ACC Basketball

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From insider their preseason ACC rankings

1. North Carolina State Wolfpack:
Mark Gottfried has done a masterful job at NC State and has the most talented team in the ACC. Lorenzo Brown is a dynamic athlete playing point, Scott Wood is a great shooter and C.J. Leslie is an ACC Player of the Year candidate. Gottfried has size, versatility, athleticism, talent and a hot recruiting class. Rodney Purvis, a 6-foot-4 wing who could've have gone anywhere, will be a major factor. NC State has a roster that can compete for a Final Four.


2. North Carolina Tar Heels: Roy Williams loses Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall, John Henson and Tyler Zeller, all NBA first-round selections. But don't feel too sorry for Williams, because he has another capable team. Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald return from injury, James Michael McAdoo is set to explode, Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston are top-flight ACC players and lefty Marcus Paige is a terrific point guard prospect who can motor. The Heels won't be as powerful as last year's team, but they will still vie for the ACC crown.


3. Duke Blue Devils: Mike Krzyzewski lost Austin Rivers and Miles Plumlee, but Duke should be better in 2013. Veterans Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly return, and first-year contributors Rasheed Sulaimon, Amile Jefferson, Alex Murphy and Marshall Plumlee will provide quality depth. Kelly is the team's best pure player, but the key will be the point. Which player runs the team and brings it together?


4. Florida State Seminoles: Defense and quality talent firmly place the defending ACC tournament champions in this tier. Leonard Hamilton has built his program on getting stops and being hard to score upon, and he has size and athleticism up and down his roster. This year, Florida State should score it easier and take pressure off of its defense to get stops. The key is Michael Snaer, a great competitor who could be first-team All-ACC.

Tier two

5. Virginia Cavaliers: The Cavaliers played at one of the slowest paces in the nation last season but fought for their tempo and won 22 games (the most by Virginia since 1995), frustrating opponents with patience, good defense and Mike Scott. Scott is gone, but head coach Tony Bennett has a terrific defender and passer in Jontel Evans, a good shooter in Joe Harris, a talented wing in Malcolm Brogdon and a rebounding forward in Akil Mitchell. Bennett has a nice recruiting class, but the veterans will carry this team.


6. Maryland Terrapins: Mark Turgeon lost scoring guard Terrell Stoglin but returns emerging center Alex Len, quality wing Nick Faust and offensive rebounder James Padgett. Freshman big men Shaquille Cleare and Jake Layman and combo guards Seth Allen and Sam Cassell Jr. should all contribute right away. A key is point guard, where Pe'Shon Howard will have to step forward and take over the position.


7. Miami Hurricanes: Jim Larranaga had some really nice wins and was close to an NCAA tournament berth last season, and his team has some quality players back. Durand Scott is the best scorer, Reggie Johnson is a difference-maker with his size, Kenny Kadji has shown some great flashes and Shane Larkin is a very good, but small, point guard. Freshman Tonye Jekiri is a shot-blocking athlete.


8. Clemson Tigers: The Tigers finished 8-8 in ACC play but lost top scorers Andre Young and Tanner Smith. Coach Brad Brownell has frontcourt starters Devin Booker and Milton Jennings back, and Clemson adds a five-man recruiting class led by 6-7 forward Jaron Blossomgame, a quick, athletic interior player who can step away and face the basket. Clemson will be relying on a lot of new pieces.


9. Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies have some quality young talent and some quality players coming in, but the coaching transition has also changed that. James Johnson takes over but will not have Dorian Finney-Smith, who transferred to Florida, and Montrezl Harrell, who signed with Louisville. Still, Jarell Eddie, Erick Green and Cadarian Raines return, and Robert Brown should be ready to go after foot surgery.


10. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Brian Gregory made good strides building a new culture but lost a good recruit when Corey Heyward tore his ACL and will miss the season. Freshmen Robert Carter, Marcus Hunt and Chris Bolden should help right away. Returning big man Daniel Miller and point guard Mfon Udofia will have to lead the way.


11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Jeff Bzdelik took over a tough situation and has revamped the Deacon roster. Wake Forest should be far more competitive this season with seven freshmen coming in, led by solid point Codi Miller-McIntyre, skilled forward Tyler Cavanaugh and long, versatile wing Arnaud Moto. Wake Forest is steadily building back up.


12. Boston College Eagles: Steve Donahue has some good young players, and they had a tough baptism in the ACC as freshmen last season, going 9-22 and finishing 0-9 on the road. Returnees Ryan Anderson, and Lonnie Jackson averaged at, or just below, double figures last year and need to get better. Freshmen expected to contribute are shooter Joe Rahon and point guard prospect Olivier Hanlan.

 

We shall see how "masterful" Gottfried is next season. There is a lot of talent to work with.

 

Well if he does like last year, they should win the ACC easy.

 

Critical Coaches: Who is the most overrated coach in the country? - CBSSports.com

 

How can you be overrated with multiple championships? With this rational is Wooden overrated because he didn't win every year he coached? Hasn't Coach K recruited equally as well at Duke so why hasn't is equally overrated because he hasn't won more. Bunch of jealousy amongst the voters

 

Yeah, I don't get that either. Who are the 'people' that are rating Coach Williams? I don't see how anybody can dispute his success.

 

Big game tonight.

 

Is it March yet?

 

yeah how'd that work out