Another week has passed and the top of the league looks pretty cut and dry right now. It's one team, then one perhaps two, then everybody else. UNC had cracked into the top tier but that mojo is gone. Meanwhile, FSU continues to climb as the bottom of the league takes it usual posture.
So, how do we see things stacking up going into this weekend's games? Check out the way we see it in our updated CavsCorner ACC Power Rankings.
Tier I: The Favorite
1. Duke Blue Devils (22-2, 10-1 ACC)
Last Week: 1
The Blue Devils get their own tier this week, as they have emerged as the clear favorite to win the league and arguably the best team in the country. Duke’s barrage of 3s buried Virginia in Charlottesville, and a season sweep of the Cavaliers is an impressive feat. The Devils showed in the rematch that they are nearly unbeatable when they are making their shots at a high clip, and shooting 62 percent from 3 on the road is tough for any opponent to overcome. It looked like they were headed for a big-time let down loss at Louisville on Monday when they fell behind by as many as 23 points. But Duke pulled off a stunning rally for a 71-69 road win, outscoring the Cardinals 35-10 over the final nine minutes of the game. How Duke played in the first 30 minutes wasn’t impressive but the ability to dig out of that hole shows that the Blue Devils have a gear that no other team can reach. After what was surely an emotional win in Louisville, they turn their attention to a pair of in-state rivals with NC State and UNC coming to Durham in the coming days.
Tier II: The Challengers
2. Virginia Cavaliers (21-2, 8-2 ACC)
Last Week: 2
It’s hard to paint a 1-1 week as an overwhelming success, but Virginia fans should take it all things considered. Obviously, losing to Duke for the second time in the season is disappointing. But Duke’s shooting, particularly early in the game, put the Cavaliers in a hole that almost nobody would be able to dig themselves out of. Like the first game, they didn’t play all that poorly against Duke, they just got beat by a really good team. What was good to see was how the Wahoos responded to that loss with a win at UNC on Monday night. They had a rough second half stretch where they saw Carolina seize a seven-point lead, but they executed well down the stretch, hit a few big shots, and got key stops. That win gives UVa the tiebreaker over UNC, with the hardest part of the schedule now in the rear view. UVa turns its attention to a game this weekend against Notre Dame before the Hoos travel to Blacksburg on Monday in a game that looks much more winnable than it did several weeks ago.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels (19-5, 9-2 ACC)
Last Week: 3
North Carolina went 1-1 this week as well but its performance is viewed a bit differently. The Tar Heels had to fight and claw to overcome a late deficit and force overtime against a struggling Miami team before ultimately winning at home. That performance wasn’t exactly inspiring but the Heels do deserve credit for executing well down the stretch and closing out the game. Carolina had some good moments in the loss to Virginia but ultimately wasn't able to execute late like against Miami. UNC scored just two points over the final four minutes of the game and let a lead slip away in what would’ve been a big win. Instead of keeping pace with Duke, UNC is now tied with UVa for second place and lost the head-to-head tiebreaker which could come into play later in the season. Carolina should be able to get back on track with a trip to Wake Forest this weekend but the big clash with rival Duke is on the horizon.