The ACC - maybe we weren't that strong after all

[ChrisP]

As of 3:15 on Sunday, only 2 ACC teams remain in the big dance. I think we all know who one of them is, and the other is VT (currently battling the Salukis of SIU). I really thought that the conference was pretty strong this year, but I'll admit that I didn't watch much of other conferences during the regular season. I mean, I figured that we'd have gotten at least 3 teams into the Sweet 16, but it could be only 1 if VT doesn't pull through.

Well, at least we've still got 3 alive in the "Little Dance" (that phrase is copyrighted and not to be used without the written consent of Ricky Bobby, Inc.)

[jimsumner]

I believe it was women's basketball we were bragging about. :)

[Redickulous]

all year, we've all said how great the ACC is. We also got 7 teams in--more than any other conference.

That makes this tournament completely depressing. I realize that the losses by Duke, Maryland, and Virginia were by a combined 8 points, and the Georgia Tech game was close as well, but, nevertheless.....what happened? Those losses were all in the 1st or second round!!!

The ACC, Carolina exluded, is really stinking up the NCAA tournament this year. Looks like Virginia Tech is going to go down today too. This blows.

[Redickulous]

oops, i just posted basically the exact same thing before seeing your post. My bad.

but, yeah, you're right :)

[hurleyfor3]

For the first time since (I believe) 1979, only one ACC team has made the Sweet 16.

Needless to say, for most of that time the ACC had only eight or nine teams.

[CDu]

The ACC was still strong - the strongest in the country. There are MANY ways of measuring conference strength. In my opinion, looking strictly at tournament W/L record is a very poor way of measuring conference strength, because it tends to weight top-end talent over mid-level talent. The ACC didn't have the top-end talent, but we were as deep as any conference in recent memory. For example:

1) We got more teams into the tournament than any other conference
2) We got 3 more teams into the NIT, two of which were legitimate bubble teams (FSU should probably have been an NCAA tourney team)
3) Upon further inspection, our NCAA results aren't that bad:

UNC - still alive and kicking
UVa - lost in the second round to a #5 seed (roughly played to their seed)
Maryland - Ditto
VT - lost in the second round to a #4 seed (played to their seed)
Duke - upset in the first round
BC - lost in the second round to a #2 seed (played to their seed)
GT - lost in the first round to the #7 seed (played to their seed)

So 5 of the 6 teams that were eliminated played to their seed, essentially. That's not bad. We did almost exactly what should have been expected.

And considering all 3 of our NIT teams are still alive, I'd say we were absolutely a really good conference.