Complete College Basketball Preview Part 1: ACC

With the NBA season looking like it will lose many games, and possibly not happen at all, fans will be taking to the collegiate level for their basketball fix more then usual.

Thankfully, this year promises to be a great one with impact players and great teams set to go at it all around the country. 

I will be previewing all the major conferences around the country, complete with full predictions for the season as well as a special NCAA Tournament article to top it off.

The culmination is the College Basketball season, which is under a month away.

To start, we will look at the ACC.

With Syracuse and Pittsburgh arriving in the near future, traditional powers North Carolina and Duke may have some serious competition for class of the league.

However, for this year, those two seem to still flaunt the most talented rosters. But what other teams will be challenging for a conference title?  

Let's preview what the ACC has to offer this season. 

12. Boston College

Last year, Wake Forest saw an influx of talent leave the program and were forced to rely on a roster of unproven players.

This led to them experiencing just eight wins on the season.

This year, that script looks very similar for a different ACC squad, Boston College.

After finishing with 21 wins last season, BC lost its top five scorers including the No. 3 scorer in the ACC, Reggie Jackson.

Now the Eagles will rely on young players such as seven-foot center Dennis Clifford, Ryan Anderson, Jordan Daniels and  K.C. Caudill. 

Second year head coach Steve Donahue will look to utilize his unconventional offense to aid the inexperienced Eagles, which look to open up space for three-point shooters.

This was his approach at Cornell in 2009.

But this Boston College team does not have the talent to compare with Donahue's best in Ithaca and will really struggle to find their way in the ACC this season.

Postseason Prediction: None

11. Georgia Tech

Now that the Paul Hewitt era is over in Georgia Tech, first year Coach Brian Gregory will look to take his Yellow Jackets team back to the promised land. 

However, with a limited roster this season, Gregory may need to hold off on those plans at least for this season.

After Iman Shumpert left the Yellow Jackets to enter the NBA draft, Georgia Tech lost their top scorer, rebounder, steals leader and assists leader.

Losing Shumpert may be detrimental to Georgia Tech's chances to compete in the ACC this season.

Instead, they will rely on Glen Rice Jr to be more consistent with his shot selection and raise his 12.8 ppg average from last season. They will also look to returners Mfon Udofia, Daniel Miller and Jason Morris to contribute more this season, along with freshman Julian Royal.

Although the Yellow Jackets may very well be successful under Gregory, logic says it will not happen this season.

Postseason Prediction: None 

10. Wake Forest

After an awful 2010-2011 season, things look to be on the upswing for Wake Forest this season, though not significantly. 

Managing just one win in the conference, Jeff Bzdelik's squad looked significantly outmatched in most of their contests last season.

But while many other teams in the conference lost significant talent, the Demon Deacons return almost all of theirs.

Travis McKie, who was second among freshman in scoring last year, will likely lead the team. J.T. Terell and C.J. Harris will also be expected to be major contributors.  

Unfortunately for the Deacons, they are expected to be without senior Ty Walker and sophomore Melvin Tabb, who are both suspended indefinitely for violating athletic department rules. 

Losing them, Walker specifically, will hurt a Deacons squad looking to find its way.

Expect minor improvements across the board, but in the end, Wake Forest will still be near the bottom of the ACC.

Postseason Prediction: None 

9. Maryland

With the Gary Williams era over in Maryland, it will be up to new head coach Mark Turgeon to continue the success that Williams established. 

Unfortunately for Turgeon, that may be difficult this season.

Maryland does return one of the league's best up-and-coming players in Terrell Stoglin, so the cupboard is not completely empty.

But losing forward Jordan Williams to the NBA draft really hurts the Terrapins.

Players like Pe'shon Howard and Sean Mosley will be asked to step up their games and become significant contributors, despite being role players last season. 

While Turgeon may not have the most talented roster in the league, his defensive style fits this team well. They could compete in many games if they are able to slow the ball down in the halfcourt and play physically underneath. 

Maryland isn't an awful team this season, but it's unlikely they will be in the Big Dance in Turgeon's first attempt.

Postseason Prediction: Secondary Tournament 

8. North Carolina State

Another new coach looking to make his way in the ACC this season is former Alabama head man Mark Gottfried, who takes over for Sidney Lowe at NC State.

After a 5-11 ACC record last season, the Wolfpack look to improve with a team that features a significant amount of returning talent from last season. 

Three starters return for Gottfried, including three reserves who played key roles last season.  

The key to the Wolfpack's season may lie with sophomore CJ Leslie, who was selected to the ACC All-Freshman team last season. But he had issues with shot selection as well as attitude.

The good news is Leslie decided to return to school instead of entering the NBA draft, and he has the talent to be an elite player in the ACC. 

The starting backcourt of Lorenzo Brown and Scott Wood will both return and look to improve on decent 2010 campaigns.

Richard Howell and DeShawn Painter will look to have more of an impact down low. 

The biggest issue for the Wolfpack may be their depth, especially considering Gottfried likes to play an up-tempo style of play.

This NC State team will compete for a spot in the NCAA tournament and will challenge some of the big dogs in the ACC, but they still lack enough talent to make a serious push.

Postseason Prediction: Secondary Tournament 

7. Virginia

In his third season as head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers, Tony Bennett finally has a roster he can do damage with.

A big reason for this is the return of Mike Scott, a fifth-year senior who missed last season with an ankle injury.

He returns this season to anchor the Cavaliers' front line.

He will be joined by seven-footer Assane Sene, forwards Joe Harris (who averaged 10.4 ppg last season) K.T. Harel (who scored eight ppg as a freshman last season), and guards Sammy Zeglinski and Jontel Evans.

They will complement highly-touted freshman Malcom Brogdon on what looks to be a Virginia team fully capable of competing in the middle to upper echelon of the ACC. 

While this team may lack superstars who can create for themselves on a consistent basis, they have a lot of strong pieces.

Bennett's style of play, which gets the most out of those around him, will benefit this team greatly. 

I look for Virginia to be a bubble team this season and end up just missing the cut. But they'll have a relatively successful season, nonetheless. 

Postseason Prediction: Secondary Tournament 

6. Miami (FL)

Many people were surprised to see former George Mason coach Jim Larranaga leave the program to take the Miami job this offseason.

But when you look at Miami's roster, it becomes easy to understand why Larranaga wanted to make the move.

Miami has a team capable of making a run to the NCAA tournament this season, led by players like Durand Scott (13.6 ppg last season) and Malcolm Grant (14.8 ppg last season).

The 'Canes did suffer a blow when 6'10" Reggie Johnson tore his meniscus in the offseason. The injury will keep him out until January.

If he returns for ACC play, it could provide the added boost they need inside to compete with the top teams in the conference. 

Grant led the league in three pointers made last season with 94, and teammate Adrian Thomas was just one behind him so the Hurricanes may live and die from beyond the arc this season.

That strategy can come back to bite, but if the Hurricanes are hitting and play solid defense, expect to see them come March.

Postseason Prediction: NCAA Tournament, Second Round

5. Clemson

Quick, who are the only two ACC teams to make the NCAA tournament in the last four seasons?

If you said Duke and UNC, you are mistaken. While the Blue Devils have done it, the second team is the Clemson Tigers. 

Three of those appearances came under Oliver Purnell but last season, head coach Brad Brownwell led the Tigers to an NCAA birth and a "first four" victory over UAB.

This season, Clemson will be missing several key players from last year's tournament squad, including Demontez Stitt and Jerai Grant, the team's two leading scorers a year ago. 

But not all is lost.

Clemson's Andre Young will look to take on more of a scoring load as a senior and he has the capability of doing so. Young shot nearly 40 percent last season from beyond the arc and is also the team's returning leading assists man. 

He will be joined by Milton Jennings, who showed his capability by averaging 13 points a game versus Duke and UNC last season.

They also bring back Devon Booker, Tanner Smith and incoming freshmen Rod Hall, TJ Sapp and Bernard Sullivan.

This roster is capable of making another NCAA run this season.

The key to the Tigers' season is defense. Clemson ranked second in field goal percentage defense, and if they can continue to hold teams down this season, they will be real players.

Postseason Prediction: NCAA Tournament, Second Round

4. Virginia Tech

For Seth Greenberg and fans of Virginia Tech, missing the NCAA tournament this season is simply not an option. 

Three times in the last four seasons Virginia Tech has been on the bubble and not made it in.

But this season, Greenberg seems to be taking the necessary steps to ensure the Hokies will not have to sweat it out come Selection Sunday.

Virginia Tech's non-league schedule, which has been suspect at best in the past, will likely not be an issue this season. They will participate in the Preseason NIT, face Kansas State and Oklahoma State out of the Big 12 and BYU as well.

But is the roster good enough for a tournament berth?

The answer is a resounding yes. Despite losing leader Malcolm Delany, the Hookies have plenty of talent to make up for it this year.

They will be led by the starting backcourt of Erick Green and Dorenzo Hudson.

Green is the team's leading returning scorer, and Hudson broke out in the 2009-2010 season as an excellent spot up shooter, despite missing last season with a foot injury.

Other players returning from injuries include J.T. Thompson and Cadarain Raines.

But where the Hokies will improve most is from the incoming freshman class, which is one of the best in the Seth Greenberg era.

Dorian Finney-Smith is expected to start at small forward, Marquis Rankin could serve as Green's backup at the point guard position and Robert Brow and C.J. Barksdale are also expected to contribute. 

While still not at the level of Duke or UNC, it would be hard to imagine Virginia Tech not in the dance this season.

Postseason Prediction: NCAA Tournament, Third Round

3. Florida State

Despite losing their top two players from a team who made it to the Sweet 16 last season, Leonard Hamilton's Florida State squad is expected to once again be near the top of the ACC standings.

Losing Chris Singleton to the NBA draft and Derwin Kitchen will certainly hurt the Seminoles, but they have the size and talent to make up for it. 

Florida State was just two points behind Missouri for being ranked in the preseason Top 25, and that is in large part due to an interior presence.

Bernard James and Xavier Gibson will look to control the post in their senior seasons.

The team's leading scorer returning to the roster is guard Michael Snaer, who is a former McDonald's All-American. Also leading the way will be point guard Ian Miller, forward Terrance Shannon, guard Deividas Dulkys and freshman Antwan Space.

These players will all see significant time under Hamilton, who likes to play a nine or sometimes 10-man rotation.

The Seminoles will rely on defense and rebounding to propel them, but they may be susceptible to a team having a hot shooting night.

For the majority of their games, FSU will be the more talented squad and will likely be on the brackets in March.

Postseason Prediction: NCAA Tournament, Third Round

2. Duke

For most NCAA programs, losing talent like No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith would almost surely mean a rebuilding season.

But for Duke and Mike Krzyzewski, there is no such thing as a rebuilding year.

In the frontcourt, Miles and Mason Plumlee will look to become stars, and forward Ryan Kelly will take on a more significant role.

In the backcourt, Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins will look to improve as they are joined by highly talented freshman Austin Rivers, one of the top recruits in the country. 

Quinn Cook, Michael Gbinije, Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee will also see minutes as members of Duke's newest recruiting class, which could be lethal if they stay together a few seasons. 

For this season, it may be hard to see Duke taking the title from preseason No. 1 North Carolina, but as usual coach K will get the absolute most out of his roster and Duke will be factors all season long.

Postseason Prediction: NCAA Tournament, Sweet 16

1. North Carolina

When looking at the talent on the North Carolina roster, one word in particular comes to mind—wow.

With Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and Jon Henson all deciding to not enter the NBA draft and return to Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels have easily the most talented roster in the country.

Barnes was possibly the most surprising player in the country to not enter the draft.

He easily would have been a top five pick but instead decided to return to UNC to try and win a national championship his sophomore season.

Despite struggling in the beginning of the season, Barnes managed to put it together late and showed why he is highly coveted by NBA teams.

Zellers's ability to run the floor and finish plays, as well as his tremendous back to the basket move set at seven feet tall make him one of the best big men in the country.

Henson is the best defensive player on the roster and is improving his offense greatly.

Along with the big three, guard Kendall Marshall will look to improve even more this year. Marshall showed steady improvement as the year progressed and will have many options when tallying up his assist numbers.

Freshman James McAdoo is UNC's most talented newcomer and will provide a spark off the bench. Reggie Bullock is a legitimate threat from deep and will be a factor if he is able to stay healthy.

The question for UNC isn't an ACC title but a national title.

No one in the league compares to the Tar Heels' talent, and I'd be shocked to see them lose more then once or twice in the conference all season.

Postseason Prediction: NCAA Tournament, Final Four.