ACC Basketball: Conference tournament preview

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Mar 2, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Boston College Eagles guard Eli Carter (3) drives to the basket as North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber (12) defends during the second half at PNC Arena. The Wolfpack won 73-72. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /

NC State vs. Wake Forest

The first matchup of the tournament pits two of the better, less talked about players in the conference. Anthony “Cat” Barber is one of the best players in the entire country, averaging 23 points, four rebounds, and almost four assists per game in conference play for the Wolfpack.

And then there’s Devin Thomas, who averages 15 points and 10 rebounds per game for Danny Manning’s Demon Deacons.

This figures to be a high-scoring affair, as both teams feature terrible defenses, and with Barber pushing the pace for NC State, it could be a fast-paced game.

Ultimately, I think NC State wins due to having many more offensive options around Barber.

Florida State vs. Boston College

Here’s all you need to know about this game: Boston College is the first college to go winless in conference play in both basketball and football. In basketball, they lost by an average of almost 17 points per game in ACC play.

Last time these two teams met, Florida State won by 10, and that was with a 0-of-8 performance from Xavier Rathan-Mayes, one of the Seminoles’ best players. But Malik Beasley finished with 22 points. Expect more of the same this time around.

Next: The seven through 10 seeds