UNC Basketball: Where media predicts Tar Heels to finish in ACC

Find out where the media predicted the UNC Basketball program will finish in the ACC for the 2019-20 season

With the annual Atlantic Coast Conference media day in Charlotte officially over, the predictions, preseason teams and honors are starting to come out for the conference.

Each year media members who cover the ACC vote on their All-ACC Teams, Freshman and Player of the year as well as their predictions. North Carolina’s Cole Anthony was named the Preseason Freshman of the Year and also made the All-ACC First Team on Thursday and junior Garrison Brooks was named to the second team.

But after UNC lost five of their top six scorers from a year ago, how will they fare in the conference this season? The media does like the Tar Heels this season but they don’t have them winning the conference.

Instead, the media is all over the Duke Blue Devils once again as they were named the favorites to win the conference this year. It’s the fourth straight year the Blue Devils have been picked as the preseason favorites but they haven’t won a outright regular season title since 2010.

The Tar Heels were right behind the Blue Devils, finishing second in the poll. Duke had a total of 51 first place votes with the Tar Heels holding 19. Louisville was third with 29 first place votes and Virginia came in fourth with 12 first place votes.

The full predictions are below:

1. Duke (51), 1564
2. North Carolina (19), 1493
3. Louisville (29), 1448
4. Virginia (12), 1405
5. Florida State, 1157
6. NC State, 1038
7. Notre Dame, 915
8. Syracuse, 910
9. Miami, 768
10. Pitt, 577
11. Clemson, 564
12. Georgia Tech, 437
13. Boston College, 382
14. Virginia Tech, 334
15. Wake Forest, 328

The last time the Tar Heels were listed as preseason favorites in the ACC back in 2015 as well as 2011. They won the regular season title in both of those years per Bryan Ives.

Last season, Virginia and the Tar Heels finished in a tie for the regular season title but the Blue Devils won the ACC Tournament. This season should be another exciting one in the conference especially with how Louisville got better last year. It wouldn’t shock us if the top four in the predictions end up finishing in that top four.

For more on the UNC Basketball team and the ACC, please check back with Keeping It Heel.