4. Outside of Duke, which ACC team could realistically win a game in the NCAA Tournament?
Mauro
This will sound crazy but Florida State. The Seminoles have to make the tournament first which I think they do. Then coach Leonard Hamilton is at his best in the NCAA tournament. Florida State is going to be able to overwhelm a mid-major with their size and they have very talented and capable guards who can get going in a hurry. The Seminoles have not looked good yet, but they will and could be a second-weekend team.
Burgess
If I have to choose one team that can win a game in the tournament, I think Florida State is that team. I will bet on Leonard Hamilton to get his team on a bit of a roll soon.
Rosenberg
I feel like the obvious answer would be Wake Forest but I have to go with Boston College. They did suffer some tough losses against Rhode Island twice and a heartbreaker against Utah. They have three established scorers and a great inside presence. Their defense and three-point shooting do need to improve but I think throughout the season come conference play, they’ll further develop and make a splash.
Zacher
At this point, North Carolina is the only team I can point at and say, “this team could make a run.” Hubert Davis is finally getting things rolling after those back-to-back losses to Purdue and Tennessee, and that loss to the Boilermakers – a single-digit one, at that – is looking better every day.
They’ve demolished Michigan, won at Georgia Tech by double-figures, own the ninth-most efficient offense in the nation, and Caleb Love has finally shown some consistency this season after struggling through long stretches last year. The Tar Heels should, arguably, be ranked nationally, and they’re only going to get better as Davis’ identity for UNC continues to take shape.