No. 2 Syracuse, No. 20 Pitt remain atop conference

Three teams — Virginia, Clemson and Duke — have provided hope for the ACC. These squads have recently emerged as middle-of-the-pack teams, proving that the conference consists of more than Syracuse, Pitt and 13 second-rate members — at least for now.

Meanwhile, Syracuse is in a heated battle with Arizona and Wichita State to be the last unbeaten team in the nation, but they are the overwhelming favorites to lose first. 

Arizona has played only one ranked opponent (Duke), and it might not face another until the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile, Wichita State is knee-deep in one of the easiest conference schedules in the country. The Shockers are coming off a 20-point win over Indiana State, the Missouri Valley Conference’s No. 2 team.

Conversely, the Orange will face Miami and Wake Forest before hitting the meat of their schedule, which includes games against Duke, Clemson, Notre Dame and Pitt in a 12-day span.

Nonetheless, they sit atop the ACC and haven’t yet revealed evidence that they’ll fold.

No. 2 Syracuse (18-0, 5-0 ACC)

Freshman point guard Tyler Ennis created quite a national buzz after a 16-point second-half performance, which included six points in the final 1:48 to lift Syracuse to a 59-54 win over Pitt on Saturday. Last week, Ennis averaged 14 points, four assists and 3.5 steals while playing all 40 minutes of both games, earning him his third ACC Rookie of the Week award. He has also been deemed by countless college basketball analysts as the season’s most valuable freshman. Ennis ranks sixth in the nation with 48 steals and sets up senior forward C.J. Fair’s 16.8 points per game with his 4.13 assist-to-turnover ratio, good for fourth in the country.  

No. 20 Pitt (17-2, 5-1 ACC)

It’s rare to see a team move up in the polls after a loss — especially Pitt, who was held from the polls all season because of a weak schedule. But the Panthers opened some eyes in their loss at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, moving from No. 22 to No. 20.

Pitt then rebounded emphatically with a 33-point win against Clemson, scoring 76 points on one of the nation’s stingiest defensive teams. 

Virginia (14-5, 5-1 ACC)

The Cavaliers have won this season without a unanimous offensive threat. They beat North Carolina 76-61 on Monday to garner their best start in ACC play since the 1994-1995 team also opened 5-1 in league play. Senior guard Joe Harris had 16 points against the Tar Heels, and is third in the conference in 3-point percentage (.441).

No. 18 Duke (14-4, 3-2 ACC)

The Blue Devils have one signature win over No. 21 Michigan along with two bad losses at Notre Dame by two points and at Clemson by 13, but they remain ranked at No. 18. Rodney Hood and Andre Dawkins lead the league in 3-point percentage (.457 and .450, respectively), and freshman sensation Jabari Parker has hit 40.9 percent of his. Parker also leads his team in points (19.1), rebounds (7.3) and blocks (1.1). Duke will need more consistency from all three to push its way back into the elite.

Clemson (13-5, 4-2 ACC)

The Tigers, who were selected to finish 14th in the ACC, are off to their best start in league play since 1997, when they reached the Sweet 16. Junior forward K.J. McDaniels racked up 15 points and 12 rebounds to push Clemson past Wake Forest 61-53 Saturday.

But the Tigers ran into a buzzsaw at the Petersen Events Center Tuesday when they put forth their worst defensive performance of the season.

Florida State (13-5, 4-2 ACC)

Florida State has a high-scoring backcourt led by senior guard Ian Miller. The Seminoles play in a critical game on Saturday at Duke. If they win, a very easy month of February lies ahead. 

Maryland (11-8, 3-3 ACC)

The Terrapins are coming off an ugly 65-56 loss to NC State. They have a full week’s rest before hosting Pitt on Saturday. Junior guard Dez Wells will look to redeem his five-point performance at Pitt on Jan. 6. 

Notre Dame (11-8, 2-4 ACC)

After losing three consecutive games to low-ranked ACC teams, the Irish picked up a win against the battered Virginia Tech Hokies. The Irish are shooting 37 percent from 3-point range, an already stout number that would be significantly better if leading scorer Jerian Grant hadn’t been dismissed from the team in December.

Wake Forest (12-6, 2-3 ACC)

The Demon Deacons have played a tough schedule thus far, but haven’t proven that they’re in the top half of the conference. Leading scorer Codi Miller-McIntyre was unable to find a rhythm in a 61-53 loss at Clemson.

North Carolina (11-7, 1-4 ACC)

North Carolina lost at Virginia 76-61 Monday night, spurring the worst start to conference play for the Tar Heels in more than a decade. Help did arrive, however, for the Heels last week when senior sharpshooter Leslie McDonald was reinstated after serving a nine-game suspension. The move should provide sophomore point guard Marcus Paige with more options on offense. Paige, who was North Carolina’s leading scorer in nonconference play (17.2 points per game), has come under recent scrutiny for plummeting scoring totals since the start of ACC play (12.6 points per game).

NC State (12-7, 2-4 ACC)

Aside from the best point guard-combo guard tandem in the ACC in freshman Anthony Barber and sophomore T.J. Warren, the Wolfpack lack threats. The team lost by 35 at Duke on Saturday, and Warren still nearly scored half their points. Warren is tied for seventh nationally in scoring at 22.1 points per game and is the lone 20-plus point scorer in the ACC.

Miami (10-7, 2-3 ACC)

It will be tough for the Hurricanes to succeed a convincing 56-42 win at Georgia Tech with equal outcomes against Duke and Syracuse. Both games are at home, and Syracuse, especially, has struggled against weaker teams in the ACC.

Georgia Tech (11-8, 2-4 ACC)

The Yellow Jackets could even out to .500 in the conference in their next three games when they travel to Boston College and NC State before playing host to North Carolina.

Virginia Tech (8-9, 1-4 ACC)

Coach James Johnson has only started one of his players on a consistent basis: freshman point guard and Montour High School graduate Devin Wilson. This includes leading scorer Jarell Eddie, who has made just seven of his last 34 shots. “We’re just trying to spark something, maybe sit him down and let him relax and see the game and see how it’s being played, how we’re playing, how the defenses are playing, being officiated,” Johnson told reporters after a 70-63 loss at Notre Dame Sunday.

Boston College (5-14, 1-5 ACC)

The Golden Eagles have competed well in four of their past games, but have only prevailed in one: a 62-59 win over Virginia Tech. In order to keep contending, sophomore guard Olivier Hanlan needs 20 per night.