The Confidential

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Archive for the month “February, 2012”

29 Feb 2012

Lacrosse is Back: Weekly Report 3, February 29, 2012

ACC lacrosse is off and running.

News:

The Virginia Cavaliers remain ranked #1 in the latest Nike Top 20.  North Carolina is #4, Maryland is #5, Syracuse is #6, and Duke is #8.   In the coaches poll, Virginia is also #1.  However, Syracuse leapfrogs up to #3, ahead of North Carolina at #4 and Maryland at #5.  Duke is #10 in that poll.

Recap of Last Week:

Friday, February 24, 2012

Maryland 16-Georgetown 11.  Senior Joe Cummings set a career-high with six points to lead Maryland

Duke 12-Penn 8.  Duke University sophomore attackman Josh Dionne led Duke with four goals and Jordan Wolf added his first hat trick of the season.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

North Carolina 9-Navy 8.  Thomas Wood and Marcus Holman led the way for UNC with nine combined points

Virginia 12-Stony Brook 5.  Colin Briggs scored a career-high seven points to lead the #1 Virginia Cavaliers to victory.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Duke 16-Jacksonville 7.  Sophomore Jordan Wolf led the 10th-ranked Blue Devils with a career-high five goals and two assists for seven points.

Syracuse 10-Army 9.    Army midfielder Alex Van Krevel’s shot with three seconds to play bounced off the helmet of Syracuse goalie, Dominick Lamolinara.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Virginia 17-Mount St. Mary’s 5.  Virginia Chris Bocklet tied a career high with six goals to pace the No. 1 Cavaliers.

Upcoming Games:

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Duke @ Maryland

Lehigh @ North Carolina

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Syracuse @ Virginia

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Maryland @ UMBC

North Carolina @ Penn

Vermont @ Virginia

Records:

Virginia & North Carolina  4-0

Maryland & Syracuse 2-0

Syracuse and Maryland 1-0

Duke  3-1

The Confidential’s ACC Lacrosse Rankings:

1.  North Carolina (4-0).  North Carolina has beaten Navy and Penn State.  Slightly better than Virginia’s opponents.

2.  Virginia (4-0).  Virginia has played a lot of games, but has not been tested.  Syracuse will change that.

3.  Maryland (2-0).  Maryland looked good in defeating Georgetown.  Gets the slight edge over Syracuse for now.

4. Syracuse (2-0).  Syracuse eked out a victory over perennial thorn-in-its-side Army.  Still adjusting to new faces.

5.  Duke (1-1).  Still at the bottom due to the defeat.  Eventually Duke will move up.

If you have any comments on the ACC Lacrosse season or this entry, please feel free to share!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Lacrosse and tagged , , , , , , ,
28 Feb 2012

The Confidential’s Basketball Top 30 for February 28, 2012

With over 300 teams in college basketball, the top 25 is just not enough anymore.  Here is the Confidential’s Top 30 for February 28, 2012:

  1. Syracuse (29-1).  Another road win for Syracuse as it continues its best season ever, this time over Connecticut.   One regular season game left.  Next up: Louisville.
  2. Kentucky (28-1).  What more can be said about Anthony Davis?  This team is rolling.  Next up: Georgia.
  3. Michigan State (24-5).  Two more wins, albeit over less than daunting competition.  It gets tougher.  Next up: @ Indiana.
  4. Duke (25-4).  Big win over Florida State, followed up by narrow win at home over Va Tech.  Next up: @ Wake Forest.
  5. Kansas (25-5).  Big win over Missouri.  Avoided the let down against Oklahoma State too.  Next up: Texas.
  6. North Carolina (25-4).  Two big wins over North Carolina State and Virginia.  Matchup with Duke looms.  Next up: Maryland.
  7. Missouri (25-4).  Tough week, with losses to both Kansas State and Kansas.  Is the lack of depth catching up to the Tigers?  Next up: Iowa State.
  8. Marquette (24-5).  Suspended four players for the first half and still beat a good West Virginia team.  Marquette is dangerous.  Next up: @ Cincinnati.
  9. Baylor (25-5).  Struggled with the upper echelon of the Big XII, but beating up on the middle of the pack.  Next up: @ Iowa State.
  10. Ohio State (23-6).  Home loss to Wisconsin hurts a little, but this is still a very good team.  Will be a challenge in March.  Next up: @ Northwestern.
  11. Georgetown (22-6).  The Hoyas have now won two in a row, after losing to Seton Hall.  The Notre Dame win was particularly impressive.  Next up: @ Marquette.
  12. Michigan (21-8).  Despite losing to Purdue, it is difficult to move anyone ahead of the Wolverines.  Next up: @ Illinois.
  13. Wisconsin (21-8).  The Badgers are alternating wins and losses.  This past week, a loss to Iowa followed by a win over Ohio State.  Next up: Minnesota.
  14. Murray State (28-1).  The one minor conference team that has punched its ticket to the Big Dance.  They need to keep winning though.  Next up: Conference Tourney.
  15. Wichita State (26-4).  The Shockers will be the #1 seed in the always tough MWC tournament.  A very nice season, indeed.  Next up: Conference Tourney.
  16. Indiana (22-7).  That’s give Big 10 teams in the top 16.  The wins were not impressive, but certainly better than losses.  Next up: Michigan State.
  17. Louisville (22-7).  Loss to Cincinnati hurts a bit, but the Cardinals rebounded against disappointing Pittsburgh.  They cannot overlook South Florida. Next up: South Florida.
  18. Florida (22-7).  If Florida was in a deeper conference, this might be a 10-loss team.  The loss to Georgia is inexplicable.  Next up: @ Vanderbilt.
  19. Virginia (21-7).  There are worse crimes than losing to North Carolina.  Even at home.  Next up: Florida State.
  20. Florida State (19-9).  The Seminoles have hit a rough patch.  A great chance to right the ship against Virginia.  Next up: @ Virginia.
  21. UNLV (24-6).  UNLV is starting to get some momentum back.  Two decent wins, with a tough road game coming up.  Next up: @ Colorado State.
  22. San Diego State (22-6).  San Diego State got two good wins last week.  This team will make some noise in March.  Next up: @ Boise State.
  23. Notre Dame (20-10).  After winning 8 in a row, Notre Dame has now lost two in a row.  They are in the Big Dance with all the good wins though.  Next up: Providence.
  24. Vanderbilt (20-9).  There is no shame in losing to Kentucky.  This is an improved Vanderbilt team.  Next up: Florida.
  25. Temple (22-6).  Lost to St. Josephs was bad, but not awful.  Temple still has plenty of good wins.  Next up: Massachusetts.
  26. Iowa State (21-8).  Jumps into the top 30 with two more wins.  Hard to ignore an 11-5 conference record in the Big XII.  Next up: @ Missouri.
  27. South Florida (18-11).  This team has a lot of losses, but most were early in the season when not at full strength.  11-5 in the Big East is good.  Next up: @ Louisville.
  28. St. Mary’s (25-5).  With a 14-2 conference record, St. Mary’s is the #1 seed in the conference.  Is it enough for an at-large?  Next up: Conference Tourney.
  29. Virginia Commonwealth (25-6).  Two more wins for the Rams.  And it is on to the conference tourney.  Next up: Conference Tourney.
  30. Creighton (25-5).  Two more wins for Creighton.  On to the conference tourney.  Next up: Conference Tourney.

Tell us what you think.  Is anyone unfairly missing?  Anyone too high or too low?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , ,
27 Feb 2012

ACC Football Schedule Released

Not that there will be any major surprises… but the ACC has released the 2012 football schedule:

http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/022712aaa.html

 

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged ,
27 Feb 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: February 27, 2012

This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done.  Here is how we view the ACC basketball schools as of February 27, 2012:

1.  Syracuse (29-1)  Syracuse went on a 26-0 run to defeat South Florida.  Syracuse gave up a 17-point lead against UConn, but still won.  This team just wins right now.

2. Duke (25-4) Duke and North Carolina have identical 25-4 records, including the same 12-2 conference record.  But Duke beat North Carolina.

3. North Carolina (25-4)  North Carolina does get a chance at revenge this Saturday against Duke.  It should be winner take all for the ACC crown.

4. Florida State (19-9)  Have looked vulnerable lately.  A loss to Boston College and now a loss to Miami by 16.

5. Virginia (21-7)  At 8-6 in conference, Virginia is still a few wins behind Florida State.  Still lacks a high-quality win.

6. Miami (17-10)  Miami lost to Maryland earlier in the week, but rebounded nicely to take care of Florida State handily.  Needs a few more wins for March Madness to call.

7. North Carolina State (18-11).  The loss to North Carolina is excusable.  At this time of year, no excuse for losing to Clemson.

8. Clemson (13-13)  Clemson is now 7-7 in conference play.  They followed up the win over Virginia by beating Georgia Tech and North Carolina State.

9. Maryland (16-12)  After beating Miami, Maryland was primed to move up a few spots.  But then they lost to Georgia Tech.

10.  Virginia Tech (15-14)  This team has had more closes losses.  This past week was a 2-point loss to Virginia and an OT loss to Duke.

11. Pittsburgh (15-14)  Pittsburgh’s small momentum is over.  Hard to believe this team was once 13-2.

12. Wake Forest (13-15) They did beat Boston College by nearly 30.  Not a bad way to end the week.

13. Georgia Tech (10-18).  The losing streak is over.  And Georgia Tech beat a good Maryland team to accomplish that task.

14. Boston College (8-20)  Boston College had been showing some signs of life.  Losing by 29 to a sub .500 Wake Forest team is not such a sign.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
26 Feb 2012

ACC Basketball Recap: February 25, 2012

A very exciting day of college basketball in the ACC on February 25, 2012.

The day began with #5 Duke hosting Virginia Tech and getting everything it could handle in a 70-65 overtime win.  Once again, it was Austin Rivers and Seth Curry stepping up for Duke, scoring 23 points and 19 points, respectively.  Of course, it also helps to have a 34-16 free throw attempt advantage.  Mason Plumlee added 15 rebounds as Duke stayed atop the ACC with a 25-4 overall record and 12-2 in conference play.  For the Hokies, it was another tough loss, dropping them to 15-14 overall.   Dorenzo Hudson, Erick Green, and Cadarian Raines each scored 16 points for Virginia Tech.

In another overtime game, Clemson once again pulled off an upset–beating North Carolina State, 72-69.  At 18-11, North Carolina State suffers a defeat that will hurt their Big Dance chances.  But credit pesky Clemson for winning and matching the Wolfpack’s 7-7 conference record.  At 15-13, the Tigers are not going to be part of March Madness, barring an ACC tournament victory.  Milton Jennings led Clemson with 17 points.  North Carolina State was led by CJ Leslie and Lorenzo Brown, who each scored 18.  With games against Miami and Virginia Tech, North Carolina State can still get to twenty regular season wins.

In two games of lesser importance to the conference and post-season picture, Wake Forest dominated Boston College, 85-56.  CJ Harris scored 23 points for the Demon Deacons, while Ryan Anderson scored 18 for the Eagles.  And Georgia Tech upset Maryland, 63-61.  Kammeon Holsey had a double-double for Georgia Tech with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Terrell Stoglin led Maryland, as usual, with 18 points.

ESPN Game Day was on hand for the night game featuring #2 Syracuse and UConn, which Syracuse won 71-69.  Viewers got their money’s worth as Syracuse jumped out to a 14-point halftime lead, UConn rallied to tie it last in the second half, and the game came down to the final possession.  Syracuse was led by Kris Joseph’s 21 points.  With the win, the Orange improve to 29-1 on the season and clinch their status as regular season champions of the Big East.  The ACC cannot get these guys here soon enough.

Finally, the big match up of the day featured #7 North Carolina and #25 Virginia.  As expected, this was a game of contrasts, with Virginia hoping to control tempo.  The Cavaliers certainly did that, holding the Tar Heels to 54 points.  The problem was that Virginia only scored 51, resulting in a loss.  Virginia had multiple opportunities in the final seconds to tie, but fell short.  Still, it was an impressive game for Virginia as they get prepared for the Big Dance.  Jontel Evans led Virginia, who dropped to a very respectable 21-7 overall, with 13 points.  Tyler Zeller led the Tar Heels with 20 points.  North Carolina improved to 25-4 overall and 12-2 in conference play–the exact same records as Duke.  Both teams hope to win their midweek games, resulting in a match up for the conference title next Saturday.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Weekend Preview and tagged , , , , , , ,
25 Feb 2012

Weekend Preview: February 25-26

Although the basketball season is, unfortunately, winding down… there are a number of ACC games this weekend (February 25 & 26, 2012).

Saturday

The day begins at noon with Virginia Tech traveling to #5 Duke.  The Hokies’ Big Dance bubble has all but burst, but getting a win here could lead to big things in the ACC tournament.

At 1pm, Wake Forest hosts Boston College.  Both teams are 3-10 in conference play and playing for pride.  And for next year.

At 1:30 pm, North Carolina State travels to Clemson.  Clemson has surprised some teams this year.  And, at 18-10, the Wolfpack do not have a huge margin for error.

At 2:30 pm, Georgia Tech hosts Maryland.  At 16-11, all games may be must wins for Maryland.  Losing this one would be terrible to the post-season chances though.

The big game of the day, however, is the 4pm matchup between #7 North Carolina and #25 Virginia.  The host Cavaliers are 21-6 but certainly could use an upset win like this to improve its seeding prospects.  At 24-4, the Tar Heels look to keep momentum going.

In another big game, #2 Syracuse travels to Connecticut for a 9 pm game.  At 28-1, Syracuse is looking to set a record for most regular season wins.  Although UConn is struggling, they also play Syracuse tough at home.

Sunday

At 2p.m., disappointing Pittsburgh takes its 15-13 record into #17 Louisville.  The Panthers are playing for pride right now.

The Sunday game of the week is a rivalry matchup between #15 Florida State and host Miami.  At 19-8, the Seminoles would like to get that 20th victory on the season.  At 16-10, Miami really needs this win.  This game should be quite a battle.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Weekend Preview and tagged , , , , , , , ,
24 Feb 2012

Duke Defeats Florida State

#5 Duke avenged its earlier home loss to #15 Florida State by returning the favor last night, defeating the Seminoles 74-66.  With the win, Duke improves to 24-4 and is now tied with #8 North Carolina for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings.  Both teams share a 24-4 overall record and 11-2 conference record.

The Blue Devils were led by Andre Dawkins’ 22 points off the bench, while Austin Rivers added another 20.  Surprisingly, Duke was able to win despite being outrebounded.  Florida State had the rebounding edge, 37-30.  From a scoring standpoint, the Seminoles were led by Michael Snaer’s 18 points.  Bernard James added 13 points and 9 rebounds.

With the loss, Florida State drops to a very respectful 19-8, with a 10-3 conference record.  That is good enough for third in the conference standings.  See below.  Florida State has little time to rest, however, as it must head on the road to Miami and Virginia for its next two games.  Both teams are in the top half of the standings.  The finale is a home game against Clemson.

Duke’s next two games are against Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.  As is the case every year, its season will conclude against North Carolina on March 3.

With only three regular season games remaining for all teams, here are the updated standings:

Team Conf. W-L Tot. W-L
Duke 11-2 24-4
North Carolina 11-2 24-4
Florida St. 10-3 19-8
Virginia 8-5 21-6
N.C. State 7-6 18-10
Miami (Fla.) 7-6 16-10
Maryland 6-7 16-11
Clemson 6-7 14-13
Virginia Tech 4-9 15-13
Wake Forest 3-10 12-15
Boston College 3-10 8-19
Georgia Tech 2-11 9-18
Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Game Review and tagged , , ,
23 Feb 2012

ACC Daily News: February 23, 2012

Here are your news and notes regarding the Atlantic Coast Conference for February 23, 2012.

In basketball, the big news is tonight’s game between #5 Duke and #15 Florida State.  As you may recall, Florida State went on the road and defeated Duke on a shot by Michael Snaer at the buzzer.  This helped propel Florida State into the top 15 (along with the dominating win over North Carolina).  Needless to say, Duke is looking for revenge.  And, as of right now, both teams are tied for 2nd place in the conference standings with identical 10-2 records.  The winner will share #1 with North Carolina, who is 11-2.  The game is at 7:00 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

Syracuse improved to 28-1 overall and 15-1 in Big East play with a win over surprising South Florida.  Although it may be another year before Syracuse’s wins count for the conference, the Orange’s season does provide promise for the future.

In football, Randy Edsall was gracious enough to allow 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year Danny O’ Brien to transfer.  But he would not allow the sophomore quarterback to transfer to Vanderbilt.  Well, after receiving ample criticism from the media, Edsall finally did the honorable thing and will allow O’ Brien to consider Vanderbilt.  Its kind of like when the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes in one day.

 

Posted by acaffrey in Basketball, Football, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , ,
22 Feb 2012
3 Comments

Former ACC Players on NFLDRAFTSCOUT’s Top 64

With the NFL football draft looming, NFL Draft Scout has released its Top 64.  There are a number of former ACC players on the list.

In fact, the ACC should be quite proud of its representation here.  14 of the top 64 players.  To be sure, the absence of a player in the top 15 is discouraging.  But the depth of talent leaving the conference is impressive.

Here are snippets of the analyses of the ACC players:

19. Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College, 6-2, 237, 1 “his name was called on 532 tackles, an NCAA career record, including 299 solo, or an average of 14 total/7.9 solo in his 37-game stay at BC.”

20. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina, 6-6, 281, 1 “He showed pro scouts he had the toughness and tenacity to get the job done at either position and finished with 59 tackles, including 15.5 for a loss and 10 sacks.”

32. Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson, 6-2, 311, 1-2 “He has been a classroom and weight-room fanatic since high school, which earned him academic honor roll recognition in 2010 and the weight-lifting statistics of a tractor — 450-pound single bench press, 36 reps with 225 pounds, 615-pound squat lift and 370-pound power clean.”

33. Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson, 6-4, 255, 1-2 “Last season he caught 50 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns after a 2010 season in which he grabbed 33 for 373 and one TD.”

34. Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina, 6-1, 236, 1-2 “Brown is fast and fascinating, but is only beginning to learn how to maximize his exceptional athletic ability on a football field.”

35. Andre Branch, DE, Clemson, 6-4, 260, 1-2 “He was selected first-team All-ACC in 2011 after leading Clemson in sacks (10.5) and tackles for a loss (17).”

38. David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech, 5-10, 205, 2 “Last year he collected 1,709 yards on 290 carries with nine touchdowns. That earned him ACC Player of the Year honors and he was named second-team All-American.”

40. Brandon Washington, OG, Miami, 6-4, 320, 2 “Washington is a stout, no-nonsense, get-it-done lineman who played guard and tackle at Miami but will move inside at the next level.”

43. Lamar Miller, RB, Miami, 5-11, 212, 2 “He is a tough runner with deceptive second-gear acceleration, both of which serve him well as a kickoff returner.”

46. Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State, 6-6, 308, 2 “He is a lithesome, long-limbed athlete who was very effective in FSU’s zone-slide pass protection scheme.”

54. Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia, 6-0, 185, 2 “Minnifield is a menace in press coverage as he re-routes receivers well and has exceptional ball skills, aided by excellent leaping ability and long arms.”

58. Sean Spence, OLB, Miami, 5-11, 228, 2  “Spence is not fooled often by play-action, and shows above average skills as a pass defender.”

60. Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse, 6-5, 265, 2 “Jones is a strong, fast, long-armed, raw talent who can play LDE right now, but might have upside as a decent pass rusher.”

61. Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech, 6-4, 206, 2 “Hill should be worth watching at the combine, where if he surely will wow scouts who are seeking more data on this undergrad who averaged a lot of yards per catch.”

For the complete write-ups, check out the original source.

 

Posted by acaffrey in Football and tagged , , , ,
22 Feb 2012

Lacrosse is Back: Weekly Report 2, February 22, 2012

ACC lacrosse is off and running.

News:

The Virginia Cavaliers remain ranked #1 in the Nike Top 20.  See here.  North Carolina is #5, Syracuse is #6, Maryland is #7, and Duke is #8.   So, yeah, the ACC can claim 5 of the top 8 schools, which is nice.

Recap of Last Week:

Saturday, February 18, 2012

North Carolina defeated Detroit, 18-8.  Jimmy Dunster led the Tar Heels with three goals, while Marcus Holman and Chad Tutton had four-point games.

Notre Dame defeated Duke 7-3.  Duke’s defense was fine, Notre Dame’s defense was just better.

Maryland defeated Hartford 12-6.  Maryland was led by John Haus, who tied his career high with four points (2 goals).  Notably, Curtis Holmes dominated face-offs, winning 19-of-20.

Virginia defeated Drexel 9-8.  With about 8 minutes to go, Virginia trailed 8-7.  Bobby Hill’s first career goal tied it at 8-8, while Rob Emery scored the game winner with 4:48 to go.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Syracuse defeated Albany 12-7.  Although Syracuse trailed 2-0, they went on a 10-0 run to put the game out of reach.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Virginia defeated VMI, 19-5.

Upcoming Games:

Friday, February 24, 2012

Maryland @ Georgetown

Penn @ Duke

Saturday, February 25, 2012

North Carolina @ Navy.

Stony Brook @ Virginia.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Jacksonville @ Duke

Army @ Syracuse

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Virginia @ Mount St. Mary’s.

Records:

North Carolina  3-0

Virginia 2-0

Syracuse and Maryland 1-0

Duke  1-1

The Confidential’s ACC Lacrosse Rankings:

1.  North Carolina (3-0).  Until North Carolina loses, Virginia will just have to wait.

2.  Virginia (2-0).  A win over Drexel and a romp over VMI put Virginia ahead of the rest.

3.  Syracuse (1-0).  Comparable win to Maryland, but Syracuse won the scrimmage.

4.  Maryland (1-0).  See above.

5.  Duke (1-1).  A loss is a loss is a loss.

If you have any comments on the ACC Lacrosse season or this entry, please feel free to share!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Lacrosse and tagged , , , , , ,

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