Bracketology 2020: Storylines to watch in ACC Basketball Tournament

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 8: The NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection Committee meets on Wednesday afternoon, March 8, 2017 in New York City. The committee is gathered in New York to begin the five-day process of selecting and seeding the field of 68 teams for the NCAA MenÕs Basketball Tournament. The final bracket will be released on Sunday evening following the completion of conference tournaments. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) /

1 of 5

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 10: Matthew Hurt #21 of the Duke Blue Devils battles for a loose ball against Trent Forrest #3 of the Florida State Seminoles (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Leading up to Selection Sunday, we’re going to highlight the major storylines related to Bracketology coming out of the high-major conferences. First up, what’s in store for ACC Basketball?

It’s been a down year for ACC Basketball without question. The conference lacks its normal depth. At the top, some of the usual suspects like Duke, Louisville, and Florida St., remain strong. Virginia has overcome a tough start and turned it on as of late. But the usually deep conference, historically considered among the best in the country, is in the midst of its worst overall season since 2013, when it sent four teams to the NCAA Tournament.

Only one team, NC State, can be considered Bubble worthy. Historically strong at-large contenders like Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech have had less success than usual. And then there is the curious case of North Carolina, a team widely considered top-10 caliber coming into the season, with one of the top recruits in the country. To say UNC has underperformed would be a mockery of underperformers everywhere.

And yet, the ACC Tournament in Greensboro is always one of the best conference tournaments, year in and year out, and this year’s version should be no exception. So as the ACC tournament and Championship Week kick into full swing, what lies in store for the teams still in contention for the field of 68? Let’s take a look at some of the Bracketology implications this week. And, gasp, could we have a bid thief on our hands?