Syracuse men’s basketball: Early ACC Tournament bracket preview

Welcome in, Syracuse Orange football fans!

The ACC Tournament is now just three weeks away as conference play is starting to wind down and conference standings are beginning to crystalize. Teams still have five or six conference games remaining—much can happen between now and Greensboro—but a solid top, middle and bottom has formed in the league that should hold through February.

If conference play ended today, here’s how the ACC Tournament field would look based on conference standings:

Pittsburgh would take the overall No. 1 seed despite being tied with Virginia at 11-3 in conference. The Panthers won the head-to-head meeting with the Cavaliers which gives them the top spot.

Syracuse is currently in a three way tie with tobacco road at 8-6 in the league, but would still be ninth based on seeding. Per ACC Tournament seeding rule 3.3.2.2. procedure 1C:

c. If three or more teams are tied in the standings, the following procedure will be used: 1) The combined record in conference games between the tied teams involved will be compiled. Ties will be broken and seeds assigned based on the winning percentage of the combined conference records. The higher winning percentage shall prevail, even if the number of games played against the team or group is unequal (e.g., 2-0 is better than 3-1; 1-0 is the same as 2-0; 2-0 is the same as 4-0; 2

That means Duke takes the No. 7 seed as the Blue Devils are 1-0 against the group (North Carolina) while North Carolina is 1-1 and Syracuse is 0-1.

Syracuse will be battling with the state of North Carolina as it relates to conference tournament seeding as Wake Forest is just a half game ahead of the Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse group and N.C. State is a game and a half up. Syracuse will play N.C. State and Duke this week and Wake Forest to end the conference season, all of which could have major conference tournament seeding implications. The Wolfpack has a game at Syracuse this week and still has to play North Carolina and at Duke.

It’s hard to think any of the 8-6 teams will fall below Boston College or Florida State and into the first round of ACC Tournament play. Boston College and Florida State are both 2.5 games behind Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse.

Notes on Syracuse in the ACC Tournament

• Syracuse is 5-7 all-time in the ACC Tournament since joining the league in 2013-14
• Syracuse has never advanced past the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals
• Syracuse’s ACC Tournament seeding by number of appearances:
  - two seed: 1
  - six seed: 2
  - eight seed: 2
  - nine seed: 2
  - 11 seed: 1
• Syracuse has faired best in the ACC Tournament as a six seed, going 2-1.
• Three Syracuse players have earned all ACC Tournament team selections: Frank Howard, Buddy Boeheim and Jimmy Boeheim