Jim Larrañaga takes victory lap on behalf of the ACC following tournament success

Much was made during the regular season about the ACC having a rough year. But the league has three teams in the Elite Eight — and Jim Larrañaga took a victory lap on behalf of the conference after Miami beat Iowa State on Friday.

After the Hurricanes defeated the Cyclones in the Sweet 16, Miami became the third ACC team to make the Elite Eight, joining North Carolina and Duke. A reporter asked Larrañaga what it means for the league to have three of the last eight teams standing, and he had a quick-witted response.

“Probably that we had a down year,” Larrañaga joked. “Normally we would have four or five. Okay. Somebody laughed at that.”

That’s when Larrañaga gave his full thoughts on how big it is for the ACC to have three of the final eight teams. He said despite what was said during the regular season, the conference is still strong.

“But honestly, all during the season I tried to explain our league is really really good,” Larrañaga said. “And everybody recognizes that Duke and Carolina, those programs are traditionally very, very strong. But the other teams in our league are very, very talented, very deep, have great coaches.

“And our games — we played like 17 or 18 games decided on the last possession. There’s a reason for that. That opponent that we were playing was really good too. But very proud of being a part of the ACC. It’s always been my favorite league. And it’s going to continue to be.”

The ACC received five bids to the big dance this year and only Notre Dame and Virginia Tech lost their respective games. That’s a stark contrast to other leagues, such as the Big Ten, which saw all nine of its teams lose before the Elite Eight.

Following Purdue loss, Big Ten makes college basketball history

The Cinderella story continued Friday night as No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s defeated No. 3 seed Purdue in the Sweet 16. But with the Boilermakers’ loss, the Big Ten made some not-so-great history.

The Big Ten received nine bids to the NCAA Tournament this year, but following Purdue’s defeat, not one of those teams made the Elite Eight. It marks the first time in March Madness history a league had at least nine teams in the tournament and failed to reach the Elite Eight, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

It also extends a long streak for the Big Ten. Michigan State was the last team from the league to win a national championship when the Spartans did it in 2000. Although Maryland won the national championship in 2002, it was a member of the ACC, meaning the Big Ten’s streak now extends to its 22nd season.