GREENVILLE, S.C. -- There were those who deemed it in a class of its own, capable of breaking the Big East record of 11 teams that earned invites to the 2011 NCAA tournament. There was a loaded Duke team, and several others that were considered capable of reaching to sport's pinnacle -- the Final Four.
Power at the top, depth in the middle and even the bottom had improved. There was oodles and oodles of talent, highlighted by a trio of guys -- Duke's Jayson Tatum, NC State's Dennis Smith and Florida State's Jonathan Isaac -- pegged to be taken in the top 10 of June's NBA draft.