ACC preseason power rankings

Usually regarded as one of the top leagues in college basketball, the Atlantic Coast Conference may experience a bit of a down season in 2009-10, when North Carolina will likely be the only Final Four-caliber team.

Still, that doesn’t mean the conference won’t be entertaining to follow.

As much as any league in the country, this ACC edition will be defined by depth and parity – meaning there will probably be a lot of close games and thrilling finishes. Even the conference’s lower-tier teams, such as Virginia, should be much improved.

Here’s a look at the ACC power rankings heading into the 2009-10 school year:

North Carolina – Even with the loss of Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington to the NBA, there’s no way the Tar Heels don’t repeat as conference champs. Ed Davis, Deon Thompson and Tyler Zeller give UNC one of the nation’s top frontcourts, and freshman forward John Henson is as talented as any recruit in the country. The biggest question mark is at point guard, where sophomore Larry Drew steps in for Lawson.

Duke – The loss of Gerald Henderson to the NBA and the transfer of Elliot Williams to Memphis will keep the Blue Devils from being an elite team in the 2009-10 campaign. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be good. The lack of depth on the perimeter will force Duke to become more of a threat down low, where Miles Plumlee must develop into a significant contributor. Freshman point guard Andre Dawkins left high school a year early to enroll at Duke. His performance will be key.

Wake Forest – Jeff Teague and James Johnson are gone, so the Demon Deacons won’t be nearly as good as the squad that was ranked No. 1 for much of the 2008-09 season. But it’s not as if Wake Forest won’t be a threat. Al-Farooq Aminu is poised for a breakthrough year after bypassing the NBA to return for his sophomore season, and center Chas McFarland and Tony Woods provide an underrated presence down low. Ishmael Smith takes over for Teague at point guard.

Maryland – Gary Williams’ squad battled back in the face of criticism last year and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament, where they advanced to the second round with a victory over Cal. The team’s best player, Greivis Vasquez, returns after averaging 17.5 points, but the Terps need other players to step up and take some pressure off their star. A few possibilities are Sean Mosley, Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes.

Georgia Tech – This may seem too high for a team that won just two conference games last season, but there are no truly great teams in the ACC this year other than North Carolina – which means the ultratalented Yellow Jackets can win any game on their schedule. The frontcourt duo of Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors, both future first-round NBA draft picks, should be lethal. Look for guard Iman Shumpert to shine in the absence of departed standouts such as Lewis Clinch.

Clemson – No team has underachieved the past two years as much as the Tigers, who have now lost back-to-back first-round games in the NCAA tourney. It’s a shame because Oliver Purnell’s squad has been loaded with talent – and it will be once again in 2009-10. Trevor Booker, a returning All-ACC selection, is a beast on the boards. Demontez Stitt returns at point guard while highly touted newcomer Noel Johnson will help ease the loss of sharpshooter Terrence Oglesby, who left school after two years to play overseas.

Virginia Tech – Talentwise, the Hokies are an NCAA tournament-caliber team. Heck, they were last year too, but inconsistency kept the Hokies out of the Big Dance and forced them into the NIT. Coach Seth Greenberg is hoping that’s not the case this year. The loss of A.D. Vassallo hurts, but returning point guard Malcolm Delaney is a stud who plays his best in big games. Mix in forwards J.T. Thompson and Jeff Allen, and the Hokies have enough pieces to scare any opponent.

Florida State – Standout guard Toney Douglas spearheaded a phenomenal season for the Seminoles a year ago. The question now is whether they can maintain the momentum. Douglas is gone, but head coach Leonard Hamilton says that Derwin Kitchen is more than capable of filling his role. No Seminole, though, is causing as much buzz as center Solomon Alabi, who could play his way into the NBA draft lottery with a successful season. Freshman Michael Snaer is one of the ACC’s most touted newcomers.

Miami – Not many players could get as hot last year as Hurricanes guard Jack McClinton, who averaged 19.3 points. With McClinton gone, Miami may be in trouble. Villanova transfer Malcolm Grant faces the unenviable task of replacing McClinton at point guard. Second-leading scorer Dwayne Collins tinkered with the idea of turning pro before deciding to come back. The biggest difference-maker could be DaQuan Jones, a swingman who played sparingly last season as a freshman.

Boston College – Even with four starters returning, B.C. may be in for a rebuilding year. That’s how much departed star Tyrese Rice meant to the program. Rice averaged 16.9 points and 5.3 assists in leading the Eagles to a 22-12 record last season. Joe Trapani, Rakim Sanders and Cory Raji are back after combining to average 36.2 points and 17.1 rebounds last year, so the cupboard is far from bare. The Eagles, though, have only one senior (Tyler Roche) and no proven three-point threat.

Virginia – The Cavaliers hired one of the top young coaches in the country when they plucked Tony Bennett from Washington State during the offseason. Now we’ll see how quickly that move pays off. Virginia is hoping an increased emphasis on defense will lead to additional scoring opportunities for standouts such as Sylven Landesberg. Sharpshooter Tristan Spurlock and point guard Jontel Evans are both freshmen who will be expected to contribute – if not start – immediately.

N.C. State – Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe could be on the hot seat if things don’t improve this season. That won’t be easy. The Pack lost their top three scorers in Brandon Costner, Ben McCauley and Courtney Fells and, instead of enrolling in Raleigh, standout newcomer Lorenzo Brown ended up at Hargrave Military Academy. Look for forward Tracy Smith to pick up some of the scoring load after averaging 10 points last season.