Coach K: ACC deserves more NCAA bids than Atlantic 10
Mike Krzyzewski argues that the ACC is a tougher conference than the Atlantic 10. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and his Blue Devils are projected as a high seed when the NCAA tournament's brackets are revealed Sunday. After beating N.C. State in an ACC tournament semifinal on Saturday, he argued that the Wolfpack would be a better at-large selection than a team from the mid-major Atlantic 10.
The ACC is widely projected to have five teams selected -- Virginia, Duke, Syracuse, North Carolina and probably Pittsburgh -- with N.C. State and Clemson on the bubble. The A-10 could land as many as six teams in the tournament. Coach K said that likely wouldn't be the case if teams like No. 17 Saint Louis, No. 25 VCU and other A-10 entries such as Dayton, George Washington, St. Joseph's and UMass had to survive a tougher ACC conference schedule.
I said to [N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried] at the end of the game, “I hope you guys get in.” I don’t understand it. They won at Tennessee. They probably should have beaten Syracuse twice. I think they’ve played a really good schedule, and they’ve got one of the best players in the country…. I’ll get in trouble probably for saying it. Like the Atlantic 10, they’re a really good conference. I hear people saying there are six teams in there. Come on. I mean, they’re good, but put them in our conference and go through the meat grinder that our conference has to go through.
But really… our league should get more respect. The fact that Pitt comes in here and people are saying they have to do something, come on. Come on, man. I don’t get it. The Clemson team we played last night is a heck of a basketball team.
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