Who’s in and who’s out in the ACC?

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Outside of the Big East, the ACC might just be the strongest conference in the nation.

The ACC features four ranked teams, with two of them being ranked in the top-10. Those teams, however, have also been beat by conference opponent Florida State.

As it stands, there are six teams still within two games of first place in the conference standings. While the conference standings are important, how exactly will that translate when Selection Sunday rolls around? Let’s have a look at who is in – and which teams have a bit more work to do.

Who is in?

North Carolina (20-3, 7-1)

March Madness just wouldn’t be the same without the Tarheels. Luckily for college basketball fans, UNC will once again make an appearance in March. The only question remaining for the ‘Heels: What seed will they receive? I have a hunch that UNC will receive a top seed in the tournament, with the others going to Kentucky, Syracuse, and Ohio State. This ought to make life a little easier for Roy Williams and company. But with a team led by Harrison Barnes, the Tarheels don’t exactly need all of the help in the world.

Duke (19-4, 6-2)

Had it not been for the loss to Miami, the Blue Devils would likely have a legitimate argument for a top seed in the tournament. Unfortunately for Duke (and fortunately for all those Duke haters), the loss to Miami was real and now has Duke on the outside looking in for a number one seed in March. Not that all is lost for Duke – they will still likely secure a two seed, and in a worst case scenario, a three. For almost any other program, that’s a solid season. However, those programs are not Duke. Duke looks poised to make another run, but without a leader, March might end early for the Blue Devils.

Florida State (16-6, 7-1)

Quick – two teams are tied atop the ACC standings. Name them. Any other season it would be safe to go with the UNC-Duke combination, but not this season. Florida State, unranked at the beginning of the season, finds itself in a tie with UNC at the top of the ACC. The Seminoles boast a very nice resume for March with wins over Duke, UNC, and Virginia. Led by Michael Snaer and Bernard James, Florida State is a lock to make the tournament in March.

Virginia (18-4, 5-3)

After a very strong start to the season, the Virginia Cavaliers have come back down to earth lately. Still, Virginia finds itself  poised to make a run in March. It features one of the best defenses in the nation, surrendering only 51.4 points per game (second only to Wisconsin). With its strong defense, Virginia is able to hang with just about any team; its biggest loss this season has come by a mere 3 points (both on the road at Duke and FSU). The Cavaliers may not be one of the most exciting teams to watch in terms of scoring, but this is a solid team that can neutralize an opponent’s talent. This quality could come in handy in making some noise in March.

Who is on the bubble?

NC State (17-7, 6-3)

Although NC State has a nice team, it still has a bit more work to do if it wants to be a part of March Madness. The Wolfpack is actually a half game ahead of Virginia in the standings, but don’t quite feature the same resume as their conference opponent. NC State has a record of 0-4 against ranked teams this year, but has multiple opportunities to improve on that. The Wolfpack still have remaining games against Duke, Florida State, and UNC. Unfortunately, those games come consecutively for NC State. Luckily, they also only feature one bad loss at Stanford. NC State is a very balanced team, with all of their primary starters scoring in double-digits. If they’re able to pull off a win or two against a ranked team, or even Miami, NC State will likely receive a berth into the tournament in March.

Miami (14-7, 5-3)

This Miami team is a very difficult team to predict. On one hand, their only signature win (albeit a very good win) came on the road against Duke. On the other hand, they boast a 14-7 record with no bad losses thus far. The rest of their schedule could be very telling of where they might be when March rolls around. Miami has three games against ranked teams (2 against FSU, one against UNC) and also have a match-up with fellow bubble-team, NC State. Miami must split these games and pick up a few more quality wins in order to prove their game against Duke was not a fluke. A strong showing in the ACC tournament would also go a long way for this Miami team in solidifying a spot in March Madness.

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