2011-2012 College Basketball Conference Preview: ACC

In preparation for the start of the 2011-2012 regular season on November 7, we’re running a preview series here on Busting Brackets. Our conference previews continue with a look at the ACC, which has two teams at the top that you might have heard of before..

CONFERENCE STRENGTH

We all know the deal; this conference is powered by two of the most prominent and successful college basketball programs of all time, North Carolina and Duke. And then there is everyone else. This has especially been the case recently. Last year, Leonard Hamilton’s Florida State squad became the first ACC team, other than Duke or North Carolina, to reach the Sweet 16 since 2006.

However, there are many conferences that would kill for the ACC’s supposed problems. A down year for the ACC last year equaled four NCAA Tournament bids, two Sweet 16 teams, one Elite 8 team and a conference RPI rank of 4, down from their customary 1 or 2 ranking. If the ACC was indeed down last year, don’t expect that to be the case again this season.

North Carolina and Duke will of course be high end national contenders this year and the league as a whole will be much improved, as the middle of the pack should be a much tougher out this winter and spring. Teams such as Virginia, Miami, North Carolina State and Maryland should be better due to coaching changes or increased talent and experience levels. Look for the ACC to be a flat out better league than it was a year ago and to receive six or seven NCAA Tournament bids.

HEAD OF THE CLASS

You could have been abducted by aliens 15-20 years ago, been safely returned to Earth yesterday and still correctly predict who the top two teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference are. North Carolina is the head of the national class once again this year and Duke is not too far behind. As usual, both programs have National Championship aspirations, with the Tar Heels’ being slightly more realistic.

Florida State, which has become the third best basketball program in this league, will be strong once again and seek to challenge the two behemoths at the top. Hamilton’s teams have won 22 or more games the last three years and that should continue with FSU’s typical mix of suffocating defense and unsightly offense. Defense (alone) may not win championships in the ACC, but third place will be attainable.

Look for Tony Bennett and Virginia to get a taste of the top third of the conference this year. Bennett has done a masterful job attaining a 31-31 record over the last two years with undermanned squads. This season, the Cavaliers have the pieces in place to be a legitimate threat in the conference.

THE SLEEPER

Last year, in Gary Williams’ final season as head coach, Maryland was a frustrating team to evaluate. They were competitive in most games, even against top-ranked opponents. It definitely seemed as though they were better than their 19-14 record (7-9 in the ACC), they just could not put it all together. It will be new head coach Mark Turgeon’s job to infuse new energy and hope into the program. He should be more than up to the task.

Turgeon can coach. He was the Big 12 Coach of the Year at Texas A&M the last two seasons. He led lesser talent to NCAA Tournament first round victories in each of the last four years. Maryland returns a very solid backcourt and Turgeon will figure out how to keep this team in the hunt for a top half of the ACC finish.

FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE

Harrison Barnes (North Carolina) – Perhaps the best player in the nation returns for the best team in the nation.
Seth Curry (Duke) – It’s in his genes. Coach K has liked what he’s seen in the offseason from the young Curry. Expect him to be a team leader and close to prolific scorer this year for the Dukies.
John Henson (North Carolina) – The double-double machine will be even better this year after going through a much-needed maturation process this summer.
Mike Scott (Virginia) – The redshirt senior averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavs before missing the last 21 games of last season with an ankle injury.
Tyler Zeller (North Carolina) – The talented 7-footer seeks to improve on his 15.7 points and 7.2 rebounds a game last season.

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1. North Carolina – With three 1st team all-league selections and at least one more capable of the same, it’s a no-brainer to place them atop the league and maybe the country.

2. Duke – With a solid, if young, backcourt and a huge, experienced frontline, Coach K will have the Blue Devils contending for the ACC championship.

3. Florida State – If the Seminoles were an NFL team, they’d likely be the Ravens. Can Hamilton get enough out of his offense? He should get enough for third place in the ACC.

4. Virginia – Mike Scott returns for another season. That should be enough to put Bennett and the Cavaliers in the upper-echelon of the league this year.

5. Miami – Who woulda thunk it? A New Yorker gets older and decides to settle down out in Miami. A very solid New York backcourt duo will make life on the beach even better for the 61-year-old Jim Larranaga.

6. Clemson – Some expect the Tigers to regress this season after the loss of three starters. The Bet here is that the regression will be very slight, as coach Brad Brownell still has talent on the roster and we know they will play hard, especially on the defensive end.

7. Maryland – Led by guards Terrell Stoglin and Pe’Shon Howard (UPDATE: Howard will now be out three months with a broken foot), Turgeon and Maryland will find a way to be very, very competitive.

8. Virginia Tech – After the loss of ACC great Malcolm Delaney and two other starters from last year, there will be a bit of a rebuilding process for Seth Greenberg and the Hokies.

9. North Carolina State – New coach Mark Gottfried has some talent to work with and the Wolfpack will be better. But, the ACC is no slouch this year.

10. Wake Forest – Coming off of an 8-24 campaign last season (1-15 in the ACC), improvement should not be too hard to come by. With the return of four starters, the still young Demon Deacons will be more competitive.

11. Georgia Tech – Embattled former Tech coach Paul Hewitt did not leave much in the way of talent for new coach Brian Gregory. The talent level, along with the adjustment period necessary to install a new system, will make this a long year for the Yellow Jackets.

12. Boston College – After a solid first year for Steve Donahue with the leftover talent from the Al Skinner regime, the Eagles will attempt to start from scratch this year, literally. BC returns no starters from last season and will have to start five players with little to no ACC experience. Good luck.

What are your thoughts on the ACC heading into the season?

Want more college hoops talk? You can follow us on Twitter (@theblakelovell) and @Blacketologist, or check out our Facebook page for more college basketball discussion!