First Round

Game One

#12 Wake Forest vs. #13 Pittsburgh

Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.

Both teams tied for 13th place within the ACC going 6-14. The kicker for me here is that Pittsburgh has lost seven straight games. And while Wake hasn’t exactly been playing good lately, they did recently beat Duke and have Brandon Childress who can take over a game.

Prediction: Wake Forest over Pittsburgh

Game Two

#11 Virginia Tech vs. #14 North Carolina

Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.

It’s very weird seeing Carolina play on the first day of the ACC Tournament and even weirder seeing them as the lowest seed. But here we are. They have been playing better lately, winning three of their last four. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, has lost five of their last six. But the Hokies did win the only meeting between these two schools this year. I don’t think Carolina will be one game and done, though.

Prediction: North Carolina over Virginia Tech

Second Round

Game Three

#8 Clemson vs. #9 Miami

Wednesday, Noon

Clemson can beat any team and they can lose to any team, so this will be a question of which Clemson team will show up. If they play like they did in their wins against Florida State, Louisville, and Duke then they will win. Miami beat Clemson in their matchup earlier this year and will be looking to do that again. Their chance of moving on depends on guard Chris Lykes, who is a lot of fun to watch, but has to shoulder a heavy load. Clemson seems to step it up in big games so I think they will once again.

Prediction: Clemson over Miami

Game Four

#12 Wake Forest (Predicted) vs. #5 NC State

Wednesday, 2:00 p.m.

This would be a nice in-state matchup for the people of North Carolina that resembles those of the old days in the ACC Tournament. Like I said in the first round with Wake, a lot of what they do depends on Brandon Childress. NC State has more weapons, such as CJ Bryce, Markell Johnson, and DJ Funderburk. For this reason, I think they will get the win. But it is tough to beat any team three times in one season and that’s what they’ll have to do here.

Prediction: NC State over Wake Forest

Game Five

#7 Notre Dame vs. #10 Boston College

Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.

Notre Dame finished three games better than Boston College in the ACC this season. And Boston College is riding into this tournament on fumes, having lost five in a row, including a one-point loss to the Irish. The other time the two schools met up, Boston College got the best of them. Basically for me, this game comes down to the Irish having better success in the tournament and having a better coach. Expect it to be a close one again, but Notre Dame moves on.

Prediction: Notre Dame over Boston College

Game Six

#14 North Carolina (Predicted) vs. #6 Syracuse

Wednesday, 9:00 p.m.

Carolina just beat Syracuse last week, scoring 92 points and having easily one of their best games of the year. They beat the zone that Syracuse always applies and actually shot the ball well. Now, can they do that again? I don’t know. Syracuse has had the better team this year, but something tells me Carolina pulls off the upset. They’ll be playing pretty much in front of home fans in Greensboro and I just feel like either Cole Anthony or Garrison Brooks will have a big game to put them over the top. It will be extremely close, but the Tar Heels, playing with a chip on their shoulder will win.

Prediction: North Carolina over Syracuse

Third Round

Game Seven

#1 Florida State vs. #8 Clemson (Predicted)

Thursday, 12:30 p.m.

And now we get to the top teams, starting with the ACC Regular Season Champions Florida State. The Seminoles are 16-4 in the conference, are tall, athletic, and ready to build on their regular season championship. They beat Clemson once this year, but lost last week to them by a point. Honestly, I think this game will be a 15+ point win for Florida State, who will be well rested.

Prediction: Florida State over Clemson

Game Eight

#4 Duke vs. #5 NC State (Predicted)

Thursday, 2:30 p.m.

Like the second round matchup with NC State, this would be another great matchup for the folks of North Carolina. Two oldschool ACC teams playing in the ACC Tournament while it’s back in Greensboro. And if these two teams meet up, expect it to be a great game. I think it would go back and forth all game long, but Duke always plays well in this tournament and they wouldn’t fall so early.

Prediction: Duke over NC State

Game Nine

#2 Virginia vs. #7 Notre Dame (Predicted)

Thursday, 7:00 p.m.

The hottest team in this tournament and one of the hottest in the country are the Cavaliers. After a rocky stretch during the season, they have really turned it on to finish second in the conference. And considering their roster, that’s a huge credit to their coach. Known for their stifling defense and slow pace, they will force Notre Dame to play their game and move on.

Prediction: Virginia over Notre Dame

Game Ten

#3 Louisville vs. #14 North Carolina (Predicted)

Thursday, 9:00 p.m.

Louisville is extremely athletic and has the potential to win the national championship. The only time they played Carolina this season, they had an easy time of it winning by 17 points. And while North Carolina will be playing inspired to revenge their terrible regular season, they would be playing on their third consecutive day here. That, combined with not being nearly as good as Louisville, will be why their season ends here.

Prediction: Louisville over North Carolina

Fourth Round

Game Eleven

#1 Florida State (Predicted) vs. #4 Duke (Predicted)

Friday, 7:00 p.m.

This would be a fantastic game. The only time these two teams met up this season, Duke came out on top by five points in Durham. Both teams have an abundance of talent, but I think Florida State is the better team. With that being said, Duke ALWAYS does well in this tournament and they will be playing in front of a lot of fans in Greensboro. And while Leonard Hamilton is a good coach, Duke has the coaching advantage as well. I believe they move on to the championship game.

Prediction: Duke over Florida State

Game Twelve

#2 Virginia (Predicted) vs. #3 Louisville (Predicted)

Friday, 9:00 p.m.

I love these type of matchups because of the contrast in teams. Louisville is extremely athletic and likes to score, while Virginia slows down the pace of play almost to a halt and focuses on defense. Virginia has won eight in a row, with their last loss coming to Louisville. But their last game was a three point win over the Cardinals. It’s incredible how well they force their slow-style of play on their opponents and while I think they do it again here, I believe the Cardinals will pull out a close one.

Prediction: Louisville over Virginia

Game Thirteen (Championship Game)

#4 Duke (Predicted) vs. #3 Louisville (Predicted)

Saturday, 8:30 p.m.

This would be a pretty faced-paced, highly athletic matchup that should see a lot of scoring. The only time these two teams played each other this season was in Durham where the Cardinals came in and beat the Blue Devils by six. Duke had a rough stretch starting about two weeks ago, but I believe they got that out of their system and they’ve bounced back with two good wins. This would be a very good game to watch, but in the end, I think Duke wins it. Like I’ve said repeatedly, they always do well in the ACC Tournament. While they have some talented freshmen, they have also been getting some good play lately by surprising guys like Justin Robinson. Trey Jones has improved a lot since last season and is a complete floor general for this team. And lastly, since the tournament is back in Greensboro, I think Duke gets it done in front of the home crowd.

Prediction: Duke 81, Louisville 76

Garett

ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament Predictions