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ACC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

By Tristan Freeman

Feb 26, 2020; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Kihei Clark (0) reacts after making the game winning basket against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Michael Thomas Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2020; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Kihei Clark (0) reacts after making the game winning basket against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Michael Thomas Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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ACC Basketball Isaiah Wong Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /

The Hurricanes had one of the biggest turnarounds in college basketball last season but will have to replace two of their best players in Kameron McGusty and Charlie Moore. One of the elite trio is back though in Isaiah Wong, who produced 15.3 ppg, including 10 games of at least 20 points last season.

Joining Wong in the backcourt is one of the best offseason transfers in Nijel Pack, who averaged 17.0 ppg at Kansas State, including 46% shooting from the field and 44% shooting from three-point range. In a Big 12 Conference that had a lot of quality defensive programs, Pack’s efficiency and consistency were all the more impressive and he should replicate that in the ACC.

The concern with the backcourt dup of Pack and Wong is that both are largely shooting guards and not true point guards that distribute the basketball. Pack only had more than three assists in a game four times last season and Wong isn’t much of a passer in his own right. There are some similarities to the Wong and Chris Lykes duo that struggled to get out of the bottom half of the standings.

There are other key players to watch, including returning wing/forward Jordan Miller and guards  Bensley Joseph, Harlond Beverly, and Wooga Poplar. Four-star wing AJ Casey can be an impact freshman, while former Sun Belt Player of the Year Norchad Omier is coming off an 18 and 12 season at Arkansas State. If he can produce anywhere near those numbers as a starting forward at Miami, the team won’t take much of a drop-off at all.