SSSSHHHH, we're going to talk among ourselves about how relevant the ACC tournament truly is. It's a delicate subject considering how much money revolves around it.
There are two ways to look at it. It's a fun event steeped in tradition. Or it's an anachronism.
Consider for a moment that it didn't matter much that North Carolina was not last season's ACC tournament champion. The Tar Heels didn't even make it to the final after losing to Florida State in the semis. The result didn't seem to hurt North Carolina, which was to win a certain other honor several weeks later-- the national championship.
The NCAA tournament has become so big that it's left the conference tournaments in their shadow.
I've noted before that Maryland coach Gary Williams says the regular-season ACC champ doesn't get as much credit as it should. Williams has said the regular-season standings reflect what's really important -- consistency and durability. He's suggested that the winner of the regular season should be the ACC champion.
Having said that, Williams also commented on his radio show this week that the ACC tournament is "fun" and that the players enjoy it. So do the fans.
So, yes, the tournament may not have so much cachet, but there's still pride involved and it's an entertaining gateway to the NCAA tournament that follows. It's a rite of March.
I would also argue that it's often quite important to Maryland. Consider last season, when the Terps probably needed at least two wins in Atlanta to qualify for the NCAA tournament. They got them.
Of course, Maryland doesn't need to win two games in the ACC tournament this season to get into the NCAAs. But the Terps would love to make a statement about the direction of their program by winning the ACC tournament championship. Maryland would be happy to flex its muscles and send Greivis Vasquez and its other seniors out of conference play in style.
So, yes, that's absolutely worth something.