ACC predictions: How big will Duke win in Coach K's farewell tour?
As the countdown to the 2021-22 college basketball season continues, ESPN's conference predictions series moves to the ACC.
As the countdown continues to the start of the 2021-22 college basketball season on Nov. 9, an ESPN panel of experts is making predictions for all of the nation's top leagues. So far we've taken a look at Gonzaga and the best teams from the mid-major conferences (Atlantic 10, C-USA, Ivy, MAC, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, SoCon, Sun Belt and WCC), followed by Memphis, Houston and the AAC, the Villanova-dominated Big East, UCLA and the resurgent Pac-12 Conference, a Big 12 with a second straight national title in its sights and an SEC led by intriguing Kentucky. Our series continues with the always fascinating ACC.
The Duke Blue Devils are destined to endure as one of college basketball's top stories in 2021-22 thanks to the imminent retirement of Mike Krzyzewski, but Coach K's victory lap is far from the only story in the game -- or in the ACC. Freshman phenom Paolo Banchero leads a star-studded class intent on delivering some hardware after the program's rare NCAA tournament-less performance last season. Challenging Duke at the top of the league are expected to be a North Carolina Tar Heels squad which begins the Hubert Davis era; the Florida State Seminoles, who are always tough under Leonard Hamilton; and a Virginia Cavaliers team that enters the season somewhat unsung but likely to be dangerous. Beyond those groups, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Clemson units that all reached the NCAA tournament a season ago are unlikely to go quietly.
ESPN's writing team of Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Joe Lunardi sized up all the top teams and storylines in the league and made their predictions for the 15-team conference.
