10 Storylines to Follow During the ACC Conference Tournament
Storylines to Follow During the ACC Conference Tournament
The ACC was getting a lot of hype entering the 2013-14 college basketball season and that hype has not died down one bit. The conference tournament will be getting a lot of buzz, but let’s focus in on 10 storylines to follow during it.
Anytime a tournament consist of North Carolina, Duke and Syracuse it is bound to have some storylines. All three teams play in the ACC this year thanks to the Orange leaving the Big East. Just imagine how good this conference will be next year when Louisville joins.
It is amazing to think that Virginia won the regular season title this year. The Cavaliers are clearly a great basketball team and have the talent to win a national title, but Syracuse, Duke and North Carolina play in the ACC. All three teams have had successful seasons as well.
Good for Virginia. The Cavaliers entered the season with some hype, but nowhere near the amount the three teams listed above received.
I am sure they will still not be the favorites to win the ACC tournament, though.
Three ACC teams could essentially earn a No. 1 seed in the 2014 NCAA tournament. Only one of those teams could actually achieve that feat, though. There is no way the tournament committee is going to dish out two No. 1 seeds to the ACC.
Whether the case, the ACC is a great conference and it should provide a very exciting tournament.
Make sure to keep an eye on these 10 storylines while you are watching it.
Trevor Lowry is a Senior Writer and Copy Editor at www.RantSports.com. If you’re a tweeter feel free to follow him @TheTrevorLowry or add him to your network on Google.
Can Syracuse Bounce Back?
Syracuse won 25 games in a row. The Orange have now lost four out of their last five and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back. They kind of need to if they plan on their seed not dropping. Plus, entering the dance on a good note is usually important.
Which Wooden Award Finalist Will Have the Best Tournament?
Jabari Parker, C.J. Fair and Tyler Ennis are all Wooden Award finalists. It will be interesting to see which player has the best tournament.
Can Virginia Win ACC Title and Earn a No. 1 Seed?
The Cavaliers won the ACC regular season title. Can they sweep the ACC by winning both championships -- regular season and tournament -- and will that be enough for a No. 1 seed? I guess we will just have to wait and see.
How Will the Bubble Teams Do?
The ACC is definitely not short on bubble teams. Florida State and Clemson are not locks for the tournament, but both teams could still make it. Heck, a great outing from North Carolina State may even earn the Wolfpack a bid. Maybe.
Pittsburgh could even miss out on the Big Dance if it doesn’t win at least one game.
Regardless, the time is now or never for bubble teams.
The Matchups
Since the ACC is one of the best conferences in college basketball, you better believe that there will be some great matchups. Just imagine Syracuse and Duke meeting up for a third straight time or Duke and North Carolina extending their rivalry.
With a lot of talented teams comes a lot of exciting matchups. It is that simple.
The Star Players
We kind of touched on this earlier, but outside of Parker, Ennis and Fair, players like James Michael McAdoo, Lamar Patterson, Rodney Hood, T.J. Warren, Marcus Paige and many others reside in the ACC.
This conference is not short on star players and watching them battle it out against one another will be great to see.
Duke’s Lethal Scoring Duo
Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker are good at basketball. Parker is putting up 18.8 points per game and Hood is averaging 16.3 points per game. Parker gets the national attention, but both players know how to put the ball into the hoop at a high rate.
Watching these two play is like watching Natalie Gulbis play golf. Awesome.
The National Title Contenders
Virginia, Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse are all national title contenders. All four are ranked in the top 15. Anyone of these teams could come away with the ACC tournament title and anyone of these teams could win a national championship.
Tournament Seeds
This time of the year is all about making the tournament and seeds for the tournament. The ACC tournament will affect the seeding for the dance. For the ACC teams that is.
Arguably Best Conference in America
The ACC is arguably the best conference in college hoops. That alone should make fans want to watch this conference tournament. You can bet that there will be some great basketball being played in this tourney.
