ACC Basketball: Power Ranking Every Team as Conference Play Approaches
Just like every power conference in college basketball, the Atlantic Coast Conference has seen its best teams dominate at the highest level in nonconference play. The 15-team ACC has also witnessed some brutal losses from its mid-level teams.
With conference play right around the corner, all 15 teams have a chance to improve on their respective nonconference records with impressive performances up and down the East Coast.
Technically, ACC play has already started, as Notre Dame and NC State recorded wins over Florida State and Wake Forest, respectively, during the first two months of the season.
The full conference slate begins in earnest when the calendar switches over to 2015. During the next three months, a handful of teams will look to claim the title of ACC regular-season champion.
Here's our ranking of each of the 15 teams as conference play rapidly approaches.
15. Wake Forest
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What's Gone Right This Season
In Danny Manning's first season as head coach, the Demon Deacons have averaged 40.7 rebounds per game, which is the 23rd-best total in the nation.
Other than that positive statistic, there hasn't been much else to talk about in regards to the team going in the right direction.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
The Demon Deacons have already racked up six losses, three of which have come at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
To add to their misery, Manning and Co. will start January down a game in conference play after a 78-65 loss to NC State on December 6.
Movement Potential
You have to feel bad for the Demon Deacons, as the schedule-makers did not hand them an easy task in conference play.
They have to start out with Louisville and Duke before finishing off their conference slate with four ranked opponents in their last six games.
Thanks to that brutal schedule, Wake Forest has little room to gain momentum and make noise over the final few months of the season.
14. Virginia Tech
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What's Gone Right This Season
The Hokies have been able to respond to back-to-back losses with two consecutive victories on two separate occasions.
Virginia Tech also has three players averaging above 10 points per game in Adam Smith (12.5), Justin Bibbs (11.9) and Joey van Zegeren (10.4).
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Buzz Williams' team have failed to show a dynamic quality on offense, as they have scored more than 75 points just three times in 11 games.
Losses at home to Applachian State and Radford have quieted the noise around the program created by the marquee hire of the former Marquette head coach.
Movement Potential
There is a bit of hope for the Hokies to get better throughout conference play, especially during their six-game stretch from January 27-February 14.
If they can beat up on some of the mediocre sides in the ACC during that time period, the Hokies could earn enough confidence to spring an upset late in the season against Duke, Virginia or Miami (Fla.).
13. Florida State
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What's Gone Right This Season
Let's just say it's a good thing Florida State is a football school.
The Seminoles haven't shown a ton of promise on the hardwood, but at least they have seen some strong production out of Montay Brandon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Following a win over Manhattan to start the season, Florida State lost three games in a row to Northeastern, Providence and UMass.
After that rough patch, the Seminoles have steadied the ship a bit. But they still suffered losses to two of the best teams on their schedule so far in Nebraska and Notre Dame.
Movement Potential
Florida State has a chance to make an impact on the ACC standings early in conference play if it can pull off a win on the road against Syracuse or Pittsburgh, both of whom are more susceptible to lose at home this season.
With only one particularly demanding stretch of games in late February, the Seminoles could finish in the middle of the conference standings.
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12. Clemson
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What's Gone Right This Season
Unlike the three teams below it on this list, Clemson has a win over a ranked opponent in nonconference play.
The Tigers were able to pull out an overtime victory over Arkansas, who was ranked 18th, on December 7. A week later, Clemson defeated Auburn to move its record against the SEC to 2-0 at that time.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
As good as the wins over the two SEC programs looked, the early-season losses to Winthrop and Gardner-Webb stand out as eyesores on Clemson's schedule.
On top of that, the Tigers were blown out by in-state rival South Carolina on December 19 to destroy the momentum they built up after beating Arkansas and Auburn.
Movement Potential
The Tigers certainly did not make friends with any of the schedule-makers. But if they can survive the brutal stretch against North Carolina, Louisville and Virginia to start ACC play, they could produce some decent results.
However, if Clemson fails to respond to what should be three rough losses to start January, it could be battling Wake Forest for the title of worst team in the conference.
11. Boston College
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What's Gone Right This Season
Olivier Hanlan has picked up where he left off last season by averaging 16.0 points per game in his junior year.
Hanlan has scored at least nine points in each of Boston College's 10 games, with his 24 against Providence being his season high.
As a team, the Eagles have fared well at home, but we aren't sure of their true identity just yet, because they have not played a true road game.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Boston College has suffered all sorts of problems away from Chestnut Hill, as it has fallen in three neutral-site games to UMass, West Virginia and Dayton.
In their other game against a power-conference team, the Eagles fell to USC by four at home.
Movement Potential
Jim Christian's first venture into conference play in the ACC could be a rough one given the lack of road games this season.
There is no doubt Hanlan will be at his best in every game, but the rest of the team will have to perform well in order to pull off an upset or two.
10. Pittsburgh
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What's Gone Right This Season
After suffering a loss to San Diego State in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational, Pittsburgh earned a quality 70-47 win over Kansas State on the final day of the tournament.
The Panthers have also received consistent play from sophomore forward Michael Young, who is averaging 13.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Since returning from Maui, Pittsburgh hasn't won any games in truly impressive fashion. In their last victory, the Panthers had to go to overtime to finish off Oakland at home.
The big black eye suffered by the Panthers came three days before the Maui Invitational, as they fell to Hawaii 74-70.
Movement Potential
Counting out a Jamie Dixon-coached team is never a good idea. Outside of the 2011-12 season, Dixon's Panthers have won at least 10 games in conference play.
If that trend continues, the Panthers will have a shot at qualifying for the NCAA tournament. But given some of their early struggles, we aren't throwing all of our confidence behind the Panthers just yet.
9. Georgia Tech
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What's Gone Right This Season
The Yellow Jackets have racked up eight wins in nonconference play, seven of which have been earned at home.
Georgia Tech also ranks 36th in the nation in rebounding thanks to strong seasons from Charles Mitchell and Demarco Cox. Mitchell is averaging 7.3 boards per game, while Cox has pulled down 6.7 per contest.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Georgia Tech lost to USC Upstate at home on December 6.
Other than that, the Yellow Jackets have plenty to be proud of this season.
Movement Potential
Georgia Tech may not be a lock to make the NCAA tournament when March rolls around, but it has a chance to put up a decent conference record.
If they keep up their play in the paint, the Yellow Jackets have a chance to spring a few upsets against the top teams in the conference. But they also have to avoid any further brutal losses along the way.
8. Syracuse
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What's Gone Right This Season
In what is supposed to be a down year for the Orange, they have avoided any resume-smearing losses. They only lost by three against Michigan, and they took Villanova to overtime before falling at the Wells Fargo Center. California and St. John's handed Syracuse its other two losses.
Plenty of promise has been shown by the team in nonconference play, as Rakeem Christmas, Chris McCullough and Trevor Cooney are all averaging over 12 points per game.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Jim Boeheim's team have not caught our attention with a marquee win just yet, which is something that could change when ACC play starts in January.
The Orange also have an issue with depth, as Boeheim will play eight players at best throughout the season.
Movement Potential
We could be talking about the Orange a ton during the first few weeks of conference play due to their weak schedule.
Other than the trip to Chapel Hill on January 26, Syracuse will not face a legitimate test in the ACC until February 14.
If they can string together a good amount of wins before their back-to-back home games against Duke and Louisville, the Orange will enter the NCAA tournament conversation.
7. NC State
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What's Gone Right This Season
NC State started the season with eight wins in its first nine games, including a conference victory over Wake Forest in early December.
The Wolfpack are also receiving tremendous production from Trevor Lacey, who is averaging 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. The junior guard is shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 45.3 percent from beyond the arc.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Just like a few other teams on this list, the Wolfpack have an eyesore on their resume. Back on December 14, NC State fell to Wofford at PNC Arena.
The Wolfpack have also failed to pull off a quality win against a power-conference opponent, as their other two losses have come against Purdue and West Virginia.
Movement Potential
The Wolfpack are certainly capable of making a run at the NCAA tournament and finishing in the top five in the conference standings. But to do so, they need to rack up a few quality wins.
If they fail to take down a couple of ranked opponents, the Wolfpack could be bound for the NIT.
6. Miami (Fla.)
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What's Gone Right This Season
Jim Larranaga's Hurricanes made an early statement with a 69-67 over then-No. 8 Florida on November 17. In the victory, Angel Rodriguez scored a game-high 24 points, including his game-winning three-pointer with 16 seconds left.
The transfer from Kansas State is second on the team in scoring with 13.0 points per game, while Texas transfer Sheldon McClellan leads the Hurricanes with 16.0 points per game.
The Hurricanes have a total of four players averaging over 10 points per contest, while Tonye Jakiri has 9.4 rebounds per game so far this season.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
The Hurricanes have hit a rough patch over the last few weeks with losses to Green Bay and Eastern Kentucky.
The two nonconference defeats have not cancelled out the victories over Florida and Illinois, but they have not helped the team's resume one bit.
Movement Potential
Miami is expected to be near the top of the second tier of teams in the ACC all year. The Hurricanes aren't good enough to challenge for the regular-season title, but they do have potential to earn a few big wins against the likes of Duke, Virginia and Louisville.
5. North Carolina
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What's Going Right This Season
North Carolina is 3-1 against ranked opposition in nonconference play.
The Tar Heels defeated UCLA and Florida in the consolation rounds of the Battle 4 Atlantis, and they beat Ohio State by eight at the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday.
Kennedy Meeks has also established himself as one of the better paint players in the ACC with 13.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in 11 contests.
What's Going Wrong This Season
The Tar Heels have lost to Butler, Iowa and Kentucky this season, all of which aren't bad losses.
Although Roy Williams' squad had a brutal night from the field at home against Iowa, they still had a chance to win the game.
Consistency out of star guard Marcus Paige would also be a welcome sight, as he has shot 34.7 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from three-point range. Both totals are currently less than Paige recorded in his sophomore season.
Movement Potential
North Carolina has a chance to be one of the top three teams in the ACC by the end of the regular season.
For that to happen, the Tar Heels must win around 14 conference games.
4. Notre Dame
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What's Gone Right This Season
Basically everything has gone right for the 12-1 Fighting Irish this season.
Even in its one loss, Notre Dame took the game to wire before falling to Providence by one point.
If it wasn't for the three high-quality teams above them in the rankings, Notre Dame would be the best team in the ACC right now.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
The Irish don't have many flaws other than their one-point loss on a neutral court to Providence in November.
The only concern right now about Mike Brey's team is their depth, as they usually play eight players per game.
Movement Potential
With stars like Jerian Grant, Pat Connaughton, Zach Auguste and Demetrius Jackson firing on all cylinders, the Irish have an outside chance of earning the regular-season title.
Notre Dame's schedule is also favorable, as it only has to play consecutive games against ranked opposition once during conference action.
3. Virginia
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What's Gone Right This Season
No. 5 Virginia was flying under the radar during nonconference play until its drubbing of Harvard in Charlottesville Sunday. In the 76-27 win, the Cavaliers held the Crimson to eight points in the first half.
Believe it or not, that wasn't the lowest total scored by one Virginia's opponents this season. Tony Bennett's team beat Rutgers 45-26 on November 29 to win the Barclays Center Classic.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
It is hard to criticize the undefeated Cavaliers through 11 games.
If we were to point out a minor flaw, we would point your attention to the low point totals put up on offense against George Washington, La Salle and Rutgers.
Movement Potential
Moving up to the No. 1 or No. 2 spot on this list would require victories over Duke and Louisville.
Virginia's national-title credentials will be tested during a three-game stretch from January 31-February 7 against Duke, North Carolina and Louisville.
2. Louisville
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What's Gone Right This Season
The Cardinals have looked impressive on their way to their 10-0 record with seven of those victories being of the double-digit variety.
Louisville also passed its two biggest tests of nonconference play so far with wins over Ohio State and Indiana.
Four Cardinals are averaging over 12 points per game, including leading scorer Terry Rozier at 16.8 points per game.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
One of the few negative aspects of Louisville's season came on Saturday, when Montrezl Harrell was ejected for throwing a punch against Western Kentucky.
Luckily for the fourth-ranked team in the nation, Harrell will be eligible for the rivalry clash with No. 1 Kentucky on December 27.
Harrell was suspended for the game against Cal State Northridge for his antics in the win over Western Kentucky.
Movement Potential
For Rick Pitino's Cardinals to earn the top spot in the standings at the end of the regular season, they must find a way past Duke.
Harrell's battle against Kentucky's big men will be a good preview of how he measures up against Jahlil Okafor on January 17 in Louisville.
1. Duke
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What's Gone Right This Season
Duke's ridiculously talented group of freshmen have experienced few growing pains in their first 10 collegiate games.
Jahlil Okafor is arguably the best player in the nation, while Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow have been spectacular in their respective roles.
Due to the early success of the freshmen, players like Quinn Cook and Amile Jefferson have been able to thrive in lesser roles as well.
What's Gone Wrong This Season
Despite their towering presence in the paint, the Blue Devils are ranked 59th in the nation in rebounding at 38.5 boards per game.
Duke is currently in the top 12 in points and assists per game as well as field-goal percentage. Expect the rebounding numbers to increase as the games become more difficult in the ACC.
Movement Potential
Based off what we have seen so far this season, Duke has a chance to go undefeated.
Even if they lose a game or two, the Blue Devils should still top the ACC regular-season standings in March.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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