The ACC basketball season is in full swing. This season is no different than any others.
ESPN’s senior bracketologist, Joe Lunardi has projected that 11 out of 14 ACC teams will make the big dance.
So far, most of the teams are performing as projected.
Let’s get the inside view of the Tobacco Road teams:

1.) Duke Blue Devils
One team that has really struggled in the opening weeks of conference play is the Duke Blue Devils.
Plagued with numerous injuries, the ceiling for this year’s Devil team may not be achieved.
They have drastically improved their defense this year, returning Amile Jefferson and adding the #1 ranked high school recruit out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Harry Giles.
As always, Coach K has brought back a full arsenal of 3-point specialists including the preseason ACC Player of the Year, Grayson Allen.
Allen has made national headlines lately for his inability to respect other players center of balance.
2.) NC State Wolfpack
Aside from Duke, NC State has also struggled to live up to the hype, once again. Coming into this season,
Mark Gottfried boasted one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, highlighted by 5-star guard, Dennis Smith, and 7-foot Turkish center, Omer Yurtseven.
This team draws many similarities to the 2011-2012 Wolfpack team that was loaded with talent and was projected to make it deep in the NCAA tournament.
Recent losses to Boston College and Georgia Tech has shaken the fan base and the stability of the locker room.
“Don’t care. Don’t care if you do. [Expletive], I don’t really give a [expletive] if anyone does. We got better tonigh,” Gottfried said after an embarrassing loss to Boston College.
Gottfried has taken fire for his heated remarks toward the press, but his frustration and emotion recently has shown that the Pack are struggling.
His job security remains in question, as reports have been released that he will be terminated at the end of the season.
“To be honest, I want him gone. The Gottfather brings in all these hot-shots and can’t coach them at all.
Enough is enough. I think the longer State keeps him around, the more they are telling the world that we accept mediocrity. This is still and will forever be Our State. We just need a change. Our win over Duke was impressive but it is time to move on” junior Ben Brown said.
3.) North Carolina Tar Heels
For Carolina, it’s more of the same. Still recovering from a heartbreaking loss in the closing seconds of the title game last season, this year’s team plans to sustain the same amount of excellence as the last.
Carolina brings back 3 of their 5 starters, so these guys have great chemistry. This team is the most capable offense in the conference, averaging 89.4 points per game, which ranks #1 in the ACC.
Also, Roy Williams achieved a remarkable milestone in college basketball history this season. On January 16th, 2017, Coach Williams won his 800th game against Syracuse at home.
He is the fastest coach to reach this win total in college basketball history. After the game, Williams was presented with a commemorative “800” jersey and a signed pair of Jordans by Michael himself. It was a poignant moment in his career as he became emotional during his speech.
But Williams later diverted the attention from himself, quickly to his team after they won their 17th game.
The Tar Heels are tied with Virginia for 1st in league play, and will continue to work for the top seed in the ACC tournament at the end of the season.
It will be an interesting end to the season, and postseason play should be entertaining for all.