ACC Tournament 2022: TV Schedule and Early Bracket Predictions

Duke has won the ACC tournament more than any other men's basketball program in the conference, having captured the title 21 times. However, the Blue Devils last won in 2019, as the 2020 tourney wasn't completed because of the coronavirus pandemic, then they lost in the quarterfinals last year.

This season, Duke is looking to reclaim the ACC tournament championship in Mike Krzyzewski's final year as head coach. And there's a decent chance the Blue Devils will be successful, considering they've been the top team in the conference this season.

But anything can happen in March. The ACC's 14 other teams will also all be aiming to win the tourney title when the event takes place from March 8-12 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Here's the full schedule for the 2022 ACC Tournament, followed by some predictions for how this year's event is going to unfold.

First Round (March 8)

Game 1: No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed, 2 p.m. ET, ACC Network

Game 2: No. 10 seed vs. No. 15 seed, 4:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network

Game 3: No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed, 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network

      

Second Round (March 9)

Game 4: No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed, noon ET, ESPN or ESPN2

Game 5: No. 5 seed vs. Game 1 winner, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

Game 6: No. 7 seed vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 or ESPNU

Game 7: No. 6 seed vs. Game 3 winner, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

       

Quarterfinals (March 10)

Game 8: No. 1 seed vs. Game 4 winner, noon, ESPN or ESPN2

Game 9: No. 4 seed vs. Game 5 winner, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

Game 10: No. 2 seed vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

Game 11: No. 3 seed vs. Game 7 winner, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

      

Semifinals (March 11)

Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

Game 13: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN or ESPN2

      

Championship (March 12)

Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Virginia has made it to the past seven NCAA tournaments, as well as eight of the past nine. The Cavaliers have been among the nation's top teams during that stretch, which included them winning the first national championship in program history in 2019.

But this year, Virginia is on the March Madness bubble. With one game to play in the regular season, the Cavaliers are 17-12, which includes going 11-8 in conference play. If they're going to make it to an eighth straight NCAA tournament, they likely need to have a strong showing in the ACC tourney.

That could be difficult, though. As it stands, Virginia would be the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament. Although it should win its second-round matchup against one of the teams that advance from the first round, it could then face a difficult quarterfinal opponent, likely either North Carolina or Notre Dame.

The Cavaliers lost to both the Tar Heels and Fighting Irish during the regular season, and they're not entering the ACC tournament with much momentum, as they've lost three of their past four games. Even if they win Saturday's regular-season finale against Louisville, they've struggled to go on rolls this season, having not won more than four games in a row at any point.

Virginia's slow style of play won't be enough to contain a strong quarterfinal opponent this year. Because of that, don't be surprised if the Cavaliers miss out on March Madness.

Duke, Notre Dame and North Carolina appear to be the top contenders to win the ACC tournament. Even as the top three seeds, it's not a guarantee that all of these teams will reach the semifinals, because underdogs are always capable of making a surprise run deep into the tourney.

One team to keep an eye on this year will be Virginia Tech. With two regular-season games to go, the Hokies are likely to be either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the ACC tournament. They've won eight of their past nine games, and they could keep that momentum going by beating Louisville on Tuesday and Clemson on Saturday.

Virginia Tech has a roster filled with shooters, and if they get hot, it's quite possible the Hokies could pull off upsets against any of the top teams in the conference. They're shooting an ACC-best 39.1 percent from three-point range, and they have four players averaging 10 or more points per game.

The prediction here is that Virginia Tech will knock off either Notre Dame or North Carolina to reach the semifinals, and perhaps it will then defeat the other to make it to the championship game. It's unlikely that the Hokies will win the tournament title, but they're a dark horse to watch who should have some impressive moments during the event.

Duke is currently the No. 4 team in the country and the only ACC team ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. The Blue Devils are 25-4, and three of their four losses this season have been by two or fewer points. It's obvious why they're the favorite to win this year's ACC tournament.

Plus, it's Mike Krzyzewski's final year as Duke's head coach before he retires. That should give the Blue Devils extra motivation to make this a special March. And that will start with them making a run to the ACC tournament championship.

It's going to be difficult for any team in the ACC to slow Duke, which is leading the conference in points per game (80.1) and field-goal percentage (48.6). Paolo Banchero is having an impressive freshman season, averaging 16.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and he's capable of leading the Blue Devils to more success over the next month.

There could be some close games for Duke, which will have a double bye into the quarterfinals. But the Blue Devils are the clear best team in this field, and no ACC team will be capable of taking them down with the stakes raised.

So expect Duke to win three games, capture the ACC tournament title and establish even more momentum heading into the NCAA tourney.