The Atlantic Coast Conference features a long and storied history of tremendous basketball, and the ACC tournament is the marquee moment in the season-long pursuit of greatness.

Once again, Greensboro, N.C., is the site for the next chapter of the league’s epic tale of great players and great moments.

The ACC tournament tips off with four first-round games on March 10, with seeds five through 12 playing for the right to make it into March 11’s quarterfinals. The two semifinal games are March 12, with the championship game set for March 13.

Duke won the title last season, en route to winning the national championship. Duke and North Carolina play Saturday in the regular-season finale, the winner earning the league title and the No. 1 seed entering tournament action.

Florida State and Virginia Tech enter the final weekend of the regular season holding onto third and fourth place, respectively. The top four teams get that all-important bye and won’t have to play on day one of the league tournament.

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The Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball tournament is one of the staples of Championship Week, and once again it will unfold at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

The signature showcase of one of the top conferences in college basketball is set for March 10-13. Duke won the ACC championship last season in Greensboro, beating Georgia Tech in the championship game. After winning the ACC, the Blue Devils went on to win the national championship.

The tournament begins with four first-round games on March 10. Four quarterfinal games are set for March 11, with the semifinals scheduled for March 12 and the championship contest on March 13. Shortly after the ACC crowns its champion, the NCAA Tournament’s field of 68 will be announced.

The Blue Devils look good so far in their quest to defend the title. Duke is 18-1 on the season and tied with Florida State atop the ACC standings at 5-1. FSU knocked off Duke 66-61 on Jan. 12.

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With Texas electing to remain in the Big 12 conference, the domino effect that was expected to occur looks like it will not happen. That means the ACC is safe with its current 12 teams despite persistent rumors that the conference could be raided and lose some of its schools.

The thought process was that the domino effect could cause the Big 10 and SEC to both look to bring in ACC schools into their respective conferences.

You can never say never, but it looks like the ACC will stay solid with the current 12 teams for at least the forseeable future.

The 2010 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament ended up with a familiar scene: The Duke Blue Devils celebrating another conference championship.

For the ninth time in 12 years, and for the 18th time overall, Duke captured the conference crown, avoiding the pitfalls of an upset-riddled bracket to ground down Georgia Tech in the title game at Greensboro Coliseum, 65-61.

Duke entered the tournament as the top seed and was one of four teams with an opening-round bye. In the quarterfinals, the Blue Devils knocked off No. 9 Virginia, 57-46. In the semifinals, No. 12 seed Miami – a huge surprise – pushed Duke to the limit before the Blue Devils squeaked by, 77-74.

In the title game, No. 7 seed Georgia Tech awaited, playing its fourth game in as many days. But Duke simply had too much for the Jackets in the final minutes, winning the conference and earning a No. 1 seed into the NCAA Tournament.

From there, Duke wouldn’t be stopped. The Blue Devils won six games in a row and on April 5 celebrated winning the national championship.

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