COMMENTARY: State of ACC men’s basketball

Unlike in football, the ACC is the pinnacle of college basketball. With the great historical teams of the conference, along with other great programs that were added in recent years, NC State will face some stiff competition in ACC play. So let’s take an in-depth look at how the conference is shaping up this year and highlight a few teams that the Wolfpack will be up against.

Georgia Tech:

The bottom line is that the Yellow Jackets are not a good basketball team. The state of the program is abysmal right now, with Georgia Tech serving a postseason ban placed on them this year by the NCAA due to recruiting violations. Head Coach Josh Pastner is now on the hot seat, with his team’s performance likely indicating whether he will be in Atlanta the following season. 

While there is not much going the Yellow Jackets’ way to start the year, the good news is that most of last year’s players are returning. The bad news is that the team last year went 14-18. Tech is hoping that USC transfer Jordan Usher will be able to make a difference this season, as well as rising sophomore Michael Devoe. 

Coach Pastner is looking to up the tempo of his offense this year, which should translate to more points but also more turnovers. 

The Wolfpack faces Georgia Tech in its first game on Nov. 5. With the Yellow Jackets’ offensive system being changed recently to a play style that head coach Kevin Keatts loves to play against, NC State should be due for a nice conference win to begin the season.

Virginia: 

Well, Virginia did it; Tony Bennett and the rest of his staff were able to exorcise the demons from the UMBC loss and give the Cavaliers their first national championship in program history. While Charlottesville has enjoyed its title, victory demands sacrifice. While Virginia will still field a competitive team, the basketball gods took away key contributors Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter. 

The Cavaliers have lost pretty much all of their offensive threats from last year. While the rest of the ACC may rejoice at this news, Tony Bennett is still the coach of this team. The Cavaliers will continue to be the best defensive team in all of college basketball, which will win them some games. However, missing significant scoring threats will probably kill their chances of repeating. 

Without Kyle Guy to give NC State nightmares on the court, Kevin Keatts and the rest of the staff can look at this year as an opportunity to finally knock off Virginia. The Wolfpack played well against them last year, but a win at Charlottesville will not come easy.

Louisville: 

Funnily and surprisingly enough, Louisville was able to recruit a lot of talent without using prostitutes. Head Coach Chris Mack has rebuilt the Cardinals program quickly and convincingly. Louisville is now loaded with talent, which is why they were voted to finish third in the ACC in the preseason poll. 

The Cardinals return six key players from the previous year along with forward Jordan Nwora, who decided to stay in college an extra year. Couple that with a top-10 recruiting class, and you have a team that will not only contend for the ACC title but also the national championship. 

NC State is lucky to be playing this team in Raleigh. With home court advantage, the Pack will have a chance to grab a signature win in front of the home crowd on Feb. 1. 

North Carolina: 

Unsurprisingly, the games against the Tar Heels should be the biggest games of the year for the Wolfpack. Unlike last season, NC State is not outmatched on a talent level. North Carolina lost key players such as Coby White, Cam Johnson and Luke Maye.

Maye being gone will be the biggest factor for NC State, as Maye routinely decided to have his best games against the Pack. The Tar Heels did add another stellar recruiting class this year, but there will be a learning curve adjusting to ACC teams that they will face. 

Rest assured, Roy Williams will have his team up and ready to face Kevin Keatts and the rest of the Pack. NC State senior Markell Johnson and incoming Tar Heel freshman phenom Cole Anthony should provide some terrific matchups in Raleigh and Chapel Hill.

With these two teams loving to play fast and being on similar talent levels now, expect a split in the two games this year with a third possible matchup coming in the ACC Tournament. 

Duke: 

It will be interesting to see how Duke basketball reacts to the post-Zion era. Coach Mike Krzyzewski has made it clear that the Blue Devils will continue to utilize one-and-done players, with this year being no different than years past. Coach K has brought in another terrific recruiting class to help replace the players lost last year. 

Guard Tre Jones looks to be the leader on this team, as he elected to return for another season in Durham to improve his draft stock, a wise move on his end. Jones will lead a team highlighted with four new faces on the roster, including McDonald’s All-Americans Vernon Carey Jr. and Matthew Hurt. 

Duke will continue to compete for the ACC, but the Wolfpack’s experience will prove to be highly valuable when playing against the Blue Devils. Duke and NC State are slated to play twice this year, and with Duke already struggling in their exhibition game, do not be surprised if the Pack finds a way to win at least one of those games. 

NC State is returning a veteran roster with some talented new faces sprinkled in, which is usually a good indication that a team will perform well in ACC play. Kevin Keatts, now in his third year at the helm for the Pack, has the system he wants implemented along with the players capable of executing his style of play at a high level. The team is ready to make some noise in the ACC. While the state of the ACC is strong this year, only time will tell if NC State is up to the challenge.