ACC Basketball News & Notes: Clemson Tops in the League

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The Clemson Tigers are showing the basketball world and the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference that it is not just a football school. The basketball team (13-3, 5-0) has tied for its best start in league play since the 1996-97 team They are one of three teams in the conference with fewer than two league losses. Clemson head coach, Brad Brownell, is now just two wins shy of 400 for his coaching career. Clemson is also getting noticed in the polls as they received votes this week. On Wednesday night, Clemson will take a five-game winning streak and an unbeaten string of 8-0 at home into their matchup with the Louisville Cardinal (2-14, 0-5). It is all good at the moment in Death Valley.

Being the home team in this league does have its advantages. Since the start of conference play, home teams have a record of 25-13 at 65.8%. Games in league play have, for the most part, been close. Of the 38 games played to date, 14 of them have been decided by five points or less. Eleven of them have been decided by just one possession. The balance in this league has been on display since the start.

The Boston College Eagles (8-8, 2-3) have been holding their own so far in league play. On December 31 they got a much-needed boost from the season debut of center Quinton Post who missed the non-conference portion of the schedule with an injury. Since his return to the lineup, Post has averaged 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in three games. Last Saturday, in a tough one-point loss to Duke, Post scored 16 against the Blue Devils. The Eagles are a much better team with Post in the lineup.

When Wake Forest (11-5, 3-2) guard Daman Monsanto is knocking down shots from 3-point land, good things happen for the Demon Deacons. Last Saturday, he scored 21 vs the Louisville Cardinal. It was the third time this season he had scored 20 or more points in a game. In each of those contests, he made five or more 3-point shots. He is fourth in the league in 3-point FG percentage at .384 (43-of-112). His 43 makes rank him fourth in 3-point makes in the league.

#13 Virginia (11-3, 3-2) has gotten solid play over the years from forward Jayden Gardener, who on Saturday grabbed three rebounds to become the only active division one basketball player with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. In 130 career games played, Gardener has 2,157 points and 1,002 rebounds. He is tied for 12th in the league in offensive rebounding with 26 for an average of 1.86 a game.

Florida State (5-11, 3-2) forward Matthew Cleveland recorded his fifth consecutive double-double on Saturday vs Georgia Tech. His 21-point and 12-rebound effort earned him a place in Seminoles basketball history. He became the first player since Douglas Edwards in 1991-92 to have five straight double-double games. Cleveland is ninth in rebounding in the league averaging 7.25 a game and is 18th in scoring at 14.4 points a contest. He is 10th in FG percentage at .464 and is seventh in defensive rebounding at 5.69 a game.

The ACC Player of the Week is Amabdo Bacot of North Carolina. In a 2-0 week, which featured wins over Wake Forest and Notre Dame, Bacot averaged 21 points 11 boards 4.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks. In the win over the Irish, he recorded his 58th double-double and 18th career 20-point, 10-rebound effort. He is fifth in the nation in rebounding at 11.2 a game, tied for sixth in the nation with nine double-doubles, and is one of five league players on the Wooden Midseason Watch List.

The ACC Rookie of the Week is Louisville guard/forward Mike James. He averaged 21.5 points six rebounds and 1.5 assists in games vs Syracuse and Wake Forest. In both games, James recorded career-highs in scoring. Against the Demon Deacons, he scored 24 points which is his new career high.

That’s a look at this week in the ACC. Next week, we will be back with more from the league.