ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament preview
There is one big question as the 38th ACC women’s basketball tournament opens Wednesday afternoon at Greensboro Coliseum.
Is reigning champion Notre Dame – which cut down the nets on its very first ACC try last season en route to the NCAA final – a prohibitive favorite, or is this a wide-open event that a half-dozen teams have a plausible chance to win?
The answers will begin to unfold at 1, when No. 12 seed Boston College takes on No. 13 seed Wake Forest. No. 10 N.C. State will square off with No. 15 Virginia Tech at 3:30, and No. 11 seed Georgia Tech will take on No. 14 seed Clemson at 6:30.
It’s the same format as the men’s event, with the bottom six seeds hoping to play five games in five days while the top four don’t have to play until Friday’s quarterfinals.
As the No. 6 seed, North Carolina won’t play until Thursday at 8 p.m. against the Georgia Tech-Clemson winner. No. 4 seed Duke will play Friday at 11 a.m. against the survivor of Thursday’s game between No. 5 seed Syracuse and the survivor of the Boston College-Wake Forest game.
Muffet McGraw’s Irish, ranked No. 2 nationally, have lost only three games since the beginning of last season. Two were to Connecticut, but then there was that 78-63 head-scratcher at No. 8 seed Miami on Jan. 8.
Six ACC teams are ranked in the top 25, with Florida State at No. 7, Louisville No. 10, UNC No. 15, Duke No 16 and Syracuse at No. 22.
“I don’t think there is a favorite,” said UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell, whose teams have won the event eight times. “Florida State is really, really good and so is Louisville. Virginia is a whole lot better than their record (17-12). Syracuse has surprised a lot of people.
“We’ve probably got 10 teams that deserve to be in the NCAA tournament. The league is extremely tough. But I like our bracket. I believe everything happens for a reason. I’d rather be No. 1 of course, but if we have to play on Thursday our bracket is OK.”
The Tar Heels and Blue Devils should be locks for the NCAA tournament, but may need wins to nail down home games for the first two rounds.
Once again, the Wolfpack is on the NCAA bubble, and it’s tough to tell whether coach Wes Moore’s team needs two or three wins in Greensboro to make the field of 64. Failing that, N.C. State will play in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
All three Triangle teams have had devastating injuries this season. N.C. State is playing without starting guard Krystal Barrett and versatile Ashley Eli, UNC is without powerful forward Xylina McDaniel and 3-point specialist Megan Buckland, and Duke is missing starting forward Oderah Chidom and freshman post Lynee Belton.
The Wolfpack topped Virginia Tech 73-59 on Jan. 8 at Reynolds Coliseum.
“I’m proud of our kids,” Moore said. “We’ve faced a lot of adversity this year with injuries, but they’ve hung in there. We had a brutal schedule down the stretch, but I think we have some momentum and confidence and hopefully we can carry that over to the tournament.
“The kids would rather play than practice, and you’re going to do one or the other about every day anyway. Hopefully the excitement of it being March and the ACC tournament will give us an extra boost of adrenaline.”
UNC beat Georgia Tech 96-81 on Jan. 11 in Chapel Hill and rolled at Clemson 78-56 on Jan. 18.
“I think we’re playing pretty good,” Hatchell said. “We lost to Duke (Sunday) but we made 14 3s. With Xylina out, our problem is that we’re just so small, and we’re having to adjust.
“But our defense is the best 3-point defense in the league. I’m happy to be 23-7 right now.”
Duke beat Wake Forest twice but lost 60-56 at Boston College on Jan. 22. The Blue Devils beat visiting Syracuse 74-72 on Jan. 8.
“It was great that we came together in our game against Carolina on Sunday (an 81-80 win to snap a three-game slide),” said Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie, whose teams have won three of the past five championships. She is one of only three active ACC coaches to win the tournament. “I hope it will motivate us to play more of a 40-minute game.
“I would hope (a double-bye) has put us in the best situation possible. You never can tell with these things. I’ve never been big on watching seeds and that kind of thing, but given our injuries, it’s probably a good thing. We’re real excited about (finishing in the top four.)”
Capsules
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Record: 28-2, 15-1 (first in ACC), AP rank No. 2.
Coach: Muffet McGraw (789-261 in 33rd season, 691-220 in 28th season at ND).
ACC championships: One (2014).
Leaders: 5-10 Jr. G Jewell Loyd (20.7, 5.1 reb.); 6-3 Fr. F Brianna Turner (14.4, 7.6).
Florida State Seminoles
Record: 27-3, 14-2 (second in ACC), AP rank No. 7.
Coach: Sue Semrau (343-216 in 18th season, all at FSU).
ACC championships: None.
Leaders: 6-4 Jr. C Adut Bulgak (13.0, 10.1); 5-8 Sr. G Maegan Conwright (11.7, 3.2 asst.).
Louisville Cardinals
Record: 24-5, 12-4 (third in ACC), AP rank No. 10.
Coach: Jeff Walz (205-75 in eighth season, all at Louisville).
ACC championships: None.
Leaders: 6-0 Fr. F Mariya Moore (13.9, 4.7); 6-2 Fr. F Myisha Hines-Allen (11.7, 4.8).
Duke Blue Devils
Record: 20-9, 11-5 (fourth in ACC), AP rank No. 16.
Coach: Joanne P. McCallie (538-199 in 23rd season, 222-51 in eighth season at Duke).
ACC championships: Eight (last in 2013).
Leaders: 6-3 Sr. C Elizabeth Williams (14.8, 8.7); 6-1 Fr. G Rebecca Greenwell (14.2, 5.8), 6-5 Fr. F Azura Stevens (14.1, 8.3).
Syracuse Orange
Record: 21-8, 11-5 (fifth in ACC), AP rank No. 22.
Coach: Quentin Hillsman (188-106 in eighth season, all at SU).
ACC championships: None.
Leaders: 5-7 So. G Alexis Peterson (15.1, 3.6 asst.); 5-11 Jr. G Brianna Butler (13.4, 3.4 reb.).
North Carolina Tar Heels
Record: 23-7, 10-6 (sixth in ACC), AP rank No. 15.
Coach: Sylvia Hatchell (958-338 in 40th season, 686-258 in 29th season at UNC).
ACC championships: Nine (last in 2008).
Leaders: 6-0 So. G Allisha Gray (16.1, 7.9); 6-3 So. C Stephanie Mavunga (14.0, 8.9).
Pittsburgh Panthers
Record: 19-10, 9-7 (seventh in ACC).
Coach: Suzie McConnell-Serio (153-98 in eighth season, 30-30 in second season at Pitt).
ACC championships: None.
Leaders: 5-7 Sr. G Brianna Kiesel (18.5, 4.7 asst.); 6-3 Sr. F Monica Wignot (10.6, 6.4 reb.).
Miami Hurricanes
Record: 18-11, 8-8 (eighth in ACC).
Coach: Katie Meier (257-177 in 14th season, 181-132 in 10th season at Miami).
ACC championships: None.
Leaders: 5-9 So. G Adrienne Motley (16.9, 4.3); 5-8 Sr. G Michelle Woods (8.5, 3.9).
Virginia Cavaliers
Record: 17-12, 7-9 (ninth in ACC).
Coach: Joanne Boyle (276-147 in 12th season, 72-54 in fourth season at Virginia).
ACC championships: Three (last in 1993).
Leaders: 5-10 Jr. G Faith Randolph (17.1, 3.8); 6-2 Sr. C Sarah Omovbioh (13.0, 11.0).
N.C. State Wolfpack
Record: 16-13, 7-9 (10th in ACC).
Coach: Wes Moore (599-190 in 26th season, 41-21 in second season at N.C. State).
ACC championships: Four (last in 1991).
Leaders: 5-8 So. G Dominique Wilson (14.1, 3.7); 5-8 So. G Miah Spencer (13.4, 4.6); 5-5 Sr.G Len'Nique Brown-Hoskin (10.5, 4.7).
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Record: 17-13, 7-9 (11th in ACC).
Coach: MaChelle Joseph (230-147 in 12th season, all at GT).
ACC championships: None.
Leaders: 6-2 So. G Kaela Davis (20.0, 5.6); 6-0 Jr. F Aaliyah Whiteside (12.7, 6.4).
Boston College Eagles
Record: 13-16, 5-11 (12th in ACC).
Coach: Erik Johnson (109-106 in seventh season, 37-54 in third season at Boston College).
ACC championships: None.
Leaders: 5-11 So. G Kelly Hughes (14.9, 7.0); 5-9 Jr. G Nicole Boudreau (11.7, 4.5).
Wake Forest Deacons
Record: 11-19, 2-14 (13th in ACC).
Coach: Jen Hoover (59-67 in third season, 39-54 in second season at Wake Forest).
ACC championships: None.
Leaders: 6-3 Sr. F Dearica Hamby (19.9, 10.6); 5-9 Fr. G Amber Campbell (10.3, 3.1).
Clemson Tigers
Record: 9-20, 1-15 (14th in ACC).
Coach: Audra Smith (160-177 in 11th season, 22-39 in second season at Clemson).
ACC championships: Two (last in 1999).
Leaders: 5-10 Sr. G Nikki Dixon (15.8, 5.6); 6-0 Fr. F Shelbie Davenport (8.5, 3.1).
Virginia Tech Hokies
Record: 10-19, 1-15 (15th in ACC).
Coach: Dennis Wolff (41-78 in fourth season, all at Virginia Tech).
ACC championships: None.
Leaders: 5-7 So. G Vanessa Panousis (13.2, 3.2); 5-11 Fr. G Rachel Camp (12.2, 6.1).
Schedule
Wednesday
Game No. 1 – Seed No. 12 Boston College vs. Seed No. 13 Wake Forest, 1 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 2 – Seed No. 10 N.C. State vs. Seed No. 15 Virginia Tech 3:30 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 3 – Seed No. 11 Georgia Tech vs. Seed No. 14 Clemson, 6:30 p.m. (RSN)
Thursday
Game No. 4 – Seed No. 5 Syracuse vs. Winner of Game No. 1, 11 a.m. (RSN)
Game No. 5 – Seed No. 8 Miami vs. Seed No. 9 Virginia, 2 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 6 – Seed No. 7 Pitt vs. Winner of Game No. 2, 6 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 7 – Seed No. 6 North Carolina vs. Winner of Game No. 3, 8 p.m. (RSN)
Friday
Game No. 8 – Seed No. 4 Duke vs. Winner of Game No. 4, 11 a.m. (RSN)
Game No. 9 – Seed No. 1 Notre Dame vs. Winner of Game 5, 2 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 10 – Seed No. 2 Florida State vs. Winner of Game No. 6, 6 p.m. (RSN)
Game No. 11 – Seed No. 3 Louisville vs. Winner of Game No. 7, 8 p.m. (RSN)
Saturday
Game No. 12 - ACC Semifinal No. 1, Noon. (ESPNU)
Game No. 13 - ACC Semifinal No. 2, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Sunday
Game No. 14 - Championship Game, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
This story was originally published March 3, 2015 at 6:20 PM with the headline "ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament preview."