Welcome to the wild world that is the Atlantic Coast Conference, where Hall of Fame coaches stalk the sidelines and heralded recruits dot the landscape. The home of four of last year’s Elite Eight, as well as six of the top fifteen recruiting classes in the nation, the ACC boasts talent from top to bottom. However, with only three players returning from the league’s All-Conference teams from last season, it leaves a gaping hole that is sure to be filled by the overwhelming amount of young talent entering the conference. Now that every team’s roster is settled, for the most part, we will begin with a brief introduction to each ACC institution before working our way through the summer by breaking down each one of them in more detail.

Boston College Eagles

Head Coach: Jim Christian (3rd year)

2015-2016 Record: 7-25(0-18)

It’s no secret the Eagles struggled in Jim Christian’s second season, going 7-25 which included an abysmal conference record of 0-18. Led by college basketball nomad, Eli Carter, the Eagles were outscored by just over nine points per game en route to a last place finish. There is reason to be hopeful going forward with how much youth is on the roster. Of the nine players that played at least ten minutes per game, five of them were freshmen.

The Eagles will be led by the talented do it all guard in Jerome Robinson, who put up numbers across the board last season. He will be counted on to carry even more of the load now that the few upperclassmen that were on the team have graduated. The Raleigh, North Carolina native did miss nine games last season during conference play after breaking his wrist late in a game against Florida State. Robinson did, however, bounce back nicely in the final three games of the season. Heading into his third year at the helm, Coach Christian needs to see his young guns make a big leap and hope that it is enough to make his team competitive.

Clemson Tigers

Head Coach: Brad Brownell (7th year)

2015-2016 Record: 17-14(10-8)

Clemson has been mediocre under the guidance of Coach Brownell, whose Tigers continued to struggle to get over the hump and return to the big dance for only the second time during Brownell’s tenure. This Tigers team could prove to be the one that ultimately achieves that goal with conference player of the year hopeful Jaron Blossomgame leading the charge. The First-Team All-Conference forward brings the ability to score in multiple ways including from deep as well as attacking the basket.

The Tigers have multiple options on the wings and in the backcourt, including a pair of transfer guards, but Clemson’s biggest weakness is their lack of size. The only true big men on the roster are senior career backup Sidy Djitte, and little used Juco transfer Legend Robertin. Texas A&M transfer Elijah Thomas was highly touted coming out of high school and should provide immediate depth when he becomes eligible in December of this season.

Duke Blue Devils

Head Coach: Mike Krzyzewski (37th year)

2015-2016 Record: 25-11(11-7)

This year’s iteration of the Blue Devils might be one of Coach Krzyzewski’s best to date, with a rare combination of savvy veteran leadership and a star-studded recruiting class. Don’t be shocked to see the Blue Devils right back in the hunt for a national championship led by junior guard Grayson Allen who is a potential player of the year candidate that can shoot the three and drive to the rim with reckless abandon.

Allen will team up with some of the top freshman in the country including local product and five-star forward Harry Giles. Standing at 6’10” Giles is a rebounding machine that runs the court like a gazelle and finishes around the rim with speed and ferocity. With a plus handle for his size and a developing jump shot the only thing that could hold this young man back are his knees, on which he has had two major surgeries.

Florida State Seminoles

Head Coach: Leonard Hamilton (14th year)

2015-2016 Record: 20-14(8-10)

Leonard Hamilton and the Seminoles continue to build on another strong recruiting class by adding a top fifteen class this year. Highlighted by local top ten talent Jonathan Issac, who has drawn multiple comparisons to Kevin Durant thanks in large part to his long thin frame and his perimeter oriented game, the Seminoles look to have enough on paper to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012. Even though freshman guard Malik Beasley turned pro at the end of last season, young Issac will get plenty of help from the backcourt where both Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes both opted to return to school instead of entering the draft and help provide a balanced attack that could make FSU a dangerous team.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Head Coach: Josh Pastner (1st year)

2015-2016 Record: 21-15(8-10)

Coach Gregory led the Yellow Jackets to their best season since 2009 last year, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to save his job and Coach Gregory got the ax. Just over three weeks later, former Memphis coach Josh Pastner was announced as the school’s fourteenth head basketball coach. Pastner is tasked with keeping the positive momentum going for Georgia Tech, but it won’t be easy due in large part to the fact that the Yellow Jackets lose their top four scorers. A step back this season seems almost assured for Georgia Tech, but with Coach Pastner’s reputation for recruiting and the prestige of the ACC, it is only a matter of time before they are competing for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Louisville Cardinals

Head Coach: Rick Pitino (15th year)

2015-2016 Record: 23-8(12-6)

The Cardinals missed the Big Dance for the first time in nine years due to a self-imposed postseason ban while the team is being investigated by the NCAA. That won’t stop Rick Pitino from putting the best squad on the court that he can. Coach Pitino may have lost his top three players last season, but with such a deep roster, the Cardinals have more than enough talent to compete for the ACC crown again this season. Throw in five-star freshman V.J. King and you’re looking at a team talented enough to play with anyone on any given day. The 6’6″ King is a silky smooth athlete who excels at attacking the basket and scoring in bunches.

Miami Hurricanes

Head Coach: Jim Larranaga (6th Year)

2015-2016 Record: 27-8 (13-5)

Jim Larranaga has shown that Miami can be a competitive team long-term by winning twenty games in four of his first five seasons. Led by a pair of Graduate transfers in Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez the Hurricanes made it to the Sweet Sixteen for just the third time in program history and look primed to make another deep run next season.

Ja’Quan Newton and Davon Reed return and both were double-digit scorers last year who will be looked to shoulder a heavier load now that McClellan and Rodriguez have graduated. To bolster the cause, the Hurricanes bring in the nation’s fourteenth ranked recruiting class led by 6’10” Miami native Dewan Huell. Huell does a majority of his work in the paint, but has developed a nice face-up game to compliment it. He moves very well for someone his size and will often beat the defense down the court if they are not hustling.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Head Coach: Roy Williams (13th Year)

2015-2016 Record: 33-7 (14-4)

The Tar Heels came agonizingly close to the National Championship last season only to have their hopes dashed by Kris Jenkins and the Villanova Wildcats in an instant classic. To add to the pain, both Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson will be suiting up for NBA teams next year leaving North Carolina without their biggest leaders from last year’s squad

Don’t cry too hard for North Carolina though, they are led by an experienced core of upperclassmen and are ready to make another run at the title. The rich continue to get richer with the number eleven recruiting class making its way to Chapel Hill this fall and addresses the Tar Heel’s biggest weakness in outside shooting. A combination of freshman guards Seventh Woods and Brandon Robinson will be relied on to keep opposing defenses from clogging the lane.

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Head Coach: Mark Gottfried (Sixth Year)

2015-2016 Record: 16-17 (5-13)

North Carolina State just endured their roughest season of the Mark Gottfried era and has had an eventful offseason to follow it up, to say the least. It started with Anthony Barber, Abdul-Malik Abu, and Beejay Anya all declaring for the NBA draft and the Martin twins transferring out after their sophomore seasons. Both Anya and Abu withdrew their names from the draft and will return to a Wolfpack team that could certainly use the veteran presence after they added four quality commitments to previously committed five-star guard Dennis Smith.

With all the late additions, the Wolfpack’s recruiting class suddenly jumped into the top five in the nation. The most intriguing late addition to Coach Gottfried’s club is the big man out of Turkey Omer Yertseven. With the potential to be a lottery pick in next year’s draft, Yertseven provides excellent mobility on both ends of the court can be a force on the backboard if he can get on the court. There are questions sounding whether or not he accepted money while playing in Europe and if it is proven to be true then Yertseven will likely sit out the year then enter the draft a la Enes Kanter at Kentucky.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Head Coach: Mike Brey (17th Year)

2015-2016 Record: 24-13 (11-7)

Notre Dame has been to back to back Elite Eights and continues to make their presence felt since joining the conference three years ago. It will be a challenge for Coach Brey to make another deep run this year, but there are plenty of pieces on the roster for him to work with, so not all hope is lost. Back from last year’s squad is a trio of double-digit scorers led by rising senior V.J Beachem. The rangy 6’8″ wing scored over sixty percent of his points behind the arc last season and has one of the purest shots in all of college basketball. The Irish should again be very balanced on the offensive side of the ball and should continue to protect the ball.

Pittsburgh Panthers

Head Coach: Kevin Stallings (1st Year)

2015-2016 Record: 21-12 (9-9)

Pittsburgh hasn’t advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament since 2009, which prompted former head coach Jamie Dixon to leave and take the same position at his alma mater Texas Christian University. The athletic department acted quickly and six days later tabbed Kevin Stallings to fill the vacancy. Coach Stallings walks into a good position and could make some noise early at Pitt with the entire rotation back minus point guard James Robinson. There is, however, something to be said about the fact that even with two first-round draft picks on his roster last year Stallings was unable to advance past the First Four.

Michael Young led the team in both scoring and rebounding last season and will be a possible all-conference selection when it is all said and done. 6’8″ forward Corey Manigault is the lone recruit this year and he signed in the early signing period so we won’t see what Stallings can do on the recruiting trail over the course of the next few seasons.

Syracuse Orange

Head Coach: Jim Boeheim (41st year)

2015-2016: 23-14(9-9)

Few thought Syracuse deserved to be in the tournament last year, but the Orange seized the opportunity and went on a storybook run to the Final Four. Led by fifth-year seniors Trevor Cooney, Michael Gbinije, and sharp-shooting freshman guard Malachi Richardson, the Orange staged a pair of the gutsiest performances in the tournament this year. All three of the players mentioned are no longer with the Orange and places a huge burden on forwards Tyler Lydon and Tyler Roberson to take their respective games to the next level.

It will be hard to duplicate last year’s feat, but if there was anyone that could do it that person would be Jim Boeheim. Armed with only nine scholarship players, as of now, the Orange are scary thin and an injury to any of the three guards on the roster would be devastating to the team’s success. Syracuse’s trademarked zone will be more daunting than usual with 7’2″ Paschal Chukwu anchoring the center of the zone.

Virginia Cavaliers

Head Coach: Tony Bennett (8th Year)

2015-2016 Record: 29-8(13-5)

Virginia had their season turned upside down in under ten minutes when ACC foe Syracuse erased a fifteen point deficit to shock the top-seeded Cavaliers advance to the Final Four. Coach Bennett loses a majority of his core from last season’s squad, but he also brings in his best recruiting class since his arrival in Charlottesville. Each player in the four-man class is ranked in the top one-hundred and is highlighted by smooth combo guard Kyle Guy who is equally comfortable making plays for himself and his teammates.

Couple the recruiting success Tony Bennett has had with the fact that Memphis transfer Austin Nichols will be eligible to play, the Wahoos will surely be competing to stay in the top-tier of the conference again this season. Before transferring Nichols led the Tigers in both scoring and blocked shots and his presence will help alleviate the gap left in the frontcourt by the graduations of forwards Anthony Gill and Mike Tobey.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Head Coach: Buzz Williams (3rd Year)

2015-2016 Record: 20-15 (10-8)

In his second season at the school, Buzz Williams continued to show progress in turning around a Virginia Tech program that hasn’t made the NCAA tournament in a decade. With nearly every player back from last year’s rotation at his disposal, Coach Williams will be looking to break that drought, including four freshmen who each played a role in Tech’s first twenty-win season since 2011.

Adding to that young nucleus is a solid three-man class headed by junior college transfer Seth LeDay. The name LeDay should be very familiar to VA Tech fans, his older brother Zach led the Hokies in scoring and rebounding from last season.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Head Coach: Danny Manning (3rd Year)

2015-2016 Record: 11-20 (2-16)

Even though the win totals may not indicate that Wake Forest has made progress over the last two years, coach Danny Manning has been slowly getting his pieces in place. With ten players that are either freshmen or sophomores, there will almost certainly be some growing pains. The addition of graduate transfer Austin Arians and the eligibility of traditional transfer Keyshawn Woods will add depth, experience, and serve as mentors for the young squad.

One of the most celebrated of all the young players on Wake’s roster this season is incoming freshman point guard Brandon Childress. If that last name sounds familiar to Wake Forest fans that is because his father played for the Demon Deacons in the mid to late nineties and is currently one of Manning’s assistants, and if you don’t know who he is then here is an introduction.