This year’s ACC Tournament is a bit different due to all the obstacles that COVID-19 presents, but it’s also unusual because of the bizarre championship matchup that’s on tap this weekend.
Usually, the ACC Championship features either Duke or North Carolina. For the first time since 1996, the championship game won’t feature either program. This stat, of course, surprised the college basketball world.
“Wow! What a stat,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “That is incredible! Two and a half decades of one or both of those teams.”
Georgia Tech will take on Florida State tonight in the ACC Championship Game. The former made it to the title game because Virginia had to withdraw from the semifinals due to a positive COVID-19 test, meanwhile the latter took care of business last night against North Carolina.
The Tar Heels erased an 11-point halftime deficit against the Seminoles to make it a close game down the stretch, but Leonard Hamilton’s squad was just too good on the defensive side of the floor when it mattered most.
With North Carolina losing last night, it is the first time since 1996 that neither North Carolina nor Duke is in the ACC Tournament Championship Game.
Wake Forest, led by Tim Duncan, defeated Georgia Tech that year. pic.twitter.com/N5IWwhj7ri
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 13, 2021
Although it’s going to weird not seeing Duke or North Carolina in the ACC Championship, tonight’s game should still be a fun one nonetheless.
Florida State is currently 4.5-point favorites over Georgia Tech. However, the Yellow Jackets can’t be ruled out since they have the reigning ACC Player of the Year on their team in Moses Wright.
Tipoff for this ACC showdown is at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.