The ACC really had a bad weekend. Very bad.
Despite the major run the UNC-Duke game got on Saturday, the rest of the conference was in pain. While those two (and Clemson) seem destined for the tournament, the three teams with the next best shot were busy losing.
Maryland suffered the biggest blow. The Terps were completely spanked at Virginia, 91-76. Sure, the Cavs got a little hot to end the season (winning four of six) but they still were near the bottom of the standings. The bad loss give Maryland 13 losses already (with a 14th almost a certainty in the ACC tournament) and means the Terps have lost five of their last six games. Couple that with their 1-6 record against the RPI top 50 and their tournament hopes are pretty much non-existent.
Virginia Tech lost at Clemson, which isn't that embarrassing. However, it was Tech's last real shot to beat a good team before heading into the ACC tournament. They'll get the winner of Miami/NC State in their first ACC game ... and while Miami is a good team, beating them won't make the Hokies look that much better (it would just make the Canes look worse). If they can do that, they are most likely staring at #1 North Carolina in the semifinals.
Needless to say, the Hokies are a very long shot to get into the dance.
One of the biggest hits may have happened outside the ACC. In the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, top-seed VCU was upset by William & Mary. Okay, now how does that affect the ACC??
For starters, that puts VCU in the group of at-large hopefuls (W&M will play George Mason for the CAA automatic bid) ... and with an RPI ranking of 45, they'd get a much better look than either Maryland or Virginia Tech. VCU beat Maryland in a "neutral site game" which took place in Washington, DC. Also, VCU has been one of Miami's bigger wins on their resume.
I think Miami is in despite VCU's loss (and their own loss to Florida State on Saturday).
*As an aside, the ACC must hate the Colonial. Last year, VCU knocked off Duke in the signature upset of the tournament. The year before, George Mason upset North Carolina in the second round.
So, the ACC saw just four of their 12 teams finish with a winning conference record ... only four teams finished with 20 wins ... and three teams finishing with a .500 or worse overall record (could be four if Virginia loses to Ga Tech on Thursday).
The lone silver lining is that another UNC-Duke meeting looks likely on Sunday.
