AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 22
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thoughts on ACC & Tech hoops
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Still don’t know any more about Tashard Choice’s knee, and as there is no football game this week, and I’m back from the ACC basketball media festival, how about some hoops?
I think the ACC is going to be up this year. It seems like most years, people are saying the ACC is down, and with Duke definitely down last year it was easy to have that impression. Virginia Tech was up, though, and so were Virginia and Boston College. North Carolina was its usual strong self. In the NCAA tournament, it was definitely not a standard year for the ACC.
But Duke loses just one starter, and added three McD’s All-Americans, North Carolina lost Reyshawn Terry and Brandan Wright but has a pile of talent back, and Clemson and N.C. State each have four starters back (N.C. State needs to replace PG Engin Atsur, though) and the Wolfpack added a McD’s AA (not a PG).
BC will be down, and so will Va. Tech. I think Virginia can again be good, even without Reynolds.
As for Tech, it’ll come down to PG play and defense. They have enough bodies at every position to do more than compete, as long as the guys running the team (Matt Causey, Maurice Miller, and Paul Hewitt hinted again yesterday at D’Andre Bell may have a shot at minutes there, probably mostly because of his defense) play solid, even if not spectacularly.
Jeremis Smith and Anthony Morrow are said — by themselves and Hewitt — to be in the best shape of their lives, and are expected to be leaders.
Smith said, “You rarely see Anthony bending over grabbing his knees. I think the reason why his shot is so impeccable this year is because of his conditioning. You never see his shot falling short.”
That’s good for Tech. Morrow was in awful shape when he started playing last season, slowed by a back injury, and weighed about 220. He said he’s around 208 now.
“Last year really showed my you have to be in tip-top shape to play this game,” he said. “I’ve been eating a lot better, drinking a lot of fluids. The main thing is probably [eliminating] Sprite. I don’t drink any soda any more. Water and juice, stay away from the acids and stuff.”
Tech should be able to shoot pretty well. Even some of the inside guys, particularly Zack Peacock, can stroke it, and Lewis Clinch’s return will help on the perimeter.
In the scrimmage Saturday, freshman win Lance Storrs of Columbia, whom some have penciled in for a redshirt, lit it up.
“They’re all kind of struggling with the level of intensity,” Hewitt said of his three freshmen. “Gani [Lawal] looked great. He’s surprised me with his range out to about 16 feet. Lance Storrs hit six 3s in our scrimmage. “There wasn’t as much defense played as I would have liked, but I don’t care if you open the gym and you’re by yourself if you hit six of 10 three-pointers after you had an early-morning practice. Mo [Maurice Miller] was good; could have been better.”
Hewitt told reporters he thought Lawal would have more of an impact on Tech’s team early in the season than Thaddeus Young did last season (but not as much as Crittenton early) because he’s playing his normal position (4-5), and Young was moving from the post in high school to wing at Tech. Paul also said Thaddeus was taking off late in the season. (Not in the NCAA game, he didn’t, but in that ACC tourney game against Wake he was on fire).
The league plans to more strictly enforce sideline behavior guidelines this season, including profane language and coaches straying from their “box.”
“In no case should a coach be using abusive language. If it’s in the direction of an official, that’s ABC, a no-brainer [a technical foul],” said ACC director of officiating John Clougherty. “If he wants to deal with his players, he needs to be careful. Abusive language is not acceptable in any situation. “It’s more stringent enforcement of bench decorum. It not a new rule … it’s just how strictly it’s going to be enforced.”
We’ll see just how much enforcement goes on. Coach K responded to questions about this by griping about officials stationing themselves right in front of where coaches sit/stand on the sideline, making it tough on coaches. Hmmmm.
First exhibition is 11 days away, the first game 18 days out. Ton of travel in November. Two trips to Nashville, one to the Virgin Islands, a trip to Indiana. Different story in December, as Hewitt has worked to keep the kids near campus (they have a game at Ga. State).
Brutal schedule, including pile of road games late in the ACC season, and trips to Georgia and UConn after the holidays. Tough, tough schedule.
