ACC Tournament Predictions: Cover Your Eyes, Pray For A Fair Game And Pin Your Tail On The Champion

Well, it's finally here. All the breaking down and analysis has been done, all the traveling has taken place, and all the predictions for the 2009 ACC Tournament in Atlanta are being made. Like in 2007 and 2008, Scooter & Hum is giving it another shot at picking the ACC tourney bracket.

Before we proceed to the horrifically erroneous choices, a word about the officials: swallow the whistle. Or don't. Just be consistent. Please, no games where 58 fouls are called followed by a game where 19 are whistled. If you want to allow Tyler Hansbrough four steps, fine (kind of a senior-citizen discount, I get that); but don't call Tracy Smith for making a pivot step. Don't penalize Tyrese Rice for carrying on a cross-over dribble, then let Ty Lawson cover 25 feet on one dribble. Don't tag Dave Neal for a touch foul in the post, then let Nolan Smith hand-check the absolute christ out of someone for 94 feet. Don't officiate player reactions instead of actual fouls and don't call ridiculous intentional fouls because a guy falls down in a certain way. Don't call the silly-ass flops (playing defense while laying on your tailpipe? Really?) and let these guys play. In a word, don't turn this into the NBA/WWF. Blow the whistle, not Coach K; and don't be Roy's boy toy. You've embarrassed the ACC for long enough, haven't you? And hell, Ron Cherry is doing the same thing in football. So remember … only you can ruin a good thing.

With that Scooter service announcement, on to the show …


THURSDAY, MARCH 12

Game 1, Noon: #8 Virginia Tech vs. #9 Miami
Here’s an intriguing matchup between two teams that closed the regular season poorly and are in desperate need of a victory (or three) in Atlanta. The Hokies have largely gotten by on smoke and mirrors while the Hurricanes have arguably underperformed for most of the season, but obviously, none of that matters a bit when these two kick off the 2009 ACC Tournament at high noon. VT’s A.D. Vassallo should have his usual tremendous game, but you have to think that the Hokies’ Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen will be neutralized by the ‘Canes’ Jack McClinton and Dwayne Collins, and overall, Miami just has a couple more pieces than Virginia Tech. In a close one that might see VT’s Seth Greenberg try to choke official Karl Hess with a dradle, McClinton goes nuts and the Hurricanes pull off the tourney’s first (very minor) upset.
Winner: #9 Miami


Game 2, 2:30 p.m.: #5 Clemson vs. #12 Georgia Tech
This is a poor matchup for the Jackets, who have enough talent to pull off an upset or two, but didn’t get a favorable draw. The Tigers will press rookie point guard Iman Shumpert (who isn’t a true point guard at all) to death and Clemson’s Trevor Booker won’t let GT’s Gani Lawal dominate the boards. Throw in a handful of 30-footers from Terrence Oglesby and a few floaters from K.C. Rivers and the Tigers shouldn’t have too much trouble with this one, even if the Jackets’ Lewis Clinch finds the range for a little while. Tech fans will be chanting “Derrick-Favors” with 7 minutes left and Paul Hewitt will be mumbling “Wait ‘til next year,” but it’s going to be a long, uncomfortable summer on the warm seat in an already hot Atlanta for Hewitt.
Winner: #5 Clemson

Game 3, 7 p.m.: #7 Maryland vs. #10 NC State
The two biggest storylines in this one will be health of Courtney Fells’s groin (it feels weird even to type that) for State and the hostility level created by “General” Greivis Vasquez’s classless three-pointer as the teams were walking off the court in the last matchup. The Terrapins are in desperation mode, but the Pack should have won the first meeting and may have caught lightning in a bottle by putting point guard Javy Gonzalez on Vasquez, turning that matchup into a Puerto Rican streetfight. The Wolfpack has more pieces, but NC State has to find a way to beat Maryland’s aggressive zone and feed Tracy Smith in the post, allow Ben McCauley to feed cutters and work Brandon Costner on the pick-and-pop. State catches magic in its palm for long enough to pull it off and destroy the Terps’ postseason hopes, sending Vasquez out into the Atlanta night with a bottle of tequila and a postcard.
Winner: #10 NC State


Game 4, 9:30 p.m.: #6 Boston College vs. #11 Virginia
I could sum up this game in two words—Tyrese Rice—but that would disappoint me and maybe even you. The Wahoos have played a little better down the stretch while B.C. has faded, but Rice lives for these moments and is one of those kids who scrambles for the spotlight. Virginia has Sylvan Landesberg, but little else, and it’s tough to ask a true freshman to carry a squad in the ACC Tournament. Rice and Rakim Sanders might outscore the Cavaliers by themselves, thankfully putting the dagger in Virginia’s forgettable season and forcing Wahoo fans to question whether coach Dave Leitao can last another year in Charlottesville. Oh well, it’s time to don the orange pants and merrily traipse off across the Grounds to drown your sorrows, UVa fan … you shan’t tarry!
Winner: #6 Boston College


FRIDAY, MARCH 13

Game 5, Noon: #1 UNC vs. #9 Miami
The first time these two met, Miami gave away the game and Ty Lawson won it for the Heels on a running three-pointer at the buzzer. But people forget that the ‘Canes’ grizzled inside force, Dwayne Collins, didn’t play in that game. Between Collins and Jeremy Hyatt’s doppelganger, Jimmy Graham, Tyler “The Traveler” Hansbrough will have all the physicality he supposedly thrives on, but will he be able to summon his sidekick, Will, to flop around like a salmon on the dock? Toss in Miami’s desperation factor, Roy Williams’s relative disdain for the ACC Tournament, the Heels’ already-locked-up No. 1 NCAA seed, UNC’s lack of defense against strong point guards, and Lawson’s meanie, hurt-y big toe and … yes, by god, I’m picking the Hurricanes. And no, I haven’t been drinking yet today. Wishful thinking? Maybe, but I just gotta feeling (and not for the flavor of a Pringle).
Winner: #9 Miami



Game 6, 2:30 p.m.: #4 Florida State vs. #5 Clemson
Not a good matchup for the ‘Noles here. Clemson’s press will take the ball out of Toney Douglas’s hands and force Florida State to go to other options in the halfcourt—and FSU just doesn’t have those. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but the Tigers have a lot more offensive weapons and are more well-rounded than the Seminoles, who have mostly been a one-man team this year. This one is going to be close, and it’s more than possible that Douglas goes freaking off as a result of being screwed over for ACC Player of the Year, but I just see FSU’s Cinderella season ending here in the league, although they’ll be playing in the “Big Dance.” Clemson has played well in the conference tourney in recent seasons, and while they might not have enough to win it all this year, they have enough to take down Florida State in a very mild upset.
Winner: #5 Clemson

Game 7, 7 p.m.: #2 Wake Forest vs. #10 NC State
These two split during the regular season, with the Pack confusing Wake’s Jeff Teague with a variety of junk defense in the first matchup and the Deacs’ Jeff Johnson simply taking over the game in the second go-around. State likely would have swept Wake Forest if bricklaying point guard Ish Smith hadn’t hit some highly improbable shots, but the Wolfpack simply doesn’t currently have the depth to match Wake, especially with Courtney Fells hobbled. Expect the Pack’s Farnold Degand to get a few five-second calls, Tracy Smith to get whistled for a couple of imaginary travels and Brandon Costner to spend most of his time looking like he’d rather be watching “Gilmore Girls.” NC State will give yet another valiant effort only to fall down the stretch as the Demon Deacons rediscover their inside-out game.
Winner: #2 Wake Forest


Game 8, 9:30 p.m.: #3 Duke vs. #6 Boston College
B.C. took down the Devils during the regular season, so don’t be surprised if and when it happens again. The Blue Devils are still trying to find the right mix in the backcourt, and that’s a dangerous proposition this late in the year, especially against a guard tandem as accomplished as Tyrese "Eric B." Rice and Rakim "Er ... Rakim" Sanders. The Eagles’ Joe Trapiani is talented enough to somewhat offset the production of Duke’s versatile Kyle Singler, but Boston College, like most teams, has no answer for Gerald Henderson. This one will likely turn into a who-can-top-who, game-within-the-game squareoff between Rice and Henderson, but as noted in the seeding breakdown, Rice thrives on moments like this. All the handchecking, flopping, disturbing John Scheyer faces, hair polish and ref-baiting in the world won't be enough to save Coach K’s Dookies as Rice drops in a floater at the buzzer to dash the Devils’ dreams.
Winner: #6 Boston College


SATURDAY, MARCH 14

Game 9, 1:30 p.m.: #5 Clemson vs. #9 Miami
I really, really want to pick the ‘Canes here, probably because I think a Jack McClinton-Tyrese Rice or a Jack McClinton-Jeff Teague matchup for the ACC Tournament title would be phenomenal. Alas, reality prevails, and I can’t quite shake the fact that, if it were not for some horrific officiating in the regular-season finale, Miami would have been swept by a supremely average NC State club. McClinton is good enough to carry his team through a coupla games, but I just don’t know if he has the legs to sustain it against a deep Clemson squad that loves to press for 40 minutes. Frank Haith can Jedi-mind-trick the referees with the best of them, but it won’t quite be enough. This will be another tight one, but I see the Tigers prevailing in the end and (*gulp*) advancing to the finals.
Winner: #5 Clemson


Game 10, 4 p.m.: #2 Wake Forest vs. #6 Boston College
As mentioned above, you can’t go wrong with a Jeff Teague-Tyrese Rice squareoff, and this could be a barnburner in the semifinals. The Eagles don’t have the horses (*insert joke about Al Skinner’s horse teeth here*) to match Wake Forest’s pace, but B.C. is good enough to impose its tempo on the young, immature Demon Deacons. Can they do it for an entire game? I don’t think so. Rice will get the better of Teague, but Johnson and Aminu will be too much on the interior for Josh Southern and his merry bunch of no-names. Valiant effort for Boston College, but like Miami, they’ll be left with nothing left to do but sweat through Selection Sunday with their fingers and cornrows crossed as the Deacs pull away late.
Winner: #2 Wake Forest


SUNDAY, MARCH 15

Game 11, 1 p.m.: #5 Clemson vs. #2 Wake Forest
Jeezus Christy, how the F did I end up here? If I was a smarter man, I’d rethink a few of my selections at this point, but the reality is I’m a go-with-your-gut sorta dude, and hell, I just see this ACC Tournament as relatively wide open. People forget that the Deacs were ranked No. 1 in the land for a little while earlier this year, and while they’re obviously not that good, they do have a tremendous amount of talent. Coach Dino Gaudio’s biggest challenge has been getting these guys to share the ball and overcome a lack of upperclassmen leadership. The good news for Wake is that they match up pretty well with the Tigers and shouldn’t have too much of an issue with the Clemson press since they essentially play two point guards. The Demon Deacons can throw numbers at Clemson’s Trevor Booker, and while he’s a beast, he is surrounded by one-dimensional garbage men on the interior and can’t do it all himself. Don’t forget that the Tigers have been known to choke away leads in the final moments due to poor free-throw shooting, but I don’t see this one going that far, with Wake maturing and growing up and into a true team right in front of everyone's eyes. Surprising even themselves, Wake cuts down the nets in Atlanta and then, in a show of team unity, grows out their bangs to honor Skip Prosser.
Champion: #2 Wake Forest


EDITOR'S NOTE: Jeezus H. Christ on a popsicle stick, what have I freaking done here?!