2022-23 ACC preview: UNC's redemption tour, Jon Scheyer's debut and more

The 2022-23 men's college basketball season is six days away, and the panel of experts continues to provide everything you need to know. They've beaten the mid-majors, the American, the Pac-12, the Big East, and the SEC. The focus is now on the Atlantic Coast Conference.

For the second year in a row, the Atlantic Coast Conference is without a legendary coach. It was Hubert Davis who replaced Roy Williams. Jon Scheyer is the new coach of the Duke basketball team. After landing the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, Duke's new coach is looking to lead the Blue Devil's into a new era.

The change on the sideline in Durham will garner most of the attention over the next five months, but the league is hoping for improvement in 2022-23. During the first half of the last season, there was concern over the number of bids the conference received to the NCAA tournament. Only Duke was higher than an 8-seed on Selection Sunday. Two teams made it to the Final Four in March, and another made it to the Elite Eight, giving the appearance that the league should have gotten more bids. The deeper part of the league should be in the spotlight this season.

North Carolina, with four starters returning from a team that reached the national title game, enters the season at the top of the rankings, while Duke is a mainstay in the top 10. While a jump from Virginia is expected, Miami, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame should be confident about their NCAA hopes.

It's worth wondering if Syracuse's Jim Boeheim will follow in the footsteps of North Carolina's Roy Williams and Duke's Mike Krzyewski.

Preseason analysis can be found here.

ACC 2022-23 superlatives

The player of the year.

Myron is from North Carolina.

Jeff Borzello: Armando Bacot, North Carolina

John Gasaway: Armando Bacot, North Carolina

Joe Lunardi: Armando Bacot, North Carolina

The newcomer of the year.

The Medcalf was occupied by Duke's Tyrese Proctor.

Borzello: Tyrese Proctor, Duke

Gasaway: Dereck Lively II, Duke

Lunardi: Dereck Lively II, Duke

ACC 2022-23 roundtable

What is Jon Scheyer's biggest challenge in Duke's first season without Mike Krzyzewski in 42 years?

Borzello is trying to figure out role allocation and chemistry for a team with one key returnee and 11 newcomers. When Dariq Whitehead comes back from injury, is it possible to put a three-guard lineup in place? Jacob Grandison is a veteran shooter. Do you go with Mark Mitchell at the 4 until Kyle is more comfortable in the college game? Ryan Young might be the team's best low-post scorer despite Lively being the top recruit in the country. The minutes will be given out there. The talent here is enough to make it work.

Gasaway says it's rare for a first-year head coach to have so many talented players who signed up to play for him. The succession plan was a great piece of work. If the Blue Devil fail to live up to expectations, there will be more concern. The biggest challenge is the assumption that he will be the Coach K Jr.

There was a coach who went 51-10) in his first two seasons at a big-time school, won his league championship both years, made the NCAA tournament each time, and threw in a Final Four appearance. It wasn't sufficient. The coach was Gene Bartow and the school was UCLA. When Coach K took over at Duke, he was an even bigger elephant in the room because he wasn't even born yet. On the other side, the Blue Devil's transition has been well managed, and the bench has been occupied by the coach for a long time. It's hard to think of a big drop-off in Durham. The biggest challenge? Being Jon, that's who I am. He wants to win every game for the rest of his life. It's just a joke. It's probably a possibility.

The North Carolina's 29-point loss to Kentucky in December caused some concern for the fans. Over a 10-year period, the four coaches who followed Wooden had the same feelings. It is not possible to know how he will do. This is the first time a college basketball coach has followed a man who is considered the GOAT. It's his most difficult task.

North Carolina is the preseason No. 1. Are we being too optimistic about Hubert Davis' chance to reach the Final Four for a second time in two years?

play

Check out some of the best plays from the returning players.

The optimism is justified. The Tar Heels played a good portion of the national title game with a healthy lead over Kansas after Davis said it would take some time to get things going. Key pieces are back. Pete Nance is from a big city. I think North Carolina is the most complete squad in the country. The easy pick to win it all right now is North Carolina.

The Tar Heels played well in the NCAA tournament, but they aren't the only one. The team went 17-4 in its final 21 games, beating the likes of Duke, Virginia Tech, and UCLA. Their efficiency margin at BartTorvik.com was ranked 11th in the nation. It's not unusual for a team to jump up to the top spot. There was something that clicked with the backcourt of Love and Davis. Along with them are Bacot and Leaky Black. Nance is ready to take Brady's place.

Borzello would be my agent. It is persuasive. Checks notes for 17-4. It was a nine-point loss at home to Pitt. When the Tar Heels lose to Pitt, I get yelled at by readers for saying "The Tar Heels will still make the tournament." They did. You can still win it all if you are ranked No. 9 by the most skeptical human or computer. The Heels are not AP's preseason No. 1 if the Bears win the overtime period against them. The two can be true.

Both can be true according to lunardi. There is a long list of teams that dramatically outplay their NCAA tournament seeds, return a mostly intact roster the following year and see a regression to the mean. We only have to go back one season. The Bruins sprinted from the First Four to the Final Four in 2021, and then to nearly the top of the polls in November. The Bruins were good but not great. Expectations were unmet or unreasonable to start with. It appears that North Carolina is an exception to the rule. The chances of it making the Final Four again are small. It's just the way it goes.

Let's talk about the ACC teams who unexpectedly underperformed last season. Who are you hoping will bounce back this season?

play

In the first half against Duke, Kihei Clark made six 3-pointers.

There's no way Tony Bennett's team misses the NCAA tournament in consecutive seasons. Most of the players from last year's group are back, including the leading scorer, Kihei Clark. Four four-star rookies and an Ohio transfer are part of Virginia's high-level recruiting class. Bennett's deepest team might be this one. The defense was the biggest issue last season. This is a top-three team in the conference.

On Monday through Friday, host Pablo Torre brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and Insiders. You can listen.

Gasaway is wondering if this is a trick question. I can't find a team that is due to bounce back from last season's poor showing. While seated next to Borzello on the Virginia 2023 bandwagon, I don't think I've seen the best of the Virginia basketball team. I was wondering if the Hoos would make the tournament. The people did not. Florida State did not do as well as it could. The Seminoles ended their season with a 39-point loss to Syracuse, who were ranked 20th in the preseason. Laptops are bearish on Leonard Hamilton.

The definition of "underperforming" is not making the NCAA tournament. After an eight-year run that included four No. 1 seeds and a No. 2 seed, Virginia did not. There will be no UMBC's in the foreseeable future.

Virginia might not have done as well as we expected it to under Tony Bennett. A 21- win season and 12-8 campaign in the league race is seen as a miss by some. Duke will be UNC's toughest opponent in the conference race.

Who or what are we not talking nearly enough about across the ACC?

play

Terquavion Smith, a star guard at NC State, decided to return to school in the year 2022.

If I told you that the best NBA prospect in the country came from a bottom half team in the league, you wouldn't think much of it. Terquavion Smith is a projected lottery pick even though he played for NC State last season. He's the highest ranked player in the latest mock draft with college experience. Smith is one of the best 3-point shooting players in the league. He scored 20-plus points 13 times last season and dropped 30-plus on both Florida State and North Carolina. Smith should become a household name this season as NC State is expected to be much improved.

Wake Forest has been quietly turned into a contender. In the next two years, no one will go from six wins to 25 in the conference. Losing Alondes Williams will hurt but Wake's program is finally back on track after more than a dozen years in the wilderness.

Jim Boeheim's retirement rumors are still going strong. The real storyline this season is the rumors that he's going to play a lot of man to man defense after using his patented 2-3 zone for decades.

Gasaway wonders if Syracuse can make the tournament. It will be the first time in 15 years that the Orange have missed the NCAA tournament. The team that looked like it could push for a bid in late February but ended the regular season with a four-game losing streak is back. There is room for improvement on D if Boeheim is going to get this group into the tournament.

ACC 2022-23 conference champion predictions

Consensus	Medcalf	Borzello	Gasaway	Lunardi
1.	North Carolina is located in the United States.	North Carolina is located in the United States.	North Carolina is located in the United States.	North Carolina is located in the United States.	North Carolina is located in the United States.
2.	There was no agreement.	There is a state called Virginia.	There is a person named Duke.	There is a state called Virginia.	There is a person named Duke.
3.	There was no agreement.	There is a person named Duke.	There is a state called Virginia.	There is a person named Duke.	There is a state called Virginia.
4.	The city of Miami.	The city of Miami.	The city of Miami.	Virginia Tech is located in the state of Virginia.	The city of Miami.
5.	There was no agreement.	Virginia Tech is located in the state of Virginia.	The state of Florida.	The city of Miami.	Virginia Tech is located in the state of Virginia.
6.	The University of Notre Dame.	The University of Notre Dame.	Virginia Tech is located in the state of Virginia.	The University of Notre Dame.	The University of Notre Dame.
7.	There was no agreement.	The state of Florida.	The University of Notre Dame.	There is a college in the state of South Carolina.	The state of Florida.
8.	The consensus was non consensus.	There is a city called Syracuse.	The NC State is located in the state of North Carolina.	The state of Florida.	There is a city called Syracuse.
9.	There was no agreement.	The NC State is located in the state of North Carolina.	There is a city called Syracuse.	There is a city called Syracuse.	There is a college in the state of South Carolina.
10.	Boston College is located in the state of Massachusetts.	Boston College is located in the state of Massachusetts.	There is a forest called Wake Forest.	Boston College is located in the state of Massachusetts.	Boston College is located in the state of Massachusetts.
11.	There was no agreement.	There is a college in the state of South Carolina.	Boston College is located in the state of Massachusetts.	The NC State is located in the state of North Carolina.	There is a forest called Wake Forest.
12.	There was no agreement.	There is a forest called Wake Forest.	There is a college in the state of South Carolina.	There is a forest called Wake Forest.	The NC State is located in the state of North Carolina.
13.	There is a city in Kentucky called Louisville.	There is a city in Kentucky called Louisville.	There is a city in Pennsylvania called Pittsburgh.	There is a city in Kentucky called Louisville.	There is a city in Kentucky called Louisville.
14.	There is a city in Pennsylvania called Pittsburgh.	There is a city in Pennsylvania called Pittsburgh.	There is a city in Kentucky called Louisville.	There is a city in Pennsylvania called Pittsburgh.	There is a city in Pennsylvania called Pittsburgh.
15.	Georgia Tech is located in the state of Georgia.	Georgia Tech is located in the state of Georgia.	Georgia Tech is located in the state of Georgia.	Georgia Tech is located in the state of Georgia.	Georgia Tech is located in the state of Georgia.