ACC Basketball: Midseason recap, awards, and observations

Five questions for the rest of the conference season

1. Which Clemson starter steps up with the loss of Grantham?

Losing the team’s second-leading scorer is a problem, but not a fatal one for the Tigers. There are still four other players that average at least 10 ppg. It will likely be a team effort to make up for the lost production, but will a certain player do it on their own?

2. Is Pitt really going to go winless in ACC play?

In today’s world of college basketball, it’s incredibly hard for a power conference team to lose all of their games. But the Panthers are on the verge of doing so, lacking the offense to keep up with opponents for 40 minutes. They’ve been close as of late, including holding a double-digit lead over NC State a week ago. Can they get that elusive first win?

3. Who needs to win the Tobacco Road showdown more: Duke or UNC?

The Tar Heels have been on a recent skid while the Blue Devils lost a crucial battle with Virginia at the top of the standings. Both teams are safe for the tournament, but with Duke looking for a No. 1 seed and North Carolina wanting to stay in the top four, these games have huge meanings.

4. Can NC State avoid a bad loss?

The Wolfpack have gotten squarely back into the Big Dance picture thanks to a huge win against North Carolina. This is a team that plays to the level of their competition, so any game is up for grabs. There are two games that NC State can’t afford to lose – Wake Forest and Georgia Tech. If they can win those games, they will be in good shape.

5. Can Louisville stay in the top four of the standings?

The Cardinals are surprisingly in second place in the standings right now. David Padgett’s team has played solid defense while scoring at a better rate than a year ago. They were expected to be in the middle of the ACC, but will Louisville continue to exceed expectations and stay higher up?