UNC breezes by Gonzaga 98-77; Oklahoma awaits in Elite 8

The Heels continued to carry the banner for the ACC with an easy 98-77 win over Gonzaga on Friday. I kind of saw this one coming as Gonzaga simply plays no defense and you have to play some against the high scoring Heels to have a chance because it is almost impossible to outscore them. The Tar Heels got great games from Hansbrough and Lawson as they continue their march towards Detroit.

Carolina will play Oklahoma on Sunday with the winner going to the final four. I like Carolina in this game for two reasons.

1. They should have just enough size to bother Blake Griffin a little bit. Griffin will still get his numbers, but UNC will virtually be playing him four on one with Hansbrough, Davis, Thompson, and Zeller. All of them combined should be able to contain him at least somewhat.

2. The Heels simply have more talent. UNC's guards are head and shoulders above Oklahoma's and I think this will be the major difference in the game. I will take Lawson, Ellington, and Green over Johnson, Warren, and Crocker.

My prediction is UNC by around fifteen.

Duke hammered by Villanova 77-54, ACC down to one team

For Duke fans, the game started great. Then the second minute of the game started. Villanova locked Duke down defensively all night long which led to Duke's worst shooting performance of the season. Singler, Scheyer, and Henderson shot a combined 9-45 from the floor. Villanova was the better team talent wise and athletically and it showed throughout the game. Duke's season comes to an end with a final record of 30-7.

For Coach K, this has to be considered one of his best coaching jobs in his entire time at Duke. To win 30 games and an ACC championship is truly remarkable when considering some of the talent deficiencies the Devils currently have. It was painfully clear last night that the Devils just do not have the talent to compete nationally with the elite teams. There was only one position of the five where Duke had the better player, and that was Singler at the four spot. Duke has zero guards that can create off the bounce (even Henderson when he is defended correctly). I think Coach K realized his team was just not good enough and said so much in the postgame. Duke has got to get back to getting the best players in the country to compete for national championships. One of the things that makes Coach K so great is his competitive fire. After seeing his team soundly beaten by a more talented and athletic Wildcats team, Coach K will hit the recruiting trail harder than ever.

For 2009, Duke has two bigs coming in. Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee are both post players that should really help Duke next year. Duke, for the first time in a while, will be a tall team. Singler and Thomas will be 6'8", Kelly at 6'9", Miles Plumlee at 6'10" and Mason Plumlee at 6'11". Zoubek will also be back at 7'1". The post seems to be set for the Devils as both Kelly and Plumlee are extremely skilled and should, with the returners, should give Duke the post presence they have been lacking since 2006 with the departure of Shelden Williams. Duke severely needs a guard for next year, most noticeably a point that can create for himself and his teammates. Duke has not had this really since 2004 with Chris Duhon. Duke is targeting Eric Bledsoe, an extremely quick PG that is ranked as four stars and the #8 PG in the 2009 class. His jumper leaves something to be desired at this time, but he could be a creator that Duke desperately needs.

2010 is the year that Duke has been targeting as a huge year for them in getting back to national prominence. They already have two five star guys signed in Andre Dawkins (6'4" SG) and Josh Hairston (6'8" PF). Both are extremely talented and ranked in the top 5 in the country at their positions. Duke has also signed four star PG Tyler Thornton. Thornton is a slasher and a great creator and great at getting to the rim. Duke is also targeting top 3 player Harrison Barnes and all indications seem to be that Duke is the leader for him. If Duke can sign him and one other combo guard they will be back to that national level very soon. Coach K has seen his team be overmatched athletically for the past couple of years and is simply too competitive and loves to win too much to continue to let that happen.

Duke had a great year by all accounts but was a step below the top teams nationally. I personally feel that with the 2009 and 2010 recruiting they will be back very shortly competing for national titles.

With Duke eliminated, the ACC's last saving grace this postseason is UNC. The Heels, for the conference, need to make the final four. The ACC has lost some serious credibility this postseason and needs more teams competing and winning (other than UNC and Duke) to regain some lost respect. The Heels play Gonzaga tonight at 9:57 PM.

Round two done - Sweet 16 up next

Round two concluded on Sunday evening. There were three remaining ACC teams (UNC, Duke, and Maryland) and now two are onto the sweet 16. Maryland is going home after a big loss to #2 seed Memphis.

UNC 84, LSU 70

The big news before this one was that Ty Lawson was going to start and play for the Heels in round two. Some Heels fans may have wished he would have sat out during the first half as Lawson did not at all look like himself. He missed easy shots, wasn't pushing the ball at his usual pace, and had a couple of uncharacteristic turnovers. However, in the second half, Lawson showed why he was named ACC player of the year. He had 21 points in the second half and really willed the Tar Heels to victory when it did not look good at about the six minute mark. LSU was playing with confidence and asserting themselves against UNC. Lawson simply took over and made huge plays down the stretch. He had a great three point play, a great crossover that led to a lay-up and hit another couple of huge threes. Without him, Carolina probably does not win this game.

UNC will next face Gonzaga in the round of 16 on Friday. Gonzaga is a gifted offensive team that may be able to score with Carolina for a while. However, the way to beat UNC is not to try and outscore them and Gonzaga couldn't guard me. From what I have seen of them, they play no defense and in the end this will lose the game for them. They have the offensive ability, just not as much offensive ability as Carolina. This will be an entertaining, high-scoring game but UNC will move on to the Elite 8 where it will await the winner of Oklahoma and Syracuse. Final score UNC 92 and Gonzaga 81.

Duke 74, Texas 69

In watching this game I never got the feeling Duke was in control of the game even though they had around a ten point lead for much of the second half. Texas' strengths were right in Duke's main areas of weakness and I always had the feeling this game would come down to the end. In the end, Duke made the winning plays and for that they get to play another round (first time to the sweet 16 since 2006). Gerald Henderson was a man down the stretch, as Coach K admitted in postgame they decided to ride Henderson, sink or swim, and Duke is still swimming. The amazingly heady play by Scheyer to throw the ball to the far end of the court and allow his teammates a chance to run it down as well as the scrappy play by McClure to keep an offensive rebound alive and really ice the game for Duke cannot go unnoticed. They probably were the two biggest plays of the game (along with Singler's tip-in to put Duke up two 71-69) and neither one was a play that scored points.

Duke will play Villanova on Thursday with a berth to the regional final on the line. This should be a great game. On paper, it looks like a better match-up for the Blue Devils. Villanova is much like Duke in that they are perimeter oriented and don't have a true post presence. They do have a slew of great guards however, and could hurt Duke over the course of a game on dribble drives. The winner of this game will be the team that is able to get some stops down the stretch as neither team will just be able to dump it in the post for baskets late in the game. Villanova is extremely skilled at most positions. My prediction is that this game will be much like the Texas game for Duke. It will be tied or very close but Duke will make a couple more plays when it counts most. This Duke team is not Coach K's best, but they are playing great down the stretch and are playing together. I see Duke winning at least one more game and getting to the regional final where they will most likely face Pittsburgh. Final score Duke 83, Villanova 79.

Maryland 70, Memphis 89

Memphis won the war of words pre-game with Greivis Vasquez and won the game handily against the Terps as well. Vasquez stated in his pre-game press conference that Memphis would probably finish eighth in the ACC, knocking the Tigers and the easy league they play in (Conference USA). Memphis then countered by saying they had watched really no film of Maryland (basically stating they didn't think Maryland stood a chance) and then said they have one decent player, Sanchez or something like that. Memphis then came out and dominated the Terps start to finish, getting up 30 and just coasting from there.

Even though Memphis hammered Maryland, it has to be considered a successful season. Maryland does not have much talent at all outside of Vasquez and for them to get to the second round of the tournament shows the good job that Gary Williams did with this team. Much has been made of Williams' recent recruiting struggles and these knocks are legitimate. They really do not have much ACC level talent. However, Williams is a good coach and if he can start to get some better talent into College Park I think he can get Maryland back to playing at a consistently higher level.

Round one done - round 2 Saturday and Sunday

The NCAA tournament wrapped up round one Friday night with some exciting, overtime contests. The ACC has mixed results in round one, which surprised me as I thought the ACC was strong this year and would have lots of teams be able to make runs in the tournament.

UNC - easy win over Radford. Lawson didn't play and didn't need to as UNC just overmatched Radford with talent. UNC next plays LSU. LSU's athleticism could be a small concern for the Tar Heels but I saw nothing out of LSU that will really threaten Carolina. Whether Lawson is able to play or not, I see UNC going away in the second half by around 15 or so.

Duke - solid win over Binghamton in round one. Duke played very well defensively and got good contributions from Lance Thomas and Nolan Smith to add to the offense. Duke faces Texas in round two on Saturday. This gave could be a scary one for Duke if Abrams is hot and Texas can establish Pittman down low. I pick Duke to make their first sweet 16 in three years, but the game could be a close one. Duke by 9.

Wake Forest - pitiful. Only word that comes to mind. Did not look all that interested, offense was pitifully designed and had no flow whatsoever. Cleveland State simply killed Wake Forest. For the ACC's third best team, this was a pathetic performance. I have to question Dino Gaudio's coaching this season. Wake had some good wins (Duke and UNC at home) but some really bad losses and it doesn't seem to me that Gaudio got that much out of this team considering the overall talent level. The jury is definitely still out on Gaudio as a head coach.

Florida State - tough loss for the Seminoles in round one to the 12 seed Wisconsin in overtime. Douglas tried to carry this team but he wasn't enough by himself as the Noles let a lead slip away. Wisconsin was a tough match-up in round one for Florida State but they still should have won this game. Again, I question Leonard Hamilton as a head coach. Too many teams in the ACC lose too many close games or play way below talent level too often. While FSU's season ends on a rough note, overall this season was at least a small success for their program.

Clemson - pitiful. One of the worst performances I have seen from a talented basketball team in a long time. Another late season swoon for the Tigers and Oliver Purnell must be questioned at least a little bit. Clemson has more talent than a seven seed, and definitely more talent than a Michigan team that some thought were on the bubble. Tiger fans must be disgusted.

Boston College - another loss for the ACC in round one. While BC losing to USC is not that bad considering that it is a 7-10 match-up, the way they lost was a little more disheartening. A seventeen point loss is never good when you are the higher seed. Skinner did a great job with this team overall for the year getting the most out of this roster.

Maryland - great win for Maryland as the 10 seed beating seventh seeded California. Vasquez had another stellar game for the Terps. Maryland was also able to defend well, as Cal has a few guys who can fill it up from the perimeter. Maryland was a bright spot for the ACC in round one in an otherwise bleak start to the tournament for the conference as a whole. Unfortunately for Maryland, Memphis awaits in round two. This will be a tough game and difficult to win as Memphis will beat Maryland up on the boards. Nevertheless, this season has to be considered one of Gary Williams' best coaching jobs, getting this roster to the NCAA tournament and winning a game.

The ACC went 3-4 in round one, which is really bad considering many considered the ACC to be very strong this year and the number two conference behind the Big East. Duke and UNC really need to make deep runs to give the conference some credibility nationally. Other conferences, such as the Big XII and Big Televen had much better starts to the tournament, as well as the Big East. I thought many ACC teams would fare much better.

What I have noticed so far in this tournament is that for as good as the ACC basketball tradition is, there are really a number of average or below average coaches in this league. After Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, and Gary Williams the line-up of head coaches in this conference is not good. Leonard Hamilton, until this year, was the longest tenured coach at a program to not take his team to the tournament. Oliver Purnell always seems to do less with more. Al Skinner I consider to be a decent coach. Paul Hewitt might get fired. Dave Leitao did get fired. Seth Greenberg always seems to be close but VT loses SO MANY close games down the stretch it makes me wonder about him. Dino Gaudio, to be blunt, did an awful job with Wake I thought. That team is loaded with talent but they don't defend, their offense looks awful, and they don't play with a ton of heart. Sidney Lowe has done nothing at NCSU. Frank Haith is average but doesn't scream good coach at me ever. I mean does this series of names scare anyone? Purnell, Gaudio, Lowe, Leitao, Hewitt, Greenberg, Haith, and Hamilton?

Some of these programs need to take looks at their head guys. The ACC used to be the best conference in the country for hoops year in and year out but we have sadly dropped. The record in the tournament as a conference fleshes that out. Going back the last two years and round one this year, as a conference we are 22-19. That is average. Duke and UNC are great and can carry a conference, but as a whole this teams need to do better in the tournament and nationally throughout the year in order to regain some credibility and I am not sure that all of these coaches are the best for accomplishing this goal.

NCAA Tournament is here!

It is finally here, the NCAA tournament. The ACC was able to get seven bids to the tournament this year, tied for the most of any conference. Here is a quick look at what ACC teams made it, where they are at, and who their first game is against.

Duke - #2 seed in East Region. Made tournament as ACC's automatic qualifier for being champion of the conference. First game is against #15 Binghamton on Thursday. Chances: Obviously, very good for their first round game. Duke should win this game easily, but I doubt they will be looking past them as they almost lost to Belmont (who was also a #15 seed) last year.

UNC - #1 seed in the South region. 13th time as a #1 seed, most all-time. UNC has been considered as one of the top, if not the top, team in the country all year long. First game is against #16 Radford on Thursday. Chances: Will win. Simple as that. Ty Lawson probably won't be needed to win this game and might could take these extra couple of days off to prepare for what could be a slightly scary second round game against LSU.

Wake Forest - #4 seed in Midwest region. I personally thought Wake got shafted a little and should have been on the 3 line. The ACC was considered the #1 conference by RPI and their top 3 teams got 1,2, and 4 seeds while the Big East got 3 #1 seeds! Wake should have been a 3 seed in my opinion. Never the less, their first game is against #13 Cleveland State on Friday. Chances: Wake should win, but need to watch out. Wake is a team that could be vulnerable to an upset if they have one of their cold shooting nights, and Cleveland St. is an experienced, veteran team. I give Wake about an 85% chance to advance.

Florida State - #5 seed in East Region. Good seeding for FSU, and a well deserved one for their body of work. Toney Douglas is a star, and he carried this team for the majority of the year. Their first game is against #12 seed Wisconsin out of the Big Ten, on Friday. This is an extremely tough first game for the 'Noles. Wisconsin is always fundamentally sound and rarely beats themselves. Bo Ryan has been here before and FSU hasn't been here in forever. This game scares me if I am a Seminoles fan. I will probably pick FSU, but this game is a toss up in my opinion. The good news for Florida State is that if you can win your first game, I like your chances of getting to the sweet 16.

Clemson - #7 seed in West region. Clemson floundered down the stretch or could have gotten a better seed. This forces them to play a decent Michigan team in the first round and probably, if they win, play Oklahoma, a tournament favorite, in round two. Tough draw for Prunell's Tigers. Chances: Clemson is an on one night, off the next type of team and that is never good when in a one and done situation. Clemson is the higher seed, but I tend to think Michigan will win this game. Even if Clemson wins in round one, I don't see them beating Memphis in round two. Teams that struggle coming down the stretch (see Duke the last two years) usually don't suddenly turn it around in the NCAA tournament.

Boston College - #7 seed in Midwest region. Al Skinner did a great job with his team this year and got them into the field. The 7 seed is always tough as your first round game is against a good team, and then you are extremely likely to play the 2 seed if you win. First game for BC is against #10 USC, who snuck into the field by winning the PAC-10 tournament. Looks to be a decent match-up for BC in the first round, as defending their flex offense takes discipline and defensive concentration, two things USC did not show consistently this season. I give the Eagles a solid chance in round one, but then will, in all likelihood, play Michigan St. in round two. This game will probably end their tournament run.

Maryland - #10 seed in West region. This could be one of Gary Williams' best coaching jobs in his years at Maryland. They don't have a player over 6'7" and that is Dave Neal, who is not a star by any means. Earned their way into the tournament by playing well. First game is against #7 seed California. This is a tough draw for the Terps. Cal is a perimeter oriented team (which may help Maryland a little because of their lack of size) and have a bunch of good shooters from the perimeter. Maryland has a chance in this game, but I would put it slightly under 50 percent. If they win round one, they will then play Memphis in round two, who is a final four favorite.

This is always one of the best times of the year if you are a college basketball fan and this tournament should be great as usual. Below I have a link to espn.com, where you can print out brackets.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/tournament/bracket

Semifinal Saturday

Game #1: #1 North Carolina vs. #4 Florida State

UNC was able to beat Virginia Tech in the first quarterfinal game yesterday without ACC player of the year Ty Lawson (injured toe). Tyler Hansbrough came up huge for the Heels scoring 28 points and grabbing 8 boards.

Florida State was able to sneak by Georgia Tech in the second quarterfinal, 64-62. Toney Douglas was his usual self, leading the Seminoles with 25 points.

This should be a very good game. Without Lawson, UNC cannot quite play at the breakneck pace that they typically enjoy. Douglas is one of the best players in the league and will give UNC fits without the speedy Lawson to slow him down. Florida St. will also be able to rebound with North Carolina with all their size, something Virginia Tech really struggled with against the Heels on Friday. Everything about this game makes me want to pick Florida State but for some reason I can't make myself do it. Maybe it is Leonard Hamilton. I'm not sure. Whatever it is, I say UNC by six.

Game #2: #3 Duke vs. #7 Maryland

Duke barely escaped a game effort from Boston College, winning 66-65 behind 26 points from Kyle Singler on 10-15 shooting.

Maryland played themselves off the NCAA bubble and into the tournament, beating #2 seed Wake Forest 75-64. Greivis Vasquez continued his stellar play of the past month, with a statline of 22 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds.

This too should be a great game. Duke is looking to right some of their postseason wrongs from the past couple of years and is using the ACC tournament as a start for that. Maryland, while not now on the bubble, would love to win one more just to be absolutely sure. Also, Duke has beaten Maryland twice this year and Maryland will desperately want a win versus Duke. My pick is Duke by five. Duke and UNC will play for the ACC title on Sunday afternoon.

ACC Tournament This Weekend

The ACC tournament gets started Thursday with four first round games. Here are the match-ups and predictions:

Game 1: #8 Virginia Tech vs. #9 Miami

Prediction: Miami has the best overall player between the two teams in Jack McClinton, but Virginia Tech has the better team overall. Greenberg knows that his team has no shot at the NCAA tournament if they do not win this one and probably beat UNC in the next round so Virginia Tech should be ready to play. Miami is in the same boat, but I will take Greenberg over Haith in the coaching match-up. The only way I see Miami winning this game is if McClinton gets hot and shoots the lights out. Virginia Tech by eight.

Game 2: #5 Clemson vs. #12 Georgia Tech

Prediction: Clemson. Georgia Tech really has nothing to play for other than pride and Clemson needs a decent ACC tournament to improve their tourney seed. They probably feel too that they have a shot at capturing the ACC title. Clemson by 12.

Game 3: #7 Maryland vs #10 NC State

Prediction: Maryland, but just barely. I have a weird feeling about this game. Maryland needs this game badly to make the NCAA tournament (they need a good showing this weekend to impress the selection committee). Usually the team that has a lot to play for will beat a team that doesn't have all that much to play for. NC State has no shot at making the tournament, and like Georgia Tech, is playing mainly for pride. However, these teams played a week ago and with Maryland up 8 with 5 seconds left, Vasquez shot a 3 to rub in the victory at the RBC Center. NC State will be able to play the revenge angle and they have been playing their best basketball of the year lately. I still say Maryland wins because they need the game so badly, but NC State could be the best upset pick in round one. Maryland by four.

Game 4: #6 Boston College vs. #11 Virginia

Prediction: Boston College. Virginia will be playing with some confidence, coming off a season ending win vs. Maryland but Boston College probably has too much talent overall. BC is solidly in the NCAA tournament and will be looking to improve their seeding this weekend (however, a loss to UVA would severely hurt their seeding and if there were a ton of upsets in other conference tournaments BC could be in a little trouble). This game will be close, maybe for the whole game, but in the end Boston College wins by 10.

All-ACC teams announced

The 2008-2009 All-ACC teams were announced on Monday and here was who made the first, second, third, and all-defensive and all-freshman teams:

All-ACC First Team
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (unanimous selection, four time unanimous selection)
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (224/228 possible votes)
Toney Douglas, Florida State (226/228 possible votes)
Gerald Henderson, Duke (210/228)
Jack McClinton, Miami (188/228)

All-ACC Second Team
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest (185/228)
Trevor Booker, Clemson (156/228)
Tyrese Rice, Boston College (151/228)
Kyle Singler, Duke (128/228)
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland (116/228)

All-ACC Third Team
James Johnson, Wake Forest (100/228)
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech (83/228)
A.D. Vassallo, Virginia Tech (81/228)
Danny Green, North Carolina (48/228)
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech (46/228)

Honorable Mention
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina (41/228)
K.C. Rivers, Clemson (33/228)
Sylven Landesberg, Virginia (15/228)

All-Freshman Team
Sylven Landesberg, Virginia (unanimous selection)
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest (unanimous selection)
Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech (70/76 possible votes)
Solomon Alabi, Florida State (59/76)
Ed Davis, North Carolina (55/76)

All-Defensive Team
Trevor Booker, Clemson (67/76)
Toney Douglas, Florida State (67/76)
Solomon Alabi, Florida State (53/76)
Danny Green, North Carolina (28/76)
L.D. Williams, Wake Forest (26/76)


The first team was what I thought it was going to be. I would have voted Tyrese Rice first team over McClinton. I just think that BC would have been much worse off without Rice and he led his team to more wins and I always side with wins where, in my mind, it is a close vote between two guys.

The second team was also pretty fair in my opinion. I really have no complaints with that team other than I would have had McClinton on second team with Rice on first.

The third team again was pretty good. I am not sure how Jon Scheyer (Duke) did not at least make honorable mention. He has been very solid for them and I thought his performance all year, but especially in the last few weeks, would have at least warranted some votes. However, the ACC had unbelievable talent across the board this year and was extremely deep. I am pretty sure that in most years Wayne Ellington from UNC would have made at least third team but there was just not room this year.

The All-Freshman team was pretty much what I expected. Landesberg will no doubt be ACC rookie of the year. The defensive team was also pretty good. My only wonder is how Ty Lawson almost made the defensive team. He has been the best point guard in the ACC this year, but no one has talked about how great of a defender he is. Some opposing lead guards had career nights against UNC and Lawson would have at least been guarding some of those guys. He is quick, however, and did come up with a fair amount of steals this year.

ACC Player of the year, defensive player of the year, and rookie of the year will be announced later. Here are my votes:

Player of the year: Toney Douglas, Florida State
Most likely media pick: Ty Lawson, North Carolina

Defensive Player of the year: Toney Douglas, Florida State
Most likely media pick: Toney Douglas, Florida State

Rookie of the year: Sylven Landesberg, Virginia
Most likely media pick: Sylven Landesberg, Virginia

Douglas simply did everything for Florida State this year. He averaged 20.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks. He was the unquestioned leader of a Florida State team that surprised many people this year finishing fourth in the conference. To see Douglas' value to FSU just look at their points per game averages. Douglas averaged 20.8 and no one else on their team averaged double figures for the year. Without Douglas, Florida State doesn't win five conference games and therefore he, to me, should be player of the year. I think he probably will win defensive player of the year (as he should), but for the media that will be a concession from them as they will probably vote Lawson, or maybe Hansbrough, player of the year because they come from the best team (and both had good years).

ACC Football Recruiting: #3 - Miami (FL)

While the on field results perhaps have not been what Canes fans have hoped for, they must be encouraged by what Randy Shannon has been able to do on the recruiting trail. According to rivals.com, the Canes signed the number eleven class nationally, which put them third best in the ACC behind Florida St. and North Carolina. This class is loaded with "Miami" type guys, which means athletic, fast, and playmakers.

Offense: The headliner of the Hurricanes class is Ray Ray Armstrong. Armstrong checks in at 6'4" and 218 lbs. He is rated five stars by rivals.com and the number one athlete in the country (and number 13 in the country regardless of position). I am listing him with the offense because by the look of his size he could make an unbelievable receiver. He could be used at a number of positions however. Wherever Randy Shannon and his staff decide to put Armstrong he will look to make an instant impact and be a contributor from the moment he sets foot on campus. Armstrong chose Miami over, well, just about everyone else in the country. The Hurricanes also signed two four star running backs, the better of which appears to be, at least at this time, Lamar Miller. Miller is ranked as the #9 RB on rivals.com and boasts 4.4 forty yard dash speed. He also made the rivals.com top 100, checking in at #80. The other back is Mike James, another four star back ranked as the #21 RB on rivals.com. Rounding out the offense, Shannon signed four offensive lineman, two of which got four star ratings. Brandon Washington projects as a guard at the collegiate level and already possesses good measurables, with a 6'5" frame and weighing 330 lbs. He did not get a position rating as he is coming to Miami from prep school. Jermaine Johnson is the other four star OL signed by the Hurricanes. He too did not get a position ranking as he is coming from Hargrave Military Academy. He projects as a tackle at the collegiate level and checks in at 6'6" and 309 lbs.

Defense: The Hurricanes are always known for their fast, attacking defenses that can fly all over the field. The Hurricanes definitely wanted to upgrade some of their defensive talent level this recruiting year and were largely successful. One four star defensive back will be calling Miami home this fall. He is Brandon McGee. McGee possesses 4.35 speed and is ranked as the #10 DB on rivals.com. Dryon Dye was the best defensive line prospect signed by the Hurricanes ranking four stars. He will need to add some weight before he may be able to contribute (215 lbs.) but already has that typical Hurricane speed off the edge. His personal best in the forty is 4.62. Olivier Vernon was another four star defensive end signed by the Canes. He is not quite as quick as Dye (4.8) but has the more college ready frame at 6'3" and 239 lbs. Luther Robinson was signed as a defensive tackle and ranked four stars by riavls.com. Rivals ranked him as the number 18 DT in the nation and could be a bit of a sleeper in this class as his video shows some great explosiveness.

Recap: Miami's class was loaded with four star guys and headliner Ray Ray Armstrong. With a few more classes like this one and some good coaching from the Miami staff, I see things looking up in Coral Gables. The jury is still out on Shannon as a head coach and program builder, but he does get his guys to play hard and work hard and seems to relate to them well. I am interested to see what Miami looks like 2 or 3 years from now when most of this class should be ready to contribute. If recruiting were a true indication on rankings (which it obviously isn't but sometimes does come reasonably close) then Miami, with this year's class and last year's, should be a top 10 team within the next couple of years and battling for conference championships.