The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Mar 5, 2023, 2:10 AM

While he annoyed me as a coach, Seth Greenberg said something a few weeks ago that I think is true. He said that the League really wasn’t down this year, and that it actually was pretty good. He said Duke and UNC were down, but most everyone else (in the upper Tiers) was good. He’s right. While the following is my opinion, I think it is correct.

Duke is a Top 25 team, and they most likely will be on Monday. They are starting to mesh well. They finished the regular season 23-8. Down by their standards, but that’s a good year anywhere. They will win at least one Tournament game.

UNC underachieved this year. That is true, and there is no denying that. But, the Tarholes are definitely one of the best “at large” teams in America. They remind me of the 1997-98 Clemson team. Loads of talent and off season expectations through the roof, but, for various and unknown reasons, underachieving. They are a Tournament team. If they get in, they will win at least one game.

Virginia might not be a Final Four Team this year, but they are good enough to get there, and they are definitely a second weekend Tournament team.

Those are three of the five or so “blue bloods/recent blue bloods” in the League that help consistently establish its reputation as the 1st or 2nd nationally best, basketball conference year after year . Syracuse and Louisville would be the other two, in my opinion, of these five, and they were mediocre to downright awful this year. So, one likely Sweet 16/Elite Eight team, with two of the other four being Round of 32/Sweet 16 capable.

While it pains me to say it, Miami is very good. Yes, I’ll admit it. They made the Elite Eight last year, and they are at least that good, in my opinion, again this year. They are a legit Top 10-12 team. They should be no worse than a 3 or 4 seed, right now, and if they do not make it to, at least the Sweet 16, I’ll be shocked.

NC State is a good team. I hope Clemson doesn’t have to play them a third time because it’s hard to beat a good team three times in a basketball season. It’s not impossible, but it’s hard. The Wolfpack will make the Tournament, as they should. I also think they win at least one, maybe even two games. They are a Round of 32 team at least.

Pittsburgh is a Tournament team. They won 14 conference games, 21 overall games, and they were picked about next to dead last. They should make the Tournament. Jeff Capel and his staff did a very good job this year. I won’t go so far as to guarantee a first round win for them, should they make it, but they very easily could.

That leaves Clemson. 22-9 overall. Crappy loses to BC, Louisville, Loyola Chicago, and the Shamecocks. The Louisville and Loyola Chicago teams shot out of their minds those nights, and Clemson could not seemingly throw it in the ocean, even with some decent shot attempts. But, both those teams had horrendous years, and those were just bad losses. The Shamecock and BC losses came when very key players were either hurt, or not “season” ready. Plus, the Shamecock game is a rivalry game, and as we know from football season, screwy things happen in rivalry games.

Of the four crappy losses, the loss to BC, in my opinion, is the biggest “head scratcher” because while Galloway was still out, Clemson still should have handled them, especially after jumping out in front on them (by double digits) early. It’s like they just quit playing smart after the first ten minutes. But, BC has proven to be a much improved team over the last 4-5 weeks. While that loss bothers me the most, it has actually proven to be not quite so bad.

So, if we want to be even more specific, Clemson only had THREE really bad losses: the South Carolina, L-Chicago, and Louisville games. The fact that “bad losses” early in the year seem to count as much or more than “good wins” late in the year (with this NET stupidity) is just that: stupid. In the last two months of the year, Clemson went 11-6 (and this is when teams should be as good, or as bad, as they are going to be). Clemson could easily win at least one game in the NCAAT, should they make it in, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they made the Sweet 16. They’re good enough to do that this year.

(Another side note) Three of Clemson’s nine losses came BEFORE Christmas. While all losses should count “evenly” in theory, for 30+ years, the NCAA Committee always said they put a lot of emphasis on how teams were playing at the END of the year. This NET garbage just seems to throw all that precedent out the window.

So, when one really looks at it, and not just a cursory glance (or take the national talking heads’ bias for Augustine wisdom) the ACC is far from bad this year. The way I see it, there are, at worst, TWO Sweet 16 teams, and the remaining five “should be in” Tournament teams are all EASILY good enough to make the Round of 32. While the League might not be “great” (when compared to the usual, historically lofty, standard) it has proven to be a very solid, GOOD league this year with SEVEN legitimate NCAAT teams. That’s a strong league in my book.

*****Of the entire NCAA Division 1 Men’s basketball conferences (through Saturday, March 4, 2023) I counted only ONE conference with more 20 game winning teams than the ACC (which has six). That would be the SEC with seven.

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rhpltmeg® said:

What teams would you consider strong.

I think Miami is pretty darn good. Nobody is probably wanting to play a Duke or UNC in a one and done regardless of their records.

Seth maybe preaching from his ACC perspective. Just not seeing it this year and evidenced by the lack of teams even in the top 25 most weeks.

Message was edited by: rhpltmeg®

Miami—Very Strong
Virginia—Strong (Can Be Very Strong)
Duke—Strong
NC State—Fairly Strong (Can Be Strong)
Clemson—Fairly Strong (Can Be Strong)
***UNC—Can Be Fairly Strong
Pittsburgh—Can be Fairly Strong

***Provided their heart and head is in the game, talent level is capable of being VERY strong.

This year’s ACC reminds me of 1995-1996: outside of maybe one team, I don’t expect to see any ACC team in the Final Four, but there are at least 6-7 viable and worthy NCAAT teams.

The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

The ACC won the Challenge with the Big Ten

Re: The ACC won the Challenge with the Big Ten

Re: The ACC won the Challenge with the Big Ten

Re: The ACC IS NOT bad this year. The national rhetoric is a lie.

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