"is truly sad": College hoops fans react as Stanford pulls off thrilling win over rival Cal

No. 7 seed Stanford defeated No. 15 seed California on Wednesday in the second round of the ACC Tournament. The Cardinal had a six-point lead at halftime, but it was a closely contested game, and they ultimately won 78-73.

While the victory was thrilling for Stanford fans as their team punched its ticket to the quarterfinals, many hoops fans were not happy with the quality of play.

Fans reacted to the ACC Network's X post about the win, with their comments ranging from making fun of the sloppy game to questioning its legitimacy as a tournament matchup.

"Sloppiest basketball I’ve ever witnessed. Worse than watching a pickup game at the rec," one fan wrote.

"The fact this is an ACC game is truly sad," another fan wrote.

"The battle for who gets to lose to Louisville," a fan commented.

Meanwhile, some were more excited about the game and its result.

"Nothing like an Atlantic Coast Conference hoops battle between two teams from California!" one fan tweeted.

"Stanford it is!!! Let’s do it boys! L’s UPPPP!!!!" a fan tweeted.

"impressive🙄," another fan wrote.

Stanford will face No. 2 seed Louisville in the quarterfinals on Thursday. It faced the Cardinals in the regular season finale and lost 68-48.

Stanford senior Jaylen Blakes believes team exceeded preseason expectations this season

With a new coach, conference and players, it was a season of transition for Stanford and anything could have gone wrong. The expectations were fairly low for the Cardinal heading into the 2024-25 season.

From finishing 10th in the Pac-12 last season with a 14-18 (8-12) overall record to becoming the No. 7 seed in the ACC Tournament this campaign boasting a 20-12 (11-9) overall record was a turnaround that no one saw coming.

"I think we surpassed expectations," Stanford guard Jaylen Blakes said to reporters after Wednesday's game. "Coach (Kyle) Smith talked to us before, that we were projected 17th out of 18th. We weren't even supposed to be here right now, and for us to be here with the talent we have, I think we're doing a great job."

Blakes, a Duke transfer, has been a key cog for the Cardinal in his final season. He is averaging 13.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. Against the Golden Bears, he recorded 21 points, three rebounds and six assists