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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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 13: Head coach Chris Mack of the Louisville Cardinals reacts after a play against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during their game in the second round of the 2019 Men’s ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 13, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Cardinals . 2. team. 438. . Last Year: 20-14 (10-8).

The hype in Louisville is real.

After missing the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and having a roster seemingly devoid of top-end talent, no one was expecting much from the Cardinals in their first season under head coach Chris Mack.

Now, after a 20-win season that saw them ranked more often than they weren’t and an NCAA Tournament berth, expectations are sky-high in Year Two.

Louisville returns six of their top seven scorers from that team, including an All-ACC player in Nwora. Add in the nation’s No. 12 overall recruiting class, headlined by five-star wing Samuell Williamson and Saint Joseph’s grad transfer Fresh Kimble, and you have perhaps the most talented Louisville team since the 2013 national champions* (though the NCAA wants to erase that from your memory.

Mack is now tasked with piecing all of this together but their potential on both ends of the court has many thinking this could be a Final Four team. Whether they reach that potential or not will depend on their point guard play (Kimble is expected to start), consistency, and ability to mesh well together.