All Hurricanes

Week 12 ACC Power Rankings: Miami Falls Out After Consecutive Losses

AllHurricanes' Liam Willerup Shares His ACC Power Rankings As The Hurricanes Make Their Fall From Grace

Liam Willerup

In this story:

There was no denying that Miami was expected to be contenders for the ACC again even after losing Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong. The talent was there with newcomer Matthew Cleveland as well as three starters returning from a Final Four team. However, today marks the first time this season they aren't in my power rankings and it's rightfully justified.

As for the rest of the power rankings, the top remains relatively the same despite a major upset by the Pittsburgh Panthers over the Duke Blue Devils. RJ Davis also continues to be the lone 20 point per game scorer in the conference as he leads the way in the ACC Player of the Year Race. Find the power rankings with details below:

#1: North Carolina Tar Heels (15-3, 7-0 ACC)

Last Result: 76-66 Win at Boston College

Ranked top 25 in points per game while allowing under 70 points per game, this North Carolina team looks completely different than the team that finished 20-13 last season. The only potential concern for this team is if Armando Bacot can really take over a game but the Tar Heels have enough depth to make up for it. While anything can happen, their first real test will come February 3rd when Duke comes to Chapel Hill.

#2: Duke Blue Devils (13-4, 4-2 ACC) 

Last Result: 80-76 Loss vs Pittsburgh

After being winners of eight straight, the Blake Hinson-led Pittsburgh Panthers came to town to hand Duke their second home loss of the season a fifth in the last three seasons. However this Duke team is still getting better every game as their freshmen continue to grow and Mark Mitchell has missed the last two games. They have an end of the month schedule that they should be able to sweep before their visit to Chapel Hill.

#3: NC State Wolfpack (13-5, 5-2 ACC)

Last Result: 84-78 Loss vs Virginia Tech

As I continue to mention, this NC State team doesn't too anything exceptional but does enough things well to win ball games. DJ Horne has been great as of late (21.3 PPG over last three games) while the rest of the team contributes as a whole. They'll go on the road to Virginia and Syracuse this week before ending the month off at home versus Miami.

#4: Wake Forest Demon Deacons (13-5, 5-2 ACC)

Last Result: 90-65 Win vs Louisville

Wake Forest got great news this week with the return of Damari Monsanto, who had surgery left February after being a key player for the Demon Deacons that season. An already strong offensive team, they rank 12th nationally in three point percentage and 2nd in free throw percentage. They'll take on North Carolina tonight in a must-watch matchup that could tell a lot about both teams.

#5: Syracuse Orange (13-5, 4-3 ACC)

Last Result: 72-69 Win vs Miami

Syracuse continues to contend in every game they play with their dynamic backcourt of JJ Starling and Judah Mintz, who led this team to a big win over Miami this past weekend. With five losses on the season, all of them have come from quality opponents. However, that also means they don't have a ranked win yet this season. With the NCAA Tournament a real possibility, they'll need a big time win vs NC State this week at home.

#6: Florida State Seminoles (11-7, 5-2 ACC)

Last Result: 78-67 Loss vs Clemson

Florida State showed the power of their depth and size with an upset win against rival Miami this past week, but had their five game streak ended by the Clemson Tigers this weekend. While they don't have that go-to scorer as Leonard Hamilton has mentioned, Jamir Watkins has been great as of late and could be the scorer this team needs. They'll look to capture a big win vs Syracuse this week and try to contend with the Tar Heels.

#7: Virginia Tech Hokies (11-7, 3-4 ACC)

Last Result: 84-78 Win at NC State

Sean Pedulla has arguably been the best player in the conference in 2024 (24.4 PPG), but some games just haven't gone their way and prevent them from being higher on this list. Unfortunately with the rise of Pedulla, Lynn Kidd and Hunter Cattoor have lost some form as they look to get their game back with matchups against Boston College and Georgia Tech this week. A team that could definitely do some damage in the ACC Tournament if their core three is hot.

#8: Virginia Cavaliers (13-5, 4-3 ACC)

Last Result: 75-66 Win at Georgia Tech

The second best points per game defense in the country did just enough offensively this week to capture two wins. Reece Beekman had one of his better weeks of the season (17.5 PPG this past week), as this Cavaliers team flashed some offensive fire power. The problem remains this team lacks consistency on that end, and will need to show more of it throughout the last half of the season if they want to make the big dance.

2023-24 Miami Hurricanes Basketball Schedule

AllHurricanes.com is your home for all things Miami Hurricanes football, recruiting, basketball, and other athletics, all the time. Follow along on social media at @AllHurricanes on Twitter and All Hurricanes on Facebook for round-the-clock news and analysis.

Published
Liam Willerup
LIAM WILLERUP

You can find Liam on Twitter @theleftyliam where he shares news on University of Miami basketball and football as well as opinions

Home/Basketball