With that being said, we’ve saved you the trouble of researching some of the names you’ll likely be hearing quite often across the next few months with this handy-dandy ACC roster “cheat sheet,” if you will.
Nothing too fancy or too incredibly deep, just a look at who’s gone, who’s new and a few key nuggets about each conference school as we head towards the start of November.
Duke Blue Devils
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 27-9, 14-6
Preseason ACC Prediction: 1st
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Jon Scheyer — second season; 27-9 (.750)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. Dartmouth.
Notable Losses: G Jacob Grandison; C Dereck Lively II; F Dariq Whitehead.
Who’s Back (10): Jr. G Jaylen Blakes; Jr. C Stanley Borden; So. C Kyle Filipowski; Sr. G Spencer Hubbard; So. F Mark Mitchell; So. G Tyrese Proctor; So. C Christian Reeves; Sr. G Jeremy Roach; So. G Jaden Schutt; Sr. C Ryan Young.
Incoming Transfers (1): Sr. F Neal Begovich (Stanford).
Incoming Freshmen (4): G Caleb Foster; G Jared McCain; F TJ Power; F Sean Stewart.
Notes: While Lively and Whitehead may have moved on, the defending-champion Devils are still loaded and are considered to be a serious national contender, as evidenced by their pick by the media to win the conference and their No. 2 preseason ranking by the Associated Press.
The talented 7-footer Filipowski (15.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg), who was just named ACC Preseason Player of the Year, decided to forego the NBA and return to Durham along with the team’s three other top scorers — Roach (13.6 ppg), Mitchell (9.1 ppg) and Proctor (9.4 ppg).
Duke landed yet another top-tier recruiting class, which will only add to the depth and talent of Scheyer’s group. All four were ranked in the top 20 overall in the 247 composite (McCain 13th; Stewart 17th; Foster 19th; Power 20th).
Miami Hurricanes
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 29-8, 15-5
Preseason ACC Prediction: 2nd
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Jim Larrañaga — 13th season; 255-149 (.631)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. NJIT.
Notable Losses: C Favour Aire (Penn State); G Harlond Beverly (Wichita State); F Danilo Jovanovich (Louisville); G Jordan Miller; F Anthony Walker (Indiana); G Isaiah Wong.
Who’s Back (7): So. F AJ Casey; So. G Bensley Joseph; Jr. F Norchad Omier; Jr. G Nijel Pack; Jr. G Wooga Poplar; So. G Jakai Robinson; So. G Christian Watson.
Incoming Transfers (1): Jr. G Matthew Cleveland (Florida State)
Incoming Freshmen (5): F Nick Cassano; G Paul Djobet; G Kyshawn George; G Carson Mastin; C Michael Nwoko.
Notes: Larrañaga’s squad, ranked No. 13 in the AP preseason poll, exceeded expectations all season long in 2022-23, and rode the wave of success all the way to the Final Four in March. With several major contributors gone — most notably Wong (16.2 ppg) and Miller (15.3 ppg), last season’s top two scorers — the Hurricanes will look to the core group of returning starters to lead this year’s team.
Pack (13.6 ppg), Preseason All-ACC First-Team selection Omier (13.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and Poplar (8.4 ppg) combined for 107 starts, while Miami’s lone incoming transfer, Cleveland, comes over from rival land in Tallahassee and should certainly help replace some of the scoring and rebounding void. He put up 13.8 points and 7.4 boards per contest as a Seminole last season.
Nwoko (No. 142 in the 247 composite rankings) and George, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Switzerland, are expected to be the most exciting of the five freshmen.
North Carolina Tar Heels
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 20-13, 11-9
Preseason ACC Prediction: 3rd
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Hubert Davis — third season; 49-23 (.681)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. Radford.
Notable Losses: G Leaky Black; G D’Marco Dunn (Penn State); G Puff Johnson (Penn State); G Caleb Love (Arizona); F Justin McKoy (Hawaii); F Pete Nance; F Tyler Nickel (Virginia Tech); C Will Shaver (UAB); G Dontrez Styles (Georgetown).
Who’s Back (7): Sr. F/C Armando Bacot; Sr. G RJ Davis; Sr. F Duwe Farris; Sr. G Rob Landry; Sr. G Creighton Lebo; So. G Seth Trimble; So. F Jalen Washington.
Incoming Transfers (5): Jr. F Harrison Ingram (Stanford); Jr. F James Okonkwo (West Virginia); Sr. G Cormac Ryan (Notre Dame); Sr. F Jae’Lyn Withers (Louisville); Sr. G Paxson Wojcik (Brown).
Incoming Freshmen (2): G Elliott Cadeau; F Zayden High.
Notes: Despite the mass exodus in Chapel Hill in the offseason, including the loss of top scorer Love (16.7 ppg), the Tar Heels — ranked No. 19 in the AP preseason poll — are again expected to be among the top teams in the conference.
It all revolves around Bacot (15.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg), the program’s all-time leading rebounder and Preseason All-ACC First-Teamer. Davis (16.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg) is also back at the 2-guard spot and should once again provide Carolina with reliable scoring.
The Heels are bringing in five transfers, with Ingram (10.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg) expected to be the most impactful of the bunch. Ryan (12.3 ppg) brings his sharpshooting skills from Notre Dame, while Withers (8.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg) will help out down low.
ACC Preseason Freshman of the Year Cadeau — the top-rated newcomer in the league, according to the 247 composite rankings (No. 11 overall) — has tons of potential and should step right into the starting lineup at point guard. The Heels also signed another top-100 recruit in High (No. 70), who can also add to the interior depth.
Virginia Cavaliers
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 25-8, 15-5
Preseason ACC Prediction: 4th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Tony Bennett — 15th season; 341-125 (.732)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. Tarleton State.
Notable Losses: C Francisco Caffaro (Santa Clara); G Kihei Clark; G Chase Coleman; G Armaan Franklin; F Jayden Gardner; F Kadin Shedrick (Texas); F Isaac Traudt (Creighton); F Ben Vander Plas.
Who’s Back (6): Sr. G Reece Beekman; R-Fr. F Leon Bond III; So. F Ryan Dunn; So. G Isaac McKneely; Jr. G Taine Murray; Sr. F Tristan How.
Incoming Transfers (4): Sr. F Jake Groves (Oklahoma); R-Jr. G Dante Harris (Georgetown); Sr. F Jordan Minor (Merrimack); So. G Andrew Rohde (St. Thomas).
Incoming Freshmen (5): G Christian Bliss; F Blake Buchanan; G Elijah Gertrude; G Desmond Roberts; F/C Anthony Robinson.
Notes: With the Cavaliers losing the vast majority of their key pieces in the offseason, Bennett and his staff went to work on filling the gaps in the roster. Aside from Duke, UNC and Miami, UVA is the only other ACC school to receive votes in the AP preseason rankings (27; tied with Auburn for 31st overall).
Beginning with the guys who returned, the keys will officially be passed to Beekman (9.5 ppg, 5.3 apg) after he tested the NBA waters. The Preseason All-ACC First-Teamer will have McKneely (6.7 ppg) and Dunn (2.6 ppg) — who each got significant minutes as freshmen last season — alongside him on the floor, while Murray showed signs of improvement down the stretch, and all three should see a much more important role.
Minor (17.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg) and Groves (6.8 ppg) each bring four years of Division-I experience to the table, while Harris (11.9 ppg, 4.1 apg in 2021-22) and Rohde (17.1 ppg) will also be steady contributors. Bond sat out last season, but has been making noise in the preseason and led the team in scoring in the Blue-White Scrimmage.
Buchanan (No. 76 in the 247 composite rankings) chose the Wahoos over Gonzaga, and has the potential to jump right into the mix in the paint, while Gertrude (No. 63) is super athletic and can jump out of the gym. Bliss (No. 162) reclassified and will redshirt this season, but he’s one to keep an eye on down the road. Robinson (No. 268) is a 6-10 forward who could add some much-needed interior depth if he doesn’t also redshirt.
Clemson Tigers
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 23-11, 14-6
Preseason ACC Prediction: 5th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Brad Brownell — 14th season; 241-177 (.577)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. Winthrop.
Notable Losses: G Brevin Galloway; G Chauncey Gibson (Tulsa); F Ben Middlebrooks (NC State); F Hunter Tyson.
Who’s Back (11): So. G Josh Beadle; So. F RJ Godfrey; Sr. C PJ Hall; Sr. G Alex Hemenway; Sr. G Chase Hunter; So. G Dillon Hunter; Jr. G Matt Kelly; Sr. G Andrew Latiff; Jr. F Daniel Nauseef; Jr. F Ian Schieffelin; So. F Chauncey Wiggins.
Incoming Transfers (4): Sr. F Jack Clark (NC State); Sr. G Joseph Girard III (Syracuse); Jr. G Jake Heidbreder (Air Force); Sr. F Bas Leyte (UNC Greensboro).
Incoming Freshmen (1): F Asa Thomas.
Notes: The Tigers lost two of their main weapons in Tyson (15.3 ppg, 9.6 rpg) and Galloway (11.2 ppg), but still have some experienced returning starters in All-ACC Preseason First-Team selection Hall (15.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Chase Hunter (13.8 ppg, 4.5 apg). Hemenway (6.9 ppg) and Schieffelin (5.5 ppg) are two returnees who should take on larger roles this season.
The Tigers also added a pair of inter-conference transfers in Clark (9.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and Girard (16.4 ppg), who should each provide some punch. Both Girard and Heidbreder (15.1 ppg) led their previous team in scoring last season. At 6-10, Leyte (7.6 ppg) gives Brownell’s crew some extra size down low. Thomas (No. 217) is a three-star prospect and the lone incoming freshman.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 19-14, 10-10
Preseason ACC Prediction: 6th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Steve Forbes — fourth season; 50-40 (.556)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. Elon.
Notable Losses: G Tyree Appleby; F Davion Bradford; F Bobi Klintman; G Lucas Taylor (Georgia State); G Daivien Williamson.
Who’s Back (9): Sr. F Andrew Carr; Jr. G Kevin Dunn; Jr. G Cameron Hildreth; Jr. G Jao Ituka; So. F Zach Keller; Jr. G RJ Kennah; So. F Owen Kmety; Jr. C Matthew Marsh; Sr. G Damari Monsanto.
Incoming Transfers (4): So. G Abramo Canka (UCLA); So. G Kevin Miller (Central Michigan); Jr. F/C Efton Reid III (Gonzaga); Jr. G Hunter Sallis (Gonzaga).
Incoming Freshmen (5): G Aaron Clark; G Parker Friedrichsen; F Marqus Marion; F Vincent Ricchiuti; G Will Underwood.
Notes: It will be tough to fill the shoes of Appleby, who led the team — and the ACC — in both scoring (18.8 ppg) and assists (6.4 apg), but the Deacs bring back several top performers from a year ago.
Monsanto (13.3 ppg), Hildreth (12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Carr (10.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg) are the key returners, each of whom should see their roles grow even more this season.
In terms of the new faces, Miller played just four games but averaged 18.5 points last season at CMU, while Reid and Sallis transferred in from Mark Few’s program, and both were regarded as four-star prospects in high school but combined for just over 20 minutes and 6 points per contest in reserve roles with the Bulldogs last season.
Friedrichsen (No. 124) is the highest-rated of the five recruits, with Clark not far behind him at No. 138.
NC State Wolfpack
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 23-11, 12-8
Preseason ACC Prediction: 7th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Kevin Keatts — seventh season; 113-79 (.589)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. The Citadel.
Notable Losses: F Jack Clark (Clemson); F Ebenezer Duwuona (Georgia Tech); F Greg Gantt (UNC Asheville); G Jarkel Joiner; F Dusan Mahorcic (Duquesne); C Isaiah Miranda (Oklahoma State); G Terquavion Smith.
Who’s Back (8): Sr. F D.J. Burns Jr.; So. G KJ Keatts; Sr. G Casey Morsell; Jr. G Alex Nunnally; Jr. G Breon Pass; Jr. F Ernest Ross; So. G Jordan Snell; So. G LJ Thomas.
Incoming Transfers (7): Jr. F Mohamed Diarra (Missouri); Sr. G DJ Horne (Arizona State); Jr. F Ben Middlebrooks (Clemson); Sr. G Michael O’Connell (Stanford); So. G MJ Rice (Kansas); Jr. G Jayden Taylor (Butler); Jr. G Kam Woods (North Carolina A&T).
Incoming Freshmen (1): G Dennis Parker Jr.
Notes: Smith and Joiner combined for nearly 35 points per outing last season, and the Wolfpack lost five players through the portal, but Keatts brought in seven transfers to ease the burden.
Burns (12.5 ppg) is the team’s leading returning scorer, and the big man will again be one of the main targets for opposing defenses. Former Wahoo Morsell (11.8 ppg) came on strong last season and will look to build on that success.
The rest of the output will likely come from the newcomers. Woods (17.3 ppg) led NC A&T in scoring in 2022-23, while Taylor (12.9 ppg) was Butler’s leading scorer last season. Horne (12.5 ppg) is returning to his hometown for his final year of eligibility after two seasons at Illinois State and Arizona State. Rice was a top-50 recruit coming out of high school but didn’t see much time in his one season as a Jayhawk.
Although Keatts only brought in one true freshman, he’s got himself a good one in Parker (No. 125), a four-star from John Marshall HS in Richmond.
Virginia Tech Hokies
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 19-15, 8-12
Preseason ACC Prediction: 8th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Mike Young — fifth season; 73-51 (.589)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. Coppin State.
Notable Losses: F Grant Basile; G Darius Maddox (George Mason); F Justyn Mutts; G Rodney Rice.
Who’s Back (8): So. F John Camden; Sr. G Hunter Cattoor; So. G MJ Collins; Sr. C Lynn Kidd; Jr. G Sean Pedulla; Sr. F Mylyjael Poteat; So. G Michael Ward; R-Fr. C Patrick Wessler.
Incoming Transfers (3): Sr. F Robbie Beran (Northwestern); Sr. F Mekhi Long (Old Dominion); So. G/F Tyler Nickel (North Carolina).
Incoming Freshmen (3): G Brandon Rechsteiner; G Conner Venable; G Jaydon Young.
Notes: Two of the Hokies’ three leading scorers last year — Basile (16.4 ppg) and Mutts (13.3 ppg, team-high 7.4 rpg) — are gone, along with Maddox (8.5 ppg), who transferred to George Mason, but the Hokies were dealt another unexpected blow when Rice (7.4 ppg), a promising sophomore guard, recently announced that he would be leaving the program as well.
Coach Young still has the reliable — and deadly-from-downtown — starting backcourt duo of Pedulla (15.0 ppg) and Cattoor (10.8 ppg) to lead the way, with Collins and Kidd also returning as main contributors.
The Hokies are hoping for big things out of their three transfers. Long (10.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg) should assume starting duties in the frontcourt, while Beran, a Richmond native, averaged 7.5 points per game last season in the Big Ten. Nickel played in 25 contests last season as a Tar Heel, but only averaged 6 minutes a night.
Rechsteiner (No. 147) and Young (No. 232) were each ranked in the top 250 of the 247 consensus rankings.
Pittsburgh Panthers
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 24-12, 14-6
Preseason ACC Prediction: 9th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Jeff Capel — sixth season; 75-81 (.481)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. North Carolina A&T.
Notable Losses: G Jamarius Burton; G Nelly Cummings; G Greg Elliott; F John Hugley IV (Oklahoma); G Nike Sibande.
Who’s Back (7): So. F Guillermo Diaz Graham; So. F Jorge Diaz Graham; Jr. C Federiko Federiko; Sr. F Blake Hinson; Jr. F William Jeffress; Sr. G KJ Marshall; So. F Vason Stevenson.
Incoming Transfers (3): Jr. F Zach Austin (High Point); Sr. G Michael Hueitt Jr. (UNC Greensboro); Jr. G Ishmael Leggett (Rhode Island).
Incoming Freshmen (6): F Marlon Barnes Jr.; G Carlton Carrington; F Papa Amadou Kante; G Jaland Lowe; F Benjamin Mayhew; F Jajuan Nelson.
Notes: The Panthers had an amazing turnaround in 2022-23, but saw several key pieces move on. Hinson, who led the team with 15.3 points per game last season, is back to lead the charge, and could be one of the top scorers in the conference when all is said and done.
Federiko and the Diaz Graham brothers didn’t put up a ton of big numbers a year ago, but all three will be asked for more this season, as they represent the only other returning significant contributors on the roster.
Pitt only got three players from the portal, but Austin (14.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Leggett (16.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg) could be stars in the ACC after solid Division I careers up to this point. Lowe (No. 82), Kante (No. 107) and Carrington (No. 119) highlight the six-man recruiting class, which should get plenty of opportunities for playing time as a group.
Syracuse Orange
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 17-15, 10-10
Preseason ACC Prediction: 10th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Adrian Autry — first season
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. New Hampshire.
Notable Losses: C John Bol Ajak; C Jesse Edwards (West Virginia); G Joseph Girard III (Clemson); G Symir Torrence (Binghamton).
Who’s Back (10): So. F Chris Bell; So. F Maliq Brown; So. C Peter Carey; Jr. G Anthony Clayton; So. G Quadir Copeland; Jr. C Mounir Hima; So. G Judah Mintz; Jr. G Niko Ruffin; So. G Justin Taylor; Jr. F Benny Williams.
Incoming Transfers (5): So. G Kyle Cuffe Jr. (Kansas); Jr. C Naheem McLeod (Florida State); Sr. F Chaz Owens (Ranger College); So. G J.J. Starling (Notre Dame); So. G Chance Westry (Auburn).
Incoming Freshmen (2): G Chris Gatty; C William Patterson.
Notes: Not only will things look different without Edwards — who led the conference in field-goal percentage and blocked shots and was second in rebounding — and Girard (16.4 ppg) on the floor in the Dome this season, it will also be the first time in nearly five decades with a different head coach manning the sideline. Jim Boeheim is no longer in charge, as Autry takes over the storied program after serving as an assistant for the Orange since 2011.
Autry inherits what could be one of the better backcourts in the conference on paper, with Mintz (16.3 ppg, 4.6 apg) returning and Starling (11.2 ppg) transferring in from ACC rival Notre Dame. McLeod, another former conference foe from FSU, will help fill the void down low with his 7-4 frame.
Other returners include Bell (6.6 ppg) and Williams (7.2 ppg), who combined for 54 starts last season, along with the Central-Virginia duo of Brown (5.7 ppg) and Taylor (4.2 ppg), who gained valuable experience as freshmen and should see even more floor time as sophomores.
Florida State Seminoles
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 9-23, 7-13
Preseason ACC Prediction: 11th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Leonard Hamilton — 22nd season; 426-265 (.616)
Season Opener: Nov. 10 vs. Kennesaw State.
Notable Losses: G Jeremiah Bembry (West Virginia); G Matthew Cleveland (Miami); C Naheem McLeod (Syracuse); G Caleb Mills (Memphis).
Who’s Back (13): R-Fr. F Sola Adebisi; Jr. F Michael Brown; So. F Cam Corhen; Sr. G Cam’Ron Fletcher; Sr. F Jaylan Gainey; Sr. G Darin Green Jr.; So. F De’Ante Green; So. G Tom House; So. G Chandler Jackson; So. F Baba Miller; Jr. G Isaac Spainhour; Jr. G Max Thorpe; Jr. G Jalen Warley.
Incoming Transfers (4): Sr. G Josh Nickelberry (La Salle); Jr. G Amir “Primo” Spears (Georgetown); Jr. G Jason Simpson (St. John’s); Jr. F Jamir Watkins (VCU).
Incoming Freshmen (2): F Taylor Bol Bowen; F Waka Mbatch.
Notes: With Cleveland, Mills and McLeod all departing after a tough season in 2022-23, Hamilton still has a healthy mix of returning and incoming talent to work with in Tallahassee.
Green (13.4 ppg) was certainly one of the bright spots in his first year as a Seminole after three successful seasons at UCF, and is back for his super-senior year. Expect Corhen (8.3 ppg), Warley (6.8 ppg), Fletcher (10.8 ppg) and Miller (4.3 ppg) to each hold meaningful value for FSU this season as well.
Despite the down year, Hamilton has once again reloaded his lineup and brought in a solid group of newcomers, including four D-I transfers. Spears was Georgetown’s leader in scoring (16.0 ppg) and assists (5.3 apg) last season, while Nickelberry (10.9 ppg) and Watkins (9.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg) each had solid campaigns with their previous respective schools. Bowen (No. 73 consensus prospect) could end up being a high-impact addition as well.
Boston College Eagles
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 16-17, 9-11
Preseason ACC Prediction: 12th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Earl Grant — third season; 29-37 (.439)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. Fairfield.
Notable Losses: G Makai Ashton-Langford; F T.J. Bickerstaff (JMU); G DeMarr Langford (Central Florida); F CJ Penha.
Who’s Back (9): So. G/F Prince Aligbe; Sr. G Abe Atiyeh; R-Fr. G Donald Hand Jr.; So. G Chas Kelley III; Sr. G Mason Madsen; So. F Devin McGlockton; So. C Armani Mighty; Sr. F Quinten Post; Jr. G Jaeden Zackery.
Incoming Transfers (1): Jr. G Claudell Harris Jr. (Charleston Southern).
Incoming Freshmen (3): F Jayden Hastings; G Fred Payne; F Elijah Strong.
Notes: BC lost its team leader in Ashton-Langford (12.4 ppg), but returns four of its remaining top-five scorers. Talented 7-footer Post (15.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg) decided to come back to Beantown for one more year, and he’ll be hoping to make some noise along with the other returning contributors — Zackery (10.7 ppg), McGlockton (6.1 ppg), Madsen (5.8 ppg) and Aligbe (6.1 ppg).
Harris, the lone incoming transfer, was second in the Big South in scoring last season, averaging 17.4 points per game, and will be asked to pour in some buckets. Hand (the son of former UVA point guard Donald Hand) is back after only competing in two games as a freshman in 2022-23 before suffering a season-ending injury. Hastings (No. 177) was the highest-ranked recruit.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 15-18, 6-14
Preseason ACC Prediction: 13th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Damon Stoudamire — first season
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. Georgia Southern.
Notable Losses: F Ja’von Franklin; C Rodney Howard (Western Kentucky); G Tristan Maxwell; F Jalon Moore (Oklahoma); G Deivon Smith (Utah).
Who’s Back (5): Jr. G Dallan “Deebo” Coleman; Jr. G Miles Kelly; R-Fr. F Emmer Nichols; Sr. G Kyle Sturdivant; Sr. G Lance Terry.
Incoming Transfers (6): So. G Amaree Abram (Ole Miss); Sr. F Tyzhaun Claude (Western Carolina); Sr. F Ebenezer Dowuona (NC State); So. F Tafara Gapare (UMass); Sr. G Carter Murphy (Air Force); Jr. G Kowacie Reeves (Florida).
Incoming Freshmen (5): G Naithan George; F Baye Ndongo; F Ibrahima Sacko; G Marcos San Miguel; F Ibrahim Souare.
Notes: The Yellow Jackets are another squad that experienced several key losses after their coaching change, as the Josh Pastner tenure came to an end after seven seasons in the ATL.
Former NBA star Stoudamire inherits a quartet of experienced ACC players — Kelly, Terry, Coleman and Sturdivant — to help jumpstart his head-coaching career. Kelly led Tech with 14.4 points per game as a sophomore, while Terry (10.1 ppg) and Coleman (9.5 ppg) also played some huge minutes and Sturdivant (8.6 ppg) started 21 contests.
The new coach brought in a ton of newcomers, including six from the portal and a decent-sized recruiting class. Claude is a load at 6-8, 240 pounds, and averaged 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds with the Catamounts last season. Abram (8.0 ppg) and Reeves (8.5 ppg) are two former four-stars with SEC experience, part of the large group of fresh faces. Dowuona comes down from Raleigh with another big body at 6-11, 235. Murphy averaged 5.0 points per contest across his four-year career with Air Force. Ndongo (No. 126) is the highest-rated recruit of the bunch.
Louisville Cardinals
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 4-28, 2-18
Preseason ACC Prediction: 14th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Kenny Payne — second season; 4-28 (.125)
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. UMBC.
Notable Losses: G Fabio Basili (UT-Arlington); F Sydney Curry (Grand Canyon); G El Ellis (Arkansas); F Kamari Lands (Arizona State); F Roosevelt Wheeler (VCU); F Jae’Lyn Withers (North Carolina).
Who’s Back (8): Jr. G Koron Davis; Jr. F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield; So. G/F Mike James; Sr. G Aidan McCool; Jr. G Hercy Miller; So. F/C Emmanuel Okorafor; Sr. G/F Zan Payne; Sr. F JJ Traynor.
Incoming Transfers (3): So. G Skyy Clark (Illinois); So. F Danilo Jovanovich (Miami); So. G Tre White (USC).
Incoming Freshmen (4): C Dennis Evans; F Kaleb Glenn; G Ty-Laur Johnson; G/F Curtis Williams.
Notes: After one of the worst seasons in program history, four critical members — Ellis, Withers, Lands and Curry — chose to look for greener pastures, and we can’t really say we blame them. The future is looking a little brighter, however, through the additions made by Payne (who was regarded as an exceptional recruiter during his time at Kentucky) and his staff in the offseason.
In terms of the returning players, James (10.1 ppg) had a memorable freshman season and will look to build on it as a sophomore, with last year’s leading scorer (Ellis) out of the picture. Traynor (6.9 ppg) and Huntley-Hatfield (6.7 ppg) are the only two other returnees of note.
Clark (7.0 ppg in 13 games) and White (9.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg) should each step in and give Payne some help right away in the backcourt to make up for some of the losses as well. The other incoming transfer, Jovanovich, is a marksman who averaged close to 30 points in high school and was named first-team All-State in Wisconsin his senior year before committing to Miami and playing in just one game for the Canes.
All four incoming freshmen were ranked in the top 100 — Evans (No. 27) could be a very special player down low, while Glenn (No. 75), Williams (No. 79) and Johnson (No. 80) were each four-star prospects and will be the cornerstones for the future. The class could’ve been even more impressive, but Trentyn Flowers, who was ranked No. 23 in the country, decommitted and decided to play pro ball in Australia.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2022-23 W-L (Overall, ACC): 11-21, 3-17
Preseason ACC Prediction: 15th
Head Coach, Overall W-L With School:
Micah Shrewsberry — first season
Season Opener: Nov. 6 vs. Niagara.
Notable Losses: F Dom Campbell (Howard); G Robby Carmody (Mercer); G Dane Goodwin; G Marcus Hammond; F Nate Laszewski; F Ven-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt); G Cormac Ryan (North Carolina); G J.J. Starling (Syracuse); G Trey Wertz.
Who’s Back (4): Jr. G J.R. Konieczny; Sr. G Tony Sanders Jr.; Jr. G Alex Wade; Sr. F Matt Zona.
Incoming Transfers (3): So. F Tae Davis (Seton Hall); So. Kebba Njie (Penn State); Jr. G Julian Roper II (Northwestern).
Incoming Freshmen (4): F Carey Booth; G Markus Burton; G Logan Imes; G Braeden Shrewsberry.
Notes: The Irish are another team essentially starting from scratch after the decade-long tenure of Mike Brey came to an end at the conclusion of another disappointing campaign. Notre Dame fans knew they would be losing a good chunk of their senior-laden team to graduation, but when Ryan, Starling and Lubin then decided to play elsewhere in the offseason, it pretty much left the cupboard all but bare. The team’s leading returning scorer, Zona, averaged just 1.7 points last season.
Enter Coach Shrewsberry, who was an assistant under Brad Stevens at Butler for four years (and then for five more with the Celtics) among other stops before taking his first head-coaching position at Penn State for the past two seasons (37-31). Last season, he led the Nittany Lions to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011.
Shrewsberry will be counting on his three incoming D-I transfers, who will all obviously be expected to carry the majority of the load. Roper (4.4 ppg) is the leading scorer among the trio. Njie is a 6-10 forward who averaged 3.4 points and 3.5 rebounds under Shrewsberry as a freshman last season in Happy Valley.
The four-member freshman class is led by Booth, who checked in at No. 59 in the national recruiting composite rankings. Burton (No. 153) is a three-star point guard who could see some playing time as well, while Shrewsberry (No. 194) and Imes (No. 198) also cracked the top 200.
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