ACC Basketball: Updated preseason rankings for 2018-19

Boston College would have been among the top teams in the conference had Jerome Robinson stayed with the program (he ended up being a lottery pick, so good decision on his part) and they would’ve been a middling team had Deontae Hawkins opted to return for a sixth year of eligibility. Instead, both are gone and the Eagles – while not near the conference’s cellar – aren’t expected to make much noise.

Ky Bowman (17.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.7 apg) is one of the best players in the conference (I expect him to be a first-team All-ACC selection) and BC has some quality role players in Jordan Chatman, Steffon Mitchell, and Nik Popovic. However, this group’s ceiling will likely depend on the ability of four-star forward Jarius Hamilton (No. 72 overall prospect, according to the 247sports Composite Rankings) to become an impact player right away.

More than anything, the departures of Robinson and Hawkins stripped this team of depth and the top-end talent needed to really compete in the ACC. Bowman will have some incredible games and be so much fun to watch, but Boston College will sty in the bottom third of the league.