College basketball preseason trips are already underway. (We hear the Bahamas are lovely this time of year, Louisville. Shame our invite got lost!) That’s our sign that rosters are basically finalized, and it’s finally worth asking the question:
How’s the ACC looking?
If nothing else, larger. Cal, Stanford, and SMU are now officially members, meaning the 18-team “Atlantic Coast” Conference stretches the width of the United States and the length of the East Coast. But the league has plenty to boast about. No conference has sent more teams to the Final Four the past three seasons than the ACC (four), with four different programs — North Carolina, Duke, Miami, and NC State — each making an appearance. As for the future, the ACC is bringing in nine five-star freshmen, the most of any conference — and more than the Big 12 and Big East combined. The conference has four of the nation’s top 15 recruiting classes, per 247Sports: No. 1 Duke, No. 7 Miami, No. 8 UNC, and No. 14 Georgia Tech. Two others, Clemson and Notre Dame, crack the top 25.
The transfer portal was less kind to the league, though there are still plenty of contributors coming in. But of The Athletic’s top 100 transfers, none of the top 15 joined the ACC. Only 13 of the top 100 best-available players picked ACC schools, with no league member ranking in the top 20 nationally in transfer portal hauls.
Still, the league has plenty of experience, with some of its teams built more around experienced stars. A third of the ACC has at least four players with more than 2,000 career Division I minutes, and nine different teams have at least one player with more than 3,000.
Balance that with three new coaches — Pat Kelsey (Louisville), Andy Enfield (SMU), and Kyle Smith (Stanford) — and there is plenty to look forward to this ACC season. Here’s how we see it all shaking out, with a deeper look at every team’s roster.
1. Duke
Biggest losses: Kyle Filipowski (16.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg); Jared McCain (14.3 ppg, 5 rpg); Jeremy Roach (14 ppg, 3 apg); Mark Mitchell (11.6 ppg, 6 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Tyrese Proctor (10.5 ppg, 3.7 apg); Caleb Foster (7.7 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 1 Cooper Flagg, No. 6 Khaman Maluach, No. 14 Isaiah Evans, No. 18 Kon Knueppel, No. 26 Patrick Ngongba II, No. 39 Darren Harris
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: How can a team that lost its top four scorers and returns only two rotation players top our rankings? Because of who it’s bringing in, starting with Flagg, the No. 1 recruit in the country. The Maine native has long been viewed as a generational talent. He should be on campus only about nine months, before likely becoming the top pick in the 2025 draft.
That explains many of Jon Scheyer’s offseason roster moves. The third-year coach offloaded several high-profile recruits, including four former five-stars, in favor of plug-and-play transfers who complement Flagg’s skill set. In comes Mason Gillis (Purdue), the reigning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year and a career 40.7 percent 3-point shooter with national championship game experience. Maliq Brown (Syracuse), an All-ACC defender; and Sion James (Tulane), a wrecking ball of a wing who has played almost 4,000 D-I minutes, also arrived. Then there’s the rest of Duke’s elite recruiting class, including four other five-star talents — like Maluach, the raw 7-foot-2 South Sudanese center who just appeared in the Olympics — to round out the rotation. Proctor and Foster need to stay healthy after missing time last season. If they do? Duke has the experience, top-end talent and role definition necessary to make a national championship run.
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2. North Carolina
Biggest losses: Armando Bacot (14.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg); Harrison Ingram (12.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg); Cormac Ryan (11.5 ppg)
Returning rotation players: RJ Davis (21.2 ppg, 3.5 apg); Elliot Cadeau (7.3 ppg, 4.1 apg); Seth Trimble (4.2 ppg); Jae’Lyn Withers (4.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg); Jalen Washington (3.9 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 8 Ian Jackson, No. 11 Drake Powell, No. 89 James Brown
Top 100 transfers added: No. 16 Cade Tyson (Belmont)
Why they’re here: You can’t do better than bringing back a first-team All-American guard like Davis, arguably the best returning player in all of college basketball. Losing three other starters, including Bacot, stings, but Davis alone raises the ceiling in Chapel Hill. With him, Cadeau, Trimble and top-10 recruit Jackson — already earning rave reviews this summer from the coaching staff — UNC should have one of the best perimeter groups in the sport.
Add in Tyson, a career 44.6 percent 3-point shooter, and Powell, who could be the team’s best defender from Day 1, and Hubert Davis’ team is set on the wings. The frontcourt is where things get a little hairier. UNC added Ven-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt) late in the portal window to fortify its interior, and either he or Washington needs to emerge as an every-game starting center. If so, then the Tar Heels can challenge rival Duke for the conference title — and there’s no telling how far Davis can take UNC in March.
Career Division I minutes on roster
| Team | Minutes |
|---|---|
|
20,677 (5 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
18,252 (5 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
16,988 (5 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
15,869 (4 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
15,236 (4 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
14,876 (2 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
13,246 (4 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
13,221 (3 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
12,538 (3 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
12,111 (2 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
12,007 (3 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
11,929 (one player with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
9,859 (2 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
9,063 (one player with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
8,466 (2 players with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
8,077 (1 player with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
6,182 (1 player with 2,000-plus) |
|
|
5,456 (1 player with 2,000-plus) |
3. Louisville
Biggest losses: Skyy Clark (13.2 ppg); Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (12.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg); Mike James (12.6 ppg, 5 rpg); Tre White (12.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg); JJ Traynor (10.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg); Ty-Laur Johnson (8.7 ppg, 3.6 apg); Curtis Williams (5.3 ppg); Kaleb Glenn (3.9 ppg)
Returning rotation players: None
Top 100 freshmen added (1): No. 34 Khani Rooths
Top 100 transfers added (4): No. 17 Terrence Edwards Jr. (James Madison), No. 46 Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin), No. 61 J’Vonne Hadley (Colorado), No. 70 Kasean Pryor (South Florida)
Why they’re here: Can you rebuild a whole program in a single offseason? We’re about to find out, with Louisville as the national test case. The Cardinals got rid of their coach, their entire roster and somehow still ended up with the most experienced and productive group of players in the ACC.
Pat Kelsey’s team leads the league in D-I minutes played, career made 3s and top 100 transfers added — but no one, obviously, has done anything in a UL uniform. Still, having five players with over 2,000 career D-I minutes, plus five who have made at least 50 career 3s, should be a boon for Kelsey’s 3-point happy offense. In Kelsey’s 12 years as head coach, his teams have finished in the top 75 in 3-point rate 10 times — including last season, when College of Charleston finished 17th nationally after taking 46.9 percent of its shots from deep.
Among the notable additions: Edwards, the Sun Belt Player of the Year who led JMU to a program-best 32 wins; Hepburn, an All-Big Ten defender and three-year starter; and Pryor, who led USF to 21 wins in 22 games last season after becoming a starter. This ranking is admittedly a gamble on Kelsey getting all the players to coalesce, but Louisville has the talent to make one of the biggest year-to-year leaps in the sport — and get back to the NCAA Tournament.
4. Miami
Biggest losses: Norchad Omier (17 ppg, 10 rpg); Wooga Poplar (13.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Bensley Joseph (9.6 ppg); Kyshawn George (7.6 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Matthew Cleveland (13.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Nijel Pack (13.3 ppg, 3.6 apg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 7 Jalil Bethea, No. 50 Austin Swartz
Top 100 transfers added: No. 84 Brandon Johnson (East Carolina), No. 91 Lynn Kidd (Virginia Tech)
Why they’re here: Last season’s Final Four encore was a train wreck as the Hurricanes struggled with injuries and depth. Losing Norchad Omier, a walking double-double and the program’s only real big man, was a tough blow, too. But Jim Larrañaga never stays down for long, proving it by hanging onto his best two perimeter players, signing the program’s highest-ranked recruit in nearly four decades, and adding much-needed, missing depth via the portal.
Including Pack and Cleveland, Miami has five players with at least 50 career made 3s — which ties the league lead — and that’s before factoring in Bethea, a knockdown shooter and projected lottery pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Kidd and Johnson add necessary size in the frontcourt, and Johnson can stretch the floor in ways Omier couldn’t. Don’t sleep on Jalen Blackmon (Stetson), either. Not only did the 6-3 guard average 21.3 points per game last season, the 14th-most in D-I, but he dropped 43 in the Atlantic Sun title game to send the Hatters to their first NCAA Tournament. The Hurricanes may be undersized again — par for the course lately under Larrañaga — and struggle defensively because of it, but all the pieces are there for another top-50 offense, plus a return to the Big Dance.
Biggest losses: Kevin “Boopie” Miller (15.6 ppg); Andrew Carr (13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg); Damari Monsanto (5.1 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Hunter Sallis (18 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Cameron Hildreth (13.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg); Efton Reid III (9.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg); Parker Friedrichsen (5.1 ppg);
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 88 Juke Harris
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: Only two first- or second-Team All-ACC players from last season are returning: Davis at UNC and Sallis at Wake Forest. The former five-star recruit pulled his name out of the NBA Draft — where he likely would’ve been a first-round pick — at the last minute, giving Steve Forbes the best returner he’s had yet in Winston-Salem.
That also means expectations in Forbes’ fifth season will be as high as ever. Making the NCAA Tournament, which the Demon Deacons have been close to the past three seasons, is paramount. That’s feasible with Sallis and two other starters back: Hildreth, one of the league’s craftier guards, and Reid, another former five-star recruit who stabilizes the frontcourt. Given Forbes’ track record in the transfer portal, we’re betting on big things from at least one of his additions. Maybe Omaha Biliew (Iowa State), another former five-star who could start at power forward? Or possibly Tre’Von Spillers (Appalachian State), who was named All-Sun Belt in his first season of D-I ball? Either way, with five of its top eight players back from last season — tied with UNC for the second-most in the ACC — Wake Forest has a strong enough foundation to get over the hump for the first time in the Forbes era.
Career made 3-pointers on roster
| Team | 3-pointers |
|---|---|
|
853 (5 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
755 (5 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
685 (5 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
515 (3 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
512 (4 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
489 (3 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
476 (4 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
471 (3 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
427 (2 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
416 (4 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
394 (4 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
373 (3 players with 50-plus) |
|
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344 (2 players with 50-plus) |
|
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299 (2 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
261 (3 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
252 (2 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
201 (0 players with 50-plus) |
|
|
185 (1 player with 50-plus) |
Biggest losses: Blake Hinson (18.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Carlton “Bub” Carrington (13.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.1 apg); Federiko Federiko (4.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Ishmael Leggett (12.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Jaland Lowe (9.6 ppg); Guillermo Diaz Graham (6.7 ppg); Zack Austin (6.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg); Jorge Diaz Graham (3.5 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: None
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: Carrington, a surprise one-and-done, was Pitt’s best freshman last season, but Lowe — who averaged 13.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game in his 19 games as a starter — wasn’t far behind. He could become a bona fide all-league player, and he’s already earning buzz as a potential first-round pick. Lowe’s the ideal set-up man for Pitt’s various returners, especially Leggett, the reigning ACC Sixth Man of the Year who dropped 30 points in the conference semifinals.
As for new arrivals, Damian Dunn (Houston) is finally free from Kelvin Sampson’s doghouse and can hopefully return to the potent scoring form (14.6 ppg) he showed in four seasons at Temple. Forward Cam Corhen (Florida State) provides another frontcourt presence who should thrive in pick-and-rolls with Lowe and Leggett. Jeff Capel’s team is in the top third of the league in career made 3s, and if it can capitalize on that shooting proficiency — like it did late last season, winning 10 of its final 13 games — then a second NCAA Tournament berth in three seasons is within reach.
7. Georgia Tech
Biggest losses: Miles Kelly (13.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Kyle Sturdivant (8.8 ppg); Dallan Coleman (5.9 ppg); Tafara Gapare (5.1 ppg); Tyzhaun Claude (4.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg); Amaree Abram (3.4 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Baye Ndongo (12.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg); Naithan George (9.8 ppg, 4.7 apg); Kowacie Reeves Jr. (9.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg); Lance Terry (10.1 ppg in 2022-23)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 59 Jaeden Mustaf
Top 100 transfers added: No. 33 Javian McCollum (Oklahoma)
Why they’re here: This is higher than you’ll find the Yellow Jackets in other preseason rankings, but we’re calling our shot with Damon Stoudamire’s second squad: This team can make the NCAA Tournament. Georgia Tech returns three of its top four players, but most important among them are Ndongo — who posted the program’s best freshman stats since Chris Bosh and Derrick Favors — and George, who had the fourth-best assist rate in the ACC last season. Reeves is a highlight reel in waiting on the wing, and Terry, who missed all of last season with a calf injury, is a career 37.2 percent 3-point shooter who can prevent defenses from collapsing on Ndongo inside.
But McCollum is the other reason to be excited about GT. The nation’s second-best free-throw shooter last season (94.3 percent) is a pick-and-roll maestro who led the Sooners in scoring, and that’s even after his 3-point shot cratered in OU’s final 15 games. McCollum shot 39.8 percent from 3 in Oklahoma’s first 15 games … and 21.5 percent over its last 15. With him and George in the backcourt, pick-and-rolls with Ndongo should be as potent as any in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets are young — 11th in the ACC in D-I minutes — but should be fun.
8. Clemson
Biggest losses: PJ Hall (18.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg); Joseph Girard III (15.1 ppg); RJ Godfrey (6.1 ppg); Alex Hemenway (5.2 ppg); Jack Clark (4.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Chase Hunter (12.9 ppg, 3.2 apg); Ian Schieffelin (10.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg); Chauncey Wiggins (5.4 ppg); Dillon Hunter (2.3 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 79 Dallas Thomas
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: There’s no sugarcoating the losses of Hall and Girard, who led or tied for the team lead in scoring 29 times in 36 games. They were the heart of Clemson’s Elite Eight team. But if there is good news, it’s that Hunter — who averaged 17.8 points, 5.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2 steals per game in four NCAA Tournament contests — is back for his sixth season of college hoops.
Moving from third to first on the opposing scouting report is no easy jump, but with Hunter and Schieffelin, the ACC’s Most Improved Player, back, Clemson has a solid floor. Those are two of the five Tigers with at least 2,000 D-I minutes, tied for the most in the league. But how will the other three — Jaeden Zackery (Boston College), Jake Heidbreder (Air Force), and Myles Foster (Illinois State) — acquit themselves? Probably well, but we wonder if they’ll be as impactful and consistent as the players Clemson lost.
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Biggest losses: Reece Beekman (14.3 ppg, 6.2 apg); Ryan Dunn (8.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg); Jacob Groves (7.4 ppg); Jordan Minor (4.3 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Isaac McKneely (12.3 ppg); Andrew Rohde (4.3 ppg); Blake Buchanan (3.4 ppg); Taine Murray (3.3 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 87 Jacob Cofie
Top 100 transfers added: No. 89 TJ Power (Duke)
Why they’re here: With Virginia ranked this low, it’s fair to have the reaction: Is Tony Bennett not Virginia’s coach anymore? He is, and placing his team this low — considering the Cavaliers have finished top-three in the league eight times in the past 10 seasons — feels odd. But while UVa leaned into the transfer portal more fully this offseason, it still feels like the Cavaliers might be a player or two short.
McKneely, a top-50 shooter nationally last season, at least provides one guarantee, a potential all-league player with experience in Bennett’s system. Beyond that? Power is probably Virginia’s best hope for a second star, but how he’ll fare defensively is unclear. Elijah Saunders (San Diego State) and Jalen Warley (Florida State) come from defensive-minded programs, so they should make an immediate impact, but neither is an offensive dynamo. There’s a lot of projecting fit here, considering only Warley has played 2,000 career minutes, and only McKneely and Rohde — who looked out of his depth much of his first season in Charlottesville — have made 50 career 3s. Defense shouldn’t be the issue; offense, we’re in wait-and-see mode.
Returning top-8 players (by minutes)
| Team | |
|---|---|
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No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 8 |
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No. 1, No. 2, No. 5, No. 6, No. 8 |
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No. 1, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8 |
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No. 2, No. 4, No. 5, No. 8 |
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No. 2, No. 4, No. 6, No. 8 |
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No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 7 |
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No. 3, No. 4, No. 7, No. 8 |
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No. 2, No. 6, No. 7 |
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No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 |
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No. 1, No. 4, No. 7 |
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No. 7, No. 8 |
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No. 4, No. 6 |
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No. 2, No. 7 |
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No. 2, No. 5 |
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No. 3, No. 7 |
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No. 7 |
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No. 8 |
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None |
10. NC State
Biggest losses: DJ Horne (16.9 ppg); DJ Burns (12.9 ppg, 4 rpg); Casey Morsell (11.1 ppg); Mohammed Diarra (6.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Jayden Taylor (11.2 ppg, 3.6 apg); Ben Middlebrooks (5.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Michael O’Connell (5.7 ppg, 3.2 apg); Dennis Parker (4.7 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 56 Paul McNeil
Top 100 transfers added: No. 50 Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Louisville)
Why they’re here: NC State’s epic postseason DJs, Horne and Burns, are both gone, and there’s no replicating the magic those two conjured in March. But Kevin Keatts capitalized on the Wolfpack’s Final Four berth as best he could. That started with retention. Keatts brought back ACC Tournament hero O’Connell as his full-time point guard, Taylor as his top shooter and Middlebrooks as his backup big. Landing Huntley-Hatfield — who should slide into (part of) NC State’s Burns-sized hole at center — was huge, too, and should allow the Wolfpack to be more versatile defensively.
Dontrez Styles (Georgetown) and Mike James (Louisville) put up big numbers on bad teams, and Marcus Hill (Bowling Green) was productive but inefficient. How those three adjust — or don’t — to more clearly defined roles should determine if the Wolfpack can make a third straight NCAA Tournament.
11. Syracuse
Biggest losses: Judah Mintz (18.8 ppg, 4.4 apg); Quadir Copeland (9.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg); Maliq Brown (9.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg); Justin Taylor (5 ppg, 4 rpg)
Returning rotation players: J.J. Starling (13.3 ppg); Chris Bell (12 ppg); Naheem McLeod (3.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 13 Donnie Freeman, No. 99 Elijah Moore
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: Adrian Autry did about as well as expected in his first season: a 20-12 record, plus a top-85 offense and defense, per KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings. But that was mostly with Jim Boeheim’s old players. Now, Autry’s fingerprints are all over his second roster.
Starling and Bell are back as perimeter starters, and Bell — a 41.7 percent 3-point shooter last season — must carry the Orange from behind the arc. Freeman should snap the program’s NBA Draft dry spell — The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie listed him 12th on his initial 2025 big board — but hopefully not before making a major impact as a two-way college forward. It would not be a surprise if he ends up being Syracuse’s best player.
Two-time All-CAA wing Jyare Davis (Delaware) should be Autry’s most impactful transfer, although Eddie Lampkin Jr. (Colorado) provides size the Orange have lacked for several seasons. There’s an NCAA Tournament team here if all the new elements take, but it could also take Autry another year to get the program where he wants it.
12. Notre Dame
Biggest losses: Carey Booth (6.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Matt Zona (2.3 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Markus Burton (17.5 ppg, 4.3 apg); Braeden Shrewsberry (10.2 ppg); Tae Davis (9.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg); J.R. Konieczny (7.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Julian Roper II (5.4 ppg, 4 rpg); Kebba Njie (4.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Logan Imes (2 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 68 Sir Mohammed
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: Development is the mantra. The Fighting Irish, the sixth-youngest team in D-I last season, return seven of their top eight players from Micah Shrewsberry’s debut team. That’s the most in the league; no other program returns more than five.
Keeping Burton around gives Notre Dame one of the league’s highest-upside backcourts, and both guards should improve after taking their lumps as freshmen. But the Irish have only one player with 2,000 career minutes — sharpshooter Matt Allocco (Princeton), the team’s top incoming transfer — which is tied for the fewest in the ACC. The program is probably still a year or two away from being truly competitive, but Shrewsberry is quickly closing the gap.
13. SMU
Biggest losses: Zhuric Phelps (14.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Samuell Williamson (8.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg); Tyreek Smith (8.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Ricardo Wright (6.7 ppg); Jalen Smith (5.9 ppg); Ja’Heim Hudson (5.4 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Chuck Harris (13.4 ppg); Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg); B.J. Edwards (3.7 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: None
Top 100 transfers added: No. 94 Kevin “Boopie” Miller (Wake Forest)
Why they’re here: Like Louisville, SMU is another fascinating test of what’s possible in the span of one offseason. The Mustangs have the second-most career minutes played of any ACC team, the third-most career 3-pointers, but four of their five most-experienced players arrived as transfers this spring.
Miller and Harris form an undersized but high-usage backcourt, and they’ll need to be the offensive drivers for Andy Enfield’s first team in Dallas. Yohan Traore (UC Santa Barbara) always had potential, but can he finally capitalize on it at his third school in three seasons? There is enough here to be competitive, but amid the competition jump from the American, unwieldy travel logistics, a new coach and so many moving pieces, it’s difficult to imagine SMU thriving right away.
14. California
Biggest losses: Jaylon Tyson (19.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg); Fardaws Aimaq (14.5 ppg, 11 rpg); Jalen Cone (13.4 ppg); Keonte Kennedy (9.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg); Jalen Celestine (8.7 ppg)
Returning rotation players: None
Top 100 freshmen added: None
Top 100 transfers added (2): No. 71 Andrej Stojakovic (Stanford), No. 92 Rytis Petraitis (Air Force)
Why they’re here: Not that you’d want to keep everyone from a 13-19 team, but losing your top seven players is never ideal. That made adding two top 100 transfers — which somehow ties for the second-most in the ACC — necessary.
Stojakovic is the biggest name here, given his bloodline and high school pedigree, but he was hit-or-miss as a freshman, making just 32.7 percent of his 3s. Petraitis is just as interesting, though, having played largely as a small-ball center despite being only 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds. He’s a creative passer, and we can already picture him finding All-Summit forward B.J. Omot (North Dakota) on backdoor cuts. The overall talent level isn’t at an ACC level, but Mark Madsen is a smart coach. We doubt Cal just rolls over.
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15. Virginia Tech
Biggest losses: Sean Pedulla (16.4 ppg, 4.6 apg, 4.3 rpg); Hunter Cattoor (13.5 ppg); Lynn Kidd (13.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Tyler Nickel (8.8 ppg); MJ Collins (7.4 ppg); Robbie Beran (5.6 ppg); Mekhi Long (3.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Mylyjael Poteat (6.4 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 80 Ryan Jones Jr.
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: It was not a fun offseason for Virginia Tech. The Hokies lost seven of their top eight players — including all five starters and their sixth man — from a 19-15 squad that could’ve been competitive had it stayed together. VT has one player with over 2,000 career minutes, Hysier Miller (Temple), and while he’s a capable pick-and-roll guard, his inefficiency will be something Mike Young has to manage. Otherwise, it’s a lot of young lottery tickets for Young, who must hope for one or two hits. Jaden Schutt (Duke) could be a sneaky name to watch, filling the off-ball shooting role long occupied by Cattoor, but Young will have to get creative offensively for this team to remain competitive.
16. Boston College
Biggest losses: Quinten Post (17 ppg, 8.1 rpg); Claudell Harris Jr. (13.7 ppg); Jaeden Zackery (11.3 ppg, 4.2 apg); Devin McGlockton (10.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg); Mason Madsen (8.1 ppg)
Returning rotation players: Donald Hand Jr. (5 ppg); Chas Kelley III (3.7 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: None
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: Earl Grant steadily built BC into a 20-win team last season, earning the program’s best KenPom finish since 2011, only for his top six players to leave, setting the Eagles back to square one. With no incoming top 100 freshmen or transfers, Grant had to piece together a roster that’s hard to be too excited about. Dion Brown (UMBC) is an intriguing young pickup who Grant should largely give the keys to, and Chad Venning (St. Bonaventure) has the size to bang with ACC bigs, but that isn’t enough to continue the momentum Grant was building.
17. Stanford
Biggest losses: Brandon Angel (13 ppg, 4.7 rpg); Spencer Jones (11.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg); Kanaan Carlyle (11.5 ppg); Michael Jones (10.8 ppg); Andrej Stojakovic (7.8 ppg); Jared Bynum (6.9 ppg, 5.2 apg)
Returning rotation players: Maxime Raynaud (15.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg); Benny Gealer (4.2 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: None
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: Getting Raynaud, the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player, back was imperative for new coach Kyle Smith. Raynaud is the only player on the roster with more than 1,400 career minutes, and one of only two with more than 800, joining Chisom Okpara (Harvard). Stanford’s young squad also will probably struggle to shoot it; the Cardinal are the only ACC team without a single player who has made at least 50 career 3-pointers. Unsurprisingly, Stanford as a team also has the second-fewest career made 3s, with little help on the way. Rebuilds have to start somewhere, and Smith has flipped a program before, but it’s going to take time.
18. Florida State
Biggest losses: Darin Green Jr. (11.3 ppg); Primo Spears (10.6 ppg); Cameron Corhen (9.4 ppg); Baba Miller (7.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg); Jalen Warley (7.5 ppg); Cam’Ron Fletcher (6.7 ppg, 5 rpg)
Returning rotation players: Jamir Watkins (15.6 ppg, 6 rpg); Chandler Jackson (4.9 ppg); Taylor Bol Bowen (3.1 ppg)
Top 100 freshmen added: No. 84 Alier Maluk
Top 100 transfers added: None
Why they’re here: Two lost seasons in a row for FSU, and a third seems almost inevitable. Leonard Hamilton lost six of his top eight players this offseason, and their transfer portal replacements aren’t the same caliber. Watkins is a tremendous player, but there may not be anyone in the ACC who has to do more for his team next season than he will. Not only is Watkins FSU’s only player with over 2,000 career minutes, but he’s also the only of the Seminoles with at least 50 made 3s — which is a large part of why Hamilton’s team is last in the ACC in career 3s. Hamilton is a great coach, one of the most underappreciated in the sport, but it’ll take his best coaching job to get this version of FSU to even the middle of the league standings.
(Photo of Tyrese Proctor: Lance King / Getty Images)
