ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Week 5
With another stellar week of ACC basketball, a new team tops Deacons Daily's weekly power rankings. Read below to see how the 15 teams measure up.
1. Duke (10-2)
Last Week: 2
Last week’s results: 74-62 W vs Iowa, 82-55 W vs Maryland Eastern Shore
Duke moves into the top spot after a third-straight double-digit win, including a 74-62 victory on a neutral floor over a strong Iowa team (24th in KenPom). Jeremy Roach turned in a season high 22-point effort in the win. Duke cruised against an unimpressive Maryland Eastern Shore squad by 27, but they turned the ball over 19 times. Freshman Dariq Whitehead put up 15 points, his first double-digit performance in his young college career. This team is sound on both ends, and ever since they got blown out by Purdue back on Nov. 27, they’ve looked like the best team in the ACC
Up next: 12/20 vs Wake Forest
2. Virginia Cavaliers (8-0)
Last week: 1
Last week’s results: 55-50 W vs James Madison
Virginia drops to number two in the power rankings after their second ugly home win in a row. James Madison is a pretty good squad (7-3, 76th KP), but the No. 3 team in the nation needs to be able to score more than 55 points at home against a mid-major. Tony Bennett’s group is undefeated, and still the favorite to win the league, but they haven’t looked nearly as sharp offensively as of late. Of course it's their style of play to slow the pace, so the low scoring totals isn’t the problem. It’s the decline in three-point percentage. UVA was scorching hot to start the season, connecting on 46.9% of their attempts from range. In their last two games, both at home, the Cavaliers are a troubling 10-40 from behind the arc. If Virginia can take down Houston on Saturday, they won’t just be back at the top of my power rankings, they’ll be at the top of the polls too.
Up Next: 12/17 vs No. 2 Houston
READ: Brooklyn Nets Rookie Alondes Williams makes NBA debut
3. Virginia Tech Hokies (9-1)
Last week: 3
Last week’s results: 77-49 W vs Dayton, 70-65 W vs Oklahoma State
The Hokies look dangerous. Coach Mike Young’s guys secured back-to-back solid non-conference wins at home this week over Dayton (6-5, 74th KP) and Oklahoma State (6-4, 37th KP). Sean Pedulla scored 19 and 16 points in the wins, and Grant Basile went for 23 and 13. The starting five is a smooth and skilled group offensively, and they’ve been pretty good on the defensive end as well. The ceiling of this team will depend on the production Young gets off the bench. Rice transfer Mylyjael Poteat turned in his best effort as a Hokie Sunday in the win over Oklahoma State, scoring eight points and grabbing eight boards in 15 minutes of action.
Up Next: 12/17 vs Grambling State
4. Miami Hurricanes (10-1)
Last week: 3
Last week’s results: 107-105 W vs Cornell, 80-73 W vs NC State
This team finds ways to get it done, but the two home wins this past week were quite the sweat. Miami allowed Cornell (7-2, 165th KP) to make 41 field goals in their 107-105 win, but Isaiah Wong’s 36 points and Jordan Miller’s 22 helped the Canes emerge unscathed. NC State was in control for most of the game on Saturday, and they even held a 12-point second-half lead. But the Hurricanes led a furious comeback and found a way to win. Wong and Miller were stellar once again, scoring a combined 47. I wrote last week about Nijel Pack being the X-factor for this team, and he wasn’t able to score in double figures in either of these shootouts. Wong could be the ACC Player of the Year, but this team can only go so far if Miller and Norchad Omier (he had double-doubles in both of these wins) are his only help.
Up Next: 12/17 vs St. Francis (PA)
5. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-4)
Last week: 5
Last week’s results 75-59 W vs Georgia Tech
Head coach Hubert Davis got his guys back in the win column in an easy home win over Georgia Tech. Armando Bacot was great in his return from injury, notching 21 points and 13 rebounds in 34 minutes. Caleb Love was inefficient once again, scoring 10 points and only making 1-6 of his three-point attempts. RJ Davis, however, poured in a season-high 22 points and grabbed 10 boards on 8-13 shooting. This team is quite the enigma because you really never know what version of them will show up on any given night.
Up Next: 12/13 vs Citadel, 12/17 at Ohio State
6. NC State Wolfpack (8-3)
Last week: 7
Last week’s results: 94-72 W vs Coppin State, 80-73 L at Miami (FL)
NC State smoked Coppin State (4-8, 290th KP), and the dynamic backcourt of Terquavion Smith and Jarkel Joiner exploded for 33 and 29 points respectively. Starting big man Dusan Mahorcic suffered a dislocated right patella in the win and is out indefinitely. That’s a big loss for coach Kevin Keatts, as he’s been solid on both ends this season (8.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg). Against Miami, the Wolfpack held firm control on the road before allowing the Hurricanes back into the game. Winthrop transfer D.J. Burns started in place of Mahorcic, and scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a career high 31 minutes. The 6-9 275 pound bruiser is very skilled offensively, but he’s a bit of a liability defensively because of his conditioning and lack of quickness. 6-9 sophomore Ernest Ross and 6-11 junior Ebenezer Dowuona will need to contribute more in the frontcourt in Mahorcic’s absence.
Up Next: 12/13 vs Furman, 12/17 vs Vanderbilt
READ: Takeaways from Wake Forest's 72-70 loss to LSU
7. Clemson Tigers (8-3)
Last week: 6
Last week’s results: 80-75 W vs Towson, 76-58 L vs Loyola Chicago
The Tigers were put to the test by two mid-majors this week, and were only able to secure one win. Hunter Tyson (20 points, 14 rebounds) and PJ Hall (22 points, 5 rebounds) continued their strong play of late in the win over a Towson team (8-3, 105 KP) that is no slouch. The offensive rhythm came to a halt against Loyola (5-5, 124th KP), when Brad Brownell’s group went ice cold and shot 3-21 (14%) from long range. It’s important to note that this Loyola team isn’t nearly as strong as they’ve been in years past. Tyson has really elevated his level of play this season, but the Tigers aren’t deep enough to handle games where he doesn’t perform (10 points, 0-5 from three vs Loyola).
Up Next: 12/17 vs Richmond
8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-3)
Last week: 8
Last week’s results: 72-70 L vs LSU
Wake Forest lost a total heartbreaker in Holiday Hoopsgiving on Saturday, blowing a 20-point lead to LSU (8-1, 63rd KP). The Tigers turned on the jets after trailing 39-19 late in the first half. It only took them eight minutes of game time to tie the ball game at 47. Tyree Appleby played a gem of a game, scoring 26 points on 11-13 shooting and dishing out six assists. He is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands, and the Tigers could not stop him from getting to the basket. Matthew Marsh was the teams best big once again, putting up 13 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. The team shot 0-8 from deep in the second half, and it’s clear that Appleby needs more help. Steve Forbes was not pleased in his postgame presser about the multiple offensive rebounds that Wake allowed on free-throw attempts.
Up Next: 12/14 vs Appalachian State, 12/17 at Rutgers
9. Pittsburgh Panthers (7-4)
Last week: 9
Last week’s results: 75-74 L at Vanderbilt, 91-66 vs Sacred Heart
Pitt trailed by seven with under two minutes to go against Vanderbilt, and took the lead with 15 seconds remaining, but they fouled a shooter in the final moments and lost by one. The Panthers followed up the difficult loss with a dismantling of Sacred Heart. Nelly Cummings was awesome this past week, recording 18 points and five assists against Vandy and 24 points and another five helpers against SHU. As the self-proclaimed leader of the #PittIsGood crowd, I place the blame on head coach Jeff Capel for why this team doesn’t have a better record. Pitt has really good players, and in my opinion they own one of the top five most talented rosters in the conference. Also of note - it’s unknown if freshman Dior Johnson will be rejoining the team after some legal troubles.
Up Next: 12/17 vs North Florida
10. Syracuse Orange (7-4)
Last week: 11
Last week’s results: 95-66 W vs Oakland, 83-64 W vs Georgetown
This ranking might be too low. The Orange’s offense is definitely explosive, and their triumvirate of Jesse Edwards, Judah Mintz and Joe Girard is an elite group. Edwards averaged 19 points and nine rebounds across the blowout wins over Oakland and Georgetown. Mintz put up an impressive statline against the Hoyas, with 16 points, 10 assists and five steals. Jim Boeheim’s young group could very well be competitive in the ACC, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they crack the top five in these power rankings at some point in the next month.
Up Next: 12/12 vs Monmouth, 12/17 vs Cornell
11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-3)
Last week: 10
Last week’s results: 81-75 W vs Boston University, 79-64 L vs Marquette
Notre Dame beat Boston University (6-5, 246th KP) by five at home, but the defensive woes were on display. Marquette (8-3, 31st KP) held firm control for the entire second half in their double-digit win in South Bend. KenPom has Mike Brey’s team’s defensive efficiency as 198th in the nation, which is worst in the ACC (yes, even worse than 0-9 Louisville). The lack of size and length has taken a much bigger toll than expected for a team that returned four key guys from a team that won two games in the NCAA Tournament.
Up Next: 12/18 at Georgia
12. Florida State Seminoles (2-9)
Last week: 12
Last week’s results: 75-53 W vs Louisville
The Seminoles needed to blow out Louisville, and they did. Caleb Mills scored 16 and freshman Cameron Corhen had 15 off the bench in the win. The start of the season for Leonard Hamilton’s group was truly abysmal, but the Seminoles have been playing much better basketball the last three games. They put up very respectable fights versus two top teams in the country in Purdue and Virginia, and while Louisville can’t beat anyone, the Seminoles dominated from start to finish. The loss of Cam’Ron Fletcher is brutal for sure, but at least freshman Baba Miller only has to sit out for five more games. This team will be rising up these power rankings soon.
Up Next: 12/13 vs USC Upstate, 12/17 vs St. John’s
READ: Key Stats from Wake Forest's 72-70 loss to LSU
13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-4)
Last week: 13
Last week’s results: 79-77 W vs Georgia, 75-59 L at North Carolina
The Yellow Jackets gutted out a two-point win in a neck-and neck-battle against their in-state rival Georgia (7-3, 108th KP). Against North Carolina, the Yellow Jackets were outmatched, and never really looked like they had a chance to win. Miles Kelly continues to score at a high level for coach Josh Pastner. He’s averaging 17.5 points per game over his last four outings. This group will gut out a few wins at home this season, but it’s difficult to imagine them beating anybody ACC team on the road outside of the two teams ranked below them.
Up Next: 12/17 vs Alabama State
14. Boston College Eagles (5-6)
Last week: 14
Last week’s results: 74-71 L vs New Hampshire, 77-56 L vs Villanova
That’s four straight losses for the coach Earl Grant’s guys. The Eagles shot 3-22 (13.6%) from long range in the loss at home to New Hampshire. UNH is 3-6 on the season and 320th in KenPom. That’s a total embarrassment for a team that entered the season with plenty of momentum after their run in the ACC Tournament back in March.
Up Next: 12/13 vs Stonehill
15. Louisville Cardinals (0-9)
Last week: 15
Last week’s results: 75-53 W at Florida State
If they don’t beat Florida A&M the season should be canceled.
Up Next: 12/14 vs Western Kentucky, 12/17 vs Florida A&M
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