SPORTS | BASKETBALL
The Chronicle's Guide to the 2016 ACC Tournament
By Staff Reports | March 8, 2016
Boston College set records this season, though not in a good way.
Duke Blue Devils (22-9, 11-7 in the ACC) Head coach: Mike Krzyzewski Leading scorer: Grayson Allen (21.5 points per game) Season recap: For a team coming off a national championship, expectations in Durham were high entering the 2015-16.
Notre Dame: 20-10, 11-7 in the ACC Head Coach: Mike Brey Leading Scorer: Demetrius Jackson (15.9 PPG) Season Recap: Even after losing mainstays Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton from last year's Elite Eight squad, the Fighting Irish still boast arguably the top offense on the ACC.
With the regular season in the books, the final AP poll before the beginning of the postseason was released Monday afternoon.
Azurá Stevens returned from her injury and grabbed Player of the Week honors after her performance in Duke's short ACC-tournament run.
Sophomore Grayson Allen is the Blue Zone's Player of the Week after putting up big numbers in games against Wake Forest and North Carolina.
The ACC's top scoring duo reeled in all-conference honors Sunday, as Duke sophomore Grayson Allen was named a first team All-ACC selection and Brandon Ingram was tabbed ACC Freshman of the Year, in addition to landing on the conference's second team.
North Carolina outrebounded the Blue Devils 64-29 and scored 42 points in the paint, spoiling Senior Night for Marshall Plumlee and sending Duke into the ACC tournament as the No. 5 seed.
When Duke has been successful this year, it has mostly been on the backs of two players—Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram. But in the Blue Devils' showdown with North Carolina Saturday, they were missing contributions from half of that couple.
Before Saturday’s game even tipped off, Duke officially announced what many had suspected with growing certainty—Amile Jefferson would not return to the court this season.
After a tight 74-73 loss at home to Duke, the Tar Heels came out with a similar motivation to their game against the Blue Devils in 2012 following Austin Rivers' buzzer-beater.
No. 17 Duke could not overcome a beating on the boards in a 76-72 defeat to No. 8 North Carolina to finish the regular season
Once again, Brice Johnson did anything he wanted to on the offensive glass—this time for the full 40 minutes. Johnson's 18-point, 21-rebound performance helped No. 8 North Carolina bruise its way past No. 17 Duke 76-72 Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
No. 17 North Carolina jumped out to a 20-9 advantage and leads 40-32 at halftime against No. 17 Duke Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke senior captain Amile Jefferson will miss the remainder of the season and will seek a medical hardship waiver, the team announced Saturday afternoon.
Duke's Marshall Plumlee and North Carolina's Joel Berry II will be the difference-makers Saturday in the Blue Devils regular-season finale.
With a double-bye in the ACC Tournament on the line, No. 17 Duke hosts the eighth-ranked Tar Heels hoping to finish the regular season with a resume-boosting win.
North Carolina can lock up the ACC regular season title with a win, but the Blue Devils can secure a double-bye in next week's ACC tournament if they can beat the Tar Heels for the second time in three weeks.
In this year’s second installment of the Tobacco Road rivalry, No. 8 North Carolina will make the short trip to Durham for a 6:30 tip-off versus No. 17 Duke Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.