ACColades
The ACC’s fourth ESPN “Big Monday” of the season features Louisville at home versus Syracuse … the Cardinals have won the last three meetings in the series, including both matchups in 2016-17 … Syracuse ranks fourth nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.381) and seventh in scoring defense (62.7) … Sunday’s lone ACC action sees Boston College outlast visiting Georgia Tech for an 80-72 win in overtime … Ky Bowman scores eight of his 17 points in overtime to lead the Eagles … No. 2 Virginia, No. 20 Clemson, Florida State, NC State, Miami and No. 19 North Carolina post league wins on Saturday … Virginia’s 14-game winning streak is its longest since starting 19-0 in 2014-15 … the Cavaliers are 11-0 in ACC play for the first time since 1981 … Clemson’s win at Wake Forest puts the Tigers alone in second place in the ACC standings … the Tigers, who were picked for a 13th-place finish in the ACC’s preseason media poll, stand 8-3 in the ACC for the first time since 1996-97 … with Saturday’s 76-58 win over Notre Dame, NC State owns a three-game winning streak in ACC play for the first time since 2015 … Virginia remains No. 1 in the latest RPI … the Cavaliers are joined in the top 10 by No. 4 Clemson, No. 8 Duke and No. 10 North Carolina … Miami is at No. 19.
By the Numbers
1 – Duke’s Marvin Bagley III is bidding to become the first freshman ever to lead the ACC in both scoring and rebounds … Bagley currently leads the league in scoring (21.4), rebounds (11.2) and double-doubles (17).
1 – Virginia’s Tony Bennett is one league win shy of becoming only the 12th coach in conference history to reach the 100-win plateau in ACC regular season games.
1 – Clemson’s Shelton Mitchell leads the ACC in free throw percentage (.909) and is bidding to become the first Tiger to lead the ACC in that category since Shawan Robinson in 2006.
4 – NC State sophomore guard Markell Johnson has handed out 10 or more assists in each of his last four games … in ACC play, Johnson is averaging 9.3 assists and 7.2 points per game and is shooting .429 from behind the arc.
7 – North Carolina’s Joel Berry II is seven points shy of becoming only the 30th player in ACC history with 1,600 points, 400 assists and 140 steals.
11 – Syracuse sophomore Ty Battle has 11 games with 20 or more points and ranks second in the ACC in scoring at 19.7 ppg – the highest per game scoring average for a Syracuse player since Hakim Warrick netted 21.4 points per game in 2005.
14 – Louisville junior Ray Spalding has pulled down at least eight rebounds in 14 of his last 20 games … Spalding ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounds (9.2), steals (1.7) and seventh in blocked shots (2.0).
20 – Boston College’s Jerome Robinson has scored 10 or more points in 20 consecutive games and ranks third in the ACC in scoring (19.0).
