Sam Bass gives his ACC basketball power rankings heading into week 12 of the 2024-25 season.
Matchup of the week: Duke vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 25 – 4:30 p.m.)
Sneaky good matchup of the week: Louisville vs. SMU (Jan. 21 – 9 p.m.)
All games in EST.
1) Duke Blue Devils
Last week‘s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 16-2 (8-0)
Last week: W vs. Miami (89-54), W vs. Boston College (88-63)
Next week: at Wake Forest (Jan. 25 – 4:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Arizona, Auburn, at SMU, Pittsburgh
Bad losses: None
2) Louisville Cardinals
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)
Record: 14-5 (7-1)
Last week: W vs. Syracuse (85-61), W vs. Virginia (81-67)
Next week: at SMU (Jan. 21 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: Indiana, West Virginia, North Carolina, Clemson, Pittsburgh
Bad losses: None
3) Clemson Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 4 (+1)
Record: 15-4 (7-1)
Last week: W vs. Georgia Tech (70-59), W vs. Pittsburgh (78-75)
Next week: vs. Syracuse (Jan. 22 – 7 p.m.), at Virginia Tech (Jan. 25 – 5 p.m.)
Quality wins: San Francisco, Penn State, Kentucky, at Pittsburgh
Bad losses: None
4) Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Last week’s ranking: 5 (+1)
Record: 14-4 (6-1)
Last week: W vs. Stanford (80-67), W vs. Virginia Tech (72-63)
Next week: vs. North Carolina (Jan. 21 – 9 p.m.), vs. Duke (Jan. 25 – 4:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Michigan, Minnesota
Bad losses: None
5) Pittsburgh Panthers
Last week’s ranking: 3 (-2)
Record: 12-6 (3-4)
Last week: L vs. Florida State (82-70), L vs. Clemson (78-75)
Next week: at Syracuse (Jan. 25. – 12:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: LSU, at Ohio State
Bad losses: at Florida State
6) SMU Mustangs
Last week’s ranking: 7 (+1)
Record: 14-4 (5-2)
Last week: W vs. Virginia (54-52), W vs. Miami (117-74)
Next week: vs. Louisville (Jan. 21. – 9 p.m.), at NC State (Jan. 25 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: Washington State, Virginia, LSU
Bad losses: None
7) North Carolina Tar Heels
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-1)
Record: 11-6 (4-1)
Last week: W vs. Cal (79-53), L vs. Stanford (72-71)
Next week: at Wake Forest (Jan. 21 – 9 p.m.), vs. Boston College (Jan. 25 – 2:15 p.m.)
Quality wins: Dayton, UCLA, at NC State
Bad losses: Stanford
8) Stanford Cardinal
Last week’s ranking: 8
Record: 12-6 (4-3)
Last week: L vs. Wake Forest (80-67), W vs. North Carolina (72-71)
Next week: vs. Miami (Jan. 22 – 11 p.m.), vs. Florida State (Jan. 25 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Santa Clara, at Cal, at North Carolina
Bad losses: Grand Canyon, Cal Poly
9) Florida State Seminoles
Last week’s ranking: 10 (+1)
Record: 11-5 (2-3)
Last week: W vs. Pittsburgh (82-70), W vs. Georgia Tech (91-78)
Next week: at Cal (Jan. 22 – 9 p.m.), at Stanford (Jan. 25 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Rice, at Pittsburgh
Bad losses: None
10) Cal Golden Bears
Last week’s ranking: 12 (+2)
Record: 9-9 (2-5)
Last week: L vs. North Carolina (79-53), W vs. NC State (65-62)
Next week: vs. Florida State (Jan. 22 – 9 p.m.), vs. Miami (Jan. 25 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: at USC
Bad losses: Cornell, Virginia Tech
11) NC State Wolfpack
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-2)
Record: 9-9 (2-5)
Last week: L vs. Virginia Tech (79-76), L vs. Cal (65-62)
Next week: vs. SMU (Jan. 25 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: Virginia, Virginia Tech, Cal
12) Syracuse Orange
Last week’s ranking: 13 (+1)
9-9 (3-4)
Last week: L vs. Louisville (85-61), W vs. Notre Dame (77-69)
Next week: at Clemson (Jan. 22. – 7 p.m.), vs. Pittsburgh (Jan. 25 – 12:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: Notre Dame, at Florida State
13) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Last week’s ranking: 14 (+1)
Record: 8-10 (2-5)
Last week: L vs. Syracuse (77-69)
Next week: at Virginia (Jan. 25 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: Elon, Georgia Tech
14) Virginia Tech Hokies
Last week’s ranking: 16 (+2)
Record: 8-10 (3-4)
Last week: W vs. NC State (79-76), L vs. Wake Forest (72-63)
Next week: at Georgia Tech (Jan. 22. – 7 p.m.), vs. Clemson (Jan. 25 – 5 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: Jacksonville
15) Virginia Cavaliers
Last week’s ranking: 12 (-3)
Record: 8-10 (1-6)
Last week: L vs. SMU (54-52), L vs. Louisville (81-67)
Next week: vs. Boston College (Jan. 21. – 7 p.m.), vs. Notre Dame (Jan. 25 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: at Cal
16) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Last week’s ranking: 15 (-1)
Record: 8-11 (2-6)
Last week: L vs. Clemson (70-59), L vs. Florida State (91-78)
Next week: vs. Virginia Tech (Jan. 22. – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: North Florida, at Florida State
17) Boston College Eagles
Last week’s ranking: 17 (-)
Record: 9-9 (1-6)
Last week: L vs. Duke (88-63)
Next week: at Virginia (Jan. 21. – 7 p.m.), at North Carolina (Jan. 25 – 2:15 p.m.)
Quality wins: Boise State
Bad losses: Dartmouth, Georgia Tech
18) Miami Hurricanes
Last week’s ranking: 18 (-)
Record: 4-14 (0-7)
Last week: L vs. Duke (89-54), L vs. SMU (117-74)
Next week: at Stanford (Jan. 22. – 11 p.m.), at Cal (Jan. 25 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: Drake, Charleston Southern, Mount St. Mary’s, Virginia Tech
[…] Last week‘s ranking: 1 (-) […]