CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 15. Up next: The ACC Tournament.
After a few years where the ACC has failed to make a huge mark on the NCAA Tournament, this season was different. Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Virginia, Miami, and Clemson all enter the ACC Tournament as locks to make the big dance. NC State and SMU are still on the right side of the bubble, while Virginia Tech, Stanford, and Cal are looking to go on runs to boost their resumes.
And you can look to an ACC that wasn’t necessarily top-heavy. While Duke was certainly the best team in the regular season, a full-strength UNC team wasn’t far behind. The rest of the projected tournament teams all had their moments.
The team of the year might be Virginia, as Ryan Odom looks like he has that program back to being elite in the conference. Miami also had a very strong first year under Jai Lucas, as both coaches have great resumes for the ACC Coach of the Year.
As far as the ACC Tournament goes, everyone is chasing Duke, but with a handful of teams looking to improve their cases on the bubble, anything can happen in Charlotte!
2026 ACC Awards
Player of the Year: Cameron Boozer, Duke
Freshman of the Year: Cameron Boozer, Duke
Transfer of the Year: Malik Reneau, Miami-Fla
Coach of the Year: Ryan Odom, Virginia
First Team:
- G: Boopie Miller, SMU (19.4 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 42.4 3P%)
- G: Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville (18.2 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 34.4 3P%)
- G: Ebuka Okorie, Stanford (23.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 36.1 3P%)
- F: Cameron Boozer, Duke (22.7 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 58.3 FG%, 40.7 3P%)
- F: Caleb Wilson, North Carolina (19.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.4 BPG, 57.8 FG%)
Second Team:
- G: Ryan Conwell, Louisville (18.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 35.4 3P%)
- G: Quadir Copeland, NC State (13.7 PPG, 6.6 APG, 3.5 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 49.6 FG%, 40.4 3P%)
- F: Juke Harris, Wake Forest (21.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG)
- F: Malik Reneau, Miami-Fla (19.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 55.9 FG%, 36.5 3P%)
- F: Henri Veesaar, North Carolina (16.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.2 BPG, 61.4 FG%, 41.5 3P%)
2026 ACC Tournament Simulation
First Round – Tuesday, Mar. 10
10. Stanford (20-11, 9-9) vs. 15. Pitt (12-19, 5-13) – 2 p.m. on ACC Network
This is a very critical game for a Stanford team likely still in need of a bit of a run in the ACC Tournament to keep on playing in March. The Cardinal lost a few bad games during the year, despite wins over North Carolina and Louisville, and that might keep them out. So can Pitt play spoiler? Their best chance is controlling the boards, but the Panthers have struggled in that department, too. And they’d have to shut down Ebuka Okorie, who had 34 points the last time these teams played. I’m not counting on that.
Mat’s pick: 10. Stanford
11. SMU (19-12, 8-10) vs. 14. Syracuse (15-16, 6-12) – 4:30 p.m. on ACC Network
Syracuse beat SMU in the regular season, but the Orange have been one of the worst teams in the country ever since, losing five in a row since that win over the Mustangs. Boopie Miller and co. are also playing for their March Madness lives and can’t afford a crushing loss here.
Mat’s pick: 11. SMU
12. Virginia Tech (19-12, 8-10) vs. 13. Wake Forest (16-15, 7-11) – 7 p.m. on ACC Network
The final game in Charlotte features a Wake Forest team that played worse than expected this year, and a Virginia Tech team also looking to make a last-ditch effort at an at-large bid for March Madness. Slowing down Juke Harris is the key there, but Myles Colvin could also erupt unannounced. I’ll take a minor upset and say Wake knocks the Hokies out of the ACC Tournament and the big dance.
Mat’s pick: 13. Wake Forest
Second Round – Wednesday, Mar. 11
7. NC State (19-12, 10-8) vs. 10. Stanford – Noon on ESPN or ESPN2
How many games does Stanford have in them? I say let’s keep the party rolling! NC State has lost four straight, including the season finale to the Cardinal, and might be feeling the pressure as a team just inside most bracketology projections heading into Champ Week. March tournaments are all about certain players becoming heroes, and I’m looking at Ebuka Okorie as a prime example.
Mat’s pick: 10. Stanford
6. Louisville (22-9, 11-7) vs. 11. SMU – 2:30 p.m. on ESPN or ESPNU
This would be an outstanding second-round game of the ACC Tournament, as SMU could potentially lock up an NCAA Tournament bid, and Louisville could look to improve its seeding with a run. At the beginning of the year I was all in on the Mustangs making a long run in March, and while they haven’t shown Final Four ability, I’m not losing hope until they are officially eliminated. This also has the makings of a first-to-80 type of game, and after a potential tune-up win over Syracuse, I’m liking another SMU win here.
Mat’s pick: 11. SMU
8. Florida State (17-14, 10-8) vs. 9. Cal (21-10, 9-9) – 7 p.m on ESPN2 or ESPNU
It’s unbelievable how Florida State managed to get the 8 seed in the ACC Tournament, starting the season 8-12, but going 9-2 ever since. Still, they’ll need a long run to convince the committee of getting an at-large bid, and that’ll start against a sneaky good Cal team. And here’s the thing – Cal knows how to get to the free throw line, and FSU has had a tendency to foul. Although they cleaned it up a bit in ACC play, I like Cal’s style to get the win here.
Mat’s pick: 9. Cal
5. Clemson (22-9, 12-6) vs. 13. Wake Forest – 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU
While Juke Harris was enough to convince me to pick Wake over VTech, it won’t move the needle against this Clemson team. They’ve had their moments, but at their best, they’re one of the top defensive teams in the country. The Demon Deacons exposed them a few weeks back during Clemson’s four-game skid, but they’ve since won two of three and seemed to turn things back in their favor.
Mat’s pick: 5. Clemson
Quarterfinals – Thursday, Mar. 12
2. Virginia (27-4, 15-3) vs. 10. Stanford – Noon on ESPN or ESPN2
If you haven’t been able to tell yet, I’m a fan of this Stanford team and especially Ebuka Okorie. But they’ll need a perfect game plan to win three games in three days and against UVA in the quarters. And because of Stanford’s rebounding woes and Virginia’s ability to create second-chance opportunities, the run ends here.
Mat’s pick: 2. Virginia
3. Miami-Fla (24-7, 13-5) vs. 11. SMU – 2:30 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
In conference play, SMU shot 40.3% from deep while Miami was 16th in three-point defense and not a knock-down team in their own right. The Mustangs will have to pony up on defense, but I think they’ll win the battle of two great scoring teams and potentially clinch the at-large bid they’re looking for.
Mat’s pick: 11. SMU
1. Duke (29-2, 17-1) vs. 9. Cal – 7 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
Cal’s interior defensive woes don’t even have me second-guessing this game. The Blue Devils won the rebounding war 38 to 22 in the regular season, and with a virtual home game, Cal would need a miracle from above to win this game.
Mat’s pick: 1. Duke
4. North Carolina (24-7, 12-6) vs. 5. Clemson – 9:30 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN
Without Caleb Wilson, UNC’s been able to keep itself afloat, but they’ve clearly lost a step. They beat Clemson on Mar. 3 at home, but in a tight one, and on a neutral floor where the Duke fans left in the building will quickly become Tigers fans, it’s an easy pick for me this time around.
Mat’s pick: 5. Clemson
Semifinals – Friday, Mar. 13
2. Virginia vs. 11. SMU – 7 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
In March, you need guards, and SMU’s got that in Boopie Miller, Jaron Pierre, and BJ Edwards. But with Edwards out since leaving against Cal on Feb. 25, the team hasn’t had enough players step up. I think Virginia exposes that if Edwards is out, and as of Monday, we can’t count on him being available.
Mat’s pick: 2. Virginia
1. Duke vs. 5. Clemson – 9:30 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
While Clemson is getting closer to full form, even at their best, I couldn’t see them upsetting Duke in Charlotte. Duke’s draw is incredibly beneficial with UNC without Wilson and a Clemson team that peaked in January. Give me the Blue Devils by double digits.
Mat’s pick: 1. Duke
Championship – Saturday, Mar. 14
1. Duke vs. 2. Virginia – 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
While I didn’t go chalky in my ACC Tournament projections, I did end up pitting Duke and Virginia – the two most consistent teams from start to current – in the finals. But I can’t ignore UVA’s 26-point loss to Duke just on Feb. 28. Blue Devils coast to another ACC chip.
Mat’s pick: 1. Duke