Fear the Turtle

Forget the men’s tournament. It was a nice appetizer, but that’s it, for Sunday night’s excitement. Maybe it’s the ACC fan in me, but it’s the women’s Final Four – with three ACC teams – that I can’t wait to watch.

(In fact, I’m writing this as George Mason and Florida are playing. Do I care? No, not really.)

Mechelle Voepel, who writes for The Kansas City Star and ESPN.com, joined ACC Nation this week to talk about the women’s tournament.

When I told her I thought Maryland was playing the best of the four teams heading into Sunday night, she didn’t disagree.

“They’ve really come on strong,” Voepel said of the Terps. “The one game where they sort of looked a little bit like a young team was in the second round (in a win over St. John’s). That was really the only game where the looked maybe just a little bit like, 'Hey, are we ready to do this?'."

Then Maryland, in Voepel’s words, “blew the defending national champions off the floor.” That would be Baylor, who Maryland destroyed 82-63. That was the game that sold me on Maryland.

As for Voepel, it was the regional final victory over Utah that may have sold her.

“I thought the game against Utah was a very strong statement for the Terps because Utah has been one of the best defensive teams in the country the last several years,” Voepel said. “Maryland survived that game and they go into the Final Four very confident.”

As they should. Maryland’s opponent is North Carolina. The only loss on Carolina’s schedule this season? That’s right – Maryland. In early February, after North Carolina had knocked off Duke on the road, the Terps went into Chapel Hill and beat the Tar Heels 98-95.

Of course, almost a month later Carolina returned the favor in the ACC Tournament to even the series this year. What better stage to play the rubber match than the Final Four?

Said Voepel, “It’s really a blockbuster semifinal there between two ACC teams.”

- Patrick Hite