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The 2017 ACC Tournament begins on Tuesday in Brooklyn. Which teams have the best chance to claim the title? And can the league send 11 schools to the NCAA Tournament?

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The 2017 ACC Tournament tips off on Tuesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. While this scribe would prefer the event to always be played in Greensboro, there’s no question that this showcase will be an exciting way to close out the 2016-17 conference season.

Will North Carolina be able to defend its title? Are Coach K and Duke prepared to win four games in four days? Can the nation’s best league land a record number of NCAA Tournament bids?

Let’s take a deeper dive into the conference’s tournament this week.

Tuesday, March 7: First round

Game 1: No. 13 NC State vs. No. 12 Clemson, 12 p.m. ESPN2
Game 2: No. 15 Boston College vs. No. 10 Wake Forest, 2 p.m. ESPN2
Game 3: No. 14 Pitt vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. ESPNU

Wednesday, March 8: Second round

Game 4: No. 9 Miami vs. No. 8 Syracuse, 12 p.m. ESPN
Game 5: No. 5 Duke vs. Game 1 winner, 2 p.m. ESPN
Game 6: No. 7 Virginia Tech vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m. ESPN2
Game 7: No. 6 Virginia vs. Game 3 winner, 9 p.m. ESPN2

Thursday, March 9: Quarterfinals

Game 8: No. 1 North Carolina vs. Game 4 winner, 12 p.m. ESPN
Game 9: No. 4 Louisville vs. Game 5 winner, 2 p.m. ESPN
Game 10: No. 2 Florida State vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. ESPN
Game 11: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Game 7 winner, 9 p.m. ESPN

Friday, March 10: Semifinals

Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Game 13: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 9 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2

Saturday, March 11: Finals

Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner, 9 p.m. ESPN

1. The favorite

As the No. 1 seed, North Carolina was the top dog in the nation’s toughest league in 2016-17. The Tar Heels won the conference by two games and will almost certainly be a lock for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament by winning the tournament. There’s a good chance that UNC can earn a spot on the one-seed line just by winning its opening game against either Miami or Syracuse, depending on what happens with other potential No. 1s like Gonzaga and Oregon. The Tar Heels don’t have many weaknesses. They possess an excellent offense that is balanced and multi-dimensional. The frontcourt is deep, and the offensive rebounding advantage leading to second-chance points makes the Heels even tougher to beat. Forward Justin Jackson can score in a variety of ways, but his improved outside shooting is what really makes him dangerous. And Joel Berry II is the catalyst who is connecting on 43 percent of his 3-point shots. The only way UNC loses is if it beats itself—or falls victim to Virginia’s slow-paced game.

2. Other contenders

The league is so deep and talented that even a team like No. 9 seed Miami can make a run because of its guard play. While the Hurricanes ended the regular season on a two-game slide, the losses came on the road. And we know how hard it was in the league to win in an opposing gym this season. Guard Bruce Brown has experienced his ups and downs as a freshman, but he is capable of carrying the team for a few days. More than likely, though, a team that earned a double bye will win this tourney. Duke and Virginia were unable to secure a double bye, so claiming four victories in four days will be tough. Louisville would have been this scribe’s pick outside of UNC, but Rick Pitino’s Cardinals may have to go through both Duke and UNC just to get to the title game. On the flip side, Leonard Hamilton and Florida State may have the best chance of any team outside of Chapel Hill. Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Virginia would certainly all be tough outs, but the Seminoles have victories over each squad and would not have to see UNC until a potential title game.

3. The bubble teams

Syracuse (18-13, 10-8 ACC): The Orange have an RPI of just 80 but a KenPom of 45. Wins over Duke, Virginia and Florida State are impressive, but a 33-point home loss to St. John’s hurts. And there wasn’t a marquee ACC road win. Jim Boeheim and Co. need at least an opening win to feel safe.

Wake Forest (18-12, 9-9 ACC): The Demon Deacons have strong metrics (RPI of 30 and a KenPom of 29), and Danny Manning’s squad notched wins over Louisville and Virginia Tech to close out the regular season. The bottom line is that the Deacons must beat Boston College, because a loss to the Eagles would be considered a crushing defeat. One win and Wake is likely in. It would be great for college basketball fans across the country to see forward John Collins on a big stage, as he is one of the country’s most underrated players as a double-double machine.

Georgia Tech (17-14, 8-10 ACC): It’s been a really fun season in Atlanta. Josh Pastner told Campus Insiders that the GT administration didn’t even expect to win a single ACC game in 2016-17, but the Yellow Jackets were able to somehow get into the NCAA mix with wins over VCU, North Carolina, Florida State and Notre Dame. The Yellow Jackets didn’t close strong enough, though, and they do not have good metrics (an RPI of 92 and a KenPom of 80). Two tourney wins could give GT a chance, but it appears that Pastner and Co. are destined for the NIT.

The Big East set the record for most NCAA Tournament bids from one conference when it sent 11 of its 16 teams to The Dance in 2011. The ACC has a chance to at least match that number on Selection Sunday, but it needs Syracuse, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech to get in. It’s more likely that the ACC will send 10.

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