ACC basketball ranked from best to worst

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That's Victoria. It is official. Brian Burns has been franchise tagged $24 million on a one-year deal guaranteed if they end up going that route. But one of two things will happen. I believe between now and July 15th, he will either sign a long-term contract or he will be dealt. I just don't see them taking a $24 million cap hit on Brian Burns. As good a player as he is, I think the Panthers need that number lower, and they need more players.

So look, they can sign him long-term, and that's fine. All right, let's get to my friend Brett Friedlander, who for all I know is listening to Justin Timberlake right now as he's writing for SaturdayRoad.com, ACC columnist. So let's do this. First of all, let me just get your thoughts on what we saw last night as Duke won again and stayed just one game back of Carolina in the ACC race. Of course, Carolina will have to kind of follow through by beating Notre Dame today at home, tonight at home.

Thoughts on that game last night? Well, first of all, about Justin Timberlake, it makes kind of a nice little segue there when you're talking about the Panthers, because if you remember right, that's the song that we had the wardrobe malfunction with when the Panthers were in the Super Bowl for the first time. That song? Yeah. Oh, really?

How'd you make it by the end of this song, man? Oh, I didn't. You know what? I should have put two and two together. Sorry about the pun there for two, but never mind.

You go there. So last night, about last night, I think we saw NC State, that is who they are. I mean, that is a game that we have seen over and over and over, played great in stretches, defensive lapses in stretches, not good enough to get over the hump. As far as Duke is concerned, what I think you saw was something incredibly encouraging, in that Sean Stewart played 25 minutes, scored 12 points, had five rebounds, three blocked shots, and really filled a void that Duke has had all year.

I mean, they've not been a strong inside team. Sean Stewart is not a classic low post player, but he gives them a rebounding presence, he gives them a rim protecting presence, and you know, if Caleb Foster can come back healthy, their rotation is now a little deeper, and it's a little bit more diverse. And so I think Sean Stewart, if he can play the way he did last night, makes them a much tougher outcome postseason.

It gives them a different element. I asked this of Connor O'Neill yesterday, I said, are we seeing maybe, was it circumstance, you know, they blew blowing out Virginia, or was it, or have we started to see a little bit of a lean towards getting Sean Stewart involved. Look, if this is what it's going to be, if he is reliable for anywhere from 10 to, you know, 20 minutes a night, it does give them a different element, especially on the offensive glass, he appears to have a knack for that. And really the last two games, the Virginia game and this game, Duke didn't shoot it well from the perimeter anyway, they got to the offensive glass, they actually out rebounded NC State on NC State's defensive end 1918 in that regard. All right, Carolina one, Duke two, is that the way you see it? And then take me down the next four or five games, five teams, or maybe three or four teams. So yes, Carolina one, Duke two, because head to head Carolina one, and they're both playing well right now. So we will see on Saturday that could change. But now this is based totally on how they're playing right now. Okay. I would say Clemson is three.

Adam Gold in studio with my man coach Peter Ruda Capital Financial Advisory Group. Let's talk about financial termites. I hate termites. Risk, fees, commissions are all financial termites. If your money can go away without you really realizing what's happened, that's a financial termite.

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Red ants get rid of termites. Text Adam to 600-700 for coach Peter Ruda. Pittsburgh is four, won seven out of the last nine, and they are within a game of a double buy after starting the ACC one and five. They might need some quality wins, though. They might be better off being the five seed. This is true, but just take care of business against NC State on Saturday and then go to the ACC tournament, win a game, and you could be in.

I've got Wake at number five, and that's Home Wake would be higher, but since we have to factor in Road Wake, I've got them at number five. And the next two might surprise you because I've got Syracuse at number six, and I've got Notre Dame at number seven. The Notre Dame thing I don't understand.

I mean, I'm not knocking you out of the last six, man. They're terrible. What are what's going on?

What's going on? Coaches behind off. I know. And he's got a bunch of freshmen. And I'll tell you what, if he could bring in a couple of bigs for next year, and if Burton and his son stick around, that could be a pretty good team next year. All right.

You took a snapshot. And the reason I was doing this, and I know it, it annoyed a friend of ours, but John Rothstein said about Virginia, based on their last three games, which have all been, you know, hammering losses, that they don't look like an NCAA tournament team right now. Not that they won't make the NCAA tournament, and I guess they could miss. I'm not saying that they're a lot, but I mean, I don't think he said anything that wasn't true. I mean, you can't just get run out of gyms and still be and look like an NCAA tournament team.

So I'm not taking it as a normal just a snapshot of today, but these are having watched. I think North Carolina is one. I think Duke is two. I think the gap between those two has narrowed.

I still like Caroline a little bit better. I have wake forest to me in terms of their personnel. I've got them as the third best team in the league. I can't figure out why they can't win on the road. Fortunately, especially Adam when when they get up by double digits in the first half and then they come out in the second half and nothing.

Yeah, I don't don't get it. What you know, what happened at State is inexplicable to me. But what I do think is that on a neutral floor, I'm granted they don't have a dramatically better record on neutral floor except that their neutral floor games were played largely without what read and write. And what none of Monsanto Monsanto also, so I think that that team is really good. And if they get into the NCAA tournament, I hope they do.

I mean, I wouldn't be completely shocked to see him in the sweet 16 and 16 yet Clemson to Clemson. If you look at I mean, they've got the inside outside combination with, you know, with with Chase Hunter and PJ Hall and Joe Gerard, you know, and in Shifland. I mean, that's they're all veterans.

You know that that's a team that could really go deep to especially when you're playing outside competition that, you know, doesn't know you doesn't know how to game plan you. And, you know, maybe a little overrated because John Rothstein thinks the Mountain West is, you know, look at sliced bread. Our our friend Jeff Goodman from field of 68 their narrative after Virginia got throttled by Duke and Wake Forest lost at Virginia Tech, which again to me is not criminal was is the ACC a three-bit league.

I mean, we can scream all day long and frankly, I'm tired of screaming about it. It's silly that every single game the ACC plays is a referendum on the league. But then again, I deal with hurricanes fans all the time and every time the canes lose a game. It's a reference.

This is not directed at you, Brett. It's a referendum on on the hurricanes and the organization and all of that. I've got Clemson for I've got pit five. I hope they get in and pits another team that is going to be a pain in somebody's backside. They were last year. They got in the first four won two games.

Yep. I think they're good. And I think Jeff I think Jeff Capel is a good coach and I calling all North Carolina sports fans soon enough DraftKings sports book will be live in your state starting March 11th. You'll be able to bet on all your favorite sports from the comfort of your own home with DraftKings download the DraftKings sports book app now and sign up with code 999 to get up to $300 in bonus bets. When you place a $5 bet once mobile sports betting goes live only on DraftKings sports book coming soon to North Carolina on March 11th with code 999 The Crown is yours gambling problem call 877-185-543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov 21 plus North Carolina only new customers only subject to regulatory licensing requirements maximum $300 in bonus bets not available for use until March 11th 2024 bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance deposit wagering and eligibility restrictions apply terms to draftkings.com slash sportsbook slash NC without the ones like you who work tirelessly to keep things running, everything would suddenly stop hospitals, factories, schools and power plants. They all depend on you.

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Count on real time product availability and fast delivery call click Grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. If it gets in there dangerous. I don't think Virginia is very good. I've never thought Virginia was very good, but they've got a great player and sometimes you're great player is good enough, but I don't I just I just can't. They hate basketball is what is only good when they make shots and they don't have enough guys to make shots and their defense isn't a classic Virginia defense that can get the by when they score 50 points. You know they used to win a lot now they get beat by 30.

Well, they have won some games where they've scored under 50 this year, including one against Wake Forest and yeah and and NC State. All right, who is your first team all ACC Brett Friedlander ACC called Miss Saturday Road.com. Let's hear from you. Okay. I think the first four are no brainers RJ Davis PJ Hall, Hunter Salas and Flip. Okay. I've got Judah Mintz is the fifth guy, but you could I would not have a problem with you either taking Blake Henson Nor Chad O'Mear or or or Mondo Scott in that fifth spot, but I would go with Davis Hall Salas Philipowski and Mintz. All right. Here's the here's the thing I have I have Davis Salas Roach Philipowski and PJ Hall.

I don't have a problem that either. Yeah. I mean Roach is you know listen you can go by statistics, but you got you got to go by other things and Roach has incredible intangibles and I think you've seen that here over the last few games, especially you know with with Foster out. I mean he's been there. I mean, this is a guy who I mean if it wasn't for Armando Baycott, he'd have been here longer than anybody. So yeah, I mean, I don't have a problem with that.

Yeah. The second team is going to be pretty good other than RJ Davis. Everybody on the second team could have easily made first team. And we got Rickman who might be the best on ball defender in the league as well.

Yeah, like on even though Joe Joe Linardi doesn't think that it's very good. Apparently, there's some pretty good players in this league and what are they going to say Brett and What are they going to say if the ACC gets four teams in and we got two teams seeded like 10 and 11 and we get four teams in the Sweet 16 again? What are they going to say? They're going to point to November and say look at all those games that they lost and they'll find an excuse. Listen, the only way to shut them up is to win a national championship because if you've got somebody cutting down the nets they forget all about what happened before that. No they won't. They won't.

They'll ignore it again, well they'll forget conveniently for them. Brett Friedlander, ACC column, this saturdayroad.com, at Be Fried ACC. Thank you my friend. Always a pleasure, Adam.

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