Duke defeated all three of their in-state rivals on their way to the tournament championship, beating North Carolina in the quarterfinal round, Wake Forest in the semifinal, and NC State in the championship game.
The 2002 tournament was the last one held at Charlotte Coliseum. Shortly after the ACC Tournament, the NBA Hornets moved to New Orleans. The NBA subsequently awarded Charlotte an expansion team, who requested a new arena be constructed in central Charlotte. The Coliseum therefore closed in 2005 and was imploded in 2007. Future ACC Tournaments in Charlotte have been played at the considerably smaller Spectrum Center.