After going 3-7 through the first two renditions of this series, the ACC found a way to perform even worse in week three of the young season. Miami and Virginia went winless in their tournaments and SMU lost to Mississippi State despite leading for large portions of the game. Pittsburgh split their games and Duke beat Arizona, so the ACC went 2-7 in their important matchups last week. Unfortunately, a 5-14 record in important games will not lead to respect across the country for the ACC. Let’s see if some of the ACC’s top contenders can pull off more wins in the five important feast week matchups.
5 Important Feast Week Matchups for the ACC
5. Pittsburgh @ Ohio State, Friday 11/29 at 2:30 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh has already cemented itself in the top tier of the ACC following a strong showing in the Greenbrier Tip-Off. They blew a double-digit lead in the second half against Wisconsin, but don’t forget that Wisconsin recently beat Arizona by 15 points. Pitt will need to play better against Ohio State without guard Damian Dunn. Jaland Lowe is one of the best point guards in the country and Ishmael Leggett continues to provide quality at both ends of the floor. Ohio State will test the Panthers, considering they are ranked fifth in the most recent Big Ten power rankings. However, a victory would put Pitt at 7-1 through one of their hardest stretches of the season.
4. Wake Forest in the ESPN Events Invitational
It is impossible to write about five important feast week matchups without including some holiday tournaments. Wake Forest has looked strong so far this season except for a weak performance against Xavier. They will be tested by Florida before taking on either Minnesota or Wichita State. A win against Florida would be ideal, but it is paramount for the Demon Deacons to leave with at least one win. Losing both would not only hinder their own odds at making the NCAA Tournament, but it would also hinder all the bubble teams from the ACC.
3. NC State in the Rady Children’s Invitational
NC State has a harder tournament schedule than Wake Forest, but that also means the wins will hold more weight. Purdue will be a difficult test as they hope to avenge their Final Four loss from last season. BYU or Ole Miss waits in the second game, both of whom find themselves receiving respect in the AP Poll. It is unlikely that NC State leaves this week undefeated, but one win this week would be a good outcome for the Wolfpack this early in the season.
2. Duke vs Kansas (neutral), Tuesday 11/26 at 9:00 p.m. ET
I am sure you thought you would find this game at the top of the five important feast week matchups. However, they lost this one simply because of a quantity over quality issue. This is arguably the most important single matchup of the non-conference season for the ACC, but North Carolina has three important games all in one tournament. Either way, Duke wants this game badly. They beat Arizona, who suddenly appears more flawed than people had originally thought. Cooper Flagg and company will come out hungry in feast week, seeking to prove their championship contender status against the best team in the country.
1. North Carolina in the Maui Invitational
They already stormed back to beat Dayton on Monday. Auburn will be a difficult matchup on Tuesday, but not playing UConn will be disappointing for the Tar Heels. If they can beat Auburn, anything but a Maui Invitational championship would be a disappointment. RJ Davis and Seth Trimble dominated down the stretch against Dayton, but a slow start like that against Auburn will not hold. This is an important stretch if North Carolina doesn’t want to fall closer to Pitt than they are to Duke. Making the NCAA tournament will likely be guaranteed, but they aren’t happy if they fall outside the top seeds. Nevertheless, North Carolina’s performance in the Maui Invitational is the most critical of the five important feast week matchups for the ACC.
