ACC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

Despite having a trio of all-conference players and a breakout freshman star, NC State ended up in last place in the ACC Basketball standings. A big part of that had to do with not having center Manny Bates to anchor the defense but between poor chemistry and overall awful defense everywhere, the team just couldn’t get anything going.

Yet there’s optimism this time around, thanks mainly to the return of Terquavion Smith. The 6’4 scoring guard averaged 16.4 ppg on 40% shooting and 37% from deep. That included 34 points on the road at North Carolina and 30 versus Florida State. The All-ACC freshman is a consensus breakout candidate nationally and a definite focal point of the Wolfpack offense. If his consistency raises a bit and he gets better all-around, Smith will be a future 1st round NBA Draft pick.

The supporting cast for NC State may not be as good in terms of 2nd and 3rd options but there’s much more depth and overall balance. Transfer guards Jarkel Joiner and Jack Clark are solid shooters and scorers and will benefit from playing off of Smith, while Cam Hayes may be the starting point guard and have a larger role in the offense.

In the frontcourt, Winthrop transfer DJ Burns could be a hidden gem in the ACC. The 6’9 forward was last season’s Big South Player of the Year after producing 15.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg. And 6’11 center Dušan Mahorčič adds a big body and solid depth as well. And if former top-100 prospect Ernest Ross can have a breakout campaign as a sophomore forward, then the frontcourt won’t be a clear weakness this time around.