ACC Preseason Poll & All-ACC

[Orangutan]

2017 Preseason Honors as selected by the Blue Ribbon Panel

Predicted Order of Finish
1. Notre Dame (858 points, 35 first-place votes)
2. Louisville (809 points, 5 first-place votes)
3. Duke (799 points, 10 first-place votes)
4. Florida State (752 points, 10 first-place votes)
5. Miami (515 points)
6. Virginia (505 points)
7. Syracuse (497 points)
8. NC State (463 points)
9. Georgia Tech (456 points)
10. North Carolina (434 points)
11. Virginia Tech (334 points)
12. Wake Forest (316 points)
13. Pittsburgh (193 points)
14. Clemson (164 points)
15. Boston College (86 points)

Preseason ACC Player of the Year: Lexie Brown, R-Sr., G, Duke

Preseason All-ACC Team

Lexie Brown, R-Sr., G, Duke
Rebecca Greenwell, R-Sr., G, Duke
Shakayla Thomas, Sr., F, Florida State
Asia Durr, Jr., G, Louisville
Myisha Hines-Allen, Sr., F, Louisville
Stephanie Watts, Jr., G, North Carolina
Paris Kea, R-Jr., G, North Carolina
Arike Ogunbowale, Jr., G, Notre Dame
Marina Mabrey, Jr., G, Notre Dame
Chanette Hicks, Jr., G, Virginia Tech

Newcomer Watch List

Mikayla Boykin, Fr., G, Duke
Bego Faz Davalos, R-Sr., C, Duke
Dana Evans, Fr., G, Louisville
Janelle Bailey, Fr., C, North Carolina
Lili Thompson, GS, G, Notre Dame

 

[Orangutan]

Preseason ACC Honors as selected by the Head Coaches

Predicted Order of Finish
1. Notre Dame (212 points, 8 first-place votes)
2. Louisville (205 points, 1 first-place vote)
3. Duke (200 points, 3 first-place votes)
4. Florida State (188 points, 3 first place votes)
5. Virginia (148 points)
6. Georgia Tech (141 points)
7. Syracuse (122 points)
8. Miami (113 points)
9. North Carolina (103 points)
10. NC State (97 points)
11. Wake Forest (90 points)
12. Virginia Tech (82 points)
13. Clemson (43 points)
14. Pittsburgh (37 points)
15. Boston College (19 points)

Preseason Player of the Year: Asia Durr, Jr., G, Louisville

Preseason All-ACC Team

Lexie Brown, R-Sr., G, Duke
Rebecca Greenwell, R-Sr., G, Duke
Shakayla Thoams, Sr., F, Florida State
Francesca Pan, So., G, Georgia Tech
Asia Durr, Jr., G, Louisville
Myisha Hines-Allen, Sr., F, Louisville
Paris Kea, R-Jr., G, North Carolina
Arike Ogunbowale, Jr., G, Notre Dame
Marina Mabrey, Jr., G, Notre Dame
Elisa Penna, So., G, Wake Forest

Newcomer Watch List

Mikayla Boykin, Fr., G, Duke
Lorela Cubaj, Fr., F, Georgia Tech
Dana Evans, Fr., G, Louisville
Janelle Bailey, Fr., C, North Carolina
Lili Thompson, GS, G, Notre Dame

 

[Dillon77]

Given the uncertainty around ND's front-court -- Brianna Turner isn't playing, Kat Westbeld is being held out of practice until November and Jessica Shepard is in NCAA limbo for the time being -- that's quite a vote of confidence for ND's trio of off guards (Mabrey-Ogunbowale-Young), Lili Thompson and the coaches. If Shepard is allowed to play, add her to the newcomers list and I feel much more confident about the predicted order of finish. Without her, we'll see how Kat rehabs and comes back and how Mik Vaughn progresses in the low post.

All that being said, can't wait for the actual games to begin!

 

[bags27]

Best of luck there.

sigh...I'm sure UConn could join!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Boston College is a sad excuse for a basketball team. In fact, most of their teams have gone to hell since they joined the conference. And they kept UConn from joining!

 

[BlueDevils]

Best of luck there.

sigh...I'm sure UConn could join!

That would be great for the conference!

 

[Plebe]

That would be great for the conference!

Indeed. It would finally give the ACC a very good chance to win a national championship, something it's only done twice in the 36 years of NCAA WBB.

 

[triaddukefan]

That would be great for the conference!

Not really.

 

[triaddukefan]

Indeed. It would finally give the ACC a very good chance to win a national championship, something it's only done twice in the 36 years of NCAA WBB.

National titles in college football and men's college basketball are much more important.. At least that's what I've heard

 

[wallman]

Didn't syracuse bring in some foreign players which should give them a boost or am I getting my teams mixed up.

 

[Orangutan]

Didn't syracuse bring in some foreign players which should give them a boost or am I getting my teams mixed up.

No, I think that's right. They have 3 foreign frosh, 2 from France, 1 from Latvia.

On the other hand, they lose the Day sisters, Alexis Peterson, and Brittney Sykes, which explains the middling rankings.

 

[CocoHusky]

Uhm... Francesca Pan must have a really good PR person working for her and Georgia Tech. Looking at her stats from last year and I don't see ANYTHING that would justify all ACC selection. Pan shot .369 for the season-worst among GT starters and among the worst on the team. She had 40 assists in 36 games and 78 turnovers. Dominique Toussaint of Virginia had superior numbers.

 

[triaddukefan]

In my opinion the six best teams will be nd, Louisville, Duke, Florida State, UVA, and Georgia Tech.

Notre Dame faces all of those teams on the road. Duke gets all of those teams at home...except for a game at Louisville.

 

[MilfordHusky]

In my opinion the six best teams will be nd, Louisville, Duke, Florida State, UVA, and Georgia Tech.

Notre Dame faces all of those teams on the road. Duke gets all of those teams at home...except for a game at Louisville.

I think the gap between ND and the rest of the conference has shrunk. The fact that multiple teams got first-place votes is an indication of that.

 

[Orangutan]

I think the gap between ND and the rest of the conference has shrunk. The fact that multiple teams got first-place votes is an indication of that.

It shrank at the precise moment that Bri Turner's ACL tore.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It shrank at the precise moment that Bri Turner's ACL tore.

It might have been smaller than prior years before that, but it shrank precipitously then.

 

[JordyG]

Boston College is a sad excuse for a basketball team. In fact, most of their teams have gone to hell since they joined the conference. And they kept UConn from joining!

Anything that happens to BC at this point is deserved. It would be nice to see them dropped from the conference and/or go winless this year.

 

[bballnut90]

Given the uncertainty around ND's front-court -- Brianna Turner isn't playing, Kat Westbeld is being held out of practice until November and Jessica Shepard is in NCAA limbo for the time being -- that's quite a vote of confidence for ND's trio of off guards (Mabrey-Ogunbowale-Young), Lili Thompson and the coaches. If Shepard is allowed to play, add her to the newcomers list and I feel much more confident about the predicted order of finish. Without her, we'll see how Kat rehabs and comes back and how Mik Vaughn progresses in the low post.

All that being said, can't wait for the actual games to begin!

You guys have one of the very best coaches in the country and a strong group of guards. You've also gone 74-2 in conference play over the last 4 years and almost made the Final Four last year with virtually no size. I'd still put big money on ND taking the ACC.

 

[CocoHusky]

Jessica Shepard is in NCAA limbo for the time being. If Shepard is allowed to play, add her to the newcomers list and I feel much more confident about the predicted order of finish. Without her, we'll see how Kat rehabs and comes back and how Mik Vaughn progresses in the low post. All that being said, can't wait for the actual games to begin!

FYI Chatrice White received her notification from the NCAA that she was eligible to play approximately October 7, 2016. Assuming Shepard's paper work was submitted by ND in a similar timeframe, ND should be hearing from the NCAA soon.​

Illinois transfer Chatrice White cleared to play for FSU

 

[DefenseBB]

National titles in college football and men's college basketball are much more important.. At least that's what I've heard

I am not sure which tact I should take here with you so let me do both:
1. Would you rather have UNC with their Men’s BB titles along with the Men’s disgraced program at Louisville instead because that hasn’t exactly worked out well
2. The conference claims ALL NCAA Titles matter (including Women’s) as it wants to tout itself as the pre-eminent Athletic Conference along with its high academic standards.
Humbly submitted

 

[Plebe]

You guys have one of the very best coaches in the country and a strong group of guards. You've also gone 74-2 in conference play over the last 4 years and almost made the Final Four last year with virtually no size. I'd still put big money on ND taking the ACC.

Agreed. Notre Dame might not be quite the same without Brianna Turner, but they have plenty of weapons coming back and a good point guard in Thompson. There is no team in the ACC that is ready to dethrone Notre Dame. I think Duke will be the second-best team.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I miss the ACC.

 

[triaddukefan]

It shrank at the precise moment that Bri Turner's ACL tore.

I guess if a team other than Notre Dame wins the ACC this year.. They will put an asterisk next to it in the record book.

 

[BlueDevils]

Indeed. It would finally give the ACC a very good chance to win a national championship, something it's only done twice in the 36 years of NCAA WBB.

 

[BlueDevils]

Not really.

Joanne couldn't run from Uconn anymore