ACC Tournament 2019: Round 2 Schedule, Live-Stream Info and Bracket Predictions
March 13, 2019
The ACC Tournament is expected to come down to the play of the top three seeds.
It would be fairly surprising if top-seeded Virginia, second-seeded North Carolina or No. 3 Duke did not win the tournament.
Tony Bennett's Cavaliers come into the conference tournament having won eight straight games and as the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Guard Kyle Guy is Virginia's leading scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game.
The second-seeded Tar Heels matched Virginia's 16-2 record, and they are buoyed by sweeping the season series against third-seeded Duke. North Carolina has won seven games in a row, and Roy Williams' team last loss was a 69-61 defeat at home to the Cavaliers.
Guard Cameron Johnson is triggering the attack for the Tar Heels, as he is averaging 16.8 points per game and he is connecting on 51.1 percent of his shots.
The Blue Devils finished the season with a 14-4 conference record, and Zion Williamson is expected to play for the first time since suffering a knee injury last month when his shoe exploded in a game against North Carolina. The gifted freshman is averaging 21.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, and he could be the most dominant player in college basketball when he is healthy.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said Williamson should play but center Marques Bolden will miss the tournament due to an MCL sprain.
"There's no way Marques will be ready for the ACC tournament," Krzyzewski said, per ESPN.com. "Whatever grade [the sprain] is, he's not going to be well in one week, then we'll see."
None of those teams play until Thursday when the quarterfinal round commences.
Viewing Information
Location: Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina
Dates: March 13-16
TV: ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU
Live stream: For complete schedule, visit WatchESPN.
Matchups (All time ET)
Wednesday, March 13 (Round 2)
No. 8 NC State vs. No. 9 Clemson (Noon)
No. 5 Virginia Tech vs. Miami (2 p.m.)
No. 7 Louisville vs. Notre Dame (7 p.m.)
No. 6 Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh (9 p.m.)
Thursday, March 14 (Quarterfinals)
No. 1 Virginia vs. NC State/Clemson winner (12:30 p.m.)
No. 4 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech vs. Miami/Wake Forest winner (2:30 p.m.)
No. 2 North Carolina vs. Louisville vs. Georgia Tech/Notre Dame winner (7 p.m.)
No. 3 Duke vs. Syracuse vs. Boston College/Pittsburgh winner (9 p.m.)
Friday, March 15 (Semifinals)
Semifinal No. 1 (7 p.m.)
Semifinal No. 2 (9 p.m.)
Saturday, March 16 (Final)
Championship (8:30 p.m.)
Wednesday's opener between North Carolina State and Clemson is vitally important for both teams.
Both teams want an invitation to the NCAA tournament, and the Wolfpack and Tigers both have to prove themselves here.
North Carolina State and Clemson are among the last teams in the tournament, according to Joe Lunardi's ESPN bracketology rankings.
A win in this game should help the victor, but the loser will be left hanging on by its fingernails, and it may prove to be a brutal defeat.
Predictions
Look for Clemson to win its crucial game with North Carolina State. The Wolfpack won the regular-season meeting between the two teams, but it was a narrow 69-67 victory at home early in the conference season.
North Carolina State comes into this game having lost two of its last three, while the Tigers are playing much better basketball and have won four of their last five.
Guard Marcquise Reed, averaging 19.4 points per game for the Tigers, leads the way as Clemson seizes control in the final minutes for the key victory.
However, the magic ends there for the Tigers, because they will not be able to handle Virginia.
The expectation here is that the Cavaliers secure a place in the ACC title game as a result of a victory over fourth-seeded Florida State in the semifinal.
All eyes will be on the second semifinal between Duke and North Carolina. The Tar Heels just seem to have too much depth for the Blue Devils this season, and unless Williamson is 100 percent and can play with abandon, North Carolina advances to the championship game.
The championship will be a classic matchup for Williams and Bennett, and the Tar Heels will make the key plays down the stretch for the victory and the ACC title.