ACC Basketball: Preview and Predictions for 2014-15 Season

The Atlantic Coast Conference is the gold standard of college basketball, not only because it's now the largest league in Division I but because it features the greatest collection of talented players and legendary coaches.

And with the addition of Louisville to the fold—replacing longtime member Maryland—the ACC has one-upped itself. With five teams ranked in the Associated Press' preseason Top 25 (including four of the top nine schools), the 2014-15 season could end up being the league's best ever.

Check out our preview of what to expect in the ACC this season, detailing the best teams, players and coaches in the country's top conference.

Top Storylines

USA TODAY Sports

Best League Ever?

The NCAA record for teams making the tournament from one conference is 11, set by the now-shrunken Big East in 2010-11. That league was amazing, and the ACC has a chance to match or surpass its prominence.

This might not be through overall tourney bids—Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller projects as many as nine from the ACC will get in—but because of how strong the conference is at the top, it could become a major player in the late stages of March Madness, possibly dominating April.

Hall of Fame (Coaching) Talent

The ACC has been right in the thick of the conference realignment craze, adding three schools prior to the 2013-14 season and another this past year (while also seeing Maryland jump to the Big Ten). And while these new schools all have strong reputations in basketball, they also brought along some well-regarded coaches.

Longtime ACC members Duke (Mike Krzyzewski) and North Carolina (Roy Williams) have been joined in the past two years by Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon, Notre Dame's Mike Brey and, this season, Louisville's Rick Pitino.

Someday soon, the college basketball Hall of Fame will need its own ACC wing for coaches.

New Blood at the Bottom

The ACC saw three of the teams at its lower end make coaching changes this offseason, each upgrading significantly.

Virginia Tech made the biggest splash of them all, luring Buzz Williams away from a successful run at Marquette to replace James Johnson. Wake Forest snagged Danny Manning, fresh off taking Tulsa to the NCAA tournament, to succeed Jeff Bzdelik, while Boston College tabbed Ohio's Jim Christian to try and match the back-to-back 24-win seasons he had with the Bobcats.

The Favorites

USA TODAY Sports

Duke Blue Devils

The highest-ranked ACC team in the preseason, at No. 4, Duke is in a very familiar spot as one of the conference favorites. The Blue Devils have 12 regular-season titles since 1986, but amazingly, they haven't finished on top since 2009-10.

That could definitely change this year, as coach Mike Krzyzewski welcomes the top-ranked recruiting class in the country, while returning starters Quinn Cook and Amile Jefferson as well as a talented bench should make for another team to threaten 30 wins and contend for a deep NCAA tournament run.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Reinforcements will also be a big part of North Carolina's season, as its three-man recruiting class ranked third nationally, and all three players should contribute right away. But the Tar Heels also bring back quite a bit of experience, led by junior guard Marcus Paige, the ACC's preseason player of the year.

Coach Roy Williams enters his 12th year in Chapel Hill, winning two NCAA titles and reaching the Final Four three other times. However, the Heels haven't advanced to the Sweet 16 since 2011-12.

The Challengers

USA TODAY Sports

Louisville Cardinals

The newest member of the ACC brings back one of the country's most dominant individual players in junior forward Montrezl Harrell along with a talented group of role players. Put that together with the coaching acumen of Rick Pitino, and the Cardinals should contend right away in their new conference.

Louisville's promising six-man recruiting class has lost some of its luster when it was announced that top prospect Shaqquan Aaron, a 6'7" wing, has yet to be cleared to play by the NCAA.

Virginia Cavaliers

Last year's surprise regular-season and conference tournament champions, Virginia should again be in the mix for the crown. However, the Cavaliers have some big holes to fill with the graduation of second-leading scorer Joe Harris and top rebounder Akil Mitchell.

Super sub Anthony Gill will bring his skill to the starting lineup, and a year after having a league schedule that was light on games against the top competition, Virginia gets Louisville and Pittsburgh twice while playing only at North Carolina and Syracuse.

The Bottom Feeders

USA TODAY Sports

Boston College Eagles

First-year coach Jim Christian inherits a team that went 8-24 overall last season and 4-14 in the conference yet somehow managed to upset previously unbeaten Syracuse in the Carrier Dome.

The Eagles return three starters, including junior guard Oliver Hanlan, who at 18.5 points per game is the ACC's top returning scorer. Beyond him, though, the talent is pretty thin.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

After going 6-12 in league play last season, Georgia Tech has to replace three starters who averaged double figures. Undersized forward Marcus Georges-Hunt is back, but he's unlikely to be able to make up for the loss of scoring and rebounding.

Coach Brian Gregory loaded up on transfers during the offseason, most notably former Maryland post Charles Mitchell and ex-East Carolina power forward Robert Sampson.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Buzz Williams' choice to leave an established program at Marquette to try and rebuild the Hokies' downtrodden program was a big shocker, but that hasn't stopped Williams from hitting the ground running to build for the future.

This season will still be a light one, but Tech does have some good young talent to build around in sophomore guard Devin Wilson and fellow backcourt player Ahmed Hill. Hill had originally committed to Marquette but flipped to the Hokies to follow Williams.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Fans had been clamoring for a few years to get rid of coach Jeff Bzdelik, and they got their wish. Now up-and-coming coach Danny Manning must deal with the fanbase's lofty expectations, but he's got a good foundation to build around.

Junior guard Codi Miller-McIntyre led the Demon Deacons in both scoring and assists last season, and redshirt freshman forward Greg McClinton is expected to play a big role after missing 2013-14 with a knee injury.

Best Rivalry

USA TODAY Sports

Duke-North Carolina

There's no debate here: Duke and North Carolina have a longstanding rivalry so well known that it transcends college basketball. Like the Yankees and Red Sox, even the most casual sports fan is aware of how hard-fought the games are between the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels. And it helps that both teams are almost always ranked, and the series is relatively even.

Carolina holds a 133-105 edge in the all-time series, though Duke has taken eight of the last 11. Combined, these schools have won 48 ACC regular-season and 36 tournament titles, made a collective 33 Final Fours and have cut down the nets as NCAA champions nine total times.

Coaches Under the Most Pressure

USA TODAY Sports

Mike Brey, Notre Dame

The veteran coach was somewhat handcuffed last season when his best player, Jerian Grant, was declared ineligible in mid-December and missed the final 20 games. But with Grant back, and a year of getting used to the ACC under his belt, there's not much room for error.

Brey is in his 15th season at Notre Dame, and last year was the Fighting Irish's first with a losing record since the tail end of the much-maligned John MacLeod era.

Brian Gregory, Georgia Tech

Gregory averaged 24.3 wins per year over his last four seasons at Dayton, but in three years in Atlanta, he's yet to finish with more than 16 victories. An overall 16-36 mark in ACC play doesn't look well for his future, either, and with predecessor Paul Hewitt having his breakout performance in year four, a similar jump needs to be seen.

Rick Pitino, Louisville

Pitino isn't on here because of any sort of hot-seat situation, not in the slightest. Instead, it's a matter of seeing if he's put together a good enough program to handle the rigors of the ACC.

Louisville successfully transitioned from Conference USA to the Big East (and, briefly, the American Athletic Conference) under Pitino, but this next jump in prominence is uncharted territory for the Cardinals.

Best Backcourt

USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina Tar Heels

Just the fact that it includes Marcus Paige will make North Carolina's backcourt one of the best in the ACC, if not the country. But throw in a solid backup in Nate Britt and a promising freshman in Joel Berry, both of whom will play the point this year, and Paige has some much-needed help.

UNC will also feature J.P. Tokoto at the 2 for some size in the backcourt, while young wings Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson will spend plenty of time on the perimeter as well.

Best Frontcourt

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Duke Blue Devils

Star recruit Jahlil Okafor has yet to play a college game but is already considered by many to be the best center in the country. It's hard to argue with that logic, and with Duke also featuring some talented yet underrated forwards to pair with him, this could be the Blue Devils' best frontcourt in years.

Amile Jefferson and Semi Ojeleye could both have breakout years on the offensive end if teams focus too much on Okafor.

Freshmen to Watch

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Justin Jackson, SF, North Carolina

Expected to start at the 3 for the Tar Heels, Justin Jackson has the length and athleticism that was missing from last year's team. Rated as the No. 9 prospect in the country, the 6'8" Jackson has the ability to slash through defenses as well as create havoc on defense with his long arms.

Jackson could end up being Carolina's No. 2 scorer behind Marcus Paige, depending on how his mid-range jumper comes around.

Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse

The latest player to fit coach Jim Boeheim's fondness for long and lean players, Chris McCullough's 6'10" frame will fit in perfectly in the Orange's zone defense. He was ranked No. 21 in the country.

McCullough will be looked to as a player to provide some scoring pop from the wing but also be able to produce in the paint.

Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

The No. 1 overall recruit in 2014, Jahlil Okafor comes in with a ton of hype, so much so that he's been named to several preseason All-America teams and was chosen by CBSSports.com as its preseason national player of the year.

The 6'11" center has looked great in preseason play, as well as during the summer on national teams, and will be expected to provide Duke with a physical presence in the paint it hasn't had in several years. He'll also be looked to as someone to help replace the production lost by the NBA departure of last year's freshman phenom, forward Jabari Parker.

All-Conference Teams

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

FIRST TEAM

Malcolm Brogdon, G, Virginia

The heart and soul of Virginia's rise to the ACC title last season, Brogdon is both the Cavaliers' top scorer and one of its best defenders.

Jerian Grant, G, Notre Dame

After missing most of last season because of academics, Grant is ready to resume the dominant play he was putting forth before the suspension.

Marcus Paige, G, North Carolina

He did almost everything for the Tar Heels in 2013-14, and even with added help around him, Paige will still be the focal point of UNC's offense.

Montrezl Harrell, F, Louisville

A beast masquerading as a college junior, Harrell plays with fire and ferociousness that will make him very difficult to guard or score on. He'll also likely lead the ACC in monster dunks.

Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

A preordained superstar, Okafor comes in with huge expectations to be Duke's inside savior. He's shown to this point he's capable of that and should dominate.

SECOND TEAM

Olivier Hanlan, G, Boston College

Trevor Lacey, G, North Carolina State

Aaron Thomas, G, Florida State

Pat Connaughton, F, Notre Dame

Justin Jackson, F, North Carolina

Regular-Season Standings

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

1. North Carolina
2. Duke
3. Louisville
4. Virginia
5. Pittsburgh
6. Syracuse
7. Notre Dame
8. North Carolina State
   
9. Florida State
10. Miami (Florida)
11. Clemson
12. Virginia Tech
13. Wake Forest
14. Georgia Tech
15. Boston College
    

Player and team recruitment info courtesy of 247Sports.com.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.