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ACC QUESTION of the WEEK : How many ACC teams will make the Final Four?
In ACC country, the Final Four is serious business at Duke, North Carolina and Virginia. It would be a dream come true for Florida State and Virginia Tech.
Duke and Virginia Tech will play an ACC — err, wait a minute — NCAA regional semifinal on Friday in Washington, D.C. Florida State gets a Sweet 16 rematch with Gonzaga in Southern California — this time in Anaheim and not Los Angeles. North Carolina faces Auburn in the Indianapolis 500 of college basketball games. Virginia plays either UC-Irvine or Oregon, which were still playing at the time this article was written.
Virginia Tech beat Duke earlier this season. Duke didn’t have Zion Williamson, Virginia Tech didn’t have Justin Robinson. This is not a cakewalk for Duke, especially since the Blue Devils’ perimeter shooting problems were laid bare against UCF. I can certainly envision Virginia Tech winning this game. Hokie fans certainly can.
The problem for the Hokies? Duke survived. Duke endured an opponent’s best game and was fortunate UCF couldn’t make a few very attainable plays in the final minutes.
Generally, when a great team escapes an NCAA Tournament game, its next game delivers a top-flight performance. That is why it is especially hard to pick against Duke in this situation. The Blue Devils are still a solid favorite in the East Regional in D.C.
Virginia plays a double-digit seed in the Sweet 16 and, assuming it can win there, will play an Elite Eight game against a good team. Tennessee’s offense would be tougher for Virginia to cover. Purdue would probably be an easier team for Virginia to lock down. Tennessee would put up a challenge, but if Virginia does get to the Elite Eight, the Cavaliers would be supremely motivated. They might play flawed basketball, but they will not be outworked or outhustled. The South Region is Virginia’s to lose.
North Carolina is the most interesting case. The matchup with Auburn is dangerous but favorable, since Auburn’s preferred playing style is also Carolina’s preferred style. UNC never met a game in which it didn’t love to run the floor. It should advance to Sunday in the Midwest Regional. The problem might come then.
Kentucky and North Carolina have played in multiple regional finals this decade. North Carolina won in 2017 with the better team but was pushed to the wire. Kentucky won as a lower seed in 2011. A huge question mark is the health of Kentucky’s P.J. Washington. If he is unable to play, the Tar Heels would receive a big boost. If he plays and is reasonably effective, Kentucky would have depth and size to bother the Tar Heels in the paint. UNC to the Final Four is a 50-50 proposition at this point.
Florida State had to play Gonzaga and Michigan to make the Final Four last year. Up first in the West Regional is Gonzaga. Michigan or Texas Tech would be next. FSU-Gonzaga feels like a dead-even game. Florida State has components and qualities which can bother Gonzaga, as seen last year in the Sweet 16. FSU could do the deed again.
Yet, Gonzaga is much better this year than last year. Gonzaga had this game circled on Selection Sunday. It is hard to get past the notion that the Zags will play at a high level. They figure to be prepared.
I feel comfortable picking two ACC teams — Duke and Virginia — to the Final Four. Carolina could easily be third, and Florida State has a real chance in its own right.
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