Duke deserves top seed with ACC title
Mar 14, 2009
A Duke victory in the ACC Tournament final could have a significant affect on the NCAA announcements Sunday night.
All the talk of North Carolina going to Greensboro as a No. 1 seed overlooks one critical point – Duke is on the brink of winning the ACC title.
And if the Devils are ACC champions, they deserve a No. 1 seed – and a place in Greensboro, even over UNC.
For all the talk of the regular season, a Duke victory Sunday gives them a powerful case for a No. 1 seed in the South or East and first-round berth in Greensboro.
Duke’s Ratings Percentage Index is third, according to collegerpi.com, and behind only Pittsburgh and UNC. But Duke’s strength of schedule is third, while Carolina’s is 15th.
The Blue Devils have played exceptional basketball since moving Elliot Williams into the starting lineup. Duke has lost one game – at UNC – since that change and their solid play will be a factor with the NCAA committee.
It’s obvious that Carolina, with Lawson, is tremendous, but the sense of urgency that underscores this UNC season has been marked by two significant rushes to judgment.
First, Tyler Zeller returned from an injury, costing him a year of eligibility. Zeller only played a total of eight minutes – eight minutes! – in the two ACC Tournament games.
Second, Lawson returned for the Duke game after jamming his toe two days earlier. That game-day decision – unquestionably a tough one - caused his toe to swell up badly, and now Lawson’s status for NCAA play is uncertain.
I’m not convinced the NCAA will put both teams in Greensboro. In this economy, fans are not going to travel, and the NCAA will want to put as many fans as possible in the seats. The NCAA doesn’t need Duke and Carolina to sell out Greensboro – one of those teams will do, especially if you put Wake Forest there as well.
And as two of the premier programs in the country, Duke and Carolina would be big draws in first-round sites like Philadelphia or in Miami.
Now, WRAL’s Josh Hailey will tell you Carolina deserves a No. 1 seed over Duke, whether the Devils beat Maryland or not. Hailey thinks the Heels’ body of work merits deeper consideration, and that a regular-season title carries more weight than one weekend.
Be that as it may, the reality is the ACC has recognized the tournament champion as the league champ from the beginning.
Carolina’s injuries are unfortunate, but if Duke wins the ACC championship, they deserve the spoils that come with it – a top seed, and a spot at the head of the table in Greensboro.
