By Tracy Smith, on March 14th, 2012  The number of ACC school playing basketball has now been whittled in half. Six teams are finished for the season-having been eliminated from the ACC tournament and not receiving and/or turning down bids to other postseason tournaments not nicknamed March Madness. Six do remain, though-and those six are all alive to compete for a championship. At least for a while, even if it’s only for a few days.
The Miami Hurricanes accepted a bid to the NIT, the lone ACC team in the 32-team field. They begin play tonight at home against Valparaiso, the regular season champions of the Horizon League. Those of you unfamiliar with the Horizon League, but are casual fans of college basketball this time of year may have heard of the Butler Bulldogs, the two-time national runners up in the NCAA tournament. Valparaiso plays in the same league. Should the ‘Canes win at home, they would face the winner of the LaSalle-Minnesota matchup, with site and time to be determined.
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By Tracy Smith, on March 8th, 2012  The title means nothing to North Carolina, Duke or Florida State. The three of them are solid locks for the NCAA tournament as if anyone needs convincing. North Carolina finally looked like the team everyone thought it would be at the beginning of the season in the final game against the Blue Devils. The Tar Heels were the more talented team and they played like it, dominating Duke from the beginning and never letting up.
If that’s the North Carolina team we see from here on out, they will be tough to beat-even by Kentucky or Syracuse. As for Duke and Florida State, their bodies of work are solid enough to merit entry without too much complaint. Few teams can boast the quality of wins the Blue Devils have, and the Seminoles have two huge wins over North Carolina and Duke on their ledger with only two really stinkers of losses. If the Seminoles defend as they are capable and do enough on offense, they should be a tough out in the tournament.
The title makes a better application for Virginia, North Carolina State and Miami. Virginia should still be in, but some shaky play down the stretch may leave some doubt in the minds of the selection committee. However, for the better part of the season the Cavaliers have been solid and if they can keep pushing forward (and certainly a win or two in the ACC tournament wouldn’t hurt), they will hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
For North Carolina State and Miami, there remains work to be done. Both teams should get past their opening round games over Boston College and Georgia Tech respectively. Those presumed wins won’t do much more than add to their win totals, but the following games-where the Wolfpack will meet the Cavaliers and the Hurricanes match up with the Seminoles-wins in those games should raise each team’s profile for an invite to the Big Dance. Of course, should the Wolfpack and Hurricanes somehow get games against the two top seeds-and Miami already has a win over the Blue Devils on its resume-close games, if not wins, might seal the deal for both teams. But then again, it’s not just what they do, it’s what teams all over the country do, as there are many teams fighting for those last open slots for the NCAA tournament.
As for the ACC tournament, just about everyone I talk to expects another Tar Heel-Blue Devil championship game. That may well be the case, but in this tournament, surprises abound. In fact, many of the guesses I made above regarding the Wolfpack and Hurricanes may not come to pass-it could be just as likely they lose their opening round games as they could roll into the semifinals. And with the Blue Devils further weakened by Ryan Kelly’s foot injury, perhaps that championship game pairing may not come to pass either.
By Tracy Smith, on February 29th, 2012  Go back to the beginning of the ACC hoop season, and all the talk about the conference race focused on North Carolina and Duke. This is not uncommon; seemingly every year one or the other is the favorite in the conference. Then North Carolina suffered a beatdown from Florida State, which was followed by Michael Snaer’s shot heard ’round Tobacco Road as the Seminoles beat Duke. For awhile, the Seminoles looked to break the stranglehold the Tar Heels and Blue Devils had on the regular season conference title.
Then Florida State ran into some problems. Namely, one bad week of basketball featuring losses to Duke at home and to Miami on the road. Because of those losses, Florida State went from having the inside track to the regular season conference title, to third place in the conference race. Which leaves our old friends, North Carolina and Duke, battling it out for the regular season title. Again.
Redundant though it may be, it has to be stated that those two have been without a doubt the two best teams in the conference. And with their performance over the course of the season, they both are in play to receive top seeds in the NCAA tournament, depending on who does what in the next few days. Which means that Saturday’s showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium (with Duke defeating Wake Forest last night and assuming the Tar Heels defeat Maryland tonight) looms large not just for the conference championship and the ACC tournament top seed, but nationally as well.
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By Zach Wilt, on February 29th, 2012 Even after his Joe Flacco comments this winter, the Sports Guy just gained a number of fans in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area with the simple changing of a Twitter avatar. Bill Simmons of ESPN’s Grantland.com change his Twitter picture to an icon that reads “Duke Sucks” in reaction to the University’s response to his credential request. The Sports Guy explained.
“Duke wouldn’t credential Grantland for Saturday’s UNC-Duke game. I already hated Duke but was diplomatic about it… no more. IT IS ON!”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for publicly ripping Duke, but my love/hate relationship with Simmons kind of has me rooting against him on this one. I know that most sports franchises do not honor credential requests from websites, so I’m not surprised that Simmons was shot down by Duke and it’s kind of funny to see him shutout.
But anybody that works in the media that shouts “Duke Sucks” to 1,640,340 people has to receive some love from Maryland, right?
By Tracy Smith, on February 22nd, 2012  There are two weeks left in the regular season of the ACC, and certain realities are coming into focus. The conference has a top tier, a second-levelof good but not great teams, and a lower section of mediocre to poor teams. Duke and North Carolina are about where everyone figured they would be at the start of the season. The fact that they have been joined by Florida State comes as a surprise, and it may be even more of a surprise that the Seminoles still hold the tiebreaker over both of the Tobacco Road bluebloods this late in the regular season. That distinction has the possibility to change on Thursday night, as the Blue Devils head down to Tallahassee for the rematch. You can bet that Duke would love nothing more than to avenge the defeat suffered at Cameron Indoor last month. Should the Seminoles get past that game, a Miami Hurricanes squad desperate for another big-time vicgtory will be waiting on Saturday.
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By Tracy Smith, on February 15th, 2012 
This past week in the ACC was all about the bounce back, particularly at the top of the conference standings. The Duke Blue Devils, coming off a lossat home to the Miami Hurricanes that dropped them a game behind co-leaders North Carolina and Florida State, needed to regroup prior to facing the Tar Heels at the Smith Center last Wednesday night. With Austin Rivers hitting the shot heard ’round the country, Duke did bounce back, pulling itself back into a tie for first. They then followed that performance with a solid effort in defeating Maryland, keeping them in the running for the #1 spot.
Rivers’ shot not only was good for the Blue Devils; it helped the Seminoles as well. The same night that Duke roared back and snatched a victory away from the Tar Heels, the Seminoles were getting drilled in Chestnut Hill by a barrage of three-point baskets. The Boston College Eagles haven’t done a whole lot this conference season, but the young team performed the improbable in upsetting the Seminoles, in a game that temporarily dropped them from the conference lead. After Duke’s win, Florida State regained its hold on first place; holding a tie-breaker over both North Carolina and Duke. The ‘Noles then had a bounce back game of their own, defeating the Hurricanes 64-59 and snapping Miami’s five-game winning streak.
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By Marco Romanell, on February 10th, 2012  Maryland Terrapins (14-9, 4-5 ACC)
At
#9 Duke Blue Devils (20-4, 7-2 ACC)
Saturday, February 11th, 4:00 pm at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC
Leading scorers: MD: Terrell Stoglin– 22.0ppg Duke: Austin Rivers 15.1ppg
Last game: MD def. Clemson 64-62 Duke def. UNC 85-84
Outlook:
For 39 minutes and 59 seconds, it looked like the Duke Blue Devils would be dead and buried and on their way their second consecutive ACC loss, however Austin Rivers had other plans. Rivers three pointer at the buzzer lifted the Blue Devils to an 85-84 road win over North Carolina, a win that may have changed their season. By no means does the buzzer beater mask the fact that Duke was dominated inside and that they continued to be the worst team in the ACC in field goal percentage, and they continuously get out rebounded. One thing they do well that has always been a staple is their ability to shoot the three, which single handedly won the game against UNC. With their confidence now back after a win against their fiercest rival, Duke should be ready to play against the Terps.
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By Tracy Smith, on February 8th, 2012  There is a game tonight with high stakes in the conference race. Longtime rivals will be going at it in what the national media considers one of the biggest games on the sports calendar. Two teams rich in history, close in proximity and filled with animus toward each other. A game so big, a national sports network considers it one of the linchpins of it’s “Rivalry Week.”
Of course, I’m talking about the Florida State-Boston College game. While that game is also of some importance, what with the Seminoles trying to hold on to first place in the conference race, while BC tries to avoid the cellar of same, there can only be one game that fits the description I gave above. No, it’s not Wake Forest vs. Virginia either.
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By Tracy Smith, on February 1st, 2012 Sidney Lowe, the former coach of the North Carolina State men’s basketball team was shown the door for not winning enough with the talent he was able to recruit. New coach Mark Gottfried, with a roster not completely devoid of talent, had the Wolfpack tied for first in the conference standings through five games, with the possibility of making the tournament if they can keep up the good play. Last week was a big week for the Wolfpack, with games against North Carolina and Virginia-games that if they could win one or both, would be additional proof that the team could hang around in the conference for the long haul.
Unfortunately, the Tar Heels were the Tar Heels-meaning the team that was thought to be a national contender. They ran the Wolfpack out of the Smith Center 74-55. In the home game against Virginia, the Wolfpack didn’t shoot the ball well, but battled all game long before falling short by a point. While the two losses don’t doom the Wolfpack’s chances at the NCAA tournament, nor by themselves prove they can’t play with the big boys, they represented missed opportunities. Now they face of week of winnable games against Boston College and Wake Forest, which can help rebuild their confidence, if not necessarily enhance their tournament profile.
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By Marco Romanell, on January 27th, 2012 Virginia Tech Hokies (12-8, 1-4 ACC) At Maryland Terrapins (12-7, 2-3 ACC)
Saturday 2:30pm Comcast Center, College Park, MD
Leading Scorer: VT- Erick Green 15.8ppg MD: Terrell Stoglin 20.9ppg
Last game: VT- lost to BYU 70-68 MD: lost to Duke 74-61
 Outlook:
Does anyone hear that? Listen closer, we usually hear it around March, it’s the sound of Seth Greenberg pleading his team’s case to be in the NCAA Tournament. Maybe the Hokies have been “snubbed” in the past , but after a 1-4 start in conference play this season, Virginia Tech has a lot of work to do if they want to even be in the conversation come tourney time. Not only have the Hokies lost four games in conference, but they have lost to Boston College and Wake Forest. However, they did beat a good Virginia team in their last ACC game, despite scoring just 47 points. Not many expected the Hokies to be toiling around the cellar of the conference, but things like that don’t happen by accident. It just may be possible that this year’s Virginia Tech team is just not that talented, no matter how much Seth Greenberg wants to dispute the critics. Even after saying all that, it would not surprise anyone if they came into the Comcast Center and left with a win.
I know there is no such thing as a moral victory, and despite what anyone says, the Terps simply collapsed again Wednesday night. Despite leading the game in the second half, Maryland showed their usual ineptitude running the half- court offense, and failed to make shots for 40 minutes. While Duke couldn’t miss at the free throw stripe, MD couldn’t convert, and had noticeable breakdowns on the defensive end the floor. Alex Len is starting to look to like the second coming of Will Bowers, only weaker. And, Nick Faust has yet to show any sort of ability to make a three pointer. The one bright spot has been Ashton Pankey, who is a menace on the glass, and strong enough to play against players who have more size then he does. If I could not see the name on the back of their jersey, I might mistake Pankey for former Terp Byron Mouton, READ MORE >>>
By Gregg Cobert, on January 26th, 2012  There was a lot of emotion in the Comcast Center with the court being named in honor of Gary Williams tonight. The Terps played strong again for 30 minutes and had the lead by 3 points with 8 minutes to play. However, the Terps went through 2 separate cold spells of not having a field goal for over 3 minutes which sealed their fate. They could not help themselves either as they were 3-10 from the line in the 2nd half. Maryland (12-7, 2-3) fell 74-61 to the Blue Devils (17-3, 5-1). The main problem for the Terps was the fact they could not stop Mason Plumlee as he had 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists. Let’s get to the report card.
Pe’Shon Howard B+
Howard had a very good all around game with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. He was aggressive looking for his shot and also looking to find teammates for shots. It might have been his best game since coming back from the broken foot. READ MORE >>>
By Marco Romanell, on January 25th, 2012 
Duke Blue Devils (16-3. 4-1 ACC) at Maryland Terrapins (12-6, 2-2 ACC)
Wed Jan 25th 9pm Comcast Center, College Park, Md
Last game: Duke- lost to FSU 76-73 MD-lost to Temple 73-60
Leading scorer: Duke- Austin Rivers 14.4ppg MD- Terrell Stoglin 21.5ppg
Outlook:
After that, there is likely to be nothing but bad news, as the visiting and sixth ranked Blue Devils come to College Park looking to avenge their first conference loss. No matter what their fans may chant, Duke and Maryland are rivals as the Terps have more success against the Blue Devils then every team in the conference but North Carolina. The crowd is sure to be electric and the crowd is sure to be their loud, taunting selves. The Terrapin faithful is sure to turn the Comcast Center into the home court advantage it has not been all season. Just ask this guy what the Maryland crowd is like. READ MORE >>>
By Tracy Smith, on January 25th, 2012 It has been a great last few days for the Florida State Seminoles, winners of four straight conference games. You could be forgiven if you had written off the Seminoles after losing to Princeton and Harvard. You could be forgiven if you paid no attention after the Seminoles lost the first conference game by twenty points to Clemson. Granted, the game was at Clemson, but twenty points? Especially when Florida State was still under some consideration as the third-best team in the conference?
Let’s just say that no one is overlooking the Seminoles now.
Sprinkled in those four consecutive conference triumphs was a thirty-three point beatdown of presumed national title contender North Carolina. Yes, the game was in Tallahassee, but how does a team a) beat the Tar Heels by that much anywhere; and b) score 90 points in the process? The Seminoles make their name on the defensive side of the ball, but in the last few games, it has been the offense that has stepped up. Nowhere was that more noticeable than in the Seminoles most recent triumph over Duke, at the cauldron known as Cameron Indoor Stadium. Florida State came from behind, scoring fifty points in the second half-finishing with a game-winning three point shot by Michael Snaer.
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By Zach Wilt, on January 25th, 2012 
I wish I played basketball at Maryland so I could wear cool Under Armour shoes with Gary Williams signature on them.
As Terps fans know, Maryland will honor Gary Williams by naming their court after the legendary coach before tonight’s game against Duke. The University held a ceremony for Williams on Monday that featured such highlights as toasts from Coach K, Roy Williams and Juan Dixon as well as a fist pumping silhouette of the coach projected on to the Comcast Center.
But nothing is as cool as Under Armour’s shoes designed specifically for the Terps players for tonight’s game.
You’ve probably already seen how Under Armour revolutionized college football uniforms with their designs for the Terps 2011 season, but the basketball shoes take UA’s Maryland spirit to the next level. (More pictures after the bump.)
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By Patrick Guthrie, on January 25th, 2012  Courtesy Getty Images When Gary Williams abruptly retired in May, I set my all-time speed record for blog writing. The moment that twitter-bomb detonated, I had so many different thoughts racing through my normally traffic-less head that I didn’t even know what I wanted to say. I just knew that I wanted to say something.
Because after Bob Wade left this program face down in a gutter somewhere, Gary came in and did what he does best. He built. Not just some very good teams, but a program that surpassed the glory of the Driesell years, and one that could contend for a national championship. This is what I wrote about replacing a legend.
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