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Quietly, since 2012 an elite group of ACC teams have separated themselves from the rest of the league. The ’12 season was when Tony Bennett’s Virginia program broke into the top five during the regular season.
UVa hasn’t left the five-best since, joining perennial powers Duke and North Carolina among the ACC’s upper crust. Narrowing things down further, from 2014 through 2018 UVa finished first on three occasions and reached two ACC Tournament finals (2014, 2016). The Cavaliers won the title in 2014.
Miami also has nudged into the upper echelon -- this is the fourth time since Jim Larranaga’s arrival in 2012 the Hurricanes finished among the ACC first four finishers.
This was the only season since Louisville joined the league in 2015 that it failed to finish among the ACC’s five best regular-season squads. The Cardinals made it each time from 2015 through 2017 under dismissed coach Rick Pitino.
Louisville’s top-five finishes in the 2012-17 period tied it with Notre Dame and NC State.
This year Clemson finished among the league’s five best for the first time since 2011, when current coach Brad Brownell took over the Tiger program.
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CREAM OF THE CONFERENCE Top 5 Finishers in ACC Regular Season, Since 2012 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth |
| 2018 | Virginia | Duke UNC |
Miami | Clemson | NC State |
| 2017 | UNC | FSU Louisville Notre Dame |
NA | NA | Duke Virginia |
| 2016 | UNC | Virginia Miami |
NA | Louisville | Duke |
| 2015 | Virginia | Duke | N. Dame | Louisville | UNC |
| 2014 | Virginia | Syracuse | Duke UNC |
NA | Pitt |
| 2013 | Miami | Duke | UNC Virginia |
NC State | NA |
| 2012 | UNC | Duke | FSU NC State Miami |
Virginia | NA |
