THE MIDDLINS’: PART 1
It would be difficult for me to argue against any order that someone might pick for spots 4 through 12 in the ACC this coming season. All 9 teams in these spots have talent and a realistic shot of making the NCAA tournament. But all have noticeable flaws as well. Depth is an issue for some of these teams so that an injury could send them cascading toward the bottom of the conference. There most certainly will be ties in the final standings (there were 5 ties in the conference last season), no more so than in this middle grouping of teams. In part 1 of this section, we’ll look at my predictions for places 8 through 12.
12. CLEMSON TIGERS (last season’s finish: tied for 7th)
The Tigers return their top 3 scorers and 5 of their top 7 point producers, headlined by pre-season player-of-the-year candidate Jaron Blossingame. So, why am I picking them for 12th place? Welcome to the ACC, baby, where the competition will be tough. Coach Brad Brownell has always produced teams that play tough and smart. But Clemson lacks shooters, depth, and the quality of backcourt players capable of taking the Tigers to the upper level of the conference.
Joining Blossingame in the front court will be last year’s second-leading scorer, Sr. Donte Grantham who averaged 10.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, and 2.1 apg. They’ll flank a 6’10” C with one of the better names in the conference, Sidy Djitte, to give Clemson an imposing front line that should be able to play with anyone. A fourth senior in the starting lineup will be guard Avery Holmes, who averaged 10.0 points and 2.6 assists per game. He’ll likely be joined by junior Gabe Devoe to give Clemson a very experienced starting five. Both the talent and depth drop off dramatically after these five, however, as Brownell was unable to secure top-level recruits for this year.
So, look for the Tigers to be a tough out, but fatigue, due to lack of depth, is likely to take its toll on Clemson’s chances to rise to the top levels of the conference.
Top returning players: Jaron Blossingame, 18.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg; Donte Grantham, 10.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg; Sidy Djitte, 5.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg; Avery Holmes 10.0 ppg, 2.6 apg; Gabe Devoe, 5.3 ppg.
Newcomers of significance: none
11. Pittsburgh Panthers (last season’s finish: tied for 9th)
Coach Jamie Dixon left Pitt in the offseason for his alma mater, TCU. He leaves as Pitt’s second winningest coach, owner of the highest winning percentage in Pitt basketball history, and his teams’ 11 NCAA tournament appearances are nearly ½ of Pitt’s all time number. Yet, there is a perception that his accomplishments fell short of Pitt fans’ expectations, especially in the post season. Some have suggested that he got out of town while the getting’ was good. The reality is that it was going to be difficult to replace Dixon with a coach of equal or better skills. Only time will tell, but the school’s brass may have done that in hiring Vanderbilt’s head coach Kevin Stallings.
Stallings’ inaugural season in the ACC could be rough because Pitt loses its 4-year starter at point guard, James Robinson, to graduation. The Panthers do, however, return their top 2 scorers and 5 of their top seven point producers. Leading the way will be senior forwards Jamel Artis and Michael Young, who put more than 30 ppg on the board between themselves. They’ll be joined in the frontcourt by fellow senior Sheldon Jeter, who interestingly, transferred away from Vanderbilt and Stallings when Stallings was head coach at Vandy. Junior Ryan Luther and incoming freshman Corey Manigualt will provide depth upfront. Filling the hole in the backcourt left by Robinson’s graduation will be the key to Pitt moving up much higher in the standings this year. 6’5” Damon Wilson, 6’6” Chris Jones and 6’7” Cameron Johnson give the Panthers some nice size at guard. Wilson, a combo guard, is the most likely of these to assume the point, but I’m not sure that any of the guards are the type of playmaker necessary to allow this team to compete in the upper echelon of the conference. Stallings did not have time to bring in a top-level backcourt player to replace Robinson.
Pitt’s prospects are similar to Clemson’s – good front line, inadequate in the backcourt - but the Panthers get the nod over the Tigers here because of better depth. Stallings will likely be forced to slow down the tempo of games and try to grind teams with good defense and tough frontcourt play. If the Panthers can somehow find a point guard able to handle the load of an ACC schedule, then they will finish higher than this pick.
Top returning players: Jamel Artis, 15.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg; Michael Young, 14.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg; Sheldon Jeter, 8.1 ppg , 4.8 rpg; Chris Jones, 6.1 ppg; Ryan Luther, 5.2 ppg; Cameron Johnson, 4.8 ppg, 0.5 apg; Damon Wilson, 3.3 ppg, 1.4 apg.
Newcomers of significance: Corey Manigualt, 6’’8” F.
10. MIAMI HURRICANES (last season’s finish: tied for 2nd)
It could be crazy to pick ACC coach-of-the-year Jim Larranaga’s team to finish 10th a year after residing in the top-10 nationally and tying for second in the ACC. But no team loses more than Miami does this year. The dynamic backcourt duo of Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez move on along with bruising, powerful starting center, Tonye Jekeri and 3 point marksman Ivan Cruz Uceda. That’s 4 of the top 7 scorers on the roster. The Hurricanes will miss their defensive skills every bit as much as their offensive production. Additionally, James Palmer, Jr. transferred in the offseason to Nebraska. But the cupboard is not bare and Larranaga was able to bring in some top notch recruits that should get the Hurricanes back into the postseason.
Returning guards Ja’Quan Newton and Davon Reed should take over leadership of this team in the backcourt and they’ll be joined by forwards Kamari Murphy and Anthony Lawrence, Jr. to give Miami a solid base of experience to build on. Larranaga brings in top big man recruit, 6’10” DeWann Huell, and swingman Bruce Brown, both consensus top 30 recruits. Additionally, 6’11” center Rodney Miller from the famed Oak Hill Academy should find some playing time. Ultimately, Miami will be relying too much on their freshmen to produce and lack enough depth to return to the top of the conference. But if those freshmen mature quickly, then this pick is probably too low.
Top returning players: Davon Reed, 11.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg; Ja’Quan Newton, 10.5 ppg, 2.5 apg; Kamari Murphy, 5.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg; Anthony Lawrence, Jr., 4.1 ppg.
Newcomers of significance: DeWann Huell, F, 6’10”; Bruce Brown, G, 6’4”; Rodney Miller, C, 6’11”.
9. N.C. STATE WOLFPACK (last season’s finish: 13th)
No team embodies the difficulty of picking these middle-of-the-pack ACC teams more than the Wolfpack. State loses ACC leading scorer Cat Barber, who went undrafted after declaring for the NBA draft. Additionally, the Martin twins, Caleb and Cody, the 4th and 5th leading scorers for the Pack, decided to transfer. But N.C. State never jelled with these players on the court together and, as crazy as it might sound, these losses could end up being addition by subtraction. This especially could be true considering Mark Gottfried hit the jackpot with a late-spring recruiting bonanza that gave him one of the top recruiting classes in the country.
Jr. Abdul-Malik Abu and Sr. BeeJay Anya withdrew their names from the NBA draft (who were they kidding?!!!) and will return to anchor the frontcourt. Soph. Maverick Rowan and sharpshooting Terry Henderson, a transfer from West Virginia who had to sit out last season due to injury, give the Wolfpack the type of dangerous outside shooting needed on the wings to keep defenses honest. But the real star of this team is likely to be one-and-done, true freshman Dennis Smith, Jr. The 6.3” point guard was a consensus top-10 pick and appears to be fully healed from a knee injury. The good recruiting news doesn’t stop there. Smith, Jr. will be joined in the backcourt by top-50 2017 high school guard Markell Johnson, who reclassified in June and will join the Wolfpack this fall. Then, Gottfried’s team got larger and better upfront when 7’0”, 240 lbs. Turkish star Omer Yurtseven signed with State. One college assistant coach said that if Yurtseven had been playing in the U.S., he would have most certainly been a top-25 player (and he was rated #21 by one recruiting service.) Yurtseven scored 91 points in one U-18 game last season!
Giving the Pack more depth in the frontcourt will be Sr. Lennard Freeman. Another freshman big body joins him in 6’10”, 245 lbs. Ted Kapita. 6’7” Darius Hicks is another promising freshman as well. 6’3” prospect guard Spencer Newman de-committed from Miss. St. in the spring and will join the Pack this fall as well.
If Abu continues to improve on his 12.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg averages and Anya decides to dedicate himself in his final season to get into tip-top physical shape, the Wolfpack could be a very dangerous team come tournament time. But they will likely take their lumps early and this is why I picked them for 9th place. This is shaping up to be one of Gottfried’s deepest teams at N.C. State and if the Wolfpack can find the chemistry that it seemed to lack last year, watch out, ACC!
Top returning players: Abdul-Malik Abu, 12.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg; BeeJay Anya, 4.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.2 bpg; Maverick Rowan, 12.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg; Lennard Freeman, 3.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg.
Newcomers of significance: Terry Henderson (transfer), Dennis Smith, Jr., Omer Yurtseven, Markell Johnson, Ted Kapita, Darius Hicks.
8. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (last season’s finish: tied for 5th)
Point guard Demetrius Jackson’s decision to forego his senior season and stay in the NBA draft puts the Irish’s quarterbacking duties in the hands of true freshman Temple Gibbs. Although Gibbs, a consensus top-100 recruit, is talented, giving the reins to a freshman in this conference is always a risky proposition and this pick of 8th place for the Irish might be too high. But the Irish do return 3 double-figure scorers from last year, including Sr. V.J. Beacham, sharp-shooting, tough defender Steve Vasturia, and rugged Bonzie Colson. Coach Mike Brey has done a nice job of developing players that pass through South Bend and he’ll need to continue to do so for the Golden Domers to have success this season. Junior Matt Farrell will share PG duties with Gibbs. Brey needs to find someone to man the post. Potential candidates include 6’9” Elijah Burns, little used Martin Geben, or rising sophomore Matt Ryan. Rex Pfleuger, Austin Torres, and Matt Gregory will need to provide depth on the wings.
Notre Dame will be small in the post, but Brey’s coaching combined with a solid returning core give the Irish a solid shot at returning to the NCAA tournament this season.
Top returning players: V.J. Beacham, 12.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg; Steve Vasturia, 11.4 ppg; Bonzie Colson, 11.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg; Matt Ryan, 5.1 ppg; Matt Farrell, 2.6 ppg; Rex Pfleuger, 2.3 ppg.
Newcomers of significance: Temple Gibbs
It would be difficult for me to argue against any order that someone might pick for spots 4 through 12 in the ACC this coming season. All 9 teams in these spots have talent and a realistic shot of making the NCAA tournament. But all have noticeable flaws as well. Depth is an issue for some of these teams so that an injury could send them cascading toward the bottom of the conference. There most certainly will be ties in the final standings (there were 5 ties in the conference last season), no more so than in this middle grouping of teams. In part 1 of this section, we’ll look at my predictions for places 8 through 12.
12. CLEMSON TIGERS (last season’s finish: tied for 7th)
The Tigers return their top 3 scorers and 5 of their top 7 point producers, headlined by pre-season player-of-the-year candidate Jaron Blossingame. So, why am I picking them for 12th place? Welcome to the ACC, baby, where the competition will be tough. Coach Brad Brownell has always produced teams that play tough and smart. But Clemson lacks shooters, depth, and the quality of backcourt players capable of taking the Tigers to the upper level of the conference.
Joining Blossingame in the front court will be last year’s second-leading scorer, Sr. Donte Grantham who averaged 10.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, and 2.1 apg. They’ll flank a 6’10” C with one of the better names in the conference, Sidy Djitte, to give Clemson an imposing front line that should be able to play with anyone. A fourth senior in the starting lineup will be guard Avery Holmes, who averaged 10.0 points and 2.6 assists per game. He’ll likely be joined by junior Gabe Devoe to give Clemson a very experienced starting five. Both the talent and depth drop off dramatically after these five, however, as Brownell was unable to secure top-level recruits for this year.
So, look for the Tigers to be a tough out, but fatigue, due to lack of depth, is likely to take its toll on Clemson’s chances to rise to the top levels of the conference.
Top returning players: Jaron Blossingame, 18.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg; Donte Grantham, 10.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.1 apg; Sidy Djitte, 5.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg; Avery Holmes 10.0 ppg, 2.6 apg; Gabe Devoe, 5.3 ppg.
Newcomers of significance: none
11. Pittsburgh Panthers (last season’s finish: tied for 9th)
Coach Jamie Dixon left Pitt in the offseason for his alma mater, TCU. He leaves as Pitt’s second winningest coach, owner of the highest winning percentage in Pitt basketball history, and his teams’ 11 NCAA tournament appearances are nearly ½ of Pitt’s all time number. Yet, there is a perception that his accomplishments fell short of Pitt fans’ expectations, especially in the post season. Some have suggested that he got out of town while the getting’ was good. The reality is that it was going to be difficult to replace Dixon with a coach of equal or better skills. Only time will tell, but the school’s brass may have done that in hiring Vanderbilt’s head coach Kevin Stallings.
Stallings’ inaugural season in the ACC could be rough because Pitt loses its 4-year starter at point guard, James Robinson, to graduation. The Panthers do, however, return their top 2 scorers and 5 of their top seven point producers. Leading the way will be senior forwards Jamel Artis and Michael Young, who put more than 30 ppg on the board between themselves. They’ll be joined in the frontcourt by fellow senior Sheldon Jeter, who interestingly, transferred away from Vanderbilt and Stallings when Stallings was head coach at Vandy. Junior Ryan Luther and incoming freshman Corey Manigualt will provide depth upfront. Filling the hole in the backcourt left by Robinson’s graduation will be the key to Pitt moving up much higher in the standings this year. 6’5” Damon Wilson, 6’6” Chris Jones and 6’7” Cameron Johnson give the Panthers some nice size at guard. Wilson, a combo guard, is the most likely of these to assume the point, but I’m not sure that any of the guards are the type of playmaker necessary to allow this team to compete in the upper echelon of the conference. Stallings did not have time to bring in a top-level backcourt player to replace Robinson.
Pitt’s prospects are similar to Clemson’s – good front line, inadequate in the backcourt - but the Panthers get the nod over the Tigers here because of better depth. Stallings will likely be forced to slow down the tempo of games and try to grind teams with good defense and tough frontcourt play. If the Panthers can somehow find a point guard able to handle the load of an ACC schedule, then they will finish higher than this pick.
Top returning players: Jamel Artis, 15.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg; Michael Young, 14.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg; Sheldon Jeter, 8.1 ppg , 4.8 rpg; Chris Jones, 6.1 ppg; Ryan Luther, 5.2 ppg; Cameron Johnson, 4.8 ppg, 0.5 apg; Damon Wilson, 3.3 ppg, 1.4 apg.
Newcomers of significance: Corey Manigualt, 6’’8” F.
10. MIAMI HURRICANES (last season’s finish: tied for 2nd)
It could be crazy to pick ACC coach-of-the-year Jim Larranaga’s team to finish 10th a year after residing in the top-10 nationally and tying for second in the ACC. But no team loses more than Miami does this year. The dynamic backcourt duo of Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez move on along with bruising, powerful starting center, Tonye Jekeri and 3 point marksman Ivan Cruz Uceda. That’s 4 of the top 7 scorers on the roster. The Hurricanes will miss their defensive skills every bit as much as their offensive production. Additionally, James Palmer, Jr. transferred in the offseason to Nebraska. But the cupboard is not bare and Larranaga was able to bring in some top notch recruits that should get the Hurricanes back into the postseason.
Returning guards Ja’Quan Newton and Davon Reed should take over leadership of this team in the backcourt and they’ll be joined by forwards Kamari Murphy and Anthony Lawrence, Jr. to give Miami a solid base of experience to build on. Larranaga brings in top big man recruit, 6’10” DeWann Huell, and swingman Bruce Brown, both consensus top 30 recruits. Additionally, 6’11” center Rodney Miller from the famed Oak Hill Academy should find some playing time. Ultimately, Miami will be relying too much on their freshmen to produce and lack enough depth to return to the top of the conference. But if those freshmen mature quickly, then this pick is probably too low.
Top returning players: Davon Reed, 11.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg; Ja’Quan Newton, 10.5 ppg, 2.5 apg; Kamari Murphy, 5.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg; Anthony Lawrence, Jr., 4.1 ppg.
Newcomers of significance: DeWann Huell, F, 6’10”; Bruce Brown, G, 6’4”; Rodney Miller, C, 6’11”.
9. N.C. STATE WOLFPACK (last season’s finish: 13th)
No team embodies the difficulty of picking these middle-of-the-pack ACC teams more than the Wolfpack. State loses ACC leading scorer Cat Barber, who went undrafted after declaring for the NBA draft. Additionally, the Martin twins, Caleb and Cody, the 4th and 5th leading scorers for the Pack, decided to transfer. But N.C. State never jelled with these players on the court together and, as crazy as it might sound, these losses could end up being addition by subtraction. This especially could be true considering Mark Gottfried hit the jackpot with a late-spring recruiting bonanza that gave him one of the top recruiting classes in the country.
Jr. Abdul-Malik Abu and Sr. BeeJay Anya withdrew their names from the NBA draft (who were they kidding?!!!) and will return to anchor the frontcourt. Soph. Maverick Rowan and sharpshooting Terry Henderson, a transfer from West Virginia who had to sit out last season due to injury, give the Wolfpack the type of dangerous outside shooting needed on the wings to keep defenses honest. But the real star of this team is likely to be one-and-done, true freshman Dennis Smith, Jr. The 6.3” point guard was a consensus top-10 pick and appears to be fully healed from a knee injury. The good recruiting news doesn’t stop there. Smith, Jr. will be joined in the backcourt by top-50 2017 high school guard Markell Johnson, who reclassified in June and will join the Wolfpack this fall. Then, Gottfried’s team got larger and better upfront when 7’0”, 240 lbs. Turkish star Omer Yurtseven signed with State. One college assistant coach said that if Yurtseven had been playing in the U.S., he would have most certainly been a top-25 player (and he was rated #21 by one recruiting service.) Yurtseven scored 91 points in one U-18 game last season!
Giving the Pack more depth in the frontcourt will be Sr. Lennard Freeman. Another freshman big body joins him in 6’10”, 245 lbs. Ted Kapita. 6’7” Darius Hicks is another promising freshman as well. 6’3” prospect guard Spencer Newman de-committed from Miss. St. in the spring and will join the Pack this fall as well.
If Abu continues to improve on his 12.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg averages and Anya decides to dedicate himself in his final season to get into tip-top physical shape, the Wolfpack could be a very dangerous team come tournament time. But they will likely take their lumps early and this is why I picked them for 9th place. This is shaping up to be one of Gottfried’s deepest teams at N.C. State and if the Wolfpack can find the chemistry that it seemed to lack last year, watch out, ACC!
Top returning players: Abdul-Malik Abu, 12.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg; BeeJay Anya, 4.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.2 bpg; Maverick Rowan, 12.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg; Lennard Freeman, 3.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg.
Newcomers of significance: Terry Henderson (transfer), Dennis Smith, Jr., Omer Yurtseven, Markell Johnson, Ted Kapita, Darius Hicks.
8. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (last season’s finish: tied for 5th)
Point guard Demetrius Jackson’s decision to forego his senior season and stay in the NBA draft puts the Irish’s quarterbacking duties in the hands of true freshman Temple Gibbs. Although Gibbs, a consensus top-100 recruit, is talented, giving the reins to a freshman in this conference is always a risky proposition and this pick of 8th place for the Irish might be too high. But the Irish do return 3 double-figure scorers from last year, including Sr. V.J. Beacham, sharp-shooting, tough defender Steve Vasturia, and rugged Bonzie Colson. Coach Mike Brey has done a nice job of developing players that pass through South Bend and he’ll need to continue to do so for the Golden Domers to have success this season. Junior Matt Farrell will share PG duties with Gibbs. Brey needs to find someone to man the post. Potential candidates include 6’9” Elijah Burns, little used Martin Geben, or rising sophomore Matt Ryan. Rex Pfleuger, Austin Torres, and Matt Gregory will need to provide depth on the wings.
Notre Dame will be small in the post, but Brey’s coaching combined with a solid returning core give the Irish a solid shot at returning to the NCAA tournament this season.
Top returning players: V.J. Beacham, 12.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg; Steve Vasturia, 11.4 ppg; Bonzie Colson, 11.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg; Matt Ryan, 5.1 ppg; Matt Farrell, 2.6 ppg; Rex Pfleuger, 2.3 ppg.
Newcomers of significance: Temple Gibbs
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