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@hokiesmash_ASD, one of the co-founders of All Sports Discussion, hopes his Virginia Tech Hokies will make the Washington, D.C. East Regional a week and a half from now, on March 29. Whether the Hokies actually make D.C. will depend on them, but for now, appreciate the crazy and interconnected possibilities of this regional, and how they relate to the previous instances this century in which the East Regional was held in the home of the Georgetown Hoyas.
This will be the third D.C.-based East Regional in the 21st century. The previous two were in 2006 and 2013.
The breakdown of East Regionals this century — 19 held thus far:
Syracuse’s Carrier Dome has hosted five East Regionals this century. Boston has hosted three. East Rutherford (the Meadowlands, now gone) hosted two. Madison Square Garden hosted two. Philadelphia hosted two. That’s 14 of 19 regionals.
Albany hosted one. Charlotte hosted one. Newark hosted one. That’s 17. Washington hosted the other two, with this next East Regional being the third in 20 held this century.
However, for all of this bracket’s defects and inertia-created components, I will give the committee this: The coaching-based storylines in this tournament are phenomenal. It is as though the committee bracketed the tournament not with any focus on fairness of matchups, but with total focus on coaching intrigue.
Richard Pitino against Louisville.
Johnny Dawkins of UCF could meet Coach K and Duke in round two.
Dana Altman could face Kansas State in round two.
Virginia could face Wisconsin — where Tony Bennett’s father, Dick, revitalized the Badgers and set the table for Bo Ryan’s extremely successful run — in the Sweet 16.
Another part of the coach-storyline drama at this NCAA Tournament includes the Washington, D.C. East Regional, where the potential exists for the continuation of a fascinating series of trends which includes coaches, but branches into teams crossing from one conference to another.
Get this: In the previous two Washington, D.C., East Regionals, Mark Turgeon OR Jim Larranaga coached, along with a man who won a Big East regular-season championship.
In 2006, Turgeon and Larranaga were both in D.C. The Big East-winning coach: Jim Calhoun of Connecticut.
In 2013, Larranaga was there with Miami. Jim Boeheim of Syracuse was there in the Orange’s final season as a member of the Big East.
In 2019, Michigan State will be favored to make D.C., but if Chris Mack and Louisville can pull the upset, Mack — who won the Big East regular-season title last year — could join Turgeon and Maryland in the Verizon Center.
You can’t make this stuff up… and there’s even more to this story.
Each of the previous two Washington, D.C. East Regionals this century have included:
A) at least THREE schools which switched conferences at some point this century;
B) a prominent basketball school which had existed in the Big East but now exists in another conference;
C) at least two coaches who eventually made the Sweet 16 at two separate programs.
D) a head coach who has spent at least 25 years at one school
Let’s go point by point to flesh out the details:
A) at least THREE schools which switched conferences at some point this century
The 2006 D.C. East Regional had UConn (Big East, now AAC); George Mason (Colonial, now Atlantic 10); and Wichita State (Missouri Valley, now AAC).
The 2013 D.C. East Regional had Syracuse (Big East, now ACC); Marquette (Conference USA, now Big East); and Miami (Big East, now ACC).
B) a prominent basketball school which had existed in the Big East but now exists in another conference
2006: UConn
2013: Syracuse
C) at least two coaches who eventually made the Sweet 16 at two separate programs
2006: Turgeon, who made the Sweet 16 at Wichita State and later did so at Maryland; Larranaga, at George Mason and then at Miami
2013: Larranaga; Tom Crean, at Marquette and then Indiana
D) a head coach who has spent at least 25 years at one school
2006: Jim Calhoun, UConn (1986-2012)
2013: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse (1976-present)
That might not be a mind-blowing set of facts, but it is fascinating that all those facts from the 2006 D.C. East Regional were replicated in the 2013 D.C. East Regional. It is a very particular set of facts to carry over to another regional, several years later, in the same place.
Guess what?
If Louisville and Maryland join Duke and Virginia Tech in the D.C. East Regional, the 2019 Washington, D.C. East Regional will replicate ALL of those facts AGAIN.
A) at least 3 schools which switched conferences in the 21st century: Virginia Tech (Big East to ACC), Maryland (ACC to Big Ten); and Louisville (C-USA to Big East to ACC)
B) a prominent basketball school which existed in the Big East but now exists in another conference: Louisville
C) at least two coaches who eventually made the Sweet 16 at two separate programs: Turgeon; Mack will join this list if Louisville gets there; and Buzz Williams, who will also join this list if Virginia Tech gets there.
D) a head coach who has been at his school for at least 25 years: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke (1980-present), if the Blue Devils make the Sweet 16
Speaking of Buzz Williams, if he makes this Sweet 16 in D.C., he will have coached in two of the three D.C. East Regionals this century, having coached in the 2013 edition with Marquette.
If Turgeon makes it with Maryland, he will have coached in two of the three D.C. East Regionals this century, having coached in the 2006 edition with Wichita State.
Larranaga won’t be here, meaning that after this regional ends, he will have coached in precisely two of the three D.C. East Regionals this century — in 2006 with George Mason, 2013 with Miami.
Here is something for our former ACC residents — in Maryland — to consider: In both the 2006 and 2013 D.C. East Regionals, the team located the closest to Washington, D.C. won the regional and moved to the Final Four: George Mason is based in nearby Virginia, and it won the regional in 2006. Syracuse was closer than Miami, Marquette, or Indiana in 2013, when it advanced to the Final Four.
If Maryland makes this regional, it will be the team closest to D.C.
Now you know way more about Washington, D.C. East Regionals than you ever thought possible. This is March.
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