The Week Ahead

It certainly isn't time yet to panic about how the ACC teams have been faring in the early-going this year, but it hasn't been good, by any stretch. The ACC is accustomed to dominating in November and December, with most teams having lofty records like 15-1. But this season hasn't been the same. For comparison, last year at this point in the season, ACC teams were 40-4. This year, teams are 30-14. A number of teams have bad losses, with four ACC teams losing on Sunday alone.

Notably, North Carolina didn't have the best time in Puerto Rico. After losing a close game to a good Minnesota team, the Heels went out and lost to Vanderbilt. Vandy may be an NCAA Tournament team at the end of the year but Carolina certainly doesn't look like the #8 team in the country right now.

Also on Sunday:

-Miami lost by 16 points on the road at Rutgers. The RAC can be a tough place to play, but only putting up 45 against a team that has really struggled in recent years is not a good sign for the Hurricanes.

-NC State was even for a half with Georgetown but then got blown out in the second half. They are now without Tracy Smith for a few weeks as well. This has to be a setback for the Wolfpack.

-Clemson lost by one point to Old Dominion. The Monarchs are a decent team but at the end of the day the ACC school should win.

With that being said, there are some teams this week that have a chance to earn a little more respect from the conference. Here's a look at what's on tap:

Monday:

Clemson vs. Seton Hall (6:00 p.m.) - Clemson needs a solid win, and has the chance to get one here against Seton Hall in the Virgin Islands. The Pirates are expected to contend for an NCAA berth, so this is big for both teams.
Virginia vs. Washington (12:00 a.m.) - The Cavaliers are coming off a 21 point loss at Stanford and need some confidence at the start of the Maui Invitational. If they can somehow come out of this tournament with 2 wins that would be a big boost for Tony Bennett's squad.

Tuesday:

Duke vs. Kansas State or Gonzaga - Duke should be able to get by Marquette with ease, and this sets up a CBE Final in Kansas City against either K-State or Gonzaga. Duke has handled Gonzaga pretty easily in the past, and could struggle some with the size of Kansas State.

Thursday:

Boston College vs. Texas A&M (12:00 p.m.) - Boston College has a tough draw in the first round of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando. The Eagles have already lost at home to Yale and are going to be facing a Texas A&M team that is always strong under Mark Turgeon.

Friday:

Virginia Tech vs. Oklahoma State/DePaul - The Hokies need to play well in the 76 Classic in Anaheim to feel good about their NCAA chances. That means they have to win their first round game against Cal State Northridge and win this matchup, which will likely be against an Oklahoma State team that is rebuilding.

Georgia Tech vs. UTEP (5:30 p.m.) - Georgia Tech needs to play well in their first game in Atlantic City to have a chance against a talented team like UTEP. The Jackets have already underachieved in the first two weeks of the season.

I'll have an update on the progress of the teams playing in preseason tournaments, plus a look ahead to the weekend's big games, later in the week.