Syracuse (14-0, 1-0 ACC) – One of the six remaining unbeaten teams in Division I, the No. 2 Orange sits firmly atop the ACC rankings. Head coach Jim Boeheim’s signature zone defense held Miami to 44 points in the teams’ matchup on Saturday.
Duke (11-3, 0-1) – The Blue Devils took a hit in the national rankings after a tough loss to Notre Dame, falling from No. 7 to No. 16. Though Duke has had a potent scoring offense, the lack of size on the Devils’ roster is a concern; only one player for the Devils is taller than 6’9”.
Notre Dame (10-4, 1-0) – The Fighting Irish made quite a splash in their first ACC match by beating then-No. 7 Duke 79-77 in South Bend, Ind. The big men of Notre Dame proved to be a force, as the Irish outscored the under-sized Blue Devils by 28 in the paint.
UNC-Chapel Hill (10-4, 0-1) – The Tar Heels are without doubt the most enigmatic team in the country. Against ranked teams, the Tar Heels are 3-0, including victories over then-No. 1 Michigan State and then-No. 3 Louisville. However, a six-point loss to Wake Forest on Sunday marked UNC-CH’s fourth loss against unranked opponents this season.
Pittsburgh (13-1, 1-0) – The Panthers shocked N.C. State on Saturday with a 12-point comeback win after being down by as much as 15. Ball movement has played a factor in Pitt’s success. The Panthers rank 16th in the nation in assists per game.
Wake Forest (11-3, 1-0) – The Demon Deacons showed their potential for the upcoming season with a win over in-state foe UNC-Chapel Hill. However, Wake has not won an away game this season, which may prove problematic as its next two contests are on the road.
Clemson (10-3, 1-0) – The Tigers opened conference play with a tight win over Boston College. Clemson has found strength in its defensive play all season; the Tigers lead the ACC in scoring defense, with opponents averaging just 53.3 points per game.
N.C. State (10-4, 0-1) – After disappointing losses against Missouri and Pittsburgh, the Wolfpack has shown a tendency to surrender early leads. However, the offensive presence of sophomore forward T.J. Warren has helped State maintain its status as a competitor in the ACC. Warren leads the conference with 23.9 points per game.
Maryland (10-5, 2-0) – The Terrapins have two definitive wins in conference play over Boston College and Georgia Tech. In its final season as a member of the ACC, Maryland looks to continue its hot start against Pittsburgh on Thursday.
Virginia (10-4, 1-0) – Recovering from an embarrassing 35-point loss to Tennessee, the Cavaliers won their first ACC contest of the season against Florida State. Scoring has proven to be difficult for Virginia; the Cavs rank outside the top 300 in points per game.
Florida State (9-4, 0-1) – The Seminoles had their four-game win streak snapped by a 12-point loss to Virginia in their conference opener. Florida State has played well so far this season, with big wins over No. 10 Virginia Commonwealth and No. 22 Massachusetts.
Virginia Tech (8-5, 1-0) – The Hokies recorded a close overtime win over Miami on Dec. 8 to open ACC play with a victory. Since then, Virginia Tech has dropped two of its three games, including a 30-point loss to Virginia Commonwealth.
Georgia Tech (9-5, 0-1) – When the Yellow Jackets win, they win big. Five of Georgia Tech’s nine wins have been by 15 points or more. However, the Jackets also lost big to Maryland in their conference opener on Saturday.
Miami (8-6, 0-2) – The Hurricanes gave all they had against No. 2 Syracuse, but eventually fell short. Earlier in the season, Miami fell by one point to Virginia Tech in an overtime loss, making it one of two teams in the ACC with two conference losses.
Boston College (4-11, 0-2) – As the only team in the ACC with a losing record, the Eagles have a strong hold on the bottom spot in the rankings. Boston College has now dropped seven of its last eight contests, including losses to ACC opponents Maryland and Clemson.
