All season, the ACC got beat up, and the NCAA Selection Committee listened.
Five teams got in from the ACC, with Pitt sitting outside looking in.
As we move to week two of the NCAA Tournament, the ACC stands at 8-1. Only offensively challenged Virginia lost, and that came in the First Four.
North Carolina, Duke, Clemson, and Cinderella, North Carolina State have made it to the Sweet 16.
All four have made four unique impressions.
The Tar Heels made quick work of Wagner and then flexed their muscles against Tom Izzo and Michigan State after a slow start.
Duke fought off a popular upset pick in Vermont and then dominated James Madison for 40 minutes.
Clemson faced the Mountain West Tournament winner, New Mexico. The Lobos were on many radars because they had won one of the toughest conference tournaments this season, but that was no match for Clemson, which didn’t let New Mexico’s in-your-face defense bother them.
The Tigers followed that up with one of the most impressive wins of the tournament over the three-seed Baylor Bears.
North Carolina State and their lovable big man, D.J. Burns Jr., soundly beat Texas Tech. The Wolfpack channeled their inner 1983 with a win over Oakland where every bounce had to go their win to pull out the win.
All four have their challenges coming in the next round.
Alabama’s frenetic pace has made the Tide a shiek pick over North Carolina.
Duke’s next opponent has the best half-court defense in a generation. Houston lives and dies by the whistle. If the refs let them play, it could be a long night for the Blue Devils. No one wants to hear this, but if the referees call the game tight, Duke will likely take out the number one seed.
Clemson will face Arizona in Los Angeles. Playing the Wildcats is hard enough, but playing them in their Pac-12 backyard should make the game even tougher.
North Carolina State will go up against Shaka Smart’s Marquette version of Havoc. Could they be the first team to tire out a North Carolina State team that hasn’t lost in a week and a half?
The ACC wanted to send a message, and they’ve done that better than any conference has ever done.
