I Dislike Your Favorite Team

The Curse of the Lapis Lazuli Baals continues, in lovely fashion. There has been talk in the Big National Smart-Ass Sportsblog that somehow with Duke falling, that the ACC is lacking a team to truly hate. As a Virginian, born and raised, I beg to fucking differ! I relish this reporting almost as much as I relished last year's defeat of Duke by Georgetown:

The Motherfuckin' Virginian Tekken sweep hated, hated, WOW, really hated #4 UNC, 81-80! In overtime! Of course, since I now live in Big 10 Country, I was subjected to, Clockwork Orange style, Michigan vs. Michigan State. I didn't get to see much of this game at all, but I do know that previously heralded Zabian Dowdell led the charge for The Birds that Defintely Are Not Castrated Turkeys. How big does Boston College's week become? They face a Duke team that just fell off the Top 25, and an UNC team that just got swept by VA Tech.

Special for Ed McCune: UNC Sucks!
Updated: Ooops. I meant Ed Cone. I got a little too worked up there. Sorry, Ed.

Of course, on some level, this just points to the fact, one I've been saying all along--that the ACC has been probably overrated all year. Boston College may be the only team whose rank is about what it should be. We'll see after this week whether they are the class of the ACC, or just part of the dogpile.

How much of a Dogpile? There are currently 4 teams in the ACC with more than 5 wins in the conference--Boston College (9), UNC, UVA, and VA Tech (all with 8). The next closest has 5 wins--and that's four teams--including Duke, Clemson (the last unbeaten team!), GA Tech, and Florida State. The ACC will probably only get 3-5 teams (5 is the absolute, somewhat unlikely max) and the ACC tournament will determine it. I called it borderline impossible, but I now have to recognize the possibility that Duke could get left out of the NCAA's. They have to beat BC this week, no two ways about it. I personally hope they do, get into the tournament, and then get blasted by the likes of Winthrop. Yeah, I still hate Duke that much.

The Curse of the Cerulean Satans didn't stop within the ACC. #6 Texas A&M's superstud Acie Law hit a huge 3-pointer to tie the game with six seconds left. Bobby Knight, Genius/Child Abuser didn't call a time out, and Jarrious Jackson worked his way up the floor before draining a very, very last second shot to win the game for Tech, 77-75. I think out of all the conferences that are dealing with multiple ranked opponents, it may be the Big-12 that is the most dangerous. Forget about, for a second, Texas A&M & Kansas. I can't imagine anyone being in a hurry to play Texas, or Texas Tech, or OK State. I don't see a way in which those 5 teams don't go to the Dance. I know the PAC-10 is more heralded, but again I still see the Big-12 with much more potential.

I've said before, and I'll say again--any team in the SEC aside from Florida that is ranked is overrated. And we see it again, with the recently ranked #18 Kentucky gettin' beat by recently demoted Tennessee. Tennessee won this won because Washington Bullet Great (and apparently alumnus of Tennessee) Bernard King was there! Fuck yeah Bernard King! I love you, man! With your kneebrace, and your 50 point games. Your alma mater isn't very good if Chris Lofton isn't shooting, though. And Kentucky, frankly, isn't very good. Top 20, my lily white, small conference supporting ass. The SEC will certainly send 5 or 6 teams, but I don't see who deserves it besides Florida. Maybe Tennessee if Lofton stays healthy. Or maybe, we should just say that the first team to beat Florida in this conference gets to go. No one has done it yet. Statisticians will tell you that if no one team can beat a team in a conference, even once, on a fluke, then that team is either great, or the rest of the conference sucks. I say both are true.

(also, I have no idea whether statisticians would say that or not)

#13 Butler won tonight, by playing a Division II team. Congrats Butler! Way to tune up! Way to beat Florida Gulf Coast by all of 5 points?

#16 Southern Illinois Salukis took care of business tonight, against a powerful rival in the MVC. Regardless of that fact, and regardless of the fact that I said that they would be a guaranteed Sweet 16 team, you should ignore this team. Don't let the fact that we here are IDYFT are planning a March Madness Pool from thinking I may be purposely leading you astray here. The Salukis aren't good. You don't want to pick them. The Salukis aren't good. You don't want to pick them. You are feeling sleepy. In all seriousness, ya'll--don't sleep on Missouri State, either.