It’s been well-discussed how poorly the ACC has played throughout the season. The ACC’s struggles early on were apparent. During the SEC/ACC Challenge, they were exposed in an embarrassing 2-14 loss in the second event. The SEC has dominated every other conference, but the ACC has struggled in important games against most other power conferences. The ACC was once a dominating force in college basketball, but those years appear to be behind us. So where is the strength in ACC basketball? Are they truly a power conference? The NET rankings make that uncertain.
Strength of ACC Basketball: Power Conference or Mid-Major?
Well Below Power Conferences
The NET rankings are the main way to judge the strength of a team and conference. They are the most important (but not the only) tool that the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses to determine the field of 68 in March. Teams who find themselves at the top of the NET rankings will likely find themselves in a good position for seeding in March. Bracketologists.com makes comparisons between the conferences much easier, finding the average NET ranking.
Fittingly, the power conferences hold the top five spots in the conference rating. However, the ACC sits well below the others. The Big East has an average NET ranking of 67.36, while the Big Ten sits at third at 48.22. The Big 12 is second with an average of 47.75, while the SEC dominates with an average NET ranking of 29.88. The ACC is down at 96.94. 30 spots below the next-best power conference hardly qualifies as a power conference. That is a far cry from their usual spot atop the basketball world and shows a lack of strength in ACC basketball.
Well Above Mid-Major Conferences
The real conundrum occurs with the drop-off after the ACC. The Mountain West set a record with six bids from the conference in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. They had more bids than the ACC. Another powerful mid-major, the Atlantic 10, led by Dayton, has been known to send multiple teams to the tournament. Gonzaga and St. Mary’s lead the West Coast Conference every season and make noise in the tournament, as well. The ACC sits well above those conferences.
The average NET ranking of the Mountain West, Atlantic 10, and West Coast Conference are 126.45, 135.93, and 149.55, respectively. Once again, there is a gap of 30 spots between the ACC and the nearest conference. The top-tier ACC programs raise the average enough to create a clear divide, but the weak bottom of the conference mirrors that of these mid-major conferences. In essence, the top of the conference is similar to a power conference, while the bottom is similar to a mid-major conference.
What’s the Verdict?
The ACC is doing everything they can to assert themselves in the middle of college basketball. They try, but fail, to compete with the top conferences, but the mid-majors still can’t compete with the ACC’s strength. Duke, Pitt, Clemson, and North Carolina would all have sustained success in other conferences and would likely win most conferences in college basketball. But the bottom continues to be a major weakness. Until the ACC learns how to establish the lower-tier teams, the strength of ACC basketball will continue to be called into question.
Despite the slander, the conference still finds itself in the top five of all conferences in college basketball. However, the goal is not the top five: the goal is number one. All the meetings in the offseason have proven to be ineffective if teams cannot win important games. The ACC continues to melt away in no man’s land while other conferences build their strength from the bottom to the top.
Maybe the day will come when the ACC can return to the top. Unfortunately for ACC fans, that day doesn’t appear to be coming any time soon.
