Source: Grant Halverson / Getty
It is no secret that it has been a down year in ACC basketball this season, but there have been some teams that have had nice seasons, outperforming their preseason expectations with the help of their head coaches. Mike Brey and Notre Dame were picked preseason eighth in the conference and currently sit at 19-8 (12-4) and might be the biggest threat to Duke right now in the conference’s regular-season race. Jim Larranaga and the Miami Hurricanes were tabbed to finish 12th in the conference in the preseason and currently sit in third in the conference with a 20-8 (12-5 record and have a win on the road at Duke in their favor. However, the favorite of the group should be Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes, whose team was picked to finish 13th in the preseason polls and is now staring down a tournament appearance sitting at 21-7 (11-6).
Heat Check CBB’s Brian Rauf, who joined the Mac Attack earlier this morning, says that he believes that the award should go to one of the three names mentioned above, but ultimately he would be shocked if it doesn’t go to Coach K.
“I would give it to Steve Forbes and if I wasn’t giving it to Steve Forbes, Larranaga and Mike Brey are option two and three. That said, I will also be shocked if Coach K doesn’t win the award because I think they are going to view it as something of a lifetime award for him.”
-Brian Rauf, Heat Check CBB