Should teams tank the ACCs?
By: Mike Van Pelt
Issue date: 3/7/07 Section: Column
Last update: 3/7/07 at 6:34 AM EST
Last update: 3/7/07 at 6:34 AM EST
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The rule changes helped improve the quality of March Madness by ensuring all of the nation's best teams were included. But it de-emphasized the importance of conference tournaments, which are deep in history and tradition in their own right. No longer did teams' chances to compete for a national championship rest solely on winning their conference tournaments.
Although no sensible college coach in America would admit that conference tournaments are meaningless, it seems as if many coaches in the power conferences are secretly changing their philosophies. Some would probably rather rest up for the NCAA Tournament than play three games in as many days-risking injury and exhaustion-just to capture a league championship.
Clearly, Mike Krzyzewski doesn't subscribe to this philosophy as his Blue Devil teams have reached the championship game for nine straight years, playing their way to a No. 1 seed two years ago by winning an ACC championship.
One might wonder, though, whether this tiring run does more harm then help as teams head into the only postseason tournament that really matters.
Last year at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, there was a lot of chatter in the media room among the reporters that for some teams, losing early to gain more time to rest might be better for their long-term NCAA Tournament chances. And Roy Williams' name was heavily involved in the conversations.
Since arriving at UNC three years ago, he has posted a 2-3 record in the ACC Tournament-including a semifinal exit by his 2005 national title team-and has yet to reach the ACC championship game. Now this could clearly be a result of his team having an off day or losing to a better-prepared squad, but maybe not.
His final two Kansas squads-the 2002 and 2003 teams-failed to make the Big 12 championship game either, despite decisively winning the league's regular season title in both seasons. It's impossible to say whether Williams is deliberately tanking, but his recent history in conference tournaments does raise some questions.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 7
Chris S.
posted 3/07/07 @ 8:19 AM EST
Excellent, a built in excuse. When we tank in the ACC tourny, we'll claim it was our strategy.
diablosazules
posted 3/07/07 @ 9:39 AM EST
Relax, Chris. Nobody's saying we're going to tank the ACC tourney. We have more to prove than almost any other ACC team. Not to mention, for a team that's still getting better every game, more games before the NCAAs is a good thing. (Continued…)
Jessica
posted 3/07/07 @ 9:56 AM EST
I think it's horrible to think the ACC tournament does not matter. That really hurts the spirit of the game. Perhaps it just doesn't matter to most b/c Duke usually wins. (Continued…)
Kbot
posted 3/07/07 @ 3:39 PM EST
Grasping at straws. I love this place.
M.C. Cobb
posted 3/08/07 @ 10:03 AM EST
Obviously this has become the thinking of anti-Duke fans over the last 10 years because Duke always wins it. It's really pathetic that someone would actually stoop so low. (Continued…)
Steve
posted 3/09/07 @ 2:57 PM EST
Maybe Roy kept losing in the Big 12 and ACC finals not because he tried to, but rather because he's not a good coach and has trouble finishing - a criticism that had been leveled at him for years until he finally took a championship-caliber team and actually won a championship in '05. (Continued…)
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