Conference realignment has dominated the college athletics storylines throughout the entire offseason, even on the night before the first big Saturday in college football. For the past month specifically, ACC Basketball has had to deal with rumors itself, potentially landing up to three different programs.
Two of them were from what’s left of the Pac-12 in Cal and Stanford. After the Big 12 and Big Ten took most of that league already, the two programs that still had some cache were looking for homes across the United States in the ACC. Another program was looking to take advantage as well, as SMU was reportedly willing to forgo all media rights revenue for nearly a decade.
Still, it was never a foregone conclusion that the league would have the votes to offer an invite to all three schools. Programs such as Clemson, Florida State, and the two schools from North Carolina (UNC and NC State), have been opposed due to the travel logistics that would occur with these options.
NEWS: The ACC presidents and chancellors have voted to add Stanford, Cal and SMU to the league, source tells @TheAthletic.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 1, 2023
Ultimately, NC State reportedly flipped on Friday morning, allowing the passage for the three programs to get an invite. With Notre Dame a member in all sports except football, that puts ACC Basketball up to 18 teams total. The reality is that there are several teams potentially looking to leave the league as well, so expect realignment to remain a topic for years to come.
But for now, it’s a good time to look at how the ACC stands and where the three new programs fit in the conference dynamics going forward. Here’s a power ranking of each school right now.
18. Boston College Eagles
Including the newcomers, there are several ACC Basketball programs that have a drought when it comes to their last NCAA Tournament appearance. The longest of the group is Boston College, which hasn’t been to the Big Dance since 2009 when Al Skinner was the head coach. The program has had two winning seasons since, but none in the last five years.
This is going to be part of a theme but the Eagles were much more successful when they were back in the Big East. They were a natural fit there location-wise and could land some quality regional recruits. That’s changed a bit since, as both UConn and Villanova have won multiple national championships to be the premier northeast schools, whereas the Eagles are hoping to get any kind of top-100 talent.
Coach Earl Grant has had some solid recruiting classes and big man Quinten Post had a breakout campaign when he returned from injury. Yet the roster overall remains mediocre entering this upcoming season and he very well could end up on some kind of hot seat if they can’t get out of the bottom of the standings.
It’s been a decade since the team has been respectable and a case can be made that they aren’t good enough to compete in the ACC. In fact, if contraction ever ends up being a thing that happens in the future, don’t be surprised if Boston College is the one to go.
17. SMU Mustangs
It’s an interesting time for the Mustangs to make the move, as the basketball program is in the midst of a rebuild. First-year head coach Rob Lanier went 10-22 last season, the worst for SMU Basketball in 15 years. Before that though, the program was consistently in the top tier of the American Athletic Conference, even rivaling Memphis and Houston for a while.
Time will tell if Lanier is the man for the job long-term. There are not too many expectations for them this upcoming year in the last season of the American, though they can take advantage of what looks to be a weak conference overall outside of Memphis and Florida Atlantic.
Still, this has been a good program overall on the basketball side since the start of the century, dating back to the Conference USA days. Going to the ACC, where Duke and UNC reside, is a tougher challenge altogether. And if the Mustangs roster were in the ACC this year, they’d be fighting with Notre Dame as the worst roster overall.
Being from the state of Texas and the rich recruiting area gives SMU hope long-term. However, there’s going to be an adjustment period for the program in the years to come. So right now, I have to have them in a lower spot overall.
16. Cal Bears
With the news of Cal joining the ACC, Louisville is technically off the hook as the worst ACC Basketball team from last season. The Bears were somehow worse, going 3-28 and having the literal worst scoring offense in the country at 58.3 ppg. Changes were made, as Mark Fox was let go, with Mark Madsen being hired over from Utah Valley.
So that’s hope for a program that hasn’t won over 14 games in each of the last six years. Coach Madsen has done a very good job this offseason building up the roster, landing transfers such as Jalen Cone, Fardaws Aimaq, Jaylon Tyson, and Keonte Kennedy. So the Bears will certainly be better compared to last year, but will it be good enough to make the NCAA Tournament?
The big reality with the former Pac-12 schools coming is how will the travel work out. Assuming the games on the weekends are played at 4:00 pm ET., that’s still 1:00 pm out on the west coast. These programs are used to playing around 7:00 pm in the evening.
There’s going to be a large adjustment period for both Cal and Stanford when it comes to the travel alone. But at least the Cardinal has a competitive program to go against the new foes. Cal has to be prove they can compete itself first.
15. Clemson Tigers
Through the first half of league play, Clemson was actually in first place in the ACC Basketball standings and on track for just its second-ever ACC regular-season title. Instead, they fell apart down the stretch and missed the NCAA Tournament, keeping head coach Brad Brownell on the continuing hot seat.
To Brownell’s credit, he’s always kept the Tigers fairly competitive as a program, year in and year out. That’s been what Clemson Basketball has been throughout its history, having just four Sweet 16 appearances in the past four decades combined. That kind of consistency gives them a high floor but also one of the lowest ceilings in the ACC as well.
That’s what should be worrying for Clemson overall. If any of these newcomers break out, that’s going to likely come at their expense. Plus, if the former Big East schools (Louisville, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, and Syracuse) get back into national form, that’ll hurt the Tigers even more.
The Tigers had a solid transfer class this offseason but the overall recruiting will need to take a jump going forward now that schools from California and Texas are joining the ACC. And unfortunately for them, the state of South Carolina doesn’t compare with them when it comes to the volume of overall prospects.
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The height of the Yellow Jackets on the basketball court was in two instances. One was the nine straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1984-93, including going to the Final Four in 1990. Then under head coach Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech made it to the national championship in 2004.
Things haven’t been the same since, as the program has just one trip to the Big Dance in the past 13 years and has parted ways with Josh Pastner. Coach Damon Stoudamire is his replacement after a stint in the NBA as an assistant and was previously the head coach at Pacific years ago.
With the newly built roster, the Yellow Jackets should definitely be more competitive this season, but the long-term viability remains to be seen. The biggest selling point for this program certainly is being located in the Atlanta area, where there are not only plenty of prospects, but also where Overtime Elite resides.
The problem is that it’s in the height of SEC country and many of those programs, with more current prestige than Georgia Tech, can go there and take the top players from Atlanta. There’s a history with the Yellow Jackets being a contender in ACC Basketball but it’s certainly been a while since we’ve seen that.
13. Stanford Cardinal
If this news broke several years ago, I would make a case for Stanford to be in the top half of this list. The biggest selling point that they have as an institution is the academics, which are on par with the Ivy League, while still being able to offer power conference-level athletics. And that’s why it was so important for the program to get an invite to the ACC and not go down to the Mountain West level.
Of course, there’s going to be a travel-related adjustment period for the school. I also don’t want to gloss over the recent poor stretch that the basketball program has been under both Johnny Dawkins and current head coach, Jerod Haase. The Cardinal has just one NCAA Tournament in the past 15 years and has been settling for being around .500 overall in the past eight.
Maybe things will get better if the program moves on from Haase if they don’t make the Big Dance this upcoming season. Now that the school knows they’ll be in the ACC, money/buyout may not be too big of an issue. Yet the biggest issue I have for them is the new world regarding the transfer portal.
It’s very difficult for players to get into the school for obvious reasons, which means 90% of the portal is unavailable for them. And if the Cardinal can’t keep their guys for four years, then it’s going to be very difficult to remain competitive in what will be a tougher conference. Still, the academic prestige will keep them in the mix for certain players that can help them.
12. Pittsburgh Panthers
Just a decade ago, the Panthers were viewed as one of the best teams in all of college basketball. They were consistently ranked and under former coach Jamie Dixon, made 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including one in the Elite 8. But when he “left”, things went completely down under Kevin Stallings, including going 0-18 in ACC Basketball play in 2018.
The program has struggled to rebuild ever since, just making its first NCAA Tournament appearance last season in year 5 of the Jeff Capel era. The hope is that they’ve gotten to the point talent-wise where they won’t be back at the bottom of the conference. There are still some questions about whether Coach Capel is the guy long-term for the job but the recruiting has certainly turned up.
When it comes to judging the Panthers as an ACC program, there’s not much positive to go on. They’ve been in the middle-to-bottom tier in all but one year since leaving the Big East, though they do have multiple wins over Duke and North Carolina. We’ve seen this program do well in a top-tier conference so maybe the adjustment period is over.
Time will time with Pittsburgh but for now, it’s hard to have them above some other programs that either have more advantages or simply a better recent history in comparison.
11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
In the 1990s and 2000s, the Deacons were a very good program that was consistently making the NCAA Tournament, including an Elite 8 appearance in 1996. The past decade hasn’t been as kind for the program, with one trip to the Big Dance in the past 13 years. Things have certainly improved under Coach Steve Forbes, who has led the team to a 43-24 record in the past two years.
Still, he hasn’t made the Big Dance with them yet, despite getting two elite transfers in Alondes Williams and Tyree Appleby. So it asks the question, is there a ceiling for the Demon Deacons as a program? They’re right in the North Carolina state that has a ton of prospects, though they not only have to battle the Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils for them but also other local threats.
And the name of the Demon Deacons has lost some shine as of late, not landing as many top-tier prospects. Plus, Coach Forbes has already been viewed as a candidate who can go elsewhere, which means that this isn’t viewed as a great long-term job to compete in ACC Basketball.
Wake Forest doesn’t have any inherit flaws that makes it a bad job. But the likes of Stanford and SMU aren’t going to be afraid of them either. And if Coach Forbes leaves, the program may have to rebuild all over again just to get back to the middle.
10. Syracuse Orange
The Orange are going to be a great test of how much impact a coach can have while they’re there and once they’re gone. After 47 years at the school and a national title in 2004, hall-of-fame head coach Jim Boeheim retired this past offseason, with long-time assistant Red Autry taking over.
So what does this mean for Syracuse as a program going forward? The next few years are going to be very defining. You don’t want to get away from Boeheim and his legacy, but Coach Autry has to prove that he’s the guy, or else the school will have to go through a complete rebuild in order to find its identity for the long term.
Located in New York, the Orange will have to compete with a newly rejuvenated St. John’s that just hired its own hall of famer, Rick Pitino. That makes things more difficult for the few local prospects that are power conference-level good. The team does have Notre Dame transfer JJ Starling, along with returning lead guard, Judah Mintz.
Right now, the Syracuse name is still in good standing nationally and within ACC Basketball. But that can easily change in the coming years if things don’t go well in the Autry era and see the program slide down in a future league ranking.
9. Virginia Tech Hokies
With the exception of the Elite 8 appearance in 1967, there hasn’t been much going on for Hokies basketball. However, this recent run spanning between coaches Buzz Williams and now Mike Young has been the best in program history. It includes five NCAA Tournament appearances in the past seven years, with the high of a Sweet 16 spot in 2019.
Coach Young has been successful at Wofford and is now at Virginia Tech. And unlike another newer ACC Basketball in Coach Forbes at Wake Forest, Young isn’t viewed as a candidate who’ll leave for another job for a while. And that kind of stability is key for a program that doesn’t have a ton of history to appeal to future hires that aren’t from the mid-major ranks.
We’ll see what Virginia Tech does after a step back last season, missing the NCAA Tournament. The starting guard duo of Sean Pedulla and Hunter Cattoor are back but the question marks are elsewhere since all of the key frontcourt players have moved on.
The Hokies have positioned themselves as an upper-half ACC Basketball team, but they’ll need to remain consistent as a postseason contender. They’re in a solid spot overall at least and have fewer questions as a program compared to those previously mentioned.
8. NC State Wolfpack
They’re not anywhere near the level of a Duke or North Carolina but the Wolfpack do have its fair share of history as an NCAA Basketball. They have a pair of national titles decades ago, along with a trio of Sweet 16 appearances in the past 20 years. But the program has struggled to make the Big Dance as of late, making it just twice in the past eight years.
Coach Kevin Keatts has certainly had his ups and downs for the past five years but is coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance. That’ll calm down the “hot seat” talk for a little bit but who knows how long he is for the job long-term.
The Wolfpack still has plenty of history to sell, though it may not be as appealing towards the younger crowd who wasn’t around for the late Coach Jim Valvano days. However, they’re in North Carolina, and for recruits/transfers that might not be good enough to play for the two blue blood neighbors, this is definitely a viable option for those who want to stay local.
The ceiling for NC State remains high as a program that can get into the top tier regularly. They just have to start showing it on an annual basis. And that comes down to the coaching side of this situation and whether Keatts can do it.
7. Florida State Seminoles
FSU is in an interesting situation with ACC Basketball because, for those who have been following the realignment saga, this program and Clemson have been viewed as the ones most likely to leave when it’s viable. Of course, football is what drives the discussion, but the Seminoles have been a good program on the court, particularly under the Coach Leonard Hamilton era.
In the past years alone, Florida State has made the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, including an Elite 8 appearance in 2018. That doesn’t even include when the program went 26-5 in the 2019-20 campaign, which ultimately ended up with covid canceling the postseason.
Even after going an awful 9-23 last year, no one doubts Coach Hamilton and his ability to get the program back on track. The important question with him is how long will he be around. He doesn’t look like it but Hamilton turned 75 years old last month. So the retirement talk will be with him going forward.
The good news for Florida State is that they’re in one of the most fertile recruiting grounds for prospects in the country. And the program will be able to make a good hire for his replacement, eventually. Of course, if the rumors end up being true, it won’t really matter for the ACC what the Seminoles do.
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
It was the final year for long-time head coach Mike Brey after 23 years and multiple Elite 8 appearances for the program. But after the last few years, it was the right move to make the change. Former Penn State HC Micah Shrewsberry now has the job after a good performance last season, though it’s clear that he’s taking on a complete rebuilding job.
The good news for Coach Shrewsberry is that he’s now at one of the most prestigious athletic programs in all of America at Notre Dame. The academics and everything else that comes with the program make them a perennial contender going forward.
The one concern I have with the Irish is that like Stanford, the transfer portal could prove to be an issue with them. Coach Brey wasn’t able to get a ton of talent in the past few years and respectfully, Shrewsberry got next to nothing this offseason, which is why they currently have one of the worst power conference rosters for the 2023-24 campaign.
The floor for Notre Dame will always remain high but the ceiling could be affected since they also can’t take anyone from the portal. That’s something to watch with Shrewsberry and his ability to build a competitive roster but just on name-strength alone, I give the program the benefit of the doubt.
5. Louisville Cardinals
To be clear, this is an ACC Basketball long-term program power ranking, not one solely about next season. And whether they won four total games of 24 last season, Louisville will always remain on the most appealing jobs in all of college basketball. Still, I can’t put them at the top until they figure out what to do with Coach Kenny Payne.
It was the worst first-year a coach could imagine, going 4-28 and having a bunch of embarrassing blowout losses. And recent offseason news hasn’t gone the Cardinals’ way, as five-star freshman guard Trentyn Flowers has opted to go pro overseas, while four-star incoming point guard Ty-Laur Johnson may or may not be academically eligible to play this season.
Either way, Louisville is best knowing what to do with Coach Payne for the long term. If things don’t get better, they can pull the plug and try for another big splash hire. And just about everyone would be interested in a school that has a ton of past success and some of the most resources anywhere. They’re a massive TV and recruiting draw and benefit from its local rivalry with Kentucky.
Had Louisville been an average team in the past few years, I probably could have them as high as No. 3 on this list. That shows how big of a hole the program has dug itself. They better turn it around in a hurry before risking real long-term damage to its brand.
4. Miami Hurricanes
For a program with 60 years at the D-I level, the Hurricanes didn’t have much accomplished until the past decade, when former George Mason HC Jim Laranaga took over. Since then, he’s taken Miami to the top tier of the ACC Basketball standings, with a number of NCAA Tournament appearances. And he broke through the glass ceiling for the program, taking them to their first-ever trip to the Final Four.
Miami is perfectly set up for this modern era of the NIL and transfer portal. Many talented players would want to play there, and they’ve already benefitted, as Norchad Omier and Nijel Pack were perfect additions to last year’s squad. They already recruit well locally in the state of Florida and beyond as well.
The big question with the Hurricanes is how long they will have Laranaga. He turns 74 years old in October and outside of winning it all, has essentially accomplished everything that he could want to. And based on the past history, not everyone can simply come in and win at Miami.
Until then, this is an elite ACC Basketball program with all of the upside imaginable. And if Florida State were to ever leave and Miami stayed, that would simply make things easier for them on the recruiting front.
3. Virginia Cavaliers
With the recent retirements in the league, there’s just one NCAA Basketball head coach with a national title on their resume. And that’s Tony Bennett, who won it all with the Cavaliers in 2019. It was the end of a 6-year stretch where the program made the case of being the best overall, winning on average around 30 games a season.
The past three years have included a missed NCAA Tournament appearance, along with two early-round exits. And yet for 90% of the teams on this list, that would be a perfectly fine three-year span. That’s the level that Coach Bennett has taken Virginia Basketball, who has been a good program before as well.
Bennett is now the top coach in ACC Basketball at the moment and the team is recruiting at its highest of levels right now. So there really isn’t anything to be concerned about if you’re a fan of this team. We’ll see how the new coaches at Duke and UNC work out but if they don’t, Virginia is in a great position going forward.
This upcoming season will be interesting, as it’s a test of how effective all of the newcomers will be in this new system. In the era of constant roster turnover, that could be the one flaw in Coach Bennett’s style of play.
2. North Carolina Tar Heels
Realistically, there wasn’t any question as to who the top two spots on this list would be. The funny thing is, had this expansion news come a year prior, I might have had the Tar Heels No. 1. That’s because new head coach Hubert Davis led a surprising run all the way to the national title game.
The replacement for Hall of Famer Roy Williams had all of the momentum in the world entering the past year. However, despite entering the 2022-23 campaign as the preseason No. 1 team, the Tar Heels made history by missing out on the NCAA Tournament altogether. Coach Davis may not be fully on the hot seat yet but it would be advised if he got the program back towards being ranked and in the top tier of ACC Basketball.
But the reality is that this is one of the historic blue bloods in all of college basketball and will always be an ideal destination for any prospects. Despite what happened last season, UNC already has the early No. 1 recruiting class for 2024 and still managed a good transfer class to retool the roster.
The question about Davis being the long-term coach is valid but not enough to take them out of the No. 2 spot. But the in-state rival with a little more stability owns them on this list.
1. Duke Blue Devils
There’s not much that can be said about Duke and its standing as a national powerhouse. They have a bunch of national titles and are viewed as the premier blue blood in the sport. Focusing on ACC Basketball, they’re always viewed as the team to beat and the one opposing teams and fan bases want to defeat the most.
When Coach K retired over a year ago, Jon Scheyer took over. He had a fairly successful first year, going 27-9 and winning the ACC Tournament before losing in the Round of 32 to Tennessee. Making matters better, the team is set to be a preseason top-5 team for the upcoming campaign, thanks to returning guys like Tyrese Proctor and Kyle Filipowski.
Most importantly, Coach Scheyer was able to keep the program at the very top of the recruiting class rankings. Despite losing Mackenzie Mgbako, the Blue Devils still have four other five-star prospects joining the team, along with likely landing Cooper Flagg, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2024 class.
That’s all to say that Duke isn’t taking a step back without Coach K around and they’ll remain an annual threat to win both ACC Basketball and potentially a national title in April. Cal, Stanford, and SMU have dealt with juggernaut programs in their previous conferences but none will have the talent and the name recognition as the Blue Devils.