Rush The Court

In our attempt to bring you the most comprehensive Championship Week coverage anywhere, RTC is covering several of the conference tournaments from the sites. One of our RTC correspondents is at the ACC Tournament.  In addition to live-blogging select games throughout the tournament, he will post a nightly diary with his thoughts on each day’s action. Here is his submission for the 1st round games.

Virginia 68, Boston College 62

• Virginia was playing without second team all-ACC Sylven Landesberg, who was suspended by head coach Tony Bennett for the remainder of the season due to academic issues.
• Virginia opened a 34-27 halftime lead mostly in part to 6-11 (55%) 3-point shooting, compared to only 3-8 (38%) for BC.
• This was a clean, well-played game with both teams combining for only 12 turnovers (UVa – 5, BC-7), but not a thrilling game by anybody’s definition.
• Virginia held BC’s leading scorer, Joe Trapani, to 2 points on 0-7 shooting. Maybe he should consider transferring back to Vermont.
• BC’s Corey Raji injured his shoulder during the game. “We’ll let the doctors look at it, and hopefully rest will do it.”

Miami 83, Wake Forest 62

• Miami starting PF Dwayne Collins was not available for today’s game due to a “stress condition” of his left leg. Redshirt freshman big man Reggie Johnson, from Wake’s backyard in Winston-Salem, got the start in his place, scoring a career-high 22 points. Even without Collins, Miami still outrebounded the taller Deacons 39-34 for the game.
• Wake’s 2nd team all-ACC forward Al-Farouq Aminu again pulled a disappearing act, as he has been oft to do. He managed only 11 points on 3-10 shooting and 7 rebounds, a less than stellar performance for a supposed lottery pick. This kid pulls more disappearing acts than Lance Burton. If he’s ready for the NBA, then so am I. Maybe he should spend less time tweeting and more time finding out why he’s slumping. He needs another year of college ball, because he doesn’t have the body or the handle to be effective in the NBA next year.
• #12 Miami led 41-27 over #5 Wake Forest at the half. Miami opened the second half on an 8-0 run, extending their lead to 22. Their lead never dropped below 16 points in the second half. Miami was unconscious from the floor, shooting 52% for the game versus Wake’s 35%.
• Wake Forest never displayed the ability to keep Miami’s guards, particularly freshman Malcolm Grant, out of the lane. Wake’s usually stingy 3-point defense, which held teams to 32% during the regular season, was torched by Miami for 47% (8-17).
• Wake Forest is in their annual end of the year slump, which coach Dino Gaudio can’t explain. “I thought we were tired down the stretch last year, so we changed things this year, going with more time off.” Guess what coach, that hasn’t worked either. Maybe he’ll be able to explain why he doesn’t have a job this time next year.

Georgia Tech 62, North Carolina 58

• Different part of the season, same old Carolina. Holding a 10 point halftime lead, UNC withered again, losing by four.
• Georgia Tech suffered in the first half with Derrick Favors on the bench with foul trouble. In the second half, Favors returned with a vengeance, totaling 18 points and 9 rebounds. “I just took it upon myself for the team not to lose.”
• North Carolina finished the season 16-16. Is the NIT awaiting the Heels? Even if it is, will they accept a bid? Roy Williams says yes. “If somebody’s going to invite me to play, I’m going to play. Period, the end. Are we worthy enough to be invited? That I don’t know. Those people that make the decisions get to make that decision. Maybe they won’t even invite us.” Trust me Roy, you don’t deserve it, but they’ll still invite you because of the name on your jerseys.
• Is this win enough to get Georgia Tech off the NCAA bubble? Not necessarily. This wasn’t a top-50 RPI team they struggled to beat tonight; it was a bad UNC team. Tech probably needs to beat Maryland tomorrow to feel safe that they’re in the field of 65.

NC State 59, Clemson 57

• Clemson and NC State clearly did not come to play early, or shall I say late given the almost 9:30 tip. It took Clemson 16 minutes to score 14 points. State wasn’t much better, scoring 21 points. During the same span, the two teams combined for 14 turnovers. Don’t even get me started on the atrocious free throw shooting (combined 7-17). These teams were setting college basketball back decades. At least they decided to get chippy in the second half with a flagrant foul and a few near-flagrant fouls—it made the game tolerable.
• No matter how low State finishes in the standings, they have traditionally played well in the ACC Tournament. They have twice played four games in four days, only to lose in the championship game. Too bad their Big 4 counterpart, Wake Forest, can’t figure out how to win one game under current coach Dino Gaudio (0-3).
• NC State’s Javier Gonzalez was in yet another battle tonight for the ACC’s worst PG. I still haven’t decided if it’s Larry Drew or him. Let’s just call it a draw.
• And does anyone else think that Sidney Lowe looks like a giant tomato in that hideous red jacket, or is it just me? It’s almost as bad as that road cone orange jacket that Bruce Pearl wears.