ACC Basketball: Virginia rise, Florida State and Clemson falls in latest power ranking

4. NC State Wolfpack - 15-7 (7-4)

Recent results have made it clear as to who the “Big 3” are in the ACC. So the big question of this piece was who is the best of the rest right now? And thanks to wins over both Miami and Wake Forest (and Virginia), NC State gets the nod.

That’s despite a three-game losing skid not too long ago, including a road setback to Virginia Tech at home. They also lost at Virginia in overtime, scoring just 53 points in 45 minutes total. The good news is that the Wolfpack has won its last two games, beating Miami and Georgia Tech at home. 

DJ Horne was the star of those games, scoring 50 points combined in the wins. He now leads the team on the season with 15.7 ppg and has clearly emerged as the go-to option going forward. There was a stretch where the Wolfpack’s offense was in shambles but they seem to have gotten past that phase to a top-4 record in the league.

The next two weeks are against four opponents right in the middle of the pack, all of whom can beat NC State. They’ll get Pittsburgh at home, followed by road battles at Wake Forest and Clemson. If they can find a way to get a couple of wins here, they’ll be in good shape for an at-large bid.