ACC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

In the final year with Coach K at the helm, ACC basketball could see shades of Zion Williamson and 2019-20 with the latest crop of Blue Devils recruits. The 2021 recruiting class brings a talented group as does the acquisition of Theo John (Marquette) from the transfer portal, making for a fun 2021-22 forecast for this squad.

The additions of Paolo Banchero, A.J. Griffin, and Trevor Keels give the Blue Devils three players that could break into the rotation right away given what they can do on the floor. Banchero is considered by man to be one of the top prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft while Griffin and Keels are both highly-rated prospects that are equally as talented.

Griffin should add some size on the wing and frontcourt. He’s the son of former NBA player, Adrian Griffin, who is now an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors.

Keels is a playmaking guard that racked up 28.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 3.8 steals per game along with six triple-doubles in his final season of high school basketball with Paul VI (VA). He’ll reunite with high school teammate Jeremy Roach in the rotation.

Theo John joins the Blue Devils’ ranks after spending the past four seasons with the Marquette Golden Eagles. He was an anchor in the paint for their squad that posted 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 assists per game in 2020-21.

Wendell Moore, Jeremy Roach, Joey Baker, and Mark Williams are all back as well, giving the freshmen some experienced teammates to learn from. Given the odds, Duke takes the third spot in the ACC basketball preseason rankings.