The ACC must stand for Anyone Can Conquer, because the league’s traditional pyramid of powerhouses is being toppled.
Virginia’s 3-1 conference start is just one win short of last year’s total. North Carolina already has matched its three losses from last season when it won the regular-season title.
The conference is more upside-down than many home mortgages at the one-third mark. Maryland coach Gary Williams loves to talk parity, but most years North Carolina and Duke dominate the conference. The Terps last took the regular season title in 2002 when they won the national crown.
Two more weeks are needed before the ACC race can be fairly judged. Teams with favorable first-half schedules must then hit the road or face real contenders. While the top four teams are typically close most years, this season may see only a handful of wins separating the top eight clubs.
“It’s still a little early and somebody could put it together to go on a run,” Williams said, “but right now it’s very close. To say anybody doesn’t have a chance is wrong. That’s always the strength of the league.
“Sometimes the regular season gets overlooked a little bit, but there’s so many great regular-season games.”
Already, North Carolina has been shocked by Clemson, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Maryland shook off an upset loss to visiting William and Mary to open 4-1 in the ACC, the only loss in overtime at Wake Forest. Georgia Tech is ranked No. 22 after beating North Carolina and Clemson by one basket only to fall, 68-66, at Florida State, which is looming as the ACC dark horse.
“Everybody is going to have a shot,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. “The landscape of college basketball has changed in this [past] decade to produce this.”
Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said classic small gyms with overflowing crowds throughout the ACC once provided a significant home advantage. Modern large arenas pushing the crowd farther from the court now reduce that edge. North Carolina’s Dean Dome is 23,000 versus its former 8,050-seat Carmichael Auditorium. Maryland’s Comcast Center seats 17,950; nearly 4,000 more than Cole Field House.
“I thought Cole was a fantastic place,” Williams said. “Carmichael was off the charts. The small, more intimate arenas have an old-time gym feel [that] was more difficult to win on the road.”
The ACC crown once went through Tobacco Road. This season, it’s just a pit stop.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
