{"id":4057,"date":"2013-03-17T10:42:18","date_gmt":"2013-03-17T14:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=4057"},"modified":"2013-11-08T15:20:25","modified_gmt":"2013-11-08T19:20:25","slug":"2013-ctc-the-atlantic-coast-conference-314","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=4057","title":{"rendered":"2013 CTC: The Atlantic Coast Conference (FINAL)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my basketball developmental years, the only “conference power” debates that could reasonably be had revolved around the second-best conference. \u00a0There was no contest who \"\"the best was – the ACC. \u00a0Now, while the conference is still elite, it is partially bolstered by history, partially bolstered by the Big Two, and partially bolstered by legitimate on-court performance. \u00a0But, this year, anyone who says that this is the best conference knows nothing about the sport.<\/p>\n

Duke<\/strong> might be the best team in America. \u00a0They haven’t lost a game with Ryan Kelly in the lineup, and that includes a pretty weighty schedule. \u00a0UNC<\/strong> is coming on, but they are a far cry from the typical Tar Heel team. \u00a0And, this Miami <\/strong>team is really, really good, despite the questionable losses that they’ve suffered since climbing to #2 in the country. \u00a0The ‘Canes are a legit championship contender. \u00a0But, the rest of the league is shaky, even the preseason favorite, N.C. State<\/strong>, who has been incredibly disappointing, considering the talent they have. \u00a0Florida St.<\/strong> and Maryland <\/strong>are not going to make the tournament, despite tournament talent. \u00a0Virginia<\/strong> doesn’t necessarily have tournament talent and have a shot, but that’s more because Tony Bennett is such a great coach. \u00a0Wake, BC, <\/strong>and Ga Tech<\/strong> are scary as underdogs, but really aren’t that good. \u00a0It’s a shaky league that is – all of a sudden – top-heavy.<\/span><\/p>\n

CHAMPIONSHIP (March 17th – 60 points)<\/h1>\n

#1 Miami (FL) vs #3 North Carolina<\/strong>
\nAn ACC Tournament title would be the perfect cap to an incredible season for the Hurricanes. \u00a0They already have the outright regular season title, but UNC stands in the way of the exclamation point. \u00a0Miami was tied with BC with 3 minutes left in their quarterfinal matchup, but that seems like ages ago, as they handled N.C. State in the semis without much trouble. \u00a0UNC pounded Florida St., which was supposed to set up a date with their arch-rivals down Tobacco Road, but they got a game Terps team instead. \u00a0They almost blew a big lead, but eventually ended the Maryland run (and possibly burst their bubble). \u00a0This should be a good one, with a #1-seed probably on the line for Miami.<\/p>\n

J, Stumpf, Teddy, and Waters all have the Heels taking this title. \u00a0Caleb, Doogan, Mac, and Primm have the Hurricanes. \u00a0Teddy has clinched at least a share of the 2013 CTC ACC title. \u00a0He will win it outright with a UNC championship. \u00a0A Miami title will give Caleb a share. \u00a0A Miami win might also clinch the overall title for Mac.<\/p>\n

Miami 87 – North Carolina 77
\n<\/em>And, they’ve done it.\u00a0 The Miami Hurricanes have completed the double ACC title, as they justified their regular season crown with a tournament title to boot.\u00a0 Now, they will wait for the Committee to reward them with a much-deserved #1-seed.\u00a0 Shane Larkin was spectacular again – 28 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals – all while leading this great team to a great finish.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mac is going to take the overall CTC title with this, while Teddy and Caleb split the ACC title.\u00a0 Caleb, Doogan, Mac, and Primm all hit this championship pick.<\/span><\/p>\n

SEMIFINALS (March 16th – 40 points)<\/h1>\n

#1 Miami (FL) vs #5 N.C. State<\/strong>
\nN.C. State might be finally living up to the preseason expectations – and the talent of their roster. \u00a0It’s hard to know whether an ACC Tournament title will completely negate the disappoinment that this season has been, but it will certainly help. \u00a0As for Miami, they didn’t look great against BC, and there should be concerns in Coral Gables as to whether or not this team peaked in February. \u00a0But, they are still a game away from the ACC Championship, which, if they win, should get them a 1-seed in the Dance.<\/p>\n

TEN people have N.C. State in what would be a huge 100-point upset pick here (Cheryl, Gersh, GrossJr, Lazarow, Lohse, Lynch, PapaCim, Rikey, RDoc, and Teddy). \u00a0Dave and J have already lost it with UVA. \u00a0The other 12 people have Miami, including Caleb, Doogan, Mac, and Primm, who have the ‘Canes taking the title. \u00a0Lynch and PapaCim have State taking this tournament down.<\/p>\n

Miami 81 – N.C. State 71
\n<\/em>Durand Scott has 32, while Shane Larkin chipped in with 23, and the Hurricanes are one game from winning their first ever ACC Tournament.\u00a0 N.C. State should be in the Big Dance, but they will need a nice run there to salvage anything from what began as one of the most promising seasons in a generation.<\/span><\/p>\n

4 people kept alive their champ here.\u00a0 8 more got it right, while 10 people missed a big upset pick here.\u00a0 Lynch and PapaCim took the biggest hits, as they lost their ACC Champ here.<\/span><\/p>\n

#3 North Carolina vs #7 Maryland<\/strong>
\nThe Terps got it done. \u00a0Beating Duke should send them Dancing. \u00a0A sweep over Tobacco Road would pretty end all doubt. \u00a0UNC handled Florida St. on Friday, setting up this interesting semifinal.<\/p>\n

Most people have Duke winning this game, so only a few even can take some points here, though no one will get any points if Maryland wins. \u00a0A UNC win would hand 55 points to Alex, Caleb, J, Stumpf, Teddy, and Waters. \u00a0The final four of them all have UNC winning this whole tournament.<\/p>\n

North Carolina 79 – Maryland 76
\n<\/em>I love Mark Turgeon as a coach, so I refuse to believe that an immediate, off-balance\u00a0half-courter was not the play he drew up when he called a timeout down by 3 with :11 seconds left.\u00a0 But, that’s what happened, and a\u00a0furious Maryland comeback fell short, and the Heels move to\u00a0Sunday’s Championship to take on those ‘Canes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Four people kept alive their champ here.\u00a0 No missed a Maryland upset here, but\u00a0most people had Duke here, so they were hoping for a Terps win to zero it out.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

QUARTERFINALS (March 15th – 20 points each)<\/h1>\n

#1 Miami (FL) vs #8 Boston College<\/strong>
\nOlivier Hanlon dropped FORTY-ONE on an unsuspecting Georgia Tech yesterday, leading BC on just your everyday ole comeback 20-point win.\u00a0 Now, the Eagles will get to face the top-seeded Hurricanes.\u00a0 Any time the University of Miami can steal basketball headlines in a city with LeBron James, you know they’re doing something right.\u00a0 And, this Miami team is something special.\u00a0 Their starting lineup is a sophomore stud, a 4-year senior, two 5-year seniors, and a 6-year senior.\u00a0 And, their coach, Jim Larranaga, is one of the great basketball minds out there, who was thought to have just “retired” to Miami after taking George Mason to the Final Four.\u00a0 But, in reality, he was working at program-building.\u00a0 It remains to be seen whether or not this is a building year for the future or just a “perfect storm” season (will Larkin leave for the pros?\u00a0 will they be able to replace all these seniors?).\u00a0 But, that is to be asked later.\u00a0 Right now the only questions are just how far this team can go.\u00a0 An ACC Tournament win should give them their first ever #1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, which is a nice feather in the cap, no matter what happens from there.<\/p>\n

All 24 people have Miami winning this one.\u00a0 But, to only have four people support the #1-seed to win the tournament is surprising.\u00a0 Caleb, Doogan, Mac, and Primm are the only ones with the ‘Canes to cut down the nets.<\/p>\n

Miami (FL) 69 – Boston College 58<\/em>
\nBC hung around all day, including holding a 2-point lead at half, but the ‘Canes were good enough to move on to the ACC semis on Saturday. \u00a0Shane Larkin led the way with 20.<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone got this one right, including Caleb, Doogan, Mac, and Primm, who keep alive their champ.<\/span> <\/em><\/p>\n

#4 Virginia vs #5 N.C. State<\/strong>
\nOn paper, you have to love this NC State team.\u00a0 And, I do.\u00a0 I have been infatuated with C.J. Leslie for FOUR years now, and I don’t totally regret it, though his lack of effort at times bothers me.\u00a0 His talent is just so stupifying.\u00a0 But, what happened to Lorenzo Brown?\u00a0 And, why is this stud freshman class melding with the rest of the team?\u00a0 If they can put it together, they could be SCARY.\u00a0 But, it might not be in this tournament because this UVa team is a terrible<\/em> matchup for them.\u00a0 The Cavs will slow it down and “ugly it up.”\u00a0 Then again, they lost to three CAA teams, including a DREADFUL Old Dominion team, so anything is possible.\u00a0 NC State is in for the Dance, but UVa really <\/em>needs this one.<\/p>\n

Sixteen people took N.C. State in the mild upset here, leaving just eight (Alexi, Bry, Caleb, Dave, Doogan, J, Mac, and Waters)\u00a0on UVA.\u00a0 Dave and J are the only two with the Cavs reaching the finals, while TEN people (Cheryl, Gersh, GrossJr, Lazarow, Lohse, Lynch, PapaCim, Rikey, RDoc, and Teddy) have the ‘Pack getting there.\u00a0 Lynch and PapaCim have State cutting down the Greensboro nets.<\/p>\n

N.C. State 75 – Virginia 56<\/em>
\nCan it be that N.C. State was just playing possum this whole time and now, when the stakes are real, they are bringing out their real team?\u00a0 Well, Friday’s quarterfinal shellacking of a good UVa team looked kind of like what we thought we would see all year from the ‘Pack.\u00a0 C.J. Leslie had 17 & 11.\u00a0 Scotty Wood hit seven 3’s.\u00a0 Richard Howell toughed it out through injury for 12 boards.\u00a0 And, freshman sensation T.J. Warren actually looked sensational with 18 points.\u00a0 If they actually did “figure it out,” watch out.\u00a0 But, then again, we’ve seen this before.\u00a0 But, this performance sure made tomorrow’s semifinal with Miami VERY interesting…<\/span><\/p>\n

Most people hit this mild upset, including TEN people who have N.C. State going to the finals.\u00a0 Lynch and PapaCim have them winning this tournament.\u00a0 Dave and J are the only two that lost finalists here.<\/span><\/p>\n

#2 Duke vs #7 Maryland
\n<\/span>“Win and you’re in.”\u00a0 That’s probably the situation for Maryland here.\u00a0 Their bubble resume is marginal, but <\/span>another <\/em>win over Duke would make it pretty tough for the Committee to keep the Terps and Alex Len from Dancing.\u00a0 The problem here is that “winning” isn’t all that easy against this Duke team when they’re at full strength.\u00a0 In fact, it has yet to be done.\u00a0 Duke’s only losses came without Ryan Kelly, and he is back and playing very well.\u00a0 This is a scary team that is certainly in the conversation for title favorite entering the Dance.\u00a0 But, the Terps are an old nemesis, so this could be a good one to finish off quarterfinal day in Greensboro.<\/span><\/p>\n

Terp die-hard, Teddy, is the only one on Maryland in this one, as the other 23 people all have the Dukies.\u00a0 Teddy is in line for a free and easy 70 points if the Terps can pull this one out.\u00a0 14 people have the Blue Devils winning this tournament, so brackets will be busted if they lose here…though, I think I can speak for the other 13 when I say, “I won’t mind…”<\/p>\n

Maryland 83 – Duke 74<\/em>
\nAs great as Dez Wells was Thursday night in Maryland’s opening round win over Wake, he was that much better here in the quarters.\u00a0 Wells dropped 30 on the Dukies and the Blue Devils are sent packing…wow!<\/span><\/p>\n

Teddy is the only one that hit this upset, and 14 people lost their champion here.<\/span><\/p>\n

#3 North Carolina vs #6 Florida St.<\/strong>
\nThese two teams seem to always meet at some point in the ACC Tournament and, recently, that hasn’t been good news for the Tar Heels (particularly, last year, when FSU upset UNC in the championship…trust me, I remember, it was one of a serious of Day Thirteen upsets that cost Yours Truly the overall title…I wish someone besides me actually cared…).\u00a0 FSU’s last chance to salvage this season is now – they need to make a run.\u00a0 As for UNC, they looked like an NIT team for\u00a0a while, but then Roy Williams decided, “F it – I’m just playing my five best guys, regardless of ‘position.'”\u00a0 And, it has worked wonders.\u00a0 They are now very small with the HUGELY overrated James Michael McAdoo at the 5 surrounded by, essentially, 4 guards.\u00a0 But, they have looked really good in this formation, and McAdoo can actually use his quickness instead of relying on some toughness level that clearly doesn’t exist.<\/p>\n

RDoc has already lost this game with Clemson, but Alexi, Cheryl, and Dave all have upset picks alive here with FSU.\u00a0 The other 20 all have UNC, with J, Stumpf, Teddy, and Waters all taking the Heels to win the title.<\/p>\n

North Carolina 83 – Florida St. 62<\/em>
\nAnd, thus ends, with a whimper, the 2012-13 season for Florida St.\u00a0 Roy Williams has found some more magic in there, as the Heels are playing as well as anyone right now.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexi, Cheryl, and Dave missed their upset pick here.\u00a0 20 people got it right, including 4 people who have the Heels winning this tournament – a MUCH better-looking pick after the Dukies went down to Maryland tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n

OPENING ROUND (March 14th – 10 points each)<\/h1>\n

#8 Boston College vs #9 Georgia Tech<\/strong>
\nBC has been quietly mediocre this year – which is saying something, as they were supposed to be the worst team in the league. \u00a0But, for the Eagles to wear white unis in the ACC tournament is a pretty solid accomplishment. \u00a0The prognostications on Ga Tech were all over the map. \u00a0I heard some say that this was a sure-fire tournament team and possible ACC contender, while others said that they were one of the worst power conference teams. \u00a0As usual, they were not as good or bad as the overdramatic media members would like you to believe. \u00a0They were…ah…okay. \u00a0#1 Miami awaits the winner of this one.<\/p>\n

Half the field (Alex, Bry, Cheryl, Dave, Doogan, Gersh, GrossJr, GrossSr, J, Mac, Rikey, and Stumpf) took Ga Tech in the minor upset here.\u00a0 Nobody has either of these teams beating Miami in the quarters.<\/p>\n

Boston College 84 – Georgia Tech 64<\/em>
\nBC Freshman Olivier Hanlan set a new CTC record (I think…) with 41 points. \u00a0What is lost in Hanlan’s heroics is that Ga Tech scored the first FIFTEEN points of this game and looked like they were gonna run away with it. \u00a0Instead, BC outscored them by 35 after that and will advance to a Friday quarterfinal date with #1 Miami.<\/span><\/p>\n

12 people got it right; 12 got it wrong. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

#5 N.C. State vs #12 Virginia Tech<\/strong>
\nOne of these team’s ACC season is going to end on Thursday, and they will be thinking about what could have been. \u00a0N.C. State is going to the tournament, but with this roster, they should be thinking about an ACC banner and a top 3 tournament seed. \u00a0Instead, they could be anywhere from a 5\/6-seed to possibly an 11- or so. \u00a0The Hokies – and the nation’s leading scorer, Erick Green – were flying along, against all expectations in the early season and then crashed<\/em> back to earth in a bad way. \u00a0This was a last-place team, and they stopped being competitive after a while. \u00a0We will see if they saved some of that early-season magic for this tournament. \u00a0Tony Bennett’s UVa Cavs are the next opponent for the winner here.<\/p>\n

Bry, Dave, Doogan, and J went for the huge upset pick of Va Tech here, though none of them have the Hokies beating in-state rival UVa in the quarters, where as plenty <\/em>of people have the Wolfpack beating Virginia, including Cheryl, Gersh, GrossJr, Lohse, Rikey, RDoc, and Teddy, who all have them going to the finals and losing.\u00a0 Lynch and PapaCim both have the Wolfpack cutting down the nets here in Greensboro.<\/p>\n

N.C. State 80 – Virginia Tech 63<\/em>
\nRichard Howell and C.J. Leslie were terrific on offense, and Lorenzo Brown was great defensively on Erick Green, as NC State dominated the Hokies to advance to the quarters, where they will face UVA.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bry, Dave, Doogan, and J missed a huge upset pick here, while Lynch and PapaCim keep alive their champion. \u00a0Seven more keep alive a finalist.<\/span> <\/em><\/p>\n

#7 Maryland vs #10 Wake Forest
\n<\/strong>Alex Len will be an NBA lottery pick – and he came out of nowhere to put Maryland back in relevancy. \u00a0And, with Mark Turgeon on the sidelines, this team is always in any game. \u00a0But, they still lost 10 conference games after a meaningless non-conference slate, so they have work to do. \u00a0Beating Wake for a third time would be a good start, which would set up a HUGE rematch with the Dukies in the quarters.<\/p>\n

Bry, Lazarow,\u00a0and Primm are the only two in the whole field with Wake Forest here, with none of them picking the Demon Deacons over Duke.\u00a0 Teddy is the only one that has Maryland beating the Dukies in the quarters.<\/p>\n

Maryland 75 – Wake Forest 62<\/em>
\nXavier transfer, Dez Wells, was terrific in a must-win for the Terps over a dangerous Wake Forest team, setting up an essential tournament qualifier against the Dukies on Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bry, Lazarow, and Primm miss the upset here, while Teddy keeps alive the possibility of a huge quarterfinal upset. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

#6 Florida St. vs #11 Clemson
\n<\/strong>Oscar Robertson, Christian Laettner, and…Michael Snaer? \u00a0Snaer’s crazy buzzer-beating heroics will put him in elite, elite company in college hoops, but, in the end, this FSU team was very disappointing. \u00a0But, with Snaer, anything can happen – I wouldn’t even rule out a deep run in this tournament. \u00a0It would have to start with a win over a reeling Clemson team that has lost 5 straight that weren’t really that close. \u00a0The quarterfinal matchup for the winner of this one will be with UNC.<\/p>\n

Seven people (Alex, Bry, Doogan, GrossJr, PapaCim, Primm, and RDoc) have Clemson in the nice upset here.\u00a0 RDoc even has the Tigers beating UNC in the quarters.\u00a0 Alexi, Cheryl, and Dave have FSU knocking off the Heels on Friday.<\/p>\n

Florida St. 73 – Clemson 69<\/em>
\nClemson limps to the finish and then limps out of the ACC Tournament, as FSU advances to the quarters to take on UNC. \u00a0Michael Snaer – of course – hit four straight clutch free throws down the stretch, and the Seminoles are a live ‘dog.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seven people missed this upset pick, with RDoc losing a semifinalist. \u00a0Alexi, Cheryl, and Dave keep alive an upset pick for Friday.<\/span> <\/em><\/p>\n

CTC UPDATE<\/h1>\n

Championship Picks<\/strong><\/p>\n