With North Carolina seemingly unbeatable this year, the ACC has become a battle for second even before the opening tip. Most people agree that Duke or N.C. State will fill the send spot behind the Tar Heels, but which one of those Triangle will earn the number two to the left of their name in the ACC Tournament bracket?
I’m going with the Devils.
Duke’s problems in the post are well-documented, but Coach K and his boys don’t need much production from the paint. Anyone who has watched Duke for the last decade knows that they are a perimeter-oriented offense. Sure, they had Carlos Boozer and Shelden Williams, but the offense still revolved around Jay Williams, J.J. Redick, Mike Dunleavy and the like.
All the Devils need from guys like Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek are rebounds and solid defense. Zoubek was a human turnover machine last year, but those of you that watched the beginning of the Carolina game saw how human he made Tyler Hansbrough look when Psycho-T had the ball. Last I checked, Hansbrough was pretty good - like, two-time All-America kind of good - so holding him in check is saying something.
Duke’s biggest weakness the last two years, its lack of athleticism, is no longer an issue. The Devils have DeMarcus Nelson, Gerald Henderson and freshman Nolan Smith who can match up athletically with anybody in the conference. Lance Thomas can guard anyone from a point guard to a center, and the Devils will have the depth on the bench to pressure the ball without worrying about guys fatiguing and inferior talent replacing them.
Mike Krzyzewski has wanted to play an up-tempo game for a while now, and he finally has the personnel to do it on the offensive, and perhaps more importantly, defensive end.
Oh by the way, there is that Singler guy too. The preseason ACC Rookie of the Year comes to Durham widely regarded as the best overall player in the freshman class. Singler’s ability to shoot from outside, put the ball on the floor, and play with his back to the basket will create headaches for opposing coaches all season long.
Add a healthy Greg Paulus, Jon Scheyer with a year of experience under his belt and a Hall of Fame coach, and you have the No. 2 team in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
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