Conference play is when we learn about the pedigree and potential that teams possess, and ACC play has clearly demonstrated that the league possesses depth that it has not in years. With that being said, here is how the ACC standings look heading into a weekend with multiple marquee matchups on tap.
The Blue Devils have a well-oiled machine in conference play, defeating SMU and Louisville twice through the first two months against ACC opposition. Duke had a slip up against the North Carolina Tar Heels last Saturday, but it was the best team on the court for the majority of the contest.
It is the Blue Devils’ conference to lose, and with Cameron Boozer, they should win the conference regular season title and compete for a national championship.
Virginia has lost one game since the start of January, which came against the Tar Heels, who orchestrated a second-half comeback. The Cavaliers have had a couple of nail-biting wins over Notre Dame and Florida State, which are not the best look on their resume.
Clemson can silence a ton of doubters with an impressive outing on the road against Duke this weekend. The Tigers will not blow you away offensively, but they are capable of holding their opponents below 70 points on a consistent basis.
The Wolfpack have wins over Clemson and SMU, but is coming off a 118-77 loss against Louisville, which was a defensive embarrassment. We will learn a lot about North Carolina State in the next three weeks, as they face Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, and Duke during that span.
Tuesday night was a monumental game against the Tar Heels, as the winner of the game would maintain its spot and hold a slim chance at the conference regular season title. The Hurricanes have a very manageable schedule moving forward.
The Cardinals have had an up-and-down season, with freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. missing a handful of games with a nagging back injury. Louisville’s defense leaves much to be desired, but it possesses an incredibly high offensive ceiling, evident in its 118-77 win over North Carolina State.
The Tar Heels had been surging, with five consecutive wins before Tuesday night’s loss to the Hurricanes. Losing Caleb Wilson to a fractured hand may have been the biggest loss of the week, as the freshman forward has no timetable for a return, potentially derailing North Carolina’s season.
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