Bad Day for the ACC

Tough day for the ACC yesterday and Friday night. 

Clemson couldn't handle their own success.  After playing an inspired first half the Tigers looked incredibly tight once Villanova made a few baskets after half, and choked down the stretch in losing to a mid-level Big East basketball team in Villanova.

Unfortunately, the losing to mid-level Big East team continued on Saturday.

It rocked the blogosphere when I first posted this - it generated lots of comments, well at least one comment - but I was hoping Duke would make the sweet 16.   That hope was one part ACC loyalty, one part 'must beat Big East' sentiment.

But not only was Duke undone by the now familiar bugaboos of terrible 3-point shooting and terrible play from senior DeMarcus Nelson, but they had to wake up to read plenty of quotes from West Virginia players in the New York Times - the hometown paper of many Blue Devil alumni - dissing their talent and effort.   A bad loss for Duke and the conference. 

For the second year in a row Duke has faded down the stretch - they finished the season going 6-5 and finished 4-8 last year - and for all the attention and fan fare have 'only' gone to one final four in the last six years.  Don't be surprised if this malaise lasts for at least one more season.  I blogged last year that with Krzyzewski distracted by his Team USA duties recruitment and preparation would suffer.  That seems to be the case.

Or it could something else I blogged about.  Lately Duke just seems fatigued at the end of games and seasons. His last two years at Duke J.J. Reddick was gassed going into the tournament.  That's one reason a team that had Sheldon Williams and Reddick for FOUR years - that never happens anymore - only made one Final Four. It seems that in recent seasons Krzyzewski has not developed a deep enough rotation of players he trusts.  Duke plays an aggressive style of defense, and this year ran and spaced the floor.  Both of those tactics require a lot of energy and stamina, something recent Duke player rotations have not had.  

At least that's my opinion.

Looks like Villanova is going to defeat Sienna this afternoon, so a Big East team that lost to NC State on a neutral floor is going to the sweet 16.  That's just one reason folks love college basketball.