2017-18 ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Holiday Edition
Teams 7-9
The Orangemen are about where they have been the past few seasons, dab smack in the middle of the ACC.
Jim Boeheim’s team was 6-0 before losing to Kansas in their last game. However, that record is misleading as their best win in that run was an eight-point victory over Toledo.
Syracuse this season has also been very good on the boards, ranking sixth nationally at over 44 rebounds per game. Syracuse is having big seasons from Tyus Battle, who is third in the ACC in scoring, Oshae Brissett, fourth in the league in rebounding, and Frank Howard, who leads the ACC in steals.
The team’s next game is against UConn in the Jimmy V Classic.
Louisville is not as good as many thought they would be, but not as bad as could’ve been considering the turmoil they faced to start the season. The Cardinals have played a so-so schedule this season, but at least have not suffered any bad losses so far this year.
However, they also don’t have any significant wins, with their best-looking win being a 42-point blowout of Southern Illinois.
Additionally, their current two-game losing streak came against Purdue and Seton Hall, Louisville’s only top 50 opponents so this season.
To make matters worse, the Cardinals only have one player scoring in double-digits in Deng Adel, though they are almost getting a double-double from Ray Spalding.
None of these really scream tournament team currently. The Cardinals will look to end their current losing streak with a win against Sienna on Wednesday.
The Saints are 2-5 this season and should be an easy victory for Louisville.
The Tigers make the biggest jump in these rankings thanks to a 7-1 record including a 13-point victory over Ohio State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Clemson is outscoring teams by 15 points a game and has looked a lot more impressive than expected considering the loss of Jaron Blossomgame.
Clemson is being led by the play of Dontae Grantham, one of five Tigers players averaging double digits so far this season. Grantham is averaging 15.6 points to go along with 5.6 rebounds in his senior season with Clemson.
The Tigers next game is a home contest against Samford. The Bulldogs are 2-6 this season and should not be much of a challenge for Clemson.