ACC Remains Favorite, But Old Big East Rules the Final Four

PHILADELPHIA — Leave it to an old ball coach like John Thompson to point out the obvious.

Yes, the ACC has two representatives in the Final Four in North Carolina and Syracuse, but the Orange will always and forever be linked to the original Big East Conference.

So it’s more than fair to argue that the Big East — with original members Syracuse and Villanova heading to Houston — is the true winner of this Final Four.

“It was the Big East, Syracuse is Big East,” Big John told me here after North Carolina eliminated ACC rival Notre Dame, another Big East refugee, 88-74, behind Brice Johnson’s 25 points and 12 rebounds that secured his Most Outstanding Player award.

Villanova and Oklahoma will play the first national semifinal on Saturday at 6:09 p.m., with North Carolina and Syracuse to meet in the second game.

Syracuse and Georgetown, of course, were original members of Dave Gavitt’s Big East, with Villanova joining shortly thereafter.

“That’s exactly right, and Villanova,” Thompson said.

Led by Carmelo Anthony, who cheered on the Orange’s thrilling come-from-behind win over Virginia Sunday night via social media, Syracuse last won a national championship in 2003. Now they could win a second national championship in a second league — following others like UConn and Louisville, who also won titles under the Big East flag.

Villanova, of course, won its only NCAA title in 1985, when the Big East placed three teams in the Final Four.

So, Jim Boeheim, is the current ACC as strong as the Big East was in ’85?

“You know, they want me to say that, but you know I can’t say that,” Boeheim told the great Bill Rhoden of the New York Times. “I was in that league 30 years. If I’m in this league 30 years, then I might say that.”

Jim Boeheim on his way to the #FinalFour like… pic.twitter.com/0m4RbOceJh

– Justin Hardie (@OrangeHardie) March 28, 2016

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North Carolina, the ACC regular-season and tournament champion and the last remaining No. 1 seed in the Big Dance, will enter the Final Four as the favorite. They’ve won four NCAA Tournament games by an average of 16 points and haven’t lost since Feb. 27 at Virginia.

(As of midnight Easter Sunday, Carolina was leading a poll I threw up on Twitter at 38 percent, with Oklahoma at 27 percent, Villanova at 23 percent and Syracuse at 12 percent).

“I think we always thought we would be the favorite in our minds because when we’re playing our best basketball we feel like we can’t be beat,” North Carolina point guard Marcus Paige said.

Sure, Carolina’s the favorite and probably has the easiest road to the final since they’re facing a No. 10 seed in Syracuse in the national semifinals.

And yes, Buddy Hield and Oklahoma will likely be the favorite over Villanova after beating Jay Wright’s club, 78-55, on Dec. 7 at Pearl Harbor.

But entering the Final Four, the Old Big East has a 50 percent chance to cut down the nets.

And what if Syracuse shocks the world and wins it all?

Who gets credit, the ACC or the old Big East?

“I’m not ready to say that they’re gonna win it,” Thompson said of Syracuse. “I think Jimmy has done a helluva job. You know it goes without saying what he’s done with that team.

“He may get an extension. The bad thing about it, he may want to coach for 10 more years.”

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NLeave it to an old ball coach like John Thompson to point out the obvious.