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College Basketball ACC Power Rankings: Week 18

By Charlie Maikis

CHAPEL HILL, NC - MARCH 04: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates as he cuts down the net after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 90-83 to clinch the ACC regular season title at the Dean Smith Center on March 4, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - MARCH 04: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates as he cuts down the net after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 90-83 to clinch the ACC regular season title at the Dean Smith Center on March 4, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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CLEMSON, SC – FEBRUARY 25: Clemson forward Jaron Blossomgame (5) during 2nd half action between the Clemson Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles on February 25, 2017, at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, SC.(Photo by Doug Buffington/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SC – FEBRUARY 25: Clemson forward Jaron Blossomgame (5) during 2nd half action between the Clemson Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles on February 25, 2017, at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, SC.(Photo by Doug Buffington/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
13

Pittsburgh Panthers

Last week: 15-16, 4-14 ACC
Last rank: 12

Finish: 14th in the ACC

Projected Finish: 12th in the ACC

Kevin Stallings had a rough first year in the ACC, as his team finished second-to-last in the conference. He had a pair of senior leaders to rely on in Michael Young and Jamel Artis, but the lack of talent throughout the rest of the roster plagued the Panthers. Two of their four wins were over top-20 teams, so they had the top-end talent to compete. They just weren’t able to bring that kind of performance on a consistent basis. Losing both Young and Artis to graduation, now is when Pittsburgh will see if Stallings has what it takes to recruit competitively in the ACC. Regardless, they will probably have a tough time taking a step forward so soon. Next year could be another long one for the Panthers. They get Georgia Tech in the first round of the ACC Tournament looking to start a deep run.

Biggest Contributor: Michael Young and Jamel Artis

Distinguishing between these two veterans is nearly impossible. Young put up 19.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on 45.9 percent shooting in 2016-17 while Artis got 18.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game on 4.7. percent shooting. They did everything for Pittsburgh this year, getting little help from anyone else. With Young at forward and Artis at guard, they formed a formidable 1-2 punch. Losing them both will really hurt the team going forward.

12

Clemson Tigers

Last week: 16-14, 6-12 ACC
Last rank: 13

Finish: 12th in the ACC

Projected Finish: 11th

A disappointing season for Clemson ended on a high note as they won their final two games of the regular season. Somehow, this is the first time in 10 years that the Tigers enter the ACC Tournament on a two-game winning streak. Despite being just 6-12 in conference, Clemson is in Joe Lunardi’s “Next Four Out” for the NCAA Tournament. If he is correct, a few wins in the ACC Tournament could push them into the field of 68. That road starts with a matchup against NC State on Tuesday, and if they win they would face Duke on Wednesday. They beat NC State just last week and played Duke close when they met in Durham earlier in the season. If they win both, they face off in the quarterfinals with Louisville, a team that beat Clemson by 32 in January.

Biggest Contributor: Jaron Blossomgame

After breaking out last year and then withdrawing from NBA Draft consideration to return to school, Blossomgame was picked by the media in the preseason to finish second in ACC Player of the Year voting. He followed up that hype by putting up numbers very similar to his monster campaign in 2015-16. He averaged 17.3 points per game while being the only Tiger to play more than 30 minutes per game. The senior will leave for the NBA this year, giving Clemson a huge hole to fill at power forward.