Four teams (Duke, North Carolina, Clemson and Louisville) received bids to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Because of the talent influx into the conference this past offseason — whether it be new coaches, transfers, or blue-chip recruits — there is potential for the top of the ACC to be good enough to send up to a half dozen teams to the Big Dance this spring.
The headliner of the ACC, once again, is Duke. After reaching the Final Four for the first time in the Jon Scheyer era, the Blue Devils have a roster built to be one of the last teams standing during the final weekend of the college basketball season. Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and the national player of the year, is gone, but Duke has a freshman who could compete for both of those honors this season: Cameron Boozer.
Duke is a popular pick to win the ACC by our experts, but the buzz around Louisville is real. In Year 1 with the program, coach Pat Kelsey steadied a dysfunctional ship, guided the Cardinals to 27 wins and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Kelsey now has a roster built to contend for a national title.
Big 12 expert picks: 2025-26 preview, projected order of finish, preseason predictions, top players to watch
Gary Parrish
At North Carolina, the pressure is real for coach Hubert Davis after an early exit in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Tar Heels missed the tournament back in 2023 after beginning the season as the preseason No. 1 team, reached the Sweet 16 last year and lost to Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last spring. For Davis, this could prove to be a make-or-break year.
Outside of Duke, the most recent ACC team to reach the Final Four is NC State. The Wolfpack, led by first-year coach Will Wade, could be a dark-horse ACC title contender. NC State’s portal haul was headlined by the addition of Darrion Williams, who helped Texas Tech reach the Elite Eight.
CBS Sports ACC Preseason Player / Freshman of the Year
Cameron Boozer | F | Duke
The son of former Duke great and NBA legend Carlos Boozer is one of the best draft prospects in college basketball. In fact, he is one of the top contenders alongside Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa to be the No. 1 overall pick this summer. Simply put, Boozer is a winner. The Miami native had a decorated prep career. 247Sports’ Adam Finklestein has labeled him the best long outlet passer the high school game has seen since Kevin Love. Boozer will be an immediate two-way impactful player for the Blue Devils and could become the latest player from the program to win the ACC’s top award in his first (and potentially only) season.
Four more players to watch
Darrion Williams | F | NC State: The Texas Tech transfer was labeled preseason Player of the Year by the ACC. Williams is a mismatch nightmare down low because of his strong frame. He averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season for the Red Raiders. He’s the key to what Wade wants to accomplish in his first season on the job.
Markus Burton | G | Notre Dame: Burton is one of the top returning scorers in college basketball after averaging 21.3 points — good enough for fifth among all Division I players — during the 2024-25 campaign. Burton improved as a 3-point shooter last season and connected on 37.5% of his 4.9 attempts per game.
Mikel Brown Jr. | G | Louisville: Part of the reason for the increased buzz around Louisville is Brown’s arrival. The former five-star prospect is a strong contender to be a top-five pick this summer. He showed flashes of why he’s the top freshman point guard in the country with a strong showing during the FIBA U19 World Cup.
Isaiah Evans | F | Duke: The former blue-chip recruit from the 2024 recruiting cycle primarily came off the bench during his freshman season. However, Evans is Duke’s top returning NBA Draft prospect and is expected to take on a larger role as a starter this season for the Blue Devils. Some have compared Evans to former Duke player and current member of the Toronto Raptors, Brandon Ingram.
ACC predicted order of finish
1. Duke
Breakdown: For most college basketball programs, seeing a player of Flagg’s caliber depart could signal a massive reset. However, Duke is one of those programs that has the luxury of reloading with more blue-chip talent to compete. Despite losing three top 10 picks to the NBA, the Blue Devils have a roster good enough to compete for a national title.
The headliner of that group is Boozer, who projects as the program’s latest one-and-done success story. Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II and Evans are returners who project to start. The fifth starter will likely be Dame Sarr, who was a late addition to Duke’s 2025 recruiting class. Two more names to keep an eye on are Cayden Boozer — the brother of Cameron — and Maliq Brown. Brown transferred into the program last offseason and made an immediate impact on the defensive end.
2. Louisville
Breakdown: The strength of this Louisville roster is the guards. Brown, Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell, Virginia transfer Isaac McKneeley and Kennesaw State transfer Adrian Wooley make up one of the best position groups in the country. But it’s not just the guards that are talented. Veteran J’Vonne Hadley is versatile as a guard and forward, and Sananda Fru and Aly Khalifa project to take up most of the minutes at the five.
Louisville’s program was in a bad place under former coach Kenny Payne. The Cardinals won just 12 games combined in his two seasons at the helm of the program. Under Kelsey, Louisville won 27 games. The expectations for this season will be even higher.
3. North Carolina
Breakdown: There might not be a coach in the ACC under more pressure this season than Davis. Over the last three seasons, UNC has missed the NCAA Tournament, reached the Sweet 16 and lost in the first round of the tournament. Notably, the Tar Heels were one of the last four teams in the tournament and were included despite just having one ranked win on their résumé.
UNC does have a talented roster. Five-star Caleb Wilson is a stud, and Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar is a breakout candidate. Also, Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson has already proven he can step up in the big moment. Losing RJ Davis, one of the top scorers in program history, is a big deal. Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans will have big shoes to fill. What will make or break UNC’s case for the NCAA Tournament this time around is nonconference games against Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State. If North Carolina struggles in nonconference play, it will be playing behind the eight ball entering ACC play with not many opportunities to rack up signature wins.
4. NC State
Breakdown: Less than a year after going on an improbable run to the Final Four, NC State fired coach Kevin Keatts earlier this spring and replaced him with Wade, a coach who has plenty of experience turning around programs. In Wade’s two seasons at McNeese State, he guided the program to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and won 58 games across those seasons.
The obvious headliner from NC State’s portal class is Williams, who can raise the floor and ceiling of this group. Tre Holloman (Michigan State), Terrance Arceneaux (Kentucky) and Ven-Allen Lubin (North Carolina) are three more names to keep an eye on. It wouldn’t be surprising if NC State finishes in the top three of the ACC standings
5. Virginia
Breakdown: The coach who helped end one of the best seasons in Virginia program history in 2018 is now the one running the ship. That would be Ryan Odom, who was hired away from VCU to be the successor to Tony Bennett. Bennett, the national-title-winning coach at Virginia, stepped down just weeks before the start of last season, which elevated Ron Sanchez to an interim role.
The name to keep an eye on this season from Virginia’s transfer portal class is Malik Thomas from San Francisco, who averaged nearly 20 points per game last season. The Cavaliers finished as No. 346 among all Division I teams in scoring offense. If that mark improves, Virginia will be a tournament team.
6. SMU
Breakdown: SMU is looking to snap an NCAA Tournament drought that dates back to 2017 during Year 2 of the Andy Enfield era. The Mustangs won 24 games during Enfield’s first season at the helm, but didn’t receive a bid to the tournament after going 0-4 against ranked opponents.
The biggest addition to SMU’s roster was landing Jaron Pierre Jr. The Conference USA Player of the Year averaged 21.6 points and will bring scoring to Enfield’s squad. SMU also returns guard Boopie Miller, who was named preseason second-team All-ACC. Games against Louisville (twice), Duke and North Carolina will decide SMU’s tournament fate.
7. Clemson
Breakdown: Clemson has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons under longtime coach Brad Brownell, but this season’s roster will look different. The Tigers added four transfers to the roster — including former Nevada star Nick Davidson — but lost a majority of their offensive production.
One of the key returners on this roster will be Dillon Hunter. After appearing in 30 games last season (and making nine starts), he will likely be in the starting unit. Another player to keep an eye on is RJ Godfrey, who began his career at Clemson before transferring to Georgia last offseason.
8. Wake Forest
Breakdown: Since 2010, Wake Forest has been to the NCAA Tournament just once. During that season under former coach Danny Manning, the Demon Deacons lost in the First Four. Despite winning at least 20 games in three of the last four seasons under coach Steve Forbes, Wake Forest is still searching for its first bid to the NCAA Tournament under him.
The lone returning starter for Forbes will be Tre’Von Spillers, who averaged 9.9 points and 7.8 rebounds. A newcomer to keep an eye on is Washington transfer Mekhi Mason, who averaged 9.9 points last season for the Huskies.
9. Syracuse
Breakdown: Outside of Davis, the person under the most pressure in the ACC to deliver results may be Syracuse coach Adrian Autry. The longtime assistant under former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim has posted a 34-31 record during his first two seasons with the program, including a 7-13 record in ACC play last season.
However, there’s hope that the Orange could be a dark-horse contender to reach the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse returns star guard J.J. Starling and former blue-chip recruit Donnie Freeman. Also, the program will welcome a pair of top-35-ranked recruits from the 2025 recruiting cycle. One of those players is Kiyan Anthony, the son of program legend Carmelo Anthony.
10. Notre Dame
Breakdown: Entering Year 3 of the Micah Shrewsberry era should bring a glimmer of hope for Notre Dame fans. This is the most talented roster Shrewsberry has had since taking over for Mike Brey. Everything will stop and start with Burton, who could be a contender to be the leading scorer in Division I basketball at the end of the season.
Notre Dame also returns Braden Shrewsberry (the son of the coach) and Kebba Njie, who both started at least 26 games last season. The Fighting Irish also welcome guard Jalen Haralson, who is the highest-ranked recruit in program history. Keep an eye on Notre Dame.
11. Miami
Breakdown: It’s a new era in Coral Gables after the program hit rock bottom last season. Jim Larranaga stepped down mid-season, and the program finished with a 7-24 record — which tied the record for the most losses (1991-92 season) in a single season in Miami program history.
Miami took a swing by hiring Duke assistant Jai Lucas, who is regarded as one of the best recruiters in the country. The hire has also paid dividends, as Miami was able to flip one-time Duke signee Shelton Henderson shortly after hiring him. Miami also landed Tre Donaldson (Michigan) and Malik Reneau (Indiana) from the portal.
12. Virginia Tech
Breakdown: Virginia Tech has missed the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons under coach Mike Young, but there is reason for optimism heading into this year. That’s because Neoklis Avdalas, who was one of the top international prospects available, landed at Virginia Tech.
Another name to keep an eye on is Izaiah Pasha, who transferred in this offseason from Delaware after averaging 11.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists last season. Virginia Tech has enough talent to make some noise in ACC play.
13. Pitt
Breakdown: This season will mark Year 8 of the Jeff Capel era. The Pitt coach has guided his team to just one NCAA Tournament (2023) during his tenure at the school. There have certainly been some bright spots — including getting off to a 12-2 start last season — but the results haven’t been good enough.
Pitt will have plenty of new faces on the roster. Among them will be a pair of Iowa State transfers (Dishon Jackson and Nojus Indrušaitis), Barry Dunning Jr. and Damarco Minor. Another name to keep an eye on is Roman Siulepa from the NBA Global Academy.
14. Georgia Tech
Breakdown: Georgia Tech has been to the NCAA Tournament just once since 2011 and is coming off a 17-17 (10-10 in ACC play) season under Damon Stoudamire. The Yellow Jackets have a handful of key contributors returning, including star forward Baye Ndongo and Kowacie Reeves.
The key addition Georgia Tech made in the portal this offseason was landing former Pacific guard Lamar Washington, who averaged 13.5 points and 5.8 assists last season. Look for Georgia Tech to take a step in the right direction under Stoudamire in ACC play.
15. California
Breakdown: Under coach Mark Madsen, Cal was much better than its 14-19 record indicated last season. Riding an NCAA Tournament drought that dates back to 2016, Madsen will once again rely on experience to avoid finishing near the bottom of the ACC standings.
The Golden Bears lost Andrej Stojaković to Illinois this offseason, but the program did add another son of a former NBA player: Justin Pippen. In total, Pippen was one of seven transfers Cal added in the portal this offseason. Keep an eye on Virginia transfer Dai Dai Ames, who averaged 8.7 points last season.
16. Stanford
Breakdown: Stanford made a terrific hire in the 2024 coaching carousel by landing Kyle Smith from his post at Washington State. The results from his first season were promising, as Stanford finished with 21 wins — the most since the 2014-15 season.
The Cardinal haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2014, and it’s likely that drought will continue, but it’s clear the program is going in the right direction with Smith in charge. An intriguing transfer to keep tabs on is Jeremy Dent-Smith, who averaged 19.2 points at the Division ll level while playing for Cal State Dominguez Hills.
17. Florida State
Breakdown: Florida State continued the trend of college programs going to the NBA assistant ranks to land a new coach. The Seminoles not only went that route, but landed a familiar face to guide the program in the post-Leonard Hamilton era. Luke Loucks, who most recently was an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings, is taking over his alma mater after the program failed to reach the NCAA Tournament the last four years under Hamilton.
Loucks has essentially built a brand new roster from the transfer portal. Robert McCray V is coming off back to back seasons averaging at least 16 points at Jacksonville. He is expected to start and should play a significant role right away. It wouldn’t be surprising if FSU finished higher than its preseason billing. Loucks was considered a rising star in the coaching ranks before taking this job.
18. Boston College
Breakdown: The team projected to finish last in the ACC standings is Boston College, a program that’s coming off a 12-19 season and hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2009. That drought is likely to continue this season despite the program returning a handful of impact players, including star guard Donald Hand Jr.
A transfer to keep an eye on is Aidan Shaw, who spent the last three seasons at Missouri primarily coming off the bench. Shaw is expected to be in the starting lineup and play a more substantial role at his next stop. Another name that is due for a large role is South Dakota transfer Chase Forte.
