Duke Basketball Is No Longer No. 1: Power Ranking the ACC Right Now
Shockwaves were felt around the college basketball world this last week when the defending National Champions, Duke, were beaten by a forceful Florida State Seminole team in Tallahassee.
The Blue Devils were no longer undefeated and they were not going to continue to be No. 1.
This may be a preview of what could be as competitive of an ACC season as there has been in some time. Every game and every week will be a battle.
Nine of the 12 teams have already demonstrated that they can play with just about anyone. And even the teams that make up the lower-tier of the conference will surprise some as they sneak up on their ACC opponents throughout the season.
The following power rankings are more than just the conference standings, categorizing teams in the order of their current record.
A team can have a nice looking win-loss statement and still not fair well on this list. How teams have played throughout the season and how they are playing now are huge factors.
Weigh in on where your team should be. Comment on how you think that the ACC is shaping up!
Wake Forest
1 of 12
The best aspects about the young Wake Forest (7-10) basketball team is that they will get older and most likely better.
Of their top five leading scorers, two are freshmen (J.T. Terrell and Travis McKie - pictured) and two are sophomores (Ari Stewart and C.J. Harris).
In the last month, the Demon Deacons are a disappointing 2-7, with their only wins coming against UNC-Greensboro and High Point.
In their first two ACC games, Wake Forest has been beat by 21 (NC State) and 19 (Maryland). And things don't much look like they will get much better moving forward. They may not win more than two conference games the whole season.
Georgia Tech
2 of 12
The Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech is the 1930 Ford Model A Sport coupe that serves as the official mascot of the student body.
With the way that the Yellow Jackets are playing so far this year, rumor has it that Tech's 2010-11 basketball team might adopt that moniker.
Georgia Tech is struggling. They are 7-8 (0-2 in ACC) with only one quality win, a mid-December victory over Richmond.
They have lost four of their last five games, including their first two conference games to BC (86-75) and Clemson (87-62), both on the road.
The Yellow Jackets are No. 281 in the nation in field goal shooting percentage (41.1 percent). They are shooting a frigid 29 percent from beyond the arc.
Georgia Tech may find it hard to win more than four or five games in conference play.
Junior guard Iman Shumpert (pictured) is one of the few bright spots for Georgia Tech. He leads the ACC in steals (2.5 per game) and the Yellow Jackets in all three major stats: scoring (15.2 PPG), rebounding (5.5 RPG) and assists (3.5 APG).
Virginia
3 of 12
On the surface, Virginia looks like it is having a decent season.
The Cavaliers are 10-6 record overall, 1-1 in the ACC.
On the upside, they beat No. 17 Minnesota in Minneapolis (87-79 and LSU (64-50).
On the downside, they lost to Seattle and Iowa State, both at home.
Statistically, the Cavs are a nightmare. They are
- No. 299 in rebounds per game - 32.1
- No. 278 in points per game - 63.8 (last in ACC)
- No. 278 in assists per game - 11.5 (last in ACC)
- No. 211 in field goal percentage - 43 percent
Senior forward Mike Scott (pictured) is having the best year of his Cavaliers career. He is averaging a double-double (15.9 PPG and 10.2 RPG).
If Virginia could recover some of the magic that helped them in their wins against the Golden Gophers and the Bayou Bengals, the Cavs could turn things around.
It is just as likely that they will win five or six ACC games and finish under .500 for the season.
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Miami (FL)
4 of 12
Miami has the talent and size to be a team that could be a sleeper in the conference or be asleep in the conference.
Miami has posted a legitimate 11-5 record to start the 2010-11 season, but they have opened the ACC slate by losing their first two conference games.
Reggie Johnson, at 6'10'' and 303 lbs is second in the ACC in both rebounds (9.7 RPG) and field goal percentage (59 percent).
Malcolm Grant (pictured) leads the Hurricane in scoring (15.5 PPG)
There's a lot of ball to be played but Miami will have to turn things around promptly if they are going to get back into the race.
North Carolina State
5 of 12
North Carolina State was expecting to have a very good season in 2010-11.
The fortunes of the Wolfpack's season changed significantly with the injury and subsequent surgery of N.C. State senior Tracy Smith's right knee.
After playing the first two games of the season, Smith (pictured) missed the next ten. During his absence, the Wolfpack went 6-4. Since his return, they are 3-1.
Smith seems to be somewhat back to his old self, leading the team in scoring (14.3 PPG).
Smith's injury, while unfortunate, created an opportunity for freshman forward C.J. Leslie to emerge. He averages 11 points and eight rebounds per game.
If NC State can stay relatively injury free the rest of the way, it may be possible for the Wolfpack to get close to 20 wins.
Virginia Tech
6 of 12
Some have thought of this season as the year for Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg. So far VTech has played a little unevenly.
Currently, the Hokies are 10-5. After losing three straight games at the end of November/early December (UNLV, Purdue and Virginia), Virginia Tech has won six of their last seven contests.
The Hokies are not a good rebounding team; they are currently ranked No. 212 nationally (34.5 RPG) and No. 9 in the ACC.
This year, Malcolm Delaney, the returning ACC scoring champ, is third in the conference in scoring (19.3 PPG) and fourth in assists (4.1 APG).
Tech is another ACC team that could struggle to get to the 20 win mark for the season, and that wouldn't be enough to make it into the NCAA tourney.
Clemson
7 of 12
Clemson is out-of-the gate fast overall (13-4) and has won their first two ACC games (Miami and Georgia Tech).
After losing three straight games (Michigan, South Carolina and Florida State) at the end of November/beginning of December, first year head coach Brad Brownell and the Tigers have rattled off eight straight victories.
Clemson, in comparison with the other ACC teams, is struggling a little to score points (70.4 PPG - No. 10 in the ACC) and rebound (34 RPG - also No. 10 in the conference).
Jerai Grant (pictured) leads the ACC in FG percentage (64 percent) and is scoring 13 points and pulling down seven rebounds per game. Grant gives Clemson a much-needed shot blocking and rebounding force.
The Tigers play back to back road games against North Carolina (1/18) and Maryland (1/22). Coming out of this pair of upcoming games with at least a split should be considered a small achievement.
Clemson should be right at twenty wins for the season—probably not enough to thrust the Tigers back into the NCAA tournament.
Maryland
8 of 12
Maryland, at times, has looked like they could beat anyone in the country, playing Pitt and Illinois tough early in the season, and almost knocking off Duke last week.
But the Terrapins are going to have to get things turned around quickly in the ACC. They have lost two of their first three games.
Maryland's strength definitely is its inside game. The Terrapins are aggressive both on the offensive and defensive glass.
They are the No. 5 rebounding team in the nation, No. 2 in the conference. They also block over six shots per game.
They put the ball in the hole (79.2 PPG on 48 percent shooting)
Jordan Williams (pictured) is arguably the best big in the conference, leading the ACC in rebounding. Williams averages a double-double (17.7 PPG/12.1 RPG).
Maryland, like so many ACC teams, will need to find consistency as they make their way through the conference schedule.
If they do, they might win at least 20 games and make it to the NCAA tourney.
Florida State
9 of 12
Florida State is a team with huge upside, obvious to anyone who tuned in to watch the Seminoles (12-5, 2-1 in ACC) dismantle Duke this week.
Their one puzzling loss of the year came to Auburn on Jan. 3. Call it "too much holidays". Blame it on taking an opponent too lightly.
They followed that loss with their only ACC defeat at the hands of VTech in Blacksburg.
But if these were the wake up calls that Leonard Hamilton's unit needed in order to blank the Blue Devils, so be it. Hamilton commented immediately following the game on how he hoped that his team understood what it takes to win big games and to play up to their potential.
The Seminoles are a strong rebounding team, No. 9 in the nation, No. 3 in the conference (41.5 per game).
Chris Singleton (pictured), a 6'9'' forward, is second in the ACC in steals (2.2 SPG) and leads the Seminoles in scoring and rebounding.
If the Seminoles can use their upset victory over Duke as a launching pad, Florida State will be right near the top of the conference. If they are erratic, they may not win 20 games, which will leave them out of the NCAA tournament.
Boston College
10 of 12
Boston College has an attractive first-half record of 13-4. They have started off the ACC season by winning their first three conferences games.
And yet, the Eagles may be getting ready to experience some tougher times.
While their record has been good, BC's strength of schedule has not been extremely challenging. Of their four losses, two came against Ivy League schools (Yale and Harvard), and one of them was against an average Rhode Island team.
Offensively, Boston College is skilled. They shoot the ball well (48.6 percent), they distribute it to each other (16.1 APG) and they score points (76.1 PPG).
But first year head coach Steve Donahue's squad is the worst rebounding team in the ACC, with 32 RPG, good for No. 300 in the nation.
If the Eagles are not having a good shooting night, they probably don't get many put-backs, because they are the worst offensive rebounding team in the conference—only nine per game.
Reggie Jackson (pictured) is second in the ACC in scoring (19.5 PPG) and assists (4.7 APG).
BC may win nine or ten games in conference, which would put them at 20 wins. If not, the Eagles could be on the outside of The Dance looking in.
North Carolina
11 of 12
North Carolina has played most of the season under the national radar.
After losing two games early in Puerto Rico against Minnesota and Vanderbilt, the Tar Heels (12-4, 2-0 in ACC), fell out of the Top 25 and haven't received much further attention.
Since then, Roy Williams' squad has won 10 of their last 12 games, and started off the ACC with two quick wins.
North Carolina is strong inside. The Tar Heel trio of Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Harrison Barnes is the best in the league. If they can capitalize on this strength, they can beat anyone in the conference.
They are the No. 4 rebounding team in the nation, best in the ACC (42.5 RPG).
Carolina scores well, putting up 78 points per game.
Tyler Zeller leads the Tar Heels in scoring (14.6 PPG) and is second in rebounds (7.7 RPG)
One factor to watch is UNC's free throw shooting (63.1 percent, tied with Maryland for the worst in the conference). In close games, whether or not they put down their FTs may be the difference between a win and a loss.
As is, North Carolina should win 11 or 12 games in conference play and comfortably make the NCAA tournament.
Duke
12 of 12
In spite of losing on the road to Florida State this week, Duke (15-1) is still at the top of the conference.
As usual, Coach Mike Krzyzewski's squad has no trouble putting the ball in the whole.
The Blue Devils have the most offensive weapons in the ACC.
Nolan Smith leads the ACC in both scoring (19.5 PPG) and assists (5.7 APG). Kyle Singler is exceptional on the perimeter, shooting 40 percent from three point range.
Duke also plays tough defense, limiting their opponents to 63 PPG, tops in the ACC.
The biggest area of concern going forward for the Blue Devils is interior defense and rebounding. This team has no enforcers, a role that Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas capably filled on last year's championship team.
This weakness was exposed in Duke's loss to the Seminoles, and could be exploited by teams like Maryland and North Carolina.
Duke may still lose another game or two in conference play, but there is no doubt who is the best team in the ACC.
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