The NCAA Tournament AKA The ACC Tournament

There has always been a dream of mine that one day two ACC schools would play for the national title.  My biggest hope has been that either State, Carolina, or Duke would play each other to win it all.  Since I am a big dreamer there has been a hope that some day all four teams that play in the final four would be from the ACC and if you add Wake Forest to the list they would all be from North Carolina.

The ACC has set the record six having the most teams ever make it to the sweet 16.  Just last year the ACC tied the record held by the old Big East with five teams surviving to the final 16.  You know Louisville should have made the field but are on a self imposed sanctions got an up and coming NCAA investigation.  I almost hate to add this but you know old ACC reject Maryland is in the 16 but they do have a Duke transfer which still kind of makes them an ACC entry.

It is still possible that all six could make it to the final eight before they will begin to whittle each other.  It is possible that there could be an all ACC Final Four.  Duke the lone team in the west bracket meets the top seed in the west Oregon Thursday at around 10pm.  If they survive that second seed Oklahoma could be waiting for a chance to the final four dance.

There of course is  the faction that says so far the ACC has not beaten any team lower than an 11 seed.  Just ask Michigan State how good East Tennessee State is and the ACC's ten seed Syracuse beat ETST by 25.  There has been some nice upsets that have helped the ACC teams play what would be considered easier seeds in the second round but ask Baylor about Yale.

Well, I hate to pour rubbing alcohol on an open wound but the ACC teams that made the NIT Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Florida State all won their opening round games.  Tonight Georgia Tech knocked off the top seed in the NIT South Carolina to give the ACC a 4-2 record in the NIT

Syracuse will have their hands full with Gonzaga.  Virginia will be favored but Iowa State will be a load.  Villanova will be favored over Miami but this is a two/three seeding matchup.
 Notre Dame is the luckiest of them all with a last second tip in.  Wisconsin makes this a six/seven matchup.  Duke as a four seed will be matched up against Oregon the top seed in the west.  Carolina the top seed in the east will be matched against the Big Ten champ Indiana who carries a five seeding tips sometime around 10pm Friday.  That's the price you pay when Duke and Carolina get higher TV ratings that others playing the same night.

So of the six still alive Carolina and Virginia will be favored everyone else will have to find more of that NCAA magic to continue.  Should Carolina and UVA make it to the final four they would match up each other in the semi finals.  Is it asking too much for the only ACC losers rest of the way be against each other?.