Everyone agrees on Duke. Nobody agrees on what comes next in ACC basketball preseason poll

Welcome to basketball season! For some fans in the ACC, it can’t come soon enough (we’re looking at you in Chapel Hill and Louisville).

We polled writers within the USA TODAY Network who cover ACC schools for their preseason predictions, all-conference teams and preseason awards ahead of ACC media days, which run Oct. 6-7 in Charlotte.

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Duke was a unanimous pick to win the conference and the Blue Devils swept the preseason awards, too. But this is more than just the Duke Invitational.

More: ACC basketball will be defined by these storylines in 2026-27

‘This is home’: Why Jon Scheyer stayed at Duke amid NBA interest

How will the Mike Malone experiment in Chapel Hill go? Can Gerry McNamara reignite Syracuse? Will Louisville’s transfer business make the Cardinals a contender? And can Jai Lucas and Ryan Odom take the next step with Miami and Virginia, respectively?

Here’s a look at how our writers think the 2026-27 season will shake out in the ACC:

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ACC basketball preseason poll, predicted order of finish

2026-27 preseason All-ACC basketball team

* denotes unanimous selection

FIRST TEAM

Thijs DeRidder, Virginia*

Flory Bidunga, Louisville

SECOND TEAM

Jackson Shelstad, Louisville

Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke

ACC basketball preseason Player of the Year

John Blackwell, Duke

The Wisconsin transfer was one of the top players in the portal this offseason after averaging 19.1 points with 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season, earning all-Big Ten third-team honors.

Also receiving votes: Patrick Ngongba II, Duke; Thijs DeRidder, Virginia; Flory Bidunga, Louisville; Seth Trimble, Louisville.

ACC basketball preseason Newcomer of the Year (non-freshman)

John Blackwell, Duke

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Blackwell joins a deep Duke backcourt that returns Cayden Boozer and Caleb Foster and brings in true freshman Deron Rippey Jr., and has ability to play both the point and shooting guard.

Also receiving votes: Flory Bidunga, Louisville.

ACC basketball preseason Freshman of the Year

Joaquim Boumtje…

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Publish date : 2026-10-05 15:50:00

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