By Jay Ingles

Greensboro, NC-The ACC Tournament bracket was turned upside down on Friday. The tournament’s two, three, and four seeds were all ousted in their first game, setting up what is sure to be an interesting semifinal Saturday.

After top-seeded Duke left the court with a win over Virginia, the darker-colored jerseys ruled for the remainder of the quarterfinals.

Miami, the 12-seed, pulled off their second upset in as many days when they stunned Virginia Tech 70-65. Freshman Durand Scott scored 17 points, including 11 in the final six minutes for the Hurricanes, while Tech star Malcolm Delaney scored just seven points on 3-15 shooting. The Canes will face Duke in the first semifinal game on Saturday.

The evening session began with another shocker as Georgia Tech jumped out to a huge first half lead and held off Maryland for a 69-64 win. Guardplay was the key for the Yellow Jackets, as Iman Shumpert led the team with 14 points and Maurice Miller and Brian Oliver combined for six three-pointers off the bench. Greivis Vazquez scored 17 for the Terps, but was a subpar 6 for 21 from the field. The win was important for a Georgia Tech team that is sitting firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

The nightcap saw a North Carolina State team fresh off a win over Clemson take down third-seeded Florida State, as the Seminoles shot just 38% from the floor and 53% from the free throw line. Wolfpack freshman Scott Wood did not attempt a two-point shot, but hit 6 of 10 from beyond the arc to lead his team with 18 points.

Georgia Tech will face North Carolina State in the second semifinal game on Saturday.

By Jay Ingles

Greensboro, NC-Losing at Wake Forest on Sunday could have been a blessing in disguise for the Clemson Tigers.  Oliver Purnell’s team may have to play an extra game, but even he can’t look at their potential tournament matchups without feeling pretty confident.

In theory, the two sides of any bracket should be relatively even.  But from Clemson’s perspective, in this particular tournament, that is not the case.  The Tigers regular season record against the teams in the top half of the ACC bracket is an uninspiring 3-5.   Their record, however, against the teams in their half of the bracket is 6-2, including a 3-0 record against first-round opponent North Carolina State and potential second-round opponent Florida State.

In the Tigers’ first bout with N.C. State, they stormed the Wolfpack and held a large lead into the second half.  Demontez Stitt’s ankle injury enabled the Pack to make the game close, but the Tigers pulled out a 73-70 win.

Clemson swept Florida State during the regular season, including a come-from-behind win in Tallahassee last week.  The Tigers built a big lead and cruised to a 10-point home victory against the Seminoles earlier in the season.

If Clemson wins the first two games, they would likely face second-seeded Maryland.  The Tigers were one of only three ACC teams to beat Maryland this year, winning their matchup in Littlejohn 62-53.  They also held a 15-point first-half lead in College Park, before falling 88-79 to the Terps a few weeks ago.

Clemson is not known for great ACC tournament performances, but if they start off with a win tonight over North Carolina State, they good be primed for a deep run.

By Jay Ingles

Another exciting ACC regular season is in the books, but we still have the premier conference tournament in the nation to look forward to.  This seems to be the most wide open ACC tournament in recent memory, with a number of teams capable of making a run to the championship. Let’s take a look at the field and some predictions for the games.

First Round (Thursday, March 11)

No. 8 Boston College vs. No. 9 Virginia: This game is probably a toss-up. Boston College is playing better right now, as Virginia has lost nine in a row after starting 5-2 in the ACC. Sylven Landesberg is one of the best scorers in the conference and will need to have a big game if the Cavaliers are going to win. I see the Eagles wearing down Virginia towards the end of the game and coming up with the victory. Pick: Boston College

No. 5 Wake Forest vs. No. 12 Miami: This game smells like an upset because of Wake’s recent struggles and Miami’s ability to get hot from three-point range. If Al-Farouq Aminu plays more like he did against Clemson Sunday and less like he did the two previous games, Miami will not be able to contain him. I think Miami hangs around and makes it close, but, in the end, Wake escapes with the first-round win. Pick: Wake Forest

No. 7 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 North Carolina: The Tar Heels have been the ACC’s biggest disappointment this year, but the Yellow Jackets aren’t that far behind. Georgia Tech has to win this game and probably a second-round matchup with Maryland to feel confident about receiving an NCAA Tournament bid. I think the Jackets get a much-needed win over an uninspired Carolina squad in an ugly game. Pick: Georgia Tech

No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 11 North Carolina State: The Tigers have to be kicking themselves after blowing a chance to earn a first-round bye at Wake Forest on Sunday. The Wolfpack will be game and this will probably be a battle into the second half. But Clemson has better guards, and Trevor Booker will wear down the Pack in the post and the Tigers will move on to the second round. Pick: Clemson

Second Round (Friday, March 12)

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 8 Boston College: Boston College will be warmed up after having played the previous day and may jump on the Blue Devils early. Duke is the better team though, and while the Eagles may be able to neutralize Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer, they have no answer for Nolan Smith. Duke pulls away and wins this one by double digits. Pick: Duke

No. 4 Virginia Tech vs. No. 5 Wake Forest: Virginia Tech will be anxious for a shot at Duke in the semis, and wouldn’t mind a win here to improve their NCAA seeding. This will be a close game if the Hokies can’t keep Wake off the offensive glass, but I think they will. Malcolm Delaney will be the best player on the court and should lead the Hokies to a win and set up a great matchup with Duke. Pick: Virginia Tech

No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 6 Clemson: The picks have been pretty unexciting thus far, but that will change here. Florida State backdoored their way into a first-round bye, but they probably won’t be too happy with this second round matchup. The Tigers have beaten the Noles twice already this year and, frankly, just match up well with them. It’s tough to beat a team three times in a year, but I think Clemson pulls it off in the first “upset” of the tournament. Pick: Clemson

No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 7 Georgia Tech: Truth be told, the Yellow Jackets are the more talented team and will give Maryland problems with their size inside. I’m still not sold on Maryland as a juggernaut, and if you restrict Vasquez, they are very beatable. That said, I just don’t trust Paul Hewitt as a coach, and despite how bad Tech needs this game, I think they falter down the stretch. Pick: Maryland

Semifinals (Saturday, March 13)

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Virginia Tech: This is a very tough game to pick. Virginia Tech is athletically superior, but that doesn’t usually stop Duke from winning games. My concern with the Hokies in this game is whether they can play under control enough to beat the Blue Devils. Tech likes to play a little on the frantic side, and I think that if Duke slows them down, they won’t be able to overcome it, much like in the regular season matchup. Pick: Duke

No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 6 Clemson: Say what you want, but this is another good matchup for Clemson. The Tigers were one of three ACC teams to beat the Terps this season, and could have done it twice if not for blowing a 15-point lead in the game in College Park. They have the defenders to neutralize Vasquez, and when this happens, Maryland has trouble responding. I think Clemson’s advantage in the post is the deciding factor here. Pick: Clemson

Championship (Sunday, March 14)

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 6 Clemson: Duke beat the Tigers twice in the regular season and just seems to have their number this year. Throw that in with the fact that, if Clemson makes it to this point, they will be playing their fourth game in four days. A fourth win would be a tall task against a more-rested Duke bunch. The Tigers have not been able to handle Duke’s big three this year, especially Nolan Smith. Duke has also stifled Clemson’s offense in their two meetings, holding the Tigers to just 50 points a game, 24 below their season average. Clemson has the edge in the post, but that’s not going to be enough to overcome a Duke team who knows how to perform in the ACC tournament. Pick: Duke