ACC Tournament 2015: Schedule and Bracket Predictions for Conference Tourney
Although the ACC might not be the deepest conference, its strength at the top ensures the league tournament will be one of the top events of the year.
The conference has five teams that could legitimately make a run at the Final Four and two or three more hoping to lock up a bid to the NCAA tournament. Of course, you can't count out the ability of teams like Boston College or Florida State to play the role of spoiler thanks to big-time players.
This combination of talent is certain to keep things exciting throughout the week at Greensboro Coliseum. Here is a look at the full schedule of the tournament and predictions for which team will take home the crown.
TOP NEWS
NCAA Tournament Expansion Official 🚨
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
UConn's STACKED Schedule ☠️
Report: Biggest Spenders in Men's CBB 🤑
| March 10 | 1 | No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed | 1 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| March 10 | 2 | No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed | 3 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| March 11 | 3 | No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed | 12 p.m. | ESPN |
| March 11 | 4 | Game 1 winner vs. No. 5 seed | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| March 11 | 5 | No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| March 11 | 6 | No. 6 seed vs. Game 2 winner | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| March 12 | 7 | No. 1 seed vs. Game 3 winner | 12 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| March 12 | 8 | No. 4 seed vs. Game 4 winner | 2 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| March 12 | 9 | No. 2 seed vs. Game 5 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| March 12 | 10 | No. 3 seed vs. Game 6 winner | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| March 13 | 11 | Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| March 13 | 12 | Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 9 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| March 14 | 13 | Championship Game | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Full bracket available at TheACC.com.
Top Contenders
Virginia
The casual fan might not enjoy watching Virginia play because it doesn't score a lot and keeps the pace slow. However, there is no denying this is one of the best teams in the country with a legitimate chance to win a national championship.
While defense is sometimes overlooked in college basketball, the Cavaliers make it a priority. They stop teams from getting into the lane thanks to a pack-line system head coach Tony Bennett has perfected, and they ensure no shot is an easy one.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports sums up the unit:
Additionally, Virginia might be set for a boost before the postseason with the return of Justin Anderson, who has missed almost a month with a finger injury. Adding a talented player like this to one of the more efficient squads we have seen in a long time makes this a group no team wants to play.
Notre Dame
North Carolina and Louisville have had strong seasons and could be scary in the NCAA tournament, but Notre Dame is a squad that teams should really fear.
Even Louisville head coach Rick Pitino admitted his Cardinals weren't up to the challenge after a 71-59 home loss Wednesday, via Eric Crawford of WDRB:
The Fighting Irish are led by one of the top playmakers in the nation in Jerian Grant. The senior point guard is averaging 16.7 points and 6.6 assists per game and has four double-doubles this season. He also has shown the ability to make a big shot whenever the team needs it.
Of course, it's easy to rack up assists when you are surrounded by elite shooters like Pat Connaughton, Demetrius Jackson and Steve Vasturia. With Zach Auguste and recently Bonzie Colson providing balance down low, this is a team that could beat anyone in the nation.
Sleeper: North Carolina State
Throughout the year, North Carolina State has shown it can keep surprising you. Sometimes, that's a good thing, like the wins over Duke, Louisville and North Carolina. On the other hand, the losses to Boston College and Wake Forest are games you want to forget.
The truth is you don't know exactly what to expect from North Carolina State when it steps onto the floor. Anthony Barber can be an afterthought in the offense or someone who can take over games. Ralston Turner could seemingly not miss from outside or could end up going 3-of-14 from three-point range like he did against Boston College.
This duo and Trevor Lacey make up a solid backcourt, but you aren't really sure if the frontcourt players are going to do their job on either end of the court.
The Wolfpack are likely to ruin a lot of people's bracket if they make the NCAA tournament, but we do know you can't count them out, especially in the ACC tournament.
Predicted Winner: Duke
Duke has had a few down games this season, but it is certainly peaking at the right time with 10 wins in a row heading into the season-ending clash against rival North Carolina. With road wins at Virginia and at Wisconsin, the Blue Devils certainly aren't scared of a challenge.
Wednesday night showed just how dangerous Duke can be with a dominant 94-51 win over Wake Forest, which featured an incredible 52-15 lead.
Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports said it all with this tweet:
"Holy Cow Duke looks good tonight
— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 5, 2015"
The victory was keyed by freshman Grayson Allen, who totaled 27 points to lead all scorers.
The guard has been overshadowed by fellow first-year players Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones, each of whom has proven at times to be among the best in the nation. However, adding Allen to the mix could give the squad some added depth it needs.
In reality, this team has all the tools you need for a deep run in March. Not only is Okafor capable of scoring just about whenever he wants in the post, there are two composed point guards capable of making a big play when needed in Jones and Quinn Cook.
The Blue Devils beat Virginia in Charlottesville earlier in the year, and they can do it again in Greensboro.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
