The Confidential

The ACC Sports Blog

01 Apr 2012

Wisconsin: Home for Unhappy ACC Quarterbacks

It is confirmed.  The Wisconsin Badgers are not just willing to take unhappy ACC Quarterbacks, they roll out the red carpet.  Last year, Wisconsin provided a nice landing spot for former North Carolina State’s Russell Wilson.  Now former Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien will be transferring to Wisconsin.

In O’Brien, Wisconsin will get the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year.  However, O’ Brien fell out of favor with new Maryland coach Randy Edsall.  He was already losing playing time before suffering a season-ending injury.

O’Brien apparently considered Vanderbilt and Mississippi.  But the lure of playing behind Wisconsin’s massive front line apparently was a selling point.  He had this to say: “You hear how big these guys are, but until you see them practice, it doesn’t do them justice.”  Frankly, that is a great reason for any quarterback to choose Wisconsin.  But it also does not hurt that Wilson meshed so well with the Badgers.

For Wisconsin, they will land a player with immense potential.  Again.  One wonders how they are capable of consistently landing these elite quarterbacks?  Perhaps they have a Craigslist ad, such as this:

Are you an ACC quarterback?  Does your current coach not treat you with the respect that you deserve?  Stop settling.  We can satisfy all your needs.  We have a high octane offense.  Massive offensive line to keep you safe.  Reasonable coaching staff.  As a Big 10 school, you’ll play the best of the best on the biggest stages.  If you’ve got the talent, we’ll take you to the next level.

Whatever Wisconsin is doing, it is working. Makes you wonder how Greg Paulus slipped by.

Now it is time for the ACC coaches to rally a bit and not be such easy targets.   If they guy is good enough to play at Wisconsin, maybe it’s you and your program.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football and tagged , , ,
31 Mar 2012

ACC Lacrosse Weekly Report 6, March 31, 2012

The ACC Lacrosse season continues to progress…

News/Rankings:

The big news this week was former #1 Virginia losing to former #2 Johns Hopkins in overtime, 11-10.  Johns Hopkins used a 4-1 third quarter to pull ahead of Virginia.  And then John Ranagan scored the game-winning goal with five seconds remaining in the overtime period.  It was Virginia’s first loss in 14 home games.

The Inside Lacrosse poll has Virginia #2, no longer receiving any first place votes.  Duke is #8 and Maryland is #9.  North Carolina is #12 and Syracuse has dropped all the way to #14.

In the USILA Coaches Poll Virginia dropped all the way to #3.  The rest is the same as the Inside Lacrosse Poll, except that North Carolina is #11.

Recent Scores:

Saturday, March 24, 2012:

Duke 13, Georgetown 11.  Recap.

North Carolina 11, Maryland 10.  Recap.

Johns Hopkins 11, Virginia 10 (OT).  Recap.

Sunday, March 25, 2012:

Villanova 11, Syracuse 10.  Recap.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012:

Duke 9, Brown 8.  Recap.

Upcoming Games:

Saturday, March 31, 2012:

Virginia @ Maryland.  12:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 1, 2012:

Duke v Syracuse.  4:00 p.m.

North Carolina v Johns Hopkins.  6:30 p.m.

Friday, April 6, 2012:

Navy @ Maryland.  7:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 7, 2012:

Virginia @ North Carolina.  1:00 p.m.

Marist @ Duke.  Time TBA.

Princeton @ Syracuse.  4:00 p.m.

Records:

Virginia 8-1 (0-0 in conference).

Maryland 5-2 (1-1 in conference)

Duke 8-3 (1-1 in conference)

North Carolina 7-3 (1-1 in conference)

Syracuse 6-3

The Confidential’s ACC Lacrosse Rankings:

1.  Virginia (8-1).  Losing to the #2 team in overtime is hardly worth dropping Virginia over.

2.  Duke (8-3).  Duke just keeps on winning.  They face a struggling Syracuse team on Sunday.

3.  North Carolina (7-3).  With a win over Maryland and more wins, North Carolina gets the edge.

4.  Maryland (5-2).  With a win over North Carolina, Maryland would be #2.  Instead?  #4.

5.  Syracuse (6-3).  Syracuse has not looked good when winning and played poorly in losing.

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 , , , , , , , ,
30 Mar 2012

Pittsburgh Defeats Washington State, Wins CBI

The 2011-2012 edition of the Pittsburgh Panthers basketball team will not go down in history as a good one.  At one point, the team was 11-1 and looking like a fairly normal edition–except for a stunning home loss to Long Beach State.  And then Pitt lost to Wagner. And then Pitt lost its first 7 conference games.  By the end of the regular season, Pittsburgh was a pedestrian 16-15.  But, while this team will not go down in history as a great team, it will go down as the champions of the 2012 College Basketball Invitational after defeating Washington State 71-65.

The hero for Pittsburgh was Lamar Patterson, who scored 14 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished five assists en route to being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.  Pittsburgh was able to win even without star Ashton Gibbs, who missed his second straight game with an ankle injury.  Of course, Washington State was playing without its leading scorer, Brock Motum, who injured his ankle against Oregon State.  Motum was the Pac 12’s leading scorer.

Even without the leading scorers, both teams played a competitive Best of 3 series.  The total margin of victory in all three games 11 points.  Tonight’s game was the most “lopsided,” if it can be called that.

All in all, Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has to be pleased with the ability to get his young team all these additional games.  The Panthers end the season with a 21-17 record.

And a trophy.  Nobody else in the ACC can say that.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Game Review and tagged , , ,
30 Mar 2012

Tar Heels to Lose 4 or 5 Players to NBA

In an announcement that was equal parts expected and dreaded, North Carolina has announced that at least three of its players are going to make themselves eligible for the NBA Draft.  Sophomore Harrison Barnes, junior John Henson and sophomore Kendall Marshall are all entering the NBA draft.  In addition, senior center Tyler Zeller has also played his final game for the Tar Heels.  As if that were not enough, reserve freshman forward James Michael McAdoo is also considering his options.  As such, the Tar Heels will be losing 4 or 5 players to the NBA.

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams provided a very classy statement:

It’s a great day for three youngsters who are taking another step toward their ultimate goal of playing professional basketball.  On a very small stage, it’s a sad day for me because I won’t get to coach them again. All Tar Heel fans will miss them greatly, as well. I really look forward to watching Harrison, John and Kendall play in the NBA.  I know they will be very successful. They have been and will always be great Tar Heels.

Do not weap for the Tar Heels, however, as they have the fifth rated incoming class.  According to ESPN, North Carolina has the top rated point guard prospect in Marcus Paige, the eighth rated power forward in Brice Johnson, the the 21st-rated small forward in J.P. Tokoto, and the 17th-rated center in Joel James.  So it is just a matter of reloading for the Tar Heels.

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball and tagged , , , , ,
29 Mar 2012

Pittsburgh Avoids Elimination in CBI

Congratulations to Pittsburgh, who was able to avoid elimination in the CBI Championship, which features a best-of-three format.  Pitt was able to hold on to a 57-53 win, which evens the series at 1-1 and forces a tiebreaker on Friday night.

Yesterday, the Confidential reported the following:

Tonight, Pittsburgh takes its home floor in a game against Washington State in the CBI Championship.  Interestingly, this tournament has a best of three final format.  Because Washington State defeated Pitt 67-66 in game 1, Pittsburgh faces elimination.  If Pitt wins, they host Washington State again on Friday.

Amusingly, the two teams shared a plane from Pullman, Washington, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Again, this is part of the uniqueness of the CBI.

In Monday’s game, the Cougars were able to win, even though they played without leading scorer Brock Motum, who averages 18 points a game.  In his absence, Washington State (19-16) was led by Abe Lodwick (16 points), Reggie Moore (14 points) and DaVonte Lacy (10 points).  Washington State converted 51% of their  field goals en route to the victory.

Tray Woodall and J.J. Moore led Pitt with 16 points each.  Pitt (20-17) had a multiple chances to win the game in the final seconds.  Woodall’s layup attempt was rejected by Washington State’s D.J. Shelton.  The Panthers’ Lamar Patterson missed a long jumper as time expired.

Returning home should help the Panthers.  Although this year was a tough one for Pitt, they are notorious for being a very tough team to beat at home.  It will be interesting, however, to see how active the fan base is.  The Oakland Zoo might not be as intimidating.

Although Pitt was forced to play without leading scorer Ashton Gibbs with an ankle injury, Pitt was able defend its home court by defeating the visiting Cougars.  Talib Zanna scored 14 points to lead Pitt.  3,349 fans showed up to cheer the Panthers.  Let’s hope more show up for Friday night’s championship game.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball and tagged , ,
28 Mar 2012

Pittsburgh Faces Elimination in CBI

Tonight, Pittsburgh takes its home floor in a game against Washington State in the CBI Championship.  Interestingly, this tournament has a best of three final format.  Because Washington State defeated Pitt 67-66 in game 1, Pittsburgh faces elimination.  If Pitt wins, they host Washington State again on Friday.

Amusingly, the two teams shared a plane from Pullman, Washington, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Again, this is part of the uniqueness of the CBI.

In Monday’s game, the Cougars were able to win, even though they played without leading scorer Brock Motum, who averages 18 points a game.  In his absence, Washington State (19-16) was led by Abe Lodwick (16 points), Reggie Moore (14 points) and DaVonte Lacy (10 points).  Washington State converted 51% of their  field goals en route to the victory.

Tray Woodall and J.J. Moore led Pitt with 16 points each.  Pitt (20-17) had a multiple chances to win the game in the final seconds.  Woodall’s layup attempt was rejected by Washington State’s D.J. Shelton.  The Panthers’ Lamar Patterson missed a long jumper as time expired.

Returning home should help the Panthers.  Although this year was a tough one for Pitt, they are notorious for being a very tough team to beat at home.  It will be interesting, however, to see how active the fan base is.  The Oakland Zoo might not be as intimidating.

 

 

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

The ACC Elite Lose Players to NBA

With the 300+ Division I basketball school field now reduced to just four, the time has come for underclassmen to announce that they are going to either test the NBA waters or plunge right in.  Duke and Syracuse have already have underclassmen announce that they are leaving.  Duke freshman Austin Rivers has announced that he will be signing with an agent and ending his Duke career.  And yesterday Syracuse sophomore Dion Waiters announced that he, too, was planning to sign with an agent and end his Syracuse career.

In both cases, the players have the support of their coaches.  Coach K had this to say about Austin:

“Austin had a terrific year as a freshman and has put himself in a position to pursue his dream of being a great player in the NBA,” said Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “We are in total support of Austin, his family and his decision.”

Moreover, although Boeheim has not commented, Waiters sat down with his coach before making the decision.  Boeheim apparently gave Waiters his blessing.

These are not the only players that will be leaving the ACC early for the NBA.  The comprehensive NBA draft website, nbadraft.net, has an early entry page listing Syracuse’s Fab Melo as another player that will be heading to the NBA.  Other players likely to head to the NBA include Harrison Barnes (UNC), John Henson (UNC), Kendall Marshall (UNC), and Michael Snaer (FSU).

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

North Carolina’s Great Season Comes to An End

The 2011-2012 edition of the North Carolina Tar Heels was a “National Championship or Bust” edition.  With that much future NBA talent, there was simply no result other than a championship that would have been enough.  Along the way, Dexter Strickland was lost to injury.  Then John Henson went down.  And just as Henson returned, Kendall Marshall suffered an injury and never returned.  Without a key component of the offense, it is not surprising that Kansas defeated North Carolina on Sunday, 80-67.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the game was that Kansas out-rebounded North Carolina 39-30.  With a frontcourt of Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, and John Henson, the Tar Heels were used to putting up gaudy rebound totals.  The trio combined for only 14 against Kansas.  The Jayhawks had the size up front to hold their own and it helped take away a North Carolina strength.

James Michael McAdoo came off the bench to lead the Tar Heels with 15 points. Barnes added 13, while Zeller scored 12.  Henson only scored 10 points.  Ultimately, the big trip produced a disappointing total of 35 points and 14 rebounds–well off their season average of 48 and 25.

Notwithstanding the preseason hype, North Carolina still finished a respectable 32-6.  While the fans and team hoped for more, it is hard to lose a key player in March.  That North Carolina could not overcome that is not surprising.  Disappointing, but not surprising.

With Syracuse and North Carolina losing, the Final Four of Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, and Kansas will not feature any ACC teams.  For diehard ACC fans, Pittsburgh will play Washington State today in the CBI tournament.

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Game Review, March Madness and tagged , , , , , , ,
25 Mar 2012

Syracuse’s Great Season Comes to an End

The 2011-2012 edition of Syracuse Basketball will undoubtedly go down as one of the best ever.   The team finished 34-3 overall, including 17-1 in Big East play.  But that season ended last night with a 77-70 loss to Ohio State.

As good as the Syracuse-Wisconsin game was, last night’s game was a harder game to watch.  The referees decided to impact the outcome.  Ohio State star center Jared Sullinger was whistled for his second foul with 13 minutes remaining in the first half on a play where he, at most, breathed on Syracuse’s Dion Waiters.  Conversely, Syracuse had 12 fouls in the first half compared to Ohio State’s six.  And with 12 minutes to go in the second half, Syracuse had 3 players with 4 fouls.  The referees just did not let these two great teams play.

Still, Syracuse had its chances to win.  It squandered the first half–when Sullinger was on the bench.  It settled to contested jump shots, rather than driving to the void at the basket left by Sullinger’s absence.  Syracuse also missed several layups.  And then down the stretch, Seniors Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine had three consecutive turnovers to destroy any momentum.  A great season coming to a difficult end.

2012-2013 promises to be interesting for Syracuse.  There will be lots of questions.  Will Fab Melo come back?  Will Dion Waiters come back?  Who will replace Kris Joseph?  Who will replace Scoop Jardine?  Will Rakeem Christmas–who played better as a freshman than Fab Melo–make a similar leap in the off season?  The one thing that is likely is that a Jim Boeheim-coached team will find a way to keep Syracuse in the spotlight.

I guess one more question–will Syracuse officially be an ACC team for 2012-2013 or will it still be in the Big East?  These are interesting times.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, March Madness and tagged , , , , ,
24 Mar 2012

Elite Eight is Set–Two ACC Teams in the Mix

The Big Dance field has been whittled from 68 teams to 8.  The Atlantic Coast Conference can take pride in having two teams still in the mix.  #1 seeds Syracuse and North Carolina have made it to the Elite Eight.

Syracuse got to the Elite Eight by holding on to defeat Wisconsin, 64-63.  If you watched this game, you saw a classic.  Both teams executed their game plans very well.  Wisconsin controlled the tempo–holding Syracuse to fewer possessions than any game in the past 15 years.  Syracuse was able to force a handful of rare Wisconsin turnovers and convert them into points.  And, despite the slow tempo, this game was on pace to be very high scoring until the last five minutes.  That is because both teams were just blisteringly hot offensively.  Wisconsin hit 14 three-pointers (out of 27), including one stretch where they converted six in a row.  Syracuse shot 55% from the field.  Wisconsin had two shots to win it down the stretch, but came up short.  So, Syracuse now moves on to face #2 Ohio State.  While Ohio State plays a more upbeat tempo than Wisconsin (as does everyone), Ohio State also has more talent than anyone Syracuse has faced all year.  The key for the Orange will be to use their depth as an advantage and get the Buckeyes’ stars in foul trouble.

North Carolina got into the Elite Eight by holding on to defeat #13 seed Ohio, in overtime, 73-65.  North Carolina actually had a comfortable lead for parts of the first half–by as much as 15.  But credit the Bobcats–they did not give up.  Instead, Ohio took advantage of North Carolina lacking point guard Kendall Marshall and pressured the Tar Heels into 24 turnovers.  That is a recipe for disaster and allowed Ohio to climb right back into the game.  However, Ohio missed a chance to win the game in regulation.  Once it got into overtime, Ohio went scoreless from the field and the Tar Heels dominated.  Here is a notable stat–the Tar Heels outrebounded the Bobcats 55 to 27.  Tyler Zeller was the star, scoring 20 points and adding 23 rebounds.  North Carolina moves on to face #2 Kansas, who only narrowly defeated North Carolina State, 60-57.

So both teams get to have their #1 seeds challenged by the regional #2 seed.  And both teams are missing key players.  If either or both teams make the Final Four, they will definitely have earned it.

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, March Madness and tagged , , , , ,

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