The ACC’s Top Contenders and League’s Pretenders

The Atlantic Coast Conference looks to improve its national standing in college basketball during the upcoming 2025-26 season. While ACC schools have gone on several deep March Madness runs in recent seasons, the league pales in comparison to the Southeastern Conference and others when it comes to overall NCAA Tournament invites. ACC officials are hoping to change that, which is why league members will have two more non-conference games in 2025-26, and two fewer conference clashes.

The ACC’s Top Contenders and League’s Pretenders

The Contenders

The ACC should have a handful of top contenders battling it out for a league crown in 2025-26. Of course, as the upcoming campaign carries on, things could ebb and flow. But as it stands right now, Duke and Louisville appear to be the ACC’s premier teams. The Blue Devils were a Final Four team this past spring, and Duke is No. 6 in the preseason Associated Press top-25 poll.

Duke saw freshman phenom Cooper Flagg head to the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick, and the Blue Devils have a vastly revamped 2025-26 roster. Yet head coach Jon Scheyer and his program will once again be a significant Final Four contender. Leading the way are five-star freshman forward Cameron Boozer and sophomore wing Isaiah Evans. Duke is projected to win the ACC, according to the league’s preseason media poll.

The Cardinals, who made the 2025 NCAA Tournament, are No. 2 in the ACC’s preseason media poll. They have a deep and talented roster. Head coach Pat Kelsey did a marvelous job in the portal, landing the country’s No. 3 transfer class. Louisville’s 2025-26 lineup also boasts five-star freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. and senior guard Ryan Conwell, who both reside on the preseason All-ACC first team. The Cardinals are No. 11 in the preseason AP top 25.

Led by first-year head coach Will Wade, N.C. State is predicted to finish at No. 4 in the ACC. The Wolfpack, given the coaching change, was active in the portal, landing eight transfers in a top-15 national class. N.C. State senior forward Darrion Williams, a five-star transfer from Texas Tech, is the preseason ACC player of the year.

The Pretenders

While North Carolina is No. 3 in the ACC’s preseason media poll and last in the preseason AP top 25, the Tar Heels only have one rotational player back from last season: senior guard Seth Trimble. Head coach Hubert Davis has a top-five prep class, led by five-star power forward Caleb Wilson. However, North Carolina has been underwhelming in recent seasons since reaching the title game of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Candidly, the Tar Heels should haven’t even made this past spring’s Big Dance.

In the ACC’s preseason media poll, Virginia is No. 5, SMU is No. 6, Clemson is No. 7 and Miami is No. 8. None of those teams have overly impressive rosters, although a top-six finish isn’t out of the question. However, it would be a surprise if the Cavaliers, Mustangs, Tigers or Hurricanes won this season’s conference crown.

One sleeper team to monitor is Syracuse, which is No. 9 in the ACC’s preseason media poll. The Orange were awful in 2024-25, their 14-19 finish being their worst record in decades. But head coach Adrian Autry and his staff brought in a top-20 prep class that features four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony and four-star forward Sadiq White Jr., an elite defender. Syracuse also possesses a six-member transfer class led by junior point guard Naithan George from Georgia Tech, who led the ACC in assists per game last season.