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Can ACC Basketball put 10 teams in NCAA Tournament this season?

By Jason Parker

MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 07: Braian Angola #11 of the Florida State Seminoles drives to the basket while being defended by Lonnie Walker IV #4 of the Miami Hurricanes during the first half of the game at The Watsco Center on January 7, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 07: Braian Angola #11 of the Florida State Seminoles drives to the basket while being defended by Lonnie Walker IV #4 of the Miami Hurricanes during the first half of the game at The Watsco Center on January 7, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /
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The ACC has long been the best conference when it comes to overall basketball talent – but can it hit double digits in tournament teams this season?

In just three short weeks, the 15 basketball teams that make up the ACC will meet inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY for the annual conference championship tournament. After a winner is crowned Saturday night, a majority of the conference will watch the following night as the 68 team field for the NCAA Tournament is announced.

Last season was a banner Sunday as a ACC record nine teams – including our very own Florida State Seminoles – were selected to go dancing, just two shy of the all time record set by the Big East of 11 teams during the 2011 tournament, as conference member North Carolina brought home the second title in the last three March Madness events.

With just two weeks left in the regular season, could the ACC be on course to break their own record just a year later?

While there are currently just four teams from the conference who are ranked, it has a middle of the road group that is among some of the best teams in the country. In the latest Bracketology predictions released Friday by NBC Sports, ESPN and CBS Sports, all three think the conference will at least tie the mark.

All three sources have the same nine teams making the tournament field: Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia and Virginia Tech. At the same time, both NBC Sports and ESPN have Syracuse as one of the last four teams out – which could mean a late run sends them dancing and the ACC into double digits.

Both of the two Bracketologies that have the ACC getting to the 10 team level do so while having the Orange on the border with no other conference team in their last four in area, meaning they have nine teams comfortably in barring no major upsets come conference tournament time. CBS Sports, however, is the wet towel and has the Wolfpack going to a play in game.

Next: Noles storm back to beat Clemson in overtime

It’s going to be an interesting road to Brooklyn, with Virginia in the drivers seat and the next 10 teams – including the Seminoles – within three games of each others. Translation: it’s going to be an interesting 21 days of ACC basketball.

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