Is the ACC really in a down year?

Basketball analysts throughout this season have loudly proclaimed that the ACC is in a down year.

Some have mentioned that there is no real dominant team, while others might make mention of the fact the ACC lost the ACC/Big 10 challenge.

But by far one of the biggest reasons is because North Carolina is in a down year. Outside of the truly knowledgeable basketball writers and analysts, when a basketball journalist thinks of the ACC they think of Duke and North Carolina.

By that transitive property if North Carolina is having a bad year than all of the ACC must be having a bad year.

Unfortunately that notion would be false.

Is the ACC the best basketball conference in the country? No, the Big East with Syracuse, Villanova, and West Virginia earns that title.

But the ACC is a close second, in part because every single team is competitive.

Even the teams at the bottom of the ACC (Virginia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Miami) have some serious talent and some good out of conference wins.

North Carolina boasts early season victories over Ohio State and Michigan State, two teams destined for the NCAA Tournament, while even last place Miami has a few solid wins over South Carolina and Minnesota.

The conference also boasts two legitimate Final Four contenders. And before you laugh, yes both Duke and Maryland have legitimate shots to head to Indianapolis.

Duke, currently ranked fourth in the country, has the talent and coaching to make a deep run in the tournament. Led by two first team All-ACC players in Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler, the Blue Devils have the size, 3-point shooting, and strong guard play to match-up with just about anyone in the country.

Maryland might be a bit more of an unconventional choice to go to the Final Four but I’d argue there isn’t a hotter team in the country right now than the Terrapins. Gary Williams’ boys have won seven straight ACC games to earn themselves a share of the ACC regular season championship. Although a bit underrated at #19 in the country, there is not a more entertaining player in the country than senior guard Greivis Vasquez.

Vasquez has shown his ability to take over the game at will, which is huge in a close NCAA Tournament game against an unfamiliar foe. Vasquez plus strong play from freshman Jordan Williams have made this team one of the toughest teams to beat in the country.

A lot of both Duke and Maryland’s potential success will be because or in spite of the seeds that they get. A three seed for Maryland in a good region could lend itself nicely to a long run, while a five seed against an underrated high major could prove disastrous.

Those two along with Wake Forest, Clemson, and Florida State all have a chance to make some noise in March. Both Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, assuming they get in, could also upset a team or two if they start playing the way they were in the beginning of the season.

Some might continue to say the ACC is down, but the talent and good coaching is all still there. I feel bad for any high seeded team that gets stuck with a Derrick Favors led Georgia Tech or a Malcolm Delaney led Virginia Tech. The results won’t be pretty.