We have arrived at the greatest month in basketball. It's March Madness, and it all starts with conference tournaments. Over in the ACC, several potential contenders are vying for the conference crown and favorable seeding in the big dance.
Eyeballs tend to gravitate toward Duke and North Carolina, but Virginia is a staple in the NCAA Tournament at this point. Clemson is also a lock from the looks of it, while ESPN's projections place Wake Forest and Pittsburgh squarely on the bubble. Syracuse and Virginia Tech are in the mix, too. There is a lot at stake in the week to come.
Obviously, there's an auto bid for the winner, so all it takes is a timely hot streak to land another team in the mix. The stakes aren't entirely rooted in college either. The next month could have a pronounced impact on the NBA Draft landscape. The 2024 draft class is relatively weak at the top, but depth is not an issue. The ACC in particular is ripe with future NBA players.
Several have a chance to alter their fortunes in the ACC Tournament. Here are the 10 that most deserve your attention.
10. Florida State's Baba Miller needs to wake up
We have been waiting for the Baba Miller breakout for two years now. He missed half of last season due to a suspension and never really recovered. After a strong offseason in overseas competition, however, there was renewed confidence in the Spaniard entering his sophomore campaign. That confidence has not been rewarded.
The physical tools and the rough outline of a dream modern wing will keep NBA scouts invested. Miller is 6-foot-11 with the mobility to guard multiple positions. He finishes well around the basket, handles the rock fluidly in transition, and delivers the occasional high-level dime. But, unfortunately, 7.8 points in 24.8 minutes per game won't cut it.
Miller too often fades into the background. He doesn't shoot 3s particularly well (29.9 percent) and his garbage free throw rate (52.9 percent) fuels the fire of that particular concern. Miller needs to operate assertively and really make his case to NBA scouts. If not now, then he might end up pushing his NBA Draft entrance back another year.
9. North Carolina's Harrison Ingram checks a lot of boxes
The junior transfer from Stanford has completely reshaped his game at North Carolina. Once prized for his ball-handling reps with the Cardinal, Ingram has transitioned to a more complementary role in Chapel Hill. He's attacking seams in the defense, spraying 3s at a career-high clip (38.0 percent on 4.6 attempts), and supplying invaluable connective tissue to the UNC offense.
Ingram checks too many boxes not to be on NBA radars at this point, and a deep March Madness run from the Tar Heels could cement his standing on draft boards. Ingram will need to prove that his shooting development is real, but 6-foot-8 wings who can shoot, pass, and handle in ball screen situations are generally very valuable.
He's even contributing on defense, averaging 1.5 steals. Ingram is the best NBA prospect on a team destined to make some noise over the next few weeks, so expect his stock to receive a boost if all goes to plan.
8. Wake Forest's Hunter Sallis is scorching hot right now
Wake Forest hasn't won an NCAA Tournament game since 2010. The Demon Deacons are in position to end that streak with a strong finish to ACC competition. A lot is riding on red-hot Hunter Sallis, who has exploded into the national spotlight as a junior. Sallis was little more than an afterthought in his first two seasons with Gonzaga, but he has made the most of his transfer to Wake Forest. A strong March could push him as high as the first round.
The output is undeniable. Once considered a liability from 3-point range, Sallis has drilled 41.3 percent of 5.3 attempts per game this season. He's averaging 18.6 points and 2.5 assists on 49.8 percent shooting, scoring efficiently with twitchy drives and dynamic pull-up shooting. His thin frame leads to concerns as a finisher and a defender, but the shot-making display has been off the charts.
Sallis poured 29 points on Duke in Wake Forest's win on Feb. 24, sparking the Court Storming Heard 'Round the World. More performances like that will get NBA scouts fully invested. He has NBA sixth man written all over him.
7. Clemson's P.J. Hall is due for a deep run
Clemson is known more for football than basketball, but senior P.J. Hall has been a productive staple for years now. He has elevated his to new heights in 2024, averaging career highs across the board — 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks on .494/.324/.786 splits. The wavering efficiency from 3-point range is a definite concern, but Hall has a chance to leave NBA scouts with a positive final impression in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. If he gets hot from 3-point range and helps the Tigers make some noise, NBA teams will pay attention.
Hall expertly blends old-school and new-age skills in the center spot. He's a burly but mobile 6-foot-10 big who spends equal amounts of time floating to the 3-point line and pummeling mismatches in the post. Hall's feather-soft touch around the basket is enough to establish confidence in the sustainability of his 3-point shot. Hall has the coordination to attack errant closeouts and score off of drives, too.
Factor in legitimate passing chops, and Hall has all the hallmarks of the modern offensive big. He's a natural DHO partner on the perimeter, he can punish smaller defenders inside, and he can keep defenses stretched out with his jumper. A lack of lateral mobility in space is a concern on defense, but Hall is a solid second-round pick with a chance to earn some first-round buzz if he can come alive in March.
6. Pittsburgh's Bub Carrington is tough to get a read on
Pittsburgh freshman Carlton Carrington rocketed up draft boards early in the season, only to fall back as ACC play started and his 3-point shooting normalized. Recently, however, Carrington has kept scouts engaged with impressive scoring flourishes. He dropped 27 points on Boston College a week ago, drilling 7-of-12 shots from 3-point range. The 18-year-old is one of the youngest prospects on the board, and his production — however flawed — does stand out as a result.
He's averaging 13.3 points and 4.2 assists on .402/.308/.795 splits for the season. Carrington is a dynamic pull-up shooter and playmaker, operating with tremendous poise and tempo in pick-and-roll situations. It's genuinely rare to find 6-foot-5 freshmen with Carrington's ability to change speeds and make advanced passing reads on the move.
The primary issue is his complete inability to finish around the rim. Carrington isn't particularly explosive with his first step; he relies a lot on floaters and contested jumpers, rather than venturing all the way to the paint. That has contributed to struggles in the efficiency department. If Carrington can get hot at the right time and keep facilitating at a high level, NBA front offices will probably look past the shortcomings. But, the opposite is also true. If Carrington hits a wall, he could be looking at a sophomore season to stabilize his draft stock.
5. Miami's Kyshawn George is the biggest riser of March so far
Swiss freshman Kyshawn George has been leapfrogging his peers en masse on draft boards lately. His role and production tend to fluctuate game-to-game, but in such a weak draft class, teams are desperate to unearth hidden gems. George occupies an archetype that is naturally appealing to NBA front offices. At 6-foot-8, he offers legitimate ball-handling equity on the wing. Every team wants a lanky wing that can dribble, pass, and shoot. George has the chance to continue rising as a result, maybe as high as the lottery conversation.
George has settled at a fairly high baseline due to his 41.5 percent 3-point success rate and high-feel passing. He's still the basketball equivalent of unmolded clay — hampered in part by a skinny frame and limited burst. But, the tools are there. His ability to push the pace in transition, work out of pick-and-rolls, or splash spot-up 3s with range is enough to keep NBA scouts invested, even if he struggles against physicality.
Miami is not positioned for a deep run in March, though, so George enters the ACC Tournament with a limited timeline to prove to NBA scouts that he should be a 2024 prospect. A well-timed explosion could land George as high as the lottery.
4. Syracuse's Judah Mintz can win over scouts with an electric March
Syracuse needs a strong ACC Tournament and a bit of luck to earn a ticket to the big dance. Thankfully, Judah Mintz is there to help. The sophomore has been a polarizing prospect in NBA Draft circles, but few players in college basketball offer more live-wire scoring upside and pure entertainment value.
Mintz is a dragonfly ball-handler, zipping from spot to spot on the court with impressive dexterity. He can manipulate angles and explode downhill with the best of 'em. Syracuse's offense relies heavily on Mintz's ability to tilt the defense and score at multiple levels. The 3-point shot wavers, but Mintz has an electric pull-up game inside the arc and he's a tremendous at-rim finisher compared to the average 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard.
Concerns about frame and efficiency are valid, but Mintz has the DNA of the NBA sixth men of yore. He pours in points, he's a competent setup man, and the defense is better than one might expect from a player with his physical tools. Mintz works hard and makes s**t happen on both ends, and he could really come alive in March.
3. Virginia's Ryan Dunn is the best defender on the board, but what else?
Ryan Dunn continues to wow talent evaluators with his contributions on the defensive end. He's a flat-out elite athlete on the wing, listed at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. He's averaging absurd steal (1.3) and block (2.4) numbers in 27.4 minutes per game, mastering the roamer role for Virginia's excellent defense.
He's in the same tier as Matisse Thybulle when it comes to defensive playmaking. He's in rarified air. The problem is, Dunn has shown very little on offense. He's an explosive dunker — the at-rim finishing off cuts and lobs is there. Otherwise, it's pretty barren. Dunn is shooting 21.9 percent from deep. There's no mid-range game to speak of. He doesn't really handle the rock well. Dunn is entirely reliant on spoon-fed attempts at the rim and offensive rebounds.
The effort level, defensive activity, and physical tools should keep Dunn planted in the first round on draft boards. This March, however, NBA scouts will want to see if Dunn can show any signs of meaningful growth on offense. A brief hot spell from beyond the arc could mean the difference between being picked top 30 and top 10.
2. Duke's Jared McCain enters March Madess dripping fire
Jared McCain has been scorching nets lately. He has gradually emerged as Duke's best guard in a crowded backcourt, offering elite shooting versatility in conjunction with rapid-fire processing speed and underrated ball-handling utility.
He's not a traditional point guard per se, but McCain has shown plenty of promise working out of pick-and-rolls. He expertly mixes speeds, offsetting athletic limitations with subtle gear shifts and directional changes. The passing is legitimate, as is McCain's ability to get red-hot from 3-point range. Whether he's simply spotting up or curling around screens and firing on move, McCain is arguably the best volume shooter in the draft. He's nailing 40.6 percent of 5.7 attempts per game on the season.
There are valid concerns about McCain's limited explosiveness at 6-foot-3, but his at-rim numbers are better than other top guard prospects. He gets the job done with craft. So, as Duke gears up for a potentially deep March run, McCain is on every NBA radar. He has a chance to go from first-round prospect to lottery lock with a well-timed heater.
1. Duke's Kyle Filipowski is back for some unfinished business
Duke lost to Tennessee in the Round of 32 last season, prompting Kyle Filipowski to shock the NBA Draft community by committing to a sophomore campaign in Durham. Flip was a first-round lock a season ago. Now, he's trending toward the lottery. He has been expectedly dominant as a sophomore, averaging 16.5 points and 8.1 rebounds on .507/.354/.667 splits.
The 20-year-old returned to school for unfinished business, and now he has a chance to deliver on his promise. The Blue Devils are a very good team, and their success largely runs through him. NBA teams are constantly on the lookout for versatility at every position. Flip is the rare dribble-pass-shoot center. He has been knocked as a 'jack of all trades, master of none' in the past, but it's best not to overthink Filipowski. He has ratcheted up the aggression on post-ups, he's defending better than ever, and the 3-point shot is real.
NBA teams can plug Flip into either frontcourt position, relying on him for two-man actions on the perimeter, easy points around the basket, or floor-spacing in five-out lineups. If Duke goes far, it probably means Flip is showing out. With such a weak draft class at the top, Flip has a chance to rise higher than ever expected if he can flourish under the bright lights.