The ACC has won the National Championship 19 times in college hoops history, ranking as the second-best tally among conferences, trailing only the Big Ten (23). However, in recent years, the Big 12, Big East and SEC conferences have won the Natty. Could the 2025-26 season be the campaign in which the ACC retakes the throne?
It seems the biggest hopes of a Natty in the ACC lie in what Duke can do. The Blue Devils lost their entire starting five to the NBA after the end of the 2024-25 campaign, but they have another crop of elite talent ready to continue what the program has done in recent years, headlined by Cameron Boozer, who could easily end up being the ACC Player of the Year once the 2025-26 campaign comes to an end.
Behind the Blue Devils, there are a few teams poised to make deep NCAA Tournament runs, such as Louisville, UNC and possibly NC State. Louisville maintains the majority of its 2024-25 roster, which finished among the top teams in the conference, while UNC and NC State have had to restructure their teams after suffering key losses in recent months.
From Duke to Boston College through UNC, NC State, Miami and Stanford, here's our comprehensive preview of the 2025-26 college basketball season in the ACC.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.
Top ACC Players
Overall: Cameron Boozer, F,
The ACC has won the National Championship 19 times in college hoops history, ranking as the second-best tally among conferences, trailing only the Big Ten (23). However, in recent years, the Big 12, Big East and SEC conferences have won the Natty. Could the 2025-26 season be the campaign in which the ACC retakes the throne?
It seems the biggest hopes of a Natty in the ACC lie in what Duke can do. The Blue Devils lost their entire starting five to the NBA after the end of the 2024-25 campaign, but they have another crop of elite talent ready to continue what the program has done in recent years, headlined by Cameron Boozer, who could easily end up being the ACC Player of the Year once the 2025-26 campaign comes to an end.
Behind the Blue Devils, there are a few teams poised to make deep NCAA Tournament runs, such as Louisville, UNC and possibly NC State. Louisville maintains the majority of its 2024-25 roster, which finished among the top teams in the conference, while UNC and NC State have had to restructure their teams after suffering key losses in recent months.
From Duke to Boston College through UNC, NC State, Miami and Stanford, here's our comprehensive preview of the 2025-26 college basketball season in the ACC.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.
Top ACC Players
Overall: Cameron Boozer, F, Duke 
Boozer is a freshman who has yet to play a single minute of college hoops in his career, but he's talented enough to be considered the best player in the ACC, similar to what happened with Cooper Flagg in 2024-25. We already know how that turned out for Duke. Even though Boozer and Flagg are different players, expect the media and experts to compare them solely based on their status as elite freshmen. The reality is that even if he doesn't post the same numbers as Flagg did in 2024-25, the 6-foot-9, all-around forward should be the Blue Devils' best player from the moment he steps on the hardwood.
Also considered: Darrion Williams, Markus Burton
Scoring: Markus Burton, G, Notre Dame 
Burton is a point guard by trade, but it wouldn't be surprising if he leads the ACC in scoring in 2025-26. The Fighting Irish have more questions than answers for the upcoming campaign, and it's uncertain just how high they can climb in the standings, but having Burton leading the way represents a reliable offensive force who can score with the best of them in the country. Given that Notre Dame doesn't have any other reliable scoring weapon on their roster, expect Burton to see another season with another extremely high usage rate, perhaps surpassing the levels of 2024-25. He averaged 21.3 points per contest last season, and it wouldn't be surprising if he surpasses that number again in 2025-26.
Also considered: JJ Starling, Ryan Conwell, Malik Thomas
Rebounding: Baye Ndongo, F, Georgia Tech 
This could be a coin toss between Ndongo and Carson Towt, as both have the potential to be elite rebounders due to their aggressiveness on the glass and massive frames. However, we're giving Ndongo the edge based on his familiarity in the conference over Towt, who's a transfer from Northern Arizona and averaged 12.4 rebounds per game in 2024-25. Ndongo finished fourth in the ACC in rebounds per game in the 2024-25 campaign with an average of 8.9 boards per contest. He ranked sixth in offensive boards (95) and fourth in defensive rebounds (209).
Also considered: Ernest Udeh, Carson Towt, Milos Ilic
Assists: Naithan George, G, Georgia Tech 
The easy path here would be to list Markus Burton, from Notre Dame, due to his usage rate and the fact that he's going to have the ball in his hands pretty much at all times. However, it's impossible to overlook what George brings to the table in terms of being a true playmaker. He averaged an ACC-leading 6.5 dimes per game in 2024-25, and it wouldn't be surprising at all if he leads the conference again in this department. For that to happen, though, George will need to do a better job of taking care of the ball after averaging 3.0 turnovers per game in 2024-25. George's 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked eighth in the ACC in 2024-25.
Also considered: Nate Calmese, Boopie Miller, Tre Holloman, Markus Burton
Center: Henri Veesaar, C, UNC 
The center position is the most productive one in fantasy hoops. However, the ACC isn't known for having elite options at the position, unlike the guards and forwards. Veesaar is a junior who spent last season at Arizona, so he has plenty of experience playing at a high level in the college ranks. He averaged 9.4 points and 5.0 boards per game in 2024-25 and figures to be a starter for the Tar Heels, so he should have better numbers as long as his offensive game reaches its next level.
Also considered: Patrick Ngongba, Ernest Udeh
Freshman: Cameron Boozer, F, Duke
If Boozer is the favorite to be the ACC Player of the Year in the 2025-26 season, it only makes sense to list him as the favorite to be the best freshman in the conference as well. However, he's far from being the only first-year player who's poised to make an impact in the ACC in the 2025-26 campaign.
Dame Sarr and Nik Khamenia, Boozer's teammates at Duke, both have first-round talent ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft and could be in line to see regular playing time as well. The same can be said about Caleb Wilson at UNC and Thijs De Ridder at Virginia, as well as Mikel Brown, who figures to be the starter at point guard for Louisville and figures to be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
De Ridder is one of the most polarizing prospects among first-year players, but he also has the biggest floor due to his pro experience at Bilbao Basket in Spain. As long as De Ridder adjusts to the pace of college hoops, he should establish himself as a viable contributor for the Hoos quickly. Last but not least, Jalen Haralson should also be a player worth watching, as he is expected to have a significant role with Notre Dame from the start.
Also considered: Thijs De Ridder, Caleb Wilson, Dame Sarr, Jalen Haralson
Top ACC Transfers
Darrion Williams, F, NC State 
Williams comes from Texas Tech and averaged 15.1 points per game in the 2024-25 season. NC State figures to be one of the top teams in the ACC in 2025-26 and Williams will play a significant role on offense for the Wolfpack. His experience at Texas Tech suggests he's going to be a go-to option on offense for NC State as soon as the season starts.
Isaac McKneely, G, Louisville 
From a fit perspective, McKneely is the one transfer that shouldn't have issues adjusting to his new surroundings since he comes from another ACC program, Virginia. Thus, don't expect the senior guard to go through a ton of adjustments in a new team. McKneely was a reliable scorer and playmaker at Virginia in 2024-25 after averaging 14.4 points and 2.9 assists per game. He should have a significant role for a Cardinals team that looks like the biggest threat to Duke for the ACC title.
Nate Calmese, G, Wake Forest 
Calmese could easily be one of the best floor generals in the ACC during the 2024-25 season if he's able to replicate the numbers he posted in the West Coast Conference. Calmese averaged 15.2 points and 4.4 assists per game in 2024-25 with Washington State.
Jaron Pierre Jr., G, SMU 
Pierre Jr. is expected to provide the Mustangs a significant boost on the offensive end of the court. He was the fourth-best scorer in the nation during the 2024-25 season, averaging 21.6 points per game for Jacksonville State. Pierre Jr. should fill the void on offense left by Maxime Raynaud, who's now an NBA player, and he should be part of a three-headed scoring monster alongside Boopie Miller and BJ Edwards.
Malik Thomas, G, Virginia 
Thomas is known for his scoring ability, and that's what he's going to bring to the table for the Cavaliers. He has All-ACC upside if he's able to adjust quickly to a new conference and a new level of competition. He averaged 19.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for San Francisco in the 2024-25 campaign.
Top ACC College Basketball Sleepers
Neoklis Avdalas, F, Virginia Tech 
Avdalas is one of the most promising international prospects in college hoops ahead of the 2025-26 season, and he would've been a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft hadn't he withdrawn from the process. The 6-foot-8 forward is expected to be the go-to option on offense for the Hokies and should be one of the main reasons why the Hokies have a shot at being competitive in the ACC this season.
Adrian Wooley, G, Louisville
Wooley joins an uber-talented Louisville squad from Kennesaw State, where he averaged 18.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Even though he's not projected to open the season in a starting role, his role could grow as the season progresses and might end up being a key contributor for the Cardinals.
Ven-Allen Lubin, F, NC State
Lubin switched teams in the offseason, moving from UNC to NC State, but he also changed his projected role, going from a bench option with the Tar Heels to a projected starter with the Wolfpack. Lubin averaged 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the 2024-25 season with UNC but showed flashes of being a player capable of handling a bigger role. He'll finally get that chance with NC State.
Top-10 ACC Players*
1. Cameron Boozer, F, Duke
2. Darrion Williams, F, NC State
3. Markus Burton, G, Notre Dame
4. Malik Reneau, F, Miami 
5. J.J. Starling, G, Syracuse
6. Isaac McKneely, G, Louisville
7. Boopie Miller, G, SMU
8. Tre'Von Spillers, F, Wake Forest
9. Ryan Conwell, G, Louisville
10. Caleb Wilson, F, UNC
I understand that there will be criticism after placing Boozer first, ahead of more accomplished players at the ACC level, such as Williams and Burton. However, Boozer could have a Cooper Flagg-esque impact for the Blue Devils as the team's next star one-and-done prospect who could carry Duke to a National Championship. The freshman, son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer, should be a go-to option on offense for the Blue Devils.
The four subsequent players ranked from second to fifth place could be placed anywhere in that list, though Williams gets the nod due to his overall fantasy impact, while Burton is not only an elite guard by ACC standards, but he's one of the best floor generals in the nation. Burton averaged 21.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 2024-25, while Williams posted 15.1 points, 5.5 boards, 3.6 dimes and 1.3 steals per game last season for Texas Tech.
From fifth to tenth place, there's a mix between accomplished players, freshmen, and elements that stand out in one particular category but not so much in others. All these 10 players should be valuable additions to any fantasy league, regardless of the format or the scoring system. One player to keep particular close tabs on in that 5-10 range is freshman Caleb Wilson, from UNC.
*Note: These rankings are at the discretion of the article author, and may not necessarily correspond with RotoWire's official 2024-25 player rankings.
ACC Projected Team Standings
1. Duke
2. Louisville
3. UNC
4. NC State
5. Virginia
6. Miami (FL)
7. SMU
8. Virginia Tech
9. Clemson 
10. Notre Dame
11. Wake Forest
12. Syracuse
13. Pittsburgh 
14. Florida State 
15. Stanford 
16. Georgia Tech
17. Boston College 
18. California 
Projected Team Rotations
| First Name | Last Name | School | Position | Games | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald | Hand | Boston College | G | 32 | 34 |
| Fred | Payne | Boston College | G | 32 | 25.5 |
| Chase | Forte | Boston College | G | 32 | 28.1 |
| Jayden | Hastings | Boston College | F | 32 | 22.8 |
| Boden | Kapke | Boston College | F | 32 | 22.4 |
| Aidan | Shaw | Boston College | F | 32 | 23.8 |
| Jason | Asemota | Boston College | F | 32 | 18.2 |
| Luka | Toews | Boston College | F | 32 | 19.7 |
| Dai Dai | Ames | California | G | 32 | 28.1 |
| Rytis | Petraitis | California | F | 32 | 30.6 |
| DJ | Campbell | California | G | 32 | 29.8 |
| Chris | Bell | California | F | 32 | 26.8 |
| John | Camden | California | F | 32 | 25.8 |
| Milos | Ilic | California | F | 32 | 18.2 |
| Lee | Dort | California | F | 32 | 15.5 |
| Nolan | Dorsey | California | G | 32 | 14.7 |
| Justin | Pippin | California | G | 32 | 13.8 |
| Dillon | Hunter | Clemson | G | 33 | 28.8 |
| Nick | Davidson | Clemson | F | 33 | 31.5 |
| Jestin | Porter | Clemson | G | 33 | 28.6 |
| Butta | Johnson | Clemson | G | 33 | 27.2 |
| Jake | Wahlin | Clemson | F | 33 | 22.4 |
| Carter | Welling | Clemson | F | 33 | 22.1 |
| RJ | Godfrey | Clemson | F | 33 | 21.5 |
| Zac | Foster | Clemson | G | 30 | 15.1 |
| Cayden | Boozer | Duke | G | 36 | 27.1 |
| Caleb | Foster | Duke | F | 36 | 29.5 |
| Dame | Sarr | Duke | F | 36 | 26.8 |
| Maliq | Brown | Duke | F | 36 | 22.2 |
| Patrick | Ngongba | Duke | C | 36 | 25.1 |
| Cameron | Boozer | Duke | G | 36 | 30.5 |
| Isaiah | Evans | Duke | F | 36 | 24.9 |
| Nikolas | Khamenia | Duke | F | 36 | 15 |
| Chauncey | Wiggins | Florida St. | F | 33 | 26.5 |
| Robert | McCray | Florida St. | G | 33 | 27.7 |
| Martin | Somerville | Florida St. | G | 33 | 25.2 |
| Kobe | MaGee | Florida St. | G | 33 | 26.3 |
| Lajae | jones | Florida St. | F | 33 | 29.1 |
| AJ | Swinton | Florida St. | F | 33 | 15.5 |
| Alier | Maluk | Florida St. | C | 33 | 23.3 |
| Alex | Steen | Florida St. | F | 33 | 14.8 |
| Egor | Ryzhov | Florida St. | F | 33 | 13.2 |
| Baye | Ndongo | Georgia Tech | F | 33 | 31.8 |
| Kowacie | Reeves | Georgia Tech | G/F | 33 | 30.5 |
| Jaeden | Mustaf | Georgia Tech | G | 33 | 28.2 |
| Chas | Kelley | Georgia Tech | G | 33 | 27.3 |
| Mouhamed | Sylla | Georgia Tech | F | 33 | 25.2 |
| Kam | Craft | Georgia Tech | G/F | 33 | 25.5 |
| Lamar | Washington | Georgia Tech | G | 33 | 19.1 |
| Davi | Remagen | Georgia Tech | G | 30 | 14.1 |
| Mikel | Brown | Louisville | G | 35 | 25.8 |
| Ryan | Conwell | Louisville | G | 35 | 30.2 |
| J'Vonne | Hadley | Louisville | G | 35 | 32.5 |
| Aly | Khalifa | Louisville | F | 35 | 23.8 |
| Kasean | Pryor | Louisville | F | 35 | 25.2 |
| Kobe | Rodgers | Louisville | G | 35 | 14.2 |
| Adrian | Wooley | Louisville | G | 33 | 18.1 |
| Isaac | McKneely | Louisville | G | 35 | 16.8 |
| Khani | Rooths | Louisville | F | 35 | 14.5 |
| Shelton | Henderson | Miami | F | 33 | 29.5 |
| Malik | Reneau | Miami | F | 33 | 29.2 |
| Tre | Donaldson | Miami | G | 33 | 33.4 |
| Tru | Washington | Miami | G | 33 | 30.7 |
| Dante | Allen | Miami | G | 33 | 23.9 |
| Ernest | Udeh | Miami | F | 33 | 29.2 |
| Treyvon | Maddox | Miami | F | 33 | 21.2 |
| Darrion | Williams | NC State | F | 34 | 32.8 |
| Alyn | Breed | NC State | G | 34 | 30.6 |
| Quadir | Copeland | NC State | G | 34 | 27.5 |
| Ven-Allen | Lubin | NC State | F | 34 | 28.2 |
| Terrance | Arceneaux | NC State | F | 34 | 26.9 |
| Tre | Holloman | NC State | F | 34 | 26.4 |
| Zymnicah | Wilkins | NC State | F | 32 | 15.5 |
| Matt | Able | NC State | G | 32 | 14.8 |
| Kyan | Evans | North Carolina | G | 35 | 28.2 |
| Jonathan | Powell | North Carolina | G | 35 | 28.8 |
| Caleb | Wilson | North Carolina | F | 35 | 29.7 |
| Henri | Veesaar | North Carolina | F | 35 | 25.5 |
| Seth | Trimble | North Carolina | G | 35 | 31.3 |
| Jarin | Stevenson | North Carolina | F | 35 | 21.6 |
| Jaydon | Young | North Carolina | G | 35 | 20.8 |
| Luka | Bogavac | North Carolina | G | 33 | 14.8 |
| Markus | Burton | Notre Dame | G | 33 | 34.6 |
| Sir | Mohammed | Notre Dame | G | 33 | 24.4 |
| Jalen | Haralson | Notre Dame | F | 33 | 28.1 |
| Braeden | Shrewsberry | Notre Dame | G | 33 | 33.8 |
| Kebba | Njie | Notre Dame | C | 33 | 26.1 |
| Ryder | Frost | Notre Dame | F | 33 | 22.6 |
| Logan | Imes | Notre Dame | G | 33 | 15.7 |
| Garrett | Sundra | Notre Dame | G | 31 | 14.5 |
| Damarco | Minor | Pittsburgh | G | 33 | 31.3 |
| Dishon | Jackson | Pittsburgh | F | 33 | 25.2 |
| Cam | Corhen | Pittsburgh | F | 33 | 30.7 |
| Brandin | Cummings | Pittsburgh | G | 33 | 29.3 |
| Barry | Dunning | Pittsburgh | G | 33 | 27.5 |
| Nojus | Indrusaitis | Pittsburgh | G | 31 | 14.1 |
| Henry | Lau | Pittsburgh | F | 31 | 19.4 |
| Omari | Witherspoon | Pittsburgh | G | 31 | 14.3 |
| Papa | Amadou Kante | Pittsburgh | F | 31 | 13.1 |
| Boopie | Miller | SMU | G | 33 | 32.8 |
| BJ | Edwards | SMU | G | 33 | 33.3 |
| Corey | Washington | SMU | G | 33 | 29.3 |
| Jaron | Pierre | SMU | G | 33 | 29.8 |
| Samet | Yigitoglu | SMU | C | 33 | 27.7 |
| Sam | Walters | SMU | F | 33 | 21.5 |
| Jaden | Toombs | SMU | F | 33 | 21.2 |
| Ryan | Agarwal | Stanford | F | 32 | 29.8 |
| Benny | Gealer | Stanford | G | 32 | 28.5 |
| Jaylen | Thompson | Stanford | F | 32 | 22.1 |
| Chisom | Okpara | Stanford | F | 32 | 28.2 |
| Jeremy | Dent-Smith | Stanford | G | 32 | 24.7 |
| Donavin | Young | Stanford | F | 32 | 27.3 |
| Oskar | Giltay | Stanford | F | 32 | 19.7 |
| Anthony | Baston | Stanford | G | 32 | 17.1 |
| J.J. | Starling | Syracuse | G | 33 | 34.7 |
| Naithan | George | Syracuse | G | 33 | 32.8 |
| Nate | Kingz | Syracuse | G | 33 | 27.8 |
| Donnie | Freeman | Syracuse | F | 33 | 28.3 |
| Ibrahim | Soure | Syracuse | F | 33 | 24.3 |
| Sadiq | White | Syracuse | F | 33 | 27.2 |
| Kiyan | Anthony | Syracuse | G | 33 | 24.5 |
| Malik | Thomas | Virginia | G | 32 | 27.8 |
| Jacari | White | Virginia | G | 32 | 28.1 |
| Dallin | Hall | Virginia | G | 32 | 29.1 |
| Devin | Tillis | Virginia | F | 32 | 25.8 |
| Ugonna | Onyenso | Virginia | F | 32 | 23.9 |
| Taine | Murray | Virginia | G | 32 | 22.6 |
| Elijah | Gertrude | Virginia | G | 30 | 16.2 |
| Carter | Lang | Virginia | F | 32 | 21.8 |
| Ben | Hammond | Virginia Tech | G | 32 | 29.2 |
| Tyler | Johnson | Virginia Tech | G | 32 | 28.8 |
| Jaden | Schutt | Virginia Tech | G | 32 | 29.5 |
| Amani | Hansberry | Virginia Tech | F | 32 | 26.9 |
| Toibu | Lawal | Virginia Tech | F | 32 | 29.3 |
| Izaiah | Pasha | Virginia Tech | G | 32 | 24.5 |
| Jailen | Bedford | Virginia Tech | G | 32 | 18.2 |
| Antonio | Dorn | Virginia Tech | F | 32 | 14.2 |
| Nate | Calmese | Wake Forest | G | 33 | 31.2 |
| Juke | Harris | Wake Forest | G | 33 | 26.7 |
| Mekhi | Mason | Wake Forest | G | 33 | 27.2 |
| TreVon | Spillers | Wake Forest | F | 33 | 34.1 |
| Cooper | Schwieger | Wake Forest | F | 33 | 26.1 |
| Myles | Colvin | Wake Forest | G | 33 | 19.3 |
| Omaha | Biliew | Wake Forest | F | 33 | 14.5 |
| Sebastian | Akins | Wake Forest | G | 33 | 18.2 |
Other College Basketball Resources:
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