Busting Brackets
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ACC Basketball: Conference tournament preview

By Matt Ostrowski

Mar 5, 2016; Durham, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams questions a call by the officials in the second half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2016; Durham, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams questions a call by the officials in the second half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 5, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) dribbles the ball as Louisville Cardinals guard Quentin Snider (2) defends in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers won 68-46. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) dribbles the ball as Louisville Cardinals guard Quentin Snider (2) defends in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers won 68-46. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Virginia

What do the past five NCAA Tournament champions have in common? They were all ranked in the top 100 in the country in both offensive rating and defensive rating.

The ACC had three teams accomplish the feat this year: North Carolina barely did it, with a defensive rating good for 96th in the country, Louisville, who isn’t eligible for any of the postseason, and Virginia, whose offensive rating ranks 14th, and defensive rating ranks 48th.

Interestingly enough, this seems to be opposite of what a Tony Bennett team normally looks like. Their offensive rating is the highest it has ever been under Bennett, and their defensive rating is the lowest it has been since the 2010-11 season, including two seasons when they didn’t even qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

However, since January 19, they’ve lost just two games: one on the road to Duke when Grayson Allen traveled, and one on the road to Miami. Very respectable losses. And since the calendar turned to January 30, they’ve been a much more traditional Tony Bennett team, holding opponents to 38 percent from the floor.

Malcolm Brogdon and London Perrantes are as good as any backcourt duo in the country this year. Brogdon is the best two-way player in the country, and far exceeded my expectation this year, as he averaged nearly 20 points per game in conference play this year. Perrantes, on the other hand, is finally playing aggressive, and while it’s hurt his efficiency and ball protection, but he’s still shooting well from deep at 48 percent.

More busting brackets: Big 12 Tournament Preview

They open up their ACC Tournament play on Thursday against the winner of Clemson vs. Georgia. Expect to see them hoisting the trophy on Saturday night.