As the postseason approaches rapidly, each conference game becomes more important. Duke came back strong after a down week, while Clemson’s seeding potential took a hit.
Winners
NC State
The Wolfpack picked up a huge road win on Wednesday against Syracuse, solidifying their tournament case and keeping them away from the bubble (for now). A supplemental win over Wake Forest closed out a big week for this program, and the emergence of Markell Johnson can aid Allerik Freeman in carrying the scoring as March approaches. Now 18-9, NC State has a solid tournament case, especially if they can win in at least 2 of 4 games to close the season.
Duke
The Blue Devils came roaring back this week, picking up the easy home win against Virginia Tech before soundly beating Clemson on the road in an impressive display. The key to this team seems to be Grayson Allen, as the Blue Devils are undefeated when he scores 15+ points. Consistency will be key, however, if the perennial powerhouse is to be taken seriously as a championship contender.
North Carolina
A pretty uneventful week for the Tar Heels came and went as they picked up two expected wins, one at home against Notre Dame (win #20 on the season), then on the road against Louisville. Many people only talk about Maye and Berry, but Theo Pinson has quietly picked it up for the Tar Heels, averaging 15.3 points per game over the last 3 games. They will need him to continue to step up so that Maye and Berry won’t need to do all of the heavy lifting.
Florida State
After two losses a week ago, the Seminoles came back very strong this week, winning a nail-biter over #11 Clemson in a very resume-friendly win. They then coasted their way to a win over Pitt to close out the week. Now 19-8, the Seminoles are a tournament lock, but will have to face Clemson on February 28. The Tigers are sure to have revenge on their minds, but another Seminole victory could propel FSU to a solid tournament seed.
Wake Forest
I know what you’re thinking, “Wake Forest? A winner?” I’m as surprised as you are. Technically, based on my criteria, they would fall under “constants.” But a team with just three conference wins should be proud of every single one. A blowout win against Georgia Tech at home isn’t much of a win, but I know Demon Deacons fans are happy to see a W for once. The Deacs face Pitt and Georgia Tech again to close the season, so there may be at least one more win on the table.
Losers
Miami
The loss to #1 Virginia certainly is nothing to get worked up about, but the home loss by 7 to Syracuse raises some red flags. Scoring a combined 105 points in 2 games is concerning, and the Hurricanes must get it corrected before the tournament. While the balanced attack works for an unselfish team, the fact that nobody is averaging more than 11.7 PPG means this team lacks in star power. Being 315th in the nation in FT% doesn’t help matters, either.
Clemson
Yikes. Bad week for the Tigers, who blew a big lead at Florida State before coming home to lose against Duke. While not a death blow, the Tigers can most likely toss the hopes of a 1-3 seed out the window. Nevertheless, this team at times has looked like the team to beat in the ACC, and they will look to restore that reputation with some tough games against VT, FSU, and Syracuse coming up.
Boston College
Sure, they won at Pitt, but that barely counts. A devastating home loss to Notre Dame was a big blow to the Eagles’ tournament hopes. Now 16-11, the Eagles essentially must win all four of their remaining games, three of them being road games. Tournament hopes are looking bleak for BC, but a miracle run could keep their hopes alive. All is not yet lost, Eagles fans; you know to never count out an underdog Eagles team.
Georgia Tech
A blowout (!) loss to Wake Forest (!!!) set the tone for a bad week for the Yellow Jackets, who then went on to lose by 20 at home to Virginia Tech. With arguably the toughest schedule in the ACC remaining, Georgia Tech can easily shrivel up and accept the lost season, but playing the spoiler can sometimes be just as fun. I would know, I’m an Illinois fan at heart, and that’s usually the best they can do.
Constants
Pitt
I have given up putting Pitt in the “Losers” category. Since all they do is lose, more losing technically counts as consistency, right? I know you’re sick of hearing the same old spiel about Pitt, so I’ll keep it simple: they still suck. No other stats or explanations are necessary.
Virginia
Virginia only had one game this week, winning in typical low-scoring fashion over Miami on the road. The stifling defense of the Cavaliers has become their trademark style in recent years, and this year, no team has reached 70 points against them. That is truly incredible, especially considering the high rate of three point shots and the 30 second shot clock. It takes one hell of a coach to keep this consistency, and Tony Bennett is exactly that.
Virginia Tech
The Hokies had the week everyone expected them to have, winning on the road against Georgia Tech but losing big at Cameron Indoor. The 22 point loss is a little more than they would have liked, but it still doesn’t hurt the resume. A win on Wednesday over Clemson will surely boost it immensely, though, and the Hokies will hope to take advantage of Clemson’s slump in Blacksburg.
Louisville
The only game for the Cardinals this week was a loss at home to North Carolina. That may have qualified for the “Losers” section, but one loss against a very good team shouldn’t have a huge impact on the 18-9 Cardinals. Games against Duke and Virginia coming up will be a test of this team’s tenacity, as well as road games against NC State and Virginia Tech. None of those games are guarantees, so Louisville is approaching do-or-die territory.
Syracuse
The Orange suffered a tough loss at home to NC State but recovered nicely on the road against Miami on Saturday. In the total logjam that is #5-10 in the ACC standings, every win is important for conference tournament seeding. Games against North Carolina, Duke, and Clemson all loom on the horizon, and winning even just one of those three is vitally important for the Orange, who would love to reach that magical 20-win benchmark.
Notre Dame
For the NCAA’s most intriguing bubble team, a win on the road against North Carolina would have been nice, but a terrible effort from Matt Farrell doomed the Irish from the start. It was exactly the opposite against Boston College, as Farrell came out searing hot, sinking all 9 of his first 9 threes en route to a 37 point effort. Wake Forest and Pitt should be two easy wins for the Irish, but Monday’s game against Miami may have Notre Dame’s entire season hanging in the balance.