ACC women's basketball bubble watch

The ACC has been unpredictable this season, with several teams failing to meet preseason expectations and a few dark horses earning a top-25 ranking. On3 takes a look at the conference’s tournament outlook, including a trio of teams that remain on the bubble.

Locks: Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina, Cal, NC State, Georgia Tech

Notre Dame, Duke, Cal, North Carolina, NC State and Georgia Tech have each been among the best teams in the country up to this point. Notre Dame is contending for a No. 1 seed, while the rest of these programs should be firmly in the NCAA Tournament at this point. 

Expected to make the tournament: Florida State, Louisville

While neither Florida State, nor Louisville is currently in the top 25 and have each had underwhelming seasons when considering preseason expectations, they’ve each solidified resumes that have them expected to reach an NCAA Tournament appearance. This could certainly change, but at this time, both teams are expected to make the postseason. 

Some work to do: Stanford, Clemson, Virginia Tech

Stanford, with a new head coach at the helm and a largely new roster, started the season off strong. The Cardinal were 7-1 to open the year but fell off massively with a stretch of losses that included SMU and Clemson. The Cardinal is back on track with narrow victories over Florida State and Wake Forest, but there’s plenty of work to be done. Important games remaining for the Cardinal include Louisville, Virginia Tech, Miami and Georgia Tech. 

Clemson also has a new head coach but has exceeded expectations thus far. The Tigers have a couple of concerning losses against Georgia and Virginia but have kept up with a few teams who are tournament locks, like NC State and Notre Dame (without Hannah Hidalgo). The Tigers have also earned wins over Cal and Stanford. Clemson is firmly on the bubble for now after four consecutive falters, but that could change with a strong upcoming schedule. Important games remaining include Georgia Tech, Louisville and Virginia Tech. 

Virginia Tech is also home to a new head coach, and the Hokies have had some impressive moments. They’ve earned wins over Miami, Louisville and Georgia Tech, but have faltered against teams like Virginia and Florida State. Important games remaining include Virginia, Stanford, Cal and Clemson.