Unforgettable Moments in the ACC

A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

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Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

’67

A tournament of firsts: UNC Tar Heels guard Larry Miller earned his first of two MVP awards in the first tournament played in Greensboro Coliseum, delivering legendary UNC Coach Dean Smith his first of 13 tournament championships with an 82-73 win over rival Duke in the finals.

’83

Motivated by NC State Coach Jim Valvano’s “survive and advance” mantra, the Wolfpack — led by tourney MVP and future ’Pack coach Sidney Lowe — didn’t just pull out last-minute wins against higher-ranked UNC and Virginia teams. The ACC Tournament champions also went on to win the National Championship against Houston with a last-second Lorenzo Charles dunk.

’88

Two of the biggest rivals in college basketball — Duke and UNC — had only faced each other three times in the finals in the 34-year history of the ACC Tournament, with the Heels sweeping the Blue Devils. This time, the two came into the game both ranked in the Top 10, and the Danny Ferry-led Blue Devils finally won the battle of the blue, 65-61.

’95

On paper, this championship game looked to be a showdown between two of the best big men ever: Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan and UNC’s Rasheed Wallace. But Deacons guard Randolph Childress was having the tournament of a lifetime, finishing with a tourney-record 107 points, earning the MVP award, and landing a 10-footer with less than five seconds in overtime to win the game.

’03

Beginning in 1998, the Blue Devils appeared in nine consecutive ACC Tournament finals, winning an unprecedented five in a row from 1999-2003. Not to be outdone, the Duke women’s team staked its own claim to history from 2000-2004 with their own five-peat — all at the Greensboro Coliseum.

’08

The Tar Heels came into the tournament in Charlotte as the No. 1 team in the ACC and the country, led by national and ACC player of the year Tyler Hansbrough. Living up to the hype, Hansbrough and the Heels won the tournament. The lasting memory of the junior power forward’s prowess is his sinking a baseline jumper with less than a second to go in UNC’s 68-66 semifinal victory over Virginia Tech.

2000s

This century, Triangle-area teams have fared well in the ACC Championship Game. Duke and UNC have made a combined 25 appearances in 25 years — but have only faced each other twice. NC State may have only been to the finals four times, but the Wolfpack has bragging rights as the reigning 2024 ACC Tournament Champion.