The Wolfpacker's ACC basketball power rankings — Week 3

The ACC season continues this weekend, with more conference games Saturday. Most teams are also in the process of wrapping up the non-conference slate. That includes NC State basketball, whose last game outside the league is Saturday against Vanderbilt in Chicago.

The Wolfpacker duo of Matt Carter and Matt Coe tabulated their votes for ACC power rankings, and here is how the list sorted out.

Link: Week 2 of ACC basketball power rankings

1. Virginia (8-0, 1-0 ACC): Virginia has answered every call this season, but after an extended break the Cavs have a challenging week ahead, hosting No. 5 Houston on Saturday and then traveling to No. 25 Miami three days later.

Last week: 1

2 (tie). Duke (10-2, 1-0 ACC): The talented, young Blue Devils finished their non-conference slate with an easy win over Maryland-Eastern Shore to extend a 4-game winning streak.

Last week: 2 (tie)

2 (tie). Virginia Tech (10-1, 1-0 ACC): A neutral court win over Oklahoma State is added to some other really solid non-conference accomplishments for the Hokies, which includes a neutral court triumph over Penn State and home victories against Minnesota and Dayton. Perhaps the lone question about the Hokies is how will they perform in a true road contest. Their lone loss was at Charleston.

Last week: 2 (tie)

4. Miami (10-1, 2-0 ACC): The Hurricanes knocked off NC State by rallying from down 16 down at one point in the first half. That has Miami ranked for the first time this year.

Last week: 4

5. North Carolina (7-4, 1-1 ACC): Have back-to-back lopsided wins at home over Georgia Tech and The Citadel signaled that the Heels have turn the corner after a disappointing start? We’ll find out this week. The Heels face Ohio State in New York on Saturday and then host Michigan four days later.

Last week: 7

6 (tie). NC State (9-3, 0-2 ACC): The Wolfpack is winless in the conference, but has among the better non-conference resumes in the league with wins over Butler, Dayton and now Furman. The Pack can add to that with a neutral court showdown Saturday evening in Chicago against Vanderbilt.

Last week: 6

6 (tie). Syracuse (7-4, 1-0 ACC): Syracuse continues to rise on the strength of a 4-game winning streak, but it is fair to ask who have they beaten. A win at Notre Dame and a lopsided home victory over Georgetown look nice on paper, but neither are shaping up as good teams.

Last week: 11

8. Clemson (8-3, 1-0 ACC): Clemson saw a 4-game winning streak, which included a lopsided ACC win over Wake Forest, come to a crashing end with an 18-point home setback to Loyola Chicago.

Last week: 5

9. Pittsburgh (7-4, 1-0 ACC): The Panthers are 1.1 seconds away in a road contest at Vanderbilt from having a 7-game winning streak.

Last week: 8

10 (tie). Wake Forest (8-3, 0-1 ACC): The Deacons blew a lopsided lead against LSU, and then Wake Forest needed a high-degree-of-difficulty buzzer beater to knock off Appalachian State at home. That victory may have come at a cost, however, as star guard Tyree Appleby hurt his ankle.

Wake has a big game Saturday at Rutgers and really could use a nice road win to enhance their profile ahead of full-time conference action.

Last week: 9

10 (tie). Notre Dame (7-3, 0-1 ACC): A loss at home to Syracuse was followed up by nearly blowing a double-digit lead at home to Boston University in a quad four home contest. Then came a 15-point setback to Marquette. The Irish are currently struggling.

Last week: 10

12. Georgia Tech (6-4, 0-1 ACC): The Yellow Jackets did not look very competitive in their conference opener, a 16-point loss at North Carolina. Georgia Tech also has been beaten by double digits against Marquette (24 points) and Iowa (16).

Last week: 12

13. Florida State (3-9, 1-1 ACC): After FSU competed well in single-digit losses to No. 5 Purdue and No. 3 Virginia, the latter on the road, Florida State blew out Louisville and SC Upstate in back-to-back home games, perhaps signaling that the Seminoles are slowly turning a corner from a miserable start.

Last week: 14

14. Boston College (6-6, 0-1 ACC): A 4-game losing streak was finally snapped when Boston College defeated Stonehill, but the win was just by 7 points, one of several poor performances against less-than-inspiring opponents that include losses to both Maine and New Hampshire at home.

Last week: 13

15. Louisville (1-9, 0-2 ACC): The Cardinals finally are in the win column with a victory over Western Kentucky. Louisville has a chance to get two more wins (home vs. Florida A&M and Lipscomb) before traveling to NC State on Dec. 22

Last week: 15