From: March 7
The ACC has had a down year for its standards. The darlings of the conference: Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia, have not lived up to their expectations. The bottom of the league is one of the worst in the country, with Louisville and FSU having a fall from grace this year. All that being said, there are still some pretty good teams in this conference. Miami with Isaiah Wong won the conference, an experienced Pitt team surprised everyone, and Duke has actually been rounding into form as of late. We will take you through the ACC tournament bracket, and what we think is going to happen.
The Favorite: 4-Seeded Duke
Even though they won the regular season conference title, the Miami Hurricanes are not the betting favorite to win this tournament. First-year head coach Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils are the favorite this year. Duke brought in a lot of talent after Coach K left, with three transfers and seven (seven!) recruits. Many had high expectations for this team right away, but it seemed as though it took time to gel this team together. Dariq Whitehead has missed time, Dereck Lively did not perform well out of the gates, Tyrese Proctor showed flashes but still looked like a high schooler, and they had to rely on Ryan Young and Jacob Grandison a lot. The Blue Devils have figured it out, rattling off six straight wins, including a season sweep of North Carolina. Kyle Filipowski is the star of this team, a center who can stretch the floor and dominate down low with impressive footwork.
The Sleepers: 5-Seeded Pitt, 6-Seeded NC State, 11-Seeded Virginia Tech
This Pitt team is one of the oldest in the country. In fact, their starting five is older than the Thunder’s starting five. Not much was expected of the Panthers, and Jeff Capel was on the hot seat. They shocked everyone in the conference and were one game away from winning the regular season title. They play hard for their coach, play great defense, and are unbelievable from beyond the three-point line. NC State is a very up-and-down team, but they can beat anybody when their backcourt gets going. They are very similar to their in-state rivals North Carolina in that sense, but I like the Wolfpack just a little bit more. Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith join forces for one of the most fun backcourts in the country, and D.J. Burns down low is an absolute force. NC State is a lot of fun to watch, and if they get hot in Greensboro, they can win the whole thing. Virginia Tech has had a rough season. They have dealt with many injuries, and are finally fully healthy. They are very experienced, with many of their players having tournament experience. Sean Padulla, Justyn Mutts, Grant Basile, and Hunter Cattoor all know how to win in March, and it would not shock me if the Hokies win a couple of games this week.
Predictions:
First Round:
Florida State beats Georgia Tech
Boston College beats Louisville
Virginia Tech beats Notre Dame
Second Round:
Wake Forest beats Syracuse
Pitt beats Florida State
North Carolina beats Boston College
NC State beats Virginia Tech
Quarter-Finals:
Miami beats Wake Forest
Duke beats Pitt
Virginia beats North Carolina
NC State beats Clemson
Semi-Finals:
Duke beats Miami
NC State beats Virginia
Championship:
Duke beats NC State
Why I picked Duke:
Flat out, this is the hottest team in the country. They are two blown calls away from winning the regular season outright, with a missed flagrant call and a missed shooting foul at the buzzer. Duke has overcome both of those, and I think Scheyer has finally figured it out. Tyrese Proctor has been able to shoulder some of the point guard duties, giving Jeremy Roach a much-needed break. I also think that Kyle Filipowski is the best player in the conference, and has the ability to take over games in March. The Duke Blue Devils are my pick to win the 2023 ACC Tournament.