ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Week 8

Miami, Wake Forest, Pitt and Clemson are rising up the rankings

The calendar has turned to January, and ACC league play is starting to pick up steam. Other than the couple of teams in the basement, the conference is shaping up to be pretty deep, with a strong middle tier of teams. Let's take a look at how the teams stack up right now.

1. Duke (11-3, 2-1)

Last week: 1

Last week’s results: 81-70 L vs Wake Forest, 86-67 W vs Florida State

Duke is a young team with a first-year head coach. There’s no need to overreact to a road loss without arguably their two most talented players. This is still the team to beat right now in the ACC. Duke shot 8/27 from three-point land in the loss at Wake, which is looking like the central weakness for this team. The Blue Devils are 12th in the ACC in that category, shooting 32.5% from long range this season. Dariq Whitehead and Dereck Lively II returned to action in a 19-point drubbing of Florida State on Saturday. The story of this team right now is the emergence of sophomore guard Jaylen Blakes. Blakes hadn’t scored in double figures in his college career until the Wake Forest game, and he’s coming off of back to back 17-point performances. He could be the answer to Duke’s three-point shooting woes — he’s 7-10 from downtown in those two contests.

Up next: 1/4 at NC State, 1/7 at Boston College

2. Miami Hurricanes (13-1, 4-0)

Last week: 5

Last week’s results: 66-64 W vs Virginia, 76-65 W at Notre Dame

The Hurricanes have now won nine-straight games, and Isaiah Wong is the frontrunner for the ACC Player of the Year. Wong went for 24 points, five assists and six rebounds in the home win over Virginia. I still think Virginia will finish with a better ACC record, but right now, I can’t put this red-hot Miami team any lower than No. 2. Miami trailed by one at halftime to a struggling Notre Dame team, but Nijel Pack’s 21 points, five threes and four steals sparked the Hurricanes run on their way to a double-digit victory on the road. Coach Larrañaga knows that with his undersized team forcing turnovers is key, and the Hurricanes forced the Irish into 17 giveaways in this one. That’s a very impressive feat, considering the fact that Notre Dame entered the contest averaging only 9.1 turnovers per game.

Up Next: 1/4 at Georgia Tech

3. Virginia Cavaliers (10-2, 2-1)

Last week: 2

Last week’s results: 74-56 W vs Georgia Tech, 66-46 W vs Albany, L 66-64 at Miami

Virginia returned to their dominant ways in these last two games after almost pulling out a tough road win over Miami. The Cavaliers trailed by as many as 15 against the Hurricanes, but clawed their way back and nearly gutted out the victory. Ben Vander Plas scored 20 off the bench in the loss. Holding Miami to 66 is pretty impressive, but Virginia needs to shoot better than 36.7% from the field to keep winning in the ACC. Against Georgia Tech, Virginia went on a 25-2 run from the last few minutes in the first half and the beginning of the second half. The Cavaliers are one of seven teams in the nation that are top-20 in both KenPom offense and defensive efficiency. The offensive numbers are still being swayed by their scorching hot opening to the season. If Tony Bennett’s group can shoot the ball with a little more consistency on the perimeter, they could end up the best team in the ACC.

Up Next: 1/3 at Pitt, 1/7 vs Syracuse

4. North Carolina Tar Heels (9-5, 1-2)

Last week: 4

Last week’s results 80-76 W vs Michigan, 76-74 L vs Pitt

The Tar Heels are the first preseason No. 1 to have five losses before Jan. 1 in the last 40 seasons. This is quite the enigmatic group, but we know what they are capable of when they are playing their best. Armando Bacot is playing at an ACC POY level, averaging 25.3 points and 11 rebounds over his last three contests. But the Tar Heels dropped another game, this time against Pitt, after leading by as many as nine in the second half. UNC gave up 42 second half points, and Caleb Love scored a measly seven in the defeat.

Up Next: 1/4 vs Wake Forest, 1/7 vs Notre Dame

READ: Wake Forest's A.T. Perry, Dion Bergan Jr. declare for 2023 NFL Draft

5. Clemson Tigers (11-3, 3-0)

Last week: 7

Last week’s results: W 79-66 at Georgia Tech, W 78-64 vs NC State

Clemson has quietly won seven of their last eight, the only loss being a strange outlier against a weak Loyola Chicago team in the Holiday Hoopsgiving showcase in Atlanta. Clemson cruised past Georgia Tech on the road, before locking up an explosive NC State attack, holding them to just 21 first half points. Hunter Tyson has blossomed into an impressive and complete player in his fifth year of college. He went for 31 points, 26 in the second half, and 15 rebounds in the win over the Wolfpack. Winning by 14 and only getting five points from PJ Hall says a lot about this team. Clemson is rising, but they still are looking for a marquee victory.

Up Next: 12/21 vs Georgia Tech

6. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-4)

Last week: 10

Last week’s results: 81-70 vs Duke, 77-75 W vs Virginia Tech

I can’t rank them any lower than sixth after home wins over Duke and Virginia Tech. If Duke’s Lively/Whitehead and VT’s Cattoor are active for those games, does Wake still win? Maybe not, but you can’t fault them for catching a break. This Wake team has looked vulnerable at times — they needed buzzer beaters at home to beat Utah Valley and App State, and Rutgers and Clemson bullied them off the floor. But with Tyree Appleby playing at a First Team All-ACC level, the Demon Deacons can beat anyone in the league. The supporting cast needs to continue to elevate so this team can establish some consistency.

Up Next: 1/4 at North Carolina, 1/7 at Louisville

7. Virginia Tech Hokies (11-3, 1-2)

Last week: 3

Last week’s results: L 70-65 OT vs Boston College, L 77-75 vs Wake Forest

Virginia Tech lost tough back-to-back road games. Hunter Cattoor was forced out of the Boston College game with an injury, and although he seems to avoided something serious, he wasn’t able to play against Wake Forest. Even without a key player, the Hokies were close to securing these victories. But they weren’t able to find enough. Mike Young relies heavily on his core guys, and against Wake, Sean Pedulla and Justyn Mutts had to shoulder too much of the load. Junior guard Darrius Maddox had an opportunity to step up in Cattoor’s absence, but he only contributed five points in the loss to Wake. Virginia Tech at full health is likely still a better team than Wake Forest or Clemson, but these two losses have highlighted their vulnerabilities.

Up Next: 1/4 vs Clemson, 1/7 vs NC State

8. Pittsburgh Panthers (10-4, 3-0)

Last week: 9

Last week’s results: W 76-74 vs North Carolina, W 84-82 at Syracuse

#PittIsGood! I’ve been saying it…. The Panthers have only lost one game since Nov. 17, and it was a one-point loss at Vanderbilt. Jeff Capel’s group is a perfect 3-0 in the ACC, with road wins over Syracuse and NC State and a home victory over North Carolina. The win on Friday over the Tar Heels was an impressive come from behind performance, and Jamarius Burton put together a 31 point gem on 14-17 shooting. The most surprising part of all of this is that John Hugley, who was supposed to their best player, has been a non-factor. Pitt has a balanced veteran attack, and if they can keep the momentum going on this homestand, they could play their way onto the NCAA Tournament radar.

Up Next: 1/3 vs Virginia, 1/7 vs Clemson

9. Syracuse Orange (9-5, 2-1)

Last week: 8

Last week’s results: 84-82 L vs Pitt, 79-65 W vs Boston College

Syracuse has won seven of eight, the only loss coming by two points against Pitt. Things are clicking offensively for the Orange, and Jim Boeheim is still experimenting with his depth. He’s regularly going 10 deep, but most of the scoring comes from the starting backcourt. Judah Mintz and Joe Girard combined for 40 against Pitt and 42 against Boston College. Mintz is definitely the early frontrunner for ACC Rookie of the Year. I can’t rank the Orange higher until they secure a quality win though. The 73-44 loss against Illinois back on Nov. 29 will remain in my head until Syracuse beats a top ACC team.

Up Next: 1/3 at Louisville, 1/7 at Virginia

10. NC State Wolfpack (11-4, 1-3)

Last week: 6

Last week’s results: W 76-64 vs Louisville, L 78-64 vs Clemson

NC State has cooled off a bit after their hot start to the season, and they now sit at 1-3 in league play. Terquavion Smith’s efficiency has gone out the window as of late. He’s 15/55 (27.3%) from the field over his last three games. The loss of big man Dusan Mahorcic is starting to catch up with the Wolfpack. Kevin Keatts’ guys can be tough to guard, but Smith and the rest of the backcourt need to be more consistent shooting the ball. Things don’t get any easier this week.

Up Next: 1/4 vs Duke, 1/7 at Virginia Tech

11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-6. 7-3)

Last week: 11

Last week’s results: L 76-65 vs Miami, W 59-43 vs Jacksonville, L 73-72 vs Florida State

Notre Dame led at half against Miami, but they started turning the ball over and couldn’t slow down the Hurricane attack. While a 16-point win over Jacksonville sounds fine, scoring only 59 points against a team ranked 167th on KenPom shows the problem with this group. Things are not looking good right now in South Bend, but I can’t imagine they don’t turn the tide soon.

Up Next: 1/3 at Boston College, 1/7 at North Carolina

READ: Sam Hartman's best moments at Wake Forest

12. Florida State Seminoles (3-10, 2-2)

Last week: 12

Last week’s results: L 86-67 vs Duke, W 73-72 vs Notre Dame

In the home win over Notre Dame back on Dec. 21, Leonard Hamilton’s starters scored all but one point in the game. The depth and defensive intensity that Florida State has built their identity on in recent years is nonexistent with this team. The Seminoles had no answers for Duke and were already down 17 at halftime. The good news — freshman Baba Miller only has one more game remaining on his suspension. Who knows how much of a difference one player can make, but with a lottery-level talent in Miller, his return could shift the momentum for this team.

Up Next: 1/7 vs Georgia Tech

13. Boston College Eagles (7-7, 1-2)

Last week: 14

Last week’s results: L 79-65 at Syracuse, W 70-65 OT vs Virginia Tech

Boston College moves up a spot after getting scrappy and stealing a game off of Virginia Tech. Makai Ashton-Langford scored 21 points and drilled a big three to seal the win in the overtime period. In the road battle vs Syracuse, BC trailed by nine at half, but took the lead in the second period before falling by 14. Most importantly — Dutch big-man Quinten Post made his season debut, scoring eight points in 16 minutes. Post averaged 14.0 ppg in the three ACC Tournament games last March, and his presence definitely makes the Eagles a tougher out.

Up Next: 1/3 vs Notre Dame, 1/7 vs Duke

14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-4, 0-3)

Last week: 13

Last week’s results: 74-56 L vs Virginia, 79-66 L vs Clemson

Back-to0back double-digit losses at home drop the Yellow Jackets to 0-3 in the ACC. Although Virginia and Clemson are upper level teams in the league, Georgia Tech was unable to keep things close in either contest. Josh Pastner has a tough task with this roster to compete against a deep ACC slate.

Up Next: 1/4 vs Miami, 1/7 at Florida State

15. Louisville Cardinals (2-12, 0-3)

Last week: 15

Last week’s results: 86-63 L at Kentucky, 76-64 L at NC State, 75-67 L vs Lipscomb

It’s nice to not have a goose egg in the win column anymore, but this team is still a total disaster. Over/under five wins on the season?

Up Next: 1/3 vs Syracuse, 1/7 vs Wake Forest

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