The ACC Tournament gets underway with first round action on Thursday at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. North Carolina won the regular season title and own the top seed. The top four seeds (UNC, Duke, Florida State, and Virginia) received a bye to Quarterfinal Friday.
*The 8-9 matchup opens up first round action at noon ET. Maryland will face Wake Forest. Maryland beat WF back in January. The Terrapins didn?t play well to finish the season, as they lost three in a row. WF lost three of their last four games.
Players to Watch: Maryland?s Terrell Stoglin leads the ACC in scoring at 21.2 points per game. Wake?s CJ Harris (16.8 PPG) and Travis McKie (15.9 PPG) rank in the conference?s top ten in scoring.
The winner will face UNC to start Quarterfinal Friday (noon ET). Maryland lost to UNC twice, while WF lost once.
*The five-seed NC State (who is sitting on the NCAA bubble) will then face 12th-seeded Boston College. NC State beat BC twice during the regular season. The Wolfpack ended the season winning two in a row, but lost four in a row prior. BC ended the season losing five out of six.
Players to Watch: NC State?s CJ Leslie averages 14.3 PPG and 7.1 rebounds a game. Scott Wood of NC State leads the ACC in three point field goal percentage (41.5%) and he makes at least two 3-pointers a game. BC is led by freshman Ryan Anderson, who averages 10.8 points and 7.2 rebounds a game.
The winner will face UVA in the second game on Quarterfinal Friday. NC State lost to UVA by just one point, while BC lost, 66-49.
*The 7th-seeded Clemson will play ten-seed Virginia Tech in the third game at 7pm ET. The two teams split the season series, with the winning team only victorious by two points. Clemson finished the season winning three out of four, while VT lost four in a row.
Players to Watch: Clemson is led by Andre Young, who averages 13.3 PPG and 3.2 assists per game. His partner in crime from the outside is senior Tanner Smith, who averages 11.1 PPG and 4.1 APG, while shooting 35.8% from beyond the arc. VT is led by Erick Green, who averages 15.3 PPG and 2.8 APG.
The winner will face Duke at 7pm ET on Quarterfinal Friday. Clemson lost to Duke back in January. VT lost twice to Duke.
*The final game of the first round pits the six-seed Miami (who is sitting on the NCAA bubble) against 11th-seed Georgia Tech. Miami beat GT at the end of January. The Hurricanes have won three of their last five games. GT has lost five of their last seven games.
Players to Watch: Miami is led by Durand Scott (13 points and 3.2 APG) and Kenny Kadji (12.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG). When Miami is playing well, Reggie Johnson (seven rebounds a game) and freshman Shane Larkin (2.5 APG) are playing well. GT is led by Mfon Udofia (9.8 PPG and 2.9 APG). The Yellow Jackets will continue to be without their best player, Glen Rice, Jr, who will continue to serve a suspension (he missed the last five games of the regular season).
The winner will face FSU in the final game on Quarterfinal Friday. Miami split the season series with FSU. GT lost, 68-54.
Now let?s take a look at the top four seeds:
UNC has won 12 of their last 13 games and are in consideration for a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tarheels are led by a plethora of NBA prospects, led by ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller (16.3 PPG and 9.3 RPG), and fellow front court mates Harrison Barnes (17.4 PPG and 5.1 RPG) and Defensive Player of the Year John Henson (14.2 PPG and 10.3 RPG). UNC also has the top point guard in Kendall Marshall (9.6 APG). Those are just four reasons why UNC is the ACC?s top scoring team.
Duke had won seven in a row before losing at home to UNC last Saturday. The Blue Devils live and die by the three pointer, as they have taken 667 of them this season and shot 38.7% from beyond the arc. Making those shots is one of the reasons they have the second-best scoring offense in the ACC (78.7 PPG). However they also have one of the ACC?s worst defenses, as opponents shoot 43.7% and score 68.1 PPG. Duke is led by Freshman of the Year Austin Rivers (15.3 PPG). They will need the Plumlee brothers to step up, especially with the loss of forward Ryan Kelly (he sprained his foot in Tuesday?s practice).
FSU has one of the conference?s top defenses, as opponents shoot just 37.9% from the field and average 62.1 PPG against them. Problem is, the Seminoles have been inconsistent on offense, as they only average 69.7 PPG. FSU ended the season winning five out of seven. They are led by Michael Snaer (14.1 PPG), who has hit so many big shots this season. FSU is a veteran team and Bernard James (8.3 RPG) leads that group. Ian Miller has been hot in FSU?s last two games (two wins), as he made 8-of-14 three pointers.
UVA has the ACC?s top defense, as teams only average 53.2 PPG against them. Offense has been their problem, as the Cavaliers only average 63 PPG. They have won three of their last five games. UVA is led by Mike Scott, who is second in the ACC in scoring (17.9 PPG) and also leads the team in rebounding (8.3 RPG). If UVA can get Sammy Zeglinski to hit some shots from the outside, they should reach the title game.
--Aerys Sports
*The 8-9 matchup opens up first round action at noon ET. Maryland will face Wake Forest. Maryland beat WF back in January. The Terrapins didn?t play well to finish the season, as they lost three in a row. WF lost three of their last four games.
Players to Watch: Maryland?s Terrell Stoglin leads the ACC in scoring at 21.2 points per game. Wake?s CJ Harris (16.8 PPG) and Travis McKie (15.9 PPG) rank in the conference?s top ten in scoring.
The winner will face UNC to start Quarterfinal Friday (noon ET). Maryland lost to UNC twice, while WF lost once.
*The five-seed NC State (who is sitting on the NCAA bubble) will then face 12th-seeded Boston College. NC State beat BC twice during the regular season. The Wolfpack ended the season winning two in a row, but lost four in a row prior. BC ended the season losing five out of six.
Players to Watch: NC State?s CJ Leslie averages 14.3 PPG and 7.1 rebounds a game. Scott Wood of NC State leads the ACC in three point field goal percentage (41.5%) and he makes at least two 3-pointers a game. BC is led by freshman Ryan Anderson, who averages 10.8 points and 7.2 rebounds a game.
The winner will face UVA in the second game on Quarterfinal Friday. NC State lost to UVA by just one point, while BC lost, 66-49.
*The 7th-seeded Clemson will play ten-seed Virginia Tech in the third game at 7pm ET. The two teams split the season series, with the winning team only victorious by two points. Clemson finished the season winning three out of four, while VT lost four in a row.
Players to Watch: Clemson is led by Andre Young, who averages 13.3 PPG and 3.2 assists per game. His partner in crime from the outside is senior Tanner Smith, who averages 11.1 PPG and 4.1 APG, while shooting 35.8% from beyond the arc. VT is led by Erick Green, who averages 15.3 PPG and 2.8 APG.
The winner will face Duke at 7pm ET on Quarterfinal Friday. Clemson lost to Duke back in January. VT lost twice to Duke.
*The final game of the first round pits the six-seed Miami (who is sitting on the NCAA bubble) against 11th-seed Georgia Tech. Miami beat GT at the end of January. The Hurricanes have won three of their last five games. GT has lost five of their last seven games.
Players to Watch: Miami is led by Durand Scott (13 points and 3.2 APG) and Kenny Kadji (12.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG). When Miami is playing well, Reggie Johnson (seven rebounds a game) and freshman Shane Larkin (2.5 APG) are playing well. GT is led by Mfon Udofia (9.8 PPG and 2.9 APG). The Yellow Jackets will continue to be without their best player, Glen Rice, Jr, who will continue to serve a suspension (he missed the last five games of the regular season).
The winner will face FSU in the final game on Quarterfinal Friday. Miami split the season series with FSU. GT lost, 68-54.
Now let?s take a look at the top four seeds:
UNC has won 12 of their last 13 games and are in consideration for a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tarheels are led by a plethora of NBA prospects, led by ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller (16.3 PPG and 9.3 RPG), and fellow front court mates Harrison Barnes (17.4 PPG and 5.1 RPG) and Defensive Player of the Year John Henson (14.2 PPG and 10.3 RPG). UNC also has the top point guard in Kendall Marshall (9.6 APG). Those are just four reasons why UNC is the ACC?s top scoring team.
Duke had won seven in a row before losing at home to UNC last Saturday. The Blue Devils live and die by the three pointer, as they have taken 667 of them this season and shot 38.7% from beyond the arc. Making those shots is one of the reasons they have the second-best scoring offense in the ACC (78.7 PPG). However they also have one of the ACC?s worst defenses, as opponents shoot 43.7% and score 68.1 PPG. Duke is led by Freshman of the Year Austin Rivers (15.3 PPG). They will need the Plumlee brothers to step up, especially with the loss of forward Ryan Kelly (he sprained his foot in Tuesday?s practice).
FSU has one of the conference?s top defenses, as opponents shoot just 37.9% from the field and average 62.1 PPG against them. Problem is, the Seminoles have been inconsistent on offense, as they only average 69.7 PPG. FSU ended the season winning five out of seven. They are led by Michael Snaer (14.1 PPG), who has hit so many big shots this season. FSU is a veteran team and Bernard James (8.3 RPG) leads that group. Ian Miller has been hot in FSU?s last two games (two wins), as he made 8-of-14 three pointers.
UVA has the ACC?s top defense, as teams only average 53.2 PPG against them. Offense has been their problem, as the Cavaliers only average 63 PPG. They have won three of their last five games. UVA is led by Mike Scott, who is second in the ACC in scoring (17.9 PPG) and also leads the team in rebounding (8.3 RPG). If UVA can get Sammy Zeglinski to hit some shots from the outside, they should reach the title game.
--Aerys Sports
