In a season full of upsets, three unranked teams currently sit in the top five of the ACC standings ahead of a week of big matchups.
No. 2 North Carolina (16-2, 5-0):
The Tar Heels have yet to come up on the short end of the scoreboard in ACC play. Although the team struggled to find their shooting stroke Saturday against N.C. State, junior forward Kennedy Meeks put up a monstrous effort in his second game returning from a knee injury to help defeat the team's in-state rival 67-55. 18 of Meeks' 23 points came in the second half and disrupted the Wolfpacks' attempt to build momentum. North Carolina will next face another in-state opponent Wednesday when they face Wake Forest.
Clemson (12-6, 5-1):
2016 may have been short so far, but it has been kind to the Tigers. Clemson has won all five contests since in the New Year and has remained undefeated, by making use of homecourt advantage. After upsetting Duke 68-63 at home on Wednesday, the Tigers handled Miami 76-65 three days later. Forward Jaron Blossomgame really stood out in the two wins, scoring 17 points against Duke to lead a huge comeback effort, including a dunk near the end of regulation to seal the win. He stayed hot against Miami when he tacked on 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor. Eager to extend the winning streak, the Tigers will be tested once again as they travel to take on No. 13 Virginia Tuesday.
Pittsburgh (15-2, 4-1):
The Panthers suffered one of their worst offensive games of the season Thursday as they fell 59-41 against Louisville, snapping a 10-game win streak. Although both teams struggled from beyond the arc, the Cardinals held a 34-20 lead in points in the paint. Despite being one of the top free-throw teams nationally, Pittsburgh shot just 12-of-20 Thursday night. The Panthers did get back on track two nights later in an 84-61 blowout win against Boston College, with three players scoring in double figures. The team will look to take care of business when it hosts N.C. State Tuesday.
Virginia Tech (12-6, 4-1)
The word of the week for the Hokies was cliffhanger. Sophomore guard Justin Bibbs scored a career-high 32 points Wednesday to help top Wake Forest 93-91. With just nine seconds left, the Hokies held 91-90 lead, but clinched the victory with two free throws made from freshman Kerry Blackshear. Three days later, the Hokies overcame a 10-point deficit with just four minutes left in the game to upend Georgia Tech 78-77 on a late Seth Allen free throw. Virginia Tech and Notre Dame are two of the hottest teams in the ACC and will face off Wednesday.
No. 17 Louisville (14-3, 3-1):
Sophomore center Chinanu Onuaku shined with a double-double in the 59-41 victory against Pittsburgh Thursday night, racking up 18 points and 10 rebounds. The win marked his fourth consecutive double-double of the season, and Onuaku helped lead a late 11-0 run to put the Panthers away. His team will take on Florida State Wednesday before playing two straight road games against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.
Notre Dame (12-5, 3-2):
The Fighting Irish are slowly making their presence felt this week in the ACC, winning their two conference games this week behind a high-powered offense. The Fighting Irish topped Georgia Tech 72-64 at home Tuesday with senior forward Zach Auguste carrying the load on offense with 24 points. Two days later, guard Demetrius Jackson orchestrated another solid offensive performance for Notre Dame in a 95-91 victory against then-No. 9 Duke. Scoring 24 points himself, Jackson also set the table for a 31-point outing from sophomore forward Bonzie Colson to hand the Blue Devils their second loss in the ACC. The Fighting Irish will have a chance to keep building momentum Wednesday against Virginia Tech.
No. 20 Duke (14-5, 3-3):
It has not been an easy week for the Blue Devils. After dropping its first ACC game 68-63 against Clemson Wednesday, Duke failed to protect its home court, falling 95-91 to an unranked Notre Dame team despite a phenomenal 30-point performance from freshman guard Luke Kennard. With senior forward Amile Jefferson out due to foot injury, the Blue Devils are looking at an extremely thin front court rotation—one easily compromised by foul trouble. Matters got worse for the team Monday night when they dropped their third consecutive conference game to an unranked opponent with a 64-62 loss to Syracuse. Duke will now hit the road for its next three ACC games.
No. 15 Miami (13-3, 2-2)
The Hurricanes did not have much success on the road last week, losing to No. 13 Virginia 66-58 Tuesday and Clemson 76-65 Saturday. Although Miami caused some problems for the Cavaliers’ defense, senior guard Malcolm Brogdon’s 20 points were enough to end the Hurricanes' seven-game winning streak. The Hurricanes will have a chance to finally pull through on the road Wednesday when they face Boston College.
Syracuse (13-7, 3-4)
The Orange have heat up in the past week with a trio of victories following a five-game losing streak. Syracuse defeated Boston College 62-40 Wednesday behind four players scoring in double figures. Led by Senior guard Trevor Cooney's 25 points and six 3-pointers, the Orange kept their momentum going Saturday to blow out Wake Forest 83-55. Syracuse got perhaps its biggest win of the season Monday night when they turned in a solid defensive performance en route to a 64-62 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Florida State (12-5, 2-3)
Malik Beasley carried the Seminoles to their first ACC victory 85-78 against N.C. State Wednesday night with 22 points and nine rebounds. Although Florida State led the game most of the night, it relied on some key baskets in the second half to keep the Wolfpack at bay. The win kindled the Seminoles’ confidence and led them to upset No. 13 Virginia four days later back home, with the help of Beasley and fellow guard Dwayne Bacon. With a pair of wins in its bag, expect Florida State to challenge No. 17 Louisville and Pittsburgh this coming week.
No. 13 Virginia (13-4, 2-3):
Tony Bennett’s squad had better luck at home than they did on the road, as the Cavaliers topped Miami 66-58 Tuesday after losing two straight away games last week. Brogdon's 20 points and London Perrantes' 13 second-half points helped lead the way for the Cavaliers, who trailed 43-41 at one point in the game. But Virginia's trend of struggling on the road would continue as they were defeated Sunday by Florida State. Having yet to win a road game this season, the Cavaliers are likely ecstatic that they host Syracuse and Clemson this week.
Georgia Tech (11-7, 1-4)
Georgia Tech fell victim to two this week, losing 72-64 to Notre Dame Thursday and 78-77 to Virginia Tech a few days later. Although the Yellow Jackets are much improved from a year ago, the squad has struggled to close out games and come away with big wins. Georgia Tech will host No. 17 Louisville this Saturday.
Wake Forest (10-7, 1-4)
The Demon Deacons are in the middle of a tough stretch in the ACC schedule and have lost four straight game. Wake Forest needs to step up on offense after shooting just 33 percent from the field against Syracuse. The road doesn't get any easier for the Demon Deacons as they await No. 2 North Carolina, No. 15 Miami and No. 13 Virginia this week.
Boston College (7-10, 0-4)
Boston College has been a big boost to struggling teams this week. The Eagles handed Syracuse their first conference victory of the season Wednesday, before falling to Pittsburgh three days later. The Eagles remain one of the only two winless teams in the ACC this year and will have their work cut out for them this week at home against Miami and on the road against Notre Dame.
N.C. State (10-8, 0-5)
The losing streak continues. N. C. State is off to its worst conference start since falling 0-8 in the 1996-97 season. After handing Florida State their first ACC victory this season, N.C. State faced the mighty Tar Heels Saturday and were hurt by a big game from junior Kennedy Meeks, who turned himself loose in the paint with 23 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Although the Wolfpack were tied at halftime, the Tar Heels put their foot on the gas pedal with a 16-4 run in the second half and sealed the deal for a 67-55 win.
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