ACC Men's Tournament bracket if the season ended today, Jan. 24
ACC Tournament Bracket: Second-round teams (Single Bye)
(8) Virginia Tech Hokies vs. (9) Miami Hurricanes
The ACC is filled with mid-level teams that could get themselves into the tournament with a strong second half, and Virginia Tech is the perfect example of that. The Hokies beat Boise State and Iowa State early in the year, but they also got crushed by Florida Atlantic and Auburn. They knocked off Clemson and won at N.C. State, but they also lost by 22 at Wake Forest. Va Tech has good on-court metrics: they rank second in the country in free throw percentage, they have a high assist rate on made baskets, and their defensive efficiency is in the top 15% in the country. Until they can string together more wins though, they likely won't be around come tournament time.
Miami has had a rough go of it after last year's Final Four run. ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong was drafted by the Indiana Pacers and Second Team All-ACC player Jordan Miller was drafted by the L.A. Clippers, and the Hurricanes have felt their absence. Miami was still picked to finish second in the league during the preseason, but the loss of Wong and Miller's 31.5 points per game and a lack of size have capped their ceiling. Lopsided early losses to Kentucky and Colorado hurt, but an in-conference loss to Louisville could be the mortal blow that prevents the Canes from repeating last year's magical run.
(5) Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Steve Forbes' Demon Deacons are lined up to play the winner of Notre Dame and Boston College in the second round. Wake Forest has to feel good with where they are after the Danny Manning years, as Forbes has brought an aptitude for finding talent in the transfer portal in each of his years in Winston Salem. This season, Gonzaga transfer Hunter Sallis is sixth in the conference with 17.7 points per game, and Central Michigan transfer Boopie Miller is just behind him with 16.8 points and 4.1 assists. The Deacs are exceptional from three and the free-throw line, and it wouldn't be a shock to see them grab a top-four seed when all is said and done.
(7) Syracuse Orange
This college basketball season has been filled with chaos, with upsets happening nightly. It's comforting in these tumultuous times, then, to be able to rely on Syracuse. The Orange have won against the teams they should beat, and lost to the teams they shouldn't. This is what gets you a 7-seed. Adrian Autry has stabilized the program after the retirement of Jim Boeheim, with sophomore Judah Mintz leading the way, though it's unlikely Syracuse can do enough to get to the tournament this year with its lack of quality wins. Last week's buzzer-beating three-pointer from Quadir Copeland to beat Miami has been the highlight of the season so far. Syracuse would get the winner of Clemson and Louisville if the season ended today.
(6) Virginia Cavaliers
A quick glance at Virginia would lead an observer to believe that the Cavaliers are just like the Tony Bennett teams of old. They play at the slowest pace in the country, they have an elite defense, and they don't turn the ball over. Where past Cavs teams did enough on offense to beat most teams though, this iteration has just not been able to put the ball in the basket. This has resulted in uncharacteristic blowout losses, including a recent string of three straight road defeats to Notre Dame, N.C. State, and Wake Forest by a combined 57 points. A second-round matchup with the winner of Pitt and Georgia Tech could lead to a difficult test against Duke in round three.