The Confidential

ACC Pre-Season Basketball Rankings

As is the case with football, it is a bit difficult to rank Syracuse and Pitt along with the ACC schools.  However, at this stage of the season, a lot of the difficulty is avoided.  After all, nobody has played anyone.  There are no wins or losses to compare/contrast.  So, without further delay, here it goes.

The Confidential’s 2011-2012 Preseason Basketball Rankings:

Tier 1: These fan bases will be disappointed if the dream ends before the Final Four.

#1.  North Carolina.  Maybe it was the risk of an NBA lockout, but when you have three guys of a caliber of Zeller, Barnes, and Henson return, you are going to be #1 in the ACC.  In fact, many have them #1 in the land.

#2.  Syracuse.  All but Rick Jackson return from a team that did quite well last year.  Plus, with Fab Melo down several pounds and much more mobile, there might not be a drop off in the middle.

#3.  Pitt.  More experience returning than Duke, so we’ll give Pitt the edge here.  This may look like a poor selection early on if Nasir Robinson is more seriously injured that it seems.

#4.  Duke.  Too much talent to rank any lower.  Sure, one can worry about the players that left this team, such as Kyrie Irving.  But this team just rotates in elite talent every year.

Tier 2: Big Dance or Bust

#5.  Virginia.  This was a team that won 7 conference games without Mike Scott.  Add him back into the mix and The Confidential sees good things happening.

#6.  Florida St.  Leonard Hamilton has this team on a bit of a roll.  After going 11-5 last year, there is little reason to doubt that the Seminoles will do well this year.

#7.  Virginia Tech.   Poor Virginia Tech.  It seems like every year they are on the bubble.  If they can finish in the top 5 of this year’s ACC, perhaps that will get them over the hump.

#8.  Miami.  I like Jim Larranaga.  After what he did at George Mason, it is hard not to root for him.  I do question how he will do with someone else’s players.

#9.  Georgia Tech.  Glen Rice has been a dominant player for what seems like 25 years now.  What?  That’s his son?

#10.  North Carolina State.  With Lorenzo Brown, North Carolina State may be a bit underrated here.

Tier 3: NIT would be acceptable

#11.  Clemson.  Too much lost talent to be confident that this team will make a run.

#12.  Maryland.  Hopefully, this Maryland coaching transition will go smoother than the football transition.  At #12, this isn’t much smoother.

#13.  Boston College.  No real reason to put them #13.  However, it just feels bad for Boston College to be so down in both football and hoops.

#14.  Wake Forest.  Not persuaded that they are truly #14, but if the debate between #13 and #14 gets the blogosphere riled up…. that would be a strange combination of impressive and pathetic.