The ACC tournament kicks off on Thursday, and some of the first round games are clearly bigger than others. In the case of the opener between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Maryland Terrapins, both teams are likely just playing for pride. The Virginia Tech Hokies and Clemson Tigers are also both not going to improve their chances of going to the NCAA tournament with anything more than an upset win of the entire tournament.
The NC State Wolfpack and Miami Hurricanes are still fighting for something, however. Both teams are on the tournament bubble, and due to the soft nature of this year's bubble, both will probably feel good about their chances of making the big dance with just one win in the ACC tournament. NC State takes on the Boston College Eagles, while Miami faces Georgia Tech.
Duke, North Carolina, Florida State and Virginia have byes. They will begin play on Friday.
ACC Tournament First Round Schedule (All games available on ESPNU and ESPN3)
Wake Forest vs. Maryland - 12:00 p.m. ET
Boston College vs. NC State - 2:00 p.m. ET
Virginia Tech vs. Clemson - 7:00 p.m. ET
Georgia Tech vs. Miami - 9:00 p.m. ET
You can find a full bracket at the ACC Tournament's Official Website. For coverage throughout the tournament, keep it on our ACC Tournament StoryStream.