The Stakes: An NCAA bid for Tech baseball?
It’s possible, but there’s a big if facing the Virginia Tech baseball program this weekend, in the form of a three-game series at North Carolina.
If … Virginia Tech (34-18, 11-16 ACC) can steal a series win in Chapel Hill, not only are the Hokies golden for a spot in next week’s ACC Tournament, but they might just be in line to punch a ticket to the NCAAs.
The other side of the if … if UNC (39-13, 19-8 ACC) holds serve and sweeps Tech, the Hokies might face the prospect of not even making the ACC Tournament, which would deal a body blow to the squad’s hopes of playing in the NCAA Tourney. Read more
Scott voted first-team All-ACC
Virginia senior forward Mike Scott (Chesapeake, Va.) is a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection for the 2011-12 season and UVa junior guard Jontel Evans (Hampton, Va.) is a member of the ACC’s All-Defensive Team.
Members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA) selected the teams that were announced on Monday (March 5).
Scott, who finished second in the balloting, is the first Virginia player to earn first-team All-ACC honors since Sean Singletary in 2008. Read more
Chris Graham: My All-ACC Teams
All-ACC First Team
Mike Scott, Virginia
Tyler Zeller, North Carolina
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
John Henson, North Carolina
Terrell Stoglin, Maryland
Second Team
Erick Green, Virginia Tech
Austin Rivers, Duke
Michael Snaer, Florida State
Lorenzo Brown, NC State
C.j. Leslie, NC State
Third Team
Durand Scott, Miami
Bernard James, Florida State
Seth Curry, Duke
Mason Plumlee, Duke
Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
All-Defensive Team
John Henson, North Carolina
Bernard James, Florida State
C.J. Leslie, NC State
Mason Plumlee, Duke
Jontel Evans, Virginia
All-Freshman Team
Austin Rivers, Duke
Lonnie Jackson, Boston College
Alex Len, Maryland
Ryan Anderson, Boston College
Dorian Finney-Smith, Virginia Tech
Player of the Year: Mike Scott, Virginia
Defensive Player of the Year: john Henson, North Carolina
Rookie of the Year: Austin Rivers, Duke
Coach of the Year: Leonard Hamilton, Florida State
Chris Graham: Ain’t never gonna happen
Teams not named Duke or North Carolina are never going to get a fair shake in ACC basketball. That’s not whining or lamenting; that’s describing reality.
It’s OK. We get it. The Duke-Carolina binary system is the linchpin of the ACC’s marketing efforts. In spite of the best John Swofford and the other suits in the ACC office have done to dilute the product in its ill-fated pursuit of BCS football dollars, basketball is what defines the ACC, and you don’t get better than Duke-Carolina. Read more
ACC announces scheduling plans
Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced on Friday the future scheduling formats as approved by the ACC’s Faculty Athletic Representatives and Athletics Directors.
The announcement was made following the annual ACC Winter Meetings and will go in effect once Pittsburgh and Syracuse become playing members in the conference.
“We have been engaged in discussions on the various options for integrating Pitt and Syracuse since early fall,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “It’s a tremendous tribute to the leadership at our schools that we will be able to seamlessly add Pitt and Syracuse at the appropriate time when they become full playing members.” Read more
ACC to expand hoops schedule
Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced today that beginning in the 2012-13 season the league will play an 18-game conference schedule in men’s and women’s basketball.
“Our member institutions have been talking about this increase for awhile and knowing our league will be expanding to 14 in the future, we’ve decided to move to an 18-game conference schedule next year, regardless of our membership number,” Swofford said. “The additional conference games create a more equitable schedule and we’ve received significant feedback from our fans for more conference games.”
Minnifield leads UVa. All-ACC selections
Five Virginia football players were named either first-or-second-team onthe All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team, announced by the leagueon Monday. Three other players were named as honorable mention selections. Thefive selections are the most first-and second-team honorees for UVa since the2004 team garnered seven accolades over the two teams. The eight overallmembers on the All-ACC team are the most by a UVa team since the 2004 team alsohad eight players represented.
Senior defensive tackle Matt Conrath, senior cornerbackChase Minnifield and senior offensive guard Austin Pasztor were named to thefirst team, the most honors UVa has earned since the 2005 team placedD’Brickashaw Ferguson, Connor Hughes and Kai Parham on the first-teamsquad. Junior offensive tackle OdayAboushi and junior linebacker Steve Greer were named to the All-ACC secondteam. Junior tailback Perry Jones,senior safety Rodney McLeod and senior center Anthony Mihota garnered honorablemention honors.
Minnifield (Lexington, Ky.) earns his second career All-ACC first-team honor,becoming the first Cavalier to win multiple first team honors in his careersince Ferguson in 2004 and 2005. Minnifield is the first UVa defensive back to have multiple All-ACCfirst team accolades since current UVa safeties coach and special teamscoordinator Anthony Poindexter earned three career nods (1997, ’98, ’99).Minnifield is No. 2 nationally among active career leaders with 13interceptions. He is a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award and asemifinalist for the Thorpe Award & Lott IMPACT Trophy. Minnifield was named the Thorpe AwardDefensive Back of the Week after helping limit then-No. 12 Georgia Tech to 24yards passing and its lowest rushing total at the time (272).
Conrath (Oak Lawn, Ill.) earns his first career All-ACCselection and becomes the first UVa defensive tackle to garner first teamhonors since Nate Collins in 2009. Conrath was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week twice, followingwins over then-No. 12 Georgia Tech and Duke. Along with Minnifield and Greer, he helped anchor a defense that is No.31 in the nation and No. 3 in the ACC, helping UVa improve from No. 78 and No.10 respectively in 2010. Conrath led UVawith three blocked field goals, all in separate games and all UVa wins. Conrath is third on the team and No. 3 in theACC among defensive linemen with 64 tackles.
Pasztor (Langton, Ontario) earns his first career All-ACC selectionand becomes the first UVa offensive guard to receive first team honors sinceBranden Albert in 2007. He has helpedUVa rush for 1,984 yards, the most by a UVa team since the 2004 season. Pasztor has allowed zero sacks and in 781offensive plays has given up only two QB hurries. He was named ACC Offensive Lineman of theWeek after grading out at 93 percent as UVa rolled up 527 yards of total offenseat Maryland.
Aboushi (Staten Island, N.Y.) earns his first career All-ACCselection and becomes the first UVa offensive tackle to be placed on eitherteam since Eugene Monroe was a first team selection in 2008. Aboushi was named ACC Offensive Lineman of theWeek following road wins at Indiana and Miami.
Greer (Solon, Ohio) earns his second career All-ACCselection after being named to the honorable mention team in 2009. Greer leadsUVa and is seventh in the ACC with 103 tackles. Greer is the first UVa linebacker to be named to either the first orsecond team since Clint Sintim also took home second team honors in 2008. Greer was named ACC Linebacker of the Weekfollowing his two sack performance at then-No. 23 Florida State and has led UVain tackles in 8-of-12 games.
Jones (Chesapeake, Va.) earns his first career All-ACCaccolade and becomes the first UVa tailback to be named to any All-ACC squadsince Cedric Peerman was also an honorable mention honoree in 2008. He is on track to become UVa’s first 1,000-yardrusher since 2004 and is No. 2 on the team with 41 receptions for 416 yards.
McLeod (Oxon Hill, Md.) earns his first career All-ACChonor. The senior was named nationaldefensive back of the week and ACC Defensive Back of the Week after grabbingthree interceptions in UVa’s road win at Maryland. The three INTs tied anational high for the season and tied a program record with eight others.
Mihota (Fredericksburg, Va.) earns his first career All-ACChonor and becomes the first UVa center since Zac Yarbrough was named to thesecond-team in 2004. Mihota was the onlycenter in the ACC to earn multiple offensive lineman of the week honors.
2011 All-ACC Teams
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB-Tajh Boyd, Clemson (71)
RB-David Wilson, Virginia Tech (90)*
RB-Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (66)
WR-Sammy Watkins, Clemson (86)
WR-Chris Givens, Wake Forest (69)
OT-Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech (86)
OT-Zebrie Sanders, Florida State (46)
OG-Austin Pasztor, Virginia (49)
OG-Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech (45)
C-Dalton Freeman, Clemson (44)
TE-Dwayne Allen, Clemson (78)
K-Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (75)
Spec.- T.J. Graham, NC State (45)
Defense
DE-Andre Branch, Clemson (79)
DE-Quinton Coples, North Carolina (64)
DT-Joe Vellano, Maryland (68)
DT-Matt Conrath, Virginia (55)
LB-Luke Kuechly, Boston College (90)*
LB-Sean Spence, Miami (82)
LB-Zach Brown, North Carolina (48)
CB-David Amerson, NC State (86)
CB-Chase Minnifield, Virginia (47)
S-Matt Daniels, Duke (80)
S-Josh Bush, Wake Forest (41)
P-Shawn Powell, Florida State (85)
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB-Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (49)
WR-Dwight Jones, North Carolina (58)
WR-Conner Vernon, Duke (34)
RB-Lamar Miller, Miami (62)
RB-Andre Ellington, Clemson (26)
OT-Oday Aboushi, Virginia (43)
OT-James Hurst, North Carolina (30)
OG-Jaymes Brooks, Virginia Tech (35)
OG-Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina (31)
OG-Joe Looney, Wake Forest (31)
C-Tyler Horn, Miami (32)
TE-George Bryan, NC State (29)
K-Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson (37)
Spec.-Sammy Watkins, Clemson (33)
Defense
DE-Brandon Jenkins, Florida State (51)
DE-James Gayle, Virginia Tech (25)
DT-Brandon Thompson, Clemson (43)
DT-Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest (30)
LB-Terrell Manning, NC State (44)
LB-Julian Burnett, Georgia Tech (34)
LB-Steve Greer, Virginia (23)
CB-Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech (36)
CB-Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech (34)
S-Eddie Whitley, Virginia Tech (33)
S-Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (23)
P-Alex King, Duke (22)
Honorable Mention: Jeremiah Attaochu, lb, Georgia Tech (16); Brandan Bishop, s, NC State (19); Nigel Bradham, lb, Florida State (20); Audie Cole, lb, NC State (19); J.R. Collins, de, Virginia Tech (17); Everett Dawkins, dt, Florida State (18); Antone Exum, s, Virginia Tech (15); Demetrius Hartsfield, lb, Maryland (11); Cooper Helfet, te, Duke (25); Perry Jones, rb, Virginia (16); Cody Journell, k, Virginia Tech (10); Rodney McLeod, s, Virginia (17); Anthony Mihota, c, Virginia (21); Merrill Noel, cb, Wake Forest (30); Greg Nosal, og, Virginia Tech (10); Tydreke Powell, dt, North Carolina (17); Phillip Price, ot, Clemson (12); Greg Reid, spc., Florida State (27); Rod Sweeting, cb, Georgia Tech (13); Bruce Taylor, lb, Virginia Tech (11); T.J. Thorpe, spc., North Carolina (22); Landon Walker, ot, Clemson (29); Bjoern Werner, de, Florida State (13); Earl Wolff, s, NC State (12); Dawson Zimmerman, p, Clemson (15).
