The ACC picture is really clearing up now, with Wednesday night doing a lot to help in that regard. Most notably, as Ted Sarandis and I talk about in our podcast, there is some separation behind Virginia.
And right there are a couple of programs you might expect to be, even if both have had some challenges this season. Duke and North Carolina are now playing some of their best basketball of the season.
Virginia is about to clinch the regular season title. The Cavaliers beat Georgia Tech 65-54 and remain three games up over second-place Duke with three to play, and should clinch on Saturday as they go to Pittsburgh, who remained winless in ACC play by virtue of a 63-57 loss to Wake Forest on Wednesday night.
Behind them, Duke has now won four in a row, all without Marvin Bagley III. The latest is their thorough 82-56 domination of Louisville on Wednesday a day after the NCAA ruled that its punishment against Louisville will be upheld. The Blue Devils were never seriously threatened in this one, and winning without Bagley again is a big statement. It tells you that this team can again reinvent itself, and this might be just what Grayson Allen needed as he continues to shine during this stretch.
Right behind them is North Carolina, who held off Syracuse 78-74 on Wednesday for their sixth straight win that puts them all alone in third place. The Tar Heels held Syracuse scoreless for the final three minutes of the game to pull it out, and it’s their third road win in this current streak.
Clemson was right there with both, but the Tigers lost their third straight on Wednesday, a 65-58 setback at Virginia Tech, who is now tied with them at 9-6. Clemson has been hit with injuries to Donte Grantham and Shelton Mitchell, the former a season-ending one, and while Gabe DeVoe and Marcquise Reed have played well to lead this still well-balanced team, the injuries may be taking a toll on them for now.
NC State, Louisville, Florida State and Miami lurk behind those teams, but all are clearly a notch behind Virginia, Duke and North Carolina. They are closer to Clemson and Virginia Tech, the former of who has not lost to a team outside the top 60 in RPI all year.
Side Dishes
Seton Hall and Providence were impacted by an unlikely problem: warm weather in the northeast. With record highs in some areas, the teams had to deal with condensation on the court at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, which has ice underneath the playing floor. Eventually, the floor became unplayable after Seton Hall lost Desi Rodriguez to an ankle injury and the conditions didn’t get any better. The Pirates led 56-47 with 13:03 left when play was halted. The teams will resume the game at noon on Thursday, and Providence will fly to Washington, D.C. after that as they play at Georgetown on Friday night.
There’s another development in the race for the Big 12 regular season title. Oklahoma State knocked off Texas Tech 79-71 in Stillwater, which drops the Red Raiders to 10-5 in Big 12 play, a game back of Kansas. It means the Jayhawks have a chance to make history on Saturday, as they would clinch at least a tie for their 14th straight Big 12 regular season title with a win in Lubbock. Elsewhere there, TCU took out Iowa State 89-83 in Ames, while Texas suffered another damaging loss, a 58-48 decision at Kansas State.
The SEC was busy on the night, with Auburn knocking off Alabama 90-71 despite being without Mustapha Heron, Tennessee picking up a 62-57 win over a Florida team that remains difficult to figure out, and South Carolina looking like the latest team to have new life as far as the NCAA Tournament goes as they beat Georgia 66-57 after beating Auburn a few nights earlier.
Loyola-Chicago clinched the Missouri Valley regular season title with a 75-56 win at Southern Illinois, their first since joining the league. The Ramblers not only have an outright title, but they are the only team in the conference with a winning road record at 9-4.
USC beat Colorado 75-64 in Boulder, but the big news of the day with the Trojans came much earlier as De’Anthony Melton is withdrawing from school. The sophomore guard will get ready to try for a professional career as the school appears to be taking no chances playing him this year. The school determined that a close family friend received an extra benefit. Melton had a promising freshman season, but how he projects as far as the NBA is concerned is unknown, especially not having played a competitive game this year.
Tonight’s Menu
A busy night is ahead as we’re in the home stretch for a number of conferences before their tournaments.
- Big Ten action starts with Purdue at Illinois and Wisconsin at Northwestern (7 p.m.)
- Cincinnati tries to get back on track after two straight losses as they host UConn (7 p.m.)
- In the CAA, College of Charleston can clinch at least a share of the regular season title and the top seed in the conference tournament with a win over visiting Elon (7 p.m.), while Northeastern, the only team that can catch them, hosts Towson (7 p.m.)
- The Big South has a showdown that could produce a rematch in over a week, as Winthrop travels to UNC Asheville (7 p.m.) with the winner clinching a tie for the regular season title as they are both 12-4.
- In the Summit League, a showdown between in-state rivals is on tap as South Dakota State hosts South Dakota (8 p.m.), with the Jackrabbits holding a one-game lead on the Coyotes.
- Gonzaga has a road challenge as they travel to San Diego (9 p.m.), while Saint Mary’s hosts Pepperdine (10 p.m.)
- There are plenty of key games to watch in the Pac-12, notably Washington at Stanford and UCLA at Utah early on (9 p.m.) and Arizona State at Oregon later (11:30 p.m.)
- First place in the Big West is on the line as UC Santa Barbara travels to UC Irvine (10:30 p.m.), with the Gauchos just a half game up on the Anteaters.
