ACC Tournament Bracket and preview originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The ACC has been one of the most dominant conferences in the history of NCAA men’s basketball. With three of the last six March Madness champions calling the conference home, the 2022 ACC Tournament will feature some of the NCAA’s premier men’s basketball programs going head-to-head before the big event the following week.
However, this is a bit of an unusual year for the ACC — there are only four teams you could actually claim to be tournament ‘locks’ at this point in the season. There are three more on or around the bubble and everyone else is in an auto-bid or bust mentality.
Duke is projected to earn the best seed for the NCAA Tournament. In head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season, the Blue Devils could be anywhere from a No. 2 seed to a No. 4 seed. Where they fall in the ACC Tournament will likely dictate where Duke is slotted. Early season losses put them in a hole, but the unpredictability of the rest of the conference evened the score to help them claim the No. 1 seed.
That could create a more competitive field than in years past. North Carolina, Miami, Florida State and Virginia all have shown they can best the Blue Devils. Three of those losses even came on their own floor. And on top of that, Wake Forest, the Cavaliers, the Seminoles, Syracuse and more are playing for their seasons.
How will the 2022 ACC Tournament shake out? Here’s everything you need to know.
ACC TOURNAMENT 2021 INFORMATION:
When is the 2022 ACC Tournament?
The ACC Tournament will be held from March 8-12. The ACC Championship Game is on Saturday, March 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Where is the 2022 ACC Tournament?
The ACC Tournament will be held at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY. This is just the second time the event has been held in Brooklyn.
How to watch the 2022 ACC Tournament
The First Round of the ACC Tournament will be broadcast on ACC Network. The Second Round will be broadcast across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. The Quarterfinals and Semifinals will be on ESPN and ESPN2. The ACC Championship will be broadcast on ESPN.
All ESPN programming is available for streaming at Watch ESPN with a valid cable subscription.
Who is the defending 2021 ACC Champion?
Georgia Tech shocked the ACC – thanks to an assist with Virginia missing their semifinal contest due to a positive coronavirus test – to win the 2021 ACC Championship over Florida State. Head coach Josh Pastner became a household sensation with his face shield.
2022 ACC TOURNAMENT BRACKET:
ACC Tournament First Round (3/8, Times ET)
– No. 13 Boston College d. No. 12 Pittsburgh 66-46
– No. 10 Clemson d. No. 15 NC State 70-64
– No. 11 Louisville d. No. 14 Georgia Tech 84-74
ACC Tournament Second Round (3/9, Times ET)
– No. 9 Syracuse d. No. 8 Florida State 96-57
– No. 13 Boston College d. No. 5 Wake Forest 82-77 (OT)
– No. 7 Virginia Tech d. No. 10 Clemson 76-75 (OT)
– No. 6 Virginia d. No. 11 Louisville 51-50
ACC Tournament Quarterfinals (3/10, Times ET)
– No. 1 Duke d. No. 9 Syracuse 88-79
– No. 4 Miami d. No. 13 Boston College 71-69 (OT)
– No. 7 Virginia Tech d. No. 2 Notre Dame 87-80
– No. 3 North Carolina d. No. 6 Virginia 63-43
ACC Tournament Semifinals (3/11, Times ET)
– No. 1 Duke d. No. 4 Miami 80-76
– No. 7 Virginia Tech d. No. 3 North Carolina 72-59
ACC Tournament Championship (3/12, Time ET)
– No. 7 Virginia Tech d. No. 1 Duke 82-67
2022 ACC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW:
Far and away, Duke is the best team in the ACC this season. The Blue Devils are coached by the best coach in the league, have a top-three NBA Draft pick on their roster and may have a multitude of playmakers – which is rare in the rest of the conference.
Yet, the consistency is not there for the team with the No. 1 seed. Quiet nights by ACC Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero paired with off-shooting performances by Wendell Moore Jr. are huge reasons for their four conference losses.
Then again, no one in the ACC has shown any level of consistency either.
Notre Dame has silently put together a solid year behind Blake Wesley and Dane Goodwin. A favorable schedule – where they never played any of the top eight teams more than once – led them here and the Fighting Irish took advantage. The lack of playmaking guards that run an offense, though, and a deep bench are concerning. It’s not conducive to winning three games in three days.
North Carolina – after their stunning upset in Cameron Indoor over the weekend – and Miami both showed they have what it takes to topple Duke and have a favorable bracket to see the Blue Devils later in the tournament.
Injuries are no longer a hindrance for the Hurricanes, following the lead of Kameron McGusty’s 17.5 ppg and 36.8% shooting mark from deep.
Let’s not forget ACC Player of the Year and the conference’s second-leading scorer Alondes Williams at Wake Forest. His Demon Deacons are the deepest team in the conference. Can they finally put it all together for one weekend? If so, they may be the darkhorse team to try and make the semifinals.
Everyone else, though, is in desperate mode besides those five teams. Virginia Tech and Virginia need a significant win or two to be considered for an at-large bid. The teams behind them just have eyes only on a championship to extend their seasons.
Pick: No. 1 Duke Blue Devils