ACC Basketball: Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh rises in latest power rankings

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 11: Justin Champagnie #11 of the Pittsburgh Panthers looks on during their game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second round of the 2020 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 11, 2020 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

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ACC Basketball Duke Blue Devils Jalen Johnson Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Duke Blue Devils (5-4, 3-2)

The good news for Duke is that they got their star freshman back in Jalen Johnson, who was out due to a foot injury. He had his best game of the season against Pittsburgh, going for 24 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists off the bench. The bad news is that it wasn’t enough to win, falling 79-73 to the Panthers.

At this point, the Blue Devils are in the danger zone. Their three wins in league play are against the bottom three teams in these power rankings, with not a single good win overall in the season. They’re in real danger of joining Kentucky out of the NCAA Tournament picture. They’ll have to get a win over Georgia Tech and Louisville coming up to start building a resume.

9. NC State Wolfpack (6-4, 2-3)

After giving up over 100 points in a loss to Florida State, the Wolfpack had to go on pause. But they’ll be back in action on Saturday against North Carolina, a team NC State already beat a few weeks ago. If they can’t it’ll be a four-game losing streak and real concerns going forward.

The one positive of the pause is that it should allow both Cam Hayes and DJ Funderburk back, two key pieces that have missed multiple games in January. Outside of leading scorer Devon Daniels, the Wolfpack hasn’t had great consistency to rely on. They’ll need all hands on deck to get back into contention.

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