The ACC tournament is poised to boast some unusual victories. Virginia won the ACC regular season title outright after shutting down teams on a nightly basis. Duke has won 11 straight and is looking unstoppable heading into March. There are some teams though that can knock off these powerhouse teams. Here is the ACC tournament preview including; favorites, dark horses, no chance, MVP, and predictions.
Favorites:
(Virginia Cavaliers) – The Cavs are the number one seed and don’t have a tough road to the title game. They are coming off a tough two-point loss to Louisville, but it shouldn’t change their momentum. It will be interesting to see if they can win without Justin Anderson, who is coming back from a broken finder and an emergency appendectomy. He is expected to come back possibly in the tournament. If Anderson returns then they will run through everyone else except Duke because he is their star player. Expect a heated rematch with Louisville though, that could provide an interesting matchup for the Cavs. Their defense is too good for them to lose early in the tournament.
(Duke Blue Devils) – There is no hotter team in the ACC right now than Duke. They have won 11 straight games and has defeated every top team in the conference. Duke is coming off a big win at rival North Carolina that proved their dominance down the stretch. Jahlil Okafar is the first freshman to ever win ACC player of the year and he deserved it. He was the best offensive player in the league as he couldn’t be stopped in the paint. Tyus Jones looks like an elite point guard against the best teams in the country and is a terrific free throw shooter. Quinn Cook could’ve played his way into an All-ACC first team nomination, as he was an automatic three-point shooter going into March. The Blue Devils could face NC State in the tournament, which would provide many story lines as NC State did defeat Duke.
(Notre Dame Fighting Irish) – Jerian Grant didn’t win ACC player of the year but he was still the best guard all season. Notre Dame had a few key wins this season against Louisville and Duke but wasn’t good at defense at all. Their offense though, has been one of the most efficient in the country and won the Irish many games. They have a good chance to play Miami again, and for Miami is could be the game to shoot them into the NCAA tournament. Pat Connaughton could be the key contributor for this team because of his consistent shooting and rebounding. If their defense can at least play decently, the Irish could turn some heads in the tournament. The Irish got pounded by Duke on the road but on a neutral site court, the outcome could be different.
Dark Horse Teams:
(Louisville Cardinals) – It’s unusual to call a top four team in the conference a dark horse but its’ suitable for the Cardinals. Without Chris Jones they could have a tough time advancing very far in March but it’s not impossible. The Cards defeated the top team in Virginia with a late shot by Mangok Mathiang that provided some spark into the team. With Montrezl Harrell and Terry Rozier in their lineup they could provide many matchup problems for any team. Pitino knows how to win in March proving it with three straight conference titles. The bench will have to step up for the Cardinals if they want to upset some more teams. With the Virginia win, Louisville proved that they are a force to be reckoned with.
(N.C State Wolfpack) – This prediction might be a long stretch but the Wolfpack are capable of unseating some of the top seeds. Trevor Lacey has been incredible in his first season with NC State, leading this team through tough games. They have been able to defeat top teams in Duke and Louisville, while coming close against Virginia. N.C State has lost games to inferior competition to the likes of Boston College and Wake Forest showing their struggling side. If they can get production from other players outside of their two playmakers (Barber and Lacey) they will advance possibly to the semifinals.
No Chance:
(Boston College Eagles) – They are one of the teams that have been inconsistent all season in the ACC. BC has defeated a solid NCAA tournament team in N.C State but hasn’t played great against any other ACC teams. Olivier Hanlan led the ACC in scoring and was a threat every night for Boston College. He was the only player that was capable of providing any threat to teams. They have been in close games all season but weren’t able to convert in close opportunities. Their first game of the tournament is against Georgia Tech, if they win they will play against North Carolina. Don’t expect much from Boston College but a single win could be more than they were expecting.
(Virginia Tech Hokies) – They have been the most disappointing team all season in the ACC. They have only won 10 games the entire season. There isn’t much that you could say good about the Hokies except they are young and have a great coach. VT provided close games against Virginia and Duke which would’ve been gigantic wins for this young program if they won. The Hokies play Wake Forest in their first tournament game which could provide to be a good game. VT won’t be able to make the NCAA tournament either, unless they provide huge upsets and win the ACC tournament. The season for Virginia Tech will likely end Tuesday.
Predictions:
There won’t be many upsets in the ACC tournament this season sadly. Here are my predictions for games with scores and the matchups I think there will be.
First Round:
#12 Boston College 62 - #13 Georgia Tech 57
#11 Wake Forest 63 - #14 Virginia Tech 52
Second Round:
#8 Clemson 52 - #9 Florida State 63
#12 Boston College 53 - #5 North Carolina 70
#7 NC State 67 - #10 Pittsburgh 70
#11 Wake Forest 54 - #6 Miami 58
Quarterfinals:
#1 Virginia 66 - #9 Florida State 60
#4 Louisville 59 - #5 North Carolina 56
#2 Duke 72 - #10 Pittsburgh 69
#3 Notre Dame 64 - #6 Miami 67
Semifinals:
#1 Virginia 56 - #4 Louisville 60
#2 Duke 77 - #6 Miami 64
Championship:
#2 Duke 65 - #4 Louisville 59
Duke is my prediction to win the ACC championship as they are playing some of the best basketball in the country. They have won 11 straight games coming into the tournament and will be an unstoppable offensive force. Some might be surprised about Louisville going this far, but here me out. Pitino and Louisville have won three-straight conference tournaments and knows how to win these games. Montrezl Harrell will be unstoppable in the paint as he plays with full of energy every game.
MVP: Tyus Jones, Duke- Jones gets my pick as the ACC tournament MVP because of many reasons. He is always big in huge games against great teams. Jones is one of the top free throw shooters in the country and is capable of throwing excellent passes. Quinn Cook and Jahlil Okafor could have also been great choices for the award.