ACC Power Poll: December 5th
My ACC Power Poll (Dec 5th)
North Carolina suffered an early season defeat to Gonzaga as well as a rough game with Winthrop but the Heels seem to be rolling along fine, especially after last Tuesday's win over then #1 Ohio State. Tyler Hansborough continues to be a force in the paint, and Freshman Wayne Ellington appears destined to be one of America's premier perimeter players. Things aren't all rosy in Chapel Hill though. Roy Williams much like his mentor Dean Smith seems intent on playing 11-12 guys and I am not sure any particular unit is gelling together as quickly as they should. Marcus Ginyard and Wes Miller need more floor
2. Duke
Despite a loss to Marquette the Blue Devils have actually been impressive. DeMarcus Nelson has made the transition well from role player to primary scorer, and Josh McRoberts has played nicely inside averaging close to 7 rebounds per game. Jon Scheyer appears to be growing into a solid player.
3. Maryland
The Terps quick start matches each of the previous two seasons when they ended up in the NIT. Ekene Ibekwe is playing like a monster inside, showing the fire and frit he has lacked in his first 3 years in College Park. James Gist has always been somewhat of an enigma but this year he seems to be putting it all together. Mike Jones is getting more touches than last year and that is good news because he is quite possibly the best shooter in the league. D.J. Strawberry can concentrate more on scoring now that Eric Hayes has arrived. Gary Williams must win this year or he will begin hearing louder and louder calls for his retirement ala Bobby Bowden in Tallahassee. Some fans never remember the good times.
4. Georgia Tech
Despite a loss to Miami in the league opener, Paul Hewitt's team is certainly among the nation's elite. Much like North Carolina though Hewitt has so many options that he keeps fiddling with the lineup and rotation. Lewis Clinch is the best point guard in the league, a worthy heir to the legacy of Tech ball handlers, and a great shooter as well. Jeremis Smith and Ra'Sean Dickey continue to clean up inside, and diaper dandy Thaddeus Young looks like an amazingly potent scorer. Tech has all of the elements of a potential final four sleeper.
I've been a little bit disappointed with the way the Eagles have come out of the gates this season. Al Skinner's teams are usually the most disciplined and smartest around, but the shot selection and frequent turnovers are un-Skinner like. But considering the Eagles are 5-2 and have yet to play an ACC game, it's not time to panic. Jared Dudley continues to be one of the most potent scorers in the league. I start them this high because I have faith in Al Skinner and am positive he will get this thing figured out.
6. Virginia
I'm not sure what to make of UVA. On one hand I love Dave Leito's team with talented backcourt players like JR Reynolds, Mamadi Diane and Sean Singletary who can seemingly shoot from anywhere and score at will. But up front their isn't much besides Jason Cain, and the Cavs play bad defense. UVA has the talent to make the NCAA's, but some of the players still have the shoot first mentality they learned from ex coach Pete Gillen.
Prior to Sunday, I had Florida State near the very bottom of this power poll, but the big win over Florida moved them up. Still the Noles need to prove they can win on the road and have to get more consistent performances from Isaiah Swann, Jason Rich, Ralph Mims, and Jerrel Allen. Al Thornton is as good as college ball players get these days but even he cannot do everything. It seems like the Noles at times pass him the ball and stand around and watch him take guys one on one, and if he misses he is forced to follow his own shot and try and get the rebound. Tony Douglas was a nice addition but he's still seeking a consistent backcourt mate. Leonard Hamilton's team is so weak inside that the coach has abandoned his longstanding man to man defense in favor of a matchup zone in the last games. If Al Thornton goes through his entire career without a trip to the big dance, that will be a travesty of the highest order, so FSU better get more consistent performances from the rest of the team.
8. Clemson
Clemson beat South Carolina the other day for the third straight season. The problem is the prior two years USC has gone on to have a much more successful campaign, partly because of the relative weakness of the SEC when compared with the ACC. KC Rivers and James Mays lead the Tigers who have not really been tested yet.
9. Miami
Miami has three of the worst losses by any team in the league, but since they are 1-0 in the league they can't be at the bottom of the power poll. Besides, Miami actually beat the one decent non-league team they faced (Evansville), and they beat them on the road. It's the poor non conference opponents Miami seems to have trouble with. Jack McClinton is to this point in the season one of the best shooting guards in the nation, but the supporting cast is weak to say the least. Anthony Harris was AWOL until a great second half versus Georgia Tech. Anthony King still isn't aggressive enough on offense in the post, and shows little vocal leadership. Ray Hicks, who seemed ready to breakout during last season's ACC Tournament and NIT has been affected by a multiple game suspension, and Denis Clemente has regressed since his freshman year. One positive has been the improved play of Brian Asbury, whose ability to drive the lane may give McClinton some help in carrying the Canes. Keep an eye on Dwayne Collins, a freshman big man who is very raw but has some incredible athletic talent.
10. NC State
The Wolfpack maybe better than people had thought. After Andrew Brackman announced he was quitting Basketball to focus on baseball, NC State was written off by almost everyone, myself included. Gavin Grant has taken his game to a new level while Freshman Brandon Costner has been a pleasant surprise. Maybe Sidney Lowe was the right choice after all!
11. Virginia Tech
Tech has a number of player and family issues last season which sunk the team. Zabian Dowdell continues to be a top scorer, and Jamon Gordon a good point guard, but the rest of the team has not gelled yet. I expected a lot from the Hokies this year but thus far the reviews are not good.
12. Wake Forest
Kyle Visser seems like he has been in College forever, but he is still at Wake. Visser has played well and has led an otherwise young and inexperienced Wake team. Freshman Ishmael Smith appears headed towards a career as Wake's next great point guard, ala Muggsy Bouges, Randolph Childress, and Chris Paul. Nonetheless, Wake appears to have a lot less than everyone else in the ACC, and even though they haven't looked terrible except in one blowout loss versus Air Force, I start them at the bottom because that's where I expect them to finish.
