2018 ACC Tournament: Who to Root For on Day 2

It’s the first full day of the ACC Tournament, although Virginia still doesn’t play until tomorrow. The four games today though, are worth watching as there’s a more likely impact on the plucky Cavaliers than yesterday’s play-in games, so pay attention. In case you aren’t sure who to root for, here’s a handy guide. Do you disagree with our suggestions? Let us know why you’re wrong below.

Game 4

Who: #9 Louisville Cardinals vs #8 Florida State Seminoles
When: Noon
Hoo To Root For: FSU
Why: Virginia gets the winner of this game tomorrow at noon. At this point, we all know what happened last week in Louisville. The Hoos also handled Louisville at home by 10. And though they won at Florida State by just four points, they didn’t play particularly well in that game. Kyle Guy shot 5-of-19 and Ty Jerome had just two assists. Furthermore, there’s the age-old idea that it is tough to beat a good team 3 times in one year. Louisville is, probably, more talented than FSU, so we’d rather see the Hoos face the ‘Noles. There was some debate among STL writers about this.

Game 5

Who: #12 Boston College Eagles vs #5 North Carolina State Wolfpack
When: 2 PM
Hoo To Root For: NC State
Why: If Virginia gets by their quarterfinal game, they’ll get the winner of this game or Clemson. Virginia held Clemson to just 36 points at JPJ back in January, although that was Clemson’s first game without Donte Grantham. They’ve now had a chance to get used to his absence. Considering how unlikely it is that BC wins 2 more games, the Hoos (assuming they get past their quarterfinal matchup) are likely to get Clemson or NC State. The Hoos would prefer that opponent is coming off a tough, close-fought game, and that is more likely with NC State facing Clemson than it is with BC facing Clemson in their third game in as many days.

Game 6

Who: #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs #7 Virginia Tech Hokies
When: 7PM
Hoo To Root For: Notre Dame
Why: Considering the Wahoos’ lone conference loss came to Virginia Tech, I want nothing to do with them in Brooklyn. Let’s get them out of this tournament as quickly as possible. Also, I’m not about to root for the Hokies. Notre Dame, with Bonzie Colson healthy, is a very good team and could possibly knock off the Blue Devils in the next round.

Game 7

Who: #11 Syracuse Orange vs #6 North Carolina Tar Heels
When: 7PM
Hoo To Root For: UNC
Why: There is some debate here. On one hand, getting UNC out of the ACC Tourney is always a benefit. But on the other hand, UNC could knock off Duke, and Duke is more dangerous than UNC. UNC beat Duke once, and held a double-digit lead in last Saturday’s game. The Hoos handled Carolina way back in early January. Most Virginia fans would find it difficult to root for UNC, though the same could be said for Syracuse. Objectively, keeping the other side of the bracket strong helps the Hoos, so we’re going to say root for the Heels to hang around.