DURHAM, N.C. — At Hampton University World Basketball Headquarters, they've been a mite peeved about their seed in the NCAA women's tournament since it was announced Monday. They have an advocate in Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie."Hampton is the greatest No. 15 seed I've ever seen in my life," McCallie said, in advance of Sunday's first-round game against her second-seeded Blue Devils. "They are absolutely terrific. It's the best Hampton team, I think, that's ever been there in the history of the program."
McCallie mentioned how Hampton (28-5) hadn't been tested in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play. That's a bit of a stretch, though only two of the Lady Pirates' final 14 wins were by single digits.
"They belong in the ACC," McCallie said. "They're an ACC team."
She added, "Hampton could have beaten a ton of our teams in the ACC. … If you put them in the ACC, they're as good as most ACC teams, and as athletic as any of them."
The Lady Pirates appreciate the compliment, but they face an XL-sized challenge in Duke (30-2), the ACC regular-season and tournament champs on their home floor.
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