Jack Nevins gives his ACC basketball power rankings heading into week 14 of the 2025-26 season.
Week 13 team of the week: Duke Blue Devils
Week 13 game of the week: Virginia defeats Notre Dame, 100-97
Week 13 player of the week: Cameron Boozer, Duke
Week 14 matchup of the week: #4 Duke at #16 North Carolina (Jan. 7 – 6:30 p.m.)
Week 14 under-the-radar matchup of the week: #22 Clemson at Stanford (Jan. 4 – 10 p.m.)
1) Duke Blue Devils
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 20-1 (9-0)
Last week: W vs. #20 Louisville (83-52), W at Virginia Tech (72-58)
Next week: vs. Boston College (Feb. 3 – 7 p.m.), at #16 North Carolina (Feb. 7 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Michigan State, Kansas (Neutral), Florida, Arkansas, Louisville (2x), SMU, Texas
Bad losses: None
This team is just unstoppable. Cameron Boozer is averaging 23.5 PPG, the most in the ACC, and is just a dominating force across college basketball. The schedule does start to heat up a little for the Blue Devils, with UNC twice, Clemson, and Michigan. Duke will have their work cut out for them.
2) North Carolina Tar Heels
Last week’s ranking: 3 (+1)
Record: 17-4 (5-3)
Last week: W at Georgia Tech (91-75)
Next week: vs. Syracuse (Feb. 2 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Kentucky, at Virginia, Kansas, Ohio State
Bad losses:
That is now three straight wins for the Tar Heels, with a big one over Virginia. Caleb Wilson returned home to Georgia to take down GT, scoring 22 points and is the fourth leading scorer in the ACC with 20.0 PPG. Wilson is a leader for the National Player of the Year.
3) Virginia Cavaliers
Last week’s ranking: 4(+1)
Record: 18-3 (7-2)
Last week: W at Notre Dame (100-97), W at Boston College (73-66)
Next week: vs. Pitt (Feb. 3 – 9 p.m.), vs. Syracuse (Feb. 7 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: Louisville, at Texas, at NC State, Virginia Tech
Bad losses: None
Virginia took down Notre Dame on the road in overtime, and this game was a lot closer than many thought. The Cavaliers also rallied back from a 19-point deficit, which is the most in school history. Ugonna Onyenso and Grunloh Johann continue to be dominant inside, as they are second and third in blocked shots in ACC basketball, averaging 2.4 and 2.2.
4) Clemson Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-2)
Record: 18-4 (8-1)
Last week: W vs. Pitt (63-52)
Next week: at Stanford (Feb. 4 – 10 p.m.), at Cal (Feb. 7 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: Georgia, SMU, Miami-Fla, West Virginia
Bad losses: None
Clemson picked up another win over Pitt and still stays in the NCAA top 25, sitting at 22nd in the AP Poll. The thing that sets Clemson apart from the rest is the depth they possess. They don’t have one standout scorer, instead they have five guys who all average 8+ PPG who all contribute for the Tigers.
5) Louisville Cardinals
Last week’s ranking: 5 (-)
Record: 15-6 (5-4)
Last week: L at #4 Duke (83-52), W vs. SMU (88-74)
Next week: vs. Notre Dame (Feb. 4 – 7 p.m.), at Wake Forest (Feb. 7 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: Kentucky, at Indiana, Virginia Tech
Bad losses: None
Mikel Brown Jr. led the charge against a gritty SMU team, scoring 20 points off the bench. The bench for the Cardinals made the difference, outscoring the SMU bench 47-5. Louisville dropped a tough one on the road to Duke and got blown out by 31. Brown Jr. was 0-8 in the first half and 1-13 from the field with three turnovers in his debut at Duke. The Cardinals are now ranked 24th in the conference and are close to falling outside the top 25.
6) NC State Wolfpack
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-)
Record: 16-6 (7-2)
Last week: W vs. Syracuse (86-68), W at Wake Forest (96-78)
Next week: at SMU (Feb. 3 – 9 p.m.), vs. Virginia Tech (Feb. 7 – 1:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Clemson, VCU
Bad losses: None
NC State is now on a four-game win streak and has gained its early-season momentum back. This was a team that was once in the top 25 of the NCAA and are finally looking like themselves again. They dominated a weak Syracuse team by 20 points and then a weak Wake Forest team by 18 points. The Wolfpack are third in scoring in the conference, but now has the hardest part of their schedule coming up with SMU, VT, Louisville, Miami, UNC, UVA, and Duke. The path will not be easy for this NC State team.
7) Miami Hurricanes
Last week’s ranking: 8 (+1)
Record: 17-5 (6-3)
Last week: W vs. Stanford (79-70), L at Cal (86-85)
Next week: at Boston College (Feb. 7 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: None
Bad losses: Florida State
Miami has dropped over the past few weeks, but they just needs to eliminate the close losses. This is their second loss in four games, and both losses were by two points or less. Malik Reneau continued to dominate for the Canes, scoring 20 out of his 24 points in the second half to give Miami a fighting chance.
8) Virginia Tech Hokies
Last week’s ranking: 9 (+1)
Record: 16-7 (5-5)
Last week: W vs. Georgia Tech (71-65), L vs. #4 Duke (72-58)
Next week: at NC State (Feb. 7 – 1:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Virginia, George Mason
Bad losses: Wake Forest
This is just an inconsistent team recently. They cannot find a way to string together two or more wins. They have the ability to be really good, but their only really good win in the ACC has been the win over Virginia, and they have just managed to slip by some bottom-tier teams in the conference.
9) SMU Mustangs
Last week’s ranking: 7 (+2)
Record: 15-6 (4-4)
Last week: L at #20 Louisville (88-74)
Next week: vs. NC State (Feb. 3 – 9 p.m.), at Pitt (Feb. 7 – 3:45 p.m.)
Quality wins: North Carolina, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Butler
Bad losses: None
SMU drops one to Louisville, but Boopie Miller is the reason this team is still surviving in this conference. Miller is the number four scorer in the ACC and had 20 points against the Cardinals, making this his 28th consecutive double-digit game. The Mustangs lead the conference in scoring with 86.6 points scored per game.
10) California Golden Bears
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-)
Record: 16-6 (4-5)
Last week: L at Florida State (63-61), W at Miami-Fla (86-85)
Next week: vs. Georgia Tech (Feb. 4 – 8 p.m.), vs. #20 Clemson (Feb. 7 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: North Carolina, UCLA, at Miami-Fla, at Stanford
Bad losses: None
This is another team that has shown flashes of greatness but cannot seem to string together multiple wins. They took down UNC and now Miami, but fell to FSU. The Golden Bears had four double-digit scorers against the Canes, as John Camden posted a season high 26 points, leading Cal.
11) Syracuse Orange
Last week’s ranking: 12 (+1)
Record: 13-9 (4-5)
Last week: L at NC State (88-68), W vs. Notre Dame (86-72)
Next week: at #14 North Carolina (Feb. 2 – 7 p.m.), at #18 Virginia (Feb. 7 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: Tennessee
Bad losses: Hofstra, Boston College
Syracuse breaks the four-game losing streak with a win over Notre Dame, and now they have a two-game away stretch of UNC and UVA, which may not end pretty for the Orange. The simple solution is to get coach Red Autry out of Syracuse.
12) Stanford Cardinal
Last week’s ranking: 11 (+1)
Record: 14-8 (3-6)
Last week: L at Miami-Fla (79-70), L at Florida State (88-80)
Next week: vs. #20 Clemson (Feb. 4 – 10 p.m.), vs. Georgia Tech (Feb. 7 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: North Carolina, Louisville, Saint Louis
Bad losses: Seattle U, UNLV
Stanford really fell off in the ACC after beating Louisville, VT, and UNC, to now losing four straight, potentially five against a top Clemson team. Ebuka Okorie continues to lead this team, and is one of the best freshmen in the country behind his ACC basketball foe in Cameron Boozer. Following the Clemson matchup, it should be smooth sailing for the Cardinal with no other ranked teams in their path.
13) Florida State Seminoles
Last week’s ranking: 17 (+4)
Record: 10-12 (3-6)
Last week: W vs. Cal (63-61), W vs. Stanford (88-80)
Next week: at Notre Dame (Feb. 7 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Miami-Fla, Cal, Stanford
Bad losses: UMass
The footing has been found in Tallahassee, as FSU has won back-to-back ACC games. Chauncey Wiggins, Lajae Jones, and Robert McCray V combined for 60 points in the win against Stanford. FSU may make some noise and move up in the rankings.
14) Boston College Eagles
Last week’s ranking: 17 (+3)
Record: 9-12 (2-7)
Last week: L vs. #17 Virginia (73-66)
Next week: at #4 Duke (Feb. 3 – 7 p.m.), vs. Miami (Feb. 7 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: Syracuse
Bad losses: CCSU, at FAU, UMass
Boston College is finally out of the bottom of the ACC Basketball Power Rankings. Yes, you may look at this and say BC over teams like Wake Forest or Georgia Tech, but they managed to get two back-to-back wins over a far better Syracuse team, and kept it close against Notre Dame and Virginia, showing they have some groove in their locker room right now.
15) Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Last week’s ranking: 13 (-2)
Record: 11-11 (2-7)
Last week: L at Pitt (80-76), L vs. NC State (96-78)
Next week: vs. #24 Louisville (Feb. 7 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Bad losses: at Pitt
Wake Forest has now lost four straight, Juke Harris has put this team on his back and is averaging 20.9 PPG, the third most in ACC basketball. This is just another one of those teams that has not found its footing this season.
16) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Last week’s ranking: 14 (-2)
Record: 11-11 (2-7)
Last week: L at Virginia Tech (71-65), L vs. #16 North Carolina (91-75)
Next week: at Cal (Feb. 4 – 8 p.m.), at Stanford (Feb. 7 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: at NC State
Bad losses: DePaul, Pitt
GT has been just a mediocre team in the ACC with no momentum, and that will not be changing any time soon.
17) Pittsburgh Panthers
Last week’s ranking: 18 (+1)
Record: 9-13 (2-7)
Last week: W vs. Wake Forest (80-76), L vat #22 Clemson (63-52)
Next week: at #18 Virginia (Feb. 3 – 9 p.m.), vs. SMU (Feb. 7 – 3:45 p.m.)
Quality wins: Ohio State, Georgia Tech
Bad losses: Quinnipiac, Hofstra, at Boston College
Pitt is on the struggle bus. They broke up their three-game losing streak with a win over Wake Forest, but got stopped by red-hot Clemson. Out of the next four games for the Panthers, I do not see them winning another game with Virginia, SMU, Duke, and UNC.
18) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Last week’s ranking: 15 (-3)
Record: 11-11 (2-7)
Last week: L vs. #17 Virginia (100-97), L at Syracuse (86-72)
Next week: at. #24 Louisville (Feb. 4 – 7 p.m.), vs. Florida State (Feb. 7 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Stanford, Missouri, TCU
Bad losses: Purdue Fort-Wayne
This Notre Dame team is just not good. The Micah Shrewsberry era is failing and does not look promising in South Bend. After a five-game losing streak, the Irish snapped that with a win over Boston College, but then just dropped another two games, and have fallen far from the tree. It is hard to play without their leader, Markus Burton, and this is the farthest ND has dropped in the ACC Basketball Power Rankings this season.