October may not count in the standings, but around the ACC it’s already been revealing season. Every one of the league’s 18 programs has gone against at least one real opponent in preseason action, and a few names are already forcing their way into the conversation.
At Duke, the most eye-catching development has been 7-foot-2 freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. In a lopsided win over Belmont, he put up 19 points and seven rebounds while knocking down a pair of three-pointers.
For a 17-year-old in an early exhibition, that’s hard to miss. Junior center Patrick Ngongba is still regarded as the team’s main big man, but Boumtje Boumtje already looks ready to matter in a major way.
North Carolina’s early looks have been more uneven, and Terrence Brown Jr. is part of that story. The Tar Heels went 1-1 in preseason play, beating USC before falling to Indiana, and Brown’s scoring has been light so far.
He had five points in 24 minutes against USC, then followed with seven points on 3/9 shooting in 23 minutes during the 18-point loss to Indiana. Brown averaged 20 points per game at Utah last season, but with Neo Avdalas now in the mix, his role and rhythm seem to be adjusting.
Syracuse has had its own guard problem to sort out, and Kiyan Anthony’s preseason has been quiet. He was supposed to be a breakout candidate after averaging around double figures as a freshman, but the early returns haven’t matched that buzz.
Anthony shot 2/11 from the field in the loss to UConn, then played only eight minutes off the bench against Siena on Sunday. For now, the breakout talk has to wait.
Florida State, meanwhile, got a big-time showing from Marcis Ponder. The nearly 300-pound freshman center and top-100 prospect dominated Auburn’s frontcourt in the Seminoles’ win, finishing with 13 points and 21 rebounds, including 12 offensive boards. Florida State had issues inside last season on both ends, but Ponder’s debut suggests he can change that conversation quickly.
Wake Forest hasn’t exactly sparked optimism with its results, dropping both exhibition games to Georgetown and South Carolina. Merrimack transfer Kevair Kennedy was solid, but the biggest question remains the supporting cast.
The bright spot has been the Placide brothers, especially Gavin Placide, who has averaged 17.5 points per game in two matchups against high-major opponents. That alone may not lift Wake Forest out of the ACC’s lower tier, but it does give the Deacons something to lean on.
In Other News...
Syracuse Walks Into A Tough UNC Matchup With One Painful Twist
Syracuse heads to Chapel Hill on Saturday looking for a way to steady a season that has already gotten away from it in league play. The Orange are 2-4 overall and still winless in the ACC, and the matchup at Kenan Stadium brings a difficult test against a North Carolina team coming off a rivalry win over Duke and sitting in a better spot in the standings.
What adds another layer here is the connection on the other sideline, where linebacker Derek McDonald now leads the ACC in tackles after transferring to UNC. Fran Brown's team will have to deal with a Tar Heels group coached by Bill Belichick in his second year, and with North Carolina favored by 8.5 points, Syracuse is walking into a game that already carries enough pressure without the added twist of facing one of its own from a different uniform. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuses ACC Slide Isnt Scaring Off The Recruits Who Visited
Syracuses recent ACC slide did not keep the program from putting on a full recruiting show during its game against Louisville, when it hosted around 20 prospects from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes. The Orange gave those visitors plenty to watch, too, with Umari Hatcher piling up 224 receiving yards and Ahmad Miller adding 123 rushing yards in a performance that at least offered a reminder of what the offense can look like when it finds a rhythm.
For the recruits, the appeal seemed to go beyond the scoreboard. They came away talking about the players, the coaching staff and the way the program adapts, which matters for a team trying to sell more than just a Saturday atmosphere while the results in league play have been uneven. Syracuse still has work to do on the field, but the fact that so many young prospects left impressed suggests the staff has not lost its footing on the trail. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuses McNamara Reset Comes Down To One Brutal Question
The reset around Gerry McNamaras first full roster has been as dramatic as Syracuse basketball could ask for, with only two scholarship players back and seven transfers brought in to remake the group for the 2026-27 season. The job ahead is obvious enough: turn over the depth chart, settle the rotation and get the Orange back into NCAA Tournament position after a drought that dates to 2021. Even by offseason standards, this is a sweeping refresh, and it leaves McNamara with very little margin for error.
What makes the evaluation tricky is that so much of the roster still lives in the guesswork stage, with players like Gavin Doty, Ryan Moesch and Garwey Dual all drawing speculative looks as possible pieces in the rebuild. Syracuse can point to the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule as the real measuring stick, because the Orange will need new faces to become reliable options fast if this group is going to move beyond hopeful and into the tournament conversation. The talent is there on paper, but the brutal question is whether enough of it will fit quickly enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]