Cooley's Subtle Shot to ACC

[Jet915]

Coach K lights up the A-10:

"I'll get in trouble probably for saying it. Like the Atlantic 10, they're a really good conference. I hear people saying there are six teams in there. Come on. I mean, they're good, but put them in our conference and go through the meat grinder that our conference has to go through. But really ... our league should get more respect. The fact that Pitt comes in here and people are saying they have to do something, come on. Come on, man. I don't get it"

Don't know what Coach K is talking about but the ACC was weak this year. 5 good teams and the rest was pretty much trash. Kinda similar to the A-10. The Big XII, Big Ten, Big East and Pac-12 were much tougher conferences top to bottom than the ACC, A-10 and American.

[redmen9194]

If you want to argue that your conference deserves more bids that's fine. But it's really low class for a like coach K to try to trash other confetences. Desperation for a league that is still trying to chase the legacy of the Big East.

[LeMoyne00]

Coach K goes out and says the ACC is under valued and the ACC is working on a scheduling agreement with the A-10 and booom they both get great seeds and all the benefit of the doubt... LOL

I made a comment earlier about how I thought the power conferences would try and redefine "mid-major" ... well message sent to the American, Big East, and Mountain West ... all get terrible seedings and/or left out teams! The 6th seed in the A-10 is a 6th seed in the NCAA Tourney? REALLY? wow...

[Jet915]

Coach K goes out and says the ACC is under valued and the ACC is working on a scheduling agreement with the A-10 and booom they both get great seeds and all the benefit of the doubt... LOL

I made a comment earlier about how I thought the power conferences would try and redefine "mid-major" ... well message sent to the American, Big East, and Mountain West ... all get terrible seedings and/or left out teams! The 6th seed in the A-10 is a 6th seed in the NCAA Tourney? REALLY? wow...

The only reason they are working on a scheduling agreement is because they went to get into Barclay's in 2017 cause Cuse can't like going to Greensboro.

[ruechalgrin]

The 6 A-10 teams Coach K dissed were 8-2 versus the ACC this year and all 10 games were played road/neutral (meaning zero at home for the A-10 and if you have seen kenpom's analysis, you know road games are much harder to win and should count much more -- win versus #40 rpi team on the road is like beating #1 neutral). He will argue that many of the wins were versus the bottom of the ACC, but that is because the ACC will not schedule A-10 teams. BTW, with his logic VCU would have won the ACC because they beat VA at VA.

Although the Big East may have a legitimate gripe this year about the BE versus the A-10, the ACC has nothing. I really question Pitt and NC State and think Georgetown and St. John's are better. Coach K comes off as a complete whiner.

Oh btw, Duke played its first road game on January 14, 2014 for the 2013-2014 season which was a conference road game at ND. Are you kidding?!?!?!? Zero out of conference road games/wins?

[XUFan09]

I know it can't actually happen, but I much prefer facing NC State in the play-in game to facing St. John's or Georgetown.

I just hope Xavier can do their due diligence by soundly beating them.

[ruechalgrin]

I know it can't actually happen, but I much prefer facing NC State in the play-in game to facing St. John's or Georgetown.

I just hope Xavier can do their due diligence by soundly beating them.

Chris Mack and team will have them prepared, I have probably more respect for his coaching abilities than the Xavier fan base (still don't like him for the inbounds pass while he played for Evansville and the A-10/BE comments).

It will be an electric atmosphere with 1/3rd loud Xavier fans and 2/3rds not so loud Dayton fans (rooting for NC State). And agree with you, if I were X, I rather play NC State than St. John's or Georgetown.

[mpwalsh8]

I know it can't actually happen, but I much prefer facing NC State in the play-in game to facing St. John's or Georgetown.

I just hope Xavier can do their due diligence by soundly beating them.

I've been to quite a few NC State games this season and seen more on TV. No doubt in my mind that Xavier is a better team than NC State. NC State would probably beat Georgetown but would have their hands full with St. John's.

There is some talent on the team but IMNSHO, NC State is most fragile at the point and that is where Xavier should look to exploit them. Tyler Lewis has been starting lately but Cat Barber has been playing more. Barber is a talented and very quick freshman but makes mistakes which is why he lost his starting slot after taking it away from Lewis midway through the season. Lewis is ok on offense but he cannot keep a quick guard in front of him and he is only 5'11" on a good day. There is no way he can stay with Semaj. Barber is quick enough but will almost certainly turn the ball over more than NC State can afford to.

TJ Warren is phenomenal and can create his own shot. Slow him down, like Duke did on Saturday, and for the most part you slow down NC State.

I was surprised to see NC State during the selection show and even more surprised to see that they might have been in and Providence out had Providence not won the BET. I texted one of my buddies who went to NC State and he had zero expectations of them getting in and wasn't even watching the selection show! A lot of NC State fans were very surprised to see their name called.

Video of the NC State players after the announcement: http://www.gopack.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031614aaa.html

The fact that the team was by themselves and not with a bunch of fans pretty much indicates they weren't expecting a bid. Contrast that with the SMU video. Pack Pride is the primary NC State forum (http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=178&f=2515&t=12743382&p=16) - be careful, there are a lot of fans with a very inflated view of NC State's relevance. As you would expect, there is a lot of UNC bashing too.

[XUFan09]

Wow, "inflated view" is right. It's also funny how few of them acknowledge that they're really lucky to be there, as if they deserved it so much because they went .500 in the ACC. Easily the worst at-large team in the dance. Kenpom ranking of 66 and the next worst is Dayton at 53. Second worst RPI at 55, right in front of Iowa at 56.

[stever20]

It was NC State or SMU pretty clear in that. If SMU beats Houston or Syracuse beats NC State, they aren't in Dayton.