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The Secondary Break: Friday’s Links

John Swofford

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford speaks to the media during the ACC Media Day in Greensboro, N.C., Sunday, July 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

AP

ACC finalizing deal to play its tournament at Barclays Center (Sports Illustrated)
When the ACC expanded to include Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, some wondered if the conference would move its basketball tournament north. Madison Square Garden was the focus, but with the Barclays Center in Brooklyn the conference can get into the world’s largest media market there as well. And that will reportedly happen in 2017.

Time for young Wildcats to grow up (Cincinnati.com)
Kentucky will begin SEC tournament play on Friday, signaling the start of postseason play for a team that to this point hasn’t met the expectations set in the preseason. The good news is that postseason play is a rebirth of sorts, with teams having the opportunity to end their season on a positive note. And in order for Kentucky to do that, their young players need to grow up.

Time to show UW’s Romar a little loyalty (The News Tribune)
Washington completed a disappointing season on Wednesday, losing to Utah in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament. Losing Jernard Jarreau for the season in the opener didn’t help matters, and the Huskies dealt with a lack of depth for much of the season. Yet even with this being the case, some have gotten a bit frustrated when it comes to the state of the program.

Florida’s fate is in Wilbekin’s hands (Florida Today)
No. 1 Florida will play its first SEC tournament game on Friday, with the Gators facing Missouri in the quarterfinals. Florida hopes to win nine more games, and the key for the Gators will be the play of senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin. After missing time due to a suspension, Wilbekin’s been a very important player for head coach Billy Donovan.

Steve Donahue will return as head coach next season (BC Interruption)
Late Thursday it was reported that Boston College head coach Steve Donahue will return for another season, and it’s safe to say that more than a few BC fans aren’t thrilled with the decision of athletic director Brad Bates.

Dump league tourneys - for the good of college basketball (Salt Lake Tribune)
Another day, another argument against conference tournaments. In this column the writer argues that larger conferences don’t gain much for the event, and a dominant regular season champ in a smaller league can miss out on the NCAA tournament if they lose in the conference tournament.

Lack of accountability dooms Marquette (Paint Touches)
Marquette’s Big East tournament experience came to an end on Thursday, with the Golden Eagles falling to Xavier 68-65. Even before the loss fans were attempting to diagnose what was wrong with Marquette this season, with a lack of both accountability and leadership being evident throughout the season.

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