Last year, I did pretty well in picking the ACC Tournament brackets, missing exactly
one game on my way to an easy victory. I’m sure I’ll monk things up this year after I’ve
set the standard so high (and here is my seeding breakdown), but anyway, here’s my yearly (2011, 2009, 2008 and
2007, anyway) guess ...
THURSDAY, MARCH 14
Noon, #8 Boston College vs. #9 Georgia Tech
Summary: How I miss the days where this
matchup would be called the Moustache Invitational, as the Eagles’ Al Skinner
and the Jackets’ Paul Hewitt pitted their odd caterpillar ‘staches against each
other.
Ah,
but all good (or bad) things must come to an end. Instead, we have a pair of
second-year coaches going at it in BC’s Steve Donahue and GT’s Brian Gregory. Both
coaches have young clubs in search of an identity, but Donahue has a leg up in
imprinting his stamp on who Boston College is and who they yearn to be.
With
the best player on the floor in Ryan Anderson, the Eagles will hold off the
Yellow Jackets in a slugfest ... though the product will likely be closer to
snooze-inducing than the fireworks that all would prefer jumpstart the ACC
Tournament.
Winner: Boston College
2 p.m., #5 State vs. #12 Virginia Tech
Summary: As he’s done to the entire
league, Erick Green clowned the Pack in their only meeting this year, and since
State is pretty woeful in help defense, it’s hard to imagine them slowing him
down much this time. He’ll go for about 30, but isn’t likely to get enough help
from Jarell Eddie or others.
From
an NC State perspective, the game-within-the-game play-by-play looks something
like this: Calvin dunks. C.J. travels. Calvin dunks. C.J. goaltends. Calvin
dunks. C.J. gets a technical. Calvin dunks. C.J. travels.
Meanwhile,
Mark Gottfried dry-heaves into a Gatorade bottle as top assistant Bobby Lutz
does his best to keep the coach from tearing his hair out. The Wolfpack should
get enough from Richard Howell, Scott Wood and Lorenzo Brown to outlast the
undermanned Hokies, but not before a message-board post blaming Leslie
for the sequester reaches 813 replies.
Winner: NC State
7 p.m., #7 Maryland vs. #10 Wake Forest
Summary: The Terps are emotional after a
pregame ceremony honoring Greivis Vasquez as a Big 10 Legend and/or Leader, but
coach Mark Turgeon spends most of the game cursing Terrell Stoglin’s shot
selection—even though Stoglin now plays somewhere in Greece (*fill in your own
value of the drachma joke here*).
In a
game that sets basketball back a couple of months, the Deacons get another hot
game from C.J. Harris, a rare positive showing by Travis McKie and a
workman-like showing from Devin Thomas. Wake Forest pulls the tourney’s first
“upset,” which seems to confuse coach Jeff Bzdelik, who is in a neck brace
after shaking his head a few too many times in the first half.
Extra
security is ordered to the Maryland bench after Dezmine Wells picks up a second
technical late in the game and he takes a swing at a fan wearing a Cincinnati
T-shirt. The Terrapins’ Alex Len announces shortly after the game that he is
leaving school early to join the Russian national hockey team. Harris realizes
he played the entire game with no lenses in his sports goggles, having
accidentally grabbed Russell Westbrook’s specs.
Winner: Wake Forest
9 p.m., #6 Florida State vs. #11 Clemson
Summary: The nightcap to a ho-hum first
day of ACC hoops features an improving Seminoles squad taking on the one-man
show from Clemson. The Tigers’ Devin Booker goes for 20 and 10, but FSU’s
assembly line of foreign seven-footers completely neutralizes Milton Jennings.
Clemson
coach Brad Brownell draws up every illegal screen and low-post tackle he can
think of, but he’s unable to slow down Florida State’s offense. Despite a
16-point lead, an unguarded Michael Snaer hits a three-pointer at the buzzer
while falling out of bounds. After the game, Brownell complains to the league
about the physicality of the game, leading referee Ray Natili to pull a rib
cage muscle laughing.
With
the game well in hand, the late-night Greensboro crowd spends most of the
nightcap either dozing or watching reruns of “The Andy Griffith Show” on their
smart phones.
Winner: Florida State
FRIDAY, MARCH 15
Noon, #1 Miami vs. #8 Boston College
Summary: ‘Canes coach Jim Larranaga
delights onlookers by roaming the sidelines in shorts, black knee-high socks
and “mandals.” Imploring his team to “wrap this up so we can head to dinner,”
the coach then turns to press row and admits that even he’s tired of seeing
Barry Larkin in the crowd at this point.
A
late-arriving crowd misses an early surge by the Eagles, who hit a series of
25-foot set shots at the end of the shot clock. However, 34-year-old Julian
Gamble eventually sparks the Hurricanes with some blocked shots, igniting
Miami’s transition game.
Halfway
through the second half, Durand Scott picks up his dribble at halfcourt and
eventually converts a finger-roll, leading Tim Brandt to praise his
“Euro-step.” The late-arriving crowd hasn’t, well, arrived yet, so it’s easy to
hear Shane Larkin’s mother screaming at him to shave “that thing on your face.”
After
the game, B.C. coach Steve Donahue credits Miami and says things are looking up
for his program, especially after “his guys” arrive in the form of 11 more
freshmen next year. LeBron James Tweets that he wishes the Heat had the
Hurricanes’ “experience level” this year.
Winner: Miami
2 p.m., #4 Virginia vs. #5 NC State
Summary: A contrast in styles as two
teams that barely look as if they’re playing the same sport square off here ...
Slowtime vs. Showtime, if you will. The Wahoos aim to hammer cutters into
submission and play containment defense, while the Pack seeks to get out in the
open floor and convert every other layup.
The
Wolfpack played the Cavs to the wire in the absence of Lorenzo Brown the first
time around, and if Brown can taketh more than Brown giveth away, NC State should
eke one out here. Akil Mitchell has improved as the year has gone on, but
should be pretty well cancelled out by Richard Howell. Can Scott Wood find his
shot against stifling halfcourt defense? Can C.J. Leslie put together a game
with consistent intensity and decisive play? These are the questions that could
determine this outcome.
Tony
Bennett’s squad has been on the bubble and off the bubble for seemingly half
the season, and they’ll find themselves squarely back on after this one.
Greensboro will be overrun with dudes wearing orange pants, poorly tied bowties
and Bieber cuts, to go with Wolfpack fans debating whether or not to retire
Leslie’s jersey.
Winner: NC State
7 p.m., #2 Duke vs. #10 Wake Forest
Summary: Barring C.J. Harris’s ability
to channel Randolph Childress, this one is going to get ugly early. And by
ugly, I’m referring to Duke’s benchwarmers; also, the game itself.
The
Blue Devils may set an unofficial national record for charges taken against an
undisciplined Wake Forest team, as
players
assistants Steve Wojciechowski, Chris Collins, Nate James and Jeff Capel
fistpump
coach really hard. As the game gets out of hand, the foursome debates the
Grantlandbracket of most hated college basketball players. Awkward silence ensues when
it is learned that Collins voted for Wojo and Wojo wrote in Collins as a
candidate.
Meanwhile,
the only scare for Duke on the court comes when Seth Curry accidentally chokes
on his mouthguard. The training staff is slow to respond after assuming Curry
was just faking another ankle injury after a flop.
Winner: Duke
9 p.m., #3 UNC-Chapel Hill vs. #6 Florida
State
Summary: A year ago at this time, the
Seminoles dusted off the Tar Heels to win the ACC Tournament. This year, both
squads are fielding teams that fall far short of last year’s, leading to more
effort from the coaches: Ol’ Roy throws the weird gingerbread-man-taking-a-dump
stance out there more often, while Leonard Hamilton glares even harder.
The
Seminoles can run numbers in the frontcourt, so they can continuously hammer
away at an undersized and inexperienced Heels front line. UNC bombs away from
the outside with abandon, but poor shot selection allows the ‘Noles to hang
around.
Of
course, giving FSU a chance in the closing moments it tantamount to disaster,
starring Michael Snaer as “Disaster.” With Roy Williams sweating Coca-Cola on
the sidelines and P.J. Hairston going 5-for-26 on three-pointers, the Tar Heels
can only look on as Snaer casually flips in a 57-footer—lefthanded—with 0.6
seconds left to push Florida State into the lead. Even the wax statue of Butch
Davis in the Greensboro Coliseum cries as legions of UNC fans make their way to
Wal-Mart to sales-drown their sorrows.
Winner: Florida State
Ready for Part II? Here you go ...
