2014 ACC Tournament: Bracket Picks
By Joe Micik
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The 2014 ACC Tournament begins tomorrow, and with that, it is highly appropriate for us to release a filled-out bracket indicating our picks.
We at Boston College have been collectively robbed of our enjoyment of college basketball this season, but nothing can take March away from us.
Here is the completed ACC bracket; explanations to follow after the graphic which you may click to enlarge.
First, let’s get this out of the way: no, I did not pick Boston College on Wednesday against Georgia Tech. How much more losing does one need to see before they come to grips with reality? The Eagles have lost a program-record 23 games this year, and in many of them, they invented creative new ways to do it. Even though it is theoretically possible that they will get out of the first round, as someone who attempts to be objective, I cannot pick a bad team with single-digit wins that has disappointed from start to finish. All year, we waited for Boston College to prove it to us, and save for a fluky victory at Syracuse, they have done the exact opposite. This team crumbles in crunch time and they’ll be out of Greensboro long before the weekend.
Meanwhile, the other two teams I see escaping from Wednesday are Notre Dame and Miami.
On Thursday, I roll with all the favorites except for Maryland, who I think will lose to the slight underdog 9-seed Florida State. It’s barely an upset, but technically, sure.
On Friday, the double-byes get into the action, and ho hum, I picked all the favorites. This will set up the rubber game between Duke and Syracuse on Saturday, which will be must-see TV. In the other semifinal, Virginia and North Carolina should also be an entertaining game.
I’m giving the games to Virginia and Duke, who will meet on Selection Sunday for all the marbles. Now, I like this Virginia team quite a lot, but Duke is Duke. I would not be surprised if Virginia won the ACC Tournament, but that’s not what the ol’ gut feeling says.
As for the subplot: would making the quarterfinals be enough for Clemson, NC State, or Florida State in their tournament resumes? Perhaps for one of them. Those games, if they happen, will be hugely critical to their bubble chances.