Connor Ryland | Staff Reporter
With the NCAA Men’s Basketball season rapidly approaching, here’s how the ACC will play out.
1. UNC
Players Lost: The only departure from a strong UNC basketball roster was J.P. Tokoto who was drafted 58th in the second round by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Key Players Added: Kenny Williams (4-star recruit)
Projected Starters: Marcus Paige, Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson, Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks
Overview: UNC returns 12 out of 13 players from a very strong team last year who almost upset Wisconsin in the sweet 16. UNC will play consistent basketball throughout the season and should have very few losses, outside of being swept by Duke in head to head matchups, which will lead them to an ACC regular season title. UNC’s deep bench and strong chemistry will lead it far in March Madness and they are a strong possibility to be cutting down the nets.
2. Duke Basketball
Players Lost: The freshmen superstar trio consisting of Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, and Tyus Jones all declared for the NBA draft and were taken in the first round. Quinn Cook, who also started for Duke last year graduated and is trying to get a spot in the NBA. Between the freshmen superstar trio and Quinn Cook, Duke has lost four starters from last year who contributed on average 57 points a game and became a defensive force late in the season. Rasheed Sulaimon was dismissed midway through last year and is now playing for Maryland.
Key Players Added: Duke adds another stacked recruiting class placing them at number one in the country yet again. Brandon Ingram (5 star freshmen), Chase Jeter (5 star freshman), Derryck Thornton (5 star freshman), Chase Jeter (5 star freshman), Luke Kennard (4 star freshman), and Sean Obi (Rice transfer) are some of the the big names Duke has acquired this season
Projected Starters: Derryck Thornton, Grayson Allen, Matt Jones, Brandon Ingram, Chase Jeter
Overview: Duke will start out slow at the beginning of the season as the freshmen become adjusted to college basketball and the team builds chemistry. Duke will reach its best play towards the midpoint of the conference schedule, will sweep UNC yet again, and will notch itself some impressive nonconference and conference wins while dropping some easy games. Although Duke will finish close to UNC in conference play UNC’s consistency and chemistry gives them too big of a advantage in conference play.
3. Virginia
Players Lost: Justin Anderson (went pro), Darion Atkins graduated from Virginia.
Players Added: Virginia adds Darius Thompson, a transfer from Tennessee.
Projected Starters: London Perrantes, Malcolm Brogdon, Marial Shayok, Anthony Gill, Mike Tobey
Overview: The loss of Justin Anderson figures to be a big loss to Virginia but they still return a large amount of their team and will compete in the ACC this year yet again. The defense of Virginia will be the best in the ACC and most likely the best in the country, yet again. Tony Benett’s system will work, as it has in the past, and lead the Cavaliers far in the ACC tournament and in the NCAA tournament.
4. Louisville
Players Lost: Montrezll Harrell (went pro), Terry Rozier (went pro), Chris Jones (dismissed), Wayne Blackshear (graduated), Anton Gill (transferred), Shaqquan Aaron (transferred).
Players Added: Donovan Mitchell (4-star freshman), Deng Adel (4-star freshman), Raymond Spalding (4-star freshman), Trey Lewis (transfer), Damion Lee (transfer)
Projected Starters: Quentin Snider, Lewis, Lee, Chinanu Onuaku, Mangok Mathiang
Overview: Although Louisville is losing some key members of their team and production, 62.2 points per a game, they are adding a very strong recruiting class and are adding two very talented transfers. If Louisville does not receive any ACC or NCAA bans for their recent scandal involving escorts they figure to be a strong contender in both tournaments. Rick Pitino will pull off another incredible coaching job this year and have a team with little chemistry playing like a group of seniors together quickly.
5. Miami:
Players Lost: Deandre Burnett (transferred), Many Lecomete (transferred).
Players Added: Kamari Murphy (transfer from Oklahoma State)
Projected Starters: Angel Rodriguez, Sheldon McClellan, Davon Reed, Murphy, Tonye Jekiri
Overview: Miami returns nearly all of a strong team last year that finished out the season very well. Miami will build on this late season success and enter the year poised and ready for a strong year. Miami will figure to be a major bracket buster come March.
How the rest of the standings will play out:
6. Florida State
7. Notre Dame
8. North Carolina State
9. Wake Forest
10. Syracuse
11. Pittsburg
12. Clemson
13. Georgia Tech
14. Virginia Tech
15. Boston College
