ACC Tournament 2015: Round 2 Schedule, Live Stream Info and Bracket Predictions
If the pair of the ACC tournament's Round 1 contests gave any indication of how the remainder of the conference's showdown will play out, get ready for a wild ride.
Boston College survived Georgia Tech 66-65 in the tournament's first game thanks to a Olivier Hanlan jumper with just 10.9 seconds remaining. As if things couldn't get any more dramatic, Virginia Tech defeated Wake Forest 81-80 as Jalen Hudson flushed a jumper with 11.7 seconds left in the contest.
Two contests decided by a combined two points is quite a way to begin a conference tournament.
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Following those nail-biters, the Eagles move on to face North Carolina in Round 2, and the Hokies advance to take on Miami. With the bracket now adjusted, let's take a look at all of the essential viewing information and pick a winner for each game before the ACC's next round of compelling action gets underway.
Round 2 Schedule
| March 11 | 3 | Clemson vs. Florida State | 12 p.m. | ESPN |
| March 11 | 4 | North Carolina vs. Boston College | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| March 11 | 5 | North Carolina State vs. Pittsburgh | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| March 11 | 6 | Miami vs. Virginia Tech | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Round 2 Predictions
No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Florida State
The Seminoles and Tigers split their regular-season series by close games decided by four and six points, respectively. Interestingly enough, both teams won on the road.
Guards Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Devon Bookert were too much for Clemson to handle in the first meeting, combining for 31 of Florida State's 59 points. The Tigers did have three starters come away with double-digit points; however, the team shot just 34.0 percent on the day against a generally susceptible Seminoles defense.
It was the same story the second time around, as both Rathan-Mayes and Bookert performed well for Florida State; however, the team struggled with its accuracy, bucketing just 35.7 percent of its shots from the floor. Meanwhile, Clemson had three starters with double-digit points again, as Jaron Blossomgame led the way with 14. Although, the team still managed to hit just 40.4 percent of its shots.
Clemson's defense has been solid throughout the season; however, its shooting struggles continue to haunt it. Florida State is coming off an impressive win over Pittsburgh after shooting 47.5 percent from the floor, and that momentum will carry the Seminoles to a tournament victory.
Predicted Winner: Florida State
No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 12 Boston College
Where did this Boston College team come from? After losing nine consecutive games to begin the back half of the season, the Eagles suddenly righted the ship, winning their next four. Their most recent win showed plenty of resilience, as they hung tough with Georgia Tech and were able to close out the game.
Hanlan has been fantastic for Boston College this season, and he struck again in Round 1, scoring a game-high 25 points and adding eight rebounds and five assists. While the Eagles do possess a few solid shooters, they lack sufficient size, and that may hurt them against the Tar Heels.
Speaking of size, North Carolina will be missing center Kennedy Meeks for its impending showdown with Boston College, according to C.L. Brown of ESPN.com. The big man won't play due to illness, and the Tar Heels will have to get along without his average of 12.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Still, North Carolina had Boston College's number when they met during the regular season, winning 79-68. Both Brice Johnson and Isaiah Hicks scored at least 20 points in that contest, and the Tar Heels accrued 37 rebounds to the Eagles' 23. Expect more of the same this time around.
Predicted Winner: North Carolina
No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Pittsburgh
NC State and Pittsburgh are two teams heading in opposite directions. The Panthers are currently riding a three-game losing streak after dropping contests to Wake Forest, Miami and Florida State. The Wolfpack, on the other hand, enter the tournament with some momentum after taking down Clemson and Syracuse to end the regular season.
Aside from talented forward Jamel Artis, Pittsburgh just hasn't been shooting the ball well of late. The Panthers shot a mere 33.3 percent from the floor in their regular-season finale against the Seminoles and banged in just 5-of-21 from downtown. Adding to the team's woes, it isn't getting many second-chance opportunities or points in transition due to a lack of rebounds.
NC State isn't the most accurate team, either; however, it does possess some talented big men who dominate the boards and a pair of capable three-point shooters in Ralston Turner and Trevor Lacey. If the Wolfpack's backcourt gets hot, they become extremely difficult to defeat.
The last time these teams met, NC State dominated Pittsburgh 68-50. The Panthers struggled to find open looks, while the Wolfpack flourished down low, shooting an impressive 51.9 percent from the floor. Without the necessary length, Pittsburgh is headed toward the same outcome.
Predicted Winner: NC State
No. 6 Miami vs. No. 14 Virginia Tech
After defeating Virginia Tech 82-61 to end the regular season, Miami gets the Hokies yet again in Round 2 of the ACC tournament. While the Hurricanes are certainly the favorite here, that score can be misleading, as Virginia Tech only managed 18 points in the first half of that contest and went on to score 43 after the break. If the Hokies can get hot out of the gate, we could see a much closer result.
Virginia Tech's best chance to earn a massive upset victory is to ride the hot hand of Hudson. The guard put up an impressive 32 points against Wake Forest, including hitting the game-winning jumper. Getting him involved early and often will be key, as he only attempted six shots the last time the Hokies faced Miami.
As for the Hurricanes, they may be without guard Angel Rodriguez while he continues to recover from a sprained right wrist. Miami did well against the Hokies without its second-leading scorer the last time around, leaning heavily on guards James Palmer and Manu Lecomte. If those two remain hot and Sheldon McClellan can find his rhythm, we could see another blowout here.
Virginia Tech will need to get in a groove from downtown to defeat the Hurricanes in this Round 2 clash. If Adam Smith and Justin Bibbs can get going and complement Hudson, this team will have a fighting chance. However, it's difficult to bet on a team as enigmatic as the Hokies.
Predicted Winner: Miami
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