The ACC Basketball season tips off today with some pretty slow matchups - no ACC team plays another team in the Top-100 on KenPom and every team playing tonight is at home.
Of note, Florida State is the only team not scheduled to play.
There’s not much to report for now, but stay tuned when we have more data and information to share as the season starts to gain momentum!
Here’s a zoomed-out view of today’s games:
And here’s a quick snapshot of each matchup:
Clemson (51) vs. Winthrop (161)
This is probably the most interesting game on the ACC slate tonight. Winthrop is the highest-ranked opponent for any ACC team on opening night, it’s an in-state game, and Clemson is looking to establish itself as legitimate. Winthrop could very well be an NCAA tournament team this March.
Georgia Tech (118) vs. Georgia Southern (236)
The Damon Stoudemire Era begins for Georgia Tech with an in-state matchup with Georgia Southern. GSU is one of the lower-tier teams in the Atlantic Sun.
Boston College (128) vs. Fairfield (244)
The Eagles
Notre Dame (165) vs. Niagara (262)
This is an interesting matchup for Micah Shrewsberry in his Notre Dame debut. Niagara is not a powerhouse by any means, but this one is intriguing.
North Carolina (17) vs. Radford (168)
The Tar Heels play the second highest-ranked opponent on opening night for ACC schools when they take on the Highlanders.
Louisville (109) vs. UMBC (273)
After a tumultuous pre-season, Louisville will open things up with UMBC. It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals can play better when it counts. Louisville is desperately in need of a good performance.
Virginia (33) vs. Tarleton State (220)
The Texans beat Boston College on the road last season, but will face a tougher task in Charlottesville this year.
Syracuse (105) vs. New Hampshire (300)
Adrian Autry also begins his first year as head coach at Syracuse. The Orange open up with New Hampshire
NC State (61) vs. The Citadel (296)
The Wolfpack shouldn’t have too much trouble with the Citadel in their home opener.
Duke (9) vs. Dartmouth (267)
The Blue Devils, with high expectations this season, get things rolling against lowly Dartmouth. Expect Duke to roll in this matchup.
Wake Forest (73) vs. Elon (330)
The only thing intriguing about this one is that it’s an in-state matchup.
Miami (45) vs. NJIT (323)
Miami is one of four teams facing teams that are sub-300 in KenPom. However, out of those 4 teams, NJIT is the highest ranked at 323.
Pittsburgh (62) vs. North Carolina A&T (356)
Pittsburgh hosts North Carolina A&T from the MEAC. Nothing much to see here.
Virginia Tech (65) vs. Coppin State (357)
The Hokies, like Pittsburgh, open their season against one of the lowest ranking teams on KenPom in Coppin State.
On paper, it’s a pretty lackluster night that should be free of fireworks. However - games aren’t played on paper.
Check back tomorrow for our recaps of each game!
Oh, and subscribe to receive a recap and preview of each day of ACC action directly in your inbox!