5 bold predictions for the 2023-24 ACC Men’s Basketball season
By Drew Koch
4. Miami guard Nijel Pack wins ACC Player of the Year
The Miami Hurricanes lost some NBA talent this past year. Isaiah Wong, who won ACC Player of the Year in 2022-23, was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft. So was Jordan Miller.
But, head coach Jim Larrañaga returns one of the most talented players in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. Nijel Pack, who began his career at Kansas State, will be back for the Hurricanes this year.
Pack averaged over 30 minutes per game last season, and the Canes will need a similar performance from their star guard in 2023-24. Pack was good for 13-plus points per contest a year ago, but look for the junior from Indianapolis to put up over 20 points a night this season.
Pack is sure to have competition from the likes of Kyle Filipowski (Duke) and Armando Bacot (North Carolina), and don't sleep on Pittsburgh's Blake Hinson either. There's a ton of talent in the ACC this season.
But the Miami Hurricanes are not a deep team, and they will be leaning hard on Nijel Pack all season. In the NCAA Tournament last season, Pack averaged over 16 points per game. Look for that to be the floor for the Canes' skilled point guard this season.