ACC basketball should be competitive as ever once again at the top as we approach the beginning of the 2023-24 season. While some teams continue to rebuild under new regimes, the Top 10 of the conference should be an intriguing battle by season’s end given all the talent movement and development.
Last year, it was a race to the finish line in the Top 5 as the Duke Blue Devils, Clemson Tigers and Pittsburgh Panthers tied for third place in the standings with 14-6 records. The Miami Hurricanes and Virginia Cavaliers finished in a tie for first and shared the regular-season title as co-champions with 15-5 records. Four of those five squads took home bids to the NCAA Tournament. Clemson missed the cut for an at-large bid then turned around and lost in the first round of the NIT to Morehead State in overtime.
The UNC Tar Heels will look to bounce back after things got interesting for them in 2022-23. They entered the season last year as pre-season favorites to win the ACC by many national media outlets. They missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010 and finished seventh in the conference standings.
The Syracuse Orange were another squad that underachieved this past season in Jim Boeheim’s final season. The Orange missed the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, finishing 10-10 in the standings. They’ll be a team to monitor under first-year head coach Adrian Autry.
ACC basketball returns soon and looming is what should be a competitive year once again on the hardwood in one of college basketball’s best conferences. Take a look at the preseason conference power rankings for the ACC heading into 2023-24.
15. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Last season: 11-21, 3-17 in the ACC
The Fighting Irish were competitive in the conference this past season, but the results are the results. They won just three games in 2022-23 in head coach Mike Brey’s final season. Now, there’s a steeper hill for them to climb with just three returning players from last year’s squad and three new additions out of the transfer portal. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry will have his hands full after turning around the Penn State Nittany Lions from 2021-23 and an NCAA Tournament bid under his belt already.
14. Louisville Cardinals
Last season: 4-28, 2-18 in the ACC
The Cardinals were another team with a lot of moving parts in 2022-23 in head coach Kenny Payne’s first season. They’ll start out in the 14th spot with five returners back from last year’s squad and Tre White (USC) and Skyy Clark (Illinois) joining their backcourt. They’ll look to find their identity and a floor general in Year 2 under Coach Payne. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, J.J. Traynor and Mike James are the key names to know in their returning cast.
13. Boston College Golden Eagles
Last season: 16-17, 9-11 in the ACC
Head coach Earl Grant led the Golden Eagles to a 10th-place finish this past year but with a lot of seniors to replace, it could be another uphill battle for him as he enters Year 3. Quentin Post, Jaeden Zackery, Devin McGlockton, Prince Aligbe, Mason Madsen are the returning names to know. Claudell Harris Jr. (Charleston Southern) is the lone addition out of the transfer portal. As another team that’ll be searching for its identity, it’s hard to forecast another Top 10 finish for this group.
12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Last season: 15-18, 6-14 in the ACC
After finishing 13th in the standings this past year, they’ll start a few steps higher under a new regime at No. 11. Head coach Damon Stoudamire makes his return to the college basketball sidelines after a short stint on the NBA sidelines as an assistant. He’ll have four returners back from the Yellow Jackets roster from 2022-23 including Miles Kelly (14.4 ppg), Lance Terry (10.1 ppg) and Dallan Coleman (9.5 ppg).
Add six players out of the transfer portal and Georgia Tech could very easily shake things up in Stoudamire’s first year on the ACC sidelines. Tyzhaun Claude (Western Carolina) and Jalen Forrest (Presbyterian) are two players who could really grow with this squad given what they can do at their respective positions.
11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Last season: 19-14, 10-10 in the ACC
Head coach Steve Forbes is another new face in the ACC who’s made his mark already in 2021-22 with an ACC Coach of the Year award following a 13-7 finish for the Demon Deacons. He led Wake Forest to an eighth-place finish in the conference standings this past year. Heading into Year 4, Forbes will have Damari Monsanto (13.3 ppg), Cameron Hildreth (12.4 ppg), Andrew Carr (10.7 ppg) and Matthew Marsh (6.1 ppg) returning while adding Kevin Miller (Central Michigan) and former Gonzaga Bulldogs’ Efton Reid III and Hunter Sallis.
Things could get interesting for the Demon Deacons in the conference this season with so much potential. Look for them to be another squad that should shake things up in the ACC in 2023-24.
10. Virginia Tech Hokies
Last season: 19-15, 8-12 in the ACC
The Virginia Tech Hokies return after finishing 11th place in the conference looking to be a whole lot more competitive with another wave of transfer portal additions. They’ve got a strong core of returners in Sean Pedulla, Hunter Cattoor, Rodney Rice and M.J. Collins to go along with the additions of Mekhi Long (Old Dominion), Robbie Beran (Northwestern) and Tyler Nickel (UNC).
Pedulla and Cattoor should be a top backcourt duo this upcoming season. Cattoor is healthy heading into a full season while Pedulla returns after showing he could hold his own in the starting rotation. He put up 15.0 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.6 rpg and 1.2 spg on 34.4 percent shooting from deep in head coach Mike Young’s 3-point shooting offense. Look for him to be a key cog once again while finding the new faces out of the transfer portal to make plays as well.
Long should fill the void left by Justyn Mutts given his production at Old Dominion. He’s a versatile presence at 6-foot-7 who should operate at either forward role after producing 10.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.5 spg and 1.3 apg on 35.9 percent shooting from deep and 43.8 percent shooting from the field. The wildcard will be the addition of Beran. He joins the Hokies after spending the past four seasons in the Big Ten with Northwestern. He should bolster their frontcourt with the loss of Grant Basile given his abilities at 6-foot-9 to operate at the stretch-forward role.
9. Florida State Seminoles
Last season: 9-23, 7-13 in the ACC
It was tough sledding for the Seminoles and head coach Leonard Hamilton once again this past season as they finished 12th in the standings and missed the NCAA Tournament. The seat could be warming up for Hamilton and company if they can’t turn things around this season.
They’ll check in at No. 9 in the standings with Darin Green Jr. (13.4 ppg), Cam’Ron Fletcher (10.8 ppg), Cam Corhen (8.3 ppg) and Jalen Warley (6.8 ppg) among the eight returning names for them. Green led them in scoring this past year while Warley was their best playmaker, dishing out 3.3 apg in his sophomore season. Look for him to turn a corner in his junior year.
Bigger roles are on the horizon for all four of them while they’ll also add Primo Spears (Georgetown), Josh Nickelberry (LaSalle), Jamir Watkins (VCU) and Jaylan Gainey (Brown) out of the transfer portal. Spears should add to the playmaking efforts for Florida State after dishing out 5.3 assists to go along with 16.0 ppg in 2022-23 in the Big East. Gainey missed all of the 2022-23 season due to an early season injury and returns with a lot to prove in the defensive frontcourt for the Seminoles.
Watkins is the X-Factor given his athleticism and versatility. He joins the Seminoles after winning an A-10 regular season and conference tournament championship with the VCU Rams this past season. Look for him to inject some winning energy into this squad with his presence.
8. Pittsburgh Panthers
Last season: 24-12, 14-6 in the ACC
The Panthers finished in a tie for third place with Duke and Clemson this past season as head coach Jeff Capel took home the ACC Coach of the Year award. The Panthers made some noise as an 11-seed in the NCAA Tournament before losing in the second round to Xavier.
Now, Coach Capel will look to show it wasn’t a fluke as Pittsburgh checks in at No. 8 in the early power rankings. The Graham brothers, Federiko Federiko and Blake Hinson will be the lone returners while Zack Austin (High Point) and Ishmael Leggett (Rhode Island) will look to emerge in a new conference as transfer portal additions.
Hinson led the Panthers in scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounds (6.0 rpg) on 38 percent shooting from deep. He’s a versatile presence at 6-foot-7 who will be a solid lead option to have given what Austin and Leggett can do on the perimeter as well.
Austin has seen quite the development over two seasons at High Point. He put up 14.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 1.3 apg and 1.1 spg on 33.3 percent shooting from behind the arc and 43.7 percent from the field. He’s an athletic wing-forward prospect who should turn heads as an NBA Draft prospect in the near future.
Leggett is a 6-foot-2 combo guard who should boost their backcourt efforts with his scoring (16.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg) abilities. The Panthers are very thin in the backcourt. In a guard-heavy league like the ACC, the Panthers will really have to lean on Hinson’s efforts to be successful or it could be a long season for them.
7. UVA Cavaliers
Last season: 25-8, 15-5 in the ACC
After finishing this past season as regular season co-champions in the ACC, the Cavaliers find themselves at seventh in the early power rankings. They’ll return just four players from last year’s 25-win squad while adding a mix of Top 100 prospects and transfer portal pieces.
There will be a lot of moving parts for the Cavaliers following a bizarre finish to the NCAA Tournament. UVA fell in the first round of the tournament to the 13-seeded Furman Paladins 68-67 as a 4-seed in the South region as their biggest weakness was exposed. The Cavaliers shot 2-of-12 from 3-point land in an abysmal offensive display.
Now, they’ve added some more dynamic scorers with Jordan Minor (Merrimack), Andrew Rohde (St. Thomas) and Jake Groves (Oklahoma). Dante Harris (Georgetown) will also be available after transferring to the team back in January. That doesn’t mean things on the perimeter are entirely solved, though. Rohde shot 32 percent from deep as the Summit League Rookie of the Year while Harris shot 27.5 percent from deep in his last action with Georgetown back in 2021-22.
Groves will be the X-Factor given his ability at the forward spot. He knocked 38 percent of his 3-point attempts with the Sooners in 2022-23. If he can find his shooting stroke and be a defensive presence for this squad, look for them to compete once again in the ACC.
6. NC State Wolfpack
Last year’s record: 23-11, 12-8 in ACC play
The NC State Wolfpack made an NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Kevin Keatts this past season with a sixth-place finish in the conference standings. It was just the second appearance in the NCAA Tournament for Coach Keatts this past year. With an experienced mix of returners and transfers, look for them to be a potential tournament team once again.
Casey Morsell leads a group that should have a ton of depth all around with D.J. Burns, Ernest Ross and Mohamed Diarra (Missouri) in the painted area. Morsell posted 11.8 ppg and 4.4 rpg on 41% from 3-pointer range in 2022-23. Look for him to play a more significant role with his experience in the backcourt. Kam Woods (North Carolina A&T) and Ben Middlebrooks (Clemson), M.J. Rice (Kansas) join a returning backcourt of L.J. Thomas and Breon Pass alongside Morsell as the Wolfpack look to wreak havoc once again in the ACC ranks.
Burns is an underappreciated big man who put up 12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 1.5 apg on 56.1 percent shooting from the field in 2022-23. Thomas and Pass both made 30 appearances apiece in spot minutes this past year and seem poised to grow into bigger roles given what they can do at both guard roles. The Wolfpack enter the rankings just outside the Top 5 at number six with room to shake things up as a sleeper in the conference.
5. Clemson Tigers
Last season: 23-11, 14-6 in the ACC
Clemson returns in the upcoming season at No. 5 in the preseason ranks with a strong returning cast and a few transfer portal additions who should contribute right away. The Tigers return eight names from a season ago and add four players out of the transfer portal including Syracuse’s best player from last year, Joe Girard III.
P.J. Hall is the leading returner who should continue to produce at a high level for this squad. Hall averaged 15.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.1 bpg and 1.0 apg on 39.8 percent shooting from deep and 53.5 percent from the field in the Clemson frontcourt this past season. He’s another player in the ACC who should see his stock grow in the NBA Draft world as the season progresses.
After Hall, there’s Chase Hunter in the backcourt. Hunter finished with 13.8 ppg, 4.5 apg and 3.0 rpg on 35.6 percent from deep and 41 percent from the field this past year. Hunter coupled with the exploits of Girard III in the backcourt should make for quite the dynamic duo for opponents to deal with.
Jake Heidbreder (Air Force) is another transfer addition to keep an eye on. He was an All-MVC third-team performer in 2022-23 after finishing with 15.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 1.7 apg on 39.9 percent shooting from deep. He finished fourth in the MVC in 3-pointers made (75). Look for him to bolster the perimeter attack for Clemson as they look to finish at the top of the conference.
4. UNC Tar Heels
Last season: 20-13, 11-9 in the ACC
The Tar Heels will look to bounce back from a forgettable 2022-23 season with some new pieces to work with around the core of Armando Bacot and R.J. Davis. Bacot returns as their biggest presence in the paint after averaging a double-double with 15.9 ppg and 10.4 rpg. He’ll certainly be their lead option as they look to Davis to run things at the point guard spot.
Davis returns as their top playmaker after dishing 3.2 apg in 2022-23. He’ll look to do a whole lot more with the additions of Cormac Ryan (Notre Dame), Harrison Ingram (Stanford) and Jae’Lyn Withers (Louisville). Ryan should boost their leadership with his ability to space the floor on the perimeter while Ingram and Withers have a lot more to prove with their skill sets.
Withers produced 8.9 ppg and 5.3 rpg for the Cardinals while Ingram is an underrated NBA Draft pick in the making as he starts with a fresh slate with the Tar Heels. He’s a versatile playmaking forward presence who produced 10.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 3.7 apg on 31.9 percent shooting from deep and 40.8 percent shooting from the floor in 2022-23. Entering his junior season, look for him to emerge as a name to know in the UNC rotation.
Early enrollee Elliot Cadeau is the X-Factor, though. He’s another highly-rated player with NBA Draft implications in his debut season. His addition as a high-level playmaker and floor general should push the Tar Heels over the hump and into the top of the ACC standings.
3. Syracuse Orange
Last season: 17-15, 10-10 in the ACC
Judah Mintz leads an eager Syracuse rotation after testing the NBA Draft waters this past offseason. Mintz was an All-Freshman performer in the ACC, posting 16.3 ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.3 rpg and 1.8 spg on 30.3 percent shooting from deep and 44.3 percent shooting from the floor in his debut season. In Year 2, he’ll look to lead the Orange to more success as one of seven returners from last year’s squad.
J.J. Starling (Notre Dame) is another All-ACC Freshman performer joining this rotation after his exploits with the Fighting Irish in his debut. He put up 11.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 1.1 apg on 42.1 percent shooting from the floor before entering his name into the transfer portal and moving closer to home with the Orange.
Benny Williams, Chris Bell, Maliq Brown and Justin Taylor are a few other returning names for this Syracuse squad who should grow into bigger roles in Year 1 under head coach Adrian Autry. Williams averaged 7.2 ppg and 4.1 rpg as a sophomore across 30 appearances (24 starts).
Bell was a consistent starter in the frontcourt this past season, posting 6.6 ppg and 1.8 rpg on 34.5 percent shooting from deep while Brown averaged 5.7 ppg and 4.6 rpg across 29 appearances (7 starts). Look for them to carve out roles for themselves in the frontcourt.
Taylor should emerge as their biggest reserve off the bench after averaging 4.2 ppg on 39.3 percent shooting from deep in his debut season. The Orange should surprise some folks in the ACC this season and enter the preseason at No. 3 in the power rankings.
2. Miami Hurricanes
Last season: 29-8, 15-5 in the ACC
The Hurricanes were one of the surprises out of the ACC by season’s end in 2022-23, finishing the season in the Final Four as a No. 5 seed out of the Midwest region in the NCAA Tournament. They were regular season co-champions along with the UVA Cavaliers after winning eight of their last nine games in the conference schedule.
Nijel Pack and Norchad Omier return as is Wooga Poplar, with Breakout Player of the Year on his mind. Pack finished the year with 13.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.3 apg and 1.0 spg on 40.4 percent shooting from deep in his debut season in the ACC. Omier was right there with him with 13.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.1 bpg and 1.1 spg on 57.4 percent shooting from the floor.
Poplar enters with Most Improved Player potential after producing 8.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 apg and 1.1 spg in his sophomore season. Entering his junior season, he’ll be looked upon to replace the role Isaiah Wong played as their athletic slasher and dynamic playmaker in space.
Matthew Cleveland (Florida State) should replace the role Jordan Miller played last year given his presence on the wing. Cleveland was one of the Seminoles’ top players a season ago, finishing with 13.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 1.8 apg on 44.5 percent shooting from the field. He’ll look to inject his prowess into the Miami rotation as they look to finish at the top of the conference once again in 2023-24.
1. Duke Blue Devils
Last season: 27-9, 14-6 in the ACC
The Blue Devils return in 2023-24 looking to defend their ACC Tournament crown but there will be plenty of competition, per usual. They handled business in the conference but they fell short of their national title hopes, falling to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in the East region.
Jeremy Roach, Kyle Filipowski, Mark Mitchell and Kyle Filipowski are the leading names for the Blue Devils as they look to this season with one thing on their mind: an NCAA title. Roach and Proctor should lead the backcourt, while Mitchell and Filipowski will roam the forward spots and Ryan Young will round things out at the center spot for what should be a deep Blue Devils’ squad.
They fared well together in the freshman debuts for Filipowski, Mitchell and Proctor but now with experience under their belt, they’ll look to push the envelope even more as early favorites in the ACC to win it all.
Their freshman class of Caleb Foster, T.J. Power, Jared McCain and Sean Stewart should all contribute as well. Foster and McCain are quick-starters on the offensive who can score in a variety of ways while Power and Stewart should carve out roles for themselves as slashers and rebounding presences in the painted area.
A ton of potential looms for this Duke rotation to be very good in 2023-24 and for that, the Blue Devils round of the early preseason conference power rankings at the top spot.