Are Any of the ACC Teams Making a Deep Run?

Florida State won the ACC Championship. Can they make a splash in the Big Dance?

The brackets have been released and five ACC teams made the Big Dance. North Carolina was the third overall number 1 seed and has to travel to Saint Louis if it made it to the regional semifinals. Duke was thought to have a chance at a one seed but their loss to Florida State in the ACC semifinals dropped them to a two seed in the South Region. Florida State moved into a third seed after their ACC championship and is set up in the East Region. Virginia dropped down to a ten seed after many thought they could have gone as a high as four back in the beginning of February. They play in the West Region. NC State snuck in as an 11 seed in the Midwest Region after an impressive ACC tournament. Miami is the first team out for the ACC. Here is a look at each team's path to success in the tournament:

1. North Carolina: North Carolina, as expected, gets its first two games in Greensboro. This is about as close to a home court advantage out of any team in the tournament. They play the winner of Vermont and Lamar, two teams that won their conference tournaments to get an at-large bid. While Carolina will be heavily favored over either team, both have under-the-radar personalities. Vermont is led by by do-everything Brian Voelkel and freshman all-namer Four McGlynn. Lamar got publicity when coach Pat Knight (son of the great Bob Knight) called out his seniors two weeks ago. Since, Lamar has not lost and won their tournament with a 21 point romp of McNeese State. If Carolina wins they play either Creighton or Alabama. Both of these teams could have arguable been seeded higher, but for different reasons. Creighton ended their season 28-5 and besides a sloppy three game losing streak looked strong all year. All-American Doug McDermott is the leader of this team, and is very familiar with Carolina's Harrison Barnes, as the two played together in high school. Alabama comes in with a top 20 strength of schedule and finished fifth in the SEC. The knock against them is that they only have three wins over tournament teams, the best being over Wichita State in November. The top seeds in UNC's region are Michigan, Kansas, and Georgetown. While the Jayhawks are probably the toughest matchup of the group, it's hard to name anyone that player-of-the-year candidate Thomas Robinson has matched up with that plays better defense than John Henson or Tyler Zeller. Carolina has shown problems matching up against teams that can knock down threes, which is Michigan's specialty. But a lack of size for the Wolverines may end up a bigger problem. Georgetown has the ability to be really good or really bad. Jason Clark is a superb wing player and Henry Sims has come into his own as a center. Catch the Hoyas on a good day, and they could beat UNC. Catch them on a bad day and Carolina could beat them by 20.

2. Duke: The Blue Devils opening round matchup is against the Patriot League Champion Lehigh Mountain Hawks. Lehigh has now won eight in a row, counting their victory over Regular Season Champion Bucknell on Wednesday. The Mountain Hawks feature in offense surrounding junior guard CJ McCollum, who leads the team with 21.9 points and 6.5 rebounds a game. The team is offensive minded, averaging 76.2 points per game and have an interior presence in Gabe Knutson. It is still hard to see the 26-7 Mountain Hawks defeating mighty Duke, especially with a healthy Ryan Kelly to stretch a suspect defense. If Duke wins they face either Notre Dame or Xavier, two teams that have gone in different directions this year. The Irish were not favored to do much this season after losing all-Big East big man Tim Abromaitis. But a strong February led them to a number three seed in the Big East tournament, where they were ousted by eventual champion Louisville. Xavier was a top ten team that featured all-American candidate Tu Holloway until they slipped off a bit after the notorious brawl with Cincinnati in December. The top seeds in the South Region include Kentucky, Indiana, and Baylor. The Blue Devils would face off against Baylor in the Sweet Sixteen, a team that has size to match anyone in the country but has been beaten by teams with excellent guard play, something Duke possesses. Indiana and Kentucky would be a rematch of Kentucky's only regular season loss in the other Sweet Sixteen matchup. Kentucky is the prohibitive favorite to win the whole thing and the number overall seed. Indiana is a young and talented team that has weapons at every position.

3. Florida State- I like Florida State to make a better run at the final four than any other team in the conference. Experience is necessary for a big tournament run, as is size. These are the two attributes you first think of with a deep Seminole team that is rolling at the right time. They start off with a matchup against Atlantic 10 tournament champion St. Bonaventure's in the 3-14 game. The Bonnies stole a bubble team's spot and surprised most by winning the A-10. But Florida State is too hot right now to be slowed down by an average offensive team like the Bonnies. Their second round matchup will be interesting. They get the winner of Cincinnati and Texas. Cincy may be a bit overrated in my opinion, and probably moved way up in the seeding with a strong Big East tournament. But they were slowed by a good defensive team in Louisville in the championship and the Seminoles are even stronger than the Cardinals on that end of the floor. Texas was a bubble team till the very end of the season but possess one of the nation's elite scorers in J'Covan Brown. ACC Tournament MVP Michael Snaer will probably get that individual matchup and there is nothing that tells me that Snaer, who may be the hottest player in the country right now, would not win that battle. The other top seeds in the East Region are Syracuse, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. Syracuse has a tough draw to reach the elite eight, as a potential second round matchup with a fiery Kansas State team looms. Wisconsin can shoot the three and stretch defenses with the best of them, and that is exactly what you need to beat Syracuse's patented 2-3 zone. However, a first and second draw includes Vanderbilt, Harvard, and Montana, perhaps the most competitive draw of the first two round anywhere in the bracket. Ohio State, I believe, has the power and talent to win the whole thing. If they play the way they did against Duke back in December they beat anyone in the country. But Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft, William Buford and the gang are inconsistent and have appeared vulnerable on both ends of the court before.

10. Virginia- The Cavaliers open with one of the opening rounds most enticing matchups. They drew the Florida Gators, who have been a top 25 team all year long but have lost 4 of 5. The Cavaliers have lost 3 of 4 themselves, including a heartbreaking defeat to NC State in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. The Gators possess talent, and a lot of NBA level caliber at that. Irving Walker is small but makes plays while Kenny Boynton adds athletic ability and a good shot to the backcourt. Brad Beal is thought by many to be a top ten pick in this year's draft and is joined in the frontcourt by big man Patric Young, who is one of the best inside talent's in the country. None of them, though, have had as much of an impact on this season as Mike Scott. The power forward is having an all-American type of year and the Cavs defense is one of a few that could slow Florid'a high powered attack. If Virginia were to win, they would more than likely play second seeded Missouri in the second round. The Tigers feature a four guard lineup that can score and run with anyone. Virginia's backcourt would be challenged in this one but Missouri would struggle to find an answer for Scott. Unfortunately for the Cavs, I don't think they will win going basket for basket with Mizzou.

11. NC State: The Wolfpack were the last team announced on the CBS broadcast of the unveiling of the brackets, so had to hold their breath. They were not, however, the last team in, and proved to the committee they belonged with a strong ACC tournament performance. Their reward: San Diego State, the regular season champions in the strong Mountain West conference. The Aztecs were supposed to be having a rebuilding year but, led by sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin, have another good seed. This is a matchup that the more experience Wolfpack team could win, however, and a good matchup to watch will be CJ Leslie and the Aztecs' Deshawn Stephens. Stephens is defense first but Leslie is playing the best basketball of his career. If State were to win they would get the winner of Georgetown and Belmont. A lot of people are looking for an upset out of Belmont, and while they are a strong mid-major I don't see it happening. Georgetown is too strong at every position and has senior leadership. This might also spell doom if the Wolfpack get the Hoyas in the second round. Henry Sims is playing great basketball in the middle and has done a good job of getting opposing centers into foul trouble, something that has plagued the Wolfpack all year. Like Virginia, I am going to steer clear of anymore what-ifs with the Wolfpack.

Tar Heels-Seminoles to vie for Championship

Michael Snaer has led Florida State to the ACC Championship. Can he lead them to an upset of North Carolina? -photo via AP

In there only meeting this year, Florida State beat North Carolina 90-57 way back on January 14th. I got that out first so it could also be the first thing forgotten. The Seminoles know they need to put that victory behind them. The Tar Heels may use the worst loss in the Roy Williams era as motivation, but also know they are a different team and want to prove themselves as the best team in the conference. On Saturday, North Carolina beat NC State by two, perhaps getting away with a Kendall Marshall charge, but there is no excuses for the 12 points and 10 assists he put up. Tyler Zeller added 23 points and 9 rebounds and the Tar Heels used the Wolfpack's foul trouble (CJ Leslie fouled out, Deshawn Painter, Richard Howell, and Scott Wood all had four) and moved into the championship. Florida State had to grind out another ugly game, but in what has become the norm for the defensive-minded Seminole team won in a close one. The Seminoles continuously challenged Duke's outside shooters (5-20 3-point shooting for the Blue Devils) and Michael Snaer scored 16 points while grabbing four rebounds and handing out four assists. In my preview I said the two players that were most important for these team would be Andre Dawkins for Duke (0 points, 0-2 shooting) and Snaer's ability to get teammates involved and wait for his shot (a simple 7-12 shooting on the day). So after Seth Curry's heave at the buzzer rimmed out we had the finals matchup set:

PG: Kendall Marshall (UNC) vs. Luke Loucks (FSU)- Marshall is arguably Carolina's most important player, and showed it Saturday. He made the game winning layup with just over ten seconds left, while leading his team all day in the absence of John Henson (injured wrist), Harrison Barnes (3-12 FG), and Reggie Bullock (5 points on 2-7 shooting). No one in the conference has been able to slow Marshall, as proven through his single season record assist total of 323. Luke Loucks made a big jumper of his own, a deep two with 11 seconds left. He also made clutch free throws with a minute left and put up 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, but committed 4 turnovers. Loucks has been clutch if nothing else but he is no Kendall Marshall. Edge: UNC

SG: Reggie Bullock (UNC) vs. Delvydas Dulkys (FSU)- Everyone knows Dulkys for his 32 points (8-10 3-point FG) performance in the blowout win over Carolina in January. But, like I said earlier, that is removed from the memory bank at this point and Dulkys has scored in double digits just twice since then. Bullock came into the starting lineup for the Tar Heels just two games after these teams' first matchup following an ACL tear from Dexter Strickland. Bullock has been solid, holding opponents' shooting guards to below average numbers. This is seen in NC State's Scott Wood's poor day (2 points, 1-6 FG). Edge: Even

SF: Harrison Barnes (UNC) vs. Michael Snaer (FSU): The first thing to notice in this matchup is the height difference. Barnes is about 6'8" while Snaer is 6'5" when he wakes up. That should not matter much here though. Barnes played maybe his softest game of the season against NC State. James Michael McAdoo picked up his fourth foul early in the second half and Barnes remained at the small forward position, while 6'5" senior Justin Watts drew State big man CJ Leslie for most of the game. Barnes is a pure scorer, but tends to shy away from the basket and settle for the midrange jumper. Snaer is playing he best basketball right now and is the Seminoles leader on both ends of the court. Edge: FSU

PF: James Michael McAdoo (UNC) vs. Bernard James (FSU): McAdoo has shown he has plenty of talent, which no one debated after the freshman was named a two-time Virginia player of the year in high school. But James, a 27-year-old senior, is much more mature as a player. McAdoo had seven early points in the NC State game but picked up his fourth foul early in the second half after sitting out a good portion of the first with three. James had 13 points and 7 rebounds in the win over Duke and has been the leader of the inside for the Seminoles all year. A first team all-defensive team member, expect to see James on Tyler Zeller for a good part of this game too. Edge: FSU

C: Tyler Zeller (UNC) vs. Xavier Gibson (FSU): Gibson has been solid for FSU but had a poor game in the semifinals (4 points on 2-11 shooting). If you follow ACC basketball you know that Zeller is the conference player of the year, and he had another solid performance with a game high 23 points with 9 boards in the win over NC State. Expect Florida State to give Zeller numerous looks, as this team goes deep and has several big man options. Edge: UNC

Bench: Both team are going to go about nine deep, but Florida State has serious threats coming off the bench while Carolina's only got one serious offensive weapon in PJ Hairston. The Seminoles bench includes Okaro White (9 points, 7 rebounds against Duke), the ultra-talented and NBA prospect Ian Miller (7 points, 5 fouls against Duke), Jeff Peterson, and Jon Kreft. Other players besides Hairston that will come off the bench for Carolina include Justin Watts, Stillman White, and Desmond Hubert. Edge: FSU

Totals: FSU 3.5, UNC 2.5. I think this happens because of the lack of John Henson. This Carolina team is now just thin, and when playing their third game in three days against a deep, experienced team like Florida State, it just gets tougher. Final score: Florida State 65, North Carolina 61.

Semifinal Capsules

James Michael McAdoo (dunking) will have an increased roll for the Tar Heels after John Henson's injury. -photo via Gerry Broome/AP

1. North Carolina (28-4, 14-2)
Yesterday: beat Maryland 85-69
Today: vs. NC State (1 pm)- Previous Meetings: Won 74-55 in Chapel Hill, January 26th. Won 86-74 in Raleigh, February 21st.
Player to Watch: James Michael McAdoo, Freshman, Forward. The biggest story of yesterday's quarterfinal win over Maryland was not the way that North Carolina was able to grind out a win when they were not firing on all cylinders. It was not that Kendall Marshall set the ACC single season assist record while recording 12 yesterday. Rather, it was that all-conference and defensive player of the year John Henson went down in the first half with a left wrist injury. Coach Roy Williams said, "he could not grip the ball with his left hand". After he tried to come back, Henson stayed on the sidelines in the second half and was replaced by McAdoo. The freshman did a very adequate job, recording 14 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 29 minutes of work. He should get his first start today, and will be counted on heavily as backup power forwards behind him are either little used Desmond Hubert or Harrison Barnes, who is obviously more comfortable as a swing forward. What's more? McAdoo will draw the matchup of CJ Leslie, who put up 19 points and 14 rebounds in NC State's three point win over Virginia.

2. Duke (27-5, 13-3)
Yesterday: Beat Virginia Tech 60-56
Today: vs. Florida State (3:30 pm)- Previous meetings: Lost 76-73 in Durham, January 21st. Won 74-66 in Tallahassee, February 23rd.
Player to Watch: Andre Dawkins, Junior, Guard. One could make an argument that Dawkins, one of the best pure shooters in the country, is the most inconsistent player in the country. In their loss Dawkins scored 14 points but was the culprit of a lack of defense in allowing Michael Snaer to be open for his buzzer beating shot. In their win over the Seminoles, Dawkins scored 22 points while shooting 6-9 from deep. Since that meeting, Duke has had four games and Dawkins has scored three total points on 1-12 shooting. The sense is that Dawkins, who has only average 11.5 minutes during that four game span, is spending a lot of time on the bench because of his lack of defensive intensity, especially compared to Tyler Thornton. Duke needs Dawkins' offense, especially since part of their philosophy is to jack up a lot of threes. What's more? He matches up well on the slower Delvydas Dulkys, who he helped hold to just three points in their last meeting.

3. Florida State (22-9, 12-4)
Yesterday: Beat Miami 82-71
Today: vs. Duke (3:30 pm)- Previous meetings: Won 76-73 in Durham, January 21st. Lost 74-66 in Tallahassee, February 23rd.
Player to Watch: Michael Snaer, Junior, Guard. Snaer has become the leader for the Seminoles, including the game high 20 points he scored in putting a real damper on Miami's NCAA tournament hopes on Friday. Snaer was voted second team all-conference while getting a spot on the all-defensive team. Snaer will be remember for the game winning shot against Duke in January but he also scored 14 points on 6-10 shooting, while getting his teammates involved, and did a good job of shutting down freshman of the year Austin Rivers. In the second game Snaer scored 18 points, but did it on 8-18 shooting, and Rivers was able to lead the Blue Devils to a rather easy victory. Snaer will probably be guard by Thornton, Duke's best defender, for the majority of the game and will need to get his teammates involved rather than settling for bad shots. What's more: He shuts down Rivers, who has been by far Duke's most consistent offensive threat, and Florida State's chances double.

5. NC State (22-11, 9-7)
Yesterday: Beat Virginia 67-64
Today: vs. North Carolina (1 pm)- Previous meetings: Lost 74-55 in Chapel Hill, January 26th. Lost 86-74 in Raleigh, February 21st.
Player to Watch: CJ Leslie, Junior, Forward. It would only be logical to think that the Wolfpack are ready to be blown out once again by North Carolina, who have already had no trouble in knocking off NC State twice. But there is a big difference this time. John Henson going down may have been better suited to come against any team in the conference besides Leslie and NC State. The junior has been red hot the last month of the season, earning himself a spot on the second team all-conference. Leslie (19 points, 14 rebounds, 9-11 FG) may have had the most impressive individual performance so far in the tournament in their victory over Virginia and his 24 point, 12 rebound game against North Carolina was just the tip of the iceberg. Without Henson in the post to guard him there's the though that Leslie should be able to use his talent to take over. What's more: Leslie shot 9-17 from the field in their second loss to the Tar Heels, his worst shooting night since a 6-16 night in a loss at Duke.

Second half of the first day goes as expected

Erick Green (11) and Virginia Tech beat Clemson by five in the game of the day. -photo via Washington Post

It's the best time of the year. March Madness starts now, with each conference pitting the best against the best. We see bubbles burst, buzzer beaters, and big name programs go down. But...not in the ACC today. After Maryland crushed Wake Forest and NC State blew out Boston College, the other two games were rather uneventful. Virginia Tech beat Clemson by five in what ended up being, as promised by yours truly, the closest and most intriguing game of the afternoon, and Miami pulled away from Georgia Tech in a yawner.

In the seven o'clock game Virginia Tech avenged a loss from just a week prior by beating Clemson 68-63. Clemson led by five at the half but the Hokies used a 9-0 run when the score was tied at 52 and held on to beat the Tigers. A few things were most evident during this game. First of all, Erick Green is a prime time performer. The junior led all scorers with 24 points which included a three during their run and a couple clutch free throws late. Dorenzo Hudson, the only senior playing in the game for the Hokies added 19 with four rebounds. The fifth year senior has obviously been playing with urgency lately, averaging almost 13 points over the Hokies' last four. Clemson and coach Brad Brownell deserve to be noticed for a successful season. The Tigers were picked to finish seventh in the preseason but came out flat, losing to the College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina early in the season. But the Tigers held firm and finished their ACC season winning 5 of 7. This team is going to lose some players but have NBA talent coming back in Devin Booker and Milton Jennings.

In the late game Miami and Georgia Tech successfully put most viewers to sleep. The Yellow Jackets were thinking upset with the score 20-19 at the half. Both teams were shooting below 30% and both had at least eight first half turnovers. But Miami restored order by going on an 18-0 run and outscoring Tech by 19 in the second stanza to win 54-36. During the run we were reminded of what Reggie Johnson is capable of. The big man finished with only seven points on 3-10 shooting but six of those points came during the run. Shane Larkin was also the obvious spark plug behind everything. His defense (3 steals) and up tempo driving ability motivated his teammates, specifically Durand Scott, who finished with 11 points and 7 boards on 4-5 shooting. But watching also gave the viewer the ability to see just how talented Georgia Tech really is. Jason Morris proved he can jump out of the gym when he went up for a put back (that was eventually called interference), Mfon Udofia showed his quickness by keeping up with Larkin for most of the game, and Daniel Miller came off the bench and was really the reason why Johnson was held in check for the majority of the contest (10 rebounds, 5 blocks). The pieces are there for the Yellow Jackets and the future is bright.

Friday's schedule:
8. Maryland vs. 1. North Carolina- 12 noon
5. NC State vs. 4. Virginia- 2 pm
10. Virginia Tech vs. 2. Duke- 7 pm
6. Miami vs. 4. Florida State- 9 pm

First two games of the tournament have little excitement

Maryland's Terrell Stoglin (12) played one of his most rounded games in a win over Wake Forest. Can he do it against North Carolina?

The first two games of the 2012 ACC Tournament were expected to be decent at best, but instead they came up flat. Maryland and Wake Forest met in the first game, an eight-nine matchup, with Maryland taking the romp 82-60. The second game featured what was supposed to be the largest margin of any of the first round games as fifth seeded NC State met twelfth seeded Boston College. The Wolfpack took the win 78-57. If nothing else, the first two games showed off a couple of the young stars in the league, while the boredom of it all was the theme.

In the first game Maryland pulled away in the second half to defeat Wake Forest and complete a season sweep of the Demon Deacons. Terrell Stoglin led all scorers with 25 points, and, in one of his most complete games of the season, added seven rebounds and four assists. Freshman Nick Faust added 19 points while ten players scored for the Terps. Travis McKie led the Deacons with 22 points, while Nikita Mescheriakov added 16 and CJ Harris 14. The rest of the team combined for eight points. Maryland, especially in the second half, was a Terrapin team we have not seen this year. They were playing as a team, sharing the ball (18 assists) and were not settling for Stoglin jacking up 25 shots. While walk-on Spencer Barks was one of the players that scored, the ten that made it into the scoring column showed a sense of playing as a team that Maryland has not shown on a consistent basis. This all happened against Wake Forest though. The Terps are lucky they were able to rest their regulars as they have a noon matchup with mighty North Carolina tomorrow.

NC State had to be thinking win or go home for their NCAA chances. It did not really come across that way in their win over Boston College in the second game of the day. While the Wolfpack won by 21, there was a lull during the second half where their lead stuck between seven and ten points for about 10 minutes. Boston College came out of the halftime locker room angry, bringing the lead back to six after being down 13 at the half. Scott Wood led NC State's scorers with 22 while going 5-9 from beyond the arc, while Lorenzo Brown had 12 points and 8 assists. The most impressive player for either team had to be Boston College freshman Ryan Anderson, who also put in 22 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. The season may now be over for the Eagles but Anderson gives fans a reason to think the Eagles would have been right there without 19 turnovers. CJ Leslie added 11 points and grabbed 11 boards but was almost unheard of for a the section of the second half where the Eagles remained in the game. The Wolfpack get Virginia next, and Leslie is going to need to show up the way he has the past month in order to matchup with Mike Scott. The Cavaliers beat the Wolfpack by one on January 28th.

Hopefully the games tonight will be more interesting. Virginia Tech and Clemson promises to be the best matchup of the first round while it will be a surprise if Georgia Tech sneaks up on Miami.

Final Regular Season Power Rankings

Conference player of the year Tyler Zeller and the Tar Heels are on top of the ACC this week.

1. North Carolina- The Tar Heels end the season where they were picked before the season, atop the standings. The Big Four of Kendall Marshall, John Henson, Tyler Zeller, and Harrison Barnes once again led the Heels this week, this time to a romp of archrival Duke. Zeller was announced as the conference player of the year, Henson was named the defensive player of the year, and those two were joined by Barnes on the first team all-conference. There is a good argument that Marshall, who set a single season school record in assists while leading the conference at 9.6 per game, should have made it as well. The Heels enter the conference tournament as the one seed and look to be hitting their peak at the right time.

2. Duke- The Blue Devils also ended their season in the same spot they started, second in the conference. Freshman Austin Rivers was named rookie of the year in the conference and all-conference first team while Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry both earned a spot on the third team. A successful season ended with a 13-3 record in the conference but also concluded with a disappointing blowout loss to Carolina at home. Duke can go one of two ways now, rebound or falter. I expect Coach K will have them ready to make their traditional push in the conference tournament: they have won 10 of the last 13 tournaments. This just in: They are going to have to do it without forward Ryan Kelly, who is out of the tournament after a foot injury in practice Tuesday.

3. Florida State- The Seminoles moved back up to number 17 in the national polls after a last second win at Virginia and a good home win over Clemson. Ian Miller hit the game winning three as time expired to ruin Mike Scott's senior night at Virginia. Miller had a combined 29 points while Michael Snaer had 35 in the two wins. Snaer was named all-conference second team while Bernard James missed out on the third team by one vote. Both players were named all-defensive team and the Seminoles clinched their number 3 seed for the tournament. They should be opening up play against Miami, an intriguing first round matchup that means a lot to both teams' futures.

4. Virginia- While the Cavaliers' senior night was ruined by Florida State they came back and won a hard fought, overtime game at Maryland. Mike Scott came in second in the voting for conference player of the year, and showed why in his career high 35 point, 11 rebound effort against the Terps. Scott finished the week with 63 combined points and 21 rebounds while the Wahoos wrapped up their first round bye with a four seed in the tournament. Jontel Evans was named all-defensive team this week, but Malcolm Brogdon was determined out for the season with a foot injury. Joe Harris is getting better, and should be fully functional by the end of the tournament.

5. NC State- The Wolfpack began to erase memories of a four game losing streak by beating Miami at home and Virginia Tech convincingly on the road. CJ Leslie led the Pack with a combined 39 points and 22 boards in these two victories, while Scott Wood broke out of a slump with a combined 34 points while shooting 8 of 17 from three. State gets Boston College, a team they have beaten twice already this year, in the opening round of the ACC tournament. The good news? A winnable game against Virginia awaits them in the quarterfinals. Bad news? They have to play North Carolina, a team that has dominated them this year, if they reach the semis. Leslie, who has played like an all-conference talent the last month, garnered second team honors, while point guard Lorenzo Brown was named third team. NC State is perfectly on the bubble and could stand to win two or three games to be more comfortable going into selection Sunday.

6. Miami- The Hurricanes drop below NC State this week after they lost to the Wolfpack in Raleigh by four. If any good came out of the loss, they improved on their five point loss at home back in January. The Hurricanes got a good draw for the ACC tournament, facing Georgia Tech in the first round. They already beat the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta (where the tournament is being held) by 15 and get Florida State if they win. Miami beat Florida State by 16 just a week and a half ago and a second win over the Seminoles would certainly boost Miami's NCAA chances. As for individual awards, Florida transfer Kenny Kadji was named third team all-conference while junior Durand Scott got an honorable mention. Point guard Shane Larkin was also named to the all-freshman team.

7. Clemson- The Tigers came back down to earth a little bit this week. Perhaps the hottest team in the conference not named UNC or Duke entering the week, Clemson snuck by Virginia Tech by two before losing to Florida State. Tanner Smith and Andre Young had a successful senior day, leading the team with 14 and 10 points, respectably, in the victory over the Hokies. It was a preview for the teams' opening round matchup on Thursday, with the winner getting Duke in the quarterfinals. Clemson has to find an answer for Jarell Eddie, who led Virginia Tech with 15 points in their last meeting. They did do a good job on the Hokies' leading scorer, Erick Green, by holding him to just eight points on 3-11 shooting. The only individual award for the Tigers was Young making the all-defensive team while being an honorable mention for an all-conference selection.

8. Maryland- The Terps held on as long as they could before being blown out by North Carolina and then came back to have their senior night spoiled by Virginia in overtime. Senior Sean Mosley did his part, pitching in 17 points and 10 boards in the losing effort to the Cavaliers, while leading scorer Terrell Stoglin scored 25, but chucked up 24 shots. The Terps get Wake in the first round, a team they beat by six back in the beginning of January. They may be fighting for nothing, as the winner gets North Carolina. Stoglin was named to the second team all-conference after leading the league in scoring, while Nick Faust was named to the all-freshman team. I think Mosley, their leader (especially on the defensive side of the ball), may have been a snub from the all-defensive team.

9. Virginia Tech- While the Hokies are the 10 seed, they have proven in recent weeks that they cannot be taken lightly. That was, until a meltdown in their home finale to NC State. The Hokies got the lead down to four with 10 and a half minutes left but ended up losing by 12, which was the deficit for most of the contest. It may have been a blessing in disguise for the Hokies, as they now get a chance at getting serious redemption. Their first round matchup with Clemson gives them a chance to forget the two point loss from this week, while they could get Duke in the quarters, a team that beat them in overtime two weeks ago. Erick Green got a very deserving mention on the all-conference second team while Dorian Finney-Smith made the all-freshman team.

10. Georgia Tech- The Yellow Jackets jump Wake Forest in this week's rankings after beating the Deacons at home. The Jackets now take a two game winning streak in Atlanta going into being the host for the tournament. Jason Morris had a break out game against the Deacons, scoring 22 points while grabbing 5 boards. Unfortunately, Georgia Tech's week was tainted by losing to lowly Boston College in Chestnut Hill by four. The Yellow Jackets get Miami in the opening round, and need to find an answer for Kenny Kadji, who went off for 21 points and eight rebounds in their only meeting this year. The Yellow Jackets were the only team without representation on any all-conference teams.

11. Wake Forest- Wake lost to both teams it played this week, but gained attention by giving Duke a scare in Winston-Salem. Senior Nikita Mescheriakov wants to go out with a bang, putting up a career high 18 against Duke and following that up with a 12 point, 5 rebound, 7 assist performance in the loss to Georgia Tech. Travis McKie scored a career high 25 points in the Deacons early-season loss to Maryland, who they get in the opening round of the tournament. McKie was recognized with honorable mention all-conference while teammate and leading scorer CJ Harris was named to the third team.

12. Boston College- The Eagles had an up and down week, beating Georgia Tech in their home finale, and then being blown out in Miami for the Hurricanes' senior night. The Eagles put a scare into NC State, their first round opponent, earlier this season, and cannot be taken lightly. Freshmen are what fuel this team, and it was noticed, as leading scorer and rebounder Ryan Anderson was named to the all-freshman team.

First glance at the ACC tournament

-via theacc.com

After the completion of NC State's win tonight over Virginia Tech, the seedings for the ACC tournament were finally set. Here is my initial reactions to what is getting ready to happen in Atlanta.

Maryland (16-14, 6-10) vs. Wake Forest (13-17, 4-12)- I would rank this at the second most anticipated first day matchup, behind just Clemson and Virginia Tech. These two teams met only once this year, with Maryland winning 70-64 in College Park way back on January 11th. In a typical night, the Terps' leading scorer Terrell Stoglin scored 20 points on 6-18 shooting, but came off the bench. In the game Maryland nearly blew an 18 point lead, and outscored the Deacons 24-9 at the free throw line. Wake Forest sophomore Travis McKie tied a career high with 25 points and added seven rebounds while leading scorer CJ Harris was held to just 10 points. The biggest difference going into this game is Maryland will be without point guard Pe'Shon Howard, who is out for the year with a knee injury. He was the main matchup on Harris and will be missed. Wake has won only two of their last eleven while Maryland has now lost four of five.

Winner vs. North Carolina (27-4, 14-2)- Well we all saw what the Tar Heels are capable of on Saturday in their romp of Duke. Don't expect a let up in Atlanta, although it is hard to count on shooting 56% every game. Either way, North Carolina is the best rebounding team in the country, and outrebounded the Blue Devils by 20. Maryland averages 39 rebounds a game, while Wake averages just 32. North Carolina averages a nation-leading 46 and beat these two teams by an average of 16 in three meetings. Don't expect the winner of the tournament's first game to get much further than the quarterfinals.

NC State (20-11, 9-7) vs. Boston College (9-21, 4-12)- The tournament may be more important to this NC State team than any other involved. The Wolfpack are right in the thick of the bubble, and closed the seasons with victories over fellow bubble team Miami and on the road at a feisty Virginia Tech team. Boston College is trending down, having only won two of their last thirteen games, but the young Eagles seem to always have a little fight. These two teams met twice this year, with the most recent being a 56-51 victory for the Wolfpack in Chestnut Hill. NC State got balanced scoring that game, with four players in double figures, and committed a very modest ten fouls (foul trouble may be the largest concern for this Wolfpack team). Matt Humphrey led the Eagles with 15 that game, and the team outrebounded the larger, more experienced State squad. Since that game the biggest difference has been the rise of NC State's CJ Leslie and Boston College's Ryan Anderson. The junior and freshman, respectably, will most likely matchup at the four spot and spotlight the recent bright spots for both clubs.

Winner vs. Virginia (22-8, 9-7)- Although NC State lost to Virginia in Raleigh, they have to love this draw. It's pretty clear that any of the teams outside of the top four would have rather played Virginia than North Carolina, Duke, or Florida State. Especially NC State, who got throttled by Florida State and twice to Carolina, and lost a heartbreaker at Duke. Virginia's Mike Scott is on a mission, however. He scored a career high 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, including seven points in overtime, in their season finale win at Maryland. Scott poured in 18 points in their win in Raleigh, but the second half defense is what won the game for the Cavs. Clearly they would prefer to draw Boston College, who they beat by 17 earlier this year, but you gotta think that Virginia wants to quiet all doubters by grabbing a win or two in the tournament.

Clemson (16-14, 8-8) vs. Virginia Tech (15-16, 4-12)- As I said above, I believe this game will be the most anticipated of the first day matchups. Clemson comes in having won five of seven while Virginia Tech has lost four in row, with three being decided by five or less. One of those close games was a two point loss at Clemson on Thursday, when Tanner Smith's free throws with 2:45 left ended up being the last points either team scored. Smith led Clemson that game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Andre Young scored ten and Milton Jennings grabbed 12 boards. Jarell Eddie led the Hokies with 15, but they were outrebounded by eight and star guard Erick Green was held to just eight on 3-11 shooting. This game features a lot of under-the-radar stars in Virginia Tech's Green, Eddie, and Dorian Finney-Smith, along with Clemson's Young, Smith, and Jennings. But the deciding factor might come down to the play of the Hokies' Dorenzo Hudson. Their senior leader has been inconsistent all season and must show up to help Tech make a little noise. Count the Tigers into the NIT if they win one or two games here.

Winner vs. Duke (26-5, 13-3)- Everyone might have their eyes mainly on Duke in Atlanta to see how the team bounces back since Ohio State beat them by 22 in Columbus on November 29th. This may not be the draw the Blue Devils were hoping for either. Clemson is one of the hottest teams coming into the tournament while Virginia Tech would love another crack at the Blue Devils after losing in overtime in Durham on February 25th. Duke handily beat the Hokies in Blacksburg earlier in February and beat Clemson by seven on January 15th. As in many other games this season, the backcourt is the story for Duke, with Andre Dawkins, Austin Rivers, and Seth Curry each taking turns leading the Blue Devils in scoring in the three matchups with the two teams. These three players attitudes of either bounce back or quit might determine whether Duke pushes through and gets another shot at UNC and a potential number one seed in the NCAA tournament of if they sit back and wait for the fait of the committee. Remember, Mike Krzyzewski is coaching this team, do not expect anything easy Tech or Clemson.

Miami (18-11, 9-7) vs. Georgia Tech (11-9, 4-12)- When I said, maybe no team needs wins in this ACC tournament more than NC State, I had in the back of my mind the Hurricanes, who are certainly as much on the bubble as anyone, and cannot afford to lose this game. It does not seem likely, though, as they already beat the Yellow Jackets by 15 in Atlanta this year. Kenny Kadji had 21 points and 8 rebounds that game, while the Hurricanes shot 48% from the field. The difference between that January 24th meeting and now is Georgia Tech's leading scorer, rebounder, and best player, Glen Rice, Jr., is suspended. The Yellow Jackets did win their final two home games over Maryland and Wake, and are going to feel comfortable in Atlanta. The problem is they are going against a desperate team in search of a couple wins to secure their spot in the Big Dance. Miami is coming off of a Saturday win over Boston College in which they shot a stifling 50% from the floor.

Winner vs. Florida State (21-9, 12-4)- This may not be the best draw for the Seminoles but they have known they were not going to be better than the three seed for a week now. Florida State would prefer not to play Miami again, a team that beat them by 16 a week ago. The game was in Miami, but Florida State had no answer for Kadji, who scored 15. Michael Snaer led the Seminoles in that game with 20 but got little help on either end, especially from the bigs. Florida State's only game against Georgia Tech was a 14 point win at home on February 1st. Snaer scored 21 that game, while the team had 14 steals while forcing 15 turnovers. The Seminoles will be coming out hungry, having lost two of their last four, and sneaking a last second victory at Virginia. They know they can beat Duke, and a championship might jump them up to a four or five seed in the NCAAs.

If the favorites win, how the ACC Tournament will play out

This is a bracket of what the tournament would like like if the favored teams won the games they were supposed to in the final week. Most notably in those games is Duke beating North Carolina, but there is also Maryland losing twice, including to Virginia at home, and Miami losing tonight at NC State. The bottom four teams should all end up at 4-12, provided NC State beats Virginia Tech in Blacksburgh (no easy feat), Boston College beats Georgia Tech at home, and Georgia Tech beats Wake Forest at home. If this happened, Virginia Tech would own the tiebreaker with a better overall record, followed by Wake, Georgia Tech, and finally Boston College.

The things the immediately pop out when looking at this bracket from top to bottom are numerous. First, NC State has beaten Boston College twice this year, escaping with a five point win in Chestnut Hill. However, they lost at home to Virginia in a hard fought battle, where they had no answer for Mike Scott and lost by just one. Still one has to believe NC State would like to draw Virginia over Florida State or North Carolina, both of whom dismantled the Wolfpack with relative ease. Next, Maryland and Virginia Tech may end up being the most interesting game on the first day. The two teams have only played once this year, with Maryland winning by four at home. Terrell Stoglin had 28 points that game and Virginia Tech's backcourt could not match up with him. We have seen improvement in the Hokies since then, especially from Erick Green, and that matchup could be between potential all-conference guards. The Hokies would love another shot at Duke in the second round after just losing to them in overtime in Durham, although they have already beaten Virginia once and took Florida State down to the last second. Neither of those matchups seems likely for Tech, as they are pretty comfortably in the nine spot.

In the bottom of the bracket, Miami would love to draw Georgia Tech, already beating them by an easy 15 in Atlanta. The Hurricanes would also love to get Florida State again, a team they see as being able to put away comfortably with or without the reinstated Reggie Johnson. Florida State has to be rooting for the Hurricanes tonight versus NC State, as they would much prefer to play a Wolfpack team they dismantled earlier this month. If the draw came out like this, look for Miami to increase their NCAA tournament chances by making a push to the semifinals. In the final quadrant Clemson meets Wake Forest in a matchup that Clemson would love. The Tigers have beaten the Deacons by a combined 31 points in two game this year and are on a roll at the moment. If the Tigers got North Carolina one would think they would be excited, as well. The Tigers lost by 22 in Chapel Hill earlier this month but kept the game within ten for about 32 minutes. The Tar Heels' feelings could go either way after the Duke game. If they win, count on them having a lot of energy and momentum going into the postseason. If they lose, they could either drag themselves down or regroup and try to make it to the championship for a third meeting. Also, they have to be rooting for the Hurricanes the rest of the way, too. Tonight, they will be going for Miami just because NC State is not their favorite, and during the tournament (if it played out like this) they would love to face them instead of Florida State, who beat them by 33 points in January.

Anyway you look at it, get ready for a hell of a ACC tournament.