Now that we’ve wrapped up our previews of every team in the ACC as well as our predictions for the standings and player awards, it’s time to widen the net a bit and look at the larger 2014-15 college basketball picture.
One of the big questions being asked this season is: how will the ACC stack up in the nation? After missing the Elite Eight altogether in last year’s tournament, the conference is hungry for results this season.
Look at today’s NCAA basketball futures at TopBet, we can see that oddsmakers like the big hitters in the conference to be in the mix when the nets come down in March. Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Lousville are all priced relatively high in the college basketball fields, but the heaviest favorites all come from outside the conference: Arizona, Kentucky and Wisconsin are all considered more likely to win it all at this point.
But here’s the catch: it’s outrageously early to be getting too serious about these predictions. Imagine the impact that Jahlil Okafor could have on his own. Okafor has succeeded at every level he’s competed at and is the kind of player who could single-handedly change the conception of the college hoops landscape in the coming months.
Okafor is going to be a one-and-done star in the NCAA, and even his coach knows it. He’s the likely No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. But he’s not the only stud in this conference who could turn heads, starting with the conference’s newest team and its star, Montrezl Harrell. Harrell (14.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG in 2013-2014) is expected to take a large step forward this season and could easily push Louisville up in the standings late in their campaign.
All told, it will be a fascinating season to watch in college basketball. As we know, anything can happen in a given year and the ACC is as well positioned as ever to make noise as the season progresses.
