Now that the non-conference schedule is pretty much wrapped up, it's time to look at somethings that have stood out about a dozen games in. Three teams are still undefeated. North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Clemson hold those honors. I probably would have been more shocked had North Carolina lost by now, although like most, I don't expect them to go undefeated. I have made a somewhat bold prediction that UNC will lose twice in ACC play: at Wake Forest January 11, and at Duke a month later. If they lose anywhere else along the way, I will be surprised, although I expect to see some scares when UNC gets on the road in ACC play. They shouldn't even be threatened at home.
I'm not all that surprised that Wake Forest is undefeated, primarily because they really haven't played anybody of note, except for a neutral court win against Baylor, who will definitely be in the running for the Big 12 title. Jeff Teague is having a monster season for the Deacs, and in my opinion, is in the running for ACC Player of the Year at this point. He has been getting some great play from the frontcourt, as Al Aminu, Chas McFarland, and James Johnson, are averaging double digits in scoring, and at least 6.5 rebounds per game, with Aminu near 10 boards per game (9.1). Wake does have a big test this Saturday at BYU, whose only blemish is a one point loss at Arizona State. And it doesn't get any easier, as North Carolina comes in a week later.
Clemson has been a bit of a surprise this season. They aren't known for playing a good non-conference schedule over the years, but they are this year. They have wins over TCU, Temple, Illinois, and South Carolina on their resume. And with UNC probably getting the automatic bid out of the ACC, any good non-conference win will help pad their resume come NCAA tournament time. Clemson still has one solid non-conference game left, which is a home tilt against Alabama next week, before hitting conference play. My gut feeling is that Clemson will start off at least 16-0 heading into a big home game with Wake Forest January 17.
If you aren't a fan of Trevor Booker, then you need to be. I can't think of a guy who rebounds so well for a guy who is 6-7. For the season, Booker is averaging 9.6 rebounds per game, to go along with 14.8 points. He is truly a small forward playing in a center's body. I really like watching this guy play.
I'm really impressed with the way Florida State is playing this year. They were pretty much expected to be in the bottom three of the conference, and are off to a hot 12-2 start, including wins over Florida and California. And while they lost to Pitt, they gave them a great game, and the game was a lot closer than the eight point margin would dictate. I'm really looking forward to see their next big tilt, a home game against Duke January 10. This will pretty much tell you how legit this team is. And what will benefit Florida State is the balanced scoring they have. Toney Douglas leads the team at 18.5 points, and Chris Singleton is second at 10. Then you have four players averaging between 7.0 and 7.9 points, and five players averaging at least four rebounds per game. To say the least, they are a pretty balanced team.
Boston College is another surprise team. They are sitting at 11-2, and it's not all because of Tyrese Rice. Joe Trapani, Corey Raji, and Rakim Sanders are also pitching in with double digit points, and they're also getting some strong play from Reggie Jackson...no, not that Reggie Jackson. The Eagles have some pretty decent wins on their scheudle, They've beat Saint John's and Providence from the Big East, and Iowa from the Big 10. If the Eagles can go .500 in conference play, they will get to 20 wins, and an NCAA tourney bid is not out of the question.
The team I'm probably most disappointed in so far is Virginia Tech. I picked them to be a sleeper team in the ACC this year, but at 9-4, the Hokies have not met my expectations. They were a victim of a lucky half court shot against Xavier, but I thought they should have ceratinly beaten Seton Hall and Georgia, and they fell short of that. The Hokies also lost to Wisconsin at home in a game that I thought they could win. Part of the problem is there is not a lot of scoring outside of A.D. Vassallo, Malcolm Delaney, and Jeff Allen. If they can get some production aside from those three, then I think it will help them win more games. But what will hinder the Hokies down the road is there aren't any quality non-conference wins on the schedule. A win at St. John's is about all there is. Unless the Hokies get hot in ACC play, then it might be another trip to the NIT again this year for the Hokies.
