PAC 10 is turrible. I wouldn't be shocked if they only got one team in.

I love the ACC, but I don't think it's a sure thing that it is superior to the Big 12 or perhaps even the Big 10 this year. It is certainly debatable however. There are certainly stronger teams at the top of those conferences such as Kansas, Texas, Mich St. to name a few. I think these teams are probably better than any the ACC has to offer this year IMO.

The ACC is far better than the Big Ten this year. It's not even close. The bottom of the Big 10 is awful, the middle of the ACC is stronger than the Big Ten 5-9. The only thing you can say is the Big Ten has the one team who has the best shot at a Final Four (MSU), but honestly, I still question them and put them in the category with Duke, as teams who could make it, but wouldn't be in my top 8 or so.

Purdue, Wisconsin and Ohio State are good, but I think Georgia Tech, Maryland and either Clemson/Wake Forest/Florida State are right there with those 3. Depth-wise, it's not close.

The ACC is far better than the Big Ten this year. It's not even close.

I think it is closer than you think.Wisconsin has beaten both Maryland and duke. Illinois needed a last second shot to defeat Indiana at home, but handled Clemson on the road.Penn State has not won a Big 10 game, but the Nittany Lions defeated Virginia in Charlottesville.

The Big 10 isn't great, but I'm not convinced that the ACC is that much better.

Yeah, the ACC way better than the B10.

But yet this year when matched up in the challenge the B10 won???

How would hank and other Big 12 followers compare the Big 12 & ACC this year?

Big 12 to be honest is not as deep, but I would put their top three (Kansas, Texas, KState) all ahead of the top 3 from the ACC (Duke, Virginia, Maryland+Ga Tech)

I think a team like Baylor from the Big 12 could give any ACC team fits.

Georgetown just lost 72-64 to South Florida at home.

They looked great against Duke last weekend. Can't believe they didn't show up tonight.

Typical trap game for the Hoyas tonight & they got caught. Now on to Nova.

^^Typical.

And of course Baylor, who is ranked in the top 20, could give any team in the ACC fits. Just as Georgia Tech, on a good night in Atlanta, could give any team in the Big 12 fits.

Baylor would get rocked in Durham and beat at Maryland, Tech and Virginia with the way Tony Bennett has his boys playing right now.

I guess Huskers and I had the same exact thought.

Although, I should note, for different reasons. His was based on what he refers to as the "typical" Georgetown trap game, while mine was based on the fact that every team Duke plays turns into the '86 Celtics for one night and then back into a damn pumpkin the day after. Wisconsin lost to Wisconsin Green Bay after beating us in Madison, Georgia Tech lost to Virginia (who at the time was still looked upon as a bottom feeder in the conference after being picked last pre-season), NC State in a drubbing to Maryland and now Georgetown at home to South Florida.

Typical life of a Duke fan. I saw others on here talking about how UNC and UK gets everyone's best shot .. I think Duke takes the cake on this one. We virtually play in 25 or so national championship games a season.

I bet if you polled 50 major and mid major teams on any given year and asked them what high-rated team they would like to beat most, 80% would say Duke. This is especially true of the mid majors.

This was definitely a trap game for the Hoyas against a team that has been playing well as of late, but I'm still really surprised that they lost, especially at home. I saw that the game was close early in the 2nd half, but figured Georgetown would eventually do enough to win.

No doubt that Duke takes everyone's best shot. That comes with the territory, and in my opinion, it's the same for a handful of programs like Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, and others of national prominence. Beating those select few schools is a great accomplishment for a team/player that isn't usually noted to be in the upper echelon of the college basketball world.

The Georgetown-vs-Duke was a huge game for both teams. If duke didn't give the Hoyas their best shot, that is a duke problem. The Hoyas gave duke a good shot, time will tell if it was their best shot.Georgetown is a pretty good basketball team.

Rivalry games might fall into the 'Best Shot" category, but the "Best Shot" theory for the other games is BS.

Prescott wrote:
Rivalry games might fall into the 'Best Shot" category, but the "Best Shot" theory for the other games is BS.

I have to disagree with that. A perfect example is the KU-Colorado game tonight. It's a Big 12 game, but Colorado isn't KU's biggest rival. The Buffaloes apparently played a great game against the #1 team in the land. There's no doubt in my mind that they gave a little "extra" because the #1 team was playing in their house.

When a traditional powerhouse takes the court against an underdog, or even a team that doesn't quite have the "wow" factor of the other school, they give them their best shot. It's called having a bullseye on your back.

I know you hate Duke. I do too. But I think rec's point is pretty valid.

By the way, I'm not saying Duke is actually better than GTown. I'm just agreeing that they got "up" for Duke, because it's Duke, and didn't for USF.

Did they play the Gtown USF game at Verizon or in the little gym in DC?

Surely they didn't play that at Verizon Center

When a traditional powerhouse takes the court against an underdog, or even a team that doesn't quite have the "wow" factor of the other school, they give them their best shot. It's called having a bullseye on your back.

We will agree to disagree, especially about the duke-vs-Georgetown game. Georgetown has just as big of a bullseye on their back as duke.

Last night, USF won their 4th straight Big East game. They defeated Pitt prior to last night's game. Did they give the Hoyas a better shot than they gave Pitt?

If a powerhouse loses to an underdog, it is usually because the powerhouse was not focused for that game, not because they got the underdog's best shot.

How many underdogs are beaten before the game by the name on the front of the jersey?

The "Best Shot" stuff is just an excuse for the higher ranked team.

Surely they didn't play that at Verizon Center

They sure did.

(Greg) Monroe cited a lack of focus for the loss, but he said it wasn't because of the two games surrounding it.

"I don't know exactly what happened," Monroe said. "We definitely wasn't looking backward and we definitely wasn't looking forward. As a team, we have to be more focused to win games like this."

Prescott wrote:

If a powerhouse loses to an underdog, it is usually because the powerhouse was not focused for that game, not because they got the underdog's best shot.

How many underdogs are beaten before the game by the name on the front of the jersey?

The "Best Shot" stuff is just an excuse for the higher ranked team.

(Greg) Monroe cited a lack of focus for the loss, but he said it wasn't because of the two games surrounding it.

"I don't know exactly what happened," Monroe said. "We definitely wasn't looking backward and we definitely wasn't looking forward. As a team, we have to be more focused to win games like this."

Couldn't disagree more about the bullseye comment. When your an elite program, you are in fact going to take the underdog best shot. They will be more motived, play harder, etc, etc. There is no question.
Thats why its impressive for those top programs to stay where they are. Its MUCH harder to stay on TOP, then to work your way there. Getting there is one thing, staying there consistantly is another.

There is so much parity in today's game that teams must be focused if they expect to win. This certainly applies to league games, where there is familiarity as well as parity. If you guys want to use the "Best Shot" excuse to explain an upset, that is your choice.I think upsets happen because the favorite isn't as focused as they should be and they let the underdog stick around. This bolsters the confidence of the underdog and they play like they can win, not like they hope they can win.

This discussion began because USF defeated GT. USF has also defeated ACC co-leader, Virginia, USF has a STAR player in Dominique Jones.USF didn't win because they gave GT their "Best Shot". They won because GT gave them a reason to believe and they had an athlete who could deliver.

Reclegend I agree everybody gets Duke's best shot because of their track record. I just wished G'Town came out & played everybody like they played Duke.

That's like five to one against ahdonis, in case anyone is keeping score.

Ask any college basketball expert at ESPN or CBS right now about this theory -- that the underdog always brings its "best shot" against the Dukes, North Carolinas, Kentuckys and Kansases of the world, especially when they're ranked high -- and I bet the majority of them agree. This is very simple to see if you've been watching the game for at least 10+ years and witnessed this cycle happen over and over and over again.

This is very simple to see if you've been watching the game for at least 10+ years and witnessed this cycle happen over and over and over again

It is just an excuse for the losers. In what world does the favored team lose when they played to THEIR potential and maintained THEIR focus.Upsets happen when the favored team lets it happen, not because some team is giving it their BEST SHOT.

GT wasn't beaten last night because USF gave them their BEST SHOT.They were beaten because they couldn't handle Dominique Jones and Chris Wright couldn't throw in the ocean..

prescott,

I see what you're saying, and I agree to a point. Upsets can definitely happen because the favored team wasn't focused or didn't play well. At the same time though, I still believe that, for example, Colorado would be much more "up" for Kansas than they would for Iowa State or someone like that. The atmosphere would be much more intense, and Colorado would have a little extra "pep in their step", so to speak for the Jayhawks. They would be more focused, and more determined to beat the #1 team in the country than they would for a middle of the pack Big 12 team. You're entitled to your opinion though. I'm definitely not making excuses. Just telling you how I see it.