ACC Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2022-23 season

Mar 27, 2022; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pose for a photo after the Tar Heels defeated the St. Peters Peacocks in the finals of the East regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

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ACC Basketball Isaiah Mucius Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

8. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Wake Forest was one of two breakout programs in ACC Basketball last season, thanks to star transfers, Alondes Williams and Jake Laravia. Both have gone pro, while big men, Dallas Walton and Khadim Sy have also gone pro.

Among the key returning players are Daivien Williamson, Damari Monsanto, and Isaiah Mucius. It’s a solid trio but not one that can contend for a top-tier spot in the conference. What it comes down to is how well the group of incoming transfers performs with the Demon Deacons.

Among the newcomers are Florida transfer point guard Tyree Applebee (10.9 ppg and 3.3 apg), Jao Ituka (15.1 ppg at Marist), and forward Andrew Carr (10.0 ppg at Delaware). And yet the most important transfer could be Davion Bradford, a 7’0 center from Kansas State that played sporadically but could start with the Deacons on Day 1.

Add four-star prospects, Zach Keller and Bobi Klintman, and there’s plenty of depth on the roster for Wake Forest next season. The big question will be whether or not there’s starpower at the top to push them out of the middle. But no one saw Williams emerge as a star a year ago so maybe it can happen again with someone else.