Following a huge win Saturday over Duke, Armando Bacot had this to say: “The ACC runs through me.”
Here’s Bacot after Clemson ran through and over UNC, winning 80-76 Tuesday in Chapel Hill: “We’re not talented enough to turn it on and off whenever we want to.”
That’s backtracking at its best.
The turnaround from Saturday evening to tip-off Tuesday was short, and for extended periods of time in the first half against Clemson, the Tar Heels looked, well, uninterested.
UNC trailed by as many as 16, cut it to nine at the break, thanks to back-to-back three-pointers in the final 90 seconds of the first half.
North Carolina rallied in the second half to knot the game at 70 with just over four minutes left, but became sloppy with the ball, and the Tigers pounced on the opportunity, closing out the game on a 10-6 run.
Clemson lost its first 59 games played in Chapel Hill before winning there for the first time in 2020.
The win means the final month of ACC play will be like a roller-coaster ride.
ACC race is wide open
North Carolina still leads the conference with a 10-2 record, but Virginia, yes, Virginia, is right on Carolina’s heels with a 9-3 ledger.
Duke, currently in third place, hosts Notre Dame tonight and Boston College Saturday.
The Blue Devils could make up some ground quickly.
The only certainty in the conference this season is there are known uncertainties.
Already this season, UNC has lost at Georgia Tech, and last night in the Dean Dome to a desperate Clemson squad.
Pitt, which two games earlier was destroyed at home by Duke, went into Cameron Indoor Stadium and beat Duke, with players dancing on the scorer’s table afterwards.
Florida State, 7-4 in the conference lost at cellar-dwelling Louisville, allowing 101 points.
Virginia, yes, Virginia, was embarrassed at 2-9 Notre Dame in early January, falling behind 13-0, and never came close to the Irish.
On any given day or night.
Despite the national narrative, the ACC is not weak
The so-called experts are bemoaning the weakness of the conference.
They are wrong.
From someone that has been around this league for years, my observation is this: the ACC isn’t weak, it’s balanced.
Louisville and Notre Dame are struggling; it doesn’t take John Wooden to understand that.
The Irish are transitioning with a new coach, while the Cardinals will reportedly cut loose second year coach Kenny Payne immediately upon the conclusion of this season.
Louisville, according to sources, will be making a big-time hire to jump start its turnaround.
Every other team in the league is quite capable of making life miserable for its opponent.
Georgia Tech, 3-9 in ACC action, has beaten both Duke and Carolina this season.
Again, I contend that’s not a sign of the league as being weak, but rather the league’s weaker links being talented enough to pull off an upset or two.
A glimpse at the final month in ACC play
UNC sits atop the standings with a 10-2 record. Losing to Clemson Tuesday night was detrimental for the Tar Heels in several ways. First, it allowed Virgina to close within a game of first place.
Also, North Carolina must travel to both Charlottesville and Durham (for the rematch with Duke) in its final eight games.
To say the Tar Heels are reeling after the loss to Clemson might be a stretch, but they have lost two ACC games in a week-long span.
Virginia, winners of seven straight league contests, has Carolina coming to Charlottesville, where the Cavaliers currently enjoy the nation’s longest home winning streak.
UVA seems to have flipped the switch from the early-season struggles to have again become one of the toughest defensive teams in the country.
Miami will agree.
Duke has a three-game homestand on the horizon and concludes the regular season in Cameron against UNC.
After further thought, there may be a certainty in the ACC this season.
You had better come to play every game, from the opening tip-off.
If not?
Well, ask Armando Bacot.
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