ACC Basketball: Buy or sell Duke, Virginia, Clemson, NC State and Miami?

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 21: Pete Nance #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels and D.J. Burns Jr. #30 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack tip off to begin their game at the Dean E. Smith Center on January 21, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Tar Heels won 80-69. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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ACC Basketball Clemson Tigers (Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images) /

As we approach the halfway mark of the ACC Basketball season, it’s clear that the league is shaping up to be a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the conference currently only boasts one team in the top 15 of the AP Top 25: the Virginia Cavaliers, who sit at No. 7. However, the middle tier of the conference is looking particularly strong, with as many as eight teams that could potentially earn bids to the NCAA Tournament.

It’s important to note that while the ACC may not have the same level of top-end talent as a league like the Big 12, the parity within the league makes for an exciting and highly competitive race for both regular season and tournament titles. The middle-tier teams are all capable of beating one another on any given night, which makes for an unpredictable conference season.

With that said, let’s take a closer look at each team in the ACC and discuss whether I would buy or sell them at this point in the season.

Clemson – Sell

After back-to-back wins over Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, Clemson sits at the top of the ACC standings with a 9-1 league record and a one-and-a-half-game lead over second place. Despite a recent loss to Wake Forest, the Tigers continue to hold the top spot in the conference and are ranked No. 24 in the AP Top 25.

Clemson is a well-rounded and well-coached team with a formidable frontcourt, led by Hunter Tyson (15.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG) and PJ Hall (13.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG). The team’s success can also be attributed to the emergence of Chase Hunter as its starting point guard. Despite having almost no Division I experience as a point guard, Hunter has increased his scoring from 6.7 to 14.0 points per game and his assists from 1.8 to 4.3.

Head coach Brad Brownell has done a fantastic job with his back against the wall, but it’s difficult to envision this Clemson team maintaining a comfortable lead at the top of the ACC. Relative to its current position in the league standings, Clemson gets sold, although this is definitely a team that will be a factor in March.