/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71987339/usa_today_19660363.0.jpg)
The NCAA Tournament Top 16 seeds will be unveiled tomorrow afternoon, giving us our first glimpse at this year’s March Madness teams. While the Syracuse Orange aren’t near that conversation, a couple of ACC teams could be included in this group as we are three weeks away from Selection Sunday.
Tomorrow at 12:30 pm EST on CBS, the NCAA Bracket Preview Show will reveal the current top 16 seeds. Tournament Committee chair Chris Reynolds will be in-studio for the reveal, with the CBS broadcast team of Greg Gumbel, Clark Kellogg, Jay Wright, and #disloyalidiot Seth Davis. The show will list the top-four seeds in each region as things stand entering this weekend’s games.
Using odds from our friends at DraftKings, Virginia boasts the 11th-best odds in the country to make the Final Four at +550. Here are the odds DraftKings has for ACC teams and their likelihood to at least make the Final Four:
Virginia +550
North Carolina +800
Duke +1100
Miami (FL) + 1600
Pittsburgh +3000
Interestingly, Duke and North Carolina still have higher championship odds over Miami despite (really) down years for both those programs. The Hurricanes boast an impressive resume to date, while the lack of consistency for the Blue Devils and Tar Heels has hurt both teams at least in the AP poll and ESPN’s bracketology projections. Vegas still thinks we could see some late-season runs by Duke, North Carolina, and a handful of ACC teams like Pittsburgh and NC State, with the latter of those teams possessing long-shot odds of +3000 or higher to reach the Final Four
Out of the legit championship favorites according to Vegas, Duke projects as the only high-upside opportunity for the Orange’s resume before the ACC Tournament. It might be a good thing for Syracuse if they get another opportunity at Virginia or Miami in Greensboro.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24440041/usa_today_20004410.jpg)
Teams to Watch For:
#7 Virginia Cavaliers (20-4, 12-3)
In an overall down year for the ACC as a whole, Virginia boasts the best all-around resume in the conference. The Cavaliers rank 16th in NET, which 14 spots ahead of the next-best ACC team (Miami, 30th) with nine combined Q1 and Q2 wins. Virginia also projects to finish as a three-seed in the latest bracket from our friend Chris Dobbertean at Blogging the Bracket. The Cavaliers are far and away the biggest favorite to secure a top-16 seed in the ACC.
Some of the Cavaliers’ notable wins include victories over #9 Baylor, Illinois (projected five-seed), Michigan on the road (projected seven-seed), and #23 NC State.
#15 Miami Hurricanes (21-5, 12-4)
There isn’t an obvious second-best choice, but the Hurricanes are quietly entering this weekend scorching hot with five-straight wins, including road victories over Clemson and North Carolina (both considered “Last Four Byes” programs) and a dominant 81-59 triumph over Duke. Miami is 9-4 combined against Q1 and Q2 programs with one bad loss to Georgia Tech. Similar to Virginia, ‘Cuse was on upset alert on the road against the Hurricanes before blowing a second-half lead.
In terms of possessing all three of a quality resume, great overall and conference record, and high standing among AP voters, you can’t go wrong with Miami as the possible second team on the board, with the Hurricanes projected to finish as a five-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina, Duke, NC State, Clemson, and Pittsburgh
None of these programs boast a resume even close to consideration for a top-16 tournament seed, but you know CBS will discuss extensively the context of the ACC and the general lack of depth within the conference. All of the teams are currently projected to be squarely on the bubble in the final three weeks. In a best-case scenario for the ACC’s credibility, both Virginia and Miami find their way into the top-16 and six other schools are able to earn a shot in the final 68.
***
Now it’s your turn: how many ACC teams will be selected into the top-16, and what does it say about the ACC’s quality of play this year? Leave your thoughts down below.
Odds/lines are subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
Loading comments...