After tackling the first-day results earlier, let’s jump into the quarterfinal round. Crazy things usually happen on Friday, so let’s get to it …
QUARTERFINALS, MARCH 11
Game 5, Noon: #1 UNC vs. #9 Miami
With five of their ACC wins coming by a total of a dozen points, the Heels are vulnerable to a team that can control tempo and match up on the interior. Unfortunately for Miami, that’s not the Hurricanes.
The best the ‘Canes can hope for is that the refs call John Henson for some of his over-the-backs, travels and hacks, which would even things up in the paint, but Miami isn’t necessarily a strong perimeter team, either. Can Frank Haith’s squad get out fast enough to limit the Heels’ transition opportunities? Doubtful.
The ‘Canes are outmatched at just about every position, making this a relatively easy win for UNC, much to the chagrin of Larry Drew’s mommy. An opening-round victory would help take some of the heat off of Haith this offseason, while the question for the Tar Heels will be whether Miami can keep it close enough for long enough to force a relatively small rotation to play more minutes than Roy Williams would like in a tourney setting.
Game 6, 2 p.m.: #4 Clemson vs. #5 Boston College
Another day, another matchup of first-year head coaches. Brad Brownell has gotten the max out of a limited Tigers squad, while Steve Donahue has done the same with the Eagles. BC’s Reggie Jackson is a handful, but he can be spotty from the field, and he can caught up in the in-game battle, this time against Clemson’s Demontez Stitt.
Joe Trapani probably doesn’t get the rock enough for the Eagles, but the Tigers have a formidable inside presence with Jerai Grant.
This one’s going to be a real battle, but look for Boston College to pull off a mild upset that will cement their NCAA tourney bid and put the Tigers in an uncomfortable position come Selection Sunday. In a toss-up game that I’ve gone back and forth on, the best player on the floor, Jackson, comes up big at crunch time for the Eagles. Afterward, Brownell’s mood won’t be improved when Mike Patrick butchers his name five different ways.
Game 7, 7 p.m.: #2 Duke vs. #7 Maryland
After a humbling loss to UNC to lose the regular-season title, I expect the Blue Devils to come fired up for this one. The underrated rivalry they’ve built up with the Terrapins over the past decade or so certainly will only add to the intensity of this one. The Devils’
But Duke will have 15 fouls to throw at Williams between the Plumlee brothers and Ryan Kelly, and Kyle Singler and his dead eyes (and dead-eye shot) will finally reappear.
Maryland (with Williams’s return) is probably a year away from challenging the top of the league again, but under Gary they’ll always pose a huge threat to Duke. With Nolan Smith doing his thing, Singler showing up and strong defense stifling the Terps’ flex offense, the Devils are likely to cruise relatively easily in this one.
Game 8, 9 p.m.: #3 Florida State vs. #6 Virginia Tech
Will Chris Singleton return from injury for the Seminoles? Do the Hokies need to win this one in order to secure a trip to the NCAAs? Those will be the dominant questions headed into this intriguing matchup for Late Night in Greensboro. Few teams in the land play better defense than FSU, and that’s a nightmare scenario for the halfcourt-challenged Hokies.
The ‘Noles have the beef (and fouls) inside to neutralize Jeff Allen, and Malcolm Delaney and Erick Green will struggle to carry the load due to questionable shot selection.
This is the one the Hokies had to have, but they won’t get it. Florida State could get a huge lift from the return of Singleton, and this is the year when the ‘Noles truly believe they can make a momentous move in the conference hierarchy by taking home a banner. Seth Greenberg will probably start calling media outlets from the bench late in the game to lobby for his VT team to get in the Big Dance, but it’s not going to help as FSU wins.
Keep an eye out for Part III, where we’ll take a look at Semifinals Saturday and Finals Sunday. Cheers …
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