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?

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.

Top Recruiting Classes of 2010

 Read this article on Bleacher Report

Now that the vast majority of the highly rated senior prospects have committed to a school, it's time to take a look at which colleges got the best recruiting hauls. Many of the same names are back in the picture. John Calipari, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, and Thad Matta all made big splashes with this year's class, but many newcomers have entered the picture as well. Memphis' Jon Pastner and NC State's Sidney Lowe came through big for their schools on the recruiting trail.

Lets look at the top 10 classes, but first here are some schools with great classes coming in, but just missed the cut for the top 10:

Florida
#13 F Patric Young
#35 G/F Casey Prather
F Cody Larson
F Will Yeguette
G Scottie Wilbekin

Missouri
#24 F Tony Mitchell
#42 G Phil Pressey
G/F Ricky Kreklow
F Kadeem Green
F Ricardo Ratliff
G Matt Pressey

Wake Forest
#49 G JT Terrell
#60 F Travis McKie
#64 C Carson Desrosiers
F Melvin Tabb
G Tony Chennault

Illinois
#23 G/FJerome Richmond
#47 C Meyers Leonard
#79 G Crandall Head

10. North Carolina State
#11 F CJ Leslie
#39 G Ryan Harrow
G Lorenzo Brown

State is officially back. Sidney Lowe secured a HUGE commitment (again) from athletic freak CJ Leslie, who had UK in his top 3 at the very end of his recruitment. Leslie is a dunking and rebounding machine. He stands 6'8' but has RIDICULOUS arm length. You'll see what I'm talking about next year. Leslie will be one the best shot blockers in the nation with his unreal combination of length and athleticism. What a steal for NC State.
Ryan Harrow will start at point guard from day 1. He gives Coach Lowe a savvy guard who has many, many ways of scoring. He's lightning quick and has the unusually solid knack for shooting on the move. With Harrow at the controls, the Wolfpack will be back in the hunt for the ACC title.

9. Tennessee
#6 F Tobias Harris
#38 G Jordan McRae
G Trae Golden

Versatile forward Tobias Harris is the jewel of Bruce Pearl's latest class. Harris is a good shooter, rebounds extremely well, and has been commended for his great work ethic. He needs to work on his post game, but with his ability to play up to 3 different positions, he will be a star in the SEC.
McRae is an aggressive slasher who has great ability to create his own shot and finish at the rim. He isn't a great shooter, but should be a great contributor to the Vols with his athleticism and slashing ability.

8. Michigan State
#26 C Adreian Payne
#27 G Keith Appling
#61 F Russell Byrd
F Alex Gauna

The Spartans only add to their already formidable Final Four Squad that loses just 1 starter with this incredible class, headlined by two studs in Payne and Appling. Payne is one of the best centers in the class, and will most likely start for Coach Izzo. He is a long, athletic shot blocker who is explosive and plays above the rim. He will be a tough interior defender for an already scary good defensive MSU team. Offensively, he is not quite as polished, but the Spartans will not need him to score. Great pickup for Izzo.
Appling is a compact scorer who once scored 49 points in a high school state championship game. He is super quick and can shoot the jumper. His only weakness is that he needs the ball to be effective and must work on his point guard skills. Once he develops a floor game, he will be a tough guy to stop.

7. Texas

#10 F Tristan Thompson
#16 G Cory Joseph
Rick Barnes went waaaay up north to Canada to find these two young studs. Texas's class is more about quality than quantity. Thompson is an extraordinarily gifted athlete. He is a combo forward who can guard players on the perimeter as well as down low. He is an elite rebounder and can really get it done on both ends of the court. He must improve on his shooting and ball handling, but has unlimited potential.
Cory Joseph is THE best defensive guard in the class. He is a relentless ballhawk and an accurate perimeter shooter.He doesn't have the explosiveness and athleticism of some other guards, but overall, may be the one of the two best pure point guards in the class. He can handle the ball, and is a great distributor.

6. Duke
#3 G Kyrie Irving
#19 F Josh Hairston
G Tyler Thornton
G Seth Curry (Transfer from Liberty)
F Carrick Felix (Transfer from College of Southern Idaho)

It's been a LOOOOONG time since Coach K had a point guard prospect like Kyrie Irving. Not all scouting services agree at the moment, but I am 100% confident that KI is the number one point guard in this year's class, and it's not even close. No guard in 2010 has Irving's combination of speed, quickness, court vision, shooting stroke, and ability to get to the rim at will. He has the body strength to score through contact, and is deadly in crunch time. Duke will not miss a beat with KI replacing Jon Scheyer at the point.
Also going to Durham next year is Josh Hairston, a versatile forward who is long and athletic. Hairston can shoot the three with accuracy and is smooth offensively with his face-up game. He needs to work on his strength, but should be a valuable contributor off the bench.
Seth Curry also joins the Blue Devils after a year sitting on the bench due to NCAA transfer rules. After leading all freshman in the nation in scoring at Liberty in 2009, Curry is ready to contribute immediately with his deadly three point shooting and overall scoring ability.

5. Syracuse

#11 G Dion Waiters
#14 C Fabricio Melo
#63 F CJ Fair
C Baye Moussa Keita

Syracuse lost it's best player in Wes Johnson, but don't be surprised to see the Orange back in the hunt for a #1 seed with imposing 7 footer Fab Melo suiting up for Jim Boeheim. Melo is 7 feet tall and 270 pounds and will be the anchor of Boeheim's stifling 2-3 zone. He can block shots, rebound, and score. Melo can really do it all.
Waiters is big time scoring guard who owns a body built for contact. He can get himself hoops when he needs to, and has a great first step, accelerates and finishes at the rim. A talented scoring threat.

4. North Carolina

#1 G/FHarrison Barnes
#18 G/F Reggie Bullock
#22 G Kendall Marshall

It's a little bit hard to believe this isn't the #1 class this year, but that just shows you how good the top classes really are. If you haven't heard of Harrison Barnes at this point, then you've been living in another galaxy. Barnes is the most complete player in the country. He has a 7 foot wingspan, can shoot the 3, get to the rim, is a lock down defender, can handle the ball, and the list goes on and on. No player in the country will be as good as Harrison Barnes next year. Yes, that includes upperclassmen.
Reggie Bullock is a deadly shooter and has great size. He is also an accomplished defender and will start alongside Barnes right away.
Marshall finally gives Ol' Roy a floor leader who can really pass. He isn't quite the fast break dynamo that Kyrie Irving is, but make no mistake, this guy is one of the best passers in the class.
Tobacco road looks to be hotly contested this year, as NC State, UNC, and Duke will all be formidable teams in the ACC.

3. Kentucky
#4 G Brandon Knight
#25 C Enes Kanter
#29 G Doron Lamb
#51 G/F Stacy Poole
G Jarrod Polson

Knight is a a big time scorer, he has the ability to create for himself, but needs to work on his passing and court vision. He has good athletic ability and size for the point guard position and will step in nicely for John Wall.
Enes Kanter may be the most underrated prospect in this year's class. He is a big time scorer in the post and can shoot the mid ranged jumper as well. He is fundamentally sound and has great basketball IQ. He will be one of the top centers in the country.
Lamb is one of the top scoring wing players in this class. He really has a great feel for getting buckets. He could be more explosive off the bounce, but overall just a really talented kid.

2. Memphis
#8 G Will Barton
#21 G Joe Jackson
#44 G/F Jelan Kendrick
#59 Tarik Black
F Hippolyte Tsafack
G Chris Crawfod
G Antonio Barton

Second year coach Josh Pastner picked up right where John Calipari left off: picking up top recruits and making it look easy. Will Barton will be one of the top scoring threats in the nation with his length and aggressiveness. He has great size and has a unique ability to create scoring opportunities for himself. At this point, his greatest weakness is strength, once Barton hits the weights, he will be a force to reckoned with.
Joe Jackson is a high flying scoring machine who reminds some of Nate Robinson. He needs to work on his ball handling and passing to excel at the college level, but he is an elite scorer.
Kendrick is one of those unique wings who will either be a skilled small forward or a point man. He's working towards the latter and has the natural ability to make it happen. Great size, vision and passing skills. Needs to tighten up his handle in traffic but that will come easier once his game grows into his body.

1. Ohio State
#2 C Jared Sullinger
#12 F Deshaun Thomas
#80 G Lenzelle Smith
#82 G Jordan Sibert
G Aaron Craft
F JD Weatherspoon

Ohio State is quickly becoming THE place for centers to go to college. Following in the footsteps of former Buckeyes Oden, Mullens, and Koufos, Jared Sullinger joins Thad Matta as possibly the best of the bunch. Big Sully is an unstoppable low post scorer, using his huge frame extremely well. He must become better conditioned, as his speed and quickness are below par, but he will be the best center in the nation this year.
Deshaun Thomas is an incredible prospect. At 6-7, he is a deadly catch and shoot scorer as well as a threat to take it to the hole. Few players in the country have his combination of size and shooting ability.

Nike Hoops Summit Footage

This clip is from the last portion of the game and features Kyrie’s acrobatic shot which broke the tie at 94 and led the USA to the 101-97 win. Also, I would just like to point out that Kyrie Irving is a beast.

Notable players on the court: #5 Kyrie Irving (Duke) , #7 Harrison Barnes (UNC), #8 Terrence Jones (Undeclared), #11 Brandon Knight (Undeclared), #10 Patric Young (Florida), #13 Jared Sullinger (OSU), #11 (Away team) Enes Kanter (UK), #8 (Away team) Cory Joseph (Undeclared)



Some practice scrimmage footage:

For more clips from the game: Click Here

C.J. Leslie

A couple of nasty mixtapes from high school all-american CJ Leslie, who is currently uncommitted. (But I'm willing to bet he's going to UK) Leslie was one of the guys who really impressed me from the McDonald's All-American game.

Highlights from his junior year (Check out John Wall feeding him passes)


Highlights from him his senior season:


Jesus . . . how is this guy not rated in the top 5?? He must average 20 dunks a game with his unreal athleticism. I'm not really sure how you can even stop that . . the kid can dunk from anywhere inside the free throw line extended and makes getting to the rim look easier than breathing. Let it show on the record that I think this guy will be an NBA all-star.