Duke enters the 2026-27 ACC men’s basketball season with the strongest possible vote of confidence, but Virginia forward Thijs De Ridder is the name that stands out in the league’s preseason hardware.
The Blue Devils were picked first in the ACC preseason poll announced Tuesday, collecting 45 of 48 first-place votes and 861 total points. Virginia came in second with 778 points, followed by Louisville, Miami and North Carolina. At the individual level, De Ridder was named ACC Preseason Player of the Year, while Duke freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje took preseason rookie honors.
The result gives Duke the headline edge, but Virginia the marquee player. That split makes for a sharp early-season setup: one program carries the league’s overwhelming preseason backing, while another has the conference’s top returning star leading the way.
For Duke, the expectations are nothing new. The Blue Devils were chosen to win the ACC for a third straight season and for the 11th time in the last 14 years, according to the conference. Virginia, Louisville and Miami each picked up one first-place vote apiece, but none came close to challenging Duke’s grip at the top.
The ACC’s first-team preseason selections underline that balance of power. Duke placed two players on the first team in John Blackwell and Patrick Ngongba II. De Ridder was the lone unanimous pick, joined on the first team by Louisville’s Flory Bidunga and Miami’s Shelton Henderson.
De Ridder earned the recognition after a productive first season in Charlottesville. He averaged 15.6 points and 6.2 rebounds over 36 games last season, while shooting 50.8% from the field and 35.7% from 3-point range, the ACC reported. His selection made him Virginia’s first preseason ACC Player of the Year since Malcolm Brogdon before the 2015-16 season.
That award also gives Virginia a real foothold in the conversation near the top of the league. The Cavaliers’ second-place finish in the poll suggests the conference sees them as more than just a one-man story.
Louisville and Miami were close behind enough to keep the race from feeling locked in after Duke. The Cardinals finished with 758 points and the Hurricanes with 753, while North Carolina was fifth with 658.
The poll sets the tone, but it doesn’t settle anything. The ACC doesn’t begin conference play until late December, which leaves plenty of time for nonconference games to reshape the picture before the league race really starts.
In Other News...
Louisvilles Offense Faces One Syracuse Weakness That Could Change Everything
Syracuses defense has taken a real step forward under first-year coordinator Vince Kehres, who arrived from Toledo and has helped clean up a unit that has been steadier across the board. The Orange have gotten solid play in pass defense and from the linebacker group, with Keyshawn Johnson, Tunmise Adeleye, Chris DAppolonia and Antoine Deslauriers all part of the improved look.
Still, there is at least one area Louisville can study closely before lining up against them. Safety Chris Peal has had coverage issues, particularly when opponents challenge him deep, and that sort of vulnerability can change how an offense attacks even a defense that has otherwise been sound. For the Cardinals, identifying where to test Syracuse could be the difference between a routine afternoon and a much bigger night. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Conwell Is Already Giving Louisville Fans A Reason To Watch Miami
Mikel Brown Jr. made a solid first impression in his NBA preseason debut with the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 15 points in 18 minutes against the Miami Heat. But for Louisville fans, the more intriguing subplot may have been on the other side, where Ryan Conwell, his former Cardinals teammate now with Miami, turned in a steady showing of his own and reminded anyone watching that he may have a real role to carve out this season.
Conwell finished with 13 points and contributed across the box score, a useful sign for a player trying to settle in with a new team and new expectations. It also drew praise from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who singled out Conwells play and said he was excited about the chance to share the floor with him this season, a notable early nod that should give Louisville fans another reason to keep an eye on Miami. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Can Make A Statement In The ACC's Week 7 QB Debate
Week 6 gave the ACC another shakeup at quarterback, with Californias Jackson Brousseau turning in one of the stronger outings around the league and Syracuse having to turn to Malachi Nelson because of injury. Those kinds of developments have become part of the weekly rhythm in a conference where the quarterback conversation can change fast, and the latest review of the leagues passers reflects that uncertainty as much as it does the big-play production.
Now the focus shifts to Week 7 and a fresh round of matchups that could reshape the standings in the ACC quarterback debate again. The updated top-eight ranking entering the new week sets up a familiar kind of pressure test, with Miami among the teams positioned to make the kind of statement that lingers beyond one Saturday and forces another recalibration at the top. [Read more 🡒]