ACC Tournament: Four games with NCAA implications on Wednesday slate

I’m going with that headline, that all four of Wednesday’s games in the 2026 ACC Tournament, have NCAA Tournament implications, because all of the other bracketologists have Cal on the fringe of the tourney.

They’re not, but anyway.

Also off the bubble: Stanford (20-12) and Virginia Tech (19-13), who both lost to lower seeds in Tuesday’s first round.

I didn’t have either of those two close, either; but, again, the experts did.

ACC Tournament Wednesday preview

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#7 NC State (19-12, 10-8 ACC) vs. #15 Pitt (13-19, 6-13 ACC), noon ET (ESPN)

NC State won the teams’ lone regular-season matchup, 81-72, on Jan. 24.

KenPom and BartTorvik both have State as an eight-point favorite.

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#6 Louisville (22-9, 11-7 ACC) vs. #11 SMU (20-12, 9-10 ACC), 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPNU)

Word tonight is that Louisville will be without freshman guard Mikel Brown (18.2 ppg, 4.7 assists/g), who is still hampered by a back injury that has forced him to miss 10 games this season.

The two split their season series, both winning by double-digits on their home floors.

BartTorvik has it Louisville +7; KenPom has the game Louisville +6.

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#8 Florida State (17-14, 10-8 ACC) vs. #9 Cal (21-10, 9-9 ACC), 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)

FSU won the regular-season game, 63-61, in Tallahassee on Jan. 28.

KenPom and BartTorvik have this one FSU +1.

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#5 Clemson (22-9, 12-6 ACC) vs. #13 Wake Forest (17-15, 8-11 ACC), 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)

Wake won the regular-season matchup, 85-77, on Feb. 18.

KenPom and BartTorvik both have this one Clemson +5.