The Drive Wednesday 2-29-12- Former Wake Forest coach and current ESPN college basketball analyst Dino Gaudio, about the Duke vs Carolina this weekend, who the top teams are in college basketball, and we get his thoughts on who the ACC Player of the Year will be.

 

Dino Gaudio has been affiliated with ACC basketball for the last decade, so he is no stranger to Duke/UNC face-offs.  He declined to give his thoughts on who would win, but rather said the game would determine a lot moving on in to post-season play.

 

“Those two teams are the staple of the ACC…I think the game on Saturday between those two programs will maybe decide…the number one seed between the two teams.”

 

Gaudio’s eyes are tuned towards another game with a lot riding on it for post season play-Miami/NC State.

 

“I think it remains to be seen for Miami if they are able to win tonight…there is no question that may be the game on the card tonight in the ACC because of what’s to occur in the outcome of that game tonight [as far as the post season is concerned].”

 

Gaudio offered some advice to another ACC team, his former team, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.  He said he misses coaching and tries not to comment on the Deacs, but the biggest downfall in the program is the lack of veteran players.  He says the loss of several key players too soon to the NBA and others to rival programs is bringing down the strength of the Demon Deacons as a whole.  That, he feels, is the biggest difference separating Wake from the level of a Duke or UNC team.

 

“If you want to win this league, the team with the most pros usually wins the league…in other words, you better recruit at a high level…you have to find a way to retain those kids.  You can’t find kids of that caliber and lose them to [other schools or the NBA]…you better try to work it so you have some seniors and upperclassman in your program, and that is what Wake Forest needs to do.”

 

Gaudio’s favorite teams to watch for the close of the season at Kentucky and Syracuse-teams he believes are leaps and bounds above the rest because of their consistency to win on either side of the ball.

 

“I love Kentucky and I also love Syracuse.  I think those two teams are head and shoulders above all the others…Anybody can win one game…they can win the game on either side of the basketball.  If they aren’t playing well on offense, the defense can carry them…those teams separate themselves… I just really like those two basketball teams.”