Rush The Court

With the start of the ACC college basketball season rapidly approaching, allow us to put on our psychoanalyst’s hat to determine what’s on the mind of each of its 15 member programs right now. Some are of the optimistic variety, while others are fearful at what they see lying ahead. All of them, though, are hoping to contribute to discussions lauding the ACC as the nation’s preeminent college basketball conference this year. Let’s jump into each program alphabetically.

• Boston College: Blind optimism. The reality is that the Eagles, even with an all-ACC caliber star in Olivier Hanlan, are likely one of the three worst teams in the conference. But there’s a new coach around in Jim Christian, and thanks to the usual roster turnover, few remaining pieces to recall the 8-24 debacle of a year ago. Buying in to a new coach and system may not be a problem, but production on the court will continue to be.
• Clemson: Loss. That loss is a huge one, in the departure of NBA draft pick K.J. McDaniels, who was their best player on both sides of the ball last year and led the team in four statistical categories. A 10-win improvement from the year before earned Brad Brownell a six-year contract extension, but how will this team score enough to win even if it replicates its defensive success of a year ago?

• Duke: Motivation. Not just because of a stellar recruiting class that includes their first dominant center in some time in Jahlil Okafor and the overall potential to be in the mix for a championship. There’s also the internal motivation for Quinn Cook to keep a hold on the starting point guard role in light of the arrival of stud freshman Tyus Jones, and Rasheed Sulaimon’s motivation to show that an early-season slump last year (temporarily earning him a place in Coach K’s doghouse) was an aberration. Oh, and that first round NCAA Tournament loss to Mercer could light a fire of some sort, too.

• Florida State: Power. With the news that seven-footer Kiel Turpin, who sat out last year with a leg injury, was granted a sixth year of eligibility, the Seminoles now have three seven-footers they can implant in the post. The development of the raw Boris Bojanovsky and Michael Ojo must make this three-headed monster take some of the attention away from the rapidly ascending Aaron Thomas on the perimeter. A steep decline in injuries would go a long way as well.
• Georgia Tech: Overwhelming fear. This is especially true of the Jackets’ head coach, Brian Gregory, who is probably coaching for his job. Gregory is 16-36 in the ACC in the last three years and the school hasn’t posted double-figure conference wins in 10 years. Losing three of their top four scorers and counting on a massive number of transfers in a frontcourt that Gregory prefers to play through does not bode well for a Yellow Jackets revival.

• Louisville: Assured confidence. Louisville has been an NCAA Tournament monster for the last several years, fully capable of shaking off personnel losses to reload. This year, Montrezl Harrell will anchor a strong frontcourt and the addition of the highly-touted Shaqquan Aaron to a backcourt that already includes Chris Jones and Terry Rozier means the Cardinals will rest comfortably knowing they can match up with anyone in their new league.
• Miami: Identity. One year removed from a remarkable run that encouraged LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to attend some of their home games, Miami’s 2013-14 squad fielded a unit with no remarkable names. This year, two Big 12 transfers in Angel Rodriguez (Kansas State) and Sheldon McClellan (Texas) give the Hurricanes an immediate identity in their backcourt. Someone will have to emerge to join Tonye Jekiri in the frontcourt or there may be numerous times when the Hurricanes run with four guards.
• North Carolina State: Cautious optimism. This is largely due to the team handing over the keys to the car full-time to Cat Barber. If Barber can become a bigger offensive threat and drastically reduce his erratic play, there is reason to think the Wolfpack can return to the NCAA Tournament even without departed ACC POY T.J. Warren. But the sophomores in the frontcourt will have to continue to improve, and guard Trevor Lacey, an Alabama transfer, will have to live up to expectations to help Barber lead the team to another 20-win season.

• North Carolina: Peace. How could this program feel any other way after last year’s offseason? Without an NCAA investigation hanging over the team’s heads, the Tar Heels can enjoy the fact that they have a star in Marcus Paige, a talented frontcourt, and an embarrassment of riches on the perimeter. That peace will only last until three-pointers and free throws start going in at an acceptable rate, though.
• Notre Dame: The comfort of normalcy. A middle-to-low end of the pack prediction for a Mike Brey team is what the Irish are used to, and that’s probably where they sit prior to season’s start. But with Jerian Grant, who was having a career year prior to his academic suspension last December, back in action, and the steady Pat Connaughton returning as well, Brey is confident that his team will be contenders. However, Zach Auguste and Austin Burgett have to drastically improve in the frontcourt and Demetrius Jackson must fill the departed Eric Atkins’ shoes at the point for Notre Dame to truly contend in a strengthened ACC.
• Pittsburgh: Uncertainty. While Jamie Dixon’s teams are always in the hunt, the Panthers lose their top scorer in Lamar Patterson and top rebounder in Talib Zanna. The cupboard is far from bare, however, but who will step up to assume those mantles? Mike Young needs to be the anchor in the post, while some combination of James Robinson, Cameron Wright (when he returns from injury) and Josh Newkirk will have to combine to replace Patterson’s offensive production. It may take a while for clear roles to develop with this group.

• Syracuse: Nonchalance. Jim Boeheim’s roster is continually ravaged by NBA defections, but rebuilding is never a word used with this program. His frontcourt will be nowhere near as good on the offensive end, but it should continue to protect the rim. The keys will be the ascension of former Duke transfer Michael Gbinije, Trevor Cooney rediscovering his stroke from three, and how well Kaleb Joseph replaces Tyler Ennis at the point guard slot.
• Virginia: Expectations. The Cavaliers now carry realistic expectations to contend for the conference crown and beyond after their storybook run through the league last year. While Joe Harris’ shooting and leadership will be missed along with the consistency in the paint of Akil Mitchell, the team still has Malcolm Brogdon and London Perrantes to keep the machine humming. A true breakout year from Mike Tobey could go a long way towards keeping Virginia among the nation’s elite.
• Virginia Tech: Unabashed excitement. Sure, this is still not a fervent basketball fan base, but what fans exist finally have reason for hope in the splashy hire of Buzz Williams as its team’s head coach. Poaching him from Marquette overshadows the transfers of five scholarship players and the likelihood of another year in the conference cellar. Williams has proven he can engineer a quick turnaround, though, something football-centric Virginia Tech badly needs in its basketball program.
• Wake Forest: Bliss. No fan base in the country more overtly petitioned for the ouster of its head coach than Wake Forest did, and mercifully for everyone, Jeff Bzdelik was finally let go. Danny Manning can now enjoy a one-year honeymoon in Winston-Salem. His roster is still uninspiring, but seeing a different guy calling the plays from the sideline has to help wake up those slumbering Deacons fans.