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Ethan Hyman/Linked Press
There was one course for Virginia to exclaim the ACC popular-season title Saturday: a secure over Louisville and a Notre Dame upset secure over Florida Explain. And that’s precisely how the day unfolded.
The Cavaliers are the ACC popular-season champions for the third time in four years, and they are going to be the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament, which will get underway Tuesday. Virginia, Florida Explain (No. 2 seed), Virginia Tech (No. 3) and Georgia Tech (No. 4) all earned double byes and won’t return to fling unless Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Final year’s ACC tournament was canceled after the second round as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. So the tourney title was final awarded in 2019, when Duke won.
Here’s a look on the corpulent bracket and agenda for the ACC tournament, followed by some predictions for how this may perhaps occasionally unfold.
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Gerry Broome/Linked Press
Tuesday, March 9
Game 1: No. 12 Pittsburgh vs. No. 13 Miami, 2 p.m. ET, ACC Community
Game 2: No. 10 Duke vs. No. 15 Boston College, 4: 30 p.m. ET, ACC Community
Game 3: No. 11 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Wake Forest, 7 p.m. ET, ACC Community
Wednesday, March 10
Game 4: No. 8 Syracuse vs. No. 9 N.C. Explain, midday ET, ACC Community
Game 5: No. 5 Clemson vs. Winner of Game 1, 2: 30 p.m. ET, ACC Community
Game 6: No. 7 Louisville vs. Winner of Game 2, 6: 30 p.m. ET, ACC Community
Game 7: No. 6 North Carolina vs. Winner of Game 3, 9 p.m. ET, ACC Community
Thursday, March 11
Game 8: No. 1 Virginia vs. Winner of Game 4, midday ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Game 9: No. 4 Georgia Tech vs. Winner of Game 5, 2: 30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Game 10: No. 2 Florida Explain vs. Winner of Game 6, 6: 30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Game 11: No. 3 Virginia Tech vs. Winner of Game 7, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Friday, March 12
Game 12: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 9, 6: 30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Game 13: Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 11, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2
Saturday, March 13
Game 14: Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 13, 8: 30 p.m. ET, ESPN
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Keith Srakocic/Linked Press
Here is an queer area for Duke. Somewhat than ending near the tip of the ACC popular-season standings, the Blue Devils went 9-9 in conference play, making them the No. 10 seed for the ACC tournament, the bottom they’ve been for the rationale that tourney was first held in 1954.
If Duke is going to secure the ACC tournament for the 22nd time, it be going to secure five wins, starting place with Tuesday’s first-round matchup in opposition to No. 15-seeded Boston College. However that shall be presumably the most easy game the Blue Devils secure earlier to their season comes to an extinguish.
While Duke ought to secure down Boston College, which completed final within the ACC popular-season standings with a 2-11 file in conference play, this may perhaps occasionally face a tricky say in going up in opposition to Louisville, the No. 7 seed which went 8-5 in opposition to ACC groups. The Cardinals beat the Blue Devils twice at some level of the popular season, earning a 70-65 victory Jan. 23 and an 80-73 beyond regular time secure Feb. 27.
Louisville will beat Duke a third time, and with that, the Blue Devils will extinguish the season at 12-12 with a resume that is per chance now not spectacular ample to slay an at-astronomical uncover for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. It may perhaps per chance per chance even be the first time Duke misses the Sizable Dance since 1995.
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Keith Srakocic/Linked Press
Like Duke, North Carolina hasn’t been as exact as it normally is this season. Nonetheless, the Tar Heels receive fared better than the Blue Devils, especially of gradual, as they earned the No. 6 seed by winning four of their final six popular-season games, a stretch that integrated victories over Florida Explain, Louisville and Duke.
With a 16-9 file, North Carolina ought to receive the flexibility to slay an at-astronomical uncover within the NCAA men’s basketball tournament as long as it doesn’t lose too early within the ACC tourney. It may perhaps per chance perhaps in all probability launch the conference tournament by facing Notre Dame, which ought to beat Wake Forest within the first round.
That’s progressively a shut second-round game, as North Carolina edged Notre Dame 66-65 on Jan. 2 within the lone popular-season assembly between the groups. However if the Tar Heels beat the Combating Irish, then they’d per chance per chance receive the momentum to upset No. 3-seeded Virginia Tech within the quarterfinals.
North Carolina has been aggressive on the boards, leading the ACC with 42.8 rebounds per game within the popular season. And while the Tar Heels won’t secure the conference tournament, they are going to command their physicality to blueprint pack up a pair of wins, reach the semifinals and convince the March Madness option committee to invite them to the Sizable Dance.
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Robert Franklin/Linked Press
Florida Explain may perhaps per chance perhaps additionally now not receive been in a position to secure the ACC popular-season title, then any other time it calm has a possibility to secure the conference tournament. Nonetheless, the Seminoles should always leap abet from a tricky make to the popular season to achieve so.
Florida Explain misplaced two of its final three popular-season games, falling to North Carolina and Notre Dame, each and every on the freeway. However the Seminoles receive proved at some level of the season that they are a exact group, and since they’re the No. 2 seed, they’ve unless Thursday to prepare for a leap-abet showing.
That atomize day may perhaps per chance per chance support Florida Explain, which ought to play better when it returns to the court docket, resulting in its first ACC tournament triumph since 2012. It may perhaps per chance perhaps attain so by beating Virginia for a second time this season within the championship game.
The Seminoles had the tip offense within the ACC at some level of the popular season (79.6 aspects per game), while the Cavaliers had the ideal defense (59.8 aspects allowed per game). However when the two groups confronted off Feb. 15, Florida Explain won 81-60.
It may perhaps per chance per chance even be nearer this time, however the Seminoles will calm be victorious, winning the tourney title and rebuilding their momentum heading into the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
