THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE THREAD

No. 2 Duke rolls past Central Arkansas 105-54 for 3-0 start



Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is pushing his young Blue Devils to worry about defense above all else, both in the intensity of their fullcourt pursuit and their ability to attack the right matchup.

That approach, he said, is "how our team is going to be built."

And the second-ranked Blue Devils are showing the ability to meet the Hall of Famer's expectation in their first games together.

Freshman Matthew Hurt scored a season-high 19 points to help Duke beat Central Arkansas 105-54 on Tuesday night, winning easily with overwhelming defense despite seeing starting point guard Tre Jones exit after being shaken up on a first-half collision.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168174

 

Nwora leads No. 4 Louisville past Indiana State 91-62



- Louisville coach Chris Mack couldn’t find any fault with his team’s performance against Indiana State.

The Cardinals started off hot from the field and cooled only slightly. When the Sycamores mounted their lone rally in the second half, Mack kept his head during a timeout. Louisville answered with a flourish on both ends to finish Wednesday night’s win.

Jordan Nwora scored 21 points, Dwayne Sutton added 14 and the fourth-ranked Cardinals shot 59% from the field to beat Indiana State 91-62.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168179

 

Anthony, No. 6 North Carolina beat Gardner-Webb 77-61



Cole Anthony keeps scoring at a rate never before seen by a North Carolina freshman.

As for the rest of the offense, well, the sixth-ranked Tar Heels are working on that part.

Anthony scored 28 points to help UNC beat Gardner-Webb 77-61 on Friday night, though the game again offered uncertainty when it comes to who is capable of consistently stepping into the role of Anthony's wingman.

Read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168185

 

Cole Anthony 28 PTS Full Highlights vs Gardner-Webb

 

Jones scores 31, No. 2 Duke beats Georgia State, 74-63



No. 2 Duke hadn’t shot this poorly all season. The Blue Devils made up for it with one of their most impressive rebounding performances in four decades under Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Tre Jones scored a career-high 31 points and Duke pulled away to beat pesky Georgia State 74-63 on Friday night.

Read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168183

 

Duke Tre Jones (31 PTS) vs Georgia State

 

Huff, Diakite lead No. 9 Virginia past Columbia 60-42



Jay Huff showed flashes of what he can do offensively for No. 9 Virginia last year.

This season, with increased opportunities, he's turning into one of the Cavaliers' top offensive weapons.

"Points, if they come, they come, and if they don't and we still get the win, it doesn't really matter to me," Huff said.

Huff and Mamadi Diakite each scored 13 points Saturday and Virginia beat Columbia 60-42.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168191

 

Jordan Nwora scores 17 points, No. 4 Louisville rolls



North Carolina Central coach LaVelle Moton said he had to pick his poison when his Eagles faced fourth-ranked Louisville on Sunday. So, his team let the Cardinals fire away.

It ended up almost becoming a historic shooting night for the Cardinals.

Jordan Nwora scored 17 points to lead Louisville in an 87-58 rout.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168194

 

Diakite, No. 7 Virginia hold off Vermont, 61-55

Mamadi Diakite and No. 7 Virginia found themselves in a nail-biter, and with Anthony Lamb putting on an offensive show in the second half, Diakite took it upon himself to try to slow down the Vermont star.

Diakite also scored 19 points of his own and the Cavaliers overcame Lamb's 30-point night to beat Vermont 61-55 on Tuesday night.

 

Bacot, Anthony lead No. 5 UNC past Elon 75-61



Those newcomers at No. 5 North Carolina were playing like freshmen -- and, really, the upperclassmen were too -- during yet another sluggish start.

The big men took it upon themselves to demand the ball -- and dominate down low.

Armando Bacot had season highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds, Garrison Brooks added 14 points and the slow-starting Tar Heels beat Elon 75-61 on Wednesday night.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168201

 

No. 2 Louisville rallies past USC Upstate 76-50



Louisville’s latest rout was anything but routine.

The No. 2 Cardinals trailed in the second half for the first time this season against a determined USC Upstate squad that challenged them longer than expected. That scare got Louisville’s attention, and its response was fast and furious.

Ryan McMahon made consecutive 3-pointers and Dwayne Sutton and Darius Perry had one each during a second-half surge that rallied Louisville past USC Upstate 76-50 Wednesday night.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168200

 

Krzyzewski wins 217th game with Duke ranked No. 1 in romp



Mike Krzyzewski is about to become No. 1 at winning at No. 1.

He has to share that milestone for at least one more game with the Wizard of Westwood.

Krzyzewski coached a No. 1-ranked Duke team to victory for the 217th time, matching John Wooden for that career record in the Blue Devils' 87-52 romp over California on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168205

 

Krzyzewski gets milestone, Duke tops tough Georgetown in NYC



Patrick Ewing had already yanked off his tie, and soon he needed to be restrained by the Georgetown coaching staff to keep from getting tossed. Ewing was hot, the Hoyas were unraveling and the crowd at Madison Square Garden was absolutely howling over the chaos on the court.

Keeping its cool in the other huddle, top-ranked Duke was waiting to pounce.

"It was kind of crazy out there for a little bit," Duke guard Tre Jones said.

The Blue Devils are used to playing big games at the Garden, while the improving Hoyas are still finding their way.

Mike Krzyzewski set the record for wins coaching a No. 1 team as top-ranked Duke got 20 points and 10 rebounds from Vernon Carey Jr. to beat Georgetown 81-73 on Friday night.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401183478

 

No. 7 Virginia holds off ASU to win HOF Tip-Off Tournament



Virginia’s Casey Morsell picked a good game to find his shooting touch.

The Cavaliers highly touted freshman scored 19 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining, and No. 7 Virginia rallied past Arizona State 48-45 to win the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401183487

 

No. 2 Louisville leads big before holding off Akron 82-76



Chris Mack hopes No. 2 Louisville learns from a huge scare against Akron.

Ryan McMahon made two free throws with 16.8 seconds left, helping No. 2 Louisville escape Akron 82-76 on Sunday night.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168213

 

Virginia Tech knocks off No. 3 Michigan State 71-66 in Maui



Landers Nolley II peeled off a screen and, without hesitation, let a 3-pointer fly from the wing. The ball dropped, giving Virginia Tech the cushion it needed to hold off No. 3 Michigan State.

One big shot, one massive victory for the Hokies.

Nolley hit that crucial 3-pointer in the final minute and scored 22 points, helping Virginia Tech ou

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168218

 

Diakite, Huff lead No. 7 Virginia past Maine, 46-26



Defending national champion Virginia is still unbeaten, but now has a significant loss to contend with.

Braxton Key, a starting guard and perhaps the Cavaliers' most versatile player, watched from the bench with a sling on his surgically repaired wrist on Wednesday as Virginia (7-0) put up a record-tying defensive performance in a 46-26 victory over Maine.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168224

 

Brooks, No. 6 UNC beat Alabama 76-67 in Battle 4 Atlantis



Time and again, the ball went up on the backboard or bounced off the rim only to end up in the hands of North Carolina players who bulled their way through traffic to get to it.

The sixth-ranked Tar Heels may not have the offensive firepower they had last season, but that emphasis on rebounding remains unwavering.

Freshman Armando Bacot finished with 12 points and a season-high 15 rebounds to help UNC overwhelm Alabama on the glass and win 76-67 in Wednesday's first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168222

 

No. 6 North Carolina beats No. 11 Oregon 78-74 in Bahamas



Armando Bacot controlled the paint. Cole Anthony turned in big late-game plays. And along the way, No. 6 North Carolina offered plenty of the toughness that its Hall of Fame coach wanted to see following the team’s first loss.

Anthony hit a driving layup and four key free throws in the final 64 seconds to help the Tar Heels hold off No. 11 Oregon 78-74 in Friday’s third-place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401183485

 

No. 2 Louisville breezes past Western Kentucky 71-54



Louisville downplayed the possibility it could earn its first No. 1 ranking in six years next week.

The second-ranked Cardinals already had made a convincing argument on the floor.

Jordan Nwora scored 25 points as Louisville defeated Western Kentucky 71-54 on Friday to remain unbeaten. There will be a new No. 1 team when The Associated Press Top 25 comes out on Monday because top-ranked Duke fell at home to Stephen F. Austin 85-83 in overtime on Tuesday.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401168228