I like mine with lettuce and tomato
Heinz 57 and French fried potatoes
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer
Well, good God Almighty, which way do I steer…
Cheeseburger in Paradise – Jimmy Buffett
That’s
right, it’s Thanksgiving, and in men’s basketball season that can only mean one thing: Feast Week. It’s nonconference tournament season, and it is a great time for teams to beef up their postseason resumes against some pretty meaty (cheeseburger level) competition. And since a lot of the tournaments this week take place in much warmer and sunny places like Maui and cities in Florida, it’s almost like being in Paradise.
So what better way to enjoy Paradise than with a big meaty Cheeseburger and some power rankings.
1. Louisville Cardinals (6-0)
Last Week: won 74-64 against Cincinnati, won 87-46 against Eastern Michigan
The Cardinals take the top spot as they have the best win in the ACC so far this season with their victory over Kentucky earlier this month. Louisville followed that up this past week by adding a second Power 5 win over the Bearcats before opening the week with a blowout win over the Eagles. The Cardinals will look to add another blowout when they welcome in the Highlanders on Wednesday.
This week: vs NJIT (11/26)
2. North Carolina Tar Heels (5-0)
Last week: won 73-61 against Navy
Sure, the game against Navy was closer than it should have been, but on the positive side it was a win and the players realized it by having that players only meeting right after the game. The Tar Heels will be in Fort Myers this week, where they will have a chance to add some quality wins against the Bonnie and the Spartans.
This week: vs St. Bonaventure (11/25), vs Michigan St (11/27)
3. Duke Blue Devils (7-0)
Last week: won 78-66 against Kansas, won 100-42 against Niagara, won 93-56 against Howard
The Blue Devils’ seven wins are tops in the ACC. However, they still don’t have anything as impressive as Louisville’s win over Kentucky or UNC’s win over Kansas. Yes, Duke has a win over Kansas too, but the Jayhawks were missing their best player, and Darryn Peterson’s 21 ppg might’ve been enough to beat the Blue Devils in New York that day. Duke will have a chance to add an impressive win this week when they take on the Razorbacks in Chicago on Thanksgiving.
This week: vs Arkansas (11/27)
4. SMU Mustangs (7-0)
Last week: won 106-60 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, won 100-69 against Arkansas St, won 89-72 against Radford
The Mustangs join Duke as the only ACC teams with seven wins by first running through the Natural State with two colorful victories over the Golden Lions and the Red Wolves before starting this week with a win over the Highlanders. SMU gets the fourth spot of the unbeaten thanks to their two point home win over Butler (it’s the Bulldogs’ only loss of the season). The Mustangs will look to make it eight wins when they travel to Starkville to take on the Bulldogs on Black Friday.
This week: at Mississippi St (11/28)
5. Virginia Tech Hokies (5-0)
Last week: won 78-61 against Bryant
The Hokies finish off the remaining unbeaten squads in the conference after their dominant win against the Bulldogs. This week Tobi Lawal, who is averaging a double-double, will lead Virginia Tech to the Bahamas where they will take on the Rams.
This week: vs Colorado St (11/26)
6. Clemson Tigers (6-1)
Last week: won 70-67 against West Virginia, won 97-94 in OT against Georgia
The Tigers are the top-rated one-loss ACC team this week thanks to two three-point wins, giving the Mountaineers and Bulldogs each their first losses of the season. Clemson, whose only loss this season was on the road at an undefeated Georgetown squad, will look to get to seven wins when they go up against another Bulldog squad, this one from the Yellowhammer state.
This week: vs Alabama A&M (11/28)
7. Virginia Cavaliers (5-1)
Last week: won 83-78 against Northwestern, lost to Butler 80-73
The Cavaliers lost their first game of the season to the Bulldogs after they beat the Wildcats earlier this week. Virginia’s win over Northwestern is still better than what a lot of other conference teams have, and there is no shame in losing to a Butler team that has only lost once this season. The Cavs will look to avoid a letdown on Black Friday when they take on the Royals, who are 0-3 on the road this season.
This week: vs Queens University (11/28)
8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-2)
Last week: lost to Texas Tech 84-83, won 69-68 against Memphis
Two points are all that separate the Demon Deacons from being 6-0 and at the top of these rankings with two of the best wins in the ACC. Instead, Wake Forest came up just short against the Red Raiders, much like they did against Michigan, before finally being on the right side of a close win against Memphis. The Deacons will look to get to six wins anyway this week when they welcome in the Camels and the Huskies.
This week: vs Campbell (11/25), vs Northeastern (11/28)
9. Syracuse Orange (4-1)
Last week: won 78-73 against Monmouth, lost to Houston in OT 78-74
The Orange are another team that would be at the top of these rankings with the best win in the conference, except they fell short in Las Vegas after missing 17 free throws against the Cougars. Syracuse will not get much time to lick their wounds as they continue the Players Era Festival with a game against the Jayhawks on Tuesday.
This week: vs Kansas (11/25)
10. Florida State Seminoles (4-1)
Last week: won 83-73 vs UT Martin, won 98-72 vs Georgia Southern
The Seminoles round out the top ten with wins over the Skyhawks and Eagles. Florida State slides ahead of other teams on this list as their two point road loss to Florida is still better than anything the teams below them have. The Seminoles get a nice warmup game against the Roadrunners on Tuesday before they get another early chance at a marquee win against the Aggies in Tampa on Black Friday.
This week: vs Cal St Bakerfield (11/25), vs Texas A&M (11/28)
11. NC State Wolfpack (4-1)
Last week: lost to Seton Hall 85-74
Well, Will Wade was right; when Ven-Allen Lubin plays at least 28 minutes he scores at least 15 points and grabs at least 8 rebounds — the Wolfpack forward did just that against the Pirates in Maui, going for 16 points and 9 rebounds in 31 minutes. However, Wade failed to mention that Lubin’s teams often lose those same games, which NC State did. The Wolfpack still have two more games to play in Maui, starting with a loser’s matchup versus the Broncos on Tuesday.
This week: vs Boise St (11/25), vs TBD (11/26)
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-2)
Last week: won 86-79 against Bellarmine, lost to Kansas 71-61
The Fighting Irish are also in Las Vegas this week, losing for the second time in three games with their ten point loss to the Jayhawks. Notre Dame will try to avoid making it three losses in four games when they turn around and play the Scarlet Knights on Tuesday.
This week: vs Rutgers (11/25)
13. California Golden Bears (5-1)
Last week: won 67-57 against Presbyterian, won 91-67 against Sacramento St
The Golden Bears continue to win games against crummy opponents, this time adding victories over the Blue Hose and Hornets. California will get a chance to show they are better than they look when they play host to the Bruins at the Chase Center (home of the Golden State Warriors) on Tuesday.
This week: vs UCLA (11/25)
14. Miami Hurricanes (5-1)
Last week: won 99-72 against Elon, won 97-41 against Delaware St
Like Cal, the Hurricanes continue to beat up on bad competition, this time with wins over the Phoenix and a different swarm of Hornets. However, unlike the Golden Bears, Miami’s lone loss was a blowout home loss to Florida instead of a four-point road loss to Kansas St. The Hurricanes, like Cal, will get a chance to play a ranked team when they take on the Cougars and freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa in Kissimmee, Florida.
This week: vs BYU (11/27)
15. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-1)
Last week: won 68-66 against Georgia Southern, won 82-66 against West Georgia
The Yellow Jackets could just as easily be at the bottom of this list if not for surviving games against Maryland Eastern Shore, SE Louisianna, and Georgia Southern. Of course, they followed that close win over the Eagles with a solid win over the Wolves. Georgia Tech will try to avoid struggling again this week when they take on the Blue Demons in Destin, Florida on Black Friday.
This week: vs Depaul (11/28)
16. Stanford Cardinal (4-1)
Last week: won 93-66 against Louisiana, lost to Seattle University 77-69
The Cardinal find themselves here after losing at home to the Redhawks. Stanford has been playing with fire this season, with close wins against Portland State and Montana State before finally getting burnt by Seattle. The Cardinal will look to get back on track against the Gophers in Palm Springs on Thanksgiving.
This week: vs Minnesota (11/27)
17. Pittsburgh Panthers (4-3)
Last week: Lost to UCF 77-67, Lost to Quinnipiac 83-75
The Panthers were one of two ACC teams to lose twice this past week (and the third time in their past four games) getting beat by the (formerly-Golden) Knights in Daytona Beach, and even more embarrassingly at home by the Bobcats. Pittsburgh will try to stem the tide when they welcome in an undefeated Buckeyes team on Black Friday.
This week: vs Ohio St (11/28)
18. Boston College Eagles (3-4)
Last week: won 63-52 against Hampton, lost 59-49 to Davidson, lost 93-90 in OT to Tulane
The Eagles continue to bring up the bottom of these rankings by being the other ACC team to lose two games this past week. After an early week win against the Pirates, Boston College fell to the Wildcats and Green Wave, losing both games in the Charleston Classic. The Eagles, who are the only conference team with a losing record, will look to get to .500 on the season when they take on the Crimson at Chesnut Hill on Wednesday.
This week: vs Harvard (11/26)
