ACC basketball predictions: Where will Duke basketball, UNC finish in the standings?
From top to bottom, ACC basketball is statistically coming off one of its worst seasons in history.
Miami's Final Four appearance boosted the league’s profile, but the ACC finished No. 7 in KenPom.com's conference rankings for its worst spot in the standings since 1997.
No. 2 Duke, No. 13 Miami, No. 19 North Carolina, Virginia and Clemson appear to be the top teams on paper entering the 2023-24 season. The Cavaliers and Hurricanes shared the ACC regular-season title last season before the Blue Devils won the 2023 ACC Tournament in their debut year under head coach Jon Scheyer.
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The official preseason ACC media poll and awards will be released Thursday, but here are my predictions for order of finish in the ACC and who I picked to win player of the year and rookie of the year.
ACC basketball predictions for 2023-24 season
(1) Duke
The Blue Devils return their top four scorers for the first time since 1985-86. Duke ended that season with a regular-season championship and ACC Tournament title before making a run to the national championship game. Kyle Filipowski and the latest group of Blue Devils will be expected to reach those same heights.
(2) UNC
The Tar Heels return Armando Bacot and RJ Davis from a team that finished seventh in the league and missed the NCAA Tournament. A revamped roster that includes seven newcomers should position UNC to be deeper and more efficient this season.
(3) Miami
The Hurricanes lost Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller from a squad that became the first in program history to reach a Final Four. But head coach Jim Larranaga brings back Nigel Pack and Norchad Omier to lead a squad capable of achieving similar success after sharing the regular-season title last season.
(4) Virginia
The Cavaliers have won six ACC regular-season titles in the last 10 years and haven’t finished worse than sixth during that stretch. With Reece Beekman – one of the top two-way players in the nation – back for the Hoos, Virginia should remain among the league's top teams.
(5) Clemson
PJ Hall is one of the most underrated players in the country and Tigers coach Brad Brownell added another experienced player in Syracuse transfer Joe Girard to bolster Clemson’s roster. After being on the wrong side of the bubble last season, this team looks like it can be worthy of an NCAA Tournament bid.
(6) Virginia Tech
(7) Wake Forest
(8) NC State
(9) Florida State
(10) Syracuse
(11) Pittsburgh
(12) Boston College
(13) Georgia Tech
(14) Louisville
(15) Notre Dame
ACC Player of the Year prediction
Kyle Filipowski, Duke basketball
Duke didn't have a player on the first team of the All-ACC selections last season for the first time since 2007 – Jon Scheyer's freshman year. The Blue Devils could have several players on the first team this season, led by a healthy Filipowski. Following offseason hip surgery, "two-hip Flip" looks primed for a big-time season after declining to enter the NBA Draft. Duke has produced the ACC Player of the Year in four of the last 10 seasons.
ACC Rookie of the Year prediction
Elliot Cadeau, UNC basketball
The Tar Heels haven't had an ACC Rookie of the Year since Harrison Barnes in 2011, but Elliot Cadeau is considered UNC's best pass-first recruit since Barnes' teammate Kendall Marshall came to Chapel Hill in 2010. Surrounded by veterans, including ACC Player of the Year candidate Armando Bacot, Cadeau will have the chance to shine as UNC's primary facilitator.
GET TO KNOW CADEAU: How UNC basketball’s Elliot Cadeau will help the Tar Heels move past historically bad stat
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: ACC basketball predictions for Duke Blue Devils, UNC Tar Heels
