UNC picked to win ACC in preseason poll. Triangle schools highlighted in individual honors

A day after the Associated Press preseason poll revealed North Carolina to be No. 1 in the nation, the ACC preseason media poll was released with the Tar Heels voted as the favorite win their 21st league title.

The ACC rolled out its preseason superlatives on ACC Network Tuesday, with the Heels — who return four starters from their team that played in the national title game last season — selected as the overwhelming favorite. Carolina received 90 of 101 first-place votes.

North Carolina’s Armando Bacot was the runaway winner of the ACC preseason player of the year vote. The Heels’ leading scorer and rebounder from last season was the only player to crack double digits with 82 votes.

Duke dominated the league’s rookie of the year voting. Each of the Blue Devils’ five incoming freshmen received at least two votes. Duke forward Dereck Lively II (57 votes) beat out teammate Dariq Whitehead (25) for the honor.

Bacot was one vote shy of being a unanimous preseason All-ACC selection. That one voter inexplicably did not have the senior forward, whose 31 double-doubles last season tied Navy’s David Robinson for the NCAA single-season record, listed among the top five players in the league.

Triangle schools dominated the first-team All-ACC picks. Junior guard Caleb Love joined Bacot representing the Heels. N.C. State sophomore guard Terquavion Smith and Duke junior guard Jeremy Roach were also picked. Miami guard Isaiah Wong, who was second in ACC player of the year votes (5), rounded out the first team.

Virginia’s Jayden Gardner received the most votes on the second team. He was followed by Lively, Virginia Tech’s Justin Mutts, Clemson’s P.J. Hall and Carolina guard R.J. Davis.

Duke, which is set to usher in the post-Mike Krzyzewski era under coach Jon Scheyer, edged out Virginia for the second place pick in the standings. The Cavaliers received more first place votes than the Blue Devils (6-2) after returning their top six scorers from last season.

Miami, picked fourth, and Virginia Tech, picked seventh, were the only other teams to receive a first place vote, garnering two and one, respectively. Sandwiched in between the Hurricanes and Hokies were Florida State at five and Notre Dame at six.

After shocking the league in coach Steve Forbes’ first season with its fifth-place finish, Wake Forest was ninth. N.C. State was picked 10th after an injury-depleted roster finished at the bottom of the league standings last season.

ACC preseason media poll

Preseason player of the year

Preseason rookie of the year

Preseason All-ACC

This story was originally published October 18, 2022 at 5:37 PM with the headline "UNC picked to win ACC in preseason poll. Triangle schools highlighted in individual honors."

C.L. Brown

The News & Observer

C.L. Brown covers the University of North Carolina for The News & Observer. Brown brings more than two decades of reporting experience including stints as the beat writer on Indiana University and the University of Louisville. After a long stay at the Louisville Courier-Journal, where he earned an APSE award, he’s had stops at ESPN.com, The Athletic and even tried his hand at running his own website, clbrownhoops.com.