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ACC Basketball 2016: Preview and predictions

By Cody Williams

Feb 6, 2016; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) and guard Grayson Allen (3) react near the end of their game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2016; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard (5) and guard Grayson Allen (3) react near the end of their game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports /
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Previewing the 2016 ACC basketball season with looks at the favorite, the most overrated, the players that could shine and much more.

At long last, the 2016 college basketball season is set to tip off. It’s been quite a long wait considering how college hoops last left use with one of the best national championship finishes in the history of the sport. While the North Carolina Tar Heels may not yet have recovered from the Kris Jenkins-shaped dagger to the heart, they better soon because they again have a chance to compete in the tough world of ACC basketball.

When you think of ACC basketball, you think of some of the great programs in the country. Obviously North Carolina fits the bill, but also their rivals, the Duke Blue Devils, are among the all-time greats as well. Then you have teams like the Louisville Cardinals, NC State Wolfpack, Miami Hurricanes, Syracuse Orange, and Virginia Cavaliers that all have their own illustrious history.

It’s a conference rich in basketball and once again rich in talent entering the 2016-17 season. The question, though, entering this season is quite simple. Despite the Tar Heels being in the title game one year ago, all you can ask heading into this season is if anyone is going to beat Duke.

The Favorite – Duke Blue Devils

Coming into the season, the Duke Blue Devils are atop the conference and it’s not even all that close. The assortment of riches that coach Mike Krzyzewski has built for himself in Durham this season is gaudy and over the top. But for all of the flash that this group has for Duke, they also have the potential to be one of the all-time great teams if Coach K can find the right ways to make it work.

Much of the talk this season is going to center around the freshman for Duke and that’s warranted. Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum are both top-five recruits in the entire country and will both now play their home games at Cameron Indoor. If that weren’t enough, the Blue Devils also added players like Frank Jackson and Marques Bolden as new recruits that could really take off for them.

However, what’s absurd about the talent level of Duke with these incoming freshman is who’s returning. They have arguably the best returning player in the country in Grayson Allen coming back for another year of ACC basketball, joining players such as Luke Kennard and Amile Jefferson. The big question for this team is how Coach K can make all of these pieces work and fit together. If he can figure out that formula, though, this team has the firepower to not just dominate ACC basketball, but to win a national championship.