Player of the Week:
Isaiah Wong, PG, Miami Hurricanes
Don’t sleep on the Miami Hurricanes. They last made the tournament in 2019 and took some team named Loyola-Chicago to the death in the first round. They are well equipped to earn another top six seed and potentially even better with how weak the ACC is this season.
Wong (pictured) is leading the way for the ‘Canes in conference play and he has them 3-0 to start the conference season. Their conference schedule gets brutal in a flash, making their hot start all the more important. Wong scored 25 points in a thrilling win over Wake Forest and if he can stay hot for Miami, Duke is on upset alert Saturday night at Cameron Indoor.
Who’s Hot?
Dereon Seabron, SG/SF, NC State Wolfpack
Seabron isn’t getting a lot of help right now, and his team’s record shows that. 32 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds weren’t enough to carry the Wolfpack to a home win over Florida State, so it is fair to question what will ever be enough to knock off a top team in the conference.
His emergence as not only a star for the team, but also as a star in the conference is turning heads in the NBA world as well. We currently project him as a first-round selection and if he can develop a perimeter jumper, he will undoubtedly be a star at the next level.
Buddy Boeheim, SG, Syracuse Orange
Buddy Boeheim is starting to catch fire just like he did last March. They will have to turn things around in a hurry if he wants a chance to do that again, but a home loss to Virginia on Saturday didn’t help the cause. Boeheim scored 27 in the losing effort, but helped the Orange hold serve in non-conference play with 50 combined points against Cornell and Brown this week.
The 6’6 senior is up to 19.5 points per game on the season and is a legitimate sleeper NBA prospect with how well he can shoot the ball. A hot streak for his team will go a long way to gain notoriety, but his teammates have to pick it up if that is going to happen.
Who’s Not?
Dawson Garcia, PF, North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels demolished Boston College this weekend, but Dawson Garcia went down early and was unable to return for the Heels. In the two minutes he played, the Marquette transfer had two shots blocked and missed another close shot before suffering a head injury. If Carolina wants to get anything done this year, they need a healthy and productive Garcia to open the lane up for Caleb Love to do his thing.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Steve Forbes and the Demon Deacons flew out to an 11-1 start, but two road conference losses to Louisville and Miami stalled their momentum considerably. They need to get back on track and win at least two out of their next three games. They host Florida State, Syracuse and Duke in those three matchups, and it is a season-defining stretch for the upstart Deacs.
Top 5 Chances for Duke to Lose an ACC game
1. Both UNC Games, Sat. 2/5 and Sat 3/5, 6 P.M.
It’s impossible to predict these rivalry games because of how many crazy things happen each time they face off. Talent level almost goes out the door when these guys play and both teams have an equal opportunity to win every time. The Tar Heels are the best team Duke will play in the conference and if they are going to loss at all in the ACC, it will most likely come at the hands of the Heels who swept them last season.
2. Duke at Syracuse, Sat. 2/26, 6 P.M.
If the Blue Devils have any weakness at all, it’s their three-point shooting, and nobody forces you to shoot more threes than Syracuse. Their overall three-point stats aren’t horrible as a team, but they’ve struggled in each big game they’ve played this season. The Carrier Dome will also be eager to give Coach K a sendoff he won’t enjoy.
3. Duke at Wake Forest, Wed. 1/12, 7 P.M.
These recent Wake Forest losses might bode well for them when they host Duke next week. Maybe the Blue Devils will not take them as seriously as they would have and get smacked in the mouth early on and have too little too late to avoid the upset. Alondes Williams is a star who can pick apart Duke’s defense with precise passing and put up 30 any given night.
4. Miami at Duke, Sat. 1/8, 8 P.M.
I consider Miami the third most talented team in the conference behind Duke and North Carolina. Jim Larranaga is one of the most experienced coaches in the country and is 4-5 against Coach K in his last nine games. This game on Saturday is must-watch ACC television.
5. Duke at Florida State, Tue. 1/18, 9 P.M.
The Seminoles are having a down year, but they have one of the best home-court advantages in the country, which gives them a chance against anyone. I still think Leonard Hamilton will figure things out, make the tournament and reach the second weekend because he does it every season it seems.