Tobacco Road Basketball Preview with Bryson Gordon(GTCC/VCS):Detailed looks at Duke, Carolina, State and Wake Forest

from Bryson Gordon, a student at Guilford Technical Community College and a graduate and former State Champion high school basketball player at Vandalia Christian School…..from BG for GreensboroSports.com…..

[The in-depth look at our our in-state ACC Basketball Teams from Bryson Gordon…..]
Duke Blue Devils
Coach- Mike Krzyzewski (35th year)
Last Season- 35-4 (National Champs) (15-3 ACC)
Players lost- Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, Quinn Cook, Sean Kelly
Newcomers- Sean Obi (Transfer), Brandon Ingram, Chase Jeter, Luke Kennard, Derryck Thornton, Justin Robinson
Roster
2 Chase Jeter F 6-10 195 FR Las Vegas, NV
3 Grayson Allen G 6-5 205 SO Jacksonville, FL
5 Luke Kennard G 6-5 180 FR Franklin, OH
12 Derryck Thornton G 6-2 175 FR Chatsworth, CA
13 Matt Jones G 6-5 200 JR Desoto, TX
14 Brandon Ingram G 6-9 190 FR Kinston, NC
21 Amile Jefferson F 6-9 225 SR Philadelphia, PA
30 Antonio Vrankovic C 7-1 270 FR Delray Beach, FL
34 Sean Obi F 6-9 265 SO Kaduna, Nigeria
40 Marshall Plumlee C 7-1 250 SR Warsaw, IN
45 Nick Pagliuca G 6-3 195 JR Weston, MA
50 Justin Robinson F 6-8 190 FR SAN ANTONIO, TX
Overview- I have a feeling I am going to make a lot of Duke Fans days with my next sentence. This Duke team very well could be better than last year’s championship team. Coach K landed one of the most intriguing prospects in years in Brandon Ingram, who just so happens to be from Kinston, NC, a traditional UNC pipeline. Ingram is a 6-9, and on many accounts still growing freshman, that went viral a week ago with a video of him jumping high enough to touch the top of the backboard. Ingram is a baller that is drawing comparisons to Kevin Durant himself. If he can carry this team that is loaded with talent, including championship game hero, Grayson Allen, this Duke team can quickly make us forget about last year’s championship team. Coach K got his point guard he needed in Derryck Thornton, and he is fully capable of running the offense. The Rice transfer Sean Obi adds a rebounding element to this team that Krzyzewski has rarely seen from his small forwards. This team will be a fun team to watch when they match up with UNC twice this season!
Player to watch this year?- Brandon Ingram
Player with biggest leap from last year?- Grayson Allen
Game to watch this year? Both UNC vs. Duke games

Tobacco Road Preview
UNC Tar Heels
Head Coach- Roy Williams (13th season)
Last year- 26-12 (11-7 ACC)
Players lost- J.P. Tokoto, Desmond Hubert, Jackson Simmons, Luke Davis
Newcomers- Kenny Williams (84th in ESPN 100) Luke Maye (97th in ESPN 100)
Roster

0 Nate Britt G 6-1 170 JR Upper Marlboro, MD
1 Theo Pinson F 6-6 195 SO Greensboro, NC
2 Joel Berry II G 6-0 195 SO Apopka, FL
3 Kennedy Meeks F 6-9 265 JR Charlotte, NC
4 Isaiah Hicks F 6-8 230 JR Oxford, NC
5 Marcus Paige G 6-1 175 SR Marion, IA
11 Brice Johnson F 6-9 228 SR Orangeburg, SC
24 Kenny Williams G 6-3 166 FR Midlothian, VA
25 Justin Coleman G 6-2 180 SR Raleigh, NC
30 Stilman White G 6-0 170 JR Wilmington, NC
32 Luke Maye F 6-7 227 FR Huntersville, NC
42 Joel James F 6-10 280 SR West Palm Beach, FL
43 Spenser Dalton G 6-3 205 SR Asheville, NC
44 Justin Jackson F 6-8 193 SO Tomball, TX

Overview- This Heels team could be Roy’s best since the title team in 2009. Roy has waited since Marcus Paige was a sophomore for this team to develop into a title contender, and lo and behold here they are. This Heels team has every component to make a deep run in the tournament this year. For the first time in a few years they have reliable three point threats in Marcus Paige, Joel Berry, and Kenny Williams. This team also has incredible depth in the frontcourt headlined by Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks, and Isaiah Hicks. In all of this we are forgetting one of the Tar Heels best players for the upcoming season, rising sophomore Justin Jackson. Jackson electrified fans in his final games as a freshman by putting up the best games of his young Tar Heel career. If Jackson, along with local prep star Theo Pinson, who is returning from missing a majority of last season due to a broken pinky toe, can hold down the wings for Roy, this team will be a sure bet to see the first weekend in April on account of their perfect mix of upperclassman savvy, and its young potential. They have their annual two matchups with Duke will be great as always, but the game to watch is when they host top team Maryland in the ACC/Big 10 challenge.

Player to watch this year- Marcus Paige
Will have biggest improvement from last season- Theo Pinson
Game to watch? – Maryland at UNC, December 1, 2015

Tobacco Road team preview
NC State Wolfpack
Head Coach- Mark Gottfried (5th season)
Last year- 22-14 (10-8 ACC)
Players lost- Trevor Lacey, Ralston Turner, Desmond Lee, Staats Battle, Kyle Washington
Newcomers- Terry Henderson (Transfer, Eligible) Maverick Rowan, Shaun Kirk
Roster
0 Abdul-Malik Abu 6-8 240 F So. Boston, Mass. / Kimball Union Academy
1 Lennard Freeman 6-9 250 F Jr. Washington, D.C. / Oak Hill Academy (Va.)
2 Torin Dorn 6-6 205 G So. Charlotte, N.C. / Vance Charlotte
3 Terry Henderson 6-5 195 G R-Jr. Raleigh, N.C. / Neuse Christian Academy West Virginia
4 Chris Brickhouse 6-5 205 F Jr. Raleigh, N.C. / Broughton
12 Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber 6-2 190 G Jr. Newport News, Va. / Hampton
13 Chris Corchiani, Jr. 6-0 180 G So. Raleigh, N.C. / Ravenscroft
14 Caleb Martin 6-7 215 G/F So. Mocksville, N.C. / Oak Hill Academy [Va.]
15 Cody Martin 6-7 210 G/F So. Mocksville, N.C. / Oak Hill Academy [Va.]
21 BeeJay Anya 6-9 285 F Jr. Washington, D.C. / DeMatha Catholic
22 Shaun Kirk 6-8 195 G/F Fr. Whiteville, N.C. / Whiteville
24 Maverick Rowan 6-7 215 G/F Fr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Elevate
25 Chase Cannon 6-5 200 G Sr. Morehead City, N.C. / The Miller School (Va.)
Overview- The Mark Gottfried era is alive and well in Raleigh. He has put this team in the NCAA all 4 seasons in his tenure, and even knocked off one seeded Villanova on its way to its first sweet sixteen since the 2011-2012 season. While the wolfpack lost their top two three point shooting threats, they are ready and able to fill those positions in with freshman sharpshooter Maverick Rowan, and West Virginia transfer, and hometown boy Terry Henderson. On top of these guys replacing Lacey and Turner, expect the Martin twins to should more of the load on the offensive end to take some weight off of star point guard Anthony “Cat” Barber. Barber, who had a breakout season last year, especially stated his claim atop the ACC guards list during the NCAA tournament, where he shredded the LSU, and Villanova defense and averaged 15 points in the wolfpack’s two NCAA tournament wins. This NC State team will be a force to be reckoned with on the perimeter, but we cannot forget where the wolfpack was best at some points last season, the paint, where they can hang with any team in the country. The Pack return the two beasts in the paint Abdul-Malik Abu, and the big man himself BeeJay Anya. This wolfpack team should very easily be a sweet 16 team when it is all said and done this season, but getting the wrinkles ironed out on the perimeter and the backcourt will be where the Pack will be stuck early in the season. If Rowan, and Henderson turn into the shooters I expect, then this Pack team will be in the Sweet 16, and also do not be shocked if they are in the Elite 8.
Player to watch this year? Cat Barber
Will have biggest improvement on last year? Cody Martin
Game to watch? UNC @ NC State, February 24th, 2016

Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Coach- Danny Manning (2nd season)
Last year- 13-19 (5-13 ACC)
Players lost- Aaron Rountree III, Darius Leonard, Doug Niedrich, Madison Jones
Newcomers- Doral Moore, Bryant Crawford, John Collins, Anthony Bilas, Britton Anderson
Roster
0 Codi Miller-McIntyre Guard 6-3 205 SR Concord, N.C. Hargrave Military Academy
2 Devin Thomas Forward 6-9 255 SR Harrisburg, Pa. Central Dauphin HS
4 Doral Moore Center 7-1 250 FR Locust Grove, Ga. Montverde Academy (Fla.)
10 Mitchell Wilbekin Guard 6-2 165 SO Gainesville, Fla. The Rock School
11 Greg McClinton Forward 6-7 200 RS SO Winston-Salem, N.C. Hargrave Military Academy
13 Bryant Crawford Guard 6-3 190 FR Silver Spring, Md. Gonzaga College HS
20 John Collins Forward 6-10 218 FR West Palm Beach, Fla. Cardinal Newman HS
23 Rondale Watson Guard 6-3 190 SO Lewisburg, W.Va. Greenbrier East HS
25 Cornelius Hudson Forward 6-6 180 SO Dallas, Texas Mansfield Timberview HS
30 Keyshawn Woods Guard 6-3 182 SO Gastonia, N.C. Northside Christian Academy
31 Andre Washington Center 7-0 240 SR Rocky Mount, Va. Hargrave Military Academy
35 Stephen Prendergast Guard 6-1 175 SR Mahwah, N.J. Don Bosco Prep
40 Anthony Bilas Guard 6-2 160 FR Charlotte, N.C. Charlotte Latin School
42 Gilbert McGregor Forward 6-4 195 RS JR New Orleans, La. Lusher Charter School
43 Trent VanHorn Guard 6-3 210 JR Fort Wayne, Ind. Canterbury School
44 Konstantinos Mitoglou Forward 6-10 225 SO Thessaloniki, Greece Aristoteleio College of Thessaloniki
45 Troy Rike Forward 6-7 195 SO San Francisco, Calif. St. Ignatius College Prep
51 Grant O’Brien Forward 6-7 200 SR North Andover, Mass. The Governor’s Academy
52 Britton Anderson Guard 6-4 190 FR Great Falls, Va. Flint Hill School
Overview- Danny Manning is changing the culture at Wake Forest. The record may have not proved that last season, but they hung around in some games that they should have not been in, as a matter of fact, they should have won a few of the games, but could not quite hang on. Codi Miller-McIntyre is going to be a senior this season (Feels like he has been there forever), along with Devin Thomas. Last year Thomas proved to be one of the best big men the ACC has to offer, by dominating some of the best big men in the league last year. I am not saying that this Wake team is going to be a team that makes the NCAA tournament, but led by Miller-McIntyre, and Thomas this team can surely threaten in the ACC tournament. Look for younger brother of Florida star Scotty Wilbeken, Mitchell, who showed glimpses of being a star last year to tear it up from behind the three point line, along with Cornelius Hudson. Wake’s x factor will be Kostantinos Mitoglou, who has the potential to be an outside-in big man for this team. This young Wake team is a year or two from being a team that can be in the NCAA tournament consistently, but Danny Manning is putting this program on the map, in the right direction.
Player to watch this season- Devin Thomas
Will make biggest jump from last year- Kostantinos Mitoglou
Game to watch- Duke @ Wake, January 6th 2016