ACC Tournament 2012 Bracket: Previewing Virginia Tech vs. Duke

The ACC tournament will resume on Friday, as the quarterfinals will take place from Atlanta, GA. Most are anticipating a final between Duke and North Carolina, but the No.2-seeded Blue Devils must first find a way to get past the pesky No. 10-seeded Virginia Tech Hokies.

Duke is heavily favored for good reason, but the Hokies certainly aren't going to roll over and die. They had a disappointing 16-16 season and went just 4-12 in the ACC, but the Hokies are sure to be a tough out. The teams played twice during the regular season, and while the Blue Devils came out on top both times, Virginia Tech put up a fight.

The Blue Devils were largely in control during the first meeting, as they won by 15, but when they last plated a couple weeks ago, it took overtime for Duke to score a 70-65 win. The Hokies outplayed Duke in the second half, but the Blue Devils' backcourt duo of Austin Rivers and Seth Curry ultimately proved too much for Va. Tech to handle.

Although the No. 6 Blue Devils are already a lock to make the NCAA tournament by virtue of their 26-5 record, they will certainly want to atone for their recent loss to North Carolina by winning the postseason ACC title. With that in mind, look for Duke to come out against Virginia Tech with the best effort possible.

At the same time, the Hokies' only hope for making the NCAA tournament is if it can find a way to win the conference tourney. As unlikely as that may seem, a win over Duke will give them a one-in-four shot at doing what many thought to be impossible. Georgia went on an improbable run to win the SEC tournament a few years ago, so perhaps Virginia Tech can do something similar.

With that said, though, the talent discrepancy between the two teams is quite obvious. In addition to Rivers and Curry, the Blue Devils have a solid interior presence as well, thanks to Ryan Kelly and the Plumlee brothers. Duke can hurt teams in a lot of different ways, and that is why it is one of the best offensive teams in the nation, as evidenced by its average of 78.7 points per game.

On the other side, the Hokies are just 232nd in the nation in scoring. Erick Green and Dorenzo Hudson form a solid backcourt, but it pales in comparison to Rivers and Curry. Where Duke struggles most is defending the paint against dominant big men, but the Hokies are quite thin up front.

One area in which the Hokies have an advantage, however, is free-throw shooting. Virginia Tech isn't great at 74th in the nation, but it is a true Achilles' heel for Duke, as they rank 160th. The Hokies' best hope in this game may be to put the Blue Devils' bigs on the line often and hope that they are unable to sink their freebies.

Otherwise, provided Duke is as efficient and explosive on offense as usual, the Hokies will have a very tough time. Virginia Tech needs to slow the game down as much as possible, but it's quite difficult to get the Blue Devils to play at that pace.

Prediction: Duke 71, Virginia Tech 60