The first full week of ACC basketball is out of the way and the Duke Blue Devils are the only team in the ACC without a loss only three games in to the conference season. I would not say that the Devils have been runaway winners in any of their conference games so far. It would not shock me that 13-3 would be the winning record to get the #1 seed when tournament time arrives by mid March.
Depending on which way you look at it there is a five way tie for second or a five way tie for sixth. Five teams are 2-1 and the most noticeable team that should not be there is Boston College. They have not beaten any team north of New York City that they have played and that includes Boston University and Harvard.
It has been a while since the Wolfpack has sniffed the top six in the league but they find themselves there now pending a game this week with Boston College. I see a whole lot of short comings in the Pack but I see a team that is playing defense and I know most of these players have never played any of that before this year.
Florida State I think everyone in preseason picked them for the top six but they have looked awful some games and Carolina beaters in others. They seem to always have talent but never play with any of it in the one and done games.
Maryland to me looks like they could stick in the top six. They are one of those teams that seems to be getting better the more playing time this team gets with each other.
Carolina sits tied at 2-1. I know the way this team is playing right now I have Carolina friends standing on the ledge of the RBC building about to jump. This team was suppose to be the odds on favorite to win the National Championship. There is time to turn every thing around but tied for sixth for the National Champion?
The ACC perennial bubble team is Virginia Tech. Every year they win 19 or 20 games and are just good enough to make the NIT. If they don't pick up their pace they won't make the NIT as of right now they are dead last in the ACC. There is a major problem for all but a few ACC teams.
Duke is ranked 7th in the power rating, Carolina 14th and Virginia who right now is not even in top six in the conference is 16th. If you assume you need to be in top 50 in the power ratings to make sure you are high enough to get into the NCAA tournament then the ACC will only have three teams in this year.
Florida State is 52nd, Miami who has yet to win a conference game is rated 67. N C State 72nd they have played four in top forty but you have to win one once in a while. Virginia Tech 84, Maryland 92, Georgia Tech come in at 122 followed by Wake at 142. Clemson is 156 and Boston College a team in top six is all the way down to 227.
One way you move up once conference games start is when you beat each other they have such a good rating to get credit for a good win. There won't be many in the ACC this year. The ACC will be lucky to get four in the ACC Tournament.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
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