ACC Roundup - The Key Game Saturday Is In Louisville

Several good games on tap Saturday as Syracuse visits Miami, the Techs tangle in Atlanta,Notre Dame has a date with BC in Beantown, NC State renews its ancient rivalry with Wake Forest and UNC heads over to Louisville.

As we’ve said more than once,the games can get really good this time of year because the teams get desperate and Syracuse really, really needs a meaningful win. Their NCAA resume is not good.

Miami is slipping a bit so they need to keep things up. As of now we’d expect them to get a bid but it’s not cast in stone.

At this point Notre Dame is an NIT team - not having Bonzie Colson really hurts - so they’re going to have to go on a tear to make the field now. It’s possible but the situation is pretty desperate (there’s that word again). That should make for a compelling game. BC has more cause for optimism and could still make it but they need to move. You can see that team growing in leaps and bounds. It’s fun to watch. If Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman are back next year, BC should be ready to make a serious move.

Wake Forest is heading nowhere but the beach but they could trip State up and there’s pleasure in that.

The most interesting game is Louisville-UNC though.

Finishing in the top four is critical for ACC tournament success. No one is likely to win four days in a row much less five and as of right now, only UVA has one of those spots wrapped up. Whoever loses here is going to need some breaks to finish that high.

UNC could have a tough time scoring inside against Louisville’s big men. Just sayin’.

Speaking of UNC, someone asked Ol’ Roy Williams about the recent FBI story and if it might affect UNC. Here’s what he said: “I feel very comfortable. If the phone rings at night, I’m not worried about that. I may worry about a lot of other things but it ain’t about that.”

Of course this is the guy who was shocked - shocked! - to find academic fraud happened for years under his watch so take it for what it’s worth.

And speaking of Roy, he hasn’t called a timeout since February 3rd. Apparently he’s saving them for Dean.

• It’s been a wild season in the ACC. Let’s revisit our basketball predictions gone wrong
• ACC Tipoff: Blue bloods appear to have come back to life
• Miami Hurricanes’ basketball vs. Syracuse: 5 things you need to know
• The Triangle’s real rivalry: Roy Williams vs. timeouts
• Louisville basketball wary of UNC’s transition offense: ‘We can’t get into a track meet
• Men’s basketball opponent preview: What to know about Miami
• Jerome Robinson: I’m letting the game come to me
• Brad Brownell updates status of Clemson guard Shelton Mitchell
• Syracuse basketball vs. Miami: 10 things to watch for
• Roy Williams responds to report indicating Hall of Fame coaches, top programs will be impacted in probe
• Deacons use earlier loss to prepare for Wolfpack