The 2011 ACC Tournament championship game pits two longtime rivals and the only two ACC teams that are legitimate on the national stage this season. Top-seeded North Carolina survived a couple of tough games and will now face No. 2 seed Duke for the ACC title. The game is at 1 p.m. and is broadcasted on ESPN and FOX.
This will be the 11th time the two teams will face each other in an ACC Tournament championship game. The last time was in 2001, when the Blue Devils routed the Tar Heels behind Shane Battier. North Carolina has won six of the previous 10 matchups.
The Tar Heels reached the ACC Tournament final with two comeback wins against inferior opponents. They rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat No. 9 seed Miami, 61-59, then rallied from a 12-point deficit to top No. 4 seed Clemson, 92-87, in overtime. Harrison Barnes scored 40 points in that game to carry the Tar Heels. Duke reached the ACC Tournament final by defeating No. 7 seed Maryland, 87-71, then topping No. 6 seed Virginia Tech, 77-63.
The winner will likely earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, so there are important ramifications on the line.