Basketball Preview: ACC carries five ranked teams into 2013-2014 season play

Pitt comes into the 2013-2014 season ranked No. 6 in the ACC’s preseason poll, and that’s where they start in the first-ever ACC Basketball Breakdown. No. 4 Duke takes the top spot as the conference’s highest-ranked team. 

1. No. 4 Duke Blue Devils 

As long as head coach Mike Krzyzewski remains at the helm of the program, the Blue Devils will always remain in the top tier of the ACC. The team’s biggest move this offseason was recruiting star prospect Jabari Parker. Throw Parker in with the likes of sophomore guard Rasheed Sulaimon, Mississippi State transfer forward Rodney Hood, junior guard Quinn Cook and senior forward Josh Hairston, and the Blue Devils will once again field a formidable squad.

2. No. 7 Syracuse Orange

Syracuse replaces star point guard Michael Carter-Williams with freshman Tyler Ennis, who many believe can surpass Williams’ play. The biggest boost for the squad was forward C.J. Fair’s decision to stay for his senior season rather than declare for the NBA draft. If Fair can pick up some offensive slack to make up for the loss of 3-point specialist James Southerland, Fair will be a contender for ACC Player of the Year, and Syracuse will be in contention for a conference title.

3. No. 25 Virginia Cavaliers

Perhaps one of the biggest sleepers in the entire nation, this Virginia Cavaliers team is a legitimate contender in the ACC. One of the best defensive teams in the nation just one year ago, expect them to be even better this season. Sophomore guard Justin Anderson should make a leap this season and develop into a dangerous second option to star guard Joe Harris on offense for the Cavs.

4. No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels

UNC will likely go as far as their junior forward James McAdoo takes them. McAdoo has shown flashes of brilliance at times, but he must become more consistent  for the Tar Heels to make a run. P.J. Hairston is an offensive asset, and if he can improve defensively, the team will have two potential stars in their lineup.

5. No. 22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Irish get the nod over the teams below them because of the wealth of experience on the team. Senior Jerian Grant is one of the best point guards in the conference. The pair of Grant and fellow senior guard Eric Atkins give Notre Dame one of the best backcourts in the conference. Tom Knight and Garrick Sherman provide the Irish with two big bodies down low.

6. Pittsburgh Panthers

Senior forward Lamar Patterson will have to be the primary offensive weapon for the Panthers, although junior guard Cam Wright has shown tremendous improvement offensively through the summer. Point guard James Robinson’s development of a jump shot will be key in determining whether the Panthers finish in the upper or lower echelon of the ACC.

7. Maryland Terrapins

Had sophomore Alex Len returned to Maryland for his junior year, the Terrapins would be ranked among the top four teams in the ACC. The departure of the 7-foot-1 center dealt the team a critical blow, leaving the Terps without a lot of size. The team will rely on guard Dez Wells to pick up where he left off in the ACC Tournament, during which he averaged 22 points per game.

8. Miami Hurricanes

Going into this season, Miami will field a team of relative anonymity, as the Hurricanes have lost their top six scorers, including point guard Shane Larkin and versatile center Kenny Kadji. But you simply cannot count out brilliant head coach Jim Larranaga.

9. Florida State Seminoles

The team has lost buzzer-beater maestro Michael Snaer, who led the team in scoring last year, and just missed out on snagging top recruit Andrew Wiggins, who spurned FSU for Kansas. Still, the Seminoles are a good team led by senior forward Okaro White and are a potential tournament team.

10. North Carolina State Wolfpack

One of the most disappointing teams in the nation last year, a wealth of talent wasn’t enough to avoid a first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament. After the departures of three starters, the team will rely heavily on forward T.J. Warren, but the Wolfpack doesn’t seem to have the depth to compete. Alabama transfer Trevor Lacey will help, but North Carolina State is likely a year away from competing.

11. Boston College Eagles

It’s been a while since the Eagles have been a contender in the ACC, and although they probably won’t be one again this year, they won’t be a pushover, either. Led by emerging star Olivier Hanlan and junior forward Ryan Anderson, Boston College has an extremely underrated offense that should be talented enough to collect a few upsets this season.

12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The good news for the Yellow Jackets is that the team returns four starters this season. The bad news is that none of them are extremely promising players. Highlighting the returning crop of players is Marcus Georges-Hunt, who looks to improve on his freshman year, when he led the team in scoring.

13. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

This isn’t the same program it was in the mid-2000s with Chris Paul at the point. The Deacons are a bottom-of-the-pack ACC team, and that isn’t likely to change this season. Travis McKie will have to take on more responsibility offensively with the departure of C.J. Harris. Sophomore Devin Thomas is a solid presence in the paint, but aside from McKie and him, the roster is a giant question mark.

14. Clemson Tigers

A team that nearly shocked the then-third-ranked Miami Hurricanes last season, Clemson is still unlikely to make a run in the ACC. If they manage to surprise people, it will be because of junior forward K.J. McDaniels, who is one of the best players in the conference.

15. Virginia Tech Hokies

Not only did the Hokies have a terrible season last year, but they lost the nation’s leading scorer, Erick Green, at graduation. It’s hard to envision Virginia Tech improving on their last-place finish in the ACC last season without him.