The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) men’s basketball division is having a very competitive year as six of the teams in the conference rank in the top 25 of the nation. These teams consist of the North Carolina Tar Heels, Virginia Cavaliers, Florida State Seminoles, Louisville Cardinals, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Duke Blue Devils. The North Carolina State Wolfpack, one of the teams in the Triangle area, continue to struggle to find their way as they sit near the bottom of the ACC standings.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have continued to play at a high level after a championship run that fell short last year, losing a heartbreaker at the buzzer. The team bounced back and is looking like a championship caliber team led by point guard Joel Berry II, junior, and Justin Jackson, junior. Frequent injuries to Theo Pinson’s right foot has set the team back each time, as he is the energizer and brings the emotion to the team. They are at the top of the nation in offensive rebounds and second chance points, which gives them a huge advantage during games.

“UNC is the most complete team in the ACC and I think they are going to win it all. North Carolina has the most experience and seem the most ready. Berry II and Jackson have become strong shooters from behind the arc and are ready to catch fire,” said Colin Daughtry, senior.

After Duke Blue Devils were projected to lead the ACC and be one of the nation’s strongest teams, they found themselves failing to meet expectations after the team picked up multiple losses due to Head Coach Krzyzewski’s absence. After a loss to N.C. State, Coach K banned his team from the locker room and wearing school apparel because he was disappointed in their lack of effort in the game. Though their season was filled with drama, Duke was able to bounce back with the return of their head coach and hope to make a championship run led by one of the leading scorers in the conference, Luke Kennard.

When asked about the punishments made on his team, Krzyzewski said that it “was to get rid of bad habits.” Coach K has returned to the team and looks to guide them back to a high level of play.

The North Carolina State Wolfpack started the season with high expectations, and have failed to meet them. Freshman Guard Dennis Smith Jr. is the star of the team and is projected to be freshman of the year in the ACC. He averages about 19 points per game while also leading the conference in assists and steals.  Smith has had impressive performances, notching a triple double and winning a close rivalry game against Duke. Though Smith is a key for the team, they fail to close out most games in their favor, leading them to the lower half of the conference standing and the firing of coach Mark Gottfried that will take place after this season.

“Dennis Smith is the whole team, without him NC State would be even lower than they are now. The team has been disappointing to watch after we all thought they would be an elite team. Coach Gottfried has really improved the team throughout the years, we just need to figure out how to close out games and make it to the NCAA tournament,” said Bryce Rooney, senior.

The ACC has transformed through additions of strong teams like the Louisville Cardinals and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. These teams bring tougher competition to the conference. No team can simply ride through the conference schedule without having to put up a fight. The ACC tournament is quickly approaching in March, and the title is up for grabs.