2017-18 ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Preseason Edition
Teams 10-12
Results against UNC: 0-2, Lost 107-56 at North Carolina, Lost 97-73 at NC State
Biggest Loss: Dennis Smith Jr, left early for NBA Draft. To say that Smith was the team’s best player is putting mildly. Smith led the team in points, assists, and steals, while finishing tied for second in rebounds. Smith was named ACC Freshman of the Year and made second team All-ACC.
Smith left after his freshman season to enter the NBA draft where he was selected ninth overall by the Dallas Mavericks.
Top Returner: Abdul Malik-Abu. Abu led the Wolfpack last season with seven rebounds per game. At 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, Abu provides a big presence and should be a strong contributor this season for NC State.
Key Freshman: Lavar Batts. Batts is a 6-foot-2 point guard out of Concord, NC. He was rated as a top-100 player and top-20 point guard by ESPN. With the loss of Smith, Batts, who originally committed to VCU, walks in as the likely floor leader for this season’s team.
The Lowdown: The Wolfpack won nine conference games the past two seasons, leading to Mark Gottfried’s firing. New Coach Kevin Keatts will look to turn things around, but will have to do so in a tough conference and without last season’s best player.
Results against UNC: 0-1, Lost 93-87 at Wake Forest
Biggest Loss: John Collins, left early for the NBA Draft. Collins came out of nowhere last season. After averaging 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds as a freshman, Collins busted out as a sophomore. He averaged just shy of a double-double, with 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
Collins’ season was rewarded with a spot on the All-ACC first team, ACC Most Improved Player, and a second place finish for ACC Player of the Year. Collins left early and was selected with the 19th overall pick in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks.
Top Returner: Bryant Crawford. Crawford provided a steady hand for the Demon Deacons last season, leading the team in assists, steals, and minutes, while finishing second on the team in points.
With Collins gone, Crawford should join Brandon Childress as the focal point of the offense this season.
Key Freshman: Chaundee Brown. Brown is a top-100 player and top-10 shooting guard according to ESPN who played at First Academy last season. Brown should provide depth behind both Crawford and Childress and give the Demon Deacons a solid backcourt.
The Lowdown: The loss of Collins can probably not be overstated. Danny Manning did a great job developing the young forward and will now be looking for answers this season. This will make it difficult to return to the NCAA tournament again this year.
Results against UNC: 0-1, Lost 85-68 at North Carolina
Biggest Loss: Tyler Lydon, left early for the NBA draft. Lydon had a coming out party in the 2016 NCAA tournament as he helped lead the Orangemen to the Final Four. His sophomore season didn’t go quite as well as he finished with 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.
Still, he is tall and he can stretch the floor, which is golden in the NBA. Lydon was selected with the 24th overall pick in the first round by the Utah Jazz before being traded to the Denver Nuggets.
Top Returner: Tyus Battle. Battle returns as the team’s top scorer and pilferer. With Syracuse losing three of its top four scorers, Battle will be counted on to lead the way as the Orangemen hope to return to the NCAA tournament this season.
Key Freshman: Bourama Sidibe. The 6-foot-10 center out of New Jersey will be counted on to help replace the hole left by Lydon’s departure.
The Lowdown: Syracuse has been alright in ACC play the past two seasons, winning 10 games each season. Jim Boeheim, who is in his 42nd season at Syracuse, will be looking to get back to the tournament after missing it last season.