ACC Pre-Season Poll:

Typically, Coach K likes to have a 7 or 8 man rotation. This year looks no different. Scheyer, Singler, & Smith are all averaging over 32 minutes of playing time so far against 4 gimme teams. What happens when Duke starts playing better teams? Are they going to have to put in 34-35 minutes each game? Foul-trouble & an injury to these guys will spell trouble for the Dookies.

 

We'll find out alot about UNC in December.
Killer schedule:
12/1: #2 Michigan State
12/5: #4 Kentucky
12/19: #3 Texas

You may be right about Carolina needing a point guard, but UNC has some shooters. They're at 52% shooting after 5 games, & 36% from 3-point land. Not as good as Duke, but close. And Duke still hasn't played anybody yet. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing the Tar Heels play against the above 3 teams. All of them are projected #1 seeds. UNC could lose all 3 games, but I'm guessing they'll win at least one, & two would be huge!

 

yea i understand what you're saying karl. but they put in a lot of minutes last year too. dawkins can spell them both and duke is lucky that he decided to come in a year early. but i just dont see carolina having the shooters. they have guys who can shoot, but its inconsistent. ginyard shoots so high its either gonna swish or airball. henson was supposed to be able to knock down some but his shot doesn't look good to me. they still have a ton of talent so they'll be fine once they play with each other a while. but about their upcoming schedule. they'll prolly beat mich. st. i think ms is so overrated that its humorous. they werent any good last year (only lord knows how they got to the championship) and they have basically the same team this year. kentucky is athletic but can't guard anyone. i havent seen texas much so i cant comment about them. but these are why pre season rankings are a joke. duke should be in the top 5 easy. they're much better than the ones who are there now.

 

Because they aren't deep. They can go nine deep tops. After that you are getting some garbage players. Two of those nine are Zoubek and Czyz, and neither of them are that talented either. You can't win in the ACC with only three guards. Singler isn't a guard. Shooting threes doesn't make him a guard, it makes him a soft, white guy. Thomas might be athletic enough to guard a three, but Kelly, Singler, Plumlee, and Zoubek aren't, and taking him out of the post is bad for your interior defense and rebounding. Duke can't rebound any better than the rest of the ACC either, they are just now making it back to par. You have Thomas, Singler, and Plumlee and that's it. Kelly and Zoubek can't rebound.

By ACC play the Tar Heels will be as good as anybody, they are going through some growing pains, but they can go twelve deep and keep talent on the floor. How many other schools in the country can say that? Drew is not doing a bad job at point, it's Strickland that's killing them, but that's expected, the guy is a SG playing point. Graves has started looking for his shot, which is going to be a big part of protecting Carolina's post guys, and they are the best around.

 

you're wrong. singler is a small forward but they play out on the wing. he has good footwork, can dribble well, and is versatile. you're telling me will graves is more of a 3 than kyle singler ? no way. when mason plumlee gets back that will make us even better. your bigs arent the only ones who rebound. guard rebounding is just as important. and our guards are big. scheyers 6'5, dawkins is athletic, nolans athletic, and singlers tall. so yes our rebounding will be above average. which was our main achilles heel last year. duke is better than carolina. sorry to bust your bubble. roy williams would admit it if somebody asked him. and playing 12 guys like roy likes to do is a bigger disadvantage than it is an advantage. you cant get any rhythm like that. duke will be tops of the acc this year. it's not even a discussion.

 

Singler is not a guard. End of discussion. Graves does fit the mold of a three much more so than Singler typically. Offensively Ginyard is probably our starting three anyway. Scheyer can't rebound and neither can Dawkins or Kelly or even Zoubek. You got Plumlee and Thomas who can rebound, Singler can hold his own and for a guard Smith is a pretty solid rebounder.

Right now Duke is definitely a better team than Carolina because they are much more experienced. Talent wise the edge obviously goes to Carolina. Which is why I'm telling you that by the end of the year UNC will be in the running for another Final 4.

Roy always plays 12 early then cuts time down toward conference play depending on who earns it. Don't expect to see Justin Watts or Leslie McDonald on the court against ACC opponents. Getting 12 guys experience early in the season against quality competition is a huge plus, trying to spin it any other way is a joke.

 

Mike Dunleavy Jr was a guard. Singler is a forward.

 

ask coach k what he is. he moved him to wing because its his "natural" position. he's a SMALL forward which translates to "another guard". small forwards dont play in the post. they play on the wing if you havent noticed. but whatever. you carolina fans are so ignorant that you think you will be going to the final 4 every year. yes carolina will get better. but they have no shooters. none. a bunch of guys who think they can shoot does not translate into good solid shooters. i hope duke plays zone against unc the whole time (which they wont cuz coach k loves pressuring teams) so you can see how awful carolinas' shooters really are.

 

You keep telling yourself that, slappy.

 

I agree with gottalaff on this one. Clemson may be good also.