The NCAA tournament went as most of followers of the ACC expected – with a couple of Sweet 16 teams, and then out of the NCAA tournament. If an ACC team was going to go further, only FSU was probably capable of that, but the Noles peaked in mid-January.
All of the issues we saw with FSU, that saw them lose 3 of their last 7 games were on display against Michigan. The turnovers, the lack of continuity on offense resulted in a double digit loss to the Wolverines where FSU never was really in the game.
FSU fans were understandably frustrated by a large foul discrepancy, but the Noles played so poorly it wouldn’t have mattered. Michigan’s backcourt dictated the entire game much the way Georgia Tech did in beating the Noles 2 out of 3 times. Michigan just did it with more size and a higher caliber of player overall.
Syracuse couldn’t handle the physical play of Houston, and with Buddy Boeheim cooling off also bowed out of the the NCAAs after an unexpected run to the Sweet 16.
We knew this would happen. ACC play told us. Clemson played their best basketball in December. Florida State lacked a true floor general. Virginia could go in long scoring droughts, and entered the NCAAs without practicing for a week. UNC had inconsistent guard play. The interior of Syracuse’s zone didn’t have a great low post defender, and it finally showed up against Houston. Virginia Tech lacked size. Georgia Tech had to play their opening NCAA game without ACC POY Moses Wright. We haven’t even got to the underachieving Duke and Louisville programs.
It was the culmination of several teams in transition. It was a bad year for ACC Basketball.
That’s a fact
What’s strange are hot-takes of the demise of ACC basketball based on one rough season.
Pull out your computer metrics if you wish, but in the last full season of college basketball of 2019, the ACC had 3 number 1 seeds, 5 Sweet 16 Teams, and the 2019 National Champion Virginia Cavaliers. Even last year the ACC had 4 teams ranked in the top 20 (Florida State, Duke, Louisville, and Virginia). The Seminoles were considered a very legitimate Final 4 threat.
Do you really think the ACC is in trouble because of 1 bad season?
Look at the 2021 recruiting rankings. Florida State signed a top 5 class. Louisville, Georgia Tech, Miami and NC State had top 25 classes. Duke and UNC signed small classes, but all 4 of their recruits were 4 and 5 start players.
There isn’t a coach in the ACC who hasn’t won an ACC Title or taken at least one team to the Sweet 16 other than Boston College’s newly hired Earl Grant.
You know about the Hall of Famers, but that’s as deep of coaching pedigree as you’ll find in college basketball.
ACC basketball will be back, and it might be as early as next year.
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