A month and a half into the season and in the ACC, the question remains: how good is the league, really?

The season started with the nation’s No. 1 team. It isn’t ranked a month later. The league does have 2 teams ranked among the top 15 as we enter Week 6, but who else is good?  That’s a question that might not be answered until March, especially as the predominantly nonconference slate of December fades away into the meat of league play in January and February.

What we do know, at least for now? The ACC looks like it has 5 NCAA Tournament locks, if we operate under the assumption that eventually UNC will get its act together. Virginia, Duke, Miami, Virginia Tech and North Carolina are going to get in to the Big Dance this March. After that? Time will tell.

The Power Rankings reflect this increasingly crowded middle, and the separation occurring at the top. Last week’s rankings are here.  

15. Louisville (0-9, 0-2)

Last Week (LW): 15

The Cardinals still are searching for their 1st win after losing to a 1-9 FSU team by 20 this weekend in Tallahassee. Their best chance at a win, perhaps all season — yes, it has gotten that bad — will come Saturday, when Florida A&M visits the KFC Yum! Center. If it doesn’t happen then, when?

14. Boston College (5-6, 0-1)

LW: 13

Eagles had a dire week. They lost a buy game to New Hampshire, and then they weren’t competitive in the Never Forget Tribute Classic against Villanova in Newark, N.J., over the weekend. Makai Ashton-Langford missed both contests with a hamstring injury. The loss to New Hampshire shows just how important the senior guard is to Boston College’s aspirations in 2022-23.

13. Florida State (2-9, 1-1)

LW: 14

The Seminoles are starting to play better. “Proof of life,” perhaps.

Florida State played then-No. 5 Purdue tight in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, lost by just 5 at Virginia and wiped out Louisville in its ACC home opener over the weekend. Unfortunately, the Seminoles also have lost another player, Cam’Ron Fletcher, for the season, and Naheem McLeod, who had 6 nasty blocks against Louisville, reinjured his hand in that contest. If FSU can stop being a MASH unit, it has a chance to beat some people in league play. But this team appears star-crossed.

12. NC State (8-3, 0-2)

LW: 9

The Wolfpack is a mystery shrouded in an enigma wrapped in a riddle. Or something like that. The players can score (45th in KenPom Adjusted Offensive Efficiency) and they are improved defensively (74th). But they are 0-2 in league play after falling 80-73 in Coral Gables to Miami over the weekend, a disappointing beginning to ACC play after a promising nonconference slate. A testy week of nonconference battles presents a huge opportunity, however. A quality mid-major in Furman will visit Raleigh on Tuesday and the Wolfpack will square off with Vanderbilt in the Legends of Basketball Showcase in Chicago next Saturday. Win both and perhaps the Pack enters 2023 with momentum?

11. Notre Dame (7-3, 0-1)

LW: 11

The Fighting Irish averted disaster this past week in nipping Boston University but then were manhandled on their home floor by Marquette over the weekend, 79-64. For a team that has yet to play a true road game, it feels like Mike Brey’s team has left some real résumé opportunities on the table, especially in the Marquette and Saint Bonaventure (neutral-floor) losses. Marcus Hammond’s involvement in the rotation has extended the Fighting Irish to 7 players, which was necessary, but whether Notre Dame play 6 or 7, it needs to defend better. Notre Dame ranks a dismal 198th in defensive efficiency through 10 games. Yuck.

10. Georgia Tech (6-4, 0-1)

LW: 12

The Yellow Jackets used defense to overcome rival Georgia in Atlanta last Tuesday, forcing 3 turnovers in the final minute to secure the win.

Georgia Tech’s Miles Kelly continues to hit big shots against in-state rivals, too, burying a floater in the lane to give the Ramblin’ Wreck the lead with 23 seconds remaining for his 2nd winning shot against a team from Georgia this season (he hit a game-winner vs. Georgia State on Nov. 12). Georgia Tech was unsuccessful in its conference opener at an angry North Carolina this past weekend, but it’s a good week whenever you beat a rival.

9. Pittsburgh (7-4, 1-0)

LW: 8

The Panthers split a pair of games last week, but it was the last-minute loss to Vanderbilt that denied Pitt a solid win on the road. Greg Elliott’s foul put Tyrin Lawrence on the line with just 2 seconds remaining, and the Vanderbilt guard hit both free throws to seal the win for the Commodores. It was a disappointing night for John Hugley IV, who battled foul trouble and managed just 8 points without collecting a single rebound in a head-to-head battle with Vanderbilt’s Liam Robbins (14 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks). That Pitt nearly won anyway is impressive, but the Panthers need more from their star in big games.

8. Clemson (8-3, 1-0)

LW: 5

Brad Brownell teams are going to Brad Brownell. After playing great basketball for 2 weeks, the Tigers were mediocre to bad last week, escaping a tight game with Towson but getting blown out Saturday by the crisp offense of Loyola Chicago in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta.

An 18-point loss to a 4-5 Ramblers team? Yikes.

7. Syracuse (6-4, 1-0)

LW: 10

Syracuse played quality basketball this past week, especially during Saturday’s 19-point victory over rival Georgetown in the JMA Wireless Dome. A season ago, coach Jim Boeheim’s bunch would have been lost in a game where they shot just 21% from beyond the arc. Saturday against the Hoyas, they used great ball movement and transition offense to offset their poor shooting from the perimeter, tallying 20 assists and 14 fast-break points to manhandle Georgetown. It is too early to say Syracuse is “back” to being an NCAA Tournament-caliber team, but it is obviously improved defensively, which typically is the Boeheim staple. A fascinating game against a fun, excellent Cornell team looms next weekend.

6. Wake Forest (7-3, 0-1)

LW: 6

The Demon Deacons fell by 2 in Atlanta to LSU in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event. Tyree Appleby had 26 points for Wake Forest, continuing his star turn with a ridiculous 11-for-13 from the field and passes like this one for a dunk during the opening half.

He’ll need more help than he got Saturday. Cam Hildreth shot 4-for-11 from the field and Damari Monsanto was even worse, shooting just 2-for-10. Wake Forest shot 5-for-24 from deep in the game, too, all but sealing its fate. LSU’s nice start, at 8-1, makes this a tolerable loss, but it might be a game Wake Forest regrets come Selection Sunday.

5. North Carolina (6-4, 1-1)

LW: 7

North Carolina’s 4-game losing streak is over, and the Tar Heels did it emphatically with a 16-point domination of Georgia Tech. The best news? R.J. Davis had his best game of the season, with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Leaky Black was back to his usual dominant self defensively, allowing 0.7 points per possession in on-ball defense, grabbing 3 steals and 5 rebounds over a team-high 35 minutes. A date with No. 25 Ohio State next weekend will offer UNC a shot at its 1st quality win since beating College of Charleston during early November.

4. Virginia Tech (10-1, 1-0)

LW: 4

The Hokies picked up a nice win Sunday, defeating Oklahoma State 70-65 in the Hall of Fame Invitational in New York. Mike Young’s team already is in better shape from a résumé standpoint than it was during March of last season, before the Hokies won the ACC tournament. This is a legitimate ACC title contender.

3. Duke (10-2, 1-0)

LW: 2

The Blue Devils showed their defensive chops in shutting down a terrific Iowa offense in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden last week. The Hawkeyes shot a season-low 19% from 3-point range and Duke blocked 7 shots inside in stifling Iowa. Mark Mitchell continues to impress. He poured in 17 against Iowa in the win.

The better news? Dariq Whitehead is starting to show signs of life, scoring 15 to lead Duke in their weekend victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore after a positive 8-point, 6-rebound performance against Iowa.

2. Miami (10-1, 2-0)

LW: 3

The Hurricanes rolled NC State to improve to 2-0 in the ACC over the weekend, but their 107-105 victory over an outstanding Cornell team might have impressed Saturday Road more. Isaiah Wong’s career-high 36 paced Miami, which shot 50% on high volume from the perimeter to snap Cornell’s 7-game win streak. The U isn’t just the Isaiah Wong show. Transfer Norchad Omier, last season’s Sun Belt Player of the Year, has been a force inside for the Hurricanes. He posted back-to-back double-doubles last week in the Cornell and NC State wins, giving the Canes what they lacked last season: a reliable defender and rebounder in the paint.

1. Virginia (8-0, 1-0)

LW: 1

Virginia beat James Madison early last week before breaking for exams. The Hoos will return to action with a home tilt against a great Houston team (the Cougars were No. 1 until losing to Alabama over the weekend) next Saturday.