The ACC has struggled this season, possibly even more than people had originally thought. The ACC entered this week continuing to search for key wins. Duke was able to win against Arizona in Tucson. However, the third week of play in this young college basketball season saw a lot of the same problems for the ACC. There were a few missteps, like Notre Dame losing to Elon and Georgia Tech losing to North Florida, but mostly the ACC has been able to win games against inferior opponents. However, it has been more competitive matchups that have led to almost no key wins. With all that being said, there still is time for the ACC. The next week will say a lot about the strength of the conference. Let’s discuss the importance of holiday tournaments for the ACC.
The Importance off Holiday Tournaments for the Struggling ACC
The Opportunity for Key Wins
It isn’t because they haven’t scheduled important games, but the ACC is struggling to find their footing against other major conferences/teams. Look no further than Virginia and Miami. Both won a combined zero games in their tournaments this week despite appearing to be contenders for both the ACC title and the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse played much better this week, but it still led to two close losses to major conferences opponents. I could name a variety of losses beyond them.
North Carolina has yet to win a big game, but the Maui Invitational is absolutely stacked this season. They open with Dayton, and then Iowa State or Auburn will be waiting for them after that. Even the other half of the bracket has teams like UConn and Michigan State. North Carolina’s opportunity for key wins highlights the major importance of holiday tournaments. A top contender in the ACC needs to win games against other top opponents to help correct these struggles.
Conference Perception
We are months away from the NCAA Tournament, but the number of bids a conference earns could easily be determined based on non-conference games. Who gets in from each conference is fought for consistently from January through March. However, the NET rankings are released in the beginning of December. These rankings change throughout the conference season, but where teams start is critically important for a conference.
If the ACC were to obtain six of the top 30 teams in the NET rankings in the first edition of the rankings, for example, each game played against those opponents would be a Quad one (Q1) game. Q1 games are better losses and better wins. It helps create a stronger perception for the conference as the season progresses. If they only have four in the top 30, there are less chances for a quality win. If there are eight, they have plenty of opportunities for key wins.
This is what creates another factor in the importance of holiday tournaments. Each win in these tournaments helps increase that team’s perception and decrease the loser’s perception. They provide the wins that help improve the original NET rankings for the conference. Bracketologists will say that the whole season matters, but the non-conference season entirely determines the perception of the conference for that given season. So far, the ACC is living up to the complete lack of hype, but the opportunities to improve that will continue this week.
What are the Important Performances to Watch For?
The Tar Heels don’t have to win the Maui Invitational to help the ACC. Make the final and lose to UConn? I don’t think a single person would walk away thinking that North Carolina is not a good team. Don’t forget that Duke has a date with Kansas. Cooper Flagg can also earn a statement win for the Blue Devils.
Clemson plays against San Fransisco, a challenging WCC opponent for their opening game in the Sunshine Slam. They could have Penn State waiting for them. After a disappointing loss to Boise State, they have the opportunity to pick up key wins for their own perception. Chase Hunter is always an important catalyst for the team with Ian Schieffelin. However, they need to other players to step up for wins to come.
Pittsburgh plays Wisconsin in the final of the Greenbrier Tip-Off Sunday evening. Pitt has been one of the few teams who have not disappointed for the ACC this season. They have certainly established themselves as a top ACC team, but Wisconsin, a Big Ten championship challenger, will challenge their lack of consistent frontcourt play. Cameron Corhen will need to assert himself down low to counter the height and strength of Wisconsin.
Virginia Tech does have tough games in the Fort Myers Tip-Off. They will play Michigan and either South Carolina or Xavier. They will need to play much better than they have the last two games to have any chance. Notre Dame in the Impact Tournament and Stanford in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational are inother important tournaments that start on Tuesday. Louisville, Wake Forest, and NC State all have opportunities to upset ranked major conference opponents and really show the true importance of the holiday tournaments.
The Last Word
The ACC season has been disappointing, but it is not a lost cause. This week will play a huge role in determining whether the ACC will indeed take a step forward after disappointing seasons. If the ACC picks up some of these wins, it will help establish themselves as a power conference and improve their reputation again. If they lose most of the games, the ACC will begin a long battle to even get five teams into the NCAA Tournament. Despite all the offseason talk of improving their perception, losing important games has haunted their early season aspirations. It is not an exaggeration to say that this week could drastically impact how many teams make the NCAA Tournament from the ACC.
It’s impossible to quantify the importance of holiday tournament for the ACC in 2024.
