Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg has a message to all the critics: It?s not a down year in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“We have the highest RPI of every conference in the country, yet everyone talks about the ACC being down,” Greenberg said. “I think it?s college basketball. There is a tremendous amount of parity.”
The Atlantic Coast Conference has the nation?s top Ratings Percentage Index ? a formula composed by combining a team?s winning percentage against Division I teams with the strength of defeated opponents ? because the league?s 12 teams have collectively gone 127-38, an RPI of .5831.
Duke (21-1 overall, 9-0 ACC), ranked second in RPI and North Carolina (22-2, 7-2),ranked third, are atop the conference standings, followed by Maryland (16-8, 6-3). But the next five teams ? Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, NC State and Wake Forest ? are either 4-5 or 5-4 in conference play.
It?s a tight race in the middle of the conference, which should make the final month of ACC play enjoyable, except for the guys on the sidelines.
“It?s probably entertaining for you guys, but it?s agonizing for us,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said during a recent teleconference. “What makes it tough or agonizing, is every game becomes a swing game because [teams are] so tightly bunched.”
Miami, which was picked in the preseason to finish last in the conference, won at Virginia Tech, 74-71, Saturday behind a 19-point performance from Baltimore native Jack McClinton, a former standout at Calvert Hall.
Road victories are huge momentum swings for teams like Miami (16-7, 3-6), which is tied with Florida State and Boston College at 3-6, two wins ahead of last-place Virginia (1-8), but within striking distance of the middle of the pack.
“If you want to stay in the race and give yourself a chance to have a shot at post season, we needed that win,” Miami coach Frank Haith said. “Hopefully, our guys have a little confidence now going on the road and winning a tight ball game. Hopefully we can build on it.”
Only four teams have winning records on the road in ACC play ? Duke (4-0), UNC (4-0), Maryland (3-1) and Georgia Tech (3-1). It?s a major reason why each is among the top five teams in the conference. Conversely, Virginia, in last place, is winless in five conference road games.
Maryland coach Gary Williams? team is 10-2 in its past 12 after starting theseason 6-6. The Terrapins already earned one huge road victory by upsetting then-No. 1 North Carolina on the road last month. This week, the Terrapins have a shot at Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday in front of a national television audience on ESPN before hosting Florida State at Comcast Center on Saturday.
“Hopefully, we can stay consistent down the stretch here,” Williams said. “There?s no let-up and every week is a new challenge. Hopefully, we can meet the challenge this week.”
