ACC basketball standings: Duke upsets North Carolina, opens door for Virginia to three-peat as regular season champions

While the basketball world collects itself after another example of Roy Williams' brilliant in-game strategic decision-making, Cavalier eyes turn instead to the updated ACC standings and Virginia's shot at a third straight regular-season ACC title.

Six teams eligible for postseason play (sorry, Louisville, but you did this to yourselves) are within one win of first place. Syracuse, after losing badly last night, is still only two games out.

Thankfully, many of those teams play each other at least once over these last two weeks. The Hoos play Miami, North Carolina, and Clemson, for instance, while UNC has games against Miami and Syracuse, as well as a rematch with Duke. Almost every game, then, has title and seeding implications for Virginia.

Every day that one of the seven teams in the hunt plays, we'll post a rooting guide letting you know what outcome(s) is/are best for U.Va.

As a preview of coming attractions, here are the most important games for Virginia's conference title hopes (other than ones in which U.Va. is playing, of course):

1. Miami at UNC - Saturday, February 20
2. Miami at Notre Dame - Wednesday, March 2
3. UNC at Duke - Saturday, March 5

Adding to the fun is this little tidbit: If every team favored by KenPom in a given game wins that game, there will be five teams tied at 13-5. The way the tiebreakers shake out, Virginia would snag the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament. Math is fun.

Hold onto your butts.