ACC Basketball News & Notes: Dominant Start Positions Conference for March Success

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Six weeks into the college basketball season, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is tearing through its non-conference schedule, positioning itself as one of the nation’s elite leagues. With only one team, the Boston College Eagles (5-6), sitting under the .500 mark, the league has shown early dominance that far surpasses its performance in recent years.

National Ranking and Metrics Mastery

The ACC’s success is reflected across all major national metrics:

AP/USA Today Polls: Four teams are currently ranked in the polls:
Duke at #3
Louisville at #11
North Carolina at #14 (AP) / #15 (USAT)
Virginia at #24 (AP) / #25 (USAT)
NET Rankings Dominance: The ACC boasts the most teams of any league in the coveted Top-30 of the NET rankings, with seven:
Duke #2, Louisville #13, UNC #17, Virginia #21, Miami #26, Clemson #28, and NC State #30. SMU is right on the bubble at #31.
Quad 1 Wins: The league already owns 13 Quad 1 NET wins, the crucial resume-builders for March Madness. The Duke Blue Devils are tied for the national lead with four Quad 1 victories, underscoring how their tough early-season scheduling is paying off.

A League of Power and Defense

The conference’s overall strength is evident in its head-to-head performance and defensive metrics:

Power Conference Wins: The ACC has secured 31 wins against Power Conference opponents, the second-most of any league. This marks a massive improvement over last season, where the league totaled only 19 such wins for the entire year.
Dominating Victories: The league has accumulated 60 wins by at least 20 points, trailing only the SEC (69). This level of dominance hasn’t been seen in the ACC since the 2018-19 season.
Defensive Focus: The ACC is establishing itself as a defensive league, holding opponents to a combined average of 69.2 points per game. This is the fewest of any Power Conference and the second-fewest overall in college basketball.
Hot Starts: The ACC and the Big Ten are tied for the most teams in college basketball with a starting record of 7-1 or better, a feat tied for the second-most in the last 45 years.

Cameron Boozer: The Face of the ACC’s Start

Duke’s freshman Cameron Boozer is dominating the individual accolades, reflecting the conference’s high level of play:

Weekly Dominance: Boozer was named both the ACC Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week, averaging $23.5$ points, $10.5$ rebounds, and $3.5$ assists.
Monthly Honors: He was also named the High-Major Player of the Month for November.
Consistency: Since the season began, Boozer has collected the Player of the Week award three times and the Rookie of the Week award four times. He is also highly ranked by the KenPom and ExamMiya metrics services.