ACC basketball: Power Rankings heading into Christmas

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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 08: NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 08 Head coach Kevin Stallings of the Pittsburgh Panthers in action against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second round of the ACC Basketball Tournament at the Barclays Center on March 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

With student athletes taking finals, things on the court got pretty hectic. How did those results affect this week’s ACC basketball rankings?

15. Pittsburgh 6-5 (Last week 15)

This week for the Panthers featured a small victory, and a giant loss for the team. Ryan Luther, the best player on the team and the senior leader, will be out for the next few weeks with a foot injury. These are the types of injuries that could potentially have a longer timetable for return, so hopefully the near double-double a night senior will be back sometime in January.

The loss of Luther now forces head coach Kevin Stallings to turn to players like Peace Ilegomah and Kene Chukwuka, first-year D-I players who are still raw in terms of basketball skills. Saturday’s 72-51 win over McNeese State allowed the two to have extended time on the court, combining for 33 minutes and six boards.

The two players who played well in the win, Marcus Carr with 17 points and six assists, and Jared Wilson-Frame with a team-high 19, will have to contribute even more now. This week features a couple of teams that should easily be defeated, but now conference play looks even more daunting down the road.

14. Georgia Tech 6-4 (Last week 14)

Josh Okogie returns after both a suspension and a thumb injury to score 19 points in a win over a 1-13 Florida A&M team. The win itself doesn’t mean much, but it does end a three-game skid. With everyone back, now this team can be fully judged.

13. Wake Forest (Last week 13)

The Demon Deacons were idle this week, but plays a road game at Coastal Carolina on Monday before playing at home versus a Tennessee team who just lost a tight one against North Carolina.