There’s a team in the ACC that may be a legitimate Final Four contender and I’m not talking about Duke. Wake Forest is quietly having an outstanding year sitting in second in the ACC with an 8-3 league record. Throw in four RPI top-25 wins and it’s easy to see why the Demon Deacons sit with a RPI of 11.
Wake Forest is led by Al-Farouq Aminu and Ishmael Smith. The two players combine for almost 30 points per game and are one of the best inside-out combos in the country. They’re incredibly athletic and are load for anyone to guard.
Many have already anointed Duke as the ACC champions, but I’d hold off on that prediction. While they might not have the name cache, they’re seem ready to remove the bad taste left from last season’s disappointing finish.
If you’re looking for a sleeper Final Four team this year, you’d better keep an eye on the Deacons.
Stock Up: Gonzaga. Outside of a mystifying loss to San Francisco, Gonzaga is rolling. The Bulldogs have followed their Maui Invitational championship with wins at Illinois and Memphis in conjunction with a regular season sweep of St. Mary’s. Freshman Elias Harris has provided a huge presence in the post and with their typical guard play, Gonzaga is a tough out once again.
Stock Down: Georgetown. Talk about schizophrenic. Georgetown has beaten Duke, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Temple and Butler. They’ve also lost to Rutgers and South Florida. The Hoyas seem to go as Chris Wright goes. Wright needs to be as consistent as his All-American co-horts if Georgetown expects to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.
Stock Up: Texas A&M. The Aggies are quietly moving up the charts in the Big 12. Some thought the Aggies would fold after the season-ending knee injury to Derrick Roland, but they’re just rolling along. After posting their fourth win in a row on Saturday, the Aggies appear to be the only left that can put a dent in Kansas’ undefeated conference record.
Stock Down: Jordan Eglseder and Northern Iowa. Eglseder, in a lapse of judgement was arrested and charged with DUI with his team having one of the best years in school history. Northern Iowa’s response was to suspend him for 3 games. He basically got a week and a half off. Way to enforce the law Ben Jacobsen (Northern Iowa’s Head Coach).
This week’s bracket projections:
Last Four In: Cincinnati, Mississippi, Dayton, Florida St
Last Four Out: Maryland, San Diego St, Florida, Northwestern
Click the link to see the bracket.
Bracketville USA 