ESPN Men's Basketball

Duke has separated itself from the rest of the league not only by playing the toughest schedule, but by winning. But as I wrote Thursday, as good as the Blue Devils have been, they still have some remaining questions -- which makes the search for the league's No. 2 team and top challenger to Duke that much more intriguing.

The Maryland Terrapins look like they have a chance to be special, as Alex Len and Dez Wells give them a dynamic two-man combination. But their soft schedule still leaves plenty of questions as they enter conference play. The Miami (FL) Hurricanes still have the potential to compete for an upper-division finish, but they've struggled with injuries. The North Carolina Tar Heels showed promise in beating UNLV, and are very talented, but they've had issues on defense and lack a dominant post presence. The Florida State Seminoles have had a hard time replacing the physical play of Bernard James and consistent guard play of Luke Loucks.

This process of elimination leads to a team that is on the rise, and now playing at an elite level: the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Based on how they've played their past five games, I think the Wolfpack are a legitimate challenger to Duke in the ACC.

To read Seth Greenberg's full article on NC State, you must be an ESPN Insider.