ACC Hoops Playbook Season Preview AND Weekly Digest - Week 1
Let the hooping commence...
Welcome to the first EVER ACC Hoops Weekly Digest of ACC Hoops Playbook.
Lucky for you, this is also the Season Preview Edition! While you’re here, give us a quick follow on Twitter.
We’re glad you’re here and are looking forward to providing you with excellent content surrounding ACC Men’s Basketball this season.
We provide a few things to our readers:
The Weekly Digest (the email you’re reading now) sent out every Monday morning - this email will cover both a review of last week AND a preview of the upcoming week in ACC Hoops.
Diagrams and Video Clips of different plays, concepts, and strategies employed by ACC teams. There will be a lot of this on our Twitter page, but we’ll also include these in emails.
A small dive into analytical statistics (we will primarily be using KenPom in our rankings as default…so, when you see a ranking number or hear anything about rankings…that’s where it’s coming from).
Our goal is to be the primary source for all ACC Men’s Basketball fans…regardless of the team you pledge allegiance to. We want to provide a space for intelligent conversation about teams, the strategies they use, statistics, etc.
If you have a better understanding of YOUR team and the ACC basketball scene in general, then we will have succeeded.
Here are a few items you can expect to find every Monday morning in the Weekly Preview:
A list of games that we’ll be live tweeting
A day-by-day list of the daily matchups for EVERY ACC men’s basketball team this week…with a few notes attached
A list of other big games around the country this week (Top 50 matchups)
2020-21 Season in Review
Here is a quick review of some of the numbers from last year in the ACC, where teams finished in the standings, and how teams fared in the postseason:
1 - Virginia (13-4, 19th in KenPom, lost to 13-seed Ohio in first round of NCAA tournament)
2 - Florida State (11-4, 15th in KenPom, lost to Michigan in the Sweet 16)
3 - Virginia Tech (9-4, 52nd in KenPom, lost to Florida in first round of NCAA tournament
4 - Georgia Tech (11-6, 37th in KenPom, won the ACC tournament and then lost to Loyola in first round of NCAA tournament)
5 - Clemson (10-6, 45th in KenPom, lost to Rutgers in first round of NCAA tournament)
6 - North Carolina (10-6, 34th in KenPom, lost to Wisconsin in first round of NCAA tournament)
7 - Louisville (8-5, 59th in KenPom, no NCAA tournament)
8 - Syracuse (9-7, 42nd in KenPom, lost to Houston in Sweet 16)
9 - North Carolina State (9-8, 71st in KenPom, no NCAA tournament)
10 - Duke (9-9, 36th in KenPom, no NCAA tournament)
11 - Notre Dame (7-11, 85th in KenPom, no NCAA tournament)
12 - Pittsburgh (6-10, 97th in KenPom, no NCAA tournament)
13 - Miami (4-15, 138th in KenPom, no NCAA tournament)
14 - Wake Forest (3-15, 175th in KenPom, no NCAA tournament)
15 - Boston College (2-11, 148th in KenPom, no NCAA tournament)
Coaching Changes for 2021-22
Boston College - Earl Grant (from Charleston) is in; Jim Christian is out
North Carolina - Hubert Davis (UNC assistant) is in; Roy Williams retired
2021-22 KenPom + Bracketology Predictions
ACC Rank/National Rank - Team - Overall Record - ACC Record - Bracketology
1/10 - Duke (23-8, 14-6) - 3 SEED
2/24 - Florida State (20-10, 12-8) - 6 SEED
3/27 - Notre Dame (19-10, 13-7) - 8 SEED
4/36 - Louisville (19-11, 12-8) - 7 SEED
5/39 - Virginia Tech (19-11, 12-8) - 9 SEED
6/40 - North Carolina (19-11, 11-9) - 5 SEED
7/41 - Syracuse (18-11, 12-8) - 1st 4 OUT
8/45 - Virginia (18-11, 11-9) - 9 SEED
9/54 - Georgia Tech (19-12, 12-10) - N/A
10/56 - North Carolina State (18-13, 10-10) - N/A
11/59 - Clemson (17-12, 10-10) - N/A
12/83 - Miami (15-14, 8-12) - N/A
13/104 - Wake Forest (14-16, 6-14) - N/A
14/145 - Pittsburgh (12-19, 5-15) - N/A
15/146 - Boston College (11-18, 5-15) - N/A
KenPom has the ACC ranked as the 5th best conference in his pre-season rankings.
This Week’s Live Twitter Stream Schedule
Follow @ACCPlaybook on Twitter for live-stream reactions, play breakdowns, and observations for the following games:
Friday, 11/12 - Pitt at WVU (8:30pm EST)
Sunday, 11/14 - FSU at Florida (1:00pm EST)
This Week’s Master Schedule
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Duke vs. Kentucky is a big-time preseason Top 25 showdown of blue bloods. The rest of the opening slate is…well…boring
However, don’t be surprised if there isn’t an upset/near-upset or two…I’m looking at you UVA and Georgia Tech
There are 355 D-1 teams…NC State, VT, and Louisville each play a team ranked below 300th
All ACC teams open at home except for Duke (neutral court)
Hubert Davis (UNC) and Earl Grant (BC) both make their debuts with their new teams; Coach K has his last season-opener as head coach at Duke
Duke (10) vs. Kentucky (17) - game played at Madison Square Garden
UNC (40) vs. Loyola-MD (286) - 7pm/ACCN
Clemson (59) vs. Presbyterian (266) - 7pm
Pittsburgh (145) vs. The Citadel (229) - 7pm
Syracuse (41) vs. Lafayette (292) - 7pm
Georgia Tech (54) vs. Miami-OH (137) - 7:30pm
Miami (83) vs. Canisius (254) - 7:30pm
Boston College (146) vs. Dartmouth (281) - 8pm
NC State (56) vs. Bucknell (302) - 8pm
Virginia Tech (39) vs. Maine (333) - 8pm
Louisville (36) vs. Southern (319) - 9pm
UVA (45) vs. Navy (189) - 9pm
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Wake Forest (104) vs. William and Mary (269) - 7pm
Florida State (24) vs. Penn (215) - 9pm
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Louisville has a VERY interesting matchup against Furman tonight…GT vs. Stetson is intriguing as well
We get some Backyard Brawl (on the hardwood) between Pitt and WVU
Virginia Tech makes a rare trip to Navy…the Midshipmen get both UVA and VT in the same week
Boston College (146) vs. Holy Cross (322) - 7pm
Clemson (59) vs. Wofford (126) - 7pm
Duke (10) vs. Army (253) - 7pm
UVA (45) vs. Radford (258) - 7pm
Louisville (36) vs. Furman (118) - 7pm
Georgia Tech (54) vs. Stetson (195) - 7:30pm
Wake Forest (104) vs. Western Carolina (311) - 7:30pm
Pittsburgh (145) at West Virginia (46)- 8:30pm
Virginia Tech (39) at Navy (189) - 8:30pm/CBS Sports Network
UNC (40) vs. Brown (251) - 9pm/ACCN
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13
GREAT in-state matchup today with Miami and a very capable UCF, who should be the favorite in this one.
NC State also has a tougher than it looks matchup with Colgate…same with Duke and Campbell
Miami (83) vs. UCF (61) - 2pm
NC State (56) vs. Colgate (121) - 2pm
Duke (10) vs. Campbell (169) - 8pm
Notre Dame (27) vs. Cal-State Northridge (283)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Speaking of fun in-state games, FSU and Florida will be a treat
Be on alert for Drexel to give Syracuse some problems
FSU (24) at Florida (25) - 1pm
Boston College (146) vs. Fairfield (230) - 4pm
Syracuse (41) vs. Drexel (179) - 5pm
Top 50 Matchups Around the Country
Kansas (3) vs. Michigan State (22) - Tuesday
Duke (10) vs. Kentucky (17) - Tuesday
Villanova (9) at UCLA (7) - Friday
San Diego State (33) at BYU (38) - Friday
Texas (14) at Gonzaga (1) - Saturday
FSU (24) at Florida (25) - Sunday