It’s finally time for ACC college basketball games.
Most of the teams in the 18-squad have completed the nonconference portion of their schedules, putting the spotlight on the race for a conference championship. No. 5 Duke (11-1), No. 12 UNC (13-1), No. 13 Louisville (10-2) and No. 21 Virginia (11-1) look like the early contenders, but others could emerge as challengers along the way.
As of Tuesday, Dec. 30, there are nine teams inside the top 50 of the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings. The Blue Devils, Cardinals, Tar Heels and Cavaliers look like locks for the NCAA Tournament, but SMU (11-2), N.C. State (9-4), Miami (12-2), Clemson (10-3) and California (11-2) have solid metrics on a path toward being a part of March Madness.
Here’s a look at how ACC teams stack up against each other in final power rankings of 2025.
Rankings based on games through Dec. 30.
ACC basketball power rankings
Here are the power rankings as of Dec. 30 in the 2025-26 college basketball season.
1. UNC
The Tar Heels have a reliable trio in Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and Seth Trimble. They haven’t lost since Thanksgiving Day and, right now, they look more trustworthy than their Tobacco Road rivals and a Louisville team dealing with some injuries. UNC has a big resume-boosting opportunity at SMU to start 2026.
The Blue Devils have an impressive resume, but the Texas Tech loss stings in how it happened. Cameron Boozer and the Devils should be able to take out their frustrations on Georgia Tech and Florida State before a big-time game at Louisville on Jan. 6. Duke has to find a reliable second option.
3. Louisville
The Cardinals started their California road trip with a rout of California. They play Stanford before returning home to play Duke in a rematch of the 2025 ACC Tournament title game. It looks like Mikel Brown Jr. will be back, but Kasean Pryor remains out for a team trying to get past the injury-bug phase of the season.
4. Virginia
The Hoos have been as good as advertised in their debut season under first-year coach Ryan Odom. Virginia starts the new year with a road game at N.C. State in a game that could be vital come Selection Sunday.
5. Clemson
The Tigers missed some opportunities to pick up notable wins in the nonconference schedule, but they also notched some quality victories before entering ACC play. With a relatively easy stretch to start, Clemson has a chance to get things rolling before games against Miami and N.C. State late in January.
6. Miami
The Hurricanes are defending like you would expect under first-year coach Jai Lucas and they’ll need to carry that on the road in three of their first four ACC games. Clemson and Wake Forest are the notable upcoming games.
7. SMU
The Mustangs weren’t able to beat quality teams last season to snag an NCAA Tournament berth. They’ll get three chances right away this season with UNC, Clemson and Duke next on the schedule.
8. N.C. State
Following a disappointing 9-4 record in nonconference play, the Wolfpack starts its ACC slate with games against Wake Forest and Virginia in Raleigh. The Pack needs to win both to shift its season.
9. California
We’re about to find out if the Golden Bears are the real deal. California has games against Virginia, Louisville, Duke and UNC in four of the first six games in January. It failed the first test against the Cards.
10. Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons have been blown out in two of their last three games against quality competition. Steve Forbes and the Deacs need a resurgent victory at N.C. State to start league play.
11. Virginia Tech
Road games at Virginia and Wake Forest will tell us more about the Hokies, who have solid pieces but are still looking for a quality win.
12. Notre Dame
Markus Burton’s injury is the cloud hanging over the Irish, which have a tough start to ACC play. It’s hard to see a path toward success without Burton driving the team.
13. Stanford
The Cardinal has home games against UNC, Duke and Louisville in January. Five of Stanford’s first seven ACC games are at home. It needs to take advantage of that favorable stretch.
14. Syracuse
The Orange can flip the script with a win against Clemson on New Year’s Eve. ‘Cuse remains the worst free-throw shooting team in the nation at 59%.
15. Pittsburgh
The Panthers got a blowout win against Penn State to snag some momentum, but they need to start strong against Miami and Clemson to get on the right track up the standings.
16. Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets are favored in two of their 18 league games, per KenPom. It’s been a rough year for Damon Stoudamire’s group.
17. Florida State
Like the Jackets, FSU is only projected to win two league games. Luke Loucks has a fun, uptempo style, but he doesn’t have the players yet to maximize it.
18. Boston College
The Eagles are projected to finish the ACC schedule without a win. It’s tough to argue against that prediction after seeing BC in nonconference play.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to [email protected].
