With basketball season coming just around the bend, the ACC dropped its preseason media poll for the 2023-24 season. The projected order of finish is as follows:

  1. Duke
  2. Miami
  3. North Carolina
  4. Virginia
  5. Clemson
  6. Wake Forest
  7. NC State
  8. Virginia Tech
  9. Pitt
  10. Syracuse
  11. Florida State
  12. Boston College
  13. Georgia Tech
  14. Louisville
  15. Notre Dame

The media predicts Duke to finish atop the conference. The Blue Devils return Player of the Year candidate Kyle Filipowski alongside mainstays Jeremy Roach, Ryan Young, Tyrese Proctor, and a host of top-tier freshman talent.

Rounding out the Top 5 is Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, and Clemson. The Hurricanes will look to replicate their performance from last season where they finished atop the conference during the regular season and reached the Final Four. The return of Nijel Pack and Noarchad Omier–as well as the transfer of Matthew Cleveland from FSU–means that Jim Larranaga’s bunch still has a shot at being one of the country’s best.

The return of Armando Bacot for his fifth season as well as veteran guard RJ Davis bodes well for a bounce-back season in Chapel Hill, and former 5-star recruit and Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram could contribute to that effort as well. Virginia still has the bitter taste of the Round One loss to Furman in its mouth from last season, but there is no doubt that Tony Bennett will yet again put a sound defensive team on the floor this year. Reece Beckman is a potential NBA prospect for the Hoos, but he will need help from his supporting cast.

That leaves Clemson, who surprised the ACC by going 14-6 in conference play last season but was left out of the NCAA Tournament. The loss of productive big man Hunter Tyson will be tough to overcome, but PJ Hall returns after a strong junior campaign and Syracuse transfer Joseph Girard could be a difference-maker.

The 2023-24 college basketball season will top off on Nov. 6, with all 15 of the ACC’s teams set to hit the floor that night.