2014-15 ACC hoops standings. Watcha got?

[SRHoo]

Recruiting is pretty much wrapped up for everyone, early entries have declared for the draft, and the folks who are transferring (in or out) are done for the most part. How do you see the ACC standings shaping up?

1a. Duke
1b. Louisville
1c. North Carolina
1d. Virginia

I know that's kind of wussing out, but with all 4 in just about everyone's top 10 nationally, I'm just not sure...all 4 will likely be separated by a game or two at the end. Actually think Carolina has the best mix of returning talent & newcomers, but could see any of the 4 being #1 by March.

5. Syracuse
6. NCSU
7. Pitt
8. Notre Dame (with Grant)
9. Miami
10. FSU
11. Wake
12. VTech
13. Clemson
14. GTech
15. BC

My sleepers are State, and to a lesser degree, Miami.

Wake & VTech will both be improved and slightly dangerous, but both are still a year or two away from making serious noise.

Clemson losing McDaniels IMO was the single biggest loss of the offseason for anyone in the league. GTech & BC will both be plain bad...only a miracle saves Gregory after next season.

See 7 teams in the dance, with ND & Miami just missing. Those 2 and FSU to the NIT.

 

[Dave85]

Recruiting is pretty much wrapped up for everyone, early entries have declared for the draft, and the folks who are transferring (in or out) are done for the most part. How do you see the ACC standings shaping up?

1a. Duke
1b. Louisville
1c. North Carolina
1d. Virginia

I know that's kind of wussing out, but with all 4 in just about everyone's top 10 nationally, I'm just not sure...all 4 will likely be separated by a game or two at the end. Actually think Carolina has the best mix of returning talent & newcomers, but could see any of the 4 being #1 by March.

5. Syracuse
6. NCSU
7. Pitt
8. Notre Dame (with Grant)
9. Miami
10. FSU
11. Wake
12. VTech
13. Clemson
14. GTech
15. BC

My sleepers are State, and to a lesser degree, Miami.

Wake & VTech will both be improved and slightly dangerous, but both are still a year or two away from making serious noise.

Clemson losing McDaniels IMO was the single biggest loss of the offseason for anyone in the league. GTech & BC will both be plain bad...only a miracle saves Gregory after next season.

See 7 teams in the dance, with ND & Miami just missing. Those 2 and FSU to the NIT.

I just like your post because someone is talking about Syracuse basketball for a change.

 

[orangehomer]

so you think there are 4 good teams, and a bunch of whatever after that. Syracuse will be fine, we will have 2 of the best freshman in the conference, and a solid group of sophs that didn't play last year who will get their chance this year. I don't see why duke, unc, and ville are inherently better this year than they were last year when none of them did a damn thing.

 

[SRHoo]

so you think there are 4 good teams, and a bunch of whatever after that.

I have Syracuse at #5 in the league, an NCAA tourney lock, and just a notch below the top of the league (all likely preseason top 10's) and somehow that equates to thinking they're garbage?

Fact is 'Cuse lost their 3 best players. McCullough is very good...I think he's a sleeper for ACC ROY. Joseph is good but it would probably be unrealistic to think he'll step in and be Ennis on Day 1. Cooney is a nice complimentary player, but he's not a guy who will be a #1 option on an elite-level ACC team IMO. I'm a big fan of Christmas, but he'll need to consistently play at a higher level next year. My point is, the potential is there for Syracuse to be pretty good, but right now it's potential more than a proven commodity.

Duke brings in the top recruiting class in the country, 2/3 of a top 5 class from a year ago, and experience in Suilamon, Jefferson & Cook.

Carolina brings back almost everyone, including the best returning player in the ACC, and a top 5 class.

Louisville has had back-to-back top 5 classes, and returns probably the best interior player in the ACC.

UVa returns 7 of our top 9, and have Anderson & Gill to replace Harris & Mitchell.

Those 4 are the top 4 for good reasons. Syracuse will be good, but IMHO they're not quite in that category going into next season. Maybe Joseph does become Ennis, maybe Gbinije & Roberson elevate their games, maybe Christmas becomes an All-ACC caliber big man...that's alot of "if's" though. I have confidence Boeheim will maximize their potential...he's a great coach...but I'll need to actually see it come together before putting Syracuse in the national & ACC hunt in 2014-15.

 

[Dave85]

I have Syracuse at #5 in the league, an NCAA tourney lock, and just a notch below the top of the league (all likely preseason top 10's) and somehow that equates to thinking they're garbage?

Fact is 'Cuse lost their 3 best players. McCullough is very good...I think he's a sleeper for ACC ROY. Joseph is good but it would probably be unrealistic to think he'll step in and be Ennis on Day 1. Cooney is a nice complimentary player, but he's not a guy who will be a #1 option on an elite-level ACC team IMO. I'm a big fan of Christmas, but he'll need to consistently play at a higher level next year. My point is, the potential is there for Syracuse to be pretty good, but right now it's potential more than a proven commodity.

Duke brings in the top recruiting class in the country, 2/3 of a top 5 class from a year ago, and experience in Suilamon, Jefferson & Cook.

Carolina brings back almost everyone, including the best returning player in the ACC, and a top 5 class.

Louisville has had back-to-back top 5 classes, and returns probably the best interior player in the ACC.

UVa returns 7 of our top 9, and have Anderson & Gill to replace Harris & Mitchell.

Those 4 are the top 4 for good reasons. Syracuse will be good, but IMHO they're not quite in that category going into next season. Maybe Joseph does become Ennis, maybe Gbinije & Roberson elevate their games, maybe Christmas becomes an All-ACC caliber big man...that's alot of "if's" though. I have confidence Boeheim will maximize their potential...he's a great coach...but I'll need to actually see it come together before putting Syracuse in the national & ACC hunt in 2014-15.

Syracuse BB team is great bla, bla, bla...I just hope we can be compete against Duke, UNC, Louisville, and UVA.

I think we are going to have big problems at center if Rak gets in foul trouble which will be every ACC away game. I think K-JO2 will do very well and maybe better than Ennis. Ennis's game was like following your grandmother driving a car. McCull is a completely unproven factor. DC2 was a five star recruit also. Paterson has to contribute. Roberson has to play like an NBA lottery pick for the Orange to have any real success. And BJ has to score a 3-point basket in conference play while not be trampled to death on defense.

 

[Dave85]

so you think there are 4 good teams, and a bunch of whatever after that. Syracuse will be fine, we will have 2 of the best freshman in the conference, and a solid group of sophs that didn't play last year who will get their chance this year. I don't see why duke, unc, and ville are inherently better this year than they were last year when none of them did a damn thing.

Amile Jefferson of Duke is going to shred us. At this point I have very little optimism about the 2014-2015 season. I am hoping the team is decent enough to make the NCAA tournament. But they sure have a lot to prove and a lot pieces that have to come together in a meaningful way. This is going to be a tough upcoming season I'm afraid. 2015-16 should be a better year. But you never know. Maybe I will be surprised and proven wrong. I was completely wrong about thinking the 2013-14 team was going to play for a national championship.

 

[senorpalmer]

I would put Pitt 6th on that list and I don't think too much of the rest of the league after that. Dixon routinely puts a competitive team out most years with guys that nobody thought much of as recruits. I agree with the 1-4 as well though nobody looks like a juggernaut.

As for SU, they'll likely have their lowest preseason expectations since 2008- 2009; that was a good team that was coming off three lackluster seasons. Lots of unknowns, which should not be confused with actual holes. They'll inevitably have flaws but we don't quite know what they are yet, just as we don't quite know what their strengths are either. Their high level of athleticism remains. Boeheim has churned out some fine teams with lesser expectations in the past, though if he uses five guys to man four positions again things won't end any better than they did last year.

 

[jsshap]

I have Syracuse at #5 in the league, an NCAA tourney lock, and just a notch below the top of the league (all likely preseason top 10's) and somehow that equates to thinking they're garbage?

Fact is 'Cuse lost their 3 best players. McCullough is very good...I think he's a sleeper for ACC ROY. Joseph is good but it would probably be unrealistic to think he'll step in and be Ennis on Day 1. Cooney is a nice complimentary player, but he's not a guy who will be a #1 option on an elite-level ACC team IMO. I'm a big fan of Christmas, but he'll need to consistently play at a higher level next year. My point is, the potential is there for Syracuse to be pretty good, but right now it's potential more than a proven commodity.

Duke brings in the top recruiting class in the country, 2/3 of a top 5 class from a year ago, and experience in Suilamon, Jefferson & Cook.

Carolina brings back almost everyone, including the best returning player in the ACC, and a top 5 class.

Louisville has had back-to-back top 5 classes, and returns probably the best interior player in the ACC.

UVa returns 7 of our top 9, and have Anderson & Gill to replace Harris & Mitchell.

Those 4 are the top 4 for good reasons. Syracuse will be good, but IMHO they're not quite in that category going into next season. Maybe Joseph does become Ennis, maybe Gbinije & Roberson elevate their games, maybe Christmas becomes an All-ACC caliber big man...that's alot of "if's" though. I have confidence Boeheim will maximize their potential...he's a great coach...but I'll need to actually see it come together before putting Syracuse in the national & ACC hunt in 2014-15.

I agree with most of this. And I was a big believer in UVA last year long before most fans. But...if UVA wants to run with the big boys it needs more talent. You cannot find many final four teams without NBA players. Even butler had one. Brogdon could get there, gill perhaps, but UVA is short on big time talent. I think they will be solid next year, and one would think even better in 15-16 if they lose only Atkins, but I don't think they will much better in 15-16 than next year - and think cuse will be superior in two years with that monster class - even though logically you would think otherwise since UVA should not lose much off a top 10 caliber team.

 

[SRHoo]

I agree with most of this. And I was a big believer in UVA last year long before most fans. But...if UVA wants to run with the big boys it needs more talent. You cannot find many final four teams without NBA players. Even butler had one. Brogdon could get there, gill perhaps, but UVA is short on big time talent. I think they will be solid next year, and one would think even better in 15-16 if they lose only Atkins, but I don't think they will much better in 15-16 than next year - and think cuse will be superior in two years with that monster class - even though logically you would think otherwise since UVA should not lose much off a top 10 caliber team.

Completely understand your points, and we've had plenty of comparable discussions on our boards. I'm not even sure what Tony is doing has a comparison in any major conference. Basically he recruits a certain "type" of player to UVa who might not be top 50, but is willing to develop over a year or two before seeing significant minutes.

Our fans have questioned recruiting strategies at times, but so far it's worked. Tony has increased his conference & overall win totals every season, and done it with guys who sacrifice personal glory for team success. No one on our team averaged 13 a game last year, and only 2 averaged double figures. It's a very different approach...I'll give you that...but it's worked so far.

 

[Trueblue25]

1. UNC
2. UL
3. UVA
4. Duke
5. Syracuse
6. Pitt
7. ND

 

[Madbiker]

1. UNC
2. Duke
3. UVA
4. Ville
5. Cuse
6. Miami
7. Pitt

UNC returns most of their key guys and adds 3 top 15 freshman. They have experience and the most quality depth in the league. Duke has some high level talent but lacks UNC's depth. They are depending on Okafor to dominate. And while he'll be very good he'll quickly find out this isn't high school. I like UVA's team but a lot of their reserve depth from last year now starts to fill in the holes left by Harris and Mitchell. Those are two big losses. Those guys contributed a lot more than just the points that show up in the box score. IMO UVA will not be quite as good as last year. Ville IMO is over-rated based on the halo effect of the last 2 years. They have huge losses in Russ Smith and Hancock two dynamic offensive players who will not be easy to replace. They also lose Van Treese who gave them solid minutes off the bench last year and rebounding. They are counting very heavily on several unproven kids and freshmen like Cuse is. Larranaga is a fantastic coach. The guy got 7 conference wins out a group with little talent and holes everywhere last year. I wouldn't have them in the top 6 except for that Harrell came back. UM will have a terrific backcourt this year with the high level transfers from K State (Rodriguez) and Texas (McClellan). Pitt loses by far their 2 best players in Patterson and Zanna. The only reason I have them this high is Dixon's track record of always taking no names and molding them into a pretty good team. As for Cuse...we will take a step back from the last few years, just too many early departures. There is still a lot of talent and superior athleticism but inexperienced talent that will have to go through some growing pains. McCullough, Kaleb Joseph and Roberson all have high potential but may struggle some especially early and during the first half of the season. I actually think that while SU's W/L record will be way worse than last year, they may be a better team by March and achieve more in the post-season. I still see them making the NCAA field and winning a couple games. This team should actually have more offensive fire power or at least better balance than last year which relied too heavily on one guy (CJ Fair) which made them too easy to defend. I can tell you that nobody will look forward to playing Va Tech anymore. Buzz Williams can flat out coach and his teams are a bitch to play against. They don't have talent this year but he will improve them quickly.

 

[Briancuse]

Obviously it is way too early but right now I would go with this

1.Duke
2.Unc
3.Lville
4.Cuse
5.Uva
6.Fsu
7.Pitt
8.Nd
9.nc state
10.miami
11.wake
12.clemson
13.vt
14.gt
15.bc

 

[Dave85]

Obviously it is way too early but right now I would go with this

1.Duke
2.Unc
3.Lville
4.Cuse
5.Uva
6.Fsu
7.Pitt
8.Nd
9.nc state
10.miami
11.wake
12.clemson
13.vt
14.gt
15.bc

I would make bc 14 and gt 15. Other than that the list is right on.

 

[orangehomer]

I have Syracuse at #5 in the league, an NCAA tourney lock, and just a notch below the top of the league (all likely preseason top 10's) and somehow that equates to thinking they're garbage?

Fact is 'Cuse lost their 3 best players. McCullough is very good...I think he's a sleeper for ACC ROY. Joseph is good but it would probably be unrealistic to think he'll step in and be Ennis on Day 1. Cooney is a nice complimentary player, but he's not a guy who will be a #1 option on an elite-level ACC team IMO. I'm a big fan of Christmas, but he'll need to consistently play at a higher level next year. My point is, the potential is there for Syracuse to be pretty good, but right now it's potential more than a proven commodity.

Duke brings in the top recruiting class in the country, 2/3 of a top 5 class from a year ago, and experience in Suilamon, Jefferson & Cook.

Carolina brings back almost everyone, including the best returning player in the ACC, and a top 5 class.

Louisville has had back-to-back top 5 classes, and returns probably the best interior player in the ACC.

UVa returns 7 of our top 9, and have Anderson & Gill to replace Harris & Mitchell.

Those 4 are the top 4 for good reasons. Syracuse will be good, but IMHO they're not quite in that category going into next season. Maybe Joseph does become Ennis, maybe Gbinije & Roberson elevate their games, maybe Christmas becomes an All-ACC caliber big man...that's alot of "if's" though. I have confidence Boeheim will maximize their potential...he's a great coach...but I'll need to actually see it come together before putting Syracuse in the national & ACC hunt in 2014-15.

duke didn't win the acc or the acc tourney, and they lost in the first round of the ncaa. they lose hood and parker and are relying completely on freshman. you said it is about proven commodities and not potential. whatever, I think duke will be good but not by your logic.

Carolina returns paige, but loses McAdoo, and returns an otherwise lackluster group that again, didn't win anything last year.

Louisville loses russ smith, I'm sure they will be good with pitino but I can't say much because I don't watch the aac.

Virginia played well with a sweetheart schedule last year, but where is the high end talent? their best year in forever didn't get past the sweet sixteen and they lose key players.

all of these teams have questions to answer.

 

[pearl31]

UVA will not be quite as good as last year.

Bingo

 

[We Are Syracuse]

1. UL 2. UNC 3. Duke 4. UVA 5. Pitt 6. Syracuse 7. ND 8. FSU 9. Miami 10. NCSU 11. Wake 12. Clemson 13. VT 14. GT 15. BC

 

[Wahoo2000]

One thing to consider about UVa - we've exceeded the media's preseason picks by at LEAST 2-3 spots every single year since Bennett arrived. Even after losing Mike Scott, we were supposed to take a HUGE step back, but actually improved.

I have no idea where we'll finish the 14-15 season, and I'd agree that logic says we should be in the 4ish range. One thing I do know is that if we continue to improve, I'm going to be crazy scared of losing Bennett to the NBA.

 

[Alsacs]

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

 

[Briancuse]

I am curious, why are people so high on pitt?

 

[Trueblue25]

I honestly think that our offense will run much better under Kaleb than it did under Ennis. If we hadn't lost such a scorer in Cj Fair, I'd say we'd be a much better team this year.

Hopefully Rak, Cooney, Roberson, BJ and Gbinije are working there a$$es off this offseason, because we need scoring.

 

[senorpalmer]

I am curious, why are people so high on pitt?

I don't believe anyone picked them higher than 5th so far in this thread, and you have them 7th. I don't know that anyone is really high on Pitt, but rather, most of the other teams suck.

 

[Flacusian]

All of the previous posters are spot on with the hierarchy of the ACC being dominated by 4 top teams followed by Cuse and Pitt and then a precipitous drop off after that. For me the excitement of next year lies in the fact that there is such a wide spectrum of what Syracuse might or not not congeal into next season. There are some things that for me, frankly, are intriguing. They are:

1. Having watched the recruitment and development of Kaleb Joseph I am really excited to see the type of game he will bring to the team. His ball handling and crossover are reminiscent of a great guard who laced them up for the Orangemen back in the early days of the Big East. I truly believe he is going to be electric and I'm really excited that he is going to be taking over at the point.

2. Chris McCullough oozes athletic ability and has an uber high ceiling. We've not had this highly heralded a recruit since Carmelo.

3. Tyler Roberson was "the meek one" last season and didn't really have the opportunity to become comfortable and be utilized enough to find his identity on the team. He too is very athletic and talented and represents a huge range of possible outcomes with respect to his play next year.

4. It's showtime for real for Rak. We've all been patiently waiting for him to blossom and fulfill the potential he has. There were flashes last year, mixed with the complete and utter disappearing acts. There is no question that he has the physical tools and ability to be an elite college player/center. Any substantive success the team has next year will be closely linked to the type of season Rakeem Christmas has. Having had expectations of several other players who stayed 4 years dashed by mediocre senior seasons, the time is ripe for us to have one player who puts it all together. We haven't had a player like that since Rick Jackson and frankly... we're due.

5. Silent G. ---- He is postured to have a great year. The opportunity will be there for him to seize. He is an intelligent player and has above average athletic ability. He's been around for 2 years and among all of the players will have perhaps the best understanding of how the Syracuse offense and defense is executed. He will be looked upon for leadership as well as his playing skills and seems like a well grounded kid who can step into and fill an important role.

6. Cooney... I mean he has to put up better numbers than he did in the 2nd half of last season doesn't he?

7. Buss----- I don't know about anyone else but as the season came to a close last year I would have picked him above or as an equal to anyone else on the team as far as having confidence to make a 3 when we needed one. If he had taken all 10 threes in the Dayton game I'd feel pretty good in betting that he'd make more than the team did in that game. The kid can play and can contribute. I'm praying that he gets a significant chance to show us what he has to offer this coming season. I really feel he has a lot to offer.

And returning full circle to my original premise... I think because of the incredibly diverse outcomes we might see from this next years team it makes it really exciting and intriguing. I expect to see some real stinker games early on and perhaps throughout the season but the talent and potential is there and if the team can gel into a cohesive group which learns to play together they will be the type of team which gets better as the year progresses and reverse the outcome of last years team which started with such a flourish and ended like a slow motion train wreck.

It's better to be like a Kentucky or a Uconn who fall out of the top 25 during the season but find themselves in the process through regrouping in defeat only to emerge as a substantive force when it really matters...
AT THE END OF THE YEAR. This team has the capacity to do that and for that fact alone I am all in and really excited for the season to unfold.

 

[Dave85]

I am curious, why are people so high on pitt?

Because they win a lot of games that are not important.

 

[Dave85]

I don't believe anyone picked them higher than 5th so far in this thread, and you have them 7th. I don't know that anyone is really high on Pitt, but rather, most of the other teams suck.

When I think of Pitt, I get a bad feeling in my stomach!

 

[Briancuse]

Because they win a lot of games that are not important.

They weren't very good last year, and they lost their two best players.