Monday, February 15, 2010

Is it too soon to proclaim Duke the ACC's best?

With six straight ACC wins, Duke (21-4, 9-2 ACC) has climbed to the top of the conference standings, and Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said there's no doubt the Blue Devils are the best team in the league.

"Right now we all know they're having the best year," Hamilton said Monday on the ACC's weekly coaches' teleconference. "They have a good mixture of experienced players that have been around a while and. . .freshmen that kind of blend in."

Hamilton also said that despite the problems North Carolina (14-11, 3-7) is having, the Tar Heels have a great coach and great players.

"People should take note that as they move toward the end of the season and as they move toward the ACC Tournament, Carolina is not going to be a team that anyone is going to want to face," Hamilton said.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was asked whether his program - which won seven of eight ACC Tournaments from 1999 to 2006 - has re-established itself as the ACC's top program. Krzyzewski said he's not going to go week to week or month to month discussing who's got the best program.

"There's so many good programs in our conference that you want to be one of the top programs," Krzyzewski said. "You may go and win the conference for a couple years. That doesn't mean you're necessarily the top program. That means for those two seasons you're the best team. We had that for a long time, and we didn't bill ourselves as the top program. We just said, 'We won the league.' Because it's too fluid now. There are too many good players and there are too many good programs.

"We're just happy we had a really good week and we're hoping to have another week and we're in contention for the regular season crown. They don't give awards based on a week. . . .Those things go away quick. But if you win something big, if you win a championship, that stays forever. And that's what we're trying to do."

Ken Tysiac

6 comments:

qdog112 said...

Look at the road schedule and and road record, then ask yourself if it's too early to proclaim them winners.

Anonymous said...

He hates on the heels and the dookies.... it must be a pitiful life being a wolfie huh qdog112? LOL!

Anonymous said...

it's time for everyone to ignore all postings by momma's boy qdog.

Anonymous said...

qdog whos your team? you seem to put down duke an awful lot, but they keep proving you wrong.

Mia said...

Duke is the best, though I think Wake will make a run going into the end of the season. It will be interesting to see where things finally settle.

David said...

If Dookie is the best in the ACC, then the ACC is in trouble this year!!! They didn't do all that well against Carolina...they haven't done that much this year! Yeah...all you Dookies will say otherwise, but it's true. The Carolina and Dookie game was a joke! I'm a Carolina fan and I will admit they are not good this year, but they are a young team. But to say Dookie is the best this year in the ACC is not saying much at all!!!!