ACC Basketball: 2021 Conference Tournament preview and predictions

Key Teams in ACC Tournament

Favorite – Florida State Seminoles

While Virginia is the No. 1 seed, that three-game stretch they had recently still is a concern to me. The defense remains as strong as ever but the offense is heavily reliant on the Hauser-Huf combo. A team like Florida State, who dominated the Cavaliers by 21 points, has the size, scoring, experience of a conference tournament, and most importantly, the depth to win on three straight games this week.

Biggest threat – Virginia Cavaliers

That’s not to say that the Cavaliers don’t have a great shot at winning this. Their current path to the title game includes teams such as Georgia Tech and Clemson that they’ve already handled in the regular season. Few teams in the ACC have had the recipe to decipher this defense and with just one day to prepare, will make it hard to beat UVA.

Darkhorse: North Carolina Tar Heels

As mentioned before, the Tar Heels frontcourt makes them a real threat to the top teams in this conference. They just need the shooting to match it. It may be too tough a task for that to happen four straight games but they have a favorable side of the bracket filled with teams they’re already beaten.

Team with most pressure: Duke

All eyes will be on the Blue Devils, who likely will have to make the finals to have any at-large consideration. They have to win four straight to get there, starting with the program’s first-ever game on the opening round. Arguably the most prestigious basketball program in the country, we could see Duke’s season end at any moment in the ACC Tournament unless they make it to Saturday.