FSU Basketball 2024-25 Season Preview: ACC Roundup

There are three new teams in the ACC, and there are almost 150 players on different teams this year. How does Florida State stack up?

Austin Veazey | 16 Hours Ago

Oct 12, 2021; Charlotte, NC, USA;Florida State Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton speaks to the media at the ACC Tip Off at Charlotte Marriott City Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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Florida State Seminoles

A few weeks remain until college basketball tips off, but with how much movement there was in the ACC this offseason, it may take a few weeks to familiarize yourself with the new-look league. Lucky for you, I've compiled as much information into this as possible, talking with writers and personalities throughout the league to give the best view possible.

In this, you'll find returners, departures, and arrivals, projected starting lineups, projected order of finish, and more information to prepare you for the 2024-25 season. With more than 150 players on new teams this year (65%!!), plus three additional teams in the ACC, this will be a unique season for the league. So grab some popcorn and water, take breaks as needed, and let's get this underway.

Boston College Eagles (Last Season: 20-16 Overall, 8-12 ACC, 11th ACC Finish)

Returners: Chas Kelly III (3.7 PPG/0.7 RPG/0.2 APG/0.7 Stl+BlkPG), Donald Hand Jr. (5.0/1.9/03/0.5), Jayden Hastings (RS), Fred Payne (1.6/0.8/0.6/0.2), Elijah Strong (2.7/0.7/0.2/0.1)

Departures: Quinten Post (NBA), Claudell Harris Jr. (Mississippi State), Devin McGlockton (Vanderbilt), Jaeden Zackery (Clemson), Prince Aligbe (Seton Hall), Mason Madsen (Utah), Armani Mighty (Central Michigan)

Arrivals: Roger McFarlane (SE Louisiana), Dion Brown (UMBC), Chad Venning (St. Bonaventure), Joshua Beadle (Clemson), Kany Tchanda (Freshman), Luke Toews (Fr.), Nick Petronio (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Dion Brown, Chas Kelly III, Roger McFarlane, Elijah Strong, Chad Venning

Quinten Post was one of the best players in the ACC last year, and losing him is tough. They then also lost every serviceable player from last year's roster, and they weren't a very good team to begin with.

They should still have a decent starting five, but they're relying on three transfers making jumps from low-major basketball to the ACC. Dion Brown was a 19 PPG scorer at UMBC, Roger McFarlane was a 15 PPG scorer at SE Louisiana, and Chad Venning was a 13 PPG scorer at St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies were the only one of those teams above .500, but they didn't participate in any level of the postseason. Relying on those kinds of players generally doesn't lead to success at a much higher level.

Maybe some of their inexperienced young players, like Elijah Strong, Jayden Hastings, or Donald Hand Jr, can take a jump. But for year four in the Earl Grant experiment, they should feel better about the talent than what they currently have.

Boston College is a hard place to win. There's a reason they haven't made an NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009. They've been above .500 just three times in those years. I'm betting on the history here and don't see them performing well in the ACC this year.

California Golden Bears (Last Season: 13-19 Overall, 9-11 PAC-12, 8th PAC-12 Finish)

Returners: Devin Curtis (0.4/0.9/0.4/0.4), Vladimir Pavlovic (0.9/0.3/0.3/0.1)

Departures: Jaylon Tyson (NBA), Jalen Cone (Grad), Fardaws Aimaq (Grad), Keonte Kennedy (Grad), Rodney Brown (Virginia Tech), Jalen Celestine (Baylor), Grant Newell (North Texas), Devin Askew (Long Beach State), ND Okafor (Washington State), Monty Bowser (Northern Arizona)

Arrivals: Jovan Blacksher Jr. (Grand Canyon), Spencer Mahoney (Washington State), Christian Tucker (UTSA), DJ Campbell (Western Carolina), Mady Sissoko (Michigan State), Rytis Petraitis (Air Force), Andrej Stojakovic (Stanford), Lee Dort (Vanderbilt), Josh Ola-Joseph (Minnesota), BJ Omot (North Dakota), Jeremiah Wilkinson (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Christian Tucker, Andrej Stojakovic, Rytis Petraitis, Josh Ola-Joseph, Mady Sissoko

Don't sleep on the Cal Golden Bears. They lost a lot of talent with Jaylon Tyson going to the NBA and Jalen Cone and Fardaws Aimaq running out of eligibility. But Mark Madsen did a great job filling this team with quality transfers as he heads into his second season in Berkeley.

They brought in four players who averaged double-digit points last year: BJ Omot, DJ Campbell, Christian Tucker, and Rytis Petraitis. Tucker and Petraitis also averaged over three assists per game last year, with Tucker finishing at 5.4. This doesn't even include Jovan Blacksher Jr., who was FIrst-Team All-WAC in the 2021-22 season but suffered a brutal knee injury the following season and wasn't himself last year. If he bounces back to his pre-injury self, now in a sixth season due to a medical waiver, it could be a big difference-maker for this team.

Cal took some high upside swings on players like Lee Dort and Josh Ola-Joseph, with Ola-Joseph likely to play a big role for this team. And I haven't even mentioned Andrej Stojakovic, son of former Kings great Peja Stojakovic, a former five-star.

They have a lot of on-paper talent. But on-court, I do have a few concerns. Their bigs aren't great. Mady Sissoko was underwhelming at Michigan State, and Dort had some off-court issues at Vanderbilt that kept him from getting on the court. Maybe Devin Curtis can take a step forward after playing limited minutes last season. But their rebounding and shot-blocking concerns me.

Their three-point shooting is also a concern. Stojakovic has the genetics of an elite shooter but shot just 32.7% from deep as a freshman at Stanford last year. DJ Campbell hit 41% of his threes but attempted less than two per game. The same goes for Ola-Joseph, who shot 40.6% on about one attempt per game. No one else shot 35% or better last season at their respective stops.

Cal has enough talent to win a few games, but it may take some time for them to round into form.

Clemson Tigers (Last Season: 24-12 Overall, 11-9 ACC, 5th ACC Finish)

Returners: Chase Hunter (12.9/2.6/3.2/1.0), Dillon Hunter (2.3/1.6/1.3/0.5), Ian Schieffelin (10.1/9.4/2.2/1.1), Chauncey Wiggins (5.4/2.1/0.9/0.5), Jake Heidbreder (DNP), Asa Thomas (RS)

Departures: PJ Hall (NBA), Joseph Girard III (Grad), RJ Godfrey (Georgia), Alex Hemenway (Vanderbilt), Jack Clark (VCU), Bas Leyte (Grad)

Arrivals: Myles Foster (Illinois State), Viktor Lakhin (Cincinnati), Jaeden Zackery (Boston College), Christian Reeves (Duke), Dallas Thomas (Fr.), Ace Buckner (Fr.), Del Jones (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Chase Hunter, Jaeden Zackery, Chauncey Wiggins, Ian Schieffelin, Viktor Lakhin

I was really high on Clemson last year, and they underwhelmed in the regular season, but finally proved me right with a run to the Elite Eight in last year's NCAA Tournament, giving Alabama a heck of a game. I'm not as high on this year's team for a few reasons.

Losing PJ Hall, who is Clemson's 7th all-time leading scorer, is hard to replace. While the transfer bigs they brought in are interesting, the two of them won't equal what Hall could provide. Viktor Lakhin isn't the rim protector you'd expect with someone of his size and mobility. Myles Foster is a 6'7" center and got 84% of his shot attempts at the rim last year at Illinois State.

The lack of outside shooting concerns me as well. Jaeden Zackery is a lethal shooter, but no one else really scares me. Maybe Jake Heidbreder, after missing all of last year, can be a bench shooter, but he won't be enough.

Ian Schieffelin and Chase Hunter are a great guard/big combo, especially given Schieffelin's inside-out versatility. Those two will win them a lot of basketball games, but maybe not enough to get in the top group of the ACC.

What I didn't realize until talking with someone who covers Clemson, Brad Brownell has never made back-to-back NCAA Tournaments as a coach. Clemson hasn't made consecutive Tournaments since the stretch from 2008-2011. Given as long as he's been there, that was a little shocking to me. That's a long stretch for Brownell; history isn't exactly on his side for this team.

Duke Blue Devils (Last Season: 27-9 Overall, 15-5 ACC, 2nd ACC Finish)

Returners: Tyrese Proctor (10.5/3.0/3.7/0.8), Caleb Foster (7.7/2.4/2.1/0.7), Spencer Hubbard (0.6/0.3/0.2/0)

Departures: Kyle Filipowski (NBA), Jared McCain (NBA), Ryan Young (Grad), Mark Mitchell (Missouri), Jeremy Roach (Baylor), TJ Power (Virginia), Jaden Schutt (Virginia Tech), Sean Stewart (Ohio State), Jaylen Blakes (Stanford)

Arrivals: Mason Gillis (Purdue), Maliq Brown (Syracuse), Sion James (Tulane), Cameron Sheffield (Rice), Cooper Flagg (Fr.), Khaman Maluach (Fr.), Isaiah Evans (Fr.), Kon Knueppel (Fr.), Patrick Ngongba II (Fr.), Darren Harris (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Caleb Foster, Tyrese Proctor, Kon Knueppel, Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach

Jon Scheyer has zero excuses this year. Not winning the ACC with this much talent would be a disgrace.

Usually, when deciding my projected starting five, it's pretty easy. There may be one or two positions up for grabs, but the story usually tells itself. Duke's second lineup, whatever they decide on, is more talented than most team's starting lineups.

Starting with the returners, Tyrese Proctor has been a fine player but hasn't quite lived up to expectations in his two seasons. As the elder statesman on the team, he'll be asked to be a leader for this team. Caleb Foster is also expected to take a big step forward with the surprise departure of Jeremy Roach this offseason.

They brought in a talented transfer class, headlined by Mason Gillis, Maliq Brown, and Sion James. Gillis is a perfect glue guy who does all the little things, starting 63 games and appearing in 132 total for one of the best teams in the country at Purdue. It's not guaranteed he'll start, but they've needed someone with a high basketball IQ after two years of Mark Mitchell killing possessions. Maliq Brown was a unique chess piece for Syracuse last season as a stretch, undersized center at 6'8", but he's talented and a solid rebounder. Sion James scored 14 PPG for Tulane last season, and will be a key bench scorer for them.

Then there's the top recruiting class in the country, including four five-stars, led by the top recruit in the class, Cooper Flagg. He has as much hype as any recruit entering college basketball since Zion Williamson. There's also seven-footer Khaman Maluach, who has an NBA-ready frame from day one and can score out of the post or in face-up situations. Wing Isaiah Evans is a lethal scorer to have coming off the bench, and Kon Knueppel is a ridiculously talented shooter.

Duke can go ten deep whenever they want and their spacing should be better than in years past, but I'm still not sold on Scheyer's coaching ability. He's a tremendous recruiter but some of his rotation decisions and in-game adjustments haven't always been the cleanest. This team may be so talented that it may not matter.

Florida State Seminoles (Last Season: 17-16 Overall, 10-10 ACC, 9th ACC Finish)

Returners: Jamir Watkins (15.6/6.0/2.8/2.7), Chandler Jackson (4.9/1.4/1.1/1.0), Taylor Bol Bowen (3.1/2.6/0.3/1.1), Waka Mbatch (DNP)

Departures: Darin Green Jr. (Grad), Jaylan Gainey (Grad), Josh Nickelberry (Grad) Jalen Warley (Virginia), Cameron Corhen (Pittsburgh), Primo Spear (UTSA), Baba Miller (Florida Atlantic), De'Ante Green (USF), Cam'Ron Fletcher (Xavier), Tom House (Furman)

Arrivals: Bostyn Holt (South Dakota), Jerry Deng (Hampton), Malique Ewin (South Plains C.C.), Daquan Davis (Fr.), A.J. Swinton (Fr.), Alier Maluk (Fr.), Christian Nitu (Fr.), Anastasios Rozeakas (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Chandler Jackson, Jamir Watkins, Bostyn Holt, Taylor Bol Bowen, Malique Ewin

For a more in-depth breakdown, check out my Roster Breakdown. In short, this is a very young team that has a lot of length and should have better perimeter shooting, but I worry about their top-end talent. Outside of Jamir Watkins, who is an All-ACC talent, there is no proven production on this team. The only other incumbents, Chandler Jackson and Taylor Bol Bowen, have potential, but they'll be heavily relied on to produce at a high level.

Freshman guard Daquan Davis may be FSU's second-leading scorer on this team. He's a dynamic player, albeit on the smaller end, and is the type of player Leonard Hamilton has never really had. He should excel in a Sixth Man role.

Bostyn Holt was a curious take. One ACC source told me the take didn't make much sense, as Holt was the third-best player on a below-average South Dakota team. He may be starting for the Seminoles.

The center and wing depth concerns me. Malique Ewin is a talented but unproven player. Alier Maluk reclassified and his role is up in the air. Waka Mbatch couldn't play any minutes on a team that desperately needed them last year. If freshmen AJ Swinton and Anastasios Rozakeas can provide quality minutes early on the wing, it'd be huge.

Overall, there's better shooting and spacing on paper, which should allow Watkins, Jackson, and Davis a little more space to operate.

Either way, this team is relying on a lot of youth and inexperience, and I normally don't love that.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (Last Season: 14-18 Overall, 7-13 ACC, 12th ACC Finish)

Returners: Kowacie Reeves (9.8/3.9/0.9/1.0), Baye Ndongo (12.4/8.2/1.0/1.9), Lance Terry (22-23: 10.1/2.8/1.2/0.8), Naithan George (9.8/2.4/4.7/0.4), Ibrahim Souare (RS)

Departures: Kyle Sturdivant (Grad), Miles Kelly (Auburn), Dallan Coleman (UCF), Tyzhaun Claude (North Carolina), Ibrahim Sacko (New Mexico), Tafara Gapare (Maryland), Ebenezer Dowuona (James Madison), Amaree Abram (Louisiana Tech)

Arrivals: Javian McCollum (Oklahoma), Luke O'Brien (Colorado), Duncan Powell (Sacramento State), Ryan Mutombo (Georgetown), Jaeden Mustaf (Fr.), Darrion Sutton (Fr.), Doryan Onwuchekwa (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Javion McCollum, Naithan George, Kowacie Reeves, Luke O'Brien, Baye Ndongo

I like this starting five a lot. Nait George and Baye Ndongo were big surprises as freshmen last year and now have a full year of experience under their belts. It's the perfect blend of high upside and experience and has two good floor spacers with Reeves and O'Brien, with Lance Terry off the bench. I would like either George or Javian McCollum to take that next step as a shooter to open up the offense.

I don't love the depth, though. What happens if Lance Terry isn't the player he was before he injured his calf and redshirted last year? Duncan Powell was a solid scorer at Sacramento State, but it'd be hard to rely on him for more than 6-7 PPG. Jaeden Mustaf should be a fun freshman guard.

But at best, I feel good about seven players. At worst, it's closer to like four. Year two under Damon Stoudamire should be interesting.

They did a decent job of addressing their biggest need for efficient scoring, but McCollum had an effective field goal percentage of 48.6% last year. That's well below average in college basketball, and he'll likely be relied upon again to be a main scorer.

Georgia Tech was already a feisty team last year that beat Duke, Clemson, and North Carolina, but they paired that with three losses to Notre Dame, one to Louisville, and one to UMass-Lowell. If they can clean up some of their unnecessary losses, they could see a small jump this season, even if their depth concerns me.

Louisville Cardinals (Last Season: 8-24 Overall, 3-17 ACC, 15th ACC Finish)

Returners: Nobody. Not a soul.

Departures: Skyy Clark (UCLA), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (NC State), Mike James (NC State), Tre White (Illinois), Ty-Laur Johnson (Wake Forest), JJ Traynor (DePaul), Curtis Williams Jr. (Georgetown), Emmanuel Okorafor (Seton Hall), Kaleb Glenn (Florida Atlantic), Dennis Evans (Grand Canyon), Hercy Miller (Southern Utah), Danilo Jovanovich (Milwaukee), Koron Davis (Louisiana)

Arrivals: Terrence Edwards Jr. (James Madison), J'Vonne Hadley (Colorado), Aly Khalifa (BYU), Koren Johnson (Washington), Aboubacar Traore (Long Beach St.), Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin), Kasean Pryor (South Florida), Noah Waterman (BYU), Frank Anselem-Ibe (Georgia), James Scott (Charleston), Kobe Rogers (Charleston), Reyne Smith (Charleston), Khani Rooths (Louisville)

Projected Starters: Chucky Hepburn, Terrence Edwards Jr., J'Vonne Hadley, Kasean Pryor, James Scott

I can't believe I'm saying this. I think this Louisville team will be really good.

I know, I know. They've won 12 total games in the last two seasons combined and only 5 ACC games. However! Kenny Payne is gone, and Pat Kelsey is in. That alone is enough for them to potentially triple their win total from last season.

Kenny Payne was an unmitigated disaster. I was surprised he even got a second season, given how bad his media comments were, even outside of the on-court performance. Meanwhile, Kelsey was one of my favorite mid-major coaches in college basketball over the last few years, winning 68% of his games in his 12 seasons between Winthrop and Charleston. His only losing season was his first season as a head coach. Since then, he's won 70.2% of his games and won the regular season of his conference in six of the last nine seasons. He wins.

Now, it can be a big jump from Charleston to Louisville, as we've seen Earl Grant struggle to find success at Boston College, but that's Boston College (respectfully). Louisville is, and always will be, a basketball school. They are willing to pour in the resources necessary to succeed.

Case in point: this Louisville team is entirely brand new. All 13 scholarship players weren't at Louisville last season. 12 of them are transfers, 11 being either a junior, senior, or grad student. So they've got the experience.

They also have scoring. No team in the ACC has more college production on their roster, with Louisville's players combining to score 119.4 PPG at their respective stops. And it's not like they're coming from bad spots.

Terrence Edwards Jr. was the leading scorer at 17.2 PPG on a James Madison team that won 32 games last year. If you're worried about the jump being too big for him, he scored 24 points at Michigan State in that upset win to start the year, 14 against Wisconsin in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, and 13 against Duke in the Round of 32. He's plenty good enough.

J'Vonne Hadley scored almost 12 PPG for a solid Colorado team, Koren Johnson scored 11 PPG for Washington and will likely come off the bench, and Kasean Pryor scored 13 PPG for a really good USF team. That's not even all of the double-digit scorers. Reyne Smith, one of the three former Charleston players to follow Kelsey to Louisville, averaged 12.8 PPG, and Aboubacar Traore averaged 12 PPG and 8.4 RPG for a Long Beach team that won the Big West Tournament.

Then you throw in Chucky Hepburn's 9 PPG at Wisconsin, Noah Waterman's 9.5 PPG at BYU, and Kobe Rodgers' 9.7 PPG at Charleston, and that gives Louisville nine players that averaged at least 9.0 PPG or better last season. That's insane.

My biggest concern is their interior. James Scott, who averaged 5 PPG and 3.4 RPG as a freshman at Charleston, is projected to start, with Frank Anselem (Georgia) and Aly Khalifa (BYU) as his depth. I don't love it, and I think some teams will be able to beat them on the glass. Against smaller teams, Pryor can slide down and play center as someone who can also pick-and-pop to hit threes and wouldn't be surprised if their best lineups feature him at the center. Other than that, there's a lot to love about this roster.

Oh, by the way, their one true freshman, Khani Rooths, was a top-40 recruit in this year's class.

This team has scoring, depth, shooting, and playmaking littered across the roster. The Cardinals may be back.

Miami Hurricanes (Last Season: 15-17 Overall, 6-14 ACC, 14th ACC Finish)

Returners: Matthew Cleveland (13.7/6.1/1.7/1.7), Nijel Pack (13.3/2.6/3.6/1.3), Paul Djobet (2.4/1.6/0.4/0.4)

Departures: Kyshawn George (NBA), Norchad Omier (Baylor), Wooga Poplar (Villanova), Bensley Joseph (Providence), AJ Casey (Saint Louis), Michael Nwoko (Mississippi State), Christian Watson (Southern Miss), Jakai Robinson (Bryant)

Arrivals: Lynn Kidd (Virginia Tech), Brandon Johnson (East Carolina), Jalen Blackmon (Stetson), AJ Staton-McCray (Samford), Yussuf Basa-Ama (Yale), Kiree Huie (Idaho State), Jahlil Bethea (Fr.), Austin Swartz (Fr.), Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (Fr.), Divine Ugochukwu (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Jalen Blackmon, Nijel Pack, Matthew Cleveland, Brandon Johnson, Lynn Kidd

Miami fell off last season due to essentially no depth. Their starting five averaged about 32 MPG last year, and only one player off the bench averaged more than 14 MPG. I'm still not convinced Matthew Cleveland is a winning basketball player, and losing Norchad Omier to Baylor, Wooga Poplar to Villanova, and Kyshawn George to the NBA are all tough losses.

I think they've done a lot to bring in depth. Jalen Blackmon was a 21 PPG scorer for Stetson, and Brandon Johnson, Lynn Kidd, AJ Staton-McCray, and Kiree Huie were all double-digit scorers at their last stops. With the addition of five-star Jahlil Bethea, they should have an eight-man rotation with Cleveland and Nijel Pack returning.

I don't think that depth is good enough to return to the top of the ACC, though. Lynn Kidd wasn't a great interior presence for Virginia Tech and isn't the glass cleaner Omier was, but he can score the basketball. While all of these new players scored at their previous stops, it's one thing to do it at Idaho State and Stetson and then do it in the ACC.

This offense should be one of the best in the ACC, but their defense, which was the third worst in the ACC last year, doesn't look to be very good. Teams will likely be able to score at will on them in the paint again, and their backcourt is small.

The volatility of this team is high. They could finish as one of the three best teams in the ACC, or they could be one of the three worst teams. Neither would surprise me.

North Carolina Tar Heels (Last Season: 29-8 Overall, 17-3 ACC, 1st ACC Finish)

Returners: RJ Davis (21.2/3.6/3.5/1.4), Jae'Lyn Withers (4.2/3.6/0.6/0.9), Elliot Cadeau (7.3/2.2/4.1/0.9), Seth Trimble (5.2/2.1/0.9/0.6), Jalen Washington (3.9/2.6/0.2/0.7)

Departures: Harrison Ingram (NBA), Armando Bacot (Grad), Paxson Wojcik (Grad), Cormac Ryan (Grad), James Okonkwo (Akron), Zayden High (Dismissed)

Arrivals: Ven-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt), Cade Tyson (Belmont), Tyzhaun Claude (Georgia Tech), Ian Jackson (Fr.), Drake Powell (Fr.), James Brown (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Elliot Cadeau, RJ Davis, Ian Jackson, Cade Tyson, Ven-Allen Lubin

I admittedly wasn't very high on UNC entering last season, but I didn't foresee RJ Davis averaging 21.2 PPG. He may have to average 26 PPG on this team if they're to have similar success.

It's a unique North Carolina team that doesn't feature the dominant big you're used to. Gone (finally) is Armando Bacot, but there's no Walker Kessler, no Garrison Brooks, no Day'Ron Sharpe... their only true big on the roster is Jalen Washington, who hasn't played much in his two seasons in Chapel Hill. His analytics from last season look good, but he was only averaging 8 MPG. The chances he's ready for 25+ minutes are slim.

They may have to play more minutes of Jae'Lyn Withers at the five than any team would like. Ven-Allen Lubin spent a lot of minutes playing center for a bad Vanderbilt team, will he be ready for the ACC at 6'8"?

The Cade Tyson transfer will be an interesting one. He was a 16 PPG scorer for Belmont and shot a blistering 46.5% from three-point range on high volume. Even if he's not scoring like he should, that shooting threat will open up the offense a lot. How the five-star freshmen combo of Drake Powell and Ian Jackson fit in will be huge for the team.

Elliot Cadeau will need to take a step forward as a scorer as well. He surprised me with his play-making abilities early on, but teams will be happy to let him shoot instead of Davis unless he progresses as a scorer.

I don't like their depth or their size, but they have spacing and RJ Davis. That alone is enough to be one of the three best teams in the ACC this year.

NC State Wolfpack (Last Season: 26-15 Overall, 9-11 ACC, 10th ACC Finish)

Returners: Jayden Taylor (11.2/3.6/1.3/1.6), Michael O'Connell (5.7/3.4/3.2/1.0), Ben Middlebrooks (5.7/4.4/0.6/1.4), Dennis Parker (4.7/3.2/0.4/1.1), Breon Pass (1.3/0.5/0.3/0.3)

Departures: DJ Horne (Grad), DJ Burns (Grad), Casey Morsell (Grad), Mohamed Diarra (Grad), Kam Woods (Robert Morris), LJ Thomas (Austin Peay), Ernest Ross (Grambling State)

Arrivals: Dontrez Styles (Georgetown), Mike James (Louisville), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Louisville), Ismail Diouf (Laval, Canada), Marcus Hill (Bowling Green), Paul McNeil (Fr.), Bryce Heard (Fr.), Trey Parker (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Marcus Hill, Michael O'Connell, Jayden Taylor, Dontrez Styles, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield

People will overrate this NC State team because of their improbable run of winning the ACC Tournament and advancing all the way to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. Just for context, they're the only team to make the Final Four with a losing conference record since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. What they did was historic and may never happen again.

While everyone is talking about the losses of DJ Burns and DJ Horne, losing Mohamed Diarra was an underrated loss. He gobbled in 30.9% of all available defensive rebounds, third in the country among qualifying players. Getting Brandon Huntley-Hatfield for that role, who brought in 22.9%, is a big fall-off.

They'll have to play a smaller brand of basketball than they've been used to playing. Huntley-Hatfield is their center at 6'10", 240; none of their other projected starters are above 6'6". Ben Middlebrooks can give them quality bench minutes, and we'll see about Ismail Diouf.

Huntley-Hatfield is one of two former Kenny Payne players on this team, but if you were to get any two, he and Mike James were probably the best options. James was a solid scorer and should give the Wolfpack some bench help, and I wouldn't be opposed to starting him over Michael O'Connell, but he caught fire in the ACC Tournament.

Marcus Hill was a big pick-up to replace Horne, as Hill averaged over 20 PPG at Bowling Green last season. He'll need to hit his threes at a higher rate than his 28.9% last season but with some other good shot-makers around him like Jayden Taylor, he shouldn't be as relied upon to create his own shot and can be more efficient.

The Dontrez Styles storyline is a fun one, considering he started his career at UNC, but he was producing for a bad Georgetown team and couldn't see the floor in Chapel Hill. I wouldn't be surprised to see that addition not work out like they want.

The Wolfpack have a solid starting five and a good sixth man in James. If Dennis Parker can take that next jump, I'd be higher on them, but as of now, I think they're in line for a meddling season.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Last Season: 13-20 Overall, 7-13 ACC, 13th ACC Finish)

Returners: Markus Burton (17.5/3.3/4.3/2.1), Braeden Shrewsberry (10.2/2.5/0.9/0.5), Tae Davis (9.2/5.1/1.0/0.9), JR Konieczny (7.7/4.5/0.6/1.0), Julian Roper (5.4/4.0/0.6/1.1), Kebba Njie (4.3/5.4/0.7/1.0), Logan Imes (2.0/2.5/1.1/0.5)

Departures: Matt Zona (Fordham), Carey Booth (Illinois), Tony Sanders (IDK)

Arrivals: Matt Allocco (Princeton), Nikita Konstantynovskyi (Monmouth), Burke Chebuhar (Lehigh), Sir Mohammed (Fr.), Cole Certa (Fr.), Garrett Sundra (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Markus Burton, Braeden Shrewsberry, JR Konieczny, Tae Davis, Nikita Konstantynovskyi

I'm conflicted by this Notre Dame team. They were a very young team last year, led by Markus Burton's 17.5 PPG, but surprised many by not finishing last in the ACC. The hope is everyone is a year older and a year better, but that doesn't always happen.

The only significant change they made was bringing in Nikita Konstantynovskyi to man their center spot and Matt Allocco to provide depth and possibly even start on the wing, but they're making big jumps. If they decide to go with Kebba Njie at center again, I don't think he's good enough.

Micah Shrewsberry is a really good coach, and this team could have enough potential to overcome their perceived ceiling, but I have my doubts. Some of my complaints with them are similar to others. We know Burton can score against anyone; is Braeden Shrewsberry good enough to be a second option on a good team? Allocco and Shrewsberry are good three-point shooters, but will they get any help? They shot a lot of three-pointers last year as a team, 42nd nationally in 3PA rate, but they only connected at 31.8% as a team.

As good of a scorer as Burton is, he has to clean up his 20.4% turnover rate from last season. The whole team turned the ball over at a high rate last year, and some of that can be chalked up to youth and inexperience. But there also weren't any experienced ball-handlers added to alleviate that issue.

This should be a deeper squad than they had last year but the middle of the ACC is more talented than ND, and I'm not convinced players like JR Konieczny, Burke Chebuhar, or Julian Roper are good enough yet.

Pittsburgh Panthers (Last Season: 22-11 Overall, 12-8 ACC, 4th ACC Finish)

Returners: Ishmael Leggett (12.3/5.5/1.9/1.5), Jaland Lowe (9.6/2.8/3.3/0.9), Guillermo Diaz Graham (6.7/3.9/1.1/1.6), Jorge Diaz Graham (3.5/2.5/0.8/0.7), Zack Austin (6.5/4.2/0.9/2.3), Papa Kante (RS), Marlon Barnes Jr. (RS)

Departures: Blake Hinson (Grad), Carlton Carrington (NBA), Michael Hueitt (Grad), William Jeffress (Louisiana Tech), Federiko Federiko (Texas Tech)

Arrivals: Cameron Corhen (Florida State), Damian Dunn (Houston), Brandin Cummings (Fr.), Amdy Ndiaye (Fr.), Amsal Delalic (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Jaland Lowe, Ishmael Leggett, Zack Austin, Guillermo Diaz Graham, Cameron Corhen

Of all the teams left out of the NCAA Tournament last year, Pitt's exclusion came as a surprise, especially considering Virginia made it in. I think that loss to Missouri in the ACC/SEC Challenge kept them out despite them finishing 4th in the ACC last year.

Losing Blake Hinson's absurd shot-making will hurt, but it was an expected loss. Losing Bub Carrington to the NBA was a big shocker, though. Instead of having Carrington and Jaland Lowe as their backcourt for the foreseeable future, now it'll just be Lowe to handle those duties.

Hanging onto Lowe and Ishmael Leggett, the Sixth Man of the Year for the ACC, were big wins. Leggett may continue to come off the bench in favor of Damian Dunn, the transfer from Houston, but the starting lineup needs a scoring punch. Leggett scored over 12 PPG in under 30 MPG, it's fair to say he could climb to 15 or 16 PPG if he's playing 32 or 33 MPG, especially with Hinson gone.

Bringing in Cam Corhen from FSU gives them a unique big-man trio of him and the two Diaz Graham brothers, who all bring something a little different. I wasn't always a big fan of the way Corhen was used in Tallahassee, but he had a monster game at Pitt last season: 25 points and eight rebounds. He should bring more outside versatility on offense than he showed last season, and both of the Diaz Graham brothers can stretch the floor, too. Either way, Corhen is a massive step up from Federiko Federiko.

Their starting lineup should be fun if Zack Austin can step up. The former High Point transfer struggled to shoot last season, but his athleticism and defensive effort were apparent.

There are some depth concerns, especially with Amsal Delacic expected to miss time with a hand injury. He could be back by the second or third week of the season, but he's missing valuable practice time. Given his international experience and age, he'll play a big role in this team. Freshman guard Brandin Cummings, the brother of former Pitt guard Nelly Cummings, is expected to give them some minutes off the bench, but I do worry about their wing depth.

I don't see them finishing fourth in the ACC again, but they should be a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament, at a minimum.

SMU Mustangs (Last Season: 20-13 Overall, 11-7 AAC, 6th AAC Finish)

Returners: Chuck Harris (13.4/3.2/3.4/1.2), Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6.9/4.2/0.8/1.2), BJ Edwards (3.7/3.1/2.9/1.1)

Departures: Samuell Williamson (Grad), Emory Lanier (Grad), Zhuric Phelps (Texas A&M), Ja'heim Hudson (Auburn), Jalen Smith (Rice), Denver Anglin (Rice), Mo Njie (UTSA), Tyreek Smith (Memphis), Xavier Foster (Radford), Ricardo Wright (Kennesaw State), Jefferson Koulibaly (Pacific)

Arrivals: Kevin "Boopie" Miller (Wake Forest), AJ George (Long Beach State), Kario Oquendo (Oregon), Matt Cross (UMass), Jerrell Colbert (Kansas State), Yohan Traore (UC-Santa Barbara), Tibet Gorener (San Jose State), Samet Yigitoglu (Fr.), Mitchell Holmes (Fr.), Chance Puryear (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Kevin "Boopie" Miller, Chuck Harris, Kario Oquendo, Keon Ambrose-Hylton, Yohan Traore

This SMU squad is... interesting. There's a lot to like with their backcourt of Boopie Miller and Chuck Harris, who combined to average about 28 PPG last season, and Miller had success last year playing with a dynamic backcourt member at Wake Forest. Any team with this dynamic of a backcourt should have some success. Yohan Traore was a good big at UC Santa Barbara and should be serviceable in the ACC.

The rest of the team I have questions on. Matt Cross was a 15 PPG scorer at UMASS last year, but he's now on his fourth college team and his third ACC team. He wasn't exactly playable in his last two stops in the ACC at Miami and Louisville (pre-Kenny Payne). Maybe he's learned enough under Frank Martin at UMASS to take a jump, but there's reason to doubt it.

If Traore is starting at center, can they afford to also start Keon Ambrose-Hylton when neither player made a three-pointer last season? Maybe they bring Ambrose-Hylton off the bench and start Cross at the 4 for spacing, but I don't think Cross is physical enough. Kario Oquendo is a below-average starter but has experience. Tibet Gorener and AJ George were double-digit scorers at their last stops, but Gorener shot below 40% from the field, and George was at Long Beach.

Then there's the Andy Enfield factor. SMU made the shocking move to dismiss Rob Lanier after his second season, in which he doubled his win total and got to 20 wins. Their boosters thought they could raise their ceiling by bringing in Andy Enfield, who is coming off a 15-win season at USC.

I like Enfield, though I am biased with him being a former Florida State assistant. But since that Dunk City run at Florida Gulf Coast in 2013, he has mostly underwhelmed. The Elite Eight run in 2021 came as a six-seed, and in their other NCAA Tournament appearances, USC was never a better seed than a seven. And they had a lot more talent than this current SMU team has.

Maybe this SMU team will surprise people, and that backcourt is sure to catch a few teams off guard, but something is holding me back, and I can't put my finger on it.

Stanford Cardinal (Last Season: 14-18 Overall, 8-12 PAC-12, 10th Pac-12 Finish)

Returners: Maxime Raynaud (15.5/9.6/2.0/1.5), Benny Gealer (4.2/1.6/2.3/0.6), Ryan Agarwal (2.4/2.3/0.5/0.6), Aidan Cammann (RS), Jaylen Thompson (1.0/0.0/0.0/0.0)

Departures: Michael Jones (Grad), Spencer Jones (Grad), Jared Bynum (Grad), James Keefe (Grad), Max Murrell (Grad), Andrej Stojakovic (Cal), Brandon Angel (Oregon), Kanaan Carlyle (Indiana)

Arrivals: Chisom Okpara (Harvard), Oziyah Sellers (USC), Jaylen Blakes (Duke), Derin Saran (UC Irvine), Donavin Young (Fr.), Anthony Batson (Fr.), Evan Stinson (Fr.), Tallis Toure (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Benny Gealer, Derin Saran, Oziyah Sellers, Chisom Okpara, Maxime Raynaud

It's a new era for Stanford basketball, entering the ACC with new head coach Kyle Smith, who was previously at Washington State. He's coming off his first NCAA Tournament appearance as a head coach, leading the Cougars to a 25-10 record and winning PAC-12 Coach of the Year. Stanford's previous coach, Jerod Haase, was fired after eight seasons with no Tournament appearances.

They enter the ACC with a mostly unproven roster. Maxime Raynaud is outstanding and will be one of the best players in the ACC after making the All-PAC-12 Second Team and winning the PAC-12 Most Improved Player Award last season. Outside of him, there are a lot of questions about this team.

Chisom Okpara projects to be their second-leading scorer coming in from Harvard, but it could be a big jump going from the Ivy League to the ACC. Other than Okpara, the only other player who previously scored more than 10 PPG last season is Derin Saran, who squeaked in at 10.1 PPG for the UC Irvine Anteaters.

Oziyah Sellers and Benny Gealer will need to play bigger roles for this team, and this may be the chance Jaylen Blakes needs to break out. But it's hard to win in the ACC as an inexperienced team, and Stanford is too inexperienced this season for my liking. Give Kyle Smith a few years to build the roster the way he wants, and they should be solid, though.

Syracuse Orange (Last Season: 20-12 Overall, 11-9 ACC, 6th ACC Finish)

Returners: JJ Starling (13.3/3.2/1.9/1.0), Naheem McLeod (3.9/4.3/0.1/2.1), Chris Bell (12.0/2.3/0.7/1.3), Kyle Cuffe Jr. (3.2/1.0/0.5/0.7), Chance Westry (DNP)

Departures: Judah Mintz (NBA), Maliq Brown (Duke), Benny Williams (Dismissed/UCF), Quadir Copeland (McNeese State), Justin Taylor (James Madison), William Patterson (High Point), Peter Carey (Siena), Mounir Hima (Howard)

Arrivals: Jaquan Carlos (Hofstra), Lucas Taylor (Georgia State), Jyare Davis (Delaware), Eddie Lampkin Jr. (Colorado), Donnie Freeman (Fr.), Elijah Moore (Fr.), Petar Majstorovic (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Jaquan Carlos, JJ Starling, Chris Bell, Jyare Davis, Eddie Lampkin Jr.

JJ Starling and Chris Bell are coming back for Syracuse, and that's a big win. Starling should be able to produce more with Judah Mintz gone, but he needs to be more efficient and get a handle on his turnovers. Having Jaquan Carlos as a pure playmaker should help on that front, but I have a feeling that other teams won't respect Carlos as a scorer early on.

The battle for the fifth starter between Jyare Davis, a 17 PPG scorer at Delaware, and Donnie Freeman, a five-star freshman, should be fascinating. I don't think 'Cuse can go wrong either way, though I think Davis has the better frame early on.

If you're buying Syracuse stock, the biggest reason is not having to start Naheem McLeod anymore with the addition of Eddie Lampkin, who is an admittedly odd fit defensively. Even if they're not running their patented 2-3 zone anymore, Lampkin doesn't feel Syracuse-y. Rebounding was a huge weakness of the team last year, and Lampkin should at least help that a little, but he's not a great rim deterrent.

The loss of Maliq Brown was an underrated one but the Orange have seven players I feel good about when you throw in Lucas Taylor coming in from Georgia State, who was a 14 PPG scorer. If Elijah Moore or Chance Westry can give them anything, that'd be huge.

I'd also like to see one more shooter break out on this roster. Chris Bell was a sniper last year at 42% on 6.3 3PA, but they need a little more.

For this team to take the next step, it'll come on defense. They were one of the worst teams in the country at defending inside the arc, something I'm not convinced Lampkin helps address, but they have enough offense to win some games.

Virginia Cavaliers (Last Season: 23-11 Overall, 13-7 ACC, 3rd ACC Finish)

Returners: Isaac McKneely (12.3/3.0/1.6/0.8), Andrew Rohde (4.3/1.8/2.7/0.6), Blake Buchanan (3.4/3.1/0.4/1.3), Taine Murray (3.3/1.2/0.9/0.3), Elijah Gertrude (HURT), Anthony Robinson (RS), Christian Bliss (RS)

Departures: Reece Beekman (Grad), Jacob Groves (Grad), Jordan Minor (Grad), Ryan Dunn (NBA), Leon Bond (Northern Iowa), Dante Harris (Dismissed/Off Team)

Arrivals: Jalen Warley (Florida State), Dai Dai Ames (Kansas State), TJ Power (Duke), Carter Lang (Vanderbilt), Elijah Saunders (San Diego State), Jacob Cofie (Fr.), Ishan Sharma (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Jalen Warley, Isaac McKneely, Andrew Rohde, TJ Power, Blake Buchanan

Virginia deserves nothing good for their pitiful performance in last year's First Four game against Colorado State, a 67-42 loss that never felt close. They only allowed 28 points in the first half and were still down 14. That's borderline impressive.

Tony Bennett should get the benefit of the doubt, though. Or should he? Besides Virginia's championship in 2019, Virginia is 7-9 in the NCAA Tournament under Bennett. They haven't won an NCAA Tournament game since 2017 and haven't been to the second weekend since 2016, outside of the championship run, and have losses in the Tournament to UMBC, Furman, and Ohio. That run with Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome, De'Andre Hunter, and Mamadi Diakite is looking more and more like an outlier than the standard in Charlottesville.

Their biggest issue last year, as it is in most years, was their offense. They could not score the ball, and that's the whole point of the game. Part of that is by design, as Virginia has played the slowest tempo in college basketball in six of the last eight seasons. In the two seasons that they weren't the slowest, they were second-slowest and fourth-slowest. If the offense is still efficient, that's fine. The year they won the championship, they were second in the country in offensive efficiency. Last year's Cavaliers were 200th nationally.

With all of that history out of the way, let's focus on this year's team. Tony Bennett did nothing to fix the offensive issues of this team. In fact, if you total every team's PPG average from whatever team they were on last year, Virginia has the lowest amount of college PPG production in the ACC at 46.1 PPG. The next lowest is Virginia Tech at 53.2 PPG.

They also don't have the benefit of relying on a point guard familiar with the system to run the show. For what felt like a decade, Reece Beekman and Kihei Clark ran the offense. While it was never pretty, it worked. Now, with Elijah Gertrude out for the season after a scooter accident in the offseason, they'll be relying on transfers Jalen Warley and Dai Dai Ames to handle those responsibilities. I thought Warley played well toward the end of last season for FSU, but asking him to run this system may lead to choppy play.

Virginia should be great defensively, as they always are, especially with a guard like Warley leading the perimeter. They also feel confident TJ Power can be their next Sam Hauser after he hardly played at Duke. But there are so many questions regarding this team. Can Andrew Rohde be more efficient? Will TJ Power live up to his former five-star billing despite entering college as an older prospect? Are any of these bigs ready to play serious minutes? Can anyone outside of McKneely score? One source I spoke with feels good about guys like Elijah Saunders and Blake Buchanan but also admitted that inexperience may do this team in for this season.

Virginia Tech Hokies (Last Season: 19-15 Overall, 10-10 ACC, 8th ACC Finish)

Returners: Mylyjael Poteat (6.4/3.5/0.7/0.5), Brandon Rechsteiner (1.8/0.7/1.3/0.2), Jaydon Young (1.8/0.8/0.7/0.2), Patrick Wessler (0.9/1.5/0.2/0.4)

Departures: Hunter Cattoor (Grad), Robbie Beran (Grad), Mehki Long (Grad), Sean Pedulla (Ole Miss), Lynn Kidd (Miami), Rodney Rice (Maryland), MJ Collins (Vanderbilt), Tyler Nickel (Vanderbilt), John Camden (Delaware)

Arrivals: Ben Burnham (Charleston), Jaden Schutt (Duke), Rodney Brown (Cal), Hysier Miller (Temple), Toibu Lawal (VCU), Connor Serven (Eastern Michigan), Ryan Jones Jr. (Fr.), Tyler Johnson (Fr.), Ben Hammond (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Hysier Miller, Jaden Schutt, Jaydon Young, Ben Burnham, Mylyjael Poteat

To be frank, I think this team stinks. They lost everything that has worked for Mike Young in recent years: ridiculous three-point shooting from Hunter Cattoor, Sean Pedulla, Tyler Nickel, etc, post-playmaking from Lynn Kidd, and versatile wing options. Replacing them is a lot of unknowns and maybes.

Hysier Miller was a big-time scorer for Temple last season at 15.9 PPG but only shot the three at 29.4%, and his efficiency has worsened the more he's responsible for initiating the offense. Just because he wasn't always hitting his threes doesn't mean he still wasn't firing away. He attempted 262 threes last season, more than either Pedulla or Cattoor shot by a wide margin. He did a much better job of limiting his turnovers last year, but he'll be running this offense from day one.

I don't know who will start at the 2. It could be Duke transfer Jaden Schutt, a former 4-star recruit who hardly played in two seasons for the Blue Devils. He was projected as a knock-down shooter coming out of high school, but he played in just 14 games his freshman year and didn't play at all last year. It could be Rodney Brown, another potentially strong shooter who averaged just over 3 PPG last season. It could be Jaydon Young if they wanted to play a little bigger, but I expect him to play more at the 3.

How does Brandon Rechsteiner fit in? Can any of the incoming freshmen play right away? Why is Connor Serven on this team? Can Patrick Wessler play minutes? Mylyjael Poteat is really going to be their starting Center? Is Jaydon Young ready for major minutes?

When I have to ask if 10 of the players on the roster can even play, that's a major issue. Toibu Lawal will be a fun, bouncy frontcourt player, and Ben Burnham was solid for Charleston last year but chose not to follow Kelsey to Louisville.

Mike Young is a solid coach, but he made a living for a long time at the mid-major level. His teams have always played like mid-major teams. He's supposed to be under contract through 2026-27, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this be his last season in Blacksburg.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Last Season: 21-14 Overall, 11-9 ACC, 7th ACC Finish)

Returners: Hunter Sallis (18.0/4.1/2.5/1.7), Cameron Hildreth (13.8/4.7/3.5/1.2), Efton Reid III (9.6/7.9/1.6/1.9), Parker Friedrichsen (5.1/1.3/0.6/0.8), Marqus Marion (1.1/2.0/0.1/0.5)

Departures: Andrew Carr (Kentucky), Kevin "Boopie" Miller (SMU), Zach Keller (Utah), Matthew Marsh (Oregon State), Aaron Clark (Pepperdine), Damari Monsanto (UTSA), Abramo Canka (Stetson), Jao Ituka (Jacksonville State)

Arrivals: Omaha Biliew (Iowa State), Ty-Laur Johnson (Louisville), Tre'Von Spillers (Appalachian State), Davin Cosby (Alabama), Churchill Abass (DePaul), Juke Harris (Fr.), Mason Hageom (Fr.)

Projected Starters: Ty-Laur Johnson, Hunter Sallis, Cameron Hildreth, Tre'Von Spillers, Efton Reid III

I really like the potential of this Wake Forest team. They have a ton of different lineup options, can play multiple styles of basketball, and have the right blend of returning experience and incoming talent to make a splash. They have seven players worthy of starting on this team, which is a good problem to have, but we'll come back to that. The loss of Boopie Miller to SMU was interesting, but they did a good job of filling out this team with talent.

Wake Forest probably has the best pair of returning scorers in the ACC with Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth (willing to hear an argument for Matthew Cleveland and Nijel Pack at Miami. I'd much rather have Sallis and Hildreth). Hildreth, in particular, is one of the most underrated players in the conference and can be a ton of fun to watch. If his three-point shot takes that next step, he could be a fringe NBA player. And Sallis needs no introduction. He'll be on many people's First-Team Preseason All-ACC ballots.

They'll also have Efton Reid for the full season this time and won't have to worry about integrating him into the rotation halfway through the season. Parker Friedrichsen is a good shooter and could be a spot-starter for this team.

Coach Forbes has made his living in reclamation projects: taking former highly ranked recruits who didn't perform well at their last spot and getting the best out of them. That's the hope for Omaha Biliew, a former five-star who couldn't crack the rotation for a good Iowa State team last season. I think Tre'Von Spillers will start at the 4 initially, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Biliew take over at some point.

They also brought in Ty-Laur Johnson from Louisville, a lightning-quick guard with good playmaking instincts but needs to improve as a scorer. Given Sallis is more of a scoring guard, I'd rather start Sallis at the 2 and Johnson at the 1 to have a quick backcourt.

There have been good reports about true freshman Juke Harris and Alabama transfer Davin Cosby should be able to give them some minutes.

My one big hold-up is their spacing. Whether it's Spillers or Biliew at the 4, neither are really floor spacers. I think that will cost them a game or two they shouldn't lose, but otherwise, this will be a good team.

Projected Order of Finish

To completely predict an order of finish is nearly impossible. My goal with predicting the order is at least getting the teams in the right tier. I have four tiers of teams: Tournament Teams, Bubble Teams, If I Squint (I Could See Them Making It), and I'd Be Shocked. I will still rank them 1 to 18, as the ACC does in their preseason ballot, but if I get even three in their correct place by the end of the season, I'd be thrilled. With 18 teams and 20 conference games, the middle of the conference is sure to get muggy with all sorts of tiebreakers.

I'd Be Shocked

18. Virginia Tech

17. Stanford

16. Boston College

15. Notre Dame

14. Florida State

Virginia Tech... I've already made my thoughts clear. I don't think they'll be a good basketball team. I've been calling them fraudulent for years and this is the year it all catches up to them.

Stanford has an incredible player in Maxime Raynaud, but so much inexperience surrounds him. I just don't know who will be a perimeter threat for them. With it being their first year in the ACC and having to travel a lot, I don't see them having a high ceiling.

Boston College's on-paper talent isn't as good as it should be for a coach entering his fourth season. They filled in major losses with decent scorers from low-major teams that didn't win, and that rarely leads to success.

I don't think Notre Dame has improved enough to jump into the next tier yet. Some of their young players might take a big jump, but I'd be surprised for it to happen this year. In the 2025-26 season, though, watch out. Especially with some of the recruiting wins they've picked up recently.

Florida State has one of the best players in the conference, Jamir Watkins, but there's a lot of inexperience and questions surrounding him. Experience wins in college basketball, and I'm not convinced they have enough of it.

If I Squint (I Could See Them Making It)

13. Cal

12. Virginia

11. NC State

10. Georgia Tech

9. SMU

I'm intrigued by Cal. I don't really have another way to explain it. They have more talent than you might expect, but their on-court collection may be kind of clunky. I'll bet on their talent to keep them out of the cellar of the ACC.

Virginia should be good defensively on the perimeter, but I seriously worry about their offense and top-end talent. Isaac McKneely might be the best shooter in the conference, but do they have the playmaking to set him up? Can anybody else score on this team? Are their bigs good enough for the ACC? Is TJ Power ready to play serious minutes? I have a lot of doubts about this UVA team. Maybe they win a lot of games 50-47, which would be on brand, but there are a lot of good scorers in the ACC this year.

Georgia Tech and NC State are similar teams, with me liking their starting five and their first bench piece, but depth concerns keep me from pushing them any higher. Georgia Tech has a higher ceiling, but NC State has momentum from last year's Final Four run, which people will overrate.

I love SMU's backcourt, and that's enough to keep them competitive in most games, but the rest of the roster is clunky, and Enfield hasn't always been the best coach in the regular season. We'll see how they turn out.

Bubble Teams

8. Pitt

7. Miami

6. Syracuse

5. Clemson

4. Wake Forest

Of all of the teams I have on the bubble, Pitt is somehow the one I feel the least confident in, even with Miami sitting there. As with the Hurricanes, I have concerns about their depth, even if I like their top-end talent enough. They have an intriguing frontcourt and an exciting backcourt. If Zack Austin takes a step forward, they could make their way up the rankings in the ACC.

Miami... I had no idea what to do with them. They're just two years removed from the Final Four and then cratered last year. I think they did enough to fill in some of the gaps, but something in my gut is telling me this is too high. Their defense will be terrible, but their offense should be elite.

I think I'm overrating Syracuse, but I truly had no idea what to do for the teams from 5-10. Similarly to Miami, they'll have a good offense, but their interior defense and rebounding are still concerning. Their slotting above the Hurricanes comes from liking their depth a little more.

Clemson has a good guard/big combo with Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin. Those two are good enough to keep Clemson competitive, but the lack of offensive spacing is keeping me from being totally confident in the Tigers.

I was very close to putting Wake Forest in the top tier. The big difference in keeping them out is they don't have RJ Davis, and I worry slightly about their spacing. But they have two elite scorers, quick guards, and a good coach. The Deacs look to be a very good team.

Tournament Teams

3. North Carolina

2. Louisville

1. Duke

Then there's UNC, who is here strictly out of respect for RJ Davis. Davis is the best player in the country, but there's not a ton I like around him. It's not your typical UNC team that has a big guy ready to go; this is going to be a smaller team unless Jalen Washington proves indispensable. I don't know who their second scorer will be and that concerns me, but not as much as it would if their first option wasn't RJ Davis.

Louisville is easily the biggest surprise in these rankings, even to me. But they have a ton of proven production, a really good head coach, and a team that can legitimately go 13 deep if they want to. They have shooting, versatility, and playmaking all over the place. I do worry about their rebounding and interior defense, but the ACC is mainly lacking in quality big men this year, so they should be fine. I really, really like this Cardinals team and wouldn't be surprised to see them go worst to first. It's amazing what not having Kenny Payne does for a program.

Duke almost never wins the conference despite almost always being projected to win before the season. Since the 2010-11 season, they've won the regular season title just once, and that was in Coach K's last season. But they should be one of the three best teams in the conference, without a doubt.

Other All-ACC Awards

Preseason Player of the Year: RJ Davis

Preseason All-ACC First-Team: RJ Davis, Hunter Sallis, Markus Burton, Jamir Watkins, Maxime Raynaud

RJ Davis should be the runaway favorite for Conference Player of the Year. The arguments will mainly come with who is on the First Team. Davis and Sallis are locks; there shouldn't be any arguments over that. Trying to cut the list down from Burton, Watkins, Raynaud, Ian Schieffelin, Chase Hunter, Boopie Miller, and Nijel Pack was tough. Some will want Cooper Flagg in there, but I don't love putting freshmen on the preseason team when they haven't played yet.

I settled on Watkins and Burton because I know they'll put up absurd numbers this season. Reynaud and Schieffelin are the two best bigs in the ACC, but I like Raynaud's game just a little better.

There are a lot of talented scorers in the league this year, and the middle of the ACC is packed. I only see four or five teams from the league making the NCAA Tournament because there will be a lot of cannibalization of teams in the middle. It wouldn't surprise me if every team that finishes 5th-12th in the ACC finishes with conference records between 11-9 and 9-11. There just isn't a lot separating these teams.

As far as Florida State, it's hard to see them winning more than seven ACC games as the schedule sits currently. With 18 teams in the league now and 20 conference games, the teams they play twice are Clemson, Miami, and Louisville. Those are all better teams than FSU, even if the Seminoles have dominated Miami in recent years.

The next preview will be reviewing Florida State's strengths and weaknesses as we close in on the start of the season.

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