ACC Standings: A Closer Look

Now that we are in the middle of the conference swing, I figured it's a good time to look at how the standings have shaken out so far. Of course at this point, schedules aren't created equal - for example every team that has played Wake Forest has an extra win in their column. But we are starting to see who may be a contender and who may be a pretender.

1. Duke - 4-1 ACC, 17-1 Overall
No big surprise that Duke is at the top of the standings. They have struggled a bit recently, however, losing to Florida State and winning fairly close games against Maryland and Virginia at home. The Devils did come back with a nice win at NC State earlier this week.

2. Boston College - 4-1 ACC, 14-5 Overall
People are continuing to underestimate what Boston College has done this year. This is a team that did not come with high expectations, but has been performing very well. Their conference slate hasn't been all that difficult so far, with home games against Virginia, Georgia Tech and NC State. We'll find much more about the Eagles in their next four games, with road dates against Florida State and Duke, then home games against North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

3. Florida State - 4-1 ACC, 14-5 Overall
The Seminoles hit a bit of a rough patch, with losses to Auburn and Virginia Tech, but have rebounded nicely. They picked up a big road win over Miami this week, and obviously have that huge win over Duke. The Noles are poised to finish in the top 4.

4. North Carolina - 3-1 ACC, 13-5 Overall
You have to feel a little uneasy if you are a Tar Heel fan right now. Yes, they are 3-1 in conference. But that 1 was a bad road loss by 20 points to Georgia Tech. They also barely beat Virginia Tech in a game they easily could have lost. And they won in the last minute against Virginia. UNC has a little time off before heading down to Miami but appear vulnerable right now.

5. Virginia Tech - 3-2 ACC, 12-5 Overall
The Hokies are really playing good basketball right now, with a huge road win over Maryland. They have won 8 of their last 9, with the only loss coming by 3 points in Chapel Hill. The early season home loss to Virginia hurts their position right now, but they look poised to move up the standings with a schedule that is pretty favorable.

6. Clemson - 2-2 ACC, 13-5 Overall
Clemson has been understandably an inconsistent team so far. They have had to work in a lot of new players and a brand new system. Most recently, their streak continued of never having won in Chapel Hill. So far Clemson has won their two home games and lost their two road games.

7. Georgia Tech - 2-2 ACC, 9-8 Overall
Georgia Tech is a bit of a surprise in this 7 spot, with a surge over the last week. The 20 point win over UNC is probably the head scratcher of the year. And then they followed it up with a 35 point win at home over Wake. The road has been a different story, with double digit losses to BC and Clemson. It's hard to think that they will be able to maintain this position in the standings.

8. Miami - 1-3 ACC, 12-6 Overall
It appears to be a repeat of last year for the Hurricanes, with a strong start to the season and then a series of losses in ACC play. The Canes would look a lot better if they had been able to hold serve at home against Florida State. But so far they have lost three of their first four conference games, with the only win a 1 point victory at home against BC.

9. NC State - 1-3 ACC, 11-7 Overall
No matter where you are, you can probably hear the rumblings coming from the Wolfpack fans. State appears to be underachieving yet again under Sidney Lowe. State lost its game of the year at home against Duke. The team has also lost on the road against Boston College and Florida State, with the lone win a home victory over Wake.

10. Maryland - 1-3 ACC, 11-7 Overall
Maryland had been competing pretty hard thus far this season, before running into a lot of trouble at home against the Hokies. In a game they had to win, the Terps lost by 17. Now they are sitting at 1-3 in conference, with two home losses. Like NC State, their only conference win is against Wake. Maryland has a stretch of winnable games ahead, and needs to turn it around.

11. Virginia - 1-3 ACC, 10-8 Overall
Virginia has been wildly inconsistent this year, and has not won a conference game in more than a month. They have played pretty well at times in games against Duke and UNC, but haven't been able to seal the deal. Most recently, they lost a 3 point game up at Boston College. The Cavs will have two home games in a row to try to gain back some confidence.

12. Wake Forest - 0-4 ACC, 7-12 Overall
What can you say about Wake Forest? They may be the worst ACC team I have ever seen. The Deacons have lost their ACC games by 21, 19, 29 and 35. Their next game is against Duke. There is a very real possibility that Wake could lose every game they play for the rest of the season.