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 Caleb Love #2 and Leaky Black #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

North Carolina – Buy

We know the drill with North Carolina at this point – they made a miracle run to the Final Four last year but were probably not a deserving preseason No. 1 after underperforming for most of last season. However, it’s worth pushing back on that narrative, to a degree.

Yes, the Tar Heels were overrated by voters this offseason, considering their preseason No. 1 ranking followed by a rapid drop from the AP Top 25 altogether. But this is still a team that will comfortably make the NCAA Tournament with four starters returning from a team that went to the national championship last season.

Caleb Love may be one of the more inconsistent players in the country and has been going through a shooting slump recently, but he has also shown the ability to get hot when it matters in March. He also has a more consistent presence beside him in the backcourt in RJ Davis, who is one of the more underrated players in college basketball.

With Carolina’s experience, Armando Bacot’s star power and the backcourt’s offensive potential, investing in UNC is a fairly straightforward decision. After all, this is a team that has won 10 of its last 12 games and could find itself back in the AP Top 25 on Monday.

Pittsburgh – Sell

With his back against the wall and the pressure mounting, Jeff Capel has expertly navigated the Pitt Panthers to national relevancy once again. The addition of transfer Blake Hinson has proven to be a game-changer, as the forward is averaging a formidable 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

The Panthers currently boast a 7-3 record in ACC play, positioning them as a strong contender for their first NCAA Tournament birth since 2016. While they may not have the same level of experience as a team like Miami, the Panthers possess a talented and deep backcourt, led by Jamarius Burton (16.3 PPG), Greg Elliott (10.7 PPG), Nelly Cummings (10.4 PPG) and Nike Sibande (7.6 PPG). That guard play makes them a dangerous matchup in March.

With that in mind, the Panthers’ last two games have been somewhat concerning with a home loss to a 7-14 Florida State team and a two-point win over Wake Forest that easily could have gone the other way if the Demon Deacons had made a few free throws down the stretch. They have upcoming games against Miami and North Carolina, which could solidify Pitt as a tournament team or drop them back into the bubble conversation. The latter seems more likely considering their recent trajectory.