Next Year

Defeat tastes bitter. It's been two years for us Duke fans, so some of you guys may have forgotten what it's actually like. First of all, I just want to congratulate the Arizona Wildcats for playing a flawless game. They outplayed us, and took our will (which was considerable). Therefore, I can accept this loss. In retrospect, we had a great season by most standards. We won 30 games, went to the sweet 16, and won the ACC Tournament Championship.

A pair of blue devil legends

Second, I'd like to recognize Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith for being unbelievable players for Duke for 4 years. Those guys are the epitome of what Duke is all about and why others are so jealous of us. (You can call it hate, but deep down, it's jealousy) Not many teams can trot out 2 national championship winning senior All-Americans. The only other Duke team, or ANY team in my memory, which matched that was in 1992 with Hurley and Laettner.  (Aside from Wooden's UCLA, and Rupp's Kentucky teams of course, but that was another era, and the Florida repeat champions were juniors) 

Nolan and Kyle were among the best to ever play at Duke, and we will cherish the memories of their playing days at Duke forever. I would not be surprised to see both of their jerseys retired.

Now down to business . . . what have we got going on next year? The biggest factor is, of course, Kyrie Irving's decision to go pro or stay at Duke. I'm not going to speculate, because I don't have a clue what he's going to do. Outside of that, these are the keys for success next year:

DEFENSE

Nolan, Kyle, Mason, and Kyrie were our 4 best defensive players this year. They could all be gone next year. This is a SERIOUS issue. we cannot afford to lose all of them and expect to win a national championship.

Of our returning players, I would say Mason (if he returns), Seth, Tyler, and Ryan are above average defenders. Miles and especially Andre NEED to work on their quickness and anticipation during this offseason.

LEADERSHIP

Replacing Nolan and Kyle is impossible. We're talking about 2 of the top 10 players to ever wear DUKE on their chests. Having 2 senior all-americans play all out on every play, especially defensively caused the entire team step up their game. However, while we can never duplicate what they meant to Duke, we need someone to lead this group. The best possible candidates for this job are Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry in that order. While Miles will be a senior, I do not believe he is vocal enough to lead this team. He has always played somewhat in the shadow of Mason and Zoubs, and unless he has a Zoubek/Josh Harrellson type of senior year, I don't think we'll be seeing Miles slap the floor on defense to fire up the Crazies. Seth will need to take the reins from Nolan and Kyle if Kyrie goes pro. On the other hand, if Kyrie returns . . . we will have our definitive leader.

ANDRE DAWKINS

Andre is our best returning wing player. I cannot tell you how freaking scared this makes me after 4 years of having Singler out there terrorizing everyone on both sides of the court. Dre cannot possibly expect to play 30+ minutes if he cannot improve his perimeter defense and ball handling. He needs to make the biggest leap of anyone on the team if we are to be successful.


WE NEED A DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST

What we really missed this year was that all-purpose super versatile defender who could shut down a team's best player, say, a guy like Derrick Williams. All of our championship teams had that guy. I'm talking about the Lance Thomas/Shane Battier/Nate James/Grant Hill/Thomas Hill guys. Chris Carrawell also fits this description, although he was never lucky enough to win it all. Kyle tried to be that guy for us this year, but it hurt his offense sometimes, and he never truly fit that role. I'm hoping Hairston or Gbinijie can turn themselves into that guy for us.

Next year, we will still have size down low and a major perimeter scoring threat in Austin Rivers. Kyrie's decision to go pro or not will obviously be the biggest factor in our title hopes, but these 4 issues are the next things we need to consider.

Here's my Best/Worst case scenarios for 2011-12:

BEST CASE/IT WON'T HAPPEN BUT OMG WE WILL KICK BUTT IF IT DOES
-Kyrie returns for another year, becomes Duke's leader
-Rivers is everything we heard about and more, and figures out how to blend his game in with Kyrie, learning how to play off the ball
-Seth takes his game up another notch, turns into a consistent double digit scorer off the bench
-Mason and Miles actually develop some offensive post moves and are capable of backing down their defender 1 on 1 a few times per game for a high percentage look.
-Josh or Michael evolves into an elite defender who can shoot the 3, and becomes the starter at small forward by the end of the year (yes, I'm dead serious)
-Our starting 5 is: Kyrie/Austin/Josh/Ryan/Mason
-Ryan Kelly continues his progression as a skilled big man who is always a threat to score, making it impossible to help off of him, starts all year at the 4.
-Andre continues to be instant offense off the bench and improves his defense to the point where he is no longer a liability on that end.
-Seth/Tyler/Quinn/Andre/Michael/Marshall accept their roles as bench players on a ridiculously deep team, but continue to work hard and help the team in whatever way they can when they are on the court.
-Duke is ranked #1 all season long and wins the national championship in one of the toughest fields of all time

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD/WHAT I THNK WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN
-Kyrie goes pro
-At the end of the year, our starting 5 is Quinn/Seth/Austin/Ryan/Mason
-Josh improves enough to play 12-15 minutes a game off the bench , providing energy and defense
-Miles and Mason improve a bit on offense, but still don't dominate the way that they should for their size/athleticism, but do develop a tough enforcer type of mentality
-Tyler and Andre bring defense and offense off the bench, respectively, as they have this year
-Duke stays in the top 10 all year, gets a 1 seed and makes it to at least the elite 8, and has a good shot to win it all against loaded squads from Ohio State, Kentucky, and Carolina

WORST CASE/BUT STILL BETTER THAN 2006
-Kyrie and Mason both go pro
-Austin is good, but because of a lack of consistent offense around him, gets constantly doubled
-Quinn is not ready to run the point as a freshman
-Our starting 5 at the end of the year: Seth/Tyler/Austin/Ryan/Miles
-Josh Hairston inexplicably continues to ride the pine
-Gbinijie and Marshall don't pan out as impact players quite yet
-Duke is a top 15 team, gets a 2 or 3 seed, makes it to the sweet 16 and gets upset by a team on fire from 3.

Well, that's it for now, I'm just glad to finally get a real post in. GO DUKE!!!!!!!!

I've been talking about this guy for years . . .

He’s a senior All-American candidate with a national title ring in his drawer and an NBA contract in his future.
So a few months ago, during one of Duke’s offseason pickup games, it was easy to understand why Nolan Smith did a double-take when he was given an order by Kyrie Irving.
Actually, make that freshman Kyrie Irving.

“Get out of the way,” Irving yelled at Smith as he streaked past half-court and raced toward the basket. “Move out of the way. I got it.”

Despite his freshman status, Kyrie Irving is not backing down from anything at Duke.

More than a month later, Smith chuckled when recalling the story after Wednesday night’s 84-79 victory over Michigan State.

“You don’t really hear that too often – a freshman telling two seniors on the wing to get out of the way,” Smith said. “But we’ve got no problem sitting back and letting him do it, because we know he can.”
Indeed, Irving has proven that in his short time at Duke.

It began during players-only scrimmages in a dimly-lit gym and then carried over to supervised workouts under the watchful eye of Hall-of-Famer Mike Krzyzewski. Now, in front of an entire nation, Irving has blossomed into the top point guard in all of college basketball.

Anyone who questioned that before certainly won’t after Wednesday, when the 18-year-old Irving turned in one of the top performances by a freshman in Duke history by scoring 31 points and dishing out four assists in the top-ranked Blue Devils’ win over No. 6 Michigan State.

Thirty minutes after the final horn, Irving shrugged off his gaudy stat line as he lounged in a chair in the Blue Devils’ locker room.

“This was a big game for me,” he said. “But I try to do that every night.”

That’s what makes Irving – and, in turn, this Blue Devils’ team – so special. He could put up those kinds of numbers in just about every game Duke plays. But after just seven college games and a handful of practices, Irving understands the big picture.

Smith and National Player of the Year candidate Kyle Singler are future first-round draft picks who played an integral role on a team that went 35-5 en route to winning last season’s NCAA championship. Emerging power forward Mason Plumlee is one of the most athletic, skilled post players in the country, and reserves Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry give the Blue Devils two of the game’s top threats from beyond the 3-point arc.

Instead of trying to outshine his teammates, Irving grasps the importance of involving them. It may sound like a small thing, but that sort of maturity impresses NBA scouts more than highlight-reel dunks and behind-the-back-passes. It’s also the reason fans and media members are wondering aloud whether Duke can become the first team since Indiana in 1976 to go undefeated.

“When I came here I was just trying to find my place on this team,” Irving said. “I didn’t know how close a team could be until I came here. We’re definitely a brotherhood. The trust around here is really special. It’s made everything so much easier for me.”

Irving may be a different type of point guard than former No. 1 picks John Wall and Derrick Rose, but he’s every bit as valuable to his team. Not just because of what he does during games, but because of how Irving carries himself when the cameras are off and the stands are empty.

“He’s one of the best point guards I’ve ever seen,” Smith said. “He’s very coachable. He loves being on the court with us. Whenever I have something to say to him, he looks me in the eyes and listens. He’s been a great teammate.

“But he’s on a different level as far as confidence. We know there are going to be games where he’s just going to go – and we’re going to follow him.”

Wednesday was one of those games.

Michigan State took a 17-15 lead on 3-pointer by Korie Lucious with 11 minutes remaining in the opening half. Irving, though, responded with back-to-back three-point plays to put the Blue Devils ahead 21-17. Michigan State tied the game three more times during the opening period but could never take the lead.
Irving, who was often guarded by Michigan State standout Kalin Lucas, scored 18 of his 31 points in the opening half. The game was the second-straight banner showing for Irving against a big-name opponent. Last week he had 17 points and six assists against Kansas State and preseason All-American guard Jacob Pullen.
“I need that, especially this early in the season,” Irving said. “You can’t go out there intimidated or they’re going to take advantage of you.”

Opposing guards are probably thinking the same thing about Irving, who continues to draw praise from his coaches and teammates for being such a sponge during workouts.

“It’s scary,” Smith said. “He still wants to learn.”

Krzyzewski has always emphasized structure. But with Irving things are slightly different. Krzyzewski said he wants Irving to “follow his instincts” at times. He said he’s given him the freedom to make reads instead of always running set plays.

“We’ve changed the way we play because of him,” Krzyzewski said.

Duke scored 84 points against the Spartans. Last year, with Jon Scheyer running the point, Krzyzewski said the Blue Devils would’ve tallied about 63.

The new, fast-paced style has led to plenty of smiles in the locker room – and in postgame press conferences. The normally stoic Krzyzewski was in such a good mood after this win that he cracked a joke when asked to think of a word that best describes his freshman point guard.

“I’m not a big adjective guy,” Krzyzewski said.

He paused for a moment, then smiled.

“Sensational, scintillating,” he said. “Was that not a good attempt by me – a guy with a low SAT verbal [score]? Jesus Christ, I’m using up all my words.”

Save a few, coach. You’re going to need them.

Kyrie Irving

289: Bobby Hurley's single-season school record for assists, set in 1991. That might be 2nd by the end of the year. 8.2: Hurley's 1992-93 record for assist average. That's also not safe.

Those 16 assists Hurley handed out in a 1993 win over Florida State? They may soon be moving down a line in the Blue Devils' record book as well.

And don't think for a second, this year's squad won't have a chance to at least threaten the Duke record for scoring average, a hard-to-top 92.4-points per game mark established 46 seasons ago.

So that brings us quickly to Kyrie Irving, Duke's dazzling freshman point guard who will lead the defending national champions onto the floor tonight for their season opener against Princeton.

For Irving, all the pieces are in place for a monster season. We're talking Ridley Scott-explosive.

The kid comes to campus with an NBA-ready game. He has quickness. He has vision. He has admirable panache.

And, oh yeah, he has a ridiculous supporting cast around him.

That is, I guess, if you can consider established All-American stars like Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith supporting cast members.

You can probably tell by now I love Irving's game. I've gone on record in several different forums with an unwavering guarantee: Duke's point guard will be a first-team All-ACC star. Right away.

Now as the Blue Devils keep their preeminent goal of winning a second consecutive national championship in mind, the biggest question revolves around just how well Irving will handle the pressure and expectation that's been thrown at him.
Stress reactions

There's so much we still have to learn about Irving's mental toughness and stamina and ability to accept struggle.

When he was engulfed by reporters at Duke's media day last month, his eyes nearly came out of their sockets.

"This is a new deal for me," Irving said. "I'm not used to this level of attention. But I guess I better start getting used to it."

Without question, his ability to become comfortable as a leading man on the country's most heavily scrutinized team will be a huge challenge.

And during Duke's first official practice last month, coach Mike Krzyzewski saw a fatigue in Irving's mannerisms that should not have been present so early.

The intensity of everything was clearly battering Irving. And the young point guard's eagerness to succeed was also wearing him down.

During a break 30 minutes before the end of the workout, Krzyzewski approached Irving and studied his face.

"You have furrows in your forehead," Coach K said with a smirk.

Irving laughed.

"You're too young to have furrows in your forehead," Krzyzewski continued. "This is what this is right now. You're going to have to do this without having furrows."
Thrown into the fire

As Irving's duties become more and more sophisticated with each passing month, Krzyzewski has given the rookie point guard some basic principles to always keep in mind.

First and foremost, Irving has to remember to take care of the ball, to learn the value of a possession.

It's worth noting that Jon Scheyer made 212 shots and had 194 assists last season yet committed just 65 turnovers in 1,470 minutes played as Duke's offense became one of the most efficient in the country. That was certainly a huge factor in the Blue Devils' ability to win 18 of their final 19 games.

Krzyzewski also wants Irving to get a feel for the difference between being aggressive and being reckless, a major adjustment for any newcomer to the high-level college basketball.

"With a freshman point guard, no matter how good you are, the very first thing to keep control of is wanting to do too much, wanting to force action when there's no action to be forced," Krzyzewski said. "It's about recognizing situations where I should attack or I should set up. . But as coach you don't want to micromanage him where he then loses his instincts. It's just a balance there."

Fortunately for Irving, the balance will come from having great mentors. Krzyzewski plus Smith and Singler will all be around for support and encouragement.

The wildly competitive schedule Duke will play over the next three weeks will also benefit the young point guard in the long run.

A Nov. 23 date with No. 3 Kansas State could materialize at the CBE Classic in Kansas City.

After that, Duke will host a Dec. 1 showdown with No. 2 Michigan State at Cameron Indoor Stadium followed three days later with a trip to New Jersey to face No. 17 Butler in a rematch of last season's national title game.

As crazy as it sounds, Krzyzewski is actually looking forward to seeing Irving struggle some during his first month on the big stage. It's the best way to learn more about his fortitude.

"That's going to be part of his evolution - having a lot expected of him," Krzyzewski said. "So we may as well put him out there."

ACC Hoops Schedule Released . . . Go Get ‘Em

The Atlantic Coast Conference finally released the 2010-11 men’s basketball schedule today on their official website. And for those of you bored by our conference’s football offerings before the season has even begun, this is big news.

The ACC brass are stoked that the conference will be on television a record 182 times this upcoming year. Fans of the Big East and other power conferences complain that the ACC gets preferential treatment despite being a “weak” league. Right, a conference that has won five of the last ten natty champers is pitiful.
Here are some of the highlights of what promises to be another exciting year in ACC basketball. As the season draws closer, we will be back with full team previews. But for now, check out five of the best non-conference matchups before the New Year.

NOVEMBER 15: Miami at Memphis

Young Memphis Tigers coach Josh Pastner breathed a big sigh of relief when the best recruit of his short tenure, Will Barton, was declared eligible on August 20. I’m really impressed with what Pastner has been able to do in Calipari’s stead (how much he “learned” from the former Memphis coach remains to be seen). Miami’s sparkplug Durand Scott nearly beat Duke by himself in last year’s ACC Tournament, and young big man Reggie Johnson will fill in nicely for departing beast Dwayne Collins, who finally graduated. Look for Memphis to come out on top on sheer talent, but I’m impressed that Frank Haith has the cojones to schedule this type of game. 

DECEMBER 1: Duke v. Michigan State

This game continues to lose its luster, as the Spartan guards are dropping like flies. First it was the transfer of Chris Allen to Iowa State after being kicked off the team in East Lansing. More recently, the twenty-year-old Korie Lucious, hero of the Maryland game, was caught over the legal limit while driving. Tom Izzo is probably my second favorite NCAA coach, mostly because he doesn’t put up with stuff like this. Lucious will likely be suspended for the first half of the season at the least. That leaves more of the burden on Kalin Lucas, who is rehabbing his torn ACL, and 2010 Big Dance star Durrell Summers. Yet this will be billed as the best game of the ACC-Big 10 Challenge. Look for Kyrie Irving to get after it against Lucas—a player to whom he has been compared in the past. I had hoped Duke would face MSU at full strength; nonetheless, Izzo is a gamer and this could be the highlight of Duke’s early season schedule. 

 

DECEMBER 1: Virginia Tech vs. Purdue

Perhaps this is the year that Virginia Tech lives up to expectations. Many pundits think it’s a battle for second place in the conference between the Hokies and the Heels. Much of that advance praise for VT rests on do-it-all guard Malcolm Delaney, who wisely chose to return for his final year. Meanwhile, Purdue returns everyone but hard nosed point guard Chris Kramer. Pat Forde even put them ahead of Duke in his preseason rankings (but he has a hard time with such predictions). This would be a statement game for Seth Greenberg’s program—which returns everyone—and until I see Robbie Hummel play as well as he did pre-torn ACL, I think the Hokies have a good shot. Just don’t let Jeff Allen loose on JaJuan Johnson…that won’t end well. 

DECEMBER 4: North Carolina vs. Kentucky

In a battle of the teams I hate the most, UNC and UK face off yet again in this home and home series. Recently, ESPN’s sometimes knowledgeable college hoops blogger Eamon Brennan stated that UK has a slight edge in this matchup. It’s tough to say. Both teams have the same problem: a lack of proven size. Kentucky’s frontline is thin: 6’8” frosh Terrence Jones, Florida transfer Eloy Vargas, and perhaps Turkish semi-pro Enes Kanter, if he is ruled eligible. UNC has the sometimes healthy Tyler Zeller, the “wet noodle” John Henson, and Mr. Barnes, who’s supposed to be a guard anyway. I think the game hinges on Kanter’s eligibility. If he plays, he will be too much to handle down low, and combined with UK’s superior guard play led by Brandon Knight, I think Kentucky squeezes this one out. Look for UNC’s season to be a reverse of last year’s: a slow start with a more productive second half. 

DECEMBER 4: N.C. State at Syracuse

The ‘Cuse shocked a lot of people last year by reaching #1, but that’s mostly because people weren’t familiar with Wes Johnson and/or didn’t have respect for the Orange’s experience. Now most of that depth is gone, and for once in his life, Sidney Lowe has something to be excited about in Raleigh. All the hype has been loaded on CJ Leslie, but we think incoming point guard Ryan Harrow will determine State’s success as much as anyone. The frontcourt favors the ‘Cuse (remember the name Fab Melo), but the Wolfpack have an early chance to prove that they belong in the same breath as Duke and UNC for the first time since, I don’t know…Julius Hodge?

Duke at the NC Pro-Am

Some video footage of Duke players doin some serious work. Nolan Smith looks like he's ready to just dominate everyone. His handles are absolutely scary good now and his shot looks much improved. Mason is just an alley-oop machine and Miles looks freakin HUGE. Can't wait to see this team in action. Jersey #'s: Kyrie Irving - 10, Nolan Smith - 2, Miles Plumlee - 7, Mason Plumlee - 13, Josh Hairston - 16, Seth Curry - 5

FIBA Americas U18 Tournament

Read this article at Sports Illustrated

by Luke Winn

The U.S. assembled a deeply talented roster for this event, but the three guards coach Jeff Capel relied on to carry the team were Duke-bound Kyrie Irving, Marquette-bound Vander Blue, and high school senior-to-be Austin Rivers, the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Each player offered glimpses of his college potential.


• Rivers should just reclassify and jump to college now. The 6-foot-3 guard was the most lethal perimeter scorer in the entire tournament, and on Tuesday he set a new U.S. record for points in a FIBA U18 event, dropping 35 on Team Canada (on 9-of-12 long-range shooting). Rivers is a killer three-point shooter off the dribble, using a crossover/step-back combo to create space for his shot or get into the lane, where he's a fluid finisher. On numerous occasions, he reminded me of a Davidson-era Stephen Curry.
Doc Rivers follows his sons' hoops careers so actively that on at least 11 Celtics off-days this season, he jumped on a private jet following practice, flew to Florida for Austin's games, and then back to Boston the same night. The proud father was a mainstay in the stands at St. Mary's University, even on the day it was announced he was returning to the Celtics for another year. As a career 32.8 percent three-point shooter in the NBA, he would not take credit for Austin's form.
"If I had taught him how to shoot, he wouldn't be able to shoot." Doc said. "Austin developed his own little shot and style, and I remember looking at it three years ago and saying, 'It goes in -- I'm not touching it.'"
Austin has honed his shot in the gym at Rollins College, near the Rivers' home in Winter Park, Fla. The coach there, Tom Klusman, lets Rivers use the gym for training each evening, but alas, Rivers will not be playing for Rollins. By the end of the summer he might be ranked the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2011. So where will he go to school?

• Rivers appears to like Duke -- a lot. He was once committed to Florida, but is now viewed as heavily leaning toward the Blue Devils. Strong evidence of that: When he emerged from the U.S. locker room after Wednesday's win over Brazil, in which he scored 19 points, he was wearing his gold medal over a Duke 2009-10 national champions T-shirt. And he was wearing a pair of official Duke shorts. He said not to read too much into it, but how can you not?
I asked Irving if he had any influence over Rivers' wardrobe, given how well they played off of each other this week, and the prospect of them comprising the most lethal college backcourt in 2011-12. "Honestly?" Irving said. "Those are [Rivers'] shorts, those are his choice to wear them. That's all him."

• Irving, whom I'd only seen in all-star game settings prior to this, was such an effective leader in crunch time against Brazil -- igniting a U.S. rally and finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds -- that I don't think he'll have much of a learning curve at Duke. As Florida recruit Patric Young, Irving's co-captain, said, "He's just a natural-born point guard." After getting firsthand looks at new Blue Devils Irving and Seth Curry (at CP3 Elite camp) over a three-week span, I'm even more confident that Duke -- and not Michigan State or Purdue -- is the right pick for preseason No. 1.

• Blue is a four-star recruit who came into the FIBA tourney with less name-recognition than Irving, and a four-star (rather than five) rating. But it became clear rather quickly that Blue is an elite combo guard. He's an explosive wing player with a slashing ability and a slick pull-up jumper, and he's great a jumping passing lanes on D and getting out in transition. As I tweeted earlier in the week, I can't remember the last time my home state of Wisconsin produced a hoops athlete of his caliber -- and I can understand why there was such controversy in the state over him switching his commitment from Wisconsin to Marquette. The Golden Eagles will have a future pro in their backcourt this season.

•The extensive backcourt minutes played by the Irving-Rivers-Blue crew -- as well as Illinois-bound Jereme Richmond -- meant that the lone player with college experience on the roster, Washington's Abdul Gaddy, was mostly left on the bench. He saw only four minutes of action against Brazil in the title game. Prior to the tournament, Gaddy had talked about using the FIBA experience as a way to get his "swagger" back after a disappointing freshman year with Washington. He came to UW as a five-star point guard, but averaged just 3.9 points (on 15.0 percent long-range shooting) and 2.3 assists last season. I'll have more on Gaddy next week; he certainly still has potential to be a good college point guard once he finds a way to regain the free-and-easy style that made him so effective in high school, but I don't think he had the opportunity to get his swag back in San Antonio.


• Richmond's length and defensive tenacity were such assets that Capel used the Waukegan, Ill., product to contain Brazil's brilliant point guard, Raul Neto, when neither Irving, Blue, Rivers or Gaddy could keep Neto out of the lane late in the gold medal game. At 6-7, Richmond is so versatile that I saw him defend four different positions during the tournament. He also has a crazy streak (staring down his man, talking trash, complaining to refs), though, that might needed to be reined in at Illinois in order for him to blossom into a team leader and Big Ten star.

• Florida fans should be getting excited about Patric Young. After watching the 6-9 power forward anchor the U.S. frontcourt for three games, I regret not placing the Gators higher than No. 18 in my offseason Power Rankings. They haven't had a post presence like him since Al Horford and Joakim Noah left, and Young's communication skills on defense -- he controls the paint like a loud middle linebacker -- are beyond what you see from a lot of college seniors. He has Noah-level energy -- "I probably model myself after him the most," Young says -- without the rock star/rebel attitude. He left a positive impression on everyone in San Antonio (NBA scouts, USA Basketball officials) except the Brazilian team, one of whose players caught an inadvertent Young knee to the stomach during the gold-medal game and laid on the floor, incapacitated, for a few minutes. Driving guards in the SEC best beware.
• Young will probably have more defensive than offensive value for Florida as a freshman, but he does have an advanced set of moves in the post. In one short sequence of the U.S.-Argentina game, I taped him taking feeds from Irving and effortlessly hitting a righty, and then lefty baby-hook:

• Missouri-bound Tony Mitchell and Duke-bound Josh Hairston were Young's cohorts in the frontcourt for most of the tournament, alternating minutes as Capel opted for a three-guard lineup. Mitchell, who's 6-7 and extremely agile, looks like the perfect kind of forward for Tigers coach Mike Anderson's hectic attack, and a future star in the Big 12 ... if Mitchell is eligible to play as a freshman. His high school transfer credits are reportedly under investigation, although Anderson said this week that he expects Mitchell to enroll.
Mitchell told SI.com he'll be fine. "Everybody is worried about it," he said, "but I'm good. I finished my ACT and I'm just waiting to hear from the clearinghouse. I have to take tests to get [the transfer credits] back."
• The two most impressive non-American prospects in the tournament both came from Brazil:

1. Lucas Nogueira, a 7-0 center who is just 17 years old: He has legit, first-round NBA potential, and made that clear by scoring 22 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking three shots against the U.S. in the gold medal game. Lucas is already a pro for Estudiantes in Spain, and could enter the NBA draft as soon as 2011, according to his agent, Aylton Tesch, a Brazilian who works with Dan Fegan's BEST agency out of Los Angeles. Tesch said that Nogueira's contract buyout was "manageable."
"It's pretty much the same situation we faced with Ricky Rubio in Spain," Tesch said, "but Lucas' buyout is like one-quarter of Rubio's [which was reportedly $6.6 million]."

2. Raul Neto, a 6-2 point guard (18 years old): The kid they call "Raulzinho" wasn't consistently great in San Antonio, but he did drop 34 points on Argentina in the semifinal. Using his speed and a mix of crossovers, floaters and a smooth three-point jumper, Neto showed why he already earns minutes for Minas Tenis Clube's senior team, where his father is an assistant. Brazilian U18 coach Walter Rose, the associate head coach at Hawaii, says Neto "has a great understanding of the game."
Neto has yet to sign a pro contract in Brazil, and has interest in coming to the states to play college. (He briefly considered coming to the U.S. for high school last season, as well.) If he does land in the NCAA in 2011-12, he could be the best foreign point guard to hit D-I since Australian Patty Mills, who starred at St. Mary's from 2007-09.

• Since there's little-to-no chance you'll be seeing Nogueira or Neto on ESPN this season, I'll leave you with a few FlipCam highlights ... and an example of how Brazilians celebrate basketball victories. The U.S. reaction to its gold medal was subdued compared to Brazil's party after beating Argentina in the semis:

Chris Paul CP3 Elite Guard Camp: News and Notes

 By Ryan Feldman

Read this article on the Hoops Report

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Watching the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Guard Camp this weekend was a great opportunity to see some of the top college basketball players in the country during the offseason. Players had the chance to improve their guard skills, learn from arguably the best point guard in the NBA in Chris Paul, and compete against other top college players that many of them see during the season.

The majority of the players at the camp were either Big East or ACC players. Five of the 17 players were from either Duke or North Carolina. Duke was represented by Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Seth Curry, while North Carolina was represented by Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall.

It was interesting to see Singler there, a player who is clearly a forward but wanted to improve his guard skills. Barnes said himself that he doesn't see himself just as a wing. He sees himself as a player who can also handle the ball and play in the post. And Barnes was one of the most impressive players at the camp. He did everything just as well as any of the guards, including ball-handling, shooting, speed and quickness.

There were a lot of interesting storylines in watching the Duke and UNC players, including getting previews of Singler vs. Barnes, the connection between Barnes and Marshall, the connection between Curry and his teammates (Singler and Smith), and just getting to watch Curry play.

When Singler and Barnes guarded each other, both played hard on defense and didn't allow the other player to get easy shots. Neither play dominated offensively against each other, but Barnes showed throughout the camp that he can play and defend multiple positions easily.

Singler and Barnes were easily two of the best players at the camp, and they should be because they were the tallest players at the camp and they have the most NBA potential.

Singler was solid in all aspects. He shot the ball well and scored well inside. He struggled in some of the ball-handling drills, especially when he had to dribble two balls at once, but that's why he was at the camp. He also struggled when he was guarded by Chris Paul in 1-on-1 drills. But overall, Singler played well and he played hard.

Barnes was rather impressive. In one of the baseline sprint drills, he was the fastest player out there. He is excellent at handling the ball and has great quickness. He showed the ability to score from anywhere on the court. From how he looked this weekend, Barnes should immediately be one of the top players in the ACC.

Marshall is taller than most of the guards at the camp, at 6-foot-4, but he looks like he will be a very good point guard at UNC. He handles the ball well and can compete with most of the guards in attendance, but at times he appeared to be coasting and not really putting in a full effort. His jumper was also inconsistent and is something he needs to work on.

Curry was one of the better players at the camp. He was certainly the best outside shooter of the bunch. He doesn't put much rotation on the ball when he shoots, so if his shot hits the rim it will almost never go in. But that's okay because his shots usually do go in. He showed the ability to shoot from NBA range and make floaters in the lane. Curry did well when he had the opportunity to defend Chris Paul in 1-on-1 drills, getting some defensive stops and even stripping Paul once when he went up for a shot.

Smith certainly improved his shooting this past year, but his jumper looked a bit off during the camp. He doesn't have a pure release and his shot really lacks consistency. But his ball-handling and quickness looked great throughout the camp. He certainly will be fine running the point again for Duke this season if Coach K elects to put him there.

Georgetown's Chris Wright didn't look great in the ball-handling drills compared to some of the other guys. But when they played in a 3-on-3 setting, he made good decisions with the ball and was really shooting the ball well from the perimeter.

UConn's Kemba Walker was one of the best players at the camp. He looked great in every aspect, including ball-handling, quickness, speed and outside shooting. He really shot the ball well when he got his feet set.

Richmond's Kevin Anderson was very impressive. He has a very slender frame but he is a great ball-handler and is very quick. He is very good at driving to the basket but he needs to work on being more consistent with his outside shot.

Marquette's Darius Johnson-Odom was an excellent outside shooter during the season, but he didn't look the same this weekend. He missed a large percentage of his outside shots.

Miami's Durand Scott was rather impressive. He has many of the qualities that make up an elite guard: great ball-handling, quickness, speed and athleticism. Scott isn't a great outside shooter, but if he can improve that aspect of his game he will be a player to watch out for in the ACC.

Washington's Isaiah Thomas looked decent on the first day of camp. He showed his quickness and explosiveness and knocked down some jumpers. But he injured his foot on the second day was limited for the rest of the day.

Syracuse's Brandon Triche is a physical specimen. For a point guard, his strength is incredible. He's in terrific shape and can really overpower most guards. He just has a great feel for the game and is solid as an all-around player. He should be one of the top point guards in the Big East next season.

Virginia Tech's Dorenzo Hudson was probably the best defender at the camp. The 6-foot-5 guard does a great job at staying with smaller, quicker players and forcing them into tough shots. His biggest weakness is that he isn't a great shooter. Hudson injured his knee on the second day of camp when he slipped and fell during a baseline sprint drill, and he had to sit out the rest of the day.

A College Basketball Fan’s Guide To Watching The World Cup

Wow, I've been phenomenally lazy with the blog lately, but I've been working a lot. However, I've still been keeping up to date with all the sports news out there and I'll keep posting interesting articles that I find here. In addition, I promise I'll be posting more original content soon. In the mean time, here's a great article about the World Cup (THANK GOD for the world cup . . . if I had to sit through another f***ing women's softball game on ESPN, I might have killed myself.

Read this article on Rush the Court

In less than 48 hours, our televisions will be taken over by the biggest sporting event the world has to offer.  Your TweetDeck (or whatever Twitter application you use) will be lousy with friends, celebrities, and sportswriters tweeting about it.  Your Facebook friends will be centering their status updates about it.  And, for the next five weeks, when you walk into your favorite sports bars, as you peer at the flat-screens you’ll notice an increased presence of a game to which you might not be accustomed.

It’s World Cup time.

Like the Olympics and the Fields Medal, this is an every-four-year event.  It pits nation against nation in the sport that still stirs up the most passion among its fans on a worldwide scale.  Imagine if we only got one NCAA Tournament every four years.  Well, this is the one summer in four that soccer (the word we’ll use for this article, though we’re aware that most of the world calls it football) lovers get to enjoy their chance to crown a champion.  If you follow RTC on Twitter (if you don’t, shame on you, and go click our logo at right), you’ve probably been impressed by our occasional tweet about other sports or even current events.  It’s not exactly a long limb we’d be going out on for us to assume that if you’re a college basketball fan, you’ve probably got an interest in other sports, too — though international soccer might not be one of them.

Worry not, our fellow college hoopheads.  We’ve got you covered.  We want you to be able to hang in those conversations at those sports pubs.  We want you to be able to approach that lovely blonde bespectacled German girl wearing her Deutschland jersey in the supermarket (this actually happened to us a week ago).  We want you to impress your friends with your world vision and increased overall sports knowledge.  You think those kids in the stands at Duke or Xavier or Utah State are both well-prepared and berserk?  Wait until you hear the crowd at a World Cup soccer match.  We want you to enjoy that vital aspect of it all, as well.  We’re by no means experts on the subject, but to those ends, we give you — trumpet flourish — Rush The Court’s College Basketball Fan’s Guide to Watching the World Cup.

THE TEAMS

First, let’s list some of the participating  teams and define those squads in terms familiar to college hoop fans.  As you’ll see, by the way, national soccer teams have some of the best nicknames you’ll ever hear.  The best?  Cameroon.  The Indomitable Lions.  I mean, COME ON…

South Africa. The host nation.  Not much is expected of them, but this is a sports-loving nation that’s becoming more soccer-savvy by the day.  They’ve improved in recent years and they’ll be better after this particular World Cup.  They don’t have the resources of the bigger national programs, but the chance to play history-making matches in front of their home fans may propel them farther in the tournament than a lot of people will pick them.  In terms of college basketball parallels, could this be anybody else but the Butler Bulldogs from last season?  We haven’t asked him, but we guarantee you, this is the side (soccer teams are often called “sides” by the way) for which Kyle Whelliston and the Mid-Majority are rooting.

Argentina. Here’s an interesting bunch.  This is a side with a proud history in the sport that’s also a sexy pick to win the whole thing.  It’s not just because they have the guy largely considered the best player in the world right now in Lionel Messi, but the supporting cast is high-quality as well, with a fiery finisher in Carlos Tevez and stable midfield presence of Javier Mascherano.  The biggest problem — their coach is kind of a boob.  He may be one of the great soccer personalities and players of all time, but Diego Maradona’s coaching ability has been questioned from the day he was hired, and for good reason.  So, we asked our guys here about a college basketball example of a team with possibly the best player in the game and a decent supporting cast, with sort of a boob of a coach whose talented players only made him look like slightly less of one.  At that moment, the Wake Forest grads here — without looking up — simultaneously raised their hands and said, “Wake Forest, 1995 to 1997.  Tim Duncan. Dave Odom. Take it to the bank.  You won’t find a better one.”  We’re going with it.  And we’re sorry, Winston-Salem.

England. America’s first opponent reminds us a lot of the Kentucky program from the last couple of years.  England has a proud history, a crazed but phenomenal fan base, and some titles in their past, but have posted some disappointing results in recent World Cups while playing under coaches that might not have been good fits for such a high-pressure job.  Kentucky went through a similar phase from 2007-2009 under Billy Gillispie, but hope returned when a new coach of Italian descent arrived in the form of John Calipari (for England, it’s Fabio Capello) and loaded the team with exciting young stars and turned things around for them instantaneously.  Like Kentucky last season, England is one of the top teams in this tournament and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they won it all.  Also like last year’s Wildcats, England are fielding a much more exciting team this time, with their version of John Wall being Wayne Rooney, a fierce competitor, great scorer, and exemplary teammate, not to mention a fellow who will gladly sacrifice his body to score, or assist on one.  Similar to Wall, Rooney might be considered the best player in the game…were it not for just that one other guy (the aforementioned Messi, in the role of Evan Turner).  And the recent English soccer infidelity scandal involving John Terry and Wayne Bridge makes this whole Eric Bledsoe nonsense look like a jaywalking  ticket.  Maybe we should have chosen Louisville.

Ivory Coast. I know…who?  Don’t kid yourself, the Elephants (niiiice) have been an emerging soccer nation for a while, now, and this was a World Cup in which they were expected to break through and do some real damage.  A lot of experts picked them to go as far as the Final Four, er, I mean, semifinals.  But you’ll note my use of the past tense, there.  That’s because they are the 2010 World Cup version of the Cincinnati Bearcats from the 1999-2000 season.  You recall that that UC team had Kenyon Martin, a fierce, physical specimen of a player who was thought to be the best player in the game at that time, expected to take his team pretty doggone far.  Then he broke his leg on the virtual eve of the NCAA Tournament.  Those who don’t consider Lionel Messi the best player in the world say that it’s either Wayne Rooney, or Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba.  Unfortunately for the Ivorians, Drogba also suffered a bad fracture — to his elbow, in this case — a mere eleven days before his side’s first game.  And like Martin’s Bearcats from 2000, Drogba’s squad is now considered to be pretty much toast, their chances of advancing far into the tournament all but gone.  Incidentally, Drogba had emergency surgery and is actually going to try to play, but that experiment will unfortunately end with the first hit on that plates-and-pins rigged elbow.

Spain. They’re currently the world #2, but they’re the team everyone’s picking to win it.  If you took last year’s Kansas and Syracuse teams and made an all-star team out of it, you got Spain.  Like both of those teams last season, Spain can get scoring from any position, except maybe from defender and captain Carles Puyol.  I wouldn’t leave Xavi, David Villa, Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas, or Andres Iniesta open past the midfield line.  The problem is, like Cole Aldrich, Wesley Johnson, and Sherron Collins, they’ll use their size and/or speed to create their own scoring space regardless of what you do, unless they allow you to bring a baseball bat, and even that might not do it.  Like our KU/SU all-star team parallel, there just aren’t any weaknesses, here — the second team would contain starters for most other squads.  Ridiculous athletes?  Check.  Gorgeous passing?  Check.  Scoring ability?  Double check.  Coaching?  Check.  Most experts feel you can go ahead and write the check for La Furia Roja (awesome, again).  Of course, that’s what we thought about Kansas last season…which is why we threw Syracuse in there.

Germany. Die Mannschaft (that’s the national team’s name…yeah, I know, right?!?) always exceeds expectations, no matter what they look like leading up to any World Cup.  Even if they look mediocre on paper, they’ll do better than that.  You can count on it.  For this cup, they’ve got a core group of three fine players — Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski up by the goal, and a midfielder with what we consider the best and likely most fear-inducing name in the tournament: Bastian Schweinsteiger — with some good role players surrounding them.  This brings to mind Tom Izzo of the Cleveland Cavaliers and his Michigan State program, a bunch that always seems to do better than people think they will even though they might look ordinary in the regular season and Big Ten Tournament.  Also, they lost the former Big Ten Player of the Year to injury when Kalin “Cool Hand” Lucas suffered that awful Achilles tendon rupture against Maryland in the Tournament last year; Germany also lost their most important player, Michael Ballack (nicknamed the “Little Kaiser”), to an ankle injury back in mid-May, and he won’t be playing in South Africa.  Still, like the Spartans in any NCAA Tournament, you’d be a doofus to ignore Germany.

Brazil. The current top-ranked team in the world.  Out of the 18 World Cups that have been played, only seven countries can claim to have ever won the title.  Brazil has five Cups, the most of anyone, and two of the last four.  They are constantly loaded with stars, on-the-ball magicians of the highest order.  We’ll go ahead and say that they’re “led” by midfielder Kaka, striker Luis Fabiano, and one of the top defenders in the world in Lucio, but the reality is there’s not one player on the Brazil side who can’t put it in the net.  Each one of them can kill you.  It would be easy to compare Brazil with UCLA, since each has the most titles in their respective sport.  But Brazilian coach Dunga couldn’t carry Ben Howland’s jock if he had a wheelbarrow.  And we won’t even mention him in the same sentence as John Wooden.  No, if we remove this past season, Brazil reminds us of North Carolina — rich in tradition, two recent titles, constantly talented at every position, always possessive of great depth, and an automatic first- or second-favorite to win any tournament in which they find themselves.  By the way, most Brazilian players are mononymic because Portuguese names can be pretty darn long (Kaka’s real name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite), so that’s what that’s about.

Netherlands. A national side with a proud and illustrious history (but no World Cup titles), this year’s Netherlands team is loaded with goal scorers possessing laser-knife accuracy, namely Arjen Robben (who’s 26, looks 40, but plays with the passion and speed of 19), Wesley Sneijder, and that bully Dirk Kuyt.  And we think Robin van Persie still has some goals in him.  Despite the loads of skill at both ends, almost nobody’s talking about them, and they also have a pretty easy draw, all things considered.  The parallel may break down as far as the titles are concerned, but otherwise this sounds a lot like last year’s Duke Blue Devils — overflowing with talent, getting blamed for an easy draw, and ignored without good reason.  And, like some recent Blue Devil teams, the Netherlands has a little recent history of bowing out of the big tournament earlier than expected.  We saw what Coach K’s team thought about that last year, though, didn’t we?

USA. This is a tough one, because of the obvious bias.  We won’t expound on why soccer has yet to take off in the US as much as people seem to keep predicting it will; that’s for another time and another blog.  Soccer in America is still a work in progress, but this year’s side has got more talent than some of the international experts are letting on, and they’ll be one of the fitter teams in the competition.  Striker Jozy Altidore has something like -13% body fat, defender Oguchi Onyewu has a suspect knee but looks like he could go a few rounds with Floyd Mayweather, Landon Donovan is becoming one of the world’s finest midfielders (and was once married to Bianca Kajlich, so props, brother), the versatile Clint Dempsey tends to rise up and score right when you think he’s literally sleeping, and goalie Tim Howard is one of the world’s best at his position.  It’s tough to think of an analogous college basketball team, and people aren’t going to like this, but we’ll call them last year’s Northern Iowa squad.  Dangerous if they’re on, and capable of one big upset, but the best-case realistic scenario is the Sweet 16.  We hope we’re wrong.

OUR PICKS

Keep in mind, this is a college basketball blog.  We don’t even know if what’s written above is coherent.  We just took what we know about these teams and personalities and made connections with what we really know, which is college roundball.  So don’t be making any special trips to the ATM after reading this, unless you’re betting opposite what we say.

So, disclaimer out of the way, here we go:  we’ll take England over Mexico in a seriously close quarterfinal, and the Netherlands surprising the holy living caipirinhas out of Brazil in the other quarter on that side.  On the other end, we’ll take Tim Duncan and Argentina over Tom Izzo’s Germany side, and Spain’s La Furia Roja over Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in a battle of great nicknames (Cameroon wins that one if it were nicknames only, though).  That gives us Netherlands over England is the first Final Four matchup, and call us crazy, but we’re taking the Oranje (that’s Holland).  Then it’s Spain over Argentina in the other Final Four bout.

It would be the safe play to take Spain in the final…but where’s the fun in that?  We’re going with the Netherlands to pull the shocker.  It wasn’t a shock when Duke won in Indianapolis a few months ago, but as far as the tournament as a whole, the similarities are there.  They’re talented at every spot, deep, have scorers who can light up the scoreboard and defenders who can turn out your lights.  They’re well-coached.  The road in won’t be very difficult, and despite all that, nobody will really talk about them until they actually get close to winning it.  If they actually get there and knock off the Spaniards, it would be closer to Villanova over Georgetown, but what the hell.  The Netherlands will be singing “One Shining Moment” on July 11th — or some strange-sounding version thereof.

And that pick has nothing to do with the fact that the administrative assistant here at the RTC Southern Compound is a knockout babe from Maastricht.

Enjoy the World Cup, fellow college basketball fans…now that you can.

Conference Realignment: The Sad Reality

By Eamonn Brennan

Read this article on ESPN.com

The college basketball fan lives a difficult life. The season is too short. The offseason is too long. The NCAA tournament, as brilliant a competition as any in sports, is under siege. And maybe the worst of it? Nobody cares.

Oh, it's not that nobody cares about college basketball. But there's a difference between most people -- those whose fandom shifts and glides with the seasons, moving thoughtlessly from one sport to the next -- and the die-hard college basketball fan, who year-round sees everything through the prism of the game he or she loves.

Most people follow college hoops from January to April. The die-hard follows it from April to April.

Most people start thinking about their brackets when the conference tournaments start. The die-hard begins thinking about his bracket when the Maui Invitational starts.

You might be a college basketball die-hard if ... OK, OK, I'll stop. You get the idea. College basketball fans are passionate, but they're outnumbered. And in case the die-hard college basketball fan needed yet another reminder of their downtrodden disparity, I give you ... Conference Expansionocalypse 2010.

Everybody's making moves. The cell phones are ringing, the tweets are flying, and the e-mails are being leaked. But the most recent and potentially most dire development to the college hoops fan is that of the Pac-10's rumored attempts at forming the Death Star of West Coast conferences: The Pac-16.

That plan, one of many discussed at the Pac-10 meeting this past weekend, involves raiding the southern half of the Big 12 and adding teams like Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and either Colorado or Baylor to the current Pac-10. It's a move that would complement Missouri and Nebraska's apparent angling for spots in the Big Ten, and it would effectively dissolve the Big 12 as we know it.

What's insane about this scenario -- OK, there's a lot insane about this scenario, but let's start here -- is the teams that would be left behind. There's Baylor, a rising hoops program under coach Scott Drew. There's Kansas State, a rising hoops program under Frank Martin. There's Iowa State, which is a traditionally proud hoops program currently mired in the rebuilding muck.

That's at least two programs who finished in the top three of the Big 12 conference standings in 2009-10 who could get left out to dry in several of the conference expansion scenarios. If you add Missouri, which is playing a delicate game of chicken with the Big Ten and its own conference at the same time, you get three in the top five.

And that's before you talk about Kansas.

Remember Kansas? You know, one of the nation's premier hoops programs, a veritable cradle of the game, the place that employed James Naismith as its head basketball coach a mere six years after the Canadian doctor wrote the sport's first official rules, and a place that has pretty much done nothing but win at basketball since? The team that plays in one of college hoops' most revered fieldhouses and the site of many a basketball pilgrimage each winter? Yeah, that Kansas.

The Pac-10 doesn't want Kansas. The Big Ten doesn't seem wholly interested. The Jayhawks are, for the moment, on the outside of conference expansion looking in. Which says a lot more about conference expansion than it does the Kansas Jayhawks.

What it says is that college basketball doesn't at all factor into what conference expansion will produce. Those results might be elegant and simple -- Notre Dame joining the Big Ten and rounding off the expansion dominoes in one fell swoop.

Or it could be unwieldy: a Pac-16, a Big-16, the dissolution of the Big East, a joint deal between the Big 12 and the Pac-10, the SEC annexing itself from the NCAA and starting its own college football league on the moon. Everything's in play. But no matter what happens, basketball won't be a factor. And that's just a little bit depressing.

This isn't the first time someone has written this, by the way. A soul-crushingly handsome young fellow with a funny Irish name wrote about the potentially disastrous effects of Big Ten expansion on the Big East in late April, back when Big Ten expansion was the hottest topic in town. (Oh, how times have changed.) To be sure, the Big Ten's encroachment into Big East territory would mark a huge shift for college hoops; it would effectively neuter the Big East, potentially robbing it of two marquee basketball programs (Syracuse and Pittsburgh) in what is at its very core a basketball conference.

But at least Big Ten expansion seemed to show some signs of sanity in regard to college hoops. Picking up those two programs wouldn't be the focus of any expansion, but it would serve as a nice perk. If the Big Ten added Syracuse and Pittsburgh, or Syracuse and Connecticut, it would be grabbing up two of the nation's premier basketball programs in two important markets while simultaneously morphing into the best basketball conference in the country. The situation works in toto. That can't be discounted.

The Pac-16 would be a good basketball conference, sure, but that's clearly not the goal here. Texas (the state, not the school) is the target, and Texas, despite a couple of good basketball programs in Austin and College Station, is not basketball country. Same goes for Oklahoma. Oklahoma State, with its intense fandom and quirky Gallagher-Iba arena, is the one school mentioned that feels like it traditionally loves its hoops as much as its college football. One out of six ain't bad.

Ah, but what are you going to do? As always in conference expansion, this is nothing more than a lament. We hoops fans get it. We understand the game. College football makes the money. College football pays for everything else. College football is what moves the needle, and moving the needle is what conference expansion is all about. We're not naive.

We are, however, a little bit sad. No one wants Kansas? The Kansas? Really?

College basketball die-hards may understand the cold reality of conference expansion. But that doesn't make it any less insane.

Surprise . . . . NCAA Investigation at UK

Report: NCAA investigating Bledsoe

It was only a matter of time . . . but I gotta hand it to Cal, he's like a mob boss. He knows how to do stuff illegally without getting his own hands dirty. While I have absolutely no doubt that he has everything to do with this, I'm almost certain that he will never be implicated.

But you have to admit, it's starting to look pretty bad, UK fans. I mean, these investigations follow the man everywhere he goes. Although I hope UK isn't punished for this as far as sanctions, I hope Cal gets his due. I really do. He's just such a villain. If Cal gets run out UK, hopefully they will do the right thing this time instead of the desperate thing: getting a guy who everyone knows is bad news.

2010-11 ACC Preview

Read this article on Bleacher Report

Well, the 2010 recruiting class is finally finished, so it's time to preview some college basketball. Yeah . . there's still like 6 months until the season starts, but we gotta do something while baseball is crushing our souls. First, let's take a look at the ACC, my personal favorite league. The ACC overall is probably going to be a little weaker than the the Big Ten this year, but should have enough quality teams to send 7 or maybe even 8 teams to the NCAA tournament. The Big East is slightly down this year with teams like UConn, Syracuse, and Georgetown not quite as strong as they are traditionally, so the ACC should be in contention for the 2nd most powerful conference.

1. Duke
Last Year’s Record: 35-5 (13-3)
Key Departure: Jon Scheyer
Key Recruit: Kyrie Irving

Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Nolan Smith
SF: Kyle Singler
PF: Miles Plumlee
C: Mason Plumlee

Not much to argue about here. Many consider my Blue Devils the preseason #1 overall. This team is absolutely loaded in the back court, and it could be justified that this is the best back court in the nation. Kyrie Irving, Nolan Smith, Seth Curry, and Andre Dawkins will form the core of the Duke perimeter rotation, and has the potential to be the highest scoring back court in the nation.

Back Court: Kyrie Irving will be a star, and the scary thing is, he's only going to improve because of the talent that surrounds him at Duke. Additionally, he is a player who will make everyone on the team better because of his ability to penetrate the defense with his great ball handling, hit the three pointer, and make plays with both his passing and scoring. Nolan Smith will join him in the starting lineup, where he flourished in his junior year as a dynamic scoring guard with the ability to create plays for himself and his teammates off the dribble. He is also a much improved shooter. Nolan's leadership will play a large part in this team's success. While he and Kyle Singler were named co-captains, there can be no doubt that Nolan is the heart and soul of this team, and their fortunes in the postseason will largely depend on his ability to foster team chemistry. Seth Curry will also surprise many people with his great ability to score. Even though he will come off the bench (at least to begin the season), Seth is one of the most talented players in the ACC. Andre Dawkins will be a year removed from the tragedy that struck his family last year, and should return as a dead-eye shooter who will stretch defenses. Freshman Tyler Thornton may also see some minutes as a defensive specialist.

Front Court: Up front, the Blue Devils aren't quite as deep as last year, when they rotated 4 guys in and out for the power positions. The losses of Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek will hurt in terms of rebounding and interior defense, but without big slow Zoubs, Duke can really run now. Mason and Miles Plumlee are both big, athletic, and most importantly, mobile. Both of these guys are capable of running 94 feet and finishing strong on a fast break. Expect both Plumlees to have breakout years. Kyle Singler needs no introduction. As last year's Final Four MOP, Singler will be a candidate for First Team All-America honors. Ryan Kelly and Josh Hairston will both see some some minutes off the bench, most likely depending on the foul situation. Both players are more perimeter oriented forwards with good shooting touch, and both need to get stronger. Carrick Felix, the highly anticipated JUCO transfer decided to opt out of his letter of intent, so it is important that Kelly and Hairston develop quickly in to good role players.


Outlook: Duke will be a completely different team than last year, but with the addition of a pure point guard in Irving, we will see a fast, up and down style team who will have many 3 point shooters and defend opponents past the 3 point line. Mike Krzyzewski is a master of changing styles based on his personnel, so look for Duke to put up a strong bid for a title defense.

2. N.C. State
Last Year’s Record: 20-16 (5-11)
Key Departure: Farnold Degand
Key Recruit: C.J. Leslie

Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: Ryan Harrow
SG: Javier Gonzalez
SF: Scott Wood
PF: C.J. Leslie
C: Tracy Smith

This may come as a surprise to many people, but to me, the Wolf Pack added a VERY strong recruiting class to a decent team that won 5 games in the ACC last year, including a great win at home against my Dukies. Returning senior Tracy Smith and Javier Gonzalez will provide the leadership for the 3 high impact freshman joining N.C. State. The amount of talent in the triangle area (better known as Tobacco Road) will be incredible this year. I believe this team is dangerous.

Back Court: Star freshman point guard Ryan Harrow will be given the controls from the first game. He is a dynamic athlete and will quickly become one of the best ball handlers in the league. Although he is a bit undersized at 5-11, Harrow has the hops to play much bigger. His fellow freshman Lorenzo Brown could challenge for a starting spot as well. Brown is also a very good athlete with the ability to really get up and play above the rim. Senior Javier Gonzalez will most likely start at the off guard position. Scott Wood will provide outside shooting.

Front Court: C.J. Leslie will be an instant impact player. He is a freak athlete and is a powerful finisher at the rim. I have been high on Leslie for a long time, and I believe he is the real deal. He can rebound, block shots and score equally well. Leslie has the vertical aptitude and the length to be able to affect almost every play near the basket and will be a strong candidate for All-ACC, if not national honors. Tracy Smith is a formidable interior scorer who led the Wolf Pack in scoring last year (16.5 ppg), and DeShawn Painter will provide rebounding and toughness off the bench.

Outlook: Many people will probably disagree with me that NC State is #2 here, but I think this team is fully capable of beating any team in the ACC. Ryan Harrow is extremely underrated, and C.J. Leslie is just an absolute BEAST. I fully believe that they can have the type of immediate impact that some of the freshman stars from last season did. The biggest question here is coach Sidney Lowe. If Lowe can make full use of his talent and find a way to bring out the best in his outstanding freshmen, N.C. State will be a force not only in the ACC, but in postseason play as well. However, if State somehow manages to fail to reach the NCAAs with this plethora of talent, Lowe is almost certainly out as head coach.

3. Virginia Tech
Last Year’s Record: 21-11 (9-7)
Key Departure: None
Key Recruit: Jarrell Eddie

Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: Malcolm Delaney
SG: Dorenzo Hudson
SF: Terrell Bell
PF: Jeff Allen
C: Victor Davila

Virginia Tech's core of Malcolm Delaney,  Dorenzo Hudson, and Jeff Allen have all returned and will lead the Hokies in a strong ACC campaign. With literally the same squad as last year plus a few recruits, this team has the experience and the senior leadership to really do some damage. Seth Greenberg is, in my opinion, one of the better coaches in this league, and that's saying a lot, considering how many national title winning coaches there are in the ACC.

Back Court: Delaney will be a contender for ACC player of the year throughout the season. There are very few players who are as good as him at slashing to the paint and scoring or getting fouled. Delaney lead the ACC in free throw attempts last year, and I don't see why he can't repeat that performance. Dorenzo Hudson is a big 2 guard who can really get to the basket. Look for him to become one of the outstanding scorers in the ACC this year. However, he must improve on his perimeter shooting, as that is one of the main weaknesses of this squad. Terrell Bell and Erick Green will be solid backups at the wing positions.

Front Court: The Hokies are one of the deepest teams in the league, but they lack size. Victor Davila (6-8) and Jeff Allen (6-7) will need to work hard to defend against the taller opposition in many games, and this could prove to be a minor chink in the Hokie's defense. Fortunately, Tech does have a wealth of front court players. Cadarian Raines, who is still a project, but is 6-9, 240 lbs. could emerge as a viable option in the post, and 6-8 Allan Chaney, a transfer from Florida could also contribute immediately. Tech is known for its swarming high pressure defense, and the depth of this team could allow it to constantly throw high energy reserves into the mix to create havoc.

Outlook: With the three studs in Delaney, Hudson, and Allen, this team will have no trouble scoring. In addition, Seth Greenberg coached teams always play very good defense, and I suspect this team will follow suit. Since no key players left, this team will have played together longer than anyone. I look for Tech to have a very good year, and contend for the ACC title. Their lack of size will be offset by their incredible amount of depth at every position, and Malcolm Delaney is a bona fide star who can carry them offensively when things get tight.

4. North Carolina
Last Year’s Record: 20-17 (5-11)
Key Departure: Ed Davis
Key Recruit: Harrison Barnes

Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: Larry Drew II
SG: Reggie Bullock
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: John Henson
C: Tyler Zeller

Ah yes, the hated Tarholes of UNC. I'll be frank, I'm still bitter over the whole Harrison Barnes ordeal. I mean, he was a Duke lean for SUCH a long time. But now that Singler is back, it doesn't hurt quite as bad. Harrison is going to regret his decision, because with the departure of Ed Davis to the NBA draft and the transfer of the Wear sisters, UNC's lineup looks awfully thin up front, and he's going to spend a great deal of time at power forward whether he likes it or not. However, I still have them at #4 because Barnes may just be the most talented player to come to North Carolina since #23.


Back Court: The guards were certainly the greatest weakness of last year's pathetic squad that went down in flames in the NIT finals. While Larry Drew was an adequate playmaker, he often took bad shots and turned the ball over way too often for a starting point guard in the ACC. With another year under his belt, I look for him to improve his play a bit. (Although not much) Fortunately for him, he will have help this year in terms of ball handling. Freshman point Kendall Marshall will challenge him for the starting spot, and many have described Marshall as one of the best passers in the 2010 class. Reggie Bullock will immediately give Will Graves a run for his money for the starting 2 guard spot. Both players can hit the 3, but Bullock is more physically imposing and is an aggressive defender, I would give him the nod.



Front Court: A reversal of fortunes suddenly transforms last year's deepest front court in the ACC into it's thinnest. With the sudden defections of the Wear twins, UNC will have just two true post players (and that's pushing it) in the made-of-glass Tyler Zeller and the bulimic Jon Henson. Transfer Johnny Knox will be a big body who can come off the bench and spell one of the starters for a few minutes, but I don't see him contributing in any significant capacity. Zeller is a capable scorer when healthy, and has the size to compete, but how will he bounce back from two injury riddled seasons? Henson showed flashes of his defensive brilliance late last year, but will he return for his second year with a bit more bulk and a legit offensive repertoire? Obviously, the real gem of this front court has to be Barnes, the do-it-all freshman who will need to be the leader of this team from day one. How well he fares will play a large part in the fortunes of Carolina as a whole.


Outlook: No, I didn't put them at #4 because I'm a Dukie, I'm just really high on NC State, and I couldn't justify putting UNC ahead of Va. Tech. However, I could easily be wrong and the Heels could be #1 in the ACC when it's all said and done. That's the type of talent they have. The Tar Heels will be much improved over last season's forgettable campaign, but their severe lack of depth up front will hurt. A key injury could derail the entire season. However, if Tyler Zeller's shaky knees hold up, UNC will make a strong case for a #3 or #4 seed in the NCAAs, and with a transcendent star in Harrison Barnes, could make some serious noise. Will ol' Roy figure out how to cover up his weaknesses? We'll find out.

5. Miami
Last Year’s Record: 20-13 (4-12)
Key Departure: Dwayne Collins
Key Recruit: Rion Brown

Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: Durand Scott
SG: Malcolm Grant
SF: DeQuan Jones
PF: Julian Gamble
C: Reggie Johnson

Miami started out last season strong against very questionable competition, then faded early in the ACC slate, but made a bit of a push towards the end, crushing Wake Forest, beating a very good Va. Tech squad, and then losing to Duke by just 3 in their final three games. Durand Scott and Reggie Johnson were a big factor late in the season, and both gave a glimpse of what could be in store for 2010-11.

Back Court: Scott is a marvelous athlete who resembles a running back in his build. He is a scoring machine, and is capable of taking over a game at any time. He will be an NBA point guard at some point in the future. Scott flourished towards the end of the year as he put up 29 against UNC and then 21 against Duke. Look for him to be one of the top scorers in the league this year. Malcolm Grant and Garrius Adams will provide and offensive spark with their outside shooting. Rion Brown is a high flying wing player who could be inserted for a bit more speed.

Front Court: Reggie Johnson is the major story here. Although it took him a while to develop, he became an absolute beast at the end of the year. At 6-10, 295 lbs, Johnson will not be pushed around by anyone in the country, and will form one of the best 1-2 scoring punches in the ACC with Durant Scott. Dequan Jones is a super athletic wing player who can score in double digits in the right match ups, and Julian Gamble is another big body who began to show flashes of brilliance late in the year.

Outlook: Although the loss of three seniors will hurt to an extent, this team is young and athletic and has great size and strength at every position. Scott is a star and will be able to provide playmaking and scoring in bunches. Johnson and Gamble may create a bit of jam up front since both are more true centers than power forwards, so this team will be a bit more half court oriented. Frank Haith has recruited very well for Miami, and this team will be a tough out in the NCAA tournament.

6. Boston College 
Last Year’s Record: 15-16 (6-10)
Key Departure: Al Skinner (Coach)
Key Recruit: None


PG: Reggie Jackson
SG: Biko Paris
SF: Corey Raji
PF: Joe Trapani
C: Josh Southern

While everyone else improved or lost key players, Boston College pretty much stayed the same,.minus a head coach. Thus, my prediction for them is about where they were last year, in the middle of the league. Contrary to popular belief, coaching actually matters in college basketball, and the departure of Al Skinner may offset the extra year these kids have played together. Steve Donahue, formerly of Cornell, will teach a completely different style of play, and it will take some time to adjust. Personally, I'm not a fan of Ivy League style play, but Donahue could surprise me. I just don't think it will work particularly well in the ACC, where games are physical and grueling. (Or I could just be completely wrong and he could throw out the old offense and install one that suits the ACC.)


Back Court: Reggie Jackson will be one of the better point guards in the league this year and I expect his play to improve with another year alongside the same exact team. Biko Paris will need to step up his scoring if the Eagles want to improve on their 6-10 mark in the league last year.



Front Court: The Eagles have a great player in Joe Trapani. He is a match up problem for most teams because of his size and shooting ability. Josh Southern must get in shape and become more of a factor. His size will be needed. Corey Raji and Rakim Sanders will continue to provide scoring on the wings.


Outlook: As I said before, I'm not sure how good of a fit Steve Donahue is, he may or may not work out. Therefore, I have the Eagles at #6, but they could be as good as #4 if it truly turns out to be a great match. Who knows? As it is, Boston College is a good team with a chance to make it into the NCAAs. They have a  great amount of experience, and that will definitely help them in the ultra-competitive ACC.

7. Clemson
Last Year’s Record: 21-11 (9-7)
Key Departure: Trevor Booker
Key Recruit: Cory Stanton

Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: Tanner Smith
SG: Demontez Stitt
SF: Bryan Narcisse
PF: Jerai Grant
C: Devin Booker

Clemson took a hit when coach Oliver Purnell decided to leave for DePaul, but there shouldn't be a huge drop off with new coach Brad Brownell. Brownell will not employ the same full court press that Purnell often used, but he coaches a tough defensive style that should translate reasonably well in the ACC with this athletic team.

Back Court: Tanner Smith and Noel Johnson are capable perimeter scorers and defenders, and Demontez Stitt is an experienced senior guard. They also boast an energetic and tough sixth man in Andre Young who can also light it up from the perimeter.

Front Court:  Jerai Grant provides a formidable post presence, but if the Tigers want to challenge for a first round conference tournament bye, Devin Booker and Milton Jennings need to have breakout years. The graduation of four-year stalwart Trevor Booker will open up opportunities for these players and they must step up.

Outlook: It's always hard to tell how a team will respond to a new coach, but this particular team has the senior leadership and the athleticism to compete. The Tigers are as talented and experienced at every position as any team in the conference. They will play tough defense, and have good senior leadership. The coaching change will shake things up a bit, but with the returning upperclassmen, things should stay fairly consistent. Plus, Littlejohn is never an easy place to play a road game.

8. Florida State 
Last Year’s Record: 22-10 (10-6)
Key Departure: Solomon Alabi
Key Recruit: Okaro White

Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: Derwin Kitchen
SG: Michael Snaer
SF: Chris Singleton
PF: Okaro White
C: Xavier Gibson

The loss of Solomon Alabi was a big hit to one of the best defensive teams in the nation, but the Seminoles may still have hope. Chris Singleton and Michael Snaer return to provide leadership, and I don't expect the defense to take a significant drop off even with the absence of Alabi's 2.3 blocks per game. Scoring however, will be more difficult to come by.

Back Court: Derwin Kitchen will have a solid senior season for the 'Noles, he has great size for the point guard position, and should use it effectively to his advantage. Michael Snaer will need to step up his offense and become a leader. Deividas Dulkys and Luke Loucks will both be valuable scorers off the bench as perimeter snipers. Both shot over 40% from three last year.

Front Court: Inside, Xavier Gibson seems ready to break out of his shell and start dominating games with his combination of size and athleticism. Okaro White will need to contribute immediately, as the Seminoles are not particularly deep up front. Singleton will need to be the do-it-all playmaker on offense and defense for this team to succeed at a high level. 


Outlook: This is a very good team that will still play super tough defense and hold opponents to low scoring totals. However, a great deal of their offense will live and die with perimeter shooting, which is never a good thing. When they are hitting the threes, I suspect Florida State will beat some good teams, but when they aren't, it could get ugly. Overall, they have a good shot to make the NCAAs and have a relatively good year.

9. Maryland
Last Year’s Record: 24-9 (13-3)
Key Departure: Greivis Vasquez
Key Recruit: Mychal Parker


PG: Adrian Bowie
SG: Sean Mosley
SF: Cliff Tucker
PF: Dino Gregory
C: Jordan Williams


Maryland lost a huge chunk of their core with the graduation of their top three scorers from last year in Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes, and Landon Milbourne, and will likely experience a rebuilding year in the bottom half of the ACC. However, this does not mean the Terrapins can't be good enough to make the field of 68 (lol). Anytime you have a coach like Gary Williams, you can never count Maryland out.


Back Court: Adrian Bowie will need to fill the role of Vasquez in his senior year, and it will be a tough job. Bowie played a relatively small role last year, but his assist to turnover ratio was decent. Sean Mosley will need to step in and become the leader of the squad, as he will get the majority of the shots in the back court. Mosley is a great defensive stopper, but was erratic on offense last year. Cliff Tucker will need to step it up on offense as well. Mychal Parker is an athletic wing who will come off the bench and provide engergy. Freshman Terrell Stoglin is an interesting point guard prospect who could compete for immediate minutes.


Front Court: Jordan Williams will need to be the star of this team. He was a big reason why the Terps were able to secure a share of the ACC regular season championship last year, and he will once again be a premier post player in the league. Outside of Williams, there isn't much experience up front. The Terps will need to rely on Dino Gregory and James Padgett, who both had limited roles last seasons. These players will really need to step up for Maryland to succeed. Berend Weijs is a JUCO transfer who could become the X-Factor for Maryland. He is a an outstanding shot blocker and has great size.


Outlook: Although this teams does have plenty of seniors, most of them have been role players to this point. The Terps have a good 6 man recruiting class, and will feature a star post player in Jordan Williams, but overall, with so many young and inexperienced players, I can't see them beating the top tier teams in the ACC. However, they still have a chance to make the NCAAs with a great coach like Gary Williams, and Comcast Stadium is still one of the toughest places to play in the country.


10. Georgia Tech
Last Year’s Record: 23-13 (7-9)
Key Departure: Derrick Favors
Key Recruit: Jason Morris


Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: Iman Shumpert
SG: Glen Rice Jr.
SF: Brian Oliver
PF: Daniel Miller
C: Brad Sheehan

Tech lost a great deal of talent to the draft, but there's still enough lying around for them to make a run if their shooters can get on a roll. However, the loss of Favors and Lawal can not be understated. It is never an easy thing to replace size and rebounding. Tech will be hurting up front.

Back Court: Iman Shumpert has been a prolific scorer at times, and  Brian Oliver and Glen Rice, Jr. are both capable wings who can shoot the ball. Mfon Udofia was in the starting lineup to begin the season last year, but fell out of favor as the season progressed, look for him to improve and get back to his early season form.

Front Court: Really not much here . . . Daniel Miller was a welcome addition at the last second, and is touted as a good shot blocker, but he is just a freshman, and big men take time to develop. Seldom used Brad Sheehan will need to play extended minutes this year. Jason Morris is a good wing player, but this team has plenty of depth on the wings. I suspect they will have trouble with the ACC teams with size.

Outlook: Not great, but definitely not terrible. Tech has enough talent on the perimeter to score with the big boys, but it will be difficult for them to match up with the more talented bigs in the league. Shumpert will be in the running for All-Conference honors, but don't look for Tech to make the NCAAs.


11. Wake Forest
Last Year’s Record: 20-11 (9-7)
Key Departure: Al-Farouq Aminu
Key Recruits: J.T. Terrell

Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: C.J. Harris
SG: J.T. Terrell
SF: Ari Stewart
PF: David Weaver
C: Tony Woods

There is perhaps no team in the NCAA that will be rebuilding like Wake Forest. This team is almost entirely new from top to bottom. Al-Farouq Aminu, Ish Smith, L.D. Williams and Chas McFarland are all gone, and so is head coach Dino Gaudio. Fortunately, Gaudio's top 10 recruiting class decided to stick around, and the future looks good for Wake. Many questioned the hiring of Jeff Bzdelik (I definitely had to look up how to spell that), but he does bring some experience in the NBA, and he did convince all the recruits to stay with Wake Forest.


Back Court: C.J. Harris is going to need to hit the ground running in his sophomore year, as he is the highest scoring returning player from last season. Harris is going to need to be the star for this team, and his questionable shot selection will need to improve. J.T. Terrell will need to step in and contribute immediately.


Front Court: Ari Stewart and Tony Woods are the only two players in the front court who saw any meaningful minutes last year, and both will need to be consistent and lead this very young team.

Outlook: In the short term, things won't be pretty in Winston-Salem. This will be a VERY young team. The incoming freshmen are very talented, however, and in a year or two, the Demon Deacons will be back in Business.

12. Virginia
Last Year’s Record: 15-16 (5-11)
Key Departure: Sylven Landesburg
Key Recruit: K.T. Harrell

Projected Starting Line-Up:
PG: Sammy Zeglinski
SG: Jeff Jones
SF: Mustapha Farrakhan
PF: Mike Scott
C: Assane Sene

Virginia is another team in the midst of a rebuilding effort. Three players decided to leave the program in the offseason, including leading scorer Sylven Landesburg. However, a great recruiting class will be joining the Cavs this year, and it will be interesting to see how they develop on the fly.

Back Court: Mustapha Farrakhan and Jeff Jones will need to provide senior leadership for this young team. Jones and Junior Sammy Zeglinski will be able to score in bunches with his outstanding perimeter shooting.K.T. Harrell is a talented wing player who could work himself into the rotation.

Front Court: Mike Scott will be a stabilizing force up front with his scoring and rebounding, but he will find help hard to come by. Assane Sene is still a work in progress, but his great size will at least help him grab some rebounds. Freshman James Johnson could step in and steal a starting spot if he plays well.


Outlook: There's a good amount of young talent here, but there's just not enough experienced post players. Virginia will have to wait a couple of years for this freshman class to develop.