ACC Tournament 2022: Schedule and Bracket Predictions for Conference Tourney

The bracket for the 2022 ACC tournament will be finalized on Saturday, which is the final day of regular-season action for the conference. There are seven games taking place, some of which could still have an impact on seeding for the tourney.

However, some things are already clear regarding the ACC tournament. Duke has clinched the No. 1 seed, while Notre Dame, North Carolina and Miami will be the other three teams getting double byes into the quarterfinals. But those schools aren't locked into seeds, and there's some other movement that could occur.

It should be a competitive conference tournament, considering how close many of the teams at the top of the standings have been throughout the season. But Duke should go into the tourney as the favorite, as the Blue Devils (26-4, 16-3 in ACC play) are the only team from the conference ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.

Here's the full schedule for this year's ACC tournament—which will take place March 8-12 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York—followed by predictions for how the final games of the event will play out.

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

Duke should have no trouble winning its first game of the ACC tournament in the quarterfinals, and it's likely to breeze through in the semifinals, too.

As for the Blue Devils' opponent at that stage, Wake Forest is locked into the No. 5 seed and could build some momentum by having to play a second-round matchup. The Demon Deacons won three of their final four regular-season games, including a victory over Notre Dame. And senior guard Alondes Williams is the type of player who could power them to more success.

Expect Wake Forest to then pick up a big win in the quarterfinals, taking down either Miami or North Carolina. The Demon Deacons already beat the Tar Heels this season, and although they lost twice to the Hurricanes, both games were competitive.

It won't matter who Duke faces in the semis, though. The Blue Devils should defeat any of these potential opponents. And if that ends up being Wake Forest, it'll be a similar game to the previous meetings, as Duke beat the Demon Deacons twice in the regular season. The Blue Devils will likely handily win this matchup again.

Prediction: Duke beats Wake Forest

Of the teams that won't receive a double bye, Virginia Tech may be the one most likely to make a run to the end of the ACC tournament. The Hokies are on a roll, having won nine of their past 10 games heading into their regular-season finale at Clemson on Saturday.

Virginia Tech is efficient from three-point range, shooting an ACC-best 39.2 percent from behind the arc. So if the Hokies heat up, they could be tough to beat. They'll need to get past either Miami or North Carolina in the quarterfinals, though, and they went a combined 1-3 against those two teams in the regular season.

That could motivate Virginia Tech for revenge, so don't be surprised if it uses its momentum to get past one of those teams and into the semifinals. At that point, the Hokies are likely to face Notre Dame, which should secure the No. 2 seed in the bracket by beating Pittsburgh on Saturday.

While the Fighting Irish are a solid team, they've also proved to be beatable. In fact, Virginia Tech defeated Notre Dame 79-73 on Jan. 15. Expect the same outcome when the teams meet again, as the Hokies will stay hot and make it to the championship game of the ACC tournament.

Prediction: Virginia Tech beats Notre Dame

Duke has won the ACC tournament more times than any other team with 21 tourney wins. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech has never won the tournament since joining the conference in 2004. Since then, the Blue Devils have won it seven times, most recently in 2019.

If this ends up being the matchup in the championship game, could Virginia Tech topple Duke to win its first ACC tournament title? It's possible, especially with how the Hokies have been playing. But it's also unlikely.

That's because the Blue Devils are the clear best team in the ACC, and they should be getting extra motivation from this being longtime head coach Mike Krzyzewski's final season before retirement. Plus, Duke has a talented lineup fueled by freshman forward Paolo Banchero, who is averaging 16.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

Duke already beat Virginia Tech once this season, notching a 76-65 home victory on Dec. 22. If the two teams meet again, it should be another win for the Blue Devils, who are likely to win the ACC tournament no matter who they face in the championship game.

Prediction: Duke wins ACC tournament title