The ACC underperformed in the five important games for the ACC in week two. Virginia defeated Villanova, but SMU, Clemson, Wake Forest, and Duke all lost. The ACC now holds a 3-7 record in the five important games series. What’s worse is that SMU, Clemson, and Wake Forest all lost by double digits, and Duke lost as a favorite. It was a bad week for the ACC, but they have plenty of opportunities to make up for it in week three.
We are at an interesting point in the season, with early-season tournaments starting throughout college basketball. If most of the tournament will be played the following Tuesday next week, then it will be included in next week’s edition. The ones being finished this week will include the whole tournament as one spot.
5 Important Games for the ACC in Week 3
5. Miss St. @ SMU: Friday 11/22 at 8:30 p.m. ET
It was a tough call between this game and Syracuse vs. Texas, but I opted to go with the Mustangs here. SMU recovered well on Monday in a blowout win over Prairie View A&M. They have played very well at home, but they must play even better against Mississippi State to beat them.
SMU struggled to put the ball in the basket against their first power conference opponent of the season, scoring only 70 points against Butler. They are averaging 97.25 points per game besides that affair. SMU must find that offense again with Kevin Miller and Chuck Harris to defeat an SEC team with NCAA Tournament aspirations.
4. Miami in the Charleston Classic
Miami, Pittsburgh, and Virginia all have crucial tournaments this week. Miami is at the bottom, but it is very close. Miami will be forced to deal with no high-quality opponents but no low-quality opponents, either. This tournament is a true toss-up. Miami can come out and win the tournament for the ACC, but an early loss to Drake on Thursday could spell disaster.
Senior Nijel Pack will need to will this team to a win against Drake. Miami needs to have a “one game at a time” attitude for this tournament. No game will be a guaranteed win, but Miami looks like the best team in the bracket. Every win matters this early in the season, so Miami and the ACC need a strong showing from the Hurricanes if they hope to be dancing in March.
3. Pittsburgh in the Greenbrier Tip-off
The inaugural Greenbrier Tip-off has four teams that will be vying for an NCAA Tournament bid on Selection Sunday. Pitt will open against LSU on Friday, a team that has already won on the road against Kansas State in the early weeks of the season. Pitt has come out swinging in every game but tends to take their foot off the pedal at times. Fortunately for them, the matchup against West Virginia saw a complete 40-minute game from the Panthers.
They will play either Wisconsin or UCF on Sunday, both of which already have a top-15 win on their resume. Pitt has looked the part of an ACC contender early this season, but they will have to prove it against other good teams. Two wins would ease the pressure for upcoming road games against Ohio State and Mississippi State. Two losses would likely create a terrible scenario for Pitt and the ACC as a whole. The weakness of the conference has been on full display early, but Pitt has a chance to provide some glimmer of hope.
2. Virginia in the Baha Mar Hoops – Bahamas Championship
Virginia certainly has the toughest preseason tournament pairing of them all. Tennessee will be a difficult first matchup on Thursday, but it will get no easier with either Baylor or St. John’s waiting for them in the later rounds. These will be either good wins or good losses for the Cavaliers. If Virginia wants to assert itself as a contender in the ACC, one win this weekend would go a long way. Two losses wouldn’t be the end of the world, but the ACC hasn’t won any games like this all season. They’re desperate for just one.
Virginia is without Tony Bennett, the longtime coach who retired suddenly in October. So far, against relatively mild competition, they have held serve. Isaac McKneely has starred early and shot an incredible 64.7% from three. The Cavaliers are now looking to pick up their first marquee win since Bennett’s retirement. Virginia won a national championship five years ago. The program’s prestige is there, but they desperately need to pick up that first key win. Every game without one just adds more and more pressure. All the more reason for them to find themselves on the five most important games series again.
1. Duke @ Arizona: Friday 11/22 at 10:30 p.m. ET
We once again have a clear favorite at the top of the list. Duke will find themselves atop the list many times this season, and for good reason. The ACC needs Duke to win games, even if some people are writing off their ability to win a national championship. I am not ready to go that far, but they need to pick up a good win.
Duke and Arizona have a lot in common early this season, they have shown they can beat bad teams and lose to good teams. Where does that put them? Both need a critical non-conference win, but I would argue Arizona is even more desperate for that win, considering Duke is the last high-profile opponent they will face before Big 12 play begins. Duke must play strong defense, but I don’t suspect they will struggle there. They have to be able to outscore Arizona. Cooper Flagg is an absolute star, and I expect a bounce-back performance from Kon Knueppel will give the Blue Devils a good chance to win the game. Like always, they will need to close out the game strong and avoid more late turnovers and cramping from Flagg and their other stars.
Add it all up, and Duke finds themselves with the most important matchup twice in a row.
