ACC Tournament 2012 Bracket: Stars Sure to Shine Bright in Atlanta

The 2012 ACC Tournament will be held at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga. and some players are going to thrive much more than others. 

It's time to forget about the regular season and focus on the madness of March.

Players that struggled have a chance to make up for it all, and those that excelled can further propel their status among the top college players by dominating in the tournament. 

Since this is such a big stage, the best of the best are going to rise up for their team in a major way. 

With that said, here are three players sure to shine bright in the 2012 ACC Tournament. 

Austin Rivers, Duke 

The skilled guard is going to light up the tournament, especially after his most recent game saw him and his teammates getting thrashed by an archrival.

All of the Blue Devils are motivated to win big, and Rivers will be the guy that steps up the most. 

In his last five games, Rivers averaged 16 points, but he knows he could have been better in each game. 

Because of that, he's going to put Duke on his back and lead the Blue Devils to a rematch against North Carolina in the finals. 

Kendall Marshall, North Carolina 

He may not score a great deal in the tournament, but Marshall is certainly capable of having a monster performance at a moment's notice. 

Marshall is the quarterback for the Tar Heels, and he's a big reason why they have been so successful this season. 

He only averaged seven points on the year, but he also averaged nine assists. Marshall is a superb facilitator, helping create shots for the plethora of skilled teammates he has. 

However, Marshall can also score, so expect him to put on a show in the ACC Tournament. 

Reggie Johnson, Miami 

If the Hurricanes are going to make the NCAA Tournament, they have to get hot and pull some shocking upsets in the ACC Tournament. 

Johnson is going to thrive this week in Atlanta, putting the Hurricanes on his back to help lead them to big victories. 

The 6'10", 284-pound center will muscle his way through opposing teams, putting up great numbers along the way. 

Johnson shined in big moments this season for Miami, helping the Hurricanes upset Duke. He knows how much his team needs him for the ACC Tournament, so look for him to deliver in the clutch. 

2012 ACC Tournament Schedule 

Round	Game	Date	Matchup	Time	Television Schedule
First	1	Thursday, March 8th	#8 Maryland vs. #9 Wake Forest	Noon	ESPNU / ACC Network
First	2	Thursday, March 8th	#5 NC State/ vs. #12 Boston College	2 p.m.	ESPNU / ACC Network
First	3	Thursday, March 8th	#7 Clemson vs. #10 Virginia Tech	7 p.m.	ESPNU / ACC Network
First	4	Thursday, March 8th	#6 Miami vs. #11 Georgia Tech	9 p.m.	ESPNU / ACC Network
Second	5	Friday, March 9th	#1 North Carolina vs. Game 1 winner	Noon	ESPN2 / ACC Network
Second	6	Friday, March 9th	#4 Virginia vs. Game 2 winner	2 p.m.	ESPN2 / ACC Network
Second	7	Friday, March 9th	#2 Duke vs. Game 3 winner	7 p.m.	ESPN2 / ACC Network
Second	8	Friday, March 9th	#3 Florida State vs. Game 4 winner	9 p.m.	ESPN2 / ACC Network
Semifinals	9	Saturday, March 10th	ACC Semifinal 1	1 p.m.	ESPN / ACC Network
Semifinals	10	Saturday, March 10th	ACC Semifinal 2	3 p.m.	ESPN / ACC Network
Final	11	Sunday, March 11th	Championship Game	1 p.m.	ESPN / ACC Network