ACC in the top 10/25 next year

[CameronBornAndBred]

I don't know the answer for these, which is why I am asking. How do the following teams look going into next year?


Syracuse
UVA
Louisville


I know both Duke and UNC will be loaded with talent.

Both Duke and UNC (especially with the return of Paige) have a solid case for being top 10 teams. What about the other three? If they aren't losing much off their teams either to graduation or the NBA (such as Ennis for Syracuse, they probably have their own vigil thread going) then those three all also have solid cases. It is has been a long time since the ACC had such a presence, even in only the broader top 25. (Of course two of the teams mentioned are newbies.) Are there any other teams deserving?

[flyingdutchdevil]

I don't know the answer for these, which is why I am asking. How do the following teams look going into next year?


Syracuse
UVA
Louisville


I know both Duke and UNC will be loaded with talent.

Both Duke and UNC (especially with the return of Paige) have a solid case for being top 10 teams. What about the other three? If they aren't losing much off their teams either to graduation or the NBA (such as Ennis for Syracuse, they probably have their own vigil thread going) then those three all also have solid cases. It is has been a long time since the ACC had such a presence, even in only the broader top 25. (Of course two of the teams mentioned are newbies.) Are there any other teams deserving?

What I think is ridiculous is the coaching in the conference rather than the talent. Next year, we have 4 guaranteed Hall of Famers: K, RoyWill, Pitino, and Boeheim. And if Calhoun joins BC, that makes 5 HoFers. To put that in perspective, since 1999, 9 of the past 15 NCAA champions will have been coached by those 5 coaches, all of whom would be in the ACC! Wawawewa!!!

[CDu]

I don't know the answer for these, which is why I am asking. How do the following teams look going into next year?


Syracuse
UVA
Louisville


I know both Duke and UNC will be loaded with talent.

Both Duke and UNC (especially with the return of Paige) have a solid case for being top 10 teams. What about the other three? If they aren't losing much off their teams either to graduation or the NBA (such as Ennis for Syracuse, they probably have their own vigil thread going) then those three all also have solid cases. It is has been a long time since the ACC had such a presence, even in only the broader top 25. (Of course two of the teams mentioned are newbies.) Are there any other teams deserving?

Hard to say without knowing who will be back. If Syracuse loses Ennis to the NBA, they'll probably be very mediocre. With Ennis, they'll be a lot like they were this year.

UVa loses Harris and Mitchell, but they should get Perrantes, Brogdon, Anderson, Tobey, Atkins, and Gill back. They won't likely be as good as they were this year (Harris and Mitchell are a LOT to replace), but they'll still be plenty good.

Louisville loses Smith and Hancock for sure, and they likely will lose Harrell to the draft. If they lose Harrell, they'll likely be somewhat mediocre. Heck, they might be somewhat mediocre even with Harrell.

[Duvall]

I don't know the answer for these, which is why I am asking. How do the following teams look going into next year?


Syracuse
UVA
Louisville


I know both Duke and UNC will be loaded with talent.

Both Duke and UNC (especially with the return of Paige) have a solid case for being top 10 teams. What about the other three? If they aren't losing much off their teams either to graduation or the NBA (such as Ennis for Syracuse, they probably have their own vigil thread going) then those three all also have solid cases.

Pitt will probably return everyone except senior Patterson, so top 25 seems plausible. Virginia will miss Harris on offense and Mitchell on defense, but should still return as much talent on either end of the floor as any other team, including the best returning guard in the league. Top 10 seems likely for them.

There's also the chance that a change in system could get the talent at BC to click enough for a fringe top 25 season.

[CDu]

Pitt will probably return everyone except senior Patterson, so top 25 seems plausible. Virginia will miss Harris on offense and Mitchell on defense, but should still return as much talent on either end of the floor as any other team, including the best returning guard in the league. Top 10 seems likely for them.

There's also the chance that a change in system could get the talent at BC to click enough for a fringe top 25 season.

Pitt also loses Zanna. Patterson and Zanna were by far the two best players on that team this year. They'll probably still be solid (Dixon does a good job of making them a solid team), but I don't know that I'd be comfortable predicting them top-25.

[tbyers11]

Pitt will probably return everyone except senior Patterson, so top 25 seems plausible. Virginia will miss Harris on offense and Mitchell on defense, but should still return as much talent on either end of the floor as any other team, including the best returning guard in the league. Top 10 seems likely for them.

There's also the chance that a change in system could get the talent at BC to click enough for a fringe top 25 season.

Pitt loses Zanna as well. KenPom lists him as a junior, but they are wrong. He has used up his eligibility (http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/talib_zanna_457484.html) even with his redshirt year.

I have no idea what Pitt is bringing in but losing both Patterson and Zanna will be a big blow

[Duvall]

Pitt loses Zanna as well. KenPom lists him as a junior, but they are wrong. He has used up his eligibility (http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/talib_zanna_457484.html) even with his redshirt year.

I have no idea what Pitt is bringing in but losing both Patterson and Zanna will be a big blow

That's what I get for trusting KenPom. Yeah, that's a big loss.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Pitt will probably return everyone except senior Patterson, so top 25 seems plausible. Virginia will miss Harris on offense and Mitchell on defense, but should still return as much talent on either end of the floor as any other team, including the best returning guard in the league. Top 10 seems likely for them.

There's also the chance that a change in system could get the talent at BC to click enough for a fringe top 25 season.
Akk, I totally forgot about Pitt. If they are loaded with upperclassmen, that will be an interesting team to pay attention to.
Edit...just read the following posts about Zanna. So they will be loaded with two and three year guys.

[CDu]

Taking Duke out of the conversation, I think the best teams next year will again be UNC and UVa and Syracuse (only if they get Ennis back).

I think VT will get better with Buzz Williams as coach and some young players getting better, but they'll still be bottom half of the league.

I think Pitt will probably be about where they were this year. Some guys (Young? Wright? Robinson?) will step up and fill the void that Patterson and Zanna leave, but that'll just get them back to the tweener tier between the elite and middle of the ACC.

Clemson will get better if McDaniels stays. They have no seniors, so if they can keep McDaniels and their young players improve, they'll be about where Pitt is (if not better).

State adds some talent and experience, but likely will lose Warren (still technically undecided, but he's gonna go). If they suffer any transfers that will hurt. But ultimately I think they'll be upper-middle as well.

And again, it all depends upon who goes and who stays. And it depends upon any transfers that teams might pick up along the way (in this era of college ball, you just never know who might be available).

[DarkstarWahoo]

Pitt will probably return everyone except senior Patterson, so top 25 seems plausible. Virginia will miss Harris on offense and Mitchell on defense, but should still return as much talent on either end of the floor as any other team, including the best returning guard in the league. Top 10 seems likely for them.

There's also the chance that a change in system could get the talent at BC to click enough for a fringe top 25 season.

Dang, that's a complimentary analysis of my Wahoos. I mean, the talent is there for top 10, but unless they go on a big run in the next two weeks led by someone other than those two, I think somewhere in the 15-20 range is more likely.

The incoming class is solid, if not Duke-strong:

- B.J. Stith. Son of Bryant. Ranked in the 50-75 range. Supposedly Oak Hill's best player. Will play the 2 or the 3 at 6-5.
- Isaiah Wilkins. Stepson of Dominique. Ranked in the 75-100 range. Will play the 3 or maybe some 4 at 6-7.
- Jack Salt. Towering Kiwi enigma. Not ranked because it's expensive to fly to New Zealand. 4-5 type at 6-10. Redshirt candidate.

They also add Devon Hall, a 6-5 combo guard who is redshirting this year and was ranked in the 100 range coming out of high school. There is a scholarship available, but given the emphasis Bennett puts on learning his own particular defense, I have a hard time seeing the Hoos adding an immediate-eligibility transfer. A traditional transfer seems more likely, although I imagine Bennett isn't too interested in adding another player to the gigantic sophomore class.

[Bob Green]

UVa loses Harris and Mitchell, but they should get Perrantes, Brogdon, Anderson, Tobey, Atkins, and Gill back. They won't likely be as good as they were this year (Harris and Mitchell are a LOT to replace), but they'll still be plenty good.

Evan Nolte will also be back for the Wahoos to provide perimeter shooting.

[brevity]

What I think is ridiculous is the coaching in the conference rather than the talent. Next year, we have 4 guaranteed Hall of Famers: K, RoyWill, Pitino, and Boeheim.

Let's make sure that actually happens. For all we know, Texas replaces Rick Barnes with Rick Pitino. Just like football...

[flyingdutchdevil]

Let's make sure that actually happens. For all we know, Texas replaces Rick Barnes with Rick Pitino. Just like football...

And prevent the Crazies from holding signs titled "Gone in 15 Seconds"?

No Pitino! Don't leave the ACC!