Monday, November 4th, marks the ACC’s opening night for basketball with 15 teams in action. The three remaining teams will play their opener on Wednesday, November 6th. With the season fast approaching, there are several key storylines to keep an eye on.
ACC Opening Night: A ‘Flagg’ed Debut and Other Top Headlines
Duke: Cooper Flagg’s Debut
Freshman Cooper Flagg’s long-awaited arrival to college basketball arrives when Duke opens their season Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET at home against Maine. A Maine native himself, Flagg looks to begin his career in spectacular fashion on ACC opening night.
Although there are some prospects who could be the first overall pick over Flagg, he is largely considered to be the top prospect in the upcoming NBA draft. Will we see the Flagg that many people expect following his stellar performance at the U.S.A. Basketball scrimmages this summer? Or will we see a freshman who has yet to play a competitive basketball game in college? All eyes will be on Flagg to see whether he fits the bill against an inferior opponent.
For Duke, the matchup against Maine on opening night represents a warm up for what will be a difficult non-conference slate. Matchups against Kentucky, Arizona and Kansas will put Flagg and the Blue Devils to the test. After losing each of their top four scorers from 2023-24, Duke will rely on junior Tyrese Proctor, who is the leading returning scorer after averaging 10.5 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Flagg and Proctor need to show flashes of stardom together early in the season. Duke will also rely on other star recruits to bring key support from the beginning. They only have two games before a big showdown against Kentucky.
North Carolina: ACC POY Davis Returns
Fifth-year senior RJ Davis, the reigning ACC player of the year, begins his campaign to defend his title on Monday at 9:00 p.m. ET at home against Elon. He may only be 6-foot tall, but he can score as well as any player in the country. He averaged 21.2 points per game last season, while also adding 3.5 assists.
There will be an increased pressure on Davis to perform on ACC opening night without Armando Bacot, a star of the last five North Carolina teams who averaged 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game over his 169-game career. Davis will be asked to do more, but he will need help from their recruits.
Junior Ven-Allen Lubin, a transfer from Vanderbilt, will be asked to provide some or all of the lost scoring and rebounding. At 6-foot-8, North Carolina will welcome his 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds following Bacot’s departure.
Can Davis star with the help of his new counterpart? Will North Carolina rebound well enough to support their high-flying point guard? Monday will give us the first look.
Virginia: The Beginning of the Post-Tony Bennett Era
For the first time since 2008, the Virginia Cavaliers will not have Tony Bennett on the sideline for ACC opening night. Bennett led Virginia to the national championship in 2019. His defensive style has been a staple of college basketball since his arrival at Virginia. Despite some recent disappoint in the NCAA basketball tournament, Bennett’s departure from the programs was abrupt and unexpected.
He spoke to reporters less than a month before the season to outline his reasoning.
“The game and college athletics is not in a healthy spot. It’s not. And there needs to be change, and it’s not going to go back. I think I was equipped to do the job here the old way. That’s who I am.”
If one needs further proof that the college basketball landscape is changing faster with every passing moment, look at this quote and the last five years for Bennett. So what is next for Virginia moving forward?
Associate head coach Ron Sanchez will take over the head spot for the season. He looks to carry Virginia to another NCAA tournament bid starting on Wednesday at home against Campbell at 7:00 p.m. ET. He previously coached for five years at Charlotte, leading them to a record of 72-78.
Can Virginia return to their 2019 self and compete again for both an ACC and NCAA championship? Or will the decline continue with a struggle against a mediocre Campbell team in Charlottesville?
A Sleeper Team to Watch on ACC Opening Night: Miami
Sleeper teams appear frequently in a conference as hectic as the ACC. Duke and North Carolina are (almost) always found at the top of the standings, but the rest of the standings differ drastically from year-to-year. Miami hopes that they are the team who fits the bill this season.
Recently marked as a sleeper contender for the conference, Miami finished last season 15-17. Miami made the Final Four in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, but they struggled to find their footing last year.
Senior Nigel Pack returns to provide them with a veteran presence with averages of 13.3 points and 3.6 assists per game last season. Miami will also rely on senior Stetson transfer Jalen Blackmon to provide his own scoring following his 21.3 points per game in 2023-24.
They face off against a former cinderella team in Fairleigh Dickinson in Miami on Monday, November 4, at 7:00 p.m. ET. How well will these new and old parts merge together?
They may not have a difficult matchup to start the season, but it will be important to watch their early season progression. They have huge non-conference matchups against Arkansas and Tennessee. With a very light non-conference schedule besides the SEC powers, Miami will need to play perfect and set themselves up for solid showings against them.
Pitt: Will a Tournament Snub Lead to a Hot Start?
The ACC lived on the bubble for each of the last three NCAA Tournaments. Pittsburgh found themselves on each side of the bubble in the past two seasons. Many people believed that they were a skilled side who could compete with any team in the country last season. Their season ended with a seven-point loss to future one-seed North Carolina in a hard fought game. They rejected a bid to the NIT.
Pittsburgh was punished for their non-conference schedule. According to the NET rankings released by the NCAA, the average ranking of their non-conference opponents was 215. They lost to Florida, the only opponent inside the top 150 of the rankings, and took a bad home loss to Missouri.
It hurt the Panthers, but they learned their lesson. Pitt scheduled 4 teams who finished in the top 100 of the NET rankings last season (Mississippi State, Ohio State, LSU, and Wisconsin/UCF).
Senior Ishmael Leggett returns as a key piece for the Panthers along with sophomore Jaland Lowe. The two guards will sure up a backcourt that lost Carlton “Bub” Carrington to the NBA draft and senior Blake Hinson, the leading scorer and three-point marksman.
Watch for Leggett and Lowe to lead a young Pitt team to another trip to the NCAA Tournament bubble. Pitt opens their season Monday against Radford in Pittsburgh at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Weak Conference?
Many people are considering the ACC to be a conference of mediocrity again. ACC opening night will be the first look at a conference that looks to improve its public perception. Louisville looks to make a rapid improvement under first-year head coach Pat Kelsey. Notre Dame has a star in sophomore Markus Burton and looks to improve on the strong finish to last season. Many people consider Wake Forest to be a contender for the conference title and NCAA tournament bid, led by senior Hunter Sallis.
In short, there are many storylines to watch on ACC opening night. People may not consider the conference to be one of the best in basketball. However, there is plenty of drama, and plenty of superstars, to make the first week of ACC basketball exciting.
Every team is 0-0. Buckle up. It’s going to be a long ride.
