Fifteen of the finest ACC blogs on the internet get together on a weekly basis to rank the conference's men's basketball teams.
Here are the results for week 12:
SBNATION ACC MEN'S BASKETBALL POWER POLL, WEEK 12
1. Virginia Cavaliers, 118 votes (6 first-place votes)
2. Duke Blue Devils, 110
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 102
4t. North Carolina Tar Heels, 98
4t. Louisville Cardinals, 98
6. North Carolina State Wolfpack, 68
7. Miami-Florida Hurricanes, 67
8. Syracuse Orange, 63
9. Clemson Tigers, 61
10. Pittsburgh Panthers, 51
11. Florida State Seminoles, 46
12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 27
13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 24
14. Boston College Eagles, 21
15. Virginia Tech Hokies, 11
1. Virginia Cavaliers (20-1, 8-1 ACC)
Last week: Lost to Duke (69-63)
This week: Defeated North Carolina (75-64), Louisville (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 1 (--)
Virginia blew an 11-point second-half lead as the Blue Devils handed the Cavaliers their first loss of the season on Saturday night. Despite dropping its first game of the season at home, the Cavaliers maintain the top spot in this week's polls. Voting was done before last night's 75-64 victory over North Carolina, but that certainly helps solidify the Cavaliers' position. The Cavaliers close out the week with another marquee matchup, as UVA hosts #9 Louisville at JPJA.
2. Duke Blue Devils (18-3, 5-3)
Last week: Lost to Notre Dame (77-73), Defeated Virginia (69-63)
This week: Georgia Tech (2/4), Notre Dame (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 2 (--)
In a matchup of national player of the year candidates, Notre Dame's Jerian Grant bested Duke's Jahlil Okafor, pacing the Irish to a 77-73 home upset victory over Duke last week. The Blue Devils would bounce back with a 69-63 victory over Virginia, handing the Cavaliers their first loss of the season. Duke hosts a pair of games this week: Georgia Tech on Wednesday, followed by Jerian Grant-Jahlil Okafor round 2 on Saturday.
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-3, 8-2)
Last week: Defeated Duke (77-73), Lost to Pittsburgh (76-72)
This week: Boston College (2/4), @ Duke (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 3 (--)
Straight week for Notre Dame, which knocked off a top ranked Duke team only to fall to Pittsburgh on the road over the weekend. Such is life in the ACC. The Irish host Boston College on Wednesday, then travel to Durham to take on the Blue Devils for the second time this season.
4t. North Carolina Tar Heels (17-6, 7-3)
Last week: Defeated Syracuse (93-83), Lost to Louisville (78-68 OT)
This week: Lost to Virginia (75-64), @ Boston College (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 4 (--)
The Tar Heels have now lost two straight after dispatching Syracuse 93-83. The latest setback a 75-64 home loss to Virginia on Monday night. North Carolina is back in action this Saturday as it makes the long trip to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College.
4t. Louisville Cardinals (18-3, 6-2)
Last week: Defeated Boston College (81-72), Defeated North Carolina (78-68 OT)
This week: @ Miami (2/3), @ Virginia (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 5 (--)
Big week for the Cardinals, which took care of business on the road at BC and then rallied from 18 down to top North Carolina, 78-68, in overtime. Louisville has a pair of road games this week: at Miami tonight and then yet another marquee matchup on the road against Virginia.
6. North Carolina State Wolfpack (14-9, 5-5)
Last week: Lost to Clemson (68-57), Defeated Georgia Tech (81-80 OT)
This week: @ Wake Forest (2/3)
Last week's ranking: 7 (up 1)
The Wolfpack snapped a three game losing streak when Trevor Lacey hit a running 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime, sending N.C. State to an 81-80 overtime victory over Georgia Tech. Just one game this week for the Wolfpack, who travel to Winston-Salem to take on the Demon Deacons.
7. Miami Hurricanes (14-7, 4-4)
Last week: Lost to Georgia Tech (70-50), Lost to Florida State (55-54)
This week: Louisville (2/3), Clemson (2/8)
Last week's ranking: 6 (down 1)
Rough week for the Hurricanes, who started the week handing Georgia Tech its first ACC win of the season, then watched as Florida State rallied from 16 down to notch the upset victory in Tallahassee. Miami is right back at it this week with a pair of tough home games: #9 Louisville tonight followed by a suddenly resurgent Clemson squad on Sunday.
8. Syracuse Orange (14-7, 5-3)
Last week: Lost to North Carolina (93-83)
This week: Virginia Tech (2/3), @ Pittsburgh (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 8 (--)
Syracuse has been off for over a week now, its last outing a 10-point loss at North Carolina back on January 26. The Orange is back in action tonight as they host Virginia Tech. SU then hits the road for the first of two games against former Big East rival Pittsburgh on Saturday.
9. Clemson Tigers (13-8, 5-4)
Last week: Defeated N.C. State (68-57), Defeated Boston College (64-49)
This week: @ Florida State (2/3), @ Miami (2/8)
Last week's ranking: 10 (up 1)
Clemson is up to #9 in this week's rankings after a pair of ACC wins got them back over .500 in ACC play. The Tigers look to extend their three-game winning streak down in Florida this week, with a pair of road games in Tallahassee and Miami.
10. Pittsburgh Panthers (15-8, 4-5)
Last week: Lost to Virginia Tech (70-67 OT), Defeated Notre Dame (76-72)
This week: Defeated Bryant (72-67), Syracuse (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 9 (down 1)
After falling to Virginia Tech in overtime down in Blacksburg, Pittsburgh bounced back in a big way with a 76-72 upset victory over Notre Dame. The Panthers squeaked past Bryant, 72-67, on Monday night, and will host Syracuse on Saturday.
11. Florida St. Seminoles (12-10, 4-5)
Last week: Defeated Wake Forest (82-76 2OT), Defeated Miami (55-54)
This week: Clemson (2/4), @ Virginia Tech (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 11 (--)
Winners of three of their last four, all of a sudden Florida State is just a game under .500 in conference play and solidly in the mix of teams hovering around 5-5—Clemson, N.C. State, Miami and Pittsburgh. The schedule sets up nicely to get above .500, though a Clemson team playing its best basketball of the season travels to Tallahassee on Wednesday.
12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-11, 1-8)
Last week: Defeated Miami (70-50), Lost to N.C. State (81-80 OT)
This week: @ Duke (2/4), Wake Forest (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 15 (up 3)
The Yellow Jackets are finally, mercifully in the ACC win column after a string of close losses. This one was a decisive 70-50 rout of #23 Miami down in Coral Gables. Marcus Georges-Hunt scored 24 points to pace the Jackets. Georgia Tech looked to be on the verge of doubling down on ACC wins this week, but dropped a heartbreaking 81-80 overtime loss to N.C. State on a Trevor Lacey desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer. Georgia Tech travels to Durham to take on Duke on Wednesday, then returns to Atlanta to take on the Demon Deacons in the second of two regular season meetings. Wake Forest won the first meeting this year, 76-69.
13. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (10-12, 2-7)
Last week: Lost to Florida State (82-76 2OT), Defeated Virginia Tech (73-70)
This week: N.C. State (2/3), @ Georgia Tech (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 13 (--)
Despite a four-game losing streak, Wake Forest had been oh-so-close to breaking through for its second ACC victory of the season. The Deacons lost in overtime at Syracuse, in double overtime at Florida State and at the buzzer at Clemson. The Demon Deacons were finally able to break through on Sunday, downing Virginia Tech 73-70 behind 19 points from Codi Miller-McIntyre. Wake Forest hosts N.C. State tonight, then travels to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech on Saturday.
14. Boston College Eagles (9-11, 1-7)
Last week: Lost to Louisville (81-72), Lost to Clemson (64-49)
This week: @ Notre Dame (2/4), North Carolina (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 12 (down 2)
The Eagles acquitted themselves well against Louisville, then dropped a not-as-close-as-the-final-score-indicated games to Clemson. It was just the second time this season that Boston College was blown off the court. The road does not get much easier for Jim Christian's boys, who travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame before returning home to take on North Carolina on Saturday.
15. Virginia Tech Hokies (9-12, 1-7)
Last week: Defeated Pittsburgh (70-67 OT), Lost to Wake Forest (73-70)
This week: @ Syracuse (2/3), Florida State (2/7)
Last week's ranking: 14 (down 1)
Like the Yellow Jackets, the Hokies are also in the win column in ACC play with a 70-67 overtime victory over Pitt at Cassell Coliseum. However, that wasn't enough to save Virginia Tech from the ACC men's basketball power rankings basement. Virginia Tech is at Syracuse tonight, then returns to Blacksburg to host Florida State on Saturday.