ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Virginia on the rise, Miami rolling into Thanksgiving
Duke basketball, Miami and Virginia represented the ACC well in Week 2 of the 2023-24 college basketball season.
Following its loss to Arizona at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils bounced back with a gritty victory against Michigan State in the Champions Classic. Miami is off to a 5-0 start, including wins over a trio of Power Five opponents.
Duke’s win against Sparty is the most impressive of the bunch so far, but it looks like Virginia’s victory versus Florida in Charlotte will age well. Some squads will separate themselves during Feast Week, which always features a crowd of heavyweight matchups.
Here’s a look at the power rankings entering Week 3 of the 2023-24 season.
1. Duke
“The Blue Devil Challenge” will allow the Blue Devils to stay home for Thanksgiving, but it won’t provide much of a challenge. Still, Duke’s resume tops this list of teams to this point. We’ll check back in on the Blue Devils when they head to Arkansas.
2. Miami
At this point, it’s surprising when Wooga Poplar misses a 3-pointer. Nijel Pack and the Hurricanes haven’t shown any signs of slowing down in their post-Final Four season. Pack dropped 27 on Kansas State, including seven 3s.
3. Virginia
It’s early, but the Hoos are hounding opponents again with a top-10 defense. Virginia hasn’t had that since 2020, according to KenPom.com. Sophomore wing Ryan Dunn had one of the highlights of the week with a SportsCenter-worthy dunk.
4. UNC
The Tar Heels’ bench players are playing, because Hubert Davis said “they earned it.” If that continues in the Bahamas, UNC could earn a trophy. As it should be, Armando Bacot is at the center of everything, averaging 22.7 points and 13.3 rebounds.
BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS: UNC basketball’s keys to winning Battle 4 Atlantis
BLUE DEVILS CHECK BOXES: Duke basketball checks Jon Scheyer’s two boxes against Michigan State
TIGERS ROLLING: Clemson basketball gets past Boise State with big offensive performance
HOOS HOUND FLORIDA: Turnovers doom Florida basketball in close loss to Virginia
5. Clemson
The Tigers rallied from an 18-point deficit against Davidson to win the Asheville Championship. Speed isn’t a priority for Clemson, but PJ Hall remains one of the top scorers in the league at 21.3 points per game. And how about Joseph Girard joining the party with an average of 20 points this week.
6. Pittsburgh
Blake Hinson (20.5 ppg) and Carlton Carrington (18 ppg) look like one of the best duos in the ACC. The Panthers have reached 100 points in multiple games for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Pitt is about to have a quality stretch of games against Power Five opponents.
7. NC State
The Wolfpack are a solid gamble as the most underrated team in the league. We’ll find out more about NC State in Las Vegas, but early returns are good for Kevin Keatts’ balanced bunch. DJ Burns leads four players in double figures.
8. Virginia Tech
How ‘bout the Kidd? Senior big man Lynn Kidd averaged 22 points and 7.5 rebounds this week. He hadn’t scored 20 points in the previous 53 games of his career. The Hokies have guards. If Kidd keeps it up, they’ll be even tougher.
9. Wake Forest
The offense has been great. The defense? Not so much. The shorthanded Demon Deacons desperately need the NCAA to clear 7-footer Efton Reid. Wake had chances in two games against Power Five opponents in Charleston, but had losses in both opportunities.
10. Syracuse
The Orange hasn’t passed the eye test in its first three games, but ‘Cuse heads to the Maui Invitational with no losses. Judah Mintz has been sensational with 69 points, 15 assists and three turnovers in three games. We’ll find out a lot about Adrian Autry’s club in Hawaii.
11. Florida State
The Seminoles got smacked in a 21-point loss at Florida, inspiring little faith after a rough 2022-23 season. Their best player from that team — Matthew Cleveland — is at Miami. Tough times as the third-best Power Five program in the Sunshine State.
12. Boston College
“The Postman” always delivers for the Eagles. Quinten Post had 20 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks against Harvard.
13. Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets became the second ACC team in league history to lose to UMass Lowell, which beat Boston College in 2015. Not a great sign of things to come.
14. Louisville
The Cardinals went from rock bottom to rocking Madison Square Garden in an inspiring performance against Texas. Unfortunately, Quad 1 moral victories don’t count.
CARDS SHOW GROWTH: Louisville basketball growth on full display as it falls to Texas by point in final second
15. Notre Dame
Markus Burton has looked great, particularly in an overtime win against Oklahoma State. But the Cards looked better than the Irish in Week 2.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: ACC Power Rankings: Duke basketball, Miami, Virginia with big wins
