2024-25 ACC Basketball Preview & Preseason Awards

CBB Review previews ACC basketball heading into the 2024-25 season.

ACC basketball has had some struggles recently after leading the college basketball world for a majority of the 2010’s. However, some new faces and other revamped ones hope to send the league back on track where they once were.

Duke and North Carolina lead the pack this season, not unlike other years. However, Miami, Wake Forest, and NC State are top competitors for the two remaining double byes.

In the middle, there are a lot of question marks. Louisville’s new coach and roster, a Virginia without Tony Bennett, no PJ Hall at Clemson, and many other things to be seen determine who will be a dark horse this year.

Cal, SMU, and Stanford should not be factors quite yet, but the new faces and unfamiliar systems could make for cool upsets. Either way, the ACC is desperate for a bounce back season this year, hoping to culminate with bids for the majority of the league to the NCAA Tournament.

ACC basketball projected standings

1. Duke Blue Devils

Is it crazy that people are calling Cooper Flagg the greatest college player ever before he has even played one game? Maybe, but he absolutely has the potential to be in the conversation. Duke has had loads of prospects over the years, and yet, Flagg exceeds all of them by a long shot.

It is easy to say that North Carolina will be better than Duke this season, and they very well could be. But the separater here is clearly Flagg. This young man will be a star, and Duke can ride his coattails all the way to an ACC championship. Guys like Tyrese Proctor and Mason Gillis will have to step up, but if Flagg lives up to only half his expectations, this will be a fun year for Blue Devil fans.

2. North Carolina Tar Heels

If we could do 1a and 1b, UNC and Duke would be that. However, Flagg’s generational talent giving Duke the slight edge does not take away from how good UNC will be this year. RJ Davis is a frontrunner for National POTY, and has been a star since he got to Chapel Hill.

Ven-Allen Lubin is an exciting transfer from Vanderbilt who will play a Harrison Ingram and Brady Manek type of role. Ian Jackson is the nations eighth ranked recruit. There is definitely star power here. The question will be how efficient can Davis be? If he shoots at high clips and creates shots for other guys, the Tar Heels will give Duke a run for their money as the leagues best team.

3. Miami Hurricanes

Jim Larranaga had an incredible offseason for the Hurricanes, but the two centerpieces for this squad are returners Nijel Pack and Matthew Cleveland. These two returners not only have to head the offense, but also set the foundation for the newcomers and create a winning culture, similar to the one Miami had in 2023 when they made the Final Four.

Jalen Blackmon was one of the top portal names, averaging over 21 a game at Stetson. The Hurricanes also added Lynn Kidd, who is a strong center from in-league competitor Virginia Tech. This team has a very high floor, and it is hard to imagine them missing the field entirely. But they are right on that elite cusp, and it will be interesting to monitor how the new faces gel in Coral Gables.

4. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Hunter Sallis is a dark horse for National Player of the Year. Yes, you read that right. He is that good. And he alone can be enough for Wake to make the tournament.

However, the Deacs have a lot of surrounding talent to complement their star. Omaha Biliew is a former five-star recruit who did not play much last year at Iowa State. Sallis came over from Gonzaga as a high-rated recruit and went from lacking minutes to being a star. Biliew could have the same timeline.

Cameron Hildrith is also a great piece for Wake. They have a strong bench, are well-coached, and hungry after missing the field last season. This team has a high ceiling, and although not quite at the Duke and UNC level, will be a tough matchup for everyone in the league.

5. NC State Wolfpack

NC State is coming off of a bit of a magical season. A miraculous ACC Tournament championship followed by a Cinderella run to the Final Four, the Wolfpack were the epitome of “getting hot at the right time” a season ago. A lot of that was in part to the dominance of DJ Burns, who, as well as leading scorer DJ Horne, are no longer with the team.

With that being said, the Wolfpack still have a lot to be excited about. Ben Middlebrooks is bound for a breakout campaign, Mike James and Jayden Taylor both have experience in the system, and Michael O’Connell made some huge shots in the teams run last year. Overall, there is a lot of talent returning, so it is completely feasible for NC State to make another run this year.

6. Virginia Cavaliers

The Tony Bennett era came to an abrupt end a couple of weeks ago when he announced his retirement. Now, it is Ron Sanchez at the helm for the time being. Sanchez, who was the head coach at Charlotte for five seasons, comes from the Bennett coaching tree, so Virginia’s style should be the same. Whether or not that is a good thing is still up in the air.

Isaac McKneely will be Virginia’s top scorer. The sharp shooter can also take it off the bounce and attack. Elsewhere, Virginia brings in a couple of exciting transfers, including Dai Dai Ames and Elijah Saunders. The rosters can change, coaches can leave, but the question for Virginia will always be: can their offense score at high rates? If they can, this will be a dangerous team. If not, it will be another middle-of-the-pack finish for UVA.

7. Clemson Tigers

The PJ Hall era in Clemson is over, but the Tigers can be sneaky dangerous again. Chase Hunter is back for his sixth season and he will be the centerpiece of this offense. Ian Schieffelin will be able to stretch the floor as well, having most of the inside looks with Hall gone.

Jake Heidbreder is another interesting guy for Clemson, as he did not play last season. However, the year before at Air Force, the forward averaged above 15 points a game. He fits Clemson’s scheme perfectly and will be yet another pesky matchup for opponents.

8. Louisville Cardinals

Listen. Kenny Payne’s tenure did not go as planned by any means. Louisville parted ways with Payne after two unwatchable seasons, a short leash some might say, especially as he was dealt a horrific hand. However, Pat Kelsey now has the keys to the program, and he did a little renovating to say the least.

Louisville has zero returners from last season and no freshmen. Louisville, who can be called transfer portal U, has an entire roster of transfers, all of whom picked Kelsey and Louisville with a shared goal of bringing the Cardinals back to relevance. Sure, there will be growing pains, but this squad will be a really fun one to watch this year.

9. Pittsburgh Panthers

It is a bit of a statement year for Jeff Capel and Pitt who feel like they got snubbed from the field last season. Nonetheless, it will be a bit of an uphill battle to get there this season, as both Blake Hinson and Bub Carrington are gone from Oakland, leaving the offensive production up in the air.

Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett are Pitt’s two top returners, and that will be their starting backcourt. Cameron Corhen and Damian Dunn are two key transfers for Pitt. Overall, this roster does not have as much star power as Capel’s team last year, but they hope some big wins can get them in the field this season.

10. Syracuse Orange

It is a little weird watching Syracuse play man-to-man defense. In the second season without Jim Boeheim, Adrian Autry struck gold on the recruiting trail, snagging the 12th-ranked prospect in Donnie Freeman. JJ Starling will run the show, and a few transfers complement the offense.

Naheem McLeod is someone to look out for. At Syracuse’s best, they seem to have a really tall rim protector who can also be a menace on the glass and even be a little creative with the rock. The 7’4″ junior averaged under 3 a contest last year but could play some important minutes if his game improved this offseason.

11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Markus Burton showed last season that he is a special player. He was underrated by recruiting services but really shined in his freshman season. Notre Dame only lost one player from last year, and brought in some surrounding talent to make a push this year.

Matt Allocco is the top transfer to enroll in South Bend. The former Princeton guard shoots at an unbelievable high clip from all three levels of the floor. He should compliment Burton nicely, it is just a matter of whether or not the rest of the roster can make serious jumps to propel the Irish into the top portion of the ACC.

12. SMU Mustangs

Boopie Miller headlines SMU’s transfer class this season, coming from now in-conference rival Wake Forest. Andy Enfield is in his first season at the helm for the Mustangs, and although he might regard his first as a transitional year, SMU has a young core that can hopefully bring them to compete soon in the ACC.

Matt Cross, forward from UMass, is another interesting player that Enfield added. The graduate senior averaged over 15 a game last season and will presumably be the leader on the court as well as the offensive catalyst. What is most captivating about SMU is their size, with only three players in the rotation being under 6’6″.

13. Cal Golden Bears

Cal returns just 1% of their minutes from last season. Head coach Mark Madsen has a bit of a reset, as he enters his second season with a brand new roster in a new conference. All five of his starters are transfers, two of them averaged double figures and the other three come from Power Five schools.

Cal only has one non conference game against a Power Five school, facing off with Missouri December 3. On paper, that should put them in a good spot going into their first season of ACC play. However, a couple of bad losses could haunt them, and they might have trouble as a group of new faces in a loaded conference.

14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech will always have sneaky good teams. Meaning they are not very good, but Stoudamire and the Yellow Jackets can pull out some nifty wins. No, GT will not be very good this season, but they might beat Duke and UNC, which would be awesome for college hoops.

15. Virginia Tech Hokies

Virginia Tech did not have the ideal offseason, losing Sean Pedulla and Lynn Kidd, among others. Jaden Schutt will be the leading scorer for this depleted Hokie squad, one that Mike Young will have to really have a masterclass with to even sniff the field of 68.

16. Florida State Seminoles

It has been a tough couple of years for Florida State, who once were at the top of the ACC mountain in hoops. Some thought it might have been their year last season early on when they beat Colorado, but it was mostly downhill for FSU, who struggled to remain .500 last year. Jamir Watkins is back, which is huge, but the other 8 guys who entered the portal along with Watkins are not, which is a huge blow.

17. Boston College Eagles

Unfortunately for BC, relevancy in basketball has not quite come during their time in the ACC. They have had some good players and made a couple of runs in a few decent seasons, but simply have not quite put together a truly solid year. They lost 6 guys to the portal this year and brought in only four, none of whom are particularly game changing. It should be another disappointing season in Chestnut Hill.

18. Stanford Cardinal

It might be a bit of a lost season for Stanford, who could go winless this season in the ACC. Nonetheless, Maxime Raynaud will be a bright spot in an otherwise depleted roster. Consider it a rebuilding and adjustment year, Cardinal fans. There is hope for the future.

CBB Review Preseason ACC Basketball Player of the Year

RJ Davis, North Carolina

This is a bit of a no brainer. Davis won the award last year and is in the drivers seat this season too. With another year as the main piece of the offense, RJ should have no issue pouring in points and having another tremendous season. A couple of guys will compete with him, but, ultimately, it is Davis’ award to lose.

CBB Review Preseason ACC Basketball Coach of the Year

Pat Kelsey, Louisville

Kelsey came into a program that had basically been burnt to the ground, and within a couple of months, he rebuilt it into what looks like a solid contender. Will Louisville be a dominant, top-10 team in his first season? Almost undoubtedly not. However, he has set tremendous framework for a sufficient team that will be competitive this year, which is a giant improvement from what Cardinals fans were subjected to the last two seasons.

CBB Review Preseason ACC Basketball Freshman of the Year

Cooper Flagg, Duke

There’s not much to say with this one. Flagg can pretty much just show up and win this award. The hype around him is unheard of, and his expectations could not be higher. Still, no matter what he does, there are not many who can match up to how dominant he can be. So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, because this is a one-of-a-kind player we are about to see.

CBB Review Preseason ACC Basketball Transfer of the Year

Ven-Allen Lubin, North Carolina

Out of the four awards we give out, this one could be the toughest decision. Not just because the first three were relatively easy, but also because there are many transfers who some would deem more talented than Lubin. However, UNC has a history of plugging in transfers to play the four, and Lubin is no exception. The Vanderbilt transfer will replace Harrison Ingram, who played just one season at UNC and learned the system with ease. The UNC formula for plugging in power forwards and making them integral parts with no experience with the team leads us to believe Lubin will fit in seamlessly and have a lot of success for the Tar Heels.

CBB Review Preseason ACC Basketball First Team

• G: RJ Davis, North Carolina
• G: Markus Burton, Notre Dame
• G: Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
• F: Cooper Flagg, Duke
• C: Ian Schieffelin, Clemson

CBB Review Preseason ACC Basketball Second Team

• G: Nijel Pack, Miami
• G: Terrence Edwards Jr., Louisville
• G: Jamir Watkins, Florida State
• F: Ven-Allen Lubin, North Carolina
• F: Maxime Raynaud, Stanford

CBB Review Preseason ACC Basketball Third Team

• G: Chase Hunter, Clemson
• G: Tyrese Proctor, Duke
• G: Matthew Cleveland, Miami
• G: Ishmael Leggett, Pittsburgh
• F: Baye Ndongo, Georgia Tech

CBB Review Preseason ACC Basketball All-Freshmen Team

• G: Jalil Bethea, Miami
• G: Ian Jackson, North Carolina
• G: Kon Knueppel, Duke
• F: Cooper Flagg, Duke
• F: Donnie Freeman, Syracuse