Are We There Yet?

By this point most ACC teams have played about 20 games. Duke and Pitt have played more, including Monday night's Blue Devil victory. Seven teams, including undefeated Syracuse and erratic North Carolina, have played fewer than 20 times thus far in 2014.

Still, it's a reasonably good time to see how programs have advanced or receded compared to the same point last season, and compared to predictions for this year. We didn't count performances in 2013 in the Big East for Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse - that apparently was a tougher league, and we wouldn't want to make unfair comparisons.

Frankly, it appears few ACC squads are doing better this year than last, with Wake Forest and Clemson the exceptions. Half of the league's members are struggling to match their 2013 performances: BC, Maryland, Miami, UNC, N.C. State, and Virginia Tech. That was expected for the Hurricanes, Wolfpack and Hokies, less so for the other three.

The Eagles, a pick for the ACC's upper echelon, were devastated by a tough nonconference schedule and have been reeling since. Maryland and North Carolina are enigmas, capable of better than they've produced. The Terrapins are a bit ahead of last season in ACC play, but trailing overall. The Tar Heels are more laggards in conference competition than in all games.

Clemson has already matched last year's overall victories, and is one shy of its 2013 ACC win total with 11 regular-season games remaining. Be forewarned, though: the Tigers finished with one victory in their final 11 games in 2013 (counting the ACC Tournament). They've lost their two most recent games, on the road at Pitt and UNC, by 33 and 19 points, respectively.

Wake, with a 14-6 mark, is assured its best record of coach Jeff Bzdelik's tenure. The Demon Deacons already exceeded their 2013 and 2012 and 2011 win totals, leaving dissatisfied fans sputtering in happy frustration.

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