Non-conference play is well behind us, and now the meat and potatoes of the college basketball season are here. The thick of conference play marks essentially the midway point of the season, which is always an appropriate time to look back on all that’s happened this season to determine things such as: who have been the biggest flops, who are the biggest surprises, and what we can take from that data moving forward.
Here at Bet For The Win, we’ll do a midseason look at each of the power 6 conferences.
Today, we dive into what’s been going on in the ACC.
Conference Title Odds
They Are Who We Thought They Were
Virginia Cavaliers
If you’d asked anyone to rank the ACC men’s basketball teams before the season started, most peoples’ listed would’ve included some order of North Carolina, Duke and Virginia. Ranked No. 13 nationally, Tony Bennett has his team rebounding well from an uncommon 2021-22 season. As usual, the Cavaliers’ defense is a big reason why (allowing under 60.0 ppg to opponents). They’re on track to compete for an ACC title and make a run in the NCAA Tourney.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
We all figured Georgia Tech would struggle and we were all correct. GT’s sitting at 1-5 during conference play and is 8-8 altogether. If there’s a positive to take from what’s been an underwhelming season, sophomore guard Miles Kelly’s leap from Year 1 to 2 has been fun to watch and should give Yellow Jacket fans a strand of optimism regarding the team’s future.
Overperformers
Miami Hurricanes
Look, I know the Hurricanes made it to the Elite 8 of last year’s NCAA Tournament, but with their leading scorer gone (Kameron McGusty) and three starters being replaced, it wasn’t expected that Miami would be this good. Isaiah Wong is the best player on the team now and leading arguably the best offense in the ACC, one that’s knocked off Providence, Maryland and Virginia already this season. He isn’t showing signs of slowing down and with Jordan Miller and Norchard Omier also playing well, the Canes are kind of scary. How far can they take this thing?
Clemson Tigers
Who had Clemson being atop the ACC multiple weeks into conference play? Not me, probably not you and definitely not the media members that voted the Tigers to finish 11th during the preseason. With wins over Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, NC State, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Louisville, Clemson’s 6-0 start to conference play has moved them to 14-3 on the season, which is the second-best overall record of any team in the conference. Hunter Tyson (16.2 points, 10.1 rebounds) could be on the shortlist of ACC Player of the Year candidates if the Tigers keep this up.
Disappointments
North Carolina Tar Heels
After beginning the season as the AP No. 1 team in the nation, the Tar Heels have spent a lot of the season popping in and out of the back end of the Top 25. Currently, they’re on the outside, with a disappointing 11-6 record. Their problem is that they can’t win away from home and they aren’t defending at a high-enough level. You think that with such an experienced team back from last year’s national championship appearance, they’ll figure things out eventually.
Louisville Cardinals
Louisville was always going to face an uphill battle this season when competing in the ACC. However, Louisville was not supposed to be this bad. Whenever the Cardinals win their next conference game, it’ll be their first.
It’s hard to find the words for a team that’s won just two games all season long, so I’ll just end it here.
