College Basketball: What to Watch for in Conference Tournaments
ACC
March 7th through March 11th, Barclays Center, New York City, ESPN
Team to Watch: Duke Blue Devils
The Blue Devils entered the year as the top-ranked team in the nation and the preseason favorite to win the ACC title. However due to injuries -- to both players and Coach Mike Krzyzewski -- the Blue Devils have had an up-and-down season in the ACC.
While they own a potentially explosive offense -- the Blue Devils were maddeningly inconsistent. They knocked off ranked conference rivals Notre Dame, Virginia, Florida State and regular-season champion North Carolina. However, they also seemed to play down to competition, either losing or eking out wins against the worst teams in the conference.
Thanks to their late-season struggles -- losers of three of four -- Duke gets the 5 seed and has two significant roadblocks in Louisville and UNC in their path to the ACC finals. They could also lose in the first round to either Clemson or North Carolina. It all depends on which Duke team shows up.
Player to Watch: John Collins, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The unquestioned star of the Demon Deacons, John Collins is the best big man in the ACC -- maybe all of college basketball. Playing at a struggling Wake Forest left him off the national scene despite finishing second in the ACC Player of the Year race and leading the nation in player efficiency rating (36.9). The 6'10" sophomore averaged 19.1 points and 9.8 rebounds while playing under 30 minutes per game.
If he can stay out of foul trouble, Collins is capable of taking games over. Just ask Duke. Collins scored 31 points with 15 rebounds against Duke just over two weeks ago. Collins has the potential to take the Demon Deacons on his shoulders and carry them on a dark horse run to the semifinals as the 10 seed.
Potential Game to Watch: Duke vs. North Carolina Semifinal
The clash between these two bitter rivals could have a third meeting. The two teams split their first two matchups, with the home team holding serve. Barring any early upsets, and if fifth-seeded Duke can get past fourth-seeded Louisville in the quarterfinals -- a tough task in its own right -- the two schools could square off with a berth in the championship game on the line. It would be a game worthy of the ACC's new home under the bright lights of New York City.
