The landscape of ACC basketball is starting to look a lot different, and no I’m not talking about Syracuse and Pittsburgh joining the conference. They come into play during the 2013-2014 academic year. That’s too far down the road. I’m talking about going into this year. Lets take a look at last season’s top teams in the conference.
North Carolina Tar Heels
UNC won the ACC regular season title, but faltered in the ACC tournament’s championship game against the Florida State Seminoles. With a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, Carolina looked really good, but then Kendall Marshall broke his wrist. Freshman guard Stillman White filled in for the injured Marshall, as they got past 13-seeded Ohio in the Sweet Sixteen in overtime before falling to Roy William’s old school, Kansas, in the Elite Eight. Now they’re losing four starters. Tyler Zeller, Kendall Marshall, John Henson, and Harrison Barnes are all off to the NBA, so this year, the Heels will be relying on two guys that had serious knee injuries this past year in Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland, and rising sophomore James Michael McAdoo. Though they’re bringing in a good recruiting class, it’s not looking like the powerhouse Tar Heels that we’re used to seeing ever since Roy Williams got to Chapel Hill.
Duke Blue Devils:
Sure Coack K is going to have these guys ready to play. He always does. But will he have the talent he needs to make any sort of run? Miles Plumlee is graduating, and Austin Rivers is taking off for the NBA Draft. Duke returns Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, and Andre Dawkins, but they’ve been role players over the course of their careers as a Blue Devil. Someone’s going to need to step up and take on a leadership role if Duke is to have any shot, as they’re not bringing in too much in terms of recruiting this year. My money is on Seth Curry, but I have no confidence in that pick what so ever.
Florida State Seminoles:
Florida State is about to be decimated. They’re losing five key players from this year’s ACC tournament championship team. Coach Leonard Hamilton will have a couple new toys to work with on the court, but there’s something to be said for experience and playing time, which is something Florida State will not have much of. The only real experience on the floor will come in the form of rising senior guard Michael Snaer.
Virginia Cavaliers:
Virginia started like a house on fire, but they’re losing their top two players in Mike Scott and Sammy Zeglinski. They’re bringing in three “ESPN Top 100” recruits, but this will be a young team, and coach Tony Bennett’s system is not an easy one to run. Joe Harris will need to step up his game and take on a leadership role, but Scott and Zeglinski will be very hard to replace.
North Carolina State Wolfpack:
First year head coach Mark Gottfried completely transformed a team with a lot of attitude problem and “lazy” players into a Sweet Sixteen team. The Pack only loses one starter in C.J. Williams, and adds three McDonald’s All Americans to the mix. C.J. Leslie is coming back for his junior year after putting State fans through a long decision process. Sharpshooter Scott Wood is back for his senior year, and Lorenzo Brown, who looked like a man on a mission in last year’s NCAA tournament is just another year older, not to mention he’s looking like one of the top guards in the country. The Pack is back, and Raleigh is loving it.
Duke and North Carolina; their head coaches are two of the all-time best. They’ll be ready to play, but do they have the talent to do what they’re used to doing year in and year out? The top two are fading, and NC State is sliding right into the vacant spot. On paper, this team looked poised and dangerous, and is ready to make a legitimate title run. But that’s just on paper. We have to wait until November to really find out how good this team can be. This is why I love ACC basketball on tobacco road. Who needs the Charlotte Bobcats? We’ve got NC State, Duke, and North Carolina all within a matter of 30 minutes from each other!