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It's that time.
ACC (Predicted Order of Finish and Records)
North Carolina Tar Heels (26-4)
It says a lot when you win a championship, lose your top four contributors, and are still considered to be the favorite in one of the best conferences in the country.
Theoretically, this should be a rebuilding year at UNC, similar to what occurred in 2005-06, but there’s no such thing at Chapel Hill. The roster is reloaded with a tremendous recruiting class highlighted by Henson, replenished with Marcus Ginyard, and to a lesser degree with Ed Davis returning, as he should emerge as the premier big man in the ACC. This is the conference's best team.
Duke Blue Devils (24-6)
In the perennial two-horse race in the ACC, Duke is still the follower, but not by much. They still possess some of the issues that have prevented their appearance in a Final Four since 2004, but this will be a good team, regardless.
Two concerns for Duke could be lack of perimeter depth and reliance on the three-pointer (as always). The loss of Henderson will be overshadowed by the improving Singler and Scheyer, ensuring that this edition of Coach K basketball will challenge for both the conference and the national title this season.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (22-8)
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (22-8)
The window may be very slim for Georgia Tech to compete for a championship since the roster is loaded with young players who could be one and done.
Up front are Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors, both of whom are soon to be pros, a main reason why coach Paul Hewitt needs to capitalize on this year with this group of players. There is no question that Georgia Tech has the talent to compete with both watered-down editions of UNC and Duke, as they should reach the tournament with ease en route to advancing a few rounds.
Maryland Terrapins (22-8)
Maryland Terrapins (22-8)
With all of Maryland’s struggles, it seemed that Gary Williams’ days were numbered at College Park, but he always gets the most out of what he has. This year he has a team that will reach their third NCAA Tournament in four years.
His team will be led by big-bodied, senior point guard Greivis Vasquez and a true arsenal of perimeter threats. The only thing standing between the Terps and a deep postseason run is an elite group of frontcourt players. However, they’re better than a lot of the other teams in this year's ACC.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (21-9)
Clemson Tigers (20-10)
Florida State Seminoles (18-12)
Virginia Tech Hokies (18-12)
Boston College Eagles (17-13)
Miami (FL) Hurricanes (17-13)
North Carolina State Wolfpack (16-14)
Virginia Cavaliers (13-17)
Big East (Predicted Order of Finish and Records)
Villanova Wildcats (24-6)
Villanova Wildcats (24-6)
The Big East is a bit diminished after losing a boatload of players to the NBA last year, but one team that did not regress is Jay Wright’s squad.
They bring in a top-notch recruiting class and even though they lost a number of seniors which aided their run to a Final Four last year, they retain their stabilizer, senior guard Scottie Reynolds. They have to be eyeing a Big East title with lots of fresh blood, mostly in the backcourt, but they almost certainly will run into problems if they face a team with a bigger, superior frontcourt to theirs.
West Virginia Mountaineers (23-7)
West Virginia Mountaineers (23-7)
A team with huge upside that disappointed in the last year’s tournament, should rebound this year and be able to make a deep postseason run.
They’re a tough, talented, and extremely athletic team led by the likes of Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks, both of whom averaged a double-double in the latter stages of last season. In a normal year, this array of players probably would be lower than a second place team in the Big East, but in such a depleted conference, they are absolutely a team that could finish in the top four.
Connecticut Huskies (22-8)
Connecticut Huskies (22-8)
Similar to UNC, it is a testament to the work of Jim Calhoun that a team that loses its top three players and made a Final Four, is in good position to make another run the following year.
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