The Atlantic Coast Conference announced itself emphatically on the national stage in the release of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, bringing a seismic shift at the very top, and meaningful movement throughout the ACC’s ranked contingent.
Duke vaulted all the way to No. 1, Virginia quietly climbed two spots, North Carolina rebounded, and Louisville stayed firmly in the picture, all while Clemson’s recent skid cost the Tigers their ranked status entirely.
Meanwhile, the Miami Hurricanes remain a team the poll is watching closely despite missing the top 25. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of where every ACC program stands, why they got there, and what it all means heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
No. 1 — Duke Blue Devils
Previous Ranking: No. 3
Duke’s ascent to No. 1 was earned emphatically. On Saturday at Washington D.C.’s Capital One Arena, the Blue Devils dethroned previously top-ranked Michigan 68-63 in what ESPN’s “College GameDay” previewed as the marquee matchup of the college basketball weekend.
The victory was a masterclass in defensive execution and clutch performance, as freshman forward Cameron Boozer once again proved why he is the frontrunner for National Player of the Year honors. The Blue Devils received 27 of 31 first-place votes in the Coaches Poll — it is their first No. 1 ranking of the current season and the 148th time the program has held the top spot in the AP Poll history.
No. 12 — Virginia Cavaliers
Previous Ranking: No. 14
Ryan Odom’s Virginia Cavaliers have quietly put together one of the most impressive runs in the ACC this season, and a dramatic home win over Miami on Saturday cemented their hold on second place in the conference standings and earned them a two-spot jump in the poll.
Virginia’s eighth consecutive win pushed its season record to 24-3. They sit second in the ACC standings, one game behind Duke, and the two-game gap between Virginia and third-place Miami makes the Cavaliers a near-lock for one of the conference’s top seeds in the ACC Tournament. Odom, in his first year leading Virginia, is the winningest first-year coach in program history.
No. 19 — North Carolina Tar Heels
Previous Ranking: No. 20
North Carolina bounced back from a difficult stretch to earn a one-spot climb in this week’s poll, and did so with a resurgent performance against Syracuse that also saw the return of star big man Henri Veesaar to the lineup.
The Tar Heels are 4-1 against ranked opponents and are averaging 80.2 points per game on the season. UNC also carries a 15-0 home record through Feb 23rd, making the Smith Center one of the most dominant home venues in college basketball this season.
No. 20 — Louisville Cardinals
Previous Ranking: No. 21
The Louisville Cardinals climbed one spot to No. 20 in this week’s poll following a comfortable Saturday win over Georgia Tech, 87-70, at the KFC Yum! Center, extending a stretch of strong play that has made the Cardinals one of the ACC’s most dangerous teams entering the postseason.
Louisville has won six of its last seven games heading into the week, and the offense has been nothing short of explosive. Freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. is the engine of the offense, averaging 18.6 points per game on the season with nearly five assists per contest.
Dropped Out: Clemson Tigers
Previous Ranking: No. 24 | Votes Received: 1
What had been one of the ACC’s great stories of the 2025-26 season has turned into a cautionary tale about momentum lost at the worst possible time.
Clemson, which at one point this season held the second-longest active conference road winning streak at 14 straight ACC road wins, has now lost four consecutive games and fallen entirely out of the coaches poll, receiving just one vote in the Week 17 edition.
On the Outside: Miami Hurricanes
Poll Status: Not Ranked | Votes Received: 5 Votes
Miami is one of the more interesting stories in the ACC right now — a team talented enough to receive votes in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and hold a top-half conference record, yet just barely outside the top 25 after its four-game winning streak was snapped by Virginia on Saturday.
With five votes and a résumé that will be scrutinized hard on Selection Sunday, Miami needs to finish the regular season strong to secure its NCAA Tournament seeding and possibly re-enter the top 25.
The ACC enters the final weeks of the 2025-26 regular season with four teams ranked in the top 25, a number that reflects both the conference’s ceiling (Duke is now No. 1 nationally) and the competitive parity within the league that has made this one of the most entertaining conference seasons in recent memory.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: ACC power shift: Duke sits atop Week 17 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Reporting by Brandon Foster, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
