Weekend in Review; Part 2

Miami- The Hurricanes did not play this weekend. Frank Haith's team faces their most important game of the season so far at Maryland on Tuesday. They will need a solid team performance on both ends of the floor if they want to avoid a 1-5 start in conference play.

North Carolina- The Heels were off this weekend. Tuesday, they face rival NC State in Raleigh. The Heels have won five of their past six versus the Wolfpack at the RBC Center. Larry Drew will need to play well if the Heels want to have a good chance to win.

NC State- The Wolfpack were destroyed by 24 at Maryland. The Pack backcourt was outplayed in about every facet of the game, as Greivis Vasquez continued his career success against Sidney Lowe's club. Vasquez's size has always been a mismatch for Wolfpack defenders, and this game was no different. Farnold Degand was unable to build momentum from his performance against Duke, going 2-10 from the floor. Against UNC Tuesday, State needs to contain the Tar Heel frontcourt and keep them off the offensive glass, particularly Ed Davis in that department. Knocking down perimeter shots to take pressure of forward Tracy Smith will also be key, as the Heels have a significant size advantage inside.

Virginia- Saturday's game at Wake Forest was miserable, and their first half performance left the game in doubt. The Cavs faced a 19 point halftime deficit, caused in part by the foul trouble and subsequent benching of stars Sylven Landesberg and Mike Scott. Both received two fouls early in the first half, and coach Tony Bennett benched them for the remainder of the period. An 18-1 Wake Forest run ensued and the game, for all intents and purposes, was over. Scott and Landesberg will need big games at home Thursday against rival Virginia Tech. Scott will have a good opportunity to get back into the swing of things, as he will likely be matched up against former prep school teammate Jeff Allen, who at times, can get quite lazy on the defensive end.

Virginia Tech- Thanks to a late Dorenzo Hudson basket, Tech escaped at home by one point against Boston College. The Hokies led by nine at halftime thanks to suffocating halfcourt defense that gave them many easy baskets in transition. BC took much better care of the ball in the second half, forcing Tech to score their points in the halfcourt. This did not come easy for VT, and the Eagles slowly crept back into the game. The game could have easily gone BC's way. A late, blatant offensive foul by Jeff Allen nearly cost the Hokies the game. If Seth Grenberg's club wants to win at rival Virginia on Thursday, he will need Allen and Malcolm Delaney to step up, as well as get 10-15 points from Dorenzo Hudson. Whether it be Hudson or Terrell Bell on UVA leading scorer and reigning ACC Freshman of the Year Sylven Landesberg, the Hokies will need to force him to take tough shots.

Wake Forest- Wake won big at home Saturday against Virginia, who was previously undefeated in ACC play. Senior point guard Ishmael Smith shot 7-10 from the floor and the foul line, finishing with 21 points. He also had six assists. Wake shot 52% from the floor, compared to 33% by UVA. Wake is quietly a great defensive team. They have a giant frontline, and L.D. Williams is regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the ACC. Their defense feeds their transition offense, and when they can get stops in the halfcourt, Smith and their fastpaced offense get going. To beat the Deacons, teams must run sound halfcourt offense, take smart shots, and counter with solid floor balance. Wake will look to move to 5-2 in ACC play Thursday at Georgia Tech.