Duke or the Field?: Biggest Threats to Duke in the ACC

Duke ended up wearing the crown in the ACC pretty much from start to finish last year. While it was a generational Duke team, it was also met with a quite poor ACC. A lot of that is due to the significant decline in UNC Basketball as well as a changing of the guard with some veteran coaches opting for retirement. This year, there is likely to be more competition for the best team in the ACC.

Challengers for the ACC Title: Duke or Not?

Duke Blue Devils

There is no doubt that Duke is again one of the favorites in the ACC. Rinse and repeat. Duke has an interesting mix of experience and youth as they do every year. The big change this year is there is really only one veteran that has played significant minutes in big games and that is Caleb Foster. Despite that, it is possible Duke has the best player in the country in Cameron Boozer which gives them just as good of a chance as anyone.

This Duke team has a ton of length and athleticism yet again. Their defense appears to be quite tough. The offense seems to be a work in progress but there is shooting all over the court and a true star to play through. The one thing that will stand out with this offense is how well they will share the ball. That paired with the offensive creativity of Jon Scheyer means the options are limitless.

Louisville Cardinals

Louisville was the laughingstock of the ACC for two years with Kenny Payne as coach. Now, in year two of the Pat Kelsey era, they have a legit case to be the favorites to win the ACC. Louisville has arguably the best backcourt in the country with the addition of Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely, and Mikel Brown Jr. The scoring pop and playmaking ability from that group is going to carry the Cardinals as far as they can go.

Louisville ended last season as the runner up the Blue Devils in an impressive year. They flamed out early in the NCAA Tournament but it was overall a win. This year, the big question mark to improve on last year will be the frontcourt depth. Can Kasean Pryor return after his knee injury? How good will the bigs be and can they stay on the floor? Kelsey is a phenomenal coach so do not bet against him.

North Carolina State Wolfpack

The Wolfpack made the hire of the offseason with Will Wade coming to town. Wade has been a winner everywhere he has been. This is in large part to his excellent recruiting ability. Wade comes to Raleigh after two incredible years at Morehead State. He brings with him some of his best players. Wade also won the transfer portal prize of Darrion Williams who will be a favorite for ACC Player of the Year.

The Wolfpack are a piecemeal team with two big questions. Do they have a true lead guard? It is Tre Holloman but the jury is out on how talented he really is. The transfer from Michigan State has a lot to prove. The other question is what does the frontcourt rotation look like? Ven Allen-Lubin comes from UNC and will likely be their best big but beyond that, the rotation is quite thin. Trust in Will Wade though. He loves his small-ball switching 1 through 5 lineups.

Virginia Cavaliers

Virginia has presented themselves again after a brief hiatus. The shocking retirement of Tony Bennett left Virginia in a disaster of a spot. Now, with the hire of Ryan Odom, the Hoos are in a good spot to contend again. Odom hit the transfer portal hard and got some big names including Malik Thomas who will be the best player and leading scorer for UVA.

Odom created a team that has a ton of good, physical, athletic guards. This team is consist with the ones that have led to winning seasons for UMBC, Utah State, and VCU. Remember, Odom is the first coach to lead a 16 seed over a 1 seed in the NCAA tournament so the man can coach. Virginia will be quickly relevant and they are off to a great start.