all I’ve heard all year is how difficult it is as a conference. Outside of duke and uva, I just don’t see it. There are a slew of teams like Fla St, Va Tech, NC St that are just plain average. Not that good actually.
ACC is overrated
- Thread starter canebreak
- Start date
I'm beginning to wonder if a lot of what made them look good in December was just smart scheduling.
Va Tech went 11-1, Florida St was 12-1, NC State 12-1, while Notre Dame and Pitt were 10-3. Add those teams in with Virginia and the traditional powers (and yeah, I'll include UL there), and the conference looked like a beast. But none of those teams has been able to make a dent against the big boys.
The way that UL and UNC have pushed around the rest of the conference has to make you suspicious. UNC might be a legit top 10 team, but it's hard to see UL as that, and yet UL is sitting at 8-2.
But the honest answer to all these conference strength questions is that we don't know, in large part because Power 5 schools spend a good portion of November and December avoiding each other.
Va Tech went 11-1, Florida St was 12-1, NC State 12-1, while Notre Dame and Pitt were 10-3. Add those teams in with Virginia and the traditional powers (and yeah, I'll include UL there), and the conference looked like a beast. But none of those teams has been able to make a dent against the big boys.
The way that UL and UNC have pushed around the rest of the conference has to make you suspicious. UNC might be a legit top 10 team, but it's hard to see UL as that, and yet UL is sitting at 8-2.
But the honest answer to all these conference strength questions is that we don't know, in large part because Power 5 schools spend a good portion of November and December avoiding each other.
ESPN will try to convince you it's because of all the "elite" defense that is played. That U6/VTech game last night was an offensive **** show.
Also, some of these teams have figured out if you play a bunch of cupcakes in non-conference, beat ONE decent team get you record to 15-1 you'll be ranked in the top 20 by conference time. If everyone does it, you'll play a bunch of bad ranked teams (FSU, NC St., V Tech) and when you lose, you won't fall in the rankings. When you win, you'll rise.
Let’s face it for a long time there have been only two ACC teams with a plausible chance to get to the Final Four, Dook and UNCheat. UVA has shown over and over it’s not ready for prime time.
Until Virginia does something in the tournament - at least breaks through for a Final Four - I'm going to refuse to consider them elite.
In the last 5 years, they had three 1 seeds and a 2 seed. They've lost as 1 seeds to #4, #10 and #16, and as a 2 seed to #7.
Bill Self at his most Selfian never had a run like that, and yet we're supposed to keep calling them a National Championship contender.
In the last 5 years, they had three 1 seeds and a 2 seed. They've lost as 1 seeds to #4, #10 and #16, and as a 2 seed to #7.
Bill Self at his most Selfian never had a run like that, and yet we're supposed to keep calling them a National Championship contender.
I have a serious question
Is there any conference you find NOT overrated.
All i hear the Big 12 is overrated, the Big 10 is overrated, the ACC is overrated.
So what conference is not? lol
Is there any conference you find NOT overrated.
All i hear the Big 12 is overrated, the Big 10 is overrated, the ACC is overrated.
So what conference is not? lol
SEC is probably the strongest to many of these folks
I'd say the Pac 12 is certainly not overrated.
It sucks, and everyone knows it. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
It's Duke, Tennessee and Gonzaga vs everyone else this year. Who cares which conferences are the strongest.
Who's winning it? Someone's got to hoist the trophy at the end-you think UVA breaks through?
Virginia
Kentucky
Michigan
Michigan St
heck even UNC
My guess.......it'll come from one of those eight.
Do you like losing money? Its basically impossible that none of those 3 teams make the Final 4 this year considering Duke will likely be the overall 1 Seed in the East and Tennessee should get the 1 seed in the South.
Zags will get either the #1 or #2 out West and have a favorable path to the Final Four.
No VGA will not win they fizzle like always! Duke is flawed and will go down to a team hot from three like Furman! I’d say Michigan has a good chance of going back to the final four! Some think UNC can win it and we already know if Higgins is on the call they won’t lose!
Those are the top 8 according to KenPom so a solid list.
With how Zion keeps getting better though, I just don't see Duke not winning it all if they're the overall 1 seed in the East.
Zion is a athletic freak of a Basketball god! He’s can’t hit the three consistently and isn’t a great free throw shooter! RJ will he’s good is a ball hog when in crunch time will be the downfall! Easy game plan let those two get theirs and stop the rest which won’t be hard! And shoot lots of threes! Last years champion would have no problem knocking you all off!
lol don't make the same mistake we did in 2015.
Things happen in one and done tournaments.
Really all it will take is one hot shooting night. Gonzaga did it. Syracuse did it.
I don't expect Duke to suddenly stop scoring............but on any given night a team can bomb away from 3 and spark an upset.
How is Duke flawed? They're a top 5 offensive and defensive team with 4 1st round picks and a generational talent on their roster coached by a HOFer.
Anything can happen in the tournament but they"ll be the favorites to cut down the nets.
One flaw I could see is you get a ton of production from 2 players...........what happens if one of them goes down?
Obviously injuries hurt any team (just ask KU and MSU), but there's a lack of depth at Duke.
Also the lack of 3 point shooting.......but IMO I don't see that as big a deal as some others.
Obviously injuries hurt any team (just ask KU and MSU), but there's a lack of depth at Duke.
Also the lack of 3 point shooting.......but IMO I don't see that as big a deal as some others.
Personally, I think UVA is horribly overrated. They couldn't even take advantage and beat Duke without Jones.
I know people rag on UVA for lack of tournament success but right now you could make the argument that Duke isn't even the best team in their own conference.
In conference play UVA has been both more efficient on offense and more efficient on defense.
A 2 point loss on the road to Duke doesn't really change that. That's within the home court advantage.
In conference play UVA has been both more efficient on offense and more efficient on defense.
A 2 point loss on the road to Duke doesn't really change that. That's within the home court advantage.
VTech is without their starting PG.
It always brings about the question of conference play when a lesser team beats a better one. Is the better teamoverrated or is the lesser team actually better. And regardless, does that mean the conference is weaker or stronger than perceived.
Seems to depend if you are a fan of a team in the conference or not. Alabama beats is and Alabama is suddenly a better team than we thought. We beat Auburn and both are good however Auburn then proceeds to lose 2 bad games.
I don’t gamble so where do you look for odds? Vegas insider has those three teams as the three teams with best odds to win the tournament. Is there somewhere else for final four odds?
Wisconsin, Duke and Arizona that year were championship contenders in pretty much any other year. UK's defense suffered without Poythress and the Cats couldn't stop Sam Dekker.
The field is much weaker this year and only Duke is comparable to those Final 4 teams from 2015.
Individually, besides maybe Duke, its more likely than not that those 3 teams make the Final 4 but if you're saying that only 1 of those 3 teams need to make the Final 4 to win that bet, you'd be a fool not to take that.
He is up to a smoking hot 29%, not far behind your team average of 30.9%. Burning up the nets.
I mean
Team O Eff D eff Efficiency Margin
Virginia 114.3 88.9 25.4
Louisville 111.9 94.8 17.1
Duke 111.6 95.9 15.7
North Carolina 110.5 96.8 13.7
Virginia Tech 110.6 102.7 7.9
Syracuse 103.5 98.3 5.2
Florida St. 102.4 101.7 0.7
Clemson 97.5 98.7 -1.2
North Carolina St. 100.2 104.3 -4.1
Georgia Tech 88.1 97.8 -9.7
Boston College 103.8 113.9 -10.1
Pittsburgh 95.6 107.9 -12.3
Notre Dame 100.6 113.6 -13
Miami FL 100.3 113.6 -13.3
Wake Forest 90.3 113.3 -23
Heck UVA and UL been better and Duke has had an easier schedule. They still have to face UVA and UL on the road plus play UNC twice.
Team O Eff D eff Efficiency Margin
Virginia 114.3 88.9 25.4
Louisville 111.9 94.8 17.1
Duke 111.6 95.9 15.7
North Carolina 110.5 96.8 13.7
Virginia Tech 110.6 102.7 7.9
Syracuse 103.5 98.3 5.2
Florida St. 102.4 101.7 0.7
Clemson 97.5 98.7 -1.2
North Carolina St. 100.2 104.3 -4.1
Georgia Tech 88.1 97.8 -9.7
Boston College 103.8 113.9 -10.1
Pittsburgh 95.6 107.9 -12.3
Notre Dame 100.6 113.6 -13
Miami FL 100.3 113.6 -13.3
Wake Forest 90.3 113.3 -23
Heck UVA and UL been better and Duke has had an easier schedule. They still have to face UVA and UL on the road plus play UNC twice.
The difference between those teams listed and UK was about 3 points on a neutral court.
That's not very difference from what the spread would be if Duke ran up against UVA, Gonzaga, MSU or UT
Yes, the conference looked like it would be good based on those non-conference winning percentages. but that winning % doesn't always tell the story. Outside of the top teams, Duke, UVA, and I'll throw in Louisville, the nonconference schedules were very pedestrian. They are, in fact, very much like the entire middle of that conference. There are 5 tiers in that conference...
Tier 1: Duke and Virginia which are legit title contenders, Final 4 contenders
Tier 2: UNC and Louisville which are probably Sweet 16 teams
Tier 3: Syracuse, Va Tech, Florida St which are deserving tournament teams if they keep winning
Tier 4: NC State, Clemson, Ga Tech which are NIT teams
Tier 5: Boston College, Pitt, Notre Dame, Miami, Wake Forest which are hot garbage
Some might say that evaluation could be made of the SEC, but the key difference I see is in those "hot garbage" teams. The SEC just doesn't have many teams like that. You could make a case for Vanderbilt without their PG, but that team is not even close to as bad as Wake Forest, Pitt, or Boston College. Would you rather play at Missouri tomorrow or at Miami?
Here's the deal, you take a team like NC State which just scored 24 points in an entire game with an operating shot clock. They suck. There's no way around it. But they've got 5 guaranteed wins left in conference play- against Pitt, Boston College x 2, Wake Forest, and Ga Tech. So, they will finish, at worst, 21-10, and they will receive an at-large bid based on the strength of the ACC. That will be the ACC's 8th team in the Dance.
Great news. A Duke fans likes their chances. I'm relieved. We don't care. This is a UK board. You don't see us going to your board and saying how much we like our chances.
We've got some bad teams as well tho. Texas AM, Vandy, Georgia and yes South Carolina are not good teams.
Here is the problem with your post. NC St beat Auburn. So where does that put Auburn?