It’s a week of firsts dating back to 1982 for Virginia Basketball, which today was installed as the preseason ACC Basketball favorite for the first time since 1982-1983.
This comes on the heels of the defending champs being ranked fourth in the preseason AP Top 25, the highest ranking for the program dating back to that same 1982-1983 season.
Virginia received 97 of the 155 first-place votes cast by ACC media members. Duke, reigning ACC champion Florida State, North Carolina and Louisville also received first-place votes and followed Virginia in second through fifth in the projections, respectively.
FSU’s third-place ACC projection matches its highest preseason mark in program history (1992-93, 2011-12 seasons).
Syracuse, Miami, NC State, Georgia Tech and Clemson held the sixth through 10th spots, respectively, while Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Pitt, Boston College and Wake Forest rounded out the poll.
All-ACC selections
North Carolina senior forward Garrison Brooks was selected as the Preseason ACC Player of the Year. A second-team All-ACC honoree last season, Brooks also earned the 2020 ACC Most Improved Player Award. Named to the national watch list for the 2021 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, Brooks averaged 16.8 pppg and a team-high 8.5 rpg last season. He led the ACC in scoring in conference play at 18.8 ppg and was second in rebounding (9.0) and field goal percentage (.535).
Florida State guard Scottie Barnes was picked as the Preseason ACC Freshman of the Year. The highest rated recruit at FSU under head coach Leonard Hamilton and his staff (No. 6 nationally), Barnes was selected to play in the 2020 McDonald’s All-American Game, the Jordan Brand Game and the Nike Hoop Summit following his senior season.
Brooks and Barnes also were selected to the Preseason All-ACC First Team, and were joined by Virginia senior guard Sam Hauser, Duke freshman forward Jalen Johnson, Clemson senior forward Aamir Simms and Miami senior guard Chris Lykes.
Louisville sophomore guard David Johnson, Georgia Tech senior guard Jose Alvarado, Florida State guard M.J. Walker, Virginia junior guard Kihei Clark and Duke sophomore forward Wendell Moore Jr. made up the Preseason All-ACC Second Team.
2020-21 ACC Predicted Order of Finish
School, Points
- Virginia (97), 2214
- Duke (34), 2146
- Florida State (15), 1973
- North Carolina (7), 1933
- Louisville (2), 1693
- Syracuse, 1234
- Miami, 1223
- NC State, 1149
- Georgia Tech, 1147
- Clemson, 1057
- Virginia Tech, 794
- Notre Dame, 769
- Pitt, 635
- Boston College, 404
- Wake Forest, 229
First-place votes in parentheses; 155 total voters
Preseason All-ACC Team
First Team
Name, School, Points
- Garrison Brooks, North Carolina, 137
- Sam Hauser, Virginia, 89
- Scottie Barnes, Florida State, 59
- Jalen Johnson, Duke, 52
- Aamir Simms, Clemson, 50
- Chris Lykes, Miami, 50
Second Team
- David Johnson, Louisville, 46
- Jose Alvarado, Georgia Tech, 43
- M.J. Walker, Florida State, 38
- Kihei Clark, Virginia, 37
- Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 32
Preseason ACC Player of the Year
Name, School, Points
- Garrison Brooks, North Carolina, 102
- Sam Hauser, Virginia, 24
- M.J. Walker, Florida State, 10
- Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 7
- Aamir Simms, Clemson, 5
- Matthew Hurt, Duke, 3
- Chris Lykes, Miami, 3
- Kihei Clark, Virginia, 1
Preseason ACC Freshman of the Year
Name, School, Points
- Scottie Barnes, Florida State, 64
- Jalen Johnson, Duke, 60
- Caleb Love, North Carolina, 9
- Day’Ron Sharpe, North Carolina, 6
- DJ Steward, Duke, 4
- Reece Beekman, Virginia, 3
- Jeremy Roach, Duke, 3
- RJ Davis, North Carolina, 3
- Mark Williams, Duke, 2
- Cam Hayes, NC State, 1
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