Here’s what each team needs to do – or not do– for a chance to win the ACC tournament
The 67th annual Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament will be played this week at the Greensboro Coliseum ...
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Sounds right. And it has been a while.
N.C. State basketball great David Thompson once said, “When you think of Greensboro and the Greensboro Coliseum, you think ACC and all the history.”
That was in 2015. That was the last time the tournament was in Greensboro before making such stops as Washington, D.C., and Brooklyn, N.Y. Now, it’s back.
As Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski put it Saturday, “I’m not sure any venue showcases our basketball for the ACC as well as Greensboro.”
Who will win? Fourteen teams will try. Some will face long odds and don’t care. Keep winning and good things will happen — that’s their mantra. The Blue Devils won last year and want another.
Here’s a look at the 14 that will try and how they can win it:
No. 1 Florida State (26-5 overall, 16-4 ACC)
Can win the tournament if: The Seminoles don’t settle for being the ACC regular-season winner for the first time and want more to celebrate. The ‘Noles, led by second-team All-ACC picks Devin Vassell and Trent Forrest, are deep enough to make it happen.
Won’t win the tournament if: Leonard Hamilton, named the ACC coach of the year, doesn’t have his team in the right mindset. Duke, a possible semifinal opponent, beat FSU 70-65 in Durham.
No. 2 Virginia (23-7, 15-5)
Can win if: The Cavaliers control tempo as usual and grind three teams into dust. Cavs coach Tony Bennett did a masterful job with his team in the regular season. They can now be ACC champions.
Won’t win if: The Cavaliers slip up in the final minutes of a game and bungle a few possessions. Virginia had so many close wins late in the season: UNC, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Duke, Miami, Louisville. Nothing comes easily.
No. 3. Louisville (24-7, 15-5)
Can win if: The Cardinals regain the form they showed in winning 10 straight ACC games this season. Junior forward Jordan Nwora, the preseason pick for ACC player of the year, was the second-leading vote-getter in balloting for All-ACC.
Won’t win if: The Cardinals continue to look vulnerable, as they did in losing four of their last seven games, including a 77-62 beating at Clemson on Feb. 15. And Nwora’s shot selection isn’t always the best.
No. 4 Duke (25-6, 15-5)
Can win if: Vernon Carey Jr. is too much to handle inside, Tre Jones again is the offensive conductor and Cassius Stanley knocks down big shots while the Blue Devils’ defense, led by Jones, is active enough and forces turnovers.
Won’t win if: Carey, Jones and Stanley are left to carry the scoring load and the Blue Devils go flat one game as they did in the loss at N.C. State.
No. 5 NC State (19-12, 10-10)
Can win if: The Pack has the “good” Markell Johnson running the offense and there’s balanced scoring. Plus, the Wolfpack saw the thrill the NC State women had in winning an ACC championship in Greensboro on Sunday and cutting down the nets,
Won’t win if: Johnson is a no-show in a game, the offense is dysfunctional or the defense disjointed. Johnson has to be a leader and he needs help.
No. 6 Syracuse (17-14, 10-10)
Can win if: Elijah Hughes, named first-team All-ACC on Monday, is able compete in the tournament after banging his head in the loss Saturday at Miami. Hughes, the ACC’s leading scorer (18.8) is capable of being the tournament MVP.
Won’t win if: Hughes is out. It’s that simple. The Orange must have the 6-6 forward healthy and at his best to make a run and win four games.
No. 7 Notre Dame (19-12, 10-10)
Can win if: The Irish get solid senior leadership from John Mooney and T.J. Gibbs plus Rex Pflueger, a graduate who have been a part of 104 victories. Mooney is a load. He was named first-team All-ACC, led the league in rebounding (12.8) and averaged 16.5 points.
Won’t win if: Mooney doesn’t come up big in the tournament. He had 16 double-doubles in 20 ACC games. Gibbs’ 42-percent shooting on 3’s also must continue.
No. 8 Clemson (15-15, 9-11)
Can win if: Aamir Simms and Tevin Mack can combine to put together four terrific games. Simms has 21 double-doubles and was a third-team All-ACC selection.
Won’t win if: The Tigers have another shooting game like the one Friday against Georgia Tech — 35 percent from the field, 6-for-26 on 3’s — in a 65-62 loss.
No. 9 Miami (15-15, 7-13)
Can win if: Chris Lykes, the diminutive but dynamic guard, is able to play and can spark some upsets. Lykes, the Hurricanes’ leading scorer, was injured against Virginia last week after a collision with teammate Sam Waardenburg.
Won’t win if: Lykes can’t play and the Hurricanes can’t get enough scoring elsewhere from Isaiah Wong, DJ Vasiljevic and Kameron McGusty.
No. 10 Boston College (13-18, 7-13)
Can win if: The Eagles can reverse the 62-61 loss against Notre Dame late in the regular season, beat Virginia again in the quarterfinals and start to believe anything is possible.
Won’t win if: The Eagles play like a 13-18 team that lost its last five games and had 19 turnovers in the last one, against Florida State.
No. 11 Virginia Tech (16-15, 7-13)
Can win if: The Hokies can duplicate their regular-season victories over UNC and Syracuse and get on a roll. They’ll keep launching 3-pointers. Will they drop for five straight days?
Won’t win if: Their shooting doesn’t drastically improve. The Hokies shot 38 percent or worse from the field in five of their last six games, all losses.
No. 12 Wake Forest (13-17, 6-14)
Can win if: Senior guard Brandon Childress can recreate some of the scoring magic (107 points, three games) his father, Randolph, produced at the tournament 25 years ago as Wake Forest won the title.
Won’t win if: The Deacons repeat the game they had at N.C. State on Friday, an ugly 84-64 loss in which coach Danny Manning was criticized for lineup decisions.
No. 13 Pittsburgh (15-16, 6-14)
Can win if: The Panthers can get a torrid five-day performance from sophomore guard Xavier Johnson and consistently good play from Justin Champagnie and Au’Diese Toney.
Won’t win if: The Panthers have mentally checked out for the season. Pitt lost its last seven games. It could be time to put away the balls for the year.
No. 14 North Carolina (13-18, 6-14)
Can win if: Garrison Brooks or Cole Anthony is the tournament MVP and the Tar Heels win a couple of early games to build momentum and turn the Greensboro Coliseum hue to light blue.
Won’t win if: The grind of trying to win five games in five days becomes too much to handle, or Anthony tries too hard to be too good.
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 2:36 PM.
