1. Syracuse (17-0, 4-0 in the ACC): Ranked second in the nation, the Orange remain the only undefeated team in the conference. Led by senior forward and prolific scorer C.J. Fair, Syracuse added yet another win at Boston College Monday, tallying its fourth ACC victory of the season. Head coach Jim Boeheim’s squad looks to be a strong contender both within the conference and on the national stage.
2. Pittsburgh (15-1, 3-0): The Panthers defeated Wake Forest Saturday by a convincing 15-point margin. Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna combined for 43 points in the winning effort, while Durand Johnson added 11 points coming off the bench. The Panthers will travel to Atlanta Tuesday looking to build their ACC resume with another win at Georgia Tech. As things stand, Pittsburgh and Syracuse are probably the ACC’s best offerings as contenders for the national title.
3. Virginia (12-5, 3-1): After an encouraging 3-0 opening in conference play, the Cavaliers fell short in a heroic comeback effort at Cameron Indoor Stadium Monday. Anchored by sound team defense and the scoring efforts of Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia will have five days to reload before they face Florida State at home Saturday.
4. Clemson (11-4, 2-1): Junior K.J. McDaniels has emerged as a dynamic offensive threat for the Tigers. Averaging 18.0 points per game in conference play, the versatile forward is starting to draw the attention of opposing defenses. After upsetting Duke over the weekend, the Tigers will travel to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech this Wednesday.
5. Florida State (11-4, 2-1): The Seminoles have been a pleasant surprise this season. Rebounding from a tough home loss to Virginia, head coach Leonard Hamilton’s squad has notched consecutive wins against Clemson and Maryland. Florida State will continue to look for senior Ian Miller’s leadership on offense—the Charlotte native leads the team with 13.9 points per game.
6. Duke (13-4, 2-2): It’s been a bumpy road for the Blue Devils thus far, but head coach Mike Krzyzewski seemed to indicate that Monday’s victory over Virginia could be a turning point for the team. Amile Jefferson’s performance in the win was very encouraging for a team that’s struggled down low; Duke will look to build some momentum at home against N.C. State this Saturday.
7. Maryland (10-7, 2-2): Even with the return of talented junior Dez Wells (averaging 14.4 points per game), the Terrapins have not had an auspicious start to their season. Maryland has embarrassing losses to George Washington and Boston University as well as a two-game losing streak in conference play. The Terrapins will look to stop the slide Wednesday as they host Notre Dame.
8. N.C. State (11-5, 1-2): After an uplifting road win in South Bend, the Wolfpack suffered a painful 30-point rout to the Cavaliers at home Saturday. N.C. State will count on standout sophomore T.J. Warren, averaging 22.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, to help them recover for their in-state tour: The Wolfpack face Wake Forest Wednesday before travelling on to Durham Friday.
9. Wake Forest (11-5, 1-2): Much like N.C. State, the Demon Deacons secured an impressive road victory earlier in the month—using a 15-2 run—to beat No. 19 North Carolina in Chapel Hill—before suffering a loss to the “heat-check” Virginia Cavaliers. Wake Forest will look to sophomore Devin Thomas—tallying 11.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game—for continued frontcourt production as they host N.C. State Wednesday.
10. Georgia Tech (10-6, 1-2): The streaky Yellow Jackets managed to hold off Notre Dame Saturday, winning 74-69 to secure their first conference victory of the year. Brian Gregory will look to extend the program’s upward trend in his third year, but it’s unlikely that Georgia Tech will be relevant come tournament time. The Yellow Jackets host Pittsburgh Tuesday at 9:00 p.m.
11. Notre Dame (10-6, 1-2): After starting conference play off with a shocking home upset of then-No. 7 Duke, the Fighting Irish have surrendered consecutive losses to N.C. State and Georgia Tech. Pat Connaughton and Garrick Sherman have been big—literally—for Mike Brey’s squad, but the program could certainly use a win this Wednesday at College Park.
12. Miami (9-6, 1-2): The Hurricanes gave No. 2 Syracuse a scare in their defense-focused conference opener and beat North Carolina on the road last week. Despite an underwhelming non-conference performance, Rion Brown and the Miami squad have actually played ACC teams pretty well thus far.
13. Virginia Tech (8-7, 1-2): The Hokies are reeling. Head coach James Johnson’s squad has lost four out of its last five games, including a home loss to lowly Boston College. It’s early, but Virginia Tech will need a miraculous turnaround in order to receive a bid in March. Senior combo-guard Jarell Eddie is one bright spot for the Hokies, averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
14. Boston College (5-12, 1-3): The Eagles stuck around with Syracuse for much of Monday’s game, but fell short to the national powerhouse. Boston College’s record includes three losing streaks of three games or more which is never good—especially when conference play is just beginning.
15. North Carolina (10-6, 0-3): After being ranked third in the ACC preseason poll, the Tar Heels have faced major setbacks this season. P.J. Hairston’s gun and drug charges set the season off on the wrong foot, and recent academic accusations have not likely helped the program’s image or moral. North Carolina remains winless in ACC play and will host Boston College Saturday.
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