ACC Tourney: Opening Round Breakdown

I've been thinking about the first round of the tournament for a couple of days now. Most of my thoughts have centered on how many games have the potential to be good games. Upon further consideration, I've taken a different approach and just tried to be as logical as possible with who I think will win and why. Here's a game by game look at the first round. 

Virginia Tech vs. Miami, 12 p.m.

My gut tells me the Hokies will take care of business and take care of the Hurricanes by 10 points or more but Miami is a scary team. They are the most disappointing team in the conference as far as record is concerned, and they certainly aren't on a hot streak entering tournament play. But that is what makes them scary. You have to figure they are going to find their early season form again at some point. When Miami is playing well, they can play with anybody in the ACC. Virginia Tech better be ready to play and be ready for the Jack McClinton show. This has the potential to be the best game of the day, as an 8-9 matchup should be. All that considered, I'll stick with my gut. Hokies 68, Hurricanes 61

Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, 2 p.m.

This game is the one I feel the most confident about of the first round contests, as far as predictions go. Clemson should beat the Jackets by 15. Now you never know how teams will respond to tournament settings, so maybe this game will be closer, but I don't see it. Georgia Tech has been the worst team throughout the year despite a couple of surprising wins and Clemson is an extremely talented five seed who can beat any of the four teams above it. On that note, I'll say...Tigers 81, Jackets 68

Maryland vs. N.C. State, 7 p.m.

Well, I think you all know what my gut says about this one. I'm hoping State shows up, plays to its capability, and picks up the win. If State plays well, both my heart and head tell me the Wolfpack can win. If the "we won't score in more than 12 minutes of the game" version of N.C. State shows up, it will be a quick trip to Atlanta. The key in this game for both teams, at least in my opinion, will be how Greivis Vasquez plays. I haven't watched Maryland play a ton, but I've watched enough to know that when Vasquez plays well, Maryland wins. When he doesn't, Maryland loses. Without solid play from Vasquez, the Terps look average at best and are not an NCAA tournament team. If Courtney Fells (or whoever) can slow Vasquez down, State has a great chance to win. Another key will be the forever inconsistent Brandon Costner. If he scores 15+, State will be well on its way to a victory. Wolfpack 73, Terps 65

Boston College vs. Virginia, 9 p.m.

This one is the most confusing of the entire first day. Obviously because of the seeds, it seems Boston College has a distinct advantage. But I don't think so. The reason for this is that I watched the Virginia-Maryland game this past weekend. If Mamadi Diane plays like he did against the Terps (23 points) and Mike Scott can hold his own inside against the Eagles big men, Virginia can definitely play with BC. Perhaps I'm skewed because I'm putting too much emphasis on one game, but a big part of tournament play is how a team is playing right before play begins. That win over Maryland could give Virginia a big boost in confidence that could play a role. All that being said, I like Boston College. Tyrese Rice will be too much, as usual. Eagles 80, Cavaliers 71

Keep checking back for more. I'm going to be posting video and other things once I get to ATL.