The ACC Men's Basketball Championship is set to begin on Thursday at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. With the first game set to play beginning at Noon, many ACC fans will venture out to a local establishment to catch a bite to eat and view what this year's tournament will bring early on. Many in Raleigh will be anticipating the 7 pm game featuring the #10 UNC Tar Heels (16-15) taking on the #7 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (19-11), and then watching the 9 pm match-up between the #11 NC State Wolfpack (17-14) and the #6 Clemson Tigers (21-9).
#10 UNC Tar Heels vs. #7 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - 7 pm - ESPN2
The Tar Heels are still looking to find that one game when it can put together all of its youth and talent and combine it with its storied history to become the Carolina team that many fans had expected of the 2009 National champions. On paper both teams are very comparable as the Tar Heels' scoring average of 75.7 points narrowly edges the Yellow Jackets' 74.7 points average while the two teams' free throw percentages are more or less even - UNC (65.6%), Georgia Tech (65.4%). However, the big differential exists in turnover ratio as the Yellow Jackets turn the ball over less (-2) than the Tar Heels (-1.8), so ball control will be crucial for the Tar Heels to maintain in order to keep the game close and potentially pull out the win.
2009-2010 - 1/16 - Georgia Tech 73, UNC 71; 2/16 - Georgia Tech 68, UNC 51
#11 NC State Wolfpack vs. #6 Clemson Tigers - 9 pm - Raycom
Amongst NC State Wolfpack fans which team will show up against the Clemson Tigers will be the often-asked question. The Tigers hold a significant scoring average edge over the Wolfpack (73.8 vs. 68.3 points per game), and a narrow field goal shooting percentage difference (45.5 vs. 43.9). As the Pack is dangerous from three-point range if they get a hot hand going, its rebound and turnover margin does not play to its favor when matched up against the Tigers (2.1 vs. -0.4; 2.6 vs. -0.1). The key to the Wolfpack making this game an upset will be to put it all together as it did in late January when it scared the Tigers in their only regular-season match-up in Raleigh.
2009-2010 - 1/16 - Clemson 73, NC State 70
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