How big is tonight’s ACC Tournament Final Four? You have to mix-and-match the best two ACC Tournaments played since 1954 to approximate what we’re going to see tonight in terms of quality – with the nation’s #2, #3, #5 and #12 teams matching up.
The 1974 tournament is the one we remember because of the final between #1 NC State, which went on to win the national title, and #4 Maryland, which famously didn’t make the NCAA Tournament after losing the game, in an era when only the conference champion made the Big Dance, then refused an NIT bid.
That ACC Final Four also featured sixth-ranked North Carolina, which lost to Maryland in the semis.
The reason that one doesn’t match up to tonight: the fourth wheel was unranked Virginia, which had a losing record (finishing 11-16).
Then, on to 1995, which had four teams ranked in the top 11 nationally – #4 UNC, #7 Wake Forest, #10 Maryland and #11 UVA.
Which, that’s four in the top 11, and tonight is four in the top 12.
But: the best was #4, and two had double-digit numbers.
Parsing hairs, yes, but, still.
Tonight, you see three in the top 5, and a Florida State team, at #11, is 26-6, and most years would be a squad we’d be talking about being ranked a lot higher.
For what it’s worth, my colleague, Scott German, and I bumped into FSU coach Leonard Hamilton in the elevator in the media hotel this afternoon, and Scott said to the coach, Tonight might be bigger than the actual Final Four.
Hamilton’s response: “That’s what they’re saying.”
Have fun tonight. We will.
Column by Chris Graham
Augusta Free Press coverage of the 2019 ACC Tournament is presented by Bear Creek. Serving Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and surrounding communities, Bear Creek provides a hassle-free process to help homeowners create outdoor living spaces that bring people together. Schedule a consultation at BearCreek.co.
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