4. North Carolina Tar Heels - 4-4
The Tar Heels have played three top-10 teams, and Dayton should become a quality win down the road. But it’s clear that UNC isn’t a top-10 unit itself, having one of the worst defenses in the ACC. They also clearly miss former star big man Armando Bacot, and none of the current rotation pieces have much of an impact.
Last year’s ACC Basketball Player of the Year RJ Davis (18.4 ppg and 4.4 apg) is having a good year statistically, while Seth Trimble (15.6 ppg) is having a breakout campaign). The fact that UNC is a top-10 scoring offense with their strength of schedule is an indication that they’re still a contender in the ACC. At the same time, the Tar Heels can also lose to just about anyone in a shootout.
3. Pittsburgh Panthers - 7-2
Even with the 33-point blowout loss at Mississippi State this week, the Panthers have been an early standout, getting wins over LSU, West Virginia, and Ohio State. The guard duo of Ish Leggett and Jaland Lowe have statistically been the best backcourt in the ACC, combining to average around 34 ppg, 12 rpg, and 8.0 apg.
Pitt will be without Houston transfer Damian Dunn for a few more weeks, and depth is a concern outside of the starting guards. They have an NCAA Tournament profile, but is the result in Starksville a potential sign of things to come?