ACC and Big 10: Miami and Michigan State Give Hope for Final 4 Runs
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Article photo of Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, photo credits to Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports and David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Even with high expectations by some prognostacators, two of the most proud conferences have not lived up to their traditional standards, the ACC and Big 10.
One ACC traditional power, North Carolina, failed to reach the NCAA Tournament. There was also #4 seed Virginia that fell to #13 seed Furman 63-62 in the first round, a disappointing exit for the Cavaliers and the ACC.
Duke, although the hottest team entering March Madness, was a #5 seed and was discarded during second round action by the SEC’s #5 seed Tennessee, 65-52. At least the Blue Devils were in the second round. Two other ACC teams also made it past the first round of play.
Pittsburgh, placed as an #11 seed, won a play-in game versus fellow #11 seed and SEC member Mississippi State 60-59, and also upset #6 seed Iowa State 59-41 in the first round, before falling to #3 seed and Big East foe Xavier 84-73 on Saturday. That left one ACC team.
It’s ironic that Miami will ride into the Sweet 16 as the ACC’s last chance to make a run into the Final 4 after the Hurricanes ran past the Indiana Hoosiers 85-69. With five national titles in football, Miami has long since been considered by basketball traditionalists as a football school. Perhaps that’s now changed, at least a bit.
Miami reached the Final 8 last season as a #10 seed before being defeated by eventual national champion Kansas. This year has been proof that the prior season was no fluke, including guard Isaiah Wong winning ACC Player of the Year and third team All-American, being co-ACC champion, and the victory over Indiana.
Miami’s next opponent will be #1 seed Houston, a team that many have selected as the best bet to win the entire NCAA Tournament. That’s going to be must watch TV as both teams have tremendous athletes and it’s sure to be an up-and-down basketball game this Friday night at 7:15 ET on CBS.
Still, only Miami remaining from the ACC has been shocking after all the dominance it had going back 50 years or more. The Big 10 has not done much better, however.
First off, Michigan and Ohio State did not make it to the Big Dance. Neither did recent power Wisconsin, a team that was close to winning the 2015 national title before falling to Duke 68-63 in the national championship game.
#1 seed Purdue was shocked by Fairleigh Dickinson 63-58 in the first round, with the Knights becoming the second #16 seed to win a game in NCAA Tournament history. Having a possible national player of the year in Zach Edey was not enough for the Boilermakers.
There’s the loss to Miami by Indiana, with the Hoosiers having been a Final 4 favorite for some when the season began. That despite having a consensus first team All-American in forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.
The Big 10’s second place team, Northwestern, was a #7 seed that fell in the second round 68-63 to UCLA. The Wildcats had a quality season, but the conference’s second place team not advancing to the Sweet 16 might be another sign that the league was not as good as originally perceived.
Penn State, despite being a #10 seed, did knock off SEC opponent and #7 seed Texas A&M prior to falling in a close game to #2 seed Texas 71-66.
As a sign of respect, it’s important to note something additional with the Nittany Lions. The quality NCAA Tournament performance, combined with some top play during the season, has helped PSU head coach Micah Shrewsberry be one of the hotter names for possible open head coaching jobs. It will be interesting to see if he decides to stick in Happy Valley.
#8 seed Iowa and #9 seed Illinois were both bounced in the first round by SEC teams, #9 seed Auburn and #8 Arkansas, respectively. Quite frankly, each of the Hawkeyes and Illini just shot too poorly, and made too many critical mental errors, to advance.
That’s where the Big 10 becomes interesting with its last remaining member, Michigan State. Since winning the 2000 national title, Tom Izzo and Michigan State have been continuously knocking on the Final 4 door.
The Spartans have been back to the Final 4 six times (2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2019), but did not again cut down the nets.
Could this be the year that Sparty makes a magical run? MSU was seeded #7 and knocked off #10 seed Southern California and #2 seed Marquette, and now Izzo and the Spartans will attempt to defeat #3 seed Kansas State and tremendous point guard Markquis Nowell for a chance to reach the Elite 8.
It’s been a topsy-turvy NCAA Tournament for the ACC and Big 10, but Miami and Michigan State can both still make a run at the Final 4 and a possible national championship.
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