The Atlantic Coastal Conference, better known as the ACC, is consistently one of the toughest conferences in all of college basketball. The depth of the conference leads to many highly anticipated matchups in the men’s game, including the usual powerhouses and the relative newcomers. The ACC is loaded with talent, as highly touted recruits often come to this conference in hopes of playing against the best competition in the NCAA.

   When discussing the ACC, the two teams that pop up in everyone’s minds are the University of North Carolina and Duke University. While these two programs have eighteen and nineteen conference titles respectively, none of the recent ones have been easy. Duke is led by Grayson Allen, a preseason All-American, along with three top recruits, starting with small forward Jayson Tatum. UNC, on the other hand, is fresh off of an appearance at the National Championship, and looks to repeat as conference champs this spring. This squad is led by returners, including point guard Joel Berry II, small forward Justin Jackson, and reigning ACC sixth man of the year, power forward Isaiah Hicks. Virginia has been another good program behind coach Tony Bennett and are always a threat to win due to their defensive tenacity and patient play. Louisville has lost some talent this year, but they are more than capable of making a run to the conference title, along with Notre Dame and their dangerous three point shooters. A zone-heavy Syracuse squad is always a threat, showcased by their run to the Final Four last March.

   Although the chase for the conference title is wide open, the general assumption is that one of these powerhouses will pull through. Junior Noah Watkins said, “ACC has some of the best basketball programs in the nation, and this year is no different. I definitely think UNC and Duke will end up battling for the conference championship down the stretch.” Six out of the fifteen teams in the conference are currently ranked, while the rest of the conference is hungry for success and recognition. Be prepared for many upsets from the underdogs this year as they hope to establish themselves within the ACC ranks.

   Meanwhile, in Women’s College Basketball, the ACC is also heavily represented in the Top 25 polls. Currently, seven of the fifteen ACC schools are ranked within the top 25, with three within the top 10. These teams are Notre Dame, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Duke, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech. Unranked teams like North Carolina and NC State are also not to be taken lightly, as they have the talent to beat a national powerhouse, like Notre Dame.

   Top to bottom, the ACC is looking as deep as ever, and it seems as though the conference schedule will be just as unpredictable as usual. With this many successful teams and the high level of competition between them, expect plenty of great games throughout the year. Championships are not handed out during the preseason, and the New Year will show which ACC team is built for the difficult task of finishing the season on top of the league.