ACC basketball cranks back up Saturday after a few days off and there are some intriguing games. Let’s go chronologically:
Miami visits 5-5 George Washington which means a homecoming for freshman Chris Lykes. He’s getting a big buildup even though he’s not starting so keep an eye on that one.
Louisville and Memphis have some history so that game could be interesting. Unfortunately Tubby Smith has had a tough time since replacing Josh Pastner. He had a lot of transfers and fan unrest. Last year he did win 19 games which was impressive under the circumstances. So far this year he’s 7-2 against a very weak schedule. They’re playing in the Gotham Classic in the Garden.
NC State gets UNC-G at home and should move to 9-2.
The good games start at 12:30 with Syracuse visiting old Big East rival Georgetown. The Hoyas are undefeated but again against a very weak schedule. Their toughest opponent has probably been Richmond, and Richmond has struggled this season. It really is a terrible schedule but Patrick Ewing is in his first season and he’s not working with much.
The most interesting game, as we’ve said a few times this week, is Virginia Tech at Kentucky. We think that the Hokies have a shot here. They are an outstanding three point shooting team, which UK has had a tough time with, and they’re great defensively. The game is at Rupp but this is a promising group. Win or lose, this game should help Buzz Williams get his team better.
Davidson is always dangerous and UVA is still not fully formed. Could the Wildcats pull it off? Unlikely but not impossible.
At the beginning of the year we’re not sure Pitt would beat McNeese State but the Panthers are improving and should win. They have a lot of work to do but still, Pitt’s much better now than they were in early November.
Florida State and Clemson are both in the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunshine, Florida. FSU gets 7-2 Oklahoma State at 2:00 while Clemson plays Florida at 4:30. We’d take FSU and probably Florida although Brad Brownell’s D is usually solid and Clemson likes to grab you and kick you at the same time.
Notre Dame plays Indiana but in Indy, not Bloomington, so you’d think the Irish should win. They’re in the Crossroads Classic along with Butler, Purdue and the Hoosiers.
It’s a bit early for this but Miami is looking forward to playing Duke.
We didn't get this the other day, but State’s Abdul-Malik Abu is working his way back from his knee injury and things are going pretty well.
- Street Knowledge with Chris Graham: The end of the UVA exam break
- Five things to know about Virginia Tech basketball
- By the numbers: Defense takes center stage in NCSU-UNCG matchup
- Virginia Tech, college basketball's highest-scoring team, steps way up in class in going to Kentucky
- Notre Dame preparing for another rowdy road environment in Crossroads Classic
- Virginia Tech brings nation's top offense to Rupp Arena
- Game Notes: #16 UVA basketball hosts Davidson on Saturday
- No. 6 Miami begins key stretch at George Washington
- Louisville basketball gets another bite of Big Apple before game at Madison Square Garden
- Padgett's recruiting challenge: 'The biggest thing is who's going to be the head coach'
- FSU basketball's rise in postseason projections continues
- MEN'S BASKETBALL: Brey expecting partisan IU crowd
If you're going to shop Amazon for Christmas please start here and help DBR
Check out our October '17 t-shirt! || Drop us a line