While attention understandably focuses on Miami's status atop the ACC standings, and speculation on when, if at all, the Hurricanes will lose a league contest, the Hurricanes are inching closer to a school record for victories in a season.
Achieving such idiosyncratic heights is not likely to be the case for any other ACC member in 2013.
For one thing, the total-win threshold is lower at Miami than elsewhere. The most wins ever recorded by a 'Canes club is 24, achieved in 2002 under former Georgia Tech assistant Perry Clark (24-8).
The ACC's next-lowest high (which makes sense, if you think about it) is 25 wins, compiled by Virginia Tech.
Counting Sunday night's visit to Clemson, a venue some ACC players consider the league's toughest, UM has now won 21 times this year and has a three-game lead in the regular-season race.
Surviving 45-43 against the Tigers deserves a special award, especially after the Hurricanes missed 16 of 19 3-pointers and had 13 turnovers compared to six for Clemson.
Miami has six regular season games left -- four against second-division conference opponents -- plus the ACC and NCAA tournaments. Win slightly more than half of those outings, and the 2013 squad coached by Jim Larranaga, a former Virginia assistant, will set a new standard for successes in one season at Miami.
| PEAK PERFORMANCE Top Victory Totals, 20-Win Seasons By Current ACC Teams Since 1954, Advent Of ACC |
||||||
| School | Wins | Record, Yr | Coach, Top Year | 20 W Yrs |
20-Win Runs In Row (Yrs) |
20 Ws, Recent |
| Boston College | 28 | 28-8, 2006 | Al Skinner | 21 | 4 (2004-07) | 2011 |
| Clemson | 26 | 26-9, 1990 | Cliff Ellis | 12 | 5 (2007-11) | 2011 |
| Duke | 37 | 37-3, 1986 37-2, 1999 |
Mike Krzyzewski | 40 | 17 (1997-13) | 2014 |
| Florida State | 27 | 27-6, 1972 | Hugh Durham | 18 | 4 (2009-12) | 2012 |
| Georgia Tech | 28 | 28-7, 1990 28-10,2004 |
Bobby Cremins Paul Hewitt |
14 | 3 (1988-90) | 2010 |
| Maryland | 32 | 32-4, 2002 | Gary Williams | 24 | 8 (1997-2004) | 2012 |
| Miami | 24 | 24-8, 2002 | Perry Clark | 13 | 4 (2010-13) | 2013 |
| North Carolina | 36 | 36-3, 2008 | Roy Williams | 44 | 31 (1971-01) | 2012 |
| N.C. State | 30 | 30-1, 1974 | Norm Sloan | 28 | 5 (1985-89) | 2012 |
| Virginia | 30 | 30-4, 1982 | Terry Holland | 17 | 5 (1980-84) (1990-93) |
2012 |
| Virginia Tech | 25 | 25-10,1995 25-9, 2010 |
Bill Foster Seth Greenberg |
17 | 5 (1982-87) | 2011 |
| Wake Forest | 27 | 27-6, 2005 | Skip Prosser | 19 | 5 (1993-97) | 2010 |