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26 Feb 2012

ACC Basketball Recap: February 25, 2012

A very exciting day of college basketball in the ACC on February 25, 2012.

The day began with #5 Duke hosting Virginia Tech and getting everything it could handle in a 70-65 overtime win.  Once again, it was Austin Rivers and Seth Curry stepping up for Duke, scoring 23 points and 19 points, respectively.  Of course, it also helps to have a 34-16 free throw attempt advantage.  Mason Plumlee added 15 rebounds as Duke stayed atop the ACC with a 25-4 overall record and 12-2 in conference play.  For the Hokies, it was another tough loss, dropping them to 15-14 overall.   Dorenzo Hudson, Erick Green, and Cadarian Raines each scored 16 points for Virginia Tech.

In another overtime game, Clemson once again pulled off an upset–beating North Carolina State, 72-69.  At 18-11, North Carolina State suffers a defeat that will hurt their Big Dance chances.  But credit pesky Clemson for winning and matching the Wolfpack’s 7-7 conference record.  At 15-13, the Tigers are not going to be part of March Madness, barring an ACC tournament victory.  Milton Jennings led Clemson with 17 points.  North Carolina State was led by CJ Leslie and Lorenzo Brown, who each scored 18.  With games against Miami and Virginia Tech, North Carolina State can still get to twenty regular season wins.

In two games of lesser importance to the conference and post-season picture, Wake Forest dominated Boston College, 85-56.  CJ Harris scored 23 points for the Demon Deacons, while Ryan Anderson scored 18 for the Eagles.  And Georgia Tech upset Maryland, 63-61.  Kammeon Holsey had a double-double for Georgia Tech with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Terrell Stoglin led Maryland, as usual, with 18 points.

ESPN Game Day was on hand for the night game featuring #2 Syracuse and UConn, which Syracuse won 71-69.  Viewers got their money’s worth as Syracuse jumped out to a 14-point halftime lead, UConn rallied to tie it last in the second half, and the game came down to the final possession.  Syracuse was led by Kris Joseph’s 21 points.  With the win, the Orange improve to 29-1 on the season and clinch their status as regular season champions of the Big East.  The ACC cannot get these guys here soon enough.

Finally, the big match up of the day featured #7 North Carolina and #25 Virginia.  As expected, this was a game of contrasts, with Virginia hoping to control tempo.  The Cavaliers certainly did that, holding the Tar Heels to 54 points.  The problem was that Virginia only scored 51, resulting in a loss.  Virginia had multiple opportunities in the final seconds to tie, but fell short.  Still, it was an impressive game for Virginia as they get prepared for the Big Dance.  Jontel Evans led Virginia, who dropped to a very respectable 21-7 overall, with 13 points.  Tyler Zeller led the Tar Heels with 20 points.  North Carolina improved to 25-4 overall and 12-2 in conference play–the exact same records as Duke.  Both teams hope to win their midweek games, resulting in a match up for the conference title next Saturday.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Weekend Preview and tagged , , , , , , ,
25 Feb 2012

Weekend Preview: February 25-26

Although the basketball season is, unfortunately, winding down… there are a number of ACC games this weekend (February 25 & 26, 2012).

Saturday

The day begins at noon with Virginia Tech traveling to #5 Duke.  The Hokies’ Big Dance bubble has all but burst, but getting a win here could lead to big things in the ACC tournament.

At 1pm, Wake Forest hosts Boston College.  Both teams are 3-10 in conference play and playing for pride.  And for next year.

At 1:30 pm, North Carolina State travels to Clemson.  Clemson has surprised some teams this year.  And, at 18-10, the Wolfpack do not have a huge margin for error.

At 2:30 pm, Georgia Tech hosts Maryland.  At 16-11, all games may be must wins for Maryland.  Losing this one would be terrible to the post-season chances though.

The big game of the day, however, is the 4pm matchup between #7 North Carolina and #25 Virginia.  The host Cavaliers are 21-6 but certainly could use an upset win like this to improve its seeding prospects.  At 24-4, the Tar Heels look to keep momentum going.

In another big game, #2 Syracuse travels to Connecticut for a 9 pm game.  At 28-1, Syracuse is looking to set a record for most regular season wins.  Although UConn is struggling, they also play Syracuse tough at home.

Sunday

At 2p.m., disappointing Pittsburgh takes its 15-13 record into #17 Louisville.  The Panthers are playing for pride right now.

The Sunday game of the week is a rivalry matchup between #15 Florida State and host Miami.  At 19-8, the Seminoles would like to get that 20th victory on the season.  At 16-10, Miami really needs this win.  This game should be quite a battle.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Weekend Preview and tagged , , , , , , , ,
21 Feb 2012

The Confidential’s Basketball Top 30 for February 22, 2012

With over 300 teams in college basketball, the top 25 is just not enough anymore.  Here is the Confidential’s Top 30 for February 22, 2012:

  1. Syracuse (27-1).  Another road win for Syracuse as it continues its best season ever.  Looking to win the regular season title with two wins in the last three games  Next up: @ South Florida.
  2. Kentucky (26-1).  A light week, with only a game against Mississippi.  Yes, they won.  Next up:  @ Mississippi State.
  3. Missouri (25-2).  The Tigers are firmly entrenched as the #3 team right now.  Think the SEC folks are happy?  Next up: Kansas State.
  4. Michigan State (22-5).  Took care of Wisconsin.  Then defeated Purdue on the road.  Next up: @ Minnesota.
  5. Duke (23-4).  Narrowly escaped North Carolina State.  Revenge game upcoming.  Next up: @ Florida State.
  6. Kansas (22-5).  Light week, with only a game against mid-major Texas Tech.  Wait, they are in the Big XII?  Next up: @ Texas A&M.
  7. North Carolina (23-4).  Tough week with road trips at Virginia and North Carolina State.  The Tar Heels try to keep pace with Duke.  Next up: @ NC State.
  8. Ohio State (22-5).  Road loss to Michigan was not horrible, but keeps the Buckeyes on the outside of the 1 seed discussions for now.  Next up: Illinois.
  9. Georgetown (20-5).  Beat Providence on the road.  Looking for a double-bye in the Big East tournament.  Next up: @ Seton Hall.
  10. Marquette (22-5).  Convincing win at sinking Connecticut.  Still in the hunt for the Big East regular season championship.  Next up: @ Rutgers.
  11. Baylor (23-5).  Baylor is starting to lose momentum.  The loss to Kansas State was the first upset.  Next up: Oklahoma.
  12. Michigan (20-7).  Big win over Ohio State.  No… huge win!  Next up: @ Iowa.
  13. Notre Dame (19-8).  After starting conference play 3-3, the Fighting Irish are now 11-3 and 19-8 overall.  That’s 7 wins in a row.  Next up: West Virginia.
  14. Wisconsin (20-7.  Loss at Michigan State was disappointing, but respectable.  Travel to Ohio State this week, cursing the schedule maker along the way.  Next up: @ Iowa.
  15. Florida State (19-7).  Florida State looked really good beating up NC State on the road.  Also took care of the Hokies.  Next up: Duke.
  16. Florida (21-6).  Florida is not getting impressive wins, but they are getting wins.  Next up: @ Auburn.
  17. Murray State (26-1).  Big bracket buster win over St. Mary’s.  That helps the at-large cause.  Next up: @ Tennessee State.
  18. Louisville (21-6).  Took care of DePaul on Saturday.  Remember, played Syracuse very tough.  Next up: @ Cincinnati.
  19. Virginia (20-6).  Bounced back against Maryland with a convincing win.  Need to pull an upset sooner or later though.  Next up: @ Virginia Tech.
  20. Indiana (20-7).  Loss to Iowa hurts, no way around it.  A rare OOC game in February for the Hoosiers next.  Next up: North Carolina Central.
  21. Wichita State (24-4).  Got a nice win over Davidson on Saturday to help the at-large cause.  Next up: Illinois State.
  22. New Mexico (22-4).  Even New Mexico fans have to be surprised… they beat San Diego State on the road and then throttled UNLV.  Next up: @ Colorado State.
  23. Temple (21-5).  The Owls have a bunch of good wins.  Time to make plans for March.  Next up: @ La Salle.
  24. UNLV (22-6).  Losing momentum here with 3 losses in two weeks.  Need to turn it around soon.  Next up: Boise State.
  25. San Diego State (20-6).  Not only has San Diego State been struggling, but they have given struggling UNLV its only recent win.  Next up: Wyoming.
  26. Vanderbilt (19-8).  Wins over Mississippi and Georgia beef up the totals, but nobody will be impressed until they host Kentucky.  And win.  Next up: South Carolina.
  27. St. Louis (21-5).  Time to give St. Louis some publicity.  They have won six straight.  Next up: @ Rhode Island.
  28. St. Mary’s (23-5).  Like a lot of West Coast teams, St. Mary’s is in a funk lately.  Next up: @ Portland.
  29. Virginia Commonwealth (23-6).  Rebounded from the George Mason loss to beat Northern Iowa.  Next up: NC Wilmington.
  30. Creighton (23-5).  Trying to rebound after that three-game losing streak.  The win over Long Beach State helps.  Next up: Evansville.

Tell us what you think.  Is anyone unfairly missing?  Anyone too high or too low?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , ,
20 Feb 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: February 20, 2012

This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done.  Here is how we view the ACC basketball schools as of February 20, 2012:

1.  Syracuse (27-1)  With road wins at Louisville and Rutgers (a difficult place to win), Syracuse continues their all-time best season start.  Upstart South Florida visits on Wednesday.

2. Duke (23-4) A very good win for the Blue Devils over North Carolina State.  Boston College, however, did not put up much of a fight at all.

3. North Carolina (23-4)  Challenging week ahead for the Tar Heels, with road trips to North Carolina State and Virginia.

4. Florida State (19-7)  Florida State got back to its winning ways against North Carolina State.  Duke visits on Thursday.

5. Virginia (20-7)  Virginia embarrassed Maryland on Saturday.  The Terps are used to embarrassment, having fired Ralph Friedgen and replaced him Randy Edsall.

6. North Carolina State (18-9).  Very tough week with losses to Duke and Florida State.  And next up is North Carolina.

7.  Miami (16-9)  Miami did the expected–losing to North Carolina and defeating Wake Forest.

8. Maryland (15-11)  Really outplayed by Virginia on Saturday.  Looking squarely at the NIT, barring a stretch run.

9.  Virginia Tech (15-12)  Two wins on the week for Virginia Tech, sandwiched around a loss by 1 point at Florida State.  A good week overall.

10.  Clemson (13-13)  A great win over Virginia moves Clemson up to 10.

11. Pittsburgh (15-12)  Pitt is back to losing often.

12. Boston College (8-19)  Boston College can keep its edge over Wake Forest by beating the Demon Deacons on Saturday.

13. Wake Forest (12-15) Wake Forest got another conference win–but it was against cellar-dweller Georgia Tech.

14. Georgia Tech (9-17).  Georgia Tech continues to lose.  The less said the better.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
19 Feb 2012

Weekend Recap: February 18-19

Here is a recap of the ACC basketball games this weekend (February 18 & 19, 2012).

Saturday

In the big game of the day–the battle for 19 wins–#20 Florida State notched a key win over host North Carolina State, 76-62.   Ian Miller’s 17 points led the four Seminoles who scored in double-figures.  Florida State led by 11 at the half and by as many as 20 points in the second half.  The Wolfpack, who dropped to 18-9 with the loss, were led by CJ Leslie’s 21 points.  Florida State is now 19-7.

#8 North Carolina dropped Clemson back to .500 overall (13-13) with a 74-52 win over the Tigers.  North Carolina is now an unreal 56-0 against Clemson in Chapel Hill.  Harrison Barnes led the Tar Heels with 24 points, but Kendall Marshall was a master distributor with 13 assists.  Clemson was led in scoring by Andre Young’s thirteen points.  With the win, North Carolina is now 23-4.

#22 Virginia handily defeated Maryland, 71-44.  The amazing thing about this game is that it was tied at halftime.  The Cavs outscored the Terps 40-13 in the second half.  Maryland, which dropped to 15-11, was led by Terrell Stoglin’s 14 points.  Virginia, as usual, was led by Mike Scott’s 25 points and 7 rebounds.  Virginia also improved to 20-6 on the season.

In other Saturday action, Miami improved to 16-9 with a 74-56 win over Wake Forest.  And Virginia Tech held off Georgia Tech in overtime, 74-73.

Sunday

#2 Syracuse escaped Rutgers with a 74-64 win.  The margin of victory does not reveal how well Rutgers played in defeat–this game was close from start to finish.  CJ Fair came off the bench to lead the Orange with 21 point and 8 rebounds.  With the win, Syracuse improves to an impressive 27-1 on the season.

#5 Duke had no trouble with Boston College, defeating the hosts 75-50.  As usual, Duke dominated the boards–outrebounding the Eagles 40-21.  Seth Curry led the Blue Devils with 18 points, while Austin Rivers added 16.  Boston College was led by Ryan Anderson’s 21 points.  With the win, Duke keeps pace with North Carolina by improving to 23-4.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Weekend Preview and tagged , , , , , , ,
18 Feb 2012

Weekend Preview: February 18-19

As is always the case this time of year, there are a number of ACC games this weekend (February 18 & 19, 2012) in college basketball.

Saturday

At 1 p.m., Wake Forest travels to Miami.  Wake Forest’s season is slipping away, but Miami is just starting to get grounded.  The Hurricanes are 15-9.

In addition, Maryland travels to #22 Virginia.  At 15-10, Maryland does not have room to lose many more games.  Virginia is looking for its 20th victory.

But the big game at 1 p.m. is #20 Florida State at North Carolina State.  Both teams are looking for their 19th win.  And the Wolfpack will want to atone for the disappointing loss to Duke.

At 3 p.m., the disappointment bowl, with Georgia Tech traveling to Virginia Tech.  Both of these teams expected to be several wins better than they are.

At 4 p.m., #8 North Carolina hosts Clemson.  The Tar Heels are 22-4 on the season, but Clemson has surprised some teams this year.

Sunday

At 1p.m., #2 Syracuse travels to the always-challenging RAC to play Rutgers.  The Orange needs to continue taking care of business.

The other future ACC member, Pittsburgh, hosts South Florida at 7 p.m.  Pitt’s disappointing season continues.

The Sunday game of the week is #5 Duke at Boston College.  Like North Carolina, Duke is 22-4 on the season.

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Weekend Preview and tagged , , , , , , , ,
15 Feb 2012

The Confidential’s Basketball Top 30 for February 15, 2012

With over 300 teams in college basketball, the top 25 is just not enough anymore.  Here is the Confidential’s Top 30 for February 15, 2012:

  1. Syracuse (26-1).  Syracuse has gotten through a stretch of Georgetown, UConn, and Louisville.  A road trip to Rutgers is next.  Next up: @ Rutgers.
  2. Kentucky (25-1).  Kentucky is entrenched at Number 1 in the major polls.  Wins over Florida and Vandy last week did nothing to harm that perception.  Next up: Mississippi.
  3. Missouri (23-2).  A big win over Baylor keeps Missouri at the top of the Big XII.  They can take the foot off the gas a bit this week.  Next up: Oklahoma State.
  4. Michigan State (20-5).  Michigan State defeated Ohio State by a nice margin.  Tough game against Wisconsin next.  Next up: Wisconsin.
  5. Duke (21-4).  All of the sudden, Duke is back in the national picture.  All it took was a buzzer beater over North Carolina.  Next up: North Carolina State.
  6. Kansas (21-5).  A convincing win against Baylor on the road.  And then they followed that up with two more wins.  Next up: Texas Tech.
  7. Ohio State (22-4).  The Michigan State loss was tough.  But the Breslin Center is always a tough venue.  Next up: @ Michigan.
  8. North Carolina (21-4).  The Duke game was everything fans could have wanted, except the result.  The team took out their pain on Virginia.  Next up: @ Miami.
  9. Baylor (21-4).  Losing to Kansas and Missouri (again) makes this a very tough week.  But Baylor has yet to be upset.  Next up: Kansas State.
  10. Georgetown (19-5).  The Hoyas played an outstanding game against Syracuse, only to fall short in overtime.  This team is starting to come together.  Next up: @ Providence.
  11. Wisconsin (19-6).  The Badgers slide up several notches due to losses by other teams.  The win at Minnesota was nice.  Next up: @ Michigan State.
  12. Marquette (21-5).  Marquette rebounded from its loss to Notre Dame by defeating both DePaul and Cincinnati.  And that Notre Dame loss is looking better as the Irish are on fire.  Next up: @ Connecticut.
  13. Michigan (19-7).  Picked up two wins–at Nebraska and home to Illinois.  Rivarly game is next.  Next up: @ Ohio State.
  14. Indiana (19-6).  A nice win over fading Illinois last week.  The Hoosiers continue to stay relevant.  Next up: Northwestern.
  15. Louisville (20-6).  Don’t let that loss to Syracuse fool you–this team is going to give someone fits in the Big Dance.  Very good defensive team.  Next up: @ DePaul.
  16. UNLV (22-5).  UNLV got the needed win against San Diego State.  But then gave it up in a road loss to TCU.  Next up: @ New Mexico.
  17. San Diego State (20-4).  The loss to UNLV stings.  But at least it was a road game.  Next up: New Mexico.
  18. Florida (19-6).  Tough week for Florida, losing to both Kentucky and Tennessee.  The latter was the big surprise.  Next up: @ Alabama.
  19. Notre Dame (17-8).  The Irish keep winning.  First they knocked off West Virginia, then they returned home to defeat DePaul.  Next up: Rutgers.
  20. Florida State (17-7).  That loss @ Boston College was a head scratcher.  The Seminoles are losing to the bad teams.  Next up: Virginia Tech.
  21. Virginia (19-6).  Having to play North Carolina after an emotional loss was tough.  Losing at Clemson was a bad sign.  Next up: Maryland.
  22. Murray State (24-1).  The loss to Tennessee State was bound to happen.  Is Murray State an at-large team if they lose in their tournament?  Next up: @ Southeast Missouri State.
  23. Gonzaga (20-4).  Gonzaga got back into the hunt with a win over St. Mary’s.  A two-game road trip looms.  Next up: @ Santa Clara.
  24. St. Mary’s (22-2).  The loss to Gonzaga drops them a bit, but there is plenty of time to keep working on the resume.  Next up: Loyola Marymount.
  25. Wichita State (22-4).  The big win over Creighton by 21 points was impressive.  Next up: Missouri State.
  26. New Mexico (20-4).  This is the big week for New Mexico.  They have games against San Diego State and UNLV.  Next up: @ San Diego State.
  27. Temple (19-5).  The Owls have a bunch of good wins.  And now they are stringing together conference wins.  Next up: @ St. Bonaventure.
  28. North Carolina State (18-7).  The Wolfpack have a good record.  This week is a brutal 3 day stretch involving a game at Duke and hosting Florida State.  Next up: @ Duke.
  29. Virginia Commonwealth (22-6).  Before the narrow defeat at George Mason, the Rams had won 11 straight.  They deserve some slack here.  Next up: Northern Iowa.
  30. Creighton (22-5).  Creighton is reeling now, having lost three in a row.  On the brink of leaving the rankings.  Next up: @ Southern Illinois.

Tell us what you think.  Is anyone unfairly missing?  Anyone too high or too low?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , ,
13 Feb 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: February 13, 2012

This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done.  Here is how we view the ACC basketball schools as of February 13, 2012:

1.  Syracuse (25-1)  It took overtime for Syracuse to beat Georgetown, but the Orange pulled away from UConn.  Up next is their nemesis: Louisville.

2. Duke (21-4)  A buzzer beater is still a win.  Duke was able to beat North Carolina on the road and then handle Maryland at home.Looked dominant in wins over Wake Forest and Maryland.  Next up?  Duke and Virginia.

3. North Carolina (21-4)  The loss to Duke was a disappointment.  The Tar Heels rebounded nicely in a win against Virginia.

4. Florida State (17-7)  Florida State is handling the good teams.  Unfortunately, it has been Clemson and Boston College that tripped them up.

5. Virginia (19-5)  The loss to the Tar Heels was not unexpected.  A road trip to Clemson awaits.

6. North Carolina State (18-7)  North Carolina State is making a nice run at the Big Dance.  The problem is that its games this week are against Duke (away) and Florida State (home).

7.  Miami (15-8)  Miami followed up the Duke win with a win over Virginia Tech.  But Florida State was too much for the Hurricanes.

8. Maryland (14-10)  Maryland is running short on opportunities to get the wins.  This week is Boston College (home) and Virginia (away).  The .500 weeks are not getting it done.

9. Pittsburgh (15-11)  The win over Villanova has faded.  The Panthers followed that up with road losses to USF and Seton Hall.

10.  Clemson (12-12)  Clemson split the week again, losing to Maryland and crushing Wake Forest.

11.  Virginia Tech (14-11)  The conference games have destroyed this team.  They finally had some luck against Boston College with a last second-win.

12. Boston College (8-17)  The win over Florida State has to be worth sliding up a few slots.  And they almost nipped Virginia Tech on the road.

13. Wake Forest (11-14) Not only is Wake Forest losing, they are getting blown out.  That is not going to get it done.

14. Georgia Tech (9-15)  Georgia Tech continues to struggle.  This season will end in disappointment, unfortunately.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
08 Feb 2012

Boston College Stuns Florida State

The Seminoles can blame it on the Confidential.  For weeks, Florida State has been surging.  The Confidential finally took notice and put Florida State at #3 in the ACC and #13 overall–and the next game result was a loss to lowly (sorry) Boston College, 64-60.

If you are keeping score at home, this means that Florida State has beaten Duke on the road and demolished North Carolina, but also lost to Clemson by 20 and now Boston College.  Needless to say, this is a very disappointing loss.

For Boston College, however, it is a bright spot in a season that has had very few of them.  Jordan Daniels led the Eagles with 19 points.  Matt Humphrey added 15 points and Ryan Anderson contributed 14 points and six rebounds.  With the win, Boston College improves to 3-7 in conference play and 8-16 overall.

Michael Snaer scored 16 points for Florida State, but struggled mightily from the field going 6 for 18. With the loss, Florida State drops to 7-2 in conference play and 16-7 overall.

In the other non-rivalry games involving ACC teams:

  • #20 Virginia handily defeated Wake Forest, 68-44.  Mike Scott led the five-players that scored in double-figures for the Cavs with 19 points on 9 of 9 shooting from the field.  Virginia’s stifling defense held Wake Forest to 34.1% shooting.  Travis McKie led Wake Forest with 16 points.  With the loss, Wake Forest drops to 11-13.  Virginia improves to 19-4.
  • Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak was snapped as South Florida continued its surprising season with a 63-51 win over the visiting Panthers.  The Bulls were led by Hugh Robertson’s 18 points.  The fact that South Florida shot 60.5% from the field certainly helped.  In contrast, Pitt was held to 34.6% shooting, led by Tray Woodall’s 11 points.  Pittsburgh is now 15-10 on the season and 4-8 in conference play.  South Florida is 14-10, including 7-4 in conference games.

Ryan Anderson, image courtesty of US Pressire and CBS Sports. Image can be found at http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gametracker/recap/NCAAB_20120208_FLST@BC

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Game Review and tagged , , , , , ,
08 Feb 2012
3 Comments

Rivalry Day Preview: February 8, 2012

February 8, 2012, is a big day for ACC hoops.

First, all five teams that are currently ranked play games tonight:

  • #2 Syracuse hosts #12 Georgetown
  • #5 North Carolina hosts #10 Duke
  • #15 Florida State travels to unranked Boston College
  • #19 Virginia hosts unranked Wake Forest

Second, this is rivalry week for ESPN purposes, as the Syracuse-Georgetown and North Carolina-Duke games will be on ESPN at 7pm and 9pm, respectively.  Actually, the full name of the evening is this mouthful: Wednesday Night Hoops presented by Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups as Part of Rivalry Week.

Third, these are not just rivalry games, but perhaps two of the best rivalries in all of college basketball.  USA Today has both of these has top 25 rivalries, although that list is far too slanted towards college football to be meaningful.  SB Nation’s list focuses on college basketball and gives a better appraisal.  Still, for long-time ACC fans, it is probably easy to look down on the Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry, as it just started in earnest with the formation of the Big East in 1979-1980.  In contrast, the Carolina schools have been hated rivals for much longer than that.  Plus, Syracuse is not quite in the ACC fold yet, and Georgetown is certainly not part of the ACC.  In contrast, Duke-North Carolina is a matchup of two ACC schools.

Fourth, Syracuse is expected to draw more than 30,000 fans to the game tonight.  North Carolina is certain to draw its capacity of 21,000+.  These are simply huge games.

Fifth, and finally, these two games feature 4 of the top 12 teams in college basketball.  And Georgetown is playing like a top 10 team of late.  All four teams still need statement games to show the tournament committee that they are deserving of the #1 overall seed, a #1 seed, or merely a top 3 seed.  And then there is conference tournament seeding.  So there is much more to play for than merely pride.

If you love college basketball and the ACC, tonight will be a great night.

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball and tagged , , , , , , ,

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