Week 7 ACC Power Rankings: Clemson Holds On To Top Spot Despite Loss
With the release of the Week 7 AP Poll, just four teams remain ranked as the Miami Hurricanes fall out of the rankings for the first time this season. North Carolina remains the top-ranked ACC team at #11 in the poll, but have they truly been the best team in the ACC this season?
Here's my ACC Power Rankings as of December 18th:
#1: Clemson Tigers (9-1)
Last Result: 77-79 Loss @ Memphis
Clemson just lost their first game of the season, but ACC Player of the Year frontrunner PJ Hall and Syracuse transfer Joseph Girard III are leading the Tigers. The Tigers have an easy next two games before facing the Hurricanes and the Tar Heels back-to-back.
#2: Virginia Cavaliers (9-1)
Last Result: 56-54 Win vs Northeastern
The Cavaliers continue to prove they can win without a dominant scorer as they've allowed the second-lowest points per game in the nation. Ryan Dunn and Reece Beekman have led the way so far but could struggle if they get into a high-scoring matchup.
#3: North Carolina Tar Heels (7-3)
Last Result: 83-87 Loss vs Kentucky
Despite a rough schedule to start the season, the Tar Heels still have two Top 25 wins and one of the best one-two punches in college basketball. Armando Bacot hasn't been the Preseason All-American people viewed him as but will have his chance to prove himself against Top 10-ranked Oklahoma on Wednesday.
#4: Miami Hurricanes (8-2)
Last Result: 84-77 Win vs La Salle
In their two toughest matchups this season, Miami has lost by 20+ points in both coming off a season where they made the Final Four. A mix of inconsistent bench play and rebounding troubles have kept the Hurricanes from being a frontrunner in this conference so far.
#5: Virginia Tech Hokies (8-3)
Last Result: 73-51 Win vs Vermont
The Hokies haven't been truly exceptional at anything this year, but they've been helped by a strong trio of Lynn Kidd, Hunter Cattoor, and Sean Pedulla. They'll get a chance to start 2-0 in ACC play before the end of the year with a matchup against Wake Forest.
#6: Duke Blue Devils (7-3)
Last Result: 89-68 Win vs Hofstra
Kyle Filipowski is finally getting into his groove after the Blue Devils dropped back-to-back games against Arkansas and Georgia Tech. Jeremy Roach has been an efficient second-scoring option, but they'll need one of their top freshmen to emerge if they want to make a run in March.
#7: George Tech Yellow Jackets (6-3)
Last Result: 82-81 OT Win vs Penn State
The Yellow Jackets have two ranked wins already this season and just won a tough overtime game against Penn State this past week. Miles Kelly has led the way this season, but his inefficient shooting can only take them so far.
#8: Syracuse Orange (8-3)
Last Result: 83-63 Win vs Oregon
After an embarrassing 22-point loss to the Cavaliers, the Orange have rattled off three in a row led by sophomore guard Judah Mintz. If Syracuse can win their next two games before heading to face the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor, don't count out the Orange to hand Duke their second home loss of the season.
2023-24 Miami Hurricanes Basketball Schedule
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