The Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament returns to the Barclays Center on Tuesday, bringing some of the best college basketball teams in the country with it.
The 15-team tournament tips off Tuesday and culminates in the championship game Saturday. Here’s a look at a few teams trying to find their way through a week of nonstop basketball.
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Virginia has been this season’s surprise, but nobody would be shocked if the Cavaliers go all the way in Brooklyn. They’ve held the No. 1 ranking in the country for the last month and have one loss in conference play. At 28-2, they’re coming into March with all-around threat Devon Hall and lockdown defender Isaiah Wilkins. Kyle Guy led the team in scoring (13.9 ppg), but a knee injury suffered on Saturday could be a factor to watch.
Duke is fresh off a comeback against defending national champion North Carolina on Grayson Allen’s senior night, outscoring the Tar Heels by 20 points in the second half. That solidified the Blue Devils’ spot as the No. 2 seed, while also dropping its rival down to No. 6 through tiebreakers.
Third-seeded Miami (Fla.) may have the toughest road among the front-runners. North Carolina awaits if it can earn one win, at which point whatever advantage the Hurricanes had from seeding will vanish.
Dark horses
Notre Dame played Virginia close in a loss Saturday. Earlier this year, the Fighting Irish had a seven-game slide against some of the better teams in the conference. If they’re going to pull off a run, Bonzie Colson will be the engine. He’s averaging 20.9 points but missed 15 games, including the losing streak, with a broken foot. He dropped 24 points in his second game back against the Cavaliers.
Syracuse dropped Clemson over the weekend, which can inch them closer onto the bubble for Selection Sunday. The ACC Tournament will be a tough road for the Orange, but a four-point loss to North Carolina two weeks ago indicates they can hang.
