ACC in the NCAAT

[CDu]

Laettner's shot against UConn was in 1990. But we also won a Sweet 16 game by one point against an #11 seed in 1988. So three sour possessions (in '88, '90, and '92) could have turned that '88 to '92 stretch into: one championship, one non-championship Final Four, two seasons ending in the Elite Eight and one additional Sweet 16. Having said all that, if Laettner had missed his shot against UConn, we obviously wouldn't have gotten to the title game in 1990. Would we have even won the championship against Vegas in 1991 if they hadn't clobbered us in the title game the year before? Who knows.

Doh! I forgot we beat UConn handily in the Elite-8 in 1991. Of course, if UNLV hits a 3 at the end in the Final Four...

Obviously it works the other way too. We could have easily lost to either UCF or Va Tech in 2019. The 2018 team cruised to the Sweet 16 and kept Syracuse at arm’s length there before having the heartbreakingly close loss to Kansas, but if a few possessions go differently maybe Syracuse upsets us.

It just shows how thin the margins can be in the NCAA tournament. The 2001 and 2015 teams won every game by 5+ (10+ in the case of 2001), but both had somewhat nightmarish deficits to overcome in the Final Four (2001) and Championship (2015). The margins between historical greatness and “just another season” can be tantalizingly small.

[Natty_B]

Also just ask the ghost of Dean Smith how Duke got all the seeding breaks those seasons. But agree Duke was very fortunate those seasons. In 1990 they seemed to be toast to St. John’s in the second round (my family turned off the tv in disgust). The year before the second round game versus WVU came down to the last minute

[Wahoo2000]

Quick mea culpa - upthread I said in 2017 a 10 seed UVA lost to a 7 seed Florida. I was already corrected a couple times, but wanted to acknowledge and explain the error. I looked at the KenPom team page for UVA as I was checking old results and mistakenly looked at the UVA kenpom rank entering the game (we were 10), and mistook that for our seed. Probably compounded by the fact that my subconscious knew we'd played a 10-7 game vs UF in the Bennett era. As others stated, it was a 4/5 game. Though without Wilkins and a hobbled Salt at that point, it was no huge surprise we got "blowed out" as Emmitt Smith likes to say.

My earlier point (I feel) still stands though - I don't get how people that say UVA's pace makes fluky results more likely, yet we just don't see those "fluky" results in the regular season much at all. People say UVA is vulnerable at the low pace because "we play more close games", yet UVA has (pretty sure) the largest average margin of victory in the ACC over the last 7-8 years. The truth is that we probably play LESS close games than the vast majority of NCAA teams (over a 7-8 year sample).

[uh_no]

The truth is that we probably play LESS close games than the vast majority of NCAA teams (over a 7-8 year sample).

As you would expect of any top program. "vast majority" is a pretty low bar when you're in the top few of 360 or whatever teams.

[pfrduke]

Weekend ACC games:

Saturday
[38]Syracuse (11) (+8) vs. [3]Houston (2) (9:55, TBS)

Sunday
[13]Florida State (4) (+4) vs. [4]Michigan (1) (5:00, CBS)

[brevity]

Weekend ACC games:

Saturday
[38]Syracuse (11) (+8) vs. [3]Houston (2) (9:55, TBS)

Sunday
[13]Florida State (4) (+4) vs. [4]Michigan (1) (5:00, CBS)

I forgot to mention this earlier this week, but this is the first tournament in the 64-or-more team era that no original ACC teams -- joined in 1953 and still here -- made the Sweet 16.

ACC in the Sweet 16 (Expansion teams in parentheses)

2021: (FSU, Syracuse)
2019: Duke, UNC, UVA (FSU, VT)
2018: Clemson, Duke (FSU, Syracuse)
2017: UNC
2016: Duke, UNC, UVA (Miami, ND, Syracuse)
2015: Duke, NCSU, UNC (Louisville, ND)
2014: UVA
2013: Duke (Miami)
2012: NCSU, UNC
2011: Duke, UNC (FSU)
2010: Duke
2009: Duke, UNC
2008: UNC
2007: UNC
2006: Duke (BC)
2005: Duke, NCSU, UNC
2004: Duke, WF (GT)
2003: Duke, Maryland
2002: Duke, Maryland
2001: Duke, Maryland
2000: Duke, UNC
1999: Duke, Maryland
1998: Duke, Maryland, UNC
1997: Clemson, UNC
1996: WF (GT)
1995: Maryland, UNC, UVA, WF
1994: Duke, Maryland
1993: UNC, UVA, WF (FSU)
1992: Duke, UNC (FSU, GT)
1991: Duke, UNC
1990: Clemson, Duke, UNC (GT)
1989: Duke, NCSU, UNC, UVA
1988: Duke, UNC
1987: Duke, UNC
1986: Duke, NCSU, UNC (GT)
1985: Maryland, NCSU, UNC (GT)

[Kedsy]

I forgot to mention this earlier this week, but this is the first tournament in the 64-or-more team era that no original ACC teams -- joined in 1953 and still here -- made the Sweet 16.

ACC in the Sweet 16 (Expansion teams in parentheses)

2021: (FSU, Syracuse)
2019: Duke, UNC, UVA (FSU, VT)
2018: Clemson, Duke (FSU, Syracuse)
2017: UNC
2016: Duke, UNC, UVA (Miami, ND, Syracuse)
2015: Duke, NCSU, UNC (Louisville, ND)
2014: UVA
2013: Duke (Miami)
2012: NCSU, UNC
2011: Duke, UNC (FSU)
2010: Duke
2009: Duke, UNC
2008: UNC
2007: UNC
2006: Duke (BC)
2005: Duke, NCSU, UNC
2004: Duke, WF (GT)
2003: Duke, Maryland
2002: Duke, Maryland
2001: Duke, Maryland
2000: Duke, UNC
1999: Duke, Maryland
1998: Duke, Maryland, UNC
1997: Clemson, UNC
1996: WF (GT)
1995: Maryland, UNC, UVA, WF
1994: Duke, Maryland
1993: UNC, UVA, WF (FSU)
1992: Duke, UNC (FSU, GT)
1991: Duke, UNC
1990: Clemson, Duke, UNC (GT)
1989: Duke, NCSU, UNC, UVA
1988: Duke, UNC
1987: Duke, UNC
1986: Duke, NCSU, UNC (GT)
1985: Maryland, NCSU, UNC (GT)

Forget the whole ACC. Per your table above, it's only the 3rd time (since they went to 64 teams) that neither Duke nor UNC were in the Sweet 16.

[CDu]

I forgot to mention this earlier this week, but this is the first tournament in the 64-or-more team era that no original ACC teams -- joined in 1953 and still here -- made the Sweet 16.

ACC in the Sweet 16 (Expansion teams in parentheses)

2021: (FSU, Syracuse)
2019: Duke, UNC, UVA (FSU, VT)
2018: Clemson, Duke (FSU, Syracuse)
2017: UNC
2016: Duke, UNC, UVA (Miami, ND, Syracuse)
2015: Duke, NCSU, UNC (Louisville, ND)
2014: UVA
2013: Duke (Miami)
2012: NCSU, UNC
2011: Duke, UNC (FSU)
2010: Duke
2009: Duke, UNC
2008: UNC
2007: UNC
2006: Duke (BC)
2005: Duke, NCSU, UNC
2004: Duke, WF (GT)
2003: Duke, Maryland
2002: Duke, Maryland
2001: Duke, Maryland
2000: Duke, UNC
1999: Duke, Maryland
1998: Duke, Maryland, UNC
1997: Clemson, UNC
1996: WF (GT)
1995: Maryland, UNC, UVA, WF
1994: Duke, Maryland
1993: UNC, UVA, WF (FSU)
1992: Duke, UNC (FSU, GT)
1991: Duke, UNC
1990: Clemson, Duke, UNC (GT)
1989: Duke, NCSU, UNC, UVA
1988: Duke, UNC
1987: Duke, UNC
1986: Duke, NCSU, UNC (GT)
1985: Maryland, NCSU, UNC (GT)

And in all but two of those years Duke or UNC was a contributor to the streak.

[sagegrouse]

Forget the whole ACC. Per your table above, it's only the 3rd time (since they went to 64 teams) that neither Duke nor UNC were in the Sweet 16.

And in all but two of those years Duke or UNC was a contributor to the streak.

Looks like 35 years -- 25 years with Duke in the Sweet Sixteen. (23 for UNC.)

[brevity]

After ROUND OF 32, DAY 2 (*includes play-in game win)

2-0: Summit (Oral Roberts)

10-1*: Pac-12 (Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC)
7-6: Big XII (Baylor)
7-8: Big Ten (Michigan)
6-4: SEC (Alabama, Arkansas)
3-1*: MVC (Loyola-Chicago)
4-2: Big East (Creighton, Villanova)
4-5: ACC (FSU, Syracuse)
2-1: American (Houston)
2-1: WCC (Gonzaga)

1-1: Conference USA
1-1: MAC
1-1: Southland
1-1*: MEAC
1-1*: SWAC
0-1: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Horizon, MAAC, NEC, OVC, Patriot, Southern, Sun Belt, WAC
0-2: Atlantic 10, Mountain West

After SWEET 16, DAY 1 (*includes play-in games)

11-1*: Pac-12 (Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC)
8-6: Big XII (Baylor)
7-4: SEC (Alabama, Arkansas)
7-8: Big Ten (Michigan)
4-3: Big East (Creighton)
4-6: ACC (FSU)
3-1: American (Houston)
2-1: WCC (Gonzaga)

3-2*: MVC
2-1: Summit
1-1: Conference USA
1-1: MAC
1-1: Southland
1-1*: MEAC
1-1*: SWAC
0-1: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Horizon, MAAC, NEC*, OVC, Patriot, Southern, Sun Belt*, WAC
0-2: Atlantic 10, Mountain West

0-0 Ivy

[ElliottHoo]

After SWEET 16, DAY 1 (*includes play-in games)

11-1*: Pac-12 (Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC)
8-6: Big XII (Baylor)
7-4: SEC (Alabama, Arkansas)
7-8: Big Ten (Michigan)
4-3: Big East (Creighton)
4-6: ACC (FSU)
3-1: American (Houston)
2-1: WCC (Gonzaga)

3-2*: MVC
2-1: Summit
1-1: Conference USA
1-1: MAC
1-1: Southland
1-1*: MEAC
1-1*: SWAC
0-1: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Horizon, MAAC, NEC*, OVC, Patriot, Southern, Sun Belt*, WAC
0-2: Atlantic 10, Mountain West

0-0 Ivy

I read, and made, many predictions coming into this year's tournament. Total dominance by the Pac12 was not one of them.

[brevity]

This has sort of become the general tournament thread, so I'll put this here...

Saturday's losses by Villanova and Syracuse ensure that, upon the tournament's completion, someone will be winning his first national championship as a head coach.

12 are left:

SOUTH
Scott Drew, Baylor
Eric Musselman, Arkansas

MIDWEST
Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State
Kelvin Sampson, Houston

WEST
Mark Few, Gonzaga
Greg McDermott, Creighton
Andy Enfield, USC
Dana Altman, Oregon

EAST
Juwan Howard, Michigan
Leonard Hamilton, FSU
Mick Cronin, UCLA
Nate Oats, Alabama

What's more, only three of them have made it to a previous Final Four as a head coach: Sampson (Oklahoma 2002), Few (Gonzaga 2017), Altman (Oregon 2017). The South and East Regionals will definitely have a first-time head coach in the Final Four, and the Midwest and West Regionals could as well if Tinkle and either McDermott or Enfield advances.

Speaking of Wayne Tinkle, here's a trivia question. Who was the only other head coach to lead a 12-seeded team to the Elite Eight?

[Kedsy]

Speaking of Wayne Tinkle, here's a trivia question. Who was the only other head coach to lead a 12-seeded team to the Elite Eight?

The current coach of the Utah Jazz.

[brevity]

The current coach of the Utah Jazz.

It’s interesting that you phrased it that way, because one of the players on Quin Snyder’s 2001-2002 Missouri squad was Josh Kroenke, who now runs the Denver Nuggets.

You may recognize the last name. His father Stan Kroenke runs the Los Angeles Rams. But the real money in the family comes from his mother, an heir to the Walmart fortune.

[BlueDevil2K]

This morning's stat: there are twelve teams left. The four lowest seeds remaining are the four teams from the Pac-12. "Cinderella" lives out West this year.

[Duke79UNLV77]

When was the last time no ACC team made the Elite Eight?

[Native]

When was the last time no ACC team made the Elite Eight?

2014. Virginia lost to MSU in the Sweet Sixteen.

[CameronDuke]

Only 1 ACC team will enter the 2021-2022 season on a winning streak.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Only 1 ACC team will enter the 2021-2022 season on a winning streak.

Well, we were the only ones this year too. Didn't do us much good.

[CameronDuke]

Well, we were the only ones this year too. Didn't do us much good.

That is false. Off the top of my head, I know UVa entered this year on an eight game winning streak ... there may be more teams that entered this year on a winning streak.