The ACC regular season race

[Frobby]

Duke, UNC and Florida State are all tied atop the ACC at 10-2. Here's what's left for each team.

Duke:

@ Florida State

Virginia Tech

@ Wake Forest

UNC

UNC:

@ N.C. Sate

@ Virginia

Maryland

@ Duke

Florida State:

Duke

@ Miami

@ Virginia

Clemson

Duke plays each of the title contenders, one on the road and one at home, and the other two games are against pretty weak teams. UNC has three pretty rough road games, including the finale at Duke. Florida State has Duke at home and then two pretty tough road games. I think any of the three teams will be hard pressed to win out in its final four games.

The Duke - Florida State game this Thursday is pretty huge.

[Sports Guy]

My guess is Duke beats FSU on thursday and wins their other 2 and UNC wins out until the Duke game and the ACC regular season title is decided when Duke and UNC play.

My guess is FSU against Duke and then one of the other 2 road games they have left. Clemson did destroy them earlier but I think they beat them at home.

So, the winning team will be 14-2 in conference...Second place 13-3 and FSU ends up 12-4.

[Frobby]

UVa will have a lot to say about this, playing both FSU and UNC on their home floor. Bennet has done a nice job with that team, and Scott has become a beast.

[Sports Guy]

UVa will have a lot to say about this, playing both FSU and UNC on their home floor. Bennet has done a nice job with that team, and Scott has become a beast.

They won't beat UNC in all likelihood but I do think they stand a good chance of beating FSU....I have FSU losing 2 more games, including the Duke game.

[Sports Guy]

Well, as I thought, Duke wins a tough game tonight.

Dawkins went nuts early and FSu could just never get closer than 3 points.

I expect Duke and UNC to face each other for the reg season title.

[Frobby]

It certainly looks like the Duke-UNC finale on March 3 will decide the regular season crown. I'd be shocked if Duke lost against Virginia Tech or Wake, neither of which has played well this year. UNC may have a tough game in Charlottesville this weekend, but even if they lost that game they'd probably be playing for a share of the title next Saturday.

As to last night's game, even though the final margin was 9 points the game annoyed me immensely. Duke got uo by 12-13 points three separate times and each time let FSU crawl back in it, the last time letting their lead dwindle to 3 points before putting it way quite late. Lots of turnovers and rushed shots during a 12-2 FSU run late in the game. And the big men for Duke were just awful for most of this game. That's going to kill them in a couple of weeks.

[Sports Guy]

It certainly looks like the Duke-UNC finale on March 3 will decide the regular season crown. I'd be shocked if Duke lost against Virginia Tech or Wake, neither of which has played well this year. UNC may have a tough game in Charlottesville this weekend, but even if they lost that game they'd probably be playing for a share of the title next Saturday.

As to last night's game, even though the final margin was 9 points the game annoyed me immensely. Duke got uo by 12-13 points three separate times and each time let FSU crawl back in it, the last time letting their lead dwindle to 3 points before putting it way quite late. Lots of turnovers and rushed shots during a 12-2 FSU run late in the game. And the big men for Duke were just awful for most of this game. That's going to kill them in a couple of weeks.

HUh?

First of all, FSu is a quality team that was playing perhaps their biggest home game...EVER. They sold out tickets quicker than any event in FSU sports history.

So, Duke having a big lead and have it dwindle down was to be expected....Teams make runs all the time. FSU led at something like 14-13 and never led again...Duke had a 3-12 point working margin for most of the game and considering the environment and the quality of opponent, that's pretty impressive.

Saying that Kelly and Miles were awful for most of the game is also just dead wrong. Miles especially had a big game and both him and Kelly did a very good job tapping out rebounds.

Mason didn't get into any rhythm because of foul trouble...which btw, Miles and Kelly were also in foul trouble.

The thing Duke did last night was their defense was excellent. They held them under 40% in FGs and they held them to 4-15 shooting the 3.

Duke was rarely challenged last night and when they were, they would hit a big shot and the lead would get extended.

Not sure how you can be annoyed by them last night unless you want to discuss the fact that they were missing too many FTs.

BTW, let's not forget that FSU is the second best defensive team in the nation and that they are very long and very athletic....that means they are going to force you into doing some dumb things at times.

[beaner]

Hi guys.

See you next week.

Go Heels!

[Frobby]

HUh?

First of all, FSu is a quality team that was playing perhaps their biggest home game...EVER. They sold out tickets quicker than any event in FSU sports history.

So, Duke having a big lead and have it dwindle down was to be expected....Teams make runs all the time. FSU led at something like 14-13 and never led again...Duke had a 3-12 point working margin for most of the game and considering the environment and the quality of opponent, that's pretty impressive.

Saying that Kelly and Miles were awful for most of the game is also just dead wrong. Miles especially had a big game and both him and Kelly did a very good job tapping out rebounds.

Mason didn't get into any rhythm because of foul trouble...which btw, Miles and Kelly were also in foul trouble.

The thing Duke did last night was their defense was excellent. They held them under 40% in FGs and they held them to 4-15 shooting the 3.

Duke was rarely challenged last night and when they were, they would hit a big shot and the lead would get extended.

Not sure how you can be annoyed by them last night unless you want to discuss the fact that they were missing too many FTs.

BTW, let's not forget that FSU is the second best defensive team in the nation and that they are very long and very athletic....that means they are going to force you into doing some dumb things at times.

They were outrebounded pretty badly (37-30). FSU had 16 offensive rebounds. Mason Plumlee scored 1 point, had 5 rebounds, and was in foul trouble. One of the Plumlees missed a point-blank dunk. Nobody could guard Bernard James, but inexplicably FSU just didn't feed him enough times. There were at least two occasions where Duke's post defender turned his back on the ball and had a guard turn the corner and make a point blank layup that they could have deterred if they had actually been looking.

Duke won the game because they were unconscious from outside. 13 for 28 from beyond the arc makes up for a lot of other things. I will grant you, they made clutch plays when they needed to be made. But in the NCAA tournament, a day will come where they hit less than 40% of their 3's, and if they are dominated inside like they were in this game, that's when they will lose.

[Sports Guy]

They were outrebounded pretty badly (37-30). FSU had 16 offensive rebounds. Mason Plumlee scored 1 point, had 5 rebounds, and was in foul trouble. One of the Plumlees missed a point-blank dunk. Nobody could guard Bernard James, but inexplicably FSU just didn't feed him enough times. There were at least two occasions where Duke's post defender turned his back on the ball and had a guard turn the corner and make a point blank layup that they could have deterred if they had actually been looking.

Duke won the game because they were unconscious from outside. 13 for 28 from beyond the arc makes up for a lot of other things. I will grant you, they made clutch plays when they needed to be made. But in the NCAA tournament, a day will come where they hit less than 40% of their 3's, and if they are dominated inside like they were in this game, that's when they will lose.

How can they be dominated inside when FSU shot less than 40% from the field? (even if you take the 4-15 from 3 away, they shot less than 44%)

FSU did more inside in the first game than this one. In the first game, FSU shot 54% from the field although Duke did outrebound them...Part of that was FSu was making shots and this time, they weren't...Which goes back to Duke's improved defense, which is the aspect of this game you are grossly overlooking.

And you would expect FSU to have the edge in the paint...They have more size down there and its more of their game and Duke's big guys were all in foul trouble the whole game, so they couldn't be as aggressive.

Mason missed the dunk...he had a poor game. Kelly and Miles didn't.

And yes, this team is vulnerable if they aren't knocking down their 3s.

[Sports Guy]

Duke has no legs in this VT game.

They should still win but its going to be tough.

[Frobby]

Wow, that was a tough one. Much tougher than I expected, but Duke clearly was tired and VT often gives Duke fits. There's your game where Duke wasn't hitting from beyond the arc (6 for 24). Much credit is due to Tyler Thornton, who really made Erick Green work like a dog in this one. Rivers did a great job of getting to the free throw line, but not such a good job actually converting the free throws.

[Frobby]

My guess is FSU [loses] against Duke and then one of the other 2 road games they have left. Clemson did destroy them earlier but I think they beat them at home.

So, the winning team will be 14-2 in conference...Second place 13-3 and FSU ends up 12-4.

Well, you were right about FSU losing one of their road games. Miami took them apart yesterday. So, if Duke and UNC take care of business in their next game (Duke at Wake, Maryland at UNC), they will finish 1-2 in the ACC. Who'd have thought that before the season started? (Uhhhh....everyone?)

Starting with this weekend, the next 4-5 weeks are among my favorites on the entire sports calendar. Duke-UNC, the ACC tournament (and all the others), then 3 weeks of March Madness, and then Opening Day. It doesn't get much better than that.

[Sports Guy]

Well, you were right about FSU losing one of their road games. Miami took them apart yesterday. So, if Duke and UNC take care of business in their next game (Duke at Wake, Maryland at UNC), they will finish 1-2 in the ACC. Who'd have thought that before the season started? (Uhhhh....everyone?)

Starting with this weekend, the next 4-5 weeks are among my favorites on the entire sports calendar. Duke-UNC, the ACC tournament (and all the others), then 3 weeks of March Madness, and then Opening Day. It doesn't get much better than that.

Not to mention the Masters as well.

[Frobby]

Duke upheld its end of the bargain against Wake Forest, despite allowing Wake to whittle a 23 point deficit down to 6 with a few minutes to play. This team really seems to lose concentration at times. Still, 13-2 in league play and 8-0 on the road is nothing to sneeze at. Bring on the Heels!