there at the end of the season recently.
Losses to Butler and Iowa (plus a
third against Kentucky) don't help
their case that they're a different squad
this year. North Carolina is as athletic
as it gets and is led by junior point
guard Marcus Paige, who won't be
depended on for scoring as much this
season.
5. SYRACUSE ORANGE (8-4)
The Orange was viewed as a
contender for the ACC champion-
ship heading into the season, but
its struggles in non-conference play
have quelled that discussion. Without
forwards C.J. Fair and Jerami Grant
(brother of Irish senior guard Jerian
Grant), it's difficult to project where
Syracuse will be in March.
Freshman point guard Kaleb Jo-
seph and freshman forward Chris Mc-
Cullough could end up leading head
coach Jim Boeheim's crew through
some ACC contests, but senior for-
ward Rakeem Christmas (17.2 points
and 8.8 rebounds per game) continues
to lead the way.
6. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (12-1, 1-0 ACC)
Judging by their non-conference
play, placing the Irish sixth could well
be a conservative move. But this group
still has a good amount to prove. Af-
Fifth-year senior guard Jerian Grant is well on his way to vying for All-ACC honors, after averaging 17.6
points, 6.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game during Notre Dame's 12-1 start.
PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND
