The ACC held the National Champions a year ago, and the early favorites for the 2017-18 college basketball season come from the conference as well.
Some seven months ago, it was a representative of the ACC in the North Carolina Tar Heels that were cutting down the nets as National Champions. Roy Williams’ group saw their share of ups and downs throughout the year, but a combination of experience, unlikely heroes (‘Sup, Luke Maye) and talent carried them. And once again, one of the premiere conferences in college basketball will be in the title mix.
However, it won’t be the defending champs that are leading the charge. With the losses of Justin Jackson, Tony Bradley, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks, the Tar Heels are an unknown commodity in many aspects outside of Joel Berry, who starts the season in a suit with a broken hand. Instead, it’s their Tobacco Road rivals, the Duke Blue Devils, who are stealing all of the headlines.
At least, they’re stealing all of the headlines in a positive light. The Louisville Cardinals have most certainly been in the news, but for scandalous reasons. They boast an extremely talented roster still, yet you have to wonder if they’ll be able to overcome the mental adversity facing them this season.
Of course, there are plenty of other dangerous teams in the conference that could make noise on a national stage. With that, let’s take a look at how the ACC shakes out heading into the 2017-18 college basketball season.
Preseason Player of the Year: Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame
A season ago, Bonzie Colson was expected to step into a bigger role than he played as a sophomore for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 6-foot-6 forward did that and more. Playing 32.1 minutes per game, he averaged 17.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, but also put in the work on the defensive end of the floor with 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. He also accomplished all this while maintaining his efficiency from the floor, nailing 52.6 percent of his shots.
With what could be argued is a stronger and certainly more experienced supporting cast around him this season, the senior forward could take another step forward this season. His production a year ago already put him in the picture to be the ACC Player of the Year. However, in a larger role and with his ability to affect the game in major ways on both ends of the floor, he’s undeniably the frontrunner coming into the season.
The Rest of the All-ACC First Team
- Joel Berry, North Carolina: Despite the fact that he’ll miss the start of the season due to a broken hand suffered courtesy of punching a door after losing a video game, Berry is primed to be the best point guard in the ACC. The Final Four Most Outstanding Player a year ago, he’ll be looked upon to carry the depleted Tar Heels once he returns, and is more than capable.
- Marvin Bagley III, Duke: We’ll get more on the super freshman heading to Durham this season (one of several) shortly, but he’s 100 percent the truth. It’s not terribly often that a prospect is so sure to live up to the hype, but Bagley is that type of player.
- Ja’Quan Newton, Miami: Newton was a driving force behind the Hurricanes’ success a season ago and will indubitably be that once again in Coral Gables. The point guard has savvy veteran instincts, with the ability to make plays both as a scorer and facilitator from anywhere on the floor — an ability he’ll be expected to showcase night-in and night-out.
- Josh Okogie, Georgia Tech: As Georgia Tech made it to the NIT Final last season, the catalyst for that was Okogie, who was then only a freshman. Still, the guard put up 16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest with nice efficiency numbers. The talent around him remains subpar, but he can carry this team on most nights, which should earn him all-conference honors.
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Marvin Bagley III, Duke
Marvin Bagley III reclassified to be a part of the 2017 high school recruiting class and that’s bad news for the rest of the ACC as he accepted a scholarship offer to Duke. The big man is an absolute force waiting to be unleashed upon college basketball. And frankly, I’m not sure that the rest of the sport is ready for him.
At 6-foot-11, Bagley was capable in high school (and in AAU) of essentially doing it all. He’s a ferocious rebounder, but also possesses the uncanny ability to not worry about the outlet pass and put the ball on the floor, striding easily up the court before dicing through a defense for the bucket. On top of that, though, he has a nice jump shot for a kid his age. And what this all downplays is that he’s just an unbelievable athlete.
The big key for Bagley is going to be developing a rapport with his new teammates at Duke. With a heavy freshman class and the trigger-happy Grayson Allen in-tow, the Blue Devils are loaded. However, there’s a learning curve with that type of team. If Bagley can get through that curve with relative ease and quickness, winning Freshman of the Year is a near lock.
The Favorite: Duke Blue Devils
As of right now, the Duke Blue Devils aren’t just the favorites to win the ACC, but are among the favorites to end the season hoisting the National Championship trophy. Mike Krzyzewski’s group is as talented as they’ve ever been, boasting four freshmen that were in the top 15 recruits in the country, led of course by the aforementioned Bagley.
That group of freshman will be led on the floor, though, by the polarizing Grayson Allen. This is his team, even if he’s not the most talented guy on the floor anymore. He’ll be expected to show up and be a leader, which will included maturation on his part — not tripping dudes anymore would be a good place to start.
With all of the talent they have, this team could put up 100 points nightly. However, with youth comes growing pains, both in terms of building a rapport and the fact that many young players have to pick up the nuances of playing defense in college basketball. Athleticism alone won’t be enough for these guys, so they must get it together in a tight ACC if they want to win the conference and, more importantly, if they want to compete for a title.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Duke Blue Devils
2. Miami Hurricanes
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
4. Louisville Cardinals
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
6. Virginia Cavaliers
7. Syracuse Orange
8. Virginia Tech Hokies
9. Florida State Seminoles
10. Clemson Tigers
11. NC State Wolfpack
12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
13. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
14. Pittsburgh Panthers
15. Boston College Eagles