After a 14-2 wipe by the SEC in 2024, the ACC bounced back in 2025 as the challenge ended 9-7 in favor of the SEC.

Auburn holds the nation's No. 10 offense according to KenPom entering December, and is the third-most efficient team in the SEC behind Alabama and Vanderbilt. Auburn is projected to score 122.4 points per 100 possessions, and is one of 16 teams in the country with an efficiency score of 122 or higher.

Did the Crimson Tide move up or down in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll after falling to Gonzaga but obliterating UNLV and Maryland at the Players Era Festival?

Juke Harris continues to look like one of the best players in the ACC, showing off his versatility as a three-level scorer for the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest is also on track toward producing its best defensive season under Steve Forbes. Don’t forget this team went toe-to-toe with juggernaut Michigan. The Deacs are a dangerous bunch.