Miami Hurricane, November 8, 2012

              4 BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW THE MIAMI HURRICANE Nov. 8 - Nov. 11, 2012
A year after finishing third in the ACC and making the Sweet Sixteen, this
strong, defensive-minded team has the ability to hold back high-scoring
teams. Though they will clearly miss Chris Singleton, head coach Leonard
Hamilton believes his team can make a splash.
2012 SEASON
PREVIEW
BY ERNESTO SUAREZ SPORTS EDITOR
VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES
GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS
NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
DUKE BLUE DEVILS
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
CLEMSON TIGERS
BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
MARYLAND TERRAPINS
The Hokies have made their mark during the past few seasons as a team that gets off
to a slow start and then makes a run. But they typically have fallen short of making
the NCAA Tournament. The perennial bubble team hasn’t made a tournament
appearance since 2007. Coach James Johnson will have his work cut out for him.
The Tigers hovered at the .500 mark all season long, finishing 16-15 (8-8 ACC) in
2011. The loss of guards Andre Young and Tanner Smith means the team must
rely on its younger players to step up once again. This will likely be a transition
year for an inexperienced Clemson unit.
The Seminoles typically pride themselves on defense first, and that’s not expected
to change much this year. Senior Michael Sneer returns off a swell 2011-2012
campaign and should headline a strong defensive attack. FSU looks primed for
another NCAA Tournament run.
The Yellow Jackets faltered down the stretch last year after leading scorer Glen Rice
Jr. was dismissed from the program, but Tech does have some momentum with of
last season’s starters returning. On paper, the team looks better than last year, but
lacks a single dominant threat on the floor.
The Eagles struggled for most of the 2011-2012 season, finishing with just nine
wins and last in the conference. Six of BC’s key players were freshmen, so at the
very least they will have more experience on the court. The Eagles will certainly
struggle, but should improve upon last year’s record.
Much like their Duke counterparts, the Tar Heels always seem capable of coming
back from the loss of big-time players, as was the case when four Carolina stars were
taken in the first round of the NBA draft. UNC does have a promising point guard
in freshman Marcus Paig.
A year after finishing fourth in the ACC and making a run to the Sweet 16,
N.C. State is looking to end the reign of Duke-North Carolina at the apex of
the conference. The Wolfpack will return four starters, including star point guard
Lorenzo Brown. This team could be another legitimate conference force.
A second-place ACC finish is not a consolation prize for this group a year after being
kicked out of the Big Dance in the first round by Lehigh University. The Blue Devils
will have to retool after losing Austin Rivers, Miles Plumlee and Andre Dawkins,
but Duke should still find itself in contention with another strong recruiting class.
The Demon Deacons are in transition, but should improve upon their 4-12
conference pace last year. Senior guard C.J. Harris and junior forward Travis
McKie will lead the charge for Wake Forest, and with a good recruiting class, it’s
a team with the potential to pick up a few more wins.
Book the Cavaliers as a sleeper team in the ACC. Virginia won 22 games last year
– including nine in conference play – but will have to fill a major void after losing
leading scorer Mike Scott. Sammy Zeglinski has also left, but look out for incoming
freshman Justin Anderson. Virginia’s defense should also be one of the ACC’s best.
Despite losing out on an offensive star Terrell Stoglin, there are some who believe the
Terrapins are ready to move into the elite top tier of ACC teams fighting for position in the
NCAA Tournament. Maryland has size in the low post with 7-footer Alex Len and 6-foot-
10 freshman Shaquille Cleare, but this team will likely need time before it makes a run.
Vol. 91, Issue 21 | Nov. 8 - Nov. 11, 2012 THE MIAMI HURRICANE
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