This season it seems impossible that any men’s team in the ACC could sneak up and bite you in the rear. Leave it to Jim Larranaga to lead Miami into that very role. The Canes have had less than stellar fortune the past few seasons between injuries, lack of depth and, well, you know, the ‘Rona. But in the vast wasteland of ACC men’s basketball this season they have slowly but surely risen to the occasion.
While the rest of the conference has been distracted by how incredibly awful, inconsistent, disjointed and disappointing everyone (well, except Duke) has been the Canes plowed into first place. Pundits said, that won’t last, they’ll be facing Duke before long and…..no sense in finishing this thought. The plot has been given away.
Those folks who vote for the Top 25 weren’t sure exactly how to react to that loss by Duke. How could a team that’s not even on the radar snakebite Coach K? The entertaining part is how were they going to reward Miami in this instance? Well, for the most part they didn’t. Until otherwise noted, it had to be an anomaly, am I right? Knock, knock. Right? Looks like the Canes will have to slay more than Duke to get their just desserts.
When it comes to ACC basketball the one thing worth talking about is how women’s hoops is rolling. There are two top 5 teams in Louisville and NC State plus four more from 15 to 21. Dear fans, this is truly worth noting and as the NCAA Tournament draws nearer don’t be that person who jumps on the bandwagon. Get on now and enjoy the top-tier talent before they get peeled off by the WNBA.
Miami
| RANK | TEAM | RANK | TEAM |
| #1 | BAYLOR | #1 | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| #2 | GONZAGA | #2 | STANFORD |
| #3 | UCLA | #3 | LOUISVILLE |
| #4 | AUBURN | #4 | NC STATE |
| #5 | USC | #5 | TENNESSEE |
| #8 | DUKE | #15 | GEORGIA TECH |
| RV | #16 | DUKE | |
| #28 | MIAMI | #20 | NOTRE DAME |
| #21 | NORTH CAROLINA | ||
| RV | |||
| #33 | VIRGINIA TECH |
Who are the top 5 men’s and women’s teams in the ACC at this early juncture of the basketball season? Based upon their conference wins thus far –
- ACC Men
- Miami
- Louisville
- North Carolina
- Notre Dame
- Duke
- ACC Women
- NC State
- Louisville
- North Carolina
- Virginia Tech
- Duke
College Basketball
Looking at the Pomeroy (KenPom) College Basketball Ratings lays out a different picture for ACC men’s teams. Here are the top 5 teams.
- Duke – #13
- North Carolina – #29
- Virginia Tech – #31
- Clemson – #39
- Florida State – #46
The latest bracketology from ESPN’s Charlie Creme includes NC State, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Duke. You may have noticed the absence of North Carolina. Based on the Tar Heels recent performances you should expect them to be in Creme’s next field of 68.
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