ACC Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2019-20 season

By Brian Rauf | Sep 25, 2019

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 05: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils drives past Jordan Chatman #25 of the Boston College Eagles during the second half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 05, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 80-55. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 01: Chris Lykes #0 of the Miami Hurricanes drives up the court against the Yale Bulldogs during the HoopHall Miami Invitational at American Airlines Arena on December 1, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Another team that will benefit from the lack of depth in the ACC, expect Miami to make a return to the top half of the conference in 2019-20.

Miami had a depleted roster last season – that is no longer the case. Yes, everyone’s favorite 5-7 dynamo is back in Chris Lykes, but he will actually have some help this season. A pair of key transfers in Kam McGusty (Oklahoma) and Keith Stone (Florida) will become eligible and likely starters. Freshmen Harlond Beverly and Isaiah Wong – both ranked in the top 75 nationally – will see significant roles as well, particularly Beverly.

Head coach Jim Larranaga never had back-to-back “down” seasons since taking over at Miami. In his first season, the Canes missed the NCAA Tournament – they won the conference and made the Sweet 16 the following year. However, that next season in 2013-14, they finished 10th and missed the postseason entirely. That was followed by a 25-win season and then another Sweet 16 appearance in 2016. They dropped to seventh in the ACC the following year before finishing third in 2018…you get the picture.

With last year being the first losing season of his coaching career since the turn of the century, and with the talented additions the Canes made this offseason, expect a solid bounce-back year for Miami.