ACC basketball power rankings 2020: Is Duke Final Four-bound? Is North Carolina back?

After down years by their standards, Duke and North Carolina look to make noise in the ACC this year and are ranked prominently in the preseason ACC basketball power rankings.

The 2019-20 season was a surprisingly down one for the ACC. After years of sending eight or nine teams dancing, the conference was on track to get at most five teams into the field before the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus.

Things should be better for the league this season, which has already seen four teams ranked inside the AP’s preseason Top 25, including Virginia, Duke and North Carolina. Let’s break down the preseason power rankings for the ACC as a whole, starting at the top with Virginia.

Preseason ACC basketball power rankings

1. ACC power rankings: Virginia Cavaliers

The (still) reigning national champions lost Mamadi Diakite but gain Sam Hauser, which should provide an offensive boost to an already strong defensive team. Returners Kihei Clark and Jay Huff will work well with a strong freshmen class to give the Cavaliers a great shot at a repeat title.

2. ACC power rankings: Duke Blue Devils

Mike Krzyzewski goes back to work with another group of fabulous freshmen headlined by Jalen Johnson and Jeremy Roach. This version of the Blue Devils should be improved from the perimeter, making them significantly more dangerous.

3. ACC power rankings: Florida State Seminoles

Florida State won the ACC last season but will slip a bit with Trent Forrest and Devin Vassell gone. There is still a lot of talent here to make Leonard Hamilton’s group a major threat to win a conference title.

4. ACC power rankings: North Carolina Tar Heels

Roy Williams experienced the worst season of his North Carolina career and should be able to get the Tar Heels back to the tournament quickly. Freshman Caleb Love could be a star running the point while a deep frontcourt will give North Carolina a unique look to defend against.

5. ACC power rankings: Louisville Cardinals

Like the Seminoles, Louisville will go through a big transition this season, losing six players who combined for 51.1 points per game a year ago. The Cardinals did a good job reloading with freshmen and transfers to keep themselves a near-lock to get to the NCAA Tournament.

6. ACC power rankings: Miami Hurricanes

One of the big reasons the ACC had a poor year was due to the underperformance of schools like Miami. That won’t be an issue this season as the Hurricanes have a senior-laden team that should be able to withstand the challenges of competition in a tough conference.

7. ACC power rankings: Syracuse Orange

Elijah Hughes’ decision to go pro hurts but Syracuse will retain four starters and add Illinois transfer Alan Griffin to the mix. Griffin’s outside shooting prowess will be a boost for the Orange and Jim Boeheim’s solid freshmen class should add more depth to the mix.

8. ACC power rankings: NC State Wolfpack

The Wolfpack has a lot of potential with five incoming freshmen, but the challenge will be finding a way to integrate them with fewer opportunities in the non-conference. Getting the newcomers up to speed quickly will be a key if NC State plans on making a run at an at-large bid.

9. ACC power rankings: Clemson Tigers

The Tigers scored a few big upsets last season and will look to build upon that momentum going forward. Getting Aamir Simms back for his senior year will be key for Brad Brownell’s team to compete and win clutch conference games.

10. ACC power rankings: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The real sleeper in the ACC could be Georgia Tech, which went 17-14 last season but was ineligible for postseason play. This team has the talent to be in the hunt for an at-large bid in a critical year for Josh Pastner, who is under .500 as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach.

11. ACC power rankings: Virginia Tech Hokies

This was a middle-of-the-pack team a year ago that took a big hit when three key players, including leading scorer Landers Nolley, transferred out. Mike Young is building a nice program but this has the feel of a transition year.

12. ACC power rankings: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

It certainly feels like a long time since the Fighting Irish were in the Elite Eight back in 2016. Notre Dame finished strong prior to the coronavirus shutdown, winning 9 of their last 13 games, and Mike Brey hopes the momentum from that stretch carries over to this season.

13. ACC power rankings: Pittsburgh Panthers

Jeff Capel’s rebuilding project made a bit of progress last season but the Panthers need to find more offense if they hope to contend in the ACC. Improvement on last year’s 6-14 mark in conference play is necessary to get into the mix for an at-large bid.

14. ACC power rankings: Boston College Eagles

There will be a lot of new faces on Boston College’s roster, which isn’t necessarily a good thing given the unusual nature of getting ready to play in a pandemic-impacted season. Odds are the Eagles remain near the bottom of the heap once again.

15. ACC power rankings: Wake Forest Demon Deacons

New coach Steve Forbes has a lot of work to do after losing his top four scorers from a team that struggled under former coach Danny Manning. This season will hopefully allow Forbes to build a foundation for a strong program in the coming years.

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