The Hokies' duo of Delaney and Allen are on the bubble, but a great early season performance could leave no doubt with the committee.
As football season reaches its last turn, the glorious ACC basketball season cometh. We can put away thoughts of horribly inconsistent football teams beating each other up and really making us look bad overall with an upcoming season that will have a bunch of horribly inconsistent teams that will beat each other up and possibly not even have a real National Championship contender(*gasp*). This will be an interesting year in the ACC as they all have the talent to make the NCAAs, but getting on a roll will be difficult for any ACC team this season. If you are not familiar with my style of countdown, I start in the middle and branch out so here’s how your ACC b-ball finishes 7-9 which ranges from securely in to on the bubble for the NCAAs…
Previous Preview
4-6(Florida State, Boston College, Maryland)
- 7) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Potential: Elite 8
Actual: First Round
Strengths: Oozing with talent, post-play, solid guards.
Not-So-Strengths: Coaching, experience, coaching.
Make or Break Player: G Iman Shumpert
Circle It: at home vs. Florida State on December 20. The first one is a big one for the Jackets with a home ACC opener against a quality opponent.
Why They Could Be Higher: Hewitt finds a way to use the talent he has and turn it into a consistent winner.
Why They Could Be Lower: The team shows some signs of brilliant individual play here and there, but never come together as a team.
- 8) Virginia Tech Hokies
Potential: Sweet 16
Actual: Bubble—leaning to NIT
Strengths: Talented backcourt player in Delaney, good big man in Allen, good coach in Greenburg.
Not-So-Strengths: Every other position not fielded by Allen and Delaney, consistency(common theme in the ACC this season), quality depth, experience.
Make or Break Player: F Jeff Allen
Circle It: at Temple on November 27. These early season OOCs have absolutely destroyed the Hokies tournament resume—must-win.
Why They Could Be Higher: Greenberg has two All-ACC players plus a couple others who step up. The Hokies win their key out-of-conference games and give the NCAA Tourney Committee no room to leave them out.
Why They Could Be Lower: VT is not more than just the two players and the lower tier teams perform.
- 9) Virginia Cavaliers
Potential: First Round
Actual: Bubble—leaning to NIT
Strengths: Guard play, defensive mentality from Bennett.
Not-So-Strengths: Post-play, completely new scheme, experience.
Make or Break Player: G Sylven Landesberg
Circle It: at Wake Forest on January 23. This could be a key ACC road win for the ‘Hoos.
Why They Could Be Higher: The ‘Hoos have the players to be a tourney team in year one of Bennett’s career in Charlottesville. They seamlessly integrate his defense with all the talent they have offensively—this team is dangerous.
Why They Could Be Lower: First year woes hit the ‘Hoos and Landesberg suffers the feared sophomore slump.
Who’s too high/low? What I’m nuts on? ACC basketball is fun to debate about because seemingly every squad/fanbase thinks they can take the ACC…
