ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Week 13
I wrote at the beginning of power rankings a few weeks ago what my criteria is. Click here to check it out.
Another exciting week of ACC basketball to open the month of February. The league standings are quite tight at the beginning of the back half of league play.
ACC Standings
1. Clemson Tigers (18-6, 10-3 ACC)
T2. Virginia Cavaliers (17-4, 9-3)
T2. Pitt Panthers (16-7, 9-3)
T4. NC State Wolfpack (19-5, 9-4)
T4. Miami Hurricanes (18-5, 9-4)
6. Duke Blue Devils (17-6, 8-4)
7. North Carolina Tar Heels (15-8, 7-5)
T8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (15-9, 7-6)
T8. Syracuse Orange (14-10, 7-6)
10. Florida State Seminoles (8-16, 6-7)
11. Boston College Eagles (11-13, 5-8)
12. Virginia Tech Hokies (14-9, 4-8)
13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-14, 2-10)
14. Louisville Cardinals (2-19, 0-10)
15. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-13, 1-10)
No ACC schools rank in the top 15 in Ken Pomeroy's rankings, and the model still considers the weakest power league. Having two schools outside the top 200 and five outside the top 170 is less than ideal.
KenPom Rankings
1. Virginia Cavaliers - 16th in Division I (24th Offensive Efficiency, 26th Defensive)
2. Duke Blue Devils - 30th (44tj Off, 28th Def)
3. North Carolina Tar Heels - 36th (32nd Off, 44th Def)
4. Miami Hurricanes - 37th (11th Off, 116th Def)
5. NC State Wolfpack - 47th (39th Off, 63rd Def)
6. Virginia Tech Hokies- 48th (36th Off, 75th Def)
7. Pitt Panthers - 61st (54th Off, 77th Def)
8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons - 65th (26th Off, 144th Def)
9. Clemson Tigers - 68th (96th Off, 53rd Def)
10. Syracuse Orange - 85th (55th Off, 131st Def)
11. Florida State Seminoles - 170th (128th Off, 229th Def)
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 172nd (84th Off, 289th Def)
13. Boston College Eagles - 178th (249th Off, 112th Def)
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - 208th (262nd Off, 151st Def)
15. Louisville Cardinals - 294th (299th Off, 263rd Def)
Power Rankings
1. Virginia Cavaliers (17-4, 9-3)
Last week: 1
Last week’s results: W 67-62 at Syracuse, L 74-68 at Virginia Tech
Virginia lost a rivalry game on their road on Saturday, ending their seven game win streak. This definitely isn't enough for me to strip this team of their top spot in the Power Rankings. The loss to the Hokies is only the second time this season the Cavaliers have lost a game by multiple possessions.
On Monday, Tony Bennett’s group shot 9-21 from three-point land on their way to a five point road win over Syracuse. Jayden Gardner has really found a groove offensively — he scored five or less points four times in a six-game stretch earlier this month, but has scored 17+ in each of his last three. The Cavs will look to defend home court against two tough opponents this week.
Up next: 2/7 vs NC State, 2/11 vs Duke
2. Miami Hurricanes (18-5, 9-4)
Last week: 4
Last week’s results: W 92-83, W 78-74 at Clemson
If I had to pick an ACC team right now to reach the Elite Eight or better, Miami would be my pick. Jim Larrañaga’s team has a strong identity, and their unique style can cause fits for any opponent. The Hurricanes picked up two impressive wins this week, as they exploded for 92 points in a home win over Virginia Tech, and stole one on the road against first place Clemson.
Nijel Pack is looking as confident as he has in a Miami uniform. He scored 37 points combined in the two wins.
Up next: 2/6 vs Duke, 2/11 vs Louisville
3. Duke Blue Devils (17-6, 8-4)
Last week: 5
Last week’s results: W 75-73 vs Wake Forest, W 63-57 vs North Carolina
The Blue Devils moved to a perfect 12-0 this season at Cameron Indoor after picking up two home wins this week. After the way UNC owned Duke last March, it was crucial for Jon Scheyer to take care of business in the rivalry game, and he did. Dereck Lively blocked an incredible eight shots in the victory, and Kyle Filipowski, Jeremy Roach and Tyrese Proctor combined for 45 in the win. Those three have been the engine offensively, as they scored 54 points in the win over Wake Forest on Tuesday.
The rotation has thinned out a bit, and getting Dariq Whitehead back soon would be huge, but this talented group has definitely been playing better ball lately. Road battles against the two best teams in the league will put Duke to the test this week.
Up next: 2/6 at Miami, 2/11 at Virginia
4. North Carolina Tar Heels (15-8, 7-5)
Last week: 2
Last week’s results: L 65-64 vs Pitt, L 63-57 at Duke
North Carolina drops two spots after an 0-2 week. Now sitting at 7-5 in the ACC, for sure there’s an argument that the Tar Heels should be lower. However, KenPom thinks they are the third best team for a reason, and I'm holding my position because I still believe that the core of this group is strong.
In the one-point loss to Pitt, UNC shot an abysmal 5-27 (18.5%) from long range. Against Duke, the Tar Heels only attempted three free throws, which Hubert Davis expressed his displeasure about in the postgame presser. Armando Bacot scored 14 points, but inexplicably didn’t attempt a field goal in the final 12 minutes of the game. Davis has some figuring out to do with this team after back-to-back poor offensive performances.
Up next: 2/7 at Wake Forest, 2/11 vs Clemson
5. Clemson Tigers (18-6, 10-3)
Last week: 3
Last week’s results:L 62-54 at Boston College, L 78-74 vs Miami
On their way to a 10-1 start in league play, Clemson won four games by three points or less. The Tigers remain in first place, but they came back down to Earth this week with losses at Boston College and at home vs Miami. Brad Brownell’s group turned the ball over 17 times in the loss in Chestnut Hill. Against the ‘Canes, Clemson allowed a key 21-7 run spanning from the end of the first half to the beginning of the second, and they were never able to regain the lead.
It's interesting that this 0-2 week came once this group became finally healthy. Brevin Galloway missed the BC game but played vs Miami, and Alex Hemenway saw action in both games after a six-week absence.
Up next: 2/11 at North Carolina
6. Pitt Panthers (16-7, 9-3)
Last week: 6
Last week’s results: W 65-64 at North Carolina
Pitt picked up their third-straight win over North Carolina on Wednesday before having Saturday off. Jamarius Burton officially owns the Tar Heels, following up his 31 point performance in the Dec. 31 win vs UNC with another 19. Nelly Cummings drilled 5-6 three-pointers, in his first game scoring 20+ since December.
Don’t look now - but Pitt has a real good shot at claiming first place in the ACC sometime during the next two weeks. Their next three games all are against bottom five teams in the league, while Virginia and Clemson have some tough upcoming matchups.
Up next: 2/7 vs Louisville, 2/11 at Florida State
7. NC State Wolfpack (19-5, 9-4)
Last week: 7
Last week’s results: W 94-66 vs Florida State, W 72-64 vs Georgia Tech
The Wolfpack had an easy slate this week, facing Florida State and Georgia Tech at home and taking care of business in both contests. Terquavion Smith went for 32 in the rout of the Seminoles, but he and Jarkel Joiner struggled mightily against the Yellow Jackets, scoring a combined 10 points on a combined 3-17 (17.6%) shooting performance. Big DJ Burns picked up the slack with another dominant performance, scoring 24 and adding eight rebounds. The Wolfpack trailed by one with under four minutes to go in this game, which is concerning but fairly irrelevant considering the result.
Seventh may seem low for a team who has won eight of nine. Kevin Keatts’ group is playing very well, but I’m not sure how legit this team really is still. We’ll get a better idea soon, since they have one of the toughest February schedules in the league.
Up next: 2/7 at Virginia, 2/11 at Boston College
8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (15-9, 7-6)
Last week: 9
Last week’s results: L 75-73 at Duke, W 81-64 at Notre Dame
Wake Forest put an end to their four-game skid Saturday in South Bend, making 14 three-pointers in an easy win over Notre Dame. Damari Monsanto was on fire, drilling 8-13 treys on his way to a career high 28 points. Wake got off to a super slow start in this one, trailing 16-4 ten minutes in, but dominated the rest of the game.
Earlier in the week at Cameron Indoor, the Demon Deacons struggled to shoot from deep for most of the game (9-31, 29%) but nonetheless put up a valiant fight in the loss. Steve Forbes’ group has struggled to play a full 40 minutes of quality basketball as of late, but when this team is clicking offensively they are very tough to stop.
Up next: 2/7 vs North Carolina, 2/11 vs Georgia Tech
9. Virginia Tech Hokies (14-9, 4-8)
Last week: 8
Last week’s results: L 92-83 at Miami, W 74-68 vs Virginia
Virginia Tech is now 0-7 on the road this season after struggling defensively in the loss at Miami on Tuesday. However, the Hokies are winners of three of their last four, and secured a top-10 win vs rival Virginia in Blacksburg. Justyn Mutts was fantastic in the upset, scoring 17 points and dishing out eight assists. Sean Pedulla was also stellar this week, scoring 20+ points in both games.
Mike Young’s group has hit a stride offensively, and will look to keep improving on their poor ACC record as their schedule lightens up over the next two weeks.
Up next: 2/8 vs Boston College, 2/11 at Notre Dame
10. Syracuse Orange (14-10, 7-6)
Last week: 10
Last week’s results: L 67-62 vs Virginia, W 77-68 at Boston College
Syracuse came close to knocking off Virginia in the Carrier Dome on Monday, but it’s hard to beat the Cavs by shooting 3-15 from deep and turning the ball over 14 times. The Orange bounced back on Saturday with a road win at Boston College, on the back of a 27-point performance from Jesse Edwards.
Jim Boeheim has been in the headlines lately for his feuds with student reporters, comments on the NIL, as well as his plans to not retire anytime soon. Amidst the controversy and chatter, Boeheim will look to finish this season strong. While Syracuse’s at-large hopes are likely shot, a Boeheim team always has the potential to be frisky in the ACC Tournament.
Up next: 2/8 at Florida State
11. Boston College Eagles (11-13, 5-8)
Last week: 12
Last week’s results: W 62-54 vs Clemson, L 77-68 vs Syracuse
Boston College is now 4-3 at home this season in league play. On Tuesday, BC secured an impressive win over first-place Clemson on Tuesday. The Eagles did it with defense, holding Clemson to 54 points on 31% field goal shooting. Earl Grant’s group couldn’t replicate the same success against Syracuse on Saturday, as Syracuse finished the game on a 21-9 run. Quentin Post went for 18 points in the loss.
BC hasn’t been consistent, but they have proved themselves as more capable than the other teams at the bottom of the league. There's a serious drop off from Syracuse to Boston College, but Grant's crew has earned the title of "most challenging bad team to beat on their home floor".
Up next: 2/8 at Virginia Tech, 2/11 vs NC State
12. Florida State Seminoles (8-16, 6-7)
Last week: 11
Last week’s results: L 94-66 at NC State, W 81-78 at Louisville
Considering the length and athleticism of this group, it’s really surprising that Leonard Hamilton hasn’t been able to get them to play better defense. Florida State got smoked by NC State on Wednesday, but took care of business at Louisville on Saturday. The Seminoles came close to blowing it though, as the Cardinals deleted a 15-point second lead and tied it up late in the game. Freshman Cam Corhen has been a bright spot lately, as he scored 16 points in both games this week.
Up next: 2/8 vs Syracuse, 2/11 vs Pitt
13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-14, 2-10)
Last week: 13
Last week’s results: L 81-64 vs Wake Forest
Notre Dame entered Saturday averaging the most three-pointers per game in the ACC. The Fighting Irish shot 4-21 (19%) in the loss vs Wake Forest. Mike Brey’s team is out of sync and is playing with the least amount of fire and belief of anyone in the ACC. This is a lost season, and there's no reason to believe that this situation will improve during the month of February.
Up next: 2/8 at Georgia Tech, 2/11 vs Virginia Tech
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-13, 1-10)
Last week: 14
Last week’s results: L 68-58 at Louisville, L 72-64 at NC State
Being Louisville’s first victim definitely isn’t something to be proud of, but Georgia Tech impressed me with their fight on Saturday at NC State. The Yellow Jackets fought hard and held a late lead, doing so without the services of point Deivon Smith, who is dealing with an ankle injury. It’s still nine losses in a row for Josh Pastner’s group, but I think they'll grab a win vs Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Up next: 2/8 vs Notre Dame, 2/11 at Wake Forest
15. Louisville Cardinals (2-19, 0-10)
Last week: 15
Last week’s results: W 68-58 vs Georgia Tech, L 81-78 vs Florida State
A win! And a great comeback! This team has not quit on Kenny Payne just yet. But I’m still not ready to move them out of the last place spot.
Up next: 2/7 at Pitt, 2/11 at Miami
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