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Today’s ACC Tournament late game determines who the Hoos will face tomorrow. The other two games today will almost definitely not matter to the Hoos, because those teams aren’t going to last long enough to face the Hoos. Still, we will provide cheering guides for every game. And if you’re worried less about who you should cheer for and more about who you should bet on, follow the Gambling Guide.
Game 1: #12 Clemson Tigers vs #13 North Carolina State Wolfpack
Hoo to root for: Clemson
Why: Because Clemson still has a shot to get into the NCAAs. Every extra ACC team that gets into the tournament is good for the Hoos. The Tigers are ranked #6 on KenPom, but are 66th in RPI. A win today gets them a game against a beat up Duke team. A win there would almost definitely get them in. NCState has zero shot.
Editor's Note: This game is already over at publishing time, and Clemson won. So good job, everyone. We did it.
Game 2: #10 Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs #15 Boston College Eagles
Hoo to root for: Wake Forest
Why: Basically the same reason as above. Right now, the Deacons are on the bubble, even with an RPI of 28. A loss to BC would likely knock them out, whereas a win might clinch it. A win over BC gets Wake a game against Virginia Tech, who they just beat in Blacksburg this past weekend. Two wins would surely make the Deacons a lock.
Game 3: #11 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs #14 Pittsburgh Panthers
Hoo to root for: Pitt
Why: Georgia Tech is on the bubble. A win over Pitt isn’t going to get them off the bubble. But a win over Virginia might. Pitt is out and they’ll have nothing to play for. This is a tough call though, because Pitt has already beaten the Hoos this year (somehow) and GT hasn’t. The Jackets are also terrible on the road (h/t Matt), and might be a better matchup for the Hoos. For now, I’m going to go with the team that has lost 4 in a row, including a 25-point loss to the Hoos on Saturday.
There’s your Day 1 cheering guide. Check back tomorrow for Day 2.