2022 ACC Men’s basketball preview

Story posted October 31, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Julianna Steinmetz

College basketball is quickly approaching and one of the strongest conferences is getting ready to tip off. The ACC checks into the AP Top 25 preseason rankings with three teams: No. 1 UNC, No. 7 Duke and No. 18 Virginia. 

Fans of the ACC are highly anticipating this season, so let’s take a look at what we can expect to see from some of the top teams in the conference.

 

North Carolina

The North Carolina Tar Heels are coming into this season with the same expectation they come in with every year: to win the national championship.

The 2021-22 season was coach Hubert Davis’s first season with the Tar Heels, and he was consistent with who he had on the court. His go-to-guys were Caleb Love, R.J. Davis, Leaky Black, Brady Manek and Armando Bacot. Four of those players, the exception being Manek, will be returning, so we can expect to see them on the court a lot again this season. 

With the same core and the addition of Northwestern transfer Pete Nance, the Tar Heels are in position for another successful season.

Duke

Duke said goodbye to legendary Coach K at the conclusion of last season and welcomed in first-year coach Jon Scheyer. 

The Blue Devils enter the season with almost a whole new roster from the team we saw last year, but that won’t limit their success.

Duke’s early nonconference schedule should present few challenges for the Blue Devils apart from a contest with defending champions Kansas Nov. 15.

Virginia

The Virginia Cavaliers are welcoming back their entire starting lineup as well as four four-star freshmen and transfer from Ohio University, Bennett Vander Plas. 

If the Cavaliers can improve their defensive efficiency as well as their 3-point efficiency, there is no reason why they can’t finish in the top three in the ACC. 

Florida State

Florida State is coming off a disappointing 17-14 season. The Seminoles have a young, developing team which leaves fans with many questions about whether they can make a good run or not. If they can play with more consistency than they have, the Seminoles will find themselves in a better position than last season. 

Miami

Last season, the Miami Hurricanes had an unsuspecting, incredible run. The Hurricanes went all the way to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament only losing to the champion Jayhawks.

The Hurricanes will see some familiar faces on the court this season, including senior Isaiah Wong, last year’s leading returning scorer. 

Joining the Hurricanes from the transfer portal are Norchad Omier from Arkansas State and highly sought-after Nijel Pack from Kansas State. 

With the strong line-up that Miami has, it has the ability to achieve the same success it did last season.

Julianna Steinmetz is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email jfs6759@psu.edu.