With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, the biggest event in U.S. sports will command the attention of tens of millions of viewers, generating tens of millions of dollars for everyone associated with the event.

A few weeks later, the NBA All-Star game will show the NFL how exhibition weekends should be run. In my opinion, the NBA All-Star weekend festivities are the best of any pro sport, with baseball coming in a close second. Did anyone actually watch the Pro Bowl last weekend?

We don’t have any winter Olympics this year, but that’s a February event, too.

And then we have college hoops. To casual fans, March is the month of joy. But February is the month that sets the table for March. Dozens of teams are jockeying for position right now, fighting for a better seed and location or merely a bid to the Big Dance.

The schedule-makers know what they’re doing, too. Next Wednesday — just days after the Super Bowl — the top rivalry in college hoops will go down for the first of two meetings in a month when Duke visits North Carolina. That’s a nice way for the NCAA to tell America: “Guess what? Football is over. It’s time to set your sights on the hardwood.”

And of course, as we work through the thick of conference play, we’ll have the rush of bracket projections to feed the hoops addiction. Hoopville will join the fray as usual, starting this Friday. We choose to wait until February because it just feels right. By now, we have a large enough sample size to judge teams’ résumés and make projections that have a good shot of standing up during the final few weeks before Selection Sunday.

We take you coast to coast with news from around the college basketball nation.

Get ready for more technical fouls and a shorter leash on players or coaches who act out. Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.com’s “College Basketball Nation” blog reports that John Adams, the NCAA’s national officiating coordinator, sent a notice to all officials that implored them to clamp down on bad behavior.

Clemson has indefinitely suspended junior Milton Jennings, a former McDonald’s All-American, because of academic reasons, according to the Associated Press. Jennings averages 8.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg.

Arizona will finish the season without junior Kevin Parrom, who broke his foot in a loss to Washington last weekend, according to a CBS Sports.com report. He averaged 4.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 1.7 apg this season.

Iona is looking to remain one of the premier programs in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and the university extended the contract of coach Tim Cluess to help make that happen, according to a CBS Sports.com report.

Don’t mess with a player’s routine. North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes shared some of the details of his routine with Andrew Jones of Fox Sports to explain why he changed his shoes at halftime of the Tar Heels’ win against Georgia Tech. Like the rest of the team, Barnes started the game with pink shoes to help promote breast cancer awareness. But he went with his usual Kobes in the second half.

VCU coach Shaka Smart stirred some commotion in the commonwealth during a teleconference Monday, writes Myron Medcalf for ESPN.com’s “College Basketball Nation” blog. Smart asserted that Virginia’s best schools reside in the CAA. He didn’t call out the ACC teams in Blacksburg or Charlottesville by name, but Smart felt compelled to give UVA coach Tony Bennett a call to clarify his comments.

The NCAA won’t be seeking any further action against Connecticut freshman guard Ryan Boatright regarding an investigation into his eligibility because of money and benefits that he and his mother received, according to the Associated Press. But the AP reports that the Boatrights’ lawyer isn’t finished with his actions against the NCAA, lambasting the organization for releasing private information.

The only coach to ever lead Canisius to an NCAA Tournament win died Saturday, according to the Associated Press. Joseph Curran, 89, passed away in Mystic, Conn. He led the Golden Griffins to a 76-66 record in six seasons, which included a shocking four overtime victory against No. 2 North Carolina State in the 1956 NCAA Tournament.

Clemson hasn’t been able to put together a three-game winning streak all season thus far. They came into Chestnut Hill hoping to do that for the first time all season, and had their chances to do it. But in dropping this one, they lost a chance to have some real momentum in the midst of a home-heavy stretch. Three of the next four are at home as part of a stretch where they play five of seven in Littlejohn Coliseum, including the next game against Duke.

“We definitely took a big step forward starting ACC play, and here we dropped the ball and took another big step back,” said senior guard Andre Young. “We have to look inward, we have to look at our team and ourselves and our game. We just need to do better at the end of the day.”

Clemson started the second half strong, going up by six in the early going. But rather than continuing the momentum and possibly putting the young Eagles away, they slowed down offensively and allowed Boston College to get right back in it. That alone went a long way toward losing this game. So did allowing the Eagles to shoot over 61 percent in the second half, while they shot just 36 percent.

“We didn’t play well enough defensively,” said head coach Brad Brownell. “We had a six-point lead in the second half and let our guard down for a minute, they threw in a couple of threes, and they feel like they’re going to win the game.”

Clemson had a good advantage in length on the Eagles, and at times they used it well. They consistently thwarted the Eagles in the first half when they got close to the basket and had a 33-23 edge on the glass for the game, allowing just one offensive board. But BC adjusted and came alive in the second half, and once they weathered the early storm it was largely a back-and-forth game.

The Tigers had their ups and downs in non-conference play. They didn’t get a quality win as far as their NCAA Tournament resume is concerned, but they did have home losses to College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina that will hurt. Near the end, they went to Hawaii and took sixth place in the Diamond Head Classic, losing to UTEP and host Hawaii while needing overtime to beat struggling Southern Illinois in the middle game. It looked like they came out of Hawaii in a better place, as they won their next two, including the ACC opener over Florida State. Then Thursday night came and put the brakes on any momentum they had gained.

Clemson has some upperclassmen, led by Young and classmate Tanner Smith, but there are no sophomores on the team, so after that there are only freshmen. They have shown some promise along the way, including Thursday night as T.J. Sapp started and scored 11 points on 3-6 shooting, while Rod Hall gave them a lift off the bench in 15 minutes. Devin Coleman didn’t do much in the stat sheet but looks like he can help this team.

“They’ve been getting better and getting more experience with every game,” said Young. “They’re getting a lot of experience now that we’re in ACC play. Obviously, if we want to be playing late in the season, we’re going to need them.”

At this point, the Tigers can go one of two ways. They can remain an inconsistent team, and likely wind up in the NIT or CBI, or they can get it together and make a good run in the ACC, and beating Duke on Sunday wouldn’t be a bad way to start that. An intangible issue could stand in the way, as Brownell indicated that confidence has been more of an issue than one might expect with this group.

“Our confidence goes up and down too quickly for having some older players,” said the second-year Tiger head coach. “That’s a hard thing to coach.”

What also doesn’t help is that there doesn’t appear to be a clear go-to guy when things get tough. Young leads the team in scoring, but he and Smith look more like glue guys than go-to guys. Different players looked good in spurts on Thursday, and that seems to be how the season has gone thus far.

The ACC isn’t as good as it has been in some other years this time around, so the opportunity will be there to put forth a good record. After North Carolina, Duke and Virginia, the ACC is teeming with ballclubs that are a notch below but could play their way into NCAA Tournament consideration. Clemson is one of those teams, but they will likely need a better run in conference play than most of the others. Entering the week, their RPI was 164.

It’s early in ACC play, and as wide open as the conference is Clemson may be at a key point in their season. The home games, including the quality win opportunity against Duke, give them a chance to get started on the run they need to have. Their chance is right in front of them.

Friday:

• Creighton at Illinois State
• Cleveland State at Butler
• Missouri State at Northern Iowa
• Seton Hall at South Florida

Saturday:

• UNLV at San Diego State
• Alabama at Mississippi State
• New Mexico at Wyoming
• Kentucky at Tennessee
• North Carolina at Florida State
• Rutgers at West Virginia
• Texas at Missouri
• Colorado at Stanford
• St. Bonaventure at Xavier
• Connecticut at Notre Dame
• Kansas State at Oklahoma
• NC State at Wake Forest
• Oregon at Arizona
• Ohio at Akron
• UCF at Marshall
• La Salle at Dayton

Sunday:

• Indiana at Ohio State
• Cleveland State at Valparaiso
• Youngstown State at Butler
• Loyola (Md.) at Iona
• Georgia Tech at Maryland
• Washington State at Washington

We go coast to coast with news from around the college basketball nation.

In case you missed it earlier this week, Pitt kinda struggled against Rutgers. And by kinda, we mean the Panthers totally stunk. According to ESPN.com’s “College Basketball Nationg” blog, the Panthers had their worst home performance in more than 60 years, scoring only 39 points in the 23-point embarrassment against the Scarlet Knights.

Texas Tech’s Terran Petteway will miss tomorrow’s game against Texas A&M because coach Billy Gillispie suspended Petteway for elbowing Kansas’ Connor Teahan, earning himself an ejection, according to an Associated Press report.

Chairs, beware. Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said he has no regrets for slamming a chair on the court to motivate the Hawkeyes during a 28-point beatdown at Michigan State, according to an Associated Press report.

Fresh off a national championship in football, Alabama fans got to stick it to LSU once again Wednesday night when the Tigers came to Tuscaloosa. One of the more creative Bama fans brought a sign that mocked the Tigers football team’s struggle in getting past midfield in the BCS Championship Game, writes USA Today’s Nicol Auerbach. Check out the Tide fan’s cheeky taunts here.

Former Clemson guard Cory Stanton hopes he’s found a basketball home in Knoxville after walking on to the Volunteers, according to an Associated Press report. Stanton arrives at Tennessee via Lipscomb after playing one season at Clemson.

Projected starting five:

Sr. G Andre Young
Sr. G Tanner Smith
Sr. F Bryan Narcisse
Jr. F Milton Jennings
Jr. F Devin Booker

Important departures:

Demontez Stitt: 14.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 apg
Jerai Grant: 12.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.8 apg

Percent returning scoring and rebounding:

Scoring: 57.7 percent
Rebounding: 66.1 percent

Additions:

Bernard Sullivan, No. 83 Rivals.com and ESPNU four-star freshman power forward from Davidson, N.C.

Schedule highlights:

Best non-conference game: at Arizona
Toughest conference stretch: Jan. 31-Feb. 4 (at Virginia, at Virginia Tech)

Outlook:

Clemson returns a very talented lineup and faces a relatively favorable conference schedule that should help the Tigers return to the NCAA Tournament this season. The Tigers must replace the contributions of Demontez Stitt in the backcourt and Jerai Grant in the frontcourt. However, their absence will give Tanner Smith and Milton Jennings a chance to shine this year.

In addition to Jennings and Smith, coach Brad Brownell will count on Devin Booker to anchor the Tigers’ offense. Booker was second on the team in rebounds last year, and he’ll need to continue to grab six to eight rebounds per game while boosting his 8.1 ppg closer to 12 or 13 ppg.

Prediction: Fourth

Next: Duke Blue Devils

Back to ACC preview

Although critics poke the ACC for lacking the quantity of elite teams that the Big East boasts, the ACC has once again proven that its best teams are legitimate title contenders every year. Duke managed to fly under the radar last season as the media fawned over veteran-laden Kansas and John Calipari’s freshmen sensations at Kentucky. But in the end, a ruthlessly balanced team stormed through the post-season and beat Cinderella, aka Butler, in a thrilling championship game. The two will reprise that battle in December when they meet in New Jersey.

This season, Duke will be on everyone’s radar. The Blue Devils return most of their key contributors, with the exception of Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas. Scheyer was one of Duke’s Big Three last season, joining Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler to form the most potent threesome in the ACC. Coach K will look for the rest of the roster to make up for Scheyer’s production. Don’t underestimate the importance of Zoubek, who became a starter midway through last season and dominated the boards at both ends. His presence was a catalyst for Duke’s late-season boost in efficiency.

But if Duke falters, ACC haters will once again jump up and down and shout about how overrated the conference is. There’s not a clear No. 2 team, though Virginia Tech has an excellent chance to emerge as an elite squad. The Hokies return nearly everyone from last season’s team, including all five starters. This veteran squad is poised to make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament, especially if the Hokies figure out how to be more efficient on offense.

In recent years, the ACC has been marked by relative stability, especially among the coaches. That changed dramatically this past off-season with a couple of inexplicable moves. Clemson’s Oliver Purnell left the Tigers for DePaul. The man obviously likes renovation projects. Purnell successfully turned Clemson into a legitimate ACC heavyweight after the Tigers had been a doormat for most of the previous decade. He leaves for one of the Big East’s doormats.

While Purnell chose to leave Clemson, Wake Forest’s Dino Gaudio didn’t get to decide his fate. The school dismissed Gaudio after the Demon Deacons had a disappointing end to the regular season and post-season. A 30-point massacre at the hands of Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament left a bad taste in the mouths of Wake Forest’s power brokers, who lost confidence in Gaudio. No one doubted his recruiting prowess – and new Demon Deacons coach Jeff Bzdelik can thank Gaudio for another strong class – but the highly-ranked recruits rarely led to highly-ranked teams at the end of the season.

Like Gaudio, Boston College’s Al Skinner was shown the door for a mildly questionable reason. Skinner, a well-respected coach, was Gaudio’s opposite. He rarely brought top recruits to Chestnut Hill, but he coached his guys to play tough, efficient basketball and often sneaked into the top half of the ACC standings. But Skinner’s teams were never flashy, and pro sports-obsessed Boston fans didn’t pay the Eagles too much attention – or pay for many tickets.

Boston College executives want more fans in the stands, so they removed Skinner in favor of Cornell’s Steve Donahue. The Big Red’s main man led Cornell to startling success in the Ivy League, which had been dominated by Penn and Princeton for seemingly the entire existence of the league. Donahue’s teams launched bombs from three-point territory all day and night, and the team’s offensive efficiency led to upsets of Temple and Wisconsin in last season’s NCAA Tournament. Chicks dig the long ball, and Eagles execs hope Donahue’s style will fill Conte Forum.

Without further ado, here’s a rundown of preseason awards. After that, we dive head first into the team-by-team previews.

2010-11 ACC AWARDS

Coach of the Year: Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech

Coach on the Hot Seat: Sidney Lowe, North Carolina State

Player of the Year: Kyle Singler, Duke

First-Team All-ACC:

Kyle Singler, Duke

Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech

Jordan Williams, Maryland

Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech

John Henson, North Carolina

Second-Team All-ACC:

Tracy Smith, North Carolina State

Chris Singleton, Florida State

Seth Curry, Duke

C.J. Leslie, North Carolina State

Joe Trapani, Boston College

Third-Team All-ACC:

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Dorenzo Hudson, Virginia Tech

Larry Drew II, North Carolina

Durand Scott, Miami

Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech

Best NBA Prospect: Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Newcomer of the Year: Seth Curry, Duke

Rookie of the Year: C.J. Leslie, North Carolina State

All-Rookie Team:

C.J. Leslie, North Carolina State

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Kyrie Irving, Duke

Ryan Harrow, North Carolina State

Reggie Bullock, North Carolina

Defense Player of the Year: Chris Singleton, Florida State

All-Defensive Team:

Chris Singleton, Florida State

Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech

Kyle Singler, Duke

Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech

John Henson, North Carolina

Projected Finish:

1. Duke

2. Virginia Tech

3. Florida State

4. North Carolina

5. Clemson

6. North Carolina State

7. Maryland

8. Virginia

9. Georgia Tech

10. Miami

11. Boston College

12. Wake Forest

Duke Blue Devils (35-5, 13-3)

Glad to Have You Back:

The Cameron Crazies are first and foremost thrilled to have the national title back in Durham. For the fourth time in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career, the Blue Devils enter the season trying to defend that title. Since they accomplished that feat in 1992, only Florida has managed to win back-to-back titles. This season, the Blue Devils have a legitimate shot at doing it again.

The Blue Devils return two-thirds of last season’s three-headed monster: Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. In addition to those two, who each averaged more than 17 points per game last season, the Blue Devils return a trio of talented frontcourt weapons: the Plumlee brothers (Miles and Mason) and Ryan Kelly. They also have good depth in the backcourt with Andre Dawkins at point guard.

We’ll Miss You:

Despite the promising returning cast, Krzyzewski will need to find a way to win without Jon Scheyer, who engineered last season’s fantastic run as the team’s makeshift point guard. Although Scheyer had mostly played shooting guard during his first three seasons, Coach K asked him to run the offense last season. He responded by averaging 18.2 points and 4.9 assists per game.

Besides Scheyer, Duke loses some frontcourt beef in Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas. Zoubek saved his best action for the final two months of his collegiate career. After Krzyzewski inserted Zoubek into the starting lineup, Duke’s offense flourished. With more self-control, the former foul machine averaged 5.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game – in only 18.7 minutes per game. Thomas was far less proficient at grabbing rebounds and taking up space, but his effort at both ends made him valuable.

Duke also will be without the services of sparingly used big man Olek Czyz, who transferred to Nevada.

Welcome to the Program:

Entering last season, most observers – including me – figured that Duke would be strong and potentially an under-the-radar title contender. However, even the most optimistic Duke sympathizer figured that the lack of experienced backcourt depth would haunt the Blue Devils at some point. The team’s best title chances seemed to be in 2010-11 when point guard Kyrie Irving and sharpshooter Seth Curry arrived.

Well, Irving and Curry are ready to suit up for this Blue Devils squad, which already have one title under its belt. Irving is a candidate for ACC rookie of the year and will compete with Curry, a transfer from Liberty and brother of legendary Davidson guard Stephen, for the top newcomer in the ACC. Combined, Irving and Curry should more than make up for the loss in production from Scheyer’s graduation.

Joshua Hairston, a four-star power forward out of Spotsylvania, Va., and Tyler Thornton, a likely reserve point guard from Washington, D.C, join Irving in one of the top recruiting classes in the ACC.

Who They Play:

As usual, Coach K has the Blue Devils set to play several tough opponents during the non-conference slate, highlighted by a rematch of the national championship game against Butler in early December in New Jersey. Duke also gets Marquette, Michigan State, Oregon and either Gonzaga or Kansas State – with only the Spartans coming to Cameron Indoor Stadium.

In the ACC, the Blue Devils’ two-game match ups aren’t ridiculously daunting: Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Virginia. Duke will face Florida State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest on the road without a return home game.

Keep Up the Good Work:

When you win a national championship, you’re obviously doing a lot right already. The Blue Devils need to remain balanced this season by playing a ruthlessly efficient offense and shutdown defense. In recent years, Duke has had one of the stingiest perimeter defenses in the country, which prevents teams that love the three-point shot from getting hot and stealing games. If Duke’s relatively young backcourt players can continue that tradition, this team should be as good on defense as last year’s team was.

Room for Improvement:

As we just mentioned, it’s hard to improve on being the best. Duke’s young guards will need to mature quickly or face the wrath of Krzyzewski and veterans like Singler and Smith.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Duke could win it all again. Most people assume that no one will repeat as national champions with the NBA Draft beckoning the best athletes. However, Smith and Singler hung around for one more season, and they have perhaps even more raw talent around them this season than they did last season.

Outlook:

The Blue Devils should be just as good as they were last season. The only question is whether any other team in the ACC – or the rest of the country – can step up to seriously threaten Duke’s drive to back-to-back titles. Coach K makes winning ACC titles and earning No. 1 seeds a seemingly unspectacular feat. This season should be no different as the Blue Devils figure to be spectacular in nearly every phase of the game en route to a conference title and maybe another national title.

Virginia Tech Hokies (25-9, 10-6)

Glad to Have You Back:

Quite simply – everyone is back. Virginia Tech returns its starting lineup and every player who logged at least eight minutes per game last season. The most critical players are in the Hokies’ outstanding backcourt: seniors Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson. The pair form one of the best guard combinations in the entire country and easily the most experienced in the ACC. Together, they averaged 35.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season.

We’ll Miss You:

Lewis Witcher is the only contributor the Hokies will miss this season. The senior graduated in May after scoring a total of 24 points in 237 minutes last season.

Welcome to the Program:

With five seniors in the starting lineup and plenty of experience on the bench, Virginia Tech didn’t need to add many players. But coach Seth Greenberg still nabbed a couple of players who could become important contributors. Freshman Jarrell Eddie is an athletic wing player who can play on the perimeter or in the post, and former Florida Gator Allan Chaney adds some serious muscle in the post at 235 pounds.

Who They Play:

Virginia Tech should be the favorite in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif. The Hokies’ top competition out west will include Oklahoma State, Stanford and UNLV. In addition to that tournament, Virginia Tech will face a huge road game at Kansas State in the team’s second game of the season. The schedule-makers clearly consider Virginia Tech to be an ACC heavyweight because the Hokies draw Final Four-contender Purdue in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Virginia Tech gets a pretty favorable draw in the conference with two games against Boston College, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Virginia and Wake Forest. All of those teams have question marks to answer entering the season, which might make Virginia Tech the favorite at home and on the road against all five. The Hokies get road trips to Clemson, North Carolina and North Carolina State without the luxury of hosting those teams in Blacksburg. A home date in late February against Duke could be the game of the year in the ACC.

Keep Up the Good Work:

As usual, Greenberg’s teams played excellent defense last season, especially at home. Jeff Allen and Delaney are two of the best defenders in the ACC, and they will continue to make intense pressure their hallmark.

Room for Improvement:

The Hokies need to win the big games this season. At 23-8 after the ACC Tournament, Virginia Tech was one of the best teams that missed the NCAA Tournament. However, the Hokies simply lacked enough marquee victories. This season, the Hokies have the potential to make a deep NCAA Tournament run, but they must first prove their worth by winning big games against the likes of Purdue, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Duke.

Don’t Be Surprised:

By the season’s end, Delaney could be an All-American. The senior guard is one of the best players in the ACC, and that usually means he should be on the national radar as one of the best player in the nation. And it wouldn’t surprise me if three or four Hokie starters end up on the first or second All-ACC teams.

Outlook:

Virginia Tech is poised to return to the NCAA Tournament and make some noise. This team struggled on offense at times last season. But if they can gel on that side of the ball, the Hokies’ defense will carry them to at least a No. 2 finish in the ACC and a likely top four seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Florida State Seminoles (22-10, 10-6)

Glad to Have You Back:

Florida State returns a trio of players who could become stars this season: Chris Singleton, Michael Snaer and Derwin Kitchen. Singleton is an explosive athlete who is the team’s leading returning scorer and rebounder. Snaer struggled at times during his rookie campaign, but he has the tools needed to become a dominant wing player for the Seminoles. And Kitchen should be the engine that drives the offense. He had a respectable 1.8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last season.

We’ll Miss You:

The No. 1 defensive team in the ACC and one of the top defensive teams in the country will miss its centerpiece: Solomon Alabi. The sophomore 7-footer took his game to the NBA after swatting 75 shots last season and adding 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The Seminoles also need to replace junior Jordan DeMercy, who transferred to Georgia State, and senior Ryan Reid, a veteran leader who contributed 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

Welcome to the Program:

As usual, coach Leonard Hamilton has a solid recruiting class coming to campus. Point guard Ian Miller figures to be a critical piece of the puzzle for the Seminoles because he can lead the offense and create scoring opportunities for himself. Okaro White is a wiry, uber-athletic forward. And the Seminoles will finally get 7-footer Jon Kreft to suit up in Tallahassee. The center was scheduled to arrive in 2007, but academic eligibility issues forced him into the junior college circuit for a couple of seasons.

Who They Play:

For several years in a row, Florida State was a perennial bubble team, and critics often pointed to the Seminoles’ weak non-conference schedule. Once again, Florida State has only a handful of opportunities to notch marquee wins outside conference play. The Seminoles’ best shots come against Florida and Ohio State – both in Tallahassee – and a potential second-round game against Butler in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii.

In the ACC, Florida State gets two games against Clemson, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. The Seminoles’ lone games against Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia Tech will be on the road.

Keep Up the Good Work:

The Seminoles squashed opponents’ offenses last season, ending the year as the top-ranked team in defense efficiency, according to Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency statistics. Even without Alabi, this team figures to remain a great defensive squad.

Room for Improvement:

Conversely, Florida State was borderline awful on offense at times last season. The Seminoles were often victimized by long scoring droughts. The veteran squad, led by Singleton, Snaer and Kitchen, need to achieve a balance of offensive discipline and pure athleticism. If they do, this team should be even better.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Chris Singleton could become a fixture of SportsCenter highlights reels this season. With Alabi gone, he will likely be the No. 1 option on offense, and his athletic talent will guarantee at least one or two jaw-dropping plays per game.

Outlook:

The Seminoles are starting to expect success on the hardwood these days. This season should deliver another NCAA Tournament trip if the offense can become a little more consistent. The defense will remain stout, which will keep the Seminoles competitive against almost any opponent.

North Carolina Tar Heels (20-17, 5-11)

Glad to Have You Back:

The Tar Heels look to flip the script on last season’s squad. Without a proven backcourt, North Carolina relied on its big men much of last season. However, this season, the guards figure to carry the team. Larry Drew II, Dexter Strickland and Leslie Strickland are three of the top six returning scorers. A couple of other newcomers will add to North Carolina’s strength, which could help the Tar Heels forget a turbulent 2009-10 season.

We’ll Miss You:

The Tar Heels must find a new frontcourt rotation after Deon Thompson graduated, Ed Davis went to the NBA, and Travis and David Wear transferred to UCLA. North Carolina also must replace the veteran leadership of Marcus Ginyard, who offered more as a defensive specialist and senior leader than his stat line suggests, and Will Graves, who was dismissed from the team. In sum, that’s about two-thirds of the team’s scoring, and North Carolina wasn’t exactly its usual offensive juggernaut last season.

Welcome to the Program:

The Tar Heels import one of the best recruiting classes in the country, including uber-athletic swingman Harrison Barnes, whom many experts consider to be the top recruit in the country. Kendall Marshall is likely the point guard of the future for North Carolina, and Reggie Bullock will join the rotation at shooting guard.

Although he’s not a freshman, transfer Justin Knox, a graduated senior from Alabama, could be one of the biggest additions. Physically, he is the biggest at 6-9 and 240 pounds. He will pair with Tyler Zeller in the frontcourt.

Who They Play:

As always, North Carolina plays a tough schedule that includes powerhouses such as Kentucky and Texas. The Tar Heels also draw Illinois and William & Mary, and they could play West Virginia, Vanderbilt or Minnesota in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

North Carolina will play two games apiece in conference action against Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State and North Carolina State. North Carolina’s lone games against Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia are on the road.

Keep Up the Good Work:

North Carolina’s height last season made the Tar Heels one of the top rebounding teams in the country. It’s hard to imagine that happening again this season without Davis and Thompson, and Graves was a great rebounding wing player, but John Henson has beefed up to compete for more rebounds in the post. His gigantic wingspan and Vince Carter-esque athleticism should propel him from 4.4 rebounds per game to closer to eight.

Room for Improvement:

The offense was disjointed last season, often because the team lacked cohesion. Coach Roy Williams must find a rotation and stick with it. The roster befits a classic Williams-coached fast-tempo squad. If Williams can find roles for all his talented players and convince them to play within that role, this team should return to the upper half of the ACC.

Don’t Be Surprised:

The newcomers could become the biggest names on this team. NBA scouts are drooling over Barnes. But Knox might be the type of grinder who posts good but not spectacular stats like 10 points and six rebounds every night. More importantly, he can handle opponents’ beefiest big men. With Barnes’ flash and Knox’s fight, the new Heels could return North Carolina to its old dominant form.

Outlook:

After more than a half decade of consistency, North Carolina suffered through a rebuilding year last season. The roster for this season figures to be a better match for the Tar Heels’ style, and a strong recruiting class should make North Carolina a dominant team once again. The Tar Heels aren’t in Duke’s class, but they will compete in the second tier and return to the NCAA Tournament.

Clemson Tigers (21-11, 9-7)

Glad to Have You Back:

After the surprising departure of Oliver Purnell for DePaul, Clemson transitions to a new era under Brad Brownell. The new coach will benefit from a roster filled with talent. Seniors Demontez Stitt and Jerai Grant will be the veteran leaders on a team that includes skilled wingmen like Tanner Smith and Milton Jennings and a blazingly fast guard in Andre Young. In sum, the team returns nearly 70 percent of its scoring from last season’s NCAA Tournament squad.

We’ll Miss You:

In recent years, Purnell transformed Clemson from a regular cellar dweller to a regular contender in the ACC. Fans will miss his up-tempo, pressure defense that generated memorable upsets against the likes of Duke – a couple of times.

On the court, the Tigers will miss their leader from the past few years: Trevor Booker. The senior graduated as one of the program’s most dominating players, and he had a great stat line in his final season with 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The Tigers also will enter the season without David Potter, a key member of the frontcourt rotation who graduated in May.

Welcome to the Program:

Brownell will introduce a drastically different style based on lengthy possessions and tight defense. The former Wright State and UNC-Wilmington coach will likely decelerate the Tigers into one of the slowest-paced teams in the ACC.

As a new coach, Brownell’s lone new arrival is Cory Stanton, a point guard from Springfield, Tenn., who will be third on the depth chart behind Demontez Stitt and Andre Young.

Who They Play:

In his first season with the Tigers, Brownell has scheduled a soft non-conference slate, with the highlights coming against Michigan and South Carolina. Clemson could possibly face Xavier in the Paradise Jam, which would be a critical marquee win for the Tigers.

In conference action, the Tigers draw two games with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina and North Carolina State. They also get Duke, Maryland and Virginia on the road without a return game.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Clemson’s defense last season was often spectacular, as Purnell’s pressure defense forced a ridiculous number of turnovers. Brownell won’t employ such pressure, but these Tigers know how to attack on defense. If they maintain that intensity in a new system, they should remain in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid.

Room for Improvement:

Live by the sword, die by the sword – an apt cliché for the Tigers last season. Although they were adept at forcing turnovers, the Tigers too often gave the ball right back with turnovers of their own. Clemson finished the season with 27 more turnovers than assists, a number that must change in the new world order.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Look for Clemson to embrace Brownell’s slower pace on the court. The Tigers must find a way to move on from the Trevor Booker era, and a methodical offense could lead to greater efficiency. This team will score fewer points because they won’t be hustling up and down the court. But Clemson might post even more wins this season if the Tigers play smart, efficient ball at both ends of the court.

Outlook:

The Purnell administration left plenty of talent for Brownell to work with, and the outlook is promising. Although the Tigers will likely go through some growing pains as they adjust to a new system, an easy non-conference schedule should ease those frustrations. By ACC action, Clemson should be ready to roll toward the top of the standings.

North Carolina State Wolfpack (20-16, 5-11)

Glad to Have You Back:

After testing his NBA value, senior Tracy Smith decided to return to Raleigh for one final season with the Wolfpack. He will anchor North Carolina State’s offense after leading the team with 16.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season. Smith has the potential to be one of the most dominant big men in the ACC this season, and he has a better supporting cast around him this season, which should lead to more open looks.

We’ll Miss You:

The Woflpack will miss forward Dennis Horner, who graduated after last season. He was a fan favorite because of his energy. Horner always gave 100 percent of his effort despite often being athletically overmatched.

The Wolfpack lose one other starter, Farnold Degand, who also graduated. Degand averaged 2.5 assists per game as one of coach Sidney Lowe’s two point guards. However, neither Degand nor Javier Gonzalez could keep the offense flowing smoothly. North Carolina State ranked near the bottom of the ACC in offensive efficiency in three of Degand’s four seasons.

Welcome to the Program:

There’s plenty of hope – and high expectations – in Raleigh this season as Lowe brings in a great recruiting class. C.J. Leslie, Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown will all play extensively as freshmen and need to contribute to help elevate the Wolfpack into the top half of the ACC standings. Leslie is an athletic forward who has the skills to score in multiple ways, making him a prime candidate to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Harrow and Brown give Lowe more explosive options at point guard than the Wolfpack have had in many years.

Who They Play:

North Carolina State will try to bring home the ACC’s third Charleston Classic title in the tournament’s three seasons when the Wolfpack take the court in November. The Wolfpack open the tournament against East Carolina and could face the likes of George Mason, Charlotte and Georgetown. Anything less than a trip to the tournament’s title game would be disappointing, and an early season victory against Georgetown would be a huge confidence builder. The Wolfpack have plenty of opportunities to pick up good wins with games against Wisconsin, Syracuse and Arizona, with the first two coming on the road.

The Wolfpack get two games against Clemson, Duke, Florida State, North Carolina and Wake Forest in ACC action, with road games without a return game against Boston College, Maryland and Virginia.

Keep Up the Good Work:

North Carolina State was good at defending the perimeter last season as most teams had to score within the arc against the Wolfpack. With more experience and size in the post this season, that will be harder to do. So if North Carolina State can maintain the stout outside defense, this team’s already-good defense will become even better.

Room for Improvement:

The perimeter will also be important on offense for the Wolfpack. The team shot only 33.3 percent from three-point range last season, which made it easier for opponents to double-team Smith. With the addition of Leslie and some better three-point shooting, North Carolina State should be able to free Smith for more open looks near the basket. If teams continue to center on Smith, the rest of the players must make them pay.

Don’t Be Surprised:

With Smith manning the post, Leslie should get plenty of opportunities to operate one-on-one. He’ll also get plenty of playing time. That’s a recipe for success for such a talented player, and don’t be surprised if the Rookie of the Year award comes to Raleigh this season.

Outlook:

Sidney Lowe’s job might be the least secure of any ACC coach. Team observers, especially in Raleigh, will be evaluating the Wolfpack nearly on a game-by-game basis. Look for Lowe and the Wolfpack to ignore that noise and deliver the team’s best season in several years. North Carolina State has a realistic chance to earn an NCAA Tournament bid, especially with the expanded field.

Maryland Terrapins (24-9, 13-3)

Glad to Have You Back:

Coach Gary Williams enjoyed Maryland’s resurgence last season as, for the first time in several years, no one whispered about whether his job was on the line. Entering this season, Maryland will look to follow up on last season’s share of the ACC regular-season title with a new trio of senior leaders: Adrian Bowie, Dino Gregory and Cliff Tucker. The seniors will likely step into starting positions and surround the cornerstone of Maryland’s offense: Jordan Williams. The sophomore big man promises to be a candidate for ACC player of the year after averaging 9.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last season.

We’ll Miss You:

Greivis is gone. The ACC’s most fiery player, Greivis Vasquez, has graduated from Maryland and taken his 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game to the NBA. But Maryland needs to replace more than their top scorer and emotional leader; the Terrapins also need to replace their No. 2 and 3 scoring options: Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes. Collectively, the trio accounted for 55 percent of the team’s scoring.

Welcome to the Program:

Maryland has a large, five-player recruiting class arriving at College Park. Most of the class received solid but not outstanding reviews. Swingman Mychal Parker is the most heralded of the bunch. Gary Williams is usually reluctant to rely on freshmen, but he will probably need to tap the youth movement to help replace the production of Vasquez, Hayes and Milbourne.

Who They Play:

Maryland plays a bunch of soft opponents around potentially tough match ups from Pennsylvania schools: Villanova, Temple and Penn State. The Terrapins also play in the 2K Sports Classic and will get Pittsburgh for sure and either Illinois or Texas in the second game of the national rounds of the tournament. The team should be on high upset alert against the College of Charleston in the regional round of the 2K Sports Classic.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Although Maryland’s offense appeared unstoppable at times last season, the team’s defense fueled many of the Terrapins’ back-breaking runs. Without Vasquez and Hayes on offense, the Terrapins need to continue to play great defense to stay close until they can identify reliable scoring options.

Room for Improvement:

If you take out the long-range production of Vasquez, Milbourne and Hayes, the rest of the Terrapins made only 49 three-pointers. To prevent teams from constantly double-teaming Jordan Williams, Sean Mosely, Bowie and Tucker need to improve their shooting touch from behind the arc.

Don’t Be Surprised:

The Terrapins will frequently struggle on offense. It’s unclear whom Gary Williams will count on to run the offense and whether that guy can get the job done effectively. Jordan Williams is a stud in the post, but he needs someone to keep the offense flowing so he can get clean looks. Those good opportunities might be few and far between this season.

Outlook:

With the second-best home-court advantage in the ACC, Maryland will always be tough at home. However, long offensive droughts could turn the always-energetic crowed against the guys in white jerseys at times this season. Maryland will be going through a transition this year, and Bowie and Tucker will need to make significant leaps forward to keep Maryland near the top of the ACC standings. More likely, this team falls back to the middle of the pack.

Virginia Cavaliers (15-16, 5-11)

Glad to Have You Back:

Coach Tony Bennett Jr. enters his second year as the Cavaliers’ head man, and he is starting to shape this team. Seniors Mike Scott and Mustapha Farrakhan will likely be in charge of leading a young team this season. Scott, an athletic forward, is the leading returning scorer, after he averaged 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season. Junior Sammy Zeglinski is a tough-as-nails guard who also will likely need to step up to keep Virginia competitive this season.

We’ll Miss You:

The Cavaliers enter this season without a clear go-to scorer after sophomore stud Sylven Landesberg left the team in early March. He failed to meet academic standards and, by most accounts, was more interested in his NBA potential at that point in the season. The team’s leading scorer from last season is now playing for Maccabi Haifa in Israel.

Besides Landesberg and his 17.3 points per game, the Cavaliers will also miss Calvin Baker, Jerome Meyinsse and Soloman Tat, who all graduated. Tristan Spurlock transferred to Certral Florida, and Jeff Jones left the program for Rider. In sum, Virginia must replace about 60 percent of its scoring – and the team wasn’t exactly prolific last season.

Welcome to the Program:

Bennett’s first recruiting class in Charlottesville is huge – seven fresh faces will be making their debut at Virginia this season. Shooting guard K.T. Harrell, from Montgomery, Ala., is the biggest catch in this class, and he leads a balanced group that includes four guards and three forwards. Not surprisingly, Bennett continues to strongly recruit his former Pac-10 territory – he arrived in Charlottesville via Washington State – with two newcomers hailing from California and Washington.

Who They Play:

Give Bennett credit for scheduling one of the toughest non-conference slates of any ACC team. Despite significant roster changes, the Cavaliers face William & Mary, Stanford, Washington, either Kentucky or Oklahoma, Minnesota, Oregon and Iowa State all before New Year’s. If Virginia emerges with only three or four losses, the Cavaliers will be in great shape heading into conference play.

In the ACC, the Cavaliers draw two games against Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers will hit the road to play Florida State, Miami and Wake Forest without seeing those three back in Charlottesville.

Keep Up the Good Work:

As Bennett-coached teams tend to do, the Cavaliers played a slow-paced, ball control game last season. Virginia committed only 10.7 turnovers per game last season. Landesberg accounted for about 25 percent of those turnovers, so Virginia might be even stingier with the ball this season. However, Bennett will need to hope that his freshmen buy in to the system from Day One or else this team could regress.

Room for Improvement:

Despite the lack of turnovers, the Cavaliers’ inability to shoot dropped them to No. 10 in the conference in offensive efficiency, as measured by Ken Pomeroy’s statistics. A ball control offense requires players to shoot a high percentage or grab lots of offensive rebounds, and the Cavaliers did neither last season.

Don’t Be Surprised:

With a larger percentage of the roster on board for Bennett’s style of play this season, the Cavaliers might be surprisingly tough despite their youth. The team has a solid nucleus of veterans in Scott, Zeglinski and Farrakhan, and they must lead this offense to help the Cavaliers build on a respectable 5-11 conference record.

Outlook:

The Cavaliers have a legitimate chance to win six or seven games in the ACC. If they make it through a fairly tough non-conference schedule with only a handful of losses, the Cavaliers might remain relevant in the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation longer than many might expect. However, in the end, Virginia is probably headed to the NIT this season, which would provide great experience for a very young team.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (23-13, 7-9)

Glad to Have You Back:

The Yellow Jackets will shift from a frontcourt-dominant team to a guard-heavy lineup. And junior point guard Iman Shumpert will be the center of attention. Shumpert is the team’s leading returning scorer at 10.0 points per game, and he’s also the catalyst for an offense that needs to improve. For Georgia Tech to return to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive trip, Shumpert must help Georgia Tech avoid scoring droughts. To do so, he needs to cut down on turnovers after averaging 4.0 assists and 3.1 turnovers per game last season. As a team, the Yellow Jackets gave away the ball more than 16 times per game.

We’ll Miss You:

With the departure of Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors, the Yellow Jackets can’t afford to be sloppy. Georgia Tech’s twin towers have moved on to the NBA, taking with them a combined 25.5 points and 16.9 rebounds per game. The duo blocked 123 shots last season, making the Yellow Jackets one of the toughest defensive squads in the conference last season. Georgia Tech doesn’t have a single returning player taller than 6-6, so frontcourt defense will be a huge liability this season.

Welcome to the Program:

The good news for coach Paul Hewitt and the Yellow Jackets is that the team is reloading in the frontcourt while leaning on veterans in the backcourt. A trio of freshmen big men will likely see significant playing time: Nate Hicks, Kammeon Holsey and Daniel Miller. Hosley and Miller were nationally ranked recruits entering the 2009-10 season who sat out on redshirt scholarships.

Although he’s not eligible this season, Georgia Tech can look forward to getting the services of Brandon Reed in 2011-12, a transfer from Arkansas State who won the Sun Belt Conference’s Freshman of the Year award after averaging 15.1 points per game.

Who They Play:

The Yellow Jackets play a fairly tough non-conference schedule even if they don’t have a guaranteed match up against an elite team. Georgia Tech will hit the boardwalk in November to play in the Legends Classic in Atlantic City, N.J., where the Yellow Jackets will play UTEP in the opener and either Michigan or Syracuse in the second game. Georgia Tech also gets Niagara, Richmond, Siena, Georgia and Charlotte – a bunch of strong but not spectacular opponents.

In the ACC, Georgia Tech gets two games against Clemson, Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, plus single games on the road against Boston College, Duke and North Carolina State.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Ideally, the Yellow Jackets will continue to be defensive stalwarts, ranking among the top teams in Division I in defensive efficiency. However, without the likes of Lawal, Favors and graduated senior D’Andre Bell, Georgia Tech’s defense will likely have occasional lapses.

Room for Improvement:

This team must shoot better. The three leading returning scorers – Shumpert, Brian Oliver and Mfon Udofia – shot 38.5, 39.4 and 36.8 percent from the field, respectively. That’s a recipe for disaster for a team that must rely on its guards, who often will be guarded by taller opponents.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Freshman Daniel Miller has a legitimate shot at becoming a major factor. He studied under Lawal and Favors last season as a redshirt scholarship player. He should know Hewitt’s system, and with little other experienced big men, he’ll be able to compete for significant minutes early in the season.

Outlook:

Georgia Tech’s defense covered up some major weaknesses on offense last season. With the key members of that defense gone, the Yellow Jackets will likely struggle this season, especially during the rugged conference slate. Yellow Jacket fans must hope that Georgia Tech’s guards have spent hours in the gym this off-season working on their shot from everywhere on the court. Georgia Tech’s strength must be its experienced backcourt, and Shumpert, Lance Storrs and Maurice Miller must set the pace for the younger guards, such as Oliver, Udofia and Glen Rice Jr.

Miami Hurricanes (20-13, 4-12)

Glad to Have You Back:

In past years, the backcourt has been Miami’s strength. This season will continue that tradition with Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott. Swingman Adrian Thomas will add to that pair to give the Hurricanes a solid three-point shooting threat. Scott and Grant can run the offense and averaged more than three assists per game last season. Meanwhile, Grant and Thomas can stretch opposing defenses as they shot better than 41 percent from behind the arc.

We’ll Miss You:

The Hurricanes had one of the most underrated players in the ACC last season in senior forward Dwayne Collins. He averaged 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the field. Although Miami prefers a guard-oriented lineup, the Hurricanes need Reggie Johnson and Julian Gamble to hold their own in the post.

Miami will also miss its second-leading scorer, James Dews, who graduated after averaging 11.5 points per game last season. Although Dews was capable of scoring in bunches, he struggled with consistency.

Welcome to the Program:

The Hurricanes don’t have one of the strongest recruiting classes in the ACC, but they do have a couple of potentially key players. Donnavan Kirk returns from an injury-shortened freshman season with four years of remaining eligibility. He will probably factor into coach Frank Haith’s frontcourt rotation. In addition, new arrival shooting guard Rion Brown will be another long-range threat for the Hurricanes.

Who They Play:

Miami does not have too many opportunities to collect big wins during the non-conference slate, so games against Memphis, Mississippi and West Virginia will be huge. In the ACC, the Hurricanes will get two games against Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State and Georgia Tech.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Miami was surprisingly efficient on offense last season, averaging a respectable 72 points per game. Collins’ 60 percent shooting significantly contributed to that efficiency, so Miami will need to be sure that his replacements continue to take good shots and work for post position as the guards stretch the court.

Room for Improvement:

To make that happen, Grant and Thomas need to be selective with their shots. Those perimeter players shot better from three-point range than they did inside the arc. If they can elevate their mid-range game or get to the rim more often, the Hurricanes’ offense could become very difficult for opponents to stop.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Reggie Johnson is poised to have a huge season. The center is a 6-10 300-pounder, which is a load for any team to defend. Johnson flashed moments of brilliance last season in averaging 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in only 13.6 minutes per game. He must cut down on the fouls – he also had 2.2 fouls per game in those limited minutes – to maximize his potential.

Outlook:

Miami won’t be an easy win for anyone in the ACC. The talented backcourt and beef in the post present defensive match up problems. However, the lack of a consistent go-to scorer will hurt the Hurricanes, especially in crunch time. The Hurricanes likely will finish in the bottom third but will be a dangerous team in the ACC Tournament and could make a surprising push for an automatic bid.

Boston College Eagles (15-16, 6-10)

Glad to Have You Back:

Donahue arrives at Chestnut Hill with some talented players who can help make his first season with the Eagles at least competitive. Forward Joe Trapani is the team’s senior leader, and he was tops on the team in scoring and rebounding last season. Three other returning starters will join Trapani: Reggie Jackson, Corey Raji and Biko Paris.

We’ll Miss You:

After Skinner’s departure, Evan Ravenel and Rakim Sanders opted to transfer rather than stick it out under Donahue. Ravenel, primarily a reserve forward, left for Ohio State, while Sanders, a regular starter, chose to follow former Boston College assistant Ed Cooley to Fairfield. Sanders averaged 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season. However, he frequently struggled with his shot.

The lone graduating senior from last year’s squad was Tyler Roche, who was an active albeit unspectacular member of the frontcourt rotation.

Welcome to the Program:

Donahue’s arrival in April cost Boston College a couple of Skinner’s recruits. However, the new coach imported Danny Rubin, a decent three-point shooter from Chevy Chase, Md., and Gabriel Moton, an energetic point guard who averaged 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game last season in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Who They Play:

Boston College’s best non-conference match ups will likely come in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., during the Thanksgiving break. The Eagles draw Texas A&M in the first round of the eight-team tournament and could also face Wisconsin, Temple, Notre Dame, California or Georgia. Besides that tournament, the Eagles face several familiar New England foes: Providence, Rhode Island, Harvard and Massachusetts. The Eagles play only two true road games during non-conference action.

In conference play, the Eagles face a few tough teams twice: Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech. And the team’s lone match ups against Clemson, Duke and Florida State are all on the road.

Keep Up the Good Work:

Like several other ACC teams, Boston College worked hard last season to extend possessions. The Eagles were one of the most proficient teams in the country at collecting offensive rebounds, and Raji was usually in the thick of everything. He led the team with 90 offensive rebounds, which is 12 more rebounds than he grabbed at the defensive end. Jackson and Trapani were no slouches either; each grabbed more than 50 offensive rebounds last season.

Room for Improvement:

Guess which team was No. 3 in the country last season in effective field goal percentage, based on Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency metrics? No, not Boston College. Cornell. Under Donahue, the Big Red were ruthless marksmen, shooting nearly 43 percent from long range. They weren’t too shabby overall either, shooting better than 48 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line.

On the other hand, the Eagles were far less proficient on offense, shooting 44.7 percent from the field and only 32.6 percent from three-point range. That’s more than 10 percentage points worse than Cornell. If Donahue hopes to enact a similar offensive strategy, this team could deliver some ugly results. However, Donahue will likely mold his approach to the team’s strengths, which is Raji’s ability to get to the basket and Trapani and Jackson’s skills at working inside out to stretch the court with well-timed three-point attempts.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Although the Eagles will likely be overmatched in many ACC games, don’t bet against the Eagles winning two out of three home games against North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Maryland in early February. As the Eagles adjust to Donahue’s system, the seniors will settle in and lead this team into some hard-fought ACC battles. One of the reasons for Skinner’s ouster was a perceived – and observed – lack of home court support. Donahue would be well advised to take that to heart and make sure the Eagles find a way to protect their nest by late in the season.

Outlook:

With Donahue leading the flock, the Eagles have a bright future. Cornell was one of the darlings of the NCAA Tournament as Donahue’s sharpshooters captivated the upset-minded imaginations of fans throughout the Northeast and across the country. After Donahue brings in some of his recruits, Boston College should be able to build a larger-scale version of the Big Red.

But for this season, the growing pains will likely result in double-digit losses in the ACC and a bottom-third finish. Anything better than that should propel Donahue into the conversation for ACC coach of the year.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (20-11 9-7)

Glad to Have You Back:

The Jeff Bzdelik era will begin with a roster in flux. After losing four starters from last season’s team, Wake Forest will turn to sophomores C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart to lead a team that has only one junior or senior who averaged more than 10 minutes per game last season. Harris and Stewart also are the team’s leading returning scorers, after combining for a modest 17.2 points per game last season.

We’ll Miss You:

The biggest off-season departure is coach Dino Gaudio, whom the university dismissed after a disappointing end to last season. The Demon Deacons stumbled past Texas in the NCAA Tournament’s first round before losing in an utter blowout to Kentucky in the second round. The embarrassing season finale was the team’s sixth loss in eight games.

In addition, the Demon Deacons will need to adjust to life without NBA Draft pick Al-Farouq Aminu and electric point guard Ishmael Smith. The pair led the team in scoring and fueled the team’s offense last season. In addition, seniors L.D. Williams, David Weaver and Chas McFarland graduated after last season, and Tony Woods left the school after an off-court incident.

Welcome to the Program:

Bzdelik is obviously the biggest new arrival in Winston-Salem. The new coach has said that he won’t necessarily install the ridiculously slow-paced game he led at Air Force and Colorado. But don’t expect the Demon Deacons to return to the high-octane game of the Chris Paul years either.

Bzdelik won’t be the only new man on campus. Gaudio’s parting gift to Wake Forest was a sensational 2010 recruiting class that includes shooting guard J.T. Terrell, swingman Travis McKie, and big men Melvin Tabb and Carson Desrosiers. Point guard Tony Chenault is not as highly rated, but he’s no slouch and could work into the rotation behind Harris and senior Gary Clark. With so much roster turnover, the freshmen will see plenty of minutes right from the opening tip of the season.

Who They Play:

Wake Forest has a few huge non-conference games on its schedule, notably games against Xavier and Gonzaga. The Demon Deacons also will likely get either VCU or Winthrop in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament. That’s no gimme en route to the tournament’s finals in New York, where UCLA, Tennessee or Villanova could await.

In conference play, Wake Forest will play two games apiece against Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina State and Virginia Tech. The team’s lone games against Boston College, Clemson and North Carolina come on the road.

Keep Up the Good Work:

In the first 23 games last season, Wake Forest’s defense only let six opponents score 70 points or more. During the meltdown during the final eight games, opponents reached that mark five times. Under new coach Bzdelik, the Demon Deacons need to remain defensively sound while focusing on peaking late in the season, rather than in January. That cost Gaudio his job.

Room for Improvement:

Wake Forest’s offense was often stagnant, and the team’s inability to stretch the court was a major factor. The team shot 30.8 percent from three-point range. The good news is that the team’s best shooters – Harris, Stewart and Clark – all return this season. All three must approach 40 percent from beyond the arc to force opponents to step out and open space in the middle for Ty Walker and some of the younger post players.

Don’t Be Surprised:

Wake Forest likely will struggle early in the season as returning players adjust to Bzdelik’s style of play and a bunch of freshmen learn on the fly. Although the Demon Deacons play the NIT Season Tip-Off opening rounds in Winston-Salem, don’t be shocked if VCU is the team that ends up playing in the tournament finals in New York City.

Outlook:

Wake Forest is entering a rebuilding year. The team has plenty of reason to be optimistic with only one senior likely to contribute major minutes. But this season will likely feature quite a few rough patches as the Demon Deacons fall toward the bottom third of the ACC standings.

Conference Outlook

The ACC will deliver yet another intense season filled with thrilling games and outstanding players. In past years, the ACC has taken a back seat to the Big East and Big 12. That could happen again this season as the conference lacks more than one or two elite teams that will remain in the top 15 of the polls throughout the season.

However, the ACC’s greatest strength is its parity. The bottom teams in the ACC are usually much stronger than the bottom teams in other power conferences. That won’t change this season, as rebuilding teams such as Boston College and Wake Forest will still be capable of knocking off teams that finish in the top third of the standings.

Come March 13, here’s where various ACC teams can expect to play in the post-season.

NCAA Tournament-bound:

Duke: If the Blue Devils aren’t a No. 1 or 2 seed, something went horribly wrong along the way this season.

Virginia Tech: The Hokies have the makings of a dangerous No. 4 or 5 seed. Their peak potential is likely a No. 3 seed.

Florida State: The Seminoles are on pace to reach the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season, likely as a No. 7 or 8 seed.

North Carolina: After last season’s disaster, a No. 7 or 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament won’t seem like a complete disaster as it might in other seasons. This team’s potential to earn a No. 4 or 5 seed is fairly high, but so is its bust potential.

Clemson: The Tigers won’t likely be highly ranked much of the season, but they will pull off enough ugly, big wins to earn a No. 10 or 11 seed.

North Carolina State: With Lowe’s job on the line, the Wolfpack are in position to be among the final 10 teams to earn an at-large bid. Only time will tell if that’s enough to keep Lowe around for 2011-12.

NIT-bound:

Virginia: Coach Tony Bennett has the Cavaliers heading in the right direction, but they’ll need a tour in the NIT before they’re close to ready for the Big Dance.

Maryland: This is a pretty sharp decline after renowned success during the Greivis Vasquez era.

Georgia Tech: Coach Paul Hewitt’s job isn’t 100 percent safe, so the Yellow Jackets will need to produce some wins when they land in the NIT.

Miami: The Hurricanes will upset a couple of the ACC’s better teams, which will earn this young, talented team enough national cred to warrant a trip to the NIT.

No post-season play:

Boston College: The Eagles won’t be awful, but they’re not going to be good enough for the post-season this year. Get to Boston College while you can, because Donahue will bring in some sharpshooters soon to make this a dangerous team.

Wake Forest: Young talent and a new coach will lead to trouble in Winston-Salem this year, but Jeff Bzdelik gets a free pass this season as long as Wake Forest can stay close in most of its games, especially against Duke and North Carolina.

When the season started, we expected Duke to emerge as a national championship contender if the Big Three – Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith – could lead the Blue Devils night in and night out without wearing down.

In November, that seemed like a tall order because the Blue Devils just didn’t have much depth behind those perimeter players. But Scheyer, Singler and Smith fulfilled their potential by carrying Duke to its fourth national championship under coach Mike Krzyzewski.

In the past, Duke has earned its reputation as one of the most hated teams in the country because the national media dwell on every game – much like the media painfully did this season with North Carolina as the Tar Heels crumbled without Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green. But for some reason, there was no hype surrounding this Blue Devils squad. Somehow, Coach K’s team flew under the radar while Kansas, Kentucky and the entire Big East captured the majority of the national coverage.

In the end, Duke proved that its regular-season success wasn’t only the product of a down year in the ACC. The Blue Devils weren’t just the conference’s best team; they were the nation’s best team. Duke had to take down Cinderella – aka Butler – to claim that title. And in the process, the Blue Devils and Bulldogs delivered one of the most thrilling national title games of the past decade.

Few people seriously expected North Carolina to repeat as national champions. But they almost did – if you count the NIT winner as a national champion. After an utterly disastrous regular season that saw the Tar Heels fall apart because of injuries and inexperience, North Carolina pulled things together in the NIT to make a run to the championship game, which the Tar Heels lost to Dayton.

With North Carolina falling from the ACC’s elite, Maryland moved up the conference’s caste system. Fiery guard Greivis Vasquez sparked the Terrapins to a share of the regular-season title. Unfortunately, Maryland peaked about two weeks too early when the Terrapins won a thriller against the Blue Devils in College Park in early March. After that, Maryland failed to win two consecutive games, ending in a second-round defeat to No. 5-seed Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament.

Four other teams joined Duke and Maryland in the NCAA Tournament: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Like Maryland, none of them won more than one game in the tournament.

Outside Duke, the conference lacked a second legitimate powerhouse. If that’s your definition of a down year, then yes, the ACC was down. But the bottom of the conference proved to be better than the cellar dwellers of nearly every other conference, as demonstrated by unlikely ACC Tournament runs by Miami and North Carolina State.

Here’s a recap of the 2009-10 season for ACC teams.

Final 2009-10 Standings

ACC Tournament

The ACC Tournament was a harbinger of the NCAA Tournament, with five major upsets in 11 games. But at the end of the tournament, Duke was cutting down the nets.

The Blue Devils won their second-consecutive conference title and ninth since 1999 by beating No. 7-seed Georgia Tech 65-61. Duke’s difficult run against seemingly overmatched opponents – No. 9-seed Virginia, No. 12-seed Miami and the Yellow Jackets – prepared the Blue Devils for a hard-fought run to the national title in the NCAA Tournament. Georgia Tech sealed its bid to the NCAA Tournament with an impressive run that included an upset of No. 2-seed Maryland.

No. 11-seed North Carolina State and No. 12-seed Miami provided the biggest upsets of the conference tournament. The Wolfpack opened the tournament by nipping No. 6-seed Clemson 59-57 and then beating No. 3-seed Florida State 58-52. The Hurricanes overcame a bad ACC regular season by upsetting No. 5-seed Wake Forest and No. 4-seed Virginia Tech. Duke was the only team seeded No. 6 or better to win even a single conference tournament game.

Hoopville’s All-ACC Awards

Player of the Year: Jon Scheyer, Duke

Rookie of the Year: Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech

Defensive Player of the Year: Solomon Alabi, Florida State

Coach of the Year: Gary Williams, Maryland

First-Team All-ACC:

Jon Scheyer, Duke

Greivis Vasquez, Maryland

Kyle Singler, Duke

Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest

Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech

Second-Team All-ACC:

Sylven Landesberg, Virginia

Nolan Smith, Duke

Tracy Smith, North Carolina State

Trevor Booker, Clemson

Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech

Third-Team All-ACC:

Joe Trapani, Boston College

Derrick Favors, Georgia Tech

Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech

Ed Davis, North Carolina

Solomon Alabi, Florida State

Season Highlights

8 Things We Saw Coming

1. Duke won a share of the regular season championship and then dominated the conference tournament.

2. Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Maryland joined the Blue Devils in the NCAA Tournament.

3. But none of those four advanced far in the tournament.

4. Virginia struggled under new coach Tony Bennett, who put the brakes on the Cavaliers’ pace to one of the slowest tempos in the conference.

5. Miami dropped toward the bottom of the conference with an influx of young talent, such as Durand Scott and Malcolm Grant.

6. Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez went head-to-head with Duke’s best player, Jon Scheyer, for the conference’s Player of the Year award.

7. Virginia Tech established one of the best backcourts in the country with Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson – and the juniors look ready to dominate next season if Delaney backs out of the NBA Draft.

8. Florida State’s defensive prowess was remarkably better than the team’s offensive prowess, and it was just enough to carry the Seminoles to an NCAA Tournament bid.

8 Things We Thought We’d See

1. North Carolina was supposed to compete for second place in the conference, but instead finished tied for second worst.

2. The Tar Heels seemed ready to compete with seniors like Marcus Ginyard in the lineup. But Ginyard couldn’t stay healthy for a second consecutive season, and injuries helped derail the Tar Heels’ season.

3. We expected Duke’s highly-touted freshman recruit Mason Plumlee to be a factor. He ended up with 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game.

4. Likewise, Clemson’s Milton Jennings saw even less time, averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game.

5. Wake Forest is usually an offensive juggernaut. But the Demon Deacons struggled on offense despite the presence of a veteran point guard, Ishmael Smith, and talented post players like Al-Farouq Aminu, Chas McFarland and Tony Woods.

6. Georgia Tech point guard Iman Shumpert focused on playing under more control. But the Yellow Jackets couldn’t significantly cut down on their turnovers, committing 16.4 turnovers per game this season compared to 16.8 last season.

7. Usually tough and consistent Boston College remained tough but was anything but consistent, losing five ACC games by double digits.

8. The ACC is traditionally a showcase for electric offense. But only three teams finished in the top 40 in offensive efficiency.

8 Things We Didn’t See Coming

1. Once again, North Carolina stunk. Yes, expectations were too high. Yes, injuries always hurt. But this team looked lost and occasionally apathetic, which utterly baffled coach Roy Williams.

2. Wake Forest exceeded expectations on defense, which had been the team’s bugaboo for several years.

3. Despite the strong defense and a return to the NCAA Tournament, the Demon Deacons axed Dino Gaudio because of his lack of post-season success.

4. Clemson and Boston College also had to find new coaches after Oliver Purnell shockingly bolted for DePaul and the Eagles parted ways with Al Skinner.

5. On the court, the midseason maturation of Duke’s Brian Zoubek was the unlikely catalyst for the Blue Devils’ ascension from contender to champion.

6. Virginia Tech once again proved that you cannot discount a Seth Greenberg-coached team, which finished third in the conference.

7. Quite a few ACC teams – namely, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech – channeled their inner Big 10 spirit and devoted far more energy to defense than offense.

8. Maryland jumped from the middle of the pack to near the top of the ACC thanks to another dominating season from Vasquez and just enough support from the rest of the team to consistently beat down ACC foes.

Teams of the Rise

Virginia Tech

We should just leave the Hokies in this category each season, unless Greenberg take another job.

Virginia Tech finished third in the ACC this season and just missed the NCAA Tournament because of a weak non-conference schedule and lack of quality wins. If Greenberg lines up more worthy non-conference foes, the Hokies will build a stronger résumé for the 2011 tournament. They certainly will have the lineup to do so.

The Hokies lose only Lewis Witcher to graduation. A veteran lineup anchored by Delaney – assuming he doesn’t stay in the NBA Draft – Hudson, Jeff Allen, J.T. Thompson and Terrell Bell could become the favorite to challenge Duke for next season’s conference championship.

Florida State

The Seminoles remain here as long as Alabi decides to return to school instead of entering the NBA Draft. If he comes back to Tallahassee, the Seminoles will remain one of the best defensive teams in the country. And they have to get better on offense, right?

Florida State was just abysmal offensively for much of the season, committing nearly 17 turnovers per game. The Seminoles struggled as a team to hit shots when they didn’t turn it over. From three-point range, Florida State shot only 33.5 percent, and from the free throw line, the Seminoles were only 64.4 percent.

North Carolina

Thanks to a run to the NIT championship game, the Tar Heels salvaged a disastrous season and inspired hope for next season.

In particular, Larry Drew II finally looked capable of running the Tar Heels’ offense, which should be more powerful next season. Freshmen Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland must become better long-range shooters. If they don’t, incoming freshmen Harrison Barnes, Reggie Bullock and Kendall Marshall will challenge them for playing time. One reason the Tar Heels struggled this season is teams didn’t need to respect their outside shooting. That shouldn’t be true next season, which will open the lane for Ed Davis (if he returns, as he declared for the NBA Draft), Tyler Zeller, the Wear twins and John Henson.

With so much talent on this roster, it’s hard to imagine that North Carolina won’t be on the rise from a 10th-place finish.

Teams on the Decline

Maryland

The Terrapins took advantage of their window of opportunity. With the implosion in Chapel Hill, there was a gaping void after Duke at the top of the standings, and Maryland stepped up to fill it.

But with the graduation of Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne, the Terrapins will lose three players who averaged at least 30 minutes per game and accounted for 54.7 percent of the team’s scoring and 67.3 percent of the team’s assists.

Coach Gary Williams has been reluctant to trust his bench in recent seasons. He won’t have a choice next season when those bench players become starters.

Virginia

Coach Tony Bennett will get a fresh start after his first season with the Cavaliers because seven players who began the season are leaving the program.

Although Bennett has an opportunity to shape this team as he desires, it’s hard to imagine the Cavaliers improving significantly without Sylven Landesberg, who averaged 17.3 points per game for a team that struggled to score. He accounted for more than one-quarter of the team’s points.

Besides Landesberg, Bennett will need to replace the production of Calvin Baker, Jerome Meyinsse, Soloman Tat, Jeff Jones and Tristan Spurlock.

Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons shocked everyone by firing Dino Gaudio and replacing him with Jeff Bzdelik. Yes, Gaudio had failed to win an NCAA Tournament game despite having three NBA first-round draft picks pass through Winston-Salem, assuming Aminu goes early in this year’s draft.

But Gaudio was attracting great high school players and winning many of the in-state recruiting battles. His teams peaked too early in the season twice. But at least they found a way to the top.

Bzdelik prefers a slower pace than Wake Forest is accustomed to playing. And the Demon Deacons will need to find a new point guard to learn that offense because Ishmael Smith is graduating. He’s taking several key teammates with him, as Chas McFarland, David Weaver and L.D. Willams have also finished their playing careers as Demon Deacons, while Aminu is bolting the team for NBA money.

Despite some talented young players, this team figures to go through at least one season of growing pains under a new coach.

Next Season

Entering this season, many experts figured that Duke and North Carolina would contend for the conference title, but they were likely a year away from challenging for a national championship. Duke proved the experts wrong by taking the national title this year. And they might be the front-runner to do it again next season.

The Blue Devils return Singler and Smith, in addition to talented young big men like Mason Plumlee, Miles Plumlee and Ryan Kelly. Sharpshooter Seth Curry will be eligible after transferring from Liberty, and Andre Dawkins will step into the point guard role. If he struggles, Krzyzewski can turn to freshman Kyrie Irving, who is an electric recruit out of New Jersey. The Blue Devils also are adding Joshua Hairston and Tyler Thornton to a solid recruiting class.

Besides Duke, Virginia Tech and Florida State should build on their success from this past season to fill out the conference’s elite. Wake Forest and North Carolina will have plenty of talent on their roster to possibly join those three, but both teams have plenty of issues to overcome.

In Raleigh, coach Sidney Lowe must elevate the Wolfpack to the top half of the conference or he almost certainly will be looking for a new job after next season. Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt might also be on the hot seat if the Yellow Jackets significantly regress – a likely scenario with the losses of Favors and Lawal to the NBA.

If you want a very early sleeper pick to reach the NCAA Tournament, assuming its only 65 teams and not 96, look south to Miami. Coach Frank Haith has reloaded that roster with talented young guards who figure to make their mark next season.

And if the NCAA Tournament expands to 96 teams, look for the ACC to place every single team in the tournament unless expansion includes a rule that teams must have at least a .400 winning percentage in your conference – or something like that.

With all that negativity, the ACC enters the NCAA Tournament looking to re-establish its position as one of the top power conferences. Duke has an excellent shot at making that happen as one of the best teams in the country that nobody wants to love. Maryland has an outstanding squad that seemed destined to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament — until the committee placed the Terrapins in Kansas’ region.

The rest of the ACC teams in the tournament play great defense but have suspect offenses. A couple of them have favorable match ups, while a couple others look destined to start the off-season before this weekend. Here’s a complete preview of the ACC’s representatives in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke Blue Devils (Overall: 29-5, ACC: 13-3)

No. 1 seed, South Region

The Blue Devils enter the tournament facing criticism because they received a No. 1 seed instead of West Virginia. The naysayers are further enraged that the selection committee awarded Duke a better No. 1 seed, placing the Blue Devils in the South Region, on the S-curve than Syracuse, which would play its regional semifinal and final games in Salt Lake City. With all this talk about the Blue Devils not being worthy, they have plenty to prove.

But let’s be the Devils’ advocate for a moment. Duke has played like one of the two best teams in the country all season, according to Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency statistics. In fact, based on offensive and defensive efficiency, Duke should be the favorite to win the national championship, not Kansas. Swallow that, critics!

Of course, a team’s performance on the court often contradicts their profile on paper. For Duke to reach the Final Four, the Blue Devils will need to remain ruthlessly efficient on offense. Duke is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, anchored by sharp-shooting Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. Each of those three shoots better than 38 percent from behind the arc and has made at least 49 three-pointers so far. Duke’s offense runs like a well-oiled machine because the team makes the most of its possessions. Duke is one of the best teams at avoiding turnovers and grabbing offensive rebounds.

Defensively, Duke simply makes it hard to score. The Blue Devils force turnovers during more than 20 percent of opponents’ possessions. Teams that don’t turn it over still struggle to score against a defense that allows opponents to only shoot 44.3 percent from inside the arc and 28.2 percent behind it. Duke’s ability to shut down opponents’ long-range shooters is critical to making a deep run in March. Three-pointers can be the great equalizer for seemingly overmatched underdogs. But Duke won’t let someone win that way.

Based on Duke’s draw, the Blue Devils should reach the Final Four. But they will encounter resistance as early as the Sweet 16. No. 5-seed Texas A&M and No. 12-seed Utah State could challenge Duke’s Final Four aspirations in that round. In the Elite Eight, Duke could face No. 3-seed Baylor in Houston in front of a hostile crowd. But the Blue Devils are accustomed to hostile crows at every road game. Look for Duke to reach the championship game before running into the unstoppable force out of Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks simply have too many weapons for a shallow Duke team that otherwise matches up favorably against Kansas.

Maryland Terrapins (Overall 23-8, ACC: 13-3)

No. 4 seed, Midwest Region

If Maryland were seeded as a No. 5 or 6 seed in any region outside of Kansas’, the Terrapins would be a trendy pick to wreck some brackets and knock off better seeds. But alas, the Terrapins are a No. 4 seed and would likely face top-seeded in the Sweet 16 of the Midwest Region. Maryland possesses the firepower to hang with Kansas, but the Terrapins don’t have enough defense to pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

Maryland enters the NCAA Tournament with the No. 6 most efficient offense. Senior superstar Greivis Vasquez is the catalyst for the offense, which puts up nearly 80 points per game. Vasquez contributes almost one-quarter of that scoring, averaging 19.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. He’s not the best shooter in the tournament, making about 43 percent of his attempts, but he is one of the most fiery leaders. Fueled by Vasquez’s leadership, a trio of experienced players will be ready to contribute. Landon Milbourne, Eric Hayes and Sean Mosley will need to continue to score in double figures to help the Terrapins advance past No. 13 Houston in the first round and then No. 5 Michigan State or No. 12 New Mexico State.

Against Houston, the Terrapins will face the nation’s leading scorer in Aubrey Coleman. Look for Maryland to give up plenty of points to Coleman but limit the production of any other Cougar. The Terrapins would likely obliterate the defensively challenged Aggies. Coach Tom Izzo’s Spartans would provide a more formidable match up, but the Terrapins will win that one on the strength of clutch performances by Vasquez and Hayes. But Kansas will end Maryland’s hopes. In all, the ACC co-champions should be happy with a run to the Sweet 16. It would mark their best season in nearly a decade.

Clemson Tigers (Overall: 21-10, ACC: 9-7)

No. 7 seed, East Region

As the No. 7 seed in the East Region, Clemson has a tough draw. The Achilles’ heel for the Tigers has been a downright ugly turnover rate. More than 20 percent of the team’s possessions end in a turnover. That’s a problem when facing No. 10-seed Missouri, which is one of the three best teams in the country at forcing turnovers. The Tigers desperately need guards Demontez Stitt and Andre Young to take care of the ball. The two combine to average 4.4 turnovers per game and only 5.6 assists per game. That’s not a great ratio for the team’s primary ball-handlers.

However, if Clemson can cut down the turnovers, senior Trevor Booker will have a huge day. He leads the team with 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, with about one-third of those rebounds coming at the offensive end. Missouri is one of the worst teams in the country at keeping opponents off the glass.

On defense, the Tigers from Missouri might play right into the strength of the Tigers from Clemson. Missouri likes to jack up lots of three-pointers. But Clemson allow only 29.4 percent three-point shooting this season, ranked tenth-best.

Clemson will win a wild one against Missouri that should see plenty of turnover-induced scoring runs. But the Tigers will run into trouble against West Virginia. That game could start as a blowout for West Virginia and end with Clemson making it interesting before falling short at the end.

Florida State Seminoles (Overall: 22-9, ACC: 10-6)

No. 9 seed, West Region

Based on their offensive inefficiency, the Seminoles have no business beating anyone in the tournament. But Florida State’s defense manages to make games ugly enough to give the Seminoles a chance. As the No. 9 seed in the West Region, Florida State will face a stiff challenge from No. 8 Gonzaga. In the end, Gonzaga’s balance will undo another strong defensive performance by Florida State.

The Seminoles are among the 15 worst teams in the country at protecting the ball. All those turnovers will lead to defeat against Gonzaga. And if they fall behind, the Seminoles will struggle to rally because they shoot only 33.5 percent from three-point range. Center Solomon Alabi will deliver another strong performance in the paint, but he could easily finish with more blocks than the team has three-pointers. Barring an epic defensive performance, that’s not a good recipe for success in the NCAA Tournament.

Florida State’s best chance at victory is to keep the score under 60 points and maintain at least a two-possession throughout the second half. The Seminoles are a bad free throw shooting team and will need as large of a cushion as possible in the closing moments to stop a late rally. Gonzaga probably won’t even need that, though.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Overall: 19-10, ACC: 9-7)

No. 9 seed, East Region

Wake Forest, the No. 9 seed in the East Region, has a veteran lineup with three senior starters and a future NBA Draft pick in sophomore Al-Farouq Aminu. But for the second consecutive season, the Demon Deacons are sliding at the end of the season as losers of five of their last six games. To avoid a second straight one-and-done NCAA Tournament performance, the Demon Deacons need to find a way past equally underwhelming No. 8 Texas.

With six wins against the RPI top 50, Wake Forest has the talent needed to beat the Longhorns and maybe even challenge top-seeded Kentucky. But it won’t happen. The team’s offense is floundering, primarily because of the two-headed monster of turnovers and bad shooting. Wake Forest ranks among the bottom half of Division I teams in protecting the ball, and the Demon Deacons shoot a dismal 31.3 percent from three-point range and 47.6 percent inside the arc. Even if Wake Forest has a lead, the team’s 66.0 percent free throw shooting could jeopardize the win.

Aminu will struggle against Texas’ superstar, Damion James. He might approach his average of 15.7 points per game, but if Aminu needs to guard James on the perimeter throughout the game, he won’t be able to grab as many rebounds as usual (10.7 per game). Likewise, James and Dexter Pittman have the size needed to box out Wake Forest’s big men and cut off one of the Demon Deacons’ strengths: their ability to grab offensive rebounds.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (Overall: 22-12, ACC: 7-9)

No. 10 seed, Midwest Region

Like Wake Forest and Florida State, the Yellow Jackets are far better at stopping opponents than scoring. But in comparison to those two ACC peers, the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region is much better offensively. Georgia Tech will face an offensively oriented team in No. 7-seed Oklahoma State. Both teams have played inconsistently this season, and the Cowboys might rely too much on scoring sensation James Anderson. That would behoove the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech doesn’t let opponents shoot well from anywhere, and Anderson will struggle to find clean looks against the much taller Yellow Jackets. Forwards Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors will need to the difference makers for Georgia Tech. The two big men combine to average 25.6 points, 17.2 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Collectively, they grab more than six offensive rebounds per game. In a game that likely will figure plenty of missed shots, rebounding will be critical, and Georgia Tech has an advantage.

Interestingly, Georgia Tech’s likely second-round opponent, No. 2-seed Ohio State, has a similar profile to Oklahoma State, with Evan Turner dominating the offense and the rest of the team coming along for the ride. But the rest of the Buckeyes are much better than the rest of the Cowboys. Ohio State will take advantage of Georgia Tech’s proclivity to commit critical turnovers to win a closer than expected game.

In summary, the ACC figures to have mostly expected results. As a No. 1 seed, Duke is supposed to reach at least the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils will deliver on that promise en route to a championship game appearance — and loss — to Kansas. Besides Kansas, only Maryland will reach the Sweet 16. Wake Forest and Florida State will fail to win a game, while Georgia Tech and Clemson will advance one round before losing to No. 2 seeds.

However, the ACC will likely surprise critics with Duke’s success and close losses to presumably far superior teams.

As of Feb. 2, the ACC has six teams in the RPI top 50: Duke, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida State, Clemson and Maryland. All of those teams except Georgia Tech played and lost in last season’s NCAA Tournament. So each team entered this season with hopes of another trip to the Big Dance, but each knew it needed to improve to last longer in the tournament.

Of those six teams, only Duke can feel confident that it is on pace to make a lasting impact in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils are one of only four teams that rank in the top 20 for offensive and defensive efficiency, as measured by Ken Pomeroy. In the past six NCAA Tournaments, 17 of 24 Final Four participants have met that profile. In addition, Duke is one of the best teams in the country in defending the perimeter, which makes the Blue Devils less susceptible to the machinations of a hot-shooting dynamo. Plus Duke avoids giving teams extra possessions, committing only 12.0 turnovers per game. More importantly, the Blue Devils have a pair of sound ball-handlers in Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer, who commit fewer than two turnovers per game.

Based on efficiency numbers, Maryland would appear to be poised to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament. The Terrapins rank No. 20 for offense and No. 21 for defense. However, Maryland also has some concerning statistics to overcome. Despite having a guard-oriented lineup, the Terrapins are porous on the perimeter. Opponents get more than 30 percent of their scoring from behind the arc. And when they miss, they grab offensive rebounds nearly 36 percent of the time. When Memphis stomped Maryland in the NCAA Tournament last season, the Tigers hit 10 three-pointers and out-rebounded the Terrapins 33-23.

Maryland wasn’t the only ACC victim sniped down by long-distance sharpshooters in the last NCAA Tournament. Florida State lost in overtime largely because Wisconsin hit nine three-pointers. The Seminoles also committed 14 turnovers to the Badgers’ nine. Superstar point guard Toney Douglas single-handedly accounted for that differential by committing five turnovers. This season, the Seminoles are one of the worst teams in Division I in protecting the ball, averaging about 17 turnovers per game. Florida State tries to overcome that sloppiness with the No. 1 defense, based on efficiency. Although the Seminoles make it hard to score, they are vulnerable on the perimeter, allowing opponents to make about seven three-pointers per game. Opponents get 35.2 percent of their points from three-point territory. Frequent turnovers, a sluggish offense — ranked No. 105 in efficiency — and lackluster three-point defense are key ingredients in the recipe for a first-round NCAA Tournament upset.

Like its ACC brethren, Wake Forest gave up some untimely three-pointers in its major first-round upset to Cleveland State in last year’s NCAA Tournament. But the Demon Deacons lost mostly because they failed to play under control, committing 18 turnovers and forcing only six. All-ACC guard Jeff Teague ushered in the disaster with seven turnovers. Although the Demon Deacons’ offense has regressed this season — from No. 43 in efficiency last season to No. 88 this season — Wake Forest has tightened its three-point defense, with opponents managing only 23.7 percent of their points from behind the arc. Wake Forest’s tournament hopes this season will depend largely on the Demon Deacons’ ability to stop three-point shooters. And it also will rely on point guard Ish Smith controlling the tempo and limiting turnovers.

Clemson looks like a mirror image of Wake Forest, and the two won’t meet until the final game of the regular season March 7. The Tigers lost to Michigan in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament by giving up 10 three-pointers and struggling on offense. Unlike Wake Forest, which gave away the ball too often, the Tigers simply couldn’t hit shots. For a team ranked No. 16 in offensive efficiency, Clemson looked inept against Michigan and coach John Beilein’s 1-3-1 zone defense. The Tigers have work to do on offense this season and are ranked only No. 92 in efficiency. But they should be better prepared to handle a perimeter-oriented team because opponents get only 22.2 percent of their points from behind the arc, the 39th best rate in Division I. The Tigers play suffocating defense that forces turnovers, so Clemson figures to match up well against many teams defensively. The question the Tigers must answer is whether they can muster enough offense to get past one or two tournament opponents.

Of the ACC’s best teams based on RPI, Georgia Tech figures to be the lone newcomer to the NCAA Tournament. But Georgia Tech might face a familiar fate. The Yellow Jackets have a solid defense, ranked No. 8 in efficiency, but a mediocre offense, ranked No. 64. In addition, they give up a significant percentage of opponents’ points (29.5 percent) from behind the arc. And they turn the ball over more than 16 times per game. Point guard Iman Shumpert is guilty of playing carelessly too often, averaging 3.3 turnovers per game. For a young team with no NCAA Tournament experience, the Yellow Jackets could run into trouble in the first round if they play a fundamentally strong team that has been to the NCAA Tournament one or two consecutive years — think Cornell or Siena.

By the end of the season, the ACC could look back at the 2010 NCAA Tournament with a sense of deja vu. Duke could easily make a run to the Final Four, with only one or two other ACC teams making it past the first weekend of play and a couple of highly seeded teams going down in first-round upsets. Outside Duke and Maryland, all of the ACC’s powerhouses need to find a way to avoid offensive slumps — the kind of lackluster performances that can lead to March Madness melancholy.

• Boston College is suddenly relevant again after knocking off Clemson 75-69 on Tuesday night.  The Eagles looked dead after a 1-3 start in ACC play, with all three losses being by double digits, and a tough loss at Virginia Tech on Saturday didn’t help.  But the Eagles took over Tuesday’s game with the press – something that has more often killed the Eagles when other teams have done it – and played their best game in a while.  Reggie Jackson sparked the Eagles as soon as he came off the bench, and led the way with 18 points and seven assists.
  While he’s the second-youngest player on the team (Brady Heslip has displaced him as the youngest), Jackson clearly has a keen sense of where his team stands in the grand scheme of things.

  “We figured, we want to win to be a contender in this league and make the NCAA Tourney,” Jackson said.  “Also, I preached to the team when we came out at halftime that if we want (the fans) to keep showing up, we’re going to have to get W’s, because this is basically a professional city.  With the Red Sox, the Patriots and Celtics, if we want people to show up, we’re going to have to put up more W’s and stop letting people down.”

  The Eagles still have a lot of work to do to reach the NCAA Tournament, but knocking off Clemson makes the case that a run by them can’t be counted out just yet.

• Clemson was without junior point guard Demontez Stitt due to a sprained foot, but that wasn’t why the Tigers lost.  In the first half, after running out to an 8-3 lead they simply didn’t look like they were in the game.  The offense didn’t have much life to it, and Oliver Purnell hasn’t had quite the depth he’s had in the past as his freshmen don’t appear to be as good right now as those he’s had in past years were as freshmen to help spell the starters for a few minutes.
  “For whatever reason, I thought we were a bit flat in the first half – flat-footed, we weren’t tough with the basketball, missed layups, and just weren’t sharp and tough,” Purnell said after the game.

• Purnell added that while Stitt still played over 30 minutes in games since the injury, he turned it over again in each game and got to the point where it would be more prudent to hold him out given the time in between games.  The Tigers don’t play again until they host Maryland on Sunday.

• One had to wonder how Providence would bounce back from the meltdown against South Florida.  In their first game after it, the Friars showed no ill effects in beating Connecticut 81-66.
  “I couldn’t have dreamed that we’d bounce back like this,” said head coach Keno Davis, after what he called “our best game of the year.”

• Bryant stayed with Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday for a while, but the Knights had too much in the backcourt with Terence Grier and Sean Baptiste, who combined to go 7-9 from long range.  The Bulldogs, who remain short-handed due to injuries as Cecil Gresham is done for the season, aren’t far away but that first win is still proving elusive.
  “I can’t fault our effort in any way,” said head coach Tim O’Shea.  “I said in the locker room, they really are a much better team than they were a few months ago, it’s just a matter of trying to get over the hump here.”

• Santa Clara made a pretty good bid to knock off Gonzaga, but the Bulldogs played like a conference leader in coming back to basically win the game going away on the road.  There might not be a player more valuable to his team than Matt Bouldin is to Gonzaga, and Thursday night marked the eighth straight game in which he played at least 37 minutes.  With Demetri Goodson having some growing pains at the point, Bouldin has had to handle a lot of responsibility, but he just keeps winning games.

As we begin to enter the grinding two months of conference play, the ACC appears to be one of the top conferences in the country. The conference has two undefeated teams remaining – and neither one is named Duke or North Carolina. Four teams are ranked in national polls, with Boston College likely to make an appearance soon after a huge win at Chapel Hill.

With just two months to Selection Sunday, ACC squads begin jockeying for position in the conference in earnest. Several teams need to make a strong run to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Several others figure to earn tops seeds in the tournament, while the conference’s bottom feeders hope to spoil everyone else’s plans.

As of the beginning of January, the ACC looks like it could easily earn six or seven NCAA Tournament invitations. North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest look like locks to be in the tournament. Clemson is a strong team that does not have a lot of meaty wins. But the Tigers should make plenty of noise in the ACC – especially if they can end an 0-for-forever losing streak in Chapel Hill Jan. 21. Clemson plays the type of tough defense that can frustrate the Tar Heels, as Boston College demonstrated.

Speaking of Boston College, the Eagles have only two losses to their name and one monster victory against North Carolina. Right now, that would put them in the tournament. In fact, preseason ACC darling Miami is in a more tenable position than the Eagles are because they have two home losses in addition to a third loss at a neutral site. And the Hurricanes best win is at a schizophrenic Kentucky team. Miami has a favorable ACC schedule – but that also means the Hurricanes have fewer opportunities to prove their worth. They can ill afford to go 0-5 against Clemson, North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest in the five meetings against those squads.

Meanwhile, teams like Florida State, Maryland and North Carolina State are off to a strong start even though they lack many high-profile wins. The Terrapins possibly have the best win of the three thanks to a blowout of Michigan State in Orlando. However, each of those teams needs to win nine or 10 conference games to have a legitimate shot at the NCAA Tournament. The odds are that at least one of them will come through.

Toward the bottom, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech each have five losses already. However, they play hard and have plenty of talent to remain competitive. If these are the worst teams in the conference, the ACC promises to be a slugfest, with no team guaranteed victory. Already, two road teams have stolen conference wins from their hosts. Even North Carolina is not immune.

By the time the conference season is over, the ACC could produce a slew of teams stuck at 9-7, 8-8 or 7-9 with only one or two teams with 12 wins or more. Let the fun begin.

Clemson Tigers (14-0, 1-0)

Of the three remaining undefeated ACC teams, Clemson gets the least respect. The Tigers’ best wins are against Illinois and Miami – both of which were on the road. Clemson has won all but four games by at least 10 points. The Tigers hold opponents to barely 42 percent shooting from the field, while the Tigers shoot nearly 50 percent on offense. Opponents turn the ball over more than once every four possessions under the Tigers’ unrelenting defensive pressure. Junior forward Trevor Booker averages 2.5 blocks per game, one of three Tigers who block at least one shot per game. In short, the Tigers are a rock-solid defensive team, and they are ready to take on the rigors of the ACC.

As impressive as Clemson’s defense is, the Tigers’ offense is even more efficient. Clemson boasts a top 10 offense, according to Ken Pomeroy’s statistical ratings. The team’s shot selection has been excellent, reflected by the team’s 49.9 percent field goal shooting and 37.5 percent three-point shooting. Even the team’s free throw shooting has improved after being an Achilles’ heel in past seasons. Senior swing man K.C. Rivers is the leading scorer, averaging 15.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. But coach Oliver Purnell has nine players who can step in and contribute at both ends of the court, and he rotates them freely throughout the game. The Tigers are built for success, and they will quickly find out if they can hang near the top of the ACC after they play Wake Forest, North Carolina and Duke in a two and a half week stretch at the end of January and early February.

Upcoming games:

• Jan. 6 vs. Alabama
• Jan. 10 vs. North Carolina State
• Jan. 17 vs. Wake Forest

Duke Blue Devils (12-1, 1-0)

The most noteworthy roster change in the early season is the promotion of sophomore guard Nolan Smith to the starting lineup. He took senior Greg Paulus’ position, giving the Blue Devils possibly the best sixth man in the conference. The Blue Devils’ offense has featured more motion, which takes advantage of Duke’s guard-heavy lineups. None of Duke’s guards averages more than 2.6 assists per game, but as a team, the Blue Devils are dishing out 15.5 assists per game.

Duke is cruising along this season at 12-1 while remaining a highly ranked team. However, with the Tar Heels attracting all the attention, the Blue Devils have an opportunity to play spoiler during conference play. Duke has one of the most efficient offenses and defenses and is cruising following an early December setback at Michigan. In that game, the Blue Devils jacked up 33 three-point attempts and hit only seven. For a team that does not shoot the ball particularly well from beyond the arc (32.1 percent) or rely on the long shot for scoring (just 22.6 percent of its total points), the Michigan loss appears to be an instructive aberration for Duke. In a 92-51 beating of Loyola, Md., Duke was again cold from three-point range, shooting only 8.3 percent. However, the Blue Devils attempted only 12 three-pointers and finished with a 54.5 percent overall shooting percentage.

Upcoming games:

• Jan. 7 vs. Davidson
• Jan. 10 at Florida State
• Jan. 14 at Georgia Tech
• Jan. 17 vs. Georgetown

Boston College Eagles (13-2, 1-0)

Boston College’s non-conference run might not have produced any résumé-building wins, but the Eagles’ first ACC win was a dandy. The Eagles traveled to Chapel Hill as massive underdogs and left with a fairly easy win. Coach Al Skinner simply convinced his team to outmuscle the Tar Heels for 40 minutes. Led by senior superstar Tyrese Rice, who is averaging 16.7 points, 6.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Eagles, the Eagles denied North Carolina easy shots. They also took care of the ball, committing only 10 turnovers.

As Boston College enters the ACC slate, the Eagles are playing solid basketball after losing two in a row in November to Saint Louis and Purdue by a combined 10 points. The Eagles don’t beat themselves, committing only 12.7 turnovers per game. They attack the glass, averaging better than 40 rebounds per game and shoot well, at 46 percent from the field. Transfer Joe Trapani has been a boon for Skinner and has become the team’s second-leading scorer at 14.1 points per game. He also adds 6.6 rebounds per game, one of three Eagles to average more than six rebounds per game.

Upcoming games:

• Jan. 7 vs. Harvard
• Jan. 10 vs. Miami
• Jan. 14 vs. Wake Forest
• Jan. 17 at Virginia Tech

Virginia Cavaliers (6-5, 1-0)

The youth movement is in full effect in Charlottesville, with three freshmen and sophomores receiving at least 28 minutes per game. The ring leader is freshman swing man Sylven Landesberg, who is quickly sewing up ACC rookie of the year honors. Landesberg is averaging 19.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and better than 80 percent from the free throw line. Landesberg helped give the Cavaliers an 88-84 overtime win against Georgia Tech to open ACC play. He scored 26 points in 41 minutes, including six in overtime.

Despite the exciting future of Landesberg, the Cavaliers do not figure to fare well in the grind of ACC play. Virginia has struggled against the likes of Radford, Liberty, Auburn and VMI, winning two and losing two. Although Sammy Zeglinski, Mike Scott and Landesberg form a solid nucleus for coach Dave Leitao to build around, they account for more than 55 percent of the team’s scoring this season. In addition, the team commits too many turnovers, nearly 15 per game. In conference play, the lack of experienced scorers and ball handlers figures to cause problems for Virginia.

Upcoming schedule:

• Jan. 6 vs. Brown
• Jan. 10 at Virginia Tech
• Jan. 15 vs. North Carolina

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (13-0, 0-0)

A schedule featuring only one ranked team has helped the Demon Deacons run to an13-0 start. The team’s best win is an 87-74 victory against Baylor in the 76 Classic championship in Anaheim. However, the Demon Deacons’ play justifies their top 10 ranking. Wake Forest ranks in the top five in rebounding and shooting percentage and in the top 10 in scoring. Sophomore guard Jeff Teague leads the Demon Deacons’ attack with 19.6 points and 4.2 assists per game. On a team that does not rely on three-point shooting, Teague is shooting better than 50 percent from beyond the arc.

The key to Wake Forest’s success is shot selection. The Demon Deacons are shooting better than 51 percent from the field, and the team gets more than 62 percent of its scoring inside the arc, according to Ken Pomeroy’s statistics. Wake Forest has three monsters in the post: junior Chas McFarland, sophomore James Johnson and freshman Al-Farouq Aminu, who combine to average 36.7 points and 23.6 rebounds per game. All three players shoot at least 50 percent from the field.

The only loss Wake Forest has suffered this season is junior forward Jamie Skeen, who opted to transfer. Skeen was declared academically ineligible for the fall semester, and he decided to transfer. He averaged 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season, but he likely would not get as much playing time this season.

Upcoming games:

• Jan. 11 vs. North Carolina
• Jan. 14 at Boston College
• Jan. 17 at Clemson

Florida State Seminoles (13-2, 0-0)

The young Seminoles are an enigma entering conference play. Offensively, the lineup filled with freshmen and sophomores frequently struggles, scoring only 67.1 points per game and committing 16.6 turnovers per game. However, coach Leonard Hamilton has this group playing great defense. Only three opponents have scored more than 70 points, and the Seminoles won two of those games. Nine opponents failed to reach 60 points, including six of the last seven. If Florida State can continue to hold most opponents to 40 percent shooting or worse, the Seminoles have a chance to win some ugly games against the conference’s high-powered offenses.

When Florida State needs points, the Seminoles usually turn to senior guard Toney Douglas. Hamilton’s senior leader is averaging 18.4 points per game, the only Seminole to average double figures. He also averages 35.2 minutes per game. Douglas likely must continue to carry the load until Hamilton’s latest star-studded recruiting class progresses on offense. Freshman Chris Singleton and sophomore transfer Derwin Kitchen have been the most consistent players from that recruiting class, combining to average 17.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Singleton is becoming a reliable long-range threat, shooting 40.5 percent from three-point territory, while Kitchen is deadly inside the arc, shooting 59.4 percent from the field.

Upcoming schedule:

• Jan. 10 vs. Duke
• Jan. 13 at North Carolina State
• Jan. 17 vs. Maryland

Maryland Terrapins (11-2, 0-0)

Last season, Maryland’s lack of depth left the Terrapins exhausted at the end of games and down the final stretch of the season. The starting five played 76.9 percent of the game and accounted for 85.6 percent of the team’s scoring. Cliff Tucker was the No. 1 reserve, averaging 4.1 points in 15.8 minutes per game. The Terrapins are off to an 11-2 start this season partially because junior guards Greivis Vasquez and Eric Hayes don’t have to do everything for coach Gary Williams. This season’s starting five plays 66.9 percent of the game and scores 77.7 percent of the points. Tucker remains a top reserve, but he is more efficient when he’s in the game, averaging 5.2 points in 12.8 minutes per game.

Williams must hope that his youngsters on the bench can improve throughout the season to help Maryland avoid another late-season fade, which has been a trend in recent years. Sophomore reserves Braxton Dupree and Dino Gregory offer tough interior play. Each player averages 3.5 rebounds per game in about 15 minutes per game. Freshmen Sean Mosley and Jin-Soo Kim have struggled on offense. Each freshman shoots worse than 38 percent from the field. However, they are talented athletes who promise to make a significant impact on the court at some point during their career. Vasquez and Hayes hope that happens sooner rather than later.

Upcoming games:

• Jan. 7 vs. Morgan State
• Jan. 10 vs. Georgia Tech
• Jan. 14 at Miami
• Jan. 17 at Florida State

North Carolina State Wolfpack (9-3, 0-0)

North Carolina State has battled injuries to several backcourt players in the early stages of this season. Sophomore Javier Gonzalez has been out for the past two weeks with a sprained ankle, and junior Trevor Ferguson is out until late January with a broken finger. Ferguson leads the Wolfpack in three-point shooting, making 41.5 percent of his shots from long range. Another junior, Farnold Degand, returned to action in early December after recovering from tendonitis in his left knee, which he injured last season.

Despite the injuries, North Carolina State is off to a solid 9-3 start partially thanks to the resurgence of junior forward Brandon Costner. In a sensational freshman season, Costner averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 37.9 percent from three-point range and 47.4 percent from the field. However, last season, Costner struggled throughout the entire season. His shooting dramatically declined, as he shot only 30.5 percent from beyond the arc and 36.2 percent overall. As a result, his scoring average dipped to 8.5 points per game.

Costner’s confidence also took a hit last season, and his rebounding suffered, as he averaged only 4.6 rebounds per game. So far, Costner appears to have channeled his freshman form and is once again a dominant player, averaging 14.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with 37.0 percent three-point shooting and 50 percent overall shooting. In a thrilling 68-66 loss at Florida, Costner scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and he was 9-of-11 from the field.

Upcoming games;

• Jan. 10 at Clemson
• Jan. 13 vs. Florida State
• Jan. 17 vs. Georgia Tech

North Carolina Tar Heels (13-1, 0-1)

Early in the season, North Carolina looked unbeatable despite dealing with several injuries. Senior forward Tyler Hansbrough missed four games because of a stress condition that required rest. He also twisted an ankle in a win at Santa Barbara. In addition to missing their All-American, the Tar Heels played without freshman center Tyler Zeller and senior defensive specialist Marcus Ginyard. Zeller broke his wrist late in the Nov. 18 game against Kentucky when he was fouled from behind on a breakaway layup.

Despite winning every non-conference game by at least 15 points, the Tar Heels could not find any offensive consistency in their first ACC game of the season, losing an 85-78 shocker to Boston College in Chapel Hill. The Eagles frustrated North Carolina’s offense throughout the game, limiting transition opportunities and harassing Hansbrough. The All-American finished 6-of-15 from the field. As a team, the Tar Heels shot only 38.4 percent from the field and 55.6 from the free throw line. North Carolina’s success has been based on high percentage shooting and a pressure defense that forces turnovers. Boston College showed that if a team can deny those elements, the Tar Heels can be beaten, even at home.

Upcoming games:

• Jan. 7 vs. College of Charleston
• Jan. 11 at Wake Forest
• Jan. 15 at Virginia
• Jan. 17 vs. Miami

Miami Hurricanes (10-3, 0-1)

The Hurricanes enter ACC play with a solid record and high expectations. However, Miami has whiffed on its few opportunities to make a statement with a high-profile victory. In three losses to Ohio State, Connecticut and Clemson, the Hurricanes have struggled to find offensive consistency, scoring less than their 75.9 points per game average. Against Connecticut and Ohio State, the Hurricanes shot less than 40 percent from the field. Against Clemson, the Hurricanes could not handle the Tigers’ defensive pressure, committing 22 turnovers and failing to convert free throws (12-of-27).

The Hurricanes sport solid efficiency numbers, according to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings, as the No. 28 offense and No. 30 in defense in efficiency. However, five blowouts with at least 20-point margins of victory help mask some of Miami’s deficiencies. Specifically, Miami’s offense almost entirely relies on strong games by senior guard Jack McClinton and junior forward Dwayne Collins. They are the only players averaging more than 20 minutes per game who shoot anywhere near 50 percent from the field. Collins is an effective post scorer, averaging 11.1 points per game on 62.3 percent shooting from the field – which is the best shooting percentage in the conference. McClinton remains the star, averaging 17.1 points per game on 48.3 percent shooting, including 45.9 percent from three-point range. But no other Hurricane is a reliable scoring threat. If you take out McClinton and Collins, the rest of the team shoots 39.8 percent from the field. That’s not going to get the job done in conference play.

Upcoming games:

• Jan. 5 vs. Florida Atlantic
• Jan. 10 at Boston College
• Jan. 14 vs. Maryland
• Jan. 17 at North Carolina

Virginia Tech Hokies (9-5, 0-1)

Like last year, the Hokies enter conference play needing to win 10 or 11 games to have a shot at the NCAA Tournament after a lackluster non-conference run. Virginia Tech missed opportunities to pick up big wins against Xavier and Wisconsin. Before losing by 25 points in Durham to the Blue Devils, Virginia Tech had not lost by more than four points, continuing last season’s trend of struggling to win tight games. As usual, coach Seth Greenberg’s team plays tough defense and has held 12 opponents to 70 points or fewer.

However, unlike past Hokie teams, this Virginia Tech squad is not forcing as many turnovers. And they continue last season’s trend of making more turnovers on offense, averaging 14.5 turnovers per game. Senior swing man A.D. Vassallo, sophomore guard Malcom Delaney and sophomore Jeff Allen have been the only consistent offensive contributors so far. They combine to average 49.6 points per game, or nearly 70 percent of the team’s 71.4 points per game. Greenberg uses a 10-man rotation, but he just can’t rely on anyone outside the big three to deliver consistent offense. Until the Hokies find a more balanced offense, they’ll struggle to avoid long scoring droughts.

Upcoming games:

• Jan. 10 vs. Virginia
• Jan. 14 vs. Richmond
• Jan. 17 vs. Boston College

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-5, 0-1)

Georgia Tech has struggled early in the season mostly because of a depleted backcourt. The Yellow Jackets lost senior guard D’Andre Bell before the season started because of a spinal injury that required surgery. Senior guard Lewis Clinch missed the first seven games because he was academically ineligible for the first semester. And most recently, sophomore point guard Maurice Miller missed seven games after suffering a concussion and nasal fracture in Georgia Tech’s 66-60 loss to Illinois-Chicago.

With struggles in the backcourt, Georgia Tech has predictably struggled in several critical areas. The Yellow Jackets commit nearly 16 turnovers per game while shooting only 30 percent from three-point range and 58.6 percent from the free throw line. However, sophomore forward Gani Lawal has emerged as a stud for coach Paul Hewitt. Lawal averages 17.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while contributing more than a steal and block per game on defense. Senior forward Alade Aminu teams with Lawal in the post and contributes 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. However, for Georgia Tech to succeed in the ACC, the team needs Miller to recover quickly, Clinch to get up-to-speed on the court soon, and freshman Iman Shumpert to reduce his 3.5 turnovers per game.

Upcoming games:

• Jan. 6 vs. Georgia
• Jan. 10 at Maryland
• Jan. 14 vs. Duke
• Jan. 17 at North Carolina State