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Message: [QUOTE="OrangeXtreme, post: 5645666, member: 41"] [MEDIA=twitter]2014755104583299445[/MEDIA] [HEADING=2]ACC[/HEADING] [B]Storyline: How Blue are the Blue Bloods? [/B] The ACC feels peculiar this year. Syracuse is one of the favorites for the NCAA Championship after making the long-awaited return to Championship Weekend last May. It’s the season Orange fans targeted years ago when they welcomed Joey Spallina and the No. 1 recruiting class. But Syracuse — like everyone in the always-storied ACC — isn’t exempt from questions. Did the Orange improve enough compared to their peers? And will lapses like they had vs. Maryland in the NCAA Semifinals continue to plague them again? Notre Dame is facing a year without a Kavanagh and will look new offensively but has the top-ranked recruiting class. North Carolina hasn’t yet seemed to maximize its talent for a full year, but they arguably have the most talented roster in the league. Duke’s ceiling is tough to predict, but they’ll be steadily built from the back end out. Virginia’s 2025 was disappointing, so it’s tough to gauge expectations out of Charlottesville — even with No. 1 freshman Brendan Millon and returners from injury like Sean Browne and Ryan Duenkel. [B]Kinnear’s Pick: North Carolina[/B] [I]Confidence Meter: Low[/I] Syracuse will be the favorite even if they didn’t receive any first-place votes in the Preseason Media Poll. On paper that makes sense, but you can’t just pick favorites for these. My gut is telling me this is a big Carolina year. It feels like health and maturity are coming together for a deadly combo. The ACC does not receive an AQ. Those tournament games are important, for sure, given their NCAA-résumé-building quality. But with as much talent on any of the five teams in the ACC, there is potential for anyone to beat anybody. I realistically see Syracuse as neck and neck with the Heels and Notre Dame right there. [B]Wildcard: Duke[/B] The Blue Devils feel curiously under-reported this offseason. I could see them anywhere from Top 5 to back part of the Top 20. Solid goaltending, capable shutdown defenders, the best d-middie in the land, one of the better incoming freshmen groups, top-end midfielders — it adds up to something, I’m just not sure what. [/QUOTE]

Verification: What is a Syracuse fan's favorite color?