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The 2012 ACC Basketball Tournament is finished at Philips Arena. Championship basketball! Here, of all places!
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The Florida State Seminoles were able to hang on in the ACC tournament final as they defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels 85-82 to bring the first ever basketball conference championship to Tallahassee.
UNC went on a 9-2 run in the final three minutes of the game to bring the score to 83-82 with just 32 seconds remaining in the game, but clutch free throw shooting, tough defense and PJ Hairston's missed three at the end of the game helped Leonard Hamilton's team achieve the feat of beating Duke and North Carolina twice in the same season.
Michael Snaer led the way for the Seminoles with 18 points, including making 4 of his 5 three-point attempts, and in total FSU had seven players score 9 points or more in the game versus the Tar Heels. Harrison Barnes led all scorers in the game with 23 points and 7 rebounds, but the struggle for the Tar Heels were the lack of contributions outside of their stars. Reggie Bullock and James Michael McAdoo combined to shoot 3-of-19 in the game for just 11 points in total.
With the win, Florida State should end up with a top 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, while North Carolina will probably hang on to a No. 1 seed.
For more Bracketology updates head over to Blogging The Bracket. For more March Madness news and notes check out SB Nation's College Basketball page.
In the first half of the ACC tournament championship game, Michael Snaer and Harrison Barnes have dueled with one another in a scoring frenzy. Snaer's 15 points have given the Florida State Seminoles a 49-40 advantage over the North Carolina Tar Heels at the half.
Barnes has matched Snaer with 15 points of his own, but North Carolina's defense has been the story of the half. The Seminoles are shooting 63% in the first half, and the ability to score around the rim has proven to be where North Carolina is hurting the most. Their usual rim defender, John Henson, was cleared to play by head coach Roy Williams "only in the case of an emergency" so its likely we won't see Henson until the NCAA tournament.
Check out the video of the highlights of the first half, as the second half continues in Atlanta.
For more Bracketology updates head over to Blogging The Bracket. For more March Madness news and notes check out SB Nation's College Basketball page.
The latest NCAA Tournament projections show the Kentucky Wildcats nailing down the top seed and staying close to home in the South Regional hosted by Atlanta.
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Kentucky looks to have all but locked up the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament while North Carolina can nail down a No. 1 seed with a win in the ACC Tournament final.
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There won't be much of a local feel to the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday since no team from the state of Georgia will be capturing a bid to the tournament. Both Georgia and Georgia Tech suffered their way through tough seasons. The Yellow Jackets were knocked out of the first round of the ACC Tournament by Miami, and Georgia was bounced in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
Georgia State and Mercer had solid seasons in their respective conferences, and Georgia Southern improved over last season. Kennesaw State reminded Georgia and Georgia Tech fans in the state that yes things could be much worse. The state's best chance for a tournament team looked like it would be Savannah State, who earned the top seed in the MEAC Tournament but promptly was upset by eight seeded Hampton in the second round of the tournament.
However, Atlanta does get to host a regional, and the SEC and ACC could be represented by almost a dozen combined teams, according to Saturday's bracketology.
NCAA Selection Sunday
Date/Time: Sunday, March 11, 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
For more March Madness news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
The Florida State Seminoles take a 33-31 lead over the Duke Blue Devils in a back and forth contest at the 2012 ACC Tournament semifinal. The Blue Devils have struggled with 14 turnovers in the first half but still only trail by two at the break.
Michael Snaer and Ian Miller each have seven points to lead the Seminoles. Bernard James and Okaro White each have five. White grabbed a team high six rebounds in the first half.
Austin Rivers hit 3-7 shots for nine points to lead Duke at the intermission. Seth Curry and Mason Plumlee each added six points while Miles Plumlee grabbed a game-high seven boards in the first half.
Duke shot less than 40 percent from the field but have been able to stay close thanks to 4-10 shooting from three-point range. The Blue Devils also hold a 16-12 rebounding advantage over the Seminoles.
For more on the Florida State Seminoles, be sure to check out Tomahawk Nation. ForDuke Blue Devils news and info, head over to Duke Basketball Report, and for all your March Madness updates, be sure to visit SB Nation's college basketball page.
When it came down to crunch time, North Carolina's Kendall Marshall was the hero as his jumper from just outside the lane propelled UNC to a 69-67 victory over the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The shot came with roughly 12 seconds left in the game. A replay showed that there was some controversy over Marshall's offensive contact to create the space for the game winner.
North Carolina State was trying to defeat their in-state rivals for the first time in six years.
Harrison Barnes rebounded for the Tar Heels in the second half, finishing the game with 15 points, after having just three at the half. Tyler Zeller had 23 points and nine rebounds for North Carolina, while Marshall has 10 assists to go with 12 points.
The Wolfpack were lead by C.J. Leslie's 22 points in falling to 22-12. Their fate will be revealed tomorrow.
With the victory, North Carolina moves to 29-4 and will face the winner of the Duke versues Florida State game for the ACC Title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
For more NC State coverage, make sure to check out Backing The Pack, while Tar Heel fans should head on over to Carolina March. Both are members of the SB Nation network of blogs.
It was a back-and-forth first half in Atlanta, as the largest lead either team had in the first half was five points. Sitting at half time the Wolfpack lead the Tar Heels 34-31
North Carolina was without ACC Defensive Player of the Year John Henson, who had been scratched from the game with an injury. Freshman James Michael McAdoo filled in rather well for the Tar Heels, providing the team with five points and two rebounds. However McAdoo picked up his third foul with just 24.3 seconds left in the first half.
For the Wolfpack, they were lead in the first half by the play of C.J. Leslie who scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, along with four rebounds.
Down 20-17 with 7:37 left in the half, NC State's Leslie made a jumper in the lane over North Carolina's Tyler Zeller to spark an 8-0 run that gave the Wolfpack a 25-20 lead with just under five minutes until halftime. Zeller leads the Tar Heels with nine points at halftime.
NC State has done a solid job of guarding Harrison Barnes, holding the sophomore start to just three points in the first half. You may recall last year in the ACC Semi-Finals when Barnes went off for 40 points against the Clemson Tigers.
For continued coverage, make sure to check out Carolina March and Backing The Pack, your home on the SB Nation network for North Carolina and NC State coverage.
According to a tweet from ESPN's Dan Shulman, North Carolina forward John Henson will miss today's ACC tournament semi-final game against North Carolina State. The junior has been an integral part of the Tar Heels team, averaging 13.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season.
The ACC Defensive Player of the Year injured his hand in Friday's contest against the Maryland Terrapins, on a foul committed by Ashton Pankey.
North Carolina coach Roy Williams spoke to the media about the injury, and the Washington Post had Williams saying this about Henson's injury-
"He had trouble catching and gripping the basketball," coach Roy Williams said. "That’s his dominant hand, even though he’s right-handed."
The Tar Heels will now have to turn towards freshman James Michael McAdoo for the game against the Wolfpack. McAdoo came up big on Friday afternoon, finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds. The 6'9" forward scored two points in each of the previous match-ups against North Carolina State.
For more on the NC State Wolfpack, check out Backing The Pack. For North Carolina Tarheels news and info, head over to Carolina March. For all your March Madness coverage, be sure to visit SB Nation's college basketball news hub.
The ACC Tournament is used to featuring a heated, ugly in-state rivalry from the Carolinas, but before UNC can see Duke in the final, they'll have to deal with the upstart Woflpack. NC State upset the No. 4 seed Virginia 67-64 Friday for their second win in as many days at the tournament, bolstering their campaign for an at-large bid after entering the week somewhere in the middle of the bubble.
No. 1 seeded UNC (28-4) cruised on Friday, beating Maryland 85-69, with the biggest concern of the entire day coming with an injury to defensive star John Henson. Henson was fouled early in the first half and landed hard on his left wrist, but returned to the game after X-rays were negative.
Date / Time: Saturday, March 10, 1 p.m. ET
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ACC Network / ESPN
Radio: Tarheel Radio Network, Wolfpack Radio Network
Streaming: ESPN3
Click here for a complete look at the 2012 ACC Tournament.
For more on the NC State Wolfpack, check out Backing The Pack. For North Carolina Tarheels news and info, head over to Carolina March. For all your March Madness coverage, be sure to visit SB Nation's college basketball news hub.
Duke and Florida State look to stay alive in the 2012 ACC Tournament to improve their NCAA Tournament stock and likely meet No. 1 seed North Carolina in the Championship on Sunday.
The Blue Devils are currently a No. 2 seed, and could make a run at the fourth No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, depending on how the other three No. 2 seeds (Missouri, Michigan State, Ohio State) fare in action on Saturday. Meanwhile, Florida State is certainly in, but SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean has the 'Noles as a rising No. 4 seed in the midwest, with the potential to move up with a win against the Blue Devils.
Date / Time: Saturday, March 10, 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPN
Radio: Duke Radio Network, FSU Radio Network
Streaming: ESPN3
Line: Duke (-2.5)
For more on the Florida State Seminoles, be sure to check out Tomahawk Nation. For Duke Blue Devils news and info, head over to Duke Basketball Report, and for all your March Madness updates, be sure to visit SB Nation's college basketball page.
The semifinals for the 2012 ACC Tournament are set for Saturday afternoon. The top three seeds made their way to the semifinal round and the only underdog to advance is North Carolina State just got past the Virginia Cavaliers 67-64 to advance, and No. 1 seed North Carolina had no problems with the Maryland Terrapins as they won by 16.
Florida State defeated Miami by 11 points and will take on No. 2 seed Duke who had to fend off a late run by Virginia Tech to win 60-56.
Here is Saturday's schedule:
No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 5 N.C. State Wolfpack, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 3 Florida St. Seminoles, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
The semifinal winners will face off for the ACC title on Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
For more on the ACC Championship, check out the official SB Nation ACC tournament stream. For more on Championship Week head on over to SB Nation's college basketball hub.
The Florida State Seminoles advance to the semifinals of the 2012 ACC Tournament with an 82-71 win over the Miami Hurricanes.
The Seminoles got 20 points from Michael Snaer who hit 5-7 shots including 4-5 shooting from three-point range. Ian Miller pitched in 18 points off the bench while Bernard James and Luke Loucks added 14 points each. Okaro White finished with 11 points. The Seminoles overcame a 37-28 rebounding disadvantage by going 25-32 from the free throw line.
Malcolm Grant led Miami with 19 points while Shane Larkin finished with 16 points and five assists. Rion Brown also finished in double figures with 13.
Florida State will take on Duke Saturday at 3 p.m. in the tournament semifinals.
For more on the Florida State Seminoles, check out Tomahawk Nation. Miami news and info can be found at The 7th Floor, and for all your March Madness news and updates, head over to SB Nation's college basketball page.
The Florida State Seminoles used a solid defensive effort to grab a 36-27 lead over the Miami Hurricanes at halftime of their 2012 ACC Tournament matchup. The Hurricanes hit just 28 percent of its shots in the first half.
The Seminoles got a balanced effort offensively with Michael Snaer leading the team with eight points while Okaro white, Iam Miller and Luke Loucks all scored six points off the bench. The Seminoles got 20 points in the first half from its bench while Miami only managed three.
Shane Larkin led the Hurricanes with nine points on just 3-10 shooting. Malcolm Grant added six points. Reggie Johnson grabbed six rebounds in the first-half for Miami.
For more on the Florida State Seminoles, check out Tomahawk Nation. Miami news and info can be found at The 7th Floor, and for all your March Madness news and updates, head over to SB Nation's college basketball page.
Duke advances to the semifinals of the 2012 ACC Tournament after earning a 60-56 win over Virginia Tech Friday night. The Blue Devils jumped out to an early lead but received a good fight from the Hokies who remained within striking distance the entire game. Duke will face either Florida State or Miami on Saturday.
Freshman Austin Rivers scored 17 points to lead Duke but was just 5-14 from the field. Tyler Thornton added 13 points while Mason Plumlee recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Erick Green and Robert Brown each scored 16 points for Virginia Tech who shot just 30 percent from the field in the game. No other Hokies player finished with more than Dorian Finney-Smith's seven points.
For more on the ACC Championship, check out the official SB Nation ACC tournament stream. For more on Championship Week head on over to SB Nation's college basketball hub.
The Duke Blue Devils jumped out to a 31-26 halftime lead over Virginia Tech at the 2012 ACC Tournament. Austin Rivers leads the Blue Devils with 11 points on 4-8 shooting. Tyler Thornton added seven points while Mason Plumlee and Josh Hairston finished with four each. The Blue Devils hit 12-27 attempts from the field in the first half good for 44 percent but were just 2-11 from beyond-the-arc.
Robert Brown leads Virginia Tech with eight points while Dorian Finney-Smith has six points and six rebounds. Dorenzo Hudson and Erick Green each have four. The Hokies hit just 28 percent of their shots but stayed in the game thanks to 4-7 shooting from three-point range and nine offensive rebounds in the first half.
For more on the ACC Championship, check out the official SB Nation ACC tournament stream. For more on Championship Week head on over to SB Nation's college basketball hub.
The No. 5 seeded North Carolina State Woldpack defeated the No. 4 seeded Virginia Cavaliers in their ACC Tournament quarterfinals game on Friday afternoon by a score of 67-64 in Atlanta's Philips Arena. The Wolfpack advances to the next round where they will play the No. 1 seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the semifinals at 1 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.
NC State was led by C.J. Leslie, who scored 19 points against the Cavaliers on Friday afternoon. Lorenzo Brown also added 15 points and Richard Howell chipped in 10 points as well. Virginia was led by Mike Scott who scored 23 points against the Wolfpack, while Joe Harris added 18 and Akil Mitchell added 10 points. The Cavaliers had zero support from the bench as only two bench players got in the game and neither scored.
| Final - 3.9.2012 | 1 | 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| N.C. State Wolfpack | 36 | 31 | 67 |
| Virginia Cavaliers | 33 | 31 | 64 |
For more on this game Virginia fans should check out Streaking The Lawn and NC State fans should stop by Backing The Pack. For more March Madness news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
North Carolina State finished the first half of their quarterfinal game against Virginia with a 36-32 lead.
With half a minute left in the half, Virginia had a 33-32 lead. Scott Wood hit a three-point shot for the Wolfpack a second left on the clock to take the lead back. He added another point on a free throw to end the half. It has been that kind of game in Atlanta.
C.J. Leslie leads North Carolina State with 10 points and six rebounds. Leslie is the only player on either team with double digit scoring through the first half. He is a perfect five-for-five from the field.
Joe Harris has nine points for the Cavaliers, hitting four of five free throws. Akil Mitchell and Mike Scott have each have eight points, and Mitchell lead the team with six rebounds.
The difference so far has been the Wolfpack's effectiveness from the field, hitting 59.3 percent of their shots. The Cavaliers are not too far behind with 52 percent. If the first half was any indication of what the second half will be like, this game could come down to the wire.
For more on this game Virginia fans should check out Streaking The Lawn and NC State fans should stop by Backing The Pack. For more March Madness news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
Even without John Henson since the first half of the game against the Maryland Terrapins in the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament, the North Carolina Tar Heels breezed past Maryland 85-69 on Friday afternoon.
The Tar Heels never really had trouble with the Terrapins, jumping out to a 36-26 halftime lead, with Tyler Zeller stepping up big for North Carolina in the first period.
Then, the Tar Heels just opened it up on the Terrapins, completely overwhelming them with what many experts considered to be the most talented team in the country coming into the season.
Terrell Stoglin had an outstanding performance for Maryland in the loss, with 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field, which included five three-pointers.
Harrison Barnes and Reggie Bullock scored 15 points apiece to lead the Tar Heels. Tyler Zeller and James Michael McAdoo each added 14 points.
North Carolina will play the winner of Virginia and the N.C. State Wolfpack in the ACC semifinal round.
For more information on the North Carolina Tar Heels visit Carolina March.
The Atlantic Coast Conference's top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels have jumped out to a 10-point halftime lead over the Maryland Terrapins at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Despite John Henson going down with a re-aggravated left wrist injury in the first half, the Tar Heels are led by Tyler Zeller who has 10 points at halftime, while Harrison Barnes has seven points.
North Carolina out-rebounded Maryland in the first half, 15-10, with Zeller leading the way with five boards. Barnes and Henson have each grabbed three rebounds.
For the Terrapins, Terrell Stoglin scored 13 first-half points, but cooled down towards the end of the period. The Tar Heels are shooting 37.5 percent from the field, while Maryland seems to be struggling, shooting only 28.6 percent from the field.
Henson is expected to receive x-rays on his left wrist, even though ESPN reported the wrist is not suspected to be broken.
For more information on the North Carolina Tar Heels, visit Carolina March. For more on the Maryland Terrapins, check out Testudo Times.
North Carolina Tar Heels John Henson re-aggravated a left wrist injury against the Maryland Terrapins in the ACC tournament on Friday, on which he suffered earlier in the season.
Henson is expected to undergo x-rays during halftime, though a live in-game report from ESPN's Erin Andrews indicated that Henson's wrist is not suspected to be broken.
The Tar Heels held a 32-35 lead over the Terrapins with 4:30 to go in the first half. With injuries to North Carolina, the depth of the Tar Heels' bench is being tested in the quarterfinal match-up.
Henson has three points and three rebounds so far in the first half. Maryland is getting a strong performance out of sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin who scored 13 points early in the first half.
To keep updated on the John Henson's injury and the ACC tournament, check out SB Nation Atlanta. For more on the North Carolina Tar Heels, visit Carolina March.
The Duke Blue Devils finished second in the ACC's regular season earning them the No. 2 seed in the 2012 ACC Tournament and a bye in the first round. The Blue Devils will open play on Friday against Virginia Tech who knocked off Clemson 68-63 in first-round action on Thursday.
Duke won both regular season matchups with the Hokies although they needed overtime in Blacksburg. Duke has won seven of its last eight games with the only loss coming against North Carolina in the finale of the regular season. Virginia Tech snapped a four game losing streak on Thursday with their victory over Clemson.
Complete ACC schedule here.
Game date/time: Friday, March 9, 7:00 pm ET
Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPN2
Online Streaming: ESPN3
For more on the ACC Championship, check out the official SB Nation ACC tournament stream. For more on Championship Week head on over to SB Nation's college basketball hub.
Miami is still alive on the bubble - SB Nation's latest bracketology post has the Hurricanes as the very last team in at the moment, after Miami beat Georgia Tech in the opening round of the ACC Tournament and teams like Northwestern and Washington lost. To cement their bid to the NCAA Tournament, Miami would need to upset locked at-large rival Florida State, who they split the season series with, most recently beating (78-62 in Coral Gables two weeks ago).
Date / Time: Friday, March 9, 9 p.m. ET
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ACC Network / ESPN2
Radio: FSU Radio Network, Miami Radio Network
Streaming: ESPN3
Line: n/a
Click here for a complete look at the 2012 ACC Tournament Bracket.
For more on the Florida State Seminoles, check out Tomahawk Nation. Miami news and info can be found at The 7th Floor, and for all your March Madness news and updates, head over to SB Nation's college basketball page.
The Virginia Cavaliers earned the No. 4 seed in and a first round bye in the 2012 ACC Basketball Tournament and will take on NC State in Friday action after the Wolfpack knocked off Boston College 78-57 on Thursday.
Virginia won the only regular season meeting between the two clubs 61-60. The Cavaliers and Wolfpack both finished 9-7 in conference play during the regular season. Virginia enters the tournament having lost two of its last three games. Counting Thursday's win over the Eagles, NC State has now won three straight games dating back to the final week of the regular season.
Game date/time: Friday, March 9, 2:00 pm ET
Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPN2
Online Streaming: ESPN3
For more on this game Virginia fans should check out Streaking The Lawn and NC State fans should stop by Backing The Pack. For more March Madness news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
ACC regular season champ North Carolina will open play in the 2012 ACC Tournament on Friday at noon when the Tar Heels take on Maryland. The Terrapins dumped Wake Forest in Thursday's opening round 82-60. Mark Turgeon was very pleased with his team's effort on Thursday.
"That's the best, most complete game we've played all year. We defended. We rebounded. We executed. We shared the ball." "We talked about just about dialing in and also having fun. I think the guys tried to have fun (Thursday). More importantly, they trusted their teammates on both ends of the floor. That's been a hard thing for us this year but (Thursday) we did it."
Complete ACC schedule here.
The Tar Heels are in search of a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and can help strengthen their case with a strong showing in the conference tournament this weekend.
Game date/time: Friday, March 9, 12 pm ET
Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPN2
Online Streaming: ESPN3
For more on this game North Carolina fans should check out Carolina March and Maryland fans should check out Testudo Times. For more March Madness news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
The first-round of the 2012 ACC Tournament saw three of the four higher seeds advance to the quarterfinals with only Virginia Tech pulling off the upset. The Hokies came from behind to defeat Clemson to set up Friday's matchup with Duke.
Maryland, N.C. State and Miami all prevailed over lower seeds to advance to Friday's quarterfinals. The Terrapins will take on North Carolina in the first game on Friday and will be followed by the Virginia-NC State matchup. Duke and Virginia Tech open the evening session while Florida State and Miami wrap things up on Friday.
Here is a look at the complete 2012 ACC Schedule:
First Round, Thursday, March 8
No. 8 Maryland 82 No. 9 Wake Forest 60
No. 5 N.C. State 78 No. 12 Boston College 57
No. 7 Clemson 63, No. 10 Virginia Tech 68
No. 6 Miami 54, No. 11 Georgia Tech 36
Quarterfinals, Friday, March 9
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 8 Maryland -- 12:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 5 N.C. State -- 2:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech -- 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 6 Miami -- 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
Semifinals, Saturday, March 10
Winners of Friday's early games -- 1:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Winners of Friday's late games -- 3:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Championship Game, Sunday, March 11
Semifinal winners -- 1:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Georgia Tech's offensive struggles finally caught up with them in the second half of their first-round 54-36 loss to Miami in the 2012 ACC Tournament. The Yellow Jackets took a 20-19 lead into halftime before getting outscored 35-16 in the second half.
For Tech there wasn't a lot of offense. Mfon Udofia ledd the way with 13 points while Brandon Reed chipped in 11. Jason Morris finished with five but was just 2-12 from the field and 0-5 from three-point range. Georgia Tech got zero points from its bench on the night.
Shane Larkin led Miami with 12 points while Durand Scott added 11. Rion Brown chipped in 10 points off the bench for the Hurricanes who advance to play Florida State in the second-round on Friday.
For more on this game Georgia Tech fans should check out From The Rumble Seat and Miami fans should stop by The 7th Floor. For more March Madness news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets got defensive in the first half of their 2012 ACC Tournament opener and take a 20-19 lead into halftime against the Miami Hurricanes. Neither team did a good job of cracking the others defense with both teams combining for the same number of made field goals as turnovers in the first half.
Georgia Tech hit 8-26 field goal attempts and is led by Mfon Udofia's eight points. Brandon Reed has five while Daniel Miller grabbed five rebounds and blocked four shots.
Miami hit just 6-25 attempts for 24 percent shooting. Durand Scott leads the Hurricanes with seven points while Kenny Kadji has four rebounds and two blocked shots.
For more on this game Georgia Tech fans should check out From The Rumble Seat and Miami fans should stop by The 7th Floor. For more March Madness news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
Virginia Tech came roaring back in the second half to defeat the Clemson Tigers 68-63 in the first round of the 2012 ACC Tournament. The Hokies trailed 35-30 at the half but came roaring back in the second and then held on at the end thanks to some struggles at the free throw line by Clemson.
Erick Green led the way for Virginia Tech with 24 points and five assists. Dorenzo Hudson added 19 points while Cadarian Raines added nine.
Devin Coleman scored 15 points to lead Clemson while Milton Jennings and Andre young each finished with 13. Tanner Smith chipped in 12 points, six boards and six assists.
With the win, Virginia Tech advances to the quarterfinals where they will take on Duke on Friday.
For more updates and results from the 2012 ACC Tournament, keep checking this StoryStream. For more on Virginia Tech, check out Gobbler Country. For Clemson news and info, head over to Shakin The Southland, and all your March Madness info can be found at SB Nation's college basketball page.
The Clemson Tigers lead the Virginia Tech Hokies by a score of 35-30 after the first half of play in Atlanta's Philips Arena in the first round of the ACC Conference Tournament. The winner of this game will go on to face the No. 2 seeded Duke Blue Devils Friday night at 7 p.m. (ET) in the tournament semifinals. Clemson and Virginia Tech split their two regular season meetings.
The Tigers were led by Andre Young, who scored 11 in the first half. Tanner Smith also added seven and Devin Coleman came off the bench to add eight. The Hokies were led by Dorenzo Hudson, who scored 10, Erick Green added nine and Robert Brown came off the bench to score three.
For updates on the Virginia Tech Hokies, head to Gobbler Country, and for more on the Clemson Tigers, go to Shaking The Southland. For more updates on the ACC Tournament, follow SB Nation Atlanta's StoryStream.
Two of the quarterfinal matchups are now set for the 2012 ACC Tournament. In the second tournament game in Atlanta on Thursday, the No. 5 seed N.C. State Wolfpack took on the No. 12 seed Boston College Eagles. From the early going, this game looked like the Wolfpack's to lose. N.C. State eventually proved their dominance, picking up the win and advancing by a final score of 78-57.
The Wolfpack took a 37-24 lead into the half. In the second half, N.C. State kept giving Boston College opportunities to climb back into it, but the Eagles were unable to capitalize. The Wolfpack extended their lead and held on for the win. .
Scott Wood led Wolfpack scorers with 22 points. Ryan Anderson had 22 points for Boston College in the losing effort, also picking up a double-double with 12 rebounds.
The Wolfpack of this game will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday, where they will face off against the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers.
For the complete 2012 ACC Tournament schedule and bracket, please click right here.
For more updates and results from the 2012 ACC Tournament, keep checking this StoryStream. For more on the NC State Wolfpack, check out Backing The Pack. For Boston College news and info, head over to BC Interruption, and all your March Madness info can be found at SB Nation's college basketball page.
The first round of the 2012 ACC Tournament opened up on Thusday at Philips Arena in Atlanta. In the second game of the conference championship tournament, the No. 12 seed Boston College Eagles (9-21, 4-12 ACC) are taking on the No. 5 seed N.C. State Wolfpack (20-11, 9-7 ACC). Through the first half, it has been all Wolfpack, as they hold a 37-24 lead at the half.
N.C. State opened the game by going on a 23-6 run, including scoring the first 14 points of the game unanswered. The Eagles have often looked just as hopeless as that stretch of play would indicate. They managed to close the gap a bit, but still trail by 13 points entering the break. Scott Wood of N.C. State leads all scorers with 14 points.
The winner of this game will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday, where they will face off against the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers.
For the complete 2012 ACC Tournament schedule and bracket, please click right here.
For more updates and results from the 2012 ACC Tournament, keep checking this StoryStream. For more on the NC State Wolfpack, check out Backing The Pack. For Boston College news and info, head over to BC Interruption, and all your March Madness info can be found at SB Nation's college basketball page.
The opening game of the 2012 ACC men's basketball tournament started out as a close contest and ended up as a 20-point blowout. The No. 8 seed Maryland Terrapins opened up a big lead in the second half and coasted to an 82-60 win over the No. 9 seed Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The Terps now keep their conference championship hopes alive for at least one more round.
Wake Forest kept the game somewhat close in the first half, only trailing by five points entering halftime. The Terps piled on 46 points in the second half.
Terrell Stoglin of the Terrapins led all scorers with 25 points, also picking up seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Nick Faust added 19 points in the winning effort. On the Wake Forest side, Travis McKie put up 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Maryland will have a tougher time in the quarterfinals on Friday, as they go up against No. 1 seeds the North Carolina Tar Heels.
For updates and coverage of the 2012 ACC Tournament, keep checking this StoryStream For more on the Maryland Terrapins, check out Testudo Times. For Wake Forest news and info, head over to Blogger So Dear, and catch all the news on March Madness at SB Nation's NCAA basketball hub.
The 2012 ACC Tournament is underway at Phillips Arena in Atlanta. The opening match has tipped off between the No. 8 seed Maryland Terrapins and the No. 9 seed Wake Forest Demon Deacons. At halftime, the Terps hold a 36-31 lead.
Wake Forest (13-17, 4-12 ACC) managed to keep the game close throughout the first half against Maryland (16-14, 6-10 ACC) and it could be argued that the Demon Deacons are playing better basketball than their regular-season record would indicate. They trail by just five during the break.
Wake Forest guard C.J. Harris is leading all scorers through the first half with 13 points. No Maryland players have reached double-digits in scoring as of yet. Terrell Stoglin has put up nine points and Nick Faust has eight.
For updates and coverage of the 2012 ACC Tournament, keep checking this StoryStream For more on the Maryland Terrapins, check out Testudo Times. For Wake Forest news and info, head over to Blogger So Dear, and catch all the news on March Madness at SB Nation's NCAA basketball hub.
The first round of the 2012 ACC Tournament kicks off in Atlanta on Thursday. One of the first-round matchups will put the seventh-seeded Clemson Tigers (16-14, 8-8 ACC) against the No. 10 seed Virginia Tech Hokies (15-16, 4-12 ACC). Both teams will be trying to advance and keep their hopes alive for a conference championship and a trip to the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
The two teams faced off twice before in the regular season and traded home wins. The Hokies picked up a 67-65 win in early February and Clemson got their revenge with a 58-56 victory on March 1. Thurday's opening-round tourney face-off should be another close one between these two teams.
The winner of this game will go on to face the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Game date/time: Thursday, March 8, 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPNU/ACC Network
You can find the full ACC Tournament schedule and bracket by clicking right here.
For updates and coverage of the 2012 ACC Tournament, keep checking this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the Clemson Tigers, please visit Shakin the Southland. For updates and perspective on the Virginia Tech Hokies, head on over to Gobbler Country. For more March Madness news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball hub.
NC State likely needs a few wins to bolster their resume for the NCAA Tournament when they begin play against Boston College - a team they've already swept this season - Thursday in the ACC Tournament in Atlanta.
Backing The Pack breaks down NC State's chances, pointing at turnovers and scoring from the post:
NC State needs to take better care of the basketball and do a better job of attacking the rim against Boston College. Lorenzo Brown had an unusually rough performance up in Chestnut Hill, but I expect that to change. Calvin Leslie and Richard Howell have got to pace this team inside, and State needs to be more focused on finding them opportunities; the Pack has hit 54.5% of its twos against BC this year.
BC Interruption and Backing The Pack got together to preview the game, and the Pack crew sized up the Eagles as such:
Boston College was much better on the defensive glass in the second game, and that coupled with some poor shooting by NC State helped keep the Eagles in the game despite another blah effort at the offensive end. If they're going to pull off the upset, the good defensive rebounding needs to continue. The obvious thing in BC's case is of course the three-point shooting, and they'll certainly need to improve in that area to win the game.
Date / Time: Thursday, March 8, 2 p.m. ET
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ACC Network / ESPNU
Radio: NC State Radio Network, BC Radio Network
Streaming: ESPN3
Line: NC State (-12.5)
For more on the NC State Wolfpack, check out Backing The Pack. For Boston College news and info, head over to BC Interruption, and all your March Madness info can be found at SB Nation's college basketball page.
Maryland and Wake Forest will tip off the first game of the ACC Tournament in Atlanta around lunchtime Thursday, with the Deacs and Terps both looking to improve their NCAA resumes.
Wake Forest blog Blogger So Dear points to the stunning disparity in free throw attempts Wake had the last time they played Maryland as a key to the game:
If Wake is going to win tomorrow, then they simply cannot have 24 fewer free throw attempts than their opponent -- which is exactly what happened last time Wake played Maryland. Additionally, Wake is going to have to shoot better than 29 percent from the three-point line. Chase Fischer must do better than 1-7 from the field, including 1-5 from three. Furthermore, C.J. Harris has to do better than 10 points on 11 field goal attempts.
Maryland blog Testudo Times predicts a close, tired game for a Terps team suffering a long season (and gives some key gambling advice!)
I don't think I can see Maryland running away with this game - they seemed too tired, both physically and mentally. It's been a long slog of a season for this bunch, and while a blowout would be a cathartic experience, it's not likely. But I can see them winning by single digits if they're well-rested and focused, or lose by a fair amount if they play like the first twenty minutes of the Virginia game. I'll be the optimist and say they win it, 74-68. Oh, and of note: two worst defenses in the ACC are meeting today. Take the over.
Date / Time: Thursday, March 8, Noon ET
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ACC Network / ESPNU
Radio: WF Radio Network, Maryland Radio Network, SiriusXM 85
Streaming: ESPN3
Line: Maryland (-4)
For more on the Maryland Terrapins, check out Testudo Times. For Wake Forest news and info, head over to Blogger So Dear, and catch all the news on March Madness at SB Nation's NCAA basketball page.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Miami Hurricanes will close out the first day of the 2012 ACC Tournament at Philips Arena. The Yellow Jackets struggled their way to a 11-19 regular season record and were 4-12 in ACC play. Miami finished 18-11 and was 9-7 in conference play.
Miami won the lone regular season meeting between the two clubs 64-49 at Philips Arena. Mfon Udofia led the Yellow Jackets with 14 points in that game while Glen Rice added 13. Rice has since been suspended by the team and will not play on Thursday.
Game date/time: Thursday, March 8, 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPNU/ACC Network
Radio: 790 The Zone
For more on this game Georgia Tech fans should check out From The Rumble Seat and Miami fans should stop by The 7th Floor. For more March Madness news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
The 2012 ACC Tournament will get under way on Thursday at 12 p.m. with first round action from Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Maryland and Wake Forest will kick off the day's action and will be followed by N.C. Sate and Boston College.
Clemson and Virginia Tech will open up the evening session with the home standing Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets taking on Miami to close things out. Thursday's winners will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday where they will face the top four finishers in the regular season standings who all earned first-round byes in the tournament.
The full schedule is included below. All times are Eastern.
First Round, Thursday, March 8
No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 9 Wake Forest -- 12:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 5 N.C. State vs. No. 12 Boston College -- 2:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 7 Clemson vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech -- 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 6 Miami vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech -- 9:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
Quarterfinals, Friday, March 9
No. 1 North Carolina vs. 8/9 winner -- 12:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 4 Virginia vs. 5/12 winner -- 2:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 2 Duke vs. 7/10 winner -- 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 3 Florida State vs. 6/11 winner -- 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
Semifinals, Saturday, March 10
Winners of Friday's early games -- 1:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Winners of Friday's late games -- 3:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Championship Game, Sunday, March 11
Semifinal winners -- 1:00 p.m. (ESPN)
The final game of Thursday's 2012 ACC Tournament session pits Georgia Tech against Miami. The Hurricanes captured the No. 6 seed by going 18-11 overall and 9-7 in the ACC. Georgia Tech struggled throughout most of its season finishing 11-19 and 4-12 in conference play which was good enough for the eleventh seed.
Miami went 3-4 over its last seven games and won the only regular season matchup against the Yellow Jackets. The Hurricanes are led by Durand Scott (13.0 ppg) and Kenny Kadji (12.9 ppg).
Georgia Tech learned on Monday that the suspension of leading scorer Glen Rice Jr will extend into the ACC tournament. Interestingly, the Yellow Jackets won two of their last three games to escape last place in the conference without Rice. Head coach Brian Gregory has weathered the storm during his first season on the bench and has battled depth issues the entire season which are magnified without Rice.
Tip off from Philips Arena is scheduled for 9 pm on Thursday and the game will be televised on ESPNU.
For more on this game Georgia Tech fans should check out From The Rumble Seat and Miami fans should visit The 7th Floor. For more college basketball news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
The third game of the 2012 ACC Tournament is a matchup of seventh seed Clemson against tenth seeded Virginia Tech. The Tigers finished 8-8 in conference play and 16-14 overall while Virginia Tech was 15-16 but just 4-12 in ACC play.
Clemson enters the tournament having won three of its last four games including a 58-56 win over the Hokies on March 1. The two teams split the season series with each team winning on its home floor. Virginia Tech won the first matchup 67-65 at the beginning of February.
Clemson is led by Andre Young's 13.3 points per game. Tanne Smith averages 11.1 points and a team high 4.1 assists per contest while Devin Booker adds some muscle inside averaging 10.7 points and 7.0 rebounds.
Virginia Tech has lost four straight games entering the tournament including a lackluster 70-58 loss to N.C. State on senior day this past weekend. Erick Green leads the team with 15.3 average and Dorian Finney-Smith averages a team-high 6.8 rebounds.
For more on this game Clemson fans should check out Shakin The Southland and Virginia Tech fans should take a look at Gobbler Country. For more college basketball news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
The second game of Thursday's opening round of the 2012 ACC Tournament will feature a matchup of fifth seeded N.C. State against the twelfth seed Boston College. The Wolfpack finished with a 20-11 record overall and a 9-7 conference mark which new coach Mark Gottfried is hoping is enough to get his club into this year's NCAA Tournament. N.C. State can help state its case with a win or two this week in Atlanta.
N.C. State boasted a balanced offensive attack with five different players averaging double figure points led by C.J. Leslie's 14.3. Leslie also led the team in rebounding averaging 7.1 boards per contest. The Wolfpack beat up on the bottom half of the league going 6-1 against the bottom four teams in the league. Conversely they were 0-5 against the top four teams.
Boston College struggled its way through a 9-21 regular season going 4-12 in conference play. The Eagles lost five of its last six games. N.C. State won both regular season matchups against the Eagles.
For more on this game N.C. State fans should check out Backing The Pack while Boston College fans should take a look at BC Interruption. For more college basketball news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
The first game of the 2012 ACC Tournament will feature the eighth seeded Maryland Terrapins taking on the ninth seed in Wake Forest. Maryland finished the season with a 16-14 overall record and 6-10 in conference play. The Demon Deacons suffered through a 13-17 campaign and were 4-12 in the ACC.
Neither team enters the tournament playing well with both riding three game losing streaks. Maryland has lost seven of its last 10 games while Wake won just twice in its last 10. Maryland won the only meeting between the two clubs during the regular season 70-64.
Maryland is led by sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin who is averaging 21.2 points per game. Mark Turgeon successfully navigated a difficult situation replacing Maryland legend Gary Williams on the bench and leading the Terps to a winning record despite a lack of depth particularly in its front court signaling that there are better days to come.
C.J. Harris (16.8 ppg) and Travis McKie (15.9 ppg) give the Demon Deacons a solid pair of scorers but they battled season long struggles defensively under coach Jeff Bzdelik.
Tip off for the game is scheduled for noon on Thursday and will be televised on ESPNU. The winner will advance to take on top seeded North Carolina on Friday.
For more on this game Maryland fans should check out Testudo Times and Wake Forest fans should take a look at Blogger So Dear. For more college basketball news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's College Basketball page.
In a few years, the ACC tournament's format could look a little different that what we've become accustomed to. For as long as the conference has had 12 teams in the conference, the conference's basketball championship tournament would allow the top four teams a bye while the other eight would have to play their way into the quarterfinals.
Of course, all that will change in a few years as the ACC expands to 14 teams. Could the conference expand to 16? ACC Comissioner John Swofford was interviewed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday as he made his arrival for the 2012 ACC basketball tournament. Here are Swofford's thoughts about conference realignment and the changing landscape of college athletics:
"I hope it will settle down for a while. I think the whole collegiate enterprise needs that. It's been kind of a traumatic time in recent years, and the effects have been nationwide. I've been in this business over 35 years, and I've never seen the sense of instability that was there a year to two years ago. There were things that happened –- and some things that almost happened but didn't -- that were somewhat unthinkable." -- John Swofford
Later on in the full interview, Swafford discussed his thoughts on a four-team playoff and the opportunity for additional revenue for the conference and its members. I don't think fans in the ACC will complain much, as long as their basketball doesn't suffer in the process.
For more on the ACC Championship, check out the official SB Nation ACC tournament stream. For more on Championship Week head on over to SB Nation's college basketball hub.
Georgia Tech guard Glen Rice Jr. still suspended through ACC tournament, according to head coach Brian Gregory.
The North Carolina Tar Heels won the regular season ACC title after they defeated the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday, 88-70. The loss for Duke put them as the No. 2 seed for the ACC tournament, which begins in Atlanta this Thursday. Other games that affected seeding on Sunday included Virginia defeating Maryland in overtime, the win shot Virginia up to the No. 4 seed and gave them a first round bye.
Georgia Tech finished with a four-way tie for the No. 9 spot in the ACC, but earned the No. 11 seed for the conference tournament.
The bracket is set for the 2012 ACC Tournament. It is being held at Philips Arena, beginning on Thursday, with the top four seeds earning byes. Those teams will begin play on Friday.
The four teams to earn a bye are the North Carolina Tar Heels, who earned the top seed after having a conference record of 14-2, followed by the Duke Blue Devils, Florida St. Seminoles and Virginia Cavaliers. Georgia Tech locked down the No. 11 seed and will be playing Miami in the late game on Thursday night.
Here is the complete bracket:
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Tournament Schedule
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Thursday, March 8 - First Round
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| Game | Matchup | Time | Coverage |
| 1 | #8 Maryland vs. #9 Wake Forest | noon | ESPNU/ACC Network |
| 2 | #5 NC State vs. #12 Boston College | 2 p.m. | ESPNU/ACC Network |
| 3 | #7 Clemson vs. #10 Virginia Tech | 7 p.m. | ESPNU/ACC Network |
| 4 | #6 Miami vs. #11 Georgia Tech | 9 p.m. | ESPNU/ACC Network |
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Friday, March 9 - Quarterfinals
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| Game | Matchup | Time | Coverage |
| 5 | #1 North Carolina vs. Game 1 winner | noon | ESPN2/ACC Network |
| 6 | #4 Virginia vs. Game 2 winner | 2 p.m. | ESPN2/ACC Network |
| 7 | #2 Duke vs. Game 3 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN2/ACC Network |
| 8 | #3 Florida State vs. Game 4 winner | 9 p.m. | ESPN2/ACC Network |
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Saturday, March 10 - Semifinals
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| Game | Matchup | Time | Coverage |
| 9 | ACC Semifinal 1 | 1 p.m. | ESPN/ACC Network |
| 10 | ACC Semifinal 2 | 3 p.m. | ESPN/ACC Network |
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Sunday, March 11 - Championship
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| Game | Matchup | Time | Coverage |
| 11 | Championship Game | 1 p.m. | ESPN/ACC Network |
For more on Championship Week head on over to SB Nation's college basketball hub.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wrapped up their ACC season on a positive note by defeating Wake Forest on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets will be the No. 11 seed in next week's ACC Tournament.
Continue
The 2012 ACC Basketball Tournament arrives in Atlanta next week.
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The Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels are on a collision course with each other to decide who will be ACC regular season champions.
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How do we explain the decline of ACC basketball? Here are four possibilities.
Photographs by coka_koehler used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.
Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
(updated 3.4.2012 at 1:20 AM MST)
For more on Championship Week head on over to SB Nation's college basketball hub.