Other Conference Previews

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE 2012-13 PREVIEW

Predicted Order of Finish:
1. Duke
2. NC State
3. North Carolina
4. Miami
5. Florida State
6. Virginia
7. Maryland
8. Georgia Tech
9. Clemson
10. Wake Forest
11. Virginia Tech
12. Boston College

DUKE BLUE DEVILS
2011-12 SU Record: 79% (27-7)
2011-12 ATS Record: 38% (13-21)
2011-12 Over (Total): 60.6% (20-13-1)
Returning Starters: 4
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 20/1

Leading scorer Austin Rivers may be gone to the NBA, but Duke returns four of its five starters from its squad that averaged 77.3 points per game, but was unceremoniously bounced in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64 by Lehigh. The key to this season's team will be senior forward Mason Plumlee, who chose not to enter the NBA Draft after a season in which he averaged nearly a double-double (11.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG). He is joined in the frontcourt by senior Ryan Kelly, who can stretch defenses as a long-range shooter (41% threes). The backcourt is led by senior Seth Curry, but with Rivers gone, he will return to his more natural position off the ball, where he thrives with a better than 40% three-point stroke in his Duke career. That will place a lot of pressure on sophomore Quinn Cook to run the point, after the Blue Devils ranked an abysmal 202nd in Division I with 12.4 assists per game last season. Freshman Rasheed Sulaimon joins the backcourt as a premier defender, while redshirt freshman Alex Murphy is expected to start from day one, giving head coach Mike Krzyzewski a vital 6-foot-8 swing player that the team lacked last season, when they often were forced into defensive mismatches with three-guard lineups.

NC STATE WOLFPACK
2011-12 SU Record: 65% (24-13)
2011-12 ATS Record: 56% (18-14-1)
2011-12 Over (Total): 61% (20-13)
Returning Starters: 4
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 15/1

From barely making last year’s NCAA Tournament to ACC favorites this year, the Wolfpack have the burden of heavy expectations this year with a veteran squad that is supplemented by a heralded recruiting class. C.J. Leslie (14.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and Richard Howell (10.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG) return to form the conference’s most physical post tandem, while Lorenzo Brown (12.7 PPG, 6.3 APG) may be the best point guard in the league. He is joined in the backcourt by arguably the conference’s most college-ready recruit in Rodney Purvis, who can light up a scoreboard. Head coach Mark Gottfried has no shortage of weapons this season with senior forward Scott Wood (12.4 PPG) rounding out the crew at 6-foot-6 and possessing a knack from deep, nailing 2.6 treys per game last year at a 41% clip.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
2011-12 SU Record: 84% (32-6)
2011-12 ATS Record: 54% (20-17)
2011-12 Over (Total): 50% (18-18-1)
Returning Starters: 1
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 25/1

Roy Williams’ Tar Heels will be a new look squad this year without Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Kendall Marshall and Harrison Barnes all gone to the NBA. Now this team will be in the hands of sophomore forward James Michael McAdoo, whose talents were buried behind last year’s stacked squad. He showed his ability to get on the scoreboard last year with 6.1 points per game in just 15.6 minutes, but will have a lot of pressure after last year’s team ranked first in the nation in rebound margin (+10.2) and third in points (81.3). Sharpshooter Reggie Bullock (8.8 PPG, 38% 3-pt FG) returns on the wing as does Dexter Strickland (57% FG), who returns after missing half of last year’s campaign after tearing his ACL. But the key to the backcourt will be heralded freshman guard Marcus Paige, who has Marshall’s shoes to fill running an offense that averaged 17.3 assists per game last year, fourth in the country.

MIAMI HURRICANES
2011-12 SU Record: 61% (20-13)
2011-12 ATS Record: 52% (15-14-2)
2011-12 Over (Total): 60% (18-12)
Returning Starters: 4
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 200/1

The Hurricanes had some strong moments in Jim Larranaga’s first year at the helm, including a win at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and they return four players from that squad. Three of their four double-digit scorers from last year are back in Durand Scott (12.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.1 APG), Kenny Kadji (11.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG) and Reggie Johnson (10.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG). Scott runs the offense but the keys to it are forwards Kadji and Johnson—at 6-foot-11, Kadji is a matchup nightmare with his touch that extends beyond the arc, while Johnson is a bull in the paint at 285 pounds.

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
2011-12 SU Record: 71% (25-10)
2011-12 ATS Record: 55% (18-15)
2011-12 Over (Total): 52% (17-16)
Returning Starters: 1
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 100/1

After a strong ACC showing last year (12-4 record), the Seminoles were bounced in the Round of 32 in the Big Dance. Although Leonard Hamilton’s squad returns just one starter, it is the most important one—senior guard Michael Snaer (14.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG), who made 40% of his shots from deep. Ian Miller (10.3 PPG) joins him in the backcourt, where they will also receive help from freshman Montay Brandon, who at 6-foot-7 should be ready to contribute from day one. The question is if the return of Terrance Shannon, who played just seven games last season due to a shoulder injury, to the frontcourt can make up for the loss of bigs Bernard James and Xavier Gibson, who did all the dirty work for Hamilton last year.

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
2011-12 SU Record: 69% (22-10)
2011-12 ATS Record: 54% (14-12-1)
2011-12 Over (Total): 26% (7-20)
Returning Starters: 3
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 100/1

Tony Bennett turned the Cavaliers into a dangerous team last year with his painfully defensive style of play, keeping opponents to 54.2 points per game, the second fewest in the nation. The team will sorely miss last year’s centerpiece Mike Scott who averaged 18.0 PPG and 8.3 RPG, but they bring back Joe Harris (11.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG), the only other Cavaliers player to average double-figures in scoring last season. Jontel Evans (7.3 PPG, 3.9 APG) will be back running the point, while the team adds a few top recruits in small forwards Justin Anderson and Evan Nolte plus 6-foot-11 center Mike Tobey, who should be an important big body for Bennett to use.

MARYLAND TERRAPINS
2011-12 SU Record: 53% (17-15)
2011-12 ATS Record: 48% (13-14-1)
2011-12 Over (Total): 52% (14-13-1)
Returning Starters: 2
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 200/1

In Mark Turgeon’s first season with the Terrapins, he guided the team to a 6-10 ACC record. Now he will need to find a way to compete without the only dangerous player from last year’s squad Terrell Stoglin, who scored 21.6 PPG. Sophomore guard Nick Faust (8.9 PPG) will need to take over the scoring onus, while Pe'Shon Howard (3.7 APG) resumes his role as starting point guard after missing half of 2011-12 with a knee injury. Highly-rated freshman Shaquille Cleare should give the team a much-needed post presence along with 7-foot-1 Alex Len (5.4 RPG) and 6-foot-8 James Padgett (8.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG).

GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS
2011-12 SU Record: 36% (11-20)
2011-12 ATS Record: 39% (10-16)
2011-12 Over (Total): 42% (11-15)
Returning Starters: 4
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 300/1

Last year’s leading scorer Glen Rice Jr.—also the team’s lone double-digit scorer—is gone after getting kicked off the team late last year, but head coach Brian Gregory brings back a heady crew of veterans from a team that averaged a putrid 60.2 points per game last season. Mfon Udofia (9.9 PPG, 2.8 APG) will have a bigger burden on him, but the hope for this squad rests with its underclassmen. After seeing limited action last year, Julian Royal could emerge as a threat at forward, while 6-foot-8 power forward Robert Carter is one of the conference’s top recruits. Swingman Marcus Hunt should also be able to find important minutes as a talented freshman on this squad that should be able to exceed low expectations following an abysmal 2011-2012 campaign (4-12 record in ACC).

CLEMSON TIGERS
2011-12 SU Record: 52% (16-15)
2011-12 ATS Record: 35% (9-17)
2011-12 Over (Total): 54% (14-12)
Returning Starters: 2
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 200/1

Head coach Brad Brownell kept the Tigers at .500 in the ACC last season, but may struggle to do so again without departed two leading scorers, Andre Young and Tanner Smith. This is senior center Devin Booker’s (10.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG) team now, while he should be should receive solid help in the frontcourt by senior forward Milton Jennings (9.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG).

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
2011-12 SU Record: 42% (13-18)
2011-12 ATS Record: 52% (14-13-1)
2011-12 Over (Total): 44% (12-15)
Returning Starters: 2
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 100/1 (Field)

After going 4-12 in the ACC last year, the Demon Deacons return both of their leading scorers from last year’s campaign in C.J. Harris (16.7 PPG) and Travis McKie (16.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG). Cody Miller-McIntyre could be a valuable asset as a freshman point guard, while sophomore guard Chase Fischer (6.3 PPG) will be expected to fill a much larger role in his second season.

VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES
2011-12 SU Record: 49% (16-17)
2011-12 ATS Record: 43% (12-16-1)
2011-12 Over (Total): 38% (11-18)
Returning Starters: 3
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 300/1

Despite three returning starters, this will be a new-look Hokies squad with Seth Greenberg out and James Johnson in as head coach after the team failed to make the Big Dance yet again, going 4-12 in ACC play. Last year’s leading scorer Erick Green (15.6 PPG) is back in the fold after he scored nearly a quarter of the team’s points last season (65.1 PPG). Jarell Eddie (9.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG) and Cadarian Raines (5.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG) round out the returning starters. But it will take Johnson more than one year to rebuild this program, with no top recruits joining a squad that struggled to compete last season.

BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
2011-12 SU Record: 29% (9-22)
2011-12 ATS Record: 52% (13-12)
2011-12 Over (Total): 40% (10-15)
Returning Starters: 1
Odds to win 2013 NCAA Championship: 100/1 (Field)

The ACC cellar dwellers last year averaged an abysmal 59.1 points per game (323rd in nation) and will need sophomore Ryan Anderson to take a big step in his second year of college ball after leading the team with 11.2 PPG and 7.4 RPG last year. Freshman Olivier Hanlan will be asked to run the point.