Best Basketball Conference Ever? And The Big Finish

Brian: Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is pretty amped about the new look ACC for men's basketball. Last week, during the news conference announcing Coach K's return as coach of the US Men's National Team, Krzyzewski fired shots at every other conference in the land.

"I love what's happening with our conference," Krzyzewski said. "We're going to be a 10-bid conference. We're going to be the best conference in the history of the game. It's exciting to be part of that."

Boston College is no stranger to being in an elite men's basketball conference. The early years of the Big East had arguably one of the best collections of elite programs that any conference has ever seen.

With the best of the old Big East set to join the ACC, there's no question that ACC basketball will be an elite hoops conference. But will it be the best ever? Your thoughts?

Jeff: While the ACC may not be the best conference ever the first year after Louisville joins, it probably will be at some point over the next 5-10 years. Once Louisville joins, some people would say that 4 of the 5 top coaches right now are in the ACC. John Calipari is the only top tier coach that is not headed to the ACC right now. Sure there are a lot of good younger coaches not in the ACC, but the top tier seasoned coaches are mostly going to be in the ACC.

Brian: Will the ACC ever be a 10-bid conference? And if so, how many years will it take?

Jeff: The ACC will eventually get 10 teams and it might even happen very soon and on a regular basis. If just 6 teams from the old ACC 12-team league get in. Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh would all have to make the dance, as they did this past season, in order for the to get 10 in. But it is also very possible that Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State, Florida State, Georgia Tech, BC and Virginia all get in in the same season in which case only three of the four new teams would have to get an invitation for the league to get 10 in. Either way, I think the ACC will average over nine teams in the NCAA tournament per season in the first five seasons after Louisville joins.

Big Finish

Brian: West Virginia wants Pittsburgh, Penn State, Virginia and Virginia Tech on its future non-conference schedule. What four non-conference AQ opponents do you want to see on BC's future schedule?

Jeff: Penn State, Rutgers, UConn and Stanford.

Jeff: With the future strength of ACC basketball taken into consideration, how much higher do you expect the football team to finish in conference compared to the basketball team in order for both teams to still have played a successful season?

Brian: The benchmark for football has to be top three in the Atlantic. For basketball, top seven.

Brian: Johnathan Coleman won't return for a fifth year. Big blow to the Eagles receiving corps?

Jeff: Yes, disappointing his career did not amount to a what it appeared at times it might.

Jeff: What team gives Boston College the best chance at a national championship in 2013-14? Men's hockey, women's hockey, sailing or men's club lacrosse?

Brian: Women's hockey, men's hockey, sailing and men's club lacrosse, in order.

Brian: It's early but Addazio has quietly put together a Top 20 recruiting class. How impressed have you been with the new staffs' early recruiting success?

Jeff: Not floored, but very happy. Anxious to see it finish in the top 20 and follow up with another one.

Jeff: With the trip out to USC coming on what doesn't figure to be a very promising season for the Eagles, is it still the road trip coming up on our non-conference schedule?

Brian: When going up against BC's trip to Las Cruces, New Mexico ...?

Brian: Last one. SI's Stewart Mandel projects out the future ACC bowl lineup. Improvement on what we have today? Worse?

Jeff: Definitely improvement. I think the Pinstripe Bowl and Gator Bowl are upgrades.