Experts Project Four ACC Teams to Make NCAA Tournament

Five reputable sites have almost identical predictions for the seeding of ACC teams in the Big Dance as of now

North Carolina and Wake Forest are battling for a berth in the NCAA tournament / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

This a down year for ACC basketball based on experts’ most recent predictions of the NCAA tournament field. And the conference’s situation is pretty clear as to which ACC teams would get in and where they would be seeded if the selections were made today.

All five reputable sites we cited project that four ACC teams would get into the 68-team field for the Big Dance.  All five have Duke as a No. 1 seed, all five have Clemson and Louisville seeded sixth or seventh, and all five have Wake Forest as a No. 11 seed and one of the last at-large teams to make the field. SMU and North Carolina are seen as teams just outside the field of 68 as of now.

It means the final few weeks of the season will be pivotal for Wake Forest, North Carolina and SMU.

For Cal it's simple. The Golden Bears must qualify for the 15-team ACC tournament and then win it to get an NCAA tournament berth.

The ACC’s allotment of teams pales in comparison with the SEC, which has 12 or 13 teams projected to get into the NCAA tournament, or the Big Ten, which would likely get 10 teams in were the selections made today.

Here’s how the experts at ESPN.com., NCAA.com, USA Today, The Sporting News and CBS Sports see the ACC in terms of teams that would get into the NCAA tournament and what seed they would receive.

ESPN (Joe Lunardi, posted February 18)

ACC teams in – 4

Duke – No. 1 seed

Clemson – No. 6 seed

Louisville – No. 7 seed

Wake Forest – No. 11 seed (Last at-large team to make the field, would play a play-in game)

SMU – First Four Out

North Carolina – First Four Out

.

NCAA.com (Andy Katz, posted February 18)

ACC teams in – 4

Duke – No. 1 seed

Clemson – No. 6 seed

Louisville – No. 7 seed

Wake Forest – No. 11 seed (Last four in, would play a play-in game)

SMU – First team out

North Carolina – Fourth team out

.

USA Today (Eddie Timatus, Erick Smith, Paul Myerberg, posted February 18)

ACC Teams in – 4

Duke – No. 1 seed

Louisville – No. 6 seed

Clemson – No. 7 seed

Wake Forest – No. 11 seed (Last four in, would play a play-in game)

North Carolina – First four out

SMU – Not included

.

The Sporting News (Bill Bender, posted February 18)

Number of ACC teams in – 4

Duke – No. 1 seed

Louisville – No. 6 seed

Clemson – No. 6 seed

Wake Forest – No. 11 seed

North Carolina – First four out

SMU – First four out

.

CBS Sports (Jerry Palm, posted February 17)

Number of ACC teams in – 4

Duke – No. 1 seed

Clemson – No. 6 seed

Louisville – No. 7 seed

Wake Forest – No. 11 seed (but not forced to play a play-in game)

North Carolina – First four out

SMU – Not included

Follow California Golden Bears on SI on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport