When you think of March Madness and awesome conference tournament action, one usually thinks of the beast that is the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Well, that might be the case for Wednesday thru Saturday, but the opening round match-ups on Tuesday are just about as juicy as a day old steak that’s been under the heat lamp at the Golden Corral.
Action in the New York Life ACC Basketball Tournament will tip-off at 1 p.m. with the Boston College Eagles (12-18) taking on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (12-18).
This will be the third-straight season the Jackets and the Eagles have tangled in the opening round of the ACC Tourney. BC’s Oliver Hanlan went crazy for 41-points in an Eagle win in 2013. Tech evened the score thanks to a three at the buzzer in overtime by Chris Bolden last season.
But who knows what excitement this year’s contest holds as both teams were just not that good. Boston College did defeat Georgia Tech in Atlanta this season, 64-62, behind 25 from Hanlan.
Georgia Tech had a string of tough luck losing seven games by lest than 10 points combined before injuries set in and the double-digit losses started piling up. The Jackets enter the ACC Tournament without their leader and best player in Marcus Georges-Hunt who injured his foot minutes into the game last week against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Georges-Hunt was the team’s top scorer and was third on the team in rebounded.
Tech will get guard Quinton Stephens back which is huge. But the Jackets still do not have anyone to the caliber or BC’s Hanlan.
The Eagles should cruise to a victory and set up a solid second-round match-up with UNC.
The nightcap of the opening round is not anything to write home about either as the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (13-18) will face the Virginia Tech Hokies (10-21).
There is not doubt Wake Forest’s Head coach Danny Manning is building a solid team for the future. In fact Manning might just have the Demon Deacons primed to make a little noise in the ACC Tournament this season.
The highlight of this game will be to see how many shirts Hokie head coach Buzz Williams will sweat through. The over-under is four and this guy is taking the over.
Wake should win easily setting up a second-round battle on Wednesday with the Miami Hurricanes.
*Section Photo credit to Jared Wickerham, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Greg M. Cooper, USA Today Sports
