THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE THREAD

Hunter, Jerome lead No. 4 Virginia in rout of Hokies, 81-59

- Ty Jerome got No. 4 Virginia off to just the start it needed by making a few deep 3-pointers. That opened things up for De'Andre Hunter and quickly shut things off for No. 9 Virginia Tech.

Hunter scored 21 points, Kyle Guy scored 15 and Jerome had 14 points and a career-high 12 assists as the Cavaliers started fast and routed the Hokies 81-59 on Tuesday night.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082751

 

Wake Forest blows big lead, still tops No. 17 NC State 71-67

Wake Forest played its best basketball all year while building a big lead against No. 17 North Carolina State, only to see the Wolfpack put together a frantic second-half rally.

Somehow, a team that lost all three of its Atlantic Coast Conference games by double figures found a way to recover.

Freshman Jaylen Hoard had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Demon Deacons beat the Wolfpack 71-67 on Tuesday night to extend N.C. State's frustrating run in Winston-Salem.

read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082730

 

RJ Barrett leads No. 1 Duke past No. 4 Virginia 72-70

No. 1 Duke and fourth-ranked Virginia kept trading baskets -- and the lead -- down the stretch of another classic at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Here's the difference: The Blue Devils had RJ Barrett, Zion Williamsonand a defense that -even without key on-the-ball defender Tre Jones- flipped the script on the Cavaliers.

Barrett scored 30 points, Williamson had 27 and Duke gave Virginia its first loss of the season by beating the Cavaliers 72-70 on Saturday night.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082681

 

Johnson scores 22 to help No. 13 Tar Heels beat Miami 85-76

With 6 1/2 minutes left and North Carolina clinging to a one-point lead, 6-foot-9 Cameron Johnson took aim from long range over 5-foot-7 Chris Lykes.

Swish

The next trip down the court, Johnson shot over Lykes again.

Swish.

Johnson's back-to-back 3-pointers gave the No. 13-ranked Tar Heels the breathing room they needed, and they outlasted outmanned Miami 85-76 Saturday.

read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082864

 

Alexander-Walker leads No. 9 Hokies past Wake Forest, 87-71

Virginia Tech claimed it had no extra motivation following a blowout loss to No. 4 Virginia this week.

Once the ninth-ranked Hokies got going against Wake Forest on Saturday, even with foul trouble and an unusually slow pace, their play suggested otherwise.

"I thought we were much more us," coach Buzz Williams said after the Hokies shot 57 percent, limited the Demon Deacons to sub-40 percent shooting and forced 16 turnovers in an 87-71 victory.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082731

 

No. 17 NC State holds off Notre Dame 77-73 after Wake loss

No. 17 North Carolina State left coach Kevin Keatts with a hoarse voice Saturday.

A strong finish against the pesky Fighting Irish was the only medicine Keatts needed.

C.J. Bryce hit key free throws en route to 23 points, and the Wolfpack withstood several second-half challenges from Notre Dame in a 77-73 victory.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082832

 

Bowman's 37 leads BC to 87-82 win over No. 11 Florida State

With just over a minute left and No. 11 Florida State rapidly closing the gap, an unlikely contributor popped onto the court to help Boston College hold on for a victory.

Running back AJ Dillon, the Atlantic Coast Conference's preseason football player of the year, got out of his courtside seat and wiped down the floor while the teams lined up for a free throw, drawing a chuckle and a cheer from the crowd.

"We needed all hands on deck," coach Jim Christian said after the Eagles upset the Seminoles 87-82, the third time in two seasons BC has beaten a ranked team in Chestnut Hill. "Could have used him in the post."

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082628

 

No. 11 North Carolina beats No. 10 Virginia Tech 103-82

North Carolina went from being unable to hit a 3-pointer to seemingly unable to miss. And its touted freshmen rolled to big nights against a highly ranked Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

This is more what coach Roy Williams envisioned -- or hoped for, anyway -- from his 11th-ranked Tar Heels.

Freshman Coby White scored 27 points while UNC hit a season-high 16 3-pointers to beat No. 10 Virginia Tech 103-82 on Monday night, cracking the 100-point mark for the first time in league play.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082752

 

Guy, Huff lead No. 3 Virginia past Deacons, 68-45

Virginia came into its first game since a loss at No. 2 Duke wanting to show that nothing has changed.

The third-ranked Cavaliers wasted little time making that point, using sharp shooting and stiff defense to bolt to a 25-3 lead in a 68-45 victory against Wake Forest on Tuesday night.

read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082732

 

Williamson scores 25, No. 2 Duke shuts down Pitt 79-64

There are plenty of words Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski can use to describe his star-laden roster. Nervous is not one of them.

"My guys are not nervous," Krzyzewski said. "I'm nervous. But they are not. They love crowds. They love to compete."

No matter who's watching. With the coach who helped recruit the current Blue Devils on the other bench and one of the greatest rappers in history sitting courtside, star freshmen Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett did what they've done seemingly since the day they stepped on campus last fall: They dominated.

Williamson hit his first 10 shots on his way to 25 points, Barrett scored 26 and the second-ranked Blue Devils had little trouble in a clinical 79-64 victory over Pittsburgh and former Duke assistant Jeff Capel on Tuesday night.

 

No. 23 Louisville outlasts No. 21 N.C. State 84-77

Making good on frequent chances at the foul line was satisfying enough for No. 23 Louisville.

The Cardinals also took heart in creating those opportunities with timely takeaways that provided the edge against No. 21 North Carolina State.

Christen Cunningham scored 17 points with five critical free throws in the final 2 1/2 minutes, and Malik Williams added a pair from the line for 14 points to help Louisville outlast the Wolfpack 84-77 on Thursday night.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082850

 

Barrett, No. 2 Duke pull away to beat Georgia Tech 66-53

Mike Krzyzewski could tell something was off with his Duke team, so he burned a timeout shortly after halftime to talk about it.

That the second-ranked Blue Devils responded with yet another double-figure victory taught the Hall of Fame coach something significant about them.

RJ Barrett had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Duke pulled away to beat Georgia Tech 66-53 Saturday in point guard Tre Jones' return to the lineup.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082683

 

Robinson has 35 points, No. 10 Hokies beat Orange 78-56

Justin Robinson called No. 10 Virginia Tech's game against Syracuse "the biggest game of our careers since we've been here," coming as it did after the Hokies absorbed a 21-point loss on the road at No. 11 North Carolina.

Robinson, especially, made sure they got back on track, scoring 24 of his career-high 35 points in the first half as the Hokies grabbed an early double-digit lead, weathered a second-half surge and pulled away again to beat the Orange 78-56 on Saturday night.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082753

 

Hunter's 19 points lead No. 3 Cavs in 82-55 rout of Irish

No. 3 Virginia made itself right at home at Notre Dame's sold-out Purcell Pavilion, wearing home whites and running out to a 12-0 start.

De'Andre Hunter scored 19 points to lead five Cavaliers in double figures during their 82-55 rout of the Irish on Saturday. Despite four hours of weather delays before they arrived, the Cavaliers looked more in synch than the Irish.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082771

 

No. 23 Louisville, behind Jordan Nwora, defeats Pitt 66-51

The shots weren't falling for No. 23 Louisville on Saturday, so the Cardinals needed to make sure the same thing happened to Pittsburgh.

Jordan Nwora scored 17 points to help Louisville rally past Pitt 66-51 and avenge its only conference loss this season.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082815

 

Beverly's 3 helps No. 21 NC State rally past Clemson 69-67

North Carolina State kept hanging around, even down six with 26.5 seconds to go.

"I told them, `Believe," Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts said.

Turns out Keatts knew what he was talking about, thanks to a few missed free throws from Clemson and one huge shot from sophomore Braxton Beverly.

Beverly shook off a bumpy shooting game by knocking down a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer, capping the 21st-ranked Wolfpack's rally in the final seconds to stun the Tigers 69-67 on Saturday.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082657

 

Williamson powers Duke past Notre Dame

Zion Williamson flew unimpeded again.

For Notre Dame, there was no chance at grounding him. For Mike Krzyzewski, there's no need to even think about grounding him.

"What do you mean `grounded'? So he doesn't jump, or what?" the Duke coach said Monday night, repeating a reporter's word used during a question about keeping the Blue Devils' freshman sensation level-headed.

"The kid's like one of the best kids in the whole world," Krzyzewski said. "No way (his head is going to get too big). I mean, he is so good, is such a great kid."

Williamson scored 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots, and fellow freshmen RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish combined for another 30 points as No. 2 Duke rolled to an 83-61 victory over the Fighting Irish.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082684

 

No. 3 Virginia survives, beats No. 23 NC State 66-65 in OT

The mistakes kept piling up for third-ranked Virginia, which was careless with the ball, struggled on the offensive glass and squandered a double-figure lead in the second half.

Fortunately for coach Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers still managed to squeeze out a road win against a ranked opponent. Kyle Guy hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with two minutes left in overtime and Virginia held on to the horn to beat No. 23 North Carolina State 66-65 on Tuesday night.

read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082772

 

Johnson leads No. 9 North Carolina past Georgia Tech 77-54

Cameron Johnson and Coby White showed North Carolina is tough to beat and that the Tar Heels might be able to dream big.

Johnson scored a game-high 22 points, including eight straight to open the second half, as No. 9 North Carolina defeated Georgia Tech 77-54 Tuesday night.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082865

 

Nwora, No. 15 Louisville rout Wake Forest 82-54

No. 15 Louisville had just polished off another romp on the road, and on the way back to the locker room, a staff member couldn't contain his joy.

So he let out a yell: "Roadkill, baby!"

Two trips to the state of North Carolina, two blowout wins.

The Cardinals won their sixth straight game, routing Wake Forest 82-54 on Wednesday night behind 20 points from Jordan Nwora

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401082733