After a third consecutive season where the conference is considered down, the ACC has once again been stellar in the NCAA Tournament. Although the ACC isn’t getting many teams in, they consistently advance to the later rounds of the tournament. Has the conference been underrated these past few seasons, or is their March success a fluke?
ACC March Success: Overachieving or Underrated?
Another NCAA Tournament means another year of ‘surprising’ success for the ACC. The ACC got only five bids this season. It would have been four if not for North Carolina State going on a miracle run at the ACC tournament. However, the conference has once again turned it around in March having an 8-1 record in the tournament, their only loss being Virginia in the First Four.
So why does the ACC succeed in March more than other conferences despite being considered worse than them? If you look at the past three tournaments it’s clear, the ACC isn’t miraculously overachieving every season, it’s been underrated by the committee and bracketologists.
The ACC is Underrated
For the past three seasons, there has been a narrative that the ACC has been down. Compared to a year like 2019, where they had three one seeds, this may be true. But that year was an outlier, and the ACC can’t possibly live up to that level of success every season. Even though the ACC hasn’t been seeded highly the past two seasons, they have still had three teams reach the Final Four, and one the Championship.
North Carolina managed to secure a one seed this season, but the rest of the ACC was considered disappointing. Clemson started hot in the non-conference but struggled once conference play kicked off. Duke was preseason #2 but was considered by many to be a letdown compared to their preseason hype. Then there are teams like Pittsburgh and Wake Forest who could look great in one game and underwhelming in the next.
Because of the perception of the ACC, these teams were not given proper examination by the committee. Both should have made the tournament when compared to teams like Virginia.
Something Needs to Change
So why despite the constant success of the ACC, is it considered down? They have been one of the most, if not the most, successful conferences in the tournament despite not receiving the same opportunities as other conferences. Even the Mountain West has been considered better than the ACC, which at this point is just ludicrous. Whatever analytics the committee is using need to be re-evaluated because the March success of the ACC is no fluke. It proves that the conference has been better than perceived for many years. However, whether the ACC train can keep rolling through this year’s tournament is yet to be seen. UNC, Duke, N.C. State and Clemson could all advance to the Elite Eight, making the ACC a preposterous 12-1. Even if one or two lose, this tournament proves that the ACC is not overachieving, but underrated and will hopefully get more respect next season.
