In the past, the ACC was dominated by the Blue Bloods of the conference. This year there is a lot more parity. Here is a look at the updated ACC Power Rankings:
1. DUKE BLUE DEVILS
After dealing with a non-Covid illness, Coach K was able to return to the bench on Saturday. His Blue Devils were able to win earlier in the week without him against Georgia Tech, and they scored at will against NC State in his return. If Duke continues to pass the ball and shows the ability to score with multiple players, they will be near impossible to stop.
2. MIAMI HURRICANES
Miami’s hot streak came to an end this weekend as Florida State was able to hold them off thanks to a couple of free throws with next to no time left. With a 65-64 defeat against the Seminoles, Miami dropped their first conference game of the season. The Hurricanes will have a chance at revenge as they will welcome Florida State into the Watsco Center Saturday.
3. UNC TAR HEELS
The Tar Heels finally returned to action this Saturday for the first time since January 8th. But UNC looked like they were in peak midseason form against Georgia Tech. UNC led by as many as 29 points in the second half and went on to win 88-65. Armando Bacot scored 29 for the second straight time and also added 12 rebounds. The Tar Heels will go to Miami Tuesday in a game that will help thin out the competition.
4. WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
After a tough loss earlier in the week against Duke, Wake Forest bounced back on the road against Virginia. Usually scoring 63 points in a game isn’t very impressive, but scoring 63 points against Tony Bennett’s team with your star player being held to 5 makes in the game is a different story. Aldones Williams will have to be in peak form this weekend though when Wake Forest takes on Armando Bacot and UNC.
5. FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Ever since they were embarrassed by Wake Forest, Florida State seems to have turned a corner. The Seminoles were able to hold off a talented Miami team on Tuesday, and then they beat Syracuse on the road Saturday. While this doesn’t carry the gravity of beating a team like Duke, the Seminoles are heading in the right direction.
6. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
After a horrible start to the season, Notre Dame began to string together some quality wins. This past week it seemed they resorted to their old ways. Virginia Tech earned their first conference win over the Fighting Irish, and then Notre Dame was just barely able to outlast a bad Howard team. The Fighting Irish will look to get back on track as quickly as possible, as they face off against Louisville on Saturday.
7. VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Virginia may have been outlasted by Wake Forest, but this past week showed that coach Bennett is still a defensive Wizard. The Cavaliers returned to their winning ways, and while this wasn’t good enough to go 2-0, this formula will help Virginia climb back near the top of the ACC.
8. BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
After an ugly loss on Wednesday to Georgia Tech, Boston College looked to bounce back against Clemson. They did just that behind an impressive performance from Makai Ashton-Langford. His 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists led the way as Boston College won 70-68 over the Tigers. The Eagles will hit the road to play Lousiville on Wednesday.
9. CLEMSON TIGERS
Clemson’s inconsistency has proved costly over the last couple of weeks. The Tigers have dropped 3 of their last 4, with their lone win during that stretch being against NC State. The Tigers will look to right the ship Tuesday at Syracuse.
10. NC STATE WOLFPACK
Despite winning 3 of their previous 6 games against Duke, the Wolfpack didn’t come close to an upset Saturday. Their defense simply looked overwhelmed by Duke’s ball movement and superior talent. The schedule appears to be lighter for the Wolfpack this week though as they will play Virginia Tech and Virginia both at home.
11. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Lousiville’s roller-coaster season seems to be hitting a low currently. After winning three straight conference games, Lousiville has now dropped three straight. That wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the fact that their latest loss was a double-digit loss to Pittsburgh. Lousiville will return this week for a much-needed two-game homestand.
12. SYRACUSE ORANGE
The Syracuse Orange continue to be a disappointment this season. Their lone win in the last 5 games came against Pittsburgh. In order for the Orange to be somewhat competitive, more is needed out of Buddy and Jim Boeheim.
13. PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
If it weren’t for their awful non-conference play, Pittsburgh would be sitting a lot prettier. But a 5-6 non-conference record got Pitt off to a poor start. They have shown the ability to play competitively recently, with 2 wins in their last 3 games.
14. VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES
After coming close in their last couple of games, the Hokies finally got a conference win against Notre Dame. The Hokies will hit the road over their next three games, and if any of those games result in wins, that would be a good step in the right direction.
15. GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS
The Yellow Jackets terrible play has lessened in the past week. Georgia Tech had an impressive road win over Boston College. As great as this was, North Carolina offered a reality check for the Yellow Jackets.
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