Happy College Basketball Eve!! 2012-2013 ACC Basketball Panel

Happy November from all of us at All Sports Discussion.  In Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) country, men’s basketball season is one of our favorite times of the year.  And it’s college basketball eve!!!

The patented panel is back!!! Our  ACC panelists (we have one panelist from each of the ACC schools) will be discussing six topics.  First, our panelists will give you the predicted order of finish in the ACC.  Second, they will predict the players that will obtain first-team all-ACC honors.  Third, the panelists will provide their ACC defensive player of the year.  Fourth, the panelists will give us their ACC player of the year.  Fifth, they will give us the ACC coach of the year.  And, sixth, our panel will give you their predictions on the number of NCAA bids for ACC teams.   Let’s get this panel started!!! Basketball is here in a week!!

Tell us a little bit about yourselves.

• @younglefhander: Adam Brand, writer for The Victory Formation. Atlanta native, bleeds white and gold.

• @DukeBlogMKline: Writer/operator of Duke Sports Blog. Fan of all things Duke, including football, yes I said football.

• @WillsWorldMN: Will Ojanen, writer for SCACCHoops. Based in Eagan, Minnesota.

• @TheStateofTheU & @Category6UM: Jerry Steinberg with SB Nation’s State of the U. The most comprehensive site for all things Miami Hurricanes. It’s all about the U!!!

• @KilroyFSU: Attended Florida State for undergrad, though he transferred to the University of Akron as a sophomore before returning for law school.  He currently works as an attorney in Tallahassee.

• @ztevans: Zach Evans is from Princeton, NC and currently attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in December 2012. He is also the UNC “beat writer” for Inside The ACC.

• @BloggerSoDear:  Jake is a 2009 and 2010 alumnus of Wake Forest University and is currently a CPA in the NC Triad area.  He also manages the Wake Forest athletics blog, Blogger So Dear, Twitter Account.

• @CUBOSCO: James Bostic lifelong Tiger fan 2005 Clemson grad currently residing in VA.Currently a grad student at Johns Hopkins, and writes a Clemson blog Tiger Times.

• @BCHysteria: A.J Black. Boston College born and bred. Writer and editor over at a little blog called BC Interruption  Really doesn’t have much patience for Frank Spaziani.

• @hokie8807: Proud Hokie alumnus, Blacksburg resident, and creator of Inside The Cassell.  Fan of basketball, bourbon, and Philly cheesesteaks.

• @SpencerHardison:  Spencer Hardison is the editor of The Wolfpack Report. He is also the NC State writer for ACC Sports Nation

• @TerrapinNation: Scott Greene. Maryland alum and the publisher and editor of Terps Insider. Still a self-proclaimed expert on all things Maryland basketball.

What is the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Predicted Order of Finish?

• @younglefhander: NC State, Duke, Miami, UNC, Florida State, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Boston College, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech

• @DukeBlogMKline: Duke, NC State, UNC, Florida State, Miami, Virgina, Maryland, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

• @WillsWorldMN: NC State, Duke, Miami, UNC, Florida State, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia Tech

• @Category6UM: NC State, Miami, Duke, UNC, FSU, Maryland, Virginia, Wake, GT, Virginia Tech, BC, Clemson.  (full detail here: State of the U ACC Preview)

• @KilroyFSU:  Duke, North Carolina, NCState, Florida State, Miami, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Boston College

• @ztevans: NC State, Duke, Miami, North Carolina, Florida State, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Boston College

• @BloggerSoDear:  Duke, NC State, UNC, FSU, Maryland, Miami, UVA, Clemson, Wake, GT, Virginia Tech, BC

• @CUBOSCO: NC State, Duke, Miami, UNC, Virginia, Maryland, FSU, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Clemson

• @BCHysteria: NC State, Duke, UNC, Miami, FSU, Virginia, Boston College, Maryland, Wake, GT, Virginia Tech, Clemson

• @hokie8807: Duke, NC State, UNC, Miami, Maryland, FSU, Virginia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

• @SpencerHardison: NC State, UNC-CH, Duke, FSU, Virginia, Miami, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Boston College

• @TerrapinNation: NC State, Duke, Maryland, UNC, FSU, Miami, Virginia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Boston College

Give us a team that could surprise in the ACC – this is a team that will do better than expectations.

• @younglefhander: Georgia Tech. Brian Gregory’s now had a year on the job, and recruiting has picked up.  Things are pointing in a positive direction for the program, with Bobby Cremins now on board in an effort to get alumni involved with the team.  Add in the fact that the Jackets actually play real honest to goodness home games this year in the newly renovated McCamish Pavilion, and I think this is a team that can play a little above its talent level, and exceed expectations.

• @DukeBlogMKline: Virginia. The Cavs did surprisingly well even with such a thin group of players. I like Tony Bennett’s system a lot and I think he has some tough players that will execute his system and make JPJ a tough place to play for opponents. I say, even without Michael Scott they are a team that is flying a bit under the radar and can shock some people.

• @WillsWorldMN:  A lot of people think the top three in some order will be NC State, Duke, and UNC. But don’t sleep on Miami. I think they have a legit shot of winning the ACC. They’re an experienced team, and a lot of their weapons from last season are back. Kenny Kadji will be a name people will hear a lot from this year.

• @Category6UM: Maryland. I really like their inside game with Alex Len and the big freshman Shaquille Cleare. If they get good PG play from Howard, they will be very dangerous. Georgia Tech would be my next surprise team, if they can find consistent scoring from either Robert Carter or Stacy Poole Jr.   Of course some would say picking Miami #2 in the conference is also a surprise.

• @KilroyFSU: Um, nobody? I’m not bullish on the ACC this year. It’s positioned to be a monster basketball conference going forward, but this year will be ugly. But I think Maryland may be better than they have been over the past few years, in part because the conference will take a step back this year and Maryland won’t.

• @ztevans: I know they had that unfortunate loss to St. Leo, but I really like Miami to challenge for the conference title this year.  I almost put them over NC State, but couldn’t quite pull the trigger.

• @BloggerSoDear:  With the news of Dez Wells being eligible immediately, it has to be Maryland.  Adding a very strong freshman class to Wells, Alex Len and Howard should give the Terps a chance to cut into the top 25 this season.  The Kentucky game will be an immediate barometer of where the team stands early in the season.

• @CUBOSCO: I too like Maryland to be a team that could be dangerous, especially during the second  half of conference play. Maryland is getting the kind of players they should have been getting for years.  There is no doubt in my mind Turgeon has the program heading where most Terp fans think it should be.

• @BCHysteria: Boston College. They are no longer freshman, they have talent and a true point guard in Oliver Hanlon. Hopefully if Ryan Anderson and/or Dennis Clifford bulked up they will have some size.

• @hokie8807: Maryland.  Thirteen of their first 16 games, including their first two conference games are at home.  Give a young but talented team like Maryland some confidence early in the season and they could get on a major roll heading into conference play and surprise the league.

• @SpencerHardison: Georgia Tech. In all honesty, this is just a gut feeling. I really like Brian Gregory, and freshman Robert Carter is a beast inside. With some veteran players, and a solid group of freshman, the Yellow Jackets may surprise some people.

• @TerrapinNation: Maryland. The addition of Dez Wells gives the Terps a proven scorer and an athletic wing who can attack the basket and open things up for others on the floor. Freshman guard Seth Allen is going to surprise people and fellow freshman Charles Mitchell should provide help on the glass. If Alex Len makes the kind of leap this season that many are expecting and Nick Faust can pick up where he left off last season, there is no reason Maryland can’t finish in the top three and compete for the ACC title.

Your ACC First Team Players?

• @younglefhander: C.J. Leslie, Lorenzo Brown, Michael Snaer, James McAdoo, Mason Plumlee

• @DukeBlogMKline: Mason Plumlee, Lorenzo Brown, Calvin Leslie, James MacAdoo, Michael Snaer

• @WillsWorldMN: CJ Leslie, Michael Snaer, Lorenzo Brown, James Michael McAdoo, Mason Plumlee

• @Category6UM:  Lorenzo Brown, Michael Snaer, Travis McKie, CJ Leslie NC, Reggie Johnson

• @KilroyFSU: C.J. Leslie, Michael Snaer, James McAdoo, Lorenzo Brown, Reggie Johnson

• @ztevans: Lorenzo Brown, Michael Snaer, C.J. Leslie, James Michael McAdoo, Reggie Johnson

• @BloggerSoDear:  Lo Brown, James McAdoo, CJ Harris, Michael Snaer and CJ Leslie

• @CUBOSCO: James Michael McAdoo, Lorenzo Brown, Mason Plumlee, CJ Leslie, Michael Snaer

• @BCHysteria: Lorenzon Brown, Travis McKie, CJ Leslie, Snaer, Reggie Johnson

• @hokie8807: CJ Leslie, Lorenzo Brown, Mason Plumlee, Michael Snaer, Seth Curry

• @SpencerHardison: Lorenzo Brown, Michael Snaer, Seth Curry, Calvin Leslie, James Michael MacAdoo

• @TerrapinNation: Lo Brown, Michael Snaer, CJ Leslie, Mason Plumlee, Dez Wells

Who is your ACC Defensive Player of the Year?

• @younglefhander: Michael Snaer

• @DukeBlogMKline: Michael Snaer

• @WillsWorldMN:  Michael Snaer

• @Category6UM: Michael Snaer

• @KilroyFSU: Michael Snaer

• @ztevans: Michael Snaer

• @BloggerSoDear:  Michael Snaer

• @CUBOSCO: Michael Snare

• @BCHysteria: Michael Snaer

• @hokie8807: Michael Snaer

• @SpencerHardison: Michael Snaer

• @TerrapinNation: Michael Snaer

Who is your ACC Player of the Year?

• @younglefhander: C.J. Leslie

• @DukeBlogMKline: Lorenzo Brown

• @WillsWorldMN: Michael Snaer

• @Category6UM: Lorenzo Brown

• @KilroyFSU: C.J. Leslie

• @ztevans: C.J. Leslie

• @BloggerSoDear:  James McAdoo

• @CUBOSCO: Lorenzo Brown

• @BCHysteria: Lorenzo Brown

• @hokie8807: C.J. Leslie

• @SpencerHardison: Lorenzo Brown

• @TerrapinNation: Lo Brown

Who is your ACC Coach of the Year?

• @younglefhander: Mark Gottfried

• @DukeBlogMKline: Tony Bennett

• @WillsWorldMN: Jim Larranaga

• @Category6UM: Jim Larranaga

• @KilroyFSU: Mark Turgeon

• @ztevans: Jim Larranaga, Miami

• @BloggerSoDear:  Mark Turgeon

• @CUBOSCO: Mark Turgeon

• @BCHysteria: Mark Gottfried

• @hokie8807: Mark Turgeon

• @SpencerHardison: Mark Gottfried

• @TerrapinNation: Mark Gottfried

How Many NCAA Bids for the ACC?

• @younglefhander: 6 – NC State, Duke, Miami, UNC, Florida State, Virginia

• @DukeBlogMKline: 5 – Duke, NC State, UNC, FSU, Miami, Virginia

• @WillsWorldMN: 5 – NC State, Duke, UNC, Miami, FSU

• @Category6UM: 6 –  NC State, Miami, Duke, UNC, FSU, & Maryland.

• @KilroyFSU: 5 – Duke, UNC, NCState, Miami, Florida State

• @ztevans: 5 –  NC State, Miami, Duke, North Carolina, Florida State

• @BloggerSoDear:  6 – NC State, Duke, UNC, FSU, Miami, Maryland

• @CUBOSCO: Duke, UNC, NC State, Maryland, Miami, FSU

• @BCHysteria: 6 – NC State, UNC, Duke, FSU, Maryland, Miami

• @hokie8807: 5 – Duke, NC State, UNC, Miami, FSU

• @SpencerHardison: 6 – NC State, Duke, UNC-CH, FSU, Maryland, Miami

• @TerrapinNation: 6 – NC State, Duke, Maryland, UNC, FSU, Miami

All of us at All Sports Discussion thank our panel participants!!!  We look forward to a great college basketball season!!!  Happy College Basketball Eve!!!