of discussion this year as we try to figure out how good this team is going to be. I’m glad I had the chance to see them early, because I’ll be interested to see how they look up close and personal when I see them again in about a month.

 

ACC Basketball Preview, Part III – Impact Freshmen

The league bolstered its talent pool this season with an impressive recruiting haul, in addition to a few key transfers who will play important roles this season. Here’s a look at the freshmen who will have a big impact on their teams and the conference:

5 – K.T. Harrell, SG, Virginia

Harrell is a versatile swingman with good length who will make an immediate impact on a depleted Cavaliers’ roster. Rated as the No. 30 player in the country by Rivals.com, Harrell figures to step into the starting lineup immediately and be a key scorer for Tony Bennett. With the loss of Sylvan Landesburg and the injury to Sammy Zeglinski, Bennett needs options on offense, and it appears that Harrell is his best bet.

4 – Reggie Bullock, SG, North Carolina

The Tar Heels sorely missed Wayne Ellington and Danny Green last season for their perimeter shooting among many other things. Will Graves was inconsistent at best from beyond the arc, and now he’s no longer with the team. That leaves Bullock and his reputation as a sharpshooter to be a key player in the Tar Heels’ offense. He won’t start early, if at all, this season, but he could have a huge impact off the bench as a threat to score in bunches.

3 – C.J. Leslie, PF, NC State

Super athletic forward who has drawn legitimate comparisons to Amare Stoudemire, Leslie will form a fearsome duo inside with All-ACC candidate Tracy Smith. His biggest impact this season could be on defense, where he is an active shot-blocker and rebounder. Smith will command plenty of double teams on the offensive end, which could free up Leslie for some huge games this season. He leads a freshman class of ‘Pack that rates among the nation’s best, and he’s a future top-five NBA draft pick.

2 – Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke

You don’t start at point guard for Duke as a freshman unless you’re very, very good. Irving is just that, as some have gone so far as to say he’s the most gifted player on a loaded Blue Devils’ roster. He has John Wall-type scoring ability, and he has Nolan Smith, Seth Curry and Kyle Singler to dish the ball off too. He could be a double-double machine, something that is rarely heard of from college point guards.

1 – Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina

This is one heck of a list to top off, but Barnes fits the bill perfectly. He’s the most highly anticipated freshman at North Carolina in over a decade, and he enters the program at the perfect time. The Tar Heels lack depth in the frontcourt, yet they also don’t have a proven scorer on the wing. Barnes can do both better than just about anyone in the country. It’s a common opinion that he may be the national player of the year this season, and some believe he has the talent to take a very thin and unproven Tar Heels’ roster to the Final Four.

 

ACC Basketball Preview, Part II – Top 10 Non-Conference Games

10 – Temple at Duke (Feb. 23, 7:00)

This late-season interconference game won’t mean much to the Blue Devils, who barring a catastrophe should be a No. 1 seed. For Temple, however, this is the Owls’ last chance to polish their at-large bid resume should they not win the Atlantic 10. Temple has won three straight conference championships and return four starters from a team that finished 29-6 a year ago.

9– Gonzaga at Wake Forest (Jan. 2, 1:00)

The Demon Deacons will have a few strong tests before then, namely a potential Preseason NIT semifinal/finals appearance, but facing the Bulldogs at home around New Year’s is a tough test. The Bulldogs no longer have Matt Bouldin, but Robert Sacre is a potential All-American at center. Also, Steven Gray is a rangy guard that could prove tough for Wake to defend.

8 – Georgia at Georgia Tech (Dec. 7, 7:00)

Mark Fox has already done wonders for the Georgia program, and if the Yellow Jackets aren’t careful, this game could signal a shift in the balance of power in the Peach State. Trey Thompkins is a former McDonald’s All-American and is the SEC’s returning leader in both scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg). The Jackets have to replace four key players off of last year’s team, which underperformed still. Georgia is young, talented and more than capable of beating the Yellow Jackets by 20 if they aren’t careful.

7 – NC State at Syracuse (Dec. 4, 5:30)

The Wolfpack have several stiff tests in the non-conference slate, but a trip to the Carrier Dome is toughest of all. The ‘Pack will be just three days removed from a road game against Wisconsin, meaning they face two of the toughest teams to prepare for in America within 72 hours. The Orange don’t have Wesley Johnson any more, but veteran starter Rick Jackson and 7’0’’ highly touted freshman center Fab Melo will be a handful for C.J. Leslie and Tracy Smith inside.

6 – Purdue at VT (Dec. 1, 7:30)

This game was a lot more intriguing before Robbie Hummel and J.T. Thompson were both lost for the year with ACL injuries. Still, this is a battle of preseason top 25 teams and a chance for the Hokies to prove they belong in the conversation as an ACC contender. Seth Greenberg was criticized heavily for playing a weak schedule last season, so he loaded up the non-conference slate this time around. Now he has to face the music.

5 – Maryland at Villanova (Jan. 15, 1:00)

The Terps have some important games earlier in the year, like Pittsburgh (in Madison Square Garden) and Temple (in Washington, D.C.). But this is the easily the biggest road test for Gary Williams’ squad outside the conference. Both teams will have had two months to adjust to life without all-world point guards in Greivis Vasquez and Scottie Reynolds. The cupboard is hardly bare at either program, however. Maryland’s Jordan Williams and Villanova’s Corey Fisher are poised for breakout seasons.

4 – VT at Kansas State (Nov. 16, 4:00)

This is the first of Greenberg’s “resume building” games, and it comes very, very quickly. This is just the Hokies’ second game of the season, and it comes in the vaunted “Octagon”, K-State’s home gym that has proved to be a death trap for visitors under Frank Martin. The Wildcats lost shooting guard Denis Clemente to graduation, but 2010 Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year Jamar Samuels is a budding star. Samuels averaged 11 points and five rebounds per game off the bench last season. The backcourt battle between Jacob Pullen and Malcolm Delaney is as good as you’ll see at any time this season.

3 – Duke vs. Butler In East Rutheford, NJ (Dec. 4, 3:15)

Rematch of last year’s epic national championship game. Butler will sorely miss Gordon Heyward’s presence this season, but the Bulldogs still return four starters and will surely be out for revenge in this game. Shelvin Mack is a future pro at guard, and center Matt Howard is looking to have a strong finish to a great career. There are only a few games on the Blue Devils’ schedule that don’t appear to be a lock for them to win, and this is one of them. Foes need to seize that opportunity.

2 – Kentucky at North Carolina (Dec. 4, 12:30)

The best young players in America will take the floor in this game. Harrison Barnes is a preseason All-American despite never playing a minute of college basketball in his career. Brandon Knight doesn’t quite have the hype that John Wall did as the Wildcats’ freshman point guard last year, but he’s widely regarded as one of the five best recruits in this year’s incoming class. This is the Tar Heels’ first opportunity to re-assert themselves as a top-10 program. Besides from this contest, Carolina doesn’t face as murderous of a non-conference slate as usual.

1 – Michigan State at Duke (Dec. 1, 9:30)

We may witness at national championship game preview in this ACC-Big 10 Challenge contest. Kalin Lucas is healthy again, something that likely cost the Spartans the chance to knock off the Blue Devils in last year’s NCAA Tournament. He needs to take advantage of freshman phenom Kyrie Irving, who won’t have faced a player anywhere close to Lucas before this game. Cameron Indoor Stadium will be rocking for this potential Nos. 1-2 matchup.