There will (most likely) be no coaching changes in the ACC this year. There really aren't many of those "one-and-done" guys that other conferences will see leave. So what are the major themes of the ACC's offseason?
-Olympic Games: I must admit that I was surprised that Mike Krzyzewski had his Duke team blazing out of the gate this season. I honestly felt that his Olympic responsibilities would have some sort of effect on the Blue Devils to start this season. Instead, they shot out of the gate and were the #2-ranked team as late as February.
But this July and August will see K's commitment to the Olympic squad hit the highest level. After finishing a pretty good season at Duke and looking towards bigger things in '09, he must go to Beijing and deal with a volatile and thankless job.
If Team USA comes back with the gold, everyone will just say it was because there were better players this time around and the program was more focused. If they don't win it all -- God, help them.
-UNC's Main Men: The Tar Heels were a horrible 12 minutes from getting to the National Championship game this year. If everyone comes back, they could be the favorite to bring home the title.
Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington are all contemplating going pro ... but no one knows which way they are leaning. Hansbrough did say he wants to bring a title back to Chapel Hill before bolting, but that was before the media showered him with all kinds of awards. Staying means Hansbrough could keep winning awards, take that last shot at winning a title and setting UNC and ACC scoring records. I don't see his draft stock fluctuating much either way.
Lawson and Ellington's stock isn't very high. Lawson spent time hurt this year and then looked horrible against Kansas. Ellington is a classic tweener right now who needs to shake that streaky label.
If all three come back, it would mean the only loss from the roster is Quentin Thomas. Bobby Frasor (Hansbrough's best friend) will be back after missing most of the season with a knee injury. Recruits Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller add frontcourt depth ... while Larry Drew Jr will fill the Q-Thomas role.
-New Duke A.D.: Coming back to Duke, their athletics director Joe Alleva is moving on to LSU. Now, there was great growth in the athletic department during Alleva's 10 years ... but there was also some slip ups (football program still stinks; something about the lacrosse team). There are many in the Duke "family" that aren't sad to see him go.
Obviously, Duke basketball is still the focal point of athletics but getting a guy who can build their football program is a must. The ACC did sell their soul for the pigskin. How this all plays out won't ruin Coach K's bunch, but it will be interesting to follow.
-18 Game Season: The ACC felt they got shafted when they only got four teams in the NCAA Tournament despite being ranked as the top conference. Many felt the reason Virginia Tech missed out was because their schedule wasn't tough.
One reason was that the Hokies played UNC, Duke and Clemson just once apiece. It's just one of those scheduling quirks that happens in a 12-team league that plays 16-game seasons.
There are some that one to go to 18-games ... just as the Big East and Pac-10 (the other two "great" conferences) have. The ACC coaches don't want that, as they think it would further cannibalize the schools while limiting their ability to schedule outside the conference.
It has been a good thing for both those conferences. It adds more high profile games for those bubble schools later in the season that can sway a team into the dance.
Obviously, the ACC won't hit 18 games this coming year (or two), but it is an issue that won't go away.
-Other Early Entrants: NC State's J.J. Hickson has already declared for the NBA Draft, but hasn't hired an agent and could come back to school. Hickson was the Wolfpack's best player but there was controversy about how the rest of the team performed around him.
Other than Hickson, there really isn't any buzz around anyone else going pro. I already touched on the UNC guys ... but the only other names out there are BC's Tyrese Rice and Duke's Gerald Henderson. Most people don't think either is going anywhere.
By the way, the ACC shouldn't be represented well on draft day. Hickson, DeMarcus Nelson, Sean Singletary and James Gist may be the only ones drafted ... with most coming in the second round.
-Regaining Elite Status: I know what you are thinking. The ACC was rated at or near the top of all conference rankings during the season. However, it is obvious that the league is declining. Their 19 NCAA Tournament wins during the last three seasons is the lowest amount since 1979-1981 (and that was with a smaller tournament).
The ACC had sent at least two teams to the Sweet 16 in every season from 1980 to 2006. That ended last season with North Carolina as the only school getting there. UNC was the only team to get there this year, as well.
