ACC Basketball: Midseason recap, awards, and observations

Middle of the ACC

10. Virginia Tech 15-6 (4-4)

The offense for the Hokies can be top-10 good but gets shut down by quality defenses. There are a number of quality players that make this team tough to guard when hot.

9. Syracuse 15-6 (4-4)

The Orange has just three and a half players to rely on to score as well as their signature 2-3 zone. Syracuse was off to a 1-4 start in ACC play, before taking care of Pittsburgh twice. The schedule will get much harder soon.

8. Miami 15-5 (4-4)

The Hurricanes are a tough team to get a gauge on. They have all the pieces needed to finish near the top of the conference but inconsistent play on both offense and defense has given them several losses.

7. North Carolina 16-6 (5-4)

On paper, the Tar Heels have one of the better starting lineups in all of college basketball, but only a couple of players tend to have good games on a given night. But the real issue is the defense, which is outside of the top-100.

6. NC State 15-7 (5-4)

The most bipolar team in all of college basketball, the Wolfpack have had great moments and some complete head scratchers. They beat Duke, then lost to Notre Dame by 30 without their two best scorers. This past week alone, they were down 20 at one point to Pitt (they came back to win) before then beating North Carolina.