Duke heads ACC men's basketball preseason power list for 2026-27
The ACC men's basketball preseason power rankings place Duke at No. 1 entering the 2026-27 season. Duke returns several key scorers while adding transfers and highly rated freshmen. Louisville is No. 2 after a large portal class, and Miami is No. 3 after Jai Lucas's first year as coach.
Duke sits first in the ACC’s 2026-27 preseason power list. The Blue Devils bring back four of their six top scorers from a 35-3 team, then add Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski, rookie honoree Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, and freshmen Cameron Williams and Deron Rippey Jr.
Louisville follows at No. 2 after Pat Kelsey assembled a portal haul including Flory Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad, Karter Knox, Alvoro Folgueiras, and De’Shayne Montgomery. Miami is third after Jai Lucas improved the Hurricanes from seven wins to 26 in his first season; Virginia, led by preseason ACC Player of the Year Thijs De Ridder, is fourth, and North Carolina fifth.
The preseason list may shape fan expectations and media narratives around ACC basketball, affecting students, alumni, and local businesses in college towns as attention builds toward the season. A high ranking could boost ticket demand, merchandise interest, and campus excitement for Duke, Louisville, Miami, and others, while lower-ranked programs may face skepticism. For players and coaches, these projections could influence visibility and pressure, though games ultimately decide outcomes.