Opposed to the rest of the balanced conferences, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) seems to be more top heavy this year. Sitting at the very top is the Duke Blue Devils, followed by Clemson, Louisville, and SMU.
The key to winning most conferences is to eclipse 20 wins by the end of year, as all of these teams have done so, but the ACC it has been a wild ride of upsets. This year might be no different, as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have pulled off a plethora of upsets including Clemson and Louisville even if they are sitting at a staggering 13-14. North Carolina State pulled off a similar stunt last year, being nearly dead last in the tournament but coming out on top, and with enough momentum led them to a final four appearance. Everyone is expecting the Duke Blue Devils to run the tournament with ease, but the true story here is the Louisville Cardinals. After the terrible year last year, new head coach Pat Kelsey has led them to an amazing record of 21-6 being 3rd in the ACC.
Some of the top players in the ACC this year include Cooper Flagg, Naismith player of the year nominee; Chase Hunter, standout player at Clemson averaging around 17 ppg; and Chucky Hepbern, who has been leading the Louisville Cardinals with 15 ppg, with Terrance Edwards not too far behind. The dark horses of the tournament include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), with their former championship pedigree still not too far in the rearview mirror (led by Ian Jackson); Stanford, who has been led by Maxime Raynaud (a star studded forward who has been one of the best big men in the country); and Georgia Tech, who is led by Lance Terry (averaging a solid 14 ppg).
Although the favorites are in the spotlight, do not be surprised if any of these teams make a run come conference tournament time. This tournament is always star studded when the Duke Blue Devils come to town, but even more so this year as the top four teams have their star studded guards and big men.