I've been a little reluctant to praise them after their first few wins in the conference, but I can now say with some certainly that Miami is the best team in the ACC. That may change before the year is out, but there's no question they are playing the best basketball. Miami has already beaten Duke, UNC and Florida State on the way to a 6-0 conference start. They are currently two games ahead of anyone else.
Other headlines from this weekend include N.C. State's domination of UNC. When the Wolfpack get up for a game, they are as good as anyone. The final score was not indicative of how well N.C. State played for much of the game. Carolina looked completely flustered at times, even forcing Roy Williams to call a rare timeout. Duke got back on the right track as well, with a breakout performance from Rasheed Sulaimon in a blowout win over Maryland. The Terps have yet to have that signature win that NCAA Tournament resumes are built on.
Here is the schedule for this week:
Tuesday:
Georgia Tech at Clemson (7:00 p.m., FSN)
Georgia Tech got their first conference win in impressive fashion over Wake Forest over the weekend. After struggling offensively, they broke out for 82 points. Can their offense continue on the road at Clemson? The Tigers need more efforts from Milton Jennings like they had against Virginia Tech.
N.C. State at Virginia (7:00 p.m., ESPN2)
The best game of the week, in my opinion. N.C. State has shown the ability to beat anyone at home, but has already lost to Wake Forest and Maryland on the road. Virginia will try to keep them out of that transition offense that was so good against North Carolina. If Virginia can hit threes like they have been recently, they can pull off the big home win.
North Carolina at Boston College (9:00 p.m., ESPNU)
Boston College has been competitive, but not able to seal the deal down the stretch in ACC games. They have a chance at a big win at home against the Tar Heels. We'll see how North Carolina's mindset is after that loss in Raleigh. Can they find two or three consistent scorers? If the Heels get out to a lead early, expect them to coast.
Wednesday:
Duke at Wake Forest (8:00 p.m., ACC Network)
Wake's confidence had to take a hit after their performance in a winnable road game at Georgia Tech. They now get a second chance against Duke. The Blue Devils may have found a star in the making in Sulaimon. I can see Wake hanging around for a while but the Blue Devils will be too much in the end.
Maryland at Florida State (8:00 p.m., ACC Network)
These two teams really need to win this game. Maryland stands at 3-4 in the league, needing to put some wins together. Florida State is at 3-3, coming off a blowout loss to Miami. Both of these teams have NCAA Tournament inspirations, but it's unlikely both will make it. If Alex Len can control the paint, Maryland can win.
Miami at Virginia Tech (9:00 p.m., FSN)
Miami is obviously on a roll right now. The only way they lose this game is if they have a big letdown after their last two home wins. Virginia Tech does not have the manpower to compete with the Hurricanes' veteran squad. Miami has not been as effective offensively on the road, but they shouldn't have much trouble scoring against the Hokies' defense.
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