Here we go again: Media anoints Duke as ACC basketball favorite

Duke hasn’t won the ACC regular-season title since 2010. The ACC media, ever smitten, has, for the seventh time in nine years, picked Duke to win the ACC.

One purported definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Whatever.

Florida State was picked second, UNC third, Virginia fourth and Virginia Tech fifth.

Forty-seven of the 81 first-place votes cast by media members went to the Blue Devils, who also have the preseason player of the year, incoming freshman Paolo Banchero, the No. 3 overall player in ESPN 100’s rankings for the class of 2021.

Syracuse sharpshooter Buddy Boeheim got 68 votes to lead the Preseason All-ACC Team. Boeheim was joined on the first team by Aluma, Banchero, North Carolina’s Armando Bacot and Miami’s Isaiah Wong.

The second team includes Georgia Tech’s Michael Devoe, Virginia’s Kihei Clark, Notre Dame’s Prentiss Hubb, Duke’s Mark Williams and Wendell Moore Jr., North Carolina’s Caleb Love and Louisville’s Malik Williams.

There was a three-way tie between Moore Jr., Love and Williams for the final spot on the second team.

The 2021-22 regular season opens Nov. 9 with 12 of the 15 ACC teams in non-conference action. League play begins Friday, Dec. 3.

ACC 2021 Preseason Poll

1. Duke (47), 1,132
2. Florida State (14), 1,034
3. North Carolina (5), 1,001
4. Virginia (9), 949
5. Virginia Tech (5), 857
6. Louisville (1), 791
7. Syracuse, 781
8. Notre Dame, 599
9. NC State, 555
10. Georgia Tech, 524
11. Clemson, 430
12. Miami, 428
13. Wake Forest, 274
14. Pitt, 253
15. Boston College, 112

Preseason All-ACC

First Team

• Buddy Boeheim, Syracuse, 68
• Keve Aluma, Virginia Tech, 52
• Paolo Banchero, Duke, 49
• Armando Bacot, North Carolina, 46
• Isaiah Wong, Miami, 37

Second Team

• Michael Devoe, Georgia Tech, 25
• Kihei Clark, Virginia, 23
• Prentiss Hubb, Notre Dame, 17
• Mark Williams, Duke, 12
• Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 9
• Caleb Love, North Carolina, 9
• Malik Williams, Louisville, 9

Preseason Player of the Year

• Paolo Banchero, Duke, 28
• Keve Aluma, Virginia Tech, 16
• Buddy Boeheim, Syracuse, 13
• Armando Bacot, North Carolina, 12
• Kihei Clark, Virginia, 5
• Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 3
• Caleb Love, North Carolina, 2
• Mark Williams, Duke, 2

Preseason Freshman of the Year

• Paolo Banchero, Duke, 64
• Trevor Keels, Duke, 5
• Terquavion Smith, NC State, 3
• Dontrez Styles, North Carolina, 3
• Igor Milicic Jr., Virginia, 3
• Wooga Poplar, Miami, 1
• Benny Williams, Syracuse, 1
• Cameron Hildreth, Wake Forest, 1

Story by Chris Graham