Posted by Brandon Rink on March 23, 2011 under ACC Basketball | 
This is a big game for the Plumlees and the rest of the Duke frontcourt against one of the nation's best big men. (Per OrangeandWhite.com)
After rolling in week one – Duke tips-off the ACC’s Sweet 16 on Thursday…
(1) Duke Blue Devils vs. (5) Arizona Wildcats, 9:45 (EST), Thursday, CBS, Anaheim, CA
Coaches Tourney Records: Duke – Coach K – 79-22 (12-7 in Sweet 16); Arizona – Sean Miller – 6-4 (1-1 in Sweet 16).
Blue Devil That Has to Step up: Duke frontcourt – The Blue Devil guards will get their points (especially with Irving back)…this leaves it to the Duke big men tackling the task of limiting Arizona star forward Derrick Williams from taking over like he did in the late minutes of the Texas game.
Duke Has to Stop: F Derrick Williams (19.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg)– Williams is the go-to-guy for Arizona as the only Wildcat that averages double-figures (he’s scored in single-digits only once this season with 8 points against Southern Cal on February 24th).
What I’m Thinking…: Even with a fifth-seeded Wildcats team coming in, the Blue Devils will have an easier time this round. First, Arizona isn’t weird like Michigan – I warned in the third round preview that Beilein just throws junk at an opponent on both ends, which can mess with a team if they lose focus late. The Wildcats are pretty straight forward with the star Williams and a bunch of role players after that.
Coach K will run a lot of bodies at Williams and make the rest beat them – Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving put up solid efforts in a relatively easy win for a Sweet 16 game.
Pick: Devils 75-66
Posted by Brandon Rink on March 21, 2011 under ACC Basketball |
Marshall and co. pulled out a shootout with Washington...barely. (Per OrangeandWhite.com)
Three teams entered the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament – and all three punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 to give the ACC a 7-1 record and the most teams still in it…
The Games…
Florida State 71, Notre Dame 57: Onto the Sweet 16 for the Seminoles (Orlando Sentinel)
Why Florida State won: Because the Seminoles played probably their best game of the season. At the least, they played their best half of the season during the first 20 minutes. Overall, the Seminoles held Notre Dame to 31 percent shooting – an astounding feat given the Fighting Irish entered as one of the top shooting teams in the nation. Notre Dame had been shooting 46.6 percent from the field, and nearly 40 percent from 3-point range. Against Florida State, though, the Irish made just 9-of-30 from behind the 3-point line
Heels hold on for 86-83 win over Huskies (ACC Now)
Sunday at Time Warner Cable Arena, the second-seeded Tar Heels did stop (or at least stymie) No. 7 seed Washington over the last seven minutes, morphing into the solid defensive team that coach Roy Williams has said all season they could be.
As a result of its down-to-the-wire 86-83 victory, UNC (28-7) will play either No. 3 seed Syracuse or No. 11 seed Marquette on Friday in the NCAA Sweet 16, an accomplishment that seemed awful far-fetched a year ago, when the Tar Heels didn’t make the NCAA field at all. The trip to Newark with mark UNC’s record 24th appearance regional semi-finals.
“I just told the team, we’ve come a long ways – from last year, when we were in Starkville [Miss., playing in the NIT], with twin beds,’’ said Tar Heels sophomore John Henson. “It was just a humbling feeling, and I’m glad this year we’re back on top.”
Duke denies furious Michigan rally 73-71 (ACC Now)
Michigan guard Darius Morris’ attempt at a tying shot caromed off the back rim with one second remaining Sunday afternoon, allowing No. 1 seed Duke to advance to the NCAA tournament’s West Regional semifinals with a 73-71 win at Time Warner Cable Arena.
The Blue Devils led by as many as 15 points in the second half, but guard Tim Hardaway Jr. scored seven of his 15 points in the final 3:09 to rally the Wolverines. A Hardaway 3-pointer with 1:27 remaining cut the deficit to 70-69, but Duke freshman guard Kyrie Irving made a 6-foot bank shot against a 1-3-1 zone with 31 seconds left.
Morris drove the lane for a layup with 10 seconds remaining, and Michigan immediately fouled Duke guard Nolan Smith. He made the first of two free throws with 8.6 seconds left, and Morris made a mad rush down the court for an attempt at the tying basket.
His final shot caromed off the rim, leaving Duke to celebrate coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 900th career win. Krzyzewski needs three more wins to break Bob Knight’s Division I record.
The stories…
Instant Analysis: Hendson’s block turned Tar Heel tide (ACC Now)
The deflected inbounds pass will be the one everyone remembers, the moment of John Henson’s ultimate defensive disruption. But it was another defensive play by Henson that really got North Carolina past Washington on Sunday.
With 4:18 to go, and North Carolina down one, Washington’s Darnell Gant went up with the offensive rebound of a Matt Bryan-Amaning miss. Henson, with a full arm swing, swatted the shot across the baseline.
Harrison Barnes went down to the other end and hit a 3-pointer to give North Carolina the lead, and the Tar Heels never trailed again, on their way to Newark with am 86-83 win.
ACC proves its point with 3 Sweet 16 Teams (ACC Now)
Go ahead, John Swofford.
Puff out your chest a bit today.
No. 10 regional seed Florida State’s 71-57 dismantling of No. 2 seed Notre Dame on Sunday night gave the ACC three teams in the regional semifinal round of the NCAA tournament.
North Carolina, a No. 2 seed, was the first to advance to the Sweet 16 with a 86-83 defeat of Washington on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte. Later at Time Warner Cable Arena, No. 1 seed Duke escaped to the Sweet 16 with a 73-71 win when Michigan’s Darius Morris missed a runner with two seconds remaining.
So the ACC has been the biggest winner on the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament with the possible exception of the city of Richmond, Va., which has the Richmond Spiders and Virginia Commonwealth in the Sweet 16.
No other conference has more than two teams in the Sweet 16. The Big East, which had an outstanding regular season and put 11 teams in the tournament, has flopped. Nine Big East teams have been eliminated, including No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, which fell in a Saturday night stunner against Butler.
Top Quotes Following FSU’s Pounding of Irish – How Sweet It Is (Tomahawk Nation)
“Florida State flat-out beat us. Florida State deserved it and really outplayed us, especially the first 20 minutes. I thought if we had to give up something, we’d give up jump shots. But they made them, and then we’re digging out of a hole. We’re kind of numb because we invested so much. It just comes to a screeching halt. -Notre Dame coach Mike Brey
“A team like that, they’re used to scoring. If it gets in their head that it’s not going to be easy, they’re going to get down on themselves and dig a hole because they’re not used to that. They’re used to the ball going through the hoop. They’re used to getting the easy shot. But we’re not giving that up. Every shot is going to be contested.” -Michael Snaer
Up next…
Duke gets late Sweet 16 tip; UNC will start early (ACC Now)
Thursday
7:15PM CBS Anaheim I San Diego St. vs. UCONN Lundquist/Raftery//Visser
7:27PM TBS New Orleans I Florida vs. BYU Johnson/Elmore/Miller
9:45PM CBS ` Anaheim II Duke vs. Arizona Lundquist/Raftery//Visser
9:57PM TBS New Orleans II Wisconsin vs. Butler Johnson/Elmore/Miller//
Friday
7:15PM CBS Newark I UNC vs. Marquette Nantz/Kellogg//Wolfson
7:27PM TBS San Antonio I Kansas vs. Richmond Albert/Kerr//Sager
9:45PM CBS Newark II Ohio State vs. Kentucky Nantz/Kellogg//Wolfson
9:57PM TBS San Antonio II Florida State vs. VCU Albert/Kerr//Sager
NCAA Tourney Commentary
- A-C-C! Three teams in the Sweet 16 – one more than I or pretty much anybody thought outside of the most optimistic of FSU fans. The ‘Noles domination in the Sunday nightcap sent shockwaves through the college basketball world – for one, the 10 seed FSU dominating Notre Dame – and secondly, the ACC getting the most in the Sweet 16 and limiting the Big East to two bids. It was a big, big weekend for the reputation of ACC hoops.
- So after last night, we figured out the Big East sucked and the ACC reigns supreme in hoops. Well, not exactly – Big East entered 11 teams in the NCAA field, and after one weekend, have two left. The ACC grabbed four bids this year – everybody but Clemson made it through. If you’re looking for conference supremacy points, I don’t think the 3/4 vs. 2/11 route is the one to go for – it’s 71-57, as in, a 10 seed from the ACC in FSU drilling a 2 seed Notre Dame from start to finish. The Irish were one of the Big East’s best most of the season and almost grabbed a No. 1 seed – and the ‘Noles dominated all game long. The Big East earned all 11 bids they had, but the ACC showed this weekend they deserved at least one more bid.
- Well, on to Anaheim (Duke), Newark (UNC) and San Antonio (FSU) we go for the Sweet 16 – FSU plays Cinderalla-esque VCU, UNC another 11 seed in Marquette and Duke takes on Arizona after their close call with Texas. Just at a quick glance, all have the higher seeds for Elite 8 advancement, but if the first weekend taught you anything, VCU isn’t playing like an 11 seed – nor is Marquette, and Arizona executed really well against the Longhorns. We’ll break it all down later this week!
Posted by Brandon Rink on March 19, 2011 under ACC Basketball |
Harrison Barnes had a double-double in his NCAA Tournament debut - more to come against the Pac-10 Champs? (Per OrangeandWhite.com)
The ACC is 4-1 in the NCAA Tournament so far – good shot at two Sweet 16 teams, but will FSU continue its run for a third team?
(1) Duke Blue Devils vs. (8) Michigan Wolverines, 2:45 (EST), CBS, Charlotte NC
Coaches Tourney Records: Duke – Coach K – 78-22 (19-5 in second round games); Michigan – John Beilein – 7-6 (2-2 in second round games).
Blue Devil That Has to Step up: G Nolan Smith – There’s going to be games down the road where Duke will need more from Singler, but in this one, the Blue Devils can get by with a strong performance by Smith.
Duke Has to Stop: G Darius Morris (15 ppg, 6.7 apg, 4 rpg)– Morris leads the Wolverines in scoring, but struggled in the Vols’ blowout (at least scoring-wise) with more impact in assists (9).
What I’m Thinking…: You think Beilein and crew would have liked the Fab-5 doc to come out after the NCAA Tournament? It really seems like it’s charged up the Blue Devils’ alumni and that has to have transferred to current players to, especially the veterans, who have pride in their school.
It’s still a game though, and Duke wins mentally and physically before any emotional carry-over. The Wolverines are a team that are hard to prepare for on both ends with a Princeton-style O and odd zone Ds utilizing 1-3-1 and 2-3. If Duke doesn’t do their homework, Michigan can hang around, but with Smith leading the charge, can’t imagine that’s going to happen.
Pick: Devils 74-58
——
(2) Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. (10) Florida State Seminoles, 9:40 (EST), TBS, Chicago IL
Coaches Tourney Records: ND – Mike Brey – 6-8 (1-3 in second round); FSU – Leonard Hamilton – 4-5 (1-1 in second round).
Seminole That Has to Step up: G Deividas Dulkys – Everybody’s favorite Lithuanian hasn’t hit a 3-pointer since March 2nd against UNC and FSU faces sharp-shooting Fighting Irish…the ‘Noles need some perimeter game to keep up.
FSU Has to Stop: Ben Hansbrough (18.4 ppg, 44% from 3 pt., 4.3 apg) – Yes, he’s from that Hansbrough family – and the ‘Noles have seen him before from Mississippi State – he’s scored as much as 30 points on 7 3-pointers against Villanova this season.
What I’m Thinking…: FSU will give the Irish fits on D – the question is just how much. With Chris Singleton back in the mix and Bernard James coming on down-low, the Seminoles are getting good at the right time…
But somebody has to score against a Notre Dame team that averages 76 points per game. Kitchen has to put double-digits again, another guard has to shoulder scoring and James has to be a force again in the paint. If there’s No. 2 seed to play (and beat), it’s Notre Dame because I’m not a big fan of Brey in tourney play – that said, Fighting Irish just too much for FSU.
Pick: Irish 70-62
——
(2) North Carolina Tar Heels vs. (7) Washington Huskies, 12:15 (EST), CBS, Charlotte NC
Coaches Tourney Records: UNC – Roy Williams – 55-18 (13-7 in second round); Washington – Lorenzo Romar – 7-6 (3-1 in second round).
Tar Heel That Has to Step up: G Kendall Marshall – Keep feeding the paint and the Tar Heels are just fine against anyone – though a little more D would help too.
UNC Has to Stop: G Isaiah Thomas (16.9 ppg, 6 apg)– Apparently no relation to that Isiah Thomas, UW’s junior guard hit the game-winner to take the Pac-10 Championship and put up 19 with 7 assists in the second round win over Georgia.
What I’m Thinking…: I’ll tell you this – if UNC gives up 87 points to Washington – that’s all she wrote for the Tar Heels. They have to slow the pace as Washington is third in the nation in scoring (83.5 ppg) and would seem to be more than willing to run and gun with the Heels.
The key for UNC is to wear Washington down with their talent and size down-low – still attack in transition with Marshall, but make the Huskies beat you in a half-court game. The young Tar Heels now have that NCAA Tourney game under their belts – and a competitive one at that – UNC plays better D and pulls away at the end.
Pick: Heels 75-68
