Heels Aren't The Only Ones Blue: UNC's Loss To Virginia Proves ACC Is Wide-Open

The University of North Carolina (UNC) Men's Basketball Program has hit an all-time low. The defending National Champions and preseason pick to win the ACC along with rival Duke, have struggled with an inexperienced roster, and now are in serious danger of missing the NCAA tournament altogether.

After a loss to the College of Charleston on the road in January, the Tar Heels have lost four of their last six games, including home losses to ACC-rivals Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.

Highly-touted freshmen Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, John Henson and David and Travis Wear have yet to find their way into the starting rotation, and all have struggled adjusting to the college game.

To put it into terms, Strickland is the highest scoring freshman on the team, averaging just over six points a game. None of the other four recruits are averaging over four points a contest, thus giving Roy Williams a lack of depth on the bench.

Then, during this past week, UNC fell out of the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since January 2006. If the team continues to play at the level that they are now, it's hard to even see the Tar Heels returning to the poll for the remainder of the season.

As if things couldn't get any worse in Chapel Hill, it did.

Last night, the Virginia Cavaliers, a team picked to finish last in the ACC this year, went into the Smith Center and dominated the Tar Heels, winning 75-60. UNC seemed out of sync the entire second half after trailing by five at halftime, and never found their range from the perimeter.  

Virginia (13-6, 4-2 ACC) entered the game on a two game losing streak, dropping a tough overtime game to rival Virginia Tech and a road game at Wake Forest. UNC (13-8, 2-4 ACC) on the other hand, was handed their fourth loss in five games.

After a tough start to the year in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Cavs are now 4-2 in the ACC with the win and are tied with Duke and Maryland in the loss column for first place in the conference.  

Sylven Landesberg, the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year from a season ago, scored 29 points to lead the way for Coach Tony Bennett's team. Sammy Zeglinski added 19 points in the win, proving the Cavaliers have a legitimate 1-2 punch.

UNC is now in position to lose their next three games: Tough road games at Virginia Tech, at Maryland, and then back at home against Duke. If the Heels do in fact lose all three games, their record will drop to 13-11 on the year and 2-7 in the ACC.

With UNC's only big win on the year coming at home against Michigan State, an 89-82 win for the Heels on December 1, the Blue Devils of Durham may be the only Tobacco Road school dancing in March.

At this point in the season, Duke (5-2) leads the way in the conference standings, followed closely by Virginia and Maryland (4-2), with Florida State (4-3), Georgia Tech (4-3) and Wake Forest (4-3) closing out the contenders near the halfway mark.

Clemson (4-4) has struggled early on in ACC play, but most of the blame for their poor conference record can be placed on Duke, whom the Tigers have already lost to twice this season.

Virginia Tech (3-3), Boston College (3-5), the Tar Heels, Miami (2-5) and NC State (2-5) finish out the rest of the teams who have yet to find their way in the always demanding ACC.

Through the first seven to eight games in conference play, no team has yet to separate itself from the rest of the pack. Even first-place Duke has had trouble early on, losing at rival and ACC-worst NC State just a couple of weeks ago.

There are some key ACC games coming up this week, with Georgia Tech traveling up to Durham to face the Blue Devils and Maryland heading down to Florida State in a face-off with the Seminoles on Thursday night. Saturday also has the makings for a great one, with the Deacons of Wake Forest trying to stay in the mix with a win at Virginia.

The winners of those games will make their case for the ACC's finest, and will try to claim their stake at a regular season title.

If the first several of weeks in the ACC are any indication of how the rest of the season will shape up, then it should be a great end to the season. It's true. The ACC is wide-open this season: Duke is still the favorite, but teams like Maryland, Georgia Tech and Florida State are still capable of making a push for the title.

Photo Credits: Robert Willett of the News and Observer (Raleigh, NC)