Syracuse: A change in conference has not affected the Orange thus far, as it continues to look like the class of the ACC. The Orange suffocated UNC-Chapel Hill with its 2-3 zone on Saturday and has a big showdown with fellow ACC newcomer Pittsburgh this weekend to look forward to.
Pittsburgh: The Panthers blew out Maryland and Wake Forest this past week to remain undefeated in conference play, with the aforementioned trip to the Carrier Dome on the horizon.
Virginia: Tony Bennett’s bunch opened its ACC schedule with three impressive wins, two of them on the road. After hammering N.C. State, 76-45, the Cavaliers rallied late at Duke and came within a bizarre bounce of pulling off the upset.
Duke: A pair of puzzling losses to Notre Dame and Clemson, along with a narrow escape at home against Virginia on Monday, has shown that the Blue Devils are human this season. But Duke is still Duke. They are one of the most talented and best-coached teams in the nation. Expect them to pick up steam as the season goes along, if they do not continue to falter late.
Clemson: The Tigers looked awful in its loss to Florida State last week, but also beat Duke on Saturday, giving them the slight edge over the Seminoles. They have a chance to pad their record further with games against Virginia Tech and Wake Forest on the docket.
Florida State: After a rough opener against UVa, the ‘Noles have bounced back to win two straight. Following Wednesday’s in-state clash with Miami, they will get another shot at the Cavs, this time in Charlottesville.
Miami: The Hurricanes played Syracuse tough on the road and knocked off Carolina last week. With an almost entirely different squad from last season’s ACC champions, it’s tough to tell whether Miami will be headed up or down. This week’s games against FSU and Georgia Tech could help decide that.
UNC-Chapel Hill: The Tar Heels are in uncharted territory, starting conference play 0-3 for the first time since 1997. Like Duke, they are still talented and well-coached. They have a plethora of good nonconference wins, but a three-game losing streak is never a good thing.
Maryland: After starting ACC play 2-0, the Terrapins weren’t even competitive last week in losses at Pittsburgh and FSU. The return of starting point guard Seth Allen from injury should help, but he’s still trying to find his form.
N.C. State: Will the real Wolfpack please stand up? Road wins over Tennessee and Notre Dame have been overshadowed by drubbings at home by Pitt and Virginia. State likely needs at least a split of this week’s road games against Wake Forest and Duke to keep from falling too far behind.
Notre Dame: It’s been a rough go of things for the Irish in their first ACC season. Following a win over Duke to open conference play they dropped two straight to N.C. State and Georgia Tech. The loss of senior point guard and leading scorer Jerian Grant to academic issues makes things tougher.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons looked great in a win over Carolina at home but then looked dreadful on the road at Virginia and Pitt. Which team will show up on Wednesday night against State?
Georgia Tech: Much like the Deacs, the Yellow Jackets played well at home in a win over Notre Dame but got pummeled twice on the road by Maryland and Duke. Sophomore forward Robert Carter is still nursing a knee injury, leaving a big void in the middle for the Jackets.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies lost its heart and soul, guard Erick Green, to graduation last year and it has showed as they have not scored more than 61 points in a conference game.
Boston College: The Eagles did knock off Virginia Tech on the road on Saturday, but its abysmal overall record puts them in the cellar. Many predicted a breakout season for the Eagles in head coach Steve Donahue’s fourth season, but that has not been the case thus far.
