Non-conference scheduling studs and duds: The ACC
Since most of this coming season’s non-conference schedules have finally been released, it’s a good time to assess whose slates are the most daunting and who didn’t challenge themselves enough. Yahoo Sports will go league-by-league the next two weeks. Up first: The ACC.
Toughest non-league schedule: Virginia
If Virginia’s conservative non-conference slate didn’t reflect its sudden emergence as a national power the past two seasons, that certainly won’t be the case this year. The Cavaliers have assembled a loaded non-league slate that should provide an instant barometer for whether they can remain a top 10 team despite the loss of high-scoring wing Justin Anderson and defensive standout Darion Atkins.
The marquee non-league game on Virginia’s schedule next season will be a Dec. 19 clash against reigning Big East champion Villanova. In addition, the Cavaliers will also host a talented Cal team expected to crack the top 20 in the preseason polls, visit Ohio State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and face Big 12 power West Virginia on a neutral floor in the Jimmy V Classic. As if that’s not enough, there’s also a tricky road game at George Washington and the Charleston Classic, which features Ole Miss, Oklahoma State and Seton Hall.
Either North Carolina or Duke can also make a case for playing the ACC’s toughest non-league schedule next season, but give the slight edge to Virginia. The Tar Heels don’t face quite as many quality opponents as the Cavaliers and the Blue Devils don’t play a single true road game.
Easiest non-league schedule: Clemson
No ACC team assembled a non-conference schedule that’s flat-out embarrassing this year, however, Clemson’s certainly lacks pizzazz. The closest the Tigers come to facing a marquee opponent is a Dec. 22 road game against a Georgia team expected to finish in the upper half of the SEC standings.
Beyond that, there are a whole lot of mediocre opponents. Home games against SEC bottom feeders Alabama and South Carolina? Yawn. A Big Ten-ACC Challenge road game at rebuilding Minnesota? Eh. Even a tournament featuring UMass, Rutgers and Creighton doesn’t provide much in the way of sizzle.
How smart Clemson’s strategy of scheduling modestly turns out to be will depend on what the Tigers accomplish in ACC play next season. Clemson returns four of its six leading scorers from last year’s 16-win team and will have ample opportunities to collect marquee victories in a league that features at least six teams who could be ranked in the preseason top 25.
Team that mismanaged its schedule: Louisville
Having lost four players who accounted for more than 79 percent of its points last season, Louisville appears to have assembled a schedule designed to give a young team time to build confidence and jell before the start of ACC play. That strategy could massively backfire, however, if the Cardinals enter league play without a single victory of consequence.
The two toughest games Louisville plays are both extremely difficult — at Michigan State and at Kentucky. Beyond that, there’s not a single opponent who finished last season in the RPI top 100 and only four who even cracked the top 200. Whether the best of that group is rebuilding Saint Louis, in-state foe Western Kentucky or mid-major Eastern Michigan, wins in any of those games aren’t going to do much to help the Cardinals.
Let’s say Louisville falls in East Lansing and Lexington as expected and avoids any bad losses the rest of November and December. Even in that scenario, the Cardinals would likely enter ACC play with zero RPI top 100 wins and lots of pressure to perform well against league competition in order to earn a high seed in next year’s NCAA tournament.
Three ACC non-conference games to watch:
1. Kentucky vs. Duke, Nov. 17: Duke and Kentucky lost a combined 10 underclassmen to the professional ranks, but both the Blue Devils and Wildcats are recruiting at such a high level that they figure to remain factors in this year’s title chase. Duke reloaded with a top-ranked class highlighted by forward Brandon Ingram and point guard Derryck Thornton. Kentucky will build around forward Skal Labissiere and a three point guard attack featuring Tyler Ulis, Isaiah Briscoe and Jamal Murray.
2. Maryland at North Carolina, Dec. 1: The Big Ten-ACC challenge will again provide one of college basketball’s most anticipated non-league games next season: Terps-Tar Heels in a potential preseason No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. North Carolina is a strong candidate to begin the season atop the polls thanks to the return of four starters from a 26-win Sweet 16 team. Maryland also is a contender for No. 1 as returners Melo Trimble and Jake Layman will get help from elite freshman center Diamond Stone, talented Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter and ex-Duke shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon.
3. Syracuse at Georgetown, Dec. 5: At a time when numerous historic rivalries have disappeared because of conference realignment, Syracuse and Georgetown have ensured theirs won’t be one of them. This is the start of a four-game series between the two longtime rivals. Syracuse is hoping for a bounce-back season after a self-imposed postseason ban ended all hope of an NCAA bid last year, while Georgetown should begin the season in the Top 25 thanks to the return of standout D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and talented sophomores Isaac Copeland and L.J. Peak.
Game that should have been scheduled but wasn’t: Pittsburgh-West Virginia
Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon has drawn criticism in recent years for not challenging his team enough before ACC play. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has repeatedly reiterated his desire to spice up his non-league schedule with more quality regional opponents. Sounds like a series that could benefit both longtime rivals, right? Well, obviously someone powerful at Pittsburgh disagrees. Despite frequent public pleas from Huggins to relaunch the century-old rivalry, it sadly remains on hiatus with no end in sight.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
