By Andy Johnston For the AJC
Some folks say it’s parity. Others are beginning to worry that this is a down season for the ACC.
The ACC continues to be the top-rated conference in the Sagarin and Pomeroy rankings, but only Duke and Georgia Tech are ranked in the AP Top 25, and the Blue Devils might have knocked the Yellow Jackets out of next week’s poll with their 86-67 victory on Thursday night.
Every team has at least four losses, and Duke, which is considered the ACC’s best team, was crushed by Big East-power Georgetown on Sunday. One thing is for certain: The conference doesn’t have a dominant force like last season’s North Carolina team that won the national championship.
“It’s where we are now. It’s where this conference is at,” North Carolina State coach Sidney Lowe said. “Any given night, you don’t know who is going to win. One team can knock off a nationally ranked team and then play another team that’s not ranked and lose to them. One thing you do know is that this league has a lot of talented players. If those talented players decide they’re going to be better and they’re going to get after it, they’re going to win.”
The fall of North Carolina (13-9, 2-5 ACC) has corresponded with the rise of both Maryland (15-6, 5-2) and Virginia (14-6, 5-2), which are tied for second behind Duke (18-4, 6-2). The parity is evidenced by the fact that 22 of ACC’s 46 games have been decided by eight points or less, including 13 by fewer than four points.
The balance might lead to only six ACC teams making the NCAA tournament, but all 12 entered this week in the top 110 of the RPI.
“It’s become a night-in and night-out grinder,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “It’s a challenge of every team to be at their best.”
Out of his shell
Freshman Jordan Williams is providing Maryland with an inside boost.
He posted his third double-double of the season in Maryland’s loss at Clemson on Sunday. The 6-foot-10 Williams then added 14 points in a win at Florida State on Thursday, reaching double-figures for the seventh time. His 13 rebounds Sunday were a career-high.
“[He provides] what we didn’t have last year, [which] is an inside presence,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said. “This year, when we’re playing well, we can throw the ball into Jordan and expect something good to happen.”
Possible return
Clemson guard Demontez Stitt has missed the past two games with a sprained foot, but coach Oliver Purnell hopes to have him back for Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech. Stitt had started 52 consecutive games before the injury.
On the ball
Malcolm Delaney, who scored 21 points in Virginia Tech’s 74-70 victory over North Carolina on Thursday, leads the ACC in scoring (19.8) and 20-point games (11).
N.C. State’s Julius Mays has made 20 consecutive free throws and is shooting 89.5 percent from the line (51-for-57).
Trevor Booker needs 19 rebounds to become the second player in Clemson history with 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds. With 1,584 career points, he would join Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody and Texas’ Damion James as the only active players with 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Kyle Singler, playing with an injured right wrist, had career highs with 30 points and eight 3-pointers in Duke’s victory over Georgia Tech.
Must-see TV
Don’t sleep in, or you might miss Wake Forest’s game at Virginia, which begins at noon Saturday (WATL). On Wednesday, Duke plays at North Carolina at 9 p.m. (ESPN) in the first game of the season in that heated rivalry. They’ll also meet at Duke on March 6.
Popularity: 3%
Posted 2 days, 7 hours ago at 10:49 PM. Add a comment
By Jeff Haws For the AJC
There was a sense of relief in the way Georgia post Angel Robinson exhaled, following her team’s 49-46 overtime victory over No. 19 LSU on Thursday, snapping a three-game losing streak.
With the offense scoring a season-low 42 points in regulation, it could easily have gone the other way. It’s only the second time in coach Andy Landers‘ 987 games at Georgia that his team has won a game in which it scored fewer than 50 points.
As has happened so often this season for the Lady Bulldogs, defense carried the day.
After allowing 60 or more points in seven of the previous eight games, No. 14 Georgia (19-4, 6-4 SEC) emphatically reversed that trend. And after five of the previous six opponents shot better than 41 percent, the Tigers shot 27.3 percent — the third-lowest field-goal percentage for a Lady Bulldogs opponent this season.
Robinson said the defensive performance is a sign that the team is headed in the right direction.
“It’s taking one step; we’re not completely back where we want it,” Robinson said. “I’m glad we took one step. On Sunday [against South Carolina], we need to take another step.”
Ardossi honored
On Monday, Georgia Tech forward Brigitte Ardossi was named the ACC Player of the Week for her performance the previous week, when she averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds in home wins over Miami and Virginia Tech. She’s the first Yellow Jacket to earn this distinction since Chioma Nnamaka in February 2008.
Ardossi entered the season as a relatively unheralded player in the conference but has been Georgia Tech’s most consistent post presence and is playing her way into consideration for All-ACC honors.
In ACC play for the Yellow Jackets (18-5, 4-3 ACC), Ardossi entered Friday second in the league in scoring (18.9 points) and tied for first in rebounds per game (8.9). She also was eighth in free-throw percentage, leading the team at 83.6 percent.
Panthers’ struggles
Georgia State took two more losses this week, along with more blizzard conditions on a road trip through Virginia, making for another challenging trip back to Atlanta.
A 53-39 loss at Virginia Commonwealth and a 61-53 loss to Northeastern at home leaves the Panthers at 12-9 and 3-7 in Colonial Athletic Association play this season. That’s four losses in five games and seven out of nine since a win over UNC Wilmington on Jan. 3 moved the Panthers’ record to 10-2.
The bright point in the loss to Northeastern was Danyiell McKeller, who had career-highs in points (27) and steals (6). The senior is fourth in the CAA in scoring with a 19.3-point average and fourth in steals with 2.5 per game.
Popularity: 2%
Posted 2 days, 12 hours ago at 5:40 PM. Add a comment
Over the past two weeks there has been less content on our ABR site. My apologies. I have been preparing the ABR ACC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW.
Each pre-season I found it helpful to write a one-page Pre-Season Opponent Overview. I always felt it helped with early season practices and planning for what we might see.
Here is an example: PRE-SEASON OPPONENT OVERVIEW
With that in mind, and now that everyone is about two weeks into practice, I wanted to provide you with the ABR ACC Women’s Basketball Preview.
The intent is to summarize the 2008-09 season and forecast somethings to expect for 2009-10.
I’d welcome your feedback.
Enjoy…
Popularity: 31%
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago at 4:53 PM. Add a comment
From ESPN
The ESPN Networks 2009-10 NCAA Women’s Basketball Schedule Includes Approximately 250 Games; The Most Ever in ESPN History
Schedule includes entire NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship
DOWN LOAD A PRINTABLE COPY HERE
Continue Reading…
Popularity: 24%
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago at 10:00 PM. Add a comment
Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball Coaches Clinic
Date: Oct. 24, 2009
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (WBB practice immediately following)
Cost: 1 Coach= $25.00, 2 Coaches= $40.00, 3 Coaches= $60.00
Location: Alexander Memorial Coliseum
Contact: Alex Stewart 404.894.5416 or astewart@at.gtaa.gatech.edu
Tentative Schedule:
8:30-9:00 am Check in
9:00-9:45 am Lecture #1
10:00-10:45 am Lecture #2
11:00-11:45 am Lecture #3
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00-3:00 pm Women’s Basketball practice
Popularity: 22%
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago at 6:04 PM. Add a comment
