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College Basketball ACC Power Rankings: Week 14

By Charlie Maikis

Feb 6, 2017; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward V.J. King (0) shoots the ball over Virginia Cavaliers guard Devon Hall (0) in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2017; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward V.J. King (0) shoots the ball over Virginia Cavaliers guard Devon Hall (0) in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dennis Smith
Jan 23, 2017; Durham, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Mark Gottfried talks with guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) on the sidelines in the first half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports /
13

Clemson Tigers

Last week: 13-9, 3-7 ACC
Last rank: 13

For a moment there, it looked as if the Tigers’ season was starting to take a turn for the better. After dominating Georgia Tech in a game that was not as close as the score indicated, they had won two in a row and coach Brad Brownell appeared to be on the road to an NCAA Tournament berth that would save his job. Then Sunday rolled around and they got thoroughly dominated by Florida State in Clemson’s biggest loss since 1955. Beating a top-15 team on the road is no easy task, though fans would have liked to see a better effort. After previously being the hallmark of Brownell’s Clemson teams, their defense has seriously slipped in the last few weeks. After giving up a whopping 109 to the Seminoles, they are now Kenpom’s 78th-ranked defense. Guard Avry Holmes continues to be a bright spot as he is now shooting 28-52 (54 percent) from 3 in ACC play. The Tigers host a surging Syracuse team on Tuesday (after this was written) then go to Duke over the weekend. Losing both of those games would surely put the Tigers out of the postseason conversation for good.

12

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Last week: 14-10, 3-8 ACC
Last rank: 11

NC State just can’t seem to get it together around their superstar. In an overtime loss to Syracuse last week, Smith became the first player in ACC history to have a triple-double in two conference games over their whole career. In that same game, he picked up his second 15-assist game, something there is just one of in the rest of Division I this season. Then, in a loss to Miami, he put up a game-high 31 points and 9 assists. He’s gotten some help on the offensive end as Maverick Rowan put up 31 against Cuse while Terry Henderson had an efficient 21 in support against Miami. Defense is really where the Wolfpack are lacking, though Smith is as much to blame for that as anyone. The freshman point guard can often be found watching the ball on that end of the court and not giving the necessary effort on every play. They’ll need to stop a great Florida State offense and contain Wake Forest’s John Collins, both on the road this week get to it turned around.