ACC basketball: Power Rankings heading into Christmas

4. Virginia 9-1 (Last week 5)

The Cavaliers continue to roll, this time against a Davidson team that can be potent offensively. By Virginia standards, the Wildcats had success, scoring 60 points (third highest of the season against Virginia) in the game.

Leading scorer Kyle Guy had 19 in the game, senior Devon Hall chipped in 20, but it was Rutgers grad transfer Nigel Johnson lead the team with 22 off the bench. His minutes came at the expense of Ty Jerome, who’s been scuffling as of late. It’s incredibly important that multiple scorers are available for Tony Bennett, as the Cavaliers look to crack that final four barrier.

3. North Carolina 10-1 (Last week 3)

Going into Rocky Top on a Sunday afternoon against a ranked Tennessee team was screaming upset. And that’s what the direction of the game was heading into, with Rick Barnes’ Volunteers leading the first 30 minutes.

Then came the Tar Heels defense. In the final 8:00 of the game, UNC held the Vols to just three made field goals, and 37 field goal shooting for the game. Thanks to a Kenny Williams clutch three-pointer, North Carolina pulled ahead to win 78-73. He had 15 points for the game, same as Luke Maye.

Joel Berry led all scorers with 21 points, while Theo Pinson all-around game (seven points, nine boards, and eight assists) made up for his 1/5 shooting. While the defense was great, surrendering 18 offensive rebounds to a team lacking size is a concern going forward. But seeing Sterling Manley contribute off the bench with 10 points has to be a good sign depth-wise in the frontcourt.