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College Sports in North Carolina

Wake Forest vs. Duke Football Preview

11/29/2014

Is it really a rivalry game when Duke and Wake Forest face off? On the final Saturday of the season, the 2 teams in the state who aren’t typically football powerhouses are slated to fulfill their rivalry week requirement in Durham. In recent years, these two programs have taken two very different paths. Wake has been on a consistent decline, resulting in the resignation of Head Coach Jim Grobe, while Duke has experienced a renaissance of sorts, making an ACC championship game appearance last season and currently sitting at 8-3. However, those trends are reversed when we examine the teams coming into this game.

Duke blew their chance at an ACC championship berth this season with back to back losses against inferior opponents Virginia Tech and UNC. Wake Forest just scored their first ACC win under Dave Clawson in a 6-3 double OT thriller against that same Virginia Tech team. Anthony Boone has struggled in both outings and that could be a cause for concern in this game against a strong Wake Forest defense. Boone has put up QBR’s of 19.7 and 38.2 against VT and UNC respectively. The defense didn’t do them any favors either, allowing the Tar Heels to put up nearly 600 yards of offense.

The bright spot is that the Demon Deacon offense poses absolutely no threat. They rank last in the nation in rushing, next to last in scoring, and 111th in passing. It’s abysmal. John Wolford has played well under center, but the offensive line is so young that they just haven’t been able to hold up. This bodes well for the Blue Devils, who have forced almost 2 turnovers and 2 sacks per game on the defensive side of the ball. Wolford will be under pressure as always, and mistakes will happen.

Wake Forest has momentum and Duke doesn’t. It is somewhat true that neither team really has anything to play for. However, this is senior day for arguably the most important senior class in program history for Duke. This group of players has helped revive a program that was by far the worst in the ACC and made it into a legitimate contender in the conference. This will be the last time that Anthony Boone, Josh Snead, Jamison Crowder, and countless others take the field at Wallace Wade Stadium. And it will be the first time Wake Forest has lost at Wallace Wade Stadium since 1999.

Prediction: Duke 17, Wake 10

Game Info-

Kickoff: 7 P.M.

T.V.: ESPNU

Location: Durham, NC

UNC vs. NC State Football Preview

11/29/2014

Today, Rivalry Week will see a great in-state matchup between longtime rivals, as North Carolina plays host to NC State in Chapel Hill. Both teams enter the game at 6-5, and both have already clinched a bowl game, but this game runs much deeper than merely the record of both teams. Both teams go in determined and always give a great game to the fans. Recently, the Tarheels have had the upper hand, as they have won the last two meetings between the teams, including a 27-19 victory last season in Raleigh. This year, both teams have performed well enough to earn bowl appearances, but both teams have gotten to this point in different ways.

North Carolina enters the game, again, 6-5, with an impressive ACC record of 4-3. After being ranked to start the season, Carolina fell to 2-4 early on, after a four game losing streak. During this stretch, they certainly did play up to their potential, which we have seen in more recent games. Since starting the year poorly, UNC has won 4 of its last 5 games, and has played very well lately, with some big wins over Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Duke. They most recently defeated the Blue Devils in convincing fashion, dominating their rival on the way to a 45-20 win in Durham. This hot streak has seen plenty of shootouts, forcing UNC to score plenty of points, which they have done all season, averaging over 36 points per game, good enough for 20th in the country in that category. This high scoring will likely continue today, as neither Carolina’s nor NC State’s defense is very impressive. UNC will definitely look to QB Marquise Williams to carry them in this one, as he did last season in the win over the Wolfpack. Williams has had a great season, and going into the final game, will look to cap off the season with a strong victory for his team. UNC will need to take advantage of a weak NC State defense, and set the offense loose with Williams at the helm. They will also probably need a big performance from their leading receiver Ryan Switzer and RB TJ Logan as well. These guys need to step up and have strong games against State’s defense. To win this game, UNC needs to score to get the home crowd behind them and to force NC State to score on almost every possession, and to play a complete game, something the Wolfpack have had trouble doing this season.

For North Carolina State, today is a very important game. A win over their most hated rival would give them something to celebrate to end the season, and would easily earn them a better bowl game. NC State, on the opposite spectrum from UNC, started the year 4-0, before entering ACC play and going 0-4 at the start. This losing streak included some close losses, but also some games that NC State had an easy chance to win. They had trouble finishing games, and oftentimes could not play a complete game throughout, as turnovers and lack of offensive production ended up losing many games. After a much needed bye week, NCSU won 2 of the next 3 games, with the two wins over Syracuse and Wake Forest getting them a bowl game. In those two games, and in the entire season, the offensive playmakers for the Wolfpack stepped up, as we saw efficient and turnover free games from Jacoby Brissett and a very strong rushing attack from the Wolfpack running game. Matt Dayes, Shadrach Thornton, and Tony Creecy, along with Brissett, have led this attack. Thornton has had a great year, averaging 5.5 yards per carry, as has Matt Dayes. Dayes, however, has contributed in more than the running game, as he is second on the team in receptions and leads the team in total touchdowns. Dayes is no doubt the catalyst of this offense, but Brissett is where it all starts. NC State needs these guys to step up today and keep them in the game, in what is likely to be a high scoring affair. If State cannot play a complete game on offense, without turnovers, then UNC will take advantage and take a lead.

In what should be an exciting, high scoring shootout between these two rivals, it could all come down to a few plays. These plays could be turnovers, or momentum turning games which will decide the course of the game. Both teams will come out ready to win, and both offenses should come out firing. However, Carolina, playing at home, will have chances early on to take plenty of momentum and will probably be able to use this to their advantage. NC State has been bad on the road this year, and this will probably show today. They will stay in the game, but will not do enough to win. Final Score Prediction: UNC 38, NCSU 29

Game Info-

Kickoff- 12:30

TV: ACC Network

Location: Chapel Hill, NC

UNC vs. Duke Thursday Night Football Preview

11/19/2014

The Duke Blue Devils are a 6 point favorite at this time for their Thursday night showdown with rival UNC. To be honest, that number seems a little low.

                Duke comes into the contest sporting an 8-2 (4-2) record with a chance to take control for the ACC Coastal once and for all. If the Blue Devils win out, they’ll head to South Florida for an ACC championship rematch with Florida State. They had a disappointing loss last week against Virginia Tech in a game that saw them outgain the Hokies, possess the ball for longer, and pick up more first downs. However, 3 turnovers and 2 missed field goals led to a loss. Duke will look to re-establish the running game this week against a Tar Heel team that allowed 220 rushing yards to standout Pitt RB James Conner last week.

                The Tar Heels also have something to play for in this one. Not only is it a rivalry game, but UNC is currently sitting at 5-5, needing to win at least one of their last 2 games to become bowl eligible. Unfortunately for UNC, their defense comes into this game ranking dead last in the ACC, allowing 512 yards per game. On the bright side, they have forced 20 turnovers this season, at least one in every game, and with Duke having been sloppy with the ball last week, that could be what keeps the Tar Heels in the game. Duke only has 9 turnovers this season, but 6 of those have come in their 2 losses. Clearly keeping control of the ball will be a big factor Thursday night.

                Another problem for the Tar Heels defense will be matching up with the skill position players of the Blue Devils. Jamison Crowder is having another good season with 767 yards and 4 TD’s, and has been historically good against UNC. Combine that with the three headed monster in the backfield of Shaun Wilson, Shaquille Powell, and Josh Snead, and the Heels are going to have their hands full.

                UNC does enter this game with momentum, having won 3 of their last 4. Due to their lack of defense they’ve had to win by outscoring people, and have done well, ranking in the top 25 in the nation in both points per game and passing yards. Marquise Williams is the offense for the Heels and will have to have a big game Thursday night for UNC to pull off the upset. In the win against Pitt, Williams not only threw for 276 yards and a TD, but ran for 122 and 3 TD’s. If he has another showing like that, the Tar Heels may be able to leave Durham with a win.

                Prediction- It is a rivalry game, and anything could happen, but most of the time the better team will win at home. Duke is going to be angry after that bad loss to VT and I expect them to come on firing against that UNC defense. Duke 45, UNC 31.

Weekend Basketball Recap- Big 4, High Point, and UNC-Charlotte Start Strong

11/16/2014

Here's a recap of all the action that went down with NC teams in the opening weekend of college basketball-

Duke- The Blue Devils scored two easy victories over Presbyterian and Fairfield. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to take from these games, as both opponents were woefully overmatched by Duke’s talent. Therefore, we still won’t learn anything about this team until they take on Michigan State on Tuesday. I don’t see their 100 point streak extending past 2 games.

UNC- Handled Robert Morris easily on Sunday. On Friday they defeated NC Central, a tournament team from last year, by 16. The Heels were a bit sloppy offensively, but they defended well and took care of business in what could have been a trap game.

NC State- Had a nice win vs. Jackson State which saw both Anthony Barber and Trevor Lacey go for over 20 points

Wake Forest- Pulled away from UNC-Asheville late to score an 8-69 win behind 25 & 13 from Devin Thomas

East Carolina- Beat UNC Wesleyan 99-81 in relatively unconvincing fashion on Friday before falling to UNC-Asheville 83-79 on Sunday. Andrew Rowsey had 28 points for UNCA.

Campbell- Opened the season with a 97-58 drubbing of Barber-Scotia which saw 5 players in double figures. They’ll take on Davidson on Tuesday.

High Point- Beat CSU-Bakersfield in a thrilling 4OT game 100-99 on Friday. Tarique Thompson made the game winner with 2 seconds remaining. Followed that up with a 12 point win over AR-Pine Bluff the next day. It was an impressive beginning of the season for the Panthers.

Elon- Defeated FAU 64-58 to open the season Friday. Sunday they fell to UNC-Charlotte 73-60. The 49ers held Elon to 32% shooting and 3-20 from 3 point range.

NC A&T- They beat the Greensboro Pride by 30 on Friday. Bruce Beckford had 21.

UNC-Greensboro- Beat Chowan 76-62. Not particularly convincing vs. a non-division 1 opponent. Tevon Saddler and RJ White both had over 20 points.

Western Carolina- Lost a hard fought matchup against SEC opponent Mississippi State. James Sinclair had 20 points but it wasn’t enough. The Bulldogs were led by a double-double from Gavin Ware.

Davidson- Had a nice rout of Catholic 102-66 in which they shot over 50% from 3. Face off with Campbell on Tuesday before a big matchup with UNC Saturday in Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.

Appalachain State- Beaten down by Ohio 73-47. Only two Mountaineers scored in double-figures and the team shot 33% from the field.

UNC-Wilmington- Lost 76-56 to Old Dominion. They won’t win many games when they only get 3 points combined from Cedrick Williams and CJ Gettys.

Gardner-Webb- Another team that came up just short against an SEC opponent. The Bulldogs lost to LSU 93-82. Jerome Hill gave the Tigers fits, scoring 25 points in 12-17 shooting.

NC State Defeats In-State Rival Wake Forest to Gain Bowl Eligibility

11/16/2014

On Saturday, November 15, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons rolled into Raleigh to take on the NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finely Stadium. Wake went into the game with a Bowl Game out of reach, and was just looking to pick up a late season win to improve their record. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack entered their last home game of the season with a record of 5-5, looking to pick up their first Bowl Game in the Dave Doeren era.

NC State went in to the game looking to exploit Wake Forest’s weak run defense, and Wake Forest was probably thinking the same thing. In their first drive of the game, NC State did just that, and Senior RB Tony Creecy was able to burst into the endzone on a 2 yard run early on. Wake responded with a field goal at the end of the first quarter, and the first quarter ended with a score of 7-3. Both teams were trying to gain some momentum to win the game, and NC State drew energy from their home crowd. They scored two more touchdowns before halftime, both coming from RB Matt Dayes, which contributed to his great game. Dayes, who has been one of the best playmakers for NC State this season, has been a threat in the rushing and passing game, and this trend continued as one of his second quarter scores came on the ground, and one through the air. Going into halftime, NC State was up 21-3 and was carrying almost all the momentum.

The momentum continued for State coming out of halftime as NC State scored on the first play of the first possession of the second half, as Brian Underwood took an end-around 75 yards and into the endzone. From this point on, the Wolfpack dominated the game, and continued to rack up yardage on the ground, which led to more and more touchdowns. In the third quarter, two more goal line touchdowns increased the Wolfpack lead to 42-6, and things were all but finished in Raleigh. Wake would score once more at the end of the game, and the score ended at 42-13. NC State had clinched a Bowl Invitation.

NC State was able to dominate the ground game in this matchup, both offensively and defensively. Since the bye week a couple of weeks ago, the Wolfpack have improved greatly with their rushing defense, and in this game against Wake, they held the Demon Deacons to 58 yards on the ground on 35 total carries. The defense for State forced a fumble, as well. Offensively, the rushing game was strong for NC State. Matt Dayes led the way with 2 TDs rushing, and Shadrach Thornton led the team in yards, picking up 110 on 16 carries, to go along with a touchdown. The Wolfpack totaled 362 yards on the ground on 42 carries. This led to a great offensive attack without the need of a strong passing performance, as Jacoby Brissett only threw for 83 yards with one touchdown through the air. Meanwhile, for Wake, John Wolford had a subpar game, as he was 15/32 for 161 yards and no touchdowns. Wake struggled to get anything going in the game, and it showed in the final score. They also lost one fumble in the game, which was their only turnover. State did not turn the ball over once. Overall, Wake Forest looked rather weak and unmotivated throughout the game, while NC State started and finished strong to ensure their first bowl appearance since Dave Doeren took over as the head coach one season ago. Next up for Wake is a home game with Virginia Tech before taking on the number 21 ranked Duke Blue Devils to close out the year. NC State will have a bye week before visiting longtime rival UNC in a couple weeks, an important game for both teams.

Key Stats:

Rushing Yards: NC State 362, Wake Forest 58

Turnovers: NC State 0, Wake Forest 1

1st Downs: NC State 20, Wake Forest 12

Time of Possession: NC State 28:42, Wake Forest 31:18

18 Teams in 18 Days College Basketball Preview- #1 UNC

11/14/2014

The UNC Tar Heels

The UNC Tar Heels are our #1 team in North Carolina, and rightfully so. The Heels had an up and down campaign last year, ending up with 24 wins and a second round NCAA tournament loss to Iowa State. The Tar Heels have a lot of depth and talent coming in this year, including Preseason ACC player of the year Marcus Paige. They get back all-ACC defensive player J.P. Tokoto and bring in highly touted recruit Justin Jackson. This team might give Roy Williams a legitimate chance to get back to his first Final Four since 2009.

UNC opens the season with an in state matchup against NC Central, and also takes on Davidson, ECU, and UNC-Greensboro out of conference. The two biggest tests before league play will be a road matchup with Kentucky and a home game against Ohio State. That UK game on December 13th will undoubtedly be one of the biggest games of the college basketball season and will give a good idea of how good the Heels could be. They also get both Louisville and of course rival Duke twice in conference play.

Key Players-

Marcus Paige (Jr.) G- Paige was the best player for the Heels last season and figures to play the same role this season. He is a legit contender for ACC Player of the year after being chosen as a preseason All-American. He put up 17 PPG and shot nearly 40% from 3 last season, however this year he’ll have more help on the perimeter and shouldn’t be asked to do as much.

Justin Jackson (Sr.) F- Jackson was a McDonald’s All America game MVP and has been ranked as one of the most impactful incoming freshman in the country. He has the potential to lead the Tar Heels in scoring and is a legit threat to Jahlil Okafor for ACC Freshman of the year.

Prediction-

UNC is poised to have a great season, but a lot of their success will depend on young players. I expect this team to start out slow and gain steam as the season goes on, and John Calipari’s Kentucky teams in recent years have shown that you don’t need experience to win a championship. I think UNC makes a final four this season but comes up just short of winning it all.

18 Teams in 18 Days College Basketball Preview- #2 Duke

11/14/2014

Duke Blue Devils 

As they head into the 2014-15 season the sky is the limit for this Duke squad. Coming off a first round upset to Mercer, Duke will be chomping at the bit to prove people wrong and get the bad test of last season of their mouths. This Blue Devil team will be made up of the top recruiting class in the country including Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, and Grayson Allen. Okafor and Jones came to Duke in a “package deal” of sorts as the two chose to meet up in college. Okafor is sought to be the best big man in Durham since Elton Brand if not the best in Mike Krzyzewski’s tenure. With the exception of Sheldon Williams in the mid-2000s and Brian Zoubek showing up the final month of his of senior season Duke has lacked a strong post presence over the years. Although with Okafor’s 6-foot-11, 265-pound frame Duke should have an option offensively and backbone defensively they have seldom had.

Along with the potent recruiting class Duke will be led by junior, Amile Jefferson, and senior, Quinn Cook. After playing a significant role over the past two seasons at the point guard position and totaling 60 career starts Coach K will expect Cook to not only orchestrate the offensive attack, but anchor down the defense as well. Every year come March the teams that are able to keep their championship hopes alive are chose with experienced upperclassmen. The big question for this Blue Devil team is can their excess of young talent and minute amount of tested upperclassmen amount to bringing a fifth title back to Kyzyzewskiville?

Key Players

Rasheed Sulaimon (Jr.), SG- Despite not being named one of the captains, expect Sulaimon to be someone that this team will look to for leadership along with offensive and defensive production. Sulaimon is someone who has provided a spark on offense over the course of his first two years at Duke and with an array of young talent and the rigor of the ACC this year his scoring ability will be vital to night in and night out success.

Amile Jefferson (Jr.), F- With a lack of rebounding last year Jefferson continuously made strides last year towards playing a larger in that regard. Similarly he will be needed again this year for rebounding ability to lighten the weight on freshman, Jahlil Okafor. Also, as one of the team captains much responsibility to keeping the focus of the younger players throughout the season will be on him.

Prediction

Duke has as much talent as anybody in the country (let’s just forget about Kentucky for the moment). Everyone is very quick to make the connection between top recruiting class and high ranking in the polls although it is not that simple. Although Duke has a lot of talent all of the freshmen still need to adapt to the college level to some degree. I see Duke’s team really coming together especially come late February and March, but don’t think there won’t be a few bumps in the road getting there. Duke will finish second in the ACC and make a run to the Final Four.

18 Teams in 18 Days College Basketball Preview- #3 NC State

11/13/2014

NC State Wolfpack

Last year, it was all about TJ Warren. The ACC Player of the Year was one of the best – if not the best – pure scorer in the country, and it showed in plenty of the Wolfpack’s games. At crucial points in every game, everyone on the court and anyone watching knew where the ball was going to go. Yet Warren kept scoring, and kept winning games for NC State. Many could argue that Warren was the reason for NC State making it into the tournament, and these many people would be correct. There is no denying that Warren was the best player in Raleigh and the best in the ACC last season. He led his team to a regular season record of 19-12 before State made a deep run in the ACC tourney, which earned them the final spot in the NCAA tournament. They soundly defeated Xavier in the first round before losing a truly heartbreaking game to St. Louis, in a very disappointing fashion. Thus, the season concluded for the Wolfpack, and Warren headed off to the NBA.

This year, NC State will obviously be without its central playmaker and leader from last season, who averaged about 25 points and 7 rebounds per game for NC State, and was constantly the man to rely on. Now, the Wolfpack will need to find a new identity. The hype and letdown of two years ago has been forgotten, and Warren’s time is now in the past. Along with Warren, NC State lost other contributors, Tyler Lewis and Jordan Vandenberg, both calming presences for the team throughout last season. As a result, new guys will have to step up this season, and there is no shortage of players awaiting their chance to play. It will all start with the guards. Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber will take the reins and should start at point guard this season. His lightning quick speed is dangerous in transition, and last season he developed into a more mature PG and learned to play much better defense by the end of the season. Desmond Lee, who is entering his second year with the Wolfpack, will be the first guy off the bench, and is State’s best overall defensive player going into this season. Lee’s development as a scorer will likely determine a lot about where NC State will go this season, but his defense is the most impressive part of his game. The two remaining guards who will see plenty of playing time, and will both likely start for Mark Gottfried’s team, are Ralston Turner and Trevor Lacey, the first of whom played his first year of NC State basketball last year after transferring from LSU, and the latter eligible for the first year at State after coming in from Alabama. These two will be called upon for a lot of the scoring to replace Warren, and are both perimeter threats for NC State. These guys could be the most important players in the offensive scheme for NC State this year. Meanwhile, on the frontcourt for the Wolfpack, many other players will be looking to play a lot more this year. These players would be Kyle Washington, Beejay Anya, and Lennard Freeman, along with three incoming freshmen: Abdul-Malik Abu, and Caleb and Cody Martin. All 6 of these guys will share playing time, and will provide plenty of depth for NC State, which is something the Wolfpack has not had an abundance of in years past. Every one of the 10 players listed above will see a fair amount of game action this year, and are all part of a team with lots of chemistry about themselves. Without that one main scorer, however, all of these guys will need to step up and play a role for their team.

NC State’s schedule this year is pretty similar to that of years past. It will include a challenging nonconference schedule, which gives NC State enough games to beef up their résumé for the tournament, but also will give them some easier wins. Games against Purdue, Tennessee, West Virginia and Cincinnati will go a long way in building a résumé for State when March rolls around. However, just like every other ACC team, NC State faces a tough conference road. With the ACC as strong as it is this year, NC State will have 7 games against opponents that are ranked to begin the year, and will have a chance in each of these games, as well as other ACC matchups, to make a statement. It won’t be easy, but for a middle-of-the-pack ACC team, wins in these games would go a long way in determining the fate of the Wolfpack.

Key Players:

Ralston Turner, Senior G: It is almost impossible to pick one or two key players for a team with so much depth and balance, but if there is one key player for NC State’s season, it is Ralston Turner. The LSU transfer played his first year at State last season, and was second in scoring behind TJ Warren. In fact, in one game that Warren missed with a sprained ankle, Turner put up 23 points on 8-19 shooting to go along with 7 rebounds. He filled in well for Warren in that one game, but this year he will be asked to be the team’s offensive leader all season. His great three point shooting and athletic ability make him a huge threat when he gets the ball, and he has the ability to take over any game. As a senior, he will be a team leader on and off the court, and will be a guy NC State will look to in big situations.

Anthony Barber, Sophomore G: Anthony Barber earned the nickname ‘Cat’ for his explosiveness and quickness with the ball. However, to be a well-rounded ACC point guard, Barber will need to have the ability to slow down the tempo and run an offense, which Tyler Lewis was used for many times last season. Without Lewis, though, Barber will need to play the role of an up-tempo PG and a game controller. He will likely be the catalyst for NC State’s offense, as he has the ability to score coupled with natural point guard instincts. If NC State wants to contend with the best of the ACC, Barber will need to mature and step into his new role as a leader of this team.

Lennard Freeman, Sophomore F: Last season, Lennard Freeman did not get an overload of playing time, but he did make the most of what he got. He played with great intensity, and is one of the stronger players around when it comes to inside play and rebounding. While he is not a prolific scorer, his 6-8, 245 pound frame could bang around with any of the ACC’s bigs. This year, Freeman could very well start for NC State, and will certainly have a larger role as a rock solid defensive player underneath the basket.

Prediction-

For NC State to be successful with a difficult schedule this year, they will need a balanced scoring attack along with the leadership to make it through the big games. Fortunately, State will likely have both of those. Led by a solid core and great depth, the Wolfpack should have another very good season and are looking at another berth in the NCAA Tournament, which would be their 4th in a row. I predict a final record of 20-11 in Raleigh, which will hopefully put NC State into March Madness again.

18 Teams in 18 Days College Basketball Preview- #4 Wake Forest

11/13/2014

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Danny Manning is in, Jeff Bzdelik is out.

After 4 years of painful basketball a changing of the guard has taken place. Jeff Bzdelik was let go after coaching 4 miserable seasons. The Deacons managed only TWO ACC road wins in the 4 seasons under Bzdelik, and had only a 17-51 record in conference play overall. Wake is coming off their only winning season under Bzdelik at 17-16, but with only 6 ACC wins, AD Ron Wellman thought Manning would be a better fit.

Manning comes to Wake from Tulsa, where he turned a team around in two seasons and made the NCAA tournament last year, winning both the regular season and C-USA conference tournament championships. He also coached as an assistant under Bill Self at Kansas. Manning has had an instant impact on recruiting, helping sign several key prospects in only a few months. He has stated multiple times he looks to instill a gritty, aggressive defense in Winston-Salem, which will be a nice change of pace after Wake was ranked over 200th in defense last season. He’ll have a decent bit of talent this season, but will be without several key players from the Deacons’ last campaign. The Deacs lose team leader Travis McKie, who spent all 4 years of his talented career with Bzdelik. 3 Point threat Coron Williams has also graduated. Key role players Bill Moto and Tyler Cavanaugh left via transfers. The cupboard isn’t bare for the Deacs, but a lot of the talent is unproven and some players will have to play bigger roles.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the last few seasons for Wake Forest fans has been the inconsistency. The difference in play between the road and home at the Joel Coliseum was astounding. Wake swept their big 4 ACC opponents last season, defeating NC State, UNC, and Duke. They scored a victory over highly ranked Miami the season before. A few times a year, Wake would show up and play like a tournament team against high level competition and win. However, that team would quickly regress back to an ACC bottom feeder. The key for Danny Manning will be to have his team prepared every night with the same intensity and focus that the Deacs had last season when they scored those big wins.

As far as key games go, the opener is tomorrow night, November 14th at 7 against a solid UNC-Asheville squad. The Deacons also take on Minnesota in the Big 10-ACC challenge, and visit Florida on December 20th in their biggest non-conference challenge. The key stretch of the season will be the beginning of the ACC schedule. Wake opens league play with a gauntlet of Louisville, Duke, Georgia Tech, @ Syracuse, then UNC at home. That stretch will be absolutely brutal, but it will provide a look at how good this team will be. Realistically, a win vs. Georgia Tech and one of the other 4 opponents would be a great start to the ACC season for the Demon Deacons.

Key Players-

Codi Miller-McIntyre (Jr.) G- Miller-McIntyre could be poised to have a big season. He averaged 12.6 points and 4 assists last season, and will be the primary perimeter threat for Wake this year. Some people inside the program are saying they expect a breakout season with Codi establishing himself as one of the best guards in the ACC. While that remains to be seen, he will have a lot of weight on his shoulders.

Devin Thomas (Jr.) F- Thomas is Wake’s best big man, averaging 11 and 7.5 last season. He shot 54% but needs to improve from the free-throw line and defensively. He will allow the Deacons to play inside-out offensively and will carry a majority of the offensive load along with Miller-McIntyre.

Prediction-

I think this Wake team will be a lot better than people expect. I predict an ACC record of right around .500, however I think the Deacs narrowly miss the NCAA tournament. There is no doubt in my mind they will make it next season, with the progression of the 2 key juniors in addition to young players Mitchell Wilbekin and Greg McClinton.

18 Teams in 18 Days College Basketball Preview- #5 NC Central

11/13/2014

North Carolina Central Eagles

North Carolina Central had a great 2014 season, and finishes #5 in our preseason power rankings. The Eagles finished the 2013-2014 season 28-6, with a terrific 15-1 record in the MEAC Conference. The Eagles won their conference tournament at the end of the year as well, and were good enough to make it into the NCAA Tournament as a 14 seed, only to lose to Iowa State in the first round. However, despite the sour ending to the year, NC Central played very well over the course of the year. NC Central had only two bad losses on the season, to Iupui early in the year, and then to Florida A&M in their conference opener. Both of these losses came on the road, as did every other loss that the Eagles had on the year. Perhaps the best win of NC Central’s season came when they visited Raleigh just before Christmas, and took down NC State in a game that need overtime to decide a winner. Starting 7-4 in the nonconference season, the Eagles needed to turn things around to have a shot at taking part in the Big Dance. They accomplished this in grand fashion, and went 15-0 to close out the season against fellow MEAC teams. While the MEAC conference is certainly nothing to get overly excited about, it is still impressive to have a record so strong. Closing out the regular season 15-0 also allowed NC Central to harness plenty of momentum for their conference tournament, which they won, earning an automatic bid to March Madness.

This season, NC Central retains many of their crucial players, who contributed so much to their impressive run last year. They not only keep four of their top six scorers, but also have plenty of experience. In fact, eleven of the fourteen players on this year’s roster are juniors or seniors. A lot of these players contributed largely to the team’s efforts last season, and will without doubt step up again this year, and possibly boost North Carolina Central back to the tournament. The path will again be fairly difficult in the nonconference schedule, as the Eagles have plenty of tests early on. It all starts with a visit to the number 6 ranked North Carolina Tarheels. This game, televised nationally on ESPNU, will be chance for the Eagles to show what they’ve got, and will probably be a great game to the end. Anytime a team like NC Central, who wants to prove something, has a chance to take down a more highly regarded opponent, they come out and play hard, and nothing less should be expected from the Eagles in this game. Throughout the rest of the nonconference schedule, NC Central will have other chances to pick up résumé building wins, in games at Creighton, Cincinnati, Maryland, and Memphis. Unfortunately, all of these games are on the road, which again is where NCCU saw all of their losses one year ago. NC Central can hope to win a couple of these games and enter the conference schedule with a respectable record. In the conference, things will likely look good again, as North Carolina Central should yet again win the MEAC. With talent and experience mixed together, the Eagles should be vying for a spot in the tournament, and will look to earn another automatic bid by winning their conference for the second year in a row.

Key Players-

Jordan Parks, Senior F – NC Central needs someone to step up and lead this season, and that could very well come from Jordan Parks, one of many seniors on the 2014-2015 NC Central squad. Parks played only 19 minutes per game last year, but averaged a solid 5.6 rebounds and 10.1 points per game on a great field goal percentage of .659. He will step into a larger role this year and will come into his own as a player and a leader. He will probably need to contribute more offensively and will earn more playing time. More of an under-the-radar player, Parks will become known this season.

Prediction-

The nonconference schedule is certainly difficult for NCCU this year, so don’t expect too much from them here. That being said, they will not perform terribly, but they will have a better conference season, similar to last year. Look for much of the same from NCCU, with a couple of early season upsets thrown in there. Final record forecast: 23-6