This has been covered already in the pre-game thread, but it's just great to be writing these again because it means college basketball is back. And it's back with a new look ACC (among other conferences). We'll be charting new territory on the very first day of the season - for the first time in ACC history (I feel reasonably confident in saying) 14 games involving ACC teams will be played in a single day (everyone except the Hokies). Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Notre Dame will make this post slightly more cumbersome to write during the season, but on balance they'll make the conference stronger and more interesting.

Once again, college basketball has an official opening day - no handful of pre-season conference tourney games, but instead 270 teams jump center on day 1. Not too many arduous battles on the slate, but there are a few chances for ACC teams to score victories over major conference opponents. A few things break right and the ACC could end up 17-0 on Monday morning (I'm ever the optimist, and what better time to be one than at the start of the year when everything is a blank slate). For the first time in years, every team is starting in the top half of Division 1 per Pomeroy (yes, even Virginia Tech), with 13 of the 15 in the top 100. This could be the conference's strongest overall performance in many seasons (possibly, since expansion started).

Friday jumps into the new season with both feet putting 14 teams in action on the year's first night, all within a span of roughly 6 hours. Maryland and Connecticut in Brooklyn is the top game of the night, with BC's game against Providence as a pretty tasty undercard - both teams are better than you might think. Every other ACC team is a very heavy favorite.

[37]Boston College at [41]Providence
[44]Maryland vs. [11]Connecticut in Brooklyn
[6]Duke hosts [81]Davidson
[9]Syracuse hosts [245]Cornell
[32]Notre Dame hosts [214]Miami (OH)
[19]Virginia hosts [206]James Madison
[72]NC State hosts [230]Appalachian State
[91]Wake Forest hosts [306]Colgate
[20]Pittsburgh hosts [282]Savannah State
[96]Clemson hosts [244]Stetson
[58]Georgia Tech hosts [337]Presbyterian
[105]Florida State hosts [267]Jacksonville
[10]North Carolina hosts [144]Oakland
[62]Miami hosts [246]St. Francis NY

Saturday concludes the season openers with Virginia Tech hitting the court. They're hosting a higher ranked team (somewhat embarrassing when you see who the team is), but are favorites nonetheless by virtue of home court advantage. That being said, a loss would not necessarily be surprising.

[154]Virginia Tech hosts [129]USC Upstate

Sunday finishes off a relatively difficult opening weekend for the Eagles and a far less difficult opening weekend for the Irish.

[32]Notre Dame hosts [244]Stetson
[37]Boston College vs. [60]Massachusetts in Boston (TD Garden)