Jack Nevins gives his ACC basketball power rankings heading into week 9 of the 2025-26 season.
Week 8 team of the week: Boston College
Week 8 game of the week: Cal State Northridge at Stanford
Week 8 player of the week: Ebuka Okorie, Stanford
Week 9 matchup of the week: #21 Virginia at NC State (Jan. 3 – 11 a.m.)
Week 9 under-the-radar matchup of the week:Â Clemson at Syracuse (Dec. 31 – 2 p.m.)
1) Duke Blue Devils
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 11-1 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: vs Georgia Tech (Dec. 31 – 4 p.m.), at Florida State (Jan. 3 – 3:45 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Michigan State, Florida, Kansas (Neutral), Arkansas, Texas
Bad losses: None
New Year’s Resolution: Master rebounding
When you are the best team in the ACC and the number six team in the country there is not much to improve on for the new year coming up. Duke needs to work on rebounding as they got out-rebounded in their loss to Texas Tech.
2) North Carolina Tar Heels
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)
Record: 12-1 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: vs Florida State (Dec. 30 – 7 p.m.), at SMU (Jan. 3 – 2:15 p.m.)
Quality wins: Kansas, at Kentucky, Ohio State, Georgetown
Bad losses: None
New Year’s Resolution: Hit those free throws
UNC sits near the bottom in free throw percentage and with ACC play coming up if the Tar Heels could get into the 70% range for ft percentage this will help them out in the new year.
3) Louisville Cardinals
Last week’s ranking: 3 (-)
Record: 10-2 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: at California (Dec. 30 – 9 p.m.), at Stanford (Jan. 2 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Indiana, Kentucky, Cincinnati
Bad losses: None
New Year’s Resolution: Knock off some top 25 teams
Louisville has shocked the NCAA this season but their weakness has been the losses to top 25 teams. In the new year, if the Cardinals can knock off top ranked opponents, their path to being top 10 to end the season will be a lot easier.
4) Virginia Cavaliers
Last week’s ranking: 4 (-)
Record: 11-1 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: at Virginia Tech (Dec. 31 – 2 p.m.), at NC State (Dec. 3 – 11 a.m.)
Quality wins: at Texas, Dayton
Bad losses: Butler
New Year’s Resolution: Climb up the AP Poll
Virginia has done nothing but climbed in not only the ACC but the NCAA and with an easier ACC schedule their goal for 2026 should just be to get as low in the rankings as possible under their new coaching staff.
5) California Golden Bears
Last week’s ranking: 5 (-)
Record: 12-1 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: vs No. 16 Louisville (Dec. 30 – 9 p.m.), vs Notre Dame (Jan. 2 – 11 p.m.)
Quality wins: UCLA
Bad losses: None
New Year’s Resolution: Keep the winning streak going
Cal has proved themselves in the ACC with a nice win over number 18 UCLA but their first six games of ACC play is considered the gauntlet, with the top 4 teams. The Golden Bears have won nine straight and just need to keep winning in the new year.
6) Virginia Tech Hokies
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-)
Record: 11-2 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: vs No. 21 Virginia (Dec. 31 – 2 p.m.), at Wake Forest (Jan. 3 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: at South Carolina, George Mason, Colorado State
Bad losses: VCU
New Year’s Resolution: Start ACC play hot
Just like Cal, Virginia Tech is just solid. They have been in the middle of the pack in the ACC, but on the upper half and just need to keep winning rolling into the new year. ACC play will prove if VT can contend in this tough conference.
7) Miami Hurricanes
Last week’s ranking: 7 (-)
Record: 11-2 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: vs Pitt (Dec. 30 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Ole Miss, Georgetown
Bad losses: None
New Year’s Resolution: Just win, baby!
There are four teams in the ACC that all sit at 11-2 and Miami is one of them. At this period of time and marking almost the halfway point during the season, wins mean everything. The Canes just need to win to go far in the ACC tournament the tough ACC matchups.
8) SMU Mustangs
Last week’s ranking: 8 (-)
Record: 11-2 (0-0)
Last week: W vs. Cal Fullerton (110-63)
Next week: vs North Carolina (Jan. 3 – 2:15 p.m.)
Quality wins: Texas A&M, Butler
Bad losses: None
New Year’s Resolution: Don’t let the foot off the gas
Boopie Miller is the reason for the success of this team and SMU just cannot take their foot off the gas heading into the second half of this season. They average the second most points scored per game and are on the rise.
9)Â Stanford Cardinal
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-)
Record: 11-2 (0-0)
Last week: W vs. CSU Northridge (88-80)
Next week: vs. Notre Dame (Dec. 30 – 9 p.m.), vs No. 16 Louisville (Jan. 2 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: Saint Louis, Colorado
Bad losses: Seattle U, UNLV
New Year’s Resolution: No more bad losses
In a game a little closer than expected with CSU Northridge, the Cardinal needs to clean up bad losses and not have those happen to the bottom teams in the ACC. Even the wins need to be cleaned up as it will be hard to compete with single digit point wins against mid-major schools.
10) Clemson Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-)
Record: 10-3 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: at Syracuse (Dec. 31 – 2 p.m.), at Pitt (Jan. 3 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: Georgia, West Virginia, Cincinnati
Bad losses: None
New Year’s Resolution: Stop blowing leads
Yes, Clemson has faced Alabama and BYU and put up a fight in both games, but there number one issue is the blown leads. The Tigers blew a 21 point lead to BYU and almost blew a 27 point lead to Cincinnati.
11) NC State Wolfpack
Last week’s ranking: 11 (-)
Record: 9-4 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: vs Wake Forest (Dec. 31 – 12 p.m.), vs No. 21 Virginia (Jan. 3 – 11 a.m.)
Quality wins: VCU
Bad losses: None
New Year’s Resolution: Beat some ranked teams
If NC State wants to be in national conversation they need to learn how to win against ranked teams, they have all the potential to and even sit top three in average points in the ACC.
12) Syracuse Orange
Last week’s ranking: 12 (-)
Record: 9-4 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: vs Clemson (Dec. 31 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: Tennessee
Bad losses: Hofstra
New Year’s Resolution: (Much) Better free throw shooting
Syracuse is dead last in free throw percentage in all of college basketball. They took Houston to overtime and lost because of missed fts. They have gained their momentum back after a loss to Hofstra their schedule is wide open for the seven games of ACC play and will pick up speed.
13) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Last week’s ranking: 15 (+2)
Record: 9-4 (0-0)
Last week: W vs. Florida A&M (89-65)
Next week: at Duke (Dec. 31 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: DePaul
New Year’s Resolution: Stop coughing the ball up!
GT continues their win streak and extends it to four, they still have not found their way out of the bottom of the ACC, they have the most turnovers per game in the conference at nearly 14 a game, fix this, and they make their way towards more of the middle of the pack.
14) Wake Forest
Last week’s ranking: 14 (-)
Record: 9-4 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: at NC State (Dec. 31 – 12 p.m.), vs. Virginia Tech (Jan. 3 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: West Virginia
Bad losses: None
New Year’s Resolution: Improvement from Juke Harris
Unfortunately, Wake is merged into this group that is close to the bottom of the ACC because of the 9-4 record, but that is the issue with the ACC. It is too many teams and teams that are just solid basketball teams with great records may find their way towards the bottom because of the strength of the conference. Juke Harris needs to take a big step for this team and get them out of this bottom part of the conference.
15) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Last week’s ranking: 13 (-2)
Record: 9-4 (0-0)
Last week: L vs. Purdue Fort-Wayne (72-69)
Next week:
Quality wins: Missouri, TCU
Bad losses: Purdue Fort-Wayne
New Year’s Resolution: Getting Markus Burton healthy
Notre Dame was on a four-game winning streak with two great wins over TCU and Missouri, but the Fighting Irish just got upset by Purdue Fort-Wayne. ND is still without star Markus Burton, which is affecting the Irish.
16) Florida State Seminoles
Last week’s ranking: 16 (-)
Record: 7-6 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: at No. 12 North Carolina (Dec. 30 – 7 p.m.), vs. No. 6 Duke (Jan. 3 – 3:45 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: UMass
New Year’s Resolution: Better defense
Despite having the seventh most points averaged in the ACC, the Seminoles are dead last in field goal percentage and went on a five game losing streak. FSU needs help on their defense and let up less points, as they have let up the most points to opponents in the ACC.
17) Boston College Eagles
Last week’s ranking: 18 (+1)
Record: 7-6 (0-0)
Last week: W vs. Le Moyne (72-64)
Next week: at Georgia Tech (Jan. 3 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: CCSU, at FAU, UMass
New Year’s Resolution: Decision-making
BC gets out of the 18th spot once again! There is a lot this team needs to fix and I think confidence and decision-making is their number one priority to start ACC play and the new year.
18) Pittsburgh Panthers
Last week’s ranking: 17 (-1)
Record: 7-6 (0-0)
Last week: None
Next week: at Miami (Dec. 30 – 7 p.m.), vs. Clemson (Jan. 3 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: Ohio State
Bad losses: Quinnipiac, Hofstra
New Year’s Resolution: Finding a winning streak
Pitt falls back into the 18th seed, and what is hard to believe is that they beat a good Ohio State team. They just cannot get anything going for more than two games, and their goal for the new year should be to win more than two games in a row.