It’s 2016 and conference play has arrived this week, bringing a number of entertaining games that will be just the beginning of what looks to be a promising season of college basketball in the ACC.
No. 6 North Carolina (14-2, 3-0): The Tar Heels sit atop the ACC early in conference play after a trio of wins against Clemson, Georgia Tech and Florida State. Brice Johnson has emerged as a major threat on the offensive end for North Carolina after a 39-point, 23 rebound performance Monday against the Seminoles, joining NBA stars Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin as the only players to record at least 35 points and 23 rebounds in a game in the past 20 years. The Tar Heels will look to remain atop the standings with a win at Syracuse Saturday night.
Virginia Tech (10-5, 2-0): If you thought that Virginia Tech would be 2-0 to start conference play with a top-10 win under its belt, please raise your hand. The Hokies slipped past N.C. State 73-68 in overtime to start the New Year and then pulled off a monumental upset at home against in-state rival No. 4 Virginia just two days later. South Florida transfer Zach LeDay scored 22 points against the Cavaliers and blocked guard London Perrantes’ layup in the final moments to seal the victory. Virginia Tech will have a chance to pad to its resume Saturday when they visit Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on the Blue Devils.
No. 12 Miami (FL) (12-1, 1-0): The Hurricanes started off the season red-hot before stumbling at home to Northeastern back on Nov. 27. But since that time, the team has won seven straight and continues to rise in the polls. Miami fell behind Syracuse early in its conference opener Saturday, but outscored the Orange 47-26 in the second half to pull away. Forward Sheldon McClellan continues to be the do-it-all player for the Hurricanes, scoring 22 points and grabbing five rebounds in the win
No. 24 Pittsburgh (12-1, 1-0): The Panthers notched a 72-61 conference win against a struggling Syracuse team on Dec. 30 to close out 2015. Jamie Dixon’s team then stepped out of conference play against Maryland–Eastern Shore and dominated the Hawks in a 92-58 win. A major question for Pittsburgh going forward is whether it can keep up with the ACC’s top talent. The Panthers have faced two top-tier non-conference opponents this season—having its early-season matchup with then-No. 9 Gonzaga in Okinawa, Japan called at halftime due to poor floor conditions and losing to then-No. 11 Purdue in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge. The Panthers face Georgia Tech and Notre Dame this week before a Jan. 14 showdown on the road against No. 16 Louisville
No. 14 Duke (12-2, 1-0): The Blue Devils did as expected this past weekend and took care of business against Boston College, notching an 81-64 road win. Forward Brandon Ingram and guard Grayson Allen continue to spearhead the offensive attack for Duke, combining for 42 points in the victory. The Blue Devils also got much-needed contributions from Luke Kennard and Matt Jones who both scored in double-digits and helped Duke shoot 55 percent from the field. The squad is still waiting to get forward Amile Jefferson back from a foot injury and the team could really use the senior as the Blue Devil bigs struggled in the paint against the Eagles.
No. 16 Louisville (12-2, 1-0): Following a tough 75-73 loss to No. 12 Kentucky, the Cardinals had nearly a week off before sneaking past visiting Wake Forest 65-57 at the KFC Yum! Center Sunday. Louisville has asserted itself as a contender rather than a pretender with a pair of losses to Kentucky and Michigan State by a combined six points. The Cardinals will be tested in a tough stretch ahead, traveling to Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday to play North Carolina State before ending the weekend at Clemson Sunday
Clemson (9-6, 2-1): The Tigers have rattled off consecutive conference victories after dropping their opener on the road against North Carolina. Guard Jordan Roper hit 7-of-10 shots from beyond the arc and scored 23 points en route to the team's 84-75 victory against Florida State. Clemson got a huge road victory Tuesday night when they upended Syracuse 74-73 in overtime after guard Gabe DeVoe hit a big triple to force the extra period.
No. 4 Virginia (12-2, 1-1): Despite hitting seven three-pointers en route to a 22 point performance, guard London Perrantes could not lead the No. 4 Cavaliers to victory in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech Monday night. The loss was just Virginia’s second of the season and came as a surprise considering the Hokies were expected to finish near the bottom of the conference. Head coach Tony Bennett’s team is just 1-2 in true road games so far this season.
Notre Dame (9-4, 0-1): Although the Fighting Irish don't possess the same talent as last year's Elite Eight team, the group has shown its ability to hang tight with quality opponents. But Notre Dame could not overcome a 21-4 first-half run in its conference opener Saturday against Virginia. The Fighting Irish struggled mightily to defend the Cavaliers and allowed them to shoot 57 percent from the floor. Notre Dame will be back in action Thursday against Boston College.
Wake Forest (9-4, 0-1): The Demon Deacons have faced three consecutive tough tests and must prepare for another one Wednesday when the Blue Devils come to town. Although Wake Forest dropped its conference opener against Louisville, the Demon Deacons hung around for much of the contest before slipping up late. Under head coach Danny Manning, Wake Forest appears to be a team to look out for as conference play progresses.
Georgia Tech (10-4, 0-1): Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, they opened their conference slate against a hot Tar Heel team in Chapel Hill Saturday. Although Georgia Tech kept things interesting throughout most of the game and was tied early in the second half, Brice Johnson came up big for North Carolina, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to give the team its second straight ACC win. The Yellow Jackets face a tough week ahead of them with games against No. 24 Pittsburgh and No. 4 Virginia.
N.C. State (10-4, 0-1): After early season losses to William and Mary, Michigan and Arizona State, the Wolfpack seemed to be back on track, riding a six-game win streak prior to dropping a 73-68 contest to Virginia Tech on Saturday. Despite the loss, guard Anthony Barber continues to light it up on the offensive end for N.C. State, averaging 22.9 points and 4.9 assists per game on the season. The upset-minded Wolfpack will be looking to use the “blackout” at PNC Arena Thursday night to help topple the visiting Cardinals.
Boston College (7-7, 0-1): Despite leading early, the Eagles could not avoid turnovers in an 81-64 loss to Duke Saturday. Boston College's 16 giveaways led to numerous Blue Devil fast breaks and broke a close game open before halftime. With only a 7-7 mark on the season, the Eagles will need to right the ship in a hurry or face another finish near the bottom of the conference.
Florida State (10-4, 0-2): Despite a pair of dynamic guard in Dwayne Bacon and Malik Beasley, the Seminoles continue to struggle defending on the perimeter. In its loss to Clemson, Florida State allowed the Tigers to hit 10 triples, despite holding their opponent to just 45 percent from the floor. Things did not get much better for the Seminoles Monday as they allowed the Tar Heels to hang 106 points on them in a 16-point loss.
Syracuse (10-6, 0-3): Syracuse has got off to a slow start in a conference play under head coach Mike Hopkins and have lost their first three ACC games. The Orange let one slip away Tuesday against Clemson when guard Trevor Cooney missed a wide-open, game-winning jumpshot in the team's overtime loss. With suspended head coach Jim Boeheim eligible to return Saturday against the Tar Heels, the Orange may have a chance to turn their season around before its too late.
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