Jan. 11, 2007

By Jeff Lippman
CSTV.com

This ain't your grandmother's Atlantic Coast Conference.

Followers of basketball know the ACC is the dominant men's basketball conference in America. Maryland, Duke and North Carolina have all won national championships already this decade and Duke pops conference tourney titles like Tic-Tacs.

On the women's side of college basketball, Connecticut and Tennessee have been the dominant programs throughout most of the past 25 years and have had an ACC-like dominant presence over their game.

Like the game itself, the balance of power is changing in women's basketball, and while No. 4 Tennessee and No. 7 UConn are still hovering at the top of the rankings, they have made way for the new queens of the hardwood, the ACC's own, Maryland, Duke and North Carolina.

"When you have Maryland, Carolina and Duke all one, two and three undefeated, I think that sort of lays it out for you," North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "The conference last year was the best in the country, and I think this year will be the same. When you go through the ACC you are definitely ready for the NCAAs and the Final Four.

"Three out of four teams in the Final Four last year, I don't think any conference can say anymore than that."

North Carolina won the national championship way back in 1994 for the conferences' first women's basketball title. The years since have seen both Duke and Carolina field highly competitive teams that almost always finish near the top. .

Last year, however, a new team threw itself into the mix. Maryland went from another solid ACC team to NCAA champs in a relatively short period of time, throwing a wrench into the usual makeup of the conference.

"It all goes back to recruiting," says Duke coach Gail Goestenkors. "I think Carolina and Maryland in particular have really stepped up their recruiting in recent years and when you start to bring in one or two great players, they attract other great players and so I think we are all pushing each other along now, not just our three teams, but the entire conference. We are pushing each other, I think, to greatness."

Last year's Final Four looked more like a second ACC Tournament with Maryland gaining revenge against Carolina for beating them in the conference tourney and Duke defeating LSU out of the SEC.

Maryland went on to beat Duke in perhaps the greatest women's championship game ever played. And now, all three are back, and most believe they will all return to the Final Four in Cleveland.

To read the complete article please click here.