Everything you need to know about ACC tournament quarterfinals

The second day of ACC tournament action is complete, and it was filled with the all-day basketball goodness we deserved. In the morning session, No. 8 NC State completed an improbable comeback to force a meeting with the top-seeded Virginia Cavaliers, as Ty Outlaw’s hot three-point shooting led the No. 5 Hokies over the No. 12 Miami Hurricanes. Next up, Virginia Tech will have a chance to battle FSU for a spot in the semifinals.

In the evening session, No. 7 Louisville handled No. 15 Notre Dame easily while No. 6 Syracuse made things all chalk in the next round by taking out No. 14 Pitt without Tyus Battle. Now, the Cards get a rematch with North Carolina while Syracuse has a shot at the Blue Devils.

Here are some of the highlights from all the Wednesday action at the ACC tournament:

The Wolfpack made things decidedly more difficult for themselves by falling behind by 18 in the second half after trailing Clemson 42-26 at the half. The Tigers shot a blistering 8-for-13 (62 percent) from three in the first half as the Wolfpack shot 10 percent beyond the arc, turned the ball over six times, and were beaten on the glass.

In the second half, the Wolfpack turned the tables. After a layup by Marcquise Reed gave Clemson a 14-point advantage with 15:12 left in the game, Clemson would only put up two free throws over the next 10:52 as NC State went on a 23-2 run. How does that happen? Well, Clemson missed 14 straight shots and turned the ball over four times as State started clicking.

The win was huge for NC State as the Wolfpack are still playing to keep their NCAA tournament dreams alive. Right now, NC State is still planted firmly on the bubble, but a loss would surely have sent them packing to the NIT. The top-seeded Cavaliers are up next for the Wolfpack, and a win against Virginia would do a lot to help their resume.

It’s not super far-fetched, either. The Wolfpack to Virginia to overtime when the two met in Raleigh back in January, falling by one point in a game where the Hoos turned the ball over 16 (!!) times.

This season alone, Clemson lost by two to Nebraska, by two to NC State (on a Braxton Beverly buzzer-beater), by one to Miami (also a buzzer-beater), by one to Louisville, by two to North Carolina, and by one to NC State in the ACC tournament.

That’s six possessions away from being 25-6 and comfortably in the NCAA tournament. Instead, the Tigers are likely NIT bound despite a No. 36 NET ranking and sitting at No. 28 on KenPom.

This is from two years ago, but it’s absolutely still applicable:

If you see a Clemson fan, give them a hug. Or just remind them about how good they are at football.

Before the game started, Virginia Tech graduate student Ty Outlaw was presented with the Bob Bradley Spirit and Courage Award, given to an ACC basketball person/player who had to overcome significant hardship to contribute to their team/society. Outlaw has battled through numerous health issues, including a heart problem and a torn ACL, and is now a huge contributor for the Hokies.

Outlaw started the game on fire, hitting his first four three-pointers and adding a dunk in the first 12 minutes of the game against Miami as the Hokies built an 18-point lead. His performance this season has been outstanding, averaging nine points and 5.2 rebounds per game and shooting 47 percent from three on the season. Since teammate Justin Robinson was sidelined with a foot injury, Outlaw has hit 30-of-70 (43 percent) of threes attempted.

The lead up to ACC tournament has been dominated by injury discussion, primarily centered on whether or not Zion Williamson will make his return for the Blue Devils. Early indications seem to be that he’s going to play, but whether his minutes will be limited (or if he’s the same Williamson right out of the gate) remains to be seen.

The aforementioned Justin Robinson could allegedly make his return for the Hokies this week, but information has been scarce. Most likely, he will come back for the NCAA tournament if he is able to return at all this season.

Syracuse played without Tyus Battle after he took a hard fall in the Orange’s regular season finale against Clemson. The Orange are surprisingly not as bubble adjacent as they usually are, but they clearly struggled without him against Pittsburgh. Will Battle be back for the bout with the Blue Devils?

ACC tournament action resumes Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Stay up to date with the bracket, scores, and more here.