ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 14, 1997 TAG: 9702140069
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C.
SOURCE: N.Y. Times News Service
The ACC tournament schedule for 1998 is unfair to the top-ranked team and could encourage some teams to try to finish last during the regular season, said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
The conference adopted a new tournament schedule for 1998 that eliminates the so-called play-in game between the eighth- and ninth-place teams in the nine-team league. The winner of that game plays the top seed in the tournament.
Under the new format, the first round consists of games between the seventh- and eighth-place teams and the first- and ninth-place teams. The winner of the 7-8 game plays the second-place team in the second round. The winner of the 1-9 game skips the second round and goes directly to the third round.
While many conference coaches hailed the decision, Krzyzewski blasted the new format. ``You don't put the first-place team and the ninth-place team in a position where, based on that game, the ninth-place team can get the same advantage as the first-place team,'' Krzyzewski said.
Krzyzewski said the new setup rewards the ninth-place team because it only has to win three games to claim the championship, while the seventh and eighth seeds have to win four.
``I don't know of a tournament anywhere that would do that,'' Krzyzewski said. ``If nine wins, they get a bye. It sets up a situation where if you are vying for seven, eight or nine, it's better to finish ninth, and that's unhealthy.''
Other coaches, however, defended the new format because it removes the stigma of playing in one game before the tournament gets into full swing.
``The teams involved in the play-in game didn't feel like they were a part of the tournament,'' said North Carolina coach Dean Smith. ``There is more talk during the month of February about who would be in the play-in game than about who would win the regular-season race.''
Coach Gary Williams, whose Maryland Terrapins have been in the play-in game twice, welcomed the change because he said it will be better for the players.
``It's really a tough situation for the players,'' Williams said. ``They feel like everyone is looking at them kind of funny, like they're no good and couldn't make it into the regular ACC tournament.
If the tournament was held today, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State would be in the Thursday play-in game. The winner would take on league-leader Wake Forest in a Friday quarterfinal.
Under next year's format, Georgia Tech and seventh-place Florida State would play, followed by N.C. State against Wake Forest. The Georgia Tech-FSU winner would go to the quarterfinal round, while the N.C. State-Wake winner would go straight to a semifinal.
Duke is tied with Maryland for second in the league. The Blue Devils appeared in the play-in game two years ago and defeated N.C. State 83-70.
The play-in game was introduced in 1992 when Florida State joined the league.
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