We can't ever remember every ACC team being slated to start tournament play on the same day, but that's the case this year: Duke we deal with separately of course, but here are the start times and networks:
- NCSU vs. San Diego State - 12:40 -truTV
- FSU vs. St. Bonaventure - 2:45 - CBS
- UVA vs. Florida - 2:10 -TNT
- UNC vs. Vermont - 4:10 -TBS
We'll be shocked if either UNC or Florida State loses. State and Virginia are more problematic.
Virginia has the potential to really mess with Florida, a team which prefers to run and shoot. Billy Donovan has his kids staying in their defensive stance for 35 seconds to get the point across: they're going to have to play differently.
As for State, they're probably more talented than San Diego State, but none of them have been in the field before. Tournament play has a different psychology, and SDSU has an unquestioned - and important - advantage there.
This may show up at the end if State finds CJ Leslie and Richard Howell in foul trouble again, because State has no bench. And while we have ridiculed the conspiracy theorists for their suggestion that the ACC would rather lose a million or two than see State succeed, we haven't really touched on the stupidity of attacking the integrity of officials. It's rather like pissing off the police department and then wondering why you're getting pulled over constantly. It doesn't mean you don't deserve some of the tickets, but how in their right mind would do it? It's just not smart.
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