Welcome to the first weekly edition of the ACC Check-In. I’ll be doing updates for these last few weeks of the season and into March Madness. Essentially, I’m going to group the teams into categories: winners, losers, and constants. I’ll try to be as accurate as possible with this, but it’s a weekly update so the teams may have only played a couple of games.
Winners
Virginia
So much has already been said about Virginia, and their dominance has continued, racking up a win against Louisville and then at Syracuse. Defense is always at the forefront of the Cavaliers’ attack, and this season is no different, as they lead the country in turnovers forced (9.2 per game). They bolster the defense with solid three point shooting and consistent free-throw conversion. Virginia is a favorite to win the National Championship and kept up the hype this week. The 14 game win streak continues.
Clemson
A tough team from an often considered football school has taken the basketball world by storm this season. The Tigers, with only one bad loss to Temple marring their resume, look poised to make a run in the ACC tournament after taking down North Carolina and Wake Forest this week, two big wins for a team needing to prove itself after a few conference losses. Elijah Thomas is a freak at the rim, posting 2.4 blocked shots per game. With some more good shooting and improved production off the bench, Clemson could be a real force come tournament time.
Miami
After a loss on the road to Florida State, the Hurricanes needed a bounceback week, and they got one. Granted, one game was against cupcake Pittsburgh, but a road win against Virginia Tech is nothing to scoff at. They sit in fourth in the ACC, but can improve drastically if they can just get their free throw shooting figured out. They are ranked 326th in the nation in FT% (65.6!!!). In the words of the great Tony Patelis, #FreeThrowsAreFree. This team has a solid bench and a well-rounded corps of producers, though, making them a sneaky, but by no means sexy, ACC Tournament championship contender.
NC State
The Wolfpack triumphed in a huge victory over North Carolina in Chapel Hill last Saturday, and they followed it up by taking it to my beloved Notre Dame this week. Shaky losses to teams like Northern Iowa and NC Greensboro mar their tournament outlook a bit, but the high-powered Wolfpack offense ranks among the upper echelon in points per game (80.8). Seven players average at least eight points per game, but the lack of shooting prowess from beyond the arc may limit the Wolfpack’s upside going forward. Nevertheless, the team has beaten Duke and Clemson in conference play, too, so anything can happen.
Virginia Tech
I know the Hokies just lost at home to Miami, but hear me out. Beating North Carolina at home a couple weeks ago by 11 was no small feat, and they followed it up with two road wins (Notre Dame, Boston College). Those aren’t exactly daunting opponents, but this team is headed in the right direction. I witnessed their game at Notre Dame firsthand, and let me tell you, this team can SHOOT. They are led by Justin Bibbs and Ahmed Hill from the perimeter, but nearly their entire team can drain it from downtown. If you want a fun untraditional ACC team, this is it.
Losers
Notre Dame
My Fighting Irish continued their seven-game losing streak, and it’s looking like a lost season in what was primed to be their best season yet. It all went downhill when the Irish lost Bonzie Colson, a candidate for Naismith Player of the Year. By far their best player, his loss is felt in every aspect of the game. Sure, T.J. Gibbs is pretty decent, and Matt Farrell can shoot at times, and Martinas Geben is a double double waiting to happen. But without Bonzie, this team can’t capitalize and is therefore one of the ACC’s worst teams this season.
Pittsburgh
Oh, Pitt. What can I say? Everyone wants the Panthers to get their first ACC win somehow, but they just can’t seem to pull it off. It really can’t get much worse for Pitt, as they rank near the bottom in every single offensive metric. They’re okay at blocking shots though, I guess. At 8-16, there isn’t much hope for the Panthers this year, but they’ve got seven freshmen and two sophomores on the roster, so the future is indeed a little brighter than this season for Pitt.
Syracuse
Syracuse is often overlooked, but at 15-8, they are firmly on the bubble of the tournament. To make it there, though, they’ll need some more ACC victories. Losing to Virginia isn’t terrible, but a loss to Virginia Tech is one they’d like to have back. The Orange and their 7’2″ stud shot-blocking machine Paschal Chukwu look to build more offensive firepower for a team that barely shoots above 30% from beyond the arc (and just 41.9% overall).
Louisville
The Cardinals were on a tear until recently, losing 3 of their last 4 games. A home loss to Florida State is a bad blemish to an already scandal-rocked season. A 2-5 record on the road doesn’t help matters, either. However, a pretty potent offense is aided by enormous bigs Anas Mahmoud and Ray Spalding anchoring the frontcourt, and Deng Adel leading the scoring charge. This team is feisty, but must break from their recent losing ways.
Duke
I know what you’re thinking. Duke took one bad loss, so what? Well, a team like Duke can surely have missteps like this and recover, but it is never good for a team to lose to a team like 11-13 St. John’s (and the Red Storm had lost 11 straight prior to the upset). Of course, with Marvin Bagley and the Notorious T.R.I.P. himself, Grayson Allen, anything is possible. But if Saturday is an indication of how a matchup against a 15 seed will go, then the Blue Devils may be in big trouble.
Constants
Georgia Tech
Aside from a win against Syracuse, the Yellow Jackets kept their ACC status quo intact, losing to Clemson and Boston College (though both were tight games). This team has the potential to upset a highly seeded ACC opponent when the conference tournament rolls around, though, so do not count the Josh Okogie-led team out.
Boston College
A win against Georgia Tech is one bright spot in an otherwise unremarkable stretch of ACC play for the Eagles, who sit at 14-9 and can potentially sneak into the tournament if they can pull off a few upsets. Winnable games down the line include Notre Dame (twice), Pitt, Syracuse, and Florida State. 19 regular season wins can feasibly get the Eagles into a Last Four In position.
Florida State
The Seminoles have actually played great basketball lately, but a loss to Wake Forest brings down the excitement a bit. At 6-5 in the ACC and 17-6 overall, the Seminoles are just outside the Top 25 and can play with anyone, especially with their balanced and thorough scoring attack.
North Carolina
The Tar Heels have had a fairly unremarkable season, and it got no better recently, losing three straight to VT, NC State, and Clemson. They finally ended their skid with a blowout win over Pitt, but Roy Williams has to be a little worried despite leading the nation in rebounds per game (43.4) and assists per game (18). The usual suspects, Luke Maye and Joel Berry II, lead the Tar Heels in points, though Berry is shooting just 38.9%.
Wake Forest
The only thing keeping the Demon Deacons out of the Losers list is a random win over Florida State this week. Wake Forest sits at 9-14, a disappointing showing. One bright spot in the campaign has been Doral Moore, who is fifth in the NCAA in FG% (70.2).