ACC Basketball: 2022 conference tournament preview and predictions

Second round

No. 8 Florida State vs. No. 9 Syracuse

No. 8 Florida State does battle with one of the more disappointing teams in the league this season, No. 9 Syracuse. The two teams split the season series with each team winning on the road. In the Florida State win, the Seminoles shot the lights out, shooting 55% from the field and 60% from deep.

In the game that the Orange won, they buckled down defensively and those numbers dropped to 35 and 13. Syracuse had little trouble offensively with four players in double figures in both games, and it is that versatility, and the ability of the zone to confuse even good shooting teams that will put them into the quarterfinals.

Prediction: Syracuse 71, Florida State 64

No. 5 Wake Forest vs. No. 13 Boston College

Steve Forbes may be the league’s Coach of the Year, leading Wake Forest to a 5th place finish. Their first game of the tournament comes against a team they beat by 30 in their only meeting, Boston College.

In that game, the Demon Deacons held Boston College to just 25% shooting, and their two stars Alondes Williams and Jake LaRavia combined for 31 points, 17 rebounds, nine assists, and six blocks. This game should be a little closer, but Wake Forest will move on to the quarterfinals easily here.

Prediction: Wake Forest 82, Boston College 65

No. 7 Virginia Tech vs. No. 10 Clemson

Mike Young’s Virginia Tech Hokies are the No. 7 seed in the tournament and will do battle with Clemson in the second round. Fittingly enough these two closed out the regular season against each other, with the No. 10 Tigers coming away with a 63-59 win. The game was tight nearly the entire time, with no team leading by more than six in the second half.

The big difference was the Hokies shot just 30% from three-point land, when their season number was at 39% prior to this meeting. If Virginia Tech gets 30 attempts up and this game, they should shoot a better percentage and move on to the quarterfinals.

Prediction: Virginia Tech 74, Clemson 68

No. 6 Virginia vs. No. 14 Georgia Tech

No. 6 Virginia takes on No. 14 Georgia Tech in the last game of the second round, in a game the Cavaliers led nearly wire-to-wire. Jayden Gardner and Kihei Clark had 41 of their 63 points and forced 15 Georgia Tech turnovers. This matchup will likely be more of the same. Virginia is known for its defense but Gardner and Clark have others around them such as Armaan Franklin, Reece Beekman, and Kadin Shedrick that I trust more than those around Michael Devoe.

Prediction: Virginia 67, Georgia Tech 58