2013-14 ACC Basketball Predictions

This seems like deja vu, but UVa is on a six-game losing streak in football and college hoops kicks off on Friday so it is again that time of year to turn our attention to basketball season.

With the additions of Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Pitt, the ACC is now without question the best conference in college basketball.  I think the ACC could get as many as 9 teams in the NCAA tournament this season.  There are really only three bad teams in the league this season so 12 squads will be fighting for likely 7-9 March Madness berths.

My predictions for the upcoming ACC season are as follows:

1) Duke - Despite losing Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee, and Ryan Kelly, the Blue Devils are stacked.  For the first time in what seems like decades, Duke does not have any annoying white guys in the rotation (although the third Plumlee brother could potentially fill this role). This is a young, athletic Duke team.  Time will tell if Jabari Parker (freshman) and Rodney Hood (transfer from Mississippi State) are as good as advertised.  Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon are solid in the backcourt.

2) Syracuse - Every other ACC team is glad that Michael Carter-Williams is playing for the Sixers instead of the Orange this season.  The Cuse still has some weapons, most notably C.J. Fair, and will look to challenge Duke for the ACC title.

3) UVa - At the risk of sounding like a homer, this should be the best UVa squad since 1995.  Seniors Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell lead the way, but there is a lot of depth with Anthony Gill, Mike Tobey, Justin Anderson, Malcolm Brogdan, Evan Nolte, and two freshmen point guards.  Gill (redshirt) and Brogdan (foot injury) both missed last season, and they will need to play significant roles to get the Hoos over the hump.

4) UNC - I think the Heels are slightly overrated in the preseason polls (#12 in AP, #11 in USA Today).  There is still talent on the roster, but the team played a lot of lazy basketball last season.  I'm still waiting for James Michael McAdoo to show us why many consider him a sure-fire lottery pick.  P.J. Hairston should be the Heels' leading scorer, if he can get his life together off the court.  UNC plays Michigan State in its 7th game so I fully expect Hairston's suspension to be for 6 games or less.

5) Notre Dame - I think the Irish are a dark horse to win the league.  Seniors Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins make up one of the best backcourts in the nation.  It will be interesting to see Mike Brey coach against his mentor, Coach K, and Notre Dame - Duke could become a good, new rivalry.

6) Pitt - I would like Pitt's chances of winning the league much more if 7-footer Steven Adams had returned to school rather than declare for the NBA draft.  Pitt has three returning starters, including point guard James Robinson, and should have a good chance to dance in March even if they don't finish in the top 5 of the league.

7) Maryland - Alex Len is gone, but quite frankly, he wasn't that great at Maryland.  The Terps have some talented wings in Dez Wells, Nick Faust, and Jake Layman.  Michigan transfer Evan Smotrycz will provide another scoring option. No one will be too sad to see Maryland leave the ACC after this season, especially with Louisville replacing them next year.

8) Georgia Tech - The Ramblin' Wreck is my sleeper team in the ACC.  Most projections have the Jackets finishing in the bottom 5 of the league, but I think they have a chance to make the NCAAs.  Tennessee transfer Trae Golden is eligible immediately, and returning sophomores Robert Carter, Jr. and Marcus Georges-Hunt will play bigger roles this season.

9) Boston College - Sophomore guard Olivier Hanlan is a star, and Ryan Anderson is one of the league's best post players.  Notre Dame transfer Alex Dragicevich is eligible this year, and the 6'8'' guard should fit in nicely in Steve Donahue's up-tempo offense.  The Eagles will be much improved this season.

10) Florida State - FSU is probably the hardest team in the league for me to get a read on.  Mr. Clutch-- Michael Snaer -- is gone, but there is still some talent in the cupboard.  Okaro White will be their top scorer, and he'll need some help from Ian Miller, Devon Bookert, and 7-footer Kiel Turpin.  Prized recruit Xavier Rathan-Mayes has been ruled academically ineligible, which severely hurts the 'Noles chances of making the Big Dance.

11) NC State - The Wolfpack underachieved last season, and then lost almost all of its starting lineup.  Sophomore T.J. Warren, the only returning starter, is now the leader of the team.  Sophomore Tyler Lewis and blue-chip freshman Anthony "Big Cat" Barber (from Hampton High) are a legitimate 1-2 punch at the point guard position.  This is a young team with a bright future, but this season could be a struggle.

12) Wake Forest - Poor Travis McKie.  The only senior on the Demon Deacons squad has had a great career with very little success to show for it, including three straight losing seasons.  Unfortunately, it will probably be more of the same this season.  This is a sophomore-laden team that will be very competitive, but I think they are still a year away from battling for a March Madness berth.  The NIT is a possibility this season if they overachieve -- but knowing Coach Jeff Bzdelik's track record, I don't expect them to.

13) Miami - Miami had a great run last season, but the Canes lost their top 6 scorers from a year ago.  Rion Brown is the top returner, and he only averaged 6 points a game last season. This season will be a struggle for the U.

14) Clemson - Clemson lost Milton Jennings and Devin Booker from a team that went 13-18 last season.  Things will be worse this season.  K.J. McDaniels will likely be the leading scorer, but will he have any help?

15) Virginia Tech - The Hokies finished last in the league last season, even with Erick Green.  Ouch.  Much like Clemson, things will go from bad to worse in Blacksburg. 

1st Team All-ACC

C.J. Fair - Syracuse
Joe Harris - UVa
Rodney Hood - Duke
Jerian Grant - Notre Dame
Olivier Hanlan - BC

2nd team All-ACC

Jabari Parker, Duke
T.J. Warren, NC State
P.J. Hairston, UNC
Eric Atkins, Notre Dame
Travis McKie, Wake Forest

Player of the year: C.J. Fair, Syracuse

Rookie of the year: Jabari Parker, Duke

Top 20 TV Shows for Early 90s Kids

I was born in 1981 and, like most kids from my generation, I love everything about the early 90s -- the clothes (Hypercolor, flannel, Zubaz, Starter jackets), the music (grunge, slow jams, the East coast / West coast hip hop rivalry), the fads (slap bracelets, Starter jackets again), the movies, and most importantly, the teen television shows.  After school in those days I did two things: ate a Handi-Snacks and watched TV.

My television remote frequented NBC's Saturday morning lineup, Nickelodeon after school, reruns on the Disney channel, TGIF on ABC on Friday nights, and SNICK on Saturday nights on Nick.  Kids today are watching scandalous shows on ABC Family.  We kept things clean in the early 90s.  DJ Tanner making out with her boyfriend of the week was as PG-13 as we got.

Recently, I have posted the top 20 TV sitcoms of my lifetime and the top 20 TV dramas of my lifetime.  I started thinking about all the great shows that I watched growing up that did not make the cut on either list, and I became convinced that I needed another list.  The ground rules are simple: 1) no animated series (The Simpsons is out), 2) must be a scripted show (Wild & Crazy Kids and You Can't Do That on Television are out), 3) doesn't necessarily have to hold up when you watch it today but it must be a classic in your memory as a 12-year old, and 4) must not be on one of the aforementioned lists of best shows of my lifetime (which takes 90210 and The Wonder Years out of contention).

Saved By the Bell: the New Class barely missed the cut.  Actually, it missed the cut by a wide margin.  Screech as Vice Principal?  Come on.



Top 20 TV Shows for Early 90s Kids

20.  California Dreams: Surf dudes with attitude.  I couldn't tell you one plot line from this trainwreck of a show, but the theme song alone is enough to make this list.



19.  Blossom: Whoa!



18.  The Secret World of Alex Mack: If Winnie was my first crush, then Alex Mack was my second.  Big fan.

17.  The Adventures of Pete & Pete:  A Nickelodeon classic.  Brothers with the same name, a tattoo named Petunia, and a personal superhero named Artie - the strongest man...in the world! Great show.

16.  Hang Time: The basketball scenes were laughable and the acting was worse, but this was a staple on the NBC Saturday morning lineup.  Coaches Reggie Theus and Dick Butkus had very different coaching styles but the same end of game strategy: get the rock to the blonde chick with the ponytail.  Anthony Anderson as Teddy was one of the few bright spots from an acting perspective.

15.  Party of Five: Star-studded cast in this FOX drama -- Matthew Fox, Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell, Jennifer Love-Hewitt, and a pre-teen Lacey Chabert.  Somebody take the keys -- Bailey's been drinking.



14.  Sister, Sister: The Parent Trap called and wants its plot back.  Sister, Sister had a brief run on TGIF, but it found a permanent home on the WB after it was canceled by ABC.

13.  Doogie Howser, M.D.: The two best parts of the show were Doogie's friend Vinnie and Doogie's computer diary.  Unbelievably, Neil Patrick Harris is still one of the biggest stars on TV.



12.  Home Improvement: This show prominently featured two of my favorites things: the Detroit Lions and wearing button down shirts untucked and unbuttoned.  JTT's flannels were a revelation.

11.  Perfect Strangers: The anchor for the original TGIF.  Larry and his distant cousin Balki from Eastern Europe (Mypos) form an unlikely friendship and hilarity often ensues.  Tremendous theme song.



10.  ALF: How could you not watch a show featuring this guy?



9.  Hangin' With Mr. Cooper: Another TGIF staple.  Strong supporting role from Wild & Crazy Kids host Omar Gooding.

8.  Step by Step: I bet I could watch most Step by Step episodes today and not laugh once.  In 1993, it was hilarious.  TGIF does it again.

7.  Saved By the Bell: The College Years: Preppy with long hair.  Screech getting hazed.  Bob Golic as the RA.  Kelly transfers in.  It's not the original, but let's just be glad it's not the New Class.

6.  Hey Dude: In honor of the Bar None Dude Ranch's own Ted McGriff, I named myself "senior staff" on the Kingsmill recreational maintenance team in 2002.  I'm still trying to score some of Danny Lightfoot's famous flatbread -- it's the Hopi way.  Mr. Ernst is a personal hero of mine.

5.  Family Matters: Urkel, Stefan Urquelle, Waldo Geraldo Faldo, Little Richie's jheri curl -- Family Matters was equal parts intentional comedy and unintentional comedy.

4.  Boy Meets World: I'm ready for 2014's spinoff Girl Meets World.  It's perfectly acceptable for a 32-year old man to watch the Disney Channel, right?  Topanga's still got it, and Cory Matthews is back to show why he's in the outkick your coverage Hall of Fame.  Mr. Feeney is a national treasure.

3.  Full House:  Just three bros sharing a house in San Fran with one bro's three daughters.  No big deal.  When I think of TGIF, I think of Full House and that speaks volumes about the significance of this show.  I almost wrote that with a straight face.

 

2.  Salute Your Shorts:  Camp Anawanna had it all -- awful waffles, Pinsky Family Salami, Budnick's band Roadkill, Ug, Donkeylips, Zeke the Plumber, Dr. Kahn.  Not to mention a theme song that will stay in your head for days.  Nickelodeon hit a home run with this one.



1.  Saved By the Bell:  I guarantee SBTB was the first show that came to your mind when you started reading this list.  It was the definitive early 90s teen show.  Bayside High was the perfect setting for the series -- I'm so glad that Zack, Screech, Lisa, and Mr. Belding all decided to move from Indiana to California.  What a coincidence!  Jessie, Kelly, and Slater were a vast improvement over Mikey and Nikki.



Did I forget any classic early 90s shows?

High top fade > bowl cut > Bama bangs > Lloyd Christmas > rat tail

Amanda Bynes 2003 > Amanda Bynes 1998 > Amanda Bynes 2013

Early 90s computer games: Oregon Trail > Where in the World in Carmen San Diego? > Space Invaders > Doom

Valerie > Kelly > Claire > Brenda > Donna > Emily Valentine ... > Andrea Zuckerman

Kan Jam > cornhole > horseshoes > ladder ball

Wedding seasons: Spring > Summer > Winter > Fall

Bands with geographical names: Chicago > Boston > Alabama > Kansas > Phoenix > Of Montreal > Alabama Shakes > North Mississippi Allstars > Atlanta Rhythm Section > Virginia Coalition

Full beard > mustache > mutton chops > Abe Lincoln > goatee > soul patch

Jack Nicholson 1995 > Meg Ryan > Jack Nicholson 1974 > any other joke Adam Sandler ever did in a movie

Jersey Mike's > Which Wich > Firehouse Subs > Jimmy John's > Quizno's > Subway

Pacey > Dawson > the World

Most hated Duke basketball players: Laettner > Wojo > Hurley > JJ Redick > Greg Paulus > Danny Ferry... > Jay Bilas

Twitter > Facebook > Instagram > your blog > LinkedIn

Judge Judy > People's Court > Judge Greg Mathis > Judge Joe Brown > Eye for an Eye with Judge Extreme Akim

Pudding: chocolate > butterscotch > vanilla > banana cream > tapioca > rice

Most exciting ways to end a sporting event: hoops buzzer beater > walk-off home run > penalty kicks > hockey overtime > college football overtime > NFL overtime

Chappelle Show > Key & Peele > Kroll Show > Saturday Night Live > All That

Fast food sandwich: Chick Fil-A Sandwich > In & Out Double Double > Arby's Beef n' Cheddar > Big Mac ... > Filet O'Fish

The 20 Best TV Dramas of My Lifetime

Last week, I posted my list of the 20 best TV sitcoms of my lifetime.  Today, we look at TV dramas. The majority of the shows on this list are from the last decade.  The Sopranos took TV dramas to a new level, and at this point, I expect every new series on HBO and Showtime to blow me away.  We are spoiled by the amount of quality shows on TV right now. 

I thought the breakdown of networks with shows on my list was interesting: HBO (6), Showtime (3), AMC (3), Fox (2), FX (2), BBC America (1), The CW/UPN (1), NBC (1), and ABC (1).  AMC, which has only aired eight original, scripted series in its history, has more shows on the list than CBS, ABC, and NBC combined.

I should mention that I've never seen Lost, 24, Oz, or The Shield so they are not on the list.  I really wanted Dawson's Creek in my top 20, but it barely missed the cut.  Sorry, Dawson.

 

20 Best TV Dramas (I will not give away any spoilers in my rankings.)

20. Big Love: The first of six HBO shows on the list.  Polygamist compounds, sister wives, Mormon hardware stores -- this show had it all.

19. Orphan Black: I highly recommend this BBC America series.  The first season just ended, and all of the episodes are on demand.  10 episodes were good enough to make this list.  Worth watching.



18. The Walking Dead: I did not expect to like a zombie show, but The Walking Dead is entertaining and suspenseful.  I'm not sure how many more seasons it can go because there are only so many more places the group can hide.

17. The Tudors: Very entertaining historical fiction.  A poor man's Game of Thrones, and I mean that as a compliment.

16. Boardwalk Empire:  I've always liked Steve Buscemi in supporting roles, but he excels in the lead role in Boardwalk Empire.  If you like the Sopranos, you should be watching this series about mobsters set in Atlantic City during the Prohibition period.

15. Damages: The pilot episode is as good as any pilot I've ever seen.  Glenn Close was born to play Patty Hewes.  Had some great guest stars in Ted Danson, Martin Short, and John Goodman, among others.

14. Six Feet Under:  Morbid subject matter, but it was a very good show.  Michael C. Hall was good as a supporting character before landing the lead role in Dexter.  The show also launched the career of Rainn Wilson, better known as Dwight from The Office.

13. Veronica Mars: Kristen Bell has been in some bad movies so if you haven't seen Veronica Mars, then you probably don't realize that she's a good actress.  From 2004-2007, Veronica was the most bad ass female character on TV.  The movie -- fully funded by generous fans of the TV program through a kickstarter -- comes out in 2014.

12. The O.C.: The unlikely duo of brooding Ryan and nerdy/funny Seth made for one of the best bromances in TV history.  It had better looking girls, more interesting parental figures, and funnier dialogue than 90210, but it couldn't maintain its excellence for more than two and a half seasons (out of four total seasons).  At its best, it was better than 90210.  At its worst, it was worse than One Tree Hill.  This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the series premiere, and that is not all depressing.



11. Dexter: I've binge-watched all 8 seasons of Dexter over the last three months, and I like it much more than I expected.  The show is dark and light-hearted at the same time.  Dexter's dark passenger doesn't overshadow the strong supporting cast.

10. Beverly Hill, 90210:  The benchmark for high school and college TV dramas.  The college years (despite the ridiculous fact that everyone from West Beverly High enrolled at Cal U) put BH9er slightly ahead of The O.C.  Pregnancy scares, prom night hookups, house party fires, acoustic guitar serenades, peach pie, and sideburns.  Lots of sideburns.  What more can you ask for from a teen drama?



9. The Americans: Very impressive first season -- impressive enough to make my top 10 after only one season.  Felicity (Keri Russell) is amazing in her role as a KGB spy living in America -- never saw that coming and it makes me wonder if I need to go back and watch Felicity.  The performances of Russell of her husband/colleague on the show are so compelling that I actually find myself rooting for the KGB instead of the Americans.

8. The Wonder Years: I referenced this in a post a few years ago, but writer Chuck Klosterman once wrote, "The Wonder Years was the only TV program that allowed me to be nostalgic at the age of seventeen."  In my case, The Wonder Years made me nostalgic at age 10.  Winnie Cooper was, without a doubt, my first crush. 

7. Mad Men: Mad Men can be slow at times, but it is well-written and well-acted.  If not for Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad, Jon Hamm would have several Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.  Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) is underrated as a lead actress as well.

6. Game of Thrones: Winter is coming.  Sometimes it's hard to keep up with all the characters in Game of Thrones -- luckily there are many great characters because the writers are not scared to kill off anyone.

5. Homeland:  Angela from My So-Called Life (Claire Danes) is excellent as a CIA agent.  15 years ago, no one could have predicted that Keri Russell and Claire Danes would be the best actresses on TV in 2013.  I'll be interested to see what happens in season 3 (starting September 29) given the interesting events that ended season 2.

4. Friday Night Lights:  Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.  Coach and Tami Taylor were the best married couple in dramatic TV history.  The show took a risk by bringing in a whole new set of high school characters in season 4 (rather than follow the high school graduates to college), and for the most part the risk paid off.  Please watch this show.  Texas forever.   



3. The Sopranos: Damn, the late James Gandolfini was good as Tony Soprano.  The Sopranos deserves a lot of credit for revolutionizing original programming on the premium channels.  It wasn't HBO's first original series, but no prior HBO drama series had garnered the critical acclaim or lasted as many seasons as The Sopranos.  On this list, there are six HBO series and three Showtime series, and all of them were created after The Sopranos.



2. Breaking Bad:  The final half-season starts on August 11 -- that makes me excited and sad at the same time.  Walter White is one of the most interesting characters in TV history.  A high school chemistry teacher gets cancer and decides to team up with a former student to sell meth to provide for his family after his death.  In the first few seasons, we, as viewers, root for Walt to get out of trouble and make money for his family.  I would expect that most viewers are now rooting against Walt.  The following three things are certain for the final season: Walt, Jr. will eat breakfast onscreen, Marie will wear purple, and Walt will die.  What a tremendous show.



1. The Wire:  The most compelling drama series of my lifetime.  The Wire allowed viewers to follow many different perspectives, including those of law enforcement agents, attorneys, drug dealers, politicians, port workers, teachers, homeless people, and journalists.  I have trouble choosing my 10 favorite characters on the show -- there were no weak links in the cast.  The acting felt authentic, and that is not usually the case in shows that deal with poverty, drugs, and the police.  The series inexplicably did not win a single Emmy award, but being named #1 on this list must be some consolation. 

The 20 Best TV Sitcoms of My Lifetime

Although we are in the golden era of TV, today's sitcoms are usually not as good as the best dramas on TV.  Having said that, there have been some great sitcoms in my lifetime.  I have set the following ground rules for my rankings:

1) The show must have been created during my lifetime -- so All in the Family, I Love Lucy, and the Andy Griffith Show are out.

2) No animated shows.

3) 30 Rock is not funny.

4) Entourage is not funny unless Ari Gold is speaking.

5) Despite my proclaimed love for Saved By the Bell, Full House, Boy Meets World, and Family Matters, I have used objective criteria to determine that those shows are not that funny.

6) I have not yet seen the new Netflix series Orange is the New Black, but I have heard nothing but good things.

20 Best Sitcoms

20. Weeds: Weeds started out strong and things slowly got weirder and weirder.  It still makes the list based on the high (no pun intended) comedy of Uncle Andy and Kevin Nealon. (Video below is potentially NSFW).



19. Eastbound and Down: Kenny F'in' Powers.  Enough said.

18. New Girl: I went into this show with low expectations because I thought Zooey Deschanel would be annoying, but New Girl has had two solid seasons.  Schmidt and Nick usually steal the show.

17. Golden Girls: Classic and still funny.  I love that Betty White is still on TV today.

16. Cheers: Started the Thursday night must-see TV on NBC.  Doesn't quite hold up as well as some other sitcoms from the 80s and 90s.  Outstanding theme song.

15. Happy Endings: ABC really shit the bed in canceling its 2nd funniest sitcom.  At its best, Happy Endings could hold its own with just about any show on the list, but I guess the ratings didn't reflect that.

14. Friends: A little too dramatic at times for me, but it had its moments.  Bonus points for Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox in their pre-cougar prime.

13. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Back when Will Smith was funny.  The Carlton dance and the theme song will never get old.

12. Flight of the Conchords: Very little plot, but hilarious original songs.  Would have loved to see a third season on HBO.



11. Parks and Rec: In my opinion, Amy Poehler is the funniest woman on TV.

10. Freaks and Geeks: Only had one season before being inexplicably canceled, but it was a great season.

9. How I Met Your Mother: Bob Saget is a horrible storyteller and a worse parent.  This series should have ended after 4 or 5 seasons, but it is still entertaining and, at its best, it was really funny.  We should finally and mercifully meet the mother in the upcoming final season.

8. Modern Family: Great ensemble cast.  Even the kids (except Lily) are hilarious.

7. The Office: Went way down hill after Steve Carell's departure, but the series finale was a good way to go out. 

6. The Cosby Show:  There's nothing funnier than Bill Cosby talking to kids.

5. The League:  This show is a little bit under the radar, but you should be watching it.  The first season was a little bit too much about the fantasy football league, but now the show has a good balance between the premise of the fantasy league and the everyday antics of the main characters.

4. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia:  Always Sunny as been described as Seinfeld on crack, and I think that's a good description.  It has been a little watered down the past few seasons, but it's still one of the best comedies of the last decade.



3. Curb Your Enthusiasm: No one gets himself in more awkward situations than Larry David, and hilarity almost always ensues.



2. Arrested Development:  I would put the first two seasons of Arrested Development up against any sitcom, including my #1 on this list.  Season 3 was still funny, but not quite on the same level.  Season 4 on Netflix came about 6 years too late.



1. Seinfeld: The show about nothing is in a league of its own.  I relate things in my life to Seinfeld on almost a daily basis.  The acting, writing, pop culture references, and comedic timing are second to none.  Thank you TBS for four reruns a day.

 

Which shows did I miss?

ACC Hoops Midseason Report

Back in November, Chop Culture made its preseason ACC predictions.  I made the following league predictions:

1) Duke
2) NC State
3) UNC
4) Miami
5) FSU
6) Maryland
7) UVA
8) Virginia Tech
9) Wake Forest
10) Clemson
11) Georgia Tech
12) Boston College

Through games on February 10, the league standings are as follows:

1) Miami (10-0)
2)  Duke (8-2)
3) Virginia (7-3)
4) UNC (6-4)
5) NC State (6-5)
6) FSU (5-5)
7) Maryland (5-6)
8) Clemson (4-7)
9) Wake Forest (4-7)
10) Georgia Tech (3-7)
11) Virginia Tech (2-8)
12) Boston College (2-8)*


I don't think anyone expected Miami to be quite this good, although CC did make this comment in the November post -- "If you're looking for a sleeper in the ACC, look no further than the U."  But I picked them to finish 4th in the league so I can't say I called it.  I expect the Canes to lose two conference games and then get upset in the ACC tourney.  I see the Canes as a 3 seed in March.

Duke needs Ryan Kelly to get healthy if they have any Final 4 aspirations.  Even without him, they are good enough to finish 2nd in the regular season and potentially win the ACC tourney.  Duke looks like a solid 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

UVa is a strange team.  They play tenacious d and shoot the three ball well, but their three conference losses are to bad ACC teams and their three non-conference losses were to bad CAA teams.  They play up or down to the competition, which means they don't often get blown out but they also don't have any guaranteed wins left on the schedule.  In my opinion, they need to get to 12-6 in league play to get an invitation to Madness.  To get there, they need to learn to close out games on the road.

UNC has one of the laziest teams I've seen in awhile.  By UNC standards, they are not as talented as usual, but McAdoo and Bullock could start for any team in the nation.  UNC plays sloppy and selfish on offense, and their defense is even worse.  McAdoo could've been a top 5 NBA pick last year (despite not starting last season) -- his uninspired play this season has hurt his draft stock.  The Heels will win enough games to make it to the Big Dance, but it will not be a long trip.

NC State has struggled more than I expected, but some of the losses can be attributed to Lorenzo Brown's injury.  Even still, they lost to Wake with Brown in the lineup.  The Wolfpack could be a factor in the ACC tournament.  State has all the pieces to be great, but they haven't quite put it together this season.  They are in danger of missing out on Madness, which would be shocking after their top 10 preseason ranking.

FSU has struggled.  They have a lot of ground to make up if they want to play in the postseason.  I don't see it happening -- which means that the ACC could end up with just 3 or 4 teams dancing.

Maryland started off the season on a tear, but conference play has not gone as well as expected.  They are young and talented, and right now the youth is outweighing the talent.  They could be preseason top 15 next season if Alex Len passes up the NBA for one more year.

Clemson's two best players -- Devin Booker and Milton Jennings -- can both disappear for long stretches during games.  They're both also seniors so next season will be worse for the Tigers.

Wake Forest has some talent, but they also have the worst coach in the ACC.  They have been competitive in most of their games and will be better next season.

Georgia Tech is young -- I think Brian Gregory has that program going in the right direction.

Virginia Tech had a promising start to the season, but they have fallen back to reality in conference play.  Erick Green leads the nation in scoring -- he is a fun player to watch.  Unfortunately for him, he gets no help whatsoever.  Green has excelled in new coach James Johnson's uptempo offense, but his teammates can't keep pace.

Boston College is a really good Patriot League team.  The only problem is that they don't play in the Patriot League.

Midseason All-ACC teams
1st Team
Mason Plumlee - Duke
Erick Green - VT
Shane Larkin - Miami
Joe Harris - UVA
Seth Curry - Duke

2nd team
James Michael McAdoo - UNC
Michael Snaer - FSU
Richard Howell - NC State
Lorenzo Brown - NC State
Reggie Bullock - UNC