Duke enters as the top seed after finishing the regular season 19-1 in conference play.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β After a long and competitive regular season, the 2025 ACC men’s basketball tournament is set to tip off in Charlotte beginning on Tuesday.
The top team in the conference during the regular season was Duke, who narrowly edged out Clemson and Louisville with a 19-1 record in ACC play. The Blue Devils are the No. 2 team in the country right now and are the prohibitive favorite to cut down the nets in Charlotte.
Here’s a look at the complete tournament schedule, along with some potential matchups and storylines to look out for:
Bracket
Schedule
- Game 1: No. 12 Notre Dame vs. No. 13 Pittsburgh (2 p.m.)
- Game 2: No. 10 Virginia Tech vs. No. 15 California (4:30 p.m.)
- Game 3: No. 11 Florida State vs. No. 14 Syracuse (7 p.m.)
- Game 4: No. 8 Georgia Tech vs. No. 9 Virginia (12 p.m.)
- Game 5: No. 5 North Carolina vs. Game 1 winner (2:30 p.m.)
- Game 6: No. 7 Stanford vs. Game 2 winner (7 p.m.)
- Game 7: No. 6 SMU vs. Game 3 winner (9:30 p.m.)
Thursday, March 13 (Quarterfinals)Β
- Game 8: No. 1 Duke vs. Game 4 winner (12 p.m.)
- Game 9: No. 4 Wake Forest vs. Game 5 winner (2:30 p.m.)
- Game 10: No. 2 Louisville vs. Game 6 winner (7 p.m.)
- Game 11: No. 3 Clemson vs. Game 7 winner (9:30 p.m.)
Friday, March 14 (Semifinals)
- Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner
- Game 13: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner
Saturday, March 15 (Championship)
- Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner
Storylines to watch
With Selection Sunday less than a week away, some ACC teams still have work to do to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.Β
As it stands, ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi has both Wake Forest and North Carolina firmly on the bubble, and he currently projects neither will make the Big Dance. To appeal to the selection committee, the Tar Heels and Demon Deacons will have to win multiple games this week, if not win the entire tournament.
To add to the drama, a win by UNC in its first game Wednesday would mean North Carolina vs. Wake Forest in the quarterfinals Thursday. The lone meeting between the two teams this season saw the Deacons edge out the Tar Heels by one point, 67-66, on January 21.
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg has likely locked up the ACC Player of the Year award after averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game during the regular season, but he could add to his potential Wooden Award resume with a solid showing in Charlotte.
Flagg is the current favorite to win the Wooden β the college basketball equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. If he does, he will be the first freshman to win the award since former Duke forward Zion Williamson did so in 2018-19.Β
The 6-foot-9 power forward is also projected to go No. 1 in the 2025 NBA Draft. Pro scouts see him as a potential All-NBA-caliber player that could change the fortune of whichever team winds up with the No. 1 pick through the Draft Lottery.
