2017 SEASON HOOPS INSIDER PREVIEW INSIDE ONE OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COMPILED BY PATRICK STEVENS, SPECIAL TO GATEHOUSE MEDIA BREAKING IT DOWN preseason questions RANKING THE LEAGUE What happens Duke’s grayson allen is 1. Duke 8. FloriDa state at Louisville? one of the top returning 2016-17 record: 28-9 (11-7 2016-17 record: 26-9 (12-6 players in the country. aCC) aCC) the Cardinals’ long-term progno- [assoCiateD press FiLe upside: Grayson allen upside: the seminoles’ cast of sis is filled with uncertainty. the pHoto] bounces back and the freshmen live up thousands (oK, it’s about a dozen) wears school has an interim president to their billing, helping Coach K raise a out a lot of opponents and freshman M.J. and interim athletic director, sixth banner in Durham Walker quickly emerges as a star and rick pitino’s immedi- Downside: Consistency bedevils Duke Downside: it turns out future nBa picks ate replacement — former almost as much as it did last year and Dwayne Bacon and Jonathan isaac Louisville player the Blue Devils flame out before the Final meant a lot even to a deep team and the and assistant Four seminoles tumble back to nit territory David padgett — is signed only 2. North CaroliNa 9. syraCuse through the end 2016-17 record: 33-7 (14-4 2016-17 record: 19-15 (10-8 of the season. aCC) aCC) But there’s still upside: Holdovers Joel Berry upside: tyus Battle is an the matter of ii and theo pinson anchor a team that all-aCC player and Jim Boeheim’s unher- an extremely might just have a third Final Four run alded freshman class turns out to be talented roster in a row in it if the frontcourt can come quite strong as the orange return to the (minus the together nCaa tournament ineligible Brian Downside: there is just too much uncer- Downside: Youthfulness leads to some Bowen) that had the tainty on the interior for the tar Heels, rough patches and syracuse makes Cardinals looking like who temporarily slide back a few spots another abbreviated stay at the aCC a possible preseason in the aCC pecking order tournament before heading to the nit top-10 team. Deng adel is a major breakout 3. louisville 10. georgia teCh candidate and quentin 2016-17 record: 25-9 (12-6 2016-17 record: 21-16 (8-10 snider is a good bet to be aCC) aCC) one of the aCC’s steadi- upside: the team former upside: are Ben Lammers est players. coach rick pitino constructed thrives and Josh okogie two of the top under interim coach David padgett, with 10-15 players in the aCC? if so, and if Can Duke quentin snider and Deng adel leading the offense improves, Josh pastner match the Cardinals to a Final Four might have an nCaa tournament the hype? Downside: Louisville never gets itself team another year, on track after a tumultuous offseason Downside: the Yellow Jackets don’t another bunch of and the program ultimately faces a replicate their elite defense and scoring one-and-dones in long rebuild after the roster scatters at remains a chore, a combo that would Durham. Much like season’s end mean a step back in the standings the country’s other program built largely on a 4. MiaMi 11. Wake Forest revolving door of freshmen 2016-17 record: 21-12 (10-8 2016-17 record: 19-14 (9-9 (Kentucky), Duke is both judged aCC) aCC) almost exclusively on Final Fours upside: an exceptional back- upside: Bryant Crawford contin- and national titles and a team that’s court and the deft use of a four-guard ues his underappreciated stellar play, helping bound to go through some ups and lineup help the Hurricanes win a second a strong backcourt keep the Demon Deacons downs as the likes of Marvin Bagley aCC title under coach Jim Larrañaga in the middle of the conference standings iii, trevon Duval and Wendell Carter Jr. Downside: there’s just not enough Downside: the frontcourt can’t with- navigate what could very well be their veteran players to capably withstand the stand the early departures of John brief collegiate pit stops. it’s the young- rigors of the aCC schedule and Miami Collins and Dinos Mitoglou, leading to est team yet for coach Mike Krzyzewski, lands in the middle third of the league defensive issues that prove unsolvable and he’ll need a strong season out of senior lightning rod Grayson allen for the 5. Notre DaMe 12. N.C. state Blue Devils to max out. 2016-17 record: 26-10 (12-6 2016-17 record: 15-17 (4-14 aCC) aCC) How farwill North Carolina go? upside: Bonzie Colson, Matt upside: the energy and Farrell and the tested Fighting irish emphasis on defense of new coach Kevin a successful title defense is probably continue to dazzle on offense and make Keatts provides a jolt to the Wolfpack, asking a bit much of the tar Heels, who a steady push for their second-ever aCC who wind up with an nit bid after back- have played on the season’s final day in title to-back miserable seasons back-to-back years. But the cupboard isn’t Downside: the floor’s pretty high for Downside: n.C. state could endure a exactly bare in Chapel Hill, where the most Mike Brey’s bunch, but it needs the likes third straight losing season, though outstanding player of last year’s Final Four of t.J. Gibbs and Martinas Geben to a highly manageable nonconference (Joel Berry ii) will join up with veteran theo enjoy strong years schedule is designed to avoid this fate pinson and pitt grad transfer Cameron John- son to provide north Carolina with solid backcourt play. the questions linger up front, 6. virgiNia 13. CleMsoN where postseason hero Luke Maye will need to assume a much larger role as a junior. 2016-17 record: 23-11 (11-7 2016-17 record: 17-16 (6-12 if the tar Heels’ freshmen bigs (including Garrison Brooks) can be productive from aCC) aCC) the start of their careers, roy Williams’ team will be a top-10 fixture this year. upside: the Cavaliers’ defen- upside: the tigers get back to Who is a sneaky league title contender? sive identity allows it to thrive even as the defensive commitment they’ve been it breaks in new players into large roles, known for under Brad Brownell and win How sneaky a choice is Miami? the Hurricanes have made back-to-back nCaa helping Virginia finish in the top three in a few close games to make a run at 20 tournaments and figure to have one of the best backcourts in the league with the league victories and a possible spot in the Big Bruce Brown Jr., Ja’quan newton and Lonnie Walker iV on the perimeter, along Downside: as great as the defense is, Dance with anthony Lawrence ii who will frequently play the four in Miami’s four-out/ scoring could prove just as challenging Downside: the tigers can’t get any one-in sets. and does notre Dame count? the Fighting irish graduated V.J. as last year if no one emerges to comple- traction and Brownell’s seat gets awfully Beachem and steve Vasturia, but bring back Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell from ment isaiah Wilkins in the frontcourt toasty a team that won 26 games. 7. virgiNia teCh 14. BostoN College Howwill Kevin Keatts fare at N.C. State? 2016-17 record: 22-11 (10-8 2016-17 record: 9-23 (2-16 Keatts was hired away from unC Wilmington after leading the seahawks to back- aCC) aCC) to-back nCaa tournament appearances. He’s reconstructed the Wolfpack’s roster upside: Buzz Williams’ offen- upside: one of the nation’s on the fly, adding a pair of graduate transfers to bolster the backcourt (allerik sive wizardry continues to amaze as most unheralded backcourts (Ky Freeman from Baylor and sam Hunt from north Carolina a&t) while signing fresh- Chris Clarke, ahmed Hill and the Hokies Bowman and Jerome robinson) helps the man Lavar Batts Jr. during the spring signing period. Keatts immediately made a return to the nCaa tournament for the eagles emerge as a surprise team and a unCW team buried at the bottom of the Colonial a league contender three years second year in a row fringe nCaa tournament candidate ago, and while a push into the top third of the aCC is unlikely, the Wolfpack prob- Downside: questions about depth and size Downside: the eagles’ depth isn’t quite ably won’t be a pushover, either — especially at the defensive end. prove warranted and Virginia tech slips a good enough and they remain stuck near bit in Williams’ fourth year in Blacksburg the bottom of the conference 15. PittsBurgh PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE NOTABLE NUMBER 2016-17 record: 16-17 (4-14 First teaM seCoND teaM 179 aCC) G Joel Berry ii, north Carolina G Matt Farrell, notre Dame upside: the new-look pan- G Grayson allen, Duke G Bryant Crawford, Wake Forest total points scored last season for thers prove to be plucky and a tough out G Bruce Brown, Miami G Ky Bowman, Boston College pittsburgh by its returning players. the Downside: Kevin stallings’ team F Bonzie Colson, notre Dame G/F Deng adel, Louisville panthers bring back just 7.4 percent of struggles to win a single conference F Marvin Bagley iii, Duke F Ben Lammers, Georgia tech their scoring from a 16-17 team.