Virginia Tech men’s basketball was picked 12th in the 2025-26 ACC preseason poll by a 49-member panel, the league announced Tuesday.
Here’s the full poll, with point totals for each team:
The Hokies finished tied for ninth last year with an 8-12 conference record after being picked 14th in the preseason.
The squad has a fresh look this fall with Greek import Neoklis Avdalas and returning forward Tobi Lawal as the headliners. Tech opens the season in Cassell Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 3, vs. Charleston Southern (7 p.m. ET, ACCNX).
Preseason All-ACC Team
No Virginia Tech player made the preseason All-ACC teams. NC State forward Darrion Williams, who transferred from Texas Tech, was named the preseason player of the year. Duke freshman Cameron Boozer was the league’s rookie of the year. Avdalas received one vote for rookie of the year.
Duke and Louisville each had two players between the two teams. Here’s how the voting broke down:
First Team:
• Cameron Boozer, F, Duke: 46 votes
• Markus Burton, G, Notre Dame: 46
• Darrion Williams, F, NC State: 45
• Mikel Brown, G, Louisville: 36
• Ryan Conwell, G, Louisville: 36
Second Team:
• Boopie Miller, G, SMU: 27
• J.J. Starling, G, Syracuse: 27
• Isaiah Evans, G, Duke: 24
• Baye Ndongo, F, Georgia Tech: 24
• Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina: 24
Player of the Year:
• Darrion Williams, F, NC State: 23 votes
• Cameron Boozer, F, Duke: 19
• Markus Burton, G, Notre Dame: 2
• J.J. Starling, G, Syracuse: 2
• Donald Hand, G, Boston College: 1
• Baye Ndongo, F, Georgia Tech: 1
• Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina: 1
Rookie of the Year:
• Cameron Boozer, F, Duke: 43 votes
• Mikel Brown, G, Louisville: 3
• Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina: 2
• Neoklis Avdalas, G, Virginia Tech: 1
David Cunningham’s Ballot
ACC men’s basketball preseason awards ballots were due Monday afternoon, and I had the privilege of being a voter on the 49-member media panel.
Here’s how I voted for the league’s preseason honors, from player and newcomer of the year to order of finish:
Player of the Year
NC State forward Darrion Williams (6-6, 225, Sr.) is a stud. A first-team all-Big 12 pick last year at Texas Tech, he had three consecutive 20-point games in the NCAA Tournament, including a season-high 28 points vs. Drake. He will propel the Wolfpack to prominence in Will Wade’s opening campaign.
Rookie of the Year
The No. 3 recruit in the country, Duke forward Cameron Boozer is a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year and was the co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game after posting 16 points and 12 rebounds. It’s no surprise Jon Scheyer has the best young player in the conference, though there are some other good ones.
Predicted Order Of Finish
1. Duke
Synopsis: The Blue Devils lost all five starters from last year’s Final Four squad, including three top-10 selections in the NBA Draft, but reloaded with the nation’s top recruiting class, headlined by the Boozer twins, Cameron and Cayden.
It’s a young core — Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba are back — supplemented by talents like Nik Khamenia and Dame Sarr. To the surprise of no one, they have the most talent in the conference. Does a lack of experience factor in somewhere?
2. Louisville
Synopsis: Pat Kelsey burst on the scene with a 27-8 (18-2 ACC) record, but the Cardinals were bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Creighton. He’s got a great squad once again after a ridiculous offseason that featured additions of Ryan Conwell (Xavier), Isaac McKneely (Virginia) and Adrian Wooley (Kennesaw State).
Throw in a top-10 prospect in Mikel Brown and returners J’Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor and this team is poised for another successful season. If it’s another Duke-Louisville ACC title game in Charlotte, few will be surprised.
3. NC State
Synopsis: Welcome to the ACC, Will Wade. He hit the ground running by adding Texas Tech forward Darrion Williams, my preseason ACC Player of the Year. He averaged 15 and five as the second-best player on last year’s Red Raiders squad that ventured to the Elite Eight.
There’s McNeese flavor on the roster in Quadir Copeland and Alyn Breed to accompany Ven-Allen Lubin (North Carolina), Tre Holloman (Michigan State) and Terrance Arceneaux (Houston). There are a lot of young guards in Paul McNeil and top-20 freshman Matt Able, but Wade just wins, man — and has the talent to do so immediately in Raleigh.
4. Virginia
Synopsis: Former VCU head coach Ryan Odom acquired some impactful international stars in Thijs De Ridder (Belgium) and Johann Grünloh (Germany) to round out a solid roster. Everyone is new, highlighted by Malik Thomas, the West Coast Conference’s leading scorer last year at San Francisco at 19.9 points per game.
Sam Lewis (Toledo), Dallin Hall (BYU) and Devin Tillis (UC Irvine) are instant-impact guys. The same can be said for North Dakota state transfer Jacari White, whom the Hokies pursued. Like Wade, Odom quickly assembled a postseason-worthy squad.
5. Clemson
Synopsis: This is a new-look Tigers team under Brad Brownell, the conference’s longest-tenured head coach who has proven he can win in the transfer portal era. Clemson tripped up against Wade and McNeese last season but made the Elite Eight two years ago with PJ Hall leading the charge.
Dillon Hunter is the only key returner, but Nick Davidson (Nevada), Jestin Porter (Middle Tennessee), Carter Welling (Utah Valley) and Butta Johnson (UAB) are solid complements. There isn’t much experienced depth outside of RJ Godfrey, but Brownell has five 20-win teams in the last eight campaigns. Here’s betting he hits that benchmark again.
6. North Carolina
Synopsis: I’m more pessimistic on the Tar Heels, who debuted at No. 25 in the preseason AP Poll. They lost all key contributors from last season except for Seth Trimble, meaning perennial all-league pick RJ Davis has departed. Who will lead this team in scoring?
There’s no denying the talent, though. Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar is a dude in the frontcourt and is joined by top-five recruit Caleb Wilson and Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson. Kyan Evans (Colorado State) will play a crucial role, too. Can UNC be better on the defensive end? If so, this group has serious postseason potential.
7. SMU
Synopsis: The Mustangs were solid but not quite good enough in their inaugural ACC season. They posted a 24-11 (13-7) record but were 1-8 against Ken Pomeroy’s top-80 teams, with the lone win vs. Pitt.
If consistency is the hope this year, it will start with their fascinating trio of Boopie Miller, B.J. Edwards and Samet Yigitoglu. SMU also picked up Jaron Pierre from Jacksonville State, the nation’s leading returning scorer at 21.6 points per game. Corey Washington (Wichita State) is also a big add. Most of SMU’s depth is young and inexperienced, though, which is difficult to predict.
8. Virginia Tech
Synopsis: I expected the Hokies to be a few spots lower in the full poll on Tuesday, but I think this is one of the best teams Young has had in his career. Expect improvement from returners Ben Hammond, Tyler Johnson and Tobi Lawal, who will all be better because they have more talent around them.
Moreover, Neoklis Avdalas is the real deal. Amani Hansberry (West Virginia) and Jailen Bedford (UNLV) will also be key pieces. A defensive uptick is expected, but this might be one of the streakiest 3-point shooting teams in a while for Young. How much of a weakness is it, and is it something Tech can work around?
9. Wake Forest
Synopsis: It feels like it’s now or never for Steve Forbes, who is 86-49 over his last four seasons at Wake Forest but hasn’t made the Big Dance. It’s a completely different roster now, too, which might be a good thing considering the Demon Deacons were 359th out of 364 teams in 3-point shooting last year (28.5%).Gone are Hunter Sallis, Cam Hildreth and Efton Reid. Tre’Von Spillers and Juke Harris are back. Can Omaha Biliew finally get healthy and produce? Outside of that, it’s a unique and experienced rotation that features Nate Calmese (Washington State), Mekhi Mason (Washington), Cooper Schwieger (Valparaiso), Sebastian Atkins (Denver) and Myles Colvin (Purdue). It feels like another bubble team unless there’s a drastic shift, however.
10. Syracuse
Synopsis: I might have the Orange too low, but Adrian Autry hasn’t quite put it together. He can lean on J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman now, along with transfers Naithan George (Georgia Tech) and Nate Kingz (Oregon State) and freshmen Kiyan Anthony (Carmelo’s son) and Sadiq White.
Syracuse hasn’t lacked headlining talent under Autry — he paired Starling with Judah Mintz in 2023-24 — but depth has been questionable. Eddie Lampkin was a beast in the paint last season but didn’t have much help. Can he get the program back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021?
11. Notre Dame
Synopsis: Markus Burton is one of the best guards in the nation while freshman Jalen Haralson is the highest-ranked signee in program history. There’s reason for excitement with Shrewsberry’s bunch, especially with his son, Braeden Shrewsberry, and Kebba Njie back in the fold.
Northern Arizona transfer Carson Towt brings experience to the frontcourt, as does Matthew MacLellan from the NAIA level. Still, it feels like the Fighting Irish are lacking in some areas. A lot rides on young players like Sir Mohammed, Cole Certa, Garrett Sundra and Ryder Frost.
12. Georgia Tech
Synopsis: Baye Ndongo is one of the most balanced bigs in the ACC, and it appears Damon Stoudamire got him some help in incoming freshman Mouhamed Sylla. Yet, the Yellow Jackets lost a lot of scoring.
Jaeden Mustaf and Kowacie Reeves join transfers Lamar Washington (Pacific), Kam Craft (Miami of Ohio) and Chas Kelley (Boston College) on the perimeter. Georgia Tech could surprise some people if it stays healthy, but that’s been a problem as of late. (When it played Virginia Tech last January, only six guys played double-digit minutes… and the Hokies still managed to give the game away.)
13. Miami
Synopsis: The Hurricanes appear to be talented in Jai Lucas’ first year. He completely flipped the roster, bringing in Tre Donaldson (Michigan), Tru Washington (New Mexico), Malik Reneau (Indiana) and Ernest Udeh (TCU). Shelton Henderson is a top-25 freshman, too.
Miami should be a stingy defensive unit, but the offense has loads of questions. There’s also Lucas, who has never been a head coach before. He has a better roster than Luke Loucks at Florida State, one that could win some rock fights, but I’m not sure the balance is there.
14. Pitt
Synopsis: Like Forbes, it seems like it’s do-or-die time for Jeff Capel. He lost the majority of last year’s roster, with the exception of Cameron Corhen and Brandin Cummings. They’re joined by Oregon State’s Damarco Minor and Iowa State transfers Nojus Indrusaitis and Dishon Jackson.
Barry Dunning of South Alabama should also pack a punch. Otherwise, it’s a lot of youth. Capel also only has one NCAA Tournament trip in seven years. His defenses have often been hit-or-miss while the offenses have carried the load. I’m not sure there’s enough talent for that to be the case this year, assuming the Panthers want to make the postseason.
15. Cal
Synopsis: Mark Madsen lost his top-five scorers, including Andrej Stojakovic. Even with some talent last season, this group struggled to a 15th-place finish in the league and was very inconsistent. The lone returners: Rytis Petraitis and DJ Campbell.
Outside of that, it’s a completely new roster featuring the likes of former Hokies wing John Camden (Delaware), Dai Dai Ames (Virginia), Chris Bell (Syracuse), Justin Pippen (Michigan) and Milos Ilic (Loyola, Md.). The Golden Bears could make some noise, but it feels like they have a low ceiling.
16. Boston College
Synopsis: It’s slightly surprising Donald Hand didn’t transfer after being named the ACC’s Most Improved Player last season. The Virginia Beach native averaged 16 and six and carried the Eagles to a 12-19 (4-16) record.
The next three scorers behind him are gone, and there doesn’t seem to be much around him outside of South Dakota transfer Chase Forte. That duo will cause some matchup problems for the league’s backcourts, but Earl Grant has averaged just 15 wins over four seasons, and it feels like that’s where the program is at right now.
17. Florida State
Synopsis: Loucks took over for the retired Leonard Hamilton and brought in a lot of veterans. Robert McCray (Jacksonville), Kobe MaGee (Drexel), Chauncey Wiggins (Clemson), Alex Steen (Florida Southern), Martin Somerville (UMass Lowell) and Lajae Jones (St. Bonaventure) have plenty of college basketball experience.
However, the cupboard is bare behind them. It’ll be interesting to see how the Seminoles develop the younger guys on the roster like AJ Swinton, Alier Maluk, Thomas Bassong, Cam Miles, Maximo Garcia-Plata and Xavier Osceola. The future appears to be bright, but this year might be difficult.
18. Stanford
Synopsis: Maxime Raynaud did it all for the Cardinal last year, averaging 20 and 11, and was surrounded by Jaylen Blakes and Oziyah Sellers, which led to a 21-14 (11-9) record. It’s a much different look this season.
There’s little experience back, and though Stanford brought in All-Americans from the lower levels in Jeremy Dent-Smith (D-II) and AJ Rohosy (D-III), there’s not much else there. The good news is Kyle Smith is an impressive coach who could maximize the group’s potential in close games.