ACC Basketball: 2026-27 Projections, Preseason Predictions, & Top Players

After sending just four teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2025, the ACC bounced back strongly in 2026. The conference sent eight teams to the Big Dance and with tournament expansion coming in 2027 from 68 teams to 76, that number could increase once again this spring.

It should come as no surprise that Duke will once again be the consensus favorite to win the ACC. After back-to-back disappointing endings to the season —including a loss to UConn in the Elite Eight — the Blue Devils and fifth-year coach Jon Scheyer have the makings for another deep tournament run led by arguably the deepest roster in the sport.

Duke isn't the only ACC team expected to contend in 2027. Miami , under second-year coach Jai Lucas, has its best roster since the program reached the Final Four in 2023. Louisville spent big this offseason after losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Michigan State. The Cardinals haven't made it out of the first weekend of the Big Dance since 2015.

Eyes will also be on North Carolina after a wild offseason that included firing Hubert Davis and hiring former Nuggets and Kings coach Michael Malone, who has zero head-coaching experience at the college level.

Here is everything you need to know about the ACC, including player of the year predictions, conference standings and the best players in the league. Want to know starting lineup projections for every ACC team? Find that here.

CBS Sports ACC Preseason Player of the Year

Thijs De Ridder | PF | Virginia

De Ridder is CBS Sports' preseason ACC Player of the Year. He is one of the most experienced players returning to the conference after putting up 15.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists during his freshman season with Virginia . The 23-year-old star forward previously played for Bilbao Basket (2023-25) and Antwerp Giants (2020-23) before arriving at UVa. He has great size for the position at 6-foot-9, which can be a mismatch nightmare for opponents. De Ridder played as big a role as anyone in helping Virginia reach the 30-win mark for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. Expectations will be even higher for De Ridder and UVa this season.

CBS Sports ACC Freshman of the Year

Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje | C | Duke

Boumtje Boumtje has a strong case as the best future NBA prospect in college basketball. However, the Duke big man won't be eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft due to the age requirement, meaning he'll play at least two seasons of college basketball after coming over from FC Barcelona.

Duke has two of the best freshmen bigs in the sport on the roster in Boumtje Boumtje and Cameron Williams , the No. 4-ranked player in the 2026 recruiting cycle by 247Sports . Williams and Boumtje Boumtje will compete for the right to start next to veteran center Patrick Ngongba II in the frontcourt. Boumtje Boumtje is an inside-out playmaker who can stretch the floor. Duke has had an embarrassment of riches in the frontcourt the last two seasons with Cameron Boozer and Cooper Flagg. Boumtje Boumtje will be the next great one, whom college basketball fans will get very familiar with over the next two seasons.

Top storylines for wide open 2027 NBA Draft: No clear No. 1, depth over star power, NIL impact Adam Finkelstein

Four more players to watch

John Blackwell  | G | Duke:  Blackwell was one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal this cycle. He averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season at Wisconsin and will provide scoring and shooting to a loaded Duke roster. Last offseason, Duke missed out on landing Cedric Coward after he elected to remain in the NBA Draft after committing to Duke. Despite Blackwell also going through the pre-draft process, he decided to withdraw and return to college.

Flory Bidunga  | F/C | Louisville:  Bidunga was the top-ranked player available in the 247Sports transfer portal. The former Kansas big man is one of the best defenders in the sport. He has recorded 145 blocks in just 69 career games. Louisville wasn't afraid to spend big this offseason. It all stopped and started with getting a pledge from Bidunga.

Patrick Ngongba II | C | Duke:  Ngongba will be one of the top NBA prospects playing in college basketball this season. He was by far the biggest name the Blue Devils retained this offseason and is due for another jump in his overall numbers. He went from being a backup on Duke's Final Four team in 2025 to having a breakout season and starting 28 games during the 2026-27 campaign. A foot injury suffered late in the season resulted in him coming off the bench for the stretch run of the NCAA Tournament.

Shelton Henderson | G | Miami:  Henderson, a one-time Duke commit who followed Lucas to Miami last offseason, is one of the top returners in college basketball. The 6-foot-6 wing averaged 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists during his freshman season with the Hurricanes. Henderson has all the physical tools to be a wing at the NBA level and is a name to keep an eye on for the draft next summer.

ACC predicted order of finish

1. Duke

Breakdown: This Duke roster has a very strong case for being the best in the sport. The Blue Devils are capable of going 10-deep with a roster mixed with returning talent, stud first-year players, and two key transfers in Blackwell and Belmont 's Drew Scharnowski . There is intrigue around who Duke could start, but my prediction is that Duke will roll with a starting lineup of Caleb Foster , Blackwell, Dame Sarr , Boumtje Boumtje, and Ngongba, with Williams, Cayden Boozer , Bryson Howard, and Deron Rippey Jr. serving as key reserves.

Perhaps one of the more interesting training camp battles will be at the point guard position between Foster and Boozer. Foster, who is set to become a rare player in the modern college landscape who played all four seasons at the same school, should have the inside track to start. However, Boozer did show — aside from his late-game turnover against UConn — that he is more than capable of handling a larger role in Duke's offense. Duke's depth is its greatest strength and is a huge separator from some other top title contenders.

2. Miami

Breakdown: Miami was the biggest surprise in the ACC last season. In his first season as a head coach, Lucas helped Miami win 26 games and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This year's roster is poised to be even better after landing Acaden Lewis from Villanova , Somto Cyril from Georgia and DeSean Goode from Robert Morris . The Hurricanes also secured a commitment in the portal from Michigan guard L.J. Cason , but he is not expected to play this season after tearing his ACL late during the 2026-27 campaign.

While Miami's roster on paper will be among the best in the ACC, the real separator for the Hurricanes to be a Tier 1 or 2 national title contender is whether Malik Reneau is ultimately deemed eligible to play. He was Miami's leading scorer last season and would be a first-team All-ACC player if he were granted a fifth year of eligibility. With or without him, Miami is due to make some serious noise this season.

3. Louisville

Breakdown: Louisville went all out in the transfer portal this offseason. The Cardinals landed Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad ( Oregon ), Karter Knox ( Arkansas ), Alvaro Folgueiras ( Iowa ) and De'Shayne Montgomery ( Dayton ). Louisville also signed former UNC defensive ace Seth Trimble , but his fifth year of eligibility is currently in limbo. If Trimble is eligible, he will more certainly be in Louisville's starting lineup on opening night.

In addition to those newcomers, Louisville also signed five-star big man Obinna Ekezie Jr. and brought back guard Adrian Wooley , who put up big numbers during his freshman season at Kennessaw State and started 16 games last season. Louisville underachieved last season despite immense hype surrounding Year 1 of the Pat Kelsey era in 2024-25. Will this year be different? Louisville is hoping so and putting its money where its mouth is.

4. Virginia

Breakdown: Virginia overachieved on paper last season in Ryan Odum's first season with the program. After being projected to finish fifth in our CBS Sports preseason poll, UVa finished second — ahead of Miami, UNC, and Clemson — and won 15 games in ACC play. Despite losing to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 30 wins and a brand new identity were exactly what the program needed.

Now, heading into Odom's second season, Virginia will be one of the top contenders in the league. De Ridder is one of the best returners in college basketball and Chance Mallory has a chance to make a real Year 2 jump after appearing in 36 games off the bench. Notably, all four of Virginia's transfers this cycle ( Jan Vide , Kalu Anya , Christian Harmon and Jurian Dixon ) came from the mid-major ranks.

5. North Carolina

Breakdown: It's a much-needed fresh start for the North Carolina basketball program after parting ways with Hubert Davis and bringing in NBA Champion coach Michael Malone. While Malone does not have any head coaching experience in college, his chops leading a team are unquestioned. Malone is one of the best basketball coaches in the world, regardless of level. Sometimes, you have to just hire the best basketball coach for the job, even if he doesn't have any experience as a Division I head coach.

UNC's roster, which is reportedly worth $20 million , is full of new faces. Matt Able , Neoklis Avdalas and Terrence Brown are the most notable additions to the roster and should make up a dynamic, big and athletic backcourt. There are more questions and concerns in UNC's frontcourt. It's unclear who will start at the five spot. South Dakota transfer Cameron Fens is still looking for a fifth year, meaning that five-star freshman Sayon Keita — a name to know for the 2027 NBA Draft — could be in line to start.

6. Clemson

Breakdown: Clemson has reached the NCAA Tournament four of the last six years, which includes a trip to the Elite Eight in 2024. The Tigers will look to add to that total with a starting lineup centered around four transfers: Cole Certa ( Notre Dame ), Liutauras Lelevicius (TCU), David Fuchs ( San Francisco ) and Dylan Faulkner ( Samford ). Clemson will also be relying on Zac Foster and Carter Welling , two players coming off knee injuries last season.

Another development to keep an eye on is Dillon Hunter 's eligibility, who started 35 games last season for Clemson. He is currently among the dozens of players fighting for a fifth year of eligibility.

7. Florida State

Breakdown: Florida State 's last NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2021, when the program reached the Sweet 16. The good news for FSU fans is that the drought could end as soon as 2027. FSU flipped a switch in 2026 and won 10 of its final 13 games in Year 1 of Luke Loucks' tenure at his alma mater before losing to Duke in the ACC Tournament.

FSU loaded up in the transfer portal and added Shon Abaev (Cincinnati), Cooper Schwieger ( Wake Forest ), Anthony Robinson II (Missouri), Sebastian Rancik ( Colorado ) and Kameron Taylor (UNC Asheville). Another name to keep an eye on is four-star big man Marcis Ponder, who could be in line to start immediately at center this season.

8. NC State

Breakdown: The Will Wade experiment at NC State lasted less than a year after he took the vacant job at LSU following an early exit in the NCAA Tournament. The good news is that the Wolfpack moved on quickly and hired Tennessee assistant coach Justin Gainey, who starred for NC State in the late 1990s.

Gainey got more good news after he was hired when Paul McNeil, who finished as NC State's third-leading scorer, withdrew from the transfer portal to return to school. NC State also landed Darius Adams ( Maryland ), Preston Admead ( Hofstra ), Christian Hammond ( Santa Clara ) and Kyle Evans (UC Irvine) via the portal. NC State is also in wait-and-see mode about whether big man  Ven-Allen Lubin

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/acc-basketball-predictions-order-of-finish-duke-unc-louisville/)._