Ohhh Dukies...

[major-tom]

Isn't Duke and NC losing on the same day one of the seven signs of the apocalypse? Naw, maybe not so suprising this year.

[billay]

Oh my god these kids are bad.

[Timmypg]

if not now, they will be firmly on the bubble - these L are at home, still alot of tough road games ahead. ESPN hoops analyst forecasted them at 50/50 to make the tourney as of now.

 

like Det Said, a bit of a re-tooling year, I haven't watched a ton of UNC this year, but their backcourt looks brutal- looks like Drew a bust to me

 

as for Dook- they are getting exposed as well, I don't see them making any kind of run in the tourney either

 

GT is playing well, but ACC seems to be down some this year

 

I don't see them going far either. I'm hoping for next year if Singler comes back. A top PG plus Curry with Singler, Smith, both Plumlee's, & Dawson should help.

[detlef]

Ya, I was about to post last night but then Duke got crushed.

 

How many losses before UNC enters bubble territory? I'm not busting chops here I'm really curious.

The only thing they have going for them right now, in terms of resume, is that 3 of those losses are against elite teams. That means 10 or less wins and they're a lock (which will be really tough unless they pull their heads out), 11 or 12 they've got a better chance than most teams with that many. I recall a Georgia team that lost something like 14 but got in because their schedule was so brutal.

 

Then, of course, there's the name. Regardless, they need to figure some chight out or they have no business being there anyway.

[Timmypg]

Some really good games tomorrow. Duke-Gtown, Kansas-Kansas St, & Kentucky-Vandy to name a few.

[detlef]

Wow, the ACC is just not as good as the Big East. Duke is either the best or about the best we've got and that was just not close at all.

[Timmypg]

Well Duke got humiliated. I'm hoping Coach K decided in the second half to use this game as focus point for the rest of the year. He wouldn't go zone or change anything even though they were getting crushed down low. I hope Coach K uses this to improve.

[whoopazz]

Wow, the ACC is just not as good as the Big East. Duke is either the best or about the best we've got and that was just not close at all.

 

Georgetown might be the fourth best team in the Big East...probably not.

[Timmypg]

Wow, the ACC is just not as good as the Big East. Duke is either the best or about the best we've got and that was just not close at all.

 

1 game doesn't make a conference better. Heck, UNC beat MSU but that doesn't mean the ACC is better then the Big Ten.

 

That being said the Big East is better. Just not THAT much better.

[detlef]

1 game doesn't make a conference better. Heck, UNC beat MSU but that doesn't mean the ACC is better then the Big Ten.

 

That being said the Big East is better. Just not THAT much better.

They're THAT much better. Not because of that game. That game was just a rather glaring example. They were better last year with the exception of 1 ACC team :clearing throat: and they're significantly better this year. It would have been no prettier had Duke played 'Nova (remember how that played out last time?) or 'Cuse, or likely WVU.

[wildcat2334]

They're THAT much better. Not because of that game. That game was just a rather glaring example. They were better last year with the exception of 1 ACC team :clearing throat: and they're significantly better this year. It would have been no prettier had Duke played 'Nova (remember how that played out last time?) or 'Cuse, or likely WVU.

 

 

+ 1

 

the Big East is so tough and deep this year it is ridiculous.

 

The Big East this year is MUCH better than the ACC

 

granted being a 16 team super conference they should be better, but the quality at the top is legit

 

I watch a ton of college hoops and night in and night out the top tier BE teams are playing a different game than everyone else not named KU or UK

[Gopher]

On one hand, it's really not that surprising that the Big East is as dominant as it is... their 2005 "merger" is the equivalent of combining the ACC and one half of the SEC, for example, or at least taking some of the better basketball programs from both. That said, I agree that this year, they might be even further ahead of the rest of the nation than they were the last couple of seasons. I don't think we'll see three #1 seeds out of the conference again this year, but it is realistic that they could have two #1's and two #2's. And the depth in the conference doesn't stop there. Put it this way... I think there are about 8-10 teams right now who could realistically get to the Final Four, or beyond, without much surprise. Nearly half of those teams are in the Big East. If you take it one step further, the conference appears to basically be a shoe-in for at least seven NCAA berths... maybe as many as 8 or 9. Of the teams that do make the tournament, nearly all of them should be first-round favorites (seed-wise as well as in Vegas), and it won't be surprising to see 5-6 teams from the Big East make the Sweet 16.

 

Nova looks solid once again, Syracuse might be the best team in the country (much less the conference), and I severely underestimated Georgetown when I said they didn't impress me much back in November. The Hoyas do seem to be a bit of a Jekyl and Hyde team, though... they're either lights out or they struggle. Still, with a solid and experienced backcourt, combined with the two bigs (Monroe and Vaughn), they're the type of team that can give anybody trouble when they're shooting well because they will always play tough on the defensive side. Haven't had as many chances to see West Virginia, but what I have seen has been solid. Pitt, Cinci, and Louisville are all dangerous teams, and I still think it's a bit too early to count out Notre Dame, UConn, and Marquette completely, although all three have some serious work to be done in order to climb back into NCAA contention.

 

As far as the ACC goes, from what I've seen, the conference appears to be very balanced... maybe even moreso than normal. They just don't have the typical 1-2 teams that are serious Final Four threats, like we've seen from the UNC, Wake, and Duke teams in the past. That said, it seems like literally anybody can beat anybody, on any given night. It will definitely be interesting to see how the conference standings play out over the next six weeks, as well as how the conference tournament unfolds. They should get 6-7 seeds in the big dance, but I wouldn't be surprised to see no #1 or #2 seeds, maybe even no #3's, depending on whether or not the rest of the conference can beat up on Duke or not. Although not the strongest conference this year, I think the ACC is the most balanced conference in the country, top to bottom... I would not be surprised at all to see one of the current bottom-dwellers (VTech, NC State, or even Miami) make a run and get back above .500, make a serious run in the conference tournament, or even make the NCAA tournament

[detlef]

As far as the ACC goes, from what I've seen, the conference appears to be very balanced... maybe even moreso than normal. They just don't have the typical 1-2 teams that are serious Final Four threats, like we've seen from the UNC, Wake, and Duke teams in the past. That said, it seems like literally anybody can beat anybody, on any given night. It will definitely be interesting to see how the conference standings play out over the next six weeks, as well as how the conference tournament unfolds. They should get 6-7 seeds in the big dance, but I wouldn't be surprised to see no #1 or #2 seeds, maybe even no #3's, depending on whether or not the rest of the conference can beat up on Duke or not. Although not the strongest conference this year, I think the ACC is the most balanced conference in the country, top to bottom... I would not be surprised at all to see one of the current bottom-dwellers (VTech, NC State, or even Miami) make a run and get back above .500, make a serious run in the conference tournament, or even make the NCAA tournament

Um, Va Tech is not one of the three bottom dwellers at the moment...

 

As for balanced, that may be true, but it's the same crap they're selling with ACC football. Sure, the bottom is capable of beating the top on a given night but I think that says much more about how weak the top is than how strong the bottom is. There are currently two teams that are about as good as they're supposed to be right now, Duke and G Tech. Unfortunately, both were supposed to be pretty good but not great and both are well, pretty good but not great. Well, that's not fair, UVA was supposed to suck and they're actually decent. So, there you go, there's your one pleasant surprise for the ACC. Both Clemson and UNC have no business being as bad as they are. FSU was advertised as better than they are. The rest? They're all about as OK or bad as we expected. If the ACC gets in 7, that'll be a joke and I would fully expect 5 to bow out day one.

[Gopher]

Um, Va Tech is not one of the three bottom dwellers at the moment...

 

As for balanced, that may be true, but it's the same crap they're selling with ACC football. Sure, the bottom is capable of beating the top on a given night but I think that says much more about how weak the top is than how strong the bottom is. There are currently two teams that are about as good as they're supposed to be right now, Duke and G Tech. Unfortunately, both were supposed to be pretty good but not great and both are well, pretty good but not great. Well, that's not fair, UVA was supposed to suck and they're actually decent. So, there you go, there's your one pleasant surprise for the ACC. Both Clemson and UNC have no business being as bad as they are. FSU was advertised as better than they are. The rest? They're all about as OK or bad as we expected. If the ACC gets in 7, that'll be a joke and I would fully expect 5 to bow out day one.

Yeah, I didn't mention UNC as a bottom-dweller since I don't think anyone would be surprised if they made a run to finish the season, or in the conference tournament. They obviously have plenty of young talent which hasn't played up to its potential. I'm not predicting that they will turn things around, but it wouldn't be a total shock, either. As a whole, UNC is much less than the sum of its parts, I guess you could say.

 

I agree with what you said, and want to clarify that my comment about the ACC being balanced isn't necessarily a good thing. All I was trying to say is that I really don't think there is much of a difference between the top four teams in the standings and the bottom four. That's somewhat unusual, to say the least. Look at the Big East... Top four are legitimate Final Four contenders (combined 30-6 in conference and currently all ranked in the top 7-8 in the country), while the bottom four are 8-29 in conference. Meanwhile, in the ACC, everybody has at least two wins... The only other "major" conference that can say that is the Pac-10, which may be the second most balanced conference (once again, not necessarily a good thing).

 

I think you're selling the ACC a little bit short, though. Granted, they're not where they would like to be, in terms of having at least one legitimate championship contender. But, I still think there are a handful of teams in that conference that are fairly solid... I see them getting at least six bids, and would not be that shocked if they send a couple of teams to the Sweet 16, or even a representative to the Elite 8. I don't see anybody getting much further than that, but you never know. I know that's not what the conference is used to, but it could be worse.

[detlef]

Yeah, I didn't mention UNC as a bottom-dweller since I don't think anyone would be surprised if they made a run to finish the season, or in the conference tournament. They obviously have plenty of young talent which hasn't played up to its potential. I'm not predicting that they will turn things around, but it wouldn't be a total shock, either. As a whole, UNC is much less than the sum of its parts, I guess you could say.

 

I agree with what you said, and want to clarify that my comment about the ACC being balanced isn't necessarily a good thing. All I was trying to say is that I really don't think there is much of a difference between the top four teams in the standings and the bottom four. That's somewhat unusual, to say the least. Look at the Big East... Top four are legitimate Final Four contenders (combined 30-6 in conference and currently all ranked in the top 7-8 in the country), while the bottom four are 8-29 in conference. Meanwhile, in the ACC, everybody has at least two wins... The only other "major" conference that can say that is the Pac-10, which may be the second most balanced conference (once again, not necessarily a good thing).

 

I think you're selling the ACC a little bit short, though. Granted, they're not where they would like to be, in terms of having at least one legitimate championship contender. But, I still think there are a handful of teams in that conference that are fairly solid... I see them getting at least six bids, and would not be that shocked if they send a couple of teams to the Sweet 16, or even a representative to the Elite 8. I don't see anybody getting much further than that, but you never know. I know that's not what the conference is used to, but it could be worse.

We should have known it was going to be ugly when we lost the challenge for the first time to that sad-sack conference up north...

[Gopher]

We should have known it was going to be ugly when we lost the challenge for the first time to that sad-sack conference up north...

Yeah... When that happened, I had my doubts, but was hoping that maybe it was a reflection of an "improved" Big Ten. After watching a lot of Big Ten play, though, I'm not so sure that's the case. Ohio State is much improved, thanks to NPOY candidate Evan Turner, and Wisconsin has been a nice surprise, but prior to last night, nobody was really giving MSU any competition at all for the conference title. It will be interesting to see how the Spartans get by without Lucas for a while... They're deep enough to survive without him, but he's obviously still a pretty big loss. Meanwhile, Illinois and Minnesota have apparently taken a step backwards (after looking at Miami's schedule, I determined that Minnesota was Miami's only decent non-conference win, so their 14-0 non-conference record is really nothing to be impressed with), Michigan is THE MOST unpredictable team in the country, and Penn State sucks once again.

 

Basically, the 2 through 4 teams in the Big Ten might be slightly better (Wisconsin and OSU are better, while Purdue is about the same) than last year, which combined with a down ACC, helped the Big Ten win the inter-conference challenge. But, I think teams 5-11 are worse than before, which means the Big Ten will be lucky to get five bids this year.

 

I'll save the rest of my analysis of the field of 65 for another thread, and let this one get back to it's original intent... Bashing of the Blue Devils.

[Timmypg]

Any UNC fans up for a sig bet?

[billay]

Any UNC fans up for a sig bet?

As bleak as it looks, I am obliged to stand up for my alma mater. Same deal as usual? Loser wears winners avy until the next matchup?

 

Who knows, this game is in Chapel Hill and the Heels have underachieved so badly, maybe they have an upset in them somewhere.

[Timmypg]

As bleak as it looks, I am obliged to stand up for my alma mater. Same deal as usual? Loser wears winners avy until the next matchup?

 

Who knows, this game is in Chapel Hill and the Heels have underachieved so badly, maybe they have an upset in them somewhere.

 

Sounds good.

[Timmypg]

Well Billay I give you credit as being the only UNC fan man enough to step up.

 

It was a great game. Much closer then the final score shows.

 

http://friarsbasketball.files.wordpress.co...1/duke_logo.jpg is your avy. If that doesn't work any similar one is fine.

[electricrelish]

As bleak as it looks, I am obliged to stand up for my alma mater. Same deal as usual? Loser wears winners avy until the next matchup?

 

Who knows, this game is in Chapel Hill and the Heels have underachieved so badly, maybe they have an upset in them somewhere.

 

Thanks for taking one for the team. Tough loss tonight. Tough season all around.

[billay]

Well Billay I give you credit as being the only UNC fan man enough to step up.

 

It was a great game. Much closer then the final score shows.

 

http://friarsbasketball.files.wordpress.co...1/duke_logo.jpg is your avy. If that doesn't work any similar one is fine.

Yeah, the heels were competitive. It helped that the Dookies didn;t shoot very well. Ed Davis had a terrible game last night. I'm not sure what's going on with him these days.

 

Anyway, hats off to the Dookies. Scheyer and Singler really showed their moxie.

[Timmypg]

I'm not taking pot shots I just haven't watched UNC much but can anyone besides Graves shoot 3's? Their misses last night weren't even close.

[billay]

I'm not taking pot shots I just haven't watched UNC much but can anyone besides Graves shoot 3's? Their misses last night weren't even close.

Not really. Travis Wear can shoot, but he was out with an injury. Henson can shoot too, but his release is so slow, he has to be really open.

[billay]

Man, from bad to worse. Ed Davis has a broke bone in his wrist. He's done for the year. Zeller out. T. Wear out. Now Ed Davis. It's just not meant to be for the Heels this year.