ACC Preview: North Carolina, Duke sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in preseason power poll

The college basketball season is right around the corner. On3 is going to go through the ACC to preview the conference for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Let’s start with a conference power ranking.

This power ranking is broken up into tiers. While the conference, as a whole, is not top heavy, it does have nice depth. So, while there might not be a team pushing for a national top five ranking, the ACC could have as many as 12 teams pushing for NCAA Tournament bids.

Each team has questions, but they also have talent. Let’s go through the tiers and take a look at the 2024-25 ACC.

Tier 1, the race for first

These three teams, UNC, Duke, and Wake Forest, could all find themselves at season’s end fighting for top seed in the ACC Tournament.

1. UNC

Head Coach Hubert Davis (career 78-31)
2023-24: 29-8 (17-3 ACC) Sweet 16

The Buzz: The Tar Heels return one of the best backcourts in the country. They return the reigning ACC Player of the Year in RJ Davis (21.2ppg). The fifth-year senior is one of the most prolific guards in the country. This season, he won’t have to shoulder as much of a load along the perimeter. Returning PG Elliot Cadeau (7.3ppg, 4.1apg) will be the catalyst for the team on both ends of the floor and has caught rave reviews from Davis leading up to the season. The 6-foot-1 guard will have the ball in his hands, and ready to make decisions in year two. Getting Seth Trimble (5.3ppg) to take his name out of the transfer portal will help bring depth, especially by providing a different look on the defensive end of the floor.

Freshmen Drake Powell and Ian Jackson, both five-star recruits and McDonald’s All-Americans are being talked about as potential first-round NBA Draft picks. Powell brings a unique defensive presence with a compact offensive game, and Jackson has a little more offensive flair with positional size and self-creation ability. Belmont transfer Cade Tyson (6-7/200) averaged 16.2 points last season, but his shooting (46.5%) has the coaching staff excited about his presence and what he will bring to this team.

The Questions: Eyes will be squarely focused on the block. Losing Armando Bacot (168 career starts) and Harrison Ingram leaves Hubert Davis set to rely upon the interior group of Ven Allen-Lubin (6-8/230), Jae’Lyn Withers (6-9/220), TyZhaun Claude (6-7/226), and Jalen Washington (6-10/235). Cadeau is a better defender than he showed last year, but his ability to knock down shots and defend at the point of attack will need to take steps.

At the End of the Day: This UNC team will be able to score the basketball. They have a handful of guys able to self-create and get into the teeth of the defense ready to make something happen. Cadeau steadying his play will be a big step for this team to take. UNC’s most talented players are in the backcourt, and perimeter-based so for success this year it will be important for Hubert Davis to find a rotation that works up front while getting his best players on the floor.

2. Duke

Head Coach Jon Scheyer (54-18 career)
2023-24: 27-9 (15-5 ACC) Elite 8

The Buzz: Duke brought in ten new players including four experienced transfers and the No. 1 ranked six-man high school recruiting class. While guards Caleb Foster (7.7ppg) and Tyrese Proctor (10.5ppg) have combined for 74 career starts, the story of this team is the freshmen. Cooper Flagg was the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 high school class. His presence immediately elevates the floor on the defensive end, and his ability to connect the dots on offense makes the flow of the game smoother around him.

A key piece for the Blue Devils this season will be 7-foot-2 freshman center Khaman Maluach. With fellow freshman Pat Ngongba continuing to nurse an injury, Maluach might start the season as the only rotation player listed above 6-foot-10 on the roster. Backup center Maliq Brown, the 6-foot-9 Syracuse transfer, proved to be one of the best defensive players in the ACC last season. Mason Gillis, a Purdue transfer who shot over 46 percent from three, earned B1G Sixth Man of the Year honors.

The wing position should carry some depth. Flagg will be able to play some minutes there, but so will five-star freshman Isaiah Evans, a McDonald’s All-American, and top-20 recruit Kon Knueppel. While differing in their approach, both players come to Durham as noted shooters and play with a lot of confidence. The elder statesman at the position is Tulane transfer Sion James. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound James will find time playing at the guard, wing, and forward positions for Duke after averaging 14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.6 steals last season while shooting 38.1 percent from three.

The Questions: Who will be the go-to scorer on this team? Even as the projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick, the beauty of Flagg’s game is not in his ability to score, but in the totality of his impact, across all categories. While each player in the rotation can put up 10 points in any given game, as the shot clock runs down, do the Blue Devils have a guy who can go get it? How do they hold up in the post? Maluach will be one of the biggest players on every court he steps on, but he is a stiff athlete who can get pushed off his spot with his lack of core and base strength. How well will he hold up when pulled away from the basket? Can Brown provide enough of a presence to hold up as a backup five for extended minutes?

At the End of the Day: This team will have numerous players, across multiple positions, who can defend, pass, and shoot the ball. While Proctor has proven to be able to take care of the ball, can they get enough dynamic play (paint touches and scoring) from the lead guard spot? How well does the five position hold up? The four transfers brought in shot a combined 40.6 percent from three last season on 2.7 attempts per game. With at least ten solid options for the rotation, the team also has no scholarship player listed below 6-foot-5 on the roster. The Blue Devils will be big and their offensive spacing should be good. There should also be nice depth at the wing and forward positions. While carrying questions, at the end of the day, Duke has NBA players on its roster.

3. Wake Forest

Head Coach Steve Forbes (201-97 career, 71-54 at Wake)
2023-24: 21-14 (11-9 ACC)

The Buzz: This team returns Hunter Sallis (18.0ppg), the 6-foot-5 guard who took his name out of the NBA Draft at the final hour. Going into the season, the explosive guard should be set to give UNC’s RJ Davis a run for his money for ACC Player of the Year honors. Also coming back is starting center Efton Reid (7-0/250). Reid, a senior who averaged 9.6 points and 7.9 rebounds last season, can score on the block and rebounds his position well. He should be one of the more effecting centers in the conference. Senior guard Cam Hildreth (13.8ppg) has started 63 career games and brings a gritty demeanor.

Steve Forbes was active in the portal this off-season, bringing in five new players. First-team All-Sun Belt forward Tre’Von Spillers (6-7/205) ended his season with a 12-point and 10-rebound game to Wake Forest. The 6-foot-7 forward has excellent length and defensive instincts and could prove to be one of the more productive transfers in the conference. Sophomore post-players, former McDonald’s All-American Omaha Biliew (6-8/225) and DePaul transfer Churchill Abass (6-9/250) bring strength and athleticism to the front line. Alabama sophomore transfer Davin Cosby (6-5/205) and four-star freshman Juke Harris (6-7/185) bring added shooting to the mix.

The Deacs will have expectations out of Louisville sophomore point guard transfer Ty-Laur Johnson, a former four-star recruit. Parker Friedrichsen (6-4/180) and Marqus Marion (6-9/215) should be in line to take freshman to sophomore steps.

The Questions: Wake Forest returns a good core of experienced players. And Steve Forbes did a solid job of building depth and beefing up the defense through the portal. Who steps forward at the guard spot opposite Hunter Sallis? Things would work out well if Ty-Laur Johnson is that person, allowing Sallis to get a lion’s share of his minutes off the ball. Can at least two of Cosby, Harris, and Friedrichsen be relied upon to play steady minutes and to make shots?

At the End of the Day: Wake Forest returns three seniors who combined to start 94 games for the Demon Deacons last season. Sallis will be in line to make a run at Player of the Year honors with added lead guard duties and some tightened-up efficiency. Head coach Steve Forbes made a concerted effort to get more athletic this off-season, and he was able to do that in the transfer portal. Will they be able to make enough shots to space the floor adequately around Sallis? While the roster is filled with talent, much of it – outside of the three returners – is unproven. With seven rotation players about to start their second year of Division 1 basketball (Spillers is a senior, but played at Appalachian State only one season as a JUCO transfer), will the supporting cast take an adequate enough step forward? This includes the play at the guard position opposite Sallis. With the amount of length, this team should be better defensively and better at rebounding the ball.

Tier 2, fighting for a spot in the top 25

4. Louisville

Head Coach Pat Kelsey (261-122 overall, first year at Louisville)
2023-24: 8-24 (3-17 ACC)

The Buzz: Pat Kelsey returns zero players from last season’s Louisville team. The 12-year D1 head coach, cleaned house from the 12-52 two-year stint of the previous Kenny Payne. With that, Kelsey brought in 12 transfers and a one-man freshman class to completely revamp the Cardinals’ roster.

This season’s Louisville team will have experience and depth. But to go along with that they will have length, versatility, and skill. Last season, at the College of Charleston, Kelsey had 10 players who played in 32 or more games and averaged over 10 minutes per game. He built his Louisville roster similarly, where they might not have one individual who shines, but a collective group of players who have experience getting the job done. The first player to commit out of the Transfer Portal was James Madison wing Terrence Edwards (6-6/190). The reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year has scored over 1,400 career points and averaged 17.2 points and 3.4 assists last season. Senior Kasean Pryor (6-10/210), a transfer from USF, might be the most versatile big in the league. He averaged 1.9 stocks last season while shooting 35.2 percent from three. Senior guard Chucky Hepburn (6-2/195) earned Big Ten All-Defense honors after finishing second in the league with 2.1 steals per game. He comes into a much faster-paced Louisville system after scoring 1,013 points and dishing 313 assists in three seasons at Wisconsin.

The team is well stocked behind Edwards, Pryor, and Hepburn. PAC 12 Sixth Man of the Year, 6-foot-2 guard Koren Johnson averaged 11.1 points and 2.7 assists at Washington last season. Seniors Noah Waterman (6-11/210), Reyne Smith (6-2/180), and J’Vonne Hadley (6-6/200) combined to shoot 189-486 (38.9%) from three while combining to start 97 games last season. The most unique player on the roster might be Long Beach State transfer Aboubacar Traore (6-5/190) who averaged 12.0 points. 8.4 assists, 4.5 assists, and 2.9 stocks last season while only attempting 23 threes.

While the rotation gets sorted out, the two highest-ceiling long-term prospects might be 6-foot-10 sophomore James Scott and 6-foot-8 freshman Khani Rooths. Expect this year’s team to be deep and expect their defense to be versatile and their offense to be able to move the ball and shoot it.

5. Clemson

Head Coach Brad Brownell (432-274 overall, 265-189 at Clemson)
2023-24: 24-12 (11-9 ACC) Elite Eight

The Buzz: The Clemson Tigers return three players who started 17 or more games on last season’s Elite Eight squad. Ian Schieffelin (6-8/225) will have a lot of eyes on him. The now senior earned ACC’s Most Improved Player honors last season after finishing third in the league with 9.4 rebounds per game. Senior point guard Chase Hunter (6-4/205) tore through the NCAA Tournament averaging 17.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.0 steals in the event. His play could be the x-factor for the ceiling of this season’s team. Brad Brownell spent time in the transfer portal bringing in players who elevate this team’s defensive output. Boston College senior transfer Jaeden Zackery (6-2/200) and Cincinnati senior transfer Viktor Lakhin (6-10/230) will both bring experience and versatility to the defensive end of the court.

Zackery also shot 40.5 percent from three on 2.2 attempts per game last season. The Tigers lose 6.7 of their 8.2 made threes off last year’s team. Along with Zackery, the Tigers will need an uptick from 6-9 junior Chauncey Wiggins (34.9% 3P on 2.3 attempts in 17.8 minutes last season). The Tigers also will get the services of 6-foot-8 freshman Asa Thomas and 6-foot-5 junior Jake Heidbreder (39.9% 3P on 5.9 attempts as a sophomore at Air Force) who are each coming off a redshirt season.

While the defensive floor will be elevated, can the Tigers get the necessary steps from Schieffelin and Hunter along with enough shot making to make another NCAA Tournament run?

6. Virginia

Head Coach Tony Bennett (433-169 overall, 364-136 at Virginia)
2023-24: 23-11 (13-7 ACC) First Four

The Buzz: Virginia is coming off an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four where they scored 42 points and shot 25.0 percent from the field. While the perception of this Cavaliers program is that they have fallen off since their National Championship five seasons ago, Tony Bennett’s, teams have finished second, first, sixth, first, and third since.

While Virignia will return two players, Isaac McNeeley (6-4/190) and Andrew Rohde (6-6/205), who started 27 or more games last season, they will lose Reese Beekman, who accounted for 121 career starts. Who will replace one of the top point-of-attack defenders in the ACC? Bennett brings in Florida State transfer Jalen Warley (6-7/205) and Kansas State transfer Dai Dai Ames (6-1/185) to battle for guard minutes. Waley started 32 games for the Seminoles last season and averaged 7.5 points and 2.8 assists. Ames averaged 5.2 points and 2.0 assists in 20.6 minutes played as a freshman.

Shooting guard McNeeley’s 12.3 points is the leading returning scorer. The 6-foot-4 junior shot 44.5 percent from three last season on 5.5 attempts per game. Look for Rohde to take an expanded role with the team as well. While he averaged only 4.3 points, there is a unique nature to his game that has Tony Bennett excited to run some initiation through and put the ball in his hands to make some decisions. One thing that Bennett made it a point to do was bring in shooting out of the portal. Duke sophomore transfer TJ Power (6-9/215) shot 35.7 percent from three last season and San Diego State junior transfer Elijah Saunders (6-8/225) shot 32.2 percent from three knocking down 1.1 per game last season. Senior wing Taine Murray (6-5/210) shot 45.0 percent from three in 13.6 minutes per game last season.

How will the front line hold up with 6-foot-11 sophomore Blake Buchannan (3.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and four-star freshman Jacob Cofie (6-10/230)? This year’s Virginia team will have shooting ability from multiple positions and they will have size across the board. If Warley wins the starting point guard spot, the starting lineup could go 6-7, 6-4, 6-6, 6-9, 6-11. In that lineup they could have multiple players to initiate/process and multiple guys to space the floor from three.

Tier 3, fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament

7. Pittsburgh

Head Coach Jeff Capel (272-202 overall, 97-92 at Pittsburgh)
2023-24: 22-22 (12-8 ACC)

Key Players: 6-3/175 So. Jaland Lowe (9.6ppg, 3.6apg), 6-3/185 Sr. Ishmael Leggett (12.3ppg, 5.5rpg), 6-7/210 Sr. Zack Austin (6.6ppg, 4.2rpg), 7-0/225 C Guillermo Diaz Graham (6.7ppg, 3.9rpg), 6-5/210 Sr. Damian Dunn (6.4ppg, 2.3rpg/Houston), 6-10/235 Jr. Cameron Corhen (9.4ppg, 3.9rpg/Florida State)

The Buzz: While a lot of the conversation will be around Bub Carrington, the one-and-done first-round NBA Draft pick, it will be interesting to see how Pittsburgh replaces senior wing Blake Hinson. Not only did the 6-foot-7 forward lead the Panthers in scoring, he also shot 42.1 percent from three and added 4.4 rebounds per game. A big step is expected from Lowe, who averaged 12.1 points and 3.8 assists in ACC play as a freshman. He and Leggett will provide this team with an experienced backcourt. There has been a lot of internal pre-season optimism about Dunn and his transfer from Houston. He is a big-bodied wing who is able to score on the block or face up to self-create. His versatility should allow Capel some creative looks and sets. Corhen provides Pittsburgh a presence on the block that they have not had over the past few seasons. Depth could be a question with this year’s team, and while they are not like they were last year, this team has experience with some intriguing versatility.

8. Miami

Head Coach Jim Larranaga (712-475 overall, 270-166 at Miami)
2023-24: 15-17 (6-14 ACC)

Key Players: 6-0/185 Sr. Nijel Pack (13.3ppg, 3.6apg), 6-7/210 Sr. Matthew Cleveland (13.7ppg, 6.1rpg), 6-10/235 Sr. Lynn Kidd (13.2ppg, 6.5rpg/Virginia Tech), 6-3/180 Sr. Jalen Blackmon (21.3ppg/Stetson), 6-8/210 Sr. Brandon Johnson (14.0ppg, 8.67rpg), 6-5/195 Jr. AJ Staton-McCray (11.5ppg,. 1.6spg/Samford), 6-4/170 Fr. Jalil Bethea

The Buzz: Not content with last season, Jim Larranaga went out to bring in four transfers expected to play heavy minutes in the rotation along with Bethea, a Five-Star Plus+ freshman. This roster will have no shortage of players who can self-create offense. While there are a couple of questions with this roster, one of the major ones, is who will be able to get stops? Staton-McCray is an athletic wing defender, but no one else has really done much on that end of the floor. Who guards at the point of attack? Who protects the rim? Pack is a good shooter, but does he do enough at the point to collapse a defense? When Larranaga’s Miami team made a run to the Final Four, they had four guys on the court who could spread you out and create offense. This team has that as well, it just does not have the same interior tough-guy presence like they had with Norchad Omier.

9. Georgia Tech

Head Coach Damon Stoudamire (85-95 overall, 14-18 at Georgia Tech)
2023-24: 14-18 (7-13 ACC)

Key Players: 6-9/215 So. Baye Ndongo (12.4ppg, 8.2rpg), 6-3/180 So. Naithan George (9.8ppg, 4.7apg), 6-7/202 Sr. Kowacie Reeves (9.8ppg), 6-2/190 Sr. Javian McCollum (13.3ppg, 3.4apg), 6-3/198 Sr. Lance Terry (10.6ppg/2022-23), 6-8/222 Sr. Luke O’Brien (6.7ppg/Colorado), 6-7/240 Jr. Duncan Powell (12.1ppg, 7.0rpg/Sacramento State)

The Buzz: Georgia Tech will return one of the best bigs in the league with 6-foot-9 sophomore Baye Ndongo. They also have a promising backcourt as McCollum, George, and Terry have all seen Division 1 success. They should not have a problem scoring the basketball, but how good will this team be on defense? This group returns three starters, how quickly can Stoudamire get this group of new players on the same page and secondary roles defined, and bought into? Returning three of the team’s top four scorers sets the bar and the talent level brought in will help to raise the floor of this team.

10. Syracuse

Head Coach Adrian Autry (20-12 overall)
2023-24: 20-12 (11-9 ACC)

Key Players: 6-4/200 Jr. JJ Starling (13.3ppg) 6-7/190 Jr. Chris Bell (12.0ppg), 6-11/265 Sr. Eddie Lampkin (10.6ppg, 7.0rpg/Colorado), 6-7/215 Sr. Jyare Davis (17.1ppg, 7.5rpg/Delaware), 6-9/200 Fr. Donnie Freeman, 6-0/170 Sr. Jaquan Carlos (10.4ppg, 6.3apg/Hofstra), 7-4/265 Jr. Naheem McLeod (3.9ppg, 4.3rpg), 6-6/195 So. Chance Westry (Redshirted)

The Buzz: Starling and Bell are Syracuse’s two leading scorers and the pair started every game for the Orangemen last season. Bell shot 42.0 percent from three on 6.3 attempts last year. Starling, the former McDonald’s All-American led the team in minutes played. Syracuse will lose Judah Mintz who went undrafted after leaving as a sophomore. They replace Mintz with two-time CAA All-Defense winner Jaquan Carlos, who also finished 14th in Division 1 basketball last season with 6.3 assists per game. Lampkin should provide a consistent low-block presence on the offensive end. McLeod played only 14 games, but all were stars last season. Freeman is being talked about as an NBA Draft pick. Westry returns after missing last season iht a knee injury. With this group, the ball should move better than it did last year, after oftentimes getting stuck with Mintz. Can they get the best from Lampkin and who steps up outside of Bell and Starling? While this team does not have a ton of depth, it does have some experience and it does bring in some players who have seen success in their college careers.

11. NC State

Head Coach Kevin Keatts (211-122 overall, 139-94 at NC State)
2023-24: 26-25 (9-11 ACC) Final Four

Key Players: 6-10/240 Sr. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (12.9ppg, 8.4rpg/Louisville), 6-4/195 Sr. Jayden Taylor (11.2ppg), 6-2/195 Sr. Michael O’Connell (5.7ppg, 3.2apg), 6-4/185 Sr. Marcus Hill (20.5ppg/Bowling Green), 6-6/215 Jr. Dontrez Styles (12.8ppg, 5.8rpg/Georgetown), 6-5/200 Jr. Mike James (12.6ppg, 5.0rpg/Louisville), 6-5/180 Fr. Paul McNeil, 6-10/240 Sr. Ben Middlebrooks (5.7ppg, 4.4rpg), 6-6/205 So. Dennis Parker (4.7ppg, 3.2rpg),

The Buzz: It was a magical run when NC State caught fire as it won five straight to win the ACC Tournament Championship and continued to win four more en route to a Final Four appearance. Gone are four starters from the Final Four game against Purdue, but the cupboard is not bare this season for the Wolfpack. NC State returns three players who had 12 or more starts last season and four players who averaged 15.4 minutes or more. Keatts brought in four transfers, all who averaged 12, or more, points per game last season. O’Connell will be the team’s emotional leader. The point guard proved to be a calming force on the court throughout the season. Keatts is hoping for a repeat year from Huntley-Hatfield, who scored 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in Louisville’s final game of the season, which was against NC State. James has averaged 11.3 points through his two collegiate seasons. Styles finished last season as Georgetown’s second-leading scorer. NC State will need Middlebrooks, Taylor, and Parker to take steps forward. The biggest question might be can First-Team All-Mac performer Marcus Hill run things at the point? This team will have a lot of combinations it can run with solid positional size across the board.

12. Notre Dame

Head Coach Micah Shrewsberrry (50-51 overall, 13-20 at Notre Dame)
2023-24: 13-20 (7-13 ACC)

Key Players: 5-11/170 So. Markus Burton (17.5ppg, 4.3apg), 6-3/180 So. Braeden Shrewsberry (10.2ppg), 6-9/210 Jr. Tae Davis (9.2ppg, 5.1rpg), 6-10/255 Jr. Kebba Njie (4.3ppg, 5.4rpg), 6-7/205 Sr. JR Konieczny (7.7ppg, 4.5rpg), 6-4/200 Sr. Matt Allocco (12.7ppg, 3.3apg/Princeton), 6-10/245 Sr. Nikita Konstantynovskyi (9.3ppg, 8.1rpg/Monmouth), 6-4/210 Sr. Julian Roper (5.4ppg, 4.0rpg), 6-8/230 Sr. Burke Chebuhar (7.5ppg, 5.0rpg/Lehigh)

The Buzz: This Notre Dame team returns six players who started 12, or more, games on a team that won six of its final ten games last season. Micah Shrewsberry also went out and upgraded the talent level of this team winning battles to get Alloco, Chebuhar, and Konstantynovskyi out of the transfer portal. That should end with Shrewsberry having an experienced nine-man rotation that has size, shooting, and some flair. That flair will come for reigning ACC Rookie of the Year Markus Burton. He finished top ten in the league in points, assists, and steals as a freshman. While the man-to-man talent might not be as high as some of the other teams, the Fighting Irish ended the season hot, returned a lot, and got better in the portal.

Tier 4, fighting to stay out of last place

13. SMU

Head Coach Andy Enfield (261-175 overall, first year at SMU)
2023-24: 20-13 (11-7 American)

Key Players: 6-4/190 Sr. Chuck Harris (13.4ppg), 6-0/165 Sr. Boopie Miller (15.6ppg, 3.5apg), 6-7/220 Sr. Matt Cross (15.3ppg, 8.3rpg, 3.0apg), 6-10/225 Jr. Yohan Traore (14.5ppg), 6-4/210 Sr. Kario Oquendo (7.2ppg), 6-9/220 Sr. Keon Ambrose-Hylton (6.9ppg, 4.2rpg), 6-10/215 Jr. Jerrell Colbert (2.6ppg, 2.3rpg)

14. Stanford

Head Coach Kyle Smith (258-193 overall, first year at Stanford)
2023-24: 14-18 (8-12 PAC12)

Key Players: 7-1/250 Sr. Maxime Raynaud (15.5ppg, 9.6rpg), 6-8/225 Jr. Chisom Okpara (16.5ppg, 5.0rpg), 6-4/190 So. Derin Saran (10.1ppg/UC Irvine), 6-5/185 Jr. Oziyah Sellers (5.2ppg/USC), 6-2/205 Sr. Jaylen Blakes (1.8ppg/Duke), 6-8/195 So. Jaylen Thompson (played in 5 games), 6-1/175 Jr. Benny Gealer (4.2ppg, 2.3apg)

15. Virginia Tech

Head Coach Mike Young (391-310 overall, 92-66 at Virginia Tech)
2023-24: 19-15 (10-10 ACC)

Key Players: 6-9/265 Sr. Mylyjael Poteat (6.4ppg, 3.5rpg), 6-1/190 Sr. Hysier Miller (15.9ppg, 4.0apg/Temple), 6-7/220 Sr. Ben Burnham (11.9ppg, 4.5 RPG/Charleston), 6-8/200 Jr. Tobi Lawal (7.7ppg, 6.0rpg/VCU), 6-5/190 So. Jaden Schutt (Redshirt/Duke)

16. California

Head Coach Mark Madsen (83-70 overall, 13-19 at Cal)
2023-24: 13-19 (9-11 PAC12)

Key Players: 6-7/210 Jr. Rytis Petraitis (15.7ppg, 6.3rpg, 3.7apg/Air Force), 6-8/185 Jr. BJ Omot (16.7ppg, 4.2rpg/North Dakota), 6-7/205 So. Andrej Stojakovic (7.8ppg/Stanford), 6-9/250 Sr. Mady Sissoko (3.3ppg, 5.1rpg/Michigan State), 5-11/165 Sr. Jovan Blacksher (4.8ppg/Grand Canyon), 6-7/215 Jr. Joshua Ola-Joseph (7.5ppg/Minnesota)

17. Florida State

Head Coach Leonard Hamilton (643-491career, 443-281 at Florida State)
2023-24: 17-16 (10-10 ACC)

Key Players: 6-7/210 Sr. Jamir Watkins (15.6ppg, 6.0rpg), 6-10/195 So. Taylor Bol Bowen (3.1ppg, 2.7rpg), 6-10/220 Jr. Malique Ewin (14.9ppg, 9.0rpg/JUCO), 6-9/220 So. Jerry Deng (10.1ppg, 4.2rpg/Hampton), 6-7/200 Sr. Bostyn Holt (12.3ppg, 3.1apg), 6-1/165 Fr. Daquan Davis, 6-6/215 Fr. AJ Swinton

18. Boston College

Head Coach Earl Grant (176-142 overall, 49-53 at Boston College)
2023-24: 20-26 (8-12 ACC)

Key Player: 6-3/185 Jr. Dion Brown (19.0ppg, 7.6rpg), 6-10/255 Sr. Chad Venning (13.4ppg, 1.6bpg), 6-5/200 So. Donald Hand Jr. (5.0ppg), 6-3/185 Jr. Chas Kelley (3.7ppg), 6-5/205 Sr. Roger McFarlane (14.8ppg, 8.6rpg), 6-3/180 Sr. Josh Beadle (3.0ppg/Clemson)