In the entirety of my lifetime, the ACC has been the best conference in college basketball. I believe that college basketball is better when the ACC is good. Now, I grew up on Tobacco Road, so I’m a little biased. But I do believe that the ACC is back, and it is good for college basketball. This league should be able to get 5+ bids into the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Basketball: ACC Rankings
1. Duke
Photo Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The Blue Devils are just a juggernaut. Part of what makes this team so effective is its collective height. This allows them to utilize Jon Scheyer’s defensive principle of switching all screens 1 – 4, which is different from what you see out of most teams. They’re a tough team to prepare for and an even tougher team to beat. By the looks of their latest recruiting efforts, things may not change for a long while.
2. Louisville
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Be ready for some strange results with this Louisville team. They lead the nation in 3-point rate to this point in the season. The 3-point shot creates a lot of volatility, as some nights will just feature better shooting than others. So be ready to embrace the chaos with Pat Kelsey’s bunch this season.
3. Virginia
Photo Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
There is no team in the ACC that I was more wrong on in the preseason than Virginia. They have completely flipped from their slow, plodding style under Tony Bennett and are now embracing a pressure-filled, “havoc”-style defense. They have an elite frontcourt in Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grunloh, and are set up to be one of the top contenders in the ACC.