2009 ACC Quarterfinals
By Joe Micik
I know we’re all watching the 4OT thriller at Madison Square Garden, but there is basketball on Friday too.
Noon ET: (8) Virginia Tech vs. (1) North Carolina
Regular season matchup: UNC wins 86-78
The Hokies easily got rid of the Hurricanes in the early game on Thursday, but North Carolina won’t exactly be a pushover. VT played admirably in their loss to the Tar Heels a week and a half ago and the Hokies need this one to put themselves in position for an at-large bid. So many teams are falling off the bubble that VT can cash in with a W — I don’t think they’ll get it, but it should be a close contest.
2pm ET: (12) Georgia Tech vs. (4) Florida State
Regular season matchup: FSU wins 62-58
It was close, but the Seminoles beat the Yellow Jackets in their first matchup. Georgia Tech is obviously a talented team despite their lack of wins, and they’re playing another talented team that finally appears to be headed for the dance. GT still has nothing to lose and they’re playing with confidence after beating Clemson. I don’t think the Seminoles are much of a talent upgrade from the Tigers. If GT plays the way they did on Thursday, it will be a very close game.
7pm ET: (7) Maryland vs. (2) Wake Forest
Regular season matchup: WF wins 65-63
Simply put, this one could go either way. Maryland clearly didn’t pack it in as I thought they would and Wake can be had when facing a stiff challenge. The Deacs have had some off-nights too. They better hope they don’t have one on Friday. I still like Wake, but Maryland has already shown they can hold the Deacs close.
9pm ET: (6) Boston College vs. (3) Duke
Regular season matchup: BC wins 80-74
This could end up being the most entertaining matchup of the day. We’ve already found out this season that BC matches up well with the Blue Devils. BC clearly made some mistakes in their win over Virginia but it was still a solid win. They can’t play sloppy against Duke, however, and Tyrese Rice obviously needs to wake up. Nolan Smith will most likely play for Duke. I see a toss-up slugfest.