College basketball season may be long over at this point, but we at ACCSports.com have lingering memories of one of the more intriguing and historic seasons in ACC men’s basketball history. After all, five league members reached the Sweet 16, three reached the Elite Eight, and Duke, of course, went all the way and brought home the Blue Devils’ fifth NCAA title.
We decided to take a look back at the season that was around the league, breaking down every ACC team’s performance this winter as far as wins over teams ahead of them in the final league standings, while also examining those losses to schools below them in the pecking order.
In the first of a three-part feature, take a look at how the league’s top five teams (Virginia, Duke, Notre Dame, Louisville, North Carolina) in the ACC regular season standings did against each other, and against teams that finished below them.
We’ll roll out the other ten schools in order, five by five, over the next couple days.
The list below includes ACC regular season and ACC Tournament games only (no non-conference or postseason games).
Virginia — 16-2 regular season (first place), 17-3 overall (ACC Tournament semifinals)
Wins against teams ahead of UVa in ACC standings: 0
None (regular season champion)
Losses against teams ahead of UVa in ACC standings: 0
None (regular season champion)
Wins against teams behind UVa in ACC standings: 17
Victories over Virginia Tech (2), NC State (2), Wake Forest (2), Miami, Notre Dame, Clemson, Boston College, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Florida State, and Syracuse in regular season, ACC Tournament over Florida State. The Cavaliers defeated every ACC school at least once, with exception of Duke.
Losses against teams behind UVa in ACC standings: 3
69-63 home vs. Duke
59-57 at Louisville
71-67 North Carolina (ACC Tournament)
Duke — 15-3 regular season (second place), 16-4 overall (ACC Tournament semifinals)
Wins against teams ahead of Duke in ACC standings: 1
69-63 at Virginia
Losses against teams ahead of Duke in ACC standings: 0
None
Wins against teams behind Duke in ACC standings: 15
Victories over North Carolina (2), Wake Forest (2), Syracuse (2), Boston College, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Florida State, Clemson, and Virginia Tech in regular season, ACC Tournament over NC State. The Blue Devils defeated every ACC school at least once with exception of Miami, who defeated the Blue Devils in Durham in their only meeting.
Losses against teams behind Duke in ACC standings: 4
87-75 at NC State
90-74 home vs. Miami
77-73 at Notre Dame
74-64 vs. Notre Dame (ACC Tournament)
Notre Dame — 14-4 regular season (third place), 17-4 overall (ACC Tournament champion)
Wins against teams ahead of Notre Dame in ACC standings: 2
77-73 home vs. Duke
74-64 vs. Duke (ACC Tournament)
Losses against teams ahead of Notre Dame in ACC standings: 2
90-60 at Duke
62-56 home vs. Virginia
Wins against teams behind Notre Dame in ACC standings: 15
Victories over Georgia Tech (2), Clemson (2), Boston College (2), Florida State, North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech, NC State, Wake Forest, and Louisville in regular season, ACC Tournament over Miami and North Carolina. The Fighting Irish defeated 11 schools within the league this past season — all opponents with exception of Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse.
Losses against teams behind Notre Dame in ACC standings: 2
76-72 at Pittsburgh
65-60 home Syracuse
Louisville — 12-6 regular season (fourth place), 12-7 overall (ACC Tournament quarterfinals)
Win against teams ahead of Louisville in ACC standings: 1
59-57 home vs. Virginia
Losses against teams ahead of Louisville in ACC standings: 3
63-52 home vs. Duke
52-47 at Virginia
71-59 home vs. Notre Dame
Wins against teams behind Louisville in ACC standings: 11
Victories over Pittsburgh (2), Miami (2), Wake Forest, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Boston College, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Florida State, all in regular season. The Cardinals defeated everyone in the ACC this past season with exception of three schools — Duke, Notre Dame, and Syracuse. U of L lost in the regular season to NC State, but defeated the Wolfpack in the East Regional semifinal in Syracuse in late March.
Losses against teams behind Louisville in ACC standings: 4
72-71 at North Carolina
74-65 home vs. NC State
69-59 at Syracuse
70-60 vs. North Carolina (ACC Tournament)
North Carolina — 11-7 regular season (fifth place), 14-8 overall (ACC Tournament final)
Wins against teams ahead of UNC in ACC standings: 3
72-71 home vs. Louisville
70-60 vs. Louisville (ACC Tournament)
71-67 vs. Virginia (ACC Tournament)
Losses against teams ahead of UNC in ACC standings: 6
71-70 home vs. Notre Dame
78-68 (OT) at Louisville
75-64 home vs. Virginia
92-90 (OT) at Duke
84-77 home vs. Duke
90-82 vs. Notre Dame (ACC Tournament)
Wins against teams behind UNC in ACC standings: 11
Victories over Georgia Tech (2), Clemson, NC State, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida State, Syracuse, Boston College, and Miami in regular season, ACC Tournament over Boston College. Combined with the wins over Louisville and Virginia, the Tar Heels defeated 11 of 14 possible ACC foes during the season, failing to defeat Duke, Notre Dame or Pittsburgh.
Losses against teams behind UNC in ACC standings: 2
89-76 at Pittsburgh
58-46 home vs. NC State