I know I never really went through and gave praise to the SEC teams for their football prowess. I know it exists, and I know that regardless of whatever I said about the Pac-10, the majority of folks lean toward their side. If you really want to hear about all that, check out ESPN.com or just Google that mess.
But beyond all that, now it’s time for me to boast about the Pac-10 in a different light, one which is very close to my heart as an athlete and a sports fan. You guessed it; basketball.
When it comes to the hardwood and what I believe is one of the purest sports for exhibition of all around athleticism, few people can argue with the success that the ACC has had over the years placing them in the forefront of this discussion, although depending on where you live or where your allegiances lie you would probably like to offer counterarguments. I usually do, but mine all seem to be Pac-10 oriented, so I welcome fans of other teams and conferences to chime in to this conversation.
North Carolina and Duke are perennial powerhouses on a national scale. I don’t even care to tabulate the national championships that these two teams have combined for throughout my lifetime, but I was certainly watching, and the number is pretty high. These teams tend to pump out more draft picks than Apple releases new versions of the iPod. The recruiting edge that these two teams have over most programs in the country is nothing short of phenomenal. But the ACC doesn’t end with Tobacco Road. Maryland comes and goes as a contender (remember Juan Dixon and Lonnie Baxter?) and Wake Forest does a little bit of the same (reaching as far back as Tim Duncan). Miami, Georgia Tech, and Florida State show up once in a while, and even the Wolfpack of NC State has been known to pull off an upset and shake up the conference standings. And you can never leave out Clemson, a team that knocked off Duke last season to throw a wrench in the the UNC/Duke showdown that usually means more than it did after that game. While none of these teams have proven to be as consistently potent and competitive as either of the two giants of their conference, they contribute to the overall power of the ACC.
The Big-12 also deserves major consideration. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State bounce around from year to year as major contenders, but teams like Texas and Kansas have certainly been impressive for a long time. Most recently, Kansas knocked of an incredibly athletic Memphis team in the national title game, and even K-State has made some noise, particularly this year on the shoulders of potential No. 1 draft pick Marcus Beasley. Hell, even Texas Tech was able to do some rather meaningful things under Bob Knight, and I’m sure they hope to continue that trend with his son, Pat Knight, taking the reins. So far that hasn’t proven to be true, but maybe next year will be more successful for Pat, as he attempts to fill the giant shoes of his father. It is important to note that Kansas finished the season as the national champs, and the Texas finished ranked No. 5 in the AP and Coaches Polls.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
