ACC Basketball: Louisville, Wake Forest rise in updated way-too-early ranking for 2024-25

7. Pittsburgh Panthers

One of the first NBA Draft decisions that impacted ACC Basketball was Carlton Carrington, a star freshman who decided to leave early for the draft. Leading scorer Blake Hinson already ran out of eligibility, while starting center Federiko Federiko transferred out to Texas Tech.

Who are back for Pittsburgh is Jaland Lowe, the other freshman starting guard who broke out in the second half of last season. Ishmael Leggett (12.3 ppg and 5.5 rpg) was the ACC 6th Man of the Year and is back for a fifth year, with the team landing Damian Dunn over from Houston. He only averaged 6.3 ppg last season in a limited role but was around 15 ppg in the years prior at Temple.

The other starter back is Zack Austin, a high-flying forward who averaged 6.5 ppg on the wing. Plus, the 7’0 stretch forward brothers, Jorge and Guillerman Diaz-Graham, return as two-way players with a ton of height and shooting ability. The likely starting center is Cam Corhen, a 6’10 big man from FSU who produced 9.4 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 21 mpg mostly off the bench.

The freshmen core that includes four-star prospects Papa Kante, Brandin Cummings, and Amsal Delalic will determine how much depth Pittsburgh will have next season, while pressure will be on Lowe as the clear lead guard on the offense. But if Dunn can return to form as a go-to scorer himself, the Panthers will remain a top-half team in the league.