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College Basketball ACC Power Rankings: Week 13

By Charlie Maikis

Jan 21, 2017; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard London Perrantes (32) dribbles the ball as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Josh Heath (11) defends during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers won 62-49. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard London Perrantes (32) dribbles the ball as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Josh Heath (11) defends during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers won 62-49. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 12, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Clemson Tigers forward Jaron Blossomgame (5) attempts a shot against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets center Ben Lammers (44) in the second half of their game at McCamish Pavilion. Georgia Tech won 75-63. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Clemson Tigers forward Jaron Blossomgame (5) attempts a shot against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets center Ben Lammers (44) in the second half of their game at McCamish Pavilion. Georgia Tech won 75-63. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
13

Clemson Tigers

Last week: 12-8, 2-6 ACC
Last rank: 15

The Tigers were finally able to snap their six-game skid by garnering their first win of the calendar year at Pittsburgh. Standout forward Jaron Blossomgame had 25 points on an efficient 10-14 shooting and added 7 rebounds. After going 4-6 from 3, Blossomgame is still shooting just 26 percent from beyond the arc, down nearly 20 points from last year. Rediscovering that form could be key going forward for Clemson.

Also of note was sophomore big man Elijah Thomas getting his first career start after Sidy Djitte went down with an injury. Thomas wasn’t great, shooting just 2-7 and fouling out. But he did help his team get the win, and it will be interesting to see what coach Brad Brownell does going forward when Djitte is healthy again. This week is a packed slate for Clemson as they play Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Syracuse. Winning at least two of those games will be imperative for Brownell’s team as they seek to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

12

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Last week: 12-9, 3-6 ACC
Last rank: 8

Last week was a tough one for Wake Forest as they lost two games that came down to the final minute. The they just didn’t have enough n the tank to beat Syracuse and blew a 10-point lead with 4:01 to play amid a flurry of Duke 3-pointers. John Collins continues to dominate inside, totaling 43 points and 20 rebounds between the two contests, but perhaps this week highlighted a fatal flaw of the Demon Deacons. With their best player spending his time down low and relying on others to get him the ball, in close games when the defense is locking in, he may not be able to make a difference.

Against Syracuse, Collins’ last points came with 3:24 left to play and against Duke there was 6:42 left when he scored for the final time. Down the stretch, coach Danny Manning was forced to rely on guards like Bryant Crawford, who shot 9-25 from the field in the two games. If they continue to play that way, they’ll be forced to build bigger leads earlier on in matchups with Boston College (played after this was written) and Georgia Tech in the coming days.