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March Madness 2017: ACC Tournament Preview, Bracket and Conference Postseason Awards

Tennessee v North Carolina

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 11: Justin Jackson #44 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a play during their game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Dean Smith Center on December 11, 2016 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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ACC Player of the Year: Justin Jackson, North Carolina

This is the hardest league Player of the Year pick to make. There are three legitimate candidates for the award, and one of them -- Luke Kennard of Duke -- made the NBC Sports all-american first team over Jackson. But to me, Jackson was the best player during ACC play, the most consistent player during league play on the best team in the league, the one that won the ACC regular season title by multiple games.

ACC Coach of the Year: Mike Brey, Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish lost Demetrius Jackson and Zach Auguste after last season. That came a year after they lost Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton. That is a lot of talent to lose for a program that doesn’t traffic in one-and-dones to overcome, and yet, in a year where the ACC is as tough at the top as it has ever been, Mike Brey steered a team led by Matt Farrell, a 6-foot-nothing point guard from the Jersey Shore, and Bonzie Colson, a 6-foot-5 power forward, to a second-place finish in the league. Give the man his due.

First-Team All-ACC:


  • Justin Jackson, North Carolina (POY)
  • Luke Kennard, Duke: Kennard has been phenomenal all season long, and his second half performance against Wake Forest, when he scored 30 points and went 10-for-10 from the floor, was the best half of basketball any individual played this season.
  • Donovan Mitchell, Louisville: Mitchell’s ascent to dominant scorer early in ACC play turned Louisville from a really good team into a national title contender.
  • John Collins, Wake Forest: You may not know the name, but you should. At one point in league play, he scored at least 20 points in 12 straight games.
  • Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame: Colson averaged a double-double and was the leading scorer for Notre Dame as a 6-foot-5 power forward.

Second Team All-ACC:


  • Dennis Smith Jr., N.C. State
  • Matt Farrell, Notre Dame
  • Joel Berry II, North Carolina
  • Dwayne Bacon, Florida State
  • Ben Lammers, Georgia Tech

RELATED: Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | NBC Sports All-Americans

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The Bracket

When: March 7-11

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Final: March 11th, 9:00 p.m.

Favorite: North Carolina

The Tar Heels are not only the best team in the ACC, they may be the best team in the country. Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II make up one of the best 1-2 punches in all of college basketball, and when Isaiah Hicks is healthy -- and out of foul trouble -- they pound the glass better than anyone in college hoops. As long as their defense is good enough, which it has been of late, they are a dangerous team.

And if they lose?: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame got a bit lucky with the way that the ACC tournament bracket shook out. They won’t have to play North Carolina, Duke or Louisville -- for my money, the three best teams in the league -- until the finals. When their threes are going down, they are as tough to beat as anyone in the conference.

Tennessee State v Duke

DURHAM, NC - DECEMBER 19: Luke Kennard #5 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after a play against the Tennessee State Tigers during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 19, 2016 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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Other Contenders:


  • Florida State: The Seminoles have to love how the ACC bracket shook out. They’re on the other side of the field from the top three teams in the league and will likely get Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals.
  • Louisville: The Cardinals got a tough draw with the way the bracket shook out, likely getting Duke and North Carolina in their first two games in the ACC tournament, but they are elite defensively and have one of the league’s best in Donovan Mitchell.
  • Duke: The Blue Devils, in just about every game they play, are going to have three of the four best players on the floor with Jayson Tatum, Luke Kennard and Grayson Allen. But they’re going to have to win three games -- and beat Louisville and North Carolina -- just to get to the finals.

Sleeper: Virginia Cavaliers

UVA is the best defensive team in the country once again. Their issue has been their ability to score, and it looks like the reintroduction of Kyle Guy into their rotation has solved those problems for the time being. They shook off a rough February to win their final three games, including a win over North Carolina last week.

The Bubble Dwellers:


  • Syracuse: The Orange are probably on the right side of the bubble as of today, but given the number of losses they have on their résumé and just how many games they’ve won at home this season, I’d recommend beating Miami in the opener to feel comfortable.
  • Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons are right there on the cut-line. They get Boston College in the first round and would square off with Virginia Tech in the second round should they win. I think they need to get to the quarters.
  • Georgia Tech: Josh Pastner’s done a terrific job with this team, but I think they need to beat both Pitt and Virginia to have a real chance at getting an at-large bid.
  • Clemson: Clemson is still in the mix, but they need to win at least two, and maybe three, games to really have a chance. If they get to the semifinals, they will have beaten N.C. State, Duke and Louisville. That might be enough.

Defining moment of the season: Duke. Everything about them. They’ve been the most intriguing team in the country for so many reasons, whether it’s the drama surrounding Grayson Allen and his tripping habit to the all-world freshmen that can’t crack the rotation to Coach K’s back surgery, there’s a reason this team has dominated the headlines all year long.

CBT Prediction: Duke over Notre Dame in the finals.