Where Does Cal Fit Into Next Month's ACC Tournament Bracket?

Despite a three-game losing streak, Cal remains on reasonably solid footing to land one of 15 available spots in the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball tournament, which will run March 11-15 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC.

The Bears (12-14 overall, 5-10 ACC) currently are tied for 14th in the ACC but would receive a No. 15 seeding behind Syracuse (11-15, 5-10), which shares the No. 14 spot in the standings. The Orange would win a tiebreaker vs. Cal based on its 75-66 win over the Bears on Feb. 1.

With five games to play, Cal has a two-game lead over 16th-place North Carolina State (10-15, 3-11) and owns the tiebreaker vs. the Wolfpack because of its 65-62 head-to-head victory.

NC State, along with Boston College (10-15, 2-12) and Miami (6-19, 2-12), currently are the three teams at the bottom of the 18-team standings that would not secure one of the 15 berths in the ACC bracket.

But the Bears’ chances of moving up to a No. 9 seed, which would give them a first-round tournament bye, are unlikely. Cal would have to climb above five teams, including Syracuse, over the next three weeks. Florida State (15-10, 6-8) and Pitt (15-10, 6-8) currently share ninth place, although FSU has the tiebreaker in their matchup.

Cal plays just one game this week, visiting Stanford on Saturday night.

*** Here are the current ACC standings (through Monday), with details including remaining games, for the teams Cal is pursuing:

1. DUKE (15-1, 23-3)

2 tie. LOUISVILLE (13-2, 20-6)

2 tie. CLEMSON (13-2, 21-5) 

4. WAKE FOREST (11-4, 19-7)

5. SMU (10-4, 19-6)

6. NORTH CAROLINA (8-6, 15-11)

7. STANFORD (8-7, 16-10)

8. GEORGIA TECH (7-8, 13-13)

9 tie. FLORIDA STATE (6-8, 15-10): Beat Notre Dame and Wake Forest before losing 72-46 at home to Clemson on Saturday. Lost 77-68 at Cal on Jan. 22.

Remaining schedule: vs. Miami, at Louisville, vs. North Carolina, at Duke, at Virginia, vs. SMU

9 tie. PITTSBURGH (6-8, 15-10): Beat Miami on Saturday to end four-game losing streak. Beat Cal 86-74 at Berkeley on Jan. 1.

Remaining schedule: vs. Syracuse, at Notre Dame, vs. Georgia Tech, at Louisville, at NC State, vs. Boston College

9 tie. VIRGINIA TECH (6-8, 11-14): Has won three of its past five games entering tonight at BC. Beat Cal 71-68 at Berkeley on Jan. 11.

Remaining schedule: at Boston College, at Miami, vs. Louisville, vs. Syracuse, vs. North Carolina, at Clemson

12. VIRGINIA (6-9, 13-13): Lost 80-62 at home vs. No. 3 Duke on Monday night, snapping a three-game win streak.

Remaining schedule: at North Carolina, at Wake Forest, vs. Clemson, vs. Florida State, at Syracuse

13. NOTRE DAME (5-9, 11-14): Only victory in the past five games was double-overtime win vs. Boston College. 

Remaining schedule: vs. SMU, vs. Pitt, at Clemson, at Wake Forest, vs. Stanford, vs. Cal 

14 tie. SYRACUSE (5-10, 11-15): Only victory in past four games was triple-overtime win vs. Boston College. Owns tiebreaker vs. Cal with 75-66 win at Berkeley on Feb. 1.

Remaining schedule: at Pitt, vs. NC State, at Virginia Tech, at SMU, vs. Virginia

14 tie. CAL (5-10, 12-14): Bears’ 90-88 overtime defeat at Georgia Tech on Saturday was its third straight loss, fifth in six games.

Remaining schedule: at Stanford, vs. SMU, vs. Boston College, at Louisville, at Notre Dame

16. NC STATE (3-11, 10-15): Victory vs. BC on Saturday snapped 9-game losing streak. Lost 65-62 at Cal.

Remaining schedule: at North Carolina, vs. Wake Forest, at Syracuse, at Georgia Tech, vs. Pitt, at Miami

17 tie. BOSTON COLLEGE (2-12, 10-15): Has lost 4 in a row and 10 of 11 entering tonight vs. Virginia Tech.

Remaining schedule: vs. Virginia Tech, vs. Georgia Tech, at Stanford, at Cal, vs. Clemson, at Pitt

17 tie. MIAMI (2-12, 6-19): Won 2 of past 4 games after 0-10 start in ACC play. Lost 98-94 in overtime at Cal.

Remaining schedule: at Florida State, vs. Virginia Tech, vs. Duke, at North Carolina, at Georgia Tech, vs. NC State

*** Here is the ACC tournament schedule (all times Pacific): 

Tuesday, March 11

No. 13 seed vs. No. 12, 11 a.m.

No. 15 vs. No. 10, 1:30 p.m.

No. 14 vs. No. 11, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, March 12 

No. 9 seed vs. No. 8, 9 a.m.

Winner game 1 vs. No. 5, 11:30 a.m.

Winner game 2 vs. No. 7, 4 p.m.

Winner game 3 vs. No. 6, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinal games at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

Friday, March 14

Semifinal games at 4 and 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 15

Championship game at 5:30 p.m.