AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — Before they could entertain the pressing matters that are poised to shake up college athletics — namely, the transfer portal and name, image and likeness — the ACC men's basketball coaches had a higher priority upon gathering at this week's conference spring meetings.
"It was, how did we only get five teams in (the NCAA Tournament), and why were we so disrespected as a league?" Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said Tuesday.
To his point, the five teams selected to the field of 68 — Duke, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Brey's Fighting Irish — made a compelling case that the ACC was far better than perceived by the tournament selection committee. The five teams had a combined 14-5 record in the tournament, the best mark of any conference. Three teams made the regional finals, including Miami as a No. 10 seed, Duke reached the Final Four and UNC played in the championship game as a No. 8 seed.
