I definitely agree that the ACC THIS year is getting the benefit from a decade+ of great years in the 90's to early 00's. ESPN/Dickie V is on Duke and the rest of the ACC's nuts every game that is on TV and for what reason?
There are teams like Maryland that beat Duke twice this year, and then the bottom feeders like Clemson losing all of us that had a Maryland a lot of money. What does that say about Duke then? You don't see the bottom of the barrell like St. John's or Seton Hall beating Pitt, UConn, Syracuse, or BC...it just isn't happening. Maybe there is that much parity in the ACC, but I totally agree that the brutality of the Big East schedule grooms these teams for the grind of the tournament.
The ACC is defnitely in the top 2 conference this year by far (followed eithe by the Big XII or SEC I would say), but it is ludicrous to think that at least one Big East team won't get a #1 seed.
My view is that BC should get a #1 seed, especially if they win out, and then make it to at least the semifinals of the Big East tourny. I think we will see two Big East teams in the Final Four again (any of the likes of Syracuse or BC, but wouldn't be surprised to see Pitt, UConn, or even Villanova to make a run at it), and one ACC team (North Carolina...Duke will choke, and Wake might make it to the Regional Finals).