College Basketball’s ACC Predictions: The Middle Five
#10: Clemson
20 Game Conference Prediction: 9-11
For a school that is one of the best football schools in the country, if not the best, Clemson didn’t do poorly in basketball, either. While their 16-15 record isn’t exactly dominating, they still finished 9th in the ACC last year and received nice contributions from many players.
However, the Tigers will have a big hole to fill with the graduation of Tevin Mack. The 6-foot-6 guard was his team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder, and his presence was certainly felt. However, the blow is somewhat softened by an impressive 20th-ranked recruiting class which also ranks 4th in the ACC. While it is unclear how well they will replace the void left by Mack, Clemson and coach Brad Brownell will look to make a solid appearance in the ACC standings again.
#9: Syracuse
20 Game ACC Prediction: 9-11
Syracuse didn’t do badly in the ACC last year, either. They had a respectable 18-14 record, and their 10-10 mark in the ACC was good enough to push them into the top half of the conference.
Syracuse may be due for some regression, however. Between commits and transfers, Jim Boeheim and Co. only received one four-star prospect, number 83-ranked SF Kadary Richmond. This was only good enough for 9th in the ACC, but unfortunately, Syracuse’s problems don’t stop there. Star player Elijah Hughes has declared for the NBA Draft. After averaging 19.0 PPG last year, he will be sorely missed, and it may hurt the Orange.
#8: Notre Dame
20 Game ACC Prediction: 9-11
Notre Dame performed well this year, and their 20-12 record was a major improvement after a down year in 2018-19. However, the success on the court did not translate to success on the recruiting trail. The Irish have the 13th ranked class in the ACC, and only the 70th ranked class overall, and that muddles the prospects of another 20 win season. If that wasn’t bad enough, ND’s top two scorers from last year, John Mooney and T.J. Gibbs have both graduated. It will be interesting to see if Notre Dame can even come close to replicating what they did last year.
#7: Georgia Tech
20 Game ACC Prediction: 10-10
Georgia Tech finished 5th in the ACC last year, but that may not be the case next year. The Yellow Jackets finished the year with a four-game win streak, and besides 3rd place Virginia, that was the best mark in the ACC. However, that only moved them up to the 6th in the conference, and it is unlikely they will be able to replicate that success in 2020.
For starters, GT is turning in an unimpressive 67th-ranked recruiting class, and while it is a major improvement over last year’s rank at 121st, it’s still only good enough for 12th in the ACC. While leading scorer Michael Devoe will return for his junior year, Tech will struggle to replicate last year’s success.
#6: North Carolina State
20 Game ACC Prediction: 10-10
NC State probably won’t improve much this year, but that may not be a bad thing. They had a solid 10-10 conference record, but perhaps more importantly, they had a very good 20-12 record overall.
While NC State did have the 25th ranked recruiting class overall, good for 5th in the ACC, it may be balanced out by the loss of players. Last year, the Wolfpack had a very balanced scoring attack, as their top three players had scoring averages of 12.8, 12.8, and 13.3 points per game. Unfortunately, Markell Johnson, one of the players responsible for 12.8 PPG, has graduated. It will be interesting to see how much his loss effects coach Kevin Keatts and the Pack.
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