Tuesday’s opening round of the 2015 ACC Tournament could be easy to overlook. You’re talking about the bottom four teams in the conference standings, who combined for 14 ACC wins this season, one less than runner-up Duke, two less than regular-season champ UVA.
But don’t overlook this group, because each has given the top teams fits. Virginia Tech led third-ranked Virginia by 10 with 10 minutes to go before the Cavs rallied to win in Blacksburg. Georgia Tech gave Duke everything the second-ranked Blue Devils could handle in a narrow loss in Durham a few weeks back.
Wake Forest had the ball and a chance to win at Virginia on Feb. 14. And Boston College comes in having won three straight, including a blowout win over North Carolina State two weeks ago.
Schedule
Tuesday, 1 p.m. #12 Boston College (12-18, 4-14 ACC) vs. #13 Georgia Tech (12-18, 3-15 ACC)
Regular season: Boston College won 64-62 in Atlanta on Jan. 25
Player to watch: BC guard Olivier Hanlan (19.4 points/pg, 4.2 assists/pg)
The winner gets: #5 seed UNC (21-10, 11-7 ACC), 2 p.m. Wednesday
Tuesday, 3 p.m. #11 Wake Forest (13-18, 5-13 ACC) vs. #14 Virginia Tech (10-21, 2-16 ACC)
Regular season: Wake Forest defeated the Hokies, 73-70, in Winston-Salem on Jan. 31
Player to watch: Virginia Tech guard Adam Smith (13.7 ppg, 43.1% three-point FGs)
The winner gets: #6 seed Miami (20-11, 10-8 ACC), 9 p.m. Wednesday
Augusta Free Press coverage
AFP staffers Jerry Carter and Chris Graham will lead live in-game blogs during each game. Check back afterward for game recaps, interviews with coaches and players and more.