Conference tournament previews: Big East | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC
The ACC tournament starts on Tuesday with plenty of intrigue.
Can anyone compete with Duke? Will the ACC produce more than three NCAA tournament teams? Can North Carolina salvage a disappointing season and secure an NCAA bid?
Here’s what to know about and what to watch for at the ACC tournament, including matchups, game times and TV.
[Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem is back: Enter for a shot to win up to $50K]
3 storylines to watch
Will Duke dominate ACC tournament like it did regular season?
So far, so good for the season of Cooper Flagg. The freshman phenom and presumptive No. 1 NBA Draft pick has lived up to the enormous hype that he arrived with in Durham in a dominant season that will go down as one of the best for a freshman in Duke and ACC history.
And he’s not alone. A supporting cast featuring fellow NBA prospects Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel has helped power Duke to a dominant 19-1 run through ACC play and the nation’s largest scoring margin (22.1 points per game). It’s Duke and everyone else in Charlotte.
Can Clemson or Louisville challenge Duke?
In a down year for the ACC, Clemson and Louisville are the only NCAA tournament locks outside of Duke. Clemson handed Duke its only ACC defeat of the season in a 77-71 win at home on Feb. 8. Duke beat Louisville on the road, 76-65 in their only meeting on Dec. 8. Can either mount a challenge to the Blue Devils in the ACC tournament?
Will North Carolina play its way into the NCAA tournament?
It’s been a disappointing campaign for North Carolina, which started the season as the nation’s No. 9 team, but enters the ACC tournament on the wrong side of the NCAA tournament bubble. The Tar Heels finished strong by beating up ACC bottom-dwellers in a six-game winning streak before Saturday’s loss to Duke. They’ll need to impress this week with to advance to the NCAA tournament.
How to watch the ACC tournament
All times ET
When: March 11-15
Where: Spectrum Center | Charlotte, N.C.
TV: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPU, ACC Network
Game Schedule:
Tuesday March 11: First round
Game 1: No. 12 Notre Dame 55, No. 13 Pittsburgh 54
Game 2: No. 15 California 82, No. 10 Virginia Tech 73
Game 3: No. 14 Syracuse 66, No. 11 Florida State 62
Wednesday, March 12: Second round
Game 4: No. 9 Virginia vs. No. 8 Georgia Tech, noon | ESPN
Game 5: No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 12 Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
Game 6: No. 7 Stanford vs. No. 15 Cal, 7 p.m. | ESPN 2 or ESPNU
Game 7: No. 6 SMU vs. No. 14 Syracuse, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2 or ESPNU
Thursday, March 13: Quarterfinals
Game 8: No. 1 Duke vs. Game 4 winner, noon | ESPN or ESPN2
Game 9: No. 4 Wake Forest vs. Game 5 winner, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2
Game 10: No. 2 Louisville vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2
Game 11: No. 3 Clemson vs. Game 7 winner, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2
Friday, March 14: Semifinals
Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 7 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN2
Game 13: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN or ESPN 2
Saturday, March 15: Championship game
Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner, 8:30 p.m. | ESPN
