Last week’s exploration into the ACC’s nosedive and recent reputational nadir covered the foundational elements of the conference — coaching changes, offseason roster overhauls and all-conference teams.
The aim for this week is to catalog each of the 18 teams by tiers to better understand the conference’s infrastructure and post season outlook.
This will not be a full, in-depth preview of each team in the ACC — I don’t have enough words for that. Instead, I will briefly outline each squad’s roster and where it falls along the hierarchy of college basketball’s most historical conference.
The Contenders (Duke, Louisville, North Carolina)
Duke’s penchant for attracting the nation’s top high schoolers each recruiting cycle will keep them atop the ACC until… they stop recruiting the top high schoolers each cycle. This year it’s Cameron Boozer’s show, with returners Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster supplementing him in the backcourt.
Likewise, Louisville’s remarkable off season haul lands the Cards squarely in the ACC’s upper echelon. Pat Kelsey will work with four lethal scorers in Mikel Brown Jr., Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely and Adrian Wooley in the conference’s best backcourt.
I deliberated between North Carolina and NC State for this tier’s final spot. Both rosters will be completely new, remade via the transfer portal and high-tier recruiting, but Hubert Davis’ return to Chapel Hill gives the Tar Heels a more stable foundation to build off.
The Heels will pair returner Seth Trimble with newcomers Kyan Evans and Henri Veesaar as well as blue-chip freshman Caleb Wilson. A defensive improvement is drastically needed.
The Awkward Second Tier (NC State, Notre Dame, SMU)
There shouldn’t be any shame associated with being placed in this tier. These teams are ready to go but not quite ready to get going.
NC State is the paradigm example. Everything is new, including head coach Will Wade and the entire coaching staff. Whether or not the Wolfpack belly flop like last year’s Kansas or surprise like Arkansas could be contingent upon the play of Texas Tech transfer Darrion Williams.
The return of Markus Burton (who averaged north of 21 points per game last year) and sharpshooter Braeden Shrewsberry, paired with the transfer-in of the nation’s leading rebounder in Carson Towt (12.4) and three four-star freshmen gives Notre Dame its most talented roster of the Micah Shrewsberry era. The Irish need to capitalize — it’s now or never.
Kevin “Boopie” Miller elected to return to SMU after an injury-riddled 2024-25. He’ll now play alongside five freshmen that make up the nation’s No. 9 overall class and a developed Samet Yigitoglu in the post. The roster has drastically increased in talent, but can the Ponies break through and reach the NCAA Tournament?
The March Hopefuls (Syracuse, Virginia, Clemson)
The first two Boeheim-less years in upstate New York have been lulling; 34 wins, 31 losses and no postseason. Adrian Autry was given a third chance, however, and this’ll be his most talented group yet. J.J. Starling headlines the bunch, with freshmen Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. generating NBA Draft buzz as high-octane scorers.
Virginia bottomed out without Tony Bennett last year, who abruptly retired just two weeks before the team’s opener. He takes a national championship with him, but new head coach Ryan Odom brought in a plethora of talent c particularly in the backcourt — with plans of opening up the floor to get the offense out in space. It won’t be a juggernaut, but the Hoos will be competitive in the middle of the conference.
Brad Brownell’s Clemson teams have finished with a losing record once in his 15 years with the program. This year will test that. The Tigers lose a lot, especially in the backcourt, and will turn to 12 newcomers — two of which have experience at the high-major level.
The Spoilers (Miami, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech)
New head coach Jai Lucas’ recruiting pedigree instantly had its effects on the Miami program. The Canes rebuilt from the ground-up under the former Duke assistant, welcoming in three four-star prospects and the nation’s 33rd-ranked transfer portal class. Lucas may need some time to adjust to the nuances of being a head coach — a classic transitional year could be in line for the Hurricanes.
Steve Forbes has averaged over 20 wins per season since 2021 but has yet to dance with the Deacons. He’ll turn to a talented class of mid-major transfers, including Wazzu’s Nate Calmese, to try and get him there.
Georgia Tech returns its linchpin down low in Baye Ndongo (13.4 points, 8.9 rebounds) but the backcourt will be entirely new and inexperienced at the high-major level. If the Yellow Jackets can accentuate their strength on the glass, Tech could play spoiler to one of the conference’s top-end teams come March.
The .500 Hopefuls (California, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech)
Cal’s scoring core from last year was stripped via the transfer portal, but the Bears should be in line for a better finish with the return of Rytis Petraitis and Lee Dort down low.
There’s reason to believe that Pitt will finish higher than .500 — and I wouldn’t be shocked if it does — but the lack of scoring pop and general inexperience leads me to believe the Panthers will fight for a bid in the NIT.
Tobi Lawal is a versatile threat as a scorer and rebounder down low, but Virginia Tech didn’t field much of a supporting cast around him, especially in the backcourt.
The Basement (Stanford, Boston College, Florida State)
Jake’s Hottest Take: Notre Dame not only makes the tournament for the first time in four years, but also wins three games to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2016.