University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: An ACC Tournament Primer
March 7, 2002 | Men's Basketball
March 7, 2002
By Adam Lucas
TarHeelBlue.com
Some people think there is about as much chance of Carolina beating Duke Friday night in the ACC Tournament as there is of a snowstorm in Charlotte in March, or of the Charlotte Coliseum suddenly going dark in the middle of a basketball game.
Of course, both of those things have happened in the past decade at Tournament games in the Queen City. The snowstorm wasn't more than a dusting, really, but it still sent fans skidding off into the night one semifinal Saturday. And the power failure, well, it was just one episode in a wild weekend in 1993 that ended with Derrick Phelps sitting out the championship game as the Tar Heels lost to Georgia Tech because of an injury suffered one day earlier against Jason Williford and Virginia. That season ended more happily three weeks later in New Orleans.
So don't rule out a snowstorm or a power failure, just like you shouldn't rule out a Tar Heel victory. Besides, the spectacle alone of the ACC Tournament makes a trip to Charlotte worthwhile. Quarterfinal Friday of the conference tourney is the greatest day of the league year.
Then there's the always-enjoyable dash to secure tickets. As soon as a team loses a game, vultures from other teams start circling the losing team's section, looking to snap up extras. Of course, you're (Don't) free (Sell) to (Extras) sell (To) to (Duke) anyone (Fans). Just because that poor innocent Tar Heel sitting next to you will have to suffer through the remainder of the weekend sitting next to Billy from Greensboro, who actually didn't go to Duke but loves the Blue Devils more than anything in this world, except during football season when he cheers for Florida State, don't feel guilty about that.
For those of you going to Charlotte, here's your handy guide to Friday, including a breakdown of who you should cheer for in each game.
Noon, Maryland vs. Clemson/FSU: The general ACC Tournament rule is to cheer for the underdog. The 1 vs. 8 game was a yawner until 1989, when a dismal Maryland team upset Jim Valvano's NC State Wolfpack. It happened again in 1997, when Herb "The Man" Sendek and the Pack did it to Duke. That's nice and all, but this year it's a requirement to cheer for the Terps, since if Duke makes it through to the finals, Gary Williams' bunch is probably the only team capable of beating the Devils.
2 p.m., NC State vs. Virginia: First, let's make clear that the Pack has the most knowledgeable and intelligent fans in the entire country, not to mention that they're mighty good-looking. (Yes, we've been getting a lot of angry State mail lately.) Watching Virginia play is like a first-hand viewing of someone going through intense therapy, which can either be good or bad, depending on if you like movies starring Glenn Close. But we're going to have to go with the Wahoos here for one very important reason-their fans, usually of the mid-40ish range, often wear bright orange pants to the games, and we're going to need some entertainment on Saturday.
7 p.m., Duke vs. Carolina: You're kidding, right?
9 p.m., Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech: The 9:00 game is always the toughest of the day. You're thirsty, you're starting to confuse Vytas Danelius and Olu Babalola (ah bop bam boom!), and that Charlotte Coliseum seat is starting to meld to your posterior. Persevere, young basketball fan. Generations of ACC fans before you have made it through four games in one day, and you don't want to have to admit to your kids that you wimped out. The league standings don't make this any easier, matching up two yellow-and-black teams. Take the easy way out and cheer for the Jackets, largely because Wake Forest fans take special pride in making up "Screw Carolina" buttons to wear to games.
Besides, after the Heels beat Duke, they match up better with Tech than Wake in the semifinals.
Don't laugh. After all, it could snow.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is a lifelong observer of UNC sports and can be reached at jalucas@bellsouth.net.
