Intraconference games in the Atlantic Coast Conference begin this week and, as expected, ACC teams have set a torrid pace against non- conference foes since the season started on Nov. 14.
All eight ACC teams have winning records against non-ACC opponents, posting a 56-17 record so far this year. Six of the conference's 17 losses came in the ACC-Big East Challenge.
Even Maryland, the preseason selection to be in the cellar, has a 6-3 record, including a 78-69 shocker over then-No. 12 South Carolina on Saturday in the ECAC Holiday Festival.
North Carolina, 9-1, lost a 76-74 heart-stopper to the Gamecocks on Dec. 1 in the Diet Pepsi Tournament of Champions, but the Tar Heels otherwise have lived up to their preseason selection as the team to beat in the ACC.
North Carolina beat DePaul and Stanford this weekend to claim the Citrus Classic. Dean Smith's team was led by tourney MVP Rick Fox, who scored 21 and 20 points in the two games.
So far this season, the Tar Heels pasted then No. 17 Alabama 95-79, squeaked past a good Kentucky team 84-81 and waxed Connecticut 79-64 in the ACC-Big East Challenge.
Smith, in his 30th season with North Carolina, has 697 career wins as of Monday. He will have many more than 700 before the current freshman class, considered the best recruiting class in the history of college basketball, graduates.
The biggest win of the season for the ACC came at Norman, Okla., when the Blue Devils, 9-2, overcame a halftime deficit to topple Oklahoma 90- 85. Duke lost to Arkansas 98-88 in the NIT and to Georgetown 79-74 in the ACC-Big East Challenge.
Defending ACC champion Clemson has an 8-2 record that includes a loss to Seton Hall in the ACC-Big East Challenge and wins against unimpressive programs such as Samford and Maryland-Baltimore County.
Conference games on tap Wednesday night include Clemson at North Carolina State (4-2) and Maryland at Wake Forest (5-2). Other ACC action Wednesday has Duke hosting Boston University, Howard at Georgia Tech (7- 3) and Virginia (7-2) at Marquette.
Conference games slated for Saturday are Duke at Virginia and Clemson at Maryland. Other Saturday games include North Carolina against Notre Dame at the Meadowlands and N.C. State at Kansas.
