Each week The Chronicle will take a look at the ACC Women's Basketball standings and update you on who is in position to win the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season crown. Here are the ACC standings as of today:
1. Duke (26-2, 16-1) 2. North Carolina (26-4, 14-3) 3. Maryland (22-6, 13-4) 4. Florida State (21-7, 11-6) 5. Miami (FL) (19-9, 10-7) 6. Virginia (15-13, 7-10) 7. Georgia Tech (14-14, 7-10) 8. NC State (14-15, 6-11) 9. Wake Forest (12-17, 5-12) 10. Clemson (9-19, 5-12) 11. Boston College (10-18, 4-13) 12. Virginia Tech (10-18, 4-13)
Duke clinches the title, but suffers first conference loss
After junior point guard Chelsea Gray went down for the season with a knee injury, some wondered whether the Blue Devils had what it took to fend off second-place Maryland to win the ACC regular season title. Those doubts temporarily disappeared after Duke defeated Maryland in College Park with a convincing 75-59 victory last Sunday, clinching the ACC crown in the process. Freshman Alexis Jones nearly recorded a triple double in the win with 15 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, proving that Duke has plenty of depth at the point guard spot in Gray's absence. Duke has now held at least a share of the regular season title in every season since the 2009-2010 campaign.
Questions still remain, though, about how far Duke can go in the NCAA tournament without Gray. Duke suffered its first ACC loss of the year on Thursday night, falling 69-65 to a Miami team that needed a win to help its NCAA tournament prospects. Duke now looks to rebound from the setback against No. 15 North Carolina on Sunday.
Jockeying for Position: ACC Tournament Seeds
By virtue of being regular season champs, Duke has locked up the number one slot in the ACC Tournament, March 7-10 in Greensboro. But there are still tight races for the other seeds in the tournament, which includes all 12 teams. The most important battle is for the three remaining first-round byes, which are awarded to the conference's top four seeds. North Carolina and Maryland, at 14-3 and 13-4 in conference respectively, are assured of byes, leaving only one remaining. At 11-6, Florida State currently holds that final bye, with just three games separating Virginia and Virginia Tech, respectively the sixth and twelfth-ranked teams entering this weekend's action.
Last year, third-seeded Maryland defeated fourth-seeded Georgia Tech to win the tournament, after top-seeded Duke and second-seeded Miami were beaten in the quarterfinals.
Forecasting NCAA Seeds
Is Duke deserving of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament without Gray? The answer will hinge on how the Blue Devils perform in the ACC Tournament. By avoiding a repeat of last year's quarterfinal exit, and by getting past one or two more ranked teams, Duke will merit consideration from the selection committee as a potential one-seed. With just a lopsided loss against third-ranked Connecticut, the Blue Devils made a strong case for a top seed with Gray at the helm. But with yesterday's loss to Miami, doubts reemerged. There are strong teams across the nation. Duke will not steal a number one spot away from No. 1 Baylor, No. 2 Notre Dame or No. 3 UConn. No. 4 Stanford, with a 26-2 record, has survived a tough Pac-12 schedule, as has No. 6 California, though Duke defeated the Golden Bears in Durham in December. Duke's placement in the tournament will depend on its ACC Tournament showing, in conjunction with the Pac-12 Tournament performances of the Cardinal and Golden Bears out west. Prediction: No. 2 seed.
Maryland is hoping to earn a two-seed in the Big Dance, and would help its cause tremendously by getting past Florida State or North Carolina and beating Duke in the ACC Tournament. At 22-6, the No. 9 Terrapins have lost to five ranked teams (including twice to Duke) and to the unranked St. Joseph's Hawks. If Duke slips to a No. 2 seed, Maryland could see its stock fall. Prediction: No. 3 seed.
When seeding No. 24 Florida State and No. 15 North Carolina, the selection committee will heavily weight the teams' performances in the ACC Tournament. A victory over Duke or Maryland could propel the Seminoles or Tar Heels to a No. 3 or No. 4 tournament seed, while a loss in the quarterfinals to one of the league's weaker teams could drop them to a five seed. Florida State helped its case in a huge way Thursday night with a 72-71 win over Maryland.
Going into last night, Miami was squarely on the bubble. But by beating Duke, the Hurricanes solidified their tournament resume, and figure to hear their name called on Selection Monday, March 18. A mediocre conference season season in the tough ACC should net the Hurricanes a decent NCAA birth. Prediction: No. 9 seed.
Upset Special: Virginia over Florida State
This would be a surprising outcome, given that the Cavaliers have tanked down the stretch, losers of their past six. This is the first meeting between the two teams. For Virginia to be successful, it will need to contain a balanced Seminole attack. Five Seminoles average over 10 points per game. A strong defensive showing on Sunday would give the Cavaliers a chance to upset the No. 24 Seminoles in Charlottesville, possibly regaining a little momentum heading into the ACC Tournament.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.