4. North Carolina
What this team has been able to accomplish without Seth Trimble for most of the season has been impressive. Freshman Derek Dixon is a name to watch over the next three months – he could give this team another offensive threat at the guard spot, which they desperately need, especially if Trimble’s return is later rather than sooner.
5. NC State
The Wolfpack were so, so close to the first marquee win of the Will Wade era on Saturday, before narrowly losing to Kansas in overtime. Darrion Williams has been a bit of a disappointment so far, failing to recapture what made him so dynamic at Texas Tech. But Ven-Allen Lubin is playing the best basketball of his career, and Quadir Copeland is shining in his return to the ACC.
6. Clemson
The Tigers were so, so close to picking up a marquee win over BYU last week, but the Cougars’ second-half rally behind AJ Dybantsa left Clemson with nothing to show for a great performance. If Jestin Porter is going to continue to shoot the ball the way he did against BYU, this will be a tough offensive team to guard.
