2017-18 ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Preseason Edition
Teams 1-3
Results against UNC: 0-1, Lost 83-76 at North Carolina
Biggest Loss: Matt Ryan, transferred to Vanderbilt. Ryan might not seem like a big loss at first glance, as he only averaged 3.6 points in 7.9 minutes of play for Notre Dame. However, he did shoot 43.4 percent from behind the arc.
With the losses of players like Steve Vasturia and VJ Beachem, Ryan was more likely than not going to play a bigger role in the Fighting Irish’s offense this season.
Top Returner: Bonzie Colson. Colson is an enigma. At 6-foot-6, the senior should not be able to do what he does in the post and yet he does anyway. Colson averaged a double-double last season with 17.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
He has good length and he used it to also average 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals as well. Colson was named to the All-ACC first team and finished third in ACC Player of the Year honors. He is also my front-runner for ACC player of the year this season.
Key Freshman: DJ Harvey Jr. Harvey is a 6-foot-6 small forward who played at DeMatha Catholic High School last year. Rated as a top-100 player by ESPN, Harvey should provide Notre Dame with a solid forward option with the losses of Beachem and Vasturia.
The Lowdown: Mike Brey always seems to have a team that is more than capable of competing for both an ACC title as well as a national one. With the return of Colson, this year should be no different for the Fighting Irish.
Results against UNC: 2-1, Won 86-78 at Duke, Lost 90-83 at North Carolina, Won 93-83 in the ACC Tournament Semifinals
Biggest Loss: Jayson Tatum, left early for NBA draft. This spot easily could’ve gone to Luke Kennard who was a first team All-ACC member. However, I chose Tatum because of the versatility he provided the Blue Devils.
Tatum finished second on the team in scoring and rebounding. Tatum also made the All-ACC freshmen team as well as the All-ACC third team. Additionally, he finished second in the race for ACC Freshmen of the Year.
Everything that made Tatum such a special player in college, also made him a coveted draft asset. He was selected by the Boston Celtics with the third overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft.
Top Returner: Grayson Allen. Hate him or love him, Allen has talent. He also can be trouble. If Duke wants this season to go the way they want it to, they will need Allen to be the former and not the latter, which he wasn’t last year.
Key Freshman: Marvin Bagley III. Bagley may be the best freshman since Anthony Davis. After averaging 24.6 points and 10.1 rebounds in high school last year, Bagley graduated early and joined Duke’s team.
Whether Bagley lives up to those expectations will also have a huge impact on the Blue Devil’s season.
The Lowdown: Tell me if you’ve heard this before: Duke is the overwhelming favorite to win it all this season, thanks to the return of Grayson Allen and a top-rated freshmen class. Yeah, pretty much the same thing they said about the Blue Devils last season.
Last season ended in a second round NCAA loss to South Carolina. In other words, Coach K’s team will need to prove it on the court before being anointed in these rankings.
Biggest Loss: Tony Bradley, left early for the NBA draft. Bradley was not supposed to be a one-and-done player. However, no one expected him to average 19.5 points and 14 rebounds per 40 minutes either.
Bradley gets the nod on this list over ACC Player of the Year Jackson, because I believe Jackson’s shooting is far more replaceable this season than Bradley’s post presence. Bradley was selected with the 28th overall pick in the first round by the LA Lakers before being traded to the Utah Jazz.
Top Returner: Joel Berry II. A hand injury will cause Berry to miss the first couple weeks of the season, but don’t be fooled, Berry is the most important player on this year’s team. The reigning tournament MOP, should not only be in line for ACC Player of the Year, but National Player of the Year honors as well.
Last season, Berry was second on the team in points and assists per game while shooting 38.3 percent from behind the arc. He was also named to the All-ACC second team.
Key Freshman: Jalek Felton. Berry’s injury makes Felton more of an impact player earlier this season than expected. Felton had a good season last year for Gray Collegiate Academy, and should be able to help the Tar Heels right away.
The Lowdown: The Tar Heels are the reigning national champions who return their star floor general. Name the other team who has played in the past two Final Fours? Yes, there are questions regarding their post players, but until otherwise noted, Roy Williams’ team has earned this top spot.
Well that does it for this round of rankings. Before I jet, I did want to list my top ten teams in college basketball. Next time I will delve into these in more detail, but until then, here they are:
- Michigan State Spartans
- Arizona Wildcats
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Duke Blue Devils
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Villanova Wildcats
- Wichita State Shockers
- West Virginia Mountaineers
- Cincinnati Bearcats
- Gonzaga Bulldogs
Anyways, I will be back in December to check up on everything, but until then, sit back and enjoy the upcoming season.
What did you think of these rankings? Let us know in the comments below.