posted 02-06-2003 07:36 AM         

Actually - as much parity as there is in college basketball this year, any of about twenty teams have a realistic shot to make it this year. Louisville is on a 16 game win streak and is the only team with only one loss. Kentucky is play great ball right now, too (afetr losing to Louisville in December)

The cheapest Final Four tickets available on the web or ebay are going for $350 per seat. Courtside/midcourt are $5500.00 each. I hope they have sports bars in the Big Easy!!

posted 02-06-2003 01:09 PM         

Not many Sport Bars. Actually, I don't think we have any... However, you won't have any problem finding a regular Bar... And, you can go into any grocery store to buy liquor, wine or beer...

posted 02-06-2003 03:17 PM         

In all seriousness, I agree with Marty in that whoever is the hottest in March of about 20 clubs could win it all. I don't see anyone being consistently strong or dominant this year.

I'm just miles from 4 ACC schools here in Greensboro and attend several games a year and ALWAYS go to the ACC Tournament, but I think there is no consistent Top 5 team in the conference. Duke lacks an inside presense and consistency at the point, Maryland has potential but is inexperienced, Carolina has some great freshmen athletes but are inexperienced - no inside game - Top 50 coach at best, Wake Forest may be the sleeper, NC State is cold then hot as is Virginia and Georgia Tech, Clemson/Fl State pull a couple of upsets each year but are killing time until football season.

All that said, I'm game for a little wager with the Kentucky gentlemen. Ed and Marty how 'bout an ACC vs. SEC, an ACC vs. Conf. USA, a Duke vs. UK (Christian Laettner's turn-around buzzer beater in '92 sure was purrrdeeee!), a Duke vs. Louisville or a Commonwealth of Kentucky vs. State of NC (of course I'll need odds or points on this last one).

Y'all game?

posted 02-06-2003 03:42 PM         

Marty - Right now, wise picks. I sorry, but I just don't see two Kentucky teams or either of the Big 12 clubs. Only thing that is certain is that there will be at least one sleeper; maybe two.

posted 02-06-2003 04:31 PM         

Ed - Duke may well be past their prime, I don't know. I didn't play there (not good enough), didn't go there (not smart enough or rich enough), and I'm not a big Duke fan, but I sure do respect what they've done. Everyone seems to write them off each year because they lose two or 3 starters to the NBA, but they somehow keep making it to the big dance. Their record over the past 5, no 10 years is phenomenal. They are off this year, certainly compared to last year. That was shown by the 2 losses recently to a hot (that night) NC State team and a loss in Tallahassee to FL State who also beat Duke there last year.
I agree that Conf. USA ball is quickly improving. I have a buddy that officiates college ball and is on the CUSA rotation. He knows basketball. He told me that the only difference between CUSA and the so called elite conferences is the overall depth of the conference and the depth of some of the teams within the conference. The top teams i.e. Louisville can beat anybody, but the bottom couple of teams are not as strong as historically elite conferences and many of the starting 4 or 5s are comparable, but they get worn down as the game progresses.

I'm a sports freak, but I really love college basketball!

posted 02-07-2003 07:50 AM         

It will be great to see how all the top teams do as they work their way through tough conference schedules and tournaments. THEN - the BIG DANCE.

posted 02-13-2003 08:20 AM         

Over the past week I've had the opportunity to see 6 of the ACC teams play in person and have watched the others on the tube. The conference is definitely off this year. There is balance, but every club has a glaring weakness. On the other hand each team shows some promise. Most are extremely young.

There definitely WILL NOT be two ACC teams in the Final Four, and probably only 1 in the Great Eight - if that. I was at Cameron Sun. night (Duke hosting Clemson) and saw the worst display of major college basketball I've ever seen!

Duke may be a Great Eight club, Maryland may be a Sweet 16, Wake Forest may sneak in the 16 (probably only a Top 25 team - got beat by about 10 Sun. by one of your CUSA teams in Marquette). I don't know. The ACC teams may just be beating up on each other, but I think there will only be 4 ACC teams that make the tournament. NC State could slide in or Carolina if they play an aggressive style.

The ACC can't win on the road this year. They are 33 (home) and 3 (away).
I'm gonna catch the second half of tonight's Duke/Wake game. Should be interesting since it's at Wake. I'm lucky since that one is only a 20 minute drive from my house.

posted 02-13-2003 09:27 AM         

I would like to see KY and AZ go at it too!

posted 02-13-2003 12:04 PM         

I still hope to see both teams in New Orleans.

posted 02-13-2003 03:15 PM         

Lousiville's loss is probably good for them at this time. Will probably make them more hungry heading down the stretch to conference tourney time.

Speaking of conference tourneys, how did Lousiville swing it to have the CUSA tourney at Freedom Hall vs. a neutral site?

I know it depends on what other teams do, but if Louisville beats Marquette by a fair margin Sat., I doubt they will fall more than 3 places in the polls. What do you think?

posted 02-13-2003 03:25 PM         

C-USA always has a member school host the conference tourney. They like Fredaon Hall and Louisville because fans here turn out even when UofL is not having a great year.

posted 02-13-2003 04:07 PM         

The ACC is always at a neutral site. This year for the 50th Anniversary here in Greensboro. '04 also in Greensboro, '05 DC, '06 Greensboro, '07 Tampa, '08 Charlotte, '09 Atlanta & '10 Greensboro. Greensboro is home to conference headquarters, is centrally located and great host for tourney. They appease Fl. State, GA Tech and Maryland by putting it close to them once in a blue moon.

Believe it or not the biggest holdup on conference expansion is cutting the alotment of tixs to the basketball tournament. They (conference officials) are so traditional they want most of the ACC basketball tourneys to be played in the larger arenas, but not but about once every 5 years in a dome. Confirmed rumors have it that negotiations have been held with with Big East possible defectors Miami, VA Tech and Syracuse. This would take the ACC to 12 schools with a North and South much like the SEC. Would make a hell of a football conference.

posted 02-14-2003 10:47 AM         

Mike

p.s. Marty, I'll be at the Executive West tomorrow night (Sat), on my way to my Vegas wedding early Sunday.

posted 02-14-2003 03:45 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marty Usher:
Mike - congrats on the wedding plans. Is Elvis going to be best man?

---

Should be! We met in Memphis a few weeks ago, haven't been able to escape Elvis since! He's everywhere, and Memphis is just eaten up with Elvis mania! I was stunned!

posted 02-14-2003 08:30 PM         

It was a great game to watch for a neutral fan like me. It was brutal though. 8 of the 19 players who saw action fouled out. Duke had 37 fouls and Wake had 27. The game was 1 minute short of going 3 hours. Duke ran out of gas while Wake sucked it up.

Both clubs will probably lose on the road Sat. Wake goes to Maryland and Duke goes to Virginia. No one in the ACC can win on the road. There have only been 5 visitors who have won conference games this year.