1/16/2021 football Edit

ACC Power Rankings: Comparing the league's teams 1-15

Justin H. Williams • TheWolfpackCentral

Staff Writer

Now a month into conference play in ACC men's basketball, the league's 15 teams are beginning to show their strengths and weaknesses as the competition has heated up.

Although there have been several postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and likely many more to come, each ACC team has played at least three conference contests to date.

Here are our ACC Power Rankings as of mid-January:

NC State Wolfpack basketball Shakeel Moore — NC State started league play 2-0 but has since lost three straight, dropping the Pack below. 500 in the ACC. (Ethan Hyman, The News & Observer)

15. Wake Forest

Wake Forest Demon Deacons basketball Steve Forbes — Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes' squad is 3-4 in his first season in Winston-Salem. (Erin Edgerton/ACC Media Services)

2020-21 Record: 3-4 (0-4 ACC)

Top performer: Junior forward Isaiah Mucius (10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

Best win: vs. Longwood (71-60) on Nov. 27

Next up: vs Virginia Tech on Sunday, Jan. 17

14. Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball Nate Laszewski — Junior forward Nate Laszewski is the Fighting Irish's leading scorer averaging 16.7 points per game. (Photo by Corey Bodden)

2020-21 Record: 3-8 (0-5 ACC)

Top performer: Junior forward Nate Laszewski (16.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 54.5 3-pt FG%)

Best win: at Kentucky (64-63) on Dec. 12.

Next up: vs Boston College on Saturday, Jan. 16

13. Miami

Miami Hurricanes basketball Isaiah Wong. — Sophomore guard Isaiah Wong led the Hurricanes with 24 points in Miami's 64-59 win at NC State last Saturday. (AP)

2020-21 Record: 5-6 (1-5 ACC)

Top performer: Sophomore guard Isaiah Wong (16.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.9 apg)

Best win: at NC State (64-59) on Jan. 9

Next up: vs No. 16 Lousiville on Saturday, Jan. 16

Observations: Miami has been plagued with injuries this season and has missed senior guards Chris Lykes and Kameron McGusty in several conference games thus far.

Despite the injuries, three of the Hurricanes' five ACC losses thus far were by two points or less, all of which against teams ranked in the top six of these power rankings.

If Miami can get healthy, they're the one team towards the bottom of the league right now that could make noise in February and March.

12. Boston College

Boston College Eagles basketball Wynston Tabbs — Sophomore guard Wynston Tabbs scored 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the perimeter in Boston College's 79-76 loss to NC State on Dec. 30. (Associated Press)

2020-21 Record: 3-9 (1-5 ACC)

Top performer: Sophomore guard Wynston Tabbs (13.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Best win: vs Miami (84-62) on Jan. 12

Next up: at Notre Dame on Saturday, Jan. 16

11. Syracuse

Syracuse Orange Jim Boeheim — Jim Boeheim's Orange has yet to win an ACC game in 2021. (AP)

2020-21 Record: 7-3 (1-2 ACC)

Top performer: Junior guard Alan Griffin (15.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.9 apg)

Best win: at Boston College (101-63) on Dec. 12

Next up: at Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jan. 16

10. Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Jose Alvarado — Georgia Tech's scheduled contest at NC State Saturday was cancelled due to a positive COVID-19 test within the Wolfpack program. (Brett Davis/USAToday)

2020-21 Record: 6-3 (2-1 ACC)

Top performer: Senior guard Jose Alvarado (18.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.8 apg)

Best win: vs North Carolina (72-67) on Dec. 30

Next up: vs. No. 12 Clemson on Wednesday, Jan. 20

9. Duke

Duke Blue Devils basketball Matthew Hurt — Duke is 0-3 against ranked opponents. in 2020-21. (Nat LeDonne (Duke Athletics))

2020-21 Record: 5-3 (3-1 ACC)

Top performer: Sophomore forward Matthew Hurt (19.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 44.4 3-pt FG%)

Best win: at Notre Dame (75-65) on Dec. 16

Next up: at Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Jan. 19

Observations: Of the five ACC teams ranked in the most recent AP Top 25 poll, the Blue Devils are the lowest-ranked in our power rankings.

The truth is if the name "Duke" wasn't on the front of its jerseys, this team would not be ranked right now.

The Blue Devils have lost all three of its games against ranked competition by an average margin of 9.3 points per contest. Duke jumped out to a 3-0 start in league play but the victories came against Notre Dame, Wake Forest and Boston College, who have a combined ACC record of 1-14 as of Jan. 15.

With its talent, Duke could still find itself towards the top of the ACC standings when it's all said and done, but it has to prove it can beat tournament-quality teams first.

8. Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Panthers basketball Justin Champagnie — Sophomore guard Justin Champagnie leads the ACC with 12.3 rebounds per game. (USA Today Sports)

2020-21 Record: 6-2 (2-1 ACC)

Top performer: Sophomore guard Justin Champagnie (17.8 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 2.0 apg)

Best win: at Syracuse (63-60) on Jan. 6

Next up: vs Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 16

7. NC State

NC State Wolfpack basketball Devon Daniels — Fifth-year senior guard Devon Daniels leads the Wolfpack in scoring averaging 15.7 points per game. (Ethan Hyman/News & Observer)

2020-21 Record: 6-4 (2-3 ACC)

Top performer: Fifth-year senior guard Devon Daniels (15.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.3 apg)

Best win: vs. North Carolina (79-76) on Dec. 23

Next up: at No. 18 Virginia on Wednesday, Jan. 20

Observations: After a 2-0 start in ACC play, NC State would have been in the top four had this list been made on Jan. 1.

Unfortunately for the Wolfpack, it has yet to earn its first win of 2021 two weeks into the new year.

The Pack has now lost three straight in an increasingly frustrating fashion. The overtime road loss to No. 12 Clemson was excusable but one that State will be kicking itself about down the road after leading for over 35 minutes in Littlejohn Coliseum.

Then NC State lost a head-scratcher to a beat-up Miami team at home and "ran into a buzzsaw" four days later in Tallahassee against a Florida State team that was able to shoot 70 percent from the field.

The Wolfpack's scheduled game against Georgia Tech Saturday was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test within the program. If State can use the week-long break to reset and get healthy, the Wolfpack could get back into the conversation as a top-tier ACC team, but it will need to survive an incredibly tough January first.

6. North Carolina

North Carolina Tar Heels basketball Armando Bacot — Sophomore forward Armando Bacot leads UNC in scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg). (USA Today Sports)

2020-21 Record: 8-4 (3-2 ACC)

Top performer: Sophomore forward Armando Bacot (11.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 62.8 FG%)

Best win: vs. Syracuse (81-75) on Jan. 12

Next up: at Florida State on Saturday, Jan. 16

5. Virginia

Virginia Cavaliers basketball Sam Hauser — Senior forward Sam Hauser leads Virginia in scoring (13.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg). (VirginiaSports.com)

2020-21 Record: 8-2 (4-0 ACC)

Top performer: Senior forward Sam Hauser (13.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.9 apg)

Best win: at Notre Dame (80-68) on Jan. 13

Next up: at No. 12 Clemson on Saturday, Jan. 16

4. Florida State

Florida State Seminoles basketball M.J. Walker — Senior guard M.J. Walker scored 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting in Florida State's 105-73 win over NC State. (Mike Olivella/FSU Sports Information)

2020-21 Record: 6-2 (2-1 ACC)

Top performer: Senior guard M.J. Walker (15.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg)

Best win: vs. NC State (105-73) on Jan. 13

Next up: vs North Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 16

3. Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Hokies basketball Keve Aluma — Junior forward Keve Aluma leads Virginia Tech in scoring (15.6 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). (Associated Press)

2020-21 Record: 10-2 (4-1 ACC)

Top performer: Junior forward Keve Aluma (15.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)

Best win: vs. Villanova (81-73 OT, neutral site) on Nov. 28

Next up: at Wake Forest on Sunday, Jan. 17

2. Louisville

Louisville Cardinals basketball Chris Mack — Louisville head coach Chris Mack's squad has won five straight since a 38-point home loss to Wisconsin on Dec. 19. (GoCards.com)

2020-21 Record: 9-1 (4-0 ACC)

Top performer: Senior guard Carlik Jones (17.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 4.7 apg)

Best win: vs. No. 20 Virginia Tech (73-71) on Jan. 6

Next up: at Miami on Saturday, Jan. 16

1. Clemson

2020-21 Record: 9-1 (3-1 ACC)

Top performer: Senior forward Aamir Simms (12.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.4 apg)

Best win: vs. Florida State (77-67) on Dec. 29

Next up: vs No. 18 Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 16

Observations: Clemson has been the closest to perfect this season of all 15 teams in the conference.

Of the Tigers' nine wins, five have come against opponents ranked No. 60 or higher according to KenPom.com.

Clemson's lone loss was a six-point road defeat to No. 20 Virginia Tech. Beyond that, the Tigers have been exceptional, particularly on defense. As of Jan. 15, Clemson is ranked No. 1 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom.