Before we move on to the college basketball feast that is the NCAA Tournament, I want to look back at the ACC Tournament. Ned Barnett of the News & Observer rightly points out that the timing of the tournament final, just a few hours before the NCAA brackets are revealed, makes it easy to overlook the champ. Well, not here. I couldn’t be more excited about the Big Dance, but it can wait one more day.
I think I’ll just do a quick rundown of each team and how they did and what it means for them now.

Starting at the top…
Duke – Congrats to the Blue Devils for winning their sixth title in seven years. Despite the claims of some, it’s not a shock that they won. It’s never a shock when Duke wins, but it was impressive nonetheless. What’s particularly interesting is that Duke didn’t really look great in any of the games. They never put Virginia away in round one. They trailed NC State at the half in the semis and they almost blew a late 13 point lead in the finals. Redick was spectacular on Saturday and Sunday, but on the flip side Melchionni turned back into a pumpkin.
It’s really hard to know what to do with this team for my tourney picks. They don’t seem to win with ease, but they do just keep on winning. I haven’t convinced myself that they are a Final Four team yet, but I hate to pick against them. I’ll have to think more about this.
For you Duke haters, this is pretty funny.
Georgia Tech – I think they have to be the happiest of all the teams. They played very well in all three games and finally looked like the team everyone thought they would be. You know what the key was? Not the return and reintegration of B.J. Elder, but the inspired play of Luke Schenscher. He played great, particularly against Carolina.
The Yellow Jackets don’t need Big Red to score a ton or even rebound a ton, but they do need him active. When he’s scoring a little here, rebounding a bit there and blocking a few shots, they are a completely different team. The difference is most noticeable on defense, where they’ve been lacking this year. Adding him in is like putting the keystone in stone bridge. It’s just one rock, but when you place in there, the structure goes from a fragile hunk of stones to a sturdy arc that can last centuries. Notice that Tech nearly won the title without Elder doing much at all on the weekend.
I hope the big Aussie keeps up his good play in the tourney. If you remember, it was his play that made the difference for them last year as well. They won’t go to the finals again (lightening doesn’t strike twice), but they could make the Sweet Sixteen.
North Carolina – Not a great tourney for them. They nearly gagged to a surprisingly game Clemson team and then were taken out by the hot Jackets. McCants looked good, but for some reason May lost his focus. Maybe it’s just too hard to keep up that intensity that he’s had the last several weeks.
I said a while back that I wanted to see them in some close games to see their heart. They’ve proven the heart, but now they’re in too many close games. Their talent will help them cruise to the second week, but they need to get sharper.

NC State – Yet another great tourney for Herb Sendek’ Wolfpack. He’s like an idiot savant. His teams are mediocre throughout the season and then catch fire in the ACC Tournament. It makes sense doesn’t it? He’s not much of a people person and has a pretty bland personality. Instead of being able to count toothpicks, he has an unnatural feel for ACC Tournament games. Time for Wapner.
For State fans, it was a conflicting turn of events. Of course they want their team to win, but there’s no way that Sendek will be fired now. A Phyrric victory?
Wake Forest – It’s hard to know what to say about them. Considering the stakes, drama and play of State, I’d say the loss doesn’t mean much. It just means they get a little more rest before the NCAAs. I’m still not convinced they play enough defense to win four games though. Don’t believe the hype.
Nice suit for Chris Paul though. Anyone wonder where he got the cash for a suit like that?
Clemson – They played some strong basketball at the end of the season. If Oliver Purnell can get some talent in there, it’s looking like he has something going on. Clemson is a tough place to sustain success, but it they have some reason to be optimistic in Tigerland.
Virginia – A nice ending to Pete Gillen’s Virginia career. His team fought for him at the end, which says a lot. I don’t think any Virgina fans think ill of Gillen. He just can’t cut it at this level.
Virginia Tech – That wasn’t a terribly good way to end things, was it? While I didn’t buy, many people seemed to think that they were still on the bubble. You’d like to see a team step up in that situation.
Speaking of Maryland…
Maryland – What is there to say? This team needs to be blown up. Maybe the Terps can buy some heart and attitude on eBay.
Miami – Like Virginia Tech, they were on the outside of the bubble and probably should have played better. Actually, to be fair, they didn’t really play that poorly, but they didn’t execute at the end. Like the Hokies though, the Canes are playing with house money at this point. There’s no way for this season to be seen as anything but a success.
Florida State – Spring football is just around the corner!