ACC College Basketball: Ranking Them Preseason

No. 1—DUKE

Listen, I already said all I can say about Duke this season in my preseason preview, but seriously, when was the last time a defending champ got better the following year?

I can see a couple of teams stealing some games this year, but no one is going to take the ACC crown from this team. The reality is, the players I’m most looking forward to seeing are Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry and a bigger, stronger Ryan Kelly.

No. 2—VIRGINIA TECH

Yes, the Hokies have five starters returning and that will be enough to get this team back into the NCAA Tournament, but do not discount the losses the Hokies suffered this offseason.

Virginia Tech will be without transfer, Allan Chaney. Though he has never played a game for the Hokies, Chaney was going to be the muscle coach Seth Greenberg desperately needed this season.

More importantly, Virginia Tech lost J.T. Thompson. And though he didn’t start last season, Thompson may have been one of the most important sixth men off the bench in the ACC.

The Hokies still have plenty of talent, but the loss of size and depth will hurt.

Three months ago I would have locked them into the No. 2 spot in the ACC. While I still have them one spot behind Duke, I’m much less confident they’ll remain there.

No. 3—NORTH CAROLINA

Obviously, everything is all about Harrison Barnes in Chapel Hill. He’ll be as good as advertised.

I’ll predict it now: the freshman will average just under 17 points per game, dish out just over three assists, and grab seven to eight rebounds. Write it down, folks.

The big question for the Tar Heels is the backcourt.

Opening day starters will be Larry Drew and Dexter Strickland, but if North Carolina struggles at the guard spots, how long does Roy Williams throw an all-freshman backcourt out there (Kendall Marshall & Reggie Bullock)?

Could he really start three freshman this season?

No. 4—MARYLAND

Of all the teams on this list, only Maryland has played a game, giving us a sneak peek into what we can expect. So far, so good.

While a ton of “experts” are dropping Maryland down to the middle of the pack, I’m not. Sure, I understand the reasoning.

The Terps dropped a ton of talent.

You don’t lose players like Greivis Vasquez, Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes, and get better. (Only Duke can lose three starting seniors and get better.)

However, it’s not like Gary Williams is sitting at the table with a whole new deck of cards. Maryland has a solid core of returning players that should keep them near the top of the ACC.

Overall, the Terrapins are starting three seniors and a junior. Of course, the one underclassman in the paint is Jordan Williams. Go ahead and stick a stud sticker on this kid, because he’s ready to become a star. He should easily be a first-team All-ACC selection by the end of the season.

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