It's that time of year again.
And no, I'm not talking about pro baseball's spring training or the upcoming NFL Draft. It's early March and that can only mean one thing-the NCAA tournament is right around the corner.
First things first, though. The ACC tournament starts this weekend and several teams are fighting for their playoff lives. Duke and Maryland are locks for the field of 64, but there are other considerations for both teams.
Pending disaster in Charlotte, the Blue Devils are likely to be a No. 1 seed in the East region. Nevertheless, Duke will be looking to send a message to the rest of the basketball world with a dominating performance in the tournament.
Maryland, on the other hand, is likely a No. 5 seed right now, but it could move up to a No. 4 or 3 with a strong performance at the ACCs.
The Terrapins have been on a roll in the last six weeks, something the selection committee keeps close tabs on. They recovered from an abysmal 0-3 start to finish in second place, posting an 11-5 conference record.
Still, because Maryland dropped a heartbreaker to Virginia to close out the regular season, it will have to be impressive this weekend.
"We can really help ourselves by playing well," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "We want as many ACC teams in as possible. I'd like to see five teams get in, but each team has to take care of its own business."
After Duke and Maryland, the picture becomes a little less clear. Well, sort of. Clemson, Georgia Tech and Florida State all get a chance to go on early vacations. I hear the Bahamas are nice this
The addition of the Entertainment Sports Arena has been great for N.C. State and its fans this year. The facilities accommodate over 19,000 fans. There are state-of-the-art locker rooms, shower rooms and team meeting rooms.
More importantly, the ESA allows State to host a couple of NIT games in Raleigh, provided it can manage to stick around for a couple rounds.
The Wolfpack started the season on a high note, posting a 12-2 record against the likes of Stetson, Yale and Liberty.
The hot streak extended into early conference play as State began 4-2 in the ACC, with one of those losses coming in overtime to Duke. Things quickly went from feast to famine for the Wolfpack, however, as it finished with a 6-10 conference record. Barring a miracle run in the conference tournament, State's hopes of an NCAA invite were effectively dashed.
"We just have to focus on the present," N.C. State coach Herb Sendek said. "The regular season is over and now we just have to worry about the ACC tournament."
Translation: We're not very good, but please come see us play in this year's NIT.
North Carolina's Bill Guthridge is the coach of the year, if you happen to be from Duke or Maryland. "Gut," as he is affectionately called by players and friends, has taken a team of five McDonald's All-Americans and led them to a relatively disappointing 18-12 record (9-7 in the ACC).
For the second consecutive season the Tar Heels were swept in the season series with Duke. They were also swept by Virginia in the regular season for the first time since 1980.
Sure,
The Tar Heels have now finished at least third in the conference for a record 36 consecutive years and will likely earn their 26th straight NCAA tournament bid, but they can look forward to another early-round exit.
Regarding the aforementioned Cavaliers, they should receive an NCAA invite after notching 19 wins in the regular season. Sure, their preseason schedule was cupcake city, but remember what former Arlington basketball coach Bob LeGrand said.
"A lot of coaches are interested in upgrading their schedules," he explained. "I'd rather schedule teams I can beat so I can improve my record and keep my job."
Not only will Pete Gillen keep his job, he could be rewarded with postseason coaching honors. He guided a Virginia team that finished dead last in the conference a year ago to a 9-7 mark and a third-place finish.
Another team on the bubble is Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons finished the regular season fifth in the conference at 7-9, but they looked impressive in their win against Virginia in the Deacons' regular-season finale.
Plus, four of the last seven teams in the ACC to post a similar conference record have gone on to the NCAA tournament. Still, the Demon Deacons have to get at least one W in the ACC tournament to have a chance.
More than likely, though, they'll stay home and Duke, Maryland, Virginia and Carolina will represent the ACC at the Big Dance.
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