With Duke and North Carolina opening a gap on the rest of the ACC, I thought it would be a good time to analyze both team's Final Four prospects, as well as how the rest of the conference will shake out.The coveted Raleigh-Charlotte pathway to San Antonio is being a bit over hyped. That is, if you are a Duke fan. Both towns are notoriously harsh on the Devils - even though the RBC Center, site of the first and second round games both teams covet so much - is no more than 15 minutes from Duke's East Campus. Charlotte, to an even greater extent, spews even more venom towards the Dukies. Indeed, it is a Carolina town through-and-through.
As fan bases across the country pour over pages upon pages of information, devising a plan to get their team's to the closest possible regional, I'll be the first to say how trivial this concept is. A prime example of this, is, the South Regional Semifinal last year at the Alamodome. Texas A&M, which had conquered Louisville in it's home state of Kentucky the week before, had been given the perceived home court "advantage" against Memphis in the Round of 16. As a trickle down effect, fans of the Tigers were then embittered with their placement against Texas A&M. In the end, it's all about how a team plays on that given day. Cliche as it may be, it proved to be truth, as Memphis beat A&M.
And what of the ACC race and it's? It is, perhaps, the most desired and prestigious regular season crown in the history of College Basketball. That is an indisputable fact. Teams - such as North Carolina in 2005 - have celebrated a regular season crown by cutting the nets down. This, in spite of the fact that they SHARED the title with Duke. Funny how those things go.
When breaking down the remaining schedules for both Duke and North Carolina alike, it appears that UNC has an advantage. Even though Duke has a non-conference tune-up (If that's what you want to call it) against St.John's towards the back end of their regular season, Carolina gets the ACC's second tier to travel to the Dean Dome. Clemson and Virginia Tech, arguably the two schools that will be battling tooth-and-nail for the third spot in the ACC, both come to the Smith Center. When the Heels take to the road, bottom-feeders Florida State and UVA will await, not to mention a trip to NC State. I won't even mention what the Heels did to the Pack back in January. Much of the schedule will be rendered insignificant, however, as the two have yet to play each other. Most likely - Another limb-stretcher here - those will decide the champion(s) of the league.
Within those two games, stories are plentiful. From Duke's surprising ability to rebound the basketball to Carolina's new found capability to play defense, this game will certainly be a treat to behold. If Brian Zoubek - yes, the Brian Zoubek of Drive & Dish's wrath earlier in the season - is able to return from a foot injury, he will provide instant interior relief for the Blue Devils. Keep an eye on how healthy Zoubek is leading up to the February 6th thriller in Chapel Hill.
When all is said and done, I think the ACC will have a worth champion. This year, however, will revert back to 2005 - and many years before it - as Duke and Carolina will both cut down the nets at the end of the season - as ACC Co-Champions.
Poetic justice, no?
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5 comments:
It won't be "poetic justice" if Dook and North Carolina cut down the nets at the end of the season (as ACC Co-Champions).
It will only be poetic justice if Roy and the Heels cut down the nets as ACC Champions (and later as NCAA Champions).
The only poetic justice awaiting Dook would be if, rather than cutting down the nets (as ACC Co-Champions), the Dookies get cut down to size by Roy and the Heels.
UNC: NCAA Men's Basketball Champions 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005
Go Heels!
How can you say the ACC race is "perhaps the most desired and prestigious regular season crown in the history of College Basketball," and then say "(that) is an indisputable fact"?
It's either "perhaps the most desired and prestigious regular season crown." Or it's an "indisputable fact" that it's the most desired and prestigious regular season crown.
It can be one or the other, but it can't be both, son.
Oh well, I shouldn't expect anything more from an ACC fan.
Y'all don't even know what y'all's talkin' about most the time.
Fact of the matter is: the most "prestigious post season crown" in college basketball is awarded to the winner of the SEC Tournament (which, year after year, just happens to be Kentucky most of the time).
The reason why the SEC Championship is the most prestigious post season crown in college basketball is because the Cats win it every year. And since we're the most prestigious program in college basketball by a long shot, any tournament that we play in automatically becomes the most prestigious tournament.
And any post season crown that we claim automatically becomes the most prestigious post season crown.
So even if we don't make the Tournament this year (don't worry -- there ain't a snowball's chance in hell that we don't make it), what ever tournament we do play in becomes the most prestigious tournament.
So if we're in the NIT, the NIT will be the most prestigious tournament. Our participation will make it so.
And if we end up in the College Basketball Invitational, then that will become the most prestigious post season tournament (at least until we get back to the NCAA Tournament next year).
Billy Clyde will get it done in Lexington. Mark my words, loser.
Go Cats!
SEC! SEC!
Hopkinsville Cat,
That's just not a classy comment.
I have my arguments with Mark Buckets because he's a brain addled Dookie.
But he's right about the ACC Tournament being the most prestigious conference tournament.
And the ACC is, without a doubt, the most prestigious and best conference in college basketball.
So you're the one who doesn't know what he's talking about.
Mark Buckets might be wrong most of the time (because he's a Dookie), but he's right about this one.
And it's just not classy to go around calling people losers.
I know y'all hate Duke more than anything in the world, but spare us the invective.
Besides, where do y'all come off having this intense rivalry with Dook? Y'all aren't even conference rivals. Y'all don't even usually play each other.
We're Dook's bitter rivals. We've got a generations long conference rivalry with the Dookies.
Y'all only started hating Dook after they kept y'all from going to the Final Four in '92 and '98.
That's it. That's all your bitter "rivalry" revolves around.
Two freaking games.
Here's a suggestion: brush your tooth, quit banging your sister, quit posting while you're under the influence of moonshine, quit being under the influence of moonshine at 9 in the morning, and GROW UP.
But most of all, leave the Dook hating to us UNC folks.
P.S. I guess y'all have to hate Dook so much, since y'all don't have an actual conference rival to hate. I mean, SEC basketball is all about Kentucky and .... um ..... I'm drawing a blank.
SEC basketball is ONLY Kentucky.
And don't think for a minute that y'all would have such an impressive history if you'd actually had to play somebody decent in your conference at some point over the last 70 years.
Kentucky has had a cakewalk in that league since the days of Adolf Rupp. Y'all basically beat up on patsies in that B.S. conference.
The SEC is a football league. Kentucky won the damn conference every year cause there wasn't another halfway decent team standing in their way.
But I shouldn't expect y'all to know better.
Generations of inbreeding has left the population of the Bluegrass state a little behind the curve in terms of cognitive skills.
That and the moonshine.
UNC: NCAA Men's Basketball Champions 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005
Go Heels!
Real classy remarks Roy>Jesus:
"Here's a suggestion: brush your tooth, quit banging your sister, quit posting while you're under the influence of moonshine, quit being under the influence of moonshine at 9 in the morning, and GROW UP."
"I have my arguments with Mark Buckets because he's a brain addled Dookie."
there´s plenty more...
You are a disgrace to my beloved Tar Heels. You don´t need to talk about class, because you have none whatsoever. I don´t always agree with Mark Buckets, but he never cheapens his articles and commentary with childish name calling or culturally-biased remarks like you.
Abu Glaser,
I was standing up for Mark Buckets, even though he's a Dook fan.
That Kentucky fan was as annoying as Dick Vitale's Dook-centric broadcasting.
And as annoying as Digger Phelps' colored marker.
Hell, he was as annoying as Doug Gottlieb.
Kentucky fans are a different breed.
And even though they hate Puke, they're a blemish on the image of college basketball fans nationwide.
UNC: NCAA Men's Basketball Champions 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005
Go HEELS!
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