Georgia Tech-UNC game headlines this week in the ACC

By AP
Published

A look at the upcoming week around the Atlantic Coast Conference:

GAME OF THE WEEKEND: Georgia Tech at No. 15 North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets' visit to Chapel Hill marks the best game on a weekend lineup bereft of matchups of Top 25 teams. Georgia Tech (10-7, 3-1) stumbled through the nonconference schedule before finding themselves, winning three of their first four ACC games and reeling off four straight wins to move into a tie for third place heading into Thursday night's home game against No. 2 Virginia. The Tar Heels (14-4, 3-2) held off Clemson and have won three in a row to follow a two-game losing streak.

LOOKING AHEAD: Virginia is starting a stretch in which five of seven games are on the road, with one of the few home games in that stretch coming next Tuesday night when Clemson visits in the league's next matchup of Top 25 teams. The Cavaliers have the best road record in the ACC during the past six years, going 27-19 away from Charlottesville.

PLAYER TO WATCH: North Carolina State big man Omer Yurtseven is putting up some big numbers . Entering Thursday night's game against Wake Forest, he's averaging 17 points and 6.3 rebounds over his last three games. He has a team-best 33 blocked shots, is second on the team with a 6.7 rebounding average and has made 11 of 17 3-pointers (64.7 percent).

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: One of the key advanced statistics indicates the ACC is home to some strong defenses. According to Ken Pomeroy's efficiency ratings, six of the top 14 defenses in Division I are in the ACC. Virginia, as expected, ranks No. 1 while Miami is seventh. Four ACC schools - Syracuse, North Carolina, Clemson and Louisville - hold down Nos. 11-14.

ON THE WOMEN'S SIDE: Second-ranked Louisville is continuing its roll through conference play. The Cardinals (19-0, 5-0) routed then-No. 2 Notre Dame by 33 points on their way to earning the highest ranking in program history. Looming large is a visit to 12th-ranked Florida State (16-2, 4-1) on Sunday.

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Compiled by AP Sports Writer Joedy McCreary in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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