ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 20, 1997 TAG: 9701210045
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Dallas Morning News
THE CONFERENCE is the strongest in the nation and is boasting new leaders.
No. 22 North Carolina and No. 13 Duke will meet on Jan. 29 in Atlantic Coast Conference play for the first time this season. That game hardly rates on the Richter scale of power contests in college basketball's best conference.
That should tell you something about what is happening on Tobacco Road these days. The ACC's new marquee powers are No. 2 Wake Forest, No. 3 Clemson and No. 11 Maryland.
There was a recent time, from 1991-93, when Duke and North Carolina, eight miles apart, actually ruled college basketball. Duke won the 1991 and 1992 NCAA titles. North Carolina claimed the 1993 crown.
The fact they have been replaced at the top of the ACC but are still ranked means the ACC is the deepest NCAA Division I conference in the country.
``It says our league is the best,'' Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. ``Hopefully, it says we will get more than five, maybe six or seven teams considered for the NCAA Tournament. I think our league has the depth to do that this year.
``It has shown that against outside competition. We have played great games against top teams in other leagues. I think it has helped the stature of this league.''
Consider that in the most recent Sagarin ratings, the ACC had the best rating in college basketball at 87.34, well ahead of No. 2 Big Ten at 82.85. There are seven ACC teams that could be considered for the NCAA Tournament, although they probably won't all make it.
In Sagarin's ratings, there are seven ACC teams with power ratings among the top 34 teams in the country, with Virginia (No. 23) and Florida State (No. 34) joining the aforementioned teams. Among ACC teams, only Georgia Tech (7-8) has a losing overall record.
The ACC has an 81-12 record against non-conference opponents and an impressive 52-1 record at home against non-conference teams this season. The only home loss is Michigan's last-minute victory at Duke.
``Going through this league, almost every team in this league has gotten some type of votes for the Top 25,'' Clemson coach Rick Barnes said. ``If you are going to play in this league or coach in it, you strive to be ranked.''
The ACC should be represented at the Final Four in Indianapolis on March 29 and 31. And the ACC should have a sprinkling of schools go deep into the NCAA Tournament.
What the ACC has done better than most leagues is maintain its talent level. While the Duke and North Carolina programs are not at the superstar status they once were, they still have good players. And Wake Forest and Clemson have filled the void at the top with good recruiting and solid defensive teams.
In Wake Forest's case, the presence of center Tim Duncan, who decided to stay for his senior year, sets the Demon Deacons apart. Wake Forest has a veteran team, as does Clemson.
``The game is still played by players, and the best players playing together usually win the most games,'' Wake Forest coach Dave Odom said.
North Carolina's early loss of three players - Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace and Jeff McInnis - to the NBA could have created a talent void in most leagues. Also consider guard Stephon Marbury left Georgia Tech early and center Joe Smith slipped out of Maryland before his class graduated.
Tech has slumped without Marbury, but Maryland has prospered with forward Keith Booth emerging as a star.
Several coaches aren't counting out North Carolina, despite the Tar Heels dropping their first three league games. They have won their last two.
``They have good players, and that program has a lot of tradition and pride, '' Virginia coach Jeff Jones said. ``They are going through a tough time, like a lot of programs go through.''
But for several programs, these are the good times in the ACC.
LENGTH: Medium: 73 linesby CNB