ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Week 1

An early check in around the ACC

The first week of the 2022-23 college basketball season in the books. While most teams have a pretty light conference schedule in November, others were put to the test early. Let's jump right into the first edition of this season's ACC power rankings.

1. North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0)

Last week’s results: 69-59 W vs UNCW, 102-86 W vs Charleston

After finishing as the national runner-up last season and bringing back four of five starters, everybody knows what the Tar Heels are capable of. This team and fanbase has a championship-or-bust mentality, so the challenge for Hubert Davis’ group is to stay focused and engaged all season long. The Tar Heels’ explosive offense was on display in the win over Charleston, but they did trail the Cougars 50-43 at halftime. This is one of the best teams in the nation, but to maintain the AP No. 1 spot, they are going to have to bring the intensity on defense more consistently and find some trusted depth pieces off the bench. Starting guards Caleb Love and R.J. Davis are both averaging 36 minutes per game so far.

2. Duke Blue Devils (2-0)

Last week’s results: 71-44 W vs Jacksonville, 84-38 W vs USC Upstate

Duke settles in at the No. 2 spot after back-to-back blowouts at Cameron Indoor. The Blue Devils have put a balanced attack on display so far, with no player scoring 20 points in either game. Duke has also been playing without projected lottery pick Dariq Whitehead, who might be the most talented guy on the roster. His return date is still unknown, and it might not be until December. Rookie head coach Jon Scheyer is challenged with his first real test on Tuesday in Indianapolis against the defending champion Kansas Jayhawks.

Up next: 11/15 vs T-No. 5 Kansas, 11/18 vs Delaware

3. Virginia Cavaliers (2-0)

Last week’s results: 73-61 W vs NC Central, 89-42 W vs Monmouth

NC Central gave Virginia a bit of trouble in the season opener, but the Cavaliers dominated Monmouth in their second contest. Virginia’s three-point shooting already looks much improved compared to last season; they are 24/50 (48%) from behind the line so far. Virginia has the most roster continuity in the ACC outside of North Carolina, so that comfort level will be a big advantage early on in the season. Freshman Isaac McKneely looks like he’s ready to make an impact off the bench this season. He scored a game-high 15 points and drilled four long balls in the win over Monmouth. Virginia’s defense has a tough challenge coming up when they take on Baylor in Las Vegas on Friday.

Up next: 11/18 vs T-No. 5 Baylor

4. Virginia Tech Hokies (3-0)

Last week’s results: 95-57 W vs Delaware State, 78-52 W vs Lehigh, 94-77 vs William & Mary

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but the Hokies offense looks deadly early on. Sophomore point guard Sean Pedulla has looked excellent in the team’s first three games of the season. He’s averaging 20 points a game — 10/20 from three-point land — and his assist to turnover ratio is 14:3. Wright State grad transfer Grant Basile has been great as well. The big man has scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and connected on 6/9 from deep. If Mike Young's group can defend almost as well as they can score the ball, this is a top 25 team in the country.

Up next: 11/17 vs Old Dominion

5. Miami Hurricanes (2-0)

Last week’s results: 67-54 W vs Lafayette, 79-65 W vs UNCG

Miami trailed at halftime in both of these games, but responded in the second half to win by double digits. The Hurricanes were dead-last in the ACC in rebounding last season, but Arkansas State transfer Norchad Omier is one of the best on the glass in the country. He’s averaging 13 rebounds per game. Isaiah Wong, Nijel Pack and Jordan Miller will be one the best scoring trios in the ACC. They are all averaging 14 or more points per game. This group will definitely improve as the season goes along as the new pieces get more comfortable playing in the system.

Up next: 11/15 vs Florida A&M, 11/19 vs Providence

6. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-0)

Last week’s results: 71-59 W vs Fairfield, 81-71 W vs Georgia

Wake Forest took care of business in their first two games of the season at home. There are a lot of new faces in town, but it’s clear that Steve Forbes has a strong veteran backcourt to lead his group in Daivien Williamson and Florida transfer Tyree Appleby. The two guards combined for 56 points and 10 assists in the win over Georgia. When Marist transfer Jao Ituka joins the lineup once he recovers from an injury, this could be one of the best backcourts in the league. Something to keep an eye on is the lack of playing time for junior Damari Monsanto, who is scoreless in 17 minutes off the bench so far this season.

Up next: 11/15 vs Utah Valley, 11/18 vs La Salle

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-0)

Last week’s results: 79-76 W vs Radford, 88-81 W vs Youngstown St

Mike Brey’s team is going to be really difficult to guard. The Fighting Irish are shooting 56% from the field and all five of their starters are averaging over 10 points per game. Radford and Youngstown State made things interesting in the first two games of the young season, exposing Notre Dame’s weakness on the defensive end of the floor. The other concern is depth. With Niagra transfer Marcus Hammond sidelined with an MCL sprain, freshman Ven-Allen Lubin is the only player that Brey has used off the bench.

Up next: 11/15 vs Utah Valley, 11/18 vs La Salle

8. Syracuse Orange (1-0)

Last week’s results: 90-72 W vs Lehigh

Syracuse is the only team to have played just one game, but they definitely looked sharp in it. Joe Girard, Jesse Edwards and freshman Judah Mintz will be the core of the team this season — they combined for 53 in the opener. Jim Boeheim has a very young team this year, but his group appears to be more athletic, which bodes well for the outlook of the 2-3 zone, which was pretty abysmal last season.

Up next: 11/15 vs Colgate, 11/19 vs Northeastern

9. NC State Wolfpack (2-0)

Last week’s results: 99-50 W vs Austin Peay, 73-67 W vs Campbell

Terquavion Smith is off to a hot start in his sophomore campaign. He’s averaging 22.5 points per game on a very efficient 58% from the field and 47% from long range. He’s also distributing the ball well, averaging 5.5 assists per game. The Wolfpack boast a dangerous backcourt — alongside Smith is Jarkel Joiner, a graduate transfer from Ole Miss. He’s added an average of 17.5 points and 5.5 assists per game. However, there are a lot of question marks about NC State outside of those two players, and the Wolfpack did let a home game against Campbell go down to the wire. 

Up next: 11/15 vs FIU, 11/19 vs Elon

10. Pitt Panthers (1-1)

Last week’s results: 80-58 W vs UT-Martin, 81-56 L vs West Virginia

Pitt looked dangerous in the win over UT-Martin, but they let the Backyard Brawl get out of hand, losing big against West Virginia. Their best player, big man John Hugley, has yet to play this season, and neither has wing defender William Jeffress. Transfers Blake Hinson, Nelly Cummings and Greg Elliott are all experienced players who have looked impressive thus far. It’s also good to see Nike Sibande back in action after missing all of last season. Once this team is healthy, I’m confident that they are going to surprise people in the ACC.

Up next: 11/16 vs Michigan, 11/20 vs Alabama State

11. Boston College Eagles (2-0)

Last week’s results: 79-77 W vs Cornell, 70-66 W vs Detroit Mercy

Boston College needed late game heroics to win their first two contests of the season. Freshman Prince Aligbe scored 16 points against Cornell and provided a game winning layup with under a second left. And the Eagles trailed for most of the second half against Detroit Mercy, until Cincinnati transfer Mason Madsen drilled a three to give the Eagles a lead with 15 seconds remaining. Nonetheless, coach Earl Grant is 2-0, and he’s done it with two of his starters — junior guard DeMarr Langford and senior big man Quinten Post — not playing due to injury. Additionally, Aligbe and senior TJ Bickerstaff got hurt in the Detroit game. The Eagles need to get healthy soon, or they might start dropping some of these games.

Up next: 11/14 vs Maine, 11/18 at George Mason

12. Florida State Seminoles (0-2)

Last week’s results: 83-74 L vs Stetson, 68-54 L vs UCF

This may seem very high for a team that has started the season with two losses by a combined margin of 23 points. But, they have talent, and I’m not ready to give up on Leonard Hamilton and the Seminoles just yet. I thought Florida State had a legitimate shot at being the best team in the ACC, but that seems like a wild take at this point. Brown transfer Jaylen Gainey got injured before the season started and is out for the year. Stud freshman Baba Miller was handed a controversially hefty 16-game suspension for breaking a nit-picky NCAA rule. Plus, a trio of freshmen in De’Ante Green, Jeremiah Bembry and Chandler Jackson are all hurt too. Not to mention Naheem McLeod didn't return after leaving in the first half of the loss to UCF. The Seminoles are decimated and are playing with eight scholarship players at the moment. It seems like a curse has been placed on this program dating back to last season.

Up next: 11/14 vs Troy, 11/18 vs Florida

13. Clemson Tigers (1-1)

Last week’s results: 80-69 W vs Citadel, 60-58 L vs South Carolina

Good news — junior big man PJ Hall is already healthy after offseason knee surgery, which comes as a big surprise. He came off the bench and scored 15 points in 22 minutes in the loss to South Carolina. Junior guard Chase Hunter was expected to take a step forward and he’s looked great, averaging 18 points and six assists through the first two games. A two-point road loss to South Carolina isn’t horrible by any means, but that’s still probably the worst team in the SEC. Coach Brad Brownell is doing some experimenting early to figure out this rotation. 11 players saw action against the Gamecocks.

Up next: 11/15 vs USC Upstate, 11/18 vs Bellarmine

14. Louisville Cardinals (0-2)

Last week’s results: 67-66 L vs Bellarmine, 73-72 L vs Wright State

Maybe the 0-2 Cardinals should be last, but they lost both of these games by one point. And, these are two of the better mid-majors rookie head coach Kenny Payne could’ve faced. Both Bellarmine and Wright State won their leagues last year. However, it’s clear that Louisville is a young team with a lot to figure out. A bright spot was a 29-point performance from senior guard El Ellis against Wright State, but he did turn the ball over eight times. After flashing a lot of potential at the end of last season, senior big man Sydney Curry has been a non-factor. He’s only scored three points in 38 minutes of action.

Up next: 11/15 vs App State

15. Georgia Tech (2-0)

Last week’s results: 93-63 W vs Clayton State, 59-57 W vs Georgia State

Josh Pastner and co. are 2-0, getting a nice win at Georgia State when sophomore guard Miles Kelly’s made a go-ahead bucket with 4 seconds left on the clock. The Panthers and the Yellow Jackets always play close games, and their two meetings prior had both gone to overtime. Before I consider moving Georgia Tech out of the bottom of the rankings, I’m going to need to see them play another game against D1 competition.  One bright spot so far has been the offensive balance. Seven players are averaging between 7.5-12.5 points per game.

Up next: 11/17 vs Northern Illinois

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