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Wednesday, December 20, 2000
A great debate over Wake
ESPN.com
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Want to start a debate? Just create a ranking of college basketball teams, offer users a chance to e-mail their comments about said ranking and post comments on a weekly basis. That is what ESPN.com has done with its Sweet 16, a weekly ranking of teams leading up to March.
Below are some of the best e-mails received in the past week. It seems not everyone is as high on Wake Forest as ESPN.com. And the state of Iowa isn't on our Christmas card list.
But that's what makes this fun ... right?
"I tell you what, I don't care what anyone says about Wake Forest they are not a No. 1 seed. You get them in a big-game situation and we'll see. You got to give to it to the Illini baby. No cupcakes being eaten by Self and company. This is a dynamic basketball team, with the sky being the limit. ... Look out in March when the UofI are a legit and no-brainer No. 1 seed."
Terry McCann
Mt. Vernon, Ill.
"No Tar Heels in the Sweet 16? Ah, how quickly you forget. And by the way, if we lose once to Wake Forest this year, I'll paint my car gold and black."
John Gardner
Chapel Hill, N.C.
"How in the world can you not have Alabama on that list. They're undefeated and have blown everyone away. Gerald Wallace is magnificent. Rod Grizzard is awesome, too! "This team has whooped everyone yet gets no respect yet. It's pathetic."
Joseph Holler
Anniston, Ala.
"How you can leave out the Tar Heels is unthinkable. Sure they lost to a Kentucky team that doesn't have the talent or depth of years past, but Kentucky proved on Saturday that they can play with the best of them in their one point loss at Michigan State. It's great to see four ACC schools, but forgetting to include the 'Heels ... in favor of USC? Give me a break."
Scott Randlett
Plantation, Fla.
"You guys still don't get it do you? Illinois is likely the best team in the country, but I know, two losses is more than 0. However, they would beat Duke if they played them today, they beat Arizona on Saturday, and they will kick the crap out of Michigan State later this year. If they aren't a No. 1 seed, maybe you should redefine your qualifications. If you want to put untested basketball teams up there, then you have nailed it with Stanford, who hasn't played anybody yet. They
are going to get creamed by Duke this week. Then maybe you could
put the Illini in the spot they deserve, a No. 1 seed."
Adam Clark
Bloomington, Ill.
"It's about time that someone recognized how good one of those 'other' teams in the ACC is. Wake Forest and Dave Odom have put on of the best products on the court over the last full season. It took the young Deacons the better part of last season to get their rotation and feel for their roles set, but Wake's run in the NIT and to start this year show that they deserve the No. 7 ranking and a No. 1 seed in the ESPN.com Sweet 16. ... The Deacons are running and scoring with their trademark downpour of threes along with a new found transition alley-oop play that was never a part of Odom's game plan in the past. Watch out for the Deacons to hold a top position in the ACC and in the country. So much for preseason predictions of a 5th-place finish in the ACC, looks like a 5th place national ranking seems more likely."
Aaron Munz
Fayetteville, N.C.
"While I agree with your placement of Illinois as a No. 2 seed, you sound like Lute Olson when you said the Illini bordered on playing dirty. Illinois plays great half-court defense and is physical fighting through screens. That's not dirty -- that's championship basketball. In my opinion, a kick to the groin (Woods), a forearm aimed to the jaw (Jefferson), and a coach berating an opposing player (Olson) are much dirtier. But I guess Arizona's reputation lets them get away with dirty play. MSU played the same way last year, but I didn't hear anyone say they were dirty"
Dallon Christensen
Coal Valley, Ill.
"Orange vs. Orange. 9-0 vs. 9-0. No. 4 vs. No. 10. What a matchup this Friday's game will be up in Syracuse. But I gotta say this, when the 'Cuse wins, they still won't have any respect. They'll all say, 'Oh, they played Tennessee at home. If they'd played them on the road, they would have lost.' Do I think SU is a No. 3 seed at this point? Yes. Higher? Sure. Do they get any respect other than this little bit here? No way. They took their winning ways to Alaska, and they still get snubbed for playing too many cupcakes at home. No wonder Jimmy B looks the way he does, he never gets any love."
Andrew Currier
Hyde Park, N.Y.
"Come on, the Illini have already made their way to scary. Their only losses have come to No. 1 teams: Arizona and Duke, both of which they dominated but fell a combined four points short. That's okay though, Frankie and the boys will prove their worth when they take down your Michigan State giant in early February. The Assembly Hall fans in Champaign are in for a big treat, I'm predicting a big loss for the Spartans."
D.J. Svihlik
Garfield, Ohio
"I think your No. 1 & No. 2 seeds are strong! But your No. 3 & No. 4 are terrible. How can you rank a USC, who hasn't played anyone, over a North Carolina team. That's the same for Wisconsin. There should be only one of these two teams here, North Carolina should be the other selection"
Darrell McCollum
Charlotte, N.C.
"I like how somebody has finally mentioned Caron Butler of the Huskies as the best frosh in the Big East. All this talk of Eddie Griffin is making me sick. Butler has a great all-around game. However, I don't see how three losses, (two to Illinois and one to UConn) puts Arizona ahead of the Huskies. Grant it that was a bad call by the officials at the UConn-Arizona game, but 'Zona never should have let the Huskies back into the game."
Patrick Kane
Eastham, Mass.
"Great work standing your ground on Wake! I don't suspect the Demon Deacons will let you down this week either. Duke fans (and all the naysayers) are in for a very nasty awakening come ACC time. Duke's a great six-man team, but I can't wait to see the Deacons wear them down with their nine-man rotation, inside presence and grinding defense. The question for this week is: Can Wake's D hold Temple under 30-percent FG? With 14 straight games of below 40 percent -- gotta aim a little lower."
Harry Pastuszek
Alexandria, Va.
"What about Indiana? I figure they will make a big run toward the end of the season, and in the Big Ten Championship."
"I have to be one of the first people to say go get 'em Deacs! I'm extremely pleased that Wake Forest University is ranked No. 1. However, I am greatly surprised that UNC is not in there somewhere, not even at a No. 4 seed. Surely three straight games with victory margins of 22, 22, and 21 pts, albeit over mediocre teams, is enough to impress. And putting Maryland on there? The team that has had trouble tying their own shoelaces so far this season."
Mark Townsend
Chapel Hill, N.C.
"Well I see that you mentioned Iowa in your Sweet 16 this week. But I do think that Missouri is gonna be a tough team this year, so I expected a tough battle against them. So the Hawks shouldn't be looked down upon for not winning big. Plus, I think it helps them more playing close tough games, that will prepare them for the Big Ten. So I will expect to see Iowa in next week hopefully. I know Iowa has a shot a playing Tennessee in Hawaii, so if they do that will be a great game if they are both still undefeated."
Brian Keitel
Davenport, Iowa
"I don't agree with the Sweet 16 list leaving out the Iowa Hawkeyes. I know coming from Iowa I'm supposed to think this way, but it really is true. They have 2, possibly 3 players who are playing as well as anyone in the country right now. Junior Reggie Evans is averaging a double-double a game and had 11 points 12 rebounds at halftime of the Missouri game alone. Luke Recker is averaging over 20 points a game. And Dean Oliver, though not putting up as many points until lately, has an assist to turnover ratio that is terrific. The Hawkeyes are a young team that is very much on the rise. I figured that some of these close games they have been in, their inexperience would hurt them, but so far it hasn't. I understand that they haven't played that tough of a schedule so far, but 3 wins over quality teams like Iowa St., Missouri, and Georgia Tech has shown something in my eyes. When the Big 10 season rolls around everyone will see just how good this team can be."
Andy Zellmer
Bussey, Iowa
"I'm a Dukie and a strong ACC supporter so I'm obviously pleased with your current Sweet 16. The Deacs are very good but probably not Top 4, and I think in the end Maryland will be at least a 2 seed, though I agree with where you have them for now. The team I think is missing is the Iowa Hawkeyes. They're 9-0 now and look better than the 25th team in the country to me. They can shot the 3, have size, and 2 legitimate stars in Recker and Evans. How 'bout throwing them some props."
"I think that if it honestly came down to Iowa or USC for the final spot, then you picked the wrong team. Iowa's strength of schedule is superior and to even suggest that a double OT win over Missouri is less impressive than a 3-point win (at home) over Pepperdine is insane. To use the most recent RPI as comparison, Iowa is #2 and USC is #10. Missouri is #22 and Pepperdine is #77. Iowa's strength of schedule is #20 and USC's is #70. USC is a fine club and should fare well this year, but when you match up who each team has played, I believe Iowa has to emerge on top."
"Who says Wake shouldn't be a top seed?!?! These guys are a coach's dream team: unselfish, hardworking, and able to do a bit of everything. With Rafael Viduaretta coming back to shore up the middle, watch him take Carlos Boozer out of the formula as the rest of the speedy Deacs shut down Duke's three-point shooter. After the ACC season starts they won't be just a No. 1 seed, but a No. 1 ranked No. 1 seed."
"I agree with most of your Sweet 16, but MSU should be No. 1. Big deal they had a rough outing against a tough Kentucky team, but they pulled off a win. A win is a win and they won without freshman star Marcus Taylor in the second half. ... You know coach Izzo will NOT let them have another performance like that against Seton Hall. I promise a win by at least 15 points, so I think you should put MSU at No. 1. What has Duke done to get there? Big deal, they have had a cake walk season. So far their closest game was with a horrible Temple team. Come time for them to play Stanford you will see the young and weak Duke team that even a battered up Stanford can beat!"
Jeremy Stevens
Laingsburg, Mich.
"I think that the Hawkeyes should have earned their way in by now, but I'll wait until they upset Tennessee later this month before I complain."
Tom Ksobiech
Kansas City, Mo.
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ALSO SEE
ESPN.com's Sweet 16
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