NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Basketball FanHouse http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ACC Players, Coaches Wag Finger at New Taunting Rulehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/acc-players-coaches-wag-finger-at-new-taunting-rule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/acc-players-coaches-wag-finger-at-new-taunting-rule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/25/acc-players-coaches-wag-finger-at-new-taunting-rule/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

ACC referee Karl HessGREENSBORO, N.C. -- The talk of the Atlantic Coast Conference's basketball media day Sunday was the trouble a player could get into if he talked too much.

Or said the wrong thing, or gestured the wrong way, or celebrated excessively, or did anything else that might be considered "unsporting behavior,'' according to a new zero-tolerance policy approved for this season by the NCAA.

Many of the players and coaches gathered at Greensboro's Grandover Resort bluntly said they either did not like the change, didn't understand why it was necessary, or both. The biggest issue: there is too much room left for the wrong interpretation.

"If you dunk on someone or whatever -- that's just someone's game. They take pride in it, "insisted Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney. "They don't mean to disrespect people, but that's sometimes how it comes out.

"I think they should have done a survey with the players, asked us for our input,'' he added. "We're the ones playing, and they wouldn't know how we feel about it unless they ask us. They wouldn't know how it affects how we play if they don't ask how we feel."

Said Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez -- formally voted by the media as preseason first-team all-ACC, and informally picked as the player most constrained by the new rule -- "What if you dunk on someone, and it's a crazy dunk, and you can't keep the emotions inside of you? I guess that's what they want us to do. But, that's why they have rules.''

Not even a coach's reputation as "old school'' kept him from being perplexed by the new rules, which call for a technical if an official -- at his discretion -- deems a player's actions as over the line.

"That's why college basketball is a great game, because of that exuberance,'' Maryland coach Gary Williams said, adding that there is a distinct difference between celebration and taunting. "These are 18-and-22-year-old kids who have grown up playing a certain way. It may not be the way I grew up playing it, but it's a great way to play.

"And I hope nobody gets penalized for making a great play and being penalized for it. You've seen it in football already,'' he added. "Hopefully, nobody loses a game over something like that.''

Williams was referring to the infamous "excessive celebration'' football penalty that essentially cost Georgia a victory over LSU earlier this month, a mistake the Southeastern Conference later had to admit to and for which the officiating crew was suspended. Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt also recalled that play, and laughed when asked about the new basketball rule.

"You always teach your players to respect the game, so I think it's important that you're serious about that -- but I'm smiling, because you're putting a lot on the officials,'' Hewitt said. "They're officiating the best athletes in college sports ... This is just another thing you're piling on their plates.''


The taunting rule is one of a handful of changes or areas of emphasis to be put into play this season. There now will be a specific blocking-charging area under the basket, but one that will not be marked by a line as in the NBA. Also, the use of replay will be expanded to determine whether certain fouls are called flagrant, intentional or technicals; three-seconds will be scrutinized more; excessively swinging elbows by a player with the ball will be subject to flagrant fouls; the choices coaches have in picking a replacement foul shooter when the fouled player is injured were narrowed, and distracting free-throw shooters once they are at the line was outlawed.

Even as he was explaining the new taunting rules, ACC officiating supervisor John Clougherty admitted that the Georgia-LSU situation "went too far.'' On the other hand, he said, the basketball officials would now have wide latitude on calling, for example, pointing at an opponent or standing over him after a dunk, flexing muscles, posing, speaking or gesturing to him.

The players would have to walk a fine line between celebrating with teammates and inspiring a home crowd, Clougherty said, and acting unsportsmanlike. As a guide, he said, "Act like you've been there, don't embarrass your opponent.''

Coaches and players don't mind the obvious unsportsmanlike acts being whistled, but they said there are too many that are being confused with normal expressions of excitement. With those, they said, there's no good reason to halt them anyway.

"You're not doing anything wrong, you're just showing the love of the game,'' Williams said. "It doesn't bother me. Obviously it bothers some people ... This is the 2009-2010 season. We're not playing in the 1960s, where everybody wears a crew cut.''

One of the few players who believed it would not alter how he plays was North Carolina forward Deon Thompson: "Not with our team. Our coaches don't like when our team dunks in a guy's face and taunts him -- he doesn't like that,'' meaning head coach Roy Williams.

Hewitt pointed out that with the way players grow up playing ball nowadays, traveling all over the country and building friendships in competition that continue as they move to differing college teams, what might look like trash-talk might be a completely innocent exchange between long-time acquaintances. "I don't think that was considered when they put this in,'' Hewitt said, adding that it would not have hurt for coaches as well as players to be "consulted'' on such a move.

Ironically, Thompson has such a bond with Clemson's Trevor Booker, a teammate on the United States' under-19 World University Games squad in Belgrade last summer; Booker, also a preseason all-ACC pick, boasted of what he and his team would do to Thompson's Tar Heels, and said of the rule, "That's a big one for me; I like showing my emotions ... They have to let you get your crowd into it.''

North Carolina, the defending regular-season and NCAA champs, and Duke, winners of last year's ACC tournament, tied for first in the preseason voting, the first time there has been a tie in 41 years of media voting. Duke's Kyle Singler was chosen player of the year and was joined on the all-conference first team by Vasquez, Booker, Delaney and North Carolina's Ed Davis. Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors was the overwhelming pick for rookie of the year.

The 2012 tournament, already awarded to Atlanta, will be played in Philips Arena rather than the Georgia Dome, the site the last two times the city hosted it, conference officials announced. The two preceding it and the three following it will be held at the Greensboro Coliseum.

ACC Players, Coaches Wag Finger at New Taunting Rule originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Derrick FavorsEd DavisGary WilliamsKyle SinglerKyleSinglerPaul HewittDavid SteeleSun, 25 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST Seminoles Dash Hokies' Hopeshttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/08/florida-state-dashes-of-virginia-techs-tourney-hopes/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/08/florida-state-dashes-of-virginia-techs-tourney-hopes/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/08/florida-state-dashes-of-virginia-techs-tourney-hopes/#commentsFiled under: ,

Last year, Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg made an impassioned plea for his Hokies to get an NCAA tournament bid after losing to UNC in the ACC tournament.

Ultimately, his argument came down to the fact that while Virginia Tech lost, they lost close games. That did not cut it last year and it will not work this year.


No. 24 Florida State 63, Virginia Tech 53: Box Score | RPI | Scores

Florida State finished off Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament hopes by beating the Hokies. Toney Douglas was the best player on the court, and led the defensive effort to shut down the Hokies.

The frustration by Virginia Tech players was palpable as they could not get clean looks. A.D. Vassallo and Malcolm Delaney may have led the Hokies with 27 points, but shot only 8-for-27 to do that. Frequently, they lagged on getting back on defense because they were too busy complaining to the refs that they were fouled when they went inside.

The Hokies lost four games in the non-conference schedule by a total of five points. Three of their conference losses were by a combined seven points. The flip side is that they won two non-conference games by five points or less. They also won five conference games by five points or less. So, that's seven close wins and seven close losses. All of which suggests that the Hokies are just where they belong.

A good team, but not quite good enough. Sitting just off of the bubble and looking for another NIT bid.

Seminoles Dash Hokies' Hopes originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>florida state seminolesFloridaStateSeminolesvirginia tech hokiesVirginiaTechHokiesChas RichSun, 08 Mar 2009 16:23:00 EST Boom Goes the Bubblehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/05/boom-goes-the-bubble/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/05/boom-goes-the-bubble/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/05/boom-goes-the-bubble/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

March started days ago. The Madness started Wednesday night.

On an evening where bubble teams could've punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament and boosters could've started humming bars of "One Shining Moment," teams turned down invitations like they were to a wedding without an open bar or the People's Choice Awards.

A memo, fellows. This isn't an invitation to a candlelight dinner with Randy Johnson. "Big Dance" doesn't mean you're cutting a rug with Mark Madsen or waltzing cheek-to-cheek with Mike Tyson.

You actually want to go to this thing.

Yet any team with bubble aspirations did its best impersonation of your 401k.

Virginia Tech had the equivalent of a print-at-home ticket to the Big Dance, but had no more luck finding their way into the tournament than coach Seth Greenberg would have recommending a good barber. But at least they lost to North Carolina. What's your excuse, Boston College?

The Eagles, who have already cleared a whole carton of egg of their face by losing to Harvard in a something that doesn't involve fractals, lost to N.C. State, a team that could only generously be described as a bubble team if, in fact the NIT has a bubble.

The formerly storied Kentucky Wildcats lost to a Georgia team that's 11th in what might be a three-bid conference and long ago fired its coach. Then again, that's what playing with the passion of a man waiting on a bus will do to you.

Miami, which made Duke and North Carolina sweat like Gary Williams in back-to-back games in early February, and looked like a possible Sweet 16 team a month ago, ensured its postseason wouldn't get in the way of Spring Break, falling to Georgia Tech.

Minnesota, a borderline-out bubble team beat Wisconsin, a borderline-in bubble team in the Big Ten, officially giving the league more possibly qualifiers than the total of points some of its teams have scored in a half this season.

And then there was the Gators, a team that just two years ago was flirting with Tom Emanski territory as back-to-back national champions.

Florida lost to Mississippi State in a game that wasn't even as close as its 80-71 score indicates. The Bulldogs took a nine-point lead in at the half, led by 16 in the second and never once so much as had the Gators in drafting distance in the final frame. The Bulldogs, we're fairly certain, could tell you where the CBI will be held without looking it up.

And Florida's loss could be magnified for all the teams that counted the Gators among their top-50 RPI wins, like Syracuse and South Carolina. The Gators were 49th in the RPI before falling to the Bulldogs. And that number will certainly gain a few pounds after getting dumped by Mississippi State. In fact, should the Gamecocks lose tonight against Tennessee, they could conceivably enter Selection Sunday with double-digit SEC wins and zero victories over the RPI top 50.

Of course, this is America. There's always a reward for kicking back and laughing at the misery of others (This, we suppose, is why Detroit Lion games make it on television). So who benefits from the bubble burst?

Maryland, who has four wins in four tries over N.C. State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, and whose two top wins over North Carolina and Michigan State match up with anyone on the bubble, should get a bump out of all the wreckage, provided the Terps beat ACC doormat Virginia this weekend. Providence might find its way in now with a solid league record and, like Maryland, a recent marquee win, over Pittsburgh. Michigan can play the big-win card too, with victories over Duke and UCLA, but the Wolverines' most notable victory in the past two months, Purdue, perhaps predictably for last night, lost to Northwestern, a team whose good old days involve Evan Eschmeyer.

And Penn State, who has no great wins to speak of, must look a lot more attractive this morning because the Nittany Lions have nothing that's even in the same Congressional district as a bad loss. If last night proved anything, it's that avoiding embarrassment might be the toughest thing to do in college basketball.

That, or get Wojciechowksi spelled correctly in caligraphy.

But each of those teams are written in pencil, and lightly at that.

So who was the real winner? The conference tournaments. These weekend events were usually three and four-day practices for the NCAA Tournament, an exercise in seeding and souvenir programs. Now they'll be stage for nearly every team to play their way onto, or off, the bubble.

And, of course, the college basketball fan. Beacuse the Madness is finally here.

Boom Goes the Bubble originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>boston collegeflorida gatorsgeorgia bulldogsmarylandmaryland terrapinsmiamimiami hurricanesmississippi stateNC statencaa tournamentvirginia techRay HollomanThu, 05 Mar 2009 07:00:00 EST Traveling Rule Doesn't Apply to Duke's Jon Scheyerhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/01/traveling-rule-doesnt-apply-to-dukes-jon-scheyer/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/01/traveling-rule-doesnt-apply-to-dukes-jon-scheyer/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/01/traveling-rule-doesnt-apply-to-dukes-jon-scheyer/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Above, Duke's John Scheyer takes approximately 147 steps and somehow doesn't get whistled for traveling late in Saturday's win over Virginia Tech. Duke led Virginia Tech by three with about 20 seconds left at the time, meaning the officials cost the Hokies the chance to get the ball back and send the game into overtime.

Here's how David Teel of The Daily Press describes it:
Scheyer caught an inbounds pass in backcourt from Kyle Singler and was swarmed immediately by Tech's J.T. Thompson and Terrell Bell.

In this morning's print column, also available online, I described Scheyer's subsequent tapdance as an "apparent walk." Well, there's no apparent about it.

Scheyer changed his pivot foot at least twice, maybe three times. But officials Gary Maxwell, Tony Greene and Bob Donato swallowed their whistles until Duke was able to call timeout.

Tech coach Seth Greenberg was quick to volunteer during his postgame news conference that there's no guarantee the Hokies would have made a 3 to tie the game, but he did say the officials missed it.

They sure did, leading Tech fan Burt Baker and others to dub it the "Scheyer Shuffle."
The refs let Duke get away with a blantant travel last week, too. Way to work the refs, Coach K.

Traveling Rule Doesn't Apply to Duke's Jon Scheyer originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithSun, 01 Mar 2009 10:50:00 EST Hokie Fans Thinks Paulus Likes Liptonhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/hokie-fans-thinks-paulus-likes-lipton/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/hokie-fans-thinks-paulus-likes-lipton/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/hokie-fans-thinks-paulus-likes-lipton/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Greg Paulus is always a bit of a goat in terms of national hatred (see: "Duke Sucks" having more entries at Mister I than "Greives Vasquez".) Of course, he's following a long line of Duke point guards who have experienced the same thing. Although I don't know if they all heard "Tea-Bag-Paul-Us!" as the announcers in the following clip seemed to imply while the Virginia Tech fans mocked the Duke point guard during some free throw attempts.


"Tea-Bag-Paul-Us" from Will Brinson on Vimeo.

Hokie Fans Thinks Paulus Likes Lipton originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Greg PaulusGregPaulusgreivis vasquezGreivisVasquezTeabaggingTeaBagPaulusWill BrinsonSat, 28 Feb 2009 18:40:00 EST Virginia Tech's Tourney Hopes Turn Bluehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/duke-might-have-sunk-virginia-techs-tourney-hopes-saturday/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/duke-might-have-sunk-virginia-techs-tourney-hopes-saturday/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/28/duke-might-have-sunk-virginia-techs-tourney-hopes-saturday/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Virginia Tech needed a crucial win at home to solidify its NCAA tournament status with only two games remaining on its regular-season ACC schedule. But a Nolan Smith-less Blue Devil squad likely had a few points to prove as well.

And the Blue Devils' agenda won out.

That is, after a little controversy and a heckuva run by the Hokies.

Duke 72, Virginia Tech 65: Box Score | AP Recap | ACC Scores & Standings

Duke did just that, for most of the game, streaking out to an 11-point halftime lead. But the Hokies stormed back and tied the game at 58 with four minutes remaining, only to lose by seven, as a controversial ending -- Duke's Jon Scheyer blatantly traveled with his team up three and 18 seconds left, but no call was made -- gave Duke the free-throw opportunities to salvage a win in Blacksburg.

Seth Greenberg's squad, despite suffering some close losses, has now dropped four of its last five games and the Hokies have to play North Carolina and Florida State to close out the season. If they don't win one of those games, they're staring down 7-9 in the ACC.

And that, folks, despite setting them up as one of the top eight teams in the conference, probably isn't enough to punch the Hokies' ticket to the dance. Joe Lunardi had them as an No. 11 seed before the Duke game, and Ken Pomeroy had them at No. 71 in his ratings; that's not so much as to point to outside influence, as it is to say that the Hokies have had trouble distinguishing themselves from the rest of the bubble pack.

Granted, Virginia Tech beat then No. 1 Wake Forest, but so too did Georgia Tech, Miami and N.C. State. In other words, Wake's track record against the bottom of the conference doesn't really justify giving the Hokies credit. The only other bullet point Virginia Tech has to offset its overall record is a win against Clemson. The selection committee might want more.

But give the Blue Devils credit, because, even if the Hokies aren't that strong of a team, they still stepped up and pulled off a huge road win, despite Smith being sidelined by a concussion.

Virginia Tech's Tourney Hopes Turn Blue originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jon scheyerJonScheyernolan smithNolanSmithseth greenbergSethGreenbergWill BrinsonSat, 28 Feb 2009 18:20:00 EST Virginia Tech Storms Back While N.C. State Collapses Againhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/08/vatech-downs-ncsu-in-ot/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/08/vatech-downs-ncsu-in-ot/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/08/vatech-downs-ncsu-in-ot/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The way the first half of N.C. State's game against Virginia Tech played out Sunday, you'd be excused for thinking the Wolfpack were on the heels of Duke and North Carolina in the ACC. But as has been typical of N.C. State all season, they couldn't hold a lead in the second half and let Virginia Tech claw its way into overtime and an 91-87 win.

This was essentially a must-win game for both teams, but particularly for the Hokies, who rebounded from a so-so non-conference performance into a spot on the happy side of the NCAA tournament bubble and are in the mix for a possible ACC tournament bye . The Wolfpack, meanwhile, were merely trying to eke out their third consecutive ACC win and move within two games of .500 in the ACC.

N.C. State led 49-35 at the half, but went stone cold in the second as the Hokies stormed back before putting the Pack away in overtime.

A.D. Vassallo led the way for Virginia Tech, scoring 24 points, pulling down seven rebounds and draining the game-tying shot near the end of regulation, a difficult look over Courtney Fells. Most importantly, he hit four straight free throws down the stretch to put the Wolfpack away

Ben McCauley was State's best answer on the offensive end, scoring 25 with 15 boards. Sidney Lowe called McCauley's number on an attempted game winner with just a few seconds left, but the big man got mugged on an uncalled foul while making his move towards the hoop. (And, in the swallow-your-whistle file, McCauley likely travelled, uncalled, as well.)

All told, it was another painful example of N.C. State's inability to complete a full game. The Pack's offense almost never clicks well enough to pour 50 points in during a half and it sums up the team's season to see N.C. State flounder its way to 27 in the second half.

Part of that appears to be a lack of talent -- this isn't an upper tier ACC team regardless of who's in charge. The other issue appeared, at least today, to be Lowe's willingness to let the the Wolfpack try and burn clock in the second half, hoping to hold off the Hokies for just long enough.

The crazy thing is that Virginia Tech, even as streaky as they've been, is now in an excellent position to make a run in the ACC.Following a Wake Forest win over Boston College today, the Hokies in a four-way tie for second place in the ACC, behind Duke and North Carolina. And with a nice stretch of Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia in the next week and a half, the Hokies are poised to make a move.

Virginia Tech Storms Back While N.C. State Collapses Again originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>ad vassalloAdVassalloben mccauleyBenMccauleycourtney fellsCourtneyFellssidney loweSidneyLoweWill BrinsonSun, 08 Feb 2009 18:15:00 EST Clemson Storms Back in Second Half to Beat Virginia Techhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/29/clemson-storms-back-in-second-half-to-beat-virginia-tech/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/29/clemson-storms-back-in-second-half-to-beat-virginia-tech/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/29/clemson-storms-back-in-second-half-to-beat-virginia-tech/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Clemson didn't look horrible in the first half Thursday night, but they certainly looked like a team that could be headed for a losing streak, based solely on Virginia Tech pouring in 53 points -- 22 of them from Malcolm Delaney -- before halftime.

But the Tigers rebounded in the second half, holding the Hokies to just 29 points over that span, to pull out a four point win on the road.

Delaney was nearly unstoppable, scoring a career high 37, but 29 (including seven 3-pointers) from Clemson's Keith Rivers and a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double by Trevor Booker, combined with an 18-0 second half run by the Tigers, was too much for the sophomore to overcome by himself.

Virginia Tech had a chance to tie Duke for the overall ACC lead and become the conference's early season surprise, but the real story ended up becoming Clemson's ability to win on the road, no small feat in the ACC.

The Tigers were staring down, as noted earlier this week, a tough four-game stretch, and winning the first game, away from home no less, goes a long way towards validating their national standing, not to mention keeping them competitive in a strong ACC.

Clemson Storms Back in Second Half to Beat Virginia Tech originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>keith riversKeithRiversmalcolm delaneyMalcolmDelaneytrevor bookerTrevorBookerWill BrinsonThu, 29 Jan 2009 22:30:00 EST Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/26/ranking-the-rankings-and-yada-yada-yada-dukes-number-one/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/26/ranking-the-rankings-and-yada-yada-yada-dukes-number-one/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/26/ranking-the-rankings-and-yada-yada-yada-dukes-number-one/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics as soon as the polls come out.

Headlining: It's obvious, right? Duke tops both polls for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 regular season and we're all depressed ecstatic! I want to say that it's hard to like this Blue Devil team, but when is it easy to like Duke? (Answer: When you're a Duke fan. Or when the Blue Devils are playing Carolina.) That being said, the 2008-09 incarnation isn't nearly as hate-able as previous teams.

Gerald Henderson is a freakish athlete who tries hard, Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer embody a certain Durham stereotype, but at least they're not Chris Collins and Wojo, and Greg Paulus has been relegated to a supporting role and has yet to play more than 24 minutes a game.

The antipodal proposition alone should be worth a slightly less odoriferous and palatable annoyance. (Yes, I'm pretending that I graduated from Duke and write for Slate.) Of course, there's still the matter of butting heads with the previous top team, Wake Forest, Wednesday, but for now: Everyone respects Duke.

Freefallin': Georgetown (12/14 to 25/23), Syracuse (8/8 to 15/15) and Notre Dame (19/19 to UR/22). In fairness to all three teams, the Big East is really good. And in fairness to the pollsters, this group of teams combined to lose five games (the Irish lost that Saturday prime timer as their only game of the week en route to three straight losses; coughing one up to Marquette Monday won't help their case either) last week, so it's not that shocking. The Big East teams are certainly going to beat up on each other all season long and they'll fluctuate; anything other than the same from the top tier ACC teams would be surprising as well.

You Gotta Rise Up: Kentucky (UR/UR to 24/UR), UCLA (17/16 to 13/11). It's never a total shock when two big name programs -- Louisville could apply here too, I suppose, just based on the relative inaction of the top 10 -- win a couple of games and start vaulting higher. In Kentucky's case, it's Jodie Meeks helping to propel the Wildcats back into the rankings for the first time since November ... 2007. It wouldn't seem that long if it wasn't Kentucky we're talking about, but the Wildcats are held to a higher standard. Presuming they can beat both Mississippi and South Carolina this week, it's safe to say you'll see them ranked in both polls next week.

Hyped: Clemson (12/11). Yes, the Tigers only have two losses, but they're still in the top 15. And while I don't necessarily know that the Tigers are en route toward a total and utter meltdown, I certainly won't vouch that they aren't, either. They've got games against Virginia Tech, Duke, Florida State and Boston College in their next four matchups. Two of those teams have beaten No. 1-ranked squads ... and they're the two inferior teams on the schedule. A win against Georgia Tech kind of righted the ship, but there's a distinct possibility that they could go 0-4 over that span.

Bunked: Arizona State (14/14). Call me a Herb Sendek homer if you want, and I won't care. I love the guy, and all he does is produce teams that go to the NCAA Tournament. His last five teams at N.C. State went to the Big Dance and It's not far-fetched to say that the Wolfpack would probably deal with an annual tourney bid right now. The Sun Devils are not a high-scoring bunch, and losses to USC and Cal aren't impressive, but James Harden is a baller and 22 points per game in Sendek's offense might be equal to 49 anywhere else.

WTF?: No one from the coaches' poll dropped. Like, literally no one. Florida is this -- makes pinching motion with index and thumb -- close to inching in, just one point shy of Gonzaga, and Utah State is right behind, but it's still really unusual to see a poll with no movement whatsoever.

People That Vote Are Smart: Ron Morris of The State in Columbia, S.C., takes the cake. He really thinks highly of Luke Harangody, so much so that he puts Notre Dame at No. 14 in his poll. Yes, the Irish are a talented team, but when he voted they had lost three straight, and they've dropped four straight now. It's kind of tough to bump a team from No. 14 to unranked in one week, but here it's arguably deserved. He also has UConn and North Carolina ahead of Duke.

Ranking the Rankings: Duke's No. 1 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>chris collinsChrisCollinsgerald hendersonGeraldHendersongreg paulusGregPaulusherb sendekHerbSendekjames hardenJamesHardenjodie meeksJodieMeeksjon scheyerJonScheyerkyle singlerKyleSinglerluke harangodyLukeHarangodyRankingtheRankingsron morrisRonMorrisWill BrinsonMon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 EST Real Challenge Begins for Wake Foresthttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/real-challenge-begins-for-br-1-and-stunned-wake-forest/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/real-challenge-begins-for-br-1-and-stunned-wake-forest/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/real-challenge-begins-for-br-1-and-stunned-wake-forest/#commentsFiled under: , ,

And so, Wake Forest's stay atop the nation's polls turned out to be shorter than a Britney Spears marriage.

Thanks for trying, Wake. And if you leave within the hour, you might still get the early bird parking special.

Yes, there are those who thrive in the spotlight. Then there are those who Amy Winehouse thinks handle celebrity poorly. And for the second time in school history, the Demon Deacons are the latter, grabbing the No. 1 ranking only to crash so hard the FAA had to investigate.

In November, 2004, it was a two-week run, ended by an 91-73 rout that still wouldn't have as close as the score indicates if you added two zeroes behind the Illini's tally. This year, it was a two-day run ended with an ESPN televised 78-71 pie in the face by Virginia Tech.

And the bad news is that the real challenge starts now.

Of course, let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's no need to flood eBay with your Wake Forest gear or to go digging up your Rusty LaRue DVDs. Unlike your house or your 401k, there's still value in these Deacons.

They're still one of the nation's few elite teams, if maybe not yet the best. They've still got a long, athletic front line that could harass the heck out of Paul Bunyan's rec league team , they've still got the ACC's premiere guard in Jeff Teague, and, generally speaking, they've still got a defense that could make a penguin sweat.

Really, all Wednesday night's loss to Virginia Tech proved in and of itself is that winning in college basketball, no matter who you're playing, is awfully hard.

Heck, Michigan State lost to Northwestern's brand of pocket protectors and passes Wednesday. Even New Jersey Tech, losers of 51 straight, found a victory somewhere between the couch cushions.

So in some respect it wasn't so much what Wake Forest did wrong, but what college basketball does oh-so-right, that cocktail of upsets , raucous arenas, and school pride, lit aflame by the short 40-minute frame the games are played in.

(And it's never more true than against Seth Greenburg when playing the No. 1 team. He's fielded competitive teams in the ACC since Virginia Tech joined the league, but when he faces a No. 1, it's like the coach dumps all his Scrabble tiles out only to draw exactly the right letters to spell "quioxitic." They Hokies have now knocked off two No. 1s in that period and lost to two others, Duke and North Carolina, both on buzzer beaters.)

And maybe the Deacons simply confused the men in the day-glo orange jerseys for a road crew and were waiting for them to place a few traffic cones or spear a couple pieces of garbage.

Whichever the reason, Wake Forest lost.

But what the Deacons did on the floor was probably as fixable as it was uncharacteristic. Their pack-line defense, which is designed to envelope and stop dribble penetration, let the Hokies take a route to the basket that couldn't have been more direct if they'd used a GPS device. After forward Al-Farouq Aminu left the game in the first half with a bloodied forehead, the Deacons abandoned their inside game and settled for perimeter jumper after perimeter jump, which, other than Teague, no one could particularly hit. As a result, the Deacons allowed an opponent to shoot 50 percent for the first time this season and went to the free throw-line 25 fewer times than Virginia Tech. These things will be fixed by the first series of suicides the Deacons run in their next practice.

But the better question is what happens to this team now that they've taken a little leather directly to the chin?

Can coach Dino Gaudio get center Chas McFarland's attitude back in check after he had more collisions with Hokies (two) than points (zero) and far fewer than fouls (five)?

Can he get the team to buckle down on defense every possession of every game from now until the final chorus of "One Shining Moment"? (Just ask North Carolina how tempting, and disastrous, it is to take a few defensive possessions off).

Can he get Teague to take the shots that count? The star scored 23 points and helped bring the Deacons back in the second half, but late in the game his body language looked more like a sophomore trying to avoid a professor's question in a 9AM lecture than a sophomore leading a team to the Final Four.

And can he get all that talent on the same page?

If there was one play that defined the Deac's fall-from-grace loss, it was junior L.D. Williams trying to drive between four Hokie defenders and what looked like half the third armored with 51 seconds left instead of passing the ball out to a wide-open Teague. Williams was whistled for a charge and the game all but ended there.

So yes, the Deacons lost. And yes, the perfect mark is gone, the No. 1 ranking is gone.

But for Wake, the real challenge has only just started.

Real Challenge Begins for Wake Forest originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ray HollomanThu, 22 Jan 2009 07:00:00 EST Wake Forest Loses at Home to Virginia Tech, Undefeated No Morehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/21/wake-forest-undefeated-no-more-loses-at-home-to-virginia-tech/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/21/wake-forest-undefeated-no-more-loses-at-home-to-virginia-tech/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/21/wake-forest-undefeated-no-more-loses-at-home-to-virginia-tech/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

"Chippy" is a term that's thrown out a lot these days. It refers to a sporting contest that gets a little heated without getting violent. Wake Forest, the nation's top-ranked team, and Virginia Tech, a classic "look past" opponent for the Deacs, took that adjective to an entirely different level on Wednesday night in a fantastic ACC battle.

Virginia Tech led by 10 at the break, and as much as 13 throughout the second half, and while there were pendulum-like momentum swings throughout the final 20 minutes, the mistakes made by the Demon Deacons down the stretch resulted in a 78-71 loss to the Hokies. The biggest issue surrounding those mistakes, and something that will be addressed frequently over the next few days, is probably Jeff Teague, who failed to take charge late.

Additionally, Wake settled for jumpers late in the game, despite the Hokies clanking free throw after free throw (19-of-29) in the last three minutes of the game. That -- the Deacs' willingness to fire off 18-footers instead of driving to the hoop -- may have stemmed from Teague hitting an absolute monster of a 3-pointer with 1:45 left in the game, slicing the lead to five.

And then really weird things started happening. Teague -- easily the best player on Wake -- started (allegedly) avoiding the ball. OK, "avoiding" might be too much; Len Elmore called him out for "sulking", and discussed how he dogged his teammates in high school, but it looked like he gave the rock up with 30 seconds to go looking for the extra pass.

I'm not entirely sure why Teague would have bothered shutting it down. Granted, his teammates didn't entirely play like they wanted to win, but they also didn't give an entirely empty effort. L.D. Williams and James Johnson both scored 15, and you can hardly blame Al-Farouq Aminu -- he did get his face broken open by a random elbow early in the first quarter.



The truth is that Wake's probably better off losing this one. And no, that's not just me consoling myself because Wake lost and I picked them to win the title. When you don't lose for a while and get too cocky, you're bound to get popped in the mouth by someone like Duke next week. Instead, Wake should be hungry now.

That's not to take anything away from Seth Greenberg and Virginia Tech, though. Malcolm Delaney balled it up with 17 points, while Jared Allen and A.D. Vassallo tossed in 16 each as well. The Hokies, as you'll hear over the next 24 hours, "punched Wake in the mouth." And it's true; they did. But a championship caliber team doesn't fold when their opponent is shooting from the charity stripe like a Shaquille O'Neal-Ben Wallace love -child late in the game.

Kudos to the Hokies, indeed, but there are a whole lot of questions that are suddenly going to be asked about the Deacs. And rightfully so.

Wake Forest Loses at Home to Virginia Tech, Undefeated No More originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>ad vassalloAdVassalloal-farouq aminuAl-farouqAminujames johnsonJamesJohnsonjared allenJaredAllenjeff teagueJeffTeagueld williamsLdWilliamslen elmoreLenElmoremalcolm delaneyMalcolmDelaneyseth greenbergSethGreenbergWill BrinsonWed, 21 Jan 2009 21:20:00 EST Atlantic Coast Conference Season Set to Begin: A Quick Once-Overhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/03/atlantic-coast-conference-season-set-to-begin-a-quick-once-ove/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/03/atlantic-coast-conference-season-set-to-begin-a-quick-once-ove/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/03/atlantic-coast-conference-season-set-to-begin-a-quick-once-ove/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ACC has had an interesting start to the season. You have top-ranked North Carolina just rolling over everyone and flexing their muscle. Duke has looked very impressive for most of the year. Wake Forest and Clemson are still undefeated and climbing the polls.

Still, there have been some bad moments. Miami hasn't looked as good as advertised, Maryland followed up one impressive win by getting blown out twice. Virginia Tech has lost on two buzzer beaters. Then there is the glut of also-rans that litter the bottom half of the league.

Conference season doesn't get into full swing for another week or so and there has already been two league games played. There are some big non-conference game this week (Ga Tech at Alabama, Xavier at Virginia, NC State at Florida, Wake Forest at BYU) but the highlight will be the ACC's top two teams starting conference play.

The big game will be North Carolina opening up conference play against Boston College. Sure, they are on other ends of the spectrum, but the game boasts the two favorites for ACC Player of the Year. We know all about UNC's Tyler Hansbrough, but BC's Tyrese Rice was right behind Psycho T all last year. In their last meeting, Rice dumped 46 points on the Heels and nearly pulled off a late season upset (Sunday, 5:30 PM ET).

Other big games this week: Virginia Tech at Duke (Sunday, 7:45 PM ET)

Player to watch: Other than Rice and Hansbrough, all eyes at the Dean Dome should be on Ty Lawson. Lawson is having an All-American season thus far but hasn't faced anyone like Rice, yet. Like I said, Rice popped 46 points on the Heels. That was also Lawson's first game back from an ankle injury so he was at a disadvantage. Let's see if his new defensive intensity will be effective against one of the ACC's best.

Pre-Conference Power Rankings

1. North Carolina -- The No. 1 ranked team in the nation has won all 12 of their games by double-digits, a school record.

2. Duke -- When on, they are one of the best teams in the country. But we all saw in Michigan what they look like when they aren't.

3. Wake Forest -- Still undefeated and could be a top four team next week. One of the deepest teams filled with guys you've never heard of.

4. Clemson -- The Tigers have shown that toughness that Oliver Purnell has injected into the program. Their blasting of Miami proved that.

5. Miami -- There is no question that Jack McClinton and the Canes are a tournament-calibar team. However, they don't seem to be on the same page at times, the offense bogs down and the defense isn't focused.

6. Florida State -- The Seminoles may actually be putting together the kind of season we've been waiting for. The loss to Northwestern was puzzling but they gave good effort in a loss to Pitt. Let's see how they do against Duke in ten days.

7. Maryland -- They followed a blowout of Michigan State by getting ran out of the gym by Gonzaga and Georgetown. Still, they've beaten Michigan and all the teams they are supposed to.

7. NC State -- Injuries and inconsistent play has hit the Wolfpack yet again.

9. Virginia Tech -- Well, they've beaten the teams they are supposed to and have been close in their four losses. Remember that Xavier needed a miracle shot to beat them and Wisconsin beat them at the buzzer.

10. Boston College -- They have a few nice wins on the resume, but nothing overly shocking. Let's see how they handle a January stretch at UNC and then hosting Miami and Wake Forest.

11. Virginia -- Three of their four losses aren't horrible. Losing at home to Liberty is.

12. Georgia Tech -- Their home loss to Virginia knocks them down here. Their upcoming schedule looks daunting as well so they may stick here for a while.

Atlantic Coast Conference Season Set to Begin: A Quick Once-Over originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jack mcclintonJackMcclintonty lawsonTyLawsontyler hansbroughTylerHansbroughtyrese riceTyreseRiceShiloh CarderSat, 03 Jan 2009 01:16:00 EST Coaches Still Recruiting the Barely Pubescenthttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/16/coaches-still-recruiting-the-barely-pubescent/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/16/coaches-still-recruiting-the-barely-pubescent/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/16/coaches-still-recruiting-the-barely-pubescent/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Yeah, that National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) edict demand recommendation mild suggestion that coaches not recruit kids who aren't even sophomores in high school went real well. Kentucky's Billy Gillespie -- who came under the most fire -- said he would follow it. Then Florida's Billy Donovan went and offered a scholarship to another 15-year old.

Looks like little has changed. Meet 15-year old Tyler Lewis.
He's already in his third season starting for a high school varsity basketball team even though he's just a ninth-grader and 5-foot-10, 145 pounds.

But he has exceptional passing ability and a dead-on jump shot from 22 feet at Forsyth Country Day. And he already has coaches with the Charlotte 49ers, Auburn and Virginia Tech telling him they will pay his tuition, room and board if he will play basketball for them.
Shocking, I know. Absolutely nothing has changed. At least until the NABC gets the NCAA to pass legislation explicitly prohibiting it. That's the only way this will "officially" stop.

No coach will be willing to give up a possible edge, unless mandated. That's why the ever increasing size of recruiting rules exist. There's always some other coach trying to work the system at some new angle. Then all the coaches start going that way until a rule is passed to save them from themselves.

The more things change...

Coaches Still Recruiting the Barely Pubescent originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichTue, 16 Dec 2008 08:01:00 EST ACC/Big Ten Challenge Heads Into Final Day as Even as It Can Gethttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/acc-big-ten-challenge-heads-into-final-day-as-even-as-it-can-get/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/acc-big-ten-challenge-heads-into-final-day-as-even-as-it-can-get/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/acc-big-ten-challenge-heads-into-final-day-as-even-as-it-can-get/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is entering its final day of action. Both conferences have won three games. The ACC has a slim lead in points, 405 to 402.

One interesting note is that the ACC was 33-4 at home during the first nine years of the Challenge. They've already lost two home games this year.

Let's take a look back at what has happened:

Wisconsin 74, Virginia Tech 72: The Badgers avoided an upset with a Trevon Hughes jumper with 0.7 seconds remaining. The Tech loss was the first for an ACC team at home in the Challenge in 11 games. Big Ten leads 1-0

Ohio State 73, Miami-FL 68: How about another road win for the Big Ten? Miami's Jack McClinton was ejected after taking a swipe at a Buckeye player. After an agressive run by the Canes, Ohio State mounted a second half comeback and pulled out the win. Big Ten leads 2-0.

Clemson 76, Illinois 74: Clemson puts the ACC on the board with their own road win. The Tigers' Demontez Stitt led the Tigers with 18 points and they used their defensive pressure to force 17 Illini turnovers. Big Ten leads 2-1.

Boston College 57, Iowa 55: Iowa's Andrew Brommer missed the front end of a one-and-one with 0.4 seconds left as the Hawkeyes fell to BC. Boston College held on despite scoring just one point in the final 4:45. Challenge tied 2-2.

Duke 76, Purdue 60: Jon Scheyer came back to his home turf and scored 20 points for the Blue Devils. Kyle Singer was scorching hot late to put the game away. The win helped flex the ACC's muscle. ACC leads 3-2.

Minnesota 66, Virginia 56: The Cavs shot a horrid 31% from the field and the Gophers tied up the Challenge again. Freshman Colton Iverson led Minnesota with 14 points. Series tied 3-3.

That means that tonight's games will determine the winner of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Big Ten has never won this thing but has a decent chance to get it done tonight. There are at four winnable games, even though the ACC is the oddmaker's favorites in each contest. Here are the Big Ten's best bets tonight:

1-Florida State at Northwestern: The Noles are the better team in this one, but they are by no means locks to win on the road.

2-Michigan at Maryland: Can you really trust the Terps? They did beat Michigan State last week, but Michigan has a win over UCLA under their hat.

3-Penn State at Georgia Tech: Tech is usually tough at home and it will be interesting to see how the Nittany Lions fare on the road. Still, it is hard to trust the Yellow Jackets who nearly lost to Jacksonville State.

4-North Carolina vs Michigan State: UNC is the unanimous No. 1 team, but the Spartans are scared of no one.

5-Indiana at Wake Forest: The ACC can already chalk this one up.

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Heads Into Final Day as Even as It Can Get originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>accbigtenchallengeShiloh CarderWed, 03 Dec 2008 01:37:00 EST Wisconsin's Trevon Hughes' Last Second Jumper Beats Virginia Techhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/02/wisconsins-trevon-hughes-last-second-jumper-beats-virginia-tec/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/02/wisconsins-trevon-hughes-last-second-jumper-beats-virginia-tec/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/02/wisconsins-trevon-hughes-last-second-jumper-beats-virginia-tec/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Trevon Hughes drove down the court, pulled up at the free throw line and drained a shot with 0.7 seconds left to give Wisconsin a 74-72 win in Virginia Tech (see it here).

The win gives the Big Ten an early 1-0 lead in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Wisconsin lead pretty much the whole game before a 14-5 Hokies run tied the game with seven seconds left. Then Hughes took the inbounds pass and won the game for the Badgers. A.D. Vassallo, who hit the game-tying three for the Hokies, scored 30 points for Virginia Tech in the loss.

The win ended the ACC's 11-game home winning streak in the Challenge and gave the Big Ten one of those key "swing-games" that they needed to win the Challenge.

Wisconsin's Trevon Hughes' Last Second Jumper Beats Virginia Tech originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>a.d. vassalloA.d.Vassallotrevon hughesTrevonHughesShiloh CarderTue, 02 Dec 2008 12:23:00 EST ACC/Big Ten Challenge Begins Tonighthttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/01/acc-big-ten-challenge-begins-tonight/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/01/acc-big-ten-challenge-begins-tonight/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/01/acc-big-ten-challenge-begins-tonight/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge is back once again. This is the 10th edition of the Challenge with the ACC winning it in each of the first nine seasons.

The ACC has won 16 of the last 22 games in this series.

Already we've seen a few games between ACC and Big Ten teams: Duke beat Michigan in the 2K Sports Championship game; Maryland beat Michigan State in the Old Spice Classic. Purdue beat Boston College in the Preseason N.I.T.

So let's take a look at what the next three days have in store.

Wisconsin at Virginia Tech (Mon. 7 pm ET): The Badgers are 0-5 as the road team in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Tech is coming off a tough showing in the Puerto Rico Tip Off. They lost two games by a total of five points and barely beat Elon in the 7th-place game at home. Both could find themselves in the NCAA Tournament in March. Watchability: It is a decent appetizer to get ready for the Challenge.

Ohio State at Miami (Tue. 7 pm ET): This would have made on heck of a football game several years ago. Now it's a darn good hoops game. It will be interesting to see Ohio State deal with the Miami guards and Miami deal with Ohio State's size. Miami is the only school on either side to not have won a game in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Watchability: One of the darkhorses to be the best game this week.

Iowa at Boston College (Tue. 7 pm ET): Neither team has big plans this year but both have the ability for a few upsets. The Eagles have won both their previous ACC/Big Ten Challenge games. Watchability: The best part of this game is seeing BC's Tyrese Rice tear it up. The fact that it's relegated to ESPNU says it all.

Clemson at Illinois (Tue. 7:30 pm ET): This is potentially a great game. Neither team is of elite status, but both are solid. The Illini just beat Vanderbilt while Clemson is already 7-0. Watchability: It's definitely good for a flip during the Ohio State-Miami game. Don't watch if you are allergic to the color orange.

Virginia at Minnesota (Tue. 8:30 pm ET): Two teams that no one expects anything from. These are the games, however, that prove the ACC's superiority as the ACC's bottom is usually better than the Big Ten's. Watchability: You probably won't be able to see the game anyways.

Duke at Purdue (Tue. 9 pm ET): Seeing Duke play an actual road game is a rarity. So is seeing the Blue Devils lose in the Challenge (they are 9-0). Both teams have high hopes for the season and the atmosphere in West Lafayette will be outstanding. Watchability: The best game of the day.

Indiana at Wake Forest (Wed. 7 pm ET): This has the potential to be the biggest mismatch of the Challenge. This game was set up according to last year's standings. Wake is extremely talented and extremely deep. Indiana is neither. Watchability: Use this as a chance to see the Demon Deacons' talented squad. Nothing more.

Penn State at Georgia Tech (Wed. 7:30 pm ET): This is the best chance for a Big Ten upset. As usual, Tech is struggling against weak opponents. Penn State has looked pretty good to start the season. Watchability: Only if you are a big, big fan.

Michigan at Maryland (Wed. 7:30 pm ET): Both the Wolverines and Terps have pulled off two of the biggest upsets thus far against UCLA and Michigan State, respectively. Both are as hit-and-miss as you can get from each conference. The Terps, for example, followed up an 18-point win over the Spartans with a 22-point loss to Gonzaga and a 27-point loss to Georgetown. Watchability: This should be a good game with a ton of runs. Worth a look if you have ESPNU.

North Carolina vs Michigan State (Wed. 9 pm ET): This is the biggest game of the Challenge. So big that they are playing it at Ford Field. Interesting note: Michigan State is the only Big Ten team with a winning record in the Challenge. North Carolina is just 4-5 in the Challenge ... tied for worst among schools who have been in all nine of them. Watchability: This game is the best chance for the Heels to lose a game before ACC play. See them get beat or see them continue their dominating season.

Florida State at Northwestern (Wed. 9:30 pm ET): This should be an easy Noles win (again, the ACC's bad is better than the Big Ten's). Watchability: With it going on at the same time as UNC-Michigan State, why watch?

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Begins Tonight originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Shiloh CarderMon, 01 Dec 2008 06:10:00 EST Xavier Beats Virginia Tech On Half Court Shothttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/21/xavier-beats-virginia-tech-on-half-court-shot/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/21/xavier-beats-virginia-tech-on-half-court-shot/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/21/xavier-beats-virginia-tech-on-half-court-shot/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



What is that old saying? "It is better to be lucky than good?" The Xavier Musketeers will take that today as they needed a half court shot to beat Virginia Tech, 63-62, in the semifinals of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip Off today.

As you can see in the video above, Tech took the lead on a tip in with three seconds left in overtime. The Muskies' Dante Jackson took the inbounds pass, dribbled once and launched a desperation three at the half court stripe.

That was Jackson's only field goal of the game and came after he missed all eight previous attempts.

Xavier will go on to face Memphis in the title game of the Puerto Rico Tip Off tomorrow.

Xavier Beats Virginia Tech On Half Court Shot originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>dante jacksonDanteJacksonShiloh CarderFri, 21 Nov 2008 22:18:00 EST ACC Power Poll: Does Anyone Have a Chance to Top North Carolina?http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/14/acc-power-poll-does-anyone-have-a-chance-to-top-north-carolina/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/14/acc-power-poll-does-anyone-have-a-chance-to-top-north-carolina/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/14/acc-power-poll-does-anyone-have-a-chance-to-top-north-carolina/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

College basketball is back, ladies and gentlemen! That means it is time for the first ACC Power Poll of the season. Most of this is based on projections, theories and guess-work.

There is always one team that surprises us each year (Miami was that team last year) and one that disappoints us (NC State). Let's begin!

1-North Carolina: There hasn't been a favorite this heavy in a long, long time.

2-Duke: Remember that the Blue Devils were a game from winning the ACC last year. Gerald Henderson is my darkhorse for ACC Player of the Year.

3-Miami-FL: The Canes have a great shot at the ACC Championship and a deep run in the NCAAs.4-Wake Forest: The young Deacs surprised many last year. This year, they get that great recruiting class Skip Prosser put together right before he passed away.

5-Virginia Tech: The Hokies' bubble burst last season, but much of that team remains. Can a team be a darkhorse three straight seasons?

6-Clemson: The Tigers go back to mediocrity. There is talent here but no James Mays or Cliff Hammonds to be the soul of the team.

7-Maryland: Greivis Vasquez is an outstanding leader but the Terps lack any inside presence to contend in the ACC.

8-Florida State: If freshman Chris Singleton can live up to all his hype, maybe the Noles could contend for a postseason berth.

9-Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have had a tough offseason that has gutted the roster. Some talent remains, just not enough.

10-NC State: Will it really be addition by subtracting J.J. Hickson? Let's see which Brandon Costner will show up this year.

11-Boston College: Tyrese Rice is the first, second and third options for the Eagles this season.

12-Virginia: Sean Singletary did everything for the Cavs last year. He's gone now.

ACC Power Poll: Does Anyone Have a Chance to Top North Carolina? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brandon costnerBrandonCostnerchris singletonChrisSingletoncliff hammondsCliffHammondsgerald hendersonGeraldHendersongreivis vasquezGreivisVasquezjames maysJamesMaysjj hicksonJjHicksonsean singletarySeanSingletarytyrese riceTyreseRiceShiloh CarderFri, 14 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST How I Spent My Summer Vacation: ACChttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/30/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation-acc/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/30/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation-acc/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/30/how-i-spent-my-summer-vacation-acc/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

With the fall beginning and college basketball just around the corner, it's time to look back at what our favorite teams did during their summer vacations. Some did some good things; some had a bad time. So let's look back at who did what in our How I Spent My Summer Vacation series.

Today's look is the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Roy Williams Hits Jackpot When All His Guys Return

The Tar Heels were at quite the crossroads. After a great season ended with a disappointing loss to Kansas, Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green all decided to take a look at the NBA Draft. Hansbrough decided to come back, but the other three entered the draft with the opportunity to come back to school if they didn't like their draft status.

If any or all left, the Heels were facing some uncertainty heading into the season. Yes, they'd still be a good team but they'd have a few holes.

In a somewhat surprising move, all three Heels decided to come back for one last hurrah. That means Ol' Roy gets everyone back from that Final Four team (sans a transferred Alex Stepheson and a graduating Quentin Thomas -- both role players). They also bring in three McDonald's All Americans.

Now the Heels are scary deep, scary talented and very experienced. They will enter the season as probably a clear-cut No. 1 ranked team with a NCAA Tournament Championship as the goal. Anything less will be a huge disappointment.

Coach K Turns Golden

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski spent his summer vacation in China coaching the USA Olympic basketball team. Team USA won the gold in a thrilling victory over Spain and reasserted America as the best hoops country in the world.

Now Coach K heads back to his day job, coaching a Duke program that sees themselves as the kings of college hoops. The Blue Devils are experienced, talented and primed for a run back to the Final Four.

What people are interested to see is how Krzyzewski's time with the NBA guys will affect Duke. I don't think that the team will suffer from not having him while he was with the Redeem Team, but what nuances may K add into his already lethal arsenal? Remember that last season he brought Mike D'Antoni's (former Suns, now Knicks head coach who served as an assistant for Team USA) offensive system to Duke with some great success.

Maryland's Revolving Door

Gary Williams has been on a hot seat of sorts. That's unfair to a man that took the Terps to a National Championship earlier this decade. However, NIT appearances and questionable recruiting have taken him out of favor from the Maryland faithful.

During this offseason, Williams watched several players bolt. Bobby Maze couldn't get his grades up to university standards so he moved on to Tennessee. Gus Gilchrist was put off by the ACC's intraconference transfering rules and left for South Florida. Stud recruit Tyree Evans was run out of College Park once his police record and jail time were made public.

J.J. Hickson Leaves N.C. State

Despite all the commotion about what the UNC players might do, there was still just one underclassman that left an ACC program for the NBA. Freshman forward J.J. Hickson decided one year at N.C. State was enough and entered the NBA Draft. He was selected with the 19th pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There have been one-and-dones in the ACC and players have left early for a long time. But this was really the first offseason where we saw premiere guys "testing the waters".

Hickson leaving N.C. State also creates an interesting void. After the 2007 season, the Wolfpack were being buzzed about as a sleeper team. Hickson was the best player on the 2007-2008 team but they stumbled in the standings. With no Hickson, will the Pack go back to its better days? We'll have to see.

Psycho T's Leap

While Tyler Hansbrough didn't leap into the NBA Draft, he did find time to leap into a pool. From a balcony. Hansbrough received some flak for pulling off the stunt, but continues to feed his "Psycho T" persona.

Waiving Good-bye!

Sean Singletary (Virginia), DeMarcus Nelson (Duke), James Gist (Maryland), J.J. Hickson (NC State), James Mays (Clemson), Jason Rich (Florida State), Anthony Morrow (Ga Tech) and Deron Washington (Va Tech).

Welcoming in

Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest), Tony Woods (Wake Forest), Tyler Zeller (North Carolina), Miles Plumlee (Duke), Ed Davis (North Carolina), Elliot Williams (Duke), Olek Czyz (Duke), Iman Shumpert (Ga Tech), Andre Jones (Clemson) and DeQuan Jones (Miami).

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: ACC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex stephesonAlexStephesonandre jonesAndreJonesanthony morrowAnthonyMorrowbobby mazeBobbyMazedanny greenDannyGreendemarcus nelsonDemarcusNelsondequan jonesDequanJonesderon washingtonDeronWashingtoned davisEdDaviselliot williamsElliotWilliamsgary williamsGaryWilliamsgus gilchristGusGilchristhowispentmysummervacationiman shumpertImanShumpertjames gistjames maysJamesGistJamesMaysjason richJasonRichjj hicksonJjHicksonmike krzyzewskiMikeKrzyzewskimiles plumleeMilesPlumleequentin thomasQuentinThomasroy williamsRoyWilliamssean singletarySeanSingletarytony woodsTonyWoodsty lawsonTyLawsontyler hansbroughtyler zellerTylerHansbroughTylerZellertyree evansTyreeEvanswayne ellingtonWayneEllingtonShiloh CarderTue, 30 Sep 2008 22:48:00 EST ACC Releases 2008-2009 Schedulehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/acc-releases-2008-2009-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/acc-releases-2008-2009-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/acc-releases-2008-2009-schedule/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ACC has released the 2008-2009 college basketball schedule. Now we can start getting our markers out and circling some dates.

Here is the first dates for marking: UNC at Duke on February 11th ... Duke at UNC on March 8th.

North Carolina: UNC has a tough schedule ... with Kentucky as their second game of the season, the loaded Maui Invitational ... and a game against Michigan State at Ford Field. Penn, Oral Roberts, Rutgers and Nevada aren't pushovers. There is also a rematch against UNC-Asheville, also known as the "game Tyler Hansbrough dunked on a 7'7 guy"

Duke: Coach K won't have Kobe, LeBron or D-Wade ... but he won't be seeing Spain or Argentina, either. They will play Xavier in East Rutherford right before Christmas and host Georgetown in the middle of January. Duke will also play a true road game (that isn't in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge) when they take on Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Miami: The Canes will play in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. They will get Ohio State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge ... which looks like a great football contest a few years ago. Miami will also visit Kentucky and St. John's.

Clemson: They'll play in the Palmetto Classic in Charleston, SC. They'll also go up the road to UNC-Charlotte to try to avenge a loss from last year. They will play at Illinois and South Carolina ... then host Alabama (by the way: Clemson hosts Alabama's football team this Saturday).

NC State: The Wolfpack head to Charlotte to take on Davidson. Uh-oh! NC State gets some national TV love with a road game at Florida on January 3rd. They also host Marquette. The Wolfpack will actually host two games at good ol' Reynolds Coliseum.

Florida State: They'll face Cincinnati in the opening round of the Las Vegas Tournament. The Noles will host Pittsburgh in late December. Their annual date with Florida will take place on December 2nd.

Virginia: The Cavs are bringing it a bit. They'll host Xavier and Auburn ... and travel to Minnesota and Syracuse.

Maryland: Yawn! They do open with Bucknell and then play in the Old Spice Classic.

Wake Forest: The Deacs breakout season takes them on a tour of the state (NC Central, UNC-Wilmington, Winston-Salem State) before heading off to the Anaheim Classic.

Virginia Tech: Hey! Not fair! The Hokies will play in both the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic and the Holiday Festival in New York. Indiana and Bucknell will be decent battles ... as will traveling to BYU.

Boston College: They will be in the preseason NIT before hosting Iowa in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Other than a game at UMass, there really isn't much on the non-con schedule worth a second glance.

Georgia Tech: Tech will spend some time on the west coast as they'll visit USC and Pepperdine. The Jackets will revisit their SEC roots as they have a roadie at Alabama ... and will host Georgia and Vanderbilt.

ACC Releases 2008-2009 Schedule originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Shiloh CarderWed, 27 Aug 2008 01:01:00 EST