The Confidential

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22 Mar 2012
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The Confidential’s Very Own Sweet Sixteen Rankings

Yesterday, the Confidential noted that the new rage was rating the Sweet 16 teams.  The pundits have had their chance.  Now it is time for the Confidential to share its rankings.

  1. KENTUCKY.  The best, healthiest team.  End of story.
  2. MICHIGAN STATE.  If they make the Final Four, they will deserve it… Louisville, Marquette, and Florida are all playing good basketball right now.
  3. OHIO STATE.  Got some luck when Syracuse lost Fab Melo.  Will they overlook in-state rival Cincinnati?  They better not.
  4. NORTH CAROLINA.  Ohio has been a nice story, but North Carolina missing one of its 5 future NBA players makes them merely a speed bump.
  5. KANSAS.  North Carolina State is playing some good basketball, but Kansas has more experienced talent.
  6. WISCONSIN.  Gets the perfect draw in Syracuse–a team that thrives on turnovers, which Wisconsin never does.
  7. SYRACUSE.  However, if Syracuse can force turnovers, Wisconsin will have to hit a lot of 3’s to win the game.
  8. MARQUETTE.  Playing outstanding basketball right now.
  9. BAYLOR.  Nice draw with Xavier–like Ohio, a run that is probably ready to come to an end.
  10. LOUISVILLE.  If anyone can challenge Tom Izzo as a coach, it is Rick Pitino.
  11. CINCINNATI.  This is the Bearcats time to shine.  Beat Ohio State and they will be in-state kings.
  12. FLORIDA.  Have played good against two overmatched teams.  Marquette posts a real test.
  13. INDIANA.  Not fully healthy.  And they face Kentucky.  And Kentucky is motivated for revenge.  It was fun while it lasted.
  14. NORTH CAROLINA STATE.  If everyone else has them at #14, so should the Confidential.
  15. XAVIER.  They can beat Baylor.  It just seems unlikely–the Bears are battle-tested.
  16. OHIO.  Great season, ending on a very high note.  Even a wounded North Carolina is a tough team to beat.

So there it is.  Criticize aways.

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

ACC Basketball Rankings: March 13, 2012

Here is how the Confidential ranks the ACC basketball schools as of March 13, 2012:

1. Syracuse (31-2)  Notwithstanding the loss to Cincinnati, Syracuse has been the best ACC team from start to finish.

2. North Carolina (29-5)  Sure, the Tar Heels were swept by Florida State.  But Florida State had four more losses overall.

3. Duke (27-6)  Like North Carolina, Duke lost to Florida State twice.  Again, however, the upsets of Duke were far more reasonable.

4. Florida State (24-9)  Give the Seminoles credit for the head-to-head victories over the teams above them here.  But to win it all, you’ve got to win the winnable games too.

5. Virginia (22-9)  Virginia has been struggling for weeks now.  Good, but not great.

6. North Carolina State (22-12).  The Wolfpack rallied in the ACC tournament to get off the bubble and into the Big Dance.  Likely at Miami’s expense.

7. Miami (19-12)  A good first season for the new Miami coaching staff.  The NIT will be good for this team, as long as they take it seriously.

8. Clemson (16-15)  At 8-8 in conference play during the regular season, Clemson fell to Virginia Tech in the ACC tourney.  Season was a stepping stone though.

9. Maryland (17-15)  At 6-10 in conference play, Maryland actually made progress.  Consider that this team was 3-3 heading into December.

10. Pittsburgh (17-16)  After starting 13-2, the team finished 4-14.  12 of those 16 losses were to teams in the Big Dance field.

11.  Virginia Tech (16-17)  A disappointing record obviously.  At some point, you’ve got to win a lot more of the close, winnable games.

12. Wake Forest (13-18) Like all the teams down this far, the Demon Deacons were a significant disappointment all season long.

13. Georgia Tech (11-20).  The new coaching staff did not have much success.  Next year should be better.

14. Boston College (9-22)  The Eagles were so young this year that the future is actually quite bright.  These were freshmen struggling, not juniors.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

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

ACC Lacrosse Weekly Report 4, March 8, 2012

Amazingly, the ACC lacrosse season is already a few weeks old.

News:

The Inside Lacrosse poll has Virginia #1, receiving 19 of the 20 first place votes.  Maryland is #4, Syracuse is #6, North Carolina is #8, and Duke is #9.  The USILA Coaches Poll is the same, except that Virginia has all 9 first place votes and Duke is ranked #11.

Recap of Last Week:

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Maryland 10, Duke 7.  “Senior Drew Snider had a hat trick to lead the No. 5 Maryland men’s lacrosse team to at 10-7 victory over No. 8 Duke in front of 4,137 at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium Saturday afternoon.”

Lehigh 9, North Carolina 8.  “Lehigh outscored North Carolina 5-0 over a span of 25:11 from the second through fourth quarters and went on to beat the fourth-ranked Tar Heels 9-8 at Fetzer Field Saturday night. The loss was the first for the Tar Heels against an unranked team at Fetzer Field since March 5, 2004 when Navy downed Carolina 9-8 in overtime.”

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Virginia 14, Syracuse 10.  “Colin Briggs scored three goals and assisted another to help the No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers (5-0) top the No. 3 Syracuse Orange (2-1) on Sunday evening, 14-10, in front of 5,855 fans inside Klöckner Stadium.”

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

UMBC 8, Maryland 7.

Penn 10, North Carolina 6.

Virginia 16, Vermont 10.

Upcoming Games:

Saturday, March 10, 2012:

North Carolina v Princeton.

Duke @ Loyala.

Marist @ Maryland.

Virginia v Cornell

Syracuse @ St. John’s.

Monday, March 12, 2012:

Harvard @ Duke.

Records:

Virginia 6-0 (0-0 in conference).

Maryland 3-1 (1-0 in conference)

North Carolina 4-2 (0-0 in conference)

Duke 3-2 (0-1 in conference)

Syracuse 2-1

The Confidential’s ACC Lacrosse Rankings:

1.  Virginia (6-0).  Virginia has been simply dominant this year.

2.  Syracuse (2-1).  Syracuse tested Virginia for a significant time, before ultimately falling.

3.  Maryland (3-1).  Despite the loss to UMBC, Maryland did beat Duke in a conference matchup.

4.  North Carolina (4-2).  North Carolina’s losses to Lehigh and Penn were disappointments.

5.  Duke (3-2).  No shame in losing to Maryland.  But that’s two losses now for Duke. 

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 , , , , , , , ,
06 Mar 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: March 6, 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 March 6, 2012:

1. Syracuse (30-1)  What more can you say?  30-1 with a Big East schedule, plus victories over Florida, North Carolina State, Stanford, and Virginia Tech.

2. North Carolina (27-4)  North Carolina appears to be peaking at the right point of the season.  After getting demolished by Florida State, the Tar Heels won 12 of 13 down the stretch.

3. Duke (26-5)  Duke has had a great season.  Had the Blue Devils beat North Carolina they would have been a #1 seed in the Big Dance.

4. Florida State (21-9)  The Seminoles were an impressive 12-4 in conference play.  Plus, they beat Virginia last week.

5. Virginia (22-8)  One of three 9-7 teams, Virginia has had the best season start-to-finish.  The best overall record too.

6. Miami (18-11)  Miami and North Carolina State are squarely on the bubble.  Need some ACC tournament wins to feel safe.

7. North Carolina State (20-11).  Missed some opportunities down the stretch.  Probably need to win two in the ACC tournament to get off the bubble.

8. Clemson (16-14)  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 , , , , , , ,
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 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
21 Feb 2012

The Confidential’s Basketball Top 30 for February 22, 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 22, 2012:

  1. Syracuse (27-1).  Another road win for Syracuse as it continues its best season ever.  Looking to win the regular season title with two wins in the last three games  Next up: @ South Florida.
  2. Kentucky (26-1).  A light week, with only a game against Mississippi.  Yes, they won.  Next up:  @ Mississippi State.
  3. Missouri (25-2).  The Tigers are firmly entrenched as the #3 team right now.  Think the SEC folks are happy?  Next up: Kansas State.
  4. Michigan State (22-5).  Took care of Wisconsin.  Then defeated Purdue on the road.  Next up: @ Minnesota.
  5. Duke (23-4).  Narrowly escaped North Carolina State.  Revenge game upcoming.  Next up: @ Florida State.
  6. Kansas (22-5).  Light week, with only a game against mid-major Texas Tech.  Wait, they are in the Big XII?  Next up: @ Texas A&M.
  7. North Carolina (23-4).  Tough week with road trips at Virginia and North Carolina State.  The Tar Heels try to keep pace with Duke.  Next up: @ NC State.
  8. Ohio State (22-5).  Road loss to Michigan was not horrible, but keeps the Buckeyes on the outside of the 1 seed discussions for now.  Next up: Illinois.
  9. Georgetown (20-5).  Beat Providence on the road.  Looking for a double-bye in the Big East tournament.  Next up: @ Seton Hall.
  10. Marquette (22-5).  Convincing win at sinking Connecticut.  Still in the hunt for the Big East regular season championship.  Next up: @ Rutgers.
  11. Baylor (23-5).  Baylor is starting to lose momentum.  The loss to Kansas State was the first upset.  Next up: Oklahoma.
  12. Michigan (20-7).  Big win over Ohio State.  No… huge win!  Next up: @ Iowa.
  13. Notre Dame (19-8).  After starting conference play 3-3, the Fighting Irish are now 11-3 and 19-8 overall.  That’s 7 wins in a row.  Next up: West Virginia.
  14. Wisconsin (20-7.  Loss at Michigan State was disappointing, but respectable.  Travel to Ohio State this week, cursing the schedule maker along the way.  Next up: @ Iowa.
  15. Florida State (19-7).  Florida State looked really good beating up NC State on the road.  Also took care of the Hokies.  Next up: Duke.
  16. Florida (21-6).  Florida is not getting impressive wins, but they are getting wins.  Next up: @ Auburn.
  17. Murray State (26-1).  Big bracket buster win over St. Mary’s.  That helps the at-large cause.  Next up: @ Tennessee State.
  18. Louisville (21-6).  Took care of DePaul on Saturday.  Remember, played Syracuse very tough.  Next up: @ Cincinnati.
  19. Virginia (20-6).  Bounced back against Maryland with a convincing win.  Need to pull an upset sooner or later though.  Next up: @ Virginia Tech.
  20. Indiana (20-7).  Loss to Iowa hurts, no way around it.  A rare OOC game in February for the Hoosiers next.  Next up: North Carolina Central.
  21. Wichita State (24-4).  Got a nice win over Davidson on Saturday to help the at-large cause.  Next up: Illinois State.
  22. New Mexico (22-4).  Even New Mexico fans have to be surprised… they beat San Diego State on the road and then throttled UNLV.  Next up: @ Colorado State.
  23. Temple (21-5).  The Owls have a bunch of good wins.  Time to make plans for March.  Next up: @ La Salle.
  24. UNLV (22-6).  Losing momentum here with 3 losses in two weeks.  Need to turn it around soon.  Next up: Boise State.
  25. San Diego State (20-6).  Not only has San Diego State been struggling, but they have given struggling UNLV its only recent win.  Next up: Wyoming.
  26. Vanderbilt (19-8).  Wins over Mississippi and Georgia beef up the totals, but nobody will be impressed until they host Kentucky.  And win.  Next up: South Carolina.
  27. St. Louis (21-5).  Time to give St. Louis some publicity.  They have won six straight.  Next up: @ Rhode Island.
  28. St. Mary’s (23-5).  Like a lot of West Coast teams, St. Mary’s is in a funk lately.  Next up: @ Portland.
  29. Virginia Commonwealth (23-6).  Rebounded from the George Mason loss to beat Northern Iowa.  Next up: NC Wilmington.
  30. Creighton (23-5).  Trying to rebound after that three-game losing streak.  The win over Long Beach State helps.  Next up: Evansville.

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 , , , , , ,
20 Feb 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: February 20, 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 20, 2012:

1.  Syracuse (27-1)  With road wins at Louisville and Rutgers (a difficult place to win), Syracuse continues their all-time best season start.  Upstart South Florida visits on Wednesday.

2. Duke (23-4) A very good win for the Blue Devils over North Carolina State.  Boston College, however, did not put up much of a fight at all.

3. North Carolina (23-4)  Challenging week ahead for the Tar Heels, with road trips to North Carolina State and Virginia.

4. Florida State (19-7)  Florida State got back to its winning ways against North Carolina State.  Duke visits on Thursday.

5. Virginia (20-7)  Virginia embarrassed Maryland on Saturday.  The Terps are used to embarrassment, having fired Ralph Friedgen and replaced him Randy Edsall.

6. North Carolina State (18-9).  Very tough week with losses to Duke and Florida State.  And next up is North Carolina.

7.  Miami (16-9)  Miami did the expected–losing to North Carolina and defeating Wake Forest.

8. Maryland (15-11)  Really outplayed by Virginia on Saturday.  Looking squarely at the NIT, barring a stretch run.

9.  Virginia Tech (15-12)  Two wins on the week for Virginia Tech, sandwiched around a loss by 1 point at Florida State.  A good week overall.

10.  Clemson (13-13)  A great win over Virginia moves Clemson up to 10.

11. Pittsburgh (15-12)  Pitt is back to losing often.

12. Boston College (8-19)  Boston College can keep its edge over Wake Forest by beating the Demon Deacons on Saturday.

13. Wake Forest (12-15) Wake Forest got another conference win–but it was against cellar-dweller Georgia Tech.

14. Georgia Tech (9-17).  Georgia Tech continues to lose.  The less said the better.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

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

The Confidential’s Basketball Top 30 for February 15, 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 15, 2012:

  1. Syracuse (26-1).  Syracuse has gotten through a stretch of Georgetown, UConn, and Louisville.  A road trip to Rutgers is next.  Next up: @ Rutgers.
  2. Kentucky (25-1).  Kentucky is entrenched at Number 1 in the major polls.  Wins over Florida and Vandy last week did nothing to harm that perception.  Next up: Mississippi.
  3. Missouri (23-2).  A big win over Baylor keeps Missouri at the top of the Big XII.  They can take the foot off the gas a bit this week.  Next up: Oklahoma State.
  4. Michigan State (20-5).  Michigan State defeated Ohio State by a nice margin.  Tough game against Wisconsin next.  Next up: Wisconsin.
  5. Duke (21-4).  All of the sudden, Duke is back in the national picture.  All it took was a buzzer beater over North Carolina.  Next up: North Carolina State.
  6. Kansas (21-5).  A convincing win against Baylor on the road.  And then they followed that up with two more wins.  Next up: Texas Tech.
  7. Ohio State (22-4).  The Michigan State loss was tough.  But the Breslin Center is always a tough venue.  Next up: @ Michigan.
  8. North Carolina (21-4).  The Duke game was everything fans could have wanted, except the result.  The team took out their pain on Virginia.  Next up: @ Miami.
  9. Baylor (21-4).  Losing to Kansas and Missouri (again) makes this a very tough week.  But Baylor has yet to be upset.  Next up: Kansas State.
  10. Georgetown (19-5).  The Hoyas played an outstanding game against Syracuse, only to fall short in overtime.  This team is starting to come together.  Next up: @ Providence.
  11. Wisconsin (19-6).  The Badgers slide up several notches due to losses by other teams.  The win at Minnesota was nice.  Next up: @ Michigan State.
  12. Marquette (21-5).  Marquette rebounded from its loss to Notre Dame by defeating both DePaul and Cincinnati.  And that Notre Dame loss is looking better as the Irish are on fire.  Next up: @ Connecticut.
  13. Michigan (19-7).  Picked up two wins–at Nebraska and home to Illinois.  Rivarly game is next.  Next up: @ Ohio State.
  14. Indiana (19-6).  A nice win over fading Illinois last week.  The Hoosiers continue to stay relevant.  Next up: Northwestern.
  15. Louisville (20-6).  Don’t let that loss to Syracuse fool you–this team is going to give someone fits in the Big Dance.  Very good defensive team.  Next up: @ DePaul.
  16. UNLV (22-5).  UNLV got the needed win against San Diego State.  But then gave it up in a road loss to TCU.  Next up: @ New Mexico.
  17. San Diego State (20-4).  The loss to UNLV stings.  But at least it was a road game.  Next up: New Mexico.
  18. Florida (19-6).  Tough week for Florida, losing to both Kentucky and Tennessee.  The latter was the big surprise.  Next up: @ Alabama.
  19. Notre Dame (17-8).  The Irish keep winning.  First they knocked off West Virginia, then they returned home to defeat DePaul.  Next up: Rutgers.
  20. Florida State (17-7).  That loss @ Boston College was a head scratcher.  The Seminoles are losing to the bad teams.  Next up: Virginia Tech.
  21. Virginia (19-6).  Having to play North Carolina after an emotional loss was tough.  Losing at Clemson was a bad sign.  Next up: Maryland.
  22. Murray State (24-1).  The loss to Tennessee State was bound to happen.  Is Murray State an at-large team if they lose in their tournament?  Next up: @ Southeast Missouri State.
  23. Gonzaga (20-4).  Gonzaga got back into the hunt with a win over St. Mary’s.  A two-game road trip looms.  Next up: @ Santa Clara.
  24. St. Mary’s (22-2).  The loss to Gonzaga drops them a bit, but there is plenty of time to keep working on the resume.  Next up: Loyola Marymount.
  25. Wichita State (22-4).  The big win over Creighton by 21 points was impressive.  Next up: Missouri State.
  26. New Mexico (20-4).  This is the big week for New Mexico.  They have games against San Diego State and UNLV.  Next up: @ San Diego State.
  27. Temple (19-5).  The Owls have a bunch of good wins.  And now they are stringing together conference wins.  Next up: @ St. Bonaventure.
  28. North Carolina State (18-7).  The Wolfpack have a good record.  This week is a brutal 3 day stretch involving a game at Duke and hosting Florida State.  Next up: @ Duke.
  29. Virginia Commonwealth (22-6).  Before the narrow defeat at George Mason, the Rams had won 11 straight.  They deserve some slack here.  Next up: Northern Iowa.
  30. Creighton (22-5).  Creighton is reeling now, having lost three in a row.  On the brink of leaving the rankings.  Next up: @ Southern Illinois.

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 , , , , , ,
13 Feb 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: February 13, 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 13, 2012:

1.  Syracuse (25-1)  It took overtime for Syracuse to beat Georgetown, but the Orange pulled away from UConn.  Up next is their nemesis: Louisville.

2. Duke (21-4)  A buzzer beater is still a win.  Duke was able to beat North Carolina on the road and then handle Maryland at home.Looked dominant in wins over Wake Forest and Maryland.  Next up?  Duke and Virginia.

3. North Carolina (21-4)  The loss to Duke was a disappointment.  The Tar Heels rebounded nicely in a win against Virginia.

4. Florida State (17-7)  Florida State is handling the good teams.  Unfortunately, it has been Clemson and Boston College that tripped them up.

5. Virginia (19-5)  The loss to the Tar Heels was not unexpected.  A road trip to Clemson awaits.

6. North Carolina State (18-7)  North Carolina State is making a nice run at the Big Dance.  The problem is that its games this week are against Duke (away) and Florida State (home).

7.  Miami (15-8)  Miami followed up the Duke win with a win over Virginia Tech.  But Florida State was too much for the Hurricanes.

8. Maryland (14-10)  Maryland is running short on opportunities to get the wins.  This week is Boston College (home) and Virginia (away).  The .500 weeks are not getting it done.

9. Pittsburgh (15-11)  The win over Villanova has faded.  The Panthers followed that up with road losses to USF and Seton Hall.

10.  Clemson (12-12)  Clemson split the week again, losing to Maryland and crushing Wake Forest.

11.  Virginia Tech (14-11)  The conference games have destroyed this team.  They finally had some luck against Boston College with a last second-win.

12. Boston College (8-17)  The win over Florida State has to be worth sliding up a few slots.  And they almost nipped Virginia Tech on the road.

13. Wake Forest (11-14) Not only is Wake Forest losing, they are getting blown out.  That is not going to get it done.

14. Georgia Tech (9-15)  Georgia Tech continues to struggle.  This season will end in disappointment, unfortunately.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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