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5 Key Storylines To Watch In The ACC Tournament

By Josh Cornelissen

Mar 4, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 4, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) with the ball as Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

The ACC is one of college basketball’s premier conferences, and this year boasts elite talent and extended depth. What storylines should fans watch for in the ACC tournament?

Coming into the season the basketball world was certain it had the Atlantic Coast Conference figured out. Even with 14 teams, consensus was reached on which teams would excel and which teams didn’t have what it took.

The ACC preseason poll was clear on which teams would lead the league and which teams would sputter out of the gate.

The Duke Blue Devils were so packed with talent that they would dominate not just the league but the nation. The NC State Wolfpack had likewise reloaded and would challenge for a double-bye in the ACC tournament.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were mere speed bumps for the conference’s elite squads.

Also See: 25 Greatest Rookie Seasons of All-Time

As it does every year, the preseason poll and national expectations were flipped on their heads once actual basketball started.

Duke battled injuries to an up-and-down fifth-place finish, the Wolfpack fired their coach and suffered a blowout loss on the tournament’s opening day and the Florida State Seminoles finished second in the league after being voted eighth in the preseason poll.

The bottom of the conference firmed up as well over the course of the season. Georgia Tech, under first-year coach Josh Pastner, pulled off upset wins over the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Florida State — the top three teams in the ACC.

Wake Forest not only fought into tournament consideration, but introduced the conference to one of the nation’s best centers in freshman John Collins.

As the ACC tournament gains momentum throughout the week, what are the top storylines to watch for? Which teams at the top will go far in the tournament — and which teams at the bottom can fight their way into the Big Dance?