ACC Tournament Schedule, Predictions
ACC Tournament schedule, predictions and overview as the conference tourney heads to Brooklyn for the first time in its existence.
ACC Tournament schedule, predictions and overview as the conference tourney heads to Brooklyn for the first time in its existence.
What has become a traveling circus in recent years, the ACC Tournament will make its way up to Brooklyn. It’s an interesting move, considering New York has long belonged to the Big East during conference tournament time. Nevertheless, the conference has crept northward like a pesky kudzu vine, and this year’s ACC Tournament is meant to give shine to programs like Syracuse, Boston College and Pittsburgh – saving them from traveling down to the heart of North Carolina.
What remains constant, is the fact that the ACC is once again the nation’s best conference. There are a handful of teams that could not only win the ACC Tournament, but claim the ultimate prize once March Madness rolls around. Below is a look at the conference tournament schedule followed by some predictions and analysis.
ACC Tournament Schedule
Tuesday, March 7 (First round)
Noon – No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 13 NC State
2 p.m. – No. 10 Wake Forest vs. No. 15 Boston College
7 p.m. – No. 11 Georgia Tech vs. No. 14 Pitt
Wednesday, March 8 (Second round)
Noon – No. 8 Syracuse vs. No. 9 Miami
2 p.m. – No. 5 Duke vs. Tuesday noon winner
7 p.m. – No. 7 Virginia Tech vs. Tuesday 2 p.m. winner
9 p.m. – No. 6 Virginia vs. Tuesday 7 p.m. winner
Thursday, March 9 (Quarterfinals)
Noon – No. 1 North Carolina vs. Wednesday noon winner
2 p.m. – No. 4 Louisville vs. Wednesday 2 p.m. winner
7 p.m. – No. 2 Florida State vs. Wednesday 7 p.m. winner
9 p.m. – No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Wednesday 9 p.m. winner
Friday, March 10 (Semifinals)
7 p.m. – Thursday afternoon winners
9 p.m. – Thursday evening winners
Saturday, March 11 (Championship)
9 p.m. – Friday evening winners
ACC Tournament Predictions
Duke, FSU, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame – who ya got? All of these teams legitimately have a shot of running the table in this year’s ACC Tournament.
Given how they closed the season, as well as their No. 1 ranking, North Carolina enters as the favorite. However, Roy Williams notoriously dislikes the conference tournament, and will gladly tell anyone within earshot that he’s never won a national championship and ACC tournament title in the same year.
For a sleeper pick, Virginia has a favorable draw. The Cavaliers will face the winner of Pitt and a Georgia Tech squad that was just rolled in its finale. Then they would take on a Notre Dame squad that floundered against Louisville in the regular-season finale. From there it’d likely be an FSU squad that’s 3-2 over its past five games.
As for how things play out, expect a tough run from Duke, as its youngsters will have appeared to gel for a deep March run. The Blue Devils will cruise into a difficult game against Louisville, then beat the Cardinals in a game that comes down to the last possession. From there, it’s UNC-Duke Pt. III. The Blue Devils win the rubber match and will square off against UVA. In a low-scoring contest, Coach K’s kids pull it out, cut down the nets in Brooklyn, lock up a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and cause everyone to forget about the midseason swoon.
