For the first time, the ACC will hold its conference tournament at Barclays Center. Here is a rundown of what to watch for when action begins Tuesday at noon.
THE FAVORITE
The advanced metrics suggest the gap between No. 1 seed North Carolina, No. 4 Louisville and No. 6 Virginia is fairly small, but the eye test returns the Tar Heels (26-6, 14-4) as the clear favorite. This team won the ACC by two games, has two of the country's best players in Justin Jackson and Joel Berry and boasts a strong supporting cast.
CONTENDERS
No. 4 Louisville (24-7, 12-6): The Cardinals have the size and athleticism to disrupt North Carolina and just about anyone in the country. If they can enforce their will defensively and on the glass, the Cardinals will be tough to beat.
No. 5 Duke (23-8, 11-7): The Blue Devils have lost three of their last four, but all three were on the road. Duke tends to draw well in New York City, so watch out for the No. 5 seed, whose talent earned it the No. 1 preseason ranking in the country.
No. 2 Florida State (24-7, 12-6): Could the Seminoles lose to Virginia Tech or Wake Forest in the quarterfinals? Sure, but they could also ride their depth and talent to a championship. They have won only six of their last 11, but all five losses were on the road.
THE DARK HORSE
If you don't want to be bold, go with No. 6 Virginia here. The Cavaliers (21-9, 11-7) are No. 5 in Kenpom and No. 8 in Sagarin, so the advanced metrics love Tony Bennett's squad despite the record. But if boldness is your style, you could look really smart picking No. 10 Wake Forest to make a run. The Demon Deacons (18-12, 9-9) have one of the country's best players in 6-10 John Collins, who is surrounded by a solid supporting cast replete with shooters.
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