ACC preview: Tar Heels reload after title run

By foxsports
Published

The defending champion North Carolina Tar Heels lost Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green.

Yet they remain the favorites to win the ACC this season.






2009-10 preview









Can't wait for the college hoops season to start? We get you ready for 2009-10 with our preseason guide.







Roy Williams' team welcomed a stellar freshman class led by long and talented big man John Henson, and North Carolina still has guys like Deon Thompson, Ed Davis and Marcus Ginyard to build around.

But the disparity from North Carolina down to the team — whomever you want to pick — that is selected to finish 10th in the league is as minimal as it has been in years.

The loss of Gerald Henderson to the NBA and Elliott Williams will hurt Duke, but the Blue Devils still have Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and a couple of promising young big men.

Georgia Tech welcomes highly touted center Derrick Favors, and Florida State should be loaded despite the loss of guard Toney Douglas.

Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Maryland and Boston College are all capable of cracking the top half of the league as well.
















Top storylines







    Predicted finish






    1. North Carolina

    2. Duke

    3. Georgia Tech

    4. Maryland

    5. Florida State

    6. Clemson

    7. Virginia Tech

    8. Boston College

    9. Wake Forest

    10. Miami

    11. N.C. State

    12. Virginia





























    All-Conference team



    Small forward: Kyle Singler, 6-7, 225, Jr., Duke

    2008-09 Stats: 16.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.0 bpg

    Power forward: Al-Farouq Aminu, 6-8, 218, Soph., Wake Forest

    2008-09 Stats: 12.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg

    Center: Derrick Favors, 6-10, 235, Fr., Georgia Tech

    2008-09 Stats: N/A

    Shooting guard: Sylven Landesberg, 6-6, 210, Soph., Virginia

    2008-09 Stats: 16.6 ppg, 6 rpg

    Point guard: Greivis Vasquez, 6-6, 190, Sr., Maryland

    2008-09 Stats: 17.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.1 apg

    Player of the Year: Kyle Singler, 6-7, 225, Jr., Duke

    Newcomer of the Year: Derrick Favors, 6-10, 235, Fr., Georgia Tech


























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