ACC Roundup

Poor Leonard. His team came out of the blocks like a high school football team at a free buffet, but despite running out to a 17-3 lead, couldn't close the deal, and UNC won, 81-75.

If you're a UNC fan, here's the most beautiful thing all season: James Michael McAdoo was totally.shut.out.

UNC's offense is not very diverse, so what happened?

Well, simple. First, Brice Johnson pulled a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards. But remember what we've been saying about Kennedy Meeks? That he's about to break through?

Well he has.

Meeks scored 23 on 11-12 shooting in just 24 minutes.

He's one of the more intelligent players around, so we really look forward to seeing what happens with him after strength coach Jonas Sahratian gets through with him. That guy's brilliant at his job. Meek has excellent instincts but his weight has held him back. That's fixable.

Right now, Meeks is like that chunky kid on the playground who doesn't run that fast or jump that high, but who can sure pass, and who knows how to get himself a quality shot, who can fake you out of your shorts, too.

Players come in all shapes and sizes, and Meeks is definitely a player. His emergence is really big news for UNC.

That both big guys had big games, that four Tar Heels scored in double figures was huge. This team has evolved, and has apparently left its formerly snake bitten persona behind.

By the way, Florida State has lost seven of its last 10.

We're not necessarily big fans of Ol' Roy Williams, but there's a reason why the man took the train to the Hall of Fame.

And of course now, with UNC's hot streak, Thursday night's make up is for third place.

On Tuesday, three games on tap.

After a remarkable near-miss at Syracuse - and let's give the Pack credit, because other than Duke and Pitt, we think State's the only ACC team which had control of it's own fate late against the Orange - State is rewarded with a trip to Death Valley, where basketball is about as much fun (and about as bruising) as running a gauntlet. You just know what's coming when you go there. Just pack the pads and Tylenol.

As always, we draw an imaginary line in the standings for serious NCAA hopefuls and right now we'd draw it under...Clemson. This is a huge game for both teams.

Syracuse, Virginia, Duke, UNC and Pitt are already in. State and Clemson could play well enough to get in

Wake goes to Maryland with Jeff Bzdelik on the mend from pneumonia. It doesn't seem like a terribly serious case, but it's still tough. Mark Turgeon says Maryland is ultra focused after Duke and if that's the case, it could be tough for the Deacs, because Wake certainly hasn't been.

As for Virginia, there have been bigger losses than what would happen if the Hokies won. Chaminade, for one, sort of the ultimate upset. If Virginia shows up and plays its game, that's pretty unlikely to happen. This is a serious rivalry game though, so you just never rule anything out.