- Duke. The #1
team in the
nation, Duke has
improved their
defensive
consistency and
overcome some
offensive
sputters.
Chris Carrawell
has been replaced
in the
lineup. The
one nagging
concern is depth,
but if they beat
people the way
they beat
Michigan, depth
doesn't really
matter. And they
are meeting
expectations,
which isn't always
an easy thing to
do. Grade: A+ - Wake Forest.
Considering the
injuries, which
earlier looked
crippling, this is
so far Dave Odom's
finest coaching
job and if he
keeps it up he'll
merit coach of the
year
consideration.
Vidauretta has
been reasonably
replaced by
Shoemaker, and
Murray is coming
around. Grade: A+ - Georgia
Tech: Paul
Hewitt may be
building an
argument for coach
of the year
also. With
wins over UCLA and
Kentucky, Tech,
expected to be
toast all season,
is building
confidence and
character.
Grade: A+ - Virginia: Along
with Wake Forest,
UVa is ready to
make a big move.
They're still
short, but they're
quick and
tough. So
far, they get a
solid A. - UNC: this is a
team, as we said
pre-season, with
some limitations
athletically and
at point
guard. They
compensate with
massive size and
Joseph
Forte. Teams
like Michigan
State and Kentucky
handled them
relatively
easily. Not
a good sign.
Nonetheless,
Doherty is
handling the point
guard situation
well, pulling back
on Morrison's
turnover plagued
time, giving Boone
the starting spot
(since he's been
there all season
we'd presume), and
easing Curry into
significant
minutes. UNC
is in the midst of
a coaching
transition and a
personnel-philosophy
transition,
and they seem to
be holding up well
under both. Grade
so far: B+
Had they held the
lead against UK it
would have been
higher. - Clemson: the
effort against
Seton Hall alone
gets them a long
ways with
us. They
have been up and
down so far, but
not like last
season's
disaster.
True they aren't
bowling people
over, but their
losses are to
Seton Hall and
South Carolina,
and they won the
games they should
be winning. Grade:
C+ - Maryland: the
conference
underachiever so
far. The
Hawaii trip was an
unmitigated
disaster, and a
presumptive Top 5
team is now
5-3.
Illinois was
understandable
perhaps, but not
Dayton and not
Wisconsin.
More embarrassing,
0-6 Pennsylvania
came back from 22
down to make it a
game late.
Grade: D - NCSU: State,
which
promised not
to get an NIT
watch again this
year, has put
themselves
squarely back in
the hunt for the
NIT. Not what Pack
fans were hoping
for. Also,
Damon Thornton's
poor decision
making didn't
help, and Damien
Wilkins' injury
was a problem as
well.
Nonetheless, they
have struggled
where they
shouldn't
struggle.
Grade: D - Florida State:
We're Steve
Robinson fans, but
no matter how you
cut it, 1-7 won't.
Cut it, that
is. They
didn't get crushed
by Florida or
DePaul or
Minnesota, but
they didn't win,
either. They get a
chance to make up
some ground with
games coming up
with Jacksonville,
Cleveland State,
Binghamton, and
Morgan
State. They
ought to come out
of that 5-7 and
with some
confidence.
Duke is next,
though, and then
UNC-Asheville.
From there on it's
ACC all the way,
and if they don't
get it together,
it's going to be a
long winter. Grade
so far: F
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