ACC Tournament Preview and Predictions

Continuing in the conference tournament prediction line, the ACC starts tomorrow and has three bubble teams that need wins along with its top two playing for potential number one seeds. Let's get to the predictions.

Thanks to the5thcorner.com for the bracket.

First Round

Virginia vs Miami – Neither team is really any good, but Miami has looked better throughout the season once you discount Virginia's wins over Virginia Tech where the Hokies looked totally spooked and out of it for some reason. Hurricanes win, but this game really lacks relevance.

Boston College vs Wake Forest – Boston College will win. Wake is awful (as in down with DePaul, LSU and Auburn bad among BCS conference teams). Even if they win I won't feel bad picking against them since it would be a huge upset.

Maryland vs NC State – The Terps have Jordan Williams and a host of wins over bad to awful teams. The Wolfpack have an overmatched coach and no wins of value all season long. Maryland wins if they care to show up.

Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech – Seth Greenberg could easily find a way to lose this game and send his team to the wrong side of the bubble, again, but I think Georgia Tech has given up at this point and soon to be fired (as least I hope so because I am tired of reading every year that he is on the hotseat) coach Paul Hewitt may have as well. Hewitt has noticeably aged quite a bit the last three years. Hokies win and finally put Hewitt out of his coaching misery.

Second Round

North Carolina vs Miami – Hurricanes aren't ready for this type of game. Carolina won't care in this event, as usual, but it won't matter yet.

Clemson vs Boston College – Clemson is just a better team in my opinion despite no real evidence in either direction. Tigers win.

Duke vs Maryland – The Terps don't fear Duke, but they lack talent and Duke will be motivated after the season ending loss to North Carolina. Expect it to be Blue Devils, big.

Florida St. vs Virginia Tech – Florida St. has looked much better than expected since Chris Singleton's injury and those performances give confidence they can beat middling bubble teams like Virginia Tech.

Semifinals

North Carolina vs Clemson – Clemson never beats North Carolina on the road, but they have been better in recent years against the Tar Heels at home. At a neutral site, I bank on Roy Williams general dislike for conference tournaments to carry the first competent opponent past his Tar Heels unless he has a national title level team. The form holds here.

Duke vs Florida St. - The Seminoles barely beat Duke at home with Chris Singleton. No way they win on a neutral (leaning-Duke) court without Singleton in the lineup.

Final

Duke vs Clemson – This is a terrible matchup for this year's slower paced Clemson squad. Duke will run over the Tigers on the way to an undeserved top seed in the NCAA Tournament.