Five Burning Questions for the ACC Ahead of the 2026-27 Season

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1. Will Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje emerge as Duke’s most important player?

After another crushing NCAA Tournament defeat — this one to UConn in the Elite Eight — Duke reinvigorated its fan base with a blockbuster offseason. First, the program retained several key pieces, including senior guard Caleb Foster, junior center Patrick Ngongba II, sophomore forward Dame Sarr and sophomore guard Cayden Boozer. That core will be joined by one of the portal’s top prizes in senior guard John Blackwell from Wisconsin (No. 3 in Hoops HQ’s transfer rankings), as well as a stellar freshman class that features three consensus five-star recruits: center Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, forward Cameron Williams and point guard Deron Rippey Jr.

The X-factor is Boumtje Boumtje, a highly regarded big man out of the prestigious EuroLeague club FC Barcelona. The 17-year-old, who reclassified up from 2027 and isn’t NBA Draft eligible until 2028, is projected as a future lottery pick. At 7-feet with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Boumtje Boumtje has tremendous versatility and a skill set well beyond his age. Representing the U.S. at the 2026 FIBA U17 World Cup in June, he averaged 19.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.7 steals to earn MVP honors and help his squad secure gold. He was also named MVP of the 2026 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals in May after leading U18 FC Barcelona to the title. 

Prior to the summer, the widespread belief was that Williams, the No. 4-ranked prospect in the Class of 2026 (per the 247Sports Composite), would start in the frontcourt alongside Ngongba. Now that spot looks like it could go to Boumtje Boumtje. Either way, the international star is expected to play a major role for the Blue Devils despite being the youngest player on the roster. If he emerges as one of the top bigs in the ACC, this could be Scheyer’s best team yet. 

2. Can Neoklis Avdalas make a leap under Michael Malone?

A former professional in Greece, Neoklis Avdalas had an up-and-down freshman campaign at Virginia Tech, averaging 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 point guard had NBA scouts buzzing after dropping 33 points against Providence in just his second college game. At that time, “Greek Luka” was being talked about as a potential lottery pick in 2026. 

But the 20-year-old saw his stock plummet throughout conference play, as he struggled to find his shot (34.7 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from three) and was often careless with the basketball. Projected as a second rounder, he ultimately decided to return for his sophomore season, transferring from Virginia Tech to conference foe North Carolina. He was rated as the No. 25 player in the portal by Hoops HQ and The Portal Report.

With his positional size, versatility and playmaking ability, Avdalas has an NBA game, so there is no better place for him than UNC, where he will suit up for longtime NBA coach Michael Malone. The Tar Heels’ system should be a terrific fit for Avdalas’ skill set, and he’ll be surrounded by talented perimeter scorers (Utah transfer Terrence Brown and NC State transfer Matt Able) and lob threats (returnee Jarin Stevenson and FC Barcelona product Sayon Keita). 

UNC is slotted at No. 44 in BartTorvik’s preseason rankings and widely projected to make the NCAA Tournament. The program’s ceiling in Year One of the Malone era will depend heavily on how Avdalas performs as the engine of the offense. 

3. Will Louisville’s big financial investment pay off?

Louisville landed the No. 1 portal class in the ACC (No. 3 overall) this offseason, according to 247Sports’ rankings. Of course, doing so required a hefty financial investment. With several players reportedly making seven figures, the program has one of the highest payrolls in college basketball. 

The Cardinals signed six transfers (excluding fifth-year guard Seth Trimble, who is still fighting for eligibility), five of whom come from power conference schools. The headliner is 6-foot-9 junior forward Flory Bidunga, Hoops HQ’s No. 2-ranked transfer. As a sophomore at Kansas, Bidunga averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He and 6-foot-1 senior point guard Jackson Shelstad, a transfer from Oregon, are expected to form one of the nation’s top pick-and-roll tandems. Pat Kelsey built around those two with proven high major players like forward Alvaro Folgueiras from Iowa and wing Karter Knox from Arkansas. Louisville’s sole mid-major transfer, senior guard De’Shayne Montgomery from Dayton, was named to the 2025-26 All-A-10 Third Team.

As a result of their big spending, the Cardinals look like national title contenders — at least on paper. They got their first taste of game action during the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League in July and dismantled The Bahamas Select Team, 101-52. Five players scored in double figures, led by Montgomery (20 points) and Bidunga (18 points). While Louisville has bounced back under Kelsey, it’s been over a decade since the program advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Given how much money was poured into this roster, it would be a major disappointment if that drought doesn’t end in 2027. 

4. Is Virginia actually the team to beat because of its continuity?

Ryan Odom and his staff started working on retaining their players well before Virginia’s 2025-26 season came to an end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The results speak for themselves: Fresh off a second-place finish in the ACC, Virginia re-signed every single one of its players with eligibility remaining.

“We had to focus on that: retention first and foremost,” Odom told Hoops HQ in April. “We’re hoping that it’s going to pay dividends long term for us. Last year was a lot different. We had an entirely new roster that we had to put together. This year we’ve got basically four starters coming back, three guys who are young players who have promising futures. So really we’re in a plug-and-play moment right now and just working through it.” 

The Cavaliers are bringing back All-ACC big man Thijs De Ridder, sharpshooter Sam Lewis, defensive anchor Johann Grunloh and floor general Chance Mallory, all of whom averaged more than 21 minutes per game. That continuity is basically unheard of in the modern landscape, and it’s why UVA is ranked No. 12 in Hoops HQ’s Never-Too-Early Top 25. The program filled the few gaps on its roster via the portal, landing mid-major standouts such as Arkansas State guard Christian Harmon and UC Irvine guard Jurian Dixon. 

Duke and Louisville have generated the most buzz in the ACC due to their prominent additions. But retention has often proven to be the most important factor in this era of roster shuffling, which begs the question above. 

5. Will Acaden Lewis establish himself as the conference’s best point guard?

In Jai Lucas’ debut season, Miami finished third in the ACC and won its first NCAA Tournament game since reaching the Final Four in 2023. The Hurricanes should be even better in 2026-27 after assembling a transfer class that’s ranked seventh in the country by 247Sports. 

With guards Tre Donaldson and Tru Washington gone, Lucas is handing the keys to his offense to 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Acaden Lewis, who played his freshman campaign at Villanova. The former top-35 prospect earned All-Big East Second Team honors with averages of 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals while shooting 45.6 percent from the field. He guided the Wildcats to a 24-9 record and an NCAA Tournament berth. 

“Acaden is a true point guard who makes everyone around him better,” Lucas said. “His feel for the game, his ability to create for others and his competitiveness on both ends really stood out to us. He’s proven he can produce at a high level, and we’re excited about what he brings to our program.”

Lewis is expected to take a step up at Miami, especially with an elite supporting cast that includes Georgia transfer Somto Cyril, one of the top-rated bigs in the portal. There are a lot of solid floor generals in the ACC, including the aforementioned Caleb Foster (Duke), Neoklis Avdalas (North Carolina), Jackson Shelstad (Louisville) and Chance Mallory (Virginia). But Lewis may have the highest ceiling of all of them, and his success will play a huge part in determining how far the Hurricanes go this season.