ACC Power Rankings: Cooper Flagg and Duke are steamrolling through conference play
Conference play in college basketball is well underway, and around the country, teams are beginning to show their true colors.
Many casual college basketball fans wait until after the Super Bowl is over to fully dive in, but they're doing themselves a disservice, because this season has already featured so much to enjoy. Storylines abound, from coaches in new places like Mark Pope at Kentucky and John Calipari at Arkansas, to fabulous freshmen such as Cooper Flagg of Duke and Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey of Rutgers.
The Blue Devils have been noteworthy for more than just Flagg's exploits, as they're currently the only ACC team that hasn't lost a conference game. Jon Scheyer's bunch has rolled off 10 straight wins overall to climb to No. 3 in the latest AP poll, and given the recent injury to National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome of Auburn and how shaky Iowa State looked in escaping Texas Tech this past weekend, it may not be long until Duke reclaims its throne atop the college basketball world.
According to Joe Lunardi of ESPN, the ACC currently has five teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament, though a lot can happen between now and Selection Sunday. Let's check in on the state of the ACC by running through our latest conference power rankings.
18. Miami Hurricanes
What has happened to Miami? The Hurricanes are just two years removed from a Final Four run, but they're a warning to teams around the country that the transfer portal giveth, and the transfer portal taketh away.
Norchad Ormier, the Canes' former do-it-all big man, is gone to Baylor, and Miami was unable to bring in a fresh new class of talent to take his place. Miami has arguably the worst defense in the country, and Hall-of-Fame coach Jim Larranaga was so frustrated with the state of the program that he retired on the day after Christmas.
Nijel Pack is the only recognizable name still on this team, and even he hasn't been enough to keep the Canes from being the only winless team in ACC play.
17. Virginia Cavaliers
Speaking of Hall-of-Fame coaches that abruptly retired, it seemed that Tony Bennett knew to get out while the getting was good. The Cavaliers have retained Bennett's trademark slow tempo under new head coach Ron Sanchez, but they've kept none of the efficient offense or stifling defense that made them such a problem for other ACC teams. Virginia is just 1-4 in the ACC and 8-8 overall, and seven of their eight losses have come by double digits. UVA had gained a reputation for being the little underdogs that could, but the truth is that there's been a lot of NBA talent in Charlottesville recently, from Trey Murphy, Ryan Dunn and Sam Hauser to Ty Jerome, De'Andre Hunter and Reece Beekman. Now the cupboard looks bare.
16. Boston College Eagles
It's looking like a rough season in Chestnut Hill. Boston College's only ACC win has come against hapless Miami, and outside of an early-season win against Boise St., they haven't beaten a single team that could be considered in the top 100 of the country. BC finished with a perfectly respectable 20-16 record last year, but the problem is that this is almost an entirely new team.
The Eagles lost their top five scorers from a year ago, and though Donald Hand Jr. has emerged as one of the best rebounding guards in the country, he and his teammates have really struggled to shoot the ball, especially from inside the arc. A home game against Duke this upcoming Saturday could get ugly.
15. Cal Golden Bears
Unlike the teams below them on this list, Cal has at least been competitive in ACC play, even if they've only managed to go 1-4. They've also been far more entertaining, as their offense has put up 77 points per game despite being near the bottom of the nation in assist rate.
Andrej Stojakovic (son of NBA sharpshooter Peja) is scoring over 20 points per game, and he's only a sophomore. The Bears' defense, though, is dreadful, especially at the three-point line, where they allow opponents to shoot over 37 percent. Wednesday's game at North Carolina should be a high-scoring affair.
14. Virginia Tech Hokies
The Bears are narrowly edged out on this list by Virginia Tech, by virtue of the Hokies' 71-68 win over Cal on Saturday. Virginia Tech has been living dangerously lately, and they nearly suffered the ignominy of handing Miami its first ACC win nine days ago.
Mike Young's team has really had a difficult time with turnovers and defending the paint, and they've missed the shooting of since-graduated senior Hunter Cattoor and Tyler Nickel, who transferred to Vanderbilt. The Hokies are 2-3 in the ACC, which is a better record than all the teams below them on this list, but their -35 margin in ACC play points to that record getting worse before this season is said and done.
13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame has to be the most Jekyll and Hyde team in the ACC. The Fighting Irish started the season with four straight wins, then followed that with five straight losses. They rebounded to win three straight, and have since lost four more in a row. Don't let the 1-4 ACC record fool you though, because Micah Shrewsberry's team has been feisty.
The Irish lost back-to-back one-point heartbreakers to UNC and NC State, and they hung with Duke despite 42 points from Cooper Flagg. Markus Burton's return has been key. He's averaging over 20 points per game since coming back from an MCL sprain three games ago. The upcoming schedule could help Notre Dame climb the standings, as their next eight games are all against teams with losing conference records.
12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Damon Stoudamire is only in his second year at Georgia Tech, so though there have been glimpses of the program taking a step forward (like beating both Duke and North Carolina last season), the Jackets aren't quite there yet.
There are some good pieces though, like Senegalese sophomore Baye Ndongo, who is shooting over 53 percent from the floor. Still, this isn't a team that's likely to crack the top half of the ACC, as blowout losses to Duke and especially SMU show. Tech's next six games are tough, with two against Clemson and one each against Florida State, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Louisville.
11. NC State Wolfpack
There was never a world where NC State could hope to recreate last season's Final Four magic, especially as most of that team graduated before the season. The Wolfpack have nonetheless been disappointing though in limping to a 9-7 overall record.
Kevin Keatts' club nearly had their best week of the season, as they overcame a late deficit to sneak past Notre Dame and nearly pulled off another comeback against North Carolina only to fall just short. State has been good at forcing turnovers and not turning it over themselves, but their three-point shooting has been their Achilles heel, and it cost them on Saturday as they shot just 3-19 against the Tar Heels. DJ Burns and DJ Horne aren't walking through that door, but Wolfpack fans wish they would.
10. Florida State Seminoles
Things were looking dicey for the Leonard Hamilton era a couple of years ago, but the Seminoles seem to be back on the right track after that disastrous 9-23 season. FSU broke .500 last year and is out to an 11-5 start this year behind the scoring of former VCU Ram Jamir Watkins and a tough, physical defense.
Florida State games have been whistle-filled affairs this year, as both they and their opponents are shooting a ton of free throws. This week will be huge in sorting out FSU's place in the ACC hierarchy, as they host Pitt and Georgia Tech before taking a West Coast road trip to Cal and Stanford next week.
9. Syracuse Orange
Of all the teams currently stuck at 2-3 in ACC play, Syracuse may have the best shot of rising above the rest. The Orange have won two straight after dropping their first three games, thanks to the dynamic duo of JJ Starling and Eddie Lampkin Jr. Starling missed seven games with a broken hand that he suffered in December, but he's been phenomenal since coming back, with 21 points against Georgia Tech on Tuesday and 26 in a win at Boston College on Saturday. Lampkin has provided a stabilizing interior presence since transferring from Colorado, and he now has double-digit rebounds in five of his last six games.
8. SMU Mustangs
SMU's basketball team may not be making quite as much noise in its first ACC season as its football team did, but the Mustangs are acquitting themselves well since coming over from the American Athletic Conference. SMU is 3-2, with its only losses coming to blue bloods Duke and North Carolina. First-year head coach Andy Enfield broke onto the national radar with his highly entertaining Florida Gulf Coast team that made the Sweet Sixteen a dozen years ago, and he once again has a squad that's fun to watch.
SMU leads the ACC with 84.7 points per game, and they're doing it with efficient outside shooting, offensive rebounding and an ability to get to the free throw line. Wake Forest transfer Boopie Miller leads the team in scoring and assists, while B.J. Edwards is fueling the break with 2.4 steals per game.
7. Stanford Cardinal
Cooper Flagg has rightly soaked up most of the attention in college basketball this season, while Victor Wembanyama has taken the NBA by storm in his second season. Put the two of them together, and you've got Maxime Renaud, a French national that is currently killing it at Stanford. Renaud is 7-foot-1, but he plays with the skill of a guard, frequently stepping back to knock down a midrange jumper or a three. Renaud leads the nation with 13 double-doubles in 16 games, so it's no surprise that he currently leads the ACC in both points and rebounds with 20.9 and 11.5, respectively.
Flagg is the runaway favorite for ACC Player of the Year, but if the jerseys were switched, this would be a closer race.
6. Pitt Panthers
Pitt may have hit a bump in the road with a beatdown loss at Duke and a close home loss to Louisville, but there's no shame in going down to the top two teams in the ACC. This is still a tournament-quality team that shoots the ball well and protects the rim.
Jaland Lowe has leveled up in his sophomore season by nearly doubling his points, assists and rebounds, while the rest of the starting lineup is heavy with upperclassmen. One of those is senior Damien Dunn, who is still working his way back into the lineup after missing seven games with a dislocated thumb and a right ankle sprain. When he gets back up to speed, the Panthers will have an added dimension, as he's currently shooting over 50 percent from three on the year.
5. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest has generally beaten the teams that it's supposed to beat, and lost to the teams they're supposed to lose to. Thus far in the ACC, that's good enough for the fifth spot in our power rankings. Steve Forbes' club is 4-1 in conference, and winners of five of its last six, with the lone blemish being a road loss at Clemson.
Former Gonzaga transfer Hunter Sallis has been outstanding in his second year in Winston-Salem, and he's currently fourth in the league with 18.6 points per game. He's been complemented by App State transfer Tre'Von Spillers, whose 8.8 rebounds per game is third in the league behind only Stanford's Renaud and Clemson's Ian Schieffelin.
4. North Carolina Tar Heels
It's been an uneven season in Chapel Hill, but the Tar Heels are finally beginning to find their groove. UNC's biggest problem this year has been falling behind early. Despite second-half rallies, they still fell short against a number of ranked teams in their non-conference slate, including Kansas, Michigan State, Auburn and Alabama.
Lately though, the Heels have been starting better, and they've come through in crunch time, as well. Elliot Cadeau is second in the ACC in assists, but it was his four-point play with four seconds left that beat Notre Dame.
Jalen Washington sealed the win over NC State on Saturday with a game-ending block at the rim, but the biggest revelation has been Ian Jackson, who's scored 20 points or more in five of his last six games.
3. Clemson Tigers
Clemson had arguably the best season in program history last year as it made a run all the way to the Elite Eight. The Tigers lost All-ACC First Team center PJ Hall, but senior point guard Chase Hunter has picked up the slack by continuing his stellar play from the tournament. Hunter has been a lights-out 44.8 percent from three this season, and he's the biggest reason why the Tigers are not only 5-1 in league play, but each of their wins has been by double digits.
If there's a concern for the Tigers, it's their home/road splits, as they're 10-1 in Littlejohn Coliseum but only 1-3, with losses to Boise St., South Carolina and Louisville, on the road.
2. Louisville Cardinals
What a difference a coach makes. Louisville has had an embarrassing couple of years under the leadership of Kenny Payne, but Pat Kelsey has immediately turned the Cardinals around in his first year on the job.
Louisville has rolled off five straight conference wins since losing their ACC opener to Duke, which is as many conference wins as they had in two full years under Payne. That run includes wins over fellow one-loss teams Clemson and North Carolina. It's been a group effort, as five Cardinals are currently averaging double figures.
Wisconsin transfer Chucky Hepburn is one of only two ACC players who's averaging at least 15 points and five assists, and Colorado transfer J'Vonne Hadley put the team on his back against Clemson on Tuesday with a career-best 32 points.
1. Duke Blue Devils
This one goes without saying. Not only is Duke 6-0 in the ACC, until Saturday's closer-than-expected 86-78 home win over Notre Dame, they'd won their conference games by an average of more than 17 points.
Flagg is now the frontrunner for the Wooden Award after his ACC freshman record 42-point effort over the Fighting Irish, and even though Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown is set to miss extended time with a sprained knee, the Blue Devils should still have more than enough firepower to maintain their stranglehold atop the conference.
As other top-10 teams such as Tennessee and Kentucky have looked vulnerable lately, Duke has only been getting stronger. A No. 1 seed is well within reach.