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Hah, hah! The ACC has four in the four Sweet Sixteens.
The ACC was relegated to “medium” space during the regular season and received only five NCAA bids, when two or three more of its teams that didn’t make it probably should have. At least N.C. State doubled down on its ACC Tournament championship that came with a guaranteed spot in the Big Dance.
Looking back, Virginia justified all the criticism after its inclusion in the original 68 teams, but more than completely embarrassed itself with the dreadful performance in the First Four blowout by Colorado State. Rumor has it that coach Tony Bennett is thinking of changing his morose offense into one more crowd-pleasing.
Now onto the ACC’s Sweet Sixteen Foursome
Call Carolina’s and Hubert Davis REDEMPTION.
Call Clemson’s and Brad Brownell DESERVING.
Call Duke’s and Jon Scheyer CONFIRMING.
Call N.C. State’s and Kevin Keatts SURVIVING.
The Tar Heels and Davis needed something to erase the memory of last season which soured the run to the 2022 Final Four. After that led to an overrated No. 1 ranking, the Heels set a record as the first such team not to make the following field. For a coach who engendered so much doubt to renovate his roster while he may have realized that over-praising his players who weren’t playing or producing lost credibility.
So it is safe to say that this season has been a quantum leap for Hubert and the team. Both on the court and off, he has built a fortress around the trust among each other. It is a joy for Carolina fans to fall for a team that, unlike some legendary predecessors, has moving roster parts. That Davis found the right pieces missing from seven transfers is a testament to his recruiting ability and character judgment.
Brownell is one of the most popular people in the profession and considered an outstanding coach. You can tell by just watching his teams play. That this is Clemson’s second Sweet Sixteen in more than 40 years says way more about a lack of support for the program than it does about Brownell lasting 14 years there.
Scheyer was replacing the most promoted coach in college basketball and inherited a program that had not quite lived up to its reputation the last few years of the Coach K reign. Winning the ACC Tournament in Year 1 was a springboard to a second group of highly rated players who have all improved throughout the season.
Keatts is the most amazing story of all. Unquestionably losing his job before the ACC Tournament, his Wolfpack pulled off a stunning 7-game run that has resulted in a contract extension and raise for the head coach. Though it took longer than it should have this season, the Wolfpack is a unique and formidable force.
Featured image via Associated Press/George Walker IV
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Both the ACC and BE were unfairly treated. The SEC and Big 12 received special treatment. This is clear and I was telling my friends before the tourney started. The ACC being 8/0 or 8/1 if you count the play in game (some do not) and the BE at 6/0 along with the poor performance of the other two (<50% wins) is validation that the process is wrong. Personally, I don't think it is an accident. It's the corrupting influence of ESPN $$$.