Duke’s still undefeated in league play after deepening archrival North Carolina’s misery. Miami, at last, has an ACC win.
As March gets ever so closer, things are heating up in ACC men’s basketball.
Here’s where the conferences 18 programs stand:
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(These rankings take into account games through Wednesday, Feb. 6)
ACC basketball power rankings
1. Duke
The Blue Devils thumped North Carolina by 17 in a game they led by as many as 32 in the second half. If they win at Clemson Saturday, an undefeated ACC regular season becomes an even more distinct possibility.
2. Louisville
After Georgia Tech snapped their 10-game win streak, the Cardinals bounced back for a 26-point win at Boston College despite playing the final 15 minutes without injured star Chucky Hepburn.
3. Clemson
The Tigers are safely in the NCAA tournament field as of now, but a win Saturday against Duke would offer a nice boost to their resume.
4. Wake Forest
It was a nice week for the Demon Deacons, who went 2-0 against Pitt and Stanford while Cameron Hildreth, coming off an illness, scored a combined 46 points.
5. SMU
Andy Enfield’s Mustangs have won seven of their past eight, which most notably included a 24-point rout of Stanford.
6. Pitt
The Panthers have suffered a startling fall, losing six of their past eight after starting the season 12-2 and falling from a projected top-five NCAA tournament seed to one of the first teams out of the field.
7. Stanford
The Cardinal has dropped two straight, both of which came without assists leader and No. 2 scorer Jaylen Blakes.
8. North Carolina
The Tar Heels have lost four of their past five games and their schedule doesn’t get any easier, with matchups against Pitt and Clemson looming.
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9. Florida State
Earlier in the week, Leonard Hamilton announced he was stepping down at the end of the season. The 76-year-old is in his 23rd season with the program and is the Seminoles’ all-time winningest coach.
10. Georgia Tech
Nobody in the ACC, not even Duke, had a better week than Damon Stoudamire’s Yellow Jackets, who knocked off ranked Louisville and Clemson teams back to back.
11. Syracuse
The Orange got a much-needed win last Saturday at Cal thanks to a season-high 19 points from Lucas Taylor.
12. Cal
The Golden Bears made just 18 of their 63 shots (28.6%) in a loss last Saturday against Syracuse.
13. Virginia Tech
The Hokies have looked like a different team in the new year, with a 5-5 record in their past 10 games after a 5-8 start.
14. Notre Dame
Just when it seems like the Fighting Irish have figured some things out, they hand Miami their first ACC win.
15. Virginia
After the disappointment of losing at home to rival Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers turned in maybe their best performance of the season in a 16-point win at Pitt.
16. NC State
The Wolfpack has lost seven in a row to fall to 9-13. DJ Burns (sadly) isn’t walking through that door.
17. Boston College
The Eagles rallied from an eight-point deficit with 50 seconds left to stun Florida State 77-76.
18. Miami
Kevin Stallings’ 2017-18 Pitt squad will hold the ignominious honor of being the last winless ACC team for at least another year.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: ACC men’s basketball power rankings: Cooper Flagg and Duke still on top
