2. Louisville (6-0, Preseason ranking – 2)

The Cardinals showed they’re for real in Season 2 under coach Pat Kelsey by flexing their muscles in an emphatic win against rival Kentucky on Nov. 11. Playing a frantic style with an intensity that mirrors that of its high-octane coach, Louisville is fueled by the energy of freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr., while transfers Ryan Cornwell (Xavier) and Isaac McKneely (Virginia) have provided scoring firepower from the perimeter.

3. North Carolina (6-1, Preseason ranking – 3)

The Tar Heels are still a work in progress, as evidenced by the players-only meeting they held following a sluggish win against Navy last week. That having been said, Hubert Davis’ team finds itself at a much better starting place than it did a year ago, when it took a frantic finish in February to escape the hole it dug for itself in November and sneak into the NCAA Tournament. If its win against Kansas ends up being classified as a Quad 1 result, which it should, UNC would already have as many such victories as it did in all of 2024-25. And the Tar Heels should get even better once senior captain Seth Trimble returns from a broken wrist in early January.

4. Clemson (8-1, Preseason ranking – 7)

Brad Brownell is the longest-tenured coach in the ACC for a reason. He’s done more than just put together good teams — he has succeeded in building a consistent program with long-term staying power. Despite losing all but one member of the core that produced at least 23 wins in each of the past three seasons, including a school-record 27 in 2024-25, his rebuilt Tigers are off to another strong start. They took down West Virginia and Georgia on consecutive nights this week to win their bracket of the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic. And with a history of improving as the season goes on, there’s a good chance they’ll get even better.

5. NC State (5-2, Preseason ranking – 4)

Kelsey isn’t the only coach to arrive at an ACC program and inject an immediate spark. Will Wade’s first Wolfpack team bears absolutely no resemblance to the one that finished 5-15 in the conference under Kevin Keatts last season. Wade’s reconstructed roster has plenty of talent, led by preseason ACC Player of the Year Darrion Williams. And yet, as this week’s 1-2 performance in Maui showed, there are still some rough edges to smooth out. State might have gotten caught reading its press clippings after sneaking into the national rankings. Beyond its focus, a greater concern is the Wolfpack’s problems executing in a halfcourt offense and defending the three-point line after allowing Texas to go 16-of-32 from beyond the arc.

6. Wake Forest (6-2, Preseason ranking – 13)

The Deacons’ record might not look all that impressive, until you consider that their two losses came by a combined three points, away from home, against No. 7 Michigan and No. 20 Texas Tech. Steve Forbes’ team finally got over the hump in a close game by beating Memphis in the Bahamas on a buzzer-beating trey by Myles Colvin on a perfectly executed play made famous by then-Valparaiso coach Bryce Drew. Although the “Portal Whisperer” has put together another strong class of free agents, Wake’s two best players thus far have been holdovers Juke Harris and Tre’Von Spillers.

7. Virginia (5-1, Preseason ranking – 5)

It might take some time to embrace the faster pace UVa is playing at under new coach Ryan Odom, but it’s been a good look so far. The once-plodding Cavaliers are averaging 86 points per game through the first month of the season, 21 points more than they did last year for Ron Sanchez and 23 better than Tony Bennett’s final season in 2023-24. The centerpiece of their new, improved look is 6-foot-9 Belgian freshman Thijs De Ridder.

8. SMU (7-0, Preseason ranking – 6)

The Mustangs are undefeated, with a solid win against Butler to their credit, but that’s their only real test to date. Their next-best win is against a Murray State team ranked 117th by KenPom. Three of their other victories have come against opponents ranked No. 242 or lower and they’ve yet to play away from home. That’s not to say Andy Enfield’s team doesn’t have the potential to match or exceed the 23 wins they notched in its ACC debut last season, especially if returning point guard Boopie Miller – who’s scoring at a 20-per game clip while also leading the league in assists – continues to play at an elite level.

9. Cal (6-1, Preseason ranking – 16)

The Bears posted arguably the ACC’s best nonconference win to date by anyone other than Duke, Louisville or UNC when they took down former Pac-12 rival UCLA in the Empire Classic championship game. It was by far the best win of coach Mark Madsen’s tenure and Cal’s first win against a ranked opponent since beating Colorado in February 2020. The Bears’ revamped roster is led by a pair of intra-ACC transfers, Chris Bell from Syracuse and Dai Dai Ames from Virginia, along with Michigan transfer Justin Pippen, son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.

10. Virginia Tech (6-1, Preseason ranking – 12)

The Hokies have been flying under the radar so far this season, but it might be time to start paying more attention to them. Coach Mike Young has meshed together a nice mix of transfers, returning talent and five-star freshman Neoklis Avdalas into a cohesive unit that is well on its way toward building a solid postseason resume with two likely neutral-site Quad 1 wins against Providence and Colorado State. That’s the good news. The downside is that Tech still has some consistency issues to work out – especially on the defensive end of the court, where it ranks 16th among ACC teams in points allowed.

11. Miami (6-2, Preseason ranking – 8)

The Hurricanes are a much better team in new coach Jai Lucas’ rookie campaign than they were when they finished dead last in the ACC a season ago. How much better is yet to be seen. But if Friday’s emphatic takedown of Georgetown at the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational is an indication, former Duke assistant Jai Lucas has things headed in the right direction in his first season as a head coach.

12. Notre Dame (5-3, Preseason ranking – 10)

If the Irish were being evaluated by the same standard the College Football Playoff Committee uses to judge their football counterparts, they’d be much higher on this list. Their three losses can all be considered “good losses” – to Ohio State by one on the road and to both Kansas and Houston at the Players Era Championship this week. But Micah Shrewsberry’s team did get at least one nice win in Vegas by beating Rutgers. Thanks to the duo of Markus Burton, the ACC’s leading scorer last year, and Carson Towt, the nation’s top rebounder at Northern Arizona, Notre Dame has the elements to give any opponent trouble.

The Secret to the ACC’s Success? Forward Motion.

After an embarrassing non-conference campaign in 2024-25, the ACC is looking like a conference of competitors. Credit standout freshmen, can-do coaching and a new brand of Tournament hunger.

13. Syracuse (4-3, Preseason ranking – 9)

The Orange got off to a promising start against four lightweights before getting a taste of reality in Vegas with three straight losses at the Players Era Championship. Like Notre Dame, the defeats have all come to high-level opponents. And they acquitted themselves well in two of them. But after taking national runner-up Houston down to the wire in a four-point decision, staying within single digits against Kansas and hanging with Iowa State for the first 20 minutes, Adrian Autry’s team ran out of gas in a second-half blowout at the hands of the Cyclones. Things won’t get any easier with Tennessee up next. The Orange are going to have to find a way to beat some of the best teams on their schedule, not just play them close, to get Autry off the hot seat.

14. Stanford (5-1, Preseason ranking – 17)

Kyle Smith is proving once again why he’s one of the most underrated coaches in college basketball. After getting Washington State to the NCAA Tournament in 2024 and sneaking Stanford into the NIT a year ago, he’s got the Cardinal on an upward trend again this season. Despite losing NBA Draft pick Maxime Raynaud and being picked to finish next-to-last in the ACC, Smith has put together another solid team. With freshman scoring machine Ebuka Okorie as the centerpiece, Stanford has bounced back from an early stumble against Seattle to beat Minnesota and advance to the championship game of the Acrisure Invitational in Palm Springs, Calif.

15. Florida State (5-1, Preseason ranking – 15)

The Seminoles have won all the games they’re supposed to win against a soft early schedule. Their best victory to date is against UT-Martin, ranked No. 250, according to KenPom. But they still have yet to prove their ability to hold their own when punching above their weight. A two-point loss to rival Florida in Gainesville on Nov. 12 showed that Luke Loucks’ team might not be too far off from a breakthrough.

16. Georgia Tech (5-1, Preseason ranking – 13)

 Don’t be distracted by the Yellow Jackets’ record. They rank 16th among ACC teams in both scoring offense and shooting percentage, and next to last in the 18-team league in turnover margin. Damon Stoudamire’s team has managed to overcome those deficiencies against everyone but rival Georgia so far — but just barely. It took overtime to beat Maryland-Eastern Shore and a couple of late stops to hold off Georgia Southern by two. Tech also trailed Southeast Louisiana and West Georgia at halftime before eventually pulling away, something it will have a harder time doing once the competition gets tougher.

17. Pittsburgh (4-3, Preseason ranking – 14)

Jeff Capel has had a knack for doing just enough to hold onto his job over the past few seasons. This, however, might be the year his magic runs out. For starters, he’s working under a new athletic director. That’s not a recipe for success given Capel’s difficulty replacing departed stars Jaland Lowe and Ish Leggett, and a sluggish start that includes a blowout loss to rival West Virginia and a stunning home upset at the hands of Quinnipiac.

18. Boston College (4-4, Preseason ranking – 18)

Not much was expected of the Eagles heading into the season and their early results have shown why, with losses to Central Connecticut State, FAU, Davidson and Tulane. BC still has Donald Hand Jr., the ACC’s Most Improved Player last season, but not much else as it stumbles its way through what is likely coach Earl Grant’s final campaign in Chestnut Hill.