The ACC went 5-0 on Tuesday, here are some quick thoughts followed by recaps of each game.
- With Nolan Smith in the lineup, Duke was much more of an attacking team. While Smith's return is taking most of the headlines, I was really impressed with Miles Plumlee. The older Plumlee finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds and he showed a versatility on offense making the 15 footer, posting up, and getting his usual points on the offensive glass.
- Tyler Roche is now averaging 24.5 points per game after Boston College's second game last night. I continue my campaign for Roche for ACC player of the year. Seriously, I've been impressed with what BC has done without Rakim Sanders, Corey Raji, and too a lesser extent Cortney Dunn.
- Maryland's offense was ugly at times last night, but the Terps are playing defense. Maryland posted a defensive efficiency of 62 last night and held Fairfield to 28% shooting from the field.
- Clemson is really good, and it would be hard for me to not consider them the ACC favorites right now. After watching the Tigers dismantle Liberty on the road, its easy to see that the Tigers are the most complete team in the ACC.
- Virginia Tech played even with UNCG for 30 minutes, and Seth Greenberg isn't concerned, "This time of year, you’re going to see scores like this. I’m not embarrassed by this. If we were where we needed to be today, then we obviously wouldn’t have anything to look forward to." Maybe he should reconsider and realize UNCG lost to Duke 96-62 already this year.
Duke Basketball Report recaps Duke's 101-59 win (Enhanced Box Score):
Duke welcomed Nolan Smith back to the lineup Tuesday night and celebrated by rolling over Charlotte from beginning to end.
Duke forced seven turnovers in the first 4:25 and held Charlotte to four points in the span while scoring 14 themselves.
Smith played like he missed being out there, scoring a career-high 24 on 9-15 shooting. He also grabbed five boards and had five assists and two steals.
And Smith said the two-game mandated suspension by the NCAA was useful: "I was able to learn," he said about sitting on the bench. "I learned a lot about my teammates and watching the big guys play. They are doing a lot to get better. They are very aggressive."
Duke is a different team with Smith; he lets everyone fall into their normal roles and allows a lot more flexibility from everyone.
NewsAdvance.com recaps Clemson's win at Liberty (Enhanced Box Score):
That doesn’t even begin to describe the ugliness of Tuesday’s game. From the opening tip, Clemson not only dictated the pace of the game, it dominated. The Tigers were up 17-1 before Liberty hit its first field goal. The Flames turned it over 28 times, but rarely against Clemson’s full-court pressure. The Tigers forced many of those miscues as Liberty futilely tried to run its half-court offense.
The Washington Post recaps Maryland's win against Fairfield (Enhanced Box Score):
The game was less than three minutes old, and anxiety was already high at Comcast Center. Maryland had missed its first five shots against a Fairfield defense that frequently switched its defensive schemes. There were no points on the board for either squad, and the Terrapins' angst sharpened with each offensive miscue.
Then senior guard Eric Hayes caught a pass on the wing, pump-faked to draw his defender into the air, took a step to his left and fired a three-point attempt. It was good -- the basket, the omen and, eventually, the game. Behind a steadying first-half performance by Hayes and a stifling team-wide defensive effort after the intermission, Maryland pulled away for a 71-42 win Tuesday night.
The Washington post recaps Virginia Tech's scare against UNCG (Box Score):
In November and December, an accumulation of details help to lay a foundation for college basketball teams. This is the time of year, Virginia Tech Coach Seth Greenberg said, when "teams are developing an identity."
With its 59-46 win Tuesday over North Carolina Greensboro, Virginia Tech made the first steps in creating a defensive ethos. Greenberg has harped on playing with defensive grit throughout the preseason, and it showed against the Spartans.
The Boston Globe recaps BC's win against St. Francis (Enhanced Box Score):
On paper, Boston College’s 72-44 win over Saint Francis will look like your standard-issue, early-season blowout.
Four BC starters scored in double figures. The host Eagles shot 50 percent in the first half, and held Saint Francis of New York to 31 percent shooting for the night. Tyler Roche led BC for a second straight game with 19 points, drilling five of
