There wasn't much drama at the ACC's 44th annual Operation Basketball Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. Duke was selected as the unanimous choice to take home the ACC regular season title, as the Blue Devils garnered all 87 votes from the media.
It was the fifth time in the past six years and the 11th overall that Duke was chosen as the pre-season favorite.
"They have a great deal of talent -- talent that has enjoyed a great deal of success," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said.
Chief among their talent are seniors J.J. Redick, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, and Shelden Williams, the returning National Defensive Player of the Year. Both were unanimous Pre-Season All-ACC selections, and Redick edged out Williams for Pre-Season ACC Player of the Year honors. Craig Smith (Boston College), Guillermo Diaz (Miami) and Justin Gray (Wake Forest) joined the Duke duo as selections on the All-ACC team.
ACC newcomer, Boston College, whose team had a 20-game win streak last winter and returns four starters from that squad, was voted No. 2, and Wake Forest was predicted to finish third.
It was a rough welcome to the conference for Virginia's first-year coach, Dave Leitao. His Cavaliers were selected to finish last place in the league.
"You just got to go out and try to cover as many bases as you can and get the team focused and ready and hopefully motivated enough night-in, night-out to perform at the highest level," Leitao said. "You're talking about a league, by virtue of its performance and condition, that is arguably the best, so you have to be at your best."
Leitao will rely heavily on point guard Sean Singletary, an All-ACC Freshmen Team selection in 2005 and the only Cavalier to start every game. Singletary averaged 10.5 points, 3.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds last season and ranked sixth in the ACC with a 1.61 assist/turnover ratio and ninth in the league in assists and steals per game.
"When you're trying to have a message brought across to the group, one of the people that can best understand it is your point guard," Leitao said of the relationship with Singletary. "Not only lead by example because of talent but lead by example because of work ethic. That part has been very good thus far."
Part of the message Singletary has had to bring to his teammates is one of a tough practice schedule that includes intense workouts that sometimes begin at 6 a.m. in the morning.
"The change in practice has definitely been a shock to some people, but they're getting a feel for it," Singletary said. "It keeps me on top of my game; it keeps me disciplined. I'm not the fastest guy by far, but I'm always in the front because I just push myself."
It will be a very different season for the 2005-2006 Cavaliers with the departure of the controversial Elton Brown and the arrival of the no-nonsense approach of Leitao. There are already clear positive changes in this year's team, especially with respect to team unity.
"Everybody is more unified -- there's no arguing, there's no complaining," junior J.R. Reynolds said. "Everybody knows we got a job we got to get done."
Read More
Dylan Cedeno wins at 141 lbs, Virginia wrestling places three others at ACC Championships
By Ryan Weiner | 12 hours agoVirginia can call it a successful tournament despite finishing in sixth overall.
No. 5 men’s tennis suffers third ACC defeat with 4-1 loss to No. 1 Wake Forest
By Margaret Piatos | 12 hours agoThe Cavaliers' conference-play struggles continued.
No. 11 women’s golf nearly overcomes skittish start, finishes second in Florida
By Casey Reims | 14 hours agoVirginia rallied to climb up the leaderboard of 14 teams.
