ACC Tournament 2012 Schedule and Bracket: Predicting Winner of Every Matchup

No appetizer has ever been as filling as the ACC tournament.

College basketball fans are hungry for the Big Dance, but thanks to Championship Week, they won’t die of starvation.  Here is the schedule, bracket and prediction for the 2012 ACC tourney.

No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 9 Wake Forest—Thursday, March 8th at 12:00 p.m. EST

Back on January 11th , the Terrapins roasted the Demon Deacons, 70-64.  This time around won’t be any different, as Wake Forest has won just two of its last 11 games.

No. 5 NC State vs. No. 12 Boston College—Thursday, March 8th at 2:00 p.m. EST

The Wolfpack already clipped the Golden Eagles’ wings twice this season by a combined spread of 19 points.  BC has walked away victorious in just two of its last 13 contests, and it won’t be able to stop NC State from making it three straight against the Eagles. 

No. 7 Clemson vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech—Thursday, March 8th at 7:00 p.m. EST

This game will be a good one.  The Tigers and Hokies split the season series, and the triumphant in each won by just two points.  Riding four straight losses, though, VT will be unable to stop its streak.

No. 6 Miami vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech—Thursday, March 8th at 9:00 p.m. EST

In late January, the Hurricanes stormed the Yellow Jackets’ nest and took no survivors in a 64-49 slaughter.  There isn’t a reason to believe GT has any slight hope in this one.

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 8 Maryland—Friday, March 9th at 12:00 p.m. EST

This one will get ugly.  UNC is simply on another level than Maryland, having just beat the team down on February 29th , 88-64.

No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 5 NC State—Friday, March 9th at 2:00 p.m. EST

In their only meeting of the season, the Cavaliers knocked off the Wolfpack by just one point.  In round two, though, Virginia won’t be able to keep pace with NC State’s already warmed-up offense.

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 7 Clemson—Friday, March 9th at 7:00 p.m. EST

The Blue Devils are angry.  Duke will trample the Tigers not only because it's more talented, but because after an embarrassing loss to its bitter rivals in the Tar Heels, it's looking for someone to take that anger out on.

No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 6 Miami—Friday, March 9th at 9:00 p.m. EST

While it’s a much more heated rivalry on the gridiron, FSU split its season series with The U, but Miami won the last meeting by 16 convincing points.  The more talented Seminoles, though, will be the ones winning this best-two-out-of-three series.

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 5 NC State—Saturday, March 10th at 1:00 p.m. EST

Coming off of a game in which it had to go all-in to walk away with the W, NC State won’t be mentally ready to take on the Tar Heels.  Of course, it won’t be ready in any way you look at it—UNC is just that good.

No. 2 Duke at No. 3 Florida State—Saturday, March 10th at 3:00 p.m. EST

Florida State actually stole one at Cameron Indoor this season.  In round two, though, Duke got its revenge, 74-66, and it would be shocking if the Blue Devils didn’t make it back-to-back wins against the Seminoles.

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Duke—Sunday, March 11th at 1:00 p.m. EST

A buzzer-beater and a beatdown later, Duke and UNC will be back in the ACC championship game for a third and final meeting.  The Blue Devils were dominated in all but two minutes of the first two games, so anything but a Tar Heels title would be a surprise.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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