Can Duke send Coach K out as the ACC Tournament champion?
The final home game for Hall of Fame Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski definitely didn’t go according to plan as in front of a star-studded crowd paying Super Bowl-level prices at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, the Blue Devils were upset by bitter-rival North Carolina 94-81.
In one regard, that loss didn’t matter for Duke as it already had wrapped up the ACC regular-season title and top seed in the conference tournament. The Blue Devils still have a shot to get a top seed in the NCAA Tournament if they can take the ACC tourney in Brooklyn. Duke is a -145 favorite to win it for the first time since 2019.
Coach K Vs. Boeheim One Last Time?
Both ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm have Duke as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and it might need some help on top of the conference tournament crown to get a No. 1, although in all honestly there’s not that much of a difference between a No. 2 and No. 1 in the Big Dance.
Coach K’s club will face either No. 8 Florida State (+6000 to win tournament) or No. 9 Syracuse (+5000) in the quarterfinals. If it’s the Orange, that would be the last-ever meeting between the two winningest coaches in Division I history in Krzyzewski (1,196 victories) and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim (1,098).
Notre Dame is the No. 2 seed but a +1000 third favorite to win the tournament. The Irish and the No. 3 Tar Heels (+800) both finished with 15-5 league records, but Notre Dame won the tiebreaker. Both will be in the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens this week.
Interestingly, No. 5 seed Virginia Tech and No. 7 Wake Forest are both priced shorter at +1000 to win the ACC Tournament over No. 4 Miami (+1100). Perhaps because Miami is in Duke’s side of the bracket. Wake Forest’s Steve Forbes was named ACC Coach of the Year and also received a long-term extension on Monday. The Deacons are hoping to be NCAA Tournament-bound for the first time since 2017. They are on the bubble, though, and may need at least one ACC Tournament win for an at-large bid.
Georgia Tech was the surprise winner of the 2021 ACC Tournament but is a No. 14 seed this year and at +15000 long shot. The Jackets open first-round play Tuesday vs. No. 11 Louisville (+10000). The Cards are playing under interim head coach Mike Pegues, but he will not get the full-time job.
Six schools have never on the ACC Tournament: Clemson (+8000), Virginia Tech, Boston College (+25000), Pittsburgh (+20000), Syracuse and Louisville. It’s probably safe to say none of them will this time, either. That Syracuse never has is a bit of a surprise.
The ACC Tournament opens with three games Tuesday. The championship game is Saturday.
