This October, Sports Illustrated is rolling out conference previews for the five high-major leagues in college basketball, as well as an overarching preview of mid-majors across the country. The series begins today with the ACC.
State of the League
The trend had not been positive for a couple of years, but ACC fans (and leadership) can only hope that last year’s miserable ACC season was as low as it can go. The ACC got just four teams into the NCAA tournament and needed a Selection Sunday surprise to fit in that fourth team. Perhaps more alarming was just how uncompetitive large swaths of the league looked. Eight of the ACC’s 18 teams finished outside of KenPom’s top 100, a line of demarcation that should indicate a five-alarm fire for just about any high-major team.
The good news is that the league is doing something about it. Some of its biggest underachievers (Virginia, NC State and Miami) have new coaches who have brought excitement, NIL dollars and talent influxes with them. Other struggling schools responded with improved financial commitment. I wouldn’t bet on the ACC magically challenging for “nation’s best conference” honors, but this league should be much improved in 2025–26.
All-Conference First Team
- Cameron Boozer, Duke
- Darrion Williams, NC State
- Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
- Thijs De Ridder, Virginia
- Markus Burton, Notre Dame
All-Conference Second Team
- Luka Bogavac, North Carolina
- Boopie Miller, SMU
- Isaiah Evans, Duke
- Ryan Conwell, Louisville
- Malik Reneau, Miami
Player of the Year: Cameron Boozer
Freshman of the Year: Cameron Boozer
Transfer of the Year: Darrion Williams
Projected NCAA tournament teams: Six (Duke, Louisville, Virginia, North Carolina, NC State, SMU)
Projected Order of Finish
1. Duke
Cooper Flagg was absolutely brilliant last season for Duke, but the Blue Devils have what could be the best freshman in the country yet again in Cameron Boozer. He’s a double-double machine capable of carrying this Duke team back to the Final Four and maybe all the way to a national championship … after all, he won four state titles in high school and three AAU national championships. The talent around him with three to four other potential first-round picks isn’t so bad either.
2. Louisville
Louisville’s backcourt is absolutely loaded, with five-star guard Mikel Brown Jr. leading the way and an elite crop of transfers like Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely alongside him. This is the type of deep roster Pat Kelsey envisioned when he took this job, with so much shooting, versatility and feel for the game up and down the lineup.
3. Virginia
Ryan Odom did a fantastic job of putting his stamp on the program this spring taking over from Tony Bennett. The Cavs have tons of shooting in the backcourt and an elite scorer from the portal in Malik Thomas. But the star? That’s Thijs De Ridder, a starter last year for Liga ACB’s Bilbao in perhaps the best domestic league in the world outside of the NBA. The 22-year-old should immediately be one of the ACC’s best players.
4. North Carolina
North Carolina needs a bounce-back year in the worst of ways after last season’s disappointment. This year’s Heels roster fits better than its poorly constructed 2024–25 squad, but the talent level isn’t quite as high unless one of five-star freshman Caleb Wilson and top international product Luka Bogavac really hits and blossoms into a star.
5. NC State
Will Wade brings new life to this NC State program and has immediately injected a ton of talent, headlined by a potential All-American in Texas Tech transfer Darrion Williams. Williams, Tre Holloman and Terrance Arceneaux give the Pack three high-level contributors from Elite Eight teams a year ago, an outstanding Year 1 nucleus for Wade in Raleigh.
6. SMU
SMU brings back three starters, including star point guard Boopie Miller and talented big Samet Yigitoglu. Add in a top transfer in Jacksonville State’s Jaron Pierre Jr. to give the backcourt more scoring juice and an impressive high school class headlined by elite recruit Jaden Toombs, and Andy Enfield’s Mustangs may be in business.
7. Miami
Duke assistant Jai Lucas takes over in Coral Gables, Fla., and has immediately injected the Hurricanes with plenty of talent. Indiana transfer Malik Reneau is a potential star, while Ernest Udeh Jr. (TCU) and Tre Donaldson (Michigan) each bring plenty of experience. If five-star freshman Shelton Henderson is the goods, watch out.
8. Clemson
There’s tons to like with the Tigers’ frontcourt, adding four transfers all with diverse skill sets including former Nevada star Nick Davidson and intriguing rim protector Carter Welling from Utah Valley. The backcourt is where questions lie, with lots riding on MTSU transfer Jestin Porter to be an impact guy from Day 1.
9. Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech desperately needed a talent injection this spring and got one, adding a proven high-major starter up front in Amani Hansberry and a potential NBA prospect in jumbo playmaker Neoklis Avdalas. This team may go as far as Avdalas can take them, and optimism is high after he shined in a primary ballhandling role at the U20 European Championships this summer.
10. Wake Forest
Another year of bubble brutality has Wake fans on edge about head coach Steve Forbes, and this year’s roster isn’t as talented as his last two teams. Buy stock in Washington State transfer Nate Calmese though given Forbes’s track record with portal guards. The swing piece is Valparaiso transfer center Cooper Schwieger, a highly skilled big with some athletic limitations.
11. Syracuse
Going 14–19 in the worst ACC ever was a good way to put the heat on Red Autry entering his third year replacing Jim Boeheim. Autry had a good offseason though, keeping Donnie Freeman and JJ Starling, adding one of the top point guards in the portal in Naithan George and signing a pair of high-level high school recruits. The talent is here for a big bounce back, though reasonable questions persist about whether Autry is the guy to get the Orange back dancing.
12. Notre Dame
Wins haven’t come as quickly as some hoped for Micah Shrewsberry at Notre Dame, but this year’s group could take big steps forward with star point guard Markus Burton returning and five-star freshman Jalen Haralson incoming. The talent level is slowly improving through strong high school recruiting with Notre Dame limited in its ability to attack the portal.
13. Pittsburgh
Pitt completely flipped the roster after a rough 2024–25 season. This year’s group is built much more around size and physicality, though finding someone who can consistently put it in the basket efficiently might be a challenge. The best bet might be Barry Dunning Jr., who averaged 15 points per game at South Alabama a year ago.
14. Florida State
New coach Luke Loucks brings an NBA background and new energy to a program that grew stale late in Leonard Hamilton’s tenure. The Noles lack size and physicality up front, though Chauncey Wiggins (Clemson) and Alex Steen (Florida Southern) are highly skilled and could create some mismatches.
15. Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets have impressive size up front with a strong returner in Baye Ndongo paired with top-20 recruit Mouhamed Sylla. Its backcourt situation is less rosy though, relying heavily on previous high-major flameouts Lamar Washington and Kam Craft who each had nice bounce backs last season at the mid-major level.
16. Stanford
Kyle Smith’s presence on the sideline is just about the only thing keeping the Cardinal out of the projected cellar. Smith’s a clear floor-raiser, but he has his work cut out for him with a rebuilding roster. Freshmen Ebuka Okorie and Oskar Giltay could be building blocks, though.
17. Cal
Mark Madsen is pushing a boulder uphill at Cal, but losing Andrej Stojakovic (Illinois) and Jeremiah Wilkinson (Georgia) in the portal stings. Dai Dai Ames and Chris Bell bring some scoring pedigree, but this roster lacks the top-end talent Madsen’s first two teams in Berkeley have featured.
18. Boston College
Keeping leading scorer Donald Hand Jr. was massive, but outside of Hand the talent here is underwhelming for a high-major team. Unless buy-low former top recruits Aidan Shaw and Jason Asemota break out, it could be another long year.
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ACC Men’s College Hoops Preview: Duke Leads Charge for Resurgent League.
