Last season, NC State was predicted to finish eighth in the ACC. The Wolfpack, of course, obliterated those expectations. After rising as high as No. 1 in the national rankings, the Pack finished the season at No. 2 in the conference standings, advancing all the way to the Final Four before falling to the eventual national champions, South Carolina.
So, expect the unexpected in the ACC, which, with the addition of three new teams in Stanford, Cal and SMU, will feature games from coast to coast—and plenty of opportunities for upsets. But Notre Dame, last seasons’s ACC Tournament champions, begin the season as the favorites, earning 70 of 79 first-place votes from the league’s 18 head coaches and a Blue Ribbon Panel. NC State received eight first-places votes, with Stanford getting the remaining one. Here’s the full standings prediction for the conference’s 18 teams:
- Notre Dame
- NC State
- Duke
- Louisville
- Florida State
- North Carolina
- Stanford
- Miami
- Virginia
- Georgia Tech
- Syracuse
- Virginia Tech
- Clemson
- California
- Boston College
- SMU
- Wake Forest
- Pitt
And here are our thoughts on the Irish, Wolfpack and Blue Devils of Duke, along with a tiering of the ACC’s other 15 teams:
Notre Dame
Last season, junior guard Olivia Miles’ season-long recovery from a right knee injury, along with intermittent injury troubles for junior guard Sonia Citron and other members of the Fighting Irish, resulted in a lot of responsibility for then-freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo. She, undoubtedly, rose to the challenge. A scoring dynamo and defensive menace, Hidalgo was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, leading the Irish to the ACC Tournament title before taking them to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
In 2024-25, Notre Dame shouldn’t have to be the Hidalgo Show, although she has been named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year. Not only is Miles, a two-time All-ACC First Team honoree, back, but Citron and senior forward Maddy Westbeld return, while senior forwards Liza Karlen and Liatu King arrive in South Bend from Marquette and Pitt, respectively. Plus, the team welcomes freshman forward Kate Koval, the No. 5 recruit in the class of 2024. Hidalgo, Miles and Citron were voted to the Preseason All-ACC First Team; Karlen and Koval were selected to the conference’s Newcomer Watch List.
But, such depth of talent doesn’t mean that head coach Niele Ivey’s team won’t experience some early-season turbulence. While the backcourt pairing of Hidalgo and Miles ultimately could become one of the nation’s best, don’t be surprised if there are some growing pains as Hidalgo adapts her ball-dominant style, which she adopted by necessity last season, to reincorporate Miles.
NC State
The Wolfpack will not be underdogs this year. And a big reason is their backcourt.
Last season, the guard tandem of Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James were breakout stars, with the now-seniors both earning All-ACC First Team honors, while Rivers also was named to the conference’s All-Defensive Team. Rivers’ dynamic athleticism allows her to create good chaos for the Wolfpack on both ends of the floor. James is one of the purest scorers in the game, not only able to ignite from behind the arc but also effective from the midrange. Both have been selected to the Preseason All-ACC Team.
On top of those two, expect a bigger impact from sophomore guard Zoe Brooks. An ACC All-Freshman team honoree last season, she sports a well-rounded game, exemplified by her recording only the second triple-double in program history. Freshman guard Zamareya Jones could give head coach Wes Moore a quartet of dangerous guards. Ranked as the No. 21 recruit in the class of 2024, Jones possesses elite passing vision and skill, with the potential to inject the Pack attack with extra verve. She’s been named to the conference’s Newcomer Watch List.
To meet lofty expectations, including contending for the conference crowns, NC State just needs some steady frontcourt players to emerge following the graduations of River Baldwin and Mimi Collins.
Duke
Are the Blue Devils back as a national power? A perennial contender through the 2000s and into the 2010s, Duke advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018 last season. Can they achieve bigger aims? Maybe the program’s first ACC regular-season or tournament title since 2013?
The Blue Devils have the talent to make that happen. But once again, head coach Kara Lawson might have to work some magic, as the team will be counting on players of all experience levels. Senior guard Reigan Richardson returns as the team’s leader, voted to the Preseason All-ACC Team. Graduate guard Vanessa de Jesus, junior guard Ashlon Jackson, junior guard Taina Mair and sophomore guard Oluchi Okananwa give the Blue Devils further depth in the backcourt.
Youngsters will be expected to add pop and power in the frontcourt, headlined by the dunking Canadian freshman forward Toby Fournier. The No. 10 recruit in the class of 2024, Fournier has been named to the ACC Newcomer Watch List. For the Blue Devils to be at their best, they’ll also need to get something from fellow freshman big Arianna Roberson, the No. 17 recruit in the class. Add in a breakout sophomore season for wing Jadyn Donovan, and Duke likely will have re-established themselves as a conference and national power.
Tier 2: Louisville, Florida State, North Carolina Stanford
Each of these teams could make a strong case to be included in the top tier.
Louisville welcomes a five-player freshman class, headlined by three top 25 recruits in guard Imari Berry, forward Mackenly Randolph and guard Tajianna Roberts. Berry has been named to the ACC’s Newcomer Watch List. Senior guard Ja’Leah Williams also has traded the green and orange of Miami for Louisville’s red and white. However, the Cardinals success will come down to experienced returners: senior guard Jayda Curry and graduate forward Olivia Cochran. To get ready for a big season, Curry spent part of the offseason in Paris, training with Cardinals legend Angel McCoughtry.
Experience also will be essential at Florida State, where junior guard Ta’Niya Latson and senior forward Makayla Timpson, both of whom were selected to the Preseason All-ACC Team, are set to lead the Seminoles. Last season, the Noles were the conference’s highest scoring team, propelled by the scoring exploits of Latson, who averaged almost 22 points a game. Look for FSU to remain a point-scoring powerhouse in 2024-25.
North Carolina, in contrast, prefers to win ugly, a style epitomized by graduate wing Alyssa Ustby’s do-everything style of play. A Preseason All-ACC Team nominee, she averaged a double-double of 12.4 and 10 rebounds in conference play last season; she also became the first player in program history to record a triple double. However, Ustby will need help if the Tar Heels are to exceed expectations, especially with last season’s top scorer, Deja Kelly, off to Oregon. While graduate guard Lexi Donarski can fire in daggers from behind the arc, junior guard Indya Nivar or sophomore guard Reniya Kelly will need to offer more self-created scoring. The Tar Heels also will hope for something special from redshirt freshman forward Ciera Toomey. The No. 4 recruit in the class of 2023, she missed all of last season rehabbing multiple injuries.
New conference. New coach. Same Stanford? We’ll see. The transition to the ACC could be quite challenging for new head coach Kate Paye and the Cardinal, as frequent cross-country flights could make being consistently competitive with the conference’s best teams difficult. The team also will be looking for new stars to emerge, as Cameron Brink headed to the WNBA and Kiki Iriafen transferred to USC. Junior Aussie guard Tess Heal, who transferred to Palo Alto from Santa Clara, is a name to watch, as she averaged 19.5 points and 4.9 assists per game last season. She’s also only the third undergraduate transfer in the program’s history.
Former Santa Clara guard Tess Heal said transferring into Stanford for women’s basketball as an undergrad was a “very difficult process” she “would not recommend,” but joining the Cardinal represented a dream opportunity. https://t.co/q9MLTaJG8X
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) May 22, 2024
Tier 3: Miami, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
Virginia stands out as a squad that could overachieve. Last season, the Cavaliers flashed more than their fair share of spunk behind now-sophomore guard Kymora Johnson, a Preseason All-ACC Team honoree. Syracuse, in contrast, may struggle to maintain their place in the conference hierarchy due to the departure of super-scorer Dyaisha Fair. At Georgia Tech, head coach Nell Fortner remains one of the sport’s sharpest minds. Expect her to wring more wins than projected out of the Yellow Jackets.
Both Miami and Virginia Tech are entering new eras, with Tricia Cullop taking over for the long-tenured Katie Meir in Coral Gables and Megan Duffy succeeding the successful Kenny Brooks in Blacksburg. Cullop should benefit from the return of graduate guards and twin sisters Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who are back with the Hurricanes after their one-season retirements from college basketball. Duffy will look to rely on senior forward Rose Micheaux and senior wing Matilda Ekh, both of whom were key contributors to last season’s ACC regular-season title winner.
Tier 4: Clemson, California, Boston College, SMU, Wake Forest, Pitt
This new era of college sports, defined by the transfer portal and NIL deals, appears to be creating a bigger gulf between a conference’s top tier programs, which effectively take advantage of player movement and compensation opportunities, and those in the bottom tier, which lack the appeal required to compete in the sport’s high-stakes player marketplace. These six programs fall into the latter category, having yet to figure out how to distinguish themselves. Until they do, they’ll be resigned to the conference’s cellar.
But if one of them is to breakthrough, look for it to be Clemson under new head coach Shawn Poppie.
