ACC tournament preview and predictions: Can the league land 11 NCAA bids?

The 2017 ACC tournament tips off Tuesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Here is an in-depth look at the tournament including a complete bracket, TV information, analysis and predictions.

THE KEY QUESTIONS

1. Who is the favorite?

That’s North Carolina, which emerged from a throng of contenders late in the season to win maybe the strongest league in college basketball by two full games. The Tar Heels can cement a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament with a strong showing in Brooklyn and may even secure one even if they lose their quarterfinal game.

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What makes North Carolina elite is an offense that can hurt opponents many different ways. A strong, deep froncourt scores efficiently in the paint and gobbles up offensive rebounds at a national-best rate. Justin Jackson is a versatile scorer whose outside shooting prowess is vastly improved. And Joel Berry II is a lethal 3-point shooter who can also create for himself or others off the bounce.

2. Who else could win the tournament?

Any of the top six seeds are capable of winning, but Duke and Virginia are at a disadvantage since they did not secure a double bye and would have to reel off four victories in four days. Having to play an extra game against a desperate and capable team like Clemson or Georgia Tech could leave the Blue Devils and Cavaliers dead-legged later in the tournament.

Virginia at least has the depth to potentially overcome that. Duke seldom plays more than seven guys, aside from an occasional Marques Bolden cameo.

3. Who got the best and worst draw?

There are no easy paths in the ACC, but the top half of the bracket is especially daunting. It features league champ North Carolina, preseason No. 1 Duke, top 10 Louisville and likely NCAA tournament teams Miami and Syracuse. Think about this: Louisville could have to go through Duke and North Carolina just to get to the title game. Good luck.

Of the teams in the bottom half of the bracket, Florida State’s draw is the most enviable. Yes, Virginia Tech is capable of spreading the floor and driving on the bigger Seminoles. And yes, Notre Dame and Virginia have since righted themselves after February skids. But Florida State has beaten all three of those teams at least once this season, and wouldn’t see North Carolina until a potential title game.

BUBBLE IMPLICATIONS

Syracuse (18-13, 10-8, RPI 80, KenPom 45): Marquee wins over Duke, Virginia and Florida State are more than most bubble teams can boast, but Syracuse isn’t totally safe without another win or two. The Orange’s 33-point home loss to St. John’s is an eyesore, as is the fact that their only two victories away from home came by one over Clemson and in overtime against NC State.

Wake Forest (18-12, 9-9, RPI 30, KenPom 29): Adding quality wins over Louisville and Virginia Tech last week was huge for Wake Forest’s chances. The Demon Deacons would likely be one of the last teams in as of today, but avoiding a loss to Boston College is a must and beating Virginia Tech for the second time in a week would help too.

Georgia Tech (17-14, 8-10, RPI 92, KenPom 80): As good a story as Georgia Tech’s unexpected success has been this year, the Yellowjackets are more likely to end up in the NIT than the NCAA tournament. Outstanding wins over North Carolina, Florida State, Notre Dame and VCU offer hope, but Georgia Tech probably needs a minimum of two ACC tournament wins, if not more.

Clemson (16-14, 6-12, RPI 66, KenPom 36): It’s hard to make a case for Clemson after a 6-12 ACC finish even if many of the Tigers’ losses were by just a bucket or two. Anything short of an ACC semifinal run, and Clemson has no chance — and realistically even that may not be enough.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

1. John Collins, F, Wake Forest: The nation’s most underrated player averages 19.8 points and has eight double-doubles in his past 11 games.

2. Luke Kennard, G, Duke: On a team loaded with talent, Kennard has unexpectedly emerged as Duke’s go-to threat and most efficient scorer.

3. Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina: The versatile forward is a superior shooter and more consistent scorer than he was the previous two years.

ONE BIG STORYLINE

When the Big East sent 11 of its 16 teams to the NCAA tournament in 2011, it set the record for most bids from one conference. The ACC has a chance to match that when the field of 68 is unveiled next Sunday.

For the ACC to reach 11, it will need Georgia Tech to make a deep enough run to go from the fringes of the bubble picture into the field. Wake Forest and Syracuse would also have to avoid early ACC tournament flameouts that would put their tenuous NCAA bids in further jeopardy.

SCHEDULE

All times Eastern

Tuesday, March 7 | First round
No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 13 NC State — Noon, ESPN2
No. 11 Georgia Tech vs. No. 14 Pittsburgh — 2:30 p.m., ESPN2
No. 10 Wake Forest vs. No. 15 Boston College — 7 p.m., ESPNU

Wednesday, March 8 | Second round
No. 8 Syracuse vs. No. 9 Miami — Noon, ESPN
No. 5 Duke vs. No. 12 Clemson/No. 13 NC State — 2:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 7 Virginia Tech vs. No. 10 Wake Forest/No. 15 Boston College — 7 p.m., ESPN2
No. 6 Virginia vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech/No. 14 Pittsburgh — 9:30 p.m., ESPN2

Thursday, March 9 | Quarterfinals
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 8 Syracuse/No. 9 Miami — Noon, ESPN
No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 5 Duke/No. 12 Clemson/No. 13 NC State — 2:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 7 Virginia Tech/No. 10 Wake Forest/No. 15 Boston College — 7 p.m., ESPN
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Virginia/No. 11 Georgia Tech/No. 14 Pittsburgh — 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Friday, March 10 | Semifinals
Winners of quarterfinals 1 and 2 — 7 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Winners of quarterfinals 3 and 4 — 9:30 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2

Saturday, March 11 | Final
Semifinal winners — 9 p.m., ESPN

PREDICTIONS

First round
No. 12 Clemson over No. 13 NC State
No. 11 Georgia Tech over No. 14 Pittsburgh
No. 10 Wake Forest over No. 15 Boston College — 7 p.m., ESPNU

Second round
No. 9 Miami over No. 8 Syracuse
No. 5 Duke over No. 12 Clemson
No. 10 Wake Forest over No. 7 Virginia Tech
No. 6 Virginia over No. 11 Georgia Tech

Quarterfinals
No. 1 North Carolina over No. 9 Miami
No. 5 Duke over No. 4 Louisville
No. 2 Florida State over No. 10 Wake Forest
No. 6 Virginia over No. 3 Notre Dame

Semifinals
No. 1 North Carolina over No. 5 Duke
No. 6 Virginia over No. 2 Florida State

Final
No. 1 North Carolina over No. 6 Virginia

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