ACC Tournament 2023: Top Storylines for Men's Quarterfinals
The North Carolina Tar Heels passed their first test of the 2023 ACC tournament by not losing in the second round.
North Carolina's bleak NCAA men's basketball tournament hopes drag into the quarterfinal round on Thursday against the Virginia Cavaliers.
UNC beat Virginia inside the Smith Center on February 25, and it needs another victory inside the Greensboro Coliseum to be considered for the field of 68.
Hubert Davis' side is one of four ACC teams hovering around both sides of the bubble entering the quarterfinals.
The Clemson Tigers are the only team of the quartet in more danger of missing the Big Dance than North Carolina.
Normally the No. 3 seed in the ACC tournament is as safe as can be when it comes to its NCAA tournament fate, but the Tigers have been less than convincing in the last month.
Clemson needs to beat the NC State Wolfpack to make one late push to get into the Big Dance.
NC State and the Pittsburgh Panthers are on the right side of the bubble in most bracket projections, and one more victory by each should lock them securely into the field of 68.
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North Carolina Continues Late Push Toward Big Dance
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UNC's goal in its first ACC tournament game was to not lose to the Boston College Eagles.
The Tar Heels created some momentum in Greensboro by handling the No. 10 seed by 24 points.
Now the Tar Heels must beat Virginia to be considered for the NCAA tournament.
ESPN's Joe Lunardi has UNC as the third team out behind the Arizona State Sun Devils and Nevada Wolfpack in his latest bracket projection.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller has UNC outside of the "First Five Out" column, and that shows how much work it has to do in the next few days in Greensboro.
North Carolina can draw some confidence from beating Virginia at home two weeks ago. That was its first Quad 1 victory of the season. The lack of quality wins is one of the reasons why the Tar Heels have work to do in the ACC tournament.
Virginia suffered all five of its ACC losses away from Charlottesville, so it may be vulnerable inside an arena that should be decorated with Carolina blue.
Tony Bennett's team needs a win over UNC to get back into a rhythm after losing to the Tar Heels and Boston College two weeks ago.
Virginia rebounded with wins over Clemson and the Louisville Cardinals at home, but it needs to prove to itself that it can win a crucial game away from the comforts of John Paul Jones Arena to ease some offensive concerns that popped up when it produced a combined 111 points in its last two losses.
UNC can pull off the upset if it plays at its highest level, and that would spark up an intriguing conversation about whether the Tar Heels belong in the field of 68.
Clemson Enters Greensboro in Worse Shape Than UNC
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Clemson's freefall from the top of the ACC has been well documented.
The Tigers started league play with a 10-1 record and finished at 14-6 and without a spot in the projected field of 68.
Lunardi listed Clemson on the "Next Four Out" line on Tuesday night, and like UNC, it is not listed in the "First Five Out" in Miller's bracket update.
One win over NC State will not be good enough for Brad Brownell's team. It probably needs to reach the ACC tournament final to be in the bubble mix.
Clemson defeated the Wolfpack twice in the regular season, including a 96-71 triumph in Raleigh on February 25.
A third win over NC State may not do enough for Clemson's NCAA tournament resume, which includes nonconference losses to the South Carolina Gamecocks and Loyola Chicago Ramblers, who are both ranked below 200 on KenPom.
NC State will have revenge on its mind more than anything on Thursday because it was embarrassed by Clemson inside PNC Arena.
The Wolfpack unleashed a 97-point performance against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Wednesday, and if that version of the team shows up again, they could solidify their spot in the field of 68 while eliminating Clemson.
Duke Looking to Regain Control of ACC Tournament
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Duke has not won the ACC tournament in four years.
That is an eternity compared to the Blue Devils' history in the event.
The 21-time ACC tournament winner opens its slate in Greensboro against Pittsburgh.
The No. 4 seed could be viewed as the favorite to cut down the nets on Saturday night over the top-seeded Miami Hurricanes because it is on a six-game winning streak.
Duke does not have its most talented team from the last decade, but Jon Scheyer has found the right combinations with his players over the last few weeks.
Scheyer, who was the 2009 ACC tournament MVP, can turn to freshman Kyle Filipowski to deliver a few dominant performances.
Filipowski is Duke's best player by a wide margin. He scored in double figures in every game of Duke's current winning streak. He also has three double-doubles in that span.
Duke could go as far as Filipowski takes it. The star big man had one of his best games of the season against Pitt on January 11, as he totaled 28 points and 15 rebounds.
If he runs the show again, Duke should cruise into the semifinals and leave Pittsburgh dangling on the edge of the bubble ahead of Selection Sunday.
Pitt is a No. 10 seed in Miller's bracket update and a No. 11 seed in Lunardi's projection. A loss leaves a bit of doubt in case other bubble teams thrive over the next few days.
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