The Deacs are in and seeded higher than most analysts thought. But that's a reward for tough scheduling and the fact that the Demon Deacons beat 6 tournament teams throughout the year. By comparison, VT beat 3 and none out of conference. They only played one top 50 team OOC, Wake played four (and also lost to a W&M team that beat Richmond and Maryland). Yes, VT beat Wake h2h, but that was in Blacksburg and there was a huge FT differential. If that game was on a neutral floor or at Wake that night, the Deacs would have had the edge and there'd be no argument at all for the Hokies.
Listen, it comes down to scheduling. It isn't about one head to head matchup on the year. That's a joke of an argument and one that I would assume a 10 year old was making, not someone who covers basketball his entire life. The Deacs deserved to be in and that was shown by the fact that they weren't even one of the last 8 teams in the bracket. Anyway, here's a smorgasbord of links for you guys.
10 Teams to Watch in the NCAA Tourney
9.) Wake Forest Demon Deacons: The Demon Deacons are a dangerous number 9 seed. They feature a good lead guard in Ishmael Smith and a legitimate N.B.A talent in Al-Farouq Aminu. The Deacons will face the Texas Longhorns who also have potential to make some noise in the tourney.
Barking Carnival — Blog — A Wake Before The Funeral
If Wake guards us relentlessly, we lose. They need to extend, pressure, trap, press and generally mess with our world on ever possession with every two bit pressure tactic imaginable – even if they give up some easy baskets early. If they do that, turnovers will feed their offense, and our emotional delicacy will kick in such that they can get the win.
First reaction to the bracket - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
I disagree with people forecasting a difficult second-round game for Kentucky. The matchup of Texas and Wake Forest is a pair of dead teams walking – both playing horrible basketball at this point. Everyone loves the Longhorns’ talent – but what has that talent done in the past two months to make anyone believe it is ready to rise up and beat the most talented team in the country?
Despite some strange seeding in the East, it's Kentucky's region to lose - washingtonpost.com
Kentucky has a virtual walkover to the round of 16 with an opener against East Tennessee State and a second-round game against the winner of Texas vs. Wake Forest, who were about 3-50 combined the last month of the season. (Note: Do you think Virginia Tech Coach Seth Greenberg might be privately pointing out to people right now that Wake Athletic Director Ron Wellman is on the committee for the first time this year?)
Any method to this March Madness? - Off The Glass
Then the discussion began. And Wake Forest was at the center of all the ruckus this year, mainly because Virginia Tech was left out despite going 10-6 in the ACC while the Demon Deacons went 9-7 and got trounced in the first game of the ACC tournament for their fifth loss in six games. The excerpts I heard got me thinking. Dick Vitale brought it up. And then I heard others defend Wake Forest.
Chris Dufresne's NCAA tournament region-by-region picks - latimes.com
This bracket has some upset potential, starting with a minor one with Wake Forest over Texas, a team that spent time at No. 1 this season before falling off Earth's edge.
East Regional bracket breakdown :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Colleges
Best first-round matchup No. 8 Texas vs. No. 9 Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are among the nation's best defensive teams, and Texas has had a long fall from its early-season top ranking.
Wake Forest's opponent: Texas : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis
NO. 8 TEXAS Record: 24-9 (9-7 Big 12) RPI: No. 29 Coach: Rick Barnes (496-247 overall, 294-113 at Texas) Probable starters: F Damion James (18 ppg, 10.0 rpg); C Dexter Pittman (10.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg); G Avery Bradley (11.7 ppg, 2.1 apg); G Justin Mason (3.7 ppg, 2.3 apg); G J'Covan Brown (9.3 ppg, 2.4 apg).
No. 8 seed Texas to go dancing with No. 9 Wake Forest | College Sports Blog | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | The Dallas Morning News
Prediction: Texas beats Wake Forest, loses to Kentucky in second round.
Capsules on all 65 NCAA Tournament teams | Jake's Take On Sports
9 – Wake Forest – To go far in the NCAA Tournament, you typically need a future NBA lottery pick, and the Demon Deacons have one in Al-Farouq Aminu, one of the best rebounders in the country. They are not a good outside shooting team, though. Comment: Lack of three-point shooters will bite the Deacons.
NCAA tournament basketball: Forde Minutes: Big Dance edition - ESPN
Wake Forest (21). The Demon Deacons have ended the season disastrously, losing five of their last six and bottoming out with a 21-point loss in the ACC tourney to last-place
