ACC Tournament Breakdown: Is Anyone on North Carolina's Heels?

After sweeping the Duke Blue Devils for the second time in three seasons, North Carolina is the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament for the third straight year.

That's an impressive accomplishment in a league as consistently deep and talented as the ACC, especially for a team that started conference play at 0-2.

But with the ACC tournament just days away, is anyone waiting in the wings to give the Tar Heels a legitimate fight for the ACC crown?  Furthermore, what's on the line (besides bragging rights) for the league's top teams?  Who's on the bubble?

The only way to answer these questions, and more, is to break down the ACC team-by-team with the tournament on the horizon.

North Carolina Tar Heels - Looking for the Three-peat

If North Carolina wins the ACC tournament, it will the first time the Heels have won three consecutive tournament titles since 1969.

There is certainly no team better equipped to win it all than the Tar Heels.  

North Carolina is a balanced scoring machine.  All five starters average double figures in scoring, and the team ranks No. 1 in ACC scoring, three-point percentage, assists, rebounding margin, and scoring margin.

With Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green all capable of scoring 20-plus, few teams will be able to match Carolina's output.

The only noticeable weakness the Heels have shown is their lack of defensive intensity. They rank No. 12 in the ACC in scoring defense—dead last.  While some of that scoring can be attributed to the pace at which Carolina plays (leading to more field goal attempts for opponents), they have a tendency to disappear on defense and allow lesser teams to stay close.

But the road to the ACC finals isn't an easy one for the Heels, by any means. They'll need to go through the winner of the Virginia Tech/Miami game (not an easy first game) and either Florida State or Clemson in the semifinals.  It took a last second three-point floater by Ty Lawson for the Heels to beat Florida State earlier this season.  

North Carolina is the obvious favorite to win, but if they don't play better defense, expect their matchups to be closer than they should be.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons - The Young Guns

Early in the conference season, Wake Forest looked like the team to beat in the ACC.

Becoming the first team to knock off both North Carolina and Duke, the Demon Deacons earned a short-lived spot as the No. 1 team in the country.  But a midseason skid raised serious questions about whether or not the Deacons were too young to make a serious run at the ACC title.

After turning things around and winning the last four games of their season, Wake Forest clinched the No. 2 seed in the ACC.

Led by scoring sensation Jeff Teague, and balanced in the post with James Johnson and Al-Farouq Aminu, the Demon Deacons can score in bunches (they lead the league in field goal percentage) and lock teams down defensively.

Their achilles heel is their youth, with Ishmael Smith and Chas McFarland being the only two upperclassmen who average more than 20 minutes per game.  Youth leads to inconsistency, which has plagued Wake Forest in conference play thus far.

They'll likely face Duke in the semifinals, who handed the Deacons their last loss of the season in a hard-fought game.  Duke is better at forcing turnovers than anyone in the conference, and Wake has one of the lowest turnover margins in the league.  

If they can take care of the ball and make it to the conference finals, they could lock up a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Duke Blue Devils - Getting Back to Familiar Territory?

A No. 2 seed in the big dance is also a possibility for the Blue Devils, but they'll have to make their way through some serious competition in Wake Forest and North Carolina (not to mention a likely quarterfinal game against Boston College) to get it.

Despite losing to the Tar Heels on Sunday, the Blue Devils have looked like a serious contender since moving Elliot Williams into the starting lineup and moving once-struggling Jon Scheyer to the point.  That move came after Duke lost four of six games in early February; they have won five of six since then, including wins over top ACC teams Wake Forest and Florida State.

Scheyer has been surprisingly successful since taking over at the point, averaging 19.5 points and taking care of the ball. 

Elliot Williams has also thrived since entering the starting lineup, going from a seldom used reserve to a double figure scorer.  He often gets the toughest defensive assignments, and his ball pressure and defensive intensity make the Blue Devils a better team.

The Blue Devils aren't without their weaknesses.  Offense from the post is practically non-existent and the bench production has halted in recent weeks (Nolan Smith's return to the lineup should help, though).

If Scheyer and Williams can maintain their recent play, combined with the consistent output of Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler, Duke will be poised to return to the ACC championship game for the first time since the departure of J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams.

Florida State Seminoles - Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Florida State's success in the ACC has been one of the biggest surprises of the season.

Most preseason polls had Florida State in the lower portion of the conference, but as the season has progressed, the Seminoles have emerged as one of the toughest teams in the ACC.

The Seminoles are the best defensive team in the league, and Toney Douglas can dominate games offensively.

Florida State is a bit of an oddity, though.  Despite being the biggest team in the conference, they rank 11th in rebounding margin.  And while Toney Douglas is second in the league in scoring at 20.8 ppg, no other player averages double figures on offense.

The Seminoles' calling card is their intense defense, and their length allows them to frequently alter shots.  They are solid from the free throw line and force their fare share of turnovers.

They'll have to beat Clemson (which they did twice in the regular season) and face Carolina in the semifinals to advance into the conference finals.  They took the Heels to the wire in late January; if they can overcome the Heels in the tournament, the Seminoles could end up a No. 4 seed in the NCAAs.

Clemson Tigers - A Tale of Two Teams

The Clemson Tigers are the Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde of ACC basketball.

At times, they look like a bona-fide powerhouse.  That's exactly what they were when they gave Duke its worst beating in nearly 20 years, defeating the Blue Devils by 27 points in early January.

On the other hand, they are a team that comes into the conference tournament having lost three of its last four games.  They lost to Virginia in mid-February, and were beaten twice at the hands of both Wake Forest and Florida State.

Led by Trevor Booker and K.C. Rivers, Clemson can put a lot of points on the board.  Booker leads the league in rebounding, and Rivers has been on fire from long range over the last five games, shooting over 50 percent.  Terrence Oglesby is a big reason why the Tigers have made more three-pointers than any team in the ACC this season, and if they can find their stride again, they'll be tough to beat.

The Tigers are already a lock for a tournament bid, currently looking at No. 4 seed. They probably won't be able to raise that number before the NCAAs, but if they continue their recent skid and lose to Georgia Tech in the first round of the ACC tournament or to Florida State in the quarterfinals, their seeding will certainly slip.

Boston College - More Than Expected

Boston College, like Florida State, was not expected to finish well in the ACC.  In fact, most polls picked them to finish 11th out of 12.

The Eagles, led by senior Tyrese Rice, provide a balanced scoring attack and play with poise.

They are the only team other than Wake Forest to beat both Duke and North Carolina, and a win in the first round of the ACC tournament will likely put them on the right side of the bubble.  If they can pull off another win against Duke in the quarterfinals, they'll be a lock for the NCAA tournament.

Miami - Follow the Leader

There is no question about who carries this team.  Senior Jack McClinton has had a fantastic season and has proven to be the most dangerous shooter in the ACC.

Originally picked to finish fourth in the ACC, and beginning the season ranked in the Top 25, Miami hasn't fully lived up to its expectations.

But McClinton has almost single-handedly kept the Hurricanes on the bubble, scoring 19.7 ppg and leading the league in three-point shooting.

If Miami can get past Virginia Tech and pull off an upset over North Carolina (who beat them twice in the regular season), they'll get their dance card punched for the tournament.

Maryland - Making Gary Sweat...More

Gary Williams has been under more scrutiny than any other coach in the ACC this season, with rumors of his job being less than certain if the Terrapins fail to make the tournament again.

All that talk seemed to vanish when Greivis Vasquez' triple-double led Maryland past North Carolina a few weeks ago.

That win looked like an NCAA bid guarantee at the time, but after losing three of four games since defeating UNC, Maryland is in a must-win position.

They will likely need to beat both NC State and Wake Forest to lock up a bid, and they'll need someone other than Vasquez to step up and contribute if that is going to happen.

Virginia Tech Hokies - Destined for Another Bubble Rejection?

Seth Greenberg was outspoken about his team's lack of inclusion in the NCAAs last year, calling anyone who didn't think his team was one the 64 best teams in the country "certifiably insane" after the Hokies lost to top-ranked UNC on a buzzer beater by Tyler Hansbrough.

He may not be calling anyone "crazy" if the Hokies end up on the wrong side of the bubble again this season, as his team has lost six of its last seven games.

Virginia Tech has two of the ACC's top scorers in A.D. Vassallo and Malcolm Delaney, but they don't go much deeper than their dynamic duo.  Vassallo and Delaney play more minutes than anyone in the ACC, each averaging more than 36 mpg.

Virginia Tech has a tough road to travel in order to make it back into serious consideration for an NCAA bid, needing to beat Miami, North Carolina, and either Florida State or Clemson to make it to the finals, which is probably the only thing that will get them into the tournament after their late-season skid.

NC State Wolfpack - 2007 All Over Again?

A few years ago, NC State almost beat the odds and earned an NCAA bid by making it to the ACC finals.  North Carolina ruined their Cinderella story.

They'll have to win the whole thing to make it into the field of 65, but getting any further than the second round is going to be tough for a team that plays poor defense and turns the ball over more than any other team in the league.

Coach Sydney Lowe is looking at another season on the outside looking in unless the ghost of Engin Atsur (in basketball terms, not life or death) shows up and helps this squad protect the ball.

Virginia Cavaliers - Tough to Find a Positive

No one expected much of the Cavaliers after losing senior standout Sean Singletary last season.

And while freshmen Sylvan Landesberg (perhaps the least talked about star in the ACC this season) looks like a fantastic replacement, the Cavaliers will need more contribution from the rest of the team to extend their season past the first round of the ACC tournament.

Virginia did manage to beat Clemson this season, and they ended their season with a win over Maryland, so anything is possible.  But if the "anything is possible" cliche sounds like false hope, it's because, in all likelihood, it is.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - The Great Mystery

Georgia Tech should not be as bad as they are.  They've got athletic, versatile players and McDonald's All-American talent, but their record doesn't show it.

Gani Lawal is one of the top rebounders and shot blockers in the ACC, and Iman Shumpert, Lewis Clinch, and Alade Aminu look great on paper.

Why this team hasn't been able to win more than two games in the ACC is a mystery; they are certainly talented enough to do much more.  But despite the talent, it's smart money to wait on Derrick Favors' arrival next season before picking Georgia Tech to get past the first round in the ACC tournament.

Let the Madness Begin

The ACC is as deep and strong as any conference in the nation, and the tournament title is definitely within reach for a number of teams.

The Tar Heels are the team to beat, and pretty much every statistic is in their favor.

But it is March, and we all know what that means—what should happen is rarely what actually occurs; that's what makes it madness.