Busting Brackets
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ACC Basketball Storylines: North Carolina creates three-way tie at the top

By Jerran Anderson

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 23: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels huddles with his starting five during the first half of their game against the Florida State Seminoles at the Dean Smith Center on February 23, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 23: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels huddles with his starting five during the first half of their game against the Florida State Seminoles at the Dean Smith Center on February 23, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images /

3. Clemson still hanging on by a thread

The Clemson Tigers are one of two teams in the ACC that are in the current bubble conversation. They entered Saturday on a three-game losing streak after falling to Florida State on Tuesday night but managed to get a 76-66 victory over the Boston College Golden Eagles on Saturday to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

Senior Marcquise Reed put up a career-high 31 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four rebounds in a pivotal game for Clemson. The Tigers are now 6-8 in conference action with just a few games remaining on the schedule. A victory over the Golden Eagles has them on the right track but they’ll need to secure a road victory or two with Pittsburgh and Notre Dame remaining on the schedule.

Their biggest weakness has been their output on offense and playmaking ability in conference play this season. The Tigers currently rank 14th in the ACC in points per game (63.4) and 12th in assists per contest with 11.6. There’s room for them to improve as the season comes to a close. They’ve underachieved a bit, but there are no easy games in the ACC. Improving their road record with two more road wins should help their resume, they’ll just need to execute.