A battle just to get in the ACC Tournament

There are 18 teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but, actually, only 15 are invited to the league tournament. I wonder why.

One must wonder why just 15 of 18 Atlantic Coast Conference teams are invited to play for the ACC men’s basketball title in the annual league season-ending tournament. Please, do tell; inquiring minds want to know.

Don’t look at me; I have no answer for that, but it makes little sense. Actually—as my five-year-old grandson has taken to using that word to preface nearly everything he wants to show and tell you—there is plenty of room on ACCN, the ESPN partnership with the ACC, for another game. So that—television space—can’t be it.

Currently, actually, there are three games scheduled for Tuesday, March 11 with tipoffs set for 2:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. This is the same schedule as the last few years with just 15 conference teams. Click here to view the 2025 men’s basketball ACC Tournament bracket.

With the expansion of the ACC, adding SMU, Cal, and Stanford to bring the members to the ripe total of 18, the elimination of just two teams instead of three rosters makes more sense than reverting to the 15 of a year ago and years back before that. Maybe the league office and the athletics directors and the chancellors and presidents can’t count higher than 15. Possibility!

But, actually, that’s not true. Recently, the conference announced a change in the ACC baseball tournament with all 16 ACC teams that champion baseball as an intercollegiate sport will make the single elimination event, similar to the basketball bracket but with 16 teams not just 15. Click here to see the 2025 ACC baseball tournament bracket.

Obviously, and actually, the basketball schedule—with 16 teams playing four games on the first three days—could begin at 11:30 a.m. followed by 2:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. But, actually, that makes too much sense.

Maybe the league thinks the emotion of just two teams missing out on the tournament is dampened by making it three. So, how about the last four teams having “play-in” games Monday night at the home of the 15th and 16th seeded teams—or at at the site of the tournament, this year in Charlotte—with the winners advancing to the 16 team bracket?

Now, if you are a regular reader of JIM TALK!, you know of my affinity for NC State Wolfpack athletics and therefore you think I’m writing this to push for the Wolfpack to get into the league’s championship event, to give the team a chance at running the league tournament to claim another ACC title.

Actually and possibly, that may be true, but a year ago, before the Wolfpack’s historic five-game run in the ACC and the four-game NCAA winning streak that propelled NC State to the NCAA’s Final Four, the Wolfpack was 10th in the league’s regular season with a 9-11 conference record.

Times and fortunes, though, have changed for NC State and other ACC teams. At this point in the season—it’s Sunday morning, February 9th, Super Bowl day which gives me memories of 1974 when the Wolfpack beat Maryland in a college basketball game run-up to the Super Bowl (have you read my book: 1973-74: Reliving the NC State Wolfpack’s Title Run?)—the Wolfpack is 2-10 in the ACC, tied with Boston College for 16th and out of the ACC tournament. The Eagles and Wolfpack are two games behind of 15th place Notre Dame.

Each—NCSU and BC—has eight conference games remaining and would need help (losses) from Notre Dame, 4-8, to go along with several wins themselves. A year ago, NC State finished the ACC regular season 9-11. At this point last year, with eight games to go, the Wolfpack was 7-5, actually winning only two league games in its last eight while losing six. That actually might offer optimism to the team this season.

Sitting at 2-10 this year, well, you do the math, NC State must win seven of eight to duplicate last year’s ACC mark. And, actually, that would not guarantee the Wolfpack a spot in the ACC tournament. The Fighting Irish would have to go 4-4 in its last eight games. Believe it or not, the Wolfpack actually holds the tie-breaker with ND, winning 66-65 way back on January 8.

Sounds like I’m a bit optimistic. Hah! Actually, Wolfpack faithful, many who think NC State can duplicate the events of last season, are delusional if they think NC State can duplicate the events of last season if the team makes the conference tournament.

Hah! Actually, it’s not the same team of a year ago with middleman DJ Burns who could back into the lane and make a basket with his soft touch or, when double-teamed, could find the open man and make a perfect pass to players who actually knocked in baskets.

While this year’s team is actually noted for losing one-possession games, a loss is a loss is a loss is a loss is a loss is a loss is a loss is a loss is a loss is a loss, and unfortunately, losses beget more losses. It grinds on you. It gives you nightmares. It makes you point to outside distractions such as blaming the roster that probably and actually includes no future NBA players or something as silly but necessary as Name, Image, and Likeness cash. NC State will tell you its NIL money can’t complete with most of the college programs. So, why not “crap” or get off the pot? The money is just not there, actually.

Silly, I say about NIL cash? Actually, without a doubt, NIL money is the bane of college athletics. It’s why many coaches are retiring. Actually, it’s my guess why the North Carolina men’s basketball team does not have a replacement at the middle position, a Armando Bacot-type player who can rebound, score, hit the open teammate with an assist; a DJ Burns-type at NC State. Different but the same.

Anyway, maybe and actually, my desire for a 16-team or even an 18-team ACC basketball tournament is to protect NC State from staying home if it finishes in the 16th, 17th or 18th regular-season spot because, right now, with nine games remaining, I’m actually reminded of writer/author John Feinstein and his first book, A Season on the Brink.

For NC State, with a 2-10 league record and eight more to play, this book about the Wolfpack’s 2024-25 season actually, could be A Season on the Brink of Disaster: The Road to Ruin. Please ACC, at the very least, add a 16th team to the tournament to give the Wolfpack a chance to once again run the table.