The Un-Unanimous #1

We love college basketball here at ASD. In fact, it was one of the bonding tenants of Catfish and my's friendship in the rolling plains of North Carolina. We enjoy discussing and debating everything and anything college basketball. Growing up in ACC country less than 100 miles (as the crow flies) from Tobacco Road, college basketball dominated the local sports landscape. It's a passion we still follow to this day.

Yesterday, the ACC held its basketball media day in Charlotte. Their location was the the Renaissance Suites Hotel, which means literally nothing to a lot of people. he hotel, however, sits across from the former site of the Charlotte Coliseum which has a special place in Charlotte sports and college basketball lore. Yet I digress.

A vote was held for the preseason poll by the ACC media as is tradition. Duke, which figures to be the prohibitive favorite in the conference and a contender to repeat for the title, received just about all of the first place votes. Now we certianly know preseason polls are rearely worth the brainpower it takes to tabulate the votes, but it is always a good piece of fodder for discussion. Here are how the votes turned out:

1. Duke (61) 743; 2. Virginia Tech 632; 3. North Carolina (1) 622; 4. N.C. State 526; 5. Florida State 496; 6. Maryland 432; 7. Clemson 335; 8. Miami 305; 9. Georgia Tech 274; 10. Boston College 173; 11. Virginia 164; 12. Wake Forest 134.

Now who could be that lone person who had Carolina finishing first in the ACC? I'm sure if I really strain my noodle I might be able to come up with a few possibilities. By the way, does anyone know where Catfish was yesterday? Hmmmm, curious. Curious indeed.

It's Duke, then everyone else [Charlotte Observer]

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Just in Case We Had Forgotten, ACC Reminds Us How Bad Their Football Is

It seems like this is an annual admission of the horribleness of ACC football based on their early season non-conference performance. There were four big out of conference match-ups for the conference on Saturday and true to form the ACC lost them all.

My Canes were impressive only in the kicking game and in their ability to vomit, bleed, and defecate on themselves at the same time during their 36-24 loss at Ohio State. Not many were expecting the Canes to go into the Horseshoe and beat the Buckeyes, yet the manner of their play was highly disappointing. Jacory Harris threw four interceptions and missed open receivers for touchdowns. Receivers dropped passes. Offensive linemen had multiple false starts. Interceptions were dropped. Only the returners were the ones who brought their best game to Columbus. A lot of credit goes to the Buckeyes for their consistent, solid play. They took advantage of the Canes mistakes. Once again the question has been asked if the Canes are back and once again the answer is a resounding "NO,GTFO LMAO ROFL kthxbai."

A lot of people were high on Florida State in Norman. Some people were very confident. Oklahoma woke up from its scare against Utah State and clobbered the Seminoles. The 47-17 win by the 10th-ranked Sooners stopped any talk of Jimbo taking FSU back to the upper echelon of national prominence.

Surely the reigning ACC champion would make us proud right? Georgia Tech had to go on the road to the wonderland that is Lawrence, Kansas. The Jayhawks lost to FCS powerhouse North Dakota State last week, failing to score more than 3 points. Turner Gil did quite a motivation job over the week as they racked up 28 points on #15 Georgia Tech in a 3 point win. Kansas was not exactly seen as a powerhouse in the BCS picture before their loss to North Dakota State, so quite the letdown from the Jackets.

Last and probably least, we have the Hokies. I have long called Virginia Tech the flag-carriers for the conference. They got a BCS win during the conference's long drought, they win 10 games or close to it year after year. Yet after an opening week loss to Boise State in what was essentially a home game, V-Tech had an incomprehensible loss in Blacksburg. FCS (powerhouse?) James Madison came into town and beat the Hokies 21-16. Tech fans were devastated but no one felt the pain of the loss more than Boise State. It is now impossible for the Broncos to make the BCS title game, even if they go undefeated.

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2010 College Football Predictions: The ACC

For the past decade, the ACC has not exactly been flavor country for college football. Putrid showings in bowl season after bowl season and no team playing for the BCS title since 2000 (Miami was in the Big East in 2002) has led many to view ACC has a punchline and a failed expansion project. However, the conference does contain some talented players and teams and despite non-sexy national match-ups in the championship game the conference is making money. Include the new TV deal with ESPN and the conference is healthy, but still lacking a breakthrough performance. Once again the ACC brings talented teams to the table, but will the conference be holding its head high at the end of the year or sticking it in the sand like so many years before. The ASD ACC predictions after the jump.


ATLANTIC DIVISION

1. Clemson

I usually have a rule against picking Clemson to win anything, in any sport, but the Tigers proved that they could advance from the muck that is the ACC Atlantic last year. CJ Spiller was a difference-maker for Clemson last year and his explosiveness will be missed. They may believe they have the next two-headed backfield monster in James Harper and Andre Ellington, but talk is cheap. Kyle Parker has staved off the baseball field for one more season, but will he find consistency behind center? There seems to be a dynamic duo phenomenon going on down in western South Carolina because Clemson also has one on defense in safeties DeAndre McDaniel and Rashard Hall. The Tigers have the talent to get this done, but in my mind the jury is still out on Dabo and his staff. He should rightfully get credit for taking the team to the ACC title game but in BCS conferences coaches are measured by championships and the consistency of playing for them. Swinney appears to have his system in place to succeed where Tommy Bowden failed but he needs to shore up his special teams and game management. This could be the year they get it done.

The Tigers schedule has it's challenges but the placement of the games proves favorable. They only have back-to-back road games once toward the end of the year. They get cupcakes North Texas and Presbyterian(go Blue Hoes!) to open before they travel to Auburn in another ACC/SEC showdown. Even if Clemson loses that which I think they will, it does not affect their status in the Atlantic Division. They then have a week off before Miami comes to Death Valley. They also get Georgia Tech at home. The two other challengers in the Atlantic, FSU and BC, will be road challenges for them but Clemson will be able to afford to drop one. Prediction is Clemson goes 8-4 and makes it to Charlotte.

2. Boston College

Despite how loathe I am to watch another stupid replay of the Flutie Hail Mary pass, I have a lot of respect for BC football. From the time of Tom O'Brien to Frank Spaziani's tenure now, you are always guaranteed a solid effort from the Eagles when they take the field. The biggest story for them this year will be off the field, or rather a return to the field. Mark Herzlich will return from the cancer in his leg that took him away from football. He made his presence felt on ESPN and the sidelines last year but now his September return will provide an emotional boon and hopefully a productive difference in the defense. Quarterback was a problem last year and while Dave Shinskie (aka Wienke 2.0) has another year under his belt, the 25-year old has have to made great strides to provide more solid play. Defensively the Eagles should be their usual stalwart selves. If the offense can take pressure off the BC defense and produce sustained, long drives the Eagles will have success.

The schedule shapes up quite swimmingly. Cream puffs Weber State and Kent State lead them into a 3rd week open date. Virginia Tech comes next as their most challenging contest but they get it at Chestnut Hill. Notre Dame comes calling next but don't believe the hype, I'm a believer in Brian Kelly but the Irish are not to be feared this year. The Eagles will round out their conference play with Wake, Duke and Virginia. Damn, maybe I should change that Clemson pick but no, I think the Eagles come up just short of a division title.

3. Florida State

Will it be weird to not see Bobby Bowden on the sidelines for the Seminoles? No, since he really wasn't there the last couple seasons, with the exception of his Gator Bowl fairwell. While I am a Cane for life, Bobby Bowden deserves his respect for what he accomplished at FSU and we will ignore all that off the field stuff for now. Bowden is hocking a book (shocking I know) so he has got his best "Dang gum" act on the radio and while he has admitted he was forced out he has no ill-will toward the suits in Tallahassee. This will be a tough year for Jimbo Fisher, not because he is now the head coach, but because of all the distraction away from the field about replacing Bowden. The Seminoles will continue to be impressive on offense thanks to Fisher's game-planning but the defense is suspect. Christian Ponder is as good a combo of smarts and athleticism as anyone in the country. The offense should again be lighting up scoreboards, but can the defense keep up? I think FSU will have a number of close losses on the plate this year.

The out of conference schedule is tough for Florida State; after Samford comes to Doak, they will travel to Oklahoma and then host BYU. The Cougars will be eager to avenge their blowout last year. As always, Florida looms at the end fo the schedule and it is doubtful the Seminoles have risen as high as the Gators will fall without Tebow. It will be a season of highs and lows with a solid bowl bid at the end.

4. NC State

The honeymoon is over for Tom O'Brien in Raleigh. If there is no bowl game for the Wolfpack this year, the natives will be very restless. Six wins will be a challenge but it can be done. Shoring up the defense will be the biggest test. Russell Wilson will also need to take the leap forward he did not last year before he takes his leap to baseball. Tom O'Brien's BC teams were well known for strong offensive lines supporting strong running games while the defense played tough. The Pack defense was 99th in points against last year. It will be a tough road to hoe but Tom O'Brien is a coach that has yet to get it accomplished.

NC State has those games that could go tenuously either way. At UCF, Cincinnati, East Carolina, at North Carolina and at Maryland to close the season. Then there are games like at Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech back-to-back. I think the Pack will squeeze their 6 wins out of it.

5. Wake Forest

Wake went bowl-less for the first time in 5 years in 2009. Riley Skinner who seemed to be in Winston-Salem for a decade is gone and he represents a problem that Jim Grobe and company have had over the pas couple years, they have lost those diamonds in the rough and have to develop new ones. Grobe will try to introduce more of an option attack on offense which may accompany their personnel and style of play better...or fall flat. The defense will have fresh blood on the line, which will likely make stopping the run a challenge. Grobe made believers out of a lot of people but unfortunately he will have to do it again.

The Deacons got the dreaded Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech combo from the Coastal, and they will play fellow smart schools Navy and Stanford out of conference. The Deacons will struggle to make a bowl but be more than happy wherever they go if they do.

6. Maryland

The Terps could do worse than last year, but that would mean they went 1-11 or 0-12. I'll go out on a limb and say that will not happen and not just because they have instituted a prime yoga regiment. Ralph Friedgen was given a stay of execution, mainly because Maryland gave Gary Williams another shot and he delivered and Maryland is a basketball school. With a more "athletic" quarterback taking over in Jamarr Robinson Friedgen will add more of an option look. Nothing much to shout about on the defensive side, except their linebackers.

Maryland will need to finish strong if they are going to make it happen this season. From October 16 to November 27 they play 7 of their 8 ACC games consecutively.

COASTAL DIVISION

1. Virginia Tech

I often refer to the Hokies as the flag-bearers for the ACC because they are the one team that has been BCS-consistent throughout the decade. They provided a much needed Orange Bowl win a few years ago and even in a last year they defeated an SEC foe in their bowl game. This year Tech boasts another top ten ranking and their Bud Foster-led D will again keep teams in check while their stud RBs Darren Evans and Ryan Williams will pound the ball and give support to sometimes maligned Tyrod Taylor. While they have been the consistent, a national title has eluded Frank Beamer and company. This will be another year where they are in the hunt.

The biggest match-up of the opening weekend in college football will happen Labor Day night at FedEx Field. While it cannot be said absolutely that the Hokies have no shot at the title if they lose this game, it is all but assured if they cannot beat Boise State. All eyes will be on that game more for the Broncos than the Hokies but the game is likely the whole season for both. After the opener Tech should roll until a Thursday Night clash in Blacksburg against Georgia Tech and then at North Carolina and at Miami which will decide this division. I think Virginia Tech falters against Boise State, the potato-eaters have been thinking of nothing else of the game and had months to prepare. With one or two losses in conference the season overall might be seen as a disappointment by the Hokie faithful but as is custom in the Coastal I foresee a tie for the division title which the Hokies will win out on.

2. Miami

The second player in my 3-way tie is Miami. Miami is responsible for loading its non-conference schedule but the ACC schedule makers do not help them out either. The bright side is that the Canes should be even better than their 9-4 bounce back of last year. Jacory Harris returns having a full season at starter under his belt and his injured thumb surgically repaired. Miami had two key additions late in the recruiting season in Latwaan Anderson, a stud CB from Ohio, and Seantrel Henderson the big O-lineman who bailed on USC. Those are the young guns, but Miami's roster has finally matured. To add to that many of these players have in-game experience and the roster now has the depth of the classic Miami teams. Can Randy Shannon take the next step with the talent? I think they fall just short of their goal to play for the ACC title in Charlotte, mainly because of the schedule.

After a breather against Florida A&M, Miami travels to Ohio State, Pittsburgh, and Clemson. Then they return home to find rival FSU waiting for them. If that was not tough enough, they get Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech in consecutive weeks to close out the ACC. I think they trip up once against Ohio State at the Shoe which is understandable and then falter twice in conference and lose out on the tiebreaker to Virginia Tech.

3. Georgia Tech

They scoffed at Paul Johnson and his triple option after they got destroyed by LSU two years ago in the Peach Bowl, but the Jackets came back strong last year and won the ACC title before they got smacked by Iowa in the Orange Bowl. Johnson has made adjustments to his offense and will have to continue to in order to advance Tech to where they want them: national prominence every year. It's not my lack of confidence in Paul's ability to do that that has them at the bottom end of the 3-way tie, it's their losses to the NFL. Jonathan Dwyer and Demariyus Thomas on offense, Derrick Morgan and Morgan Burnett on defense. I expect Josh Nesbitt to improve this year and the Jackets will fair well but not reach the heights they did last year.

Game number 2 at Kansas intrigues me, just to see the two meet in Kansas. After a date in Chapel Hill with North Carolina the schedule opens up until Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami in games 8-10. Another winning season in Atlanta, which will leave the Jackets to find some success in bowl season and dispel the "time to prepare" knock against them.

4. North Carolina

Wow, the dreams sure did unravel fast for the football program this year at UNC. The only questions that the Heels had coming into this season was their offense and QB production when an alleged agent-funded trip to Miami opened up an institution investigation that lead to a group of defensive stars relegated to the scout team in the wake of possible academic fraud. How did it come to this? Needless to say this situation has dropped the Tar Heels down in many people's opinions and that includes mine. I don't think the season will be a total wash, but UNC will not reach the promised land when their strongest point has been weakened.

After representing the ACC(sigh) in the kickoff classic in Atlanta, the Heels will then host Georgia Tech before jaunting out of conference to host Rutgers and East Carolina. How they do after these first four may indicate whether Butch Davis loses the team's focus or not.

5. Duke

Duke's first win came when David Cutcliffe decided to stay at Duke despite the Tennessee job, where he was a former assistant, opening up. Their second came when the basketball team won the NCAA Tournament. Two wins already! Sadly they cannot use those two toward bowl eligibility but they will help the pressure off the team. There are 6 wins on Duke's schedule, a bowl game is within reach. Cutcliffe will have to use his strength in preparing QBs to aid Sean Renfree if the Devils will succeed. A new defensive coordinator means a new scheme, and it remains to be seen how much Marion Hobbby can hold opposing teams in check with the players he has this year, leading to more need of points on the board.

Wallace Wade Stadium will be jumping when preseason number 1 Alabama visits in week 3. Of course it will be jumping because of all the Tide fans that will invade Durham but attendance is attendance right? Elon, Wake, Army, Maryland, Navy, and Virginia are the 6 wins I can count for Duke, if they win all those or steal another, they could be bowl bound for the first time in awhile.

6. Virginia

Mike London returns to Charlottesville to find a program in disarray. I have confidence that he will turn it around but it will not come this year. I think London will be able to bring in a lot of in-state talent because of his run from UVA as d-coordinator and his FCS title reign in Richmond. With all that said, the cupboard is not exactly empty for the Cavs. Dominique Wallace at RB and sophomore WR Tim Smith represent some of this potential on offense. The defense should be solid as London's roots lie in the defensive side of the ball. It may be a familiar sight for Wahoo fans on the field at least for this year. Not much scoring, not many wins.

The first game of London's tenure will be against his former team, Richmond. That should be a comfy opening for London before they travel to USC and most likely get throttled. It's hard to find much solace in the schedule outside of the first game and guarantee gimmes against VMI and Eastern Michigan.


Player to watch: Darren Evans, Virginia Tech
Exceeds expectations: Boston College
Fails expectations: North Carolina
In-conference game to watch: Miami at Georgia Tech, Nov. 13
Out of conference statement game: Boise State vs. Virginia Tech, Sep. 6
ACC CHAMPION PREDICTION: Virginia Tech

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Conference Expansion: Taking the Next Step

Again this week talk of conference expansion has sprung up through out the internet. Boise State to the Mountain West. Who wins the Texas raffle? Who do they have to take in addition? Will Notre Dame finally bite the bullet and join the 21st century? All of these recurring questions are yet to be answered, but several things have become clear, most notably: Cash Rules Everything Around Me. With the ever expanding world of college athletics on the doorstep of yet another evolution (or de-evolution) the powers have proven they do not care about the fans or more importantly the student-athletes. Increased travel? Who cares? A diluted product? If it brings in more money, so be it. The idea that conferences can put out an increasingly unbalanced product that erodes rivalries and deprives fans of marquee matchups will continue to produce larger revenue is flawed. Eventually, their will have to be a truly seismic shift in college sports to continue increasing revenues? Why not skip this era of bloated conferences and jump to the biggest money grab in American Sports history. Beyond the break lies just that possibility.

In the SEC they currently use a 5-2-1 format for their football scheduling. This means a team plays their five division opponents plus one permanent non-division opponent and then two rotating non-division opponents. With this system the biggest of the big dogs Florida and Alabama play four out of every ten years. As sports fans we've been fortunate enough to get them in the SEC championship the last two seasons, because if not the last two national champions would not have met. If the SEC expands, these matchups would likely grow even more rare. The same case be can be made for many marquee matchups that don't serve as primary rivals (OSU-Michigan would be preserved... right? right?!?!) if conferences continue to expand. The increased load of a conference schedule would also likely have a negative impact on already meager non-conference scheduling. That's why I choose now to present my idea to not only make the schools more money, but to also provide the fans with a better experience.

My idea? The League of Extraordinary Teams!

What is it? A collection of the 40 best college athletics programs broken into five divisions. Each division would operate as a regional mini-conference. It would represent a return to the Pac-8, Big-8 eras where rivalries were at their apex. Schools would be selected not solely based on the success of their football teams (although in some cases they might), but on the overall success of their athletics programs. The LXT would be creating a year round cable network that would showcase many of these programs. So who makes up the LXT?

South: Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Kansas, Oklahoma St, and pick one: Missouri, Arkansas, Texas AM, Baylor, and Tex. Tech
North: Ohio St, Michigan, Wisconsin, ND (they have to accept or relinquish all relevance), Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana
East: UNC, Duke, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and pick two: Miami, FSU, Clemson, GT, and SCar
West: UCLA, USC, Stanford, Oregon, Arizona, and pick three: Washington, Arizona St, Oregon St and Cal
North East: UConn, Cuse, Penn St, UVa, VT, Pitt, and pick two: Maryland, WVU, Rutgers, and BC

Don't get caught up on who made the list and who didn't. It's a rough hack and with college sports being as political as they are concessions would have to be made (Texas wants Baylor in? They're in, sorry somebody else). What these teams represent, however, are the very best in both college football, college basketball as well as many other non-revenue sports such as baseball, volleyball, wrestling, etc. Having dominance through out the sports year would allow the LXT to start a cable network similar to the Big Ten, but with a nationwide following and a ton more star power.

Fantasizing about a nationwide sports conference is fun, but why could it happen? Money. Currently the NFL sets the bar for TV contracts, not only because football is king, but also because the teams negotiate as one. People often regard the NFL as the gold standard in American Sports at this time, but the NFL's reach pales in comparison to that of college football, so if
the biggest and best decided to join forces, not only could they provide one season's worth of games, but four. The LXT network could be like the Big 10 network times 1000 in terms of content. Regional contracts could still be signed and networks would be lining up (similar to the NFL) to get a piece of the premiere college sports conference.

With all of the teams playing under one conference banner, the League would have nationwide reach and all money would be kept "in house" and distributed amongst the schools. Currently NFL schedule release day is the only one in American Sports that has become a big deal. With the LXT, the schedule makers could ensure that marquee games are staggered and release day would become a bigger phenomenon than NFL release day. How many prime time games does my school get? Who are the inter-division games? Every fan base would be buzzing. Just as the NFL works to maximize it's feature games the LXT could do the same. Four games every Thursday at two start times. Saturday's would feature a staggering number of games, but the marquee games would also be staggered so as to avoid conflicting. Week after week would feature various must see LXT games in primetime.

At the end of the regular season, the five division champions as well as the top seven non-division winners would compete to crown one LXT champion. The format would be similar to the BCS playoff proposed here previously. Of course, the LXT no longer needs the BCS skimming money off the top. Even more money kept in house.

Looking ahead to college basketball, the Christmas tournaments could be entirely LXT events ripe with desirable inter-division matchups. The return of mandatory home and homes within each division would restore some of the lost luster of rivalries and individual division tournaments would feed into a small LXT Elite Eight style tournament.

A move such as this would be unprecedented, but so would the financial gain for the schools. It would change the landscape forever, but the product would be better. As it stands, the landscape is changing, but not maximizing the money earned or the product on the field/court. Both the fans and the schools would win. every would win, except for of course the other division one schools, but when there's money to be made that doesn't matter. The schools are already proving that on their own.

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Dino Gaudio: Kentucky's the best (of this era?)

Following a 30-point drubbing at the hands of the Kentucky Wildcats, Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio proclaimed, “I’ve been in the ACC 10 years, that’s as good a basketball team as we’ve played against in the 10 years I’ve been here." That span of ten years includes four national title teams, one each for Maryland and Duke and two for North Carolina. If my team had been in a late season death sprial, I'd just barely beaten Texas and Rick Barnes in a battle of whose coach sucks less, and people were starting to talk about me being on the hot seat, I too would probably be eager to proclaim Kentucky the best. It makes explaining a 30-point loss a little easier. Gaudio's comments are actually not that unrealistic from a talent standpoint, but an aspect he didn't consider, it's a new era in college basketball.

While John Wall has been the showstopper (or starter depending on your perspective), being well-rounded makes this Kentucky team truly special. They've got NBA talent at virtually every position, something not available to most teams for the last decade. The addition of the 'one-and-done' rule by the NBA has made it so that talented big men are now forced to make a pit stop in college. There is little doubt that John Wall would have chosen to go directly to the L as well, but no one attracts attention from NBA teams like the 6'10" and over fellas. DeMarcus Cousins would have been a lottery pick this year and Daniel Orton could easily have been drafted instead of playing thirteen minutes off the bench for the Wildcats on the basis of size and potential alone. When three of the four ACC National Championships were being won earlier in the aughts, almost all potential NBA lottery picks with size were going directly to the NBA. In 2001, three high school big men, Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, and Eddy Curry were selected ahead of the undisputed leader of the National Champion Duke Blue Devils, Shane Battier. In 2002, following the Terrapins tournament championship two college big men, Drew Gooden and Terp Chris Wilcox, were taken before the first high schooler, Amare Stoudamire, but it's easy to judge who has had the most success at the next level. Players that would have made a huge impact in college, such as Josh Smith, Andrew Bynum, Al Jefferson, and Kendrick Perkins all made the leap. Today, they wouldn't be allowed.

Perhaps no team better illustrates how much of an impact the one-and-done rule has had than Kentucky, but one need only look back to the 2005 championship team of North Carolina to see just how different history could have been. The Heels were led by Sean May, Raymond Felton, and Rashad McCants. They were joined in the starting lineup by Jawad Williams and Jackie Manuel, with Melvin Scott and future number two pick in the draft, Marvin Williams coming off the bench. Had the one-and-done rule been in place, J.R. Smith (taken 18th directly out of HS) would also have been on the roster as well as Dwight Howard. That would have given the Heels potentially five lottery picks and six first rounders. People may still be able to argue that Kentucky would be better from a talent stand point, there is no disputing that being led by a core of upperclassmen would be a huge advantage for Carolina over the current Wildcats (and the same goes for the 2009 championship team). It's why Kansas was the prohibitive favorite to win the title this season and not the team with some many future lottery picks... wait, that doesn't prove my point at all. Oh well, screw the Jayhawks.

At this point, this Kentucky team may be the most talented college team assembled in the last decade, but they're not worthy of being considered the best. If they fail to close during the final two weekends of the tournament, they're little more than the Fab 5, and they don't have a nickname to make them immortal like CWebb and crew. Dino may be right but to compare them to teams that won titles as recently as just five years ago is difficult, because it was a different era, not separated by time, but by one rule.

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The BCS Agenda Delivers the "Best"

It's time once again to take a look at the BCS. Many other bloggers, writers and pundits are playing "what if" with Iowa, USC, TCU, Boise State and others, which is ironic considering the entire system is designed to remove all chance. Last season we took a look at the computer polls, pointing out several of the flaws, while conceding the inherent problems of the polls, but now it's time to take aim at the whole of the system. Often times people will refer to BCS voters having an 'agenda,' here's a look at what that just might mean.

The BCS is the sports version of American Idol minus the teenie boppers voting on their cell phones. It's one big popularity contest. Some talking heads lament the possibility of the dark horses in the National Championship, 'Do you really want to watch Cincinnati vs. Alabama? Ugh', but that's not the way sports works (or should work). We didn't get LeBron-Kobe even though it would've gotten better ratings, because the Cavs lost. We haven't had a Manning Bowl, Yankees-Dodgers world series since 1981 or an all-Canada Stanley Cup Final in twenty years, because sports has no script. The great fallacy of the BCS and why some are tricked into believing the system is either a) working or b) is "better than what we had" lies in the desirability of the match-up. While various fanbases get upset annually, by and large the masses are pleased due to the marquee nature of the Championship Game. Look back at the Finals teams from all the major sports in the last decade. Every one of them has Tampa Bays, Georgia Techs, Carolina Hurricanes, Arizona Cardinals and New Jersey Nets sprinkled through out them and yet the BCS has never had a team that's not one of the winningest or iconic programs of the last twenty years. Look quickly at the list of teams that have competed for the crystal football since the BCS came about: Oklahoma (4x), Ohio State (3x), Florida State (3x), Florida (2x), Miami (2x), USC (2x), LSU (2x), Texas, Nebraska, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. Not one dark horse program and of those only Virginia Tech is not considered football royalty, but in addition to being one of only two BCS conference teams undefeated that season (going into the bowl) they also had a once-in-a-lifetime dynamic player in Michael Vick. On the flip side, consider the lesser teams that have been part of the discussion, but ultimately left out of the game: Kansas St., Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Auburn, Wisconsin, and Louisville among others. Even among the power players there's a pecking order, with several seemingly deserving teams being hurdled by late season voting shenanigans. There's a reason. College football is the golden goose of sports and the select few who get those golden eggs annually are not interested in sharing.

Another primary difference between the BCS and American Idol; the BCS voters have a vested interest in the outcome. It's difficult to assess how much being a voter for the national championship is worth, but it certainly has value. Being voters for the National Champion gives the pollsters' opinions weight, generates more exposure for them and their employers and therefore puts more money in their pocket. Inserting a non-BCS conference team into the national championship may not be the death knell for the current system, but establishing the precedent could lead to the erosion of the system that gives the writers the current stature they enjoy. Not to go all conspiracy theorist, but the BCS polls being released midway through the season is no coincidence. College football enjoys the most passionate fanbases of any sport in America, other rankings provide us with a general lay of the land week to week and the top teams know from this point on the must win out in order to ensure their place in a BCS bowl. So why do they need to be released? College basketball doesn't seed March madness weeks out and inform us who's in and who's out. Could it not be argued that the BCS is unwilling to take a multi-million dollar gamble by preventing the pollsters from seeing how the rankings stack up before the final week? Let's say Iowa stays perfect and finishes ranked third in the polls behind the SEC and Big 12 champions, but as it stands the computers love the Hawkeyes and could potentially push them into the National Championship game. If you stood to make millions more on a marquee national championship game, particularly in a down economic time, would you take the chance that Iowa could unseat Texas by not releasing the results until the final day? This way pollsters are able to see which teams the computers will eliminate (Boise State) and conversely the pollsters can see which teams the computers love and need to be wary of, so they can justify them down slightly in the polls. Consciously or subconsciously, pollsters will do what they think is needed to ensure the "best" national championship match-up. We saw this manipulation at work last year with Oklahoma receiving a late push in the polls on the strength of the margin of victory over Texas Tech.

Even more so than the voters, the primary TV networks benefit from always having a chalk match-up in the title game. ESPN and CBS both root for the SEC and ESPN has contracts with all of the BCS conferences. If a Mountain West team were to play for a national championship, it would be a tremendous boost to the Versus network. While it seems ludicrous to suggest at this point, but having the National Champion of college football and (dare I say) the NHL would provide a tremendous foothold for Versus towards creating a dent in the juggernaut that is ESPN and we know they don't like competition in Bristol. ESPN loves their "bracket busters" in college basketball, but why not in college football? They want to protect their interest in the big conferences. ESPN stays out of the picture when it comes to non-conference scheduling in college football, but they regularly pitch ideas like the ACC/Big 10 challenge in basketball, because they know those games will be money makers and the conferences need not worry about the impact on teams making the NCAA tournament. In college football, they don't have that luxury and playing such games (after the Kickoff Classic) only serves to potentially hurt their investments. When listening to the talking heads at any of these networks, remember that they themselves are in invested in these conferences and seeing someone else's team in the national championship making the other guy money instead of them, isn't in their best interest. (That said, I believe you will see ESPN slowly turn up the heat on the possibility of a college football playoff, but that's a discussion for another day.)

Discussing the "what if" scenarios of college football through out the season can be equal parts fun and maddening, but in reality few if any of those scenarios have any chance of coming to fruition regardless of the outcomes on the field because they just don't fit the agenda. The big six conferences rely on their guaranteed money from BCS games and are not eager to share and both the voters and the TV networks have vested interests in delivering what those conferences want. Unfortunately, the best sport America has is currently run like Olympic figure skating. Style points and what flag you play under are just as important as performance. There is a man behind the curtain and he has no interest in getting the right National Championship game, only the best one. It's the only way they can keep their money and the masses satisfied. That's the BCS, the Business of College Sports.

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Present Your Ocular Atttention To These Games

Starting tomorrow at noon there will be a parade of games that are worth tuning into. There may be no shifting on the national landscape of college football but there are some critical match-ups and a chance to get a sense of where teams stand.

Saturday

(9)Miami @ (11) Virginia Tech, 3:30 on ABC

Even as a Miami fan I am tired of the question of whether the U is back or not. I still say no but just look at the commenting thread on any of the bevy of articles on UM this week and you will see such gems stating how the U is back and cannot be beat. Anyone can be beat in Blacksburg and as Tyrod Taylor showed last week, the Hokies do not even need to be in control of the game to pull one out. Still, as Chris Brown points out the passing attack of the Canes has been formidable even in its simplicity. This game more than likely comes down to Miami offensive coordinator Mark Whipple vs. legendary defensive coordinator for Tech Bud Foster. Whoever wins gets a leg up in the ACC and will be in the top ten come next week.

(6) Cal @ Oregon, 3:30 on ABC

You may be saying, "Cleet, these first two games are at the same time?!" Well while I will be paying full attention to the game above, no reason why this game should not occupy your attention during commercials and timeouts. Last week in casual conversation Catfish mentioned to me how Michigan State was the Clemson of the midwest. Clemson is known for being a team with high expectations from their fans who attract good talent and maybe have one year or two where their program was the best in the land yet always fall flat on their faces. I concurred with his observation and took it further by saying Cal is the Clemson of the west. Here is step 1 to proving me wrong. Cal travels to Eugene tomorrow to take on a Oregon team that just snapped the longest FBS winning streak in the country by beating Utah. When Cal has high hopes, it usually drops one of these Pac-Ten games. Now with USC losing to Washington, Cal has the inside track on the conference title if they can beat the Ducks and then beat USC next week at home. It is a tall order for sure, but the Bears have been hyped up and they have the premiere player in Jahvid Best. You know how when each season starts the Heisman hype is beyond annoying and the lead candidate usually lacks the big performances to back it up? Well enter Best who is averaging 7.8 yards per carry and has 8 rushing TDs through 3 games. I will pause a moment to allow that to sink in. If Oregon wants any chance in this game, they have to put Best on the ground.



Iowa @ Penn State, 8:00 on ABC

I am really not being ABC's boy here, I swear. Most mention of this being the Saturday night big game is being met with groans and eye rolls. However, considering Penn State has played Akron, Syracuse, and Temple nobody really knows what they can do. There is the revenge factor for the Lions since Iowa crushed their title hopes a year ago, but to me this is more of a battle for who will occupy the spot of contender for the Big Ten title with Ohio State. Iowa fans have been praying for the Kirk Ferentz to take the big leap with the program and once again their hopes are high. Do not expect many fireworks here, both teams will put forth solid defensive efforts and the 20 point barrier may not be crossed, by both teams combined. But if Penn State loses the Big Ten will have a huge identity crisis now that their two featured schools will be all but out of the title picture.

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All Aboard the ACC Failbus

Typing this post is surprisingly easy with a foot in my mouth. For all the discussion of the ACC rising up to make themselves respectable this year, for all the posts about their match-ups with the SEC, and the podcasts and predictions, the ACC has reclaimed its position as the joke of the BCS.

The biggest disappointment of week 1 was of course Virginia Tech. This is not because Va Tech has the worst team or even the worst performance, but once again the conference had given the banner to the Hokies to ride into Atlanta and vanquish a top 5 SEC foe. The Hokies put up a valiant fight but in the end ironically it was their defense that let them down. Alabama scored 34 on Tech and by the end of the game ginger boy Greg McElroy was picking the defense apart. The Tide made great adjustments in the second half and against Bama's defense there was no way the Hokies could get swept up in a shootout. The chants of "SEC..SEC" in the crowd as the clock ticked down was a reminder that when it comes to football, the SEC has dominion over the ACC.

The Hokies are not alone in their ineptitude. NC State had a another deplorable performance against South Carolina, losing 7-3 last Thursday. Wake Forest had 4 turnovers against Baylor as the Bears avenged their opening week loss from last year 24-21. Remember how we mentioned Maryland as a possible sleeper on the podcast? They really had their stuff together as they lost by the slimmest of margins to Cal, 52-13.

But losses to other BCS conferences where not all the ACC had up its sleeve. Duke and Virginia, while both picked to finish at the bottom of the ACC, embarrassed the conference further by losing to FCS schools Richmond and William & Mary respectively. Outside of the Miami-FSU game tomorrow the conference went 4-6 in week 1 and those four wins were against Middle Tennessee,Northeastern, Jackson State, and the Citadel. Perhaps Catfish said it best, "When does basketball season start."

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ACC Basketball schedules

Last week the ACC unveiled the schedules for college basketball this season. In our over-flowing coverage of college football it slipped through the cracks, but who better than me to dredge the cracks for a post?

Looking first at the reigning national champs they will play three potential top 10 teams in the span of just over two weeks. They will host Michigan State in Chapel Hill (after beating them twice in Detroit last year), then head to Kentucky to take on the snake oil salesman and his hired guns, and follow that up by playing Texas in the first ever basketball game in the new Cowboys Stadium (scoreboard not expected to be an issue).

As for Duke, they continue to be the Florida of college basketball scheduling. Outside of the ACC/Big Ten challenge (which is scheduled for them), Duke never seems to end up on the campus of a ranked non-conference team. It was way back in 2001 when Duke last played a ranked team on their campus and while Coach K will travel the world to lead the Olympic team, they're not nearly as confident when leading the Blue Devils. The Devils do have a potential match-up with the UCONN Huskies, if both teams make it to the championship of the pre-season NIT.

Many of the best non-conference games are possibles, thanks to all the tournaments, but multiple teams appear like they will have a crack at the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Villanova Wildcats. Have a look for yourselves on this composite schedule.

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College Football Previews: ACC vs. SEC

There should be no debate that over the lifespan of the BCS, the SEC has emerged as the dominant conference so far. In fact the first BCS title game featured an SEC team beating an ACC team when Tennessee won the title over Florida State in 1998. Aside from the Seminoles no team representing the ACC has sniffed the national title game. FSU lost to Tennessee in '98, beat then Big East member Virginia Tech in '99, and then lost to Oklahoma in '00. This was more a show of the Seminoles ridiculous ACC dominance than the strength of the conference as they won 11 of 13 conference titles from the time they joined until conference expansion. The SEC has had 3 different teams win the BCS title, including the last 3 champions and 5 of the 11 BCS titles awarded so far. This has aided in the explosion of revenue generating the SEC is becoming known for not just in sports circles, but the financial realm as well. They have their monumental television deal with CBS and ESPN and their current showcase team, Florida, is a unanimous number 1 in both polls to start the season. While little can be argued against the SEC being the best conference up and down this season in college football, are they getting too much credit? Sometimes it is possible to overate the highest rated. There are some key non-conference match-ups in the SEC that involve other BCS conferences (Georgia/Oklahoma State, West Virginia/Auburn) but it could be the ACC that makes the most noise on the subject when the season is over. Although it could also be the case that the ACC continues its run of disappointing and borderline embarrassing out of conference performances.

This is not a post about how the ACC is overlooked in football and that they are going to erase a past decades worth of poor showings in one year. The SEC is king and still will be at the end of this season most likely. However, the ACC is putting resources into bolstering its football and the results will come in time. Down here in the south, SEC is king in football just like the ACC is in basketball. Yet SEC basketball has proven itself to be formidable by having the storied program of Kentucky combined with Florida's back-to-back run and Final Four appearances by the likes of LSU. That is what the ACC is seeking to do in football; not rule the schoolyard, but grab the pigtails and show off on the double dutch once in awhile. But in the last few years particularly, the ACC has been playing Magic the Gathering with the emo kids while the SEC struts around the sandbox.


Enough with the schoolyard metaphor, the ACC badly needs a strong showing nationally this year. Since Florida State's run, the ACC has won just 1 out of the its last 8 BCS bowls, and that came last year when Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati 20-7. But the ACC has struggled mightily against non-conference BCS teams in the past few years. Despite wins like Wake Forest over Ole Miss last year, a win by Florida over Miami ending a long winning streak and the Gator's pummeling of FSU showed that the ACC was not ready to play big time football yet. But there were two bookend games for the ACC against their southern brethren that really pointed to how the Atlantic Coast was lagging behind on the gridiron.


On August 30th of last year, before 8:12 pm, the Clemson Tigers were considered a strong favorite to win the ACC and a sleeper to make the national title game. They even had Kirk Herbstreit fooled. The Georgia Dome in Atlanta was rocking as they were set to face off against Alabama on national television. It was the game that was the highlight of the opening weekend of college football. The Crimson Tide were supposed to be the talented but young up and coming team. The final score was 34-10 and never close as Alabama dominated Clemson on both sides of the line. The national showcase for the ACC preseason favorite became an embarrassing loss that in reality sunk their season and Tommy Bowden's tenure at Clemson.


At the end of the 2008 season Georgia Tech was riding high. The Yellow Jackets had tied Virginia Tech for the Coastal Division lead and lost in a tiebreaker due to a loss to the Hokies which they let slip away early in the season. Plus they were coming off a rout of Miami where they rushed for over 400 yards and beat their rival Georgia 45-42 in a shootout that ended a 7 year losing streak to the bulldogs. As bowl season arrived the high hopes of the ACC bowl performances pointed to Tech's match-up with LSU in the Chick-fil-A bowl, again to be played in Atlanta. LSU's defense had been less than formidable throughout the year and their quarterback play was even less consistent. This was a terrific chance for the ACC to prove itself against a former national champion from the SEC. Georgia Tech was even a 4 point favorite. The Tigers went on to score 28 second quarter points and blow Tech out of the water 38-3.

The loss by Georgia Tech capped a disappointing bowl season for the ACC in 2008. The ACC had a record ten teams selected for bowl games, including two against the SEC. Boston College had its streak of 8 bowl wins snapped against Vanderbilt. The Georgia Tech debacle was mentioned. Miami and Clemson let their games get away from them in the final minutes. NC State and North Carolina both lost close contests to Big East teams Rutgers and West Virginia respectively. The conference went 4-6 and fueled further the notion that the ACC was not up to the task of playing big time college football.

The 2009 ACC/SEC CONFERENCE MATCH-UPS

Sept. 3, South Carolina at North Carolina State

These two teams kicked off the regular season last year and while the game started out as competitive, South Carolina ran away 34-0. Again they are the teams chosen to get the college football season underway for 2009 next Thursday. Quarterback Russell Wilson was injured and out of the game early which showed the Wolfpack of this year like last year will only go as far as Wilson will take them. NC State is talented but they are lacking in depth, but the fans have been chirping about this game all summer. South Carolina has done little to inspire its fans after another lackluster season in the SEC culminating in a firm beatdown by Iowa in the Outback Bowl, but another win over their neighbors to the north will go a long way.

Sept. 5, Alabama vs. Virginia Tech

The 2009 season is another chance for the ACC to take a step in the right direction and it all begins where it began last year, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Once again Alabama comes forth from the SEC, but this time Virginia Tech comes calling from the ACC. The Hokies won the first BCS game by an ACC team other than Florida State last year and are ranked in the top ten. They have been the most consistent ACC team since the league expanded, winning 3 in the past 5 years. A lot is riding on this game for Virginia Tech and their outside chances at a title shot, but perhaps just as much is on the line for the conference. Alabama is not as strong as last year, they will be starting a new quarterback and their line is not as formidable as last year but they are still a dangerous team.

Oct. 3, Georgia Tech at Mississippi State
Oct. 31, Georgia tech at Vanderbilt
November 28, Georgia Tech vs. Georgia

Georgia Tech has three match-ups against the SEC this season. They travel to Mississippi State and to Vanderbilt. While those games are not the toughest you can get from the SEC, it is important for Tech not to lose both of them. Their annual game against Georgia to close out the season should be interesting. The Jackets beat Georgia last year to snap the streak and everyone does not quite know what to make of this year's Bulldog team. If Tech can grab 2 out of 3 or even all 3 it would be another huge step in the right direction.

Nov. 28, Florida State at Florida

Another annual rivalry game between the two conferences is the Florida-Florida State game. This game has come to be played on the very last game of the regular season. While FSU won 5 of 6 from '98-'03, the Gators have won last 5. The previous two games have not even been close with Florida winning by a combined margin of 90-27. The Seminoles have stood as a barrier in Florida's national championship runs including the 1997 Sugar Bowl which gave the Gators their first national championship. It is unlikely the Seminoles can beat the Gators in Gainsville, but hopefully they can come within two touchdowns this year and make it somewhat respectable. At least this year Tebow won't have the opportunity to smear red paint on his jersey and pass it off as blood.


Nov. 28, Clemson at South Carolina

This is actually one rivalry were the ACC has had the upper hand lately. Clemson has won 10 of the last 12 games against the Gamecocks. This also includes a last second FG victory in 2007 which gave the visor his longest losing streak (in college that is). The preseason hype has cooled on Clemson this year after the Tigers burned so many prognosticators last year but they have been consistently picked to finish second in the Atlantic Division which means people think they will be good, but have learned too many times to pick them as winners. People who live outside the Carolinas have no idea how much of a big deal this game is but it has conference implications as well.

There may be multiple bowl match-ups between the two conferences again this year but a guaranteed one is the Chick-fil-A bowl. The SEC has won the last 4 with the last ACC win coming from Miami over Florida in 2004. This game is never in the national title discussion but it is always a strong match-up that yields some conference pride and bragging rights afterward.

The SEC rules college football in the polls, financially, and on the field but that does not mean the ACC cannot make progress. The ACC programs have to forget the past and work on improving their conference year by year. It will not happen overnight but as the ACC starts stocking talent the results will be seen on the field before long. Those results could start this year.

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To Do (To Go?) List

11:30 EST - Steph Curry announces intent [Update: HE GONE]
2:30 EST - Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington do the same. [Update: THEY GONE]
2:35 EST - Coach K takes a moment to compose himself before another stop on the book tour. [Update: Still Whoring]

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Clifton Brothers: The Dark Side of the (John) Wall

In between listening to Jaydiohead and lamenting that other people are picking up on one my draft sleepers, Darrius Heyward-Bey, I began to ask a question that all Carolina hoops fans should consider as we drift down from Cloud "5". If one of the best players in the country was in Roy's backyard, why did it take so long for him to start recruiting John Wall? The answer is simple, but the implications could be a stain that lasts long after Wall has revived hoops in Sacramento (I prefer to project two drafts in advance... more after the break...)


Read almost any story about John Wall and you'll see Brian Clifton's (pictured, right) name subtly mentioned. You've probably scanned past the name looking for words like "commitment" "announcement date" and "faster and stronger than Derrick Rose." Clifton is a former agent and AAU coach that serves as John Wall's mentor. Less than a year ago, it was the Clifton brothers, but then Dwon Clifton took a job as Baylor's Director of Player Development. Dwon coached Wall's AAU team and explains Baylor as the one outlier on Wall's list of prospective teams. Not surprisingly, Baylor's not been interested in declaring how much Clifton is being paid, but it's not a coincidence that a man whose coaching experience was based primarily in the Carolinas found himself with potentially two Big XII "coaching" opportunities (Oklahoma State was also interested) so similar to the Dalonte Hill's salary capless role at K-State. Brian Clifton has been openly stating Baylor's the best choice for Wall, but Wall's savvy to the game. When asked if Dwon got the job because of him, Wall responded, "Oh, I think it was," Wall said. "You know, whichever AAU coach gets a job in college is hoping that he gets the point guard or the best player from that organization with him."

Other accusations include routing all coaches through the Clifton brothers instead of directly approaching Wall or his mother and a direct connection with other agents. Gary Parrish at CBS has done a tremendous job of identifying the smoke near the recruiting firestorm that has been John Wall since Roy called to check in. John Wall would likely be the difference between a very good young team and a title contending team the likes we haven't seen in sixteen years, but when Roy works so hard to recruit from Bremerton to North Babylon how would he have missed John Wall in Raleigh? Clifton and Williams don't get along, possibly because Roy's got enough cache to approach Wall directly, but as long as Clifton is around Wall could end up being the recruit Roy regrets. His first instinct must have been to stay away, but now his competitiveness may be getting the best of him. Wall's best chance to win is at Carolina and Carolina's tempo is the best chance for him to shine (with respects to the used car salesman in Lexington), but is a chance for number six worth it? As much as I'd like to see Wall in the baby blue, Roy must tread carefully.

Note: If both Lawson and Ellington don't go pro, the Heels likely won't have a scholarship for Wall.

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Shackleford Files 011: Bubbling Over (Updated)

It's bubble discussion time and if any schmo that can run his motorcycle into a tree can offer his opinions on bubble teams, we figure why can't us (it worked for Phillies fans, after all). Cleet and I take a look at all of the potential bubble teams, what work they have left to do and who's definitely in or out. Due to the length we've broken the podcast up by conferences. First up, the ACC...




For those of you that would rather listen to the podcast in it's entirety, you can listen or download it HERE.

ACC
In: UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, and Boston College.
Bubble: Miami, Maryland, and Virginia Tech.



Big Ten
In: Michigan State, Illinois, and Purdue.
Bubble: Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan, and Northwestern.



Big XII
In: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Texas (with yesterday's win).
Bubble: Kansas State and Oklahoma State.



Big East
In: UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Villanova, Marquette, and Syracuse.
Bubble: West Virginia (split decision) and Providence.



Pac-10
In: Washington, UCLA, Arizona State and Cal.
Bubble: Arizona.



SEC
In: LSU (begrudgingly) and Tennessee.
Bubble: South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky.



WCC
In: Gonzaga.
Bubble: St. Mary's.



Atlantic 10
In: Xavier and Dayton.
Bubble: Rhode Island.



Mountain West
In: BYU and Utah.
Bubble: San Diego State and UNLV.



The Rest of the Story
In: Memphis.
Bubble: UAB and Creighton.
Out: Davidson.

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Best Choice for this Season's Stephen Curry?

There has been a lot of murmuring on these here interwebs that St. Mary's Patty Mills may be this year's Stephen Curry. His team was 18-1 with him in the lineup prior to Mills breaking his hand, but when he missed nine (and a half) games, the Gaels went just 6-4. The bigger issue for St. Mary's is that with or without Mills, their best wins were on the road at Providence and at San Diego State, two teams that themselves will likely be on the outside looking in come tournament time.

For people looking for a stud performer on an under-manned team, they need not look to the smaller conferences, but rather just to the ACC. With Kentucky and Jodie Meeks likely out of the tournament, one of Cleet's favorites, Jack McClinton may be the best candidate to single-handedly lead a team to a win in the tournament. With the exception of Dwayne Collins, every other Hurricane has posted a goose egg in the scoring column at least once this season, and yet the team stands at 18-11 with an RPI of 51 and a strength of schedule of 22. McClinton has shined in all of Miami's big games with the lone exception of their second matchup with Florida State when he was held to 13. Battling a sprained knee for the last month McClinton's scoring had been hampered, but heading into the ACC he's saying that while not 100%, it is feeling much better. For people that enjoy a one-man show, there's not many better in the country than Jack.

Aside: For the Hurricanes, one man that can help McClinton clinch a spot for the team, Dwayne Collins needs to find his early season form. Hampered by an ankle injury, Collins's production has dropped off dramatically, as he's failed to score more than 10 since late January. When Collins scores more than ten the Hurricanes have only lost four games this season, two of which were to projected number one seeds UConn and UNC.

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The ACC Tournament: You Don't Know [Blank]

The regular season is done. Duke and "Refuse to Lose" Henderson fell to Carolina, albeit not in the customary final ACC game of the year slot. This year, that was reserved for Wake reminding everyone that Clemson is a first half team. When Gary Williams complained about the Duke/UNC game always being the final contest, most fans of the schools were irked at his gall, but watching yesterday the game has lost none of its luster. The brackets are out, so it's time to see just how much everyone knows about the ACC Tournament. No twittering Jay Williams for answers, there are no South Carolina trick questions, and feel free to post your scores for tremendous prizes. The test begins after the break...

The 1990 championship game between Georgia Tech and Virginia was significant because it featured [NO CHEATING YOU FILTHY ANIMALS].

[BOOOOOO] is the only school that doesn't have a losing record to any other school in tourney history.

The tournament has been held in six cities: Greensboro, Charlotte, [Tobacco], [A Capital], [Hawk City], and [W T B?].

Four first-year coaches have led their team to the Championship game: [Not him], [or Him either], [what the devil], and [Really, he did?].

The 1974 Championship game between Maryland and NC State featured six All-Americans, ten players that would be drafted, including [the best ever] and [resisting joke] who were both number one overall selections.

Wake Forest has won four ACC tournaments both times doing it in back-to-back seasons, first in '61 and '62 and also [XX] and [XX].

Only eight tournament MVPs (and one co-MVP from South Carolina) have come from outside the state of North Carolina. Four from Maryland: Nick Davis ('58), [Stop Looking] ('84), Albert King ('90), and [No Cheating] ('04). Three from Georgia Tech: [XXX XXXX] ('85), Brian Oliver ('90), and James Forrest ('93). And Virginia's [Who What?] ('76).

And finally, [XXXXX] is the only team to win in the opening round the last three years.


Before scrolling down the answers, check out this video, realize that this was the game with 10 draft picks in it, the teams were ranked number 1 and 2 in the polls and how crazy the atmosphere must've been knowing only one team would go on to play in the NCAA tournament. Answers Below:



Answers
1. Two teams from outside North Carolina. (Still the only time in conference history)
2. Duke
3,4,5,6. Raleigh, Tampa, Washington DC, and Atlanta.
7,8,9,10. Vic Bubas, Bill Guthridge, Herb Sendek, and Sidney Lowe.
11, 12. David Thompson and John Lucas.
13. 1995 and 1996.
14. Len Bias
15. John Gilchrist
16. Mark Price
17. Wally Walker
18. Miami

Scoring Scale:
0-3: Clemson fan
4-6: Think MJ is the greatest player in ACC history
7-9: Came over to the conference with the Big East
10-12: Know Randolph Childress won an MVP
13-15: Know Bobby Cremins was a player and a coach in the tourney
16-17: Know Bucky Waters was a player and a coach in the tourney
18: Know Wally Walker

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Shackleford Files 010: Where March is Just Around the Corner

Woohoo double digits! We discuss roundball of the college and professional varieties. Who's the most likely to make the Final Four and who could be on the outside looking in. Did any of the trades in the NBA change the landscape and who are the teams to beat looking ahead. We ask all the tough questions in sports including ones about SBTB and ugly uniforms. Cleet questions his leaders and Catfish is glad at least one media member is getting a second chance. Please listen and leave your opinions below. Thanks for checking us out and you can download the podcast HERE.

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NCAA, Your Attention Please...

In the past ten days, there have been (at least) three costly elbows thrown in ACC games. Two players, Miami's DeQuan Jones (video here) and Florida State's Solomon Alabi (video) were ejected from the game for the transgression. Duke's Kyle Singler, who threw his at the reigning National Player of the Year, was not. While, at first glance, this may appear as bias against teams from Florida, or simply the lower profile schools in the ACC, the actual problem lies in the NCAA rule book (big shock, there).

Singler's elbow came after the play and the officials saw the play and called it without a review. In the other two cases, it took a video review to determine what had transpired. Under the current NCAA rules, the officials must call either invoke the fighting penalty, resulting in a flagrant foul (with ejection) or nothing at all. Both players clearly were outside the rules of the game, therefore ejected. With no leeway to operate, refs are being forced to either lie (by saying nothing happened) or throw a player out when it's not necessary. In both cases, the opposing player was actively trying to bait the player and succeeded, but in neither case (despite Greg Paulus's and Chas McFarland's heroic flops) was the elbow nearly as brutal as the one Gerald Henderson threw at Tyler Hansbrough, but all received the same penalty and in the two most recent cases it hurt their team's chances to win far more than Henderson's did.

The NCAA should address this immediately or run the risk of forcing refs to eject a player during the NCAA tournament, potentially ending a team's season. If the referees were allowed to assess a technical foul (as they did against Singler) after video review, it would be better for all parties involved. In the event you think the NCAA is too busy, you should be reminded that just over a month ago they found time to issue a memo about tights extending below game shorts.

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Swagger Jack

Behind the gutty play of point guard Ty Lawson, the North Carolina Tar Heels overcame their lowest score output of the season to defeat the Miami Hurricanes 69-65 last night. Miami got everything they wanted defensively out of the game: they held UNC to 38.8% shooting, Tyler Hansbrough only notched 8 points, and the Tar Heels only shot 8 free-throws. The problem for the Canes was on the offensive side of the ball, for everyone other than Jack McClinton. He had 35 last night, and over the last three games for Miami facing Wake Forest, Duke, and UNC has 101 points. McClinton had 53.8% of the points for Miami. Brian Asbury added 12 but no other player had more than 6. McClinton's play has been outstanding and if he was able to get some help, the Hurricanes would not be on a 6 of 8 skid with their tournament hopes dwindling each week. "I'd rather score two and have us win," McClinton said after the game putting the correct attitude forward but his numbers of late have been impressive. With unlimited range and a sweet, quick stroke it is hard to imagine Jack only scoring 2 and his latest run of games against top-ranked competition has him at the forefront of ACC player of the year consideration.

It would be quite a long shot if McClinton won ACC POY but then again that is his speciality. Jack has made 79 three-pointers this year which is more than any other player in the ACC and his 47.9% from behind the line is second only to Ty Lawson and Jeff Teague, both of whom have less than half the 165 attempts McClinton does. McClinton is one of four ACC players averaging over 20 points per game; Hansbrough leads the conference at 21.1, McClinton and Douglas are next at 20.3 and Jeff Teague is at 20.2. These four have to be at the top of the list although others like Tyrese Rice from BC, Sylven Landesberg from UVA, Kyle Singler of Duke and Ty Lawson deserve mention as well.

McClinton simply is the Miami team, without him they would probably be below .500 overall. He has been in double digits all but one game this season and that includes the game where he was ejected in the first half for his love tap against Ohio State. He also is an outstanding free-throw shooter, a career 87.5% shooter in college and second only in the ACC history to J.J. Redick. Perhaps his most impressive stat over the last 3 game stretch was brought up by Catfish. McClinton's points per shot was 1.63 over this stretch, and that is with him hoisting 62 shots in the 3 games combined. His total PPS over the season is 1.45 and that is with him having the fourth most shot attempts in the ACC.

As far as an NBA career goes McClinton has the quick release, the fiery attitude and the pure shooting ability off the dribble or off the catch to be an NBA player, the problem is going to be his size. Jack is thicker than his contemporary Stephen Curry, but McClinton only stands 6'1". The size issue may hinder his draft status but I have to believe he will at least get a shot somewhere in the league. McClinton's ball handling is average but he does not distribute the ball well enough to be an NBA point guard, even though he averages 3 assists per game and has a 1.2 AST/TO ratio. Of course his assists might be higher if his teammates could make some shots now and then.

McClinton has won the respect of his competition and has proven to be one of the best shooting guards in the ACC if not the best. He will likely fall short in ACC player of the year and with Tony Douglas, Jeff Teague, and Ty Lawson at the same position, he might not even make first team but his value to the Hurricanes has been irreplaceable to the slim NCAA Tournament hopes they now cling to.

Article here from Kevin Armstrong last Friday on McClinton's background and his personal journey. [SI.com]

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Two Case Studies in ACC End-of-Game Management

Unless you had other things going on last night or do not enjoy college basketball, you missed some great finishes in ACC country. The games of Duke-Wake and UNC-Florida St. came down to the wire after all four teams battled hard, but as is seen so often come tournament time, a team has to be solid during crunch time if they want to win and advance. Although these games were not elimination games and merely affected conference standings and nonessential national rankings, it is a good reflection of how calling the right play, execution, and knowing your opponents strengths and weaknesses can win the game...or lose it.

Case in point, let us look at the final plays in both games. First we have the Carolina-FSU match-up. Florida State has been known to knock off highly ranked teams at home before. The Seminoles trailed in the game by 13 but battled back and had the ball with the game tied at 77 and 16.3 seconds left. There was a shot clock issue so they could not hold for the final shot. But they ended up having Tony Douglas launch a 3 trying to lean into Tyler Hansbrough for a foul as their final shot. Douglas is a guy whom you want taking that final shot, but no penetration and leaning into Tyler, you really think the refs are going to give you that call? The far worse error committed by the Noles came on the subsequent play in my opinion. Watch the video and look how far back the defense is off Ty Lawson. The FSU guards are practically at halfcourt. They allow Lawson to catch the ball and turn with no resistance and then do nothing to slow him down has he gets from one end of the court to their three-point line in 3.2 seconds. The shot was not a high percentage floater but there was no valid challange on Lawson or the shot. Tyus Edney had more defense played on him than Lawson did on the final drive. It should be no surprise that Ty Lawson is one of the fastest player if not the fastest with the ball. Bad execution at both ends by Florida State, and they lose their chance at an upset.



Next we have Duke and Wake Forest. The video provided via TBL shows the final two minutes but let's focus on the final inbounds play (3:26 on the video). Wake head coach Dino Gaudio drew up an amazing final play. Gaudio went the best match-up, his big players against Duke's inferior big men. With Duke playing man to man, Wake emptied out the middle of the floor and had James Johnson roll of his screen to the basket. The Duke defender was playing on the opposite side of the basket from Johnson because most likely he was going to try to help on Jeff Teague, who everyone thought surely would get the ball. Johnson ended up being wide open for the winning lay-up. Duke battled back from being down 13 but 4-24 from behind the arc is not going to get it done.



The bottom line is, coaches need their players prepared for these situations and make sure they know all possible scenarios in practice and after they come out of timeouts. Coaches only get 20 hours of actual court practice time during the week so it has to be maximized and end of game situations needs to be part of that preparation.


Recap of last night's action. [Deadspin]

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