2025 ACC Season Preview & Predictions -- Can Anyone STOP Duke?

Summary

Eye On College Basketball: 2025 ACC Season Preview & Predictions – Can Anyone STOP Duke?

Episode Date: October 6, 2025
Hosts: Gary Parrish (GP), Kyle Boone (KB)
Theme: Comprehensive preview of the 2025–26 ACC basketball season: evaluating Duke’s chances at a repeat, contenders, major storylines, coaching hot seats, transfer impacts, breakout players, and bold predictions.

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Episode Overview

Gary Parrish and Kyle Boone dissect the upcoming ACC men’s basketball season, tackling whether Duke is an unstoppable favorite, which programs could challenge them, and the most intriguing narratives shaping the conference. They break down the key roster moves, analyze new coaching hires, speculate on bids to the NCAA tournament, and offer their award predictions—all with their signature mix of insightful analysis and breezy banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Is Duke the Most Likely Power Conference Champion?

[00:55 – 07:15]

• Parrish’s Hypothetical: If you had $10 million and needed to pick one power conference champion, would you pick Duke?
• Boone’s Analysis: On paper, Duke is the favorite, but their reliance on young players brings volatility. Cites Houston and Coach Kelvin Sampson as a safer bet for conference stability, but admits Duke is his pick for the ACC:

  "I think Duke probably has the highest ceiling among teams in the ACC this season. But if a Louisville, if Virginia or NC State were to win the acc, it wouldn't totally shock me." – KB [02:38]

• Talent Gap: Parrish highlights a significant computer-predicted gap (via BartTorvik) between Duke (#2) and the next-best ACC team, Louisville (#11), greater than any other power conference. Still, he questions whether Duke’s current roster measures up to prior seasons, especially after limited engagement with the transfer portal:

  "They are going to perhaps start a lineup that consists of three dudes who were on the team last season, but none of them played even 15 minutes per game." – GP [04:56]

2. Duke’s Roster: Strengths, Weaknesses, and the Impact of Recruitment

[07:15 – 10:54]

• Sliding Door Moments: KB details Duke's near-misses in recruitment— notably missing out on transfer Cedric Coward (drafted #11 NBA) and pivoting to international prospect Dame Sar.
• Reliance on Internal Development: Both hosts acknowledge this year’s Duke squad will ask for breakout seasons from returning players with minimal last-season roles.

  "You're asking guys who have been in your program … who had, you know, not prominent roles, to now perhaps be three of your five starters. And that's not what Duke did last year." – GP [08:38]

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3. Top Five ACC Storylines for 2025–26

[12:17 – 39:42]

1. Cam Boozer’s Arrival at Duke

[12:17 – 16:06]

• QB: Can Boozer give Duke back-to-back major awards?
• KB on Boozer:

  "The surest thing in high school basketball is Cam Boozer... at Duke he is going to be a superstar... I actually project him to be the number one pick in next year's class." – KB [14:18]

• GP’s Take: Boozer is a proven winner with elite intangibles, maybe not a Zion-level impact but could be best freshman in the country.

  "If you are trying to win a basketball game tonight, take Boozer." – GP [16:06]

2. Louisville Reloaded Under Pat Kelsey

[16:06 – 22:55]

• KB’s Excitement:

  "I'm all in on Louisville this season... My belief in Pat Kelsey. He flipped this thing right away." – KB [17:40]

• Transfer Portal Mastery: Louisville prioritized shooting and experience—added three high-volume, high-percentage 3-point shooters (Woolley, Conwell, McNeely).
• Trivia Time:

  "It's been almost a decade since Louisville won a game in the NCAA tournament… March 17, 2017, over Jacksonville State." – GP [21:20]

3. Hubert Davis’ UNC Job Security

[22:55 – 29:30]

• Boone predicts:

  "I'm gonna go with no [on Davis being UNC coach April 2026]." – KB [22:55]

• GP explains the dilemma of the “hot seat”:

  "Once you get on the hot seat, you almost never get off of it." – GP [27:48]

• UNC’s Recent Struggles: Despite a title-game run, consistency under Davis has lagged expectations; GP thinks a merely good year preserves Davis’s job (for now).

4. Will Wade’s First Year at NC State

[29:30 – 37:12]

• KB:

  "You need someone who is an agitator. You need someone who has an edge to him. Will Wade absolutely has an edge." – KB [31:18]

• Roster Overhaul: Wade quickly rebuilt via transfers (Holloman, Arsenault, Williams, Lubin) and is considered a perfect, high-energy fit for NC State.
• GP:

  "Will Wade… is a damn good basketball coach... Seven of the past eight seasons that he's been a head coach and there's been an NCAA tournament... Will Wade has made the field." – GP [33:51]

5. Ryan Odom at Virginia

[37:12 – 39:42]

• Full Circle: Odom, son of a former UVA coach, returns to his home state to rejuvenate a program that hasn’t won an NCAA game since its 2019 title.
• KB:

  "A ton of connections... had success as a head coach previously... expectations should be very, very high." – KB [37:12]

• Trivia:

  "They are the first national champion since 85. You win the trophy and then in the next five tournaments, you either don't make it or you make it and you lose." – GP [38:56]

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4. How Many NCAA Tournament Bids for the ACC?

[39:42 – 46:25]

• Last Year: Only four ACC teams made the tournament.
• Predictions:
  • KB: "My guess would be six [bids]... Duke, Louisville, Carolina, NC State, Virginia." [41:50]
  • GP: "I think 5 for sure… If we were going to try to get to a sixth, I think I would go to Clemson." [42:20]
• ACC’s Brand Problem:

  "Anytime you're talking about a league and it seems down... it is almost always a byproduct of the programs you're used to being great have slipped." – GP [44:20]

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5. Preseason ACC Awards Predictions

[46:25 – 50:49]

• Player of the Year: Cam Boozer (Duke – unanimous pick)
• Coach of the Year:
  • KB: Will Wade (NC State)
  • GP: John Scheyer (Duke), with caveat that rapid turnaround (like Wade’s) could trump league champion
• Freshman of the Year: Cam Boozer (Duke)
• Transfer of the Year:
  • KB: Ryan Conwell (Louisville)
  • GP: Darian Williams (NC State)

"If you are the best player in the country and you are a freshman, by definition you are the best freshman in the country." – GP [47:56]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "They're gonna perhaps start a lineup that consists of three dudes who were on the team last season, but none of them played even 15 minutes per game." – GP [04:56]
• “Mikel Brown, Jr… a sleeper candidate… absolutely… going to be a top five pick in next year’s really strong transfer class as well.” – KB on Louisville [17:40]
• “You need someone who is an agitator. You need someone who has an edge to him. Will Wade absolutely has an edge to him.” – KB [31:18]
• "He’s a damn good basketball coach in seven of the past eight seasons... Will Wade has made the [NCAA] field." – GP [33:51]
• "The surest thing in high school basketball is Cam Boozer." – Adam Finkelstein, cited by KB [14:18]
• "They are the first national champion since '85... to not win a single game in the NCAA tournament in any of the subsequent five NCAA tournaments since the tournament expanded." – GP on Virginia [38:56]
• "Once you get on the hot seat, you almost never get off of it." – GP [27:48]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Duke’s Chances & the ACC Power Dynamics: [00:55 – 07:15]
• Duke’s Roster In-Depth, Transfer Reluctance: [07:15 – 10:54]
• ACC Storylines Introduction: [12:17]
• Cam Boozer at Duke: [12:17 – 16:06]
• Louisville & Pat Kelsey’s Rebuild: [16:06 – 22:55]
• Hubert Davis/UNC Hot Seat: [22:55 – 29:30]
• Will Wade at NC State: [29:30 – 37:12]
• Ryan Odom at Virginia: [37:12 – 39:42]
• ACC NCAA Tournament Bids: [39:42 – 46:25]
• ACC Awards Predictions: [46:25 – 50:49]

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Tone & Style

Lively, direct, slightly irreverent analysis laced with trivia, historic context, and a willingness to question blue bloods. The hosts engage in friendly debate, offer behind-the-scenes insights, and never shy away from calling out uncomfortable truths about programs or coaches.

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Summary for Non-Listeners

The ACC season is poised for narrative twists: Duke is the favorite but not without questions, especially with a less proven, young roster built primarily from within (highlighted by budding superstar Cam Boozer). Louisville and NC State are primed to leap after major transfer hauls and new coaching regimes, while UNC faces uncertainty around Hubert Davis's future. Virginia bets on Ryan Odom for revival amid a bizarre post-title tournament drought.

The league overall may only get 5–6 NCAA bids unless historical powers right the ship. The biggest individual accolades are expected to go to Duke’s Boozer, while coaches like Pat Kelsey and Will Wade will battle to be seen as turnaround kings.

If you missed the episode, you now know the major players, looming questions, statistical context, and the narrative arcs that could define the ACC in 2025–26—straight from two of college basketball’s sharpest voices.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign Gary Parish welcome back to the CBS Sports I Own College Basketball podcast where we sometimes discuss Campbell Fighting Dodo Birds and Leaky Black. Kyle Boone is here with me. You know what to do to that. Like button shouts to Brandon Davies. And if you haven't yet subscribed to the CBS Sports college basketball YouTube channel, please also that while you're here, let's get into it. Today we are starting to preview some of college basketball's very best conferences. We're going to be doing these over a span of four weeks. It's always a fun exercise. And today, in the spirit of, I don't know, let's call it alphabetical order, we're going to start with the Atlantic Coast Conference where Duke is trying to win back to back outright league titles after going 19 and one in the ACC last season. KB let's stop right here. Good to see you on this Monday. Obviously Duke is the favorite in the acc. Let me ask you this question this way. If I offered you $10 million that I if I said strong jaw, I got $10 million and I'm gonna give it to you. All you got to do is correctly identify one future power conference champion would Duke your pick. In other words, in your mind, is Duke more likely to win the ACC than any other power conference team is likely to win whatever power conference it happens to be in?

[B]

Yeah. Good morning. Great to see you. GP I will answer this question this way. I think on paper it is felt several times over the last couple years the ACC looks like it is Dukes and for reasons being that, you know, they've recruited younger players that, you know, they haven't completely been consistent in the regular season. You know, we've seen like Virginia or North Carolina or Florida State steal. Feels like that could be the case again this year. So for that reason, I think my answer would be no. I think I'd take Houston as the pick if I had to bet $10 million. I think I trust Kelvin Sampson. That being said, the acc, if I'm making a pick this year, it's absolutely going to be Duke, right? I, I think they have the best talent on paper. The the way that they've recruited at such a high level. They have, I think, one of the best players in college basketball this season in Cam Boozer. And just, I think from top to bottom, the ACC just in general doesn't quite have the horses to compete at the top the way that Duke is equipped to do. I hearken back to a conversation I had with Avery Johnson earlier this year and I'LL toss it back to you. GP to answer this question, he put it pretty plainly in terms of teams assembled like Duke, teams that consistently rely on freshmen. And he put it just in a way that said, even if you have the best freshman in college basketball, which Duke this season very well might, I think the odds suggest that is the case. It is oftentimes very hard to rely on consistency on a night in night out basis from your team when you are asking a lot so of 18, 19 year old players. So you know, I think Duke probably has the highest ceiling among teams in the ACC this season. But if a Louisville, if Virginia or NC State were to win the acc, it wouldn't totally shock me this season. I don't know about you GP Yeah.

[A]

I think I agree with most of that. I would pick Duke to win the acc. But if you want to argue you would trust Houston and Kelvin Sampson to win the Big 12 more than you would trust Duke and largely entirely new team or at least a lot of new faces in the rotation. If you trust Houston over this Duke team, I can get behind that. And what I'm about to tell you does not provide a definitive answer to the question that I asked you, but it does, it does provide some context. So just hear me out. I went to bartorvic.com just to play around with the numbers and recognize that duke is number [e-mail] right now the next highest ACC team in those rankings is Louisville at number 11. So follow me here. Nine spots in between the two. There's nine spots in between the projected first place team in the ACC and the projected second place team in the ACC. Now you go do that in the other power conferences. In the Big Ten Michigan is number three, Purdue is number four. So one spot in between the top two and the Big Ten. In the Big 12 Houston is number one but BYU is number six. Only five spots between the top two in the Big East. St. John's is number nine, UConn's number 10. One spot between the two and in the SEC, Florida is number five and Tennessee is number 13. Those are the top two in the SEC. Eight spots between the two. So for whatever it's worth, there is a larger gap at Torvik between Duke and the next best ACC team than there is between any projected conference favorite and the second best team in that power conference. But but we are are really splitting hairs here. Duke at number two in the computers, not arguing but they lost a lot man, including the best player in the country. And in a time where the transfer portal is more used and more valuable than ever. They didn't really get in there the way that so many other schools did. Like I've got Duke ninth in the top 25 and one. And you can say that's too high, too low, whatever, but it's lower than the computers. And the reason I sort of settled in that range is they are going to perhaps start a lineup that consists of three dudes who were on the team last season, but none of them played even 15 minutes per game. Plus Dame Sar, who's a international prospect from Italy, 19 years old, who people are really high on, could be an NBA player, but we got to see it. And then Cam Boozer, who is phenomenal. Nobody disagrees with that. But this roster doesn't look anything like last season's roster to me in terms of high end talent. And if you go to the 247 sports transfer portal rankings, they enrolled 0 top 100 transfers. Whereas like some other schools in this league, Louisville, NC State, NC, like they went out and really hammered the transfer portal to try to get 21 and 22 and 23 year olds who have flourished in some cases at other schools. And Duke didn't really do that the way other schools have. And so again, let's not bury the lead. I think Duke will win the acc, but I do have some questions about the, the, the level of talent within the program. Because though it is clear, still clearly one of the most talented rosters in the country, I don't know that it's anywhere close to as talented as last season or the most talented in the country right now.

[B]

I think that's probably right. And I would add to gp. I know people who follow college basketball closely know this, but the sliding doors from this off season for Duke in particular is very interesting because we could be talking about a Duke team that has, you know, the Boozer twins. They have Isaiah Evans coming back, they have Caleb Foster and oh by the way, they have Cedric Coward, right, who was one of the best transfers available. They made him a priority and then they lose him to the NBA draft somewhat unexpectedly, he ends up going at number 11 in the 2025 NBA Draft. I think on paper, if you add Coward to this mix and essentially replace him with Sar, and I think Sar was their kind of backup option for, for him, this team looks a lot different. Howard's a lot older, he's, he's experienced, he's one at a high level. He's a really good three point shooter, very physical, like checks a Lot of boxes for what Duke under John Shire has prioritized last couple of years and I think would have fit so, so well within this system. I still think, and I agree with you, Duke from top to bottom has the best roster. And I do believe this is a team that wins the acc. But yeah, just I, I think on paper there are definitely some questions right. About this Duke team that John Shire in this program will have to answer and they're going to have some challenges building this roster and, and competing at the top of the ACC this season.

[A]

Like, barring a surprise, Cam Boozer is going to be the star. Yeah, Dame Sar is well thought of, but not as highly thought of as Cedric Coward. So I do believe the Coward out SAR in is a net negative. Even if SAR is good, it's a net negative. And then like Caleb Foster is talented, Isaiah Evans is talented, Patrick Gangba is talented. But they were all talented last year and had minimal roles. You know, none of them played even 15 minutes per game. Now, the counter to that is, well, yeah, dummy, they had lottery picks in front of them. All right? And perhaps, perhaps that press will look up in December and go, well, now I see why these guys weren't playing. They were capable. They just had lottery picks in front of them. But now, look, Duke's awesome again, you know, as always, we'll see. But you're asking guys who have been in your program, at least three guys who have been in your program and had, you know, not prominent roles, to now perhaps be three of your five starters. And that's not the way. That's not what Duke did last year. And so we'll see preseason top 10 team as high as number two in the computers, preseason favorite in the ACC. But I think it is fair to have some question marks about exactly how talented the roster is relative to. Only to, to what we're used to talking about and thinking about when, when we're talking about Duke basketball. Let's move on. We're going to run through the five biggest storylines in the ACC heading into the season. At least in my opinion. We'll do that next. I'll run through them. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. We'll get Kyle's thoughts on each one of them. We'll do it next. First, let's get a word from our partner. FanDuel's got an offer. You don't want to miss this NFL season. New customers can bet just $5 and get 300 in bonus bets if you win. That's right. Pick a bet. Bet five bucks. And if it wins, you'll unlock 300 bucks in bonus bets to use all across the app. You can build parlays, bet player props, ride the live lines. Whatever your style, FanDuel has you cover, the NF is here. The only question is, are you ready to play? Visit FanDuel.com I that's e y e to download the FanDuel app today and get started.

[C]

Must be 21 + and present in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana. Permitted parishes only Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia or Wyoming. FanDuel is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas Star Casino LLC. First online real money wager only $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued is now withdrawable. Bonus expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See [e-mail] gambling problem call 1-800- gambler or visit fanduel.com rg in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, call 1-800- NEXT STEP or text NEXT STEP to 53342 in Arizona 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chadinconnecticut 1-800-9 with it in Indiana, 1-800-522-4700 or visit ksgamblinghelp.com in Kansas, 1-877-770 stop in Louisiana, gamblinghelp.org in Maryland, visit 1-800gambler.net in West Virginia or call 1-800-522-47 00 in Wyoming, hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPE NY in New York or visit OASAS.NY.gov gambling standard text messaging rates apply. Sports betting is void in Georgia, Hawaii, Utah and other states where prohibited.

[A]

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[B]

The answer is yes. I've covered him a few times GP here over the last year cover calling games on NBA tv. He's played at Columbus, Columbus and and my God he is a good basketball player. Adam Finkelstein, whose evaluations I really Trust wrote on 247 Sports the surest thing in high school basketball is Cam Boozer and I think you have to agree with that. If you, if you watch him, he's super competitive, he's versatile, he can play both inside and out. There's not a lot of weaknesses in his game. And you know Boozer, if the name sounds familiar, it obviously should. He's the the latest in a long line of former NBA player sons to to make this jump up to the college level at the high major level. Carlos Boozer son obviously joins the list that you know includes Bronnie James. Last year it was Jace Richardson, Jason Richardson's son, Dylan Harper, Jaren Jackson, you know, it's a long list and I think so his upbringing as someone whose father played competitively in college at the NBA level He's, he's a very mature player for his age. And I think at Duke he is going to be a superstar. I actually project him GP and I know there will be some marks and people really like Darren Peterson and AJ DeBonsa. I actually project him to be the number one pick in next year's class. You know, I think in terms of projecting to the next level, Peterson and debona, you know, a guard and a wing may make more sense. But Boozer is just so solid at so many different things. And I think at Duke next season we will see him emerge as a top five player in college basketball and all American and potentially the number one pick in the 2026 NBA draft.

[A]

Yeah, I think he's going to be great. I had somebody describing this way to me once upon a time before Peterson sort of entered the conversation as top prospect in the class, it was mostly a conversation about Boozer and debancer. And I had somebody tell me, if you're drafting for the NBA, go to Bansa. If you are trying to win a basketball game tonight, take Boozer. Yeah, and that is maybe his greatest attribute at the prep level is he always won. His teams won everything. I mean Peach jams, state championships. If it was a competition and you made a bracket and you put a trophy at the end of it, his team was holding the trophy more often than not. So incredible intangibles like that and then like not to take away from the individual ski. He's like a legitimate top five NBA prospect as well. So total winner made of the right stuff and should be overwhelming at Duke. I don't know that I expect him to match Cooper Flag's freshman season. Certainly not Zion's freshman season. But could he be the best freshman in the country and by extension the best player in the country? Yeah, I could, I could see that story. Number two, Louisville loaded and probably the biggest challenger on paper to duke in the ACC. They're 11th at Torbeck. Fifteenth I have them in the top 25. And one. What do you make of the team that Pat Kelsey has put together?

[B]

I'm excited to watch Louisville. I wish I had my Pat Kelsey glasses. They are around here somewhere. I was looking for them. I'm all in on Louisville this season. I, I do believe Duke is, is going to be the the team to knock off in the acc. But I did an exercise for CBS Sports here recently ranking the top 25 programs the last 25 years. Obviously Louisville was in there. I also projected the top 25 teams over the next 25 years I put Louisville at number three behind Kansas, behind Duke, ahead of Kentucky in the Bluegrass State. And that is my belief in Pat Kelsey. He flipped this thing right away. They were 8 and 24 the year before he took over last year, 27 and 8 in his first season. And he's already recruited at a really high level. And I think the optimism, the momentum surrounding this program is palpable. Mike L. Brown, Jr. I think he's going to be the truth. He's a five star point guard, I think a sleeper candidate. We're talking about number one picks in this 2026 NBA draft. He is absolutely, I think, going to be a top five pick in this next year's really strong transfer class as well. Isaac McNeely, Ryan Conwell. Kelsey knows how to coach. He's. He's very schematically sound with his X's and O's. I think they're gonna be really good on defense this season. Offensively, I believe they will take a step forward because of Mikel Brown and how good he is developing as a playmaker, as a facilitator. So Louisville is going to be the biggest threat to Duke in the acc. Is. Is. Are you buying that? Are you selling that?

[A]

No, I'm buying that. I think that's true. I love like capital L, O, V, E. Love what they did in the transfer portal because they didn't just go out and get the best players they could get. There seemed to be a real purpose behind what they did. Yes, they value shooting and they prioritized it and they went out and bought it. Adrian Woolley, Kennesaw State. I was in studio for championship week last year, conference tournaments and was on a Kennesaw State game and got to see him and I'd seen him before but like he's a. Like I can remember sitting in studio and go and going, oh, he ain't gonna play there next year. You know, I remember thinking that. And so now Here we are. 42.2% from three on 5.2 attempts per game. They go get Ryan Conwell. Xavier, 41.2% from three on 7.1 attempts per game. They go and get Isaac McNeely from Virginia. 42.1% from three on 7.5 attempts per game. They added at least three high volume above 43 point shooters like that. That should translate. And that's why Louisville should win a game, not only make the NCAA tournament, but win a game in the NCAA tournament for the first time in a long time. Trivia time.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's interesting that you have Louisville as one of the top 25 programs of the past 25 years. I don't disagree. Louisville is one of the greatest basketball of all time. When's the last time Louisville won a game in the NCAA tournament? I have lived through this, and I would have gotten this wrong. So don't be embarrassed if you missed this, because I lived through it all and the answers still surprised me. I double checked it because it just seemed there's no way this is true.

[B]

Oh, the fact that it surprised you makes me think it's long longer ago than maybe I would expect. So in that case, I'm gonna go.

[A]

What?

[B]

Surely it's not 2013, right?

[A]

It's not that far back.

[B]

Okay. Okay. I'll file that as my official guess and you can tell me.

[A]

The last time Louisville won a game in the NCAA tournament was March 17, 2017 over Jacksonville State. Rick Patino was the coach and Donovan Mitchell was the best player.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

It's been almost a decade since Louisville won a game in the NCAA tournament.

[B]

2017.

[A]

March 17, 2017. It, like, it is incredible that that program has gone through what it's gone through. We understand why and how, but the idea that as somebody who grew up on the Metro Conference and followed that program closely my entire life, the idea that it could sink to the depths that it sank to, literally unimaginable, and the idea that it is October 6, 2025, and the Louisville men's basketball program hasn't won a game in the tournament since March 17, 2017, is insane. But. But it's true. That should change, though, this year because of the transfer class, in part because the transfer class Pat Kelsey put together, if you care about these things, it was ranked as the third best transfer class at 247 sports behind only St. John's and Michigan. Another big story in the ACC heading into the season. Hubert Davis. He's entering year five at North Carolina, seemingly very much on the hot seat. Question, it's a hard one. Is Hubert Davis still the coach at UNC on April 1, 2026?

[B]

Tough question. I'm gonna go with no. I'm gonna go with no.

[A]

Second question, is Bill Belichick still the coach at UNC on April 1, 2026?

[B]

Less tough question. I'm gonna go with no. I'm gonna go with no.

[A]

I think it's possible both those. Both those answers are are no. Although here's. Here's. Here's my ultimate belief on where we're at with Hubert Davis in North Carolina. I think his next bad season will be the last one, no matter when it is. We get to a place like this sometimes. It happened to Tom Crane at Indiana. They get to a place where they, they're tired of you, they don't want you and they're waiting for your nest, your next bad one, so they can get you. And then Tom won the Big Ten outright, so they couldn't fire him. It was like we just won the outright Big Ten title. And then the next year, all those feelings from before, they're still there. And I think Og Anunoby got hurt. They weren't that good. Boom, they get him. Sometimes coaches, particularly at places like this, they're just waiting. They're already at a place where the next bad one's going to get you. And it doesn't matter if it's two years from now, you can have a good season, good season, the next bad one, it's over, barring extreme circumstances. And that's where I think we are with so here's what I'm about to say. I don't know if he'll be the coach on April 1, 2026. I think he could because I think they could be good. You know, I've got North Carolina in the top 25 and one by definition that means I think they're going to go to the NCAA tournament. Now, I don't know that it's as simple as make the tournament. You get to keep your job because at North Carolina the standard should be higher than that. But I, I I. It's not hard for me to imagine a scenario where even if UNC fans, some of them are ready to move on, he does enough this year to keep his job. But I don't think he's long for this job. I, I Once it gets to be such an up and down experience becomes it just becomes hard to manage and hard to maintain. And if he has a good season this season, he'll keep the job. If he doesn't, he won't. But even if he has a good season this season, if the next season's bad, the next bad one is going to be the one where he doesn't survive it. For some background, he's made one Final Four, but also missed the NCAA tournament one year after ranked number one, barely got in last season. Lost in the round of 64, but probably shouldn't have got in at all. So it's been disappointing. Some real highs, but too many lows, not enough consistency. I think he'll do enough to keep his job this year. But I don't know if it's possible for him to be that coach, say, three years from now. I just think they're gonna. They're gonna get him at some point.

[B]

Yeah, you've said this several times over the years. I will just reiterate it. Once you get on the hot seat, it's really hard.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

To get off of it. That's why you oftentimes see coaches, you know, bounce from a situation where you're like, okay, why would they leave. Just as an example, why would they leave North Carolina for Virginia Tech? Or, you know, why would you maybe downgrade? Well, a lot of times coaches know that you have to be ahead of it. You have to know that, you know, potentially the. The next bad season or underwhelming season will end up being your last. That is absolutely. I think, where Hubert Davis finds himself right now. This. This off season for Carolina has been very interesting in that I think they've done a pretty good job of throwing support, at least publicly, behind Hubert Davis. They. They've downplayed maybe the pressure that is truly facing him. They. They doubled down. They hired Jim Tanner as their first gm, Almost indicating that, you know, maybe some of the lack of success isn't entirely on Hubert Davis. I don't know if that's entirely true, but I think he has the support necessary to win this season. A high level. I do believe North Carolina makes the NCAA tournament, but I also think it's hard to ignore that, largely speaking, this program has gone wayward in ways that Carolina should not be. You know, they had the title game appearance in Hubert's first season as an eight seed in 2022. They missed the tournament, you know, one seed and then flame out in the Sweet 16, barely made the tournament last year. So in this environment, GP you can flip things completely. We saw that happen with Pat Kelsey in Louisville last season. I. I think the expectations at North Carolina are to flip it in a way that you have to make deep NCAA tournament runs every single year. Fair or not, those are the expectations. And I think barring a deep NCAA tournament run this season, Hubert Davis may find himself out of a job by the time we reach the end of next season.

[A]

You're exactly right that once you get on the hot seat, you almost never get off of it. That's why my advice to coaches, you know, none of this advice is in a vacuum. You know, there's family stuff that plays into it, all sorts of stuff that plays into it, contract stuff. But. But take all that, set it aside. I Think sometimes coaches who find themselves on the hot seat, then they have a good year. They think, okay, now I'm cool. No, you're not. Rather than have that good year and think you're cool, have that good year and use it as a way to bounce out. Because the next time things start to go bad, you're right back on that hot seat list. At the job you currently have. Now at a place like North Carolina with Hubert Davis, that becomes very difficult because it's his alma mater. You know, I don't think I could reasonably tell Hubert Davis, you need to have one good year, one more good year, and then get out of there. Because it's like, you know what? This is the only reason I even want to coach college basketball is to do it in Chapel Hill. So, no, but I. I can remember having this conversation with Ben Howlen at. And I want to say it was during his last year at UCLA when the temperature had got turned up and Bill Walton was killing him on TV every week. And it became clear like the. It was, they were pushing. They were pushing, wanted to play faster, wanted, blah, blah, blah. And I want to say the year before his last year at ucla, Ben was offered a Power conference job. They came at him, lots of money, and he didn't take it, obviously. But with the benefit of hindsight, I remember him thinking, maybe I should have. And he was like, but what do you do? I'm the coach at ucla. I've got a great recruiting class coming in. I think I'm going to be good. I don't want to walk away from that, plus my dream job, plus Southern California. But now look, they're about to get me, you know, and, and I could have seen this coming. You probably saw this coming. And that year they were winning the Pac 12 and they still got him. He won the Pac 12 outright and they still fired him. I believe it's the first time in history that a Power Conference coach has been fired immediately after winning a Power conference outright title without some sort of scandal being connected to it. They just said, we want a new coach. So your advice is good. It's the advice I would give to most coaches in these types of situations. I don't know that it applies to Hubert exactly, because it's just a different dynamic when it's your. When it's your alma mater. Let's move on in. In more exciting times. They're fired up in Raleigh. Will Wade is now the head coach at NC State. How do you expect. How do you expect this one to go Pretty good. I do, sir.

[B]

Pretty good, right. Like Will Wade, kind of an exciting fit at NC State. A great coach and you know, reading the, the candid coaches series that you and Norlander did a great job with, you can read [e-mail] One thing that jumped out to me cons recently was virtually every coach that mentioned NC State or mentioned Will Wade not only mentioned that he was, you know, a great hire, but also a great fit at a place like NC State. One coach called him, I think it was the gangster.

[A]

Oh sure, yeah. And so like he's also like a little. He's an agitator.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

And I think at NC State, when you were looking up your whole life at Duke in North Carolina, having an agitator who is comfortable in that role, who is comfortable stepping up and talking to Duke, to North Carolina, I think can be helpful.

[B]

Absolutely. And so, you know, at a place like NC State, you're competing in the triangle for attention with Duke fans, with Carolina fans. You need someone who is an agitator. You need someone who has an edge to him. Will Wade absolutely has an edge to him. And you know, I think this season is going to be interesting. They, they got Darian Williams from Texas Tech out of the portal along with seven other portal additions. And that is how Will Wade has won over the years. That's how he's won at a high level and flipped programs quickly. I remember GP watching Will Wade's introductory press conference when he took over at McNeese. The team had back to back 11 win seasons before he took over. And he called a shot at his intro presser and said, we will be winning and we'll be doing it quickly. And he paid it off very quickly. They won 30 games in his first year, 28 in his second year. They won the Southland Conference in each of those two seasons. And you know, he just has this, this swagger to him, this edge to him that he's confident, you know, not only in his ability to scout, to evaluate, but also in his ab to coach and develop. Like this is not a situation, this is not an environment in college basketball where you know, you need two or three years to develop guys to eventually implement your system. Like, he knows the temperature is up, he knows that the expectations are high not only here in the next couple of years, but right away. And so I think the expectations for NC State should be high this season. I don't think they are going to shy away from that. I don't think Will Wade will shy away from that. I Think NC NC State will be in the NCAA tournament this year. I think they'll be a top three finisher in the acc. And if you're an NC State fan, like that has to be pretty exciting given the kind of up and down roller coaster nature here over the last couple years.

[A]

Super exciting. And you know, they got into the transfer portal and they got some recognizable names from big programs. I mean, Trey Holloman, we've all watched Trey Holloman 6, you know, win things at Michigan State. Terence Arsenault, like we, you know, he just went to a Final Four at Houston. Darren Williams was on an Elite Eight team, averaged 15 points for an Elite 18 at Texas Tech. Van Allen Lubin has won some stuff at North Carolina.

[B]

So.

[A]

They'Ve put together a roster that's got some, you know, that's a, that's a probably a top 35 roster in the, in the country. So I think they're going to be good. Will has come in and done exactly what I assumed he would do, which is get, remake the roster overnight. And so I believe he was. When we asked in the candid coaches the, you know, more than 100 coaches, the question who was the best hire of 2025? I was. Ben McCollum was the leading vote getter, but I believe Will was second. And when people say he's a good fit at NC State, I get that. I understand what they mean, I know why they say it. But I think the whole gangster, you know, strong ass offer stuff has sort of overshadowed another thing about Will Wade that's easy for people to miss. And it's that in addition to being a good fit at NC State and a gangster and all that stuff, you know what? He is a damn good basketball coach. Yep, he's a damn good basketball coach in seven of the eight, seven of the past eight seasons that he's been a head coach and there's been an NCAA tournament. So forget 2020. Will Wade has made the field whether he was at VCU, LSU or McNee State. Seven of the past eight seasons he was a head coach and there was NCAA tournament. He coached in the NCAA tournament that year. And I think after this season it's going to be eight of nine. He's a big personality, sure. Somebody who understands how to get things done, obviously, but he's a really good basketball coach too. And I think the other stuff has overshadowed that. You don't, you know, he's a winning at different levels, different places in the SEC, in the Atlantic 10, at McNeese. That's a, that's a talent. That's a talent and he's good and that's why this is a. If I were NC State, this is exactly what I would have done. They got the, they got the higher right and I think they're gonna get paid off of it. Paid off for it pretty quickly. Fifth storyline in the acc Ryan Odom now new coach at Virginia. I just said something I think I would apply to Ryan Odom as well about Will Wade if I were NC State. Like you never know whether these are going to actually go well. We have thoughts, we have opinions, but they're guesses, right. I think Will Wade's going to do well at NC State, but I can't promise you that. But I believe he was the right hire. You never know if they're going to work but sometimes there is a clear cut right hire. And I think this passed off season at NC State that was Will Wade. I think at Minnesota Nico Medved was just like we'll see if it works. But that's the guy guy. Yep. He's been running Colorado State. Well, he's from Minneapolis. You got the right guy at Iowa. Like they got the right guy. It's the right hire. Ben McCollum, he's from Iowa City. He's done amazing stuff. That's. And Virginia right higher. Like I don't know if it'll work. I think it will, but this is the guy. This was the only guy to hire. He's familiar with the area. He's won at different places and he did enough in the off season to get Virginia ranked 35th preseason at bartorvic.com.

[B]

Yeah, just a ton of connections right. With, with Ryan Odom and Virginia. That makes this an exciting hire if you're Virginia. Obviously he coached at UMBC for the 16 seed team that, that knocked off number one seed Virginia. Kind of a full circle moment. But you know, two like he lived in Charlottesville from, you know, third grade to 10th grade. He was a ball boy at Virginia home games in, in the 1990s and he's had success as a head coach previously. This is not a guy who just only has connections to the area. He was very successful at umbc, successful at Utah State and most recently obviously successful at vcu. So I think again you're talking about a program that struggled recently, very recently obviously because of Tony Bennett and how that era came to an end. But this is a Virginia program that under Tony Bennett was operating, you know, among the best programs in college basketball. They won a national championship And I think this is a program that is very, very committed to winning at a high level in the acc, to winning at a high level internationally as well. And Odom takes over at a spot where I think he's done a lot this off season to flip this program. And you can flip this program. I think the expectations should be very, very high this season.

[A]

So remember the Louisville trivia time. When's the last time the Cardinals won a game in the NCB tournament? Yeah. When's the last time Virginia won a game in the Instability tournament?

[B]

I'm gonna go 2022.

[A]

The Cavaliers won the national championship in 2019 and have not won a game in the NCAA tournament since.

[B]

My God. That's amazing. Yeah, that's amazing.

[A]

Yeah, they are. I saw this on the Internet last night. I hope it's true. They are the first national champion to not win a single game in the NCAA tournament in any of the subsequent five NCAA tournaments since the tournament expanded in 1985. I know that's a lot. They are the first national champion since 85. You win the trophy and then in the next five tournaments, you either don't make it or you make it and you lose. Wow. Making history. Making history.

[B]

And they had some good teams too. Like those were, those were teams that were either Indian tournament or, you know, winning 20 plus games consistently.

[A]

Those teams were still Tony Bennett teams.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, four of those teams were still Tony bit of teams and they never, never got a win and, and made history while, while doing it. So there's your five storylines. Now let's move on to how many bids we're going to get in the NCAA tournament. Last year you might remember the ACC only got four. Will they get more than that this season? I'll ask KB next. First though, let's get one more word from our partners.

[C]

When did making plans get this complicated?

[A]

It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail] what's up, everyone? It's Siya Najad from Fantasy Football Today dfs, a weekly NFL daily fantasy show that's a part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network. If you're looking for NFL game by game preview, which player's stock is up or down, and DFS strategies and advice. Mike McClure, Meg Shoup and I have you covered every single week. Download and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere podcasts are found. Make sure to turn on those notifications so you don't miss a single pick all season long. Good luck. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast Smart move. Being financially savvy Smart move. Another smart move having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state. All right, KB Last year the ACC got four teams in the NCAA Tournament. They were Duke, Clemson, Louisville, and with controversy, N.C. will the ACC exceed that this season? Say yes or else the ACC fans are going to be really upset.

[B]

Yes, let's, let's appease our ACC listers here. I think, I think the answer is going to be yes. I I, my guess would be six in the insta play tournament this year. Four was was the number last year. Five in 2024 and in 2023 and in 2022. Seven in 2021. So I'm gonna kind of split the split the difference here and go 6. I think it'll be Duke, Louisville, Carolina, NC State, Virginia.

[A]

I I think 5. I don't want to say forever say I think 5 for sure. Like you start talking about NCAA Tournament bids for sure on October 6th. You you're gonna get on old takes exposed. There are five that I would place in the field right now, some somewhat safely and that would be Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia, NC State.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And if we were going to try to get to a sixth, I think I would go to Clemson. But I might cut cut off right there at at five. For what it's worth, those five are all in the top 40 at Bart Torvik. Obviously top 40 in any computer guarantees nothing but that's sor range. Like if you're in the top 40 of these computers you're you're an at large candidate at the very least with with few exceptions. And so Torvik has five ACCs in the top 40 and then nobody else in the top 50. But at 51, Clemson 52, SMU 54, Miami. So I'll go five but I I could easily see a sixth sneaking in. But if you thought it was going to snap back to that place where it used to be or rival the SEC and Big 12 for bids. It doesn't, it doesn't look on paper at least like, like that's where we're headed. But you know, this is where you got to get some of these programs back into a good place. Anytime you're talking about a league and it seems down relative to what you're used to, it is almost always a byproduct of the programs you're used to. Being great have slipped and that has happened too much in the ACC in recent years. Louisville went through an awful thing, you know, for a couple of years with Kenny Payne. Pat Kelsey now has that back. But Louisville was a non factor despite being one of the biggest brands in the sport in the ACC for multiple years. That's a problem. North Carolina, we talked about that, but it's not where it should be. It's just not. All right. Virginia, I won a national champion 2019. Hasn't won a game of the tournament since 2019. Syracuse won a national championship in 2003. One of the biggest brands in the sport my entire life. They haven't been that relevant lately. Pitt went through a thing with Ben Howlen and Jamie Dixon where they were operating at the tip top of the sport consistently. That's been down a little bit. Florida State at the end of Leonard Hamilton dipped considerably. NC State went through a bad run last season. That's a big brand. Miami under Jim Larnega like went the final four and one ACC titles like finished dead last in the league last season. Wake Forest hasn't made the ac, hasn't made the NCAA tournament yet under Steve Forbes. Like that needs to change. So how do you get the ACC back to being one of the best leagues in the country? Some of these brands have to get back on track and in some ways that's Will's responsibility at NC State. It is Ryan's responsibility at Virginia and it, it needs to happen at places like Syracuse and Pitt and, and Florida State and Miami as well. It's hard to be the league you're supposed to be if the programs within your league aren't what they're supposed to be. And that has been a major factor with the ACC in, in recent years.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I, I think there's probably going to be a couple of X factors that could make this interesting. Maybe get six. Clemson feel like every year we write off Brad Brunell and, and you know, they, they resurrect and make it interesting. Smu, Miami, you know, I, I think there's some quality teams that could end up being on the bubble and. And maybe sneak in. But five feels to me like those five. Duke, Louisville, UNC, NC State, VA. The would be the five that I.

[A]

Would feel good about. Okay, before we get out of here, let's do some ACC awards. They're preseason awards, so they mean absolutely nothing, let's call it. But they're predictions and people enjoy them. So let's do coach of the year, Player of the Year, Freshman of the year. And I do think we need to start doing transfer of the year because those are going to be big factors in every league going forward. So you go ahead, hit me with yours first and then I'll hit you with mine.

[B]

All right. Player of the year. Drumroll please. Cam Boozer at Duke. Coach of the Year. The gangster himself Will Wade at NC State. Freshman of the Year. Well, if Cam Boozer's the player of the year, he's going to be the freshman of the year as well. And transfer of the year Ryan Conwell. I think he could have an all American caliber season this year. I think he's one of the more underrated transfers in College basketball. Averaged 16 1/2 points per game last season at Xavier. Great situation at Louisville. I'm very much in on the cards this year.

[A]

Totally agree. Player of the year, Freshman of the year. They both need to be camboozer. Every once in a while you'll get into a weird preseason magazine or even postseason award where somebody will be like, and this freshman was the national player of the year or the conference player of the year. But then they give the freshman of the year award to somebody else in the spirit of mixing it up and like, hate it because it is logically stupid. It doesn't make any sense. If you are the best player in the country and you are a freshman, by definition, you are the best freshman in the country. So if we are giving a trophy to the best freshman in the country, you have to get it.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Camboozer Play of the year. Camboozer Freshman of the year. I think Duke's gonna win the league. I don't believe that the coach who wins the league should be the coach of the year in that league every year without exception. But I also don't believe the best overachiever should get it either. Like, if you go to.

[B]

The if.

[A]

Let's just say Boston College is expected to finish at the bottom of the ACC and then Boston College, you know, actually finishes 10th in the ACC. I don't get all excited and be like, well, you know they finished way better than they were supposed to. I'm like, yeah, you still finished 10th and maybe you should have roster built a little better and you wouldn't have been projected to finish last. And, and, and you know, like the part of the job is not being the most important part of the job is creating a roster where you're not picked last. All right, so I'm not going to reward the guy who picks who unless he like is picked last and then wins the whole thing. That's amazing. But like pick last, finished ninth. Let's give him the coach of the year award. Like what? That don't even make any sense. Like you were supposed to be bad and you were, you were just a little better than we thought. That's not coach of the year stuff to me. So there's a lot of different ways to do this. I, I will go with John Shire here. I think Duke wins it. I think if you can win the ACC a year after losing all five starters, including the best player in the country, then then that is coach of the year stuff and he would be a worthy recipient. I, I'd listen to other arguments outside of the conference champion, like if Will Wade and NC State finished second in the ACC one game back at Duke, but like they're sixth in the country heading into the tournament. Well then, and Duke's like third in the country. Well then I can maybe make the argument for Will Wade there because.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

You know, took over a bad situation, flipped it very quickly and then, and then you know, coached it above expectations. Like I, but for now I'll just go best coach or coach of the best team in the league. I think that'll be John Shire and then transfer of the year. I want Darren Williams at NC State from Texas Tech. Fifteen points, five and a half rebounds last season for a team that finished ninth at Kenpo after advancing to the lead eight of the 2025 NCAA tournament. So I mean that should be among the surest things in this, this is a, this isn't. Well, you have big numbers for a bad team or big numbers in a mid major conference. This is big numbers in a power conference for a top 10 team. That's what this guy did. That's. There's no holes in that. He produced well for one of the best teams in the country. I don't think there's any reason to think he won't be able to do that again this year. Do I think NC State's going to be as good this season as Texas Tech was last season. No, not. No. But they can be. And if they are, he will. He'll either be the biggest part of it or one of the biggest parts of it. Yep.

[B]

I agree with you. I agree, GB I had the under 0.5 for Boston College references, so.

[A]

Damn it, man. Damn it.

[B]

I lost my bed.

[A]

I got him in. I got. I. I got bought. I was gonna get BC in. I was going to get VC in one way or one way or another. Like, in all, in fairness, like, this is where conference expansion just becomes difficult. Like, Boston College ends up in a league with Duke in North Carolina. But like, the idea that those basketball programs are. Are competing for the same conference championship, it's just. It's. It's. It's. It's a hard job. It's a hard job. I hope the paychecks are good. Very, very difficult job. All right, let's call that an ACC preview and let's get out of here. Shouts to Devin Downey. Shouts to Chester, S.C. shouts to Terry Teagle. He's a legend. Hook Lauren L. Thank you guys once again for watching and listening to the Ion College Basketball Podcast. If you're not subscribed, please go subscribe anywhere you subscribe to podcasts, Apple, Spotify, more of us than there are of them. That should be reflected in the comments. So do that and we'll talk to you again real soon. Till then, take care.

[C]

Paramount Podcasts.

[A]

Tulsa is my home now.

[C]

Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone stars in.

[A]

The Paramount plus original series. Tulsa King. This distillery is a very interesting business, and we got to know the Internet from Taylor Sherry, co creator of Landman. What are you saying? I'm all right if you think you're going to take me out. It's going to be really difficult. Tulsa King new season now streaming exclusively on Paramount Plus.